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Community Garden Game
OSU Extension at Toledo Botanical Garden

Mailing Address:
5403 Elmer Dr, 
Toledo, OH  43615

Physical Locaiton:
5526 W. Bancroft
Toledo, OH 43615

Phone: 419-578-6783

Fax:
419-578-5367
 
 

Contact:

Amy Stone
Extension
Educator
stonea@ag.osu.edu
 


Lucas County 
Home Page

County Extension
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Purpose
Setting
Materials
Time Requirement
Directions
Discussion Questions
Reference
Evaluation



Purpose/Objective;

To give participants the opportunity to work together to problem solve issues related to community gardening. 


Setting:

Table large enough for 6-12 participants to gather and work around.

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Materials: 

(use these cards or create some that are specific to your program) 

 12 Community Gardener Profile Cards 
 5 Types of Community Garden Sheets
 6 Resource Cards
 7 Set Back Cards

 Large sheets of newsprint to draw garden plans
 Markers/Pens/Crayons to draw on the newsprint

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 (Other option - more detailed):

Make a game board on a poster sized grid sheet.  Laminate the poster and use erasable markers to draw the garden plans.  Or, cut different colored shapes out of card stock or construction paper to represent raised beds, trees, paths, benches etc.

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Time Requirement:

40 minutes for the basic game, additional time for discussion questions.

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Directions:  (Rules)

There are no right or wrong answers. This will be 
your dream garden.  If you can think it up, you can 
accomplish it.  Please be respectful of your teammates and listen to each other.

1. Every participant draws one card from the Community Gardener Profile Envelope.  Everyone will share/read who they are and what they do. 

 2. Choose one person to be the Community Garden Leader.  Their job will be to draw a  one page card from the Types of Community Gardens.  The Type of Community Garden and optional activities will be a starting point for the participants to start discussing what their Dream Community Garden will look like.

 3. Take a few minutes to sketch or draw what the community garden will look like.  If the participants need guidance, ask them some basic design questions such as how many garden beds, will you need space for specific activities such as cooking demonstrations or art exhibits, where are the pathways, who will be gardening, etc?

 4. After they have started to design the community garden, invite the Community Garden Leader to draw one card from the Resource Envelope.  Have the group discuss how their community garden could best use the resources.

 5. Next the Garden Leader will draw one card from the Set-Back Envelope.  Have the participants discuss how they will overcome their set-back.

 6. After they decide on a solution, the game can end or they can continue to draw one resource or set-back at a time.  If more than one group is playing the community garden game at the same time, leave a few minutes at the end for each group to present their garden, their set-back and their solution to the larger group.

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Discussion Questions:

What did you learn in playing the game?

Was it easy to agree on a solution to your set-back?

Were there diverse opinions in the group?

How does this game compare to growing a Community Garden in your neighborhood?

What are some other resources or set-backs that you might encounter at your community garden?

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NOTE:  In Lucas County we use this game as part of a three series workshop training for new community garden leaders.  Before they play the game, they have already heard presentations on leadership development, group communications, deciding on community garden rules, and designing the garden.  Following the community garden game, we allow about a half hour for community gardeners to meet about their specific garden site to anticipate any assets, set-backs, design opportunities, etc. 

If most of your participants are new to gardening, you might want to include a couple handouts such as: other good design ideas and seasonal lists of vegetables that are grown in your area.  If you would like to expand on the game participants could make community garden rules, a community garden budget, elect officers, etc.

If you have a large group, divide the participants into groups to play the game at different tables.  For instance in the year 2000, we had around 25 participants.  We had four games going at the same time in different parts of a conference room.  Because there were four games, Master Gardeners had volunteered to help out.  One Master Gardener volunteer sat at each table to help guide participants through the game.  In 2001 we had 12 community gardeners who were split into two garden games of 6 people.  Because it was a smaller number, one facilitator was able to rotate between two games to keep the game going.

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Reference: 

This community garden game was developed by Patrice Powers-Barker, Program Assistant for Community Gardens, in 2000 to be used with new community garden leaders at their spring workshop.  Magazine articles on community gardens offered creative ideas. The game was designed from work with Heather Norris, Toledo GROWs staff, meetings with staff at the Civic Garden Center, Cincinnati, OH, Digging Deeper by Joseph Keifer and Mel Kemple, a workshop lead by Joseph Keifer at the Cleveland School Gardens Conference 2000, A Place to Grow: Voices and Images of Urban Gardeners by David and Lynn Hassler, and the experiences of community gardeners in Toledo, OH. 

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Evaluation

If you use this community garden game with your program please take a moment to complete the evaluation and send your comments back to Patrice Powers-Barker.  Thank you very much.

1. Who played the Community Garden Game?  (new gardeners, garden leaders?)
2. How many participants played?
3. What type of meeting or workshop did you use the game at?
4. What kind of changes did you make for it to be applicable to your project?
5. Will you use this exercise again?
6. What changes will you make for next time?
7. Any suggestions for improving the Community Garden game?

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Patrice Powers-Barker
OSU @ TBG
5403 Elmer Dr
Toledo, OH 43615

Phone: (419) 578-6783
Fax: (419) 578-5367

powers-barker1@ag.osu.edu

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All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.

Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Admin. and Director, OSU Extension.  TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868