Community Ideas, Tips & Guides

Last month, the job listings page for the American Climate Corps went live. The ACC is a new program developed by the Biden administration that plans to mobilize young people into careers fighting climate change and environmental injustice. These roles span the country and both private and public sectors. Like other corps-type jobs, these roles will be term limited.

In 2008, Jessica Eikleberry was 29 years old and had just read Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma. She wanted to start eating locally and, with the help of her mom, she made a goal for the coming Thanksgiving: an all-local meal.

As a researcher of urban agriculture, I was shocked to see a recent news article bearing the headline “Food from urban agriculture has a carbon footprint six times larger than conventional produce, study shows.” I had spent five years researching and publishing peer-reviewed articles and book chapters about urban agriculture during my Ph.D. with the Berkeley Food Institute, and this conclusion seemed to fly in the face of all that I’d read. How could this be? 

How GardenAdvice.co.uk for Beginners Can Empower Your Gardening Journey

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Last summer, members of the InterTribal Buffalo Council (ITBC), a Native non-profit group dedicated to restoring tribal bison herds among its 83 member Nations, embarked on a timeless practice across the grasslands of southeast Montana: the slaughter of a 1,600-pound American bison, right out in the open prairie. 

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At the end of February, the town board of Lind, Wisconsin voted against changing the zoning laws to allow a nearby 600-cow dairy to install an anaerobic digester. These digesters are becoming more common, particularly at larger dairy operations housing thousands of cows, called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). This is partially because they have been included as a key ingredient in the Biden administration’s pledge to reduce methane emissions in animal agriculture.

As much as we adore forecasting upcoming trends here at The Spruce, we love seeing those trends executed in real life even more.

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Nate Lewis and Melissa Barker knew that Oyster Bay Farm was for them. “It ticked all the boxes,” says Lewis. Situated in Olympia, Washington along the shores of Puget Sound, the fertile land and waterfront views make the farm an ideal spot. 

My career in ornamental horticulture has led to the development of a working theory: Ornamental grasses are an acquired taste for most gardeners. This theory grew from personal experience (my tastes have changed significantly since growing up gardening on the Front Range) and from similar opinions expressed by several folks I’ve coached. I think this delayed appreciation stems from a realization that grasses can excel where perennials fail. Ornamental grasses may lack flash, but they offer four-season appeal, eye-catching forms and textures, and superior tolerance to harsh weather; in addition, they give gardens an immersive feel thanks to their penchant for gentle movement.

The winding peaks and troughs of Arizona’s Verde Valley, weaving through jagged ochre mountains, dreamy cactus-clad deserts and deep volcanic canyons, make up some of the most iconic images of the American West. For thousands of years, the valley has been home to both the Verde River, one of Arizona’s only perennial wild rivers, and to Indigenous communities from the ancient Sinagua and Hohokam peoples to present-day tribes including the Yavapai, Hopi, Apache and Zuni. It is also home to 270 species of birds, 94 species of mammals and 76 species of native amphibians and reptiles. All this makes the Verde River key to the history, culture and ecosystem of central Arizona. 

As a teenager, I distinctly remember my father telling me to not follow in the family business. I now know he said this to shield me from the many hardships farmers continue to face. America’s farmers, especially beginning and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers face insurmountable challenges, yet 87 percent of young farmers are dedicated to regenerative, climate-smart farming practices. Today’s beginning farmers are passionate about growing nourishing foods, diversified crops and building soil; yet because of astronomical real estate costs, most farmers are unable to purchase land on which to operate.

I’M OPENING my garden on Saturday June 8 from 10 AM to 4 PM as part of a weekend of events in my Hudson Valley, N.Y., community, that also includes the spectacular garden of Peter Bevacqua and Stephen King (above) nearby, two plant sales, and more. Tickets are on sale now (links at the bottom of the page); last year they sold out, so we’ve upped the numbers a bit but….don’t dally!

