Excited to get your own vegetable garden growing this spring, but don't know where/when to start??
In May/June this year, MOVE (the Massachusetts Outdoor Volunteer Experience) and SCA (Somerville Climate Action) will team up to launch
"community garden-raisings" all over the city. Please let us know if you'd like a garden at your home, or also if you'd like to pitch in to help out.
What it entails: A team of volunteers will come to your house on a Saturday or Sunday to help set up a raised bed vegetable garden (since most of us can't grow food directly in our soil here, because of the high lead levels). These teams will have people with a wide range of gardening experience, to give you great guidance on maintaining your garden. At least a week before the build, our project leader will help you evaluate your site and give you full advice on where to get all of the materials you'll need (with options and costs). And on the day of, we'll take the lead in getting the garden built.
Costs: The cost of a standard (roughly 8' x 4') raised bed garden is about $150-180 including building materials, soil, and seedlings, which you will pay directly to the stores where you make purchases (no funds go to us). Please keep in mind that in coming years, the cost of getting your garden going will be much much less, since you'll have the garden built already. The one thing we personally ask is that you commit to spreading the word within your neighborhood to get some of your neighbors to help out or at least observe. We will bring all necessary tools (wheelbarrows, shovels, etc). And if you have trouble affording the cost of the garden, we definitely have financial assistance available upon request.
Volunteering: And if you'd like to simply help out with building a garden instead, we'd love your help! Our larger aim is to get folks in our community together to share knowledge that each of us can then bring into our own homes.
If you are interested or have any questions, please email Dave Madan at dave@getoutma.org. Thanks!