Baltimore County Community Gardens? Education and Entrepreneurship Impact Consulting Fellowship Final Project Report Ridwan Ahmed, Aditya Deshpande, Mohit Jaju, Bhavin Kothari, Cristian Ortiz, Unwana Udoh under the supervision of Nima Farschi, Director, Center for Social Value Creation May 2021 PALS - Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability An initiative of the National Center for Smart Growth Gerrit Knaap, NCSG Executive Director Kimberly Fisher, PALS Director 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary .....................................................................................................................4 Project Background and Objective ..............................................................................................5 Methodology ..............................................................................................................................6 Survey .....................................................................................................................................6 Interviews ................................................................................................................................7 Garden Visit .............................................................................................................................7 Summary of Findings ...................................................................................................................8 Survey .....................................................................................................................................8 Interviews ................................................................................................................................8 Garden Visit .............................................................................................................................8 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................10 Awareness .............................................................................................................................10 Participation ..........................................................................................................................11 Appendix 1 ? Community Gardens List ......................................................................................13 Appendix 2 ? Survey Analysis ....................................................................................................15 Appendix 3 ? Sample information flyer on community gardening .............................................23 Appendix 4 ? Prototype subsite for community gardens ...........................................................24 3 Executive Summary Baltimore County Department of Parks and Recreations is responsible for the Community Gardens Program that makes individual plots in public spaces available to residents for the purpose of gardening. The objective of this project was to test the level of residents? awareness of existing community gardens, identify the reasons for lack of participation, and develop information resources on gardening to facilitate education and learning. The project team identified 14 existing community gardens in Baltimore County. To gather data on awareness and participation, the team developed and disseminated a County-wide survey, interviewed five master gardeners, and visited the Double Rock Community Garden in Parkville. Over the course of the project, the team held eight working sessions and four status meetings with the County, including the project kickoff and closeout meetings. Findings indicated that over 75 percent of survey respondents were aware of the Community Gardens Program and actively visited their assigned plots. Most of the residents actively involved in gardening were senior citizens and learned about the program by word of mouth. For the 25 percent of survey respondents who were unaware, over 85 percent indicated an interest in community gardening. To drive awareness, Baltimore County should develop a Community Gardens informational subsite, linked to the existing County website, to provide information on garden locations, participation requirements, and references for educational materials. Visually appealing flyers and social media could also be used to spread awareness. The availability of more community gardens to improve proximity, along with enhancing the design of community gardens, especially to support senior citizens, would likely lead to an increase in participation levels. 4 Project Background and Objective The Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks was created to provide recreational and leisure opportunities to the residents of Baltimore County. One such opportunity is the Community Gardens Program, which seeks to connect residents with food, land, and the natural environment through educational opportunities, interactive demonstrations, and authentic agricultural experiences. This is achieved by providing residents with gardening plots in county parks for a modest rental fee. The project focused on 14 community gardens in Baltimore County and was prompted by a County report that indicated a lack of community engagement and low levels of participation in some of these gardens. There was also no central repository for countywide information on community gardening. The project?s objective was to assess the level of awareness of the community gardens and to identify the reasons for low engagement, with the aim of increasing participation levels. The County also requested the development of educational and information programs to inform residents on the importance and necessity of agricultural development. This project was limited to developing improvement initiatives for existing community gardens and did not identify additional sites in the County for community gardening. 