[SusDet Announce] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PRESERVING COMMUNITY GARDENS FOR FUTURE DETROITERS

[Lindsay Turpin]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
   
  Contact: Ashley Atkinson, The Greening of Detroit
  Phone: 313-237-8736
  Email: aatkinso at umich.edu
  Website: www.detroitagriculture.org
   
  January 9, 2007
                 
   
  The Garden Resource Program Collaborative kicks off 2007 with a special presentation: 
PRESERVING COMMUNITY GARDENS FOR FUTURE DETROITERS
   
  Detroit, Michigan – The Garden Resource Program Collaborative will host “Preserving Community Gardens for Future Detroiters” a special presentation of their Detroit Urban Garden Education Series. This presentation will feature stories from cities like Boston and Chicago where residents and community-based organizations are using land trusts to preserve community gardens and open space as well as information about Michigan’s unique land bank legislation to achieve similar ends. Panelists include Betsy Johnson, Executive Director of American Community Gardening Association, Jonathan Jarosz & Johanna Garsenstein, Land Trust Alliance and Katy Locker, Coalition for a Detroit Land Bank. The presentation will be held at Catherine Ferguson Academy, Thursday, January 18th from 6-8PM. Catherine Ferguson Academy is located at 2750 Selden (just north of MLK Blvd & Lawton intersection).
   
  The Garden Resource Program Collaborative is also launching the following programs this week:
   
  URBAN ROOTS Community Gardening Training Program Accepting Applications  URBAN ROOTS is a 9-week course designed to teach students the skills they need to create and maintain strong, vibrant and sustainable community gardens.  The course has an organic gardening emphasis and is designed for gardens that are producing some food.  The course is open to residents of Wayne County who demonstrate involvement and/or interest in community gardening.  
   
  Classes are held Saturdays, 9AM – 2PM starting February 10th and ending April 21st.  All classes are held at American Indian Health and Family Services, 4880 Lawndale, Detroit, 48121, with the exception of week 4, which will be held at the Belle Isle Conservatory and Earthworks Garden. Completed applications and fee are due no later than January 26th, 2007.
   
  GARDEN RESOURCE PROGRAM Applications Available  The Garden Resource Program provides community, school and family gardeners with access to resources and connections needed to successfully garden.  Participants in the program receive seeds and DETROIT GROWN vegetable and herb transplants.  In addition to these resources, the program connects gardeners and urban farmers living and working in the same area of the city in order to provide a support network and access to additional resources and educational opportunities. 
   
  WHO WE ARE: The Garden Resource Program Collaborative, a partnership between The Greening of Detroit, Detroit Agriculture Network, EarthWorks Garden/Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Michigan State University Extension, helps provide access to resources and educational opportunities for community, school, and family vegetable gardens. 
   
  Contact: If you have questions or need further information, please contact Ashley Atkinson at The Greening of Detroit (313) 237-8736 or ashley at greeningofdetroit.com. Applications and information on all of these programs are available online at www.detroitagriculture.org.
   
   
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Lindsay Turpin
Garden Resource Program Coordinator
313-961-3151
lindsay_detroitagriculture at yahoo.com
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