Community Gardening Organizing Seminar - Wednesday May 6th

The Victory Garden Project at Freedom Boulevard invites the community to a free seminar focusing on community garden development presented by Betsy Johnson. Betsy Johnson is a nationally recognized authority on community gardens and serves on the executive board of the American Community Gardening Association . Additionally, she is the president of the South End/Lower Roxbury Open Space Land Trust, which manages 16 community gardens and pocket parks in Boston. Betsy has been active in the community gardening movement for more than 20 years and previously worked for Garden Futures and the Boston Natural Areas Network.

The seminar will take place at the warming house at 224 Brock Ave. in New Bedford at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, May 6^th. Community Members interested in a garden plot at the Community Victory Garden at Freedom Boulevard and those involved in other community garden projects are especially encouraged to attend.

The Victory Garden Project at Freedom Boulevard begin in 2008; when community members took the initial steps, including testing to assure the safety of the soil, to develop a garden at Victory Park in the south end. New Bedford resident Chuck Dade, interim garden steward for the project, is acting as an agent to follow through with last year's efforts. With a focus on expediting the development of a garden at the site, Mr. Dade contacted Betsy Johnson and invited her to visit New Bedford and share her expertise with the community. One hope for Wednesday’s seminar will be to identify community members interested in taking leadership roles in the new garden project(s) and to get volunteers to help prep the land for planting this June.

Community Gardens are springing up throughout the Southcoast as a step to increasing food security in tough economic times. Spurred by the recent installment of a vegetable garden at the Whitehouse, gardening continues to enjoy a revival throughout the country. Additionally, gardeners can produce food with the knowledge of exactly how their fruits and vegetables were grown; and thereby address growing food safety concerns.

For additional information please contact Chuck Dade, Interim Steward, Community Victory Garden at Freedom Boulevard, 508-999-0691, cdade@newbedfordopen.com.