Spring 2007 The Community Gardener Newsletter

8/8/2019 Spring 2007 The Community Gardener Newsletter

1/12

The American Community Gardening Associations

1 Use Garden Mosaics

2 ACGAPresidents Message

Carpe Diem

3 National FoodSecurity

4 Seeds, Seeds, &More Seeds

5 4 Seasons withYouth in

CommunityGardens

6 Bulletin BoardAdvocacy

Join a CommitteeTeleconference

Recognition

7 Urban BirdsWaterWorks 2007Board of Directors

8 Garden Mosaics,continued

9 Four Seasons withYouth continued

10 Seeds, continuedSecurity,Continued

Garden Mosaics,continued

My Garden Path

11 Meet SarahAlexander, ACGAProgram Manager

12 Join ACGA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Growing Community through Gardening and Greening Across the U.S. and Canada

The Community Gardener

Garden Mosaics should be used as key curriculum for service learning across the country. Thecurriculum is great, has international links to get at cross-cultural connections.Rory Klick, Kenosha Extension and ACGA board member.

Not all environmental educators work in forests and nature centers. Some findthemselves in large cities, amidst tall buildings and endless concrete. Ironically, it may behere where their skills are most needed. But in such settings, their students may findconcepts like biodiversity and ecosystems to be abstract and remote. One of the mostchallenging aspects of urban environmental education is finding a way to make sciencerelevant and fun. Place-based learning, which uses students neighborhoods as the focus

for investigations, can make science both tangible and engaging.

Garden Mosaics, developed by Cornell University and now a program of ACGA,combines garden-based science learning with intergenerational mentoring, multiculturalunderstanding, and community service. The programs mission: Connecting youth andelders to explore the mosaics of plants, people, and cultures in gardens, to learnabout science, and to act together to enhance their community.Consider usingGarden Mosaics with your summer youth program.

With Garden Mosaics, community gardens can bring to life important scientific concepts,such as food webs involving plants, insects, birds, and mammals, decomposition in acompost pile, and the symbiotic relationships of microbes and plants on legume rootnodules. Simultaneously, the gardens help establish a greater connection to the

surrounding community and toour increasingly global world.

Community gardens are oftenspaces where gardeners fromdifferent backgrounds andethnicities cultivate a diversity ofplants reflecting their heritage.For example, who would thinkthat cotton can be found growingin NYC?

Through involvement withGarden Mosaics in a communitygarden, youth have theopportunity to meet oldermembers of their community with a wealth of gardeningexperience, and rich culturalbackgrounds that shape theirgardening practices.

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Continued on page 11

Use Garden Mosaics This Summer

By Betsy Johnson, adapted from an article by Keith Tidball and Marianne Krasny

SPRING 2007Volume VI Issue I


2/12

The Community Gardeneris published by the AmericanCommunity Gardening Association,growing community through

gardening and greening across the United States and Canada.

TheAmerican Community Gardening Association(ACGA) recognizes that community gardening improves the

quality of life for people by providing a catalyst forneighborhood and community development, stimulating social

interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifyingneighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family

food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunitiesfor recreation, exercise, therapy and education.

MAILING ADDRESSAmerican Community Gardening Association

c/o FPC, 1777 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43203877-ASK-ACGA (877-275-2242); www.communitygarden.org

Newsletter: Betsy Johnson, Executive Director; JamesKuhns, Ted Zerger, Shandal Grayson, Zazel Loven, John

Hershey, Don Lambert, Don Boekelheide, Donald Loggins,ACGA Communications Committee

A Message from ACGA President, James KuhnsThe new and improved daylight savings time has me and no doubtmany gardeners looking forward to getting back in their gardens again.Of course gardeners in southern climes have already been digging awayfor weeks, if they ever stopped! My thoughts of gardening were revvedup last weekend when I attended the Ohio Community Gardening

Conference in Columbus.

Held at the Franklin Park Conservatory where the ACGA has its officelocated, over 120 gardeners participated in the two-day gathering.ACGA board member Keith Tidball gave the Friday keynote CivicEcology: Growing Neighborhood Leaders. The workshops absolutelyhad something for everyone.

No winter would be complete without the ACGA board gettingtogether to transact business face-to-face. Board member by DonLambert was the host at this years meeting in Dallas, Texas, held overthe Presidents Day weekend. Over the past year, the ACGA hasrecognized and grappled with proactive ways to ensure inclusiveness

and truly serve our diverse membership. At the board meeting, a diversity policy was passed unanimously. Thisinnovative policy states:

The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) recognizes that the diversity of its board, staff and communitiesis a source of strength and knowledge essential to its development as an organization. In principle and in practice, the ACGAvalues and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis ofgender, race, religion, age, sex, color, disability, sexual orientation, geography, national or ethnic origin.

This is not the end of our journey rather, it is an important beginning. The board recognizes that to truly buildcommunity, we have to look out and also within. Embracing diversity will make the movement healthier, stronger anddare I say, happier.

