Friends of Burlington Gardens :: Vermont Community Garden Network

This year, we are officially changing our name from Friends of Burlington Gardens to Vermont Community Garden Network, which has been the name of our statewide program since 2006. This reflects our mission to support the hundreds of garden communities across the state. Meanwhile, our established local programs continue to provide fun, hands-on garden education in Burlington and offer models for the rest of the state and beyond.

In the coming month, be on the lookout for a new logo, a new website, more information about the state's vibrant network of community and school gardens, and new ways for garden leaders to connect to and learn from each other!

The Vermont Community Garden Network (VCGN) was started by Friends of Burlington Gardens as part of its statewide outreach. VCGN includes more than 1,400 individual members representing 200+ Vermont communities.

VCGN builds upon the joint resolution passed by the Vermont legislature in 2004 to support the expansion of community, youth, and school gardening movement statewide.

Vermont Community Garden Network Bulletin
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Vermont Community Garden Network 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.

To subscribe to the VCGN Bulletin, enter your email address in the box at left or email VCGN with your name, mailing address, phone number and your affilliation if applicable (e.g. organization, school, garden project, club, or group.)

We welcome comments and suggestions for the VCGN Bulletin. Send your garden news and events to share with our growing network of more than 1,400 school and community gardeners all over the state. Please include a web page link to help direct readers to the information source.

VCGN Bulletin Archive:

March 2013
March 2013 - Grow It!
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
December 2012 - Annual Appeal
September 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
January 2012
December 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
June 2011

Federal funding for school community gardens

Senator Bernie Sanders secured federal funding to establish a state-wide, school-based summer gardening initiative that teaches Vermont children and youths how to grow fresh produce using land on or adjacent to school campuses. Friends of Burlington Gardens administered the statewide pilot program as a model for similar programs in other states. Forty School Community Gardens around the state received technical assistance and up to $1,000 for tools and infrastructure improvements. For more information, including photos and reports from the schools, click on School Community Gardens.

VCGN mini-grant programs Flynn beds

The Vermont Community Garden Network Mini-grant Program began in 2006. Since its first grant cycle, $43,000 in mini-grants funds have been awarded by Friends of Burlington Gardens to support 188 school and community gardens in Vermont. The program was made possible through generous funding from The Bay and Paul Foundations and the Ben & Jerry's Foundation.

Thanks to a generous Irene Recovery Fund grant from the Vermont Community Foundation with additional support from the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont, FBG offered a new grant program in 2012 to help rebuild flooded gardens. Click here for more information.

BIG NEWS!