Sample

1. FINAL PAPER 1
Community Garden in a Greenhouse
Student 1
Southern New Hampshire University SCI 218

2. Introduction
Through out the history of farming, there are examples of greenhouse use, a deviation
from the traditional method of growing crops in fields of soil, in specific ways. The growth of
world populations and the decline of available land for farming, has led some populations back
to community gardening practices, and the also more development of gardening within
greenhouses. With the move of gardens to greenhouses, natural resources such as land and water
are preserved while healthy food is plentifully grown. The practice of community greenhouses is
beneficial to many individuals and easily applicable different populations as a way to ensure that
the unhealthy use of pesticides is avoided and the use of natural resources, such as land and
water, is practiced with conservation in mind. Growing food within greenhouses can also expand
the growing season, protect and control environmental issue.
Section 1: History of Farming
Farming has been dated back to approximately 10,000 BC, during the time when hunter-
gatherers were roaming the lands of the earth. It has been documented that a group of 2,000 to
4,000 people wandered an area about 25,000 square miles, surviving a diet of gathered edible
plants and hunted animals, which translated into roughly 10 individuals per square mile. The new
practice of farming changed this footprint to approximately 25 acres of land to feed one family
and allowed the transition to more permanent settlements (TimeMaps, 2016).
Around the same time, there is evidence of farmed wild cereal grasses in the Middle East,
with crude tools, such as sticks and flint sickles. Also, during the same time period, cultivation of
soil appeared in South East Asia, where gardens of large peas, beans, cucumbers and water
chestnuts were grown. The most crucial farming evidence appeared in the Middle East, Palestine

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and Turkey. As settlements grew, grains were deliberately grown and cultivated for humans
(TimeMaps, 2016).
After 7,000 BC, farmers began developing more advanced tools for plowing. One such
tool was the two-man plough, which consisted of one man pulling a rope in front while another
man applied pressure on a plough. Easier planting methods led to the land being depleted of its
fertility within a few years of use. The farmers would then have to move onto another area of
forest and begin clearing. In some places, they would cut the trees down and burn the stumps left
in the area to add fertility for a few more growing cycles. This primitive clearing was known as
“slash and burn” or “Swidden” farming (TimeMaps, 2016).
By about 4,000 BC, farmers had progressed, using cattle and oxen for plowing. These
animals allowed farmers to cultivate larger areas and deeper areas of land. Farmers also began to
notice that the animal droppings were improving the soil and it stayed fertile for longer periods
of time regions (TimeMaps, 2016). Farming began to spread all over the world and developed
new techniques and tools in different. By 3,500 BC, most human beings were farmers and
remained this way until the twentieth century (TimeMaps, 2016).
History of the Greenhouse
The first use of greenhouse farming began in the Roman Empire, under the ruler Tiberius.
Romans developed the idea of a controlled environment for growing Tiberius’ favorite
vegetable, the cucumber, which “he was never without,”. The gardeners used artificial methods
to grow the cucumbers out of season by wheeling out carts planted with the cucumbers into the
sun. They brought the carts inside every night to protect the vegetables from extreme
temperatures, and stored under frames topped with glazed oil cloth or sheets of mica (New World

4. Encyclopedia, 2014). One early modern-style greenhouse was built in Italy around the sixteenth
century, when explorers had brought back exotic plants from the tropics. The concept continued
to grow across Europe but continued to face problems with cold nights and winter. The gardeners
faced challenges regulating the warmth inside the greenhouses (New World Encyclopedia, 2014).
In the late nineteenth century, larger greenhouses began to appear, made with newly
discovered material. Joseph Paxton, the head gardener at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, began
creating greenhouses constructed with glass and iron. He designed and built London’s Crystal
Palace (New World Encyclopedia, 2014). This design development led to various other
greenhouse designs through the next century.
Modern greenhouses are capable of growing a large amount of food on a small footprint,
maintaining natural resources with good farming practices. Through the use of a greenhouse,
within approximately 2,500 square feet, multiple growing cycles provide the ability to grow food
equal to one acre of land. With this ability, the condensed growing space replaces the 43,560
square feet in an acre and is flexible enough to allow even community gardens to benefit
multiple families in locations with low availability of land.
Community Gardens to Urban Gardens
During the 19th
century, a period of industrialization and urbanization led to allotment
gardens being used in many European countries. Large numbers of people migrated from rural
areas to seek employment and a better life, only to face the reality that many families lived under
poor conditions and suffered from malnutrition (Heimer, L.E., 2008). City administrators, local
churches or employers provided open spaces to allow them the ability to grow their own food.
Immigrants from European countries brought the practice of allotment gardening to the United

