April 2026
Greetings,
Growing a community garden from the ground up is incredibly rewarding! The idea starts from driving past the same neglected lot, day after day, thinking, could there be a better use of this space compared to what is currently happening?
I volunteer and professionally help build community gardens as they are near and dear to my heart. People are able to gather and grow healthy produce and more importantly healthy relationships. Some are experts wanting to share their expertise with other gardens, some are novices hoping to learn from those experts, and some live in apartments or condominiums so need the space to grow their own food. A lot of food is grown in community gardens that are donated to one of the many local food banks.
Should you decide to start a community garden here are suggested steps to take:
1) Find a community! It’s actually easier to find land than to build a community so that’s the first order of business. Who lives, works, or meets around that patch of land? Relationships could be cultivated with churches, clubs, schools, homeschooling groups, and neighbors; all at the same time.
2) There are different issues that arise and it really helps if you find a sponsor. Is there a neighborhood council, church, or nonprofit willing to sponsor the community garden? This sponsorship is helpful with insurance or other startup costs.
3) Next, it’s important to have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for all the parties involved, making sure that there is clear communication. There are a number of examples of these floating documents around the city and county of Spokane. I promote growing food organically without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers; that being said, make sure that members of the community are on the same page.
4) The next step is the most fun. Organize a meeting of ALL interested parties and DREAM!
5) Itemize all materials necessary to make your garden grow, including a soil test (Master Gardener resource).
6) Make a projected timeline for accomplishing those tasks including building time for celebrating at least four times a year. Celebrating is essential to a community. These moments allow garden members a chance to step back and say, “Hey, look what we’ve done!”
7) Last, share it with others in the neighborhood for an opportunity to generate new members. A certain amount of attrition occurs naturally and this step helps make a resilient garden.
Furthermore there are local nonprofits available to contact and may have a source of free materials; Growing Neighbors is one of those nonprofits. Another resource is your local neighborhood council as they have an invested interest in wanting the area to be successful. A very knowledgeable group willing to help is the Spokane County Master Gardeners, so don’t be afraid to reach out.
Lastly, I’m happy to be a Permaculture Consultant to assist you on your journey building your community garden, just reach out to me at All Things Regenerative website.
Upcoming Events
Online Spokane Conservation District Tree Preorder Sale, Monday, January 12, 2026, 8:00 AM until March 6th, pickup and surplus sale will be Friday, April 10th: 8 AM - 5 PM and Saturday, April 11th: 9 AM - 12 PM
Soil Microbiome Class: The Soil Microbiome Class at Stevens County Conservation District 232 Williams Lake Road Colville, WA, 99114 Saturday, April 4, 2026, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Northeast Washington Mushroom Festival at Happy Dell Park, Saturday, May 2, 2026 10:00 AM 7:00 PM
Global Earth Repair Convergence Online or at the Historic Fort Worden State Park & Conference Center Port Townsend, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula May 7th-11, 2026
Gather and Grow Market and Skill-Sharing Fair at Kootenai County Fairgrounds, May 15-16 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Intensive Permaculture 22-Hour Workshop at Uhuru Intentional Community near Rice, WA, July 24-26, 2026
Apple Alchemy: Three ways to preserve your apple harvest, workshop taught at uhuru community Saturday, November 7, 2026, 11:00 - 3:00 Address: Uhuru Community 2332 Scott RoadRice, WA, 99167
Should you need a personal permaculture consultation, I invite you to schedule one anytime of the year at my All Things Regenerative website. I recommend online during the winter season; but truly my favorite option is to visit you, face-to-face.
Warmly🌱
Mary