It was 9:00pm before Norma Jansma, the volunteer coordinator for Hillcrest Community Gardens, had a moment to sit down and talk about the gardens this week. She and a handful of others from the garden committee had just finished the tedious job of marking 100+ garden plots with stakes and string. And, did I mention, she has a full-time day job too.
Jansma, has played a key role in the year-to-year operations of the volunteer-based community garden for the past 8+ years.
"It has become a lot more popular, says Jansma, "and Grand Rapids has taken an interest in organics and the environment. We have fifty people on the waiting list this year. Last year it was thirty. Three or four years ago you could have called me now and still gotten a plot."
The site of the gardens, in the 1400 Block of Lyon Street NE, has some impressive historical roots, as well. The property was once owned by Grand Rapids Public Schools, as part of the Hillcrest Elementary School complex. A section of the property had been used as a Community Education garden.
When Holland Home expressed an interest in purchasing the property for expansion in the late 1980's, a group of concerned neighbors banded together, forming the Fulton Heights Neighborhood Association (FHNA) in 1989. Rather than see the property used for development, FHNA formed a 501(c)3, conducted a fundraising campaign and purchased the property outright. Hillcrest Community Gardens has been operating under the umbrella of the FHNA ever since.
"There are between 40-45 community gardens in the Grand Rapids area," says Cynthia Price, Chairperson for the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council. "Hillcrest is the oldest continually operating community garden."
"It has grown into a big business, says Jansma, of the Hillcrest enterprise, "It is a rental garden and we have city water. We have someone plow the property, Every year it is just a little different. Several plots in the back are perennial plots. With the raised beds, people can garden earlier and they don't get disturbed every year."
Grand Rapids isn't the only city seeing increased interest in community gardening.
"The greening movement is happening most visibly in urban areas," says Charlie Nardozzi, National Gardening Association, "and its success reaches beyond beautification. From New York to Chicago to Seattle, gardens in the city provide food and serenity, build stronger neighborhoods, and help clean up the environment. Gardening is not just a "feel good" activity any more."
"Community gardens are unique microcosms," says the USDA, "where people can learn about the science behind growing plants and provide an environment that cultivates social responsibility."
As the growing season progresses, gardeners at Hillcrest begin adding little dashes of their own personalities to their gardening plots. By fall, each has a look all its own. One gardener sets up a table and chairs in the middle of his plot to entertain guests, another has a colorful children's picnic table, while another installs hand woven climbing racks made from tree boughs. Lasting friendships have been formed over the years that stretch well beyond the confines of the growing fields. There are even a few gardeners that have been gardening there more than 20 years.
One of the charming additions to the gardens in 2008, was the installation of a Peace Pole near the main entrance. May Peace Prevail On Earth is etched into the pole in: Hebrew, Swahili, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Dutch and Braille...a fitting monument for such a peaceful setting.
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