community garden of ideas
TRANSCRIPT
8/21/2019 Community Garden of Ideas
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(1) One-Sentence Summary:
The “Community Garden of Ideas” living edible art
exhibit combines a raised garden bed, a
conceptually-related photographic display,
numerous public participatory opportunities, andinnovative outreach extensions as the public is
inspired to “plant” their ideas for what they want to
see grow in our city or in their lives, from art to
artichokes, tolerance to tomatilloes.
(2) Proposed by:Pattie
Baker
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(3) 250-Word Description:
The Community Garden of Ideas would consist of the
following components:
1. A 6’ x 9’ garden bed bordered by reclaimed construction-debris cinderblocks and filled
with Atlanta urban farm soil. This garden contains locally grown herbs and vegetablesgrown in soil with composted waste from Atlanta Zoo herbivores, green waste from food
vendors within the historic Sweet Auburn Market, green waste from Whole Foods locations
throughout the Southeast, and organic fertilizer representing Georgia's agricultural heritage.
2. A reclaimed window displayed with photographic collages in each pane representing
what can be grown both actually and metaphorically (photo at right is a 33% scale model).
The collages would be printed locally on a weather-tolerant material
and adhered with a product proven to withstand the varied conditions
of our summer-into-fall climate. The window would be painted
creatively, mounted on wooden posts,and installed firmly in the ground in or
near the garden bed.
3.A sign below the window that asks
the open-ended question, “What would
you like to grow?” Individuals would
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follow the lead of a few flags (like those used to mark utilities) already “planted” and would
write their idea on a flag and “plant it” within the linear exhibit space.
4. An edible linear hedgerow, representing every mile of the
Atlanta BeltLine. 22 blueberry bushes would be planted at
3-foot intervals (11 on each side of the box) at several public participation events during the time period of the art exhibit,
led by a local fruit tree expert and environmental educator.
5. Innovative public outreach. Additional public outreach tools
would include a QR code right on the exhibit through which
passersby can access additional information about urban
growing on a dedicated page of my non-commercial blog,
FoodShed Planet, where I already have year-at-a-glance advice for
new Atlanta gardeners and a whole series dedicated to how to grow for those in need. What’s
more, I would plant portable demonstration gardens in the panniers of my Food Bike and wouldengage with those interested during my frequent Eastside Trail bike rides.
(2) List of Materials and Installation
Guidelines, including a Step-by-Step Process
for Installation:
(See List of Materials in Budget section that follows.)
Installation Guidelines:
A Community Garden of Ideas would require a space
that is close to a trail access point for ease of materials
delivery and removal. It needs a location that is free of
industrial toxins in the soil and any kind of toxic runoff
during rainfalls. It requires direct exposure of at least six
hours of sunlight most days. It needs only an inch of
water a week, which will be provided by nature and by hand-held watering cans. This is a great
way to casually engage the public as kids (of all ages) love to water.
Step-by-Step Process for Installation
August 10-20:
1. The space for the Community Garden of Ideas, 74' long parallel to the Eastside trail and 8'
deep, is marked off.
2. 30 cinderblocks are carried in and arranged in a large rectangle.
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3. 22 stakes are placed at 3-foot intervals, 11 in each direction from the cinderblock rectangle.
4. The window, already painted and mounted with the photographic collages, is secured to the
wooden posts on site and then firmly installed in the ground.
5. The cinderblock rectangle is filled with 9 cubic yards of organic planting mix, 6 cubic yards ofcompost, and 45 pounds of organic fertilizer.
6. 50 flags are placed in two empty holes in the cinderblock rectangle. (They would be replaced
as needed--the budget covers 750 of them.) Markers are placed there as well.
August 21-September 15:
The public is casually invited to help plant this living, edible art exhibit, with appropriate herbs
and vegetables as summer shifts to fall.
Throughout October:
The 22 blueberry bushes, each representing a mile of the Atlanta BeltLine, will be planted during
several public participatory events.
In Late November:
At the end of the Art on the BeltLine temporary exhibit time period, the raised bed and window
would be dismantled and its plants and soil would be simply returned to nature. Depending on
the material used and its remaining quality at the end of the art exhibit period, the artwork could
be given to a local non-profit organization that works with refugees-of-war to create wallets and
bags out of old billboards. The cinderblocks could be donated to a school or community
garden. The 22 blueberry bushes could remain as a permanent edible art exhibit, the harvests of
which would be free and publicly-accessible. It is my hope that Trees Atlanta would care for this
linear blueberry hedgerow as part of its care of Atlanta BeltLine vegetation in general. If this is
not desirable, the blueberry bushes could be dug up and donated to local school gardens, which
would be nice, too.