James

PAGE 2 THE COMMUNIT Y GARDENER SPRING 2007

Carpe Diem

If this were my last day I'm almost sure

I'd spend it working in my garden. I

Would dig around my little plants and try

To make them happy, so they would endure

Long after me. Then I would hide secure

Where my green arbor shades me from the sky,

And watch how bird and bee and butterfly

Came hovering to every flowery lure.

Then, as I rested, haps a friend or two,

Lovers of flowers, would come, and we would walk

About my little garden-paths, and talk

Of peaceful times, when all the world seemed true.

This may be my last day for all I know:

What a temptation just to spend it so!

By Anchusa

(submitted by Ted Zerger, Salina, Kansas)


3/12

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day, President RonaldReagan was fond of saying, quoting his favorite aphorism

about self-reliance. But give him a large cache of weaponsthat he can illegally sell to a hostile middle Easterntheocracy, and he can covertly finance a guerilla war inCentral America.

Wait a minute, thats not it. Oh, now I remember. It goeslike this: Teach him to fish, and hell eat for a lifetime.

Reagan might have chosen gardening as well as fishing forhis metaphor. Ralph Waldo Emerson used the garden as asymbol of self-reliance in his famous essay of the samename: Though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel ofnourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on thatplot of ground which is given to him to till.

So if we translate Reagans old saying into horticulturalterms and balance it out gender-wise while we're at it, itmight go something like this:Give a woman a can of Spaghetti-Os, and shell eat (in a manner ofspeaking) for a day. But give her some tomato and pepper seeds, a fewonion sets, and a basil seedling or two, and shell have fresh, deliciouspasta sauce in just 1012 weeks.

Yes, it takes a bit longer to grow a meal in a garden than topull a fish out of a stream, although in my case it might beclose. So we have to get by in the meantime. Thats the roleof the food banks and food drives, and they provide an

essential service for people who don't have enough to eat.But our updatedsaying is differentf rom Reagan ' soriginal in anotherimportant way. With gardening itsnot just an analogy.Its literally true.You don't see manycharities dispensingtrout, or idealisticyoung people traveling to the inner city to offer free fly-casting lessons. But when community gardeningorganizations like Denver Urban Gardens distribute freeseeds and transplants, they help thousands of peoplebecome more self-reliant every year.

Self-reliance is part of what motivates all gardeners, Isuspect. We feel a primal urge to provide for ourselves andour families directly, asserting a bit of independence fromthe industrial food grid. When we eat from the garden, weknow where our food came from and what's in it. In a small

way, we opt out of a food system whose chemical inputsand highly processed outputs make us feel increasingly

insecure.But, a cynic might say, an urban gardener can never reallybe self-reliant. A city is the antithesis of self-reliance: itsabout specialization and economies of scale, work andconsumption. The feeling of independence you get fromgrowing a few radishes and carrots is just an illusion.

Au contraire! Gardening does provide relief from the over-scheduled urban life. But the benefits are not justemotional. Growing just a small amount of your own foodcan noticeably increase your food security, as I discoveredduring the snowstorm that paralyzed Denver in lateDecember.

For a few days after the big blizzard, many of us couldntget to the stores, and when we did they were running lowon many essential items like fresh produce, milk, and beer.But on those snowbound days, I enjoyed salads of freshmesclun lettuce and stir-fries of kale and chard, all pickedmoments before in my little backyard greenhouse. I had toshovel my way through deep snow just to open the lid, butwhen I got there I found the plants warm and lush inside.What a feeling of pride and self-reliance!

This was food security in action. The supply chain fromfarm to market was disrupted by the snow, as it could be by

any number of natural or human disasters, yet I did not gohungry. I was independent, if only for the few days mysupply of fresh greens would last. And it's all thanks to mylittle greenhouse, really just a glorified cold frame slappedtogether from scrap lumber at almost no cost. But it cankeep these cold-tolerant greens alive year round, even in ablizzard, due to the skill and ingenuity with which Idesigned and built it. Well, actually its not because of that.Buried in the soil is an electric heating cable, whichprobably accounts for a major chunk of my utility bill in thewinter.

So Im not really self-sufficient, and my garden produce

isnt devoid of fossil fuel inputs. My veggies aren't free, nomatter how free I feel when growing them. We can't escapethe industrial food system entirely, and we wouldnt reallywant to. We live in a city because we want community, notautarky. Still, by growing just some of what we eat, wediversify the food system, and thats a big part of foodsecurity.

Wendell Berry said it this way: We cannot be free if our food

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National Food Security:Let's grow it over here so we don't have to grow it over there

By John Hershey, Denver, Colorado


4/12

PAGE 4 THE COMMUNITY GARDENER SPRING 2007

Soon after the first of the year, a lively discussion ensued on theACGA e-list about seed companies. This article resulted.

When the sunny days of spring arrive, who can resist thoseinviting seed racks at the local big box garden center? Goahead and indulge in a couple packs of marigolds, but setaside a few dollars to spend on seeds from traditional mailorder seed companies (today, mail order usually alsomeans Internet).

