Community Garden Could Take Root This Spring

If everything stays on course, Montgomery Village residents could be growing their own fruits and vegetables in a community garden in time for the spring planting season.

A frontrunner has emerged as a volunteer committee looks for where to plant the proposed garden, Peggy Mark, director of parks, recreation and culture, told the Montgomery Village Foundation’s environmental committee this week.

Community garden enthusiasts say they benefit the community by bringing neighbors together and providing a place for all residents to grow their own food.

The volunteers looked at sites already owned by the foundation, including grassy areas near the Rosenfeld Education Center and the Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children headquarters, Mark said. The committee’s first choice, by a large margin, is William Hurley Park near Pleasant Ridge and Highland Hall.

“That’s the only drawback I can see right now, if folks there want to see garden plots,” said Claudette Lease, chairwoman of the environmental committee.

Factors considered by the committee include access, proximity to homes without large yards, water availability, parking and sunlight. Soil quality has not been measured yet, Mark said.

The owners of two houses that directly look at the proposed site, a field directly behind a large sign for Hurley Park, have been notified of the proposal as well as an adjacent church and nearby businesses, Mark said. The foundation hopes to include at least 15 plots in the garden. No cost estimates have been made yet but Mark said that the project would not require hiring additional staff.

The foundation would maintain the area and residents who rent plots will be required to adhere to the garden’s rules, she said. The garden may have fencing or another kind of screening.

Community gardens were one of the most popular options for future amenities considered by the foundation’s Long Range Facility Planning Committee last year.

“We’ll continue to work to evaluate that site,” Mark said after the meeting. “We’d like to move forward for this year and get it going for spring 2011.”

Residents surveyed also expressed strong interest in establishing a farmer’s market and expanding the Village’s scenic program, Mark said. Volunteers are needed to help explore the feasibility of both proposals. About eight volunteers are working on the garden project.

The committee ranked the community garden 14th out of 36 public amenity proposals submitted by residents and staff based on five criteria: improving community image, increasing property values, enhancing quality of life, enhancing sense of community, and usage.

Montgomery County runs two community gardens in Takoma Park and one each in Silver Spring, Bethesda and Boyds and plans to open another in Silver Spring. The gardens serve more than 300 residents, according to the county’s website. The city of Rockville also has community gardens as do several faith organizations.

The committee cited the community garden at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg as a potential model. Asbury provides a fenced area with a locked access gate, raised planting beds, storage sheds, water access and bins for mulch and topsoil, according to the committee’s report.

The Montgomery Village Foundation’s board of directors raised the assessment fee for all residents by 36 cents in its 2011 budget to pay for the proposed garden and farmers market.

GET INVOLVED

To volunteer with the team that will help plan the proposed community garden, contact Montgomery Village Foundation parks and security supervisor Wes Schempf at 301-948-0110, ext. 2303, or email Peggy Mark at pmark@mvf.org.