Urban Ag. at Elisabeet Garden
Entrance to the garden, wheelchair accessible raised beds can be seen to the left.
In Berlin we had the opportunity to visit the Elisabeet Garden, an urban agriculture project. Everything about Elisabeet has been done thoughtfully, keeping environmental and social sustainability at the forefront of their operation. This community garden is unique because it is in the St. Elisabeth Friedhof II Cemetery. This may sound surprising, but it displays how we can make the most of urban land to support communities. The community collectively decided to use the excess land in the cemetery for a community garden, thus it has been focused on community participation since its inception.
Inside the greenhouse.
In the garden they grow food using reciprocal methods that work with nature instead of stripping the land of its value. The staff of all part-time farmers grow several variations of the same type of plant so that disease can’t spread to all apples, for example. This also increases biodiversity and keeps less cultivated species alive. They use natural methods to fertilize the crops and pursue several projects at a time.
Left photo: row of apple trees, and perch for birds of prey, which help manage pests in the garden in a natural way. Right photo: lovely lady bugs sitting on the leaves of an apple tree branch.
One project I found very interesting was an attempt to grow mushrooms by putting straw on wood pallets and spreading spores on top, and then covering this with cardboard to maintain moisture. Another resourceful method seen in the garden was the use of manure as a heat source in hot beds to keep plant saplings warm. I appreciate how the garden is a test lab for community members to experiment with different regenerative and organic agriculture techniques, especially when these spaces are typically limited in cities.
Left photo: our amazing tour guide Carlotta showing us the mushroom experiment. Right photo: the hot beds that use manure.
People are able to lease raised beds, as well as volunteer to harvest and do other work in the garden. Activities range from actual gardening, to creative projects like painting crop row markers. The garden has many signs throughout that make it easy for people to participate even when its staff is not around. Those who want to take home produce pay on the basis of a suggested donation, so they can pay according to what they can afford. This is important because some rely on the garden to supplement their food supply. As such, the garden is helping to mitigate food insecurity among community members.
Left photo: the rows of crops with their painted number markers made of repurposed stone. Right photo: sign with instructions for harvesting.
Elisabeet is an inclusive space, which they foster through their programming and infrastructure. We saw how they have built wheelchair accessible raised beds, as well as sensory bins with different materials from around the garden to explore how people who are blind experience the world through their other senses. They also have activities for those who don’t speak German and people who have immigrated to Germany. These examples of targeted programming are also how the garden receives government subsidies to help maintain the garden. Beyond public funding, they also seek sources of private funding.
Left photo: sensory bin. Right photo: wheelchair accessible raised bed.
Since this garden is so new, they are still deciding on the best organizational form. One avenue they are exploring is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). With this system, people pay into the garden by funding the wages of the farmers, not paying for the produce, which guarantees income for farmers in case of crop failure. This system is a way to achieve social sustainability. Our guide, Carlotta, from the garden also discussed Market Gardening, which is when you grow popular food crops densely to make the most use of the land, and directly sell that to consumers on the local market, or combine it with a CSA model. I had never heard of these systems, so I was grateful to hear about it from her.
Elisabeet is a promising initiative for urban agriculture. Hopefully the success of the garden can contribute to spillover to other cities, in the same way it was derived from the original Himmelbeet Garden. There are a myriad of benefits that community gardens provide to urban areas, like food accessibility and the shortening of food systems. Furthermore, it gives people who are traditionally left out of agriculture the ability to participate in the growth of their food — a sense of food sovereignty. The space has also become a community center, where people gather, host events, and socialize with neighbors they may not have met otherwise. I am excited to see projects like Elisabeet, and hope it influences the way people think about their food, the earth, and their neighbors! :)
Left photo: compost pile. Right photo: composting toilet at the garden!
