How do we protect community gardens from 'theft' and vandalism in ways that don't alienate nearby residents ?

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.

Ingwersen agreed w/ Harris in that a community garden belongs to the neighborhood. But he said the newly placed fence was necessary in order to be able follow thru w/ their commitments to people in the local community.

That commitment involves giving 1/3 of the harvest to local food pantries; giving 1/3 to those who volunteer in the garden; and selling 1/3 of it.

Restaurants such as the Angry Baker, Yellow Brick Pizza as well as retailers such as Greener Grocer and Clintonville Community Market buy vegetables from Four Seasons. The community garden also sells produce at its farmers market on Saturdays at 18th and Main.

Ingwersen said the money the garden makes helps them pay for expenses related to planting, caring for, and harvesting the crops, such as rototiller service.

Ingwersen said they have posted signs to explain to local residents how the garden works, but that those signs such as the one in the photo above have been torn down repeatedly, apparently by people wanting to harvest from the garden w/o working in it.

He said he wants to share as much food w/ the neighborhood as possible but doesn't see any alternative to fencing in a large portion of the garden.

"It's just a very few people who abuse the system. But all it takes is 2 or 3 people to wipe out the entire garden," Ingwersen said.

The sign in the photo is not posted currently because it's the only one they have remaining. They'll post that notice again when they make duplicates of it.

Harris, who lives nearby, enjoys the garden, even though he doesn't approve of the no-trespassing sign or the fence.

"It makes me feel I'm out in the country somewhere and not in the city. There's not much traffic out here, so it's quiet and peaceful... I'm going to come and volunteer my time to help make this garden grow."