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Vermont Community Garden Network Bulletin
June 2012
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Grow Your Own Sweet Potatoes
Champlain Valley Sweet Potato Slip Sale June 9 & 10 at Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg 
Although sweet potatoes are not native to the Green Mountain State, they are an ideal crop for Champlain Valley gardeners with sandy, silty, or loam soil. Their origin is thought to be in Central or South America and they have been domesticated for nearly 5,000 years. In the United States, the sweet potato has a presidential legacy: George Washington grew sweet potatoes on his farmland in Mount Vernon, Virginia.
In addition to their rich heritage, sweet potatoes offer unique health benefits! They are loaded with vitamins A, C and E - antioxidants that can help prevent heart disease and cancer, bolster the immune system and even slow aging by promoting good vision and healthy skin.
Satisfy your sweet potato gardening fix and support Friends of Burlington Gardens at Red Wagon Plants on June 9th and 10th. The slips are all potted, fully rooted and ready for planting in your garden or farm!
Slips are 3 to a pot for $5. Buy 4 pots and get 1 free. Call 802-861-4769 for more info.
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FBG's "Lettuce Garden!" and "Turnip the Beet" marathon teams included, from left, Kevin Mailepors, Aziza Malik, Meg Perkins Ames, Jess Hyman, Kit Perkins, Bart Westdijk, and Amanda Goldstein. (Not pictured, Kelly Dousevicz, Anne Marie Santos, and Julie Sigler.)
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Thank You for Supporting our
Run for the Gardens!
Friends of Burlington Gardens had two Relay Teams in the 2012 Vermont City Marathon on May 27.
It was a great day. The "Lettuce Garden!" team of Kit Perkins, Anne Marie Santos, Julie Sigler, Kelly Dousevicz, and Kevin Mailepors had a time of 3:59:00, finishing 283rd out of 724 teams. The "Turnip the Beet" team of Jess Hyman, Amanda Goldstein, Bart Westdijk, Meg Perkins Ames, and Aziza Malik finished in 4:09:21 - and that included the 10 minutes that Bart spent helping an injured runner near Oakledge Park. That's what the "community" in community gardens is all about!
Click HERE to see more photos from race day.
The teams raised more than $2,000 for FBG's local garden education programs.
Thank you to all the runners and contributors!
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We've Moved to the Old North End!
Friends of Burlington Gardens & the Vermont Community Garden Network is settling into new space in the Old North End of Burlington. The move brings us closer to our Community Teaching Garden and Healthy City program sites and makes our office and resources more accessible.
We are thrilled to be in the vibrant and creative Old North End, home to a wonderful mix of people, shops, restaurants, and services.
Our new office is at 12-22 North. The solar-powered building and renewable energy technology demonstration center also houses Vermont Smart Resource Institute, DC Energy Innovations, NRG Solar, United Somali Community Council, and Richard Gliech Translator.
COME ON OVER TO SAY HELLO and be on the lookout for an invitation to an open house later this summer.
* Are you a City Market Member Worker with a penchant for landscaping? We're looking for some volunteer help with the gardens at our new space. Contact Jess for more info. *
Please note that our new mailing address is 12 North St. #5, Burlington, VT 05401. Our website (www.burlingtongardens.org) and phone number (802-861-4769) remain the same.
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FBG's Hand-picked Events for June!
Here's a sampling of garden-related events from around the state. Please visit the websites of our friends and partners listed below for more events.
June 9-10: Masonry for Farm and Garden at Willow Crossing Farm, Johnson: Stone-work for microclimates, terraces, retaining walls, etc. with Dan Bermingham of Small Axe Land Care and Anthony McCarthy. More Info
June 9 & 10: 4th Annual Sweet Potato Slip Sale, 8 am - 6 pm at Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg:Yep, you can even grow sweet potatoes in Vermont! $5 for 3 rooted slips Bulk available upon request. Fundraising supports FBG's educational programs. More Info
June 15: Strawberry Jam Canning: 6:00pm - 7:30pm at The Sustainability Academy: Join Robin Berger in making and canning everyone's favorite, strawberry jam. Take home your own fresh jar. $5 for City Market members, $10 for non-members. Register
June 21: Summer Solstice Celebration: 7 pm at All Together Now in East Montpelier: Join in celebrating with an opening circle, community pot luck, music, performances, bonfires. More Info
June 24: Brandon Community Dinner: 4-7 pm at Neshobe Farm, Brandon: Picnic-style potluck dinner with a barn dance afterward! More Info
June 25: Urban Herb Walk: 5:00pm - 6:00pm at City Market: Walk through and identify common medicinal plants in the urban jungle of Burlington with Guido Masé, co-founder of the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism in Montpelier. Free! Register
June 27 - July 3: Whole Thinking Retreat at Knoll Farm, Fayston, VT. Retreat will develop a shared vision for how the relationship between people and the land can become a more effective force in creating a healthy and just American culture. More Info
June 28: The Necessary (r)Evolution for Sustainable Food Systems Conference: 1pm - 6:30pm, UVM: Public viewing at theater is full, communities can sign up to host viewing parties for this series of "Tedx-like" talks discussing an unfolding food revolution. Hosting Info
More Garden Events Friends of Burlington Gardens and Vermont Community Garden Network events Burlington Permaculture events and workshops City Market workshops Red Wagon Plants workshops and events NOFA-VT events and workshops Perry's Perennials events listing Friends of the Hort Farm Rutland Area Farm and Food Link events Addison County Relocalization Network events UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture events Center for an Agricultural Economy events |
Summer Grant Opportunities!
Garden Flood Relief Grants
* Deadline Extended to Friday, June 15 *
Grants for any community or school group whose garden was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene flooding as well as groups who wish to start new gardens in flood-affected communities. Grants of $300-$600 available for soil rebuilding, infrastructure repair and building new gardens. More Info
USDA Farm to School Grant
Deadline: Friday, June 15
Grants to support the planning and implementation of Farm to School efforts that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. More Info
Nature Hills Nursery Green America Award
Deadline: Sunday, June 17 Awarded to nonprofit groups and organizations greening their communities, parks, schools and public spaces by planting trees, shrubs and other plants. More Info 2013 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Awards Deadline: Friday, June 29 For grassroots organizations working to transform their communities through healthy food access and social and economic justice. More Info
Healthy Living Grants, Cabot Creamery
Rolling Application Deadline For schools with matching funds seeking to improve kids' health through exercise, nutrition and/or information. Up to $200. More Info |
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The VCGN Bulletin provides garden-based news, resources, and events for community, school, and neighborhood gardeners and garden organizers all over the state on a monthly basis. For more frequent updates and a fun way to post your own news, garden photos, videos, and events, check us out on Facebook and Twitter. We welcome comments and suggestions for the VCGN Bulletin. Don't forget to send in your garden news and events to share with our growing network of more than 1,300 school and community gardeners all over the state. Please include a web page link to help direct readers to the information source. The Vermont Community Garden Network is hosted by Friends of Burlington Gardens, a nonprofit organization supporting school, community and neighborhood gardens in Burlington and across Vermont. For more information, visit our web site at www.burlingtongardens.orgor contact FBG at:
Friends of Burlington Gardens
12 North St. #5
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 861-4769
We'd love to hear from you!
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