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States, where they became a source of food security in poor urban areas, such as Boston and
New York. These played a vital role in sustaining many Americans during the economic
depression (New World Encyclopedia, 2014).
Urban gardens later became part of a reform movement to clean up and revitalize urban
centers and create “beautiful spaces.” This helped build excitement for school gardens and
garden clubs in vacant lots and backyards within many cities. During the late 1960’s and 1970’s,
community gardening started to comeback as a hobby. Organic and community farms became
popular and cities around the country started community gardening programs (New World
Encyclopedia, 2014).
Soil to Hydroponics
The use of containment gardens, such as raised beds, is a simple way to ensure a healthy
garden (Lamp’l, 2015). The use of raised soil beds can provide good farming practices because it
is a contained area and it does not matter what type of land you have; you can create the ideal
soil conditions. The planter boxes can be created from rot resistant hardwood or composite
material of plastic or wood fibers. The size can be custom made to an individual’s preference.
The soil can be an organic base with aged manure and compost, and be modified specifically to
the crop grown in each bed (Lamp’l, 2015). Creating your own ideal growing environment
allows gardeners to grow a variety of plants, eliminating the need to import anything for variety
in their diet.
Taking the ideas of containment gardening one step further and moving them into a
greenhouse and applying the use of hydroponic systems can conserve natural resources such as
water and soil even more. Hydroponics and fish tanks in a greenhouse enable growing space to

6. take up to 50% less land and provide a system for monitoring the nutrients needed in soil and
water (Zuckerman, 2016). The water system in a raised bed, using gravity, allows for the
optimum moisture for plants. Gravity allows water to saturate the roots and keep soil at the
perfect moisture level and still have drainage (Lamp’l, 2015). However, the hydroponic system
provides the best conservation of natural resources, and this can be even more conservation
minded by using solar energy for electricity to run the lights and pumps.
There are challenges that researchers are working to overcome in greenhouse gardening.
Although greenhouses can help conserve water, the quality of the water used in a greenhouse is
relevant (Zuckerman, 2016). Hydroponics have a closed water system that will use 10% less
water than the soil growing and require 60% less fertilizer in the soil. The loss of water in a
closed system is mainly from some evaporation and water use by the plants (Ecopost, 2014). A
collection system for rainwater could further reduce the amount of water needed from the water
cycle, thus preserving ground water.
Section 2: Real World Application and Planning
People are more aware of their food and where it is coming from. Many people are
looking for food that is healthy, non-chemical, and non-genetically mutated or treated (Oiga,
2014). Greenhouses allow growers to control the growing environment, including additives and
fertilizers, or the use of pesticides. Likewise, community gardens can improve the health and
well-being of people. Awareness programs for health, environmental impact and conservation
have led to community gardening for locally grown food sources (Greenhouse Capital, 2016).
Because there is a growing awareness of the impact of not only what you eat, but how it is

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grown, companies are answering this need and supplying the means for people to ensure their
food and lifestyles are healthy and environmentally sound.
Establishing a greenhouse as a community garden starts with a location and support. Of
the two, location will vary by land availability and the distance the shared workers are willing to
travel. The purpose of a community greenhouse can vary from a Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) to a private group of families dedicated to growing and providing their own
fresh fruits and vegetables.
Planning a greenhouse will require more than just location and size, as greenhouses have
zoning and building codes that vary by state and possibly also by city. Other considerations for
establishing a greenhouse will vary by geographical region and group commitment and
preference. Builders will have to determine the type of materials the greenhouse is built out of,
whether to use soil or hydroponics, if their area can support solar power, and later, the types of
natural fertilizer and pest control. The community garden group will determine division and
distribution of the crops and the distribution of excess crops. A community greenhouse could
develop a program to send excess crop to community shelters or soup kitchens for homeless
families.
Gardens to Greenhouses
The government has many incentives and funding dedicated to promote farming.
One agency is the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). They offer grants for
individuals, businesses and schools to subsidize the cost of growing food. The USDA pays out
ten billion dollars in subsides per month (America in Bloom, 2016). This type of grant could
offset the cost to families in a project.

