The American Community Gardening Association’s

The Community Gardener

Growing Community through Gardening and Greening Across the U.S. and Canada
Volume VI Issue I SPRING 2007

Use Garden Mosaics This Summer

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

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

2 ACGA Not all environmental educators work in forests and nature centers. Some find
President’s Message themselves in large cities, amidst tall buildings and endless concrete. Ironically, it may be
“Carpe Diem” here where their skills are most needed. But in such settings, their students may find
concepts like biodiversity and ecosystems to be abstract and remote. One of the most
3 National Food challenging aspects of urban environmental education is finding a way to make science
Security
relevant and fun. Place-based learning, which uses students’ neighborhoods as the focus
4 Seeds, Seeds, & for investigations, can make science both tangible and engaging.
More Seeds Garden Mosaics, developed by Cornell University and now a program of ACGA,
combines garden-based science learning with intergenerational mentoring, multicultural
5 4 Seasons with understanding, and community service. The program’s mission: “Connecting youth and
Youth in elders to explore the mosaics of plants, people, and cultures in gardens, to learn
Community about science, and to act together to enhance their community.” Consider using
Gardens Garden Mosaics with your summer youth program.
With Garden Mosaics, community gardens can bring to life important scientific concepts,
6 Bulletin Board such as food webs involving plants, insects, birds, and mammals, decomposition in a
Advocacy compost pile, and the symbiotic relationships of microbes and plants on legume root
Join a Committee nodules. Simultaneously, the gardens help establish a greater connection to the
Teleconference
surrounding community and to
Recognition
our increasingly global world.
7 Urban Birds
WaterWorks 2007 Community gardens are often
Board of Directors spaces where gardeners from
different backgrounds and
8 Garden Mosaics, ethnicities cultivate a diversity of
continued plants reflecting their heritage.
For example, who would think
9 Four Seasons with that cotton can be found growing
Youth continued in NYC?
10 Seeds, continued Through involvement with
Security, Garden Mosaics in a community
Continued ga rden, youth have the
Garden Mosaics, opportunity to meet older
continued members of their community
“My Garden Path” with a wealth of gardening
11 Meet Sarah experience, and rich cultural
Alexander, ACGA backgrounds that shape their
Program Manager gardening practices.
(continued on page 8)
12 Join ACGA
Continued on page 11
PAGE 2 T H E C O MMU NI T Y GA RDE NER S PRI NG 200 7

A Message from ACGA President, James Kuhns

The new and improved daylight savings time has me and no doubt
many gardeners looking forward to getting back in their gardens again.
Of course gardeners in southern climes have already been digging away
for weeks, if they ever stopped! My thoughts of gardening were revved
up last weekend when I attended the Ohio Community Gardening
Conference in Columbus.
Held at the Franklin Park Conservatory where the ACGA has its office
located, over 120 gardeners participated in the two-day gathering.
ACGA board member Keith Tidball gave the Friday keynote “Civic
Ecology: Growing Neighborhood Leaders.” The workshops absolutely
had something for everyone.
No winter would be complete without the ACGA board getting
together to transact business face-to-face. Board member by Don
Lambert was the host at this year’s meeting in Dallas, Texas, held over
the President’s Day weekend. Over the past year, the ACGA has
recognized and grappled with proactive ways to ensure inclusiveness
and truly serve our diverse membership. At the board meeting, a diversity policy was passed unanimously. This
innovative policy states:
The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) recognizes that the diversity of its board, staff and communities
is a source of strength and knowledge essential to its development as an organization. In principle and in practice, the ACGA
values and seeks a diverse membership. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of
gender, 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 build
community, we have to look out and also within. Embracing diversity will make the movement healthier, stronger and
dare I say, happier.
James

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)
The Community Gardener is published by the American
Community Gardening Association, growing community through
gardening and greening across the United States and Canada.
The American Community Gardening Association
(ACGA) recognizes that community gardening improves the
quality of life for people by providing a catalyst for
neighborhood and community development, stimulating social
interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying
neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family
food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities
for recreation, exercise, therapy and education.
MAILING ADDRESS
American Community Gardening Association
c/o FPC, 1777 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43203
877-ASK-ACGA (877-275-2242); www.communitygarden.org
Newsletter: Betsy Johnson, Executive Director; James
Kuhns, Ted Zerger, Shandal Grayson, Zazel Loven, John
Hershey, Don Lambert, Don Boekelheide, Donald Loggins,
ACGA Communications Committee
PAGE 3 T H E C O MMU NI T Y GA RDE NER S PRI NG 20 07

National Food Security:

Let's grow it over here so we don't have to grow it over there
By John Hershey, Denver, Colorado

“Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day,” President Ronald way, we opt out of a food system whose chemical inputs
Reagan was fond of saying, quoting his favorite aphorism and highly processed outputs make us feel increasingly
about self-reliance. “But give him a large cache of weapons insecure.
that he can illegally sell to a hostile middle Eastern
But, a cynic might say, an urban gardener can never really
theocracy, and he can covertly finance a guerilla war in
be self-reliant. A city is the antithesis of self-reliance: it’s
Central America.”
about specialization and economies of scale, work and
Wait a minute, that’s not it. Oh, now I remember. It goes consumption. The feeling of independence you get from
like this: “Teach him to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” growing a few radishes and carrots is just an illusion.
Reagan might have chosen gardening as well as fishing for Au contraire! Gardening does provide relief from the over-
his metaphor. Ralph Waldo Emerson used the garden as a scheduled urban life. But the benefits are not just
symbol of self-reliance in his famous essay of the same emotional. Growing just a small amount of your own food
name: “Though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of can noticeably increase your food security, as I discovered
nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that during the snowstorm that paralyzed Denver in late
plot of ground which is given to him to till.” December.
So if we translate Reagan’s old saying into horticultural For a few days after the big blizzard, many of us couldn’t
terms and balance it out gender-wise while we're at it, it get to the stores, and when we did they were running low
might go something like this: on many essential items like fresh produce, milk, and beer.
“Give a woman a can of Spaghetti-Os, and she’ll eat (in a manner of
But on those snowbound days, I enjoyed salads of fresh
speaking) for a day. But give her some tomato and pepper seeds, a few
mesclun lettuce and stir-fries of kale and chard, all picked
onion sets, and a basil seedling or two, and she’ll have fresh, delicious
moments before in my little backyard greenhouse. I had to
pasta sauce in just 10–12 weeks.” shovel my way through deep snow just to open the lid, but
when I got there I found the plants warm and lush inside.
Yes, it takes a bit longer to grow a meal in a garden than to
What a feeling of pride and self-reliance!
pull a fish out of a stream, although in my case it might be
close. So we have to get by in the meantime. That’s the role This was food security in action. The supply chain from
of the food banks and food drives, and they provide an farm to market was disrupted by the snow, as it could be by
essential service for people who don't have enough to eat. any number of natural or human disasters, yet I did not go
But our updated hungry. I was independent, if only for the few days my
saying is different supply of fresh greens would last. And it's all thanks to my
from R e a g an ' s little greenhouse, really just a glorified cold frame slapped
original in another together from scrap lumber at almost no cost. But it can
important way. keep these cold-tolerant greens alive year round, even in a
With gardening it’s blizzard, due to the skill and ingenuity with which I
not just an analogy. designed and built it. Well, actually it’s not because of that.
It’s literally true. Buried in the soil is an electric heating cable, which
You don't see many probably accounts for a major chunk of my utility bill in the
charities dispensing winter.
trout, or idealistic
So I’m not really self-sufficient, and my garden produce
young people traveling to the inner city to offer free fly-
isn’t devoid of fossil fuel inputs. My veggies aren't free, no
casting lessons. But when community gardening
matter how free I feel when growing them. We can't escape
organizations like Denver Urban Gardens distribute free
the industrial food system entirely, and we wouldn’t really
seeds and transplants, they help thousands of people
want to. We live in a city because we want community, not
become more self-reliant every year.
autarky. Still, by growing just some of what we eat, we
Self-reliance is part of what motivates all gardeners, I diversify the food system, and that’s a big part of food
suspect. We feel a primal urge to provide for ourselves and security.
our families directly, asserting a bit of independence from
Wendell Berry said it this way: “We cannot be free if our food
the industrial food grid. When we eat from the garden, we
know where our food came from and what's in it. In a small (Continued on page 10)
PAGE 4 T HE CO MMU NIT Y GA RDE NER
Seeds, Seeds, and More Seeds
By 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
Soon after the first of the year, a lively discussion ensued on the
ACGA e-list about seed companies. This article resulted.
When the sunny days of spring arrive, who can resist those
inviting seed racks at the local big box garden center? Go
ahead and indulge in a couple packs of marigolds, but set
aside a few dollars to spend on seeds from traditional “mail
order” seed companies (today, “mail order” usually also
means “Internet”).
Community gardeners will find more interesting selections
of flowers, vegetables and herbs in the catalogs and online.
Plus, you’ll be able to get organic seeds, varieties best
adapted to your particular region, international veggies and
herbs, and “open pollinated” crops which allow you to save
seed, if you are so inclined.
Starting broccoli or tomatoes from
seed takes a bit more effort than
buying plastic packs at the store, but
growing your own transplants is
fun, easy, educational and can save
you money if you need lots of
plants, as is often the case in
community and school garden
projects. You can pick up the basics
from a good book, such as New Seed Starters Handbook by
Nancy Bubel (Rodale Press).
If you wish to avoid genetically modified “Frankenseeds”,
from Monsanto or anyone else, seek out companies that
have signed the Safe Seed Pledge, listed at:
www.gene-watch.org/programs/safeseed/sourcebook
Here’s a list of mail order/Internet seed companies
recommended by ACGA members, expanding on the list
Steve Solomon published in his book Gardening When It
Counts.
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 those
who prefer that approach, www.cooksgarden.com
Evergreen – order online. Multilingual dictionary of
vegetable names, www.evergreenseeds.com
S PRI NG 20 07
Fedco, www.fedcoseeds.com
Graines Baumaux-France – en
français - bonne selection,
www.graines-baumaux.fr
Greta’s Organic Gardens — certified
organic garden seed, www.seeds-
organic.com
Harris Seeds,
www.gardeners.harrisseeds.com
JLHudson, www.jlhudsonseeds.net
Johnny’s – based in New England,
excellent selection. excellent service, www.johnnyseeds.com
King Seeds – based in New Zealand, serves Oz,
www.kingsseeds.com.nz
Kitazawa Seed – excellent Asian seed selection, very
reliable, www.kitazawaseed.com
Landreth Seed Co. – new version of very old company,
interesting, www.landrethseeds.com
Meyer Seed — many kinds of beans, some coated with
toxics, www.meyersseed.com
Monticello — heirloom seeds, some varieties grown by
Jefferson, www.monticello.org/shop
Native Seed SEARCH – not a seed catalog, but provides
southwest U.S. and Mexico regional seeds. Check out
their Gardener Network program, www.nativeseeds.org
New England Seed – relatively new, www.neseed.com
New 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.com
OSC — the Ontario seed company, www.oscseeds.com
Park Seed – South Carolina-based, good unique varieties,
www.parkseed.com
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply – excellent prices on bulk
seed, also supplies and much more – 10% discount to
ACGA members! www.groworganic.com
Plants of the Southwest, www.plantsofthesouthwest.com
Renee’s Seed – online or at local retailer, www.reneesgarden.com
Richter’s Herbs – the greatest variety of culinary, medicinal,
dye, and multi-use herbs, www.richters.com
Ronnigers – Potatoes, www.ronnigers.com
Sand Hill Preservation – Glenn Drowns founder, heirloom
squash plus more, www.sandhillpreservation.com
Seed Savers Exchange – longtime good organization,
www.seedsavers.org
Seeds from Italy – Over 350 kinds of Italian seeds, mostly
from Franchi Sementi, www.growitalian.com
(Continued on page 10)
PAGE 5 T HE CO MMU NIT Y GA RDE NER S PRI NG 20 07

