Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	Tom Markus, City Manager
FROM:	Helen Schnoes, Sustainability & Food Systems Planner Jasmin Moore, Sustainability Director
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Chuck Soules, Derek Rogers, Mark Hecker, Scott McCullough, Amy Miller, Mike Lawless, Dave Wagner
DATE:	September 14, 2018
RE:	Common Ground Community Garden Program Update and 10/5/18 Garden Tour Invitation

Background

The City of Lawrence Common Ground community garden program was created in 2011 in collaboration with City leadership, staff, and the Food Policy Council. The program sought to support the development of urban agriculture and community gardens in the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, increasing local food production, and providing community benefits. The program has operated in response to the creativity of Lawrence residents, while establishing basic Rules and Procedures and a 3-year, rolling license for agricultural use of city-owned land. Existing sites (see Map 1) include:

· Multiple rent-a-plot sites in parks and residential areas,

· A community orchard,

· A 5-acre incubator farm, and

· A permaculture demonstration garden.

Sustainability staff provide program management, in collaboration with the City Attorney’s Office, Parks & Recreation, and Planning & Development Services, among others.

Over these seven years, the program has grown and evolved, adding new sites and refining internal procedures, including city financial support for some garden start-up expenses. Common Ground relates to the City of Lawrence Strategic Plan Critical Success Factors of Safe, Healthy, and Welcoming Neighborhoods and Collaborative Solutions.

Program Recognition

The Common Ground Program has been recognized at the regional and national level for its innovative design, including:

· Mid-American Regional Council as a “Sustainable Success Story” (2012, 2017)

· Lawrence-Douglas County Community Health Champion Award (2018) given to Aimee Polson, founder of the Garden Incubator at John Taylor Park

· Case study in a forthcoming USDA publication on market-based urban agriculture

· Over $32,000 in grant support

Program Documentation and Review

The Common Ground program is experimental by nature, which has resulted in adjustments through the years. In May 2017, the Sustainability Office initiated a focused program review to understand how Common Ground fits into the City of Lawrence’s strategic plan and future. The Sustainability Office partnered with Douglas County Conservation District on a National Association of Conservation Districts Urban Agriculture Grant to help inform the next stages of this program’s development. The City Commission submitted a letter of support for the grant application. The Conservation District received the grant award in July 2017.

Two of the grant deliverables pertained directly to Common Ground:

· New Management Guide for the volunteer garden site managers (forthcoming)

· External program evaluation by hired consultant, which included site visits, review of program documents, and focus groups with managers and City/County staff

The consultant completed a comprehensive evaluation document to help structure conversations among City leadership, staff, and the community about the future of Common Ground. Key areas of attention called out in the report include:

· Appropriate level and nature of gardener support

· Management and responsibilities for effective program execution

· Expectations for future operations of sites and program over-all

To celebrate the end of the garden season and help launch a fall strategy discussion the project team has planned an on-site mini-tour of the Common Ground program for City and County elected officials, leadership, staff, and community partners.

Common Ground Tour Invitation: 10/5/18 (4pm-5:30pm; 3pm optional)

This tour will be led by current Common Ground managers and Sustainability Office staff. An optional pre-tour will leave from John Taylor Park at 3pm to visit two additional sites, for those interested in seeing multiple gardens. The main tour will commence at 4pm at the Garden Incubator at John Taylor Park, including a garden social with local food refreshments, a brief presentation about the NACD grant project, an overview of Common Ground, and a walking tour of the garden site. (See invitation)

RSVP for the Tour by Monday, October 1 to Helen Schnoes, Common Ground program manager: 785-832-5157 or commonground@lawrenceks.org

What’s Next for Common Ground? Fall Strategic Discussion

Following the Tour, Sustainability Office staff plan to lead a strategic discussion with staff, City leadership, and community members about the future of Common Ground. This aligns with the Lawrence Strategic Plan and the Food System Plan, adopted by the City Commission in July 2017: Goal 3, Objective 2, Policy Action Item 4, “3.2.4: Create a future vision and action plan for the City of Lawrence Common Ground program, targeting expansion to underserved communities.”

In preparation for this process, Sustainability Office staff are compiling a variety of program inventory maps that document current and previously-considered sites, in relation to relevant community factors such as Median Household Income and USDA-identified Food Deserts (see Map 2). Additional information will be provided in months to come to help inform program review and planning.