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Website Links:
American Community Gardening Association
1777 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43203
(877) ASK-ACGA
http://www.communitygarden.org
ACGA thanks
The Franklin Park Conservatory
and Botanical Gardens
2012 Board of Directors
Executive Committee:
Bobby L. Wilson, President
Bill Maynard, Vice President
Christine Pardee, Secretary
Edie Stone, Treasurer
Kirsten Conrad Buhls
Kristin Faurest
Vicki Fitts
Maree Gaetani
LaManda Joy
Caroline Kiang
Susan Leibrock
Chris Lowe
Monika McCurdy
Charlie Monroe
Justin Garrett Moore
Cathy Walker
Sandra Zuniga
| News from the
American Community Gardening Association
March 2012 | In This Issue | | A Message from Beth Urban | The birds are coming back and starting to wake me up every morning. That can only mean one thing, spring is close! I know most of you have already begun your planning for your garden this year. I spent February trying to decide what new plants will be in my garden this year and still haven‘t narrowed my selection down to an amount that will actually fit in my garden.
ACGA has been busy planning for 2012 as well. We held our board meeting in Austin,Texas in February and worked on strategic planning for the organization. We have updated our vision statement and mission statement. Our vision is to have a sustainable community in every garden. Our mission is ACGA improves lives by increasing and enhancing community gardening and greening.
We also identified 3 strategic goals
- ACGA will be a resource to the all in the community including local government, organizations, and community members for best practices in the incorporation of community in food growing, gardening and greening
- Position ACGA as the top experts on community gardening
- Expand ACGA’s ability to be a resource for food gardening
You can help us reach our goals by becoming a member, serving on a committee, attending a conference or planning a Growing Communities Workshop in your community. You can get more information about any of these by checking out our website www.communitygarden.org or contacting our office 877-ASK-ACGA.
Sincerely,
Beth Urban
ACGA Executive Director
| 2012 Annual Conference Save the Date | SAVE THE DATE ---
33rd Annual American Community Gardening Association National Conference
"Community Gardening On the Cutting Edge"
Thursday, August 9 - Sunday, August 12, 2012
Hilton Financial District, 750 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA
| Your Garden is Invited to Participate in National Public Lands Day |  ACGA is partnering with National Public Lands Day to celebrate community garden volunteers and bring attention to the positive influence of public gardens to the United States. Host a volunteer event on Saturday, September 29th and your garden can be a part of the nation’s largest one-day volunteer event for public lands.
For 19 years, National Public Lands Day has encouraged volunteerism at public lands ranging from urban pocket parks to large national parks, such as the Grand Canyon. In 2011, more than 180,000 people volunteered at 2,067 events in every state as well as U.S. territories.
National Public Lands Day is dedicated to increasing the participation of community gardens for the 2012 event and recognizing them as vital public lands that benefit environmental and community health.
If your community garden participates in National Public Lands Day, it will not be alone! Last year, more than 30 community gardens participated in National Public Lands Day including:
• Boone Street Garden, Baltimore, Md.
• Newberry Math & Science Academy Garden, Chicago, Ill.
• Adam Rogers Community Garden, San Francisco, Calif.
• James Park Community Garden, Evanston, Ill.
• Pittman-Sullivan Community Garden, San Antonio, Texas
Join the nationwide celebration of public lands! Host and register an event for National Public Lands Day - Saturday, September 29th, 2012. Learn more online, read the FAQ webpage or email npld@neefusa.org for more information.
| March Experts Panel Conference Call for ACGA Members |
|
These conference calls, which are open to all ACGA members,
are an informative time to connect and learn with other ACGA members.
|
Join us for
the March Experts Panel Conference Call
Victory Gardens
With LaManda Joy
Thursday, March 22, 2012
2:00pm Eastern | 1:00pm Central | 12:00pm Mountain | 11:00am Pacific
ACGA is excited to host LaManda as she shares her historical knowledge of the Victory Garden movement and the current efforts to promote urban food gardens.
Read More | Upcoming Growing Communities Workshop | The next workshop will be
October 24-26, Tanglewood Park, NC
For information regarding the training in NC, contact Laura Lavid.
