“This year’s conference theme, Growing Greener Generations: Community Gardening For A Sustainable Future, reflects the vital role that community gardens play in fostering sustainability, building stronger communities, and creating resilient food systems”
Cathy Walