Community of Practice

Next Collective Gardening Community of Practice: Tuesday, August 5 – read below for details!

One of the ways we are supporting collective gardening as a movement is by weaving together a Community of Practice. This has looked differently through the years as our capacity and programs evolve. In the past four years, we have organized three Collective Gardening Trainings and we’ve coordinated six community of practice gatherings, some virtual and others in person.

Particularly within the last year, we’ve heard from several gardeners, including those who already grow collectively, as well as groups interested in developing their own collective model. What we are hearing is a desire to gather with a group of people who share a passion for collective gardening, to share lessons learned and to glean ideas for unique challenges and opportunities.

Some of the conversation topics we’ve been having include:

• Planning for crops that can be bulk harvested and easily distributed among collective members (e.g. planting calendars for potatoes, garlic, winter squash)
• Choosing a communication tool that is accessible and appropriate for the group (e.g Google Groups, WhatsApp, Slack)
• Financial models for covering costs and  keeping membership fees accessible (e.g. sliding scale, non-profit fiscal entities)

In 2025, thanks to support from the City of Burlington Conservation Legacy Fund, VGN will be organizing seasonal, in-person, Community of Practice gatherings. We are also considering the possibility of scheduling a monthly virtual gathering to welcome people from farther away and have more continuity. Participation in the Collective Gardening Community of Practice is open to everyone, from everywhere, and with all levels of experience in gardening or collectivism. 

Collective Gardening Community of Practice Summer Gathering
Seeds & Seedlings, Conversation, Snacks & Sips

Tuesday, August 5
5:30 to 7pm
Greenhouse at Landry Park, in Winooski
(Located adjacent to the Myer’s Memorial Pool, enter through a black chain link fence on the right-hand side of the pool complex)

For our summer gathering we invite you to join us in the Greenhouse at Landry Park, a teaching greenhouse managed by Vermont Garden Network (VGN) in partnership with the City of Winooski. We are continuing to explore the theme of shared access to land, in this case to heated space in a greenhouse, alongside the educational focus that has been at the core of the collective gardens coordinated by VGN.

SEEDS & SEEDLINGS FOR FALL HARVESTS – We have a curated assortment of seed packets and seedlings to donate to collective garden enthusiasts! Over the years we have been leaning into season extension in the fall and we’ve been very impressed with the volume of veggies and herbs we have harvested in fall and early winter. We’ll share our tips and techniques for succession sowing, and we are eager to learn about your favorite varieties and planting dates.

COLLECTIVE CONVERSATION – We keep returning to words spoken by a garden member at Seedsong Collective Garden a couple of years ago:

“Collective gardening seems like the way we were meant to garden. Why do something individually when there’s so much to be gained from community knowledge, from the give and take of having many people to rely on, when you can share abundance and advice and inspiration more widely!”

 

We will facilitate conversation on collective gardening around themes such as: different models for community organizing, conflict resolution, communication systems, challenges & joys thus far in the growing season. Our hope is to guide conversation to include both the people-organizing and the production-oriented goals of gardening in shared spaces, and most of all, to continue the conversation in the direction(s) the group moves. 

SUMMER SNACKS & SIPS – We’ll have veggie-forward snacks and herbal-inspired cold beverages to share. 

Your RSVP is essential to help us prep for the gathering, please RSVP here!

Questions? Contact Carolina – carolina@vtgardens.org