COMMUNITY VEGETABLE GARDENS AS A METHOD FOR NEIGHBORHOOD EDUCATION IN SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING PRACTICES
Horticulture & Turfgrass
Richard Mohr
County Agricultural Agent
RUTGERS COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OF OCEAN COUNTY
TOMS RIVER
Abstract
Rich Mohr and Cara Muscio launched the Sustainable Landscapes Education Program in 2009, building a network of a dozen demonstration sites throughout Ocean County, New Jersey. These sites are owned and managed by a variety of community organizations, including municipal properties, planned adult communities, and faith-based organizations. Over half of these sites have a community vegetable garden as a component of their landscape. The community garden on each of these sites serves multiple functions. It provides low-cost, nutritious food to those in need. It serves as classroom for teaching horticultural best management practices. It offers an opportunity to those in the community who do not have land to garden to engage in this healthy outdoor activity. It provides shared experiences for community members to learn to work together to solve problems, and through this builds beneficial relationships within the community. The network is supported by real and virtual libraries of information provided by Rutgers Cooperative Extension and its local partners. As the program grows, so does the desire to among its participants to support each other and share celebrations at harvest. As on farms throughout our history, these gardens allow members to experience first hand the struggles, successes, and lessons learned in working together to meet the basic need of providing families with healthy food.
Authors: Mohr, * R. A. , Muscio, C.
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Mohr, * R. A. County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Of Ocean County, New Jersey, 08755
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Muscio, C. Marine Extension Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Of Ocean County, New Jersey, 08755