1

SOULSfeed our

with moreSOULSTHANTHANfood

An ethnographic study on the Savanah’s Community Garden CultureFall 2013

2

Introduction

The Team

Objective

Research Questions

Secondary Research

Primary Research

Insight Report

Conclusion

Apendix

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3

6

The Team 4

14

Objective 5

21

Research Questions 5

45

47

Secondary Research

Primary Research

Insight Report

Conclusion

Appendix

3

INTRODUCTIONIntroducing gardens as a shared, communal concept is an emerging trend, especially in urban areas.These community gardens use their space efficiently by providing a location for many people to accomplish their goals by participating in nature-based activities. Communities have found the collaboration to be enriching and the creation of local food sources as beneficial to its members.

The City of Savannah contains many styles of community gardens and approved the Savannah Community Garden Initiative in July of 2012. Inspired by interest in using a vacant, city lot for a community garden, this program establishes a method for city residents to create a contract with the city to use its land for gardening purposes.

4

Priscila MendozaMFA Design ManagementFavorite Vegetable/Fruit:

Avocado

Alice Li MFA Industrial Designt

Favorite Vegetable/Fruit:Carrot

Jorie BallumMA Design for Sustainability Favorite Vegetable/Fruit:Orange Bell Pepper

Farid SandeghiMFA Design ManagementFavorite Vegetable/Fruit:Cabbage

Han TianMFA Industrial DesignFavorite Vegetable/Fruit:Cauliflower

THE TEAMThe research team consists of graduate students from varying majors that attend the Savannah College of Art and Design.

5

OBJECTIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONSThe objective of the research

is to understand the

community garden culture

of Savannah and to explore

the status of the Savannah

Community Garden Initiative.

The end goal of the project

is to form insights from

the research, discover

opportunities for the gardens,

and design solutions to

take advantage of those

opportunities.

What is the Community Garden culture in Savannah?

How do you evaluate a Community Garden?

What activities does a Community Garden involve?

What are the goals of a Community Garden?

How does the S.C.G.I. work? (policy-wise)

6

SECONDARYSECONDARYresearch

7

It was important to figure out

what components make up a

community garden and what

participating concepts make

the system work. Collecting

information about the outside

influences was also vital in

explaining the organization

of the gardens. With this

information, it was possible

to depict what exactly a

community garden is.

WHAT

8

A “community” garden implies

multi-party involvement, so

mapping out the participants was

essential for understanding the

human aspect of a garden.

The parties that could be directly

or indirectly affected by the

garden’s success or failure were

labeled as ‘stakeholders’ and those

who stood to benefit directly from

the garden’s services were noted

as ‘beneficiaries.’ Documenting this

information provides an insight

into who the garden may impact

and to whom it is important.

WHO

9

Plan for Starting a Community Garden

It is easy to observe a

community garden to see

how the different types of

collaborative efforts work,

but how did the gardens get

there in the first place? This

motivation to understand

the sprouting of the garden

structures led to discovering

a process full of many

considerations and areas for

unique circumstances to arise.

HOWGeneral

Establish Local Interest

Participants Organizations/Programs Sponsors/Supports Community Need 1

Plan Out Technical

Details

Secure land and leasing/ownership details Funding Liabilities Sunlight and water availability

2

EstablishManagement

Eligibility and roles of participants Budgeting/Payments Designate a “garden champion” Plan out strategies and education 3

Prepare theGarden

4Clean up the space and test the soil for contaminants and nutrients or build the raised bedsCreate a layout of the garden Determine the required materials for construction and maintenance Plan out the types of plants and care schedules

10

Creating a community garden

under the SCGI requires a

specific method of planning

because using a city-owned

lot presents liabilities for the

city of Savannah. Decoding the

formal procedure was essential

for identifying key concerns

in the process and for looking

for city-resident interfacing

opportunities.

HOW IN SAVANNAH

Submit InitialApplication

1

Optional Steps

3

Review “Policy and User

Agreement”

Fill Out “Application

for Use”

Write “Letter of Intent”

Composting Plan

Type of Fencing

Qualifying Applications

If Applicable

Upon Approval

2Provide Further

Materials

Signed “Policy and User

Agreement ”

Evidence of Neighborhood

Support

Drawing of Proposed

Layout

List of Building Materials

Schedule of proposed

Fee

Signed FEMA Form

Prepare theGarden

4 Adhere toRules

Build!

