Community gardens are growing in popularity in low-income or impoverished areas where fruits and veggies aren’t readily available, or as a way to revitalize a neighborhood. There are several community gardens in Hillsborough County alone, including Sulphur Springs Community Garden, Temple Terrace Community Garden, and Lakewood Ranch Adventure Park Community Garden. They give residents a sense of pride and hope for the future.
Emma Lawler, Tampa Organizer Manager at The CLEO Institute—a Miami-based nonprofit which brought that melting panther to ZooTampa—has been volunteering with local organization Urban Progress Alliance (UPA) to bring a community garden to West Tampa. She met UPA COO Andre Hill Jr. this year in a Zoom meeting and quickly told him her interest in helping in any way she can, like sharing her gardening expertise or donating her personal garden tools and equipment (on the side, Lawler also runs a landscaping business called Eco Yardscaping).
“They wanted to start the garden not only to feed West Tampa, but also to educate people on the local food movement,” Lawler said.
In an op-ed piece she wrote to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, the mission for the garden, aptly named the “Tampa Heritage Initiative Unity Garden”, is to provide serenity and healthier options for neighborhood residents.
“The Urban Progress Alliance made a commitment to providing a solution to food scarcity. The mission is to provide nutritious food, a space of soul and solace to the surrounding community and visitors,” she said.
Work began on the garden in 2018 when a resident named Ms. Limehouse partnered with UPA to help pay for several fines and other issues with her house. After her home was demolished, she allowed the organization to repurpose the land at 2307 W Beach St. as a community garden. They faced challenges from the city and county about finding land to place a garden, so the organization had to get creative.
Hill told CL permitting started a couple years ago when they went through the process of having a special single use zoning application applied to the site.
“She gave them permission and said they can do whatever they want to the land. Now, it’s just a fresh canvas and ready to be gardened,” said Lawler.
Lawler said the 4,000-square feet garden will come equipped with rainwater harvesting barrels, aeroponics systems, solar panels, a greenhouse and compost bins. Hill says 3,000-4,500 pounds of organic produce can grow on the entire property. Seasonal crops will add some variety to the garden. An added bonus to the garden are the educational tools available to all residents including internships for high school students and free “how-to” classes. Lawler says the garden can serve as a means of healing from oppression.
“People can come and learn how to be self-sufficient. We don’t need the giant corporations telling us what to put in our bodies,” she said.
A GoFundMe seeking to raise $35,000 was created in November to raise funds to help operate and maintain the garden. The goal is to have the garden complete and open by spring 2021.
“The garden is a beacon of hope and healing. We’ve been through a lot this year and it’ll just provide a space of garden therapy,” said Lawler.
For those who want to volunteer or submit art, email Hill at andrejr@urbanprogressalliance.org.
“I hope people get a renewed sense of hope for the future, gain insight into what self-sustainability looks like, and are encouraged to look at where their food comes from,” Lawler said.
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This article appears in Feb 4-10, 2021.