Health and safety guidelines are being issued for those who want to put a shovel in the dirt as the city reopens community gardens.
The city is asking that gardeners wear masks, keep a 6-foot distance from others, refrain from sharing tools and have no more than three people present at one time in the gardening area or Adopt-A-Lot sites, among other rules announced Tuesday.
Community gardens were closed in March as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. The City Planning and Public Works departments reopened the gardens Wednesday, as they were “deemed essential,” according to Shelly Danko Day, the city’s urban agriculture and food policy adviser.
“We realize that this is planting season, and getting outside in nature is important during this crisis, however social contact increases the risk of spreading the virus. We encourage you to exercise an abundance of caution during this time,” reads a sign that community groups are being asked to post in gardens.
The city administers community gardens in Beechview, South Side Slopes, Highland Park and Morningside, according to the Public Works gardening web page. As of 2015, the community groups and organizations had taken over 114 vacant Adopt-A-Lot sites. A more recent figure is not specified.
Pittsburgh City Council has been pushing urban agriculture, including a proposal for an urban farm in Brookline, as a way to supplement food needs as pandemic-induced unemployment continues to rise.
Ashley Murray: amurray@post-gazette.com or @Ashley__Murray
First Published: April 28, 2020, 5:22 p.m.
