1st annual Grow Gardens Conference, 2018

DEEP APPRECIATION FOR the garden leaders and city/county officials from across the region who participated in the panel discussion: Thom Snelling/City of Tampa, Raleigh Barnes/Hillsborough Parks & Rec., Cheri Donohue/City of Temple Terrace, Bill Bilodeaux/Sustainable Urban Agriculture Coalition Pinellas , Robyn Keefe, Pinellas Parks Dept., Alana Brasier, Renaissance Planning, Michele Ogilvie/Garden Steps, Tampa.  We were so sorry that Ava Deveaux, Bartlett Park/Pinellas, had a family emergency and could not attend.

THANKS to—Joseph W. Dorsey, Ph.D.,  USF Patel College of Global Sustainability: Growing Gardens, Raising Communities: Movement, Moment, Momentum

THANKS to members for presenting their projects:  1)Lee Elementary school garden, 2)Homebiogas—Tracy Tippin,  3) Blake HS school garden & biodigester;   4) Sustany Foundation, Seed to Sustenance ;  5) Rodrick Taylor, fresh chef;   6) Fresh Market HART/Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful;  7) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; 8) Clearwater Marine Aquarium; zero waste plan; 9) Karissa Raymond, U of F.

THANKS to  members for presenting information 

• Healthy Gardens—Koreen Brennan, Permacul tur e, Grow Permaculture.com· 
• Healthy gardeners—Ayesha Johnson, Ph.D. /DOH, Health issues in Food Desert Areas· 
• Healthy community—Bardine Hicks,/Senior Connections, Gardening w Seniors 

Thank you to our sponsors: Sustany Foundation and Garden Steps. THANKS to Shell’s Feed & Garden Supply for sponsoring our hospitality table.