2012 CPA Report #50
GROW FOOD NORTHAMPTON, INC PO BOX 849 NORTHAMPTON, MA 01061 ( 413) 207-5899 GROWFOODNORTHAMPTON.COM BOARD OF DIRECTORS Adele Franks, President Joe Blotnick, Treasurer Annie Sullivan-Chin,
Clerk Tom Benjamin Seth Gregory Gaby Immerman Llama Maynard Jim Weed STAFF Lilly Lombard, Executive Director Laura Hilberg, Administrative Assistant ADVISORY BOARD Peter Barrer Lisa
Baskin Cris Coffin Oona Coy Ben James Phil Korman Jenny Ladd Heidi Nortonsmith John Omasta Sam Stegeman Steve Strimer Meg Taylor John Frey CPA Staff Planner Northampton Office of Planning
& Development February 14, 2013 Dear John, Please accept this 2012 report of Grow Food Northampton’s project, The Florence Organic Community Garden (FOG). Leveraging over $50,000 in
donated services, materials, and volunteer hours, and utilizing approximately $28,000 of CPA grant funds, Grow Food Northampton successfully launched the Florence Organic Community Garden
in 2012, providing 110 garden plots to over 150 community gardeners. We surveyed and staked the garden plots, installed phase 1 irrigation, constructed a large, attractive & sturdy tool
shed, installed bike racks, created resource areas and educational signage, acquired hand tools, and trained every gardener in organic growing methods. All available garden plots were
leased, and we maintained a plot waitlist throughout the entire season. We created and maintained a dedicated Hunger Relief plot and donated hundreds of pounds of vegetables to a nearby
soup kitchen. At the end of the season, we conducted an on-‐line survey of our first season gardeners and, with an 89% response rate, we learned that 94% of respondents found their
experience at FOG as “great” (51%) or “good” (43%). We are currently studying detailed survey feedback to learn ways we can make the community gardening experience at FOG even better.
In the fall of 2012, we began phase 2 of FOG development and will continue this work into 2013. We planted an 8000 square feet edible hedgerow along Meadow St to provide wind buffer,
enhance conservation value, and provide a visual screen. We surveyed and staked another 150 plots and began phase 2 irrigation installation. We designed a gravel driveway plan to accommodate
limited on-‐site parking, and applied to the APR committee (aka ALPC) for permission to install this driveway (decision forthcoming in late Feb 2013). With this permission, in Spring
2013 we will install an internal gravel driveway. Thank you for the opportunity to report our project’s success. Please feel free to share this update with the Community Preservation
Committee, and contact me with any questions. Sincerely, Lilly Lombard