Four Seasons with Youth in Community Gardens

by Lexie Stoia, American Community Gardening Association, Columbus, Ohio
On an unusually warm December day (there have been a lot have offered their tips for using a garden as classroom in all
of those this past winter in Ohio), I had the joy of taking seasons.
“Plants For Life,” an after school garden club, on an
Spring
exploration. We visited the Garden of Communion, a
This is a great time of year to get a youth gardening
community garden on the near east side of Columbus. The
program started. Always remember to start small. Choose
purpose of this excursion was to explore the garden’s
a few crops, like pumpkins and sunflowers, which are easy
hoophouse full of growing vegetables; to show the children,
to plant and kid-friendly. For quick results, lettuces such as
“Yes, you can harvest fresh produce in Ohio in December.”
black-seeded simpson can be harvested when the leaves are
Due to the wet weather, slugs were helping themselves to small, about a month after planting. Or make a mix of
fresh spinach and various kinds of leaf lettuce. This did not several types of lettuce, seed them in a patch, and have the
deter the children from munching on the leaves of Swiss kids try to identify the different varieties when the plants
Chard I offered them. Not only did they think the chard are a couple inches high.
was “tasty,” I had to hold them back from making a feast
At the Coppell Community Garden in Texas, children from
out of the chard patch (no salad dressing necessary).
small tykes to teenagers assist. “A kindergarten class comes by
Anyone who has seen the curiosity of a child in a garden and plants sweet potatoes in the spring. They are harvested in the fall
would not be surprised. Still, there is a bias that kids don’t by the next kindergarten class and donated to a local food pantry,”
like vegetables. It’s more likely they don’t like vegetables explains Amanda Vanhoozier, Community Programs
the way they are used to receiving them—colorless iceberg Coordinator. The garden also runs a Junior Master
lettuce poured from a bag, tomatoes whose texture could Gardener Program. For older students, Coppell
be confused with the crunchiness of an apple. School and Community Garden offers Youth Action. Teenagers who
youth programs are realizing that the community or school want (or need) to do community service are paired with
garden makes a great classroom, covering obvious lessons garden mentors. “There becomes a relationship between youth and
(science, health, and teamwork) and not so obvious lessons adults-it’s intergenerational,” Vanhoozier says. Coppell
(vocational training, economics, and the arts). Community Garden has discovered another key to youth
gardening success—having a regular meeting time. The
You may be wondering, “How does a community or school garden
teens know they can always come to the garden at 8am on
become a four seasons garden when peak growing time is summer?”
Saturdays to work. Some teens are so bitten by the
1. By extending the “growing season.” Some people
gardening bug they come back after they have completed
don’t even like to use this term since they feel it implies
community service to get their own plots.
there is only one time of year to grow.
2. By getting the community involved—whether it’s
connecting the group of children with a senior group
that can help in summer, or by having their parents
assist. Having a garden open house is a great way to
find potential volunteers.
3. By developing leadership. Having at least one teacher
or community member with a passion for using the
garden as a teaching tool is absolutely necessary;
someone who has the initial spark of interest but also
the commitment to sustain the program.
4. By not forcing it. Unless the gardening program is
through a school or it is part of mandatory community
service, it’s best to let children who show interest join
in on their own.
One way to do this is by having an afterschool garden
group. The children will feel solidarity by being a part of
something, and will see the gardening club as a privilege Older students work with younger at Coppell
instead of a chore. Community Garden
While seasons may be wildly different based on a garden’s
location, various programs in the United States and Canada (Continued on page 9)
