This spring, Brown students looking to cultivate crops or conduct hands-on sociological and environmental research will have the opportunity to work alongside Providence residents on a new community garden in Fox Point. Designers of the garden, which is funded with Ward 1 bond money, hope the project will bring together community members and encourage healthy eating habits by providing a space to grow food locally.
The garden will be constructed on a sliver of park land that measures from 7,000 to 8,000 square feet at the corner of Power and Gano Streets.
According to Ward 1 City Councilman David Segal, plans for the garden are still in the works and are being developed with the help of various councilmen and community organizations, as well as members of the Brown Sustainable Food Initiative.
Although the basic landscaping model is not yet complete, The Steelyard, a local non-profit organization, is already working with local youths to create metalwork drawings that will adorn the fence and gate around the garden.
Once the soil is tested, the land fenced and the initial landscaping in place, the garden will be subdivided into plots of land that can be rented out to individuals or community groups for a small fee. Organizers will likely solicit applications to find a diverse group of people to grow a wide variety of plants, said Louella Hill '04, local-food ambassador to the Brown community and director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island.
It is estimated that there will be a core of about 30 individuals who will maintain the garden, but Hill said she believes the project can benefit a much larger population. Those who rent plots will be able to decide what to grow, with possible options including flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Brown's level of involvement in the garden is still up in the air. "I'm hoping that the Urban Environmental Lab will help to govern some of the working of the garden," Segal said.
According to Hill, there are many possible ways Brown can make use of the land. It could become a place for students to conduct research on anything from urban development to ecosystems and land use history, she said. Students could also use the space for activism or commerce, she suggested.
"We really need people to step up and help us put the garden together," Hill said. "This garden will get off the ground if students are active and involved."
The University will most likely be in charge of a plot of land that can be tended by many students through a weekly shift schedule. "It won't be a high time commitment, but it will be a chance for kids to get off campus," said Emily Benjamin '07, member of the Sustainable Food Initiative. The opportunity will be open to all who want to participate, she said.
Several community gardens already exist in the Providence area, including one at Brown's UEL that has been running for 25 years. According to Hill, the gardens have proven "a simple and powerful medium for community connection and development." They are part of a larger movement that is taking place in urban centers all over the country - on rooftops, ground levels and even indoors, she said.
"I think (this trend) is related to our increased questioning of what national security is, and I think many people are feeling at a certain level that we are not very secure as a nation," she said. "One way we can increase our security is to figure out how to produce our own food."
Community gardens are also a great way to bring communities together and find commonalities across racial and socioeconomic divides, Hill said. "It's an awesome way for neighbors to meet neighbors. Creating a public space gives them a reason to interact and know each other, and it builds stronger and more secure communities."
The existing community gardens have proven popular among Ocean State residents. All existing gardens currently boast long waiting lists, Segal said, adding that this high demand contributed to interest in the Fox Point development.
