Audio by title no_fenses_for_community_gardens

Columbus Eastside resident Melvin Harris disapproves of a no trespassing sign and the newly placed fence at the large garden at Mound and Carpenter run by Four Seasons City Farm.

"There's no reason to put a fence around something that should belong to the whole community," Harris said.

He said he's never seen a fence around a community garden.
" I don't think that's fair to anyone in the neighborhood, especially (during) the times we're going thru now w/ people losing jobs and having problems paying their rent and getting food on the table for themselves and their kids."

Harris said people in this East Side neighborhood should be able to go to the garden and pick some vegetables w/o having to deal w/ a fence, so long as they help w/ some of the work.

After I had packed up my recording equipment, long-time community gardener Daniel Ingwersen arrived to the garden site.

He pointed out to Harris (and me also) that a portion of the garden was left unfenced, so that people in the neighborhood still had some crops, such as collard greens, which they could harvest whenever they want, regardless of whether they've helped w/ the garden.