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Frequently Asked Questions

What geographic area does Gateway Greening support?  Gateway Greening Service Area

Because of the high demand for “grow your own” and local food, in 2009 the geographic service area was limited to St. Louis City limits to the south and southwest, highway 170 to the west and the river to the north.  There are numerous community gardens outside of the city limits that have been grandfathered in and will receive continued support from Gateway Greening. We will consider expanding into other geographic areas as funding is available.

Who can I contact for community garden assistance if I’m outside the GGI service area?

 How do I know if my garden project qualifies for Gateway Greening Grants?

Is the project needs-based?  Does the project have community involvement?  If the answer to both of these questions is ‘yes,’ then Gateway Greening can offer support. 

In addition, Gateway Greening expects garden projects to:

  • provide their own volunteer support and the necessary labor to maintain the project, including planting, watering, weeding, etc. throughout the season and in coming years;
  • create a project with visible impact on the neighborhood and to passers-by;
  • coordinate with other neighborhood initiatives to create a project which is cohesive with other improvement plans;
  • develop a realistic plan; and
  • ensure that the project be self-sufficient by the end of the season.

 What does applying for a Gateway Greening Grant entail?

The Community Garden Grant supports citizen-driven food producing or ornamental community gardens.  Applications become available in August and are due in November.  The Community Garden Coordinator, James Anderson, fields requests for applications throughout the year. 

The grant focuses on awarding materials to start or improve a community garden--- lumber for building raised beds, soil, tools, signage or other basic hardscape materials.  Awardees are required to complete a 30-hour volunteer requirement, attend orientation and leadership training sessions, weigh and report harvest records to GGI and participate in regular GGI correspondence, including annual site visits and program reports.

Youth Program Grants are available yearly in early spring and due in May.

I’m thinking about starting a garden.  What steps should I take?

Three basic elements should be in place: secure a site, design an appropriate site plan and have at least 10 people involved in the project.  Check out the Community Gardening Tool Kit for additional information and tips. 

Also, check out the American Community Gardening Association

How to build a raised bed

Refer Here

How do I get my soil tested?

Refer Here

How can I become involved in local food events?

Learn more about the formation of a St Louis Area Food Policy Council through Healthy Youth Partnership. Be sure to join the STL Food Policy Google Group for frequent updates and events.  Or find out ways to become involved, upcoming events, and food and nutrition in the news through Facebook by searching “Creating a Healthy Food System in St Louis.”

Other organizations in the area offering educational opportunities and events include:

How can I get volunteer help at my garden?

Do not overlook your own community connections and contacts first!  If more help is needed, contact Hannah Reinhart at 588-9600 ext. 104 for occasional one-time/ big impact volunteer group support or to request specialized Master Gardener consultations. 

Where can I find additional grant opportunities?

Grant opportunities are listed in our weekly E-Newsletter.  These grants are for school gardens, community gardens and urban food projects.  Sign up for the Bell Bulletin today! 

 Other websites you may want to visit:

How can I order compost for my garden?

Gateway Greening consolidates community garden mulch and compost requests and places the order through St Louis City Department of Forestry. Give 1-2 weeks notice in the busy spring season.  Place the call to James Anderson, Community Garden Coordinator, at  588-9600 ext. 105 and leave the garden address, materials needed, what quantity and where exactly on the lot they should be dumped.  In the county, refer to local municipalities or tree trimmers.  It is helpful to post a flag or ‘dump here’ sign for delivery drivers.

Where can I order soil?

Where can I buy City Seeds produce?

Food grown is sold at Tower Grove Farmers' Market.

Is City Seeds Farm a CSA? 

No.  If interested in local CSAs, look at the Local Harvest Website.

Community Food Security
The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future has released “Community Food Security in United States Cities: A Survey of the Relevant Scientific Literature. (PDF)” This literature synthesis draws from peer-reviewed academic literature and other relevant sources and can form the basis of action to enhance community food security.

The White House and USDA have launched a new initiative, “Feed a Neighbor," in order to raise awareness of hunger and encourage more Americans to get involved. The administration developed a volunteer toolkit to describe the many ways individuals can help increase food security in their community, such as sponsoring a summer food program, volunteering at food banks, and developing a community plan to end hunger.

Community Garden Leadership and Organization

Community Leadership and Organizing

Farming/ Vegetable Growing

Food Policy Council Development

Policy lessons reviewed:  A new report from Food First and the Community Food Security Coalition – Food Policy Councils: Lessons Learned – highlights a useful tool that city, state and local governments can use to fight hunger, diet-related diseases and other symptoms of a failing food system.  The information is based on an in-depth survey of 48 Food Policy Councils established in North America over the past 30 years.  The full report is available free at www.foodfirst.org.

Fruit Trees

  •  “Win an orchard for your community!” from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF).  Their program is geared for community groups interested in receiving an orchard of 10 trees or more. 
  • University of Missouri Extension Services, Fruit 

Landscaping

Missouri Garden Calendars

Rainbarrels

Sustainable Food Retailing

Greening the neighborhood:  Successfully spearheading state-funded activities to initiate nearly five dozen grocery and supermarket development projects throughout Pennsylvania, The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based non-profit, shares its expertise in an on-line toolkit titled “Greening Grocery Strategies for Sustainable Food Retailing.”  Lessons learned in working with the state’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative also include a discussion of increasing access to fresh produce and the financial benefits of sustainable building practices. 

Growing groceries:  A new publication from Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP), an Oakland, CA advocacy organization, also promotes retail food development.  “Getting to Grocery:  Tools for Attracting Healthy Food Retail to Underserved Neighborhoods” is designed to help advocates and public health agencies coordinate and leverage the tolls available through local government and other organizations to bring grocery stores into low-income communities,” PHLP notes. 

Youth Education

Scouting out food security:  A new book is out that gives ninth and tenth grade Girl Scouts opportunities to learn about food, food security, sustainable agriculture, hunger and poverty, and community leadership.  “Sow What?” is available on the Girl Scout website for $7.00 and an Adult Volunteer companion set for $15. 

Schooled in sustainability:  Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability is the title of a new book from the Berkeley, CA-based Center for Ecoliteracy that tracks the growth of efforts to integrate sustainability into American K-12 education and gives examples from public, independent, and charter schools across the country.

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