Comments from the TV project coordinator

Dear Gardeners,

Kay Richardson here, the one who it seems has stirred up a bit of debate in this group. I'm going to write a bit here so if you don't have much time just cut to the last few paragraphs for the final comments.

As I've never participated in a list serve before I don't know if the controversy over my request for help in finding gardens to showcase on TV is a typical kind of debate in the group or not. It was a spontaneous act on my part. I needed help and I found your site.....Jan, our producer was even upset when I told her, as we haven't sold the show yet and here I am blabbing to, who knows, how many strangers.....? In this biz apparently, discretion is most important.

But first of all I want to express my gratitude again to all of you who have sent me info and ideas. I truly have been overwhelmed by it and not able to answer everyone yet. Also, it has inspired me tremendously. Community gardens are one of the most integrated ways of bringing positive life force and healing to communities that I have ever seen__on so many levels. I have nothing but awe and respect for all your work.

Next, I want to assure you that we are all on the same team. I believe so anyway. We all want to see a more sustainable way of life become a reality. We don't have time to waste. Most of you are doing it by really digging into the Earth and making it flourish. Jan and I are doing it by trying to break into mainstream media and tell a story that people in the red and the blue states can agree on__we know that if we can frame it wisely, we can do that.

Jan, is Janice Kaplan and her production company is Prime Cut Productions. She has had a very viable small production company for over 20 years.It is commercially oriented, but her heart has been longing for more substance. She has been my close friend since we were in seventh grade! We are no longer young but still very creative together and have collaborated again with this project. We both care deeply about the state of the planet and have committed to doing our best to use media for the common good. Profit has always been a secondary motivator here. I would be thrilled if we could make a decent living for a year or so from this venture. If we sell more ideas we might keep income flowing...hurrah!!

I am a kind of generalist in the subject of sustainable design. I have a BA degree in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community, which I completed two years ago, after years in two other careers. I am a passionate generalist however and rather a risk taker I suppose__so I have thrown my fate to the wind in the form of giving myself to this all the way__we have no financial support yet. My savings are dwindling fast but there are promising signs. We have some great allies and contacts here in LA. Our promo/pilot looks pretty good. We have some fantastic advisors on board. It could happen.

We are trying to do a showcase on homes, gardens and communities, designed sustainably. Sustainability 101 if you will__If we can succeed with this perhaps we will be able to develop more in depth programs. We have many 'pipeline ideas' and one of them that I would love to see happen is related to community gardens.

We will be pitching this in January. I will let you all know how it goes. If we are successful we will promote your work in any way we can__though showcasing, website links and perhaps a show devoted to community gardens.

Anyone that we might work with should feel confidant that an arrangement of mutual respect would be assured. This is not about exploitation. It's about collaboration. We need to collaborate__and I understand why there is suspicion about anything to do with the media.....but as I said, I believe we are all on the same team here.

As for paying dues. I would be happy to join. Give me a minute though. I feel a bit swamped.

My final comment is that I will step out of this controversy and the obligation of reading comments or responding. I have to stay focused on putting everything together for our January pitch. I will certainly be contacting some of you who wrote and keeping a file on those who I don't call now, for future possibilities.

Thanks Deborah Mills for your input from a small producer's perspective. I really appreciated your overview of why this is such a hard thing to do. Thanks for everyone's input. I think it was an interesting discussion. And by the way, after reading all the incredible responses I received from you all, Jan has forgiven me for my 'indiscretion' and is very, very excited about all the projects she learned of. Thank you!!!! Kay


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