Inspiration for Discussion
Fun Facts
• Community gardens not only provide fresh fruits and vegetables, but also can be a tool for promoting physical and emotional health, connecting with nature, teaching life skills, and promoting financial security.
• Community gardens are as varied as the neighborhoods in which they thrive. Types of community gardens include plot gardens, cooperative gardens, youth gardens, entrepreneurial market gardens, and therapeutic gardens.
• North Carolina has a long history of community gardens dating back to 1753 and the earliest-documented community garden in the Moravian town of Bethabara, near Winston-Salem.
• Vegetable growing is popular in community gardens because vegetables require some space, but not necessarily acres. A vegetable garden can be in the ground or in a planting bed, but it does not have to be. Many vegetables can be grown in containers.
• North Carolina ranks in the top 10 highest producing states in the country for the following vegetables: cabbage, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.