Trust makes changes to
save GB Community Gardens
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Funding
cuts have led to two recent major changes in the way the Golden Bay
Community Gardens is operated, and new directions in its quest for
economic viability. The trust’s transition project
manager Felicity Hargreaves said, “Our community gardens [2.2 hectares]
is one of the largest and oldest. Community gardens nationally are
having a hard time, and Motueka has recently closed down.”
The Takaka gardens have been
supported over the years by grants from lotteries, COGS, Canterbury
Community Trust, and similar organisations.
The trust was paying wages for
four staff positions, including the head gardener’s position held by Sol
Morgan for seven years. In an increasingly competitive market for funds
the trust has been forced to examine its options.
The gardens face particular
challenges to their viability. Growing organically increases certain
costs, said Felicity. “Operating costs aren’t high. But because it’s
organic, you can’t just whiz around and spray everything. Everything has
to be done by hand and involves extra labour. The highest expense has
been wages.
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Felicity Hargreaves, Paul Ma’a and Linda Sanders.
Photo: Peter Foster. |
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“You can’t buy a lot of the
inputs from other places either, like compost or potting mix, because
you have to ensure that they’re absolutely organic. They all have to be
made up.” |
In 2003, to improve the
gardens’ viability, the trust asked horticulture lecturer and expert Bob
Crowder to assess the gardens and make recommendations. His report
stated the need for order—in the gardens and buildings, in an
appropriate management structure and in its public relations.
Management changes were made
and the gardens got a facelift, and income rose from $20,000 in 2003 to
$36,000 last year. This only covered 60% of the 2006 operating expenses,
and the report’s suggestions had other limitations, said Felicity.
“Crowder suggested more labour,
but that labour has had associated costs. More labour didn’t necessarily
equate to more or better production.”
So now, with self-sufficiency
still elusive and with the plug pulled on support from other sources,
the trust and staff have made bold changes in direction.
The trust will turn its focus
from vegetable production, which is in other hands, and concentrate
entirely on education and community events, said Felicity. The gardens
will remain a venue for markets and festivals, but the trust is
encouraging people to think laterally about using the space and
facilities for other ideas. “A few people have held birthday parties
there in the past, as there are kitchen facilities. There’s space for
the kids to run around and no neighbours to annoy.”
Felicity said arts
installations, including sculpture, and displays of sustainable
practices and constructions would be very welcome. “We want people to
increasingly consider it as a venue as long as their activities fit in
with the principles and practices of the trust. The gardens aren’t
exclusive, and they’re not just for one sector of the community. It used
to be that they were regarded as ‘alternative’ and just for hippies.
They’re not like that any more.”
The trust has run a 25-week Go
Organic Gardening course, in which students attained AGITO standards,
and hopes to hold another when another 12 people register interest. It
has also run 10 free Zero Waste composting courses, funded by TDC.
Half the Golden Bay Workcentre’s Land-Based Skills course now operates
from the gardens, as do some community classes. “We also want people to
consider contract gardening and growing, and people with their own
horticultural projects can use the gardens. There’s also a seed bank,
and it would be good to see it utilised more.”
The current private allotments
system will continue. “The rates are still very reasonable at $2 per
square metre per year.” One of the existing garden staff has taken over
a large area of the garden as a commercial allotment. “We had to say
‘what do we do?’” said Felicity. “We couldn’t afford to pay wages any
more and we didn’t want to lose the staff. We put it to the staff to
come up with ideas and proposals. Paul Ma’a was the only one who took up
the challenge.” Paul, a staff member for eight months, is looking
forward to the venture. He is studying Land-Based skills and will run
the land as a business and supply the gardens’ commercial customers and
the produce kiosk.
“My family, friends and
volunteers are all helping,” Paul said. “The gardens are now more in
production than they have ever been, thanks to the loyal and
knowledgeable volunteers who have been here a lot longer than I have.
It’s a privilege to continue their good work.”
Trustee Linda Sanders also paid
tribute “to all the passion and energy all people involved with the
gardens have contributed over the years, both trustees and staff. The
current great state of the gardens is testament to the cumulative
effects of everyone who has been involved.”
The trust will review the
changes in a year. Though the previous funders said the gardens’ end was
in sight, Felicity is optimistic that the new arrangements will work.
“Paul is really good at manual
labour. He’s a real ‘get in and do it’ sort of person. And it’s all
about empowering people to provide their own incomes and find out what
it’s like to operate their own business. “Now the gardens is not paying
wages it has a chance to survive.”
Maria Polglase/Peter Foster
Golden Bay Weekly ~ News ~ 6 July 2007