PAGE 6 T H E C O MMU NI T Y GA RDE NER
THE COMMUNITY GARDENER
BULLETIN BOARD
Join ACGA’s Advocacy Alert
ACGA to Support “RECIPE”
Encouraging community gardening and greening is at
the core of ACGA's mission. Sign up for ACGA
Action Alerts & Policy Updates at
www.communitygarden.org/advocacy.php. By signing
up you will receive emails about national and local
community garden and urban agriculture policy issues and
simple ways you can take action, individually or as part of
an organization. We will also send occasional ‘tool kit’
pieces and advocacy related research.
In 2007, ACGA will be leading an effort to get passage of
legislation that has been introduced by Rep. Carol Maloney
of Manhattan. Revitalizing Cities through Parks Enhancement
Act (RECIPE) would authorize funds from the Housing &
Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to nonprofit
community organizations for development of open space
(including community gardens) on municipally owned
vacant lots in urban areas. With the Community Food
Security Coalition, ACGA will also be working with a broad
coalition of organizations to get passed a Farm Bill that
encourages sustainable agriculture and improved access to
healthy food for all.
2007 Teleconference Schedule
ACGA’s monthly teleconference workshops continue to be
popular. They are free to ACGA members. Sign up early to
ensure a space on the call. In March, we held the first
Saturday session — more will follow. Below is the 2007
schedule. Be sure to check for updates:
www.communitygarden.org/teleconferences.php.
Weekday calls are at 4 PM eastern and Saturday calls at
noon eastern.
Thursday, April 12 — Building Leadership in Your Garden
and Making Transitions
Saturday, May 12 — Garden Fundraising Strategies
Wednesday, June 13 — Rehabilitation & Horticultural
Therapy Gardens
Thursday, July 12 — To be Announced
Wednesday, September 12 — Season Extension
Thursday, October 11 — To be Announced
Saturday, November 10 — Local Food Policy Networks
Thursday, December 13 — Project Evaluation
For more information and to register, contact Sarah
Alexander, 877-275-2242 salexander@communitygarden.org.
S PRI NG 20 07
ACGA Supports Seeking Balance in U.S.
Farm and Food Policy
In January 2007, ACGA joined more than 400 farm,
nutrition, food security, anti-hunger, and environmental
organizations in supporting the Farm Bill position paper of
the Farm and Food Policy Project. Seeking Balance in U.S.
Farm and Food Policy is the result of two years of meetings
and agreeing on priorities. Community gardens and urban
agriculture are recognized for their role in affording access
to local, healthy food. In March 2007, ACGA members
participated in visits to members of Congress to discuss
Seeking Balance.
Join an ACGA Committee
ACGA Committees generally meet monthly by toll-free
conference call. Members are welcome to join the
Communications, Advocacy, Youth, Program, Research,
Social Justice, and Membership committees. To join a
committee, contact the board chair (see page 7) or email
salexander@communitygarden.org or call 877-275-2242.
Community Gardens Recognized
Farmers’ Markets
Project for Public Spaces recently announced the winners
of grants to diversify farmers’ markets in 10 U.S.
communities. The projects proposed by City of High
Springs, Florida, United Community Centers in Brooklyn,
New York, William Byrd Community House in
Richmond, Virginia, and Fondy Food Center in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin all involved community gardens
and urban agriculture. Congratulations to all the winners.
For more information about the grantees and the PPS
markets program, www.pps.org/markets/info.
Nexus Greenhouses
The New Roots Urban Farm in St. Louis, Missouri was
the winner of the Nexus Cultivator Premier Greenhouse,
http://mynewgreenhouse.com/cultivator_contest.html.
Tricycle Gardens
Tricycle Gardens in Richmond, Virginia was recently
awarded $40,000 from the Robins Foundation to enable
them to create a better Richmond through community
gardens. Members of Tricycle Gardens participated in
ACGA’s Growing Communities workshop in April 2006.
Gardener’s Supply Company
Nominate one of your own community gardeners as a
Garden Crusader. Deadline is June 1, 2007,
www.gardeners.com.
PAGE 7 T H E C O MMU NI T Y GA RDE NER S PRI NG 20 07

