09/01/09 - Mayor spends a day in the Garden
Mayor Roefaro: "Community Gardens Bring Unity to the Community."
Gardens also quell Urban Blight
September 1, 2009- (Utica,NY) - In an age where grocery stores aren't always within walking distance, and vegetables have been replaced with chips and soda, community gardens are proving to be a new hope for citizens, children, and of course, appetites.
But what does a Community Garden do?
Community Gardens provide access to fresh produce and plants, and instill a sense of community and connection to the environment. They are publicly functioning in terms of ownership, access, and management, brining your community closer.
In Utica's case, our community gardens are as diverse as the city itself. Some of the gardens solely grow flowers, and some grow food. They are nurtured communally and their bounty shared. Some have individual plots for personal use, while others are equipped with raised beds for children or disabled gardeners.
How did it all begin?
Community Gardens in Utica, NY began on Linwood Place in a partnership between Mayor Roefaro, the City of Utica, Cassandra Harris Lockwood of For The Good Inc, and the law firm of Brindisi Murad, Brindisi Pearlman, Julian, and Pertz.
Today, Utica's Community Gardens can be seen on Linwood Place, Jay Street, lower Genesee Street, and soon on Noyes Street. They have breathed new life into some of Utica's most historic neighborhoods.
"I've supported Urban Community Gardens from the beginning," Utica Mayor David Roefaro said. "These gardens unite a mosaic of people from around the world who have relocated to their new home-Utica."
"Utica is doing something innovative with this idea, and we've got to keep it up. Cassandra Harris Lockwood is really giving it her all and committing everything she can to make sure these gardens really grow," the mayor added.
Aside from the tangible benefits of Utica's community gardens, gardeners talk about the social benefits of taking part in the project. "We feel like we're part of something that goes beyond just some vegetables. This is about working together, forming bonds, and interacting with people," said one gardener at Linwood Place.
Nutrition was another important factor for a gardener who was also a mom. "I take my three year old son here, and he learns about seeds, he learns about how things grow, and he learns that eating healthy is a science, something you can control, nurture even," she said about her son.
For the mayor, Utica's Community Gardens also allow him to reflect on his own childhood. "When I was a kid, my father, Mario used to have a garden. He would grow dozens of vegetables, even tomatoes, which he hated. He'd give everything away. It was his part of doing something good for his community," the mayor said.
Cassandra Harris Lockwood of For The Good Inc, also reflected on this urban challenge. "I designed these gardens knowing this would be a success. Utica is not only growing green, but this sort of thing is having an impact far beyond the fence line of the gardens," she said.
Mayor Roefaro agrees. He said these Community Gardens are fighting the very thing he works day in and day out to prevent- Urban Blight.
"Urban blight is something I have aggressively tackled. I've done it by engaging our police, our codes department, my law department, but I am seeing that a few heads of lettuce and some flowers can do just as well in fighting this urban problem," he said.
"I will continue to support programs that do these kinds of things. These are the things taxpayers' benefit from all around. Community Gardens are an investment, and I am so glad to have been able to help."
In other cities where these types of gardens exist, the communities have experienced less crime and vandalism too. That's the ultimate goal Roefaro said. "Yes, crime is down, way down, but I'm working to sustain that decrease so Utica can move ahead to a new era, a renaissance."
"Community Gardens bring unity to the community. I like that slogan," the mayor said as he bit into a carrot freshly pulled from Linwood Place's Garden.
