Welcome!
Ashland’s Community Garden is Coming to Life!
Stone Park tennis court approved as first site
Thanks to all who came to the Selectmen Meeting on April 15
Our request to use Stone Park tennis court for community gardening was approved! Now the fun can begin.
Check back shortly for information about next steps.
Also, to get on the community garden mailing list, send an email to weloveashland@gmail.com
Ashland Community Gardens has a web site! Ashland Community Gardens
Thank you again for your support!
Community gardens cropping up all over
Community garden is shaping up
Ashland residents plotting community garden
Movement to Start a Community Garden Grows
ASHLAND, MA – April 5, 2009 – Approximately 50 people met in the Ashland Public Library Community Room on Sunday afternoon to take steps towards establishing a community garden. Facilitated by Cathy Rooney and Leslie Githens, the group discussed possible sites that would allow them to get started this season.
Three working groups were formed, governance/management, design/layout, and site preparation/resources. Action items included site design, preparation, and development and garden management. The group also formed a coordinating committee, consisting of Cheri Valone, Laura Rund, Paul Savard, Florence Seidell, and Leslie Githens.
The Sunday meeting grew out of a speakers’ forum held on March 14, where 70 people listen to speakers from Westborough, the Southborough Community Garden, and community gardens in Somerville. Young and old, some with yards of their own and others who live in condos, turned out to learn how they can establish a community garden in Ashland.
These meetings were co-sponsored by three local groups, We Love Ashland, the Ashland Garden Club, and the Friends of the Ashland Library, who see community gardening as a way to build community, share knowledge and resources, and provide nutritious food and healthy living.
For more information, contact Cynthia Whitty, cynwhitty@aol.com
If you missed the forum, it was taped by WACA-TV. Check WACA schedule for re-broadcast on cable TV.
Co-sponsors:
- Friends of the Ashland Library
- Ashland Garden Club
- We Love Ashland!
with support from the Ashland Board of Health, Open Space Committee, Conservation Committee, Community Preservation Act Committee and the Ashland Green Initiative Alliance.
Why create a community garden?
There are lots of reasons, including
• Beautifies a neighborhood
• Produces nutritious food
• Reduces family food budgets
• Provides residents without backyards the opportunity to garden
• Allows first time gardeners to learn practical gardening skills
• Creates opportunities for recreation, education, exercise and therapy
• Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections
• Stimulates self-reliance
• Provides a catalyst for community development
• Conserves resources
• Reduces crime
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