Celebrate Urban Birds ACGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

May 10-13, 2007
ACGA and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology want to know
about the birds found in urban community gardens.
Participate on May 10-13 in a nationwide community
garden 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 green
areas 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 or
online system- tell us where your green space is located-
answer five questions about your green space- check
off the birds you see
• Send us your data form!
www.urbanbirds.org/celebration/GettingStarted
WaterWorks 2007
Rodale’s Organic Gardening in partnership with ACGA,
Aveeno and Nature’s Path Organic Foods are
supporting community gardeners to conserve water for
their needs and educate their neighbors on the invaluable
benefits of urban green spaces to the community as a
whole. To date 15 community gardens have been
selected to receive rainwater harvesting systems.
With support from Aveeno:
Dias y Flores, New York City, New York
Suydam Street Community Garden,
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Our Saviour Community Garden, Dallas, Texas
Woodlawn Gardens, Portland, Oregon
Ashview Community Garden, Atlanta, Georgia
With support from Nature’s Path Organic Foods:
Bradner Gardens Park, Seattle, Washington
Camden Children’s Garden, Camden, New Jersey
1100 Bergen Street Community Garden,
Brooklyn, New York
Wasatch Community Gardens, Salt Lake City, Utah
City Seeds Urban Farm, St. Louis, Missouri
Field to Table Community Garden, Toronto,
Ontario
Fremont Community Garden, Sacramento,
California
Strathcona Community Garden, Vancouver,
British Columbia
Aspen Farms, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Xchiquetzal Peace Garden, Chicago, Illinois
Feel free to contact board members with questions about ACGA or
community gardening. For complete contact information, go to:
www.communitygarden.org/board.php
Kate Chura, Treasurer
New York, New York kchura@hsny.org
Amanda Maria Edmonds, Research Committee Chair
Ypsilanti, Michigan amanda@growinghope.net
Kristin Faurest
Budapest, Hungary faurest.kristin@chello.hu
Cheryl Foster, Youth Committee Chair
Columbus, Ohio foster.cheryl@gmail.com
Shandal Grayson, Social Justice Committee Chair
Boston, Massachusetts hlpme2001@yahoo.com
Gwenne Hayes-Stewart, Secretary
St. Louis, Missouri gwenne.hayes-stewart@mobot.org
David King, Membership Committee Chair
Los Angeles, California greenteach@adelphia.net
Rory Klick, Development Committee Co-Chair,
Board Development Committee Chair
Lake Villa, Illinois roryklick@yahoo.com
James Kuhns, President
Toronto, Ontario jkuhns@sympatico.ca
Don Lambert
Dallas, Texas grower@flash.net
Laura Lavid, Program Committee Chair
Denver, Colorado llavid12@yahoo.com
Charles Levkoe, Strategic Plan Ad Hoc Committee Chair
Kennetcook, Nova Scotia charles@sunroot.org
Zazel Loven
New York, New York zazel..loven@rodale.com
Bill Maynard, Vice President
Sacramento, California sacgc@ulink.net
Lisa Rose Starner, Development Committee Co-Chair
Grand Rapids, Michigan lisa.rose@mixedgreens.org
Keith Tidball, Garden Mosaics Subcommittee Chair
Ithaca, New York kgt2@cornell.edu
Teague Weybright
Los Angeles, California tweybright@lacorps.org
Venice Williams
Milwaukee, Wisconsin venicewb@msn.com
Bobby Wilson, Advocacy Committee Chair
Atlanta, Georgia bobbyw@uga.edu
Daniel Winterbottom
Seattle, Washington nina@u.washington.edu
Ted Zerger
Salina, Kansas vtzerger@aol.com
PAGE 8 T HE C O MMU NIT Y GA RDE NE R S PRI NG 20 07

