Supporting community and school gardens in Vermont.
“What happens to all these lovely school gardens in the most bountiful months of the summer, when school is out and there is no one to tend them?” Kathleen Kesson poses this often-asked question in an excellent article found in Seven Days Kids. Experience tells us that the answer boils down to two areas: 1) […]
Free workshops on growing your own food and other sustainable gardening practices taking place at the Intervale in Burlington!
Every year VCGN is blessed by a energetic and creative team of garden educators–this year is no exception! Our seasonal staff for 2021 come to us from across the state and will be supporting gardeners and leading programming in Chittenden, Addison and Washington Counties. In addition to this dynamic team we will also have garden […]
We finally have what our Network has been asking for: a list of the places gardeners in our Network frequent and the people they turn to to help make their garden grow each season. A big thanks to all who’ve contributed to this growing list! Click here to get ideas for where to find resources […]
Seed swapping has long served as a way to not only gather the seeds you need for the coming season, but more significantly as a way to share and preserve culture. When we share and plant each other’s seeds we honor the food and the grower and bring their stories to life. Even in these […]
You’ve come to the right place for help growing veggies – in shared spaces or your own backyard! Bookmark and visit often for tips, resources and conversations about gardening. Receive weekly emails about what’s happening in the garden throughout the season (planting, composting, pests, harvests & more). Sign up for our monthly newsletter with stories, […]
Many people turned to gardening this season as a simple act of hope–to plant a seed is to bring life. Others sought out a new hobby to combat the idleness of this “pause” and commune in the great outdoors. And many more saw the potential of gardens to address freshly exposed realities, long-lived and new, […]
Stay up-to-date on the latest resources and news regarding the COVID-19 virus by visiting VCGN’s Facebook page and/or joining our Facebook group. Check out the following guidelines and scroll to the bottom of this page for more resources to help you navigate this challenging time. These guidelines are based on current information we have on […]
We are pleased to announce a new collaboration with New Farms for New Americans! Improving Lands, Improving Lives is a 3-year project to enhance and facilitate a comprehensive agriculture program on food systems, nutrition and a first-ever leadership and mentorship training program for new American farmers. VCGN will work with NFNA and farmers enrolled in their program […]
This challenging return to the school year brings inevitable worries for everyone involved–students, parents, teachers, administrators. In the world of outdoor education and garden learning we see an incredible opportunity to bring learning outside not only to address social distancing, but also give students the rich experience of learning from the outdoor world. However, to […]
A harvest distribution day at a collective garden looks like this: a basket full of onions, winter squash lined up on a table and jars of dahlias. We believe collective gardening is an opportunity to increase access to fresh food and overcome barriers to growing food. And YOU can join this movement! We are looking to our community to help us kickstart a second collective garden in Burlington this season:
🌻 Starr Farm in the New North End - next to the dog park, playground, bike path and lake access - is where we are planting this new garden.
🌱 We are welcoming ten garden members to join the collective garden this season by offering ten full scholarships.
🍅 Applications are open! Link in bio.
Job announcement: we are hiring a Garden Apprentice to join us from May through October! We`ve welcomed stellar apprentices in the past, like Carolyn and Jade who are photographed in this post.
The full job description, including hours and compensation, is linked in our bio.
Join us March 20th @savoytheatervt for a community event featuring a showing of the award-winning #regenerativeagriculture documentary, Common Ground, followed by a community conversation with Montpelier area #healthysoil advocates. Doors open at 5.30pm Film at 6pm.
🎟️ Buy tickets at savoytheater.com 🎟️ or follow link on our website
We are so very much looking forward to the @nofavermont Winter Conference on Saturday 2/17, and we hope to see you there!
During Workshop Session 2, we`ll be facilitating a panel along with our friends and collaborators from @new_farms_for_new_americans and @ujamaafarms. The photos shared in this post capture a tiny peek into the work we`ve been doing with NFNA farmers over the past 3 years to identify crops that are culturally meaningful, improve growing practices, and save seeds for a community seed library. During the workshop, we`ll be listening to seed stories and reflecting on culturally meaningful crops.
VGN will also be tabling in the exhibitors`s hall, stop by to say hi!
Grow alongside our plant friends and other aspiring gardeners and register for this year`s Thriving Gardens Course 🌱
The Thriving Gardens Course is a hands-on garden course that guides you through the entire growing season. Get inspired by reading through testimonies from Thrive graduates 🌞 then go to the link in our bio to read more and sign up today to take advantage of the early bird discount (extended to 2/19).
