Community and school gardens don’t magically sprout bountiful benefits

While it is widely understood that community and and school gardening have innumerable health, well-being and educational benefits, it's important to realize these benefits don't magically appear when gardens take root. Over the past six years, I've worked closely with educators, community workers, activists and community members in Tio'tia:ke/Montréal as we created, funded and sustained gardens and garden teams at schools and community organizations. Despite these critical observations, some benefits of the project included: offering relevant paid employment for young adults experiencing barriers to employment, food insecurity and homelessness; providing mentorship and opportunities for under-served young adults and students to express themselves ; facilitating partnerships between schools and organizations with mandates of social and environmental justice for mutual benefit; acquiring prolonged financial, learning and human resource support to educators, learners, community workers and community members, while developing ethical relationships and collaborating to accomplish shared objectives. Often, teachers and community members want and need a garden, but they are more in need of: financial support, teaching support, human resource support, more time, fewer students, curricular freedom, relevant professional development and land that isn't part of a bigger capitalist system of private ownership or tied up in red tape.