Community First! Gardens Project
To Apply for Partnership
Thank you for your interest in partnering with Community First! Gardens to create a community garden in your neighborhood. The CF!G team has been formed to help in the creation of community gardens in Whatcom County and is excited about working with neighborhoods like yours.
The CF!G team at Washington State University Whatcom County Extension has been given a grant from The Mary Redman Foundation to help develop neighborhood community gardens in Whatcom County over the next three to five years. No part of this grant may be used for wages or salary.
We are currently seeking partnerships with Whatcom County neighborhoods wishing to create new gardens or further develop existing ones. Partnerships begin with a meeting with CF!G Coordinator, Becky Curtis, to review the goals of the Community First! Gardens Project, and your group's overall vision for a community garden.
At that meeting or at a follow-up meeting(s), the needs of your group will be assessed, and we will explore how being a part of the Community First! Gardens Project could help you. Possibilities could include consultations with WSU staff on garden design and building, square foot gardening, IPM, composting, etc. (see details below). Together, we’ll create a detailed plan for achieving the long-term vision for your garden.
After this process, financial assistance for purchases related to garden development, made through the WSU Whatcom County Extension office, may be available, the amount to be determined upon finalization of the partnership, and based on the plan developed together.
Interested groups/neighborhoods may submit a letter of interest, indicating their commitment to creating and sustaining a community garden, to Becky Curtis, CF!G Coordinator, at community.firstgardens@wsu.edu.
Groups selected for prospective partnership must provide a dedicated committee to work with the CF!G Coordinator to develop a plan for garden development, which would include a needs assessment, and might include an operational plan (timeline, rules or by-laws for the functioning of the garden, volunteer requirements, brief job descriptions, etc.), garden design, outline for future development, etc. The plan created together must be approved by CF!G before garden development can be funded.
Funding is contingent on the following:
1. A completed plan for garden development, as described above, created by the group applying for partnership, with the help of the CF!G coordinator.
2. Your group’s agreement to the following:
• Excess produce will be made available to the neighborhood via a garden stand, or suitable alternative, throughout the growing season, and if a demonstration plot is developed for educational purposes, the produce will be given to either the Food Bank or the garden stand.
• A sign indicating your partnershop with CF!G will be posted at the garden. The sign will be provided by CF!G.
• As a CF!G Partner Garden, your group will assist other groups wishing to develop their own gardens by sharing the story of your experience with them.
WSU Whatcom County Extension can provide the following to prospective CF!G partners:
1. A consultant to work with neighborhood groups to:
• Design a community garden,
• Develop an operational plan,
• Assist in finding resources for garden development,
• Create a budget,
• Support the functioning of the garden, which may include soil consultation, garden layout, selection of plants and seeds, watering recommendations, harvest schedule, garden maintenance recommendations, etc.,
• Assist in developing connections with Master Gardeners, particularly as advisors on the above-mentioned functioning of the garden. The Master Gardeners may become involved only as advisors and cannot be responsible for maintenance. However, CF!G hopes to foster a mentoring relationship between Master Gardeners who live in the selected neighborhood, and other gardeners in that neighborhood,
• Encourage and facilitate discussions between selected community garden projects and other neighborhoods that are interested in developing their own community gardens.
3. Advocacy for community gardens with city government.
4. Web-based and other information on community gardening.
5. Documentation of the garden development and operation on our website.
6. Community education on neighborhood gardens, which might include speakers to specific groups, community forums, articles, etc.
Contact Information
For more information, contact Becky Curtis, CF!G Coordinator, at: community.firstgardens@wsu.edu