ROOTS: Community Garden Partnerships

ROOTS

An urban agriculture project that serves as a teaching center for the Asheville community, ROOTS enables the community to learn about and perform sustainable gardening practices. In addition, ROOTS simply allows access to gardening space to those who do not have their own area!

Community Outreach

ROOTS aims to facilitate community relationships and to foster an environment where individuals feel empowered to address food insecurity and awareness of healthy and sustainable gardening practices. Students, faculty, and community leaders also work together to create a sustainable farm environment, primarily on the Rhoades property at UNC Asheville. ROOTS provides additional resources to the community through its partnership with the Bountiful Cities project, which maintains a group of small community gardens in the local area. In addition, excess produce is collected from the participating community gardens, preserved, and redistributed among the low income communities, and to campus and community food outlets.

Where are the community gardens located?

Shiloh Community Garden is located in South Asheville at 59 Hampton and is owned by the Shiloh Community Association. This site is about 1/3 acre planted with vegetables, herbs, flowers, berries and fruit trees. The sit has a pavilion and tool shed. Bountiful Cities and Shiloh partner implementing the Strong Roots children program for youth at this location. The Shiloh community has held many education and community events at this garden.

Pearson Garden Located at 408 Pearson Drive in the Montford Neighborhood. This garden is owned by Bountiful Cities and where the organization began in 2000. The property is 1.58 acres planted in vegetables, herbs, flowers, grapes, berries and fruit trees. This garden is currently in the process of transforming to a market garden that will create “green jobs” using sustainable agriculture practices. The property has a covered pavilion with an attached outdoor kitchen, tool shed, compost toilet, cob bread oven, two greenhouses, bees and the beginnings of a root cellar.

Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park is located on city property where the Stephens-Lee Recreation Center is located. This is site is primarily planted with fruit, nut and berry trees. The last couple of years neighbors have joined together and they are now growing a vegetable garden.

Joyner Garden is located at 23 Joyner Ave. in West Asheville. This .13 acre garden site is owned by Bountiful Cities. This site is planted with vegetables, flowers and herbs and has a small tool shed with active community participation.

Antigua’s Garden is for women and children only (males until age 10), and is located at 46 Dortch St.  This site is around ¾ of an acre planted with vegetables, flowers and herbs. This site supports making it into a cottage industry for women teaching skills, sustainability and empowerment through garden programs.

Burton Street Community Peace Garden is located in West Asheville on Bryant Street behind the community center.  This garden is a child’s paradise with all of the “toys” on site to ramble in.  This site is about ¼ acre planted in vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit trees.  There is a covered picnic area, tool shed, cob oven and fire pit on this site. Community workdays are held Thursday’s starting at 5pm.

Martha Jane’s Garden is located in West Asheville on Bryant Street. This is a garden site is about 1/3 acre that is under development with plenty of volunteer opportunities.

Claxton Community Garden is located on the grounds of Merrimon Baptist Church.  This site has only planted around 1/4 of the capacity with the ability to grow and offers plots for rent.