(Continued from page 1)

“I.M” Science Investigations
The term “I. M. Science” can be interpreted in three
ways—it can mean I Am Science, Information Mosaics, or
International Mosaics. Youth conducting these Garden
Mosaics investigations develop interviewing, observation,
and data-recording skills, and make important contributions
to their community. They then share the results and photos
of their investigations on the Garden Mosaics website,
which is used for education and research. Because many of
the investigations involve interacting with elder gardeners,
students also form positive relations with local role models.
The four Garden Mosaics I. M. Science investigations—
Gardener Story, Community Garden Inventory,
Neighborhood Exploration, and Weed Watch — are
designed to be conducted by youth in cooperation with
community gardeners. But anyone can take part. For
example, adult gardeners might be interested in developing
a “Gardener Story” of an interesting gardener they know,
and posting the story and photos on the website. Or they
might want to conduct a “Weed Watch,” by collecting data
on city weeds and weed control practices, and contributing
to Cornell associate professor Antonio DiTommaso’s
urban weed management program. The beauty of the
curriculum is that the components may be done gardeners about their weed problems and weed control
individually, in various combinations, or as a whole.
Gardener Story
The Gardener Story investigation gives youth the
opportunity to interview elders in their community. Using
guiding questions, students ask gardeners about their plants, Science Pages
planting methods, pest management practices, soils, and The Garden Mosaics Science Pages, which are available – in
how their cultural heritage influences their gardening. both English and Spanish — on the Garden Mosaics
Students take photos and write stories about the gardeners, website, enable students to delve deeper into concepts and
which are posted on the Garden Mosaics website for others processes seen in the garden. Students can use the Science
to share.
An Allentown, Pennsylvania community gardener
shares her gardening techniques and results with
youth conducting a Garden Mosaics science
investigation.
Community Garden Inventory
The Community Garden Inventory investigation is a garden
tour, during which youth ask gardeners questions about
crops and planting practices, and the social, cultural, and
educational activities that take place in their gardens. Youth
use a data form to record, then send their findings to the
Garden Mosaics website, where visitors can learn about the
role gardens play in communities. Their information will
eventually be used by Garden Mosaics and the American
Community Gardening Association to create an
international database of community gardens.
Neighborhood Exploration
Students conducting the Neighborhood Exploration
investigation use aerial photographs, topographic maps, and
walking tours to learn about places in their neighborhoods
where people can enjoy nature, participate in cultural and
social events, access fresh food, and get exercise. The
students then produce a neighborhood collage using photos
and maps, and share their results online.
Weed Watch
For the Weed Watch investigation, students gather data on
the distribution of weeds in gardens by asking local
techniques. ACGA is currently seeking programs willing to
conduct Weed Watch in conjunction with the Weed
Science Society of America – contact Sarah Alexander at
877-275-2242 or salexander@communitygarden.org.
Pages to learn more about specific crops, earthworms,
insect life cycles, weed control, and other concepts that may
require more time to learn than the garden visit allows.
Learners can also use the Science Pages for plant
identification projects. In researching the plants’ scientific
names, native continent, and how they are grown and
prepared for eating, they may be surprised to learn that
turnips, broccoli, collards, bok choy, and cabbage are all in
the same genus!
Action Projects
To further connect to their community, Garden Mosaics
participants conduct Action Projects, applying what they
have learned to benefit others. One group in Sacramento
compared the soil fertility in three gardens; another group
grew vegetables and donated them to a local food bank; a
third group worked with a landscape architect to design a
garden that would teach youth about California’s native
plants. A group from St. Paul, Minnesota studied xylem and
(Continued on page 10)