Plan for Starting a Community GardenIn Savannah

11

To understand when

community gardens are

implemented, both historical

and cultural perspectives

were explored. Apart from

individual or group interest,

certain sets of circumstances

and events lead to the

development of gardens,

making the universal themes

of the process apparent.

WHEN

1890

1900

1920

1930

1940

1970

20102000

WWI & WWII

ECONOMICAL CRISIS

BEAUTIFUL CITY MOVEMENT

ECONOMICAL & SOCIAL CRISIS

WAR & VICTORY GARDEN CAMPAINGS

ENVIRONMENTAL AWAKENING

ECONOMICAL CRISIS

ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS

FOOD SUPPLY SCARCITY

INCREASE IN COMMUNITY GARDENS DECREASE COMMUNITY GARDENS

ECONOMY SO

CIE

TY

EN

VIR

ON

ME

NT

POLITICS

FOOD ACCESSIBILITY

GREEN INITIATIVE

UNEMPLOYMENT

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

INTEREST IN COMMUNITY GARDENING

- +

++ +

+ +

+

12

As users experience gardens

in different ways, a map of

the potential motivations for

participating in community

gardening was generated

from reviews and case

studies of various gardens.

The collection of activities

associated with the gardens

frames the ideal garden

situation and serves as

a comparative tool for

evaluating and defining

actual gardens later on.

WHYRehabilitation

Healthy

OrganicProduce

GoodNutrition

FoodAccessibility

Social Programs

SavingMoney

Recreation

Green SpaceIncrease

Education

Volunteering

BuildingCommunity

NeighborhoodAppearance

CommunityImprovement

SelfEmpowerment

Exercising Learning Skills

Community Collaborating

Gardening

Sharing

Socializing

EatingProduce

Enjoy Nature

Throwing Events

B E N E F I T S

B E N E F I T S

CommunityGardens

B E N E F I T S

A C T I V I T I E S

13

It was imperative to delve

into the characteristics of

Savannah that potentially

play roles in starting gardens.

This grasp of the context

of the culture and specific

trends could unlock potential

opportunities for design

intervention as well as gauge

the perception of community

gardens in the area.

WHY SAVANNAH SAVANNAH COMMUNITYGARDEN INITIATIVE

GARDEN TRADITION VACANT LOTS

SquaresUrban PlanningTourism

5.3 % of totalparcels are vacantFEMA program(flooding areas)

CRIME RATE

Violent crime rategenerally higherthan nationalaverage

14

P R I M A R YresearchP R I M A R Y

15

To understand the culture and context of community gardening in savannah, the research team went out into the community to obtain first-hand experiences and gather personal knowledge from the residents of savannah.

16

OBSERVAT

ION

SELF REPOR

T

INTERVIEW

The primary research data was collected using combinations of observational techniques, self-reporting by garden participants, and structured interviews of people with different relationships to community gardens.

Observation activities: side-line examinations of the gardens, shadowing sessions of the garden participants, and informal conversations

Self-reporting activities: expressive activities, creative projects, and micro-journaling

Interviewing activities: guided conversations that focused on answering the research questions.

17

Individuals

City

Property Taxes

Vacant Lots

ContaminationRaised beds

Regulations

Permanent Structures

FEMA

Compost

pays

for

set’s up

ask for land to

can become

cont

rib

ute

and

tak

e

Institutions

are owned by

can be part of

mig

ht have

causes

are prohibited

prohibited

cont

rol requires

should be

set’s up

leads to the use of

requ

ires

sources

require

can provid

e

goes to

goes to

requ

ires

can

ben

efit

$ Resources

Volunteers

Plants & Seeds

Soil

Tools

Grants

Donations Community

Purchasing

Food

Needy

Professionals

Garden lovers

Student

Organic

Seniors

Supplies

Chemicals

In the research

process, concepts

and relationships

are brainstormed

and explored.

Illustrating the

system of community

gardening led to

a visualization

and exploration of

relationships, which

helped to accentuate

the areas of the map

that required further

inspection.

SYSTEMS MAP

“The vacant lot was full of weeds... so I said, let’s do it! let’s turn it into a community garden!”