Community gardeners will find more interesting selectionsof flowers, vegetables and herbs in the catalogs and online.Plus, youll be able to get organic seeds, varieties bestadapted to your particular region, international veggies andherbs, and open pollinated crops which allow you to saveseed, if you are so inclined.

Starting broccoli or tomatoes fromseed takes a bit more effort thanbuying plastic packs at the store, butgrowing your own transplants isfun, easy, educational and can saveyou money if you need lots ofplants, as is often the case incommunity and school gardenprojects. You can pick up the basics

from a good book, such as New Seed Starters Handbook byNancy Bubel (Rodale Press).

If you wish to avoid genetically modified Frankenseeds,from Monsanto or anyone else, seek out companies thathave signed the Safe Seed Pledge, listed at:

www.gene-watch.org/programs/safeseed/sourcebook

Heres a list of mail order/Internet seed companiesrecommended by ACGA members, expanding on the listSteve Solomon published in his book Gardening When ItCounts.

Seed Company Suggestions

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds heirloom varieties,delightful catalog and website, www.rareseeds.com

Botanical Interests online only, or in stores,www.botanicalinterests.com

Bountiful Gardens heirlooms and grains,www.bountifulgardens.org

Chase/HDRA-UK based in UK, www.chaseorganics.co.uk &www.organiccatalog.com/catalog

The Cook's Garden good mixes and selections for thosewho prefer that approach, www.cooksgarden.com

Evergreen order online. Multilingual dictionary ofvegetable names, www.evergreenseeds.com

Fedco, www.fedcoseeds.comGraines Baumaux-France en

franais - bonne selection,www.graines-baumaux.fr

Gretas Organic Gardens certifiedorganic garden seed, www.seeds-organic.com

Harris Seeds,www.gardeners.harrisseeds.com

JLHudson, www.jlhudsonseeds.netJohnnys based in New England,

excellent selection. excellent service, www.johnnyseeds.comKing Seeds based in New Zealand, serves Oz,

www.kingsseeds.com.nz

Kitazawa Seed excellent Asian seed selection, veryreliable, www.kitazawaseed.comLandreth Seed Co. new version of very old company,

interesting, www.landrethseeds.comMeyer Seed many kinds of beans, some coated with

toxics, www.meyersseed.comMonticello heirloom seeds, some varieties grown by

Jefferson, www.monticello.org/shopNative Seed SEARCH not a seed catalog, but provides

southwest U.S. and Mexico regional seeds. Check outtheir Gardener Network program, www.nativeseeds.org

New England Seed relatively new, www.neseed.comNew Gippsland Seeds Australian, www.newgipps.com.au

Nichols hard to find seeds plus books and more,www.nicholsgardennursery.com

Organic Gardening Catalogue UK, www.OrganicCatalog.comOSC the Ontario seed company, www.oscseeds.comPark Seed South Carolina-based, good unique varieties,

www.parkseed.comPeaceful Valley Farm Supply excellent prices on bulk

seed, also supplies and much more 10% discount toACGA members! www.groworganic.com

Plants of the Southwest, www.plantsofthesouthwest.comRenees Seed online or at local retailer, www.reneesgarden.comRichters Herbs the greatest variety of culinary, medicinal,

dye, and multi-use herbs, www.richters.comRonnigers Potatoes, www.ronnigers.comSand Hill Preservation Glenn Drowns founder, heirloom

squash plus more, www.sandhillpreservation.comSeed Savers Exchange longtime good organization,

www.seedsavers.orgSeeds from Italy Over 350 kinds of Italian seeds, mostly

from Franchi Sementi, www.growitalian.com


Seeds, Seeds, and More SeedsBy Don Boekelheide, Sharon Gordon and Deborah Mills,

with help from Jack Hale, Gwenne Hayes-Stewart, Adam Honigman, Kate Joyce, Mike McGrath,Walter Romanowski, Darrol Shillingburg, Shanyn Siegel, and Lexie Stoia


5/12

Four Seasons with Youth in Community Gardensby Lexie Stoia, American Community Gardening Association, Columbus, Ohio

On an unusually warm December day (there have been a lotof those this past winter in Ohio), I had the joy of takingPlants For Life, an after school garden club, on anexploration. We visited the Garden of Communion, a

community garden on the near east side of Columbus. Thepurpose of this excursion was to explore the gardenshoophouse full of growing vegetables; to show the children,Yes, you can harvest fresh produce in Ohio in December.

Due to the wet weather, slugs were helping themselves tofresh spinach and various kinds of leaf lettuce. This did notdeter the children from munching on the leaves of SwissChard I offered them. Not only did they think the chardwas tasty, I had to hold them back from making a feastout of the chard patch (no salad dressing necessary).

