Re: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan: Business offers a Community Garden

**"Ken Hargesheimer" m*@gmail.com**

Several years ago here in Lubbock TX a guy has some land at the edge of the
heavily housed area and decided to rent out plots to people for gardening.
It failed but the reason is that people here will not garden.  The Food Bank
had 25 community gardens and most of them are now closed.  The Millers are
to be commended and let's hope it works.  Maybe a farm stand for gradeners
to sell to the public.

The proof that many people garden in London is evident when one takes the
train from Gatwick Airport to downtown.  Almost no vacant land;  all in
gardens.

Ken Hargesheimer

On 4/15/06, Adam36055@aol.com <Adam36055@aol.com> wrote:
>
> (http://staging.themorningsun.com/) Friends,
>
> This is intriguing and as far as I know, unique.
>
> Adam Smith's invisible hand is at work, and this time is creating a
> community garden.
>
> Consumer demand and information shared over the Internet have  inspired an
> entrepreneur to create a community garden, as a way of  utilizing land on
> his
> converted, working family farm.
>
> From the article attached below:
> "A few people have been asking about community gardens and Paul Gross from
> the (local) MSU Extension Office said they also get a lot of calls," said
> Bill
> Miller Jr., son of Bill "Papa" Miller and general manager. "I was doing
> some
> Internet research about it and found out that this is huge in Europe.
> Where
> they exist (in the U.S.) like Ann Arbor and California, they are also very
> popular."
> This is a link to the business: _http://www.papasfamilyfarm.com/_
> (http://www.papasfamilyfarm.com/)  and  to the community garden:
> _http://www.papasfamilyfarm.com/garden.htm_ (
> http://www.papasfamilyfarm.com/garden.htm)
> This is a start up, and while the paradigm that we have all known has been
> for community gardens to be started on rubble strewn urban wastelands,
> on
> public parkland, or as in Europe, allotments on the outskirts of cities
> and
> towns.
> For a family farmer to set up community garden plots as a "cash crop,"  is
> unique - renting out the south 40 to folks who don't have land to
> grow  veggies
> and flowers. If it helps him keep his farm and gets people gardening,  it
> seems to be one of the win-win's we're always looking for
> Regards,
> Adam Honigman
>
> Business offers a community garden
>
>
> By I_AN PATRICK  GRAY_ (i*@michigannewspapers.com)
> Sun Staff  Writer
>
> Local gardening  enthusiasts who live in apartments or otherwise do not
> own
> enough property  to indulge their green thumbs until recently had to make
> do
> with cramped  window boxes in the kitchen window.
> Beginning this year, however, gardeners can stretch their
> agricultural  wings
> with a community garden plot at Papa's Pumpkin Patch and Country  Farm
> Market, 3909 S. Summerton Road, near Mt. Pleasant.
> "A few people have been asking about community gardens and Paul
> Gross  from
> the (local) MSU Extension Office said they also get a lot of calls,"  said
> Bill
> Miller Jr., son of Bill "Papa" Miller and general manager. "I  was doing
> some
> Internet research about it and found out that this is huge  in Europe.
> Where
> they exist (in the U.S.) like Ann Arbor and California,  they are also
> very
> popular."
> Papa's is offering prospective gardeners plots of farmland starting at  20
> feet by 20 feet. Cost for the 400 square foot plots is $40 (10 cents  per
> square
> foot) for the season with a discount (5 cents per square foot)  for larger
> plots.
> "I guess that in California there are people who live in apartments  their
> whole lives and don't have the room to garden. They do this their  whole
> lives,"
> Miller said. "And in Europe, community gardens are a way of  life. We hope
> to
> make it a social event here too."
> Plots are available on a first come, first serve basis, Miller said.
> "There's not really a limit to how many we have; we've got a lot of  area
> here," Miller said. "We plowed it all last week. We'll have it all  worked
> up and
> ready to go when people start planting."
> Gardeners are responsible for their own tools and for the cleanup
> of  their
> areas, Miller said. Any chemicals or fertilizers also are the  renters'
> responsibility, but the manager retains final approval over any  such
> items.
> The Pumpkin Patch will provide the land, irrigation water, compost  area,
> clean rest rooms close to the gardening area, shelter from
> inclement  weather,
> bees to pollinate the plants, and gardening assistance. Miller
> is  finishing up
> a Master Gardening course through the Isabella County MSU  Extension
> office.
> Children are encouraged, but must be accompanied by the plot owner.
> "This really promotes gardening with kids," Miller said. "Kids see
> the  seed
> go in the ground and then when it starts to come up they are like,  'Wow,
> look
> at what it's doing.'"
> The future of the garden will depend in part on the reception this  year,
> but
> Miller hopes to expand it.
> "It evolves as people suggest things," he said. "Eventually, we hope
> to  have
> a community shed to store tools. And if we have to expand the  program, we
> will. The hope is for this to be long-term."
> The farm doesn't officially open until April 29, with the
> farm's  asparagus
> festival, but Miller said someone would be available to answer  any
> questions
> or to accommodate the early planters.
> Contracts for the community garden are available through the farm or
> at  the
> MSU extension office in the Isabella County building.
> For more information, call (989) 773-7750 or check out the Web site at:
> www.papasfamilyfarm.com.
>
>
> Click here to return to story:
> _http://www.themorningsun.com/stories/041506/loc_garden001.shtml_
> (http://www.themorningsun.com/stories/041506/loc_garden001.shtml)
>
>
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