Leadership in the

Gardenbest practices and

lessons learned from Gateway Greening’s

30+ years of community gardening

experience…

Welcome & IntroductionsHannah ReinhartGarden Program DirectorHannah@gatewaygreeni

ng.org588-9600x104

Matt EvenCommunity outreach

specialistMatt@gatewaygreening.org588-9600x112

Purpose of Tonight’s Workshop•Prepare for possible challenges so that they can be properly addressed & ensure a rewarding gardening experience

•Share best practices and local resources

•Network with other gardeners •Goal to have an interactive session (however on topic)

•Ask questions and be prepared to be called on to share your experiences!

Challenges & Solutions

It’s one thing to put a plant in the ground and quite another to keep it growing.

Most Common Challenges

Access to waterTheft and

vandalismMaintaining

membership and recruitment

Physical garden maintenance

Theft & vandalism Have a strong presence at

the garden Get to know your garden’s

immediate neighbors Signage—Make a name for

yourself & invite others by posting workdays!

Fencing—Costly but effective

Natural fencing—Think poky!

Grow more food more strategically

Membership, morale & recruitment Flyers, door-to-door

community surveys & publicity events

Websites & social media

Community outreach to: Schools & youth

programs Churches Local businesses Neighborhood Assoc. One time, big impact

volunteer groups Civic leaders/NSOs Libraries

RecruitmentDon Strohmeyer and The Garden of Courage gardeners in the College Hill neighborhood went door-to-door promoting the garden.

College Hill Door-to-Door Survey

Address ___________________________________________________________________

No one home_______________ House vacant__________ DATE of visit_____________

Name ______________________________ Phone and or e-mail _______________

Years in area___________ Know about the garden__________________

Interested in fresh produce? ____________________________________

Any Garden experience? _______________________________________ Other notes: (garden noticed, dog warning, fence, etc.)

 

Management & maintenance

Develop and enforce garden guidelines

Share the work load!

Establish a garden waiting list

Rethink the garden paradigm

Gardener Guidelines Application Membership Fee Plot Maintenance Garden

Maintenance Planting

Restrictions End of Season Composting Materials and Tools

Pesticides Other people’s

plots Water Pets and Children Alcohol and Drugs Unwanted

Activities Violation of

Garden Rules

Gardener ApplicationAmendment to the guidelines

including:Basic contact informationSign up for garden job/crewProcedure for dealing with violationsPhoto permissionPhone and email list permissionHold harmless clauseBoth leader and member retain

copies

Community Garden Job Descriptions

Real world Job Descriptions Examples

Contact List for Garden Jobs Job Name(s) Phone Email

Name Phone Email Plot #

Garden Map

Fundraising Bed fees Events Sponsorship by

Neighborhood Assoc. or Business Assoc.

Grants, local and national

In-kind donations Community-based funds

through community development block funds, neighborhood & business assoc, and garden clubs.

Benefits of Community Gardening

Food production and access

Nutrition Exercise Mental health Community Environment Education Youth Income Crime prevention Property values

Preaching to the choir, but important to articulate for fundraising and publicity

GGI research experiences Whitmire Study

Examined several quality of life indicators related to economic development and neighborhood stability using 1990 and 2000 census data

Found outstanding improvements in 54 community garden areas within a 0.3-mile radius of a CG as compared to the census tracts in which they reside

Whitmire study findingsWithin the immediate garden areas:

People are willing to spend more on rent.

Home values and mortgage costs increased.

Median household income increased dramatically.

Population loss decreased.

Rate of owner occupied housing increased.

Percentage of renters paying 19% or less of their income as rent increased.

Diversity increased

• Established March, 2009

Communicating your Impact:

A Case Study

Partners• Gateway Greening

• UMSL’s Students of Service

• City of Normandy

• Normandy School District

• River Des Peres Watershed Coalition

• Operation Food Search

“Brand” ElementsLogo: Signage in visible area, Letterhead, Business cards, Buttons, Facebook, Flyers

Facebook/Web: Use regularly; Create events; Upload photos; Encourage “friends” to post; Create a blog or become a blog item; Always bring it up in conversation; It’s FREE, but telling your story requires TIME!

