Urban Farm Survey Results

The Urban Farm Committee is grateful to have heard from 55 Owners who returned our survey earlier this year. Our Community focus on sustainability is built into the Pringle Creek Community Bylaws.

The survey’s goal was both to educate our Community Members on the central role of the Urban Farm Program (UFP) as a foundation for what makes this Community unique, as well as to learn more about what our residents currently know about the program and how they’d like to see it evolve.

Here are some of the things we learned:

• 64% of you indicated that you moved to PCC in part because of the urban farm and an additional 36% of you said that you had heard about the UFP.

• 49% of you shared that you love the UFP program but are not currently volunteering, while 33% of you indicated that you both love the UFP and have volunteered or currently are volunteering. Only 16% of you responded that you could “take or leave” the program.

• 29% of you feel that HOA fees should include fruits and vegetables at no cost; 44% indicated that you support the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA program) and will participate in the future. Almost all of you (93%) indicated that you would eat imperfect produce!

• 56% of you want to know every detail regarding the UFP and would like a website/some updates, while another 29% of you trusted the process and did not feel a need to see the details.

You had a chance to weigh in on the Urban Farm’s priorities for the future — see the ratings below, which are an average of the responses.

Suggestion

Average (1-5)

Irrigation for current orchards (off Audubon, Cousteau Drive, and John Muir Circle)

4.1

Flowers/pollinator garden

4.0

Berry patches (blueberries, marionberries, strawberries)

3.9

Bringing our urban chickens back

3.8

Raised garden beds that are accessible for people with disabilities/seniors

3.8

In-ground garden beds

3.2

Here are some of the key themes that were heard in your comments:

• Many of you want to hear more about the plans and activities regarding the UFP.

• The Urban Farm Committee needs to address the fiscal well-being of the Community and seek out ways that we can offer a highly valued program as central to our PCC mission and Bylaws and also evaluate how we can contain costs, offer programs, and maintain/improve the physical integrity of our Urban Farm.

• The CSA program needs to be evaluated for its viability, desirability, and variety of produce.

• An organized volunteer system is needed for both regular opportunities and special project activities (e.g., our recent orchard pruning event). Flexibility for volunteers who work full-time and inclusion of our youngest Community members also were shared.

How we’re using these results:

The Urban Farm Committee’s survey was just the beginning. Here’s how we’re using this information to improve the Pringle Creek Community’s Urban Farm Program:

• Increased Communication. You’ll be hearing from us more frequently, with:

  • Periodic updates

  • Volunteer calls for action

  • Better understanding of our Urban Farmer’s role

  • A method for Community members to ask questions and provide input at any time! Please email us at pringlecreekurbanfarm@gmail.com

• Pursuing Alternative Funding. We want this program to thrive without increasing our costs as Homeowners.

  • We are working to upgrade our Urban Farm outside of using HOA funds. Last year, we received an AARP Community Grant, which was responsible for many upgrades in front of the greenhouse area. We have recently applied for a grant to upgrade the right side of the greenhouses with beds, irrigation, and hedgerows.

  • We are launching ideas for fundraising. (Check out our new logo thanks to Community member Marco Leon.)

  • We have a list of future grants (and connections to make them happen!), which we can use to rehabilitate our orchards and provide educational opportunities for PCC and the larger community. To address this in part, we plan to partner with the Sustainability Learning Center (SLC), which is the non-profit established when Pringle Creek Community was first created.

• Commitment to Education. Pringle Creek was founded with the vision of creating an example to the larger community about sustainable living. In order to fulfill this vision, we need to determine how to enhance the educational functions of the Urban Farm Program by addressing the following questions:

• How do we define sustainability?

• What types of programs would we like to see regarding sustainability in our Community?

• How do we network with other Marion County community partners to share resources, access education regarding our Community, and maintain/enhance our PCC beauty and bounty?

We thank you all for responding to the survey! Please rest assured that your Urban Farm Committee is incredibly dedicated and excited to make our Urban Farm Program the best it can be. We appreciate your help and involvement!