News
Looking forward to Fall
Starting our seedlings? enriching our soil? Getting excited about our fall gardens? ..... YES!

Does anyone need any help with anything?
Reply here and we will spread the word.
Does anyone have a chipper? Tampa Heights CG would like to borrow a chipper.
Seminole Heights CG is looking to sell their cistern...see below.
Did you do something interesting this summer in your garden?
Shout out to Cindy Paulhus of Brandon Seeds of Faith Community Garden for being honored with this year's Harvest Award which will be presented at the county fair luncheon, October 17th. You may not know that Cindy is very ill. Please send a message of congratulations to her. I am sure she will appreciate it.

Our Hillsborough County Extension Agent, Lynn Barber, and Regional Extension Agent, Susan Webb, and I are working on a 5 module training for community gardens. Keep your ears open for this... you may know of other groups who are interested.
A couple of things going on in New Port Richey :
Okra Occasion was last Monday evening - I hope it was super!!
Mini-Summit on Food Sovereignty in New Port Richey – September 23
Sweet Potato Round-Up in New Port Richey – September 28

At USF: USF Food Sovereignty Summit – October 22 – This is one for anyone doing community gardening or local food production. Click for more information

Saint Pete Community Garden (formerly known as Euclid Heights CG) has a couple of beds available for $25 for half year contact Maggie

Plant City Commons Community Garden and Botanical Treasure Garden - is now a certified Wildlife Habitat. Nice!! other events:
  • seed library is open every 2nd & 4th Sat.
  • Aug. 17 - new member orientation
  • Sept. 6 - seedling workshop
Garden members gathered at the dedication ceremony to observe the recently discovered headwater to the Tampa Bay Watershed that begins it's journey right in their garden! Read about it!

Clearwater Community Garden is hosting its 5th Summer Brunch AUGUST 18, 2019 11:00AM-1:30PM THE FORT HARRISON 210 S. FORT HARRISON AVE., CLEARWATER, FL 33755
I have one free ticket, if you want to go....let me know.


New community gardens are in the works at:
Apollo Beach
St. Vincent DePaul, Temple Terrace
St. John's, West Tampa
Tampa Hts Northsite
Urban Progress Alliance, West Tampa
East Ybor City
Wellswood, Tampa

WELCOME to the Waters Avenue Church Community Garden... looking good, guys!!

WELCOME to Jacqlyn Rivas as the Extension Agent for irrigation. Invite her to your garden.
Other Garden news:
Sweetwater Organic Community Farm hosted a very informative chicken keeping workshop last month and is hosting a Night Market, S aturday, Aug. 17, 5:00 - 9:00

We were pleased to disseminate the contact from the Dave Mathews Band (through Sweetwater) to all of the community gardens in the coalition. That was very cool sending over 3 lbs of fresh lettuce from the aquaponic garden at Tampa Hts. Community Garden .

Seminole Heights Community Gardens are looking for a buyer for their water tank. This 550 gallon cistern was purchased new in 2015, and used for 2 years as the main water system for the garden. We collected water via a gutter from a roof through the top of the cistern, and then attached hoses to a spigot at the bottom to water the garden. The price of the cistern in 2015 was over $500; Seminole Heights Community Gardens is willing to consider $250. Buyer must come pick it up at the Seminole Heights Community Garden in Tampa. For more details about the cistern, please contact Colleen at  info.shcg@gmail.com .

Our Coalition will be represented at the annual American Community Garden Association conference in Indianapolis in September. Funded by Garden Steps, Kitty will present the networking we are doing to strengthen our community gardens and the relationships we are building to provide greater access to fresh produce to our neighbors in food desert areas.

Fall meeting of the Coalition will be in October...location and date tbd. Who wants to offer to host the meeting?