Anyone who has seen the curiosity of a child in a garden

would not be surprised. Still, there is a bias that kids dontlike vegetables. Its more likely they dont like vegetablesthe way they are used to receiving themcolorless iceberglettuce poured from a bag, tomatoes whose texture couldbe confused with the crunchiness of an apple. School andyouth programs are realizing that the community or schoolgarden makes a great classroom, covering obvious lessons(science, health, and teamwork) and not so obvious lessons(vocational training, economics, and the arts).

You may be wondering, How does a community or school gardenbecome a four seasons garden when peak growing time is summer?1. By extending the growing season. Some people

dont even like to use this term since they feel it impliesthere is only one time of year to grow.2. By getting the community involvedwhether its

connecting the group of children with a senior groupthat can help in summer, or by having their parentsassist. Having a garden open house is a great way tofind potential volunteers.

3. By developing leadership. Having at least one teacheror community member with a passion for using thegarden as a teaching tool is absolutely necessary;someone who has the initial spark of interest but alsothe commitment to sustain the program.

4. By not forcing it. Unless the gardening program isthrough a school or it is part of mandatory communityservice, its best to let children who show interest joinin on their own.

One way to do this is by having an afterschool gardengroup. The children will feel solidarity by being a part ofsomething, and will see the gardening club as a privilegeinstead of a chore.While seasons may be wildly different based on a gardenslocation, various programs in the United States and Canada

have offered their tips for using a garden as classroom in allseasons.

Spring

This is a great time of year to get a youth gardeningprogram started. Always remember to start small. Choosea few crops, like pumpkins and sunflowers, which are easyto plant and kid-friendly. For quick results, lettuces such asblack-seeded simpson can be harvested when the leaves aresmall, about a month after planting. Or make a mix ofseveral types of lettuce, seed them in a patch, and have thekids try to identify the different varieties when the plantsare a couple inches high.

At the Coppell Community Garden in Texas, children fromsmall tykes to teenagers assist. A kindergarten class comes byand plants sweet potatoes in the spring. They are harvested in the fall

by the next kindergarten class and donated to a local food pantry,explains Amanda Vanhoozier, Community ProgramsCoordinator. The garden also runs a Junior MasterGardener Program. For older students, CoppellCommunity Garden offers Youth Action. Teenagers who want (or need) to do community service are paired withgarden mentors. There becomes a relationship between youth andadults-its intergenerational, Vanhoozier says. CoppeCommunity Garden has discovered another key to youthgardening successhaving a regular meeting time. Theteens know they can always come to the garden at 8am onSaturdays to work. Some teens are so bitten by thegardening bug they come back after they have completedcommunity service to get their own plots.



Older students work with younger at Coppell

Community Garden


6/12

THE COMMUNITY GARDENER

BULLETIN BOARD

Join ACGAs Advocacy Alert

ACGA to Support RECIPEEncouraging community gardening and greening is atthe core of ACGA's mission. Sign up for ACGA Action Alerts & Policy Updates atwww.communitygarden.org/advocacy.php. By signingup you will receive emails about national and localcommunity garden and urban agriculture policy issues andsimple ways you can take action, individually or as part ofan organization. We will also send occasional tool kitpieces and advocacy related research.

In 2007, ACGA will be leading an effort to get passage oflegislation that has been introduced by Rep. Carol Maloneyof Manhattan. Revitalizing Cities through Parks EnhancementAct(RECIPE) would authorize funds from the Housing &Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to nonprofitcommunity organizations for development of open space(including community gardens) on municipally owned vacant lots in urban areas. With the Community FoodSecurity Coalition, ACGA will also be working with a broadcoalition of organizations to get passed a Farm Bill thatencourages sustainable agriculture and improved access tohealthy food for all.

2007 Teleconference ScheduleACGAs monthly teleconference workshops continue to bepopular. They are free to ACGA members. Sign up early toensure a space on the call. In March, we held the firstSaturday session more will follow. Below is the 2007schedule. Be sure to check for updates:www.communitygarden.org/teleconferences.php.

Weekday calls are at 4 PM eastern and Saturday calls atnoon eastern.

Thursday,April 12Building Leadership in Your Gardenand Making Transitions

Saturday, May 12Garden Fundraising StrategiesWednesday,June 13Rehabilitation & HorticulturalTherapy Gardens

Thursday,July 12 To be AnnouncedWednesday, September 12Season ExtensionThursday, October 11 To be AnnouncedSaturday, November 10Local Food Policy NetworksThursday, December 13Project Evaluation

For more information and to register, contact SarahAlexander, 877-275-2242 [email protected].

ACGA Supports Seeking Balance in U.S.

Farm and Food PolicyIn January 2007, ACGA joined more than 400 farm,nutrition, food security, anti-hunger, and environmentalorganizations in supporting the Farm Bill position paper ofthe Farm and Food Policy Project. Seeking Balance in U.S.Farm and Food Policy is the result of two years of meetingsand agreeing on priorities. Community gardens and urbanagriculture are recognized for their role in affording accessto local, healthy food. In March 2007, ACGA membersparticipated in visits to members of Congress to discussSeeking Balance.

Join an ACGA Committee

ACGA Committees generally meet monthly by toll-freeconference call. Members are welcome to join theCommunications, Advocacy, Youth, Program, Research,Social Justice, and Membership committees. To join acommittee, contact the board chair (see page 7) or [email protected] or call 877-275-2242.

Community Gardens Recognized

Farmers MarketsProject for Public Spaces recently announced the winnersof grants to diversify farmers markets in 10 U.S.

communities. The projects proposed by City of HighSprings, Florida, United Community Centers in Brooklyn,New York, William Byrd Community House inRichmond, Virginia, and Fondy Food Center inMilwaukee, Wisconsin all involved community gardensand urban agriculture. Congratulations to all the winners.For more information about the grantees and the PPSmarkets program, www.pps.org/markets/info.

Nexus GreenhousesThe New Roots Urban Farm in St. Louis, Missouri wasthe winner of the Nexus Cultivator Premier Greenhouse,http://mynewgreenhouse.com/cultivator_contest.html.

Tricycle Gardens Tricycle Gardens in Richmond, Virginia was recentlyawarded $40,000 from the Robins Foundation to enablethem to create a better Richmond through communitygardens. Members of Tricycle Gardens participated inACGAs Growing Communities workshop in April 2006.

Gardeners Supply CompanyNominate one of your own community gardeners as aGarden Crusader. Deadline is June 1, 2007,www.gardeners.com.

PAGE 6 THE COMMUNITY GARDENER SPRING 2007PAGE 6


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PAGE 7 SPRING 2007

ACGA BOARD OF DIRECTORSFeel free to contact board members with questions about ACGA orcommunity gardening. For complete contact information, go to:

www.communitygarden.org/board.php

Kate Chura, TreasurerNew York, New York [email protected]

Amanda Maria Edmonds, Research Committee ChairYpsilanti, Michigan [email protected]

Kristin FaurestBudapest, Hungary [email protected]

Cheryl Foster, Youth Committee ChairColumbus, Ohio [email protected]

Shandal Grayson, Social Justice Committee ChairBoston, Massachusetts [email protected]

Gwenne Hayes-Stewart, SecretarySt. Louis, Missouri [email protected]

David King, Membership Committee Chair

Los Angeles, California [email protected] Klick, Development Committee Co-Chair,

Board Development Committee ChairLake Villa, Illinois [email protected]

James Kuhns, PresidentToronto, Ontario [email protected]

Don LambertDallas, Texas [email protected]

Laura Lavid, Program Committee ChairDenver, Colorado [email protected]

Charles Levkoe, Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee ChairKennetcook, Nova Scotia [email protected]

Zazel LovenNew York, New York [email protected]

Bill Maynard, Vice PresidentSacramento, California [email protected]

Lisa Rose Starner, Development Committee Co-ChairGrand Rapids, Michigan [email protected]

Keith Tidball, Garden Mosaics Subcommittee ChairIthaca, New York [email protected]

Teague WeybrightLos Angeles, California [email protected]

Venice WilliamsMilwaukee, Wisconsin [email protected]

Bobby Wilson,Advocacy Committee ChairAtlanta, Georgia [email protected]

Daniel WinterbottomSeattle, Washington [email protected]

Ted ZergerSalina, Kansas [email protected]

Celebrate Urban BirdsMay 10-13, 2007

Rodales Organic Gardeningin partnership with ACGA, Aveeno and Natures Path Organic Foods aresupporting community gardeners to conserve water fortheir needs and educate their neighbors on the invaluablebenefits of urban green spaces to the community as a whole. To date 15 community gardens have beenselected to receive rainwater harvesting systems.With support fromAveeno:

Dias y Flores, New York City, New YorkSuydam Street Community Garden,

New Brunswick, New JerseyOur Saviour Community Garden, Dallas, TexasWoodlawn Gardens, Portland, OregonAshview Community Garden, Atlanta, Georgia

With support from Natures PathOrganic Foods:Bradner Gardens Park, Seattle, WashingtonCamden Childrens Garden, Camden, New Jersey1100 Bergen Street Community Garden,

Brooklyn, New YorkWasatch Community Gardens, Salt Lake City, UtahCity Seeds Urban Farm, St. Louis, MissouriField to Table Community Garden, Toronto,

OntarioFremont Community Garden, Sacramento,

CaliforniaStrathcona Community Garden, Vancouver,

British ColumbiaAspen Farms, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaXchiquetzal Peace Garden, Chicago, Illinois

ACGA and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology want to knowabout the birds found in urban community gardens.Participate on May 10-13 in a nationwide communitygarden bird count.

Here is how YOU can Celebrate Urban Birds!

Collect and send data to the Lab.Help scientists better understand the value of urban greenareas for birds.

