The Ralston Sustainability Project is proposing a public community garden for citizen use in Ralston. We believe that a community garden would provide multiple benefits to the community of Ralston, which we’ve outlined below:
● Healthier source of food: There is no way to obtain healthier food than growing it yourself. A community garden would provide Ralston citizens an opportunity to grow their own food. The garden would not be designed for families and individuals to rely completely on it; however, the community would be able to use the garden as an additional source of food.
● Providing for those in need: There are members of our community who, for various reasons, do not receive enough food, or do not receive enough healthy food. This garden would allow these community members to have access to healthy food.
● A greener option: Growing our own food and plants will help reduce our carbon footprint. Not only will the plants help lower carbon dioxide emissions, but the garden as a food source will limit how much is spent on gas to drive to the grocery store, and emissions created to prepare the products sold in the grocery store. The garden’s location in Ward 2 will make it within walking distance for a large portion of Ralston residents.
● Learning opportunity: The garden could serve as an educational ground for students to learn about plant growth and sustainability. We can raise the children in Ralston to understand the importance and benefits of sustainability.
● A bright spot: The colorful garden can become a symbol of hope and joy for our community. Simply being in the presence of nature can increase one’s serotonin.
Funds: We plan to request funds for this project from the Ralston City Council. Should they see this project as a suitable use for city funds, they will provide the costs for construction of the garden. The estimated startup cost is currently $4,200. Upkeep will cost about $1,200 a month. Should the City Council propose to include these costs in residential taxes, the tax would be proposed as a vote to the community before anything was decided.
About the Ralston Sustainability Project: The Ralston Sustainability Project is a non-profit organization whose main goal is to make Ralston a cleaner and healthier community through means of sustainability. This includes methods such as research, studies, community projects, and community structures that encourage a litter free, green energy community. The Project was founded by horticulturist Rosalin Page.
Ralston, Vermont's "Green Island" City 