" Was just considering the idea here of how to make this happen.Since the citys park dept has set their main focus on a very few of our parks and have taken most all of the playground equipment out of the old schoolground parks that the local kids played in years ago,Maybe they could be utilized for this project. I am sure the Cunningham family who donated the park property at 12th and shelby would have liked to see 20-25 garden spots on the property than to see it just dry up and sit useless. The Park dept has forgoteen how many kids live around these parks and would love to have a playground close to home to play in. I remember the days when Cunningham park was full of good kids that lived with in 2-3 blocks of the park either playing basketball or baseball while others were swinging in the swings. OH!! and remember the kickball games. WHAT HAPPENED????? "

" I think and have thought all along what a wonderful idea! It is done in large cities with much success, why not here in a smaller community. A great way for folks to supplement food sources. TONS of room at VanLaningham Park. I remember playing there as a kid. Why not have several in different parts of the city for easy use for folks who dont drive or have limited access to a vehicle. Maybe this is a project that some organization would be willing to take on??? Much like Charleston does with their beautiful roadside plantings. Come on Mattoon, lets show some pride!!!! "

" poorboy

I can't tell you how many blisters I got from the Trapeeze and Rings at Cunningham Park, Kickball, Kick the Can. I learned how to play baseball at the ball diamond at the corner of 13th and Moultrie for 7up Bottling Company, 8 years old at the time. "

" Absolutely. It's time to pull together and get serious. "

" CIPS use to provide small garden plots. "

" There is also land that the city has bought up that could be used for this ....One of these days we are going to have to do this, to survive..why wait!!!
money won't be worth anything... "

" The community garden is a wonderful concept and ideally it is a great way to help supplement foodstuffs. However, the realities that block the development of a viable community garden system are many. The first and greatest hurdle is that of manpower. I have sat in on development committees for such projects where everyone has great ideas, but the fire of ideas is doused by the reality that it takes a lot of time and effort to actually get the garden going. Suddenly the idea people are plagued by time constraints. Everyone is long on great ideas but very short on sweat equity. The eventuality of it is that a few people end up doing all the work and many people stand on the sidelines with their hands out. This is a serious blow to the espirit de corps of the community garden. "Why should I do all this work; when those who do nothing reap the benefits of my labor." Where is the community in this? It just becomes another failed program joining the long line of failed programs in the entitlement culture that pervades our community. It is this entitlement culture that is loudly echoed in your own words,

"I remember the times...when people could get bags of flour, cornmeal, blocks of cheese and so many other SUBSIDIES. I wish those days would come back."

Basically your words tell me that what you are wishing for are days when you could count on someone else to take care of you. This attitude is deeply woven into the fabric of our society from the street person all the way to the white house. The concepts of hard work, self-sufficiency and responsibility for ones care have been lost and replaced by co-dependency on a very failed system of entitlement.

May I suggest that you avail yourself of the many opportunities to educate yourself on gardening through the public library, U of I extension and the internet. You can grow your own garden, even a small one to SUBSIDIZE your food needs. You can donate some of your produce to the food bank, thus making it a true gift to those less fortunate.

Remember, wishes are the stuff of fairy tales and prayers not backed by action are idle words. "

" Ms. Eckel, I fail to see where we as a society are at a point that we need handouts of cornmeal, flour, and gov't. cheese. This is not the Sudan yet, nor is it the Great Depression 2.0.

However, there are some amoung us who would like to lay down and quit, and ask someone else to subsidize them with handouts while they lie there -- and this will bring everyone down to Depression level existence. These are not easy times, but they are not so desperate that we need that sort of handout (in fact, from the looks of most Americans, a bit of hard work for some veggies and less overindulgence on junk food and lethargy would be in order). I have yet to see such "plushness" of the subjects in the photos from Darfur or Depression.

The community garden or victory garden idea is a good one though (how odd that you should posit that idea with cheese handouts) -- and there is not one reason why an apartment dweller et al. could not join in that (yes, even the disabled can help in some ways). But such a thing will not exist while people think they can get free Spam for the easy cost of waiting in a line and holding out their hand.

