 April 2022 Garden Events Submit your garden related event to our calendar. Check frequently for VGN and partner events, workshops, webinars, courses and conferences! See what’s coming up on our Statewide Garden Calendar  Fund Your Garden Visit our website for a regularly updated list of garden-related grants. Find upcoming grants on our Garden Grants page Connect with Fellow Garden Coordinators Our closed Facebook group is a forum for your garden management questions, and a platform to swap resources and share stories. Join the conversation!  Announcing our 2022 Vermont Fruit & Nut Tree Grant Awardees! The recipients are 20 organizations and volunteer groups connected with growing spaces at community gardens, community farms, schools, housing communities, libraries, non-profits, and more – serving people across Vermont. A big thanks to this year’s grantees, and all of those who applied, for the work you’re doing to get more fruit and nut trees and shrubs into community spaces! These plantings mean sustenance for pollinators and other wildlife, carbon sinks to combat climate change, opportunities for people to learn about where food comes from, and more access to fruits and nuts in our communities. Visit our website to learn more, to see a list of 2022 grantees, and access related resources. This is a collaboration between the Vermont Garden Network and the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program with additional funding from Branch Out Burlington.  Get Involved, Get Inspired Climate Changing GardeningVermont Garden Network presents a virtual panel discussion on the impacts of climate change on gardening (and gardeners) through a food security lens. How do we mitigate consequences and make adjustments to be successful food growers and responsible stewards of the earth? Wednesdays, April 6, 13, 20 (6-7:30pm) via zoom. Panelists will discuss experience and strategies, and answer questions from attendees. Register here; you may join one or all. These sessions will be recorded and shared.  Spend a Day in the Dirt, April 30 or May 7 Join us for the 10th annual Day in the Dirt, VGN’s largest fundraising and service event of the year. Volunteer for a garden team and gather to help with a project at one of 18 community gardens across the state. You can also fundraise to support participating gardens and VGN’s state-wide grant and educational programs. Find a garden site to volunteer for and/or support here. Community Growing Idea Swap: Prepare for the season! Hooray! The GARDENING SEASON is upon us! Join us online for one of two dates: Wednesday, May 11, 4:30-6:00pm or Thursday, May 12, 6:00-7:30pm, for a conversation with fellow community-based garden organizers, gardeners and enthusiasts to prepare for the upcoming season! Glean inspiration from exciting new garden projects. Swap ideas, discuss solutions, and celebrate the return of the season with others gardening in community. Get your gardening questions answered in preparation for the season. Gather resources to help set your garden project up for success. Please register by Monday, May 9th, so we can gather important information prior to the event and send you the Zoom link to join us! Free and open to anyone interested! More info and online registration available on our website. Community Teaching Garden Course: Burlington The Community Teaching Garden Course is a unique garden education program to teach adults how to grow their own food in a fun, supportive, and cooperative learning environment. The 6-month long course (Wednesdays 5:30-7:30pm) follows the rhythm of the growing season through lessons and hands-on garden work. Learn how to plant, cultivate, & harvest produce from your own 4’x20′ garden bed and expand your learning during monthly make-and-take workshops (2nd Saturday of each month) featuring herbalism, plant dyeing, and food preservation. Follow this link for details, course fee, scholarship opportunities, and online registration.  Thirsty? Stop by Stowe Cider during the month of April and pick up a crowler of delicious small batch cider (we recommend the Electric Currant). $1 from every crowler sold in the taproom will benefit VGN as a staff-selected organization. Plus you’ll get a free packet of seeds with each crowler purchased!  Need Groceries? Shop at City Market during the month of April and Rally for Change! By rounding up to the next dollar at check-out you’re supporting VGN, Feeding Chittenden and Burlington City Arts. Plus you’ll meet friendly, knowledgeable staff dedicated to providing the highest quality products and a thoughtful selection of unique products for every palate. Network Asks & Opportunities The Kids Garden Online Community is a FREE online community for gardeners like you. Teachers using a school garden as a classroom, families growing herbs on a windowsill, Master Gardeners volunteering in an after-school program, community garden organizers creating activities for kids—however you garden with kids, this community is for you! This is your place to ask questions, make connections, access resources, learn from each other, and stay inspired. Together, we will create change for our kids, communities, and the planet. Join the conversation! KFH’s Farmer Apprenticeship program is a 6-month paid opportunity for one or two people who are looking to gain the experience, knowledge, and practical skills needed to run their own regenerative, community-oriented market garden. The program is set to begin in April or May, depending on the apprentice(s) availability, so interested folks are encouraged to apply ASAP. Applicants should be seriously considering a career in (or directly related to) farming or local food systems. Because housing in the area can be difficult to come by, potential apprentices will need to have or find housing nearby to Bradford, NH and have reliable transportation. Experience on a farm is a plus but isn’t required. Preference will be given to underrepresented groups in the community. To learn more, visit https://www.kearsargefoodhub.org/farmer-apprenticeship Join the Movement! Gardens for Hope & Health In this uncertain time, gardens help heal by providing hope, resiliency and food! Many more Vermonters are seeking help to start gardens and we are working to provide resources for people at home and in the community. If you can, please make a donation today so more people can grow their own food and build healthier futures. Click here to donate now  |