Find a green space your community garden

Learn about 15 species of birds,www.urbanbirds.org/celebration/bird-guide/celebrate-urban-birds-bird-guide

Tell us about your green space Using the data form oronline system- tell us where your green space is located-answer five questions about your green space- checkoff the birds you see

Send us your data form!www.urbanbirds.org/celebration/GettingStarted

WaterWorks 2007

THE COMMUNITY GARDENER


8/12


I.M ScienceInvestigations The term I. M. Science can be interpreted in threewaysit can mean I Am Science, Information Mosaics, orInternational Mosaics. Youth conducting these GardenMosaics investigations develop interviewing, observation,and data-recording skills, and make important contributions

to their community. They then share the results and photosof their investigations on the Garden Mosaics website,which is used for education and research. Because many ofthe investigations involve interacting with elder gardeners,students also form positive relations with local role models. The four Garden Mosaics I. M. Science investigationsGardener Story, Community Garden Inventory,Neighborhood Exploration, and Weed Watch aredesigned to be conducted by youth in cooperation withcommunity gardeners. But anyone can take part. Forexample, adult gardeners might be interested in developinga Gardener Story of an interesting gardener they know,and posting the story and photos on the website. Or theymight want to conduct a Weed Watch, by collecting dataon city weeds and weed control practices, and contributingto Cornell associate professor Antonio DiTommasosurban weed management program. The beauty of thecurriculum is that the components may be doneindividually, in various combinations, or as a whole.

Gardener Story The Gardener Story investigation gives youth theopportunity to interview elders in their community. Usingguiding questions, students ask gardeners about their plants,planting methods, pest management practices, soils, andhow their cultural heritage influences their gardening.Students take photos and write stories about the gardeners,which are posted on the Garden Mosaics website for othersto share.

Community Garden InventoryThe Community Garden Inventory investigation is a gardentour, during which youth ask gardeners questions aboutcrops and planting practices, and the social, cultural, andeducational activities that take place in their gardens. Youthuse a data form to record, then send their findings to the

Garden Mosaics website, where visitors can learn about therole gardens play in communities. Their information willeventually be used by Garden Mosaics and the AmericanCommunity Gardening Association to create aninternational database of community gardens.

Neighborhood ExplorationStudents conducting the Neighborhood Explorationinvestigation use aerial photographs, topographic maps, andwalking tours to learn about places in their neighborhoods where people can enjoy nature, participate in cultural andsocial events, access fresh food, and get exercise. Thestudents then produce a neighborhood collage using photos

and maps, and share their results online.Weed WatchFor the Weed Watch investigation, students gather data onthe distribution of weeds in gardens by asking localgardeners about their weed problems and weed controltechniques. ACGA is currently seeking programs willing toconduct Weed Watch in conjunction with the WeedScience Society of America contact Sarah Alexander at877-275-2242 or [email protected].

Science PagesThe Garden Mosaics Science Pages, which are available inboth English and Spanish on the Garden Mosaicswebsite, enable students to delve deeper into concepts andprocesses seen in the garden. Students can use the SciencePages to learn more about specific crops, earthworms,insect life cycles, weed control, and other concepts that mayrequire more time to learn than the garden visit allows.Learners can also use the Science Pages for plantidentification projects. In researching the plants scientificnames, native continent, and how they are grown andprepared for eating, they may be surprised to learn thatturnips, broccoli, collards, bok choy, and cabbage are all inthe same genus!

Action Projects To further connect to their community, Garden Mosaicsparticipants conduct Action Projects, applying what theyhave learned to benefit others. One group in Sacramentocompared the soil fertility in three gardens; another groupgrew vegetables and donated them to a local food bank; athird group worked with a landscape architect to design agarden that would teach youth about Californias nativeplants. A group from St. Paul, Minnesota studied xylem and

(Continued from page 1)


An Allentown, Pennsylvania community gardener

shares her gardening techniques and results with

youth conducting a Garden Mosaics science

investigation.


9/12

SummerDont let the hot weather and summer vacation deter youfrom continuing a youth program. Realize that your groupsize may shrink. The kids that stick around will participatein the best parteating the first warm weather harvest. When working with youth, make sure there is plenty of

drinking water available to avoid dehydration. Try to workearly in the morning or late in the evening. Having youryouth group assist a community garden takes the pressureoff the leader to sustain a garden on their own when thereare few helpers around. If your outdoor classroom isthrough a school, make sure to create a list of volunteersahead of time to help with summer maintenanceparents,seniors, or a local organization.

Mixed Greens offers programs in the Grand Rapids,Michigan area to teach urban youth about nutrition andlocal food. Early summer activities include washing andharvesting greens and peas for salad parties, writing and

drawing in garden journals, and learning basic plantidentification skills. Mixed Green students practice closelyexamining the shape and size of the leaves, gently touching the plant to feel the texture of the stem and leaves, smelling the distinct scents ofbasil, mint, and tomato plants,says Jennifer Getting Jameslyn,Program Manager. We also talk about the water cycle and theimportance of water conservation and we learn the best times andmethods for watering our gardens.

