I can attest to the pleasure and pain that are the opposite sides of the gardening coin. For community gardens to be successful in their rugged urban environments — to say nothing of making more than a minor contribution to closing the food gap — cities must make a more serious commitment to providing land that is suitable for gardening. Most important, that land should be available for at least five years. Adequate funding, from public or private sources, must be available to defray some of the start-up and infrastructure costs (fencing, plumbing, and topsoil). Training and technical assistance are essential not only to help gardeners overcome emotional setbacks such as bug-infested plants and poor-quality crops but also to provide an appropriate amount of organizing assistance so that community remains the most important word in community garden. When done right, community gardening is one of the most satisfying endeavors in life. — Mark Winne, from Closing the Food Gap