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(Continued from page 5) up a pie-throwing booth. There are also contests in baking,
Summer preserving, and pie-eating. “A lot of kids participate, which
Don’t let the hot weather and summer vacation deter you encourages adults to say, “Hey, I’m competing in that next year. The
from continuing a youth program. Realize that your group kids are a great gateway to reaching the parents.”
size may shrink. The kids that stick around will participate
The children get to take the harvest home with them. “A
in the best part—eating the first warm weather harvest.
lot of kids haven’t tasted these vegetables fresh,”
When working with youth, make sure there is plenty of
Wenghofer added. “Fresh produce is exorbitantly high in cost up
drinking water available to avoid dehydration. Try to work
here.” The food greatly helps those families who would
early in the morning or late in the evening. Having your
otherwise not be able to afford fresh vegetables.
youth group assist a community garden takes the pressure
off the leader to sustain a garden on their own when there Winter
are few helpers around. If your outdoor classroom is Late autumn/early winter is garden cleanup time, more
through a school, make sure to create a list of volunteers affectionately known as “putting the garden to bed.” Make
ahead of time to help with summer maintenance—parents, a work day out of it with youth by adding exploration of
seniors, or a local organization. the garden to the agenda. Cut back mint, tie it in bunches,
and hang it to dry for tea. Do a basic seed saving exercise
Mixed Greens offers programs in the Grand Rapids,
by gathering seeds from plants like sunflowers, beans and
Michigan area to teach urban youth about nutrition and
marigolds.
local food. Early summer activities include washing and
harvesting greens and peas for “salad parties,” writing and Visiting a community garden with a hoophouse,
drawing in garden journals, and learning basic plant greenhouse, or cold frames in the winter will show children
identification skills. “Mixed Green students practice closely all year gardening possibilities. Regardless, take them
examining the shape and size of the leaves, gently touching the plant to outside to show them the birds, berries, and buds on trees.
feel the texture of the stem and leaves, smelling the distinct scents of Use gathered pinecones rolled in peanut butter and
basil, mint, and tomato plants,” says Jennifer Getting Jameslyn, birdseed to make birdfeeders.
Program Manager. “We also talk about the water cycle and the The cold weather doesn’t stop the Peace Garden in Salina,
importance of water conservation and we learn the best times and Kansas from having a Christmas party each year, complete
methods for watering our gardens.” with Santa, strings of lights, and homemade ornaments
made by children. Ted Zerger, Coordinator, says, “Some
Two Parkview
years the weather has been miserable, but it takes more than bad
Elementary
School students
weather to dampen the community spirit.”
search for
insects in the For more information
Three Sisters
garden as part Garden Mosaics—a youth community gardening
of a Mixed curriculum developed by Cornell University,
Greens program www.gardenmosaics.org
in Wyoming, MI.
The School Garden Wizard, www.schoolgardenwizard.org
Gardening Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite
Autumn The Edible Schoolyard—a pioneering school garden-
Having a harvest fair to-table program, www.edibleschoolyard.org
may not be a novel Outdoor Activities for Kids by Clare Bradley and
idea, but it’s a great Cecilia Fitzsimons
one. Encourage Rodale Institute curriculum for educators:
parents to use produce from the harvest in recipes, and www.kidsregen.org/educators
have a potluck where guests leave copies of the recipes with
the dish. For Kristin Wenghofer and the community From Generation to Generation—an activity
gardeners at Inuvik Community Greenhouse (two degrees guidebook in Seed Saving
above the Arctic Circle in Northwest Territories, Canada), http://www.fedcoseeds.com/forms/seedschool.pdf
the fall fair happens in August. This is the typical month
for fall harvest, although as Wenghofer, Greenhouse This article was adapted from one that appeared in the
Coordinator, says, “This past year, our fall lasted an unusually January/February issue of Touch the Soil magazine. For
long time—it didn’t snow until October.” Last year, the kids set subscription information, www.touchthesoil.com.
PAGE 10 T H E C O MMU NI T Y GA RDE NER S PRI NG 20 07

