Mayor Strickland Announces Seven New Garden Sites
At this weekend’s Community Garden Summit Mayor Marilyn Strickland announced that the City of Tacoma is targeting seven sites for new community gardens. This, she said, would be a major step toward her goal to make Tacoma known as a garden city with more community gardens per capita than any other city.
The seven potential gardens are located throughout Tacoma (we’re still waiting for the map). The sites should be ready for use once the conditional use permitting and planning processes are complete later this year.
Are you ready to get dirty? Let’s make every garden a success.
Previously on Exit133: Community Garden Summit – Saturday
Filed under: General
27 comments
M marilyn kimmerling March 22, 2010
Saturday was absolutely an amazing event. I LOVED IT! The hands-on permaculture was very exciting and Marilyn Strickland’s announcement was a positive, progressive step forward. What a hopeful, positive event..I met new people, connected with other folks in my neighborhood who share the same interest and passion in gardening,and I got to connect with folks whom I already knew that I had no idea were into gardening, so now we have that in common, too. Very well-organized and empowering. Thank you, thank you, thank you City of Tacoma, Pierce County Health Dept and Metro Parks! You made my week and month and hopefully my summer growing season, too! Yeah, community!
Sincerely Marilyn Kimmerling
J Jesse March 22, 2010
Wow… cool!
P Patricia March 23, 2010
I’d love to see at least one of these parcels designed along permaculture lines. Rather than dividing it up into individual plots, we could design a food forest and companion plantings that could be shared by a group of citizens.
I’d like to propose that for the parcel on the SW corner of S 12th and Tyler. It is elevated, has a diverse group of trees, is a prominent corner and could become a great demonstration of another method of raising food in an urban environment.
People could still “buy in” but they’d be joining a community garden, not choosing to garden their own small plot along side of the other gardeners. They would all be working on one large garden for the benefit of the whole group!
What do you think? Want to get innovative?! I’ll help!
J Jordan Rash March 23, 2010
It was a great summit on Saturday; I’m really looking forward to hearing creative ideas to expand the number of community gardens in the Tacoma area. Residents and community organizations also have the opportunity to purchase surplus city property for use as community gardens but hopefully other options will be presented as well.
A Ana March 23, 2010
This was such a wondeful Summit and wonderful day for Tacoma. We have the best community! I also very much appreciated that Marty Campbell and Ryan Mello attended a good part of the Summit. Your support is everything!
D Dan March 24, 2010
This is big news for Tacoma. Now we need to encourage our neighbors and others in the city to organize and participate, and to get involved planting and working these new garden sites. It’s good that the city is getting behind the idea of gardens and the need to grow healthy food.
C crenshaw sepulveda March 25, 2010
In Detroit they are thinking about turning a lot of the city into farm land. Are things so bad in Tacoma we are taking a page out of Detroit’s book?
M Mofo from the Hood March 25, 2010
It’s all part of some weird Tacoma neo-hippie thing.
T TacomaLover March 25, 2010
This could be a really great thing for a lot of people, especially considering permaculture ideas like the one set forth by Patricia.
That being said: Am I the only one who thinks that the soil from every single one of these sites needs to be thoroughly tested for arsenic and lead before attempting to grow anything in them that might be eaten by someone? Our house near Kandle Park (tested 2 years ago at depths of 6 and 12 inches) was just below the recommended levels for arsenic (but not by a lot) and was actually above the recommended levels for lead. And that was after several inches of top soil had been removed for landscaping. A friend’s house near 6th Ave & S. Sheridan Ave. tested at similar levels around the same time.
Another friend who works at the USGS told me that the fallout pattern from Asarco went much further afield than most people realize. They also said that anyone in the ‘Tacoma Area’ should soil test before planting edibles. I for one am taking that advice. We should probably think about it for any community garden spaces as well. I think it would be well worth the cost (for us it was around $400 for a large spectrum of tests).
J Jesse March 26, 2010
Garden idea: Let’s get some Daffodil farmers out on the I-5 freeway clover leafs to beautify Tacoma’s “curb appeal”. Let em’ plant on big swaths of dead spots along freeways and let them keep the revenue from the crop. Imagine the freeways lined with Daffodils? Everyone wins!
M Mofo from the Hood March 26, 2010
All in favor of converting Tacoma’s economy to the level of subsistence farming say, “Aye!”
J Julie Wiley March 26, 2010
The Summit was amazing! The group of people there were committed and lovely people. They were kind to each other. They listened respectfully to others opinions. They worked together beautifully. Seems like a great model for community!
Taking Detroit’s lead to reclaim our city seems like a great idea!!! I hope that we can compete with Detroit in making our city the most beautiful, loving and livable city in America!
M Mofo from the Hood March 26, 2010
If you’re going to Tacoma,
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
If you’re going to Tacoma,
Summertime will be a love-in there.
T Thorax O'Tool March 27, 2010
I’d LOVE to see many of the gaping holes in downtown along Fawcett, Yakima, Tacoma Ave and the like filled with veggies rather than blackberries and scraggly grass.
