Community Garden Meeting Agenda
Why start a community garden? What are our goals and mission statement? What would the benefits be to the college and community?
What we need:
I . A Plan
A. Who will primarily use the garden?
Individuals
Community groups
Classes
B. What is its purpose?
Individual/group production -Some individual group/plots, others communal
Service learning –Class projects or internships on agricultural history, etc.
Class experiments –Botany or Ecology class projects
Community outreach –School groups from area could visit/help, programs with
C. What will be its layout? non-English speakers of Ripon
Individual or group plots
Shared areas
Raised beds –Especially if rooftops are used
Permaculture mix
Greenhouse? –Plastic bottle greenhouse idea for future
D. What will be grown?erockstation.com/plastic_bottle_greenhouse.html
Herbs
Fruit trees –Orchard in one place, vegetable/herb garden elsewhere, possibly on
Other produce roof above Commons
E. How “organic” should it be? –Gardeners should strive to use only organic methods
F. What happens to the produce? unless it is an isolated class experiment
Campus food services –Herbs for Sodexho, maybe on roof
Food pantry or other charity –“Victory” garden donates some produce
Individuals –Individual plot gardeners keep own produce
I I . Organization
A. Leadership
Volunteers or interns accountable –Student intern or Americorps worker
Commitment to maintaining network, contacting others, paperwork
Advisors
Faculty, staff, or community members with experience
B. Community contacts
Chamber of Commerce, food pantry, etc.
C. Volunteers –Core volunteers involved in R.I.P.E.N.
Students, community groups, classes
D. Support
Donations from local farms and businesses -Olden Produce offered to donate
E. Email lists, phone trees seedlings
I II . Land
A. Possible sites –Plot across from Ben Franklin parking lot, area to south of Commons,
B. Ownership & liability issues area behind Plant building, rooftops
C. Requirements for garden space
At least 6-8 hrs sun each day, relatively flat, rubble & chemical-free, visible, central location, acceptable use, owned by college or accessible, lease for at least 3 yrs
I V . Materials
A. Flora
B. Gardening tools –Might be able to get garden grants from non-profits
C. Water access –Setting up rain barrels in several locations would be a good idea, can
D. Compost & weed bins get free or cheap barrels from factories
E. Soil tests Starting compost can be secured through the city
F. Fence
G. Sign
H. Benches
About R.I.P.E.N.
R.I.P.E.N., the Ripon Initiative for local Produce Education and Nutrition, is a project aiming to educate the Ripon College community about the benefits of local food and other ethical food issues, as well as opportunities to get involved with farms in the community. Other components of the project include cooperation with the campus food services and starting a community garden. This initiative was started under the Serve 2.0 Grant at Ripon College's Office of Community Engagement.
R.I.P.E.N.’s Goals
- Promoting interest in local food issues in the Ripon College community
- Making known the health, economic, and environmental benefits of eating locally
- Establishing contact between the Ripon College community and local farms
- Educating the community on ways to best locate, store, and prepare local produce
- Improving campus practices by cooperating with food services and starting a community garden
You can follow R.I.P.E.N.’s progress and join the effort by visiting our homepage, g.com or finding us on any of these sites:
Ripon College website on.edu/offices_resources/OCE/RIPEN.htm
Facebook group “R.I.P.E.N.”
Twitter account “RIPENinitiative”
YouTube channel tube.com/user/RiponLocalFood