“The garden is organic in the sense of we don’t use that much chemicals, but we are not certified organic.”

“Gardening is a team”

-Barbara E., Garden Manager

Ben L. Garden Manager

Francis A. Garden Manager

“There has been one hundred years of decomposing musket balls and cannon balls in the soil – it’s dreadful!”

-Victoria C., Landscape Designer

“Buying quality soil was the best choice SCAD made. It covers a lot of sins.”

-Ben B., SCAD Gardener

19

The primary research was

sorted and consolidated

on an Affinity Wall, which

is a tool to cluster data

together to form insights

from the resulting themes.

Overarching trends

surfaced from the multiple

layers of data clustering

and helped the team

identify opportunities for

improvement with design.

AFFINITY WALL

20

I. DEEP SATISFACTION

• Community gardening helps us explore personal and deeps connections

• Gardening offers benefits more meaningful than food

II. LEARNING AND ADAPTING

• We adapt to the local gardening circumstances and needs

• Our interpretation of “organic” is unclear and challenging

• Our gardens are works in progress

III. CLEAR COMMUNICATION

• We are aware of some methods of communication, but we could use them more

• Ownership is not always well defined in our gardens and may cause issues

IV. CITY RELATIONS

• We like the SCGI, but we would like more help/support or a better understanding of

• A better explanation of policies would benefit us

V. SPREAD INSPIRATION

• We are highly motivated and we act upon that (garden starters)

• Sometimes we struggle to maintain consistent man power

VI. PART IN CULTURE

• Community gardening allows us to extend our “home space” enjoyment to outside

• Gardeners find each other because it is a unique culture

VII. REACHING OUT

• We like our food to contribute to the community• Community gardening can allow us to create

city-wide synergies and networks from effectively their involvement space in the neighborhood help sources

VIII. HIERARCHY LEARNING

• Our methods of governing our gardens is a balance between structure and flexibility

• We need to work on spreading our knowledge and leadership skills

IX. PERSONAL SACRIFICES

• We also devote our money to gardening • Gardening requires a large investment of our

spare time• Community Outreach• Gardening fosters our community development• Our gardens impact uninvolved people too

Data was clustered into

groups, which formed

categories, and presented

universal topics for community

gardening. The approach

allowed for an objective view

of the gathered research

and presented the team

with subject spaces to form

insights in.

UNIVERSAL TOPICS

21

I N S I G H TreportI N S I G H T

22

From the data-inspired, universal topics, the team noticed insights that presented opportunities for change. Specific avenues were considered in each and the team formed design ideas to bring those possibilities to life. Each insight is described, explored, and followed by its corresponding data.

23

Insight

.DESIGN IDEAS.

HOW MIGHT WE

The act of gardening offers

more opportunities than just

creating food. The beauty,

community, sharing, and

learning enrich lives and

bring a sense of joy.

• Develop networks for help?• Find a way to provide food to the needy?• Promote enjoying nature?• Use gardens as expression spaces?• Promote starting meaningful relationship?

• Promote physical health?

FEED OUR

WITH MORE

FOOD

SOULSTHAN

1. Directory of the garden managers with garden masters.

2. Inviting schools to have activities on the community garden (such as games).

3. Organize weekly yoga tour.

OPPORTUNITIESthere is an opportunity to:Foster meaningful growth on a community and personal level

1

25

OPPORTUNITIES

HOW MIGHT WE

Savannah has its own unique

climate,weather,health

standards and soil issues,

and it it vital for gardeners

to understand them

and work within those

constrains.

there is an opportunity to:Develop an information bank about local gardening

• Connect knowledgeable people with novices?

• Recognize knowlegeable people? • Teach gardeners to thrive in the local

situation?• Have an active community garden

culture all year long?

LANGUAGELOCAL LAW

of the

1. Savannah community garden manual.

2. Provide information on how to prepare or use the seasonal food.

3. Gardening tourism opportunity.4. Welcome kit with local gardening

tips and local plants.

Insight

.DESIGN IDEAS.

2

27

OPPORTUNITIESTALKWALK

there is an opportunity to:Make each garden’s regulations or desires explicit and visible

• Express the garden to participants and outsiders?

• Develop sustainable systems to run the gardens?

• Communicate and share garden news?

Community gardens

involve a lot of people so

communication about rules,

ownership and collaboration

should be established

and maintained in an

approachable manner.

