Fw: Please help

Stats for composting:  "yard waste" accounts for approximately 70% of total 'dumping' material in landfills.  By composting, landfills won't max out as quickly.  And, this recycling will benefit gardens.  Thus, improving crops & their nutritional value...assuming chemicals are as close to nil as possible.
 
Stats for health:  Gardening for a hour a day reduces your risk for heart attacks by 60%.  This is assuming you are using manual tools which keep you very limber as well.  This 'exercise' provides oxygen to the brain which increase the adrenaline.
 
Check with Horticultural Therapy groups/schools' programs.  I know they have found benefit to mental & rehabilitative health.  However, I'm not sure of the actual stats.
 
As for stats on selling produce, check with a local farmers market.  Also, "Backyard Market Gardening: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Selling What You Grow" by Andrew W. Lee will give you a ballpark figure on profit margins.
 
After gathering your stats, you might want to read "Successful Community Leadership: A Skills Guide for Volunteers & Professionals" by John E. Tropman, a professor at Univ. of Mich.
 
Also, I have found this site very helpful http://www.askjeeves.com/ When you type in a very concise & clear question, several websites are provided to you using various search engines at the same time.
 
Bless you on your efforts.  Peace be with you.
 
Sincerely,
Cyndy Ross, Chairperson
Fellowship, SLLC Organic Community Garden, Memorial Garden, & 'Welcoming Wagon' committees
Sylvan Lake Lutheran Church
2399 Figa Avenue
W. Bloomfield, MI 48324-1808
 
Zone 6A
c*@tir.com
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: John Verin <j*@pennhort.org>
To: jennifergiustino <j*@avenew.com>; listserv cg <community_garden@mallorn.com>
Date: Thursday, May 11, 2000 9:57 AM
Subject: RE: [cg] Please help

Many official types like data, i.e. hard facts about what it will really do, how much bang for the buck etc.
The emotional or aesthetic appeal is also important to include, but may be lost on some.
Issues that may catch the ear of officials:
 
  1. Savings on municipal waste by getting gardeners to compost organic material vs. throw it out.
  2. Financial benefit to low income folk by growing their own ORGANIC produce (btw, organic produce has been proven nutritionally superior to conventional).
  3. Health care cost benefit if gardeners improve their health by eating fresh from the garden.
  4. Cost reduction to police/fire dept./hospitals since vacant land reclaimed by community gardeners reduces crime/violence, and gives children a place to learn community values, rather than criminal values.
  5. Other benefits to city's well-being as residents and children learn OWNERSHIP and ACCOUNTABILITY for the well being of their city.
  6. Potential for economic development: produce stand, garden center, value added products, horticulture/landscaping job training.
The list could go on and on (which proves how AWESOME gardening is for the world. Wake up and smell the compost, folks!).
 
Best wishes and Happy Gardening!
 
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: community_garden-admin@mallorn.com [mailto:community_garden-admin@mallorn.com]On Behalf Of jennifergiustino
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 7:20 PM
To: community_garden@mallorn.com
Subject: [cg] Please help

Greetings-
 
  I am writing from Forest Park, Illinois.  I would like to know how best to approach my village government about starting a community garden program.  Currently we do not have one, but I think such a program could add a great deal of vitality to our community as well as merge a wide range of ethnicities, races and classes.  We do have some public parks and of course there is a business district, where even a potted display of flowers would not hurt the eye.  Do you have any suggestions about how I might be able to approach my local government or how I could arm myself with information and credibility?  Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Jennifer Giustino
(708) 366-2947
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