Bay Area Homesteading

      The purpose of Pearland Community Gardens is to build a better community by raising flower, vegetable, and butterfly gardens throughout the Pearland area. This will unite our neighbors and bring our residents together to create beautiful landscapes, produve food for local food banks and charities, and educate residents about organic gardening, green practices, and self-sufficiency.

     We have plans for several types of gardens. These will have to be added over time as hopefully funds and supplies are donated. Most community gardens only have space to feature one or two types of community gardens. Due to the generosity of the Pearland YMCA we have space for many types of gardens. The Pearland YMCA has generously given us permission to use approx. 1.5 acres of land located right next to the YMCA.

     Donation Garden: A Donation Garden will be the first garden built. This garden will be planted with seasonal vegetbles and the harvest will go to a local charity or food bank. Garden Members can vote each month to decide which food bank or charity will receive the harvest for that month. A small portion of the garden's harvest will be sold at the Farmer's Market in order to raise funds for garden maintenance and expansion.

     Herb Garden: A Herb Garden will be built. There are over 30+ herbs that can be raised in our area. This garden would be used for educational, volunteer, farmer's market, and donation use.

     Butterfly Garden: A Educational Butterfly Garden will be built to educate residents on butterfly gardening and for the enjoyment of volunteers.

     Heirloom and Specimen Garden:  Ever see a vegetable and wonder what it is? There are many vegetables that are not grown anymore that used to be grown by our ancestors. There are also many vegetable that will grow in our climate from other countries. This garden would be used for educational purposes. The produce would be used by the  volunteers and also sold at the farmer's market to raise funds.

     Fruit and Nut Orchard:  A Demonstration Orchard would be built to educate local residents on which fruit and nut trees grow well in our area. This orchard would be used for educational purposes. The produce would be used by volunteers, taken to the Farmer's Market, and donated to a local charity.

    Handicapped Accessible Garden:  Raised bed garden space would be built so that ALL residents can garden. This beds will be high enough  that they are wheelchair accessible and also high enough for residents who have difficulty bending over. The produce from these beds will go to a charity that supports disabled residents.      

Volunteer Postitions We Need to Fill:

Garden Volunteer:
     Number: as many as we can get
     How Often: as often as you can
     Knowledge: none needed
     Job Description: None- just come ready to get you hands in the dirt

Volunteer Work-Day Garden Coordinator: 
     Number Needed: 3-4 volunteers
     How Often Needed: Min. 1 Work-Day a week
     Knowledge Needed: Prefer Advanced Garden Knowledge
     Job Description:   Help coordinate the activities of the work-day. Make sure all attending volunteers are  garden
     members.  Be the main source of information concerning garden rules, goals, objectives, etc.  Help monitor what is
     applied to the garden and what is placed in compost pile.

Volunteer Educational Coordinator:
     Number Needed: 1 volunteer
     How often Needed: As need occurs
     Knowledge Needed: None
     Job Description:  Help coordinate speakers and educational opportunities for Garden Members. 

Volunteer Newsletter Help:
      Number Needed: 1 Main and 1-2 Assistants
      How often Needed: 2-3 Hours per week
      Knowledge Needed:  Writing and Research Skills
      Job Description: Help compiling information and wrting articles for Garden Member Newsletter

Volunteer Transplant Assistants:
       Number: 2-3
       How Often Needed: as need occurs
       Knowledge Needed: Some gardening experience
       Job Description: Help raise transplants for our garden. 

Volunteer Composting Coordinater:
      Number: 1
      How Often: As Needed
      Knowledge Needed: Composting Experience
      Job Description: Coordinate Composting activities

Legal Assistance Volunteer:
      Number: 1
      How Often: As needed
      Knowledge Needed: Legal Experience
      Job Description:  Help group get 501-3c status, and review all contracts 

Volunteer Grant Writer:
      Number: 2
      How Often: As Needed
      Knowledge: Grant Writing Experience
      Job Description: help find and write grant proposals on behalf of the garden

Volunteer Donation Coordinator:
      Number: 2
      How Often Needed: As Needed
      Knowledge: None Needed
      Job Description: Help coordinate produce deliveries to local charities and food banks, help with other donation related
      activities.
       
Donate Supplies or Funds!
As with all garden there are always a number of things needed. Since we are starting from scratch there are alot of items we need. Example: (Material to build raised beds for the handicapped garden, mulch, good soil, wood to build compost bins, large barrels to make rain-water collection systems, fencing, garden tools, a tools shed, city approved trees, fruit and nut trees, etc)

Other Ways to Help:  
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