The 2017 Community Teaching Garden included 18 beginners and 15 advanced students.
We celebrated a successful season with a potluck dinner and garden goodies.


 
Last week we celebrated our 15th Community Teaching Garden graduation! Since the program started in 2003, more than 270 adults have experienced this hands-on class. Many graduates join community gardens, have their own home gardens, get involved with local school gardens, and help start new gardens at their workplaces or in their neighborhoods. In the words of our students: 
  • "I'm a gardener now; a title I have rightfully earned with many hours of hard work and endless dirt under my fingernails!" - Kristen  
  • "This class has exposed (us) to the immediate agency of production for the individual and the community for the years to come. I still continue to be surprised by the amount of food I can supplement my diet with in what initially appeared to be a small amount of space." - Jacob
  •  "Beyond just learning about gardening, which I'm passionate about and I love, it has helped me to connect with my community, my food, my health." - Hayley
We delight in seeing the excitement and confidence that grows in the Teaching Garden and how the students go on to make positive change in our community.   
 
Get Involved!
Registration for the 2018 Community Teaching Garden opens in December. In the meantime, join us this week for a new Season Extension Webinar with Viewing Parties all over the state and a Community Compost Training in Barre.  
~ Jess Hyman, Executive Director 

  Fast links to: 
VCGN NEWS
- EVENTS - RESOURCES FOR GARDENS
 
   
gardensResources for Garden Groups
Extending the Season Webinar:
this Wednesday, Oct. 11, 5-6:15pm 
SIGN UP TODAY to view from home or join a Viewing Party near you!  
 
Extending the Season Webinar Preview 
Extending the Season Webinar Preview
Here's a teaser for this Wednesday's (Oct. 11)  Extending the Season Webinar. Participants will get more in-depth with Charlie Nardozzi on season extension, as well as learn about the Hardwick Community Garden's shared hoop house from Bethany Dunbar of the Center for an Agricultural Economy and about the Change the World Kids root cellar project in Woodstock from Phyllis and Olivia.  
Join us on your computer or gather with fellow community and school gardeners at a Webinar Viewing Party near you! The full webinar is only $12 and you must pre-register. For online registration, more information, and a list of viewing parties go to: http://vcgn.org/what-we-do/growit/. Questions? Contact Libby: libby@vcgn.org or (802) 861-4769.
   

MORE GARDEN RESOURCES   

GARDEN GRANTS:  
  • SeedMoney is awarding 100 grants ranging in size from $200-$600 to food garden projects as part of its 3rd Annual Giving Gardens Challenge, an online giving campaign running from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15. LEARN MORE
  •  The 2018 KidsGardening Youth Garden Grant supports school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. Applications are due Dec. 8. LEARN MORE
  • For more Vermont and national grants, visit VCGN's Garden Grant Resource page. MORE GRANTS  
SCHOOL GARDEN COORDINATORS: Join one of the Farm to School Network's gatherings this fall in your region (Oct. 9 in Central Vermont, Oct. 16 in Chittenden County, Oct. 17 in Southwest Vermont, and Oct. 26 in Northwest Vermont). All gatherings are 4-7pm, free, and refreshments are provided. REGISTER HERE
 
COMMUNITY & SCHOOL COMPOSTING:
Are you interested in food scrap composting at your garden site? Check out VCGN's
COMMUNITY COMPOSTING RESOURCES and see below for the Oct. 14 Community & School Composting Training.


CAV & VCGN Launch Community Composting Pilots in Ludlow, Montpelier, and St. Albans

First food scrap drop-off day at Ludlow Area Community Garden.
The Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) and Vermont Community Garden Network (VCGN) are helping Ludlow Area Community Garden, Down to Earth Community Garden in St. Albans, and The Garden at 485 Elm in Montpelier test community food scrap composting. All three projects are a part of a new pilot project focused on diverting food scraps from the landfill, generating rich compost, and educating communities about composting. Additionally the project is creating educational resources and trainings for small-scale community composting operations (see details below for details on our Oct. 14 training), so that similar groups around the state and region can learn from the project and grow the movement. CLICK HERE FOR INFO ABOUT ALL THREE SITES
 
Community Food Scrap Composting Training: Saturday, Oct. 14, 9am-3pm, at the Central Vermont Sold Waste Management District facility, 540 North Main St. in Barre. Participants will gain the knowledge to safely collect and manage food scraps in a community setting, accumulate and store carbon sources for the compost system, recruit and train volunteers, troubleshoot, and more. The 6-hour training costs $35. REGISTER HERE
THANK YOU NELL! 
Each fall we have the bittersweet experience of saying goodbye to our summer interns. UVM senior Nell Carpenter played an important role this summer at the Family Room Garden, Ethan Allen Residence, North Avenue Coop, Canal Street Veterans Housing, and St. John's Hall. Whether she was working with children, adults, or seniors, Nell's enthusiastic approach to teaching about food and gardening engaged, inspired, and connected participants. We wish her the best as she continues her studies and her explorations of how people relate to each other and their environment through food.
VCGN is Looking For You!  
Now Accepting Applications for our Board of Directors
 
Are you passionate about food access and positive social connections? Do you have nonprofit board, management, and/or fundraising experience? Are you interested in being part of the evolution of a statewide organization dedicated to growing healthy and connected communities? VCGN has openings on the board for 2018. LEARN MORE 
 
events
Events
What goes great with fish? Veggies!  
Showcase your garden veggies along with fish in the Lake Champlain International Fish Chowder Championship for a chance at fame and prizes. Bonus points for locally sourced (including VT-grown!) ingredients. The competition is Oct. 19 in Burlington. More information and registration link HERE
We Need Your Support!
The Vermont Community Garden Network is growing a healthier Vermont by helping people of all ages access the space and resources to grow their own food and connect with each other. We need your help now more than ever - please make a donation today!

Since 2001, the Vermont Community Garden Network has worked with hundreds of community and school groups to start, sustain, and grow gardens, building strong local food systems and vibrant educational sites.    
Contact us - we'd love to hear from you!

Jess Hyman , Executive Director
Libby Weiland, Statewide Network Coordinator 
Carolina Lukac, Garden Education Manager
Ehrin Lingeman, Community Teaching Garden Assistant
Trish Laraja, Business Manager
Jennifer Fuller, Office Administrator 
802-861-4769 info@vcgn.org | www.vcgn.org

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