GROW Jamestown
Special GROW Jamestown initiatives included:
- Garden Fair
- Community Gardens
- Front Garden Recognition Program
- Hands-On Jamestown
- Great June Seedling Giveaway
Garden Fair
Started in 2011 and managed by the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation (JRC) through 2019, the GROW Jamestown Garden Fair and Home Show grew from 14 vendors to 65 vendors, attracting more than 2,000 attendees to this one-day event.
The event was created to educate the public, encourage collaboration, and raise funds. It provided access to a wide range of workshops, exhibits, lectures, and other media that shared valuable information about gardening and its role in fostering strong communities. At the same time, the event fostered relationships and partnerships among gardeners, businesses, organizations, and educators. Additionally, it generated sponsorship opportunities to support Garden Week activities, with any remaining funds directed toward gardening projects and programming throughout the year.
Community Gardens
The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation (JRC) and the Chautauqua County Health Network (CCHN) partnered with several organizations to reintroduce community gardening in Jamestown. This effort included demonstration gardens, supportive policies, and the creation of a gardener resource network.
Community gardens have long served as effective tools to revitalize vacant lots, engage neighbors, and promote healthy lifestyles. Throughout the 20th century, Jamestown and other cities encouraged gardening initiatives during World War I (Liberty Gardens), the Great Depression (Relief Gardens), and World War II (Victory Gardens) to help supplement food supplies. For many years, the City of Jamestown also leased lots on Jones and Gifford Avenue for local gardeners.
In 2012, three gardens were established on privately owned vacant lots leased by the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation. The Lakeview Avenue site offered 19 raised beds on land owned by Harold Whitford and Brenda Strasser, while the Washington Street location provided 13 raised beds on land owned by Barbara Johnson. Each bed, filled with high-quality soil, measured 12 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 1 foot high, and was available for an annual lease of $20.
Additional sites were later developed with JRC and CCHN support, including gardens at Jamestown Community College on Curtis Street and by Northside PRIDE at the corner of Grant and East 8th Streets.
Front Garden Recognition Program
The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s GROW Jamestown Front Garden Recognition Program acknowledged city gardeners who contributed to the curb appeal of Jamestown’s neighborhoods. Designed to encourage community participation, the program aimed to make Jamestown a more beautiful place.
The program began in 2011 with the distribution of 250 garden signs to gardeners nominated by the public. By the summer of 2018, a team of volunteers canvassed 12,000 front yards across the city, recognizing over 839 gardens by providing owners with small GROW signs.
The city was divided into 37 sections, each encompassing approximately 325 front yards. Each section was assigned to a volunteer team consisting of a navigator, a photographer, and a data entry person. The navigator drove the route, the photographer documented the selected gardens, and the data entry volunteer recorded the process and sign placements. Volunteers did not canvass their own neighborhoods or revisit areas surveyed in previous years.
Teams first established what an “average front yard” looked like within their section. Front gardens that demonstrated exceptional efforts to enhance curb appeal received GROW Jamestown signs. Given a limited number of signs, volunteers faced challenging decisions. At a minimum, they looked for well-maintained gardens with healthy plants, neatly mowed lawns, and properly pruned shrubs and trees. Edging and a balanced design appropriate to the house and lot size were additional considerations, as was the clear display of house numbers.
Although the project initially focused on summer gardens, it became clear that spring and fall gardens, each with their distinct styles, also deserved recognition. Canvassing for the spring season took place over three weeks beginning in early June. Summer canvassing occurred for three weeks starting in early July, and fall canvassing followed in early September for the same duration.
As part of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation’s Neighborhood Revitalization efforts, the program encouraged residents to contribute to the city’s beauty. The growing number of front yard garden recognitions each year demonstrated the program’s success.
Participating in the program offered volunteers a unique way to see the city from a fresh perspective, reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and bring joy to the gardeners who received recognition.
Hands-On Jamestown
Hands-On Jamestown was a signature event of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation that brought together hundreds of volunteers each year in a citywide effort to clean and beautify the streets of Jamestown. The event focused on activities such as flower planting, litter collection, and various cleanup projects, helping to foster community pride and revitalization.
Under the leadership of the Chautauqua County Land Bank, this important tradition has continued. Volunteers from across the region now come together annually to carry on the mission of Hands-On Jamestown—enhancing the city’s appearance and strengthening community spirit through collective action.