Community Gardens
October, 2008
Tim May, GLEE vice president Jody Smith Williams, and a group of energized Key West residents have been working for months to create the “GLEE Community Garden – Key West” on the site of former school, May Sands. The garden currently has 45 members, “locavores”, who are growing their own organic vegetables. The first of its kind in the Keys, the community garden concept is gaining momentum throughout the Keys and it is likely there will be more GLEE gardens “sprouting” up in other locations.
In July, May put out some feelers to the Monroe County School District. They were instantly responsive. Not long thereafter, former superindendent Rancy Acevedo and Monroe County Extension environmental horticulture agent Kim Gabel met at the school and the plan was set in motion. GLEE’s vice-president Jody Smith Williams became involved and arranged for garden participants to become members of GLEE.
“I think there is a movement of people in our country who want to have more control over their own food supply, to know what goes into their food, understand and engage in how it's grown,” May said. “A number of people interested in the project have told me they read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," and they're ready to buy a swath of land somewhere rural and start growing. This project enables them to get a start on those dreams and begin learning.”
Currently, those who have joined the garden include a local architect who is studying for his LEED certification, a Montessori school principal, four restaurateurs, several chefs, a baker, a veterinarian, several artists, a court reporter, a Florida Master Gardener who writes a column for the Key West Citizen, a social worker, a newspaper editor and others. Each participant paid a $100 fee for an individual plot, or $75 to participate in the communal plot. Fees will help with gardening expenses such as soil, tools, water and seeds and also enrolls them as members of GLEE. The garden can accept tax-deductible donations by operating under the 501c3 umbrella of GLEE’s Healthy Living Committee.
In a few short months, the empty lot has been transformed into a green oasis, with rows of 4’ x 10’ plots expressing the individuality and gustatory preferences of the members. Concrete block- and wooden-raised beds display different gardening techniques such as “lasagna gardening” and “square foot gardening,” along with some which are more haphazard in their approach, tossing in seeds and letting nature takes its course. In addition to the more typical south Florida vegetables of tomatoes, peppers, radishes and eggplant, members are experimenting with all manner of produce, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beets, beans, peas, kale, lettuces and greens, and edible flowers such as nasturtium.
As many sustainable practices as possible are being incorporated into the garden operations. Two water tanks salvaged from the old MARC House garden were installed to collect nearly 1,000 gallons of rainwater, which supplied all of the garden’s needs during the rainy months of late summer. There is a compost station set up to turn food and yard waste into a rich soil amendment to add nutrients to the gardens. Future hopes include installing a composting toilet and building a gazebo for gatherings.
Local school groups from HOB Middle School, Ombudsman program and Montessori have gotten involved in the garden, as well as clients of MARC House. “The education and learning possibilities with this project, and the goal of instilling in youngsters some knowledge and hopefully appreciation for what goes into growing good food, is integral to the concept,” May said. “We want to see how it goes this year,” he added. “So far, the future for local food in Key West looks great.”
The community garden is still looking for some donations for the garden. Included on the list:
• Donation of labor and materials to build a gazebo
• Small chipper to mulch yard waste for compost
• Large attractive pots for herb garden
• Benches and/or small outdoor tables
09-10 Garden Board Members:
(click on name to send an email)
Tim May 393-
Jody Smith Williams 304-2064
Vicki Boguzsewski 294-0882
Kim Gabel 292-4501
Pete Ryan 393-3586
Kathryn dePoo 296-7337
For more information on organic gardening in the Keys, visit the community garden Wikis:
Key West Community Garden Wiki http://cgkw.pbworks.com
Key Largo Community Garden Wiki http://klcommunitygarden.
Garden membership is near capacity for this year. To inquire about membership or for more information, contact Tim May at kwluckybean@yahoo.com or Jody Smith Williams at kwjody@yahoo.com.