And as an additional comment -- having had parents who grew up during that time of troubles -- the gov't. issue canned meat, flour, cornmeal, and cheese, the soup from the charity soup kitchen, was neither that palatable, nor wholesome. In fact, it was one step up from animal feed. While they were grateful to have it (there were days when my father and his siblings had nothing to eat -- and not because their mother couldn't go get Big Macs), their parents kept chickens and a garden -- the gov't. issue was only the last resort before starvation; it was not the basis of their diet. "

" WOW there is something to be said here,the fact that all the post on this issue are possitive. (for now) LOL. Well I am sure the citys spys will have noticed this thread so maybe we need to just ask them about the possibility of seeing this through.I beleive if Alan Gilmore were to receive enough phone calls about this idea it would happen. Lets call city hall... "

" Everyone here who likes farmer's markets, roadside stands and local dairy, eggs and meat better get a hold of your congress critters to vote down HR 759. This bill will enforce so many "food safety" laws that the average local farmer couldn't possibly adhere to them and make any kind of profits. It will force the local farmers out of business while multinational corporations such as ADM, Monsanto, Carghill, Tyson can afford the lawyers, legal fees, testing supplies, red tape. It's really, REALLY bad legislation and if all of you like your local fruits, veggies, poultry, eggs, dairy products, we need to stop this huge impact legislation now. What it does is basically forces local and smaller farmers to personally pay for the mess ups of large govt entities like the FDA and state inspectors who have failed to do their jobs. It's really, REALLY bad legislation and we need to make sure it never passes! "

" Basically your words tell me that what you are wishing for are days when you could count on someone else to take care of you.

Joe

I sincerely hope that you never have to have help. "

" How funny Medic, see, now I took Unknown Joe's comments as a rallying cry to maybe pull together as a community and WORK towards doing something to help ourselves (as in yourself, myself, and so forth) -- that even the least of actual help (rather than just standing around talking about it, or wanting to be the boss ordering others to do the work, or letting others do the work and then holding your hand out -- which does ruin the commitment to follow through with community based projects). I didn't see it as someone saying those who are incapable don't deserve any help (and I think UJ was making an observation there that many people are not quite as helpless as they like to believe themselves to be, or want others to see them as).

Good point about that bill Becky -- if that legislation goes through, you might as well forget any form of locally raised/grown produce, and then you very well will be hoping for the government cheese...and what happens if the government can't give you enough? "

" JR

I think they are a great idea, now! who donates the land, the equipment and the liability insurance. If the city is involved, you will have to have it. "

" The government has long subsidized the dairy industry. Commodity cheese was a result. What beter use of it? It was good American cheese. Gardens are a lot of work. They must be tended. When they are cared for they not only nourish the body but the soul as well. "

" Hey Todd Reardon, that old bank lot is awaitin ya.
Get ya Reardonites together.
Make it happen, captain!
LOL!

By the way, great post, Becky! "

" Community gardens are alive and thriving in Central Illinois. Here is Coles Co.unty the Master Gardeners have two gardens at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital, one is an ornamental display garden and the other is a "Plant a Row for the Hungry" garden. That garden sent over 2,000 pounds of produce to the community food banks last year. If you want to see how community garden plots work, the legal set up and rules check out Meadow Brook Park in Urbana. Then there is the Champaign County Master Gardeners garden at the corner of Florida and Lincoln, both ornamental, small bush fruits and vegetables. It does take manpower, but the rules for many are that those that work get the produce. All that is needed is space and a water supply and of course that sweat equity. "

" I forgot, the Douglas Hart Nature Center also has a Vegetable Garden project. I think on March 21st a Master Gardener will be giving a talk there about vegetable gardening. Call the Nature Center 235-4644 to check the date and time and to sign up. "

" I moved here not to long ago from Chicago and was surprised there wasn't a thriving community garden here. There are gardens and farmers markets all over in Chicago and it's a great community experience. One would think that a "farming community" would at least have a farmers market (I apologize if there is one but I haven't seen it yet).

If anyone reading this article is serious about starting one up feel free to contact me at wicked__city@hotmail.com. I'd be more than willing to help. I have friends that have started gardens in Chicago, Boston, New York, and New Hampshire and they'd be happy to give us information on how to start one up here. "