8. For example, developing a community garden, in a greenhouse, could be done with five
families who would share in the cost, labor and foods grown. All excess food not needed by the
families could be forwarded to a homeless shelter in the city, rather than letting it go to waste.
Alternatively, it could be sold to local restaurants to pay the expenses for the members
committed to the community garden.
In this example, the project could take place in a pre-existing greenhouse that is, 2,560
square feet, or 30 feet wide and 82 feet long. The type of farming could be done with raised beds,
using fertile soil, a hydroponic gutter system and water tanks for aquaponics. The crops
determined by the families may be lettuce in the hydroponic system and tilapia fish in the
aquaponics system. The raised soil beds could grow beans, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes,
potatoes, squash and zucchini. The soil will still need to be tilled and using local manure as a
fertilizer would help lower the environmental foot print caused by distribution of corporate
products, such as those sold by chain stores.
The watering system for the soil beds could be a drip irrigation system to help conserve
water throughout the season by about 70% over flood irrigation systems (Garden Supply, 2016).
The hydroponic system could also be designed to recycle nutrient water system through the
gutters and fish tanks. In a system like this, the plants and fish in the hydroponic system would
provide some natural nutrients within themselves, because it’s a closed system, and lower the
need for additional fertilizer.
The laws and regulations set by New Hampshire, as another example, for a greenhouse
fall under RSA 72:12d, Demountable Greenhouses, and are not considered a permanent fixture,
therefore they are not taxable (NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. 2014). This

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regulation does have some requirements, such as growing must be used for culture, propagation
and protection of agricultural products. Under RSA 672:1, III-b-d, “planning, zoning and related
regulations for general provisions shall be determined by municipal government. Furhter,
“agriculture is considered a vital and significant contributor to food supply; therefore, it shall not
be unreasonably limited by use of municipal planning and zoning” (NH Department of
Agriculture, Markets and Food. 2014). State regulations such as this provide support for citizens
that are willing to grow crops in an environmentally friendly manner.
Section 3: Local to Global Community Gardens
A similarity between community gardens in the United States and Israel is the locations
used for the gardens and community. Many community gardens in the United States are focused
in urban areas with low income, high crime areas. The concrete buildings are the “fences” of the
gardens. Similarly, the gardens in Israel are in the heart of densely populated urban areas
surrounded by concrete and construction (Avivi, 2015). The both provide local gardens to grow
plants such as herbs, vegetables, fruit trees and flowers that may otherwise be unavailable or
unaffordable. Many families tend these community gardens, and each share in the harvest. Both
countries have cost benefits to community gardens, and some even generate income at local
farmer markets.
There is appeal to getting together with neighbors and sharing in the community spirit of
gardening. People of community gardens seem to have a sense of caring for one another and
giving back to others who are experiencing financial hardship.
The Food Bank Inc. in Manchester, NH, and Rimol Greenhouse Systems in Hooksett,
NH have partnered and built a greenhouse in the heart of the city to provide vegetables to the