We are currently hiring for three part-time, seasonal positions to expand our Growing Food, Growing Communities program at affordable housing sites. Application deadline is February 23.
Learn more and apply at the link in our bio!
Take advantage of our early bird registration discount and register for the Thriving Gardens Course before 2/12! Learn everything you need to know about the course at the link in our bio 🌱
(Photo of `23 Thrive grad, planning out her direct seeding layout for leaf and root crops! )
There are three weeks left to apply for this year`s Fruit and Nut Tree Grant!
The goals of the program are:
🌳 To increase public access to fruit and nut trees across Vermont, particularly at sites serving underserved populations
🌳 To ensure survival and proper care of these trees through technical assistance, educational offerings, and resource sharing.
🌳 To develop and share success stories and best practices for community fruit and nut tree planting, care and use.
Go to our website (link in bio) to review the various guides we`ve created to determine if this opportunity is right for you. We look forward to hearing from you!
As always, a BIG thank you to our partners @branchoutburlington and @vtforestsparksrecreation
In late November we read through Margaret Roach’s article in the NYTimes “This Seed Season, Consider a Catalog That Takes a Different Approach”, and felt inspired to share our complementary version of some of our favorite seed catalogs. We’ve included brief descriptions of seed companies that made our list and links to online catalogs for easy browsing. We wish you many hours of seed catalogue browsing this month! Link in bio 🌱
It’s that time of the year when gardeners dive into seed catalogs and decide what they’ll grow this season. For those of you managing a tight household budget this year, coordinating a community-based project, supporting mutual aid initiatives and wondering where to source seeds: VGN’s Seed Donation Bundles are a great place to start. Follow the link in our bio to request a bundle while supplies last!
📣 Registration is open for our Thriving Gardens Course ! This course will,
🌱 Teach you how to grow veggies, flowers, herbs from start to finish through weekly - in the garden - classes May-October
🌱 Teach you how to use what you grow through monthly workshops e.g. fermentation, fabric dyeing, medicinal salves
🌱 Connect you to your community and environment
🌱 Provide all resources needed to grow your own fresh, homegrown veggies for your family, friends and neighbors
🌱 Boost confidence and a sense of purpose
....And so much more
WE LOVE THIS COURSE AND YOU WILL TOO! Learn more about course details and how to sign up at the link in our bio ☀️
(Photo featuring the class of 2023 listening to UVM Professor Vic Izzo, one of our guest speakers, discussing Integrated Pest Management)
The 2024 Fruit & Nut Grant is officially OPEN. Review the grant preparation guide and site assessment resources and APPLY NOW! (link in bio)
The goal of the grant is to increase public access to fruit and nut trees across the state, particularly at sites serving underserved populations. Planting fruit & nut trees not only provides better access to fresh fruit and nuts, but it offers an opportunity for connection through collective growing and education, as well as enhances community gathering spaces. This grant is in partnership with the VT Urban & Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) and has received financial and technical support from Branch Out Burlington!.
VGN is excited to announce a 3rd year of the Fruit & Nut Tree Grant! This grant is in partnership with the VT Urban & Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) and has received financial and technical support from @branchoutburlington . The goal of the grant is to increase public access to fruit and nut trees across the state, particularly at sites serving underserved populations. Planting fruit & nut trees not only provides better access to fresh fruit and nuts, but it offers an opportunity for connection through collective growing and education, as well as enhances community gathering spaces. The 2024 grant application will open the first week of January (three weeks away!) - keep an eye out on our website/socials for more information on grant guidelines, timeline, and how to apply.
In the meantime, get inspired by learning more about last year’s grantees and their projects at the link in our bio.
The @branchoutburlington 17th Annual Tree sale is here! 🌳
Pre-order now for Spring pick up. Branch Out Burlington! is offering bare-root trees at affordable prices.
Choose from many varieties of beautiful trees for shade, fruit, flowers, and fall color.
All the trees are 5-6 feet tall, branched. Don`t delay these trees always sell out very early. For tree photos, descriptions, and to order online, go to the link in our bio!
Questions? call or text Kyle 802 825 4505 or email BOBtreesale@gmail.com
Proceeds from the sale support tree donations to schools and non-profits In Vermont (including VGN!), and to produce trees in the community for planting along Burlington`s streets.
Temps are low and mountains are covered in snow! ❄️ For many of us gardeners, winter is a time for rest, reflection, and for planning the season ahead. Any growth at this time of year is usually from within ourselves - unless one partakes in growing microgreens! 🌱 Whether you have a full grow light setup in your basement or an empty window sill, growing some nutritious microgreens right in your home is simple, financially viable, and adds some much needed vibrancy.
