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Cultivating
Community
through Gardening
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VISION:
We envision
inspired people joining together to actively replenish their environment,
their community and themselves. We believe in the power of people to
co-create harmony between land, water and all living things for generations
to come.
MISSION:
Growing
Gardens’ mission is to enrich the lives of Boulder County residents
through environmentally sustainable gardening programs that empower
people to experience a direct and deep connection with plants, the land
and each other.
GUIDING
PRINCIPLES
1. |
Gardening feeds
the body, mind and spirit of people who participate. |
2. |
Gardening
empowers people to create a more sustainable and food secure world. |
3. |
Direct experience-
getting one’s hands into the dirt- is the best teacher. |
4. |
Growing Gardens
believes in equal access for people from all economic, cultural,
generational, and ability groups, and believes in encouraging the
connection between these groups. |
5. |
Growing Gardens
operates in a manner that is open, transparent, sharing, mutually
supportive and apolitical. |
6. |
Growing Gardens
cultivates a proactive, inquisitive evolution of new ideas ( and
methods) to serve people plants and the land. |
7. |
Growing Gardens
operates in a financially responsible manner. |
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ORGANIZATIONAL
GOALS
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1. |
Empowerment – Enable ethnically diverse youth to become active leaders
in their community and low-income families and individuals to become
self-sufficient in meeting their food needs. Increase the self-sufficiency
of low-income families by providing garden beds, vegetable starts,
organic gardening classes and nutrition education to neighborhoods
and a homeless shelter serving a total of 353 individuals. |
2. |
Education - Teach community members of all ages, abilities and income levels
on a broad range of life skills topics, including agriculture, leadership,
mentoring, and entrepreneurship. Increase awareness and participation
in organic gardening through site tours, lecture and workshops. |
3. |
Facilitation – Provide space for community gardening in an urban setting;
and enable individuals to discover the beauty of the natural world,
take part in fun, recreational family activities and strengthen
the local food system. |
4. |
Fostering
Community - Create opportunities for diverse residents
to work together and develop partnerships with many local organizations
in order to build a healthier community. Partner with outside agencies
in order to provide both food production opportunities, as well
as education and general community enrichment. |
5. |
Environmental
Protection – Enhance organic agriculture production
in Boulder County, thus providing a healthy food supply, reducing
pesticide use, diverting waste from landfills, and preserving land
for future generations. |
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FOUNDING TENETS:
1. |
GROWING GARDENS advocates and teaches gardening emphasising organic
methods. |
2. |
GROWING GARDENS emphasizes the importance of urban food security
and encourages aesthetic horticulture throughout the county. |
3. |
GROWING GARDENS celebrates the equality of all people and provides
a place of contact to create multi-cultural and multi-generational community
through gardening. GROWING GARDENS serves all economic levels in its
programs and training. |
4. |
GROWING GARDENS strives to make programs both physically and financially
accessible to all. |
5. |
GROWING GARDENS has no political affiliations and takes no political
stands. |
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