Interest in Community Garden Sparks Conversation

This story was originally posted on Oct. 28, 2011.

They’re cropping up in Seminole Heights and Tampa Heights—community gardens that serve as a place where nearby residents can come together to exercise their green thumbs.

With enough interest and volunteers, Temple Terrace could have a community garden, too.

Resident and Patch blogger Steven McBride said he thinks a community garden would be an asset for Temple Terrace residents.

“Aside from the benefits of gardening and being outdoors, they tend to foster camaraderie among neighbors and enhance community pride,” he said.

His blog post “Why Buy Locally Grown Produce?” sparked some conversation about creating a community garden in Temple Terrace.

On Wednesday, the Facebook group Temple Terrace Community Garden was formed for those interested in the garden to share their ideas. In two days, 22 people joined.

Resident Grant Rimbey said he has briefly talked to city officials about the idea in the past, and they seemed in favor of it. Rimbey asked the Temple Terrace Garden Club if members would be interested in supporting the project and helped get Robin Milcowitz, who was instrumental in starting the Seminole Heights community garden, to speak at their next meeting Nov. 2.

“It is huge elsewhere in Tampa Bay,” Rimbey said of the community garden idea, “just hasn’t made it to Temple Terrace yet.”

Resident Elizabeth Leib (who also writes for Patch) called James Chambers, the city’s Director of Leisure Services, to discuss possible sites for a community garden.

TECO officials have indicated they may be willing to allow a community garden on county property just outside of Temple Terrace, north of Navajo Avenue across from McRae Road, Leib said. TECO is building a substation on the property, but once it’s complete in six to nine months from now, they are open to discussions about a 7- or 8-acre parcel of land for use as a community garden.

“I do hope we can get a garden going,” Leib said. “It would be so complimentary to the city.”