Healthy food for families at next to no cost - that is the aim of the Waitaki Community Gardens Trust.
The Oamaru project has been in the planning stages for about a year, but spring will herald a burst of activity, when work starts on what will become a drop-in and learning centre.
The community garden has its roots in an approach to the Waitaki District Council to use a vacant plot of land at the south end of the Oamaru gardens, overlooking Chelmer St and the Waitaki Resource Recovery Park.
The council granted consent for use of the land, issued a licence to occupy and is completing a memorandum of understanding with the trust to rent and use it.
A rental based on the value of the land has been set, but the council will make a grant to the trust to offset the cost of the rental.
The flat area of the site is about 4500sq m, and another 3500sq m of sloping land may be used for orchards, trees and other purposes.
A trust was then set up to plan and develop the project and search for funding.
Since then, the trust has developed bio-gro organic standards to which all those involved with the gardens will adhere and obtained funding.
It has also appointed a co-ordinator, Annie Beattie.
She will oversee the development and implementation of the site plan.
She will also liaise with the groups and individuals involved with the project.
Two "grandma and grandpa" mentors, Allan Adamson and Gill Cayford, have been appointed to help people learning to garden.
The community gardens are being developed as a drop-in and learning centre, developing and demonstrating gardening skills that can be transplanted to home gardens.
The trust has only recently gained official access to the land, but already some work has been done.
Young people participating in the Operation Clean-up programme, which gives people who have committed minor offences such as vandalism in Oamaru an alternative to appearing in court, have cleared broom, weaving it into fences to create shelter.
"That reflects the principle of reusing what some people may regard as rubbish," trust chairwoman Marian Shore said.
The priority now is the development of 10 garden beds of varying sizes for vegetables and use as demonstration plots.
A "quarter-acre back garden" is also planned to show people how they can develop vegetable gardens and orchards on their own sections.
Composting, a worm farm and bokashi (Japanese fermented compost) material will also be at the gardens.
Working bees are held between noon and 3pm on Sundays and planning is under way for an access road from Fenwick Park for disabled people and the transport of heavy equipment.
An existing shelter on the site will be turned into an office and other buildings are planned, using recycled material from the resource recovery park, for storage.
A nursery will be established to propagate heirloom fruit trees and nut trees to create an orchard.
Scion wood will be taken from fruit trees - including some growing on the sides of roads - that have grown well in North Otago and grafted on to root stock.
It is hoped the nursery will eventually be able to produce fruit trees, nut trees and possibly vegetable plants for sale, generating an income for the trust.
A coppice will produce wood for crafts and firewood.
Courses are planned on topics including composting, worm farms, seed saving, tree grafting, bokashi and bee-keeping.
Individuals, businesses and community groups are donating time and goods to the project.
It is hoped in future to provide allotments for people to grow their own vegetables, using part of the neighbouring Fenwick Park.
Already, about 50 people are involved, along with groups, in the project and this is expected to grow as word spreads, Miss Shore said.
"When spring comes, things will really take off."
• Good to grow
Where: At the southern end of the Oamaru Public Gardens on Chelmer St.
How big: Up to 8000sq m.
Instigators: A community trust.
What is it: A drop-in and learning centre.
What will it have: Vegetable gardens, fruit trees, composting, open days, skills courses, demonstrations, a quarter-acre back garden.
Open day: September 6, 10am to 3pm.
Contact: Co-ordinator: Annie Beattie (434 8891 or 021 0200 7578).
Mentors: Allan Adamson and Gill Cayford.
