Resources: Coordinating Tools for Community Garden Leaders

Events

Event Organizer 101
12 Steps for organizing a community event - big or small - so that it can be fun for everyone; planners, volunteers and participants!

Organizing and Leadership

Community Garden Organizer’s Handbook - Madison, Wisconsin
This 2008 handbook has been prepared to help community garden volunteer organizers manage their gardens. With over two dozen documents, this collection of information represents the work of community gardeners in Wisconsin and is a great resource for gardeners everywhere. With a few exceptions, documents are provided in both fixed (Adobe) and editable (Word) formats, so you may use them as-is, or change them for your purposes.

Helpful Reminders
This factsheet has a list of reminders for leaders of community gardening. Good for posting next to your desk and keeping your eye on the prize as you maintain the garden's records or make phone calls to gardeners. Put together by Aimee McAdams of 18th Avenue Community Garden, Minneapolis.

Growing Communities Workshop Curriculum - American Community Gardening Association
(Available for purchase on the ACGA website) Get the comprehensive curriculum with lots of great organizing tools and techniques tailored to meet the needs of community gardeners. The curriculum was developed by the American Community Gardening Association over the last 25 years by experienced community garden leaders from around the nation. Gardening Matters utilizes many parts of the Growing Communities Curriculum in our programming and Annual Shared Leadership Training.

Organizing Tips from Boston Natural Areas Network
Terrific tipsheets including topics, such as Garden Leadership, Health and Safety in the Community Garden, Ten Basic Citywide Garden Rules, Community Garden Leader's Month-By-Month Task Organizer, Balance Sheet – Community Garden Record Keeping, Community Garden Maintenance Activity Schedule, Essential Components of a Successful Community Garden, Making the Most of Meetings

Starting a Community Garden

Start-Up Page
"Smart Start" your community garden for long-term sustainability. Give yourself time to fully plan for the garden -- our Start-Up Basics gives an overview of the process. The Community Garden Start-Up Guide (1.7MB) provides step-by-step instructions with worksheets to help groups get started in developing a successful community garden. Contact us with specific questions.

Job Descriptions
Sharing responsibility for the care of the community garden makes work light! Sometimes folks don't know how to pitch in or don't see what needs to be done. Here is a menu of options compiled from local Twin Cities community gardens that you can use to help your fellow gardeners get more involved in the care of the garden. For a list of job descriptions for one garden, visit the Dowling Community Garden job descriptions

Rules for Community Gardens 
A menu of options from the numerous community gardeners (primarily local) who shared their gardener rules with us. See what others have developed and what you can incorporate into your own gardener agreement. To see a gardener agreement form, visit the Dowling Community Garden Rules

Problem Solving

Theft and Vandalism Tipsheet from ACGA
This article/factsheet is choc full of great tips on addressing theft and vandalism. Timeless advice from the American Community Garden Association.

Vandalism
Check out this factsheet for helpful hints on how to deter vandalism. Every garden deals with vandalism at sometime. If your garden gets hit, don't let it get you down. Put the garden to right and implement some of the tips in this factsheet. Put together by Aimee McAdams of 18th Avenue Community Garden, Minneapolis.

Waiting List: Effectively Managing High Demand at Community Garden
With high demand for community garden space in recent years, many coordinators are challenged by how to effectively manage new gardener requests. Learn how your waiting list can increase community support for the garden and possibly help to establish another community garden.

Liability

Liability Insurance
American Community Gardening Association’s Jack Hale explains what liability insurance is, what it covers and why your garden needs it. However, you don't necessarily need to buy insurance on your own, check out these suggestions on alternative sources for liability insurance.

Volunteer Protection Act
What you need to know about your liability when hosting volunteers or being a volunteer at a community garden. Designed by Public Health Law and Policy.