Success
Support for Community Gardens in Garner (Garner Grows)
THIS PETITION IS CLOSED
Result: Success
The Town of Garner is entering into a multi-year lease agreement with Garner Grows for Garner Grows to develop, maintain, and support a community garner on 1 acre located at Thompson Road Park.
The Town of Garner also invested $3000 to connect exist water infrastructure to the community garden site.
After many trials and tribulations during the pandemic and the loss of our garden site, we have good news to share! Thanks to the hard work of our members and the support of the local community, we were successful in our petition to the Town of Garner to provide a new plot of land for our garden. We have begun the hard work of clearing and prepping the land to prepare it for our landscaping plans. You can read more about the landscaping plans on our Garden Blog, and there’s a beautiful bonus photo of the currently empty lot under a rainbow, taken by one of our members after a rain shower!
Learn More About Garner Grows HERE
Petition
This petition has been started with the goal of getting as many signatures as possible to show the Town of Garner that the benefits of community gardens within town limits are more valued than ever.
With growth and skyrocketing land prices has come a scarcity of land available for local community gardens.
We petition the Town of Garner to support this important community asset and investment in healthy eating and living by researching opportunities for the town to make land available on existing town property for community gardens, partnerships with local organizations to operate these community gardens, and ordinances that are compatible with supporting these low-impact high return gardens.
This petition is in support of Garner Grows and other organizations and individuals who wish to engage in community gardening.
About Community Gardens
The demand for community gardens here in Garner is strong as an increasing number of people recognize the benefits:
Residents learn and practice gardening skills in a supportive environment
Located close to neighborhoods, community gardens foster and sustain community engagement
Residents participate in physical exercise, which encourages a focus on healthier eating and living
Gardening encourages biodiversity and a healthier ecosystem
Donating locally grown produce encourages community connection and benefits those in the community who are struggling to provide healthy food for their families,
What petitioners are saying
“Of all the things that we can build in Garner, a beautiful and sustainable garden should be at the top of our list. Why not beautify our town, help our ecosystem, encourage pollinators, teach new skills, and provide an outlet for an activity that's proven to increase the health and wellbeing of its participants?”
“I think community gardens are a great idea. They add value to the community by contributing to the health of our citizens as well as beautifying the area. They are also a valuable educational or social engagement opportunity for both the youth, elderly, and people of all ages. I hope to see and participate in community gardens in the future.”
"Community gardens are a vital support for people and substantially helped me in numerous ways. It helped feed my family, make friends, my mental, emotional and physical health, is great for education and helped me not isolate. Please consider having this community garden continue.”
“Being able to be part of a community garden is a huge incentive for me to continue living in Garner.
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“The proximity to the community garden was one of the main draws that led my husband and I to move to Garner in the first place. And with the pandemic hitting shortly after we moved to the state (where we know no one), the garden gave us an opportunity to start building a support network here that we wouldn't have had otherwise. Don't know what we would have done last year had it not been for the community garden, but I know it would have been far, far lonelier.”
“When I first moved to Garner 4 years ago, I did not realize that there was a community garden located in town. As soon as I found out about it, I was elated and quickly joined! Over the years, I have been a member of other community gardens in Asheville, Boston and Raleigh. Community gardens are a great way to foster community, support pollinators and promote a healthy lifestyle by getting outdoors. I am still a member of the Garner Grows Community Garden and want to see it find it's perfect forever home.”
“A community garden within town limits is an excellent opportunity to build relationships with local schools. By coordinating different projects with teachers/school the town would be investing in a new generation of people would have the knowledge to grow their own food. This kind of connection could lead to healthier community.”