RE: Community Garden land ownership

Brock,
The city of Huntsville has a 99 year lease ($1.00 a year) from the Redstone Arsenal Military Base for using the land we occupy (about 1.5 acres).  They told us if we need to grow, let them know and they will expand the garden as needed.  Of course, all our harvest goes to the senior citizens and homebound of Huntsville and Madison County.  What a deal for them!  They located us next to the Huntsville/Madison County Botanical Garden.
 
Strange but true.  Last year, an elderly gentlemen visited our garden.  He told me had once farmed the land we now occupied.  During WWII, the federal gov't forced all the farmers in this area off via acquisitions to create Redstone Arsenal which churned out military weapons.  Many years later, we now "farm" off this military base in our CG. Too bad not CGs have happy endings.  We are very fortunate.
 
Most CGs do not have site permanency.   Most CGs are vacant lots located in the city, so when urban revitalized occurs, the bulldozers crank up. Most CGs do not have a legal recourse under these conditions. 
 
If you have to move, try working with city officals to explore your options.  Maybe a nearby church has land not being used. 
 
Lastly, you may have to find another privately owned vacant lot to relocate your CG.  Maybe you can try this angle... if the lot is owned by a private individual named Judy Tiger... well... in order to secure site permanency, name the CG the "Judy Tiger Community Garden" in her honor.  Sometimes, you have to use your imagination to continue your passion for gardening.   
 
Hope this helps,  Jim Call
                         www.casagarden.com  
-----Original Message-----
From: community_garden-admin@mallorn.com [mailto:community_garden-admin@mallorn.com]On Behalf Of Brock
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 4:38 PM
To: community_garden@mallorn.com
Subject: [cg] Community Garden land ownership

     I am curious to know who owns the land on which most community gardens operate.  I ask because the land on which our community garden sits is privately owned and the owner is interested in selling.  Our local nature association is thinking about trying to purhase the land through a grant, but the price is quite high. 
 
     I would give me a better sense of what our options are if I knew how other community gardens operate with regard to land ownership.  I realize that responders can only reply about their own community garden ownership, but that would be helpful.
 
Thanks,
Brock Oyler,
President, The Salida Community Garden
Salida, CO
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