The city of Hartford has a number of community gardens. The crops planted are diverse. One can find eggplant, corn, callaloo, melon, garlic, and pumpkin, to name only a few of the plants. Every August, a tour is given of a handful of the gardens. This year, the tour leaves from the Niles Street Community Garden (between Laurel and Sigourney) and stops at four other city community gardens. It then returns to the site for a meal prepared from ingredients grown in these gardens.
The general fee for this is $20; community gardeners are charged $10. Attendees have the option of riding on the bus or taking their own bicycles. There will be musical entertainment.
The Facebook invitation states that the event goes from 5pm to 11:30pm on August 19th. Call (860) 951-7694 ext. 14 for reservations.
The American Community Garden Association lists the following as benefits of community gardens:
- Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
- Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
- Stimulates Social Interaction
- Encourages Self-Reliance
- Beautifies Neighborhoods
- Produces Nutritious Food
- Reduces Family Food Budgets
- Conserves Resources
- Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
- Reduces Crime
- Preserves Green Space
- Creates income opportunities and economic development
- Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots
- Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections
It’s not an anomaly that Hartford, an urban area, has gardens. Many cities do, including Philadelphia, Fairbanks, and Detroit. New Haven is another city on board with this; on August 7th the 2010 CT NOFA City Farm & Garden Tour will be happening down there. The New Haven event is described as “self-guided” and besides flowers and vegetables, will feature poultry.
