The Common Ground Community Garden & Orchard has several goals: improve access to healthy foods, encourage physical activity, teach sustainable growing methods, grow community, promote self-reliance, and increase the local leadership capacity.
The community garden promotes sustainable growing methods, and prohibits the use of synthetic insecticides or pesticides. It is an allotment-style garden with both individual and communal plots. Plots are mounded into raised beds that are four feet wide by fifteen feet long. For $15 (or equivalent in sweat equity) per season (summer or winter) an individual/family can plant their own beds and enjoy their harvest as they choose. We are exploring sharing a portion of weekly harvest with food insecure residents of surrounding neighborhood, a designated food desert. Space-hogging crops like corn, watermelon, and okra get planted in communal beds and are tended collectively in exchange for a share of the harvest. Gardeners participate in the Garden Club, and elect leaders to oversee the day-to-day operations of the garden.
This season we built a composting station, and brought our main source of water to a convenient location inside the garden. We also began harvesting rain water from two sheds at the Food Park where our garden & orchard are located.
The orchard survived this summer’s heat without a functioning irrigation system. We plan to repair it before the spring.
2011
County:Lenoir
Participant Count:Less than 10
Organization:Plot/Allotment Garden
Plot Count:10-30
Type:Neighborhood/Public garden Size:1/4 acre to 1 acre
Primary Production:Vegetables
Secondary Production:Compost, Flowers/greenery, Honey (bees)
Culture/Language:English, Spanish
We aim to attract nearby residents of this designated food desert, but garden is open to all town residents
any Kinston resident who is interested
Nourishing NC, Lenoir County Farm Bureau, BCBS Foundation of NC, Fiskars Project Orange Thumb
Type | Name | Website | Phone | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Non-profit organization | Common Ground of Eastern North Carolina, Inc. | - | 252/560-2509 | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) |