Community Gardening
Community Garden Affiliate Application
Five Rivers MetroParks provides assistance in the creation and ongoing use of affiliated community gardens in Montgomery County, Ohio.
Five Rivers MetroParks has been working with community gardens for more than 20 years to help Montgomery County residents organize and maintain community vegetable gardens that provide healthy produce and outdoor activities, and increase food security in the region. Five Rivers MetroParks also supports our local food system through policy and advocacy through the Partners for the Environment Food Team.
There were 100 active gardens in the program in 2019. These gardens are managed, maintained and owned by neighborhood residents and organizations. The gardens are used to raise produce, create pollinator areas, and are part of an active, nature-based community improving access to fresh healthy food.
Community Garden Affiliates receive technical assistance and are eligible to receive materials and services, such as soil tests, seeds, tilling services, soil amendments, and materials for raised beds. In addition, Five Rivers MetroParks offers gardening workshops (free or for a nominal fee) that community gardeners are invited to attend to improve their knowledge and skill.
What should you do before applying to become a Community Garden Affiliate?
We strongly encourage applicants to:
- Attend Five Rivers MetroParks’ “How to Start a Community Garden”, offered in the spring and the fall.
- Review the American Community Gardening Association’s website, particularly the resources pages and archived listserv.
- Brush up on your gardening skills!
Interested gardeners must follow these steps:
Step 1 |
Locate a piece of land within Montgomery County. The land may be a vacant parcel or a site at a school, church, or other institution. It may not be located in the back yard of a private residence. |
Step 2 |
Identify the landowner and get written land use permission. Interested gardeners must be in the active process of acquiring land or written permission for use of the land when this application is submitted. You can go the Montgomery County Auditor’s website to gather landowner information and a parcel ID number. There is also a GIS map of the county available, if you do not know the address of the property. |
Step 3 |
Have at least 5 gardeners involved who are not all related. |
Step 4 |
Identify a Garden Coordinator and an Assistant Garden Coordinator to organize the group, disperse information and resources Five Rivers MetroParks provides, and attend garden coordinator meetings. These two will be Five Rivers MetroParks’ main contacts with the garden, so please provide complete contact information. |
| Please Note: Fill application in completely. Please do not leave anything blank. |
