Neighborhood Kids

[Mossy Rock]

My neighbor and I repaired a fence and while the fence was down the youngest of their three girls loved to catch and hold our chickens. My neighbor told me the other day he had bought his daughter three hens and built a chicken coop for them, they also planted a garden, maybe it something that is catching.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Good job with the neighbor kids. It is sad that kids in the cities don't even realize where their food actually comes from.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I hate to keep harping on you about this, but you really could have a win-win-win situation with these kids and the idea we discussed when you came by the house. Sorry to bring it up again, but it is how I think (all day / all night) and hate it when there are opportunities left untapped! An opportunity to grow their minds in a few different areas!

Don't worry Rob, we are getting ready to roll it out this fall. Probably late-August or early-October. We're just trying to make sure we have enough materials and we have been marketing the idea to a few outlets.

I'll send you some stuff about what we've develop soon!

Maybe their parents will even become interested and your neighborhood will be become a Victory Garden!!! Extra kudos to you!

Now that would be an awesome sight to see! Then again we'd have to find some room somewhere.

Thanks for all the kind words of encouragement everyone. I'll keep everyone up to day on the progress and maybe even post some pictures of the kids and their plants.

 

[Betsy]

Wow, that is so cool of you to do all that for those neighbor kids!! I'm sure they'll remember your kind actions the rest of their lives...and maybe your actions will motivate them to have gardens and chickens of their own someday

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Maybe their parents will even become interested and your neighborhood will be become a Victory Garden!!! Extra kudos to you!

Now that would be an awesome sight to see! Then again we'd have to find some room somewhere.

How about a school or a church? Look for a weedy, unkept spot that could use some love and attention. And, if you need to show any examples, I'll be glad to supply you with pictures of our project. I'd love to see this concept catch on!

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Maybe their parents will even become interested and your neighborhood will be become a Victory Garden!!! Extra kudos to you!

Now that would be an awesome sight to see! Then again we'd have to find some room somewhere.

How about a school or a church? Look for a weedy, unkept spot that could use some love and attention. And, if you need to show any examples, I'll be glad to supply you with pictures of our project. I'd love to see this concept catch on!

Unfortunately every piece of land here is taken up pretty quickly. I am in talks with a local school to try and get an empty patch turned into something like a educational garden but we'll see. There have been many attempts to start community gardens but unfortunately high crime and other factors play in to the mix.

One idea we have had is to tear down a few fences in the back of a few properties and merge them into one big yard and try it that way. It would be a little easier to control security wise and a little easier to maintain.

Thanks for the suggestion Backyard Buddies! We'll talk soon, I'm sure!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

That's awesome.

Any chance you could set up a little space for the kids to keep their pots in your yard . . . so they get enough sun. It would be so disappointing to them if they didn't get healthy plants after all that excitement.

Sounds like your neighborhood would benefit from a P-patch.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

What about container gardening on roof-tops?

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

So, yesterday we made small (4' x 4') raised beds and negotiated with a neighbor to place them in his front yard, since he wasn't using it anymore. The kids were really excited about doing this and we set everything up in no time.

Any chance you could set up a little space for the kids to keep their pots in your yard . . . so they get enough sun. It would be so disappointing to them if they didn't get healthy plants after all that excitement.

Sounds like your neighborhood would benefit from a P-patch.

I think most of the kids are going to be now using the raised beds and eventually I was planning on giving them one of our raised beds to let them have at it. We'll see how things turn out. I'm glad that they neighbors are being, "okay with it" at best. I would rather have direct involvement but that will do for now.

What's P-patch?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

P-patch is a word (maybe just regional to my area) for a community garden, where people can rent space to grow whatever they please.

It would be better, of course, if no one had to pay rent.

I have often thought that using school property for a community garden would be a great idea, if you could get teacher's interested in teaching the students about gardening/ecology.