Mulberry Fields Forever
Have you heard about Mulberry Fields… a hidden magical oasis of community gardens, goats, chickens, Hobbit houses and green space located right here in Candler Park?
Mulberry Fields, on the site of a former dairy farm, is one of the remaining green spaces in the area never developed for any use other than agriculture. When three households joined together in 1992 to purchase the property, it was to stop a plan to re-zone it and build condominiums. At that time, we committed ourselves to preserving the ancient pecans, sunny fields and mulberry trees for future generations and opening up the property for our neighbors to visit. Richard and Jesse Bathrick launched the garden in 1999 with help from the Atlanta Community Food Bank community garden program and United Way.
The property was placed under a conservation easement in 2007 in partnership with Georgia Piedmont Open Land Trust, which preserves Mulberry as a community garden and green space into perpetuity.
From its earlier days until 2016, Friends of Mulberry Fields was a group of your neighbors and enthusiastic gardeners who managed all aspects of the garden operations. In 2016, we entered into a contractual relationship with The Wylde Center to manage the garden.
A New Chapter
We have had a productive nine years with the Wylde Center and are appreciative of the care that Mulberry received from the Wylde Center and the upgrades, including, most recently, the construction of new rain gardens to solve our flooding problems.
It is time now for the Wylde Center to focus on their home gardens in Decatur, and for Mulberry to bring our energy home to focus on our local neighbors and neighborhoods.
Going forward into the Next Chapter
The property known as Mulberry Fields has been consolidated into an LLC, Mulberry Fields Conservancy, that will continue its mission of upholding the conservation easement agreements and values in partnership with Georgia Piedmont Land Trust. A legal entity owning the property provides additional layers of protection. The LLC will not raise money or be involved in the day-to-day operations of the garden.
Simultaneously a group of enthusiastic neighbors are currently working to launch a new nonprofit, Mulberry Fields Community Garden and Greenspace. This new nonprofit will take on all areas of management of the community garden, financial and operational.
A new board has been formed with Jim Rose as president, Adam Solove as treasurer, and Rhonda Cook as secretary.
Friends of Mulberry Fields will work with the non-profit board to serve on committees to get the work done: maintaining the green space, managing the community garden, fundraising and event planning, and so much more
How can you help?
- Visit the garden located down an old city at 1301 Iverson Street
- Become a member of Friends of Mulberry Fields and join a committee.
- Donate time and money
- Attend a work day
- Host or sponsor an event
Mulberry Fields runs on people power. Candler Park is the amazing neighborhood it is today because your neighbors have stepped in over the years with their talent, ideas, and skills. Now, we invite you to do the same and bring all your talent, skill, and enthusiasm to Mulberry Fields… it will be a rewarding and exciting way to do your part to keep our community vibrant and strong.
Please follow the link below to stay connected, receive updates, and volunteer.