Garden Leaders on the Rise - North County!!

The Gardens Project of NCO has begun its second year of our intensive Garden Leadership Program to train community gardeners to share, organize, lead, and continue to build the movement for expanding and sustaining spaces for community and school gardens.  This year - Mendocino County North!

The Gardner Leadership Program began in January 2012 and brought together 24 gardeners from 12 different community and school gardens in the greater Ukiah area and Anderson Valley. In November of 2012, the Gardens Project graduated this first class of participants.  Check out our new Ukiah based Garden Leadership Council!

Our new group of garden leaders will meet every six weeks through November to teach each other greater skills in: Building Community and Communication, Effective Leadership, Accessing Resources and Hosting Work Parties, Marketing Opportunities, and Garden Advocacy.

By the end of the year long training, the participants will comprise our North County Leadership Council that will continue to meet, share, plan, and advise The Gardens Project. In year three, the training will move to gardens on the Coast (Point Arena to Fort Bragg).

The Leadership Program is a component of NCO Community Action successfully receiving a USDA Community Food Projects grant to train community leaders in food production and work to alleviate poverty through re-building our local food system.

The gardens represented at this year's training are: Willits Community Garden, Brooktrails Community Garden, Bobcat Garden at Brookside Elementary, Willits Charter High School, Willits Charter Elementary School, Yuki Trails Community Garden in Covelo, and the Commonwealth Gardens of Howard Hospital. For more information about this year's training, contact The Gardens Project.