Community Development: Ridley Grove Garden Project Report Analysis

This report provides a detailed analysis of the Ridley Grove Community Garden project located in Adelaide, South Australia. It explores the project's history, socio-economic and political context, goals, and aims, emphasizing its focus on organic gardening, permaculture principles, and sustainability. The report highlights the resources utilized, the informal and formal authority structures within the community, and the unique features of the garden, such as its use of permaculture principles, fruit trees, and workshop spaces. The project's approach to community development is examined, focusing on urban biodiversity, sustainable resource use, and community engagement through education and workshops. The analysis also includes a critical evaluation of the project's processes, referencing relevant literature on community development and sustainable practices, and concluding that the Ridley Grove Community Garden project is a successful model for sustainable community development. The report also references how the community uses recyclable materials and donations from community members to support the project. The project aims to reduce carbon footprint and is supported by the Adelaide government.

Running head: SPEACH
Ridley Grove Community Development Project
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Good morning everyone. My name is ____ and today I will be discussing about the
Ridley Grove Community Garden project.
Description
Background and History
Before discussing the other aspects of the project, we need a thorough historical
knowledge and background of the project. The Ridley Grove Community Garden is a
community project that focuses on the organic gardening, community art, permaculture
principles and sustainability. It is located at 66 Ridley Grove, Adelaide, South Australia
(sacommunity.org. 2017). The local residents with the funding from a local property
developer established this community project in the year 2008 (communitywebs.org. 2017). It
is developed in the car parking of the old community church. The project reflects a well
organized planning that properly communicates the reasons behind it. The first step taken by
the members is to clear out the grasses that they did with a herd of goats. This is probably the
best sustainable way of performing the task. They have changed the surface of dolomite and
gravel into garden beds (permaculturenews.org. 2017). The children of the community
schools were first encouraged to plant native trees in the landmark
(rochedalecommunitygarden.net.au. 2017).
Socio-Economic and Political Context
The working bees are held from 9.30am to 12.00pm on the first Saturday of each
month. Volunteers are also allowed to tend the Ridley Grove garden on Tuesday and
Thursday mornings. Various events are organized in the garden that are children, pet and
disabled friendly (communitywebs.org. 2017). There is no entry fee for participating in any
of the events organized by the community and outsiders can participate in the events. This is
a fascinating and fun project uphold by the community project. The government of Adelaide

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appreciates the approach taken by the community and supports their cause. There are no
issues faced by the community for the government’s part and freely operates.
Goals and Aims
The food consumed by the people are often imported form around the globe even the
same could be grow in the Australian environment. Moreover, the current food system
contributes to green house gas emissions and facilitates in creating a sense of disconnect
between the food and the people. The project aims to contribute in connecting the food chain
with the people and speaks for a better environment (communitywebs.org. 2017).
The community aims to use the garden following a number of sustainable gardening
principles. The goal is to use the minimal energy taken from out side the community and
grow organic vegetables. They expect to reduce the Carbone footprint by following these
organic gardening.
Resources
As it is a non-profit-project, runs on the donations from both the insiders and
outsiders of the community. One can donate in various modes such as financial, tree
sponsorship, or even recyclable goods (communitywebs.org. 2017).
Informal and formal authority
All the members of the community takes part in the decision making process in the
project. This is a project uphold by the Ridley Grove community to promote sustainable
gardening. Hence, opinion of every community member is taken under consideration for the
development of the project. The stakeholders from outside of the community are heartily
welcomed to participate in the project (communitywebs.org. 2017). It promotes the ideology
of the project.

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Uniqueness
So, what makes the Ridley Community Garden unique? The key features of the
community project are:
 Permaculture principles used in sustainable, organic gardening
 Grows fruit tress and rare plants
 Raised garden beds
 Decoration of native garden trail and butterfly
 Nursery area
 Undercover workshop space
 Wood fuelled pizza oven
 Op-shop on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (earthwiseharmony.com. 2017)
Approach to Community Development
The project carries the message of community development. They have taken various
approaches for fulfilling the aims and goals of community development. They are urban
biodiversity, sustainable use of resources, community education and engagement and
harvesting the suburbs with edible native plants. They are following the organic farming to
grow local diversified species of plants for increasing the biodiversity in the urban area. They
are planting endemic plants to bring back the native butterflies. The group uses recyclable
materials for achieving the sustainable growth. Four of their large tanks helps them to store
rainwater that they use in gardening (communitywebs.org. 2017). On the other hand, the
workshops organized by the volunteers are of low cost that conveys the message of
environmentally gardening. The workshops also develops the concept of ecosystem,
sustainability, environmental practices and many more that are useful for both children and
elders. Their campaign of planting native edible plants around the suburb facilitates in

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reducing the carbon footprint and the message to the local people (communitywebs.org.
2017).
Critical analysis of the process Undertaken
According to Hart (2013), the children of modern age have entered the environment
that is threatening the future environment and life. Hence, it is important to teach them, the
old generation as well to use the resources judiciously, and participating in sustainable
development. Hence, Ridley Grove community garden is a worthy attempt to start this with
gardening to reduce the Carbone footprint in the nature. Hart and many others argue that the
green environment is constantly decreasing in a rapid speed. Biodiversity is less likely to be
seen, especially in the urban sectors (Alaimo, Reischl and Allen 2010). The step taken by the
community to plant indigenous varieties of trees around the community and Adelaide as well
serves the purpose of increasing biodiversity in the urban society. Green and Hain’s (2015)
work argues about the community development and sustainable development and why it is
necessary. They also identifies the assets in the community that is possible to utilize in the
sustainable development. Moreover, they highlight three models of community development
that useful for community development. Use of the community assets is visible in Ridley
Grove’s community garden project, where they use the recyclable materials of the
community and donation they receive as well. They also follow the self-help development
model as proposed by the authors. The community project educates the community member
of the sustainable gardening and encourages them to take part in the cause.
Conclusion
We can conclude from the discussion, that Ridley Grove Community Garden project
is a successful in attempt in sustainable community development. They have clear aims,
goals, and utilizing their resourcing in a compatible way to encourage community people to

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take part in the project and bring sustainable development in the community level. Their
approach successfully attracts the children participating in the cause and enjoy their time
being involved.

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References
Alaimo, K., Reischl, T.M. and Allen, J.O., 2010. Community gardening, neighborhood
meetings, and social capital. Journal of community psychology, 38(4), pp.497-514.
communitywebs.org. 2017. Ridley Grove Community Garden. [online] Available at:
http://www.communitywebs.org/RGCG/ [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].
communitywebs.org. 2017. Sustainability. [online] Available at:
http://www.communitywebs.org/RGCG/sustain.php [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].
earthwiseharmony.com. 2017. RGCD Adelaid. [online] Available at:
http://earthwiseharmony.com/GARDENS/EH-Ridley-Grove-Community-Garden-Adelaide-
South-Australia.html [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].
Green, G.P. and Haines, A., 2015. Asset building & community development. Sage
publications.
Hart, R.A., 2013. Children's participation: The theory and practice of involving young
citizens in community development and environmental care. Routledge.
permaculturenews.org. 2017. Explore RGCD. [online] Available at:
https://permaculturenews.org/2012/03/24/lets-explore-ridley-grove-community-garden-
adelaide-south-australia/ [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].
rochedalecommunitygarden.net.au. 2017. Growing Community. [online] Available at:
http://rochedalecommunitygarden.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/
Growing_Community_Booklet_part_4.pdf [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].
sacommunity.org. 2017. RGCD. [online] Available at: http://sacommunity.org/org/207767-
Ridley_Grove_Community_Garden [Accessed 30 Sep. 2017].