WITH ME

WITH ME 1. Create artwork showing the ripe versions of plants and proper garden etiquette.

2. Develop universal signage to show garden’s regulations.

3. For network communication, try a photo contest and monthly activity competition with prizes.

4. Have a posting board in local garden shops to share news and show products in action.

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

1

29

OPPORTUNITIES

CITY HALLTO BRAWL

there is an opportunity to:Clearly communicate the city’s involvement and role in the program

• Promote and advertise the initiative more?

• Introduce user’s feedback into the policy?

• Explain the reasons behind the policy limitations?

• Cooperate with other city programs?

The city of Savannah

set up the SCGI in order

to make dreams come

true, so eliminating any

negative feelings or

misunderstandings

is a must.

ISN’T LOOKING

1. Awareness campaign for the

program.

2. Create an infographic that

illustrates the city relationship

during the application process that

shows who to contact for what and

when you can expect help.

3. Create a safety bulletin that

describes the concerns behind all

of the regulations.

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

1

31

OPPORTUNITIES

There are highly motivated

people and people with

wavering interest involved

in community gardens;

finding a balance or

transfering that spirit

would be helpful.

COULDSPREAD

there is an opportunity to:Share knowledge and keep volunteers enthusiastic

• Spread planting knowledge?• Recruit and retain volunteers?

• Spread enthusiasm?

IF INSPIRATION

LIKE GERMS 1. Reward system.

2. Set up a program to teach

gardening basics as they pertain to

certain interest groups.

3. Exchange groups of volunteers –

help at the book drive or for a race

to get help at a garden day event

– and promote both groups at each

event.

Insight

Community gardens

involve a lot of people so

communication about rules,

ownership and collaboration

should be established

and maintained in an

approachable manner.

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

1

33

OPPORTUNITIES

ARE ALLFRIENDS

there is an opportunity to:Get to know your community

• Involve the neighbors?• Network with other gardens? • Be able to develop the culture in

Savannah further?

WE

HERE

Gardening is its own

culture and it brings people

together in their common

interests and enjoyments.

Public gardens make it

easier for people to find

each other.

1. App or website for network to

involve neighbors to be aware of

location of each community garden.

2. Facebook page to communication

in better way.

3. Create a “Garden Tour” event

program to swing by each garden

or have every weekend celebrate

each garden.

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

2

35

OPPORTUNITIES

The produce from

and functions of the

garden can be linked

to outside community

organizations to benefit

both parties.

STARTSHAND

there is an opportunity to:Connect resource and idea stream through gardening

• Get familiar with community resources?

• Take advantafe of the social benefits of gardening?

• Promote tool sharing?• Take advantage of other people’s

extra stuff?• Offer access to professional aid?

AND WE WILL

REACH FOR THE

THEM TO YOU

1. Create SCGI discount card.

2. Post the needs of the garden

(tools, soil, man power, seeds, etc.)

and offer things in exchange.

3. Produce swap – bring an item and

get a vegetable.4. Student design contests to make

project plans and then reward students with recommendation letters or proof of experience.

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

1

37

OPPORTUNITIES

Some gardeners have a

lot of knowledge, some

have a lot of leadership

skills, and every garden

needs those.

SHARINGCARING

there is an opportunity to:Establish a mentorship culture

• Pass along gardening tips?• Collect knowledge in a tangible form? • Motive people to share their skills and

knowledge?• Foster leadership training?• Make gardening in Savannah more

approachable?

BRAIN

OF GARDEN

1. Mentor starter for beginners.

2. Organization of workshops by the

City of Savannah or SUGA.

3. Starter kit for beginners. 4. Time capsule project – capture the

garden culture, add from past, save for future.

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

2

39

OPPORTUNITIES

Community gardeners

invest a lot of their time and

money into gardens that

they share with the other

workers, neighbors, etc.,

and they may not expect

something back, but they

might not mind!

SHAREWEAR

there is an opportunity to:Share the effort and cost associated with gardening.

• Attract sponsors?• Assign available help to needy

gardens?• Attract volunteers that are needed?

• Distribute the responsibility?

THE

1. Weakly brain sharing meeting to

share the ideas and talent.

2. Create a sponsorship program

where people can contribute money

or supplies and receive updates on

programs and charity activities.