To learn more about the workshop and how you can host one in your community, go to
http://communitygarden.org/learn/training/growing-communities/index.php
To read about the recent Columbus workshop, go to
http://colewardell.com/environment/can-gardening-be-a-form-of-community-organizing
| Advocacy Update | On February 15, the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held its first of four upcoming hearings related to the 2012 Farm Bill. The first hearing, titled “Energy and Economic Growth for Rural America,” examined the economic impact of Farm Bill legislation with regard to job creation, investment in rural communities, and the benefits of sustainable energy technology. A video of the hearing can be viewed on the Committee’s website here. Over the next month, three more hearings are scheduled:
• On February 28, “Strengthening Conservation through the 2012 Farm Bill” will explore how to help farmers maintain healthy natural resources such as water and soil. Two hearings are also scheduled for next month.
• On March 14, “Healthy Food Initiatives, Local Production and Nutrition” will address methods for connecting consumers to local, healthy food sources.
• On March 21, “Risk Management and Commodities in the 2012 Farm Bill” will examine the need for cost effectiveness and risk management tools for farmers, given the unsteady price of crops, higher input costs for small farmers, and the threat of natural disasters.
Read More | On the ACGA Website: Twitter | Do you tweet? Let‘s connect!
http://twitter.com/#!/ACGA_CommGarden
| Spotlight on Community: Shared Harvest Community Garden | This month, we are spotlighting the Shared Harvest Community Garden in Durango, Colorado, with an interview with Jama Crawford. The Shared Harvest Community Garden was created in 2001 by Robert Kauer on his private farm. A donation of purple bush beans, yellow squash and tender broccoli florets brought Jama and Robert together, and Jama started working at the farm, they fell in love, got married, and now pool their resources and talents to run the farm and the community garden.
Getting underway in late June
Harvest time!
Oren Moore with sunflower |
Garlic team, digging up the harvest
Gardeners enjoying a potluck supper |
| Garden Name: |
Shared Harvest Community Garden |
| Location: |
7 miles outside of Durango, Colorado |
| Operating since: |
2001 |
| Membership size: |
65 member households with 40 on a waiting list |
| Area: |
About 1 fenced acre |
| Elevation: |
7,000 ft |
| Frost free growing season: |
90 days, June 15 to Sept 15 |
| Model of operation: |
Communal labor, communal harvest
(we work in crop teams) |
Q.) What are some of the ways that Shared Harvest Community Garden builds community?
A.) We build community in three ways. First we work communally. All members are placed on a team to raise specific crops. Most teams schedule a weekly work date and arrive at the same time to share labor, laughs, social support, and friendship. Second we harvest communally. This does require some organization to make sure the harvest is fair, but it also gives people a chance to express to others how much they appreciated the crops they raised. Third we eat together. Once a month during the growing season we have a potluck dinner and everyone brings their best dishes often prepared with garden vegetables. Sometimes during a potluck we willl have a song or skit or contest, but it is mostly casual dining, a bottle of wine and great conversation.
Read More | Events | Click the READ MORE link below to read about events in:
Accokeek, MD | Albuquerque, NM | Amherst, MA | Athens, OH | Blacksburg, VA | Bolivia | Boston, MA | Brooklyn, NY | Buffalo, NY | Burlington, VT | Carnation, WA | Chicago, IL | Columbus, OH | Cuba | Denver, CO | Edmonston, MD | Essex, VT | Eugene, Oregon to Washington, DC | Fairbanks, AK | Fort Collins, CO | Fresno, CA | Greater Washington DC | Havana, Cuba | Hempstead, NY | Highland Park, MI | Ithaca, NY | Kingston, NH | Lexington, KY | Long Beach, CA | Mandan, ND | Milwaukee, WI | Minneapolis, MN | Morgantown, WV | Napa Valley, CA | New Haven, Ct | New York City | North Carolina | Oakland, CA | Occidental, CA | Pinedale, WY | Pittsburgh, PA | Potsdam, NY | Princeton, NJ | Riverdale, MD | San Antonio, TX | San Francisco, CA | Santa Barbara, CA | Santa Clara, CA | Santa Cruz, CA | Saratoga, NY | St. Paul, MN | Sturbridge, MA | Tarrytown, NY | Teleconference | Tubingen, Germany | Tucson, AZ | Unity, ME | Valencia, CA | Washington, DC | Waterloo, Ontario | webinar | Wissahickon Watershed and surrounding Philadelphia area |
Read More | Funds for Community Gardens | The Kansas Community Gardens Project Application
Deadline: Thursday, March 01, 2012
For: Kansas
Grant funds are available to start 60 new community gardens in Kansas at up to $5,000 each. Twenty grants will be awarded each year for three years.