10. New Horizons Homeless Shelter (Simakis, 2013). The staffing is based on volunteer efforts.
Likewise, another community garden initative found in Florentin, Israel, was established in 2005.
This local government requires only that the greenhouses/gardens have opened their community
garden and welcomed anyone willing to share in the work, with the benefit of having a part in
the harvest (Avivi, 2015). In both countries, economical and ecological concerns of crops are
managed, in part, by the establishment and support of the community gardens. Support like this
is vital, and seeing it demonstrated in the United States and Israel clearly shows the amount of
success possible, despite the vast differences across both nations.
Challenges to Community Gardens and Greenhouses
Even with many communities looking to grow community gardens, not all municipalities
support them. New York City, NY in the United States, does not take community gardens into
account when developing their infrastructure. The challenge faced by community gardeners of
New York City is the combined sewer overflows which release raw sewage and storm water
runoff into local waterways. The city has wide areas of asphalt and buildings, with little areas of
soil. The soil in the city is often compacted and contaminated with heavy metals that can
diminish the natural water filtration (Gittleman, 2015). With poor soil, or poor water sources, a
community garden would be faced with the additional expense of procuring clean soil or water
for use.
In contrast, Israel is an arid and water starved country. Israel is the world leader in
waste-water recycling and desalination, which allows the majority of Israel’s crops to be grown
grown in soilless conditions, although not exclusively grown in greenhouses, due to the poor
quality of their available water (Zuckerman, 2016). Almost half of Israel’s water for irrigation

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comes from recycles waste water or “gray water”, and the cost of water systems is expensive
(Zuckerman, 2016). The Tel Aviv municipality offers community gardens irrigation system
installation service, free water irrigation, expert advice, compost containers and unlimited supply
of seedlings worth thousands of dollars each year (Avivi, 2015). Despite this, water continues to
be a challenge that must be solved for community gardens to survive and provide beneficial
results for the citizens.
Conclusion
Gardening allows individuals healthy control over the food they eat and the way it is
grown. By moving gardens into greenhouses, vital natural resources such as water and soil are
conserved, ensuring that as populations increase, our environment is still healthy and able to
support them without a negative impact on the food supply. Greenhouses are an accommodating
way to ensure the health of the environment and improve the quality of food individuals provide
for themselves. Seeing successful community garden projects and greenhouses in different
nations shows the commitment to devising improved methods that conserve natural resources
and success.

12. References
America in Bloom. (2016). Grant Opportunities. Retrieved from
http://www.americainbloom.org/resources/grant-opportunities.aspx
Estimating Stromwater Runoff for Community Gardens in New York City. Gittleman, Mara.
2015, Spring. City University of New York, CUNY Academic Works. Retrieved from
http://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=hc_sas_etds
New World Encyclopedia. (2014). Greenhouse. Retrieved from
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Greenhouse&oldid=977681
Simakis, M. (2013) Rimol Greenhouse Systems, Greenhouse Management. Retrieved from
http://www.greenhousemag.com/article/holiday-makers-rimol-greenhouse-donation
Avivi, Y. (2015) Israel’s Community Gardens Bloom. Retrieved from http://www.al-
monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/07/israel-tel-aviv-urban-farming-organic-vegetables-
community.html
NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food. (2014). Retrieved from
http://agriculture.nh.gov/laws-rules/index.htm
Heimer, L.E. (2008) Sprouts in the Sidewalk. Retrieved from
https://sidewalksprouts.wordpress.com/history/
Ecopost. (2014). The Environmental Benefits of Hydroponics. Retrieved from
https://ecopostblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/the-environmental-benefits-of-
hydroponics/

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Zuckerman, (2016). The Gift of Life – Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses. Retrieved from
https://americanhydroponics.com/8-news-latest-237-the-gift-of-life-practical-
hydroponics-a-greenhouse.html
Lamp’l, J. (2015). Three Key Benefits of Gardening in Raised Beds -Growing a Greener World.
Retrieved from http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/three-key-benefits-of-gardening-
in-raised-beds/
Time Maps Ltd., (2016). Retrieved from http://www.timemaps.com/farming
Oiga, J. (2014). “When People Become More Aware Of What They Put In Their Mouths, They
Wind Up Becoming More Aware Of How They Live Their Life”. Retrieved from
http://www.mb.com.ph/when-people-become-more-aware-of-what-they-put-in-their-
mouths-they-wind-up-becoming-more-aware-of-how-they-live-their-life/
Greenhouse Capital (2016). About Us. Retrieved from http://greenhousecapital.net/about-us/
Garden Supply. (2016). Drip Irrigation Systems. Retrieved from
https://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/cat1;gs_greenhouse_irrigation;gs_drip_irr
igation_systems.html