As summer rounds into form here in South Portland, we find ourselves craving more time outside in the sun. Parks, beaches, and trail systems across the city provide us with that local access to the outdoors, but to me, biting into that first, fresh summer tomato from my garden plot is the most enjoyable way to celebrate the season.
Redbank Community Garden. Courtesy photo
When I first moved to Maine, I lived in a third floor walk-up apartment in Portland, with no access to green space. This meant that my passion for gardening had to be put on the backburner and that some of the fresh fruits and vegetables I was accustomed to growing myself had to be purchased elsewhere. In 2015, when I discovered Portland’s community garden program, I didn’t anticipate how much it would change my life. Today, because of that community access to outdoor space and gardening, my whole trajectory has shifted with an entirely new environmental consciousness.
South Portland community gardening
Community gardens are typically a public or shared space, cultivated collectively within a community. They invite us all outdoors and allow us to exert a healthy level of physical activity, and are a beautiful and functional way to incorporate fresh, healthy produce and to improve food self-sufficiency back into our communities.
In South Portland, the parks department maintains community garden plots available to residents. Programs like this make community gardens viable, accessible, and equitable because of the pooling of resources like land, gardening tools and implements, and educational resources. They are also a simple, yet environmentally-conscious way to utilize outdoor spaces. There are currently 34 plots available to city residents for $25/year on a first-come, first-served basis, but this number is expanding.
Redbank Community Garden. Courtesy photo
For more information, please email Barb Romano at bromano@southportland.org, or call 207-767-7650.
Did you know that Redbank Village in South Portland’s West End also has a new community garden and orchard? The first seven garden plots have been constructed for the 2023 growing season and are in need of gardeners, garden mentors, and volunteers to continue the momentum to get this project up and running.
Garden mentors should have some knowledge of gardening for Maine’s growing seasons and will be able to provide some leadership and guidance to the new community gardeners. Anyone with interest is encouraged to email redbankgarden@gmail.com to learn more and to get involved.
It’s also important to note the community-wide effects of gardening. Communities with gardens exhibit greater climate resilience through the introduction of long-term land stewardship and the cultivation of trees, perennial plants, vegetables, and other pollinator species which help to reconnect fragmented ecosystems for all. They also help communities to improve public health beyond diet and exercise.
The social and emotional benefits of community gardening include improved social interaction, strengthened family and community bonds, and even greater life satisfaction. In South Portland many of our community gardens also provide outdoor meeting space for programming, education, and city-wide functions. We hope to see you in a community garden soon.
The sustainability department also manages land-care programs and ordinances which pertain to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides that are important to our gardening community. Check out our Instagram @soposustainability or webpage to learn more. https://southportland.org/departments/sustainability-office/grow-healthy-south-portland/.
Our Sustainable City is a recurring column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. Follow the Sustainability Office on Instagram @soposustainability.
Steve Genovese is an AmeriCorps/Greater Portland Council of Governments Resilience Corps fellow serving in the South Portland Sustainability Office through September 2023. He can be reached at sgenovese@southportland.org.
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