We srarted out to donate to the local shelters etc. ,but once we had shared with friends in need( out of work etc) and a few elders on our block we pretty much used everything! Last year we put in one huge garden at my sons,but we has total crop falure due to rabbits and a few stray chickens,everything sheared off at the ground!The same spot he had a booming success with the year before,go figure.

A quick update on my experience, for those who might be googling and are unsure about starting a plot... In general, I don't think this has been a good year for gardening in the midwest. Lots of rain early on! My summer squash are doing well, as are my tomatillos, but other than that everything is quite slow. I've gotten a few cucumbers and peppers, and my corn seems to be doing well. I think my tomatoes have blight, and I've noticed tons and tons of cucumber beetles. One of our plot neighbors says that in the evenings, the deer come out of the surrounding woods, wait until there aren't any more people left, and then just swarm! They have definitely gotten the best of my broccoli. There are quite a few plots that have been given up on, so there are lots of weeds everywhere. BUT, even though it's been more difficult than just gardening in containers on my porch, I do think I've learned a lot. I started out trying to do it with minimal fertilizers and insecticides, but learned quickly that it's worth a few bucks to invest in that stuff. I think I'll try to figure out a good mulch to use a bit earlier next year. I might also go for two plots instead of just one (20x20), as I think the rewards might be a bit greater with more plants and more space per plant. My favorite thing is to walk around and check out everyone else's gardens and see what is working for them! It also helps me not to get too frustrated, as it seems that no one is having a good tomato year.

Hi Kat- The church committee that thought up the project contacted both the local co-operative extension service and the USDA Soil and Water Conservation agency. The staff of these groups have all sorts of resources to help civilians with a project like a community garden. If there is a community action group, or a food bank or soup kitchen, they might be interested in helping you start a garden. If this is something you want to happen, start with a few people who agree with you: meet, plan and gradually draw in others who could help or benefit from it. A sponsoring nonprofit agency would be a plus in the organizing phase. If there are lots of elderly people, a senior center or other senior-focused group might be interested. Some vocational schools or ag colleges do community projects--not to mention master gardeners, who are required to do volunteer community service to become certified. Finding a space to garden in is often a challenge. Ask everybody you know for ideas! Someone will come up with the answer you need......Good luck!

Don't be discouraged. The tool loss is, imo, much more annoying than the odd plant - I have a shed on my allotment or I would take my tools home. I have been gardening on a large shared site for 16 years - the most annoying thing was the year a bunch of local kids stripped all my (unripe) apples from my cordons - I honestly wouldn't have minded too much if they had been eaten but they had simply thrown them at each other. And there are all the usual gripes about weeds...but for me, it was my only chance to actually have some space - I have a minuscule home garden - so I put up with the irritants. And it can be nice to be convivial (although I am a surly grumpy sort). The more you invest in time and effort, the more you see the time gardening as more precious than the actual results...and the setbacks tend to appear more minimal and just part of the usual cycle of death, loss, rebirth that is so familiar to gardeners.