On a September day in 2023, community members gathered at the Keep Growing Detroit Farm to witness the formal announcement of the city’s first director of urban agriculture. Tepfirah Rushdan, who had long been involved in Detroit’s farming scene as a farmer, educator and advocate, was a natural fit for the position.

Spider Plant Takeover I was warned that spider plants can get out of control, but I had to find out for myself... The prolific spider plant

As February is Black History Month, it's an excellent time to celebrate the incredible Black designers who contribute to the design world all year long.

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We were fortunate to win at Half Moon Bay, California this year. The competition was intense with 80 entries, 10 of which were over 1,000 pounds. The weigh-off is always on Columbus Day. The winner stays until the following weekend to participate in the HMB Pumpkin Festival.

If you're one of the many people who use the start of a new year to take on a house-wide clean out, you may be wondering which categories you should think about tackling first.

A DIY greenhouse will extend the growing season of your garden by allowing you to start seeds earlier and keep plants producing later in the fall. Large or small, building a greenhouse doesn't have to break the bank.

Sky-high interest rates, low inventory, and a competitive market have made buying a home difficult in the past few years. One solution popping up in many parts of the country is build-to-rent communities. 

It’s always a pleasure to speak with our neighbors in Canada, and it’s clear the community garden movement there is alive and thriving. Judy Stafford and Naomi Kulhawy are two of Kin Park Community Garden’s biggest supporters, with Judy as executive director and Naomi as the farm director.

Jose Yong, Northumbria University, Newcastle

ELMSDALE, NOVA SCOTIA — Elmsdale is in the East Hants Municipality District in gorgeous Nova Scotia, Canada. It is proud of a “rich history of shipbuilding, forestry, railway construction and preserved natural surroundings.” With a well educated population and over half of its residents aged 15 and up possessing a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree, the region is proud of a “rich history of shipbuilding, forestry, railway construction and preserved natural surroundings.” Their community garden has no core funding, but is supported by multiple grants each year. Gardening Know How was pleased to support this great effort in Elmsdale through our 2022 garden grant program.

The benefits of community gardens are hard to overstate. These green spaces, often in the midst of an urban landscape, are a boon to individuals and the community as a whole. One of the most surprising benefits is a significant and measurable reduction in crime.

A lot of new gardening and plant books have landed on my mat this spring, and I need to up my book reviewing game! I like to do them justice, and spend some time reading them before I write a review, so that does create a bit of a backlog. Right at the time when the garden is demanding my attention. Anyway, the book that has found itself at the top of the list is one that really encompasses the gardening zeitgeist – The Community Gardening Handbook, by Ben Raskin. I looked him up, and he has impeccable credentials. He’s currently Head of Horticulture for the Soil Association; prior experiences include working for Garden Organic, running a walled garden and being a Horticultural Advisor for the Community Farm near Bristol.

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It’s a glorious July Saturday. The sun is showering this corner of the world with warmth and optimism. The earth’s bounty and human toil, and some craic, surrounds us, and you can hear the stream nearby and the birds in the trees. There is abundance and productivity and nature and community and generosity.

Cleaning up a school garden after a prolonged absence or period of neglect can seem like an overwhelming task, particularly now as schools are working out how to reopen safely. Although it seems the world has changed in many ways, school gardens still offer students hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that cannot be found inside four walls. Perhaps now more than ever, it’s important to give children the chance to explore in a garden and to offer spaces for outdoor learning. Here are a few tips for creating a safe and positive garden environment, even if you haven’t been able to work in your school garden in awhile.

Besides wanting to know what’s next there at a place that’s been known for a long time for its influence on American gardeners, Patrick has a personal passion I’m very curious about. It’s what he calls “natural community gardening,” as in taking our cues from habitats or plant communities in nature to guide how we design and care for our gardens.Patrick came to Heronswood last fall from Clemson University in South Carolina, where he ran the South Carolina Botanical Garden and was a professor in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. He

Food security is a pressing issue of our time, and unfortunately, it is something that many communities lack. In both developed and developing nations, there is huge fragility in food systems, and both agriculture and food networks leave a lot to be desired.