Home-grown Veggies Coming to Suwanee, GA
June 11th, 2009 Categories: Suwanee Events
Suwanee’s latest innovative project, a community garden, was presented to a group of interested citizens last night at the first of several community meetings to gain citizen input and involvement. About 30-40 people attended the meeting in the city council chambers of city hall to hear from the project’s contracted design and construction management coordinators, Team Argo-Engineers (includes Farmer D and Southeastern Engineering, Inc.).
Team Argo-Engineers gave the attendees a brief introduction to the team members and review of their experience with similar projects, then moved into explanations and examples of what a community garden really is and the variety of options available for the Suwanee project on the selected 7-acre tract between Buford Hwy and White Road. Farmer D (Daron Joffe) and Bobby Wilson (UGA Cooperative Extension Agent and President of American Community Gardening Association) led a very informative discussion of gardening in general followed by explanations of both plot-type community gardens and community farm concepts. They pointed out that the Suwanee site could potentially support both concepts. Their presentations and their answers to citizen questions always provided great foundational information but emphasized that the final decisions for the garden development and on-going management will be made by the Community Garden Committee (CGC) to be formed in the coming weeks as the first step in the project. Sean Murphy, SEI Landscape Architecture Director, gave an overview of the project’s timeline to include the importance of the selection of the CGC members.
Those in attendance learned that a community garden is about so much more than growing food. As described by Bobby Wilson based on his experience with the Atlanta Urban Gardening Program, a community garden promotes physical exercise and health, education, community leadership and community fellowship, while providing fresh produce to the community and often to charities as well. This community garden is another example of Suwanee’s focus on citizen-oriented projects and innovative ideas to promote sustainable growth while maintaining the character of our community. Come join us in the garden.
