The number of people it takes to raise a garden depends on various factors
such as these:
1. the garden area
2. the technology and infrastructure available
3. the diversity of crops raised
4. the diligence and experience of the gardeners
5. the soil condition
6. the gardeners' years of experience
7. environmental conditions such as precipitation, wind, heat, and length of
season
There are also economies to scale. Two people can usually do more work in
one hour than one person can in two hours. A 200 sf space does not take
twice as much time to cultivate as a 100 sf space.
Bottom line, there is a relationship between garden area and number of
workers, but it is not linear.
To add to the message below, we ask each member to work two to three hours a
week (60 hours a season) in our community garden, and they each cultivate
300 sf. The yield is about $600 in organic produce per member, and we have a
fairly low level of weeds. So 300 sf per person is manageable as a "hobby"
garden.
On the other hand, I know of several small commercial gardens nearby where 2
people work one acre. That's all they do for a living. In that case, it is
the ratio is 1 worker to 21,700 sf.
----- Original Message -----
From: <jhain...@comcast.net>
To: <community_garden@list.communitygarden.org>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 4:21 PM
Subject: [Community_garden] How many workers do you need to maintaina
garden?
We have a 5000 sq. ft. community garden of the type that is worked by a
group of people, not individual plots. We haven't had nearly enough help
this year and the garden is full of weeds and I'm sure isn't producing as
well as it would with proper care. There are two of us who with the
occasional help of a third person planted the garden from the end of May
until mid July. It really should have all been planted by mid June. I
think this garden should have at least ten regular people to tend it. That
would be one person for every 500 sq. ft. I think that we could take care
of a garden very well with that number and more would be even better of
course.
Judith Hainaut
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