Everything’s Coming Up Roses (Or Mums or Veggies) at the Oakland Community Garden
The Oakland Community Garden just marked its first birthday.
The flourishing garden truly emphasizes the word community. Gardeners range from elementary students, Girl and Boy Scouts, to whole families and members of the borough Senior Center.
The garden was built in conjunction with the Senior Center to make sure it was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and could accommodate individuals with all kinds of mobility restrictions. Members are able to reserve designated plots where they can grow fruit, vegetables, or herbs in a safe, controlled space.
The Community Garden, which opened last April, sits behind the municipal building by Valley Middle School.
There are 27 plots measuring 8’x4’ including five ADA, accessible and raised (barrier-free) plots.
In a measure of its success despite the fact that it began just a year ago, there is currently a waiting list of about ten people.
The goal is to be an all-inclusive, sustainable food resource for the community while providing an opportunity for all to take part in the pleasures of gardening.
“Anybody who has a plot we encourage to donate food… last year we donated 300 pounds of produce to local organizations,” said Alison Fleeson, founder of the Oakland Community Garden.
The Resolution Sustainable Oakland Green Team (Green Team for short) received a $20,000 grant from Sustainable New Jersey and the PSE&G Foundation to build this community space.
The Green Team came up with the idea for a community garden many years ago. When they secured the grant, they were finally able to get the idea off the ground.
Twenty percent of the plots are raised and designed with ADA standards to ease access for people who use walkers or wheelchairs, for instance.
Prospective Community Garden members need not be expert horticulturists. There are Facebook support groups and daily meetups where members exchange knowledge and camaraderie. Members have access to two on-site composting bins and a locked storage shed. Plans for gardening classes for members were put on hold amid the pandemic, but are expected to take place in the future, said Fleeson.
The sense of community is really felt in this garden. There are members of all generations and walks of life--all growing and learning together.
“We have senior citizens, we have some of the Boy Scouts and some of the Girl Scouts, who wanted to maintain garden plots, people without a yard, or people with a yard but without protection from animals,” said Fleeson. “We have young and old, a little bit of everything.”
The garden is completely fenced in, offering protection from animals. It boasts a welcoming community feel with its picnic tables and benches.
In order for the garden to run smoothly, there are some rules. They include using 100% all-organic gardening methods, and maintaining your plot.
In another amazing component to their objective for sustainability, the Green Team has been involved with a company called Trex to recycle plastic bags.
“Trex® is proud to sponsor local recycling programs in universities and communities throughout the country,” Fleeson said. “If [the] team can collect 500 pounds of plastic… [they] will donate a high-performance composite bench to your school or community.”
After donating 1,000 pounds of plastic shopping bags to Trex, they have been able to receive two recycled park benches and are in the process of getting a third.
Membership is on a first-come-first-served basis, so if you’re interested, sign up and get yourself on the waiting list!
The fee for the Community Garden is $50 annually for the growing season, payable through Community Pass. Registration is through: https://www.oakland-nj.org/oakland-recreation/pages/online-registration.... fees help sustain the garden, and fund any repairs needed to the infrastructure.
Natalie Aguado is a freelance writer and editor.