Follow the link in our bio to learn more!
The Sowing Seeds Internship is an opportunity for hands-on learning to support food access and garden education at the Vermont Garden Network. The internship will offer a unique opportunity to experience and support a handful of programs through administrative support and field work during a time of year when we are gearing up for the growing season ahead. The ideal candidate will skillfully assist with office-related tasks in late winter, then seamlessly transition to physical garden work in early spring, and joyfully wrap up the internship during peak planting time in late spring. Independent work and community-based work are both part of this internship.
January 22 to May 31 // 8 hrs per week
Link in bio with the full internship description!
We are excited to share transitions and transformations happening at our mighty organization!
After six years at the helm, our fearless leader, Michelle Gates, will be moving on to pursue new opportunities in the field of nonprofit education. This bittersweet moment is a time to reflect on and appreciate the tremendous amount of work Michelle has done for VGN, garden education and advocacy, and statewide food access, food justice and food security, nutrition, and wellness. No words can fully express the deep gratitude we all feel for the leadership, expertise, dedication, and thoughtfulness that Michelle brought to VGN.
This fall marks a time for great transformation at VGN. As Michelle transitions to a new role, our team is moving towards a shared leadership model as we introduce two Co-Executive Directors – a Director of Programs & Partnerships and a Director of Philanthropy & Communications. We are thrilled to announce that Carolina Lukac, VGN’s Garden Education Manager of 8 years, is bringing her wealth of knowledge and experience into the role of Director of Programs & Partnerships! Carolina’s vision for this work, her ability to make thoughtful and intentional connections with both individuals and groups in this space, and her dedication to garden education and access will propel VGN towards more positive growth.
Thank you for your critical support of the Vermont Garden Network. We are nothing without our network of gardeners, funders, partners and supporters, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate on the many exciting things our future has in store. The Board of Directors and Staff are leading a search for the position of Co-Executive Director, Director of Philanthropy & Communications. Please see the job posting in our bio and share with your networks to help us find the perfect fit for our organization.
Students of our 6 month long, Thriving gardens course, have officially completed 24 weeks of hands on learning and gardening! We finished the course with a sweet potato harvest 🍠 and garlic planting 🧄. The garlic that`s been planted this October will be harvested and enjoyed by next year`s class : )
For graduation we shared a potluck, thoughtful class reflections and many hugs. Everyone enjoyed their gifts of lemon balm glycerate, marshmallow root for tea and seeds for next year`s gardens 🌞
A lot happens in six months time from moving, marriage, engagements, new jobs, and babies being born ! This year we experienced it all, each of us growing alongside each other and the plants we were tending to with love & care🌱
VGN is seeking a Co-Executive Director of Philanthropy & Communications
The Co-Executive Director of Philanthropy & Communications is part of a shared leadership structure that governs the operations and program delivery of the Vermont Garden Network. This position reports to the Board or Directors and collaborates with the Co-Executive Director of Programs & Partnerships to educate, support and connect gardeners across the state of Vermont.
View the job description and how to apply at the link in our bio!
Today`s garlic planting at Seedsong is a symbol of our hopes and dreams for the season ahead. Because this growing season was rough. We worked hard, we laughed, we cried, and still, we continued on as a gardening collective. We invite you to scroll through photos that will take you on the journey of our growing season, highlighting memorable moments and sharing a glimpse into one of VGN`s garden education programs where growing food has grown a tight knit community of gardeners. Captions for each photo are included below, and continue in the comments.
April: One of our goals is to extend the season as long as possible with the minimal infrastructure we have in a small-scale market garden. Overwintering spinach, mache and claytonia allows us to offer garden members harvest in early Spring.
April: We finally got our hands on a tilther to try out user-friendly machinery for low-till market gardening. Our friends at the @intervalecenter lent us their tilther to make the most beautiful, evenly amended, smooth, perfectly sized market garden beds.
May: Every year we dedicate funds and extra effort to a garden improvement project. This year we installed a metal fence to prevent deer from devouring our crops. The timeless saying "many hands make light work" guides our collective organizing and we are immensely grateful for the many hands that helped us put up the fence.
May: Among the 19 garden members of Seedsong, we likely have over 100 photos of beautiful harvest! Here is one of our early season delights: overwintered spinach and purple asparagus spears. Our work-trade agreement with members is that everyone works a 2hr weekly shift in the garden in exchange for whatever is harvestable at the moment.
(continued in comments)
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