LAWRENCE
SUSTAINABILITY
NETWORK
November 25, 2011
A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
The City of Lawrence and Douglas County have made 12 sites available for community members to use during the 2012 growing season. The Common Ground Program makes municipally owned land available for license for the cultivation and sale of plants, herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables, either as for-profit or not-for-profit enterprises. The program is intended to assist initiatives for the development of urban agriculture and community gardens in the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, increasing local food production, and providing community benefits.
Growers and gardeners can apply for a license to use these sites – which range in size from 0.3 to 20 acres – for $1 per acre per year. In exchange, program participants will propose a “Community Benefit Plan.” Examples of community benefits include donation of produce to local food pantries, participation in educational outreach programs, etc. Participants in the program will also provide annual reports to City and County Commissioners and feedback to help refine this pilot program.
The city and county released the Request for Applications (RFA) last Monday, and seek applications from qualified individuals, businesses, and/or nonprofit organizations. Applications for the sites are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 16. The Douglas County Food Policy Council will review the applications, and submit recommendations for City and County Commissioners to review by late January.
Local community members are strongly encouraged to submit individual applications and/or develop partnerships with local community organizations.
The Request for Applications can be accessed here:
http://www.lawrenceks.org/
Information about the Douglas County Food Policy Council:
http://www.douglas-county.com/
For more information contact: Eileen Horn, sustainability coordinator, ehorn@lawrenceks.org or (785)330-3121
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LSN is an all-volunteer organization
dedicated to learning how to live lightly and sustainably.
Sustainability requires that we restore biodiversity and environmental health, strengthen relationships within and among human communities, insist on democratic decision-making at all levels of governance, insure social and economic equity for all, promote peaceful conflict resolution, and reorient our aims from growth to stability and justice. It means living within our means today and protecting the interests of future generations. LSN supports the efforts of individuals and organizations that work toward these goals.
Send announcement of your sustainability-related events to
info@lawrencesustainability.
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