Gaia Garden is our 3 acre sustainably managed garden which has an 8 month growing season. See our page on the Local Harvest site.
As of early 2009, Rachel Kaplan stepped in to become our 4th gardener in 10 years and has taken on the challenges and rewards of urban farming. Rachel can be reached by email at GaiaGardens@EastLakeCommons.org or by phone at (678) 793 3155.
 | History: Our first gardener, Ryan Cohen, established Gaia Gardens as East Lake Commons was being built, and continued improving it over a period of 5 years (ca 1998 - 2003). Our next farmer, Daniel Parson, continued to improve both the garden and it's CSA component over his 5-year tenure (ca 2004 - 2009). |
| Old Photos: First CSA Pickup, 2004 End of Summer, 2004 |
| Local Food Production: Growing food in close proximity to one's home creates enriched opportunities for education, community interaction, recreation, and increased ecological awareness about land and resource stewardship. Seasonal neighborhood festivities and locally grown, fresh produce reinforce community participation and neighborhood sustainability. Kitchen canning and winter storage will take place in the common house kitchens. |
| Sustainably Managed Gardening: Sustainably managed gardening focuses on rebuilding soils through composting, cover crops, and a rich bio-diversity of plants, microorganisms, and complimentary small animal systems. Community supported agriculture (CSA) will feature sustainably managed gardens, plant nurseries, greenhouses, and orchard areas managed by a farmer/teacher living and working on the property. |
| Education: The garden project will be available for educational purposes. The focus will be on local elementary school students coupled with selected high school students from the metro Atlanta area. The educational programs will be administered by professional gardeners, college interns, extension agents and school teachers. Educational scope can vary from formal to informal, including apprentice and intern programs on rebuilding soils, waterways, and bio-diversity; afternoon and weekend workshops and school field trips on composting, growing crops, flowers, and herbs, greenhouse production, and bee keeping. Special emphasis will be placed on children's mentoring programs and issues of holistic health. |