Website: http://www.kansascommunitygardens.org/uploads/1/0/4/3/10432691/ks ...
2012 Mantis Awards for Community and Youth Gardens
Deadline: Thursday, March 01, 2012
Each year, Mantis presents the Mantis Awards to charitable and educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life in their host communities. NGA selects 25 outstanding applicants to receive Mantis tiller/cultivators. Any nonprofit garden program may apply. In the past, winners have included schools, churches, correctional facilities, parks departments, youth camps, community gardens, and many others. These are groups turning slim resources into bountiful gardens with far-reaching benefits, from increasing their community‘s access to fresh nutritious foods to educating the public about the importance of gardening in our nation‘s history.
Website: http://www.kidsgardening.org/grants/2012-mantis-awards-community- ...
Walmart Foundation
Deadline: Friday, March 02, 2012
For: National
Through the State Giving Program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations with programs that align with their mission to create opportunities so people can live better. The State Giving Program awards grants starting at $25,000 to nonprofit organizations that serve a particular state or region.
Website: http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/8168.aspx?p=8979
Read More | ACGA Member Discounts and Partnerships | Gardener‘s Supply Company
Nonprofit gardeners may call our Commercial Accounts number: 888-511-2132 for up to 25% discount on orders.
GoodSearch.com
GoodSearch.com is a company that helps non-profits like ours raise funds through the everyday actions of our supporters. Here is how you can help:
Please join our community http://www.goodsearch.com/ and help us raise money for ACGA’s mission.
Kroger Community Rewards
Kroger is committed to helping our communities grow and prosper. Year after year, local schools, churches and other non-profit organizations will earn millions of dollars through our Community Rewards Program. If you live in Ohio, Michigan or West Virginia, please register online. ACGA’s organization number is 80844.
Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply
Our garden friends at Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply, a long time promoter of sustainable and organic seeds and agricultural supplies, have given ACGA members a gift for the 2012 growing season. Peaceful Valley Farm Supply offers a 10% discount on first-tier items featured in the main catalogue. For larger purchases (generally 10 or more of the same item) there is 5% off second-tier pricing. A few items are exempt from this offer. To start your discount, please fax (530-272-4794) a copy of your American Community Gardening Association membership card. A discount will be subtracted from each order, and your card will be on file.
ARTichoke T-Shirt Company
ACGA is please to announce a partnership with ARTichoke T-Shirt Company. ARTichoke will donate 10% of their profits to ACGA. All ARTichoke‘s tee‘s are hand printed with water based ink for the best eco-friendly choice. Every T-shirt purchased benefits ACGA!
| Support ACGA This Year | As we plan our spring gardens and follow up with new friends and old that we met through community gardening this summer, now is a great time to find ways to support the ACGA in 2012!
- Join ACGA or renew your membership
- Tell a friend about ACGA
- Invite fellow gardeners to join ACGA
- Participate in a teleconference or conference
- Make a donation to support the work of ACGA
- Encourage colleagues to attend the August 2012 ACGA Conference
Click on http://communitygarden.org/support-us/ to learn more!
| Contact Information | ACGA Staff:
Beth Urban, Executive Director
Laura Lavid, Programs Manager
Vicki Garrett, Project Coordinator
Barbara Love, AARP Administrative Assistant
Email: info@communitygarden.org
ACGA Toll Free number: 877.ASK.ACGA (275.2242)
Website: http://communitygarden.org
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