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(5) Detailed Budget for Fabrication and Installation, including Artist's Fee:
Materials: Cost:
salvaged window $100
wood, posts, nails, concrete, stakes $150construction $200
cinder blocks for raised beds $50
soil, compost, fertilizer, herbs, veggies $750
printed photos $350
22 blueberry bushes and planting $400
markers $100
flags $300
paint $50
adhesive $50
contingency/incidentals $150transport gas $50
SUB-TOTAL $2700
+ 20% artist fee $540
TOTAL $3240
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(6) Sketch Showing Scale, Dimensions, and Elevation of
the Proposed Work
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(7) Five Images of Previous Work or Related Projects of Recent Artworks
What: The Dunwoody Community Garden
When: Established in August 2009
Where: Dunwoody, GA when it was the newest city in the United States
Why: To create a space for the growing of food, health, and community
How: 60-bed garden was established within 6 weeks of first concept by a small group of
dedicated volunteers; food was donated to local food pantry 6 weeks after that (20% of garden is
dedicated to this purpose). Garden, now almost 5 years old and significantly expanded, is the
largest in metro Atlanta and has donated many tons to those in need, served as a community
connector for all ages, preserved and improved greenspace, and showcased the art of nature.
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What: The Fugees Academy starter garden
When: Established in February 2012
Where: Clarkston, GA, the most diverse square mile in the U.S.
Why: To provide a space for learning about growing food and cultural connections, and to
prepare for a larger community garden effort at the first school for refugee children in the United
States
How: Money was raised in just days through social media, and the garden was installed on one
day by volunteers and the students themselves.
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What: Garden of Eatin’ at Malachi’s Storehouse Food Pantry
When: Established in September 2010
Where: St. Patrick’s Church in Dunwoody, GA
Why: This garden provides a positive way for those in need to be necessary and independent as
they help plant and care for it and harvest themselves for their families. Much sharing of
memories, recipes, and hope occurs among a culturally-diverse and ever-changing population.
How: Money was raised in just days via social media. The garden started as five raised beds,
which were installed in just hours, and has grown substantially over time.
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What: The Peachtree Middle School Pop-Up Garden
When: Established in February 2012
Where: A back field in Brook Run Park in Dunwoody, GA
Why: A nearby middle school had no school garden, and a PE coach wanted his health class to
have hands-on learning opportunities in a garden.
How: Volunteers, the coach, and the students built new garden beds and established an 80’
urban farm row over a series of weekly class visits, the food from which was harvested by the
kids and donated to the local food pantry. They discovered how to make compost, harvest water,
plant seeds, hold chickens, build bamboo tomato cages, and mostly, do real work to grow real
food that makes a real difference.
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What: My home garden, featured in my book and on my blog
When: Established following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
Where: My front, side, and back yards in Dunwoody, GA
Why: To take some control in an uncertain world, to provide healthy food for my daughters, toplant a seed that might make a difference, to work with nature to create something beautiful
How: Inch by inch, row by row!
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(8) Biographical Information
Pattie Baker is a published author, journalist, photographer, and artist inspired by all aspects of
sustainability in our changing world. Featured in an article about passion people in O: The
Oprah Magazine (November 2010 issue), she has created, written about, and photographed
numerous living edible exhibits for diverse audiences to engage in “food-for-thought” hands-onexperiences. These have included metro-Atlanta’s largest community garden and largest on-site
food pantry garden; an innovative middle-school pop-up garden, a prototype garden for students
at the only school for refugee children in the United States; and a significant home garden that
served as the foundation for a book titled Food for My Daughters: what one mom did when the
towers fell (and what you can do, too). She publishes www.foodshedplanet.com and can be seen
riding her bike frequently on the Atlanta BeltLine and around Atlanta, often with a camera. Her
current street photography project is titled Around Atlanta in 180 Days.
To everyone at the Atlanta BeltLine--Thank you for your kind consideration, and for all youdo.
Learning as I grow,
Pattie
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