5 Methodology To test the level of awareness and identify the reasons for lack of participation, the team conducted an information-gathering survey, interviewed master gardeners, and visit a community garden. Survey The information gathering survey was designed to collect information from residents who were actively participating in community gardening to provide a generalized model that would help address common issues. The survey was developed as a flowchart with different questions to respondents based on their responses to previous questions (see Figure 1). This helped categorize respondents into different categories based on awareness, interest, and level of participation. The survey was conducted with the help of the County?s existing communication channels, targeted to respondents aged 18 and above. Figure 1: Survey Flowchart 6 Interviews The objective of the interviews was to speak with a selection of master gardeners to obtain feedback on their experiences and their ideas on how to drive awareness and increase participation. Questions ranged from years of experience with gardening and level of community participation to initiatives that could improve participation. Garden Visit The visit enabled the team to observe a community garden firsthand, engage with the master gardener or chairman on their experiences managing the garden, and learn areas where County intervention was required. The garden chosen for this visit was based on its proximity to the project team and the availability of the chairman. 7 Summary of Findings Survey Of the surveys 64 respondents, 40 percent were 65 years or older, suggesting that senior citizens are actively involved in community gardening. About 75 percent of survey respondents were aware of the community gardens program and had learned about it by word of mouth from family and friends. Meeting people and socializing with other gardeners was one of the top reasons for participation in community gardening. This suggests that creating awareness via existing social channels would be an effective way of improving participation. Over 80 percent of the survey who weren?t aware of the community gardening program indicated interest and provided contact details for future information. Detailed survey responses and a link to the survey are provided in Appendix 2. Interviews Suggested improvements from meetings held with master gardeners are summarized below: ? Leverage existing resources of the University of Maryland Extension service to provide training to interested participants. ? Provide more community gardens closer to residents? homes. ? Consider sidewalk vegetable gardening?growing in the green along sidewalks. Garden Visit A project team member visited the Double Rock Community Garden in Parkville. In this garden, each plot is about 440 square feet, with water and restrooms available to gardeners. At the time of the visit in March, all available plots were assigned with some residents waitlisted. The plots had already been tilled by the County and some gardeners were already working on their plots. Findings from this visit are summarized below: ? There is a high level of participation in this garden as evidenced by existing waitlist. ? The chairman expressed concerns with security as facilities have been vandalized in the past. 8 ? The chairman also requested that the County provide compost and garden soil that would hold moisture longer and provide more nutrition to plants. ? The chairman also requested additional recipes for a cookbook his wife was putting together for gardeners. Figure 2: Double Rock Park Community Garden 9 Recommendations Based on feedback received from the survey, interviews with existing gardeners, and a community garden visit, the following actions are recommended to improve awareness and participation. Awareness Social Media Survey results indicated that most of the existing gardeners learned about the program via word of mouth, while awareness via social media received no responses. The use of social media would thus provide an alternate channel to promote awareness, especially to younger residents. The County should leverage its existing social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter to post information and regular updates about community gardening, including featured locations, available gardening plots, and links to additional information, including educational resources. An Instagram account as well as a YouTube Channel would create a wider target audience and help to create more awareness. Information Flyers Flyers are one of the most effective ways to influence and spread awareness to the public. Visually appealing flyers should be developed and placed in public spaces to provide information for residents who may not be comfortable with social media. A sample informational flyer was developed and is in Appendix 3. Website A digital presence can spread awareness and educate both existing gardeners and residents who may be interested but don?t know how to participate. The County should build a subsite specifically for community gardening, which can be incorporated into the existing County website. This proposed subsite should include details on garden locations, rental fees, gardening rules, and informational resources. The site should have a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section to address common queries and a search feature that allows users search for specific content. Links to this subsite should also be posted on the County?s social media accounts and incorporated into informational flyers as a scannable barcode. A prototype subsite for the community gardens was built using Wix, a free website building tool, and site ownership transferred to the County. A snapshot of the site homepage is included in Appendix 4. 10 Participation Increase available garden locations The second largest reason for lack of participation according to survey respondents, was the proximity of existing community gardens to their residences and the limited availability of gardening plots. A second project will propose additional locations for future community gardens. Recommendations from this project should be implemented to increase the number of available gardens. Provide gardening education The County should consider providing information and ongoing training, especially for residents who interested in gardening but who lack experience. Educational content could be delivered online via the website and scheduled webinars, or offline via educational flyers and brochures. Some educational videos have already been integrated into the prototype community gardening site. The Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) at the University of Maryland Extension provides educational resources for gardening and also runs a Master Gardener program that the County can leverage to educate interested residents. Make senior citizen enhancements Survey results indicate that most residents involved in community gardening are senior citizens. To make the gardens safe and comfortable spaces, the County should provide additional resources to improve the gardening experience, including dedicated parking spots and accessibility considerations for residents with disabilities. Additional resources include water, mulch, fertilizers, tilling, and waste management. As these needs are unique to each garden, it would be beneficial for the County to engage the Master Gardener at each location to better understand and address site-specific needs. Enhance garden design The County should consider providing rest areas with benches and shade in the existing gardens to promote interaction among fellow gardeners. Survey respondents interested in community gardening, said their biggest motivation was the opportunity to meet other gardeners and make new friends. Making the gardens more comfortable would encourage socializing. 