Gardening guru touts importance of community gardens

By Katie Leslie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

To Bobby Wilson, a vacant lot represents an opportunity for growth of an edible variety.

Wilson, the president of the American Community Gardening Association and a University of Georgia cooperative extension agent based in East Point, is behind a movement to turn vacant lots into community gardens. In 2009, the ACGA partnered with winemaker Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi to host programs that teach people how to dig, till, sow and grow with the hopes that community gardens grow aplenty across the U.S.

This weekend, the "Giving Through Growing" project comes to Atlanta for an already sold-out two-day workshop about community gardening. We chatted with Wilson about the trend and why community gardens matter.

Why did the ACGA and winemaker Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi partner for these workshops?

We developed a relationship with Woodbridge to do educational training programs across North America and are focusing on Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York and Chicago as the four major cities for these programs. ... There will be a combination of educators and local folks involved in the training, all with the hope of making their community gardens better, and so they can promote the gardens in their communities.

What should people expect to learn from Giving Through Growing?

[Many] individuals and groups lack the knowledge to implement and develop and produce community gardens that are viable ... They have no idea how deep to plant a seed, when to harvest, how much water a garden needs, or how to grow without chemicals. We can give them the tools necessary to maintain the gardens for a long period of time.

Community gardens seem to be on the rise. What fuels the interest?

We know people are hungry right now to learn how to grow community gardens. The reasons vary. Some really want fresh vegetables free of chemicals. Some want to deal with the vacant lots in their community and turn them into productive pieces of land. Some want to develop gardens as a way to bring communities together. As an extension agent and president of the ACGA, I’ve always seen community gardens as a way to clean up social problems, such as prostitution or getting rid of the drug infestations in communities. Now since we’re going through this economic downturn, I also see it as a viable tool to feed many people.