(Security, Continued from page 3) spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I
and its sources are controlled by someone else. The condition of the discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting
passive consumer of food is not a democratic condition. One reason to others do for me what I should have done with my own hands.”
eat responsibly is to live free.”
When the next disaster strikes, I may have to do without
In a community garden, we all live a bit more free. And the milk and beer again for a while. City authorities would
free seed programs open this opportunity to many new probably deny me a permit to keep a cow in my small yard,
gardeners every season. and I have no time for another hobby like home brewing.
But to paraphrase Reagan (or was it Heston?) again, they
This taste of freedom is as delicious as the fresh food we
can take away my arugula when they pry it from my cold,
grow. It's hard to feel powerless when you're the midwife
dead hand.
of the amazing process by which a tiny seed turns into a
huge sprawling vine, with giant leaves and heavy pumpkins To read more garden-variety humor, visit John’s website:
that keep you baking breads and pies and cookies all winter www.rakishwit.com.
long. As Emerson put it: “When I go into my garden with a

(Seeds, Continued from page 4) Territorial Seeds – Oregon, excellent catalog,

Seeds of Change − heirlooms,
www.seedsofchange.com
Select – Swiss-based, excellent
varieties, 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 for
Southeast, www.southernexposure.com
Stokes Seed, www.stokeseeds.com
Suttons-UK, www.suttons.co.uk
Terra Edibles − organically grown heirloom seeds,
www.terraedibles.ca
www.territorial-seed.com
Thompson and Morgan-UK, www.thompson-morgan.com
Unwins-UK − UK-based. Large varieties, sweet peas,
www.unwinsdirect.co.uk
Vermont Bean – an amazingly diverse collection of beans,
www.vermontbean.com
Veseys Seed, www.veseys.com
West Coast Seeds, www.westcoastseeds.com
Wilhite Seed – Texas-based, good international collection
too, www.wilhite.com
William Dam Seeds, www.damseeds.com.
Photos courtesy of Amanda Maria Edmonds.
To join ACGA’s free e-list, go to www.communitygarden.org.

(Garden Mosaics, Continued from page 8)

phloem, photosynthesis, and transpiration while creating an My Garden Paths
actual mosaic—bits of tile making up a tabletop modeled
after a stem cross-section. Students take photos and write My garden paths that turn and wind
stories about their Action Projects and post them on the And lead me far from daily grind
Garden Mosaics website. Of tasks not wholly to my mind,
Global Mosaics Are paths of peace.
Because many gardeners who share their knowledge with
youth are immigrants who have brought their agricultural When cares upon me weigh and press
practices with them and adapted them to urban I flee from worry, care and stress.
environments in the U.S., Garden Mosaics already has a Along these paths.
strong “global” flavor. Building on this theme, an
They lead me out to life and light,
international component has been recently added to Garden
Afar from fear's most deadening blight;
Mosaics. In addition, the website’s short program
They lead me up to spirit's height;
description and several Science Pages have been translated
My garden paths.
into Arabic, Russian, and French; many more resources are
available in Spanish. www.globalmosaics.org. By Edith Porter Kimball
As a St. Paul, Minnesota Garden Mosaics participant noted,
“There is so much ‘invisible science’ that happens in gardens. It just
takes a unique combination of people and plants to bring it into view.” (submitted by Ted Zerger, Salina, Kansas)
(Marianne Krasny and Keith Tidball are Director and Associate Director
of the Initiative for Civic Ecology, Department of Natural Resources,
Cornell University. This article was adapted from an article from Cornell
University’s Plantation magazine.)
PAGE 11 T H E C O MMU NI T Y GA RDE NER S PRI NG 20 07

Meet Sarah Alexander

ACGA’s New Program Manager
Coming Soon to a city near you! Now Boarding for Salt Lake
City, Denver, New Orleans, and D.C. Those are just a few of
the places I’ve been in my extremely short time here at
ACGA. 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. It’s
been an exciting three months, and with all of the travel
I’ve been doing it’s been great to get to meet some of the
members and organizations that are doing great work out
there. As Programs Manager I’m in charge of implementing
all of ACGA’s programs, which currently include Growing
Communities Trainings, Garden Mosaics, Monthly
Teleconferences, and a cadre of other projects. So if you
haven’t met me yet, chances are you will sometime soon.
Sarah (2nd to left) participates during Salt Lake City
Growing Communities Workshop.
Coming to ACGA has been great because it gives me an
opportunity to combine my community organizing skills
and my passion for local food and food systems. In
addition, with the new bi-national office in Columbus,
Ohio, it has given me a chance to get back to my roots and
a little bit closer to my immediate and extended family.
While I’m relatively new to the community gardening
world, I do have a lot of experience working on food
issues. I graduated from Northwestern University in 2002,
where I had planted a guerilla garden on campus. After
graduation I worked for a year as a GreenCorps Fellow,
working on campaigns all over the country, which included
campaigns in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and
Chicago. For the last three years I worked with the White
Earth 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, a
sacred grain for the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe) people of the
Great Lakes region. Through that work I also got a chance
to work with the local community on many traditional food
restoration projects including some community gardens.
I’m looking forward to learning more about the community
gardening world, and can’t wait to meet you all at our future
trainings, teleconferences, and at our conference in August!

David King photo

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)
PAGE 12 T H E C O MMU NI T Y GA RDE NER S PRI NG 20 07

Join or Renew with ACGA

Online at www.communitygarden.org/join.php
Membership rates Sampling of the Benefits
Corporate $1,000 Be part of the movement to improve communities throughout the US & Canada
Sustaining $ 500 • Year’s subscription to Rodale’s Organic Gardening
Organization $ 100
Professional $ 50 • 10% discount at Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply
Basic $ 25 • Monthly Teleconference Workshops
Sliding Scale $10—$25

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 Am’t. ________________

American Community Gardening Association

c/o FPC, 1777 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43203

To join or renew with ACGA, go to

www.communitygarden.org/join.php