11 Consider other improvements To improve participation, the County should consider year-round access to gardening plots, adding raised beds, increased bed spacing, green fence design (rather than barbed wire), and security to minimize food theft. The survey, which was the major source of data, has been incorporated into the homepage of the prototype community gardening subsite as a way for the County to continue information gathering and feedback from residents. 12 Appendix 1 ? Community Gardens List Fee per S/N City Garden Location No. of plots plot Spring Grove $40 - 1 Catonsville Community Garden 1 Pine Drive 53 $80/year Collective 2 County Home Park Gibbons Boulevard 30-40 $22/year Cockeysville Kurtz Lane off Beaver 3 Oregon Ridge Park 50-100 $25 Dam Road 4 Stansbury Park 7880 Stansbury Road 110 $17/year Dundalk Community College of Baltimore County 5 7200 Sollers Point Road NA NA (CCBC) Dundalk Community Gardens 7201 Rossville Road, Community College of Rossville 6 Essex Baltimore County NA NA (behind Franklin Square Essex Hospital) 4515 Deer Park Road Northwest Regional 7 Owings Mills (corner of Lions Mill and NA None Park Deer Park Road) $5/year + $7 registration 8211 Glen Road 8 Parkville Double Rock Park 135 + $50 (end of Hiss Avenue) refundable clean-up deposit Baker Lane Perry Hall Community (behind Rosedale 21 + 1 9 Perry Hall $10/year Garden Federal S&L, 9618 Belair training plot Road Nottingham) 12039 Reisterstown Hannah More Road 10 Reisterstown 20 $10/year Community Garden (behind Hannah More School) 13 11 Towson Forge Park 301 Schwartz Avenue 16 $20/season Turner Turner Station Avondale and Center 12 NA NA Station Community Gardens Avenues 3400 block North Rolling $20/year + Road 75 + 5 or 10 13 Windsor Mill Rockdale Park $5 key (between Liberty and raised beds deposit Milford Mill Roads) 7130 Marshy Point 14 Middle River Marshy Point Park $25/season Road, Baltimore 14 Appendix 2 ? Survey Analysis Link to survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgb_NIE8zClY7aMjvXZ_EMemsufqODFo6zWKZok 8sYTT2UQA/viewform Demographics and Awareness 15 Respondents Aware of Community Gardens 16 Survey respondents? comments on suggested improvements: 1. Updates as necessary 2. If it could stay cleaner 3. Baltimore County to till the land when the gardening season is over 4. We need a tiller, a person who tills 5. The garden could provide more natural fertilizers for gardeners? use 6. A shaded seating pavilion at the front of the garden to take a rest when needed 7. The ability to use raised beds and better access to plots (working locks) 8. If the park/garden was a little closer to my home. It?s now a 12- to 15-minute drive each way 17 9. More participation/services from Baltimore County Parks and Recreation to keep the park clean and safe for senior citizen participants 10. More garden equipment, compost and garden soil, and help for gardeners to maintain their gardens 11. Better care of grounds 12. More water access (some municipal gardens offer multiple pumps throughout plots); non- gardeners respecting parking lot restrictions (need a gardeners-only area since we carry heavy supplies and need nearby access) 13. Year-round access 14. Get more people involved in gardening 15. Small dumpster onsite, water earlier 16. For the garden to supply a big tiller and fertilizers 17. When the hose is turned on and off is a mystery. We?d appreciate more transparency in that process. 18. FAIRNESS 19. It would be nice to get some good mulch to improve garden 20. More resources, additional programs that coincide with the plots, perhaps a web forum 21. Access to plots during the winter 22. Larger plots 23. Raise the plots to avoid standing water 24. Improved garden grounds Respondents interested in staying updated about community gardening: 1. 410-340-1654 2. 609-505-6653 3. 443-602-1940 4. 410-744-1818 5. 410-428-6167 18 6. 443-621-9472 7. 443-570-5044 8. 410-299-7890 9. 410-370-9858 10. 410-382-4918 11. 443-391-6633 12. 412-874-1151 13. 410-499-6757 14. 410-961-7267 15. 443-604-2432 16. 410-902-8986 17. 443-729-8597 18. 410-746-6985 19. 410-922-4013 20. 410-686-7294 21. 443-400-3408 22. 410-887-8570 23. 410-453-0456 24. 410-967-4192 25. Barbbellamy6@gmail.com 26. tracey.newsome@marylandauto.net 27. Rinamlm@msn.com 28. regiblue@comcast.net 19 29. sarcp31@gmail.com 30. dncoop@verizon.net 31. marymagwood@gmail.com 32. Herbjames2@comcast.net 33. batesmom7@yahoo.com 34. gwenjohn@comcast.net 35. nbwilsonfl@hotmail.com 36. lukewildfire@gmail.com 37. wewegle27@gmail.com 38. minniegross@verizon.net 39. Prince.randall24@gmail.com 40. firstcherrylee@juno.com 41. Caseus.mus@gmail.com 42. Whatafriend2@gmail.com 43. global01@manjoeins.net 44. Adrian.burkes@hotmai.com 45. noel.enterprise@verizon.net 46. baypuffin@hotmail.com 47. Laury-neil@verizon.net 48. wrc2131@gmail.com 49. Kadmail@comcast.net 50. gporter@baltimorecountymd.gov 51. masudsalimian@gmail.com 20 52. joe@pelicanmgt.com 53. bfsmith@baltimorecountymd.gov Respondents not aware of Community Gardens Respondents interested in additional information about joining community gardening: 1. tjbbmsbeamer@gmail.com 2. Llear@baltimorecountymd.gov 3. tcdodge@yahoo.com 4. dani@growthgal.com 21 5. Prw3823@msn.com 6. aynsleyleighhamel@gmail.com 7. docllc@netzero.net 8. ajholewinski@yahoo.com 9. Jovialjeannie@gmail.com 10. susan_sommers@yahoo.com 11. 410-844-1222 12. 443-824-9409 One respondent indicated interest in a Community-supported Agriculture (CSA) model rather than a community garden. 22 Appendix 3 ? Sample information flyer on community gardening *click on image to open the full PDF flyer 23 Appendix 4 ? Prototype subsite for community gardens Home Page Visit our gardens Page 24