April 16, 2012 - Cabarrus County

Elma C. Lomax Community Garden ProposalMarch 2012For the purposes of1. Strengthening the Elma C. Lomax Farm Incubator by developing additional volunteers,community supporters, and community linkages;2. Strengthening the Elma C. Lomax Farm Incubator adding an additional revenue stream foroperating cost;3. Providing opportunities for community garden allotments that allow food production, andeducation for new gardeners, and;4. Strengthening charitable contributions of local food.We propose a community garden be established at Elma C. Lomax Farm Incubator.This garden is to be located in farm plots B, C, and D, which and consists of two parts. The firstsection is to be 10 feet by 10 feet plots leased to individuals on an annual basis for a fee of $32(calculated as 1 penny per square foot per week for a 32- week season). The second section is alarger area (roughly 6,000 square feet) that is leased to a group that will grow food for charitabledonations to Central United Methodist Church Outreach, Cooperative Christian Ministriesand/or Mt Pleasant Food Ministry. The fee on the charitable food area will be determinedannually. Fees are to be paid upon acceptance to the garden. The community garden would bemarked with 5 feet sections of conduit driven 1 foot in the ground at the corner of each plot.These gardeners will receive access to a fertile gardening site in full sun with irrigation and deerfencing. Gardeners will be responsible for all management decisions in their plot, includingwhat crops to grow (within guidelines), and when to plant, weed or irrigate. Gardeners wouldalso have access to the front parking lot and to bathrooms in the office building. Gardenerswould not have access to a storage container. They will be asked not to enter the post-harvesthandling facility, high tunnel, or greenhouse unless as a guest of Cabarrus county or at theinvitation of a participant in the Elma C Lomax Farm Incubator program.As part of the application process, gardeners will fill out an application. The application willinclude an agreement to follow certain guidelines: The application is attached.Garden spots will be limited to of the 10 by 10 feet plots for the first year to work out anydifficulties. The eventual goal is 75 plots, which would generate about $2,000 annually orroughly 12% of operational expenses. Charitable garden spot is to be reduced as new 10 by 10plots are needed. This group expects another property to become available within 2 years,although there is another spot on the Lomax farm (plot KK) that could be developed ifnecessary.Attachment number 2F-7Page 124