3. Post a swap board to trade excess

volunteers, tools, produce etc for

things your garden needs.

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

1

41

OPPORTUNITIES

Gardens in the

neighborhood bring

people together to

either directly interact

or enjoy the same

things from afar.

SEEDSLOVE

there is an opportunity to:Have widerspread interaction within a community

• Increase community awareness of  the garden?

• Develop varying levels of participation?• Communicate exstence of the garden?• Promote the garden as a social space for

the community?

SOW

OF

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

1

1. Create a “Garden Tour” event

program to swing by each garden.

2. Ask neighbors that surround the

garden to take a picture of their

view of it from their window and

make a photo display that shows

the surrounding view.

3. Host local art shows in the

gardens or picnics, music lessons.

43

OPPORTUNITIES

The gardens are all

works in progress and

communication and

celebration of that

varies.

CAUTION!there is an opportunity to:Express and contribute to the continuing garden development

• Communicate the status of garden projects to outsiders?

• Collect community ideas for garden development?

• Connect with outside help to ahieve garden goals?

• Spread encouragement for finishing

projects?

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

1. Visual timelines that document

garden progress with pictures.

2. Post representations of goals so it

is visible to the public and people

may walk by and be able to help.

3. “Garden dreams” board in a shop

or café to get people thinking

about the projects and pique their

curiosity/helping.

Insight

HOW MIGHT WE

.DESIGN IDEAS.

1

45

The contextual research and data

management processes employed in

this project identified key components

in the community garden culture of

Savannah, as well as in the status of the

Savannah Community Garden Initiative.

The insights formed helped identify

opportunities for positive change in the

system and the team addressed these

prospects with potential design ideas

that adhere to the perceived context

and attempt to bolster the success of

the gardens.

CONCLUSIONS

46

THE COMMUNITY GARDENING CULTURE OF SAVANNAH IS UNIQUE TO THE

CITY’S CIRCUMSTANCES AND REFLECTS ITS RESIDENTS’ AMBITIONS.

THE SAVANNAH COMMUNITY GARDEN INITIATIVE PLAYS AN AUXILIARY

ROLE IN THIS CULTURE AND HAS POTENTIAL FOR A LARGER IMPACT.

DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INDIVIDUAL

GARDENS COULD BENEFIT BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE INVOLVEMENT.

INFORMATION ON GARDENING, MANAGEMENT, POLICY, AND BENEFITS

IS A NECESSARY COMPONENT IN COMMUNITY GARDENING FUNCTIONALITY.

THE BENEFITS AND EFFECTS OF COMMUNITY GARDENING HAVE A

REPUTABLE AND POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE COMMUNITY.

47

A P P E N D I Xthe processA P P E N D I X

48

Secondary Research

1. Visit to Georgia’s Historical Society

2. Concept, Flow, and Process Maps

3. Structuring our data for midterm presentation

4. Five W’s for synthesizing and presenting our secondary research

1 2 3

43 3

49

Observation

Shadowing sessions

1. SCAD

2. Tybee Island

3. Moses Jackson

Advancement

Center

4. MetroStart

5. StarFish

6. Growing Edge

1 2

4 5 6

3

50

War walls from observations

Observation

51

Initial Synthesis on observations

1. Actor Network Map

2. Research Question exercise

Synthesis

1

1

2

2

2 2

2

52

Designing and Testing our probes.

1. Food Day Cultural

Probe’s Sketches

2. Food Day Brochure

3. Our Probes in

action!

Cultural Probes

1

2

2 2 2

1 3 3

3 3 3

53

Interviews

1. Carol Greenberg (Midtown Miracle Community

Garden)

2. Cody Simpson,

Kelsie Flanagan

(SCAD Community

Garden)

3. Francis Allen (StarFish Community Garden)

4. Ben Ligenfelter (Jackson Mosses Advacement Center’s Garden)

1 2

3 4

54

1. Making sense of chaos.

• Clustering 1 (From yellow to blue)

• Clustering 2 (From blue to pink)

• Clustering 3 (From pink to green)

2. Identifying Insights

3. Coffee helps!

AffinityProcess

1 1 1

1

1 1

1

1

2 3

55

Methods of Contextual Research | IDUS-711-02 | Prof. Sara Johnson | Fall 2013