Gardening Toolkit

Overview of Conducting Gardening Initiatives

Is your community considering conducting a Gardening project? This Action Sheet has been crafted to provide an overview and roadmap to inform the decision-making process.

Creating a Community Garden

Community gardens can increase the accessibility of local fresh fruit and vegetables, make use of spare or run-down land, and create meaningful projects. Creating and running a community garden is also a great way for a Pod to get involved with other community members!

Organizing a Workshop on the SFG Method

The Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method offers a simple system that can be implemented in just about any home, even those with extremely limited access to green space. This Action Sheet focuses on how to organize a workshop on the SFG method for members of your community. Sharing this knowledge can teach others to grow their own local, fresh, nutritious, organic food, demonstrate to them the connection between health and food, and increase their self-sustainability.

Organizing a Workshop on the SFG Method for an Oasis

The Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method offers a simple system that can be implemented in just about any home, even those with extremely limited access to green space. This Action Sheet focuses on how to organize a workshop on the SFG method for an Oasis Pilot. While the initial 10 days of the Jumpstart serve as the foundation of the Oasis Program, integrating the Square Foot Gardening method into the larger 13-week Oasis Program will powerfully reinforce the connection between health and food, and increase the likelihood of achieving long-term success and lasting changes.

Overview of Square Foot Gardening

Gardening in your yard, school, and community can be an educational and rewarding experience. This Info Sheet introduces the Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method and the SFG Foundation, and it describes how the method is applicable to individuals, schools, community gardens, senior centers, and more.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Square Foot Gardening Method

Learn the easiest, most productive method of gardening without the weeds, work, and waste of a traditional row garden! This Info Sheet provides an overview of the steps involved in building a Square Foot Garden, and lists some of the reason this is an earth-friendly method of gardening.

Square Foot Gardening Method for Oasis Program Participants

This Info Sheet introduces the Square Foot Gardening (SFG) method and the SFG Foundation, and it describes how the method is applicable to individuals participating in the Oasis Jumpstart Program.

PlantPure Communities thanks the Square Foot Gardening Foundation for developing these documents for use in the PPC Gardening Toolkit.

SFGF Planting Map

A planting map (both blank and with sample layouts) developed by the SFG Foundation. 

Click to download this slideshow presentation and share it to introduce the basics of the Square Foot Gardening Method!

PlantPure Communities thanks the Square Foot Gardening Foundation for providing the following answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you have further questions, we recommend contacting your local Cooperative Extension for more information, and join the Official SFG Gardening Forum.

From March 2020 through August 31, 2020, PlantPure Communities (PPC) is partnering with the Square Foot Gardening (SFG) Foundation to encourage gardeners to “get growing” through an exciting new initiative. Find out more and participate!

• • SquareFootGardening.org – Learn about the SFG method, gardening initiatives, how to find a Certified Gardening Instructor, and more.

• • A Short Video explaining the Square Foot Gardening Method
  • Search here to connect with a SFG Certified Instructor in your area.

• • Veganic Farming and Gardening – A list of resources and a three-hour video featuring a workshop by Will Bonsall, author of Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical Self-Reliant Gardening.

• • Guerilla Gardening Ted Talk – Ron Finley plants gardens in South Central Los Angeles. Learn about his alternative version of fast-food, and how he is making a healthy impact in his food-desert community.

• • American Community Gardening Association – This website provides a wide range of gardening resources and a map of existing gardens by location.

• • Kids Gardening Foundation – Get involved with the School Garden Movement, which creates opportunities for kids to learn through gardening.

• • “Why Buy Local Food?” – This article discusses the benefits of eating local food on your health and the environment and why it’s important.

• • National Farmers Market Week – This proclamation shows the $9 billion annually added to the economy by farmers markets.

• • Organic Trade Association – The OTA provides the latest data on everything related to the organic food industry.

• • Why Grow and Eat Organic – This article explains the benefits of growing your own organic fruits and vegetables.

• • GMO Debate Lecture Series – A student-run course from Cornell University that discusses both sides of the “GMO Debate”.

• “GMO Dangers: Facts You Need to Know” – The T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies 2015 Article on GMOs.