Friends of Burlington Gardens :: Vermont Community Garden Network

Friends of Burlington Gardens & the Vermont Community Garden Network
creating, enhancing, and preserving community gardens for all


Explore our organization	Learn about our programs	Access garden resources	News, events, and archives

Quick links about our organization

FBG's 2009 Annual Report

Sponsors and partners

FBG's board, staff, and volunteers

Calendar of programs and events

Friends of Burlington Gardens
our local and statewide mission mission

to increase public access to community gardening resources

to develop outreach, education, and service-learning programs to cultivate and sustain community-based gardens

to ensure that underserved groups have equal opportunities for community, school, and neighborhood gardening

to cultivate political support for community-based gardening through networking, advocacy, and activism

Our vision for Burlington and Vermont

Friends of Burlington Gardens envisions a vibrant local food system where Vermonters of all ages experience the benefits of community, school, and neighborhood gardening and become healthier through improved diets, exercise, and positive social interactions.

How we accomplish our mission

Through citywide and statewide advocacy, we help people to envision and support a thriving network of community-based gardens accessible to Vermonters of diverse ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.
Through partnerships with Master Gardeners, nonprofit organizations, parks and recreation departments, schools and colleges, and civic and faith-based groups, we empower people through gardening.

Through the www.burlingtongardens.org web site, we share information and resources, locally and globally, to foster a supportive climate for community, school, and neighborhood gardening.

Through local and statewide workshops, trainings, and networking, we offer technical assistance to individuals and groups working to establish sustainable community-based gardens.

Through garden-based education and outreach programs, we help the people of our city and state to build self-reliance and interdependence through community gardening.
Through support of anti-hunger initiatives, we encourage gardeners to give back by sharing their garden produce, skills, knowledge, and dedication with others.

Our History

In the fall of 1992, four Burlington Area Community Gardens board members, Karen Halverson, Lisa Halvorsen, Charlie Nardozzi, and Jim Flint, formed "Friends of Starr Farm Community Garden" to establish and coordinate a one acre community garden in Burlington's New North End.

Its mission accomplished, Friends of Starr Farm Community Garden evolved into "Friends of Burlington Area Community Gardens" (FBACG) to support the expansion of community gardening in Burlington. From 1996 to 1999, the grassroots group helped found the Children's Discovery Garden, Rock Point Community Garden, and the Wheelock Farm Community Garden.

Friends of Burlington Area Community Gardens incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in November 2001, hired Jim Flint as executive director, and began working formally to strengthen community gardening in Burlington.

FBACG shortened its name in 2003 to "Friends of Burlington Gardens" (FBG) and expanded outreach to include community, neighborhood, school, and accessible gardening projects in Burlington.

In 2005, FBG launched the Vermont Community Garden Network (VCGN) to support community and school garden projects across Vermont. The success of the statewide initiative prompted Friends of Burlington Gardens to move in 2006 to an upstairs office at 180 Flynn Avenue in Burlington's South End (photo left).

Since 2006, Friends of Burlington Gardens has awarded more than $50,000 in mini-grants benefiting 200 community, school, and neighborhood garden projects locally and statewide.

In November 2009, FBG expanded its youth garden outreach by adopting the Healthy City Program, which was coordinated by the Intervale Center from 2002-2009. Healthy City director Jenn McGowan transitioned from the Intervale Center and has joined FBG's staff as full time program director for the new Healthy City Youth Initiative.

Friends of Burlington Gardens & the

Vermont Community Garden Network
180 Flynn Avenue Studio 3
PO Box 4504
Burlington, Vermont 05406-4504
802-861-GROW
www.burlingtongardens.org

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