Voice mailbox: Use Voice Mail as an interactive tool; Keep it fresh; Encourage callers to leave a message; Have multiple email address lists; Make sure you have control of sent emails; Regularly maintain address book; Pass along pertinent info.

Events: Make sure they’re well done; Have sign-in sheets; Advertise @ the garden; Advertise on Facebook, via email and voice mail; Clean up (very important); Think “kid friendly.”

“Brand” Elements, cont.• Farmers’ Market: Great

opportunity to get exposure, Sign-up for community booth, Provide take away literature, Initiate conversations, Provide a unique food/item, Once or twice a season

• Face-To-Face interaction: The most important communication tool; Always have talking points ready; Make sure all leaders are on the same page; Promote, and know when to back-off; Most Wayside members joined after a casual conversation

Documentation! Wayside reported

more than 3,225 pounds of harvest in 2014!

Weigh and record all harvests—every jalapeno adds up!

You cannot promote your successes if they are not documented.

How Can We Help Promote YOUAs an organization, Gateway Greening is committed to

the success of your garden. • Trainings and workshops highlighting your successes• Refer the media for interviews and photo requests• Promote events through electronic channels• Feature your garden in Urban Gardening and e-

newsletter• Post good news, events, photos and other highlights

on Facebook and Twitter• Promote your videos through the Gateway Greening

YouTube channel• Glad to help you setup up webpage, Facebook, Blog,

etc. Just ask!• Facilitate partnership development• We can’t help if you don’t ask!2/7/11

Leadership and Social Styles The Director or

“Driver” (in charge, direct, efficient)

The Relator or “Amiable” (needs people, consensus)

The Socializer or “Expressive” (the visionary cheerleader)

The Thinker or “Analytical” (focus on process and planning)

Take Home Message There are different

personality types, & people hear things and approach situations in different ways.

You cannot change others, but you can change yourself and your reaction to others.

Barriers to understanding:

-Failure to listen effectively & misinterpretation of words-Poor or incorrect word or language usage-confusing non-verbal signals (55% communication is visual, 38% is tonal, only 7% actually content)-Failure to clarify or ask questions (paraphrase, “what I hear you saying is…”)

When you Assume…Begin partnerships

acknowledging that others do NOT necessary understand or share your goals and intentions.

Be crystal clear from the get-go of what your goals are (can help prevent conflicts down the road)

Conflict Resolution—Why Bother

The problem will not go away, it will get worse.

Will affect morale Venting to yourself or

others will not help Addressing conflict

can lead to: Growth and new ideas Personal development Relief and morale Stronger team,

productivity

Basic Conflict Resolution Practices Analyze the problem,

prepare for resistance, be consistent

Document the performance gap

Identify what needs to be accomplished

stay in-bounds of what to discuss

Don’t delay (except when tempers are high)

Let them feel heard Clarify expectations and

consequences Obtain mutual

commitment Agree on a tracking

method and mini-deadlines

BE RESPECTFUL

Tell the Truth Fast

State the purpose or your intention in having the discussion

The events and circumstances creating the need for the discussion.

The impact of the events and circumstances on others.

Prevent Conflict through Delegation

Delegate things that: Can be done better

(with special skills) Someone can do

instead of you (and develop themselves)

Can be done at less cost (time is money)

Can be done more efficiently

Why don’t we delegate

I can do it better myself (and want the satisfaction)

They might make a mistake

I might lose control or feel threatened by delegating

Get over it!

How to Conduct a Meeting

Elements of a well-planned meeting:

- Set clear goals for the meeting

- Be selective about choosing a meeting site

- Schedule meetings regularly

- Choose a convenient time

- Actively recruit members

A Standard Agenda

Sign-in Announcements Agenda review Agenda Next steps and review Meeting notes

An agenda is a tool to keep everyone on the same page and to get everyone’s issues addressed in a fair and effective way. It is a way to bring together different items in an organized manner that is manageable. It is important to provide the opportunity for everyone to add to and adjust the agenda before and at the beginning of a meeting. In regular meetings, a simple standard agenda such as the following can be used:

Problem-Solving Breakout Time!

Before After