A community garden could be blooming in Bristol this spring.
Mayor Art Ward said Tuesday that establishing a community garden – probably at the Beals Senior-Community Center – would allow residents to grow their own food.
It would give people something to do with their green thumbs, he said, and perhaps help some cope with the economic downturn as well.
“Community gardening improves people’s quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education,” according to the American Community Garden Association.
Ward said he plans to bring the idea before a city committee soon to consider putting a community garden at the senior center.
Farmington has the Kolp Community Garden Plots that have offered people garden space for years on the flats near the Farmington River. It’s been popular there.
Ward said Bristol would likely find a receptive audience for a community garden, too.
“It’s great for people to grow their own foodstuffs,” Ward said.
He said that putting it at the senior center may prove “ideal” because there is plenty of extra land there and seniors are apt to be interested in trying it out.
“It could be workable,” Ward said, without costing the taxpayers much.
Ward said he plans to move quickly on the idea so that if the city can do it, people would have a chance to get things planted this spring in time to harvest them in late summer or early fall.
“Especially during these economic times, it might be great,” Ward said.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
37 comments:
Another "Feel Good" bit of pandering.
Art, when are you going to start making a serious impact on the city fiscal situation?
Great idea Art! If coming up with ways to bring the community together and save a little cash during these tough economic times can be construed as "pandering"...pander away Mr. Ward!
I think it's a great idea. As a child my Father would travel to Farmington to the plot that he rented, by the river. I can imagine if this was available in Bristol he would never stoped growing vegetables.
I hope to see this come to fruition.
And how does this help the city budget???
And how does this help the city budget???
Will he assure us that there is no ongoing cost to the city?
No union workers involved, plowing etc??
This is a good idea and was a good idea a few years ago when it originally came before the Roberts Committee and was adopted by that group.
Great idea! I hope this gets done in more neighborhoods besides the sr center. More people should take advantage of it.
We can grow our own food and save money. Thank you Art Ward!
4:23 ~ Must you bitch about absolutely EVERYTHING the mayor does? No, a garden might not have a big impact on the city budget, but it will help bring the community together and save people money to boot. It's a good thing! As far as the union workers being involved, I don't think that would be necessary. There is something you can contribute though! All gardens need fertilizer....and you seem to be full of it!!!
And how much is this going to cost???
No such thing as a free lunch, even with just vegatables.
Did I not suggest this as a temporary use for the downtown property ...until the economy improves and a developer comes forward?
Artie...how about doing something to save taxes, instead of this feel good stuff!!
First he gives out big union contracts, then he does a feel good thing!
Way to go Mayor!!
10:41
We would have to dig up the paving, put in good soil, remove any questionable material.
What is the cost of all of that?
11:02/11:03 ~ There's nothing wrong with "feel good stuff". Good is good! Hopefully, the garden will come to fruition. Maybe then you can finally put all that fertilizer you like to spread around to good use!
a lot of negativity is the norm that is posted here, as expected, but not a lot of positive suggestions for alternatives or solutions, as expected.
must be frustrating to wake up every day with that self-imposed doom and gloom approach to life that many of you bloggers display.
maybe you should roll-over at night and smother that negativity - not likely.
are we trying to control taxes or are we trying to create a Warm Fuzzy Feeling as our tax bill goes up?
Maybe the crews that are sweeping the sand off the ice will do the plowing???
Saw sweepers out again today.
Hpe they aren't on OT!
"are we trying to control taxes or are we trying to create a Warm Fuzzy Feeling as our tax bill goes up?"
Any reason why we can't do both? If a community garden helps some folks feed their families and still make ends meet, I'd say that the idea is a lot more than just a "warm and fuzzy feeling"... and I'd also say that you're a pretty pompous and arrogant SOB for saying so.
1:33, betcha you'd be the first one in line to bellyache if the City missed cleaning off your street...there's just NO pleasing some people. You appear to be one of those people.
Hey, why not put snow plows on the sweepers?
there are costs with running water to the area, creating parking areas, and setting up the plots, issuing permits, collecting the money, creating the rules, etc. Some agency will have to be responsible. It will cost money. Still a good idea, but maybe the mayor should refer back to when the idea originally came forward to see what the details were.....
no doubt that this site can show ignorance in excess - hopefully, it becomes a motivation for some positive actions as people realize the negative imput - based upon past performance - wishful thinking.
Ward: The Happy Panderer
10:13 AM: The Chronic Complainer
1:07
But the complainer ain't costing the city big bucks!!!
2:54
The complainer ain't doing much of anything....besides giving the rest of us a big headache.
And the Panderer is just giving us a big tax bill!
Great!
Add new activities and costs while the economy and our budget is going down the tubes.
Grow carrots, but lay off teachers, cut Library hours, and try to get by on overused cars.
Thanks Art!
Alternative solution: Don't do it!
Setting up this community garden would cost about the same as a teacher's pay for one morning. That's why we can do this while cutting costs elsewhere as we need to.
10:24
And how did you come up with these numbers?
What would YOU cut?
It is time for the republicans of Bristol to stop criticizing every move the mayor makes!! If the republicans had so many good ideas don't you think Ken Johnson would be in the mayors seat? If the republicen town committee spent as much time developing good ideas as it did criticizing the mayor Bristol would be a perfect city!
The definition of a Bristol Republican: One who criticizes but has not one good idea of his or her own!!! The republican leadership of Bristol is a joke.
What leadership?
I don't live in Bristol but I don't see much happening there (other than the renovated library) that either party can be proud of.
Put the request in the Seniors Budget and let the Board of Finance decide.
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