Re: FW: Greetings, Community Gardens, and County Agencies

**M*@aol.com**

Liz,

Our Cooperative Extension in Milwaukee County develops and manages most of 
the community gardens here.  Most of their plots are not raised beds and they 
usually are 20x20 or 30x30 in size.  Water sources are usually located a 
distance from plots (usually hydrants).  The problem for them, of course, is 
tenureship.  They work seasonal leases with property owners to rental 
gardens, leaving them vulnerable to development.  Those landowners are 
usually city and county government.  The largest rental garden is on county 
property where there are 1,003 rental plots.  Currently, those plots are 
scheduled for demolition due to a combination of uses: a proposed state DNR 
forest (advocated by many other environmental and greening organizations), an 
athletic field, and detention ponds.  Those plots represent 60% of the number 
of plots we have left in the county.  So you see, even if gardens are run and 
maintained by County Parks or Extension, they are still no guarantees that 
what resources and sweat equity gardeners put into their gardens will remain 
there forever.    Alternative uses for county parkland oftentimes can compete 
with gardens.  Plus, in our county, as in many others, our parks budget is 
continually targeted for cuts year in and year out.  Last, our extension 
staff are put in awkward situations where they essentially have a "gag order" 
from county officials when gardens are threatened.  

You should also be aware that Wisconsin has a Project FEEDS, a collaboration 
between Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural 
Development and Cooperative Extension.  Their goals are to establish a 
network of demonstration gardens throughout Wisconsin, cyberlink all 
community garden groups, establish a partnership with the green industry and 
Master Gardeners for expertise and materials, etc. etc.  I do know they meet 
regularly.

Hope that helps. 

Michael Salinas
Director
Milwaukee Urban Gardens
414-963-1162

PS  Hi Adam

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