October 2021 – Garden enthusiasts across the region can enjoy a special guest at this year’s Coalition of Community Gardens annual conference: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.
The event takes place Friday, Oct. 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It includes the following itinerary:
- Community gardens panel featuring the Apollo Beach Community Forest Garden, VISTA Gardens, and the Pete Youth Farm
- Health – Gardening Impact featuring Kyaien Conner, Ph.D. on mental health and the Hillsborough Dept. of Health on chronic disease prevention
- Policy Impacts on Community Gardens featuring Dell deChant of the USF Urban Food Sovereignty Group and the Pasco Florida Food Policy Council along with Toni Young, Ph.D.
- Developing Communities of Gardeners featuring Karen Elizabeth of Garden Steps, Tampa and Lisa Hickey of Plant-a-Pail, Manatee County IFAS/Extension
- Tour of Urban Agriculture in Eastern & Mid-Atlantic States by Chris Kenrick and Joni Spencer of Sweetwater Organic Community Farm
A reception and tour of the Plant City Commons Community Garden will follow presentations. Virtual attendance is also available.
The Coalition of Community Gardens is a network of community gardens and other allied entities that support community gardening, build infrastructure, share knowledge and resources, and advocate for related public policies in the West Central Florida area. For more information about the event, to purchase tickets, or to learn more about the Coalition, please visit www.communitygardenstb.org/.
