| Community gardens have been nurtured in America for over a century and tend to emerge during times of war, civil unrest, and / or economic downturns. These projects offer many opportunities for neighbors to come together to grow healthy foods, beautify their communities, serve as venues for creative expression, and provide a refuge from work obligations. This handbook covers the reasons for and benefits of community gardens. There has been a proliferation of community gardens in the southern Catskills over the past few years and this book presents the stories behind these projects. It also demonstrates how community gardens encourage civic engagement and offers advice about best practices based on the findings of a 2013 survey. Community gardening has positive ecological, sociological, psychological, aesthetic, political, and economic benefits for a neighborhood and promoting these benefits can offset some of society's problems both during times of hardship and prosperity. |