AutumnHaving a harvest fairmay not be a novelidea, but its a great

one. Encourageparents to use produce from the harvest in recipes, andhave a potluck where guests leave copies of the recipes withthe dish. For Kristin Wenghofer and the communitygardeners at Inuvik Community Greenhouse (two degreesabove the Arctic Circle in Northwest Territories, Canada),the fall fair happens in August. This is the typical monthfor fall harvest, although as Wenghofer, GreenhouseCoordinator, says, This past year, our fall lasted an unusuallylong timeit didnt snow until October.Last year, the kids set

up a pie-throwing booth. There are also contests in baking,preserving, and pie-eating. A lot of kids participate, whichencourages adults to say, Hey, Im competing in that next year. Thekids are a great gateway to reaching the parents.

The children get to take the harvest home with them. Alot of kids havent tasted these vegetables fresh, Wenghofer added. Fresh produce is exorbitantly high in cost up

here. The food greatly helps those families who wouldotherwise not be able to afford fresh vegetables.

WinterLate autumn/early winter is garden cleanup time, moreaffectionately known as putting the garden to bed. Makea work day out of it with youth by adding exploration ofthe garden to the agenda. Cut back mint, tie it in bunches,and hang it to dry for tea. Do a basic seed saving exerciseby gathering seeds from plants like sunflowers, beans andmarigolds.

Visiting a community garden with a hoophouse,

greenhouse, or cold frames in the winter will show childrenall year gardening possibilities. Regardless, take themoutside to show them the birds, berries, and buds on trees.Use gathered pinecones rolled in peanut butter andbirdseed to make birdfeeders.

The cold weather doesnt stop the Peace Garden in Salina,Kansas from having a Christmas party each year, complete with Santa, strings of lights, and homemade ornamentsmade by children. Ted Zerger, Coordinator, says, Someyears the weather has been miserable, but it takes more than badweather to dampen the community spirit.

(Continued from page 5)

THE COMMUNITY GARDENER WINTER 2006PAGE 9 THE COMMUNITY GARDENER SPRING 2007

For more information

Garden Mosaicsa youth community gardeningcurriculum developed by Cornell University,www.gardenmosaics.org

The School Garden Wizard, www.schoolgardenwizard.org

Gardening Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite

The Edible Schoolyarda pioneering school garden-to-table program, www.edibleschoolyard.org

Outdoor Activities for Kids by Clare Bradley andCecilia Fitzsimons

Rodale Institute curriculum for educators:www.kidsregen.org/educators

From Generation to Generationan activityguidebook in Seed Savinghttp://www.fedcoseeds.com/forms/seedschool.pdf

Two Parkview

Elementary

School students

search for

insects in theThree Sisters

garden as part

of a Mixed

Greens program

in Wyoming, MI.

This article was adapted from one that appeared in theJanuary/February issue ofTouch the Soilmagazine. Forsubscription information, www.touchthesoil.com.


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SPRING 2007THE COMMUNITY GARDENERPAGE 10

and its sources are controlled by someone else. The condition of thepassive consumer of food is not a democratic condition. One reason toeat responsibly is to live free.

In a community garden, we all live a bit more free. And thefree seed programs open this opportunity to many newgardeners every season.

This taste of freedom is as delicious as the fresh food wegrow. It's hard to feel powerless when you're the midwifeof the amazing process by which a tiny seed turns into ahuge sprawling vine, with giant leaves and heavy pumpkinsthat keep you baking breads and pies and cookies all winterlong. As Emerson put it: When I go into my garden with a

spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that Idiscover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in lettingothers do for me what I should have done with my own hands.

When the next disaster strikes, I may have to do withoutmilk and beer again for a while. City authorities wouldprobably deny me a permit to keep a cow in my small yard,and I have no time for another hobby like home brewing.But to paraphrase Reagan (or was it Heston?) again, they

can take away my arugula when they pry it from my cold,dead hand.

To read more garden-variety humor, visit Johns website:www.rakishwit.com.

(Security, Continued from page 3)

Seeds of Change heirlooms,www.seedsofchange.com

Select Swiss-based, excellentvarieties, www.samen.ch

S.C. Foundation Seed Association

Dr. David Bradshaw, founder.Great resource!http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/seed

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange super choices forSoutheast, www.southernexposure.com

Stokes Seed, www.stokeseeds.comSuttons-UK, www.suttons.co.ukTerra Edibles organically grown heirloom seeds,

www.terraedibles.ca

Territorial Seeds Oregon, excellent catalog,www.territorial-seed.com

Thompson and Morgan-UK, www.thompson-morgan.comUnwins-UK UK-based. Large varieties, sweet peas,

www.unwinsdirect.co.ukVermont Bean an amazingly diverse collection of beans,

www.vermontbean.comVeseys Seed, www.veseys.comWest Coast Seeds, www.westcoastseeds.comWilhite Seed Texas-based, good international collection

too, www.wilhite.comWilliam Dam Seeds, www.damseeds.com.

Photos courtesy of Amanda Maria Edmonds.

To join ACGAs free e-list, go to www.communitygarden.org.

(Seeds, Continued from page 4)

My Garden Paths

My garden paths that turn and windAnd lead me far from daily grindOf tasks not wholly to my mind,

Are paths of peace.

