Community Gardens in the News and Conference

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People who went to the conference got to hear this already most likely,
but here's the good news below.

Anything else to share from the conference?

COMMUNITY GARDENS GET BOOST FROM NEW COORDINATORS
WASHINGTON, DC, September 8, 2000 (ENS) - Agriculture
Secretary Dan Glickman has named a Community Gardening
Coordinator for each state and Puerto Rico to provide advice
on establishing or expanding community gardens. "Community
Gardens not only produce fresh fruits and vegetables; they
can also help create more livable communities by replacing
vacant and often trash-filled lots with productive green
spaces," said Glickman, in videotaped remarks prepared for
the American Community Gardening Association conference in
Atlanta. "These gardening projects can be vital for
communities, so I have selected coordinators in each state
to help faith based organizations, nonprofit groups, state
and local governments, and individuals create or expand
gardens in their neighborhoods."
The coordinators will offer information and technical
assistance to nonprofit groups, Indian tribes, school
districts, private businesses, individuals and state, local
and federal agencies. They will offer advice on site
location and planning, what and when to plant, soil surveys,
soil conservation, volunteer recruitment and links with
government agencies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has
provided technical assistance, national publicity, and
limited seed money to local gardening projects, and has
created a gardening web site, www.gardening.usda.gov
<http://www.gardening.usda.gov> . "Community gardens can
bring people together, enhance communities and help fight
hunger," said Glickman." And by giving schoolchildren a
chance to plant and care for community gardens, we offer
them a healthy and productive way to have fun and help
improve their neighborhoods." A list of the coordinators is
available at: http://www.reeusda.gov/food_security/SCGC.htm

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