It’s amazing how a little landscaping can change your image from “dump” to “leading the green revolution”.
Who cares if it’s shallow and meaningless… stuff like that can raise house prices, right?
C crenshaw sepulveda March 28, 2010
Why do we want to raise house prices, there are a lot of people that can not afford homes with the prices we currently have.
M Mofo from the Hood March 28, 2010
People, raise your sites out of the mud.
Dream some dreams. Make some plans.
But for Tacoma’s sake, stop looking backwards.
R RR Anderson March 29, 2010
avoid the arsenic and lead poison in the earth thanks to ASARCO… go with raised beds and fresh TAGRO potting mix.
C cindybrady March 29, 2010
I think that it’s great to be promoting community gardens! It does raise property values, reduce food costs, reduce obesity and obesity related illnesses, and builds communities!
I believe that the areas will be completely tested, at the bare minimum for lead and arsenic. Raised beds filled with free tagro are a great way to deal with these concerns. As I understand it, the food planted in these soils aren’t risky to eat, it’s the working in the soil – being exposed to the soil, the dust from the soil that is the concern. So, if there are issues, they can be alleviated.
As far as “neo-hippy” and “how bad must Tacoma be”, comments, I’m just tired of it. Get over it, or yourself, or whatever your issues are.
M Mofo from the Hood March 29, 2010
What’s the connection between a raised farming plot and reduced obesity?—-Advice from Oprah Winfrey?
Breaking News! Eating like a pig makes you fat.
M Mr. Mike Thacker March 29, 2010
“As far as ‘neo-hippie’and ‘how bad must Tacoma be’, comments, I’m just tired of it. Get over it, or yourself, or whatever your issues are.”—-#20
Huh? You’re just tired of it? People who don’t share your “thinking” have issues?
There must be a community garden somewhere around Tacoma, where you can get back to the land, get away from the rat race, and clear your mind. Dig?
C crenshaw sepulveda March 29, 2010
Hey, I’m all for community gardens, guerilla gardening, growing food in your backyard and your neighbor’s backyard if you can get away with it. I think growing food in an urban setting is just swell. It is, however, without question that the greatest contribution to obesity is poverty and that is what I’m concerned with. Gardens are great but what is the Mayor doing about getting some jobs into our community. A photo op with a hoe is one thing. Getting on the job and making sure there are some good solid family wage jobs being created is another. And I’m not talking about creating more do nothing positions in city hall, I’m talking about some legitimate work here. Will we soon have someone in city hall making $80k a year being in charge of these community gardens?
T tressie March 30, 2010
this whole post is such a giggle! I didn’t wait for no Mayor to tell me what we already know…I planted my own daffodil garden…better come enjoy them because they are fading fast.
Gardens! yes! I love the mayor leaning on a hoe image. A city doesn’t have to be “bad” or “neo-hippie” to love gardens. Growing things is a very very ancient idea.
Raise property values? Only a seller sees that as a Good. I got priced out of the Tacoma market about 4 years ago, after being a property owner for decades.
I think crenshaw may be correct that only one big job may come of this garden plot (har har)..that is …one Garden Czar, and if so, can I have that job? I could do it in my spare time. It will probably go to …some Evergreen grad, might as well be me.
T Tim Smith March 30, 2010
@tressie I think the Garden Czar is already established, however, like all things Tacoma/Pierce I’m sure we’ll enventually have a commission or board, expansions to TMC 13 dictating garden dimensions, crop rotation, and fines for forbidden pests. These fines will go to the gardening fund (not a part of the general fund) which will be managed by a public/private win/win civic enterprise that will somehow misappropriate Tagro sales receipts and be investigated by the FBI. Its Tacoma. There is plenty of opportunity for you to get involved.
T tressie March 31, 2010
smells like Tagro already in here……
T Tim Smith March 31, 2010
Oh…I enjoy gardening and have a nice plot in the backyard. Currently have wintered over brussells sprouts, cabbage, rutabega’s, onion, carrots, garlic, potatoes, turnips, and emerging rubarb.
Does anyone know if Tacoma has a seed bank/starter plant exchange?
R RR Anderson March 31, 2010
“Does anyone know if Tacoma has a seed bank/starter plant exchange?”
I believe his name is Tim Farrell
T tacomachickadee April 1, 2010
FYI:
6TH ANNUAL FREE PLANT EXCHANGE
Immanuel Presbyterian Church
May 1, 2010 Saturday
9:30am-1pm
Immanuel Presbyterian Church parking lot
Corner of North 9th and I streets
Tacoma, WA 98406
information: 253-759-9348
By now the annual FREE Plant Exchange is becoming a familiar name in the Tacoma area and outskirts. It was created in 2005 to save unwanted plants that often found themselves in yard waste containers or the dump. This part day event offers plants, of all kinds, to anyone looking for something to add to their yard and gardens. Whether you bring plants that are no longer wanted, or you just want to find something to take home, here is an opportunity that requires no money, helps keep the oxygen cycle alive in the air we breath, and keeps plants alive for another day.
Master Gardeners will be on hand to try to provide answers.
All leftover plants will go to the L’Arche Community