MERCHANT PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN

Inaugural Meeting
8pm October 5th, 2010
All Saints Church
4129 W. Newport, Chicago, IL

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LOCATION OF “MERCHANT PARK”

Keeler
Eddy

12,750 sq ft

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WHAT THE LOT LOOKS LIKE NOW

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WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE WHEN IT’S TRANSFORMED

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Our Vision:

Have plots of land available to neighborhood

residents so we can GROW OUR OWN FOOD.

Teach children in the neighborhood how to

grow foods and plants.

Bring people of the community together by

beautifying a vacant lot and turning it into
something useful for the neighborhood.

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HERE’S OUR PLAN

Garden plots (8’ x 8’) that members can rent for a small
yearly fee (about $15 to $50 per year depending on start up
and maintenance costs)…

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 Testing completed, September 2010, shows
average amounts of lead in the soil for the
Chicago area.

However, lead levels are still higher than

suggested for growing vegetables by the EPA.

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HOW TO MAKE THE GARDEN SAFE

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“I recommend using raised beds in your garden. You will have no
problems with lead if you use raised beds. Your raised beds
should be minimum 10 inches high….”

“I recommend using wood chips to protect children from the lead

in the soil. I would put a water permeable fabric down and then
wood chips over the fabric….”

“[By doing this,] you will be safe.”

Matthew Kostelnick
Horticulture Educator
University of Illinois Extension Service
Cook County Unit

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COMMUNITY GARDENS ARE EVERYWHERE!

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COMMUNITY GARDENS NEAR US

Turtle Park Garden

4900 N. Troy

Allotment garden and

community park

Drake Garden
4643 N. Drake

Botanic garden / park

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WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE OUR GARDEN A REALITY!

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TIMELINE

PLANNING
October 2010 – March 2011

BUILDING OUT THE ACTUAL GARDEN

April 2011

PLANTING
May 2011

ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THE GARDEN

June 2011 and beyond!

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COSTS

Costs for running a garden like this average $500 to $1500 per year

(but it takes more labor than cash to make the garden a reality!)

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Lots of Issues to Be Worked On

WATER

•  What is the best way to get water to the garden?

•  We can use city hydrants in the interim but how do we get water from the hydrants to the garden?

•  Can we get water from an adjacent business? Or from a residential hose(s) nearby?

•  What are the costs associated with getting permanent water to the site?

•  Can we get funds from the City, local businesses or a non-profit organization like NeighborSpace to install water
at the site?

•  How could the use of rain water become part of the overall water plan?

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Lots of Issues to Be Worked On

FENCING & MAINTENANCE

•  How should we secure the site?

•  Is fencing the only way to do this?
•  What resources from city / park district / non-profits can we use to help with the fence and maintenance?
•  How should we go about clearing / cleaning the plot?

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Lots of Issues to Be Worked On

Plot Construction

•  We plan to use plot rental fees to build raised beds and put down mulch in pathways between raised beds.

•  We need to determine total cost for this in order to set initial plot rental fees.

•  We need lots of LABOR to build the plots.

•  Everyone who wants a plot should plan on participating in this endeavor.

•  It’s important to know how many people are interested in plots within a month in order to start budgeting labor
time and funds for buying supplies.

•  We are seeking support from NeighborSpace (a non-profit that supports community gardens) to help us plan and
build our garden.

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Lots of Issues to Be Worked On

OPERATIONS

•  Create initial set of bylaws

•  Create an application for plot-holders

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Lots of Issues to Be Worked On

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

•  Maintain database of members’ info

•  Figure out a communications plan to inform members of updates / announce community meetings

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Lots of Issues to Be Worked On

FUND RAISING

•  gather the final amount needed to start garden

•  plan fundraising events

•  research funding opportunities from various institutions

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NEXT STEPS:

1. Sign up to receive information on our website

(www.merchantparkcommunitygarden.org).
2. Come to a meeting (see announcements on our website or on our
Facebook site – do a search for Merchant Park Community Garden and
sign on as a fan)
3. Start working on a committee (water, maintenance & fencing, plot
construction, marketing & communication, fundraising, operations,
compost)

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END

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