Community Garden Policy Overview City of Chula Vista Redevelopment and Housing October 2009

Why: Community Interest in Gardens -provide a affordable source of healthy food -activate parks and open space -provide outdoor exercise -increase food security by providing local food sources -interest in establishing policy on part of CV nonprofit and community groups: HEAC, SDSU Research Project, Network for a Healthy California -interest in establishing gardens because they -provide a local, affordable source of healthy food -activate parks and open space -provide outdoor exercise -increase local food security -Community groups helped create and review policy

Where: Policy mainly addresses how to establish gardens on City property

Who: Nonprofit Responsibilities Nonprofit groups would play a lead role in organizing and managing the gardens by: -organizing the community -becoming the responsible party in a user agreement with the City -collect fees from garden users to cover garden cost -would allocate costs and supervise garden maintenance Would organize community through a preliminary meeting Would be the responsible party in user agreement with the City Would collect fees from the garden users to cover cost of establishing and maintaining garden Would allocate garden plots on a first-come-first serve basis to interested groups

Who: City Responsibilities Helping plan site Ensuring site is not contaminated Facilitating creation of user agreement/ lease Preparing soil

Garden Stewardship Encourage stewardship of garden area by: Prohibiting pesticides and chemical fertilizers Requiring composting Requiring the garden be open to all comers

Next Steps… Prepare an ordinance Review zoning code to allow on non-city owned property