When cares upon me weigh and pressI flee from worry, care and stress.

Along these paths.

They lead me out to life and light,Afar from fear's most deadening blight;

They lead me up to spirit's height;My garden paths.

By Edith Porter Kimball

(submitted by Ted Zerger, Salina, Kansas)

phloem, photosynthesis, and transpiration while creating anactual mosaicbits of tile making up a tabletop modeledafter a stem cross-section. Students take photos and writestories about their Action Projects and post them on theGarden Mosaics website.

Global MosaicsBecause many gardeners who share their knowledge withyouth are immigrants who have brought their agriculturalpractices with them and adapted them to urbanenvironments in the U.S., Garden Mosaics already has astrong global flavor. Building on this theme, aninternational component has been recently added to Garden

Mosaics. In addition, the websites short programdescription and several Science Pages have been translatedinto Arabic, Russian, and French; many more resources areavailable in Spanish. www.globalmosaics.org.

As a St. Paul, Minnesota Garden Mosaics participant noted,There is so much invisible science that happens in gardens. It justtakes a unique combination of people and plants to bring it into view.

(Marianne Krasny and Keith Tidball are Director and Associate Directorof the Initiative for Civic Ecology, Department of Natural Resources,Cornell University. This article was adapted from an article from CornellUniversitys Plantationmagazine.)

(Garden Mosaics, Continued from page 8)


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Coming Soon to a city near you! Now Boarding for Salt LakeCity, Denver, New Orleans, and D.C. Those are just a few ofthe places Ive been in my extremely short time here atACGA. I started my position with ACGA in January of this

year, and have been immersing myself in the trainings,principles, and communities that ACGA works with. Itsbeen an exciting three months, and with all of the travelIve been doing its been great to get to meet some of themembers and organizations that are doing great work outthere. As Programs Manager Im in charge of implementingall of ACGAs programs, which currently include GrowingCommunities Trainings, Garden Mosaics, Monthly Teleconferences, and a cadre of other projects. So if youhavent met me yet, chances are you will sometime soon.

Coming to ACGA has been great because it gives me anopportunity to combine my community organizing skillsand my passion for local food and food systems. Inaddition, with the new bi-national office in Columbus,

Ohio, it has given me a chance to get back to my roots anda little bit closer to my immediate and extended family.

While Im relatively new to the community gardening world, I do have a lot of experience working on foodissues. I graduated from Northwestern University in 2002, where I had planted a guerilla garden on campus. Aftergraduation I worked for a year as a GreenCorps Fellow,working on campaigns all over the country, which includedcampaigns in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, andChicago. For the last three years I worked with the WhiteEarth Land Recovery Project, a reservation-based non-profit in Northwest MN. I was primarily working on a

campaign to stop the genetic engineering of Wild Rice, asacred grain for the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe) people of theGreat Lakes region. Through that work I also got a chanceto work with the local community on many traditional foodrestoration projects including some community gardens.

Im looking forward to learning more about the communitygardening world, and cant wait to meet you all at our futuretrainings, teleconferences, and at our conference in August!

Meet Sarah AlexanderACGAs New Program Manager

ACGA Board of Directors & Staff in Dallas, February 2007: front row Sarah Alexander, Rory Klick, Gwenne

Hayes-Stewart, Amanda Edmonds, Martha Egnal & Lily, Kate Chura, Betsy Johnson; middle row Don Lambert,

Bobby Wilson, James Kuhns, Charles Levkoe, Laura Lavid, Lisa Rose Starner, Shandal Grayson; back row

Zazel Loven, David King, Teague Weybright, Ted Zerger. Not pictured: Kristin Faurest, Cheryl Foster, Lexie

Stoia, Keith Tidball, Venice Williams, Daniel Winterbottom (contact information, see page 7)

Sarah (2nd to left) participates during Salt Lake City

Growing CommunitiesWorkshop.

D

avidKingphoto


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American Community Gardening Associationc/o FPC, 1777 East Broad StreetColumbus, OH 43203

To join or renew with ACGA, go towww.communitygarden.org/join.php

Send memberships & contributions to: ACGA, c/o FPC, 1777 East Broad St. Columbus, OH 43203

(U.S. currency checks only, please)

Name ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Organization ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Address (indicate if home or work) ______________________________________________________________________

City, State, Postal Code, Country ________________________________________________________________________

Home phone _________________________ Work phone _______________________ Fax __________________________

Email ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Visa or MasterCard Credit card # ________________________________________ Charge Amt. ________________

Sampling of the Benefits

Be part of the movement to improve communities throughout the US & Canada

Years subscription to Rodales Organic Gardening

10% discount at Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply

Monthly Teleconference Workshops

Membership rates

Corporate $1,000

Sustaining $ 500

Organization $ 100Professional $ 50

Basic $ 25

Sliding Scale $10$25

Join or Renew with ACGAOnline at www.communitygarden.org/join.php

Spring 2007 The Community Gardener Newsletter

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