Now that I have your attention- I know that this is a long email!

 

But you’ll all want to read on for some end of the season wrap up.

Feel free to respond to the group (communityfoodandgardennetwork@yahoogroups.com)

or to me (dburgardt@...) with questions or comments.

 

 

THANK YOU…

I would like to thank all of you who have participated on the CFGN Steering Committee over the past year! Your leadership, direction, and commitment as we chart a course for CFGN has truly strengthened this organization.

 

Catherine Murray, Sheri Harper, Shawn Eisele, Carla Wuennenberg, Ashleigh Ross, Sarah King, Jessica Ireland, Lisa Johnson, Susan Boldt, Julie Fitzpatrick, Ben Sommers, and Joe Mathers. (I apologize if I’ve missed anyone- and certainly we should include here all of our CFGN members who have participated in shaping this organization in many other ways.)

 

 

STEERING COMMITTEE…

Your Steering Committee gathered recently for our last meeting of this year. After nearly a year of exploring our options, here is where we see CFGN right now:

 

-          There is no additional funding for a staff person to continue the work of the VISTA volunteer.

-          This group is functioning well as a network right now, and has not yet coalesced around an action project.

-          We are in the process of planning for a conference in late February in collaboration with CAC Community Gardens and Amy Meinen at the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (Got Dirt?).  I encourage all members to participate by joining the Planning Committee, proposing a workshop topic, presenting a workshop session, or attending the conference. Stay tuned for more information!

-          The Steering Committee has decided to dissolve itself for the time being, and retains the option to reform around a specific issue or project in the future (any member of CFGN could initiate this process).

-          We would like to host quarterly networking gatherings in the coming year. A Steering Committee member (or anyone else feeling so inclined) will send out an invitation after the spring conference. At that meeting, the group can identify the next host who will choose a date and make necessary arrangements. The host should be responsible for sending out an email invitation to the group, planning the agenda, and arrange for the space (really not that much work). Remember, you can invite us to your events too (instead of always holding separate events for CFGN)!

-          Continue to use the CFGN website for a list of members and their contact information, as well as other useful reference documents. www.cacscw.org/gardens/cfgn

 

 

END OF VISTA…

This will be my official last week as a VISTA at CAC, although I will be wrapping up several projects into December. With the Steering Committee I’ve identified these four items as priorities for the end of the year:

 

-          Make sure the listserv and website are sustainable and easy to manage.

-          Create a PowerPoint presentation about CFGN.

-          Work with the Conference Planning Committee to prepare for the spring conference.

-          Update the Listing of Member Organizations on the website.

 

You will all be hearing from me soon about updating the description of your organization for this season and providing digital photos for the CFGN presentation. Please do let me know if you are not listed and would like to be!

 

I will certainly continue to be involved with CFGN in the coming year as I attend graduate school at UW-Madison!

After December, feel free to contact me at (608) 294-5456 or dburgardt@....

 

Take care,

Dawn

 

 

 

 

 

Dawn Burgardt

Community Gardens Division VISTA

Community Action Coalition

1717 N. Stoughton Road

Madison, WI 53704

(608) 246-4730 x238

dburgardt@...

 

Visit the Community Food and Garden Network website!

http://www.cacscw.org/gardens/cfgn