Community Gardens:
Excitement Today, Weeds Tomorrow
Nathaniel Gula
Metropolitan Ministries
USF Alumni
My Background
 Graduated
from USF in 2013
 Working at Metropolitan Ministries as a
“Hunger Coordinator”
 Coordinate food based programs and
services through partnerships in the
community, mainly churches
Why Do We Have Community
Gardens?
 Community-
Bring people together
toward a common goal. Beautifies and
gives purpose to unused space
 Education- Reconnecting people to
where the food they consume comes
from
 Food Security- Provides fresh and nutritious
food for those who do not have access to
it regularly
Food Security


WHO- “when all
people at all times
have access to
sufficient, safe,
nutritious food to
maintain a healthy
and active life”. (1)
In the US 14.5% of
people do not meet
this standard (2).
1: http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story028/en/
2: http://foodsecurity/research/the-search-for-an-oasis-2/
Inherent Challenges
 High
start-up costs
 Land being used is not “permanent”
 Disparity between location, need, and
volunteers
 Requires uncommon passion
 Cultural and value-based conflicts
What Happens Too Often…
Relating Challenges To Food
Insecurity / Food Justice
 High


start-up cost
Prohibitive for lower SES persons
Displaced “other” location for higher SES
persons
 Poor
location tied to high start-up cost
 Uncommon enthusiasm

Impactful volunteers are unable to maintain
against adversity, conflicts outweigh
connections
A Solution: How Micro Church
Gardens Help
 Cost
reduction and established practice
of giving/volunteerism
 Churches in great abundance in lower
SES areas
 Land is more “safe” from eviction
 Lower SES individuals already come to
location for food access via pantries
A Solution, Part 2
 Inherent
values of earthly “stewardship”
and feeding the poor
 Build smaller, let the garden grow as
passion grows
 Part of networks of larger organizations
that provide stability and remove barriers
of communication with higher SES
counterparts
Make Tampa Bay A Leader In
Community Gardens!