To respond to Cordalie's question about well-resourced, the ACGA history is that the conferences used to not only bring people together and draw attention to the local city's gardening programs, but it also made money for ACGA and was the largest fundraiser to keep the organization rolling along. The local sponsors (Portland was one in 1995) secured the hotel or meeting place with seed funds from the previous year. They also got in-kind venues and donations or good rates on food and supplies and some of the transportation. There was sponsorship by the local businesses and other gardening organizations who could advertise at the conference. In Indianapolis there was larger corporate sponsorship. Each city puts the conference together using a guide, but resourcing locally. ACGA has provided volunteers and staff, when we had staff to help.
Many of the conferences went well, and some had bumpy spots. We all manage to help each other and pitch in when necessary (a Community Gardening way of doing things). I know that the ACGA Board tries to serve the membership in a professional and responsible way. Working to increase membership should help some, and looking around for "summit" resources linking urban gardening and agriculture to the solutions to obesity and illness may be a way to locate funding for future gatherings. Leslie Pohl-Kosbau Portland Community Gardens _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
