Educational Forum Supporting Community Gardeners

VPM's Virginia Home Grown, Dorey Park Farmers Market and Virginia State University have partnered to host a day of education and fellowship for community garden enthusiasts. Everyone from beginners to established garden organizers can learn from a variety of experts throughout the day. Sessions will cover how to engage with your local communities, ways to manage volunteers, grant writing, ways to earn legal business designations for community gardens and more.

Grow your network and connect with neighbors, gardeners and organizations from across Central Virginia who hope to cultivate and nourish the community.

• 8:30 - 9:00 - Check-in & Seed Exchange - feel free to bring seed packs!
• 9:00 - 12:30 - Keynote Speaker & Breakout Sessions
• Lunch + Visit Vendors. Boxed lunches will include Vegan & Gluten Free options.
• 1:30 - 4:00 - Keynote Speaker, Breakout Sessions and Closing Remarks

Below is a list of a few of our presenters' names and session titles. Visit vpm.org/garden to review the full list of speakers and their presentations.

Keynote Speakers:

Pam Dawling, Sustainable Market Farming

• Session Title: "The Best Vegetable Cultivars to Grow in Our Area"

Stacey Evers, Hands on Harvests

• Session Title: "Growing Food Security from the Group Up"

Breakout Sessions - (several presenters will address different challenges/solutions for each topic highlighted below):

Panel Discussion: Engaging Your Community

• Moderator: Peggy Singlemann, Panelists: Naomi Jones with Jones Gardens, Cecilia Lapp Stoltzfus with New Roots Community Garden, other panelists will be listed soon.

Garden Produce Distribution

• Rachel Lawmaster, Virginia State University College of Agriculture

Fundraisers, Donations and Grants

• Matt Leighty, Grantflow

Soil Health

• Conner Parrish, Bloomistry

Finding and Managing Volunteers

• Kristoff Minus, School and Community Garden Extension Associate, Virginia State University College of Agriculture
• Hannah Wittwer, Engagement Director, Shalom Farms

Legal Concerns for Community Gardens

• John Montgomery, Jr., Dorey Park Farmer’s Market

Visit vpm.org/garden to learn more about each speaker and their presentations.

As Virginia’s home for public media, VPM connects nearly 2 million people across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to insightful programming in news, education, arts and culture across its television, radio and digital channels. The VPM News team delivers award-winning coverage of Virginia’s General Assembly; statewide politics; educational, economic and legal issues; as well as the news of the day. VPM produces acclaimed series and documentaries, plus a range of music shows with local hosts curating selections in classical, jazz, hop-hop and alternative music. VPM also creates content through its Science Matters initiative and provides early childhood educational resources to families, caregivers and educators. Since 2021, VPM has operated Style Weekly, a magazine centered on deeper arts and culture coverage and local storytelling. Learn more at VPM.org and on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok, Instagram and several channels on YouTube.

Sponsored by: