Biography
Most people I know ask me why I write a weekly column for a local newspaper. To which, I reply that it seems like a good idea, is good writing practice, and gives me pleasure. As a sixty-one year old, I have a lifetime of learning from some of the best so why not share what I’ve learned along the way. As a retired educator, I see this as an extension of teaching. What I learn from people and experience, I share with others.
I come by what I have learned honestly. I am fortunate to have had a loving family with relatives who did not consider it a sacrifice to do whatever was necessary to make sure my sister and I could have a better life than they did. My parents grew up during the Depression and learned to count each penny and make wise choices. My maternal grandparents raised their family through the Great Depression in rural, eastern North Carolina. Both my parents and grandparents taught that you can never stop learning and the more you know the better your life will be. We are interdependent but need to develop self-reliance at the same time was one mantra I heard from them.
Others I have known throughout the years have shown me how to grow a successful garden, to take care of myself, to eat what’s good for me without breaking the bank, and to learn to save money. Since moving to Tennessee, I’ve had the good fortune and great pleasure to get to know many people who have continued my education. My husband Bill helps me stay grounded, encourages me to expand my horizons and reminds me to share what I’ve learned. To all who have been my teachers and friends, I send you my heartfelt thanks and love.
Update
April is time for…
Gardeners get a little antsy beginning the first day of April. They check the weather report several times a day. If there is a threat of snow or a hard freeze, the gardener’s gets knots in the stomach. It’s almost time to plant. As you drive through the county, you’ll see plowed fields. By mid-April, you’ll notice those fields have been tilled and are ready to go.
If you are planning to plant some early vegetables, don’t forget the beets, broccoli, carrots, onions, peas, and spinach. The gardening charts are still up on the website for you to download (1).
Johnson County Community Gardens
Not everybody has the space or time for a big garden. For those people who want to grow some of their own food participating in a community garden is a great choice. As stated before there are many reasons to garden. Growing your own food is important, but a garden is also beneficial to your physical, mental and spiritual health.
I asked Tamara McNaughton to answer some questions about local community gardens. She has graciously done so, and I want to thank her for her assistance with this article. What follows are the questions and her answers.
Tamara McNaughton Interview
The community gardens are part of the work the Johnson County Farmers Market is doing for community food security. One garden group started meeting last October to start planning for three gardens this season.
The Farmers Market will open for the season on Saturday May 7th. Market days are every Saturday from 9am to 1pm through October 1st. Tuesday night markets start on June 14th and continue through August 30th. Tuesday night markets are 3-6pm. The market is still seeking vendors for the coming season. Vendor Rules, Regulation, and Applications can found at the Johnson County Farmers Market website (2).
1. Who should consider participating in the community garden project? Why should someone consider participating?
Who: Anyone interested in gardening and preserving food whether they want to learn from others or share their knowledge, people who would like to supplement their food budget, people who don’t have space at their own house, people who want to strengthen their self-sufficiency and empower themselves through producing their own food and more. The gardens will be managed democratically by the individuals involved in working the gardens.
Why: The American Community Garden Association is a good source of this information (3).
Benefits of Community Gardens
-Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
-Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
-Stimulates Social Interaction
-Encourages Self-Reliance
-Beautifies Neighborhoods
-Produces Nutritious Food
-Reduces Family Food Budgets
-Conserves Resources
-Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
-Reduces Crime
-Preserves Green Space
-Creates income opportunities and economic development
-Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots
-Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections
2. What is a community garden?
A community garden is any place that is shared by a group of people to grow food, flowers, relationships, and community.
The gardens in Johnson County will be worked as a group rather than some community garden models where individuals pay for their private space and grow it alone. Working the gardens as a group help us pool our limited resources so we can grow more together.
3. What are the requirements to join? Where does someone go to sign up? What are the rules?
A willingness to share garden space, work, tools, other materials, and knowledge.
Come by one of the gardens during scheduled weekly meetings or call Tamara at (423) 895-9980
The rules and an application can be downloaded (4). You can also come by the Johnson County Farmers Market to inquire.
4. What is the work schedule? How much work and what kinds of work are involved?
Each garden group meets at the garden once per week to discuss what has been accomplished the week before and what needs to be done during the upcoming week.
The group at First Assembly has chosen Saturday evening at 5 pm as their weekly meeting time. The group at Believer’s has not yet chosen a weekly meeting time, but the next meeting will be on April 7th at 9am at Believer’s Family Worship Center in Doe.
Groups have been working on setting up rules, planning the gardens, selecting the mix of plants and varieties they want to grow, and otherwise preparing for the upcoming season. Participants have chosen to grow these gardens organically. During the spring, summer, and fall, work will include regular garden chores like seeding, transplanting, weeding, watering, monitoring the garden for pests and diseases, harvesting, and eating. Individuals will be encouraged to prepare lessons to share with the group.
People can work as much or as little as they like. In exchange for their time and effort, people will be given fresh produce for their work. The exchange rate set by the group is $10 per hour. Pricing of the produce will be competitive with organic produce prices in grocery stores.
5. Where are the gardens located? Are their maps or directions to the gardens?
Three small gardens are starting up this year with the hopes of receiving a grant from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to increase the size of the gardens to a quarter acre each.
One is at First Assembly of God at 1923 HWY 421 N just outside Mountain City near the School Buses.
The second is at Believer’s Family Worship Center down in Doe near the prison at 238 Burley Shouns Lane.
The third is at Higher Ground Peer Support Center on Crossroads in Mountain City. This garden is for people who attend the Peer Support Center and is not open to the general public. This garden space has the added benefit of providing peer support. For people interested in this garden, please contact Linda Malone at Higher Ground Peer Support Center.
6. What do people grow?
Each garden group met to discuss what they want to grow and how much of each crop. All gardens are growing: tomatoes, peppers, squash, greens, onions, beans, beets, and a variety of other crops.
7. Why are community gardens important to food security for the people of Johnson County and for Johnson County itself?
Community gardens provide a place where residents can work together to provide for some of their food needs. By growing our own food we can learn new skills, save money, eat healthy, and build our community resiliency.
The Johnson County Community Food Assessment and Planning Project (JCCFAPP) engaged community members in a conversation about food security and self-reliance in Johnson County during 2010. Discussions through the JCCFAPP occurred in Food Security Council meetings held monthly, sixteen interviews with key stakeholders, five focus groups, three community meetings and meals, and two high school classes. Written surveys were collected from eight emergency and federal food assistance providers, nearly 700 Johnson County residents, and eight food stores were inventoried. This data has been compiled and written up in a booklet titled “Food Security in Johnson County, TN: Assessing and Building the Capacity of Local Food”. People interested in reading the document can access it at our website (5).
Through this process the county issued a strong call for community gardens, educational workshops and coordinated information sharing. Residents thought community gardens could be a good remedy to matters regarding engaging youth, creating jobs, offering fresh food at a reasonable cost, and nutrition. Youth and adults of all ages can participate in the gardens according to their ability. Fresh, inexpensive, nutritious food can be grown in these gardens while creating potential income for participants.
8. What other information do you think the readers need to know?
Recently the town of Sedgwick, Maine passed a town ordinance declaring their food sovereignty. I believe this is in response to the recently passed Food Safety and Modernization Act by Congress which includes the Tester Hagan Amendment (6).
Representatives Matthew Hill and Scotty Campbell have proposed a bill to reduce restrictive regulations currently in place in TN. An article was run in the Johnson City Press on Monday, March 21st. Rep. Matthew Hill is quoted in this article saying to the sub-committee, ”Our constituents in Northeast Tennessee have said, quite frankly, they should be allowed to choose the foods they eat and should be allowed to go to a farmers market and choose the food they want”. More information on the bill can be found on the Tennessee General Assembly website. The bill’s number is HB 1699 (7).
Endnotes:
- http://badideanews.com/documents/Gardening_Charts.pdf
- http://www.johnsoncountyfarmersmarket.org/family.html
- http://communitygarden.org/learn/what-is-a-community-garden/index.php
- http://badideanews.com/documents/JCFM_comgarden_rules.pdf
- http://www.johnsoncountyfarmersmarket.org/Food-Security.html
- http://badideanews.com/documents/local_food_ordinance_Sedgwick_Maine.pdf
- http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1699
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