Seeds to Soil status presentation
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Transcript of Seeds to Soil status presentation
Seeds to Soila grassroots gardening initiative
in Central Harlem
Central Harlem
• 80% African American• Also includes many
Caribbean and Senegalese immigrants
• Undergoing revitalization after decades of high crime and drugs
Issue: Health problems including those related to poor diets and limited access to fresh healthy affordable foods
Carrie McCracken TRUCE Community Garden
• Located at St. Nicholas & 117-118 St.
• Public space, open to anyone
• About 30 members• Entering its third
gardening season• Recently became
official NYC Parks
Target Audience
Community surrounding Carrie McCracken TRUCE Community Garden in Central Harlem– interested in improved
access to healthy, fresh foods
– Interested in engaging with other community members
– Interested in gardening or learning to garden
User Research
• Surveyed community members and stakeholders (partner organizations)
• Interviewed key stakeholders including garden members
• Interviewed neighbors including those unfamiliar with garden
Research Findings
• Some community members– didn’t realize there was a garden– are interested in gardening, but they don’t have
the space or resources
• Many community members– have cultural roots strongly rooted in outdoors
and being in touch with the land– wish they had better access to fresh foods,
particularly affordable ones– wanted to engage more with fellow community
members– use email and internet
• Garden members– many of them grew up gardening– enjoy being connected with nature– view the garden as common ground regardless
of race and socio-economic backgrounds
Closing the Food Gap by Mark Winne
“...it has been proven worthwhile for communities to make a public commitment to providing land, horticultural training, soil and compost, and other means of support to enable people who want to garden to do so...
Doing so affords them the opportunity to come together in community to grow”
Geddes
• McCracken Garden member• Avid gardener from Trinidad• Active in community• Knowledgeable and willing to
help others in community learn to garden
Marlene
• Central Harlem resident• Lives with a few blocks but
didn’t know about this garden• Loves to eat vegetables but
things they are expensive and not necessarily fresh at the store
• Wants to grow her own vegetables but been able to start
Planting
People from same community
McCracken Garden
+Seeds to Soil
Planting Event
Seeds to SoilseedTracking
GO TO: TRACKING.S2S.ORGCODENAME: MILES05
ROLE: RECEIVER // GIVER
Postingtracking.seedstosoil.org
Precedents
• Leah Gauthier’s Sow-In
• Where’s George
Goals
• Provide equal access to fresh affordable food to community members
• Grow awareness for and access to affordable and healthy foods in Central Harlem
• Foster greater social connectedness in this community
Intervention Design
• Provide access with seed planting event
• Group reinforces commitment and accountability
• No barriers to entry for garden• Gardening guidance• Simple tracking system which
supports community dialogue• Subject around which
community can come together• Follow up events
Intervention Concerns
• Hope it doesn’t rain!• People will not engage with
tracking site• Reaching beyond current
garden members