Community Gardens in Sacramento

Background

  • Sacramento's community gardens are civic spaces that unite neighbors in a healthy, common endeavor.
  • Community gardens enable people to produce wholesome food for themselves and their families and provide educational outdoor activities for families and children.
  • Community gardens are used to convert vacant land into attractive and productive landscapes, and to create opportunities for diverse people to work together, while costing very little to establish and maintain.
  • At the direction of City Council, in 2000 City staff formed a Community Gardens Task Force to research the current state of community gardens in Sacramento.
  • Participants in the Community Gardens Task Force included the City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation Department, Neighborhood Services Department, Planning and Building Department, Solid Waste Division of the Department of Public Works, and the Department of Utilities, as well as numerous community participants.
  • Many local communities have organized, supportive programs for community gardens.
  • Sacramento's community Gardens vary is size and management.
  • Policies and support are needed in Sacramento to enhance the existing gardens and ensure the viability of new gardens.
  • Currently, 22 community gardens have been identified in the City of Sacramento.

Current City Policy

  • No formal policy or established guidelines currently exist in the City Code. The City neither manages nor provides City property for a community garden except for the Ninos Park Garden located on a utility easement.
  • City Code Enforcement Staff currently responds to neighborhood complaints related to community gardens.
  • The Community Gardens Task Force has recommended that the City develop an operational standards guidelines brochure, develop criteria for siting community gardens, coordinate a team of Community Garden stakeholders to initiate planning and initiatives, as well as other outreach efforts and inter-departmental coordination to help plan, support, and manage community gardens.

Further Information

  • Monthly lunchtime meetings for all individuals or groups interested in community gardens. Topics discussed include Grants, Code Enforcement, Composting, Water, Insurance, Partnerships, Community Collaborative, School Gardens, and Next Steps.
    • DATE: Fourth Monday of Every Month
    • TIME: 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
    • PLACE: Coloma Community Center - 4623 "T" Street, Sonora Room - Bring your own "brown bag" lunch