What is the US equivalent........?

.....to allotmens in the UK?

here we can rent plots of land from the council for a nominal sum each year. All the plots are together in one large area and the council take care of the maintenance around the plots. We even have a communal greenhouse which the council will repair for nothing when the glass gets broken.

Recently allotments have become very trendy amongst the thirt and forty somethings wanting to grow their organic fruit and veg, and down south there are long waiting lists facing those that want one. Some allotments are under threat from the developers whilst in some areas councils have gone to great lengths to preserve them. Does the US have any such schemes?

Yup the US has the same schemes and the same threats to their continuity. Locally administered, and generally named "community gardens" or "community plots", the programs consist of small plots of land set aside for gardening and rented out to community members who wish to avail themselves of the service for small fees. One of the best of these programs existed for many years in Broome County ,NY until the greed of the developers mated with the extreme greed of the politicos and led to paving over the plots to accomodate "progress"

There are dozens and dozens of community gardens in NYC, located throughout the five boroughs. In general (though not exclusively), these will be found in borderline industrial or economically depressed neighborhoods.

I've seen a couple sorts of comunity garden organization; one in which the land is divided into individual plots for independent cultivation, and one in which there is an overall design or aesthetic cohesion to the project under direction of a committee.

Most frequently, community gardens are located on plots of City~owned land too small for economically efficient development. From time to time, the City holds auctions of these plots (it is legally obligated to attempt to return lost tax revenues to the coffers), and when the bit of land changes hands, the garden is usually lost.

Yet, the cycle of building and demolition continues non~stop in NYC, and as some gardens are lost others sprout on newly vacated plots.

Here is a site that will tell you more about the vibrant community garden movement in my city:

http://www.greenguerillas.org/

Adam.






This message was edited Monday, Mar 31st 12:12 PM

We have quite a few of them (Community Gardens) here in SE Michigan. I rent 2- 20'X20' plots at The University of Michigan organic garden. They cost $15 per year ( very reasonable) they have a Troy Bilt tiller and other tools for the gardeners to use. You meet a lot of great people participating in a community garden.

Paul

(politely clearing my throat) This sounds like a good pair for Garden Terms so I went ahead and added the terms themselves:

allotment: http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/2118/
community garden: http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/2119/

Now all they lack are definitions, which have been essentially written out above, if the respective members would be so kind as to copy them over? (Remember, there is no "one right definition", so if you'd like to add your own definition to one that has been previously defined, you're welcome to do so.

Once the initial entries are complete, I'll cross reference the terms against each other; that way, other readers can benefit from the translation in terminology :-)

Thanks guys, all the above are really interesting. Obviously the need for community gardens within a big built up city is very important!

terry - done!! :)

We have high tension wires running for miles and some of the towns plow the ground under them for gardens, and the residents can grow whatever they want. The plots are 20x20 feet, $10 for residents and $5.00 for seniors. There are several tanks filled with water so you have to fill your buckets and carry water to your plants. Plots will be ready May 1 through end of Oct. This year I didn't get one because I can't keep up with it, which is something you must do. Doris

Doris its amazing what piece of land can be turned into a garden! and you are not wrong about keeping it up. My plot can become completely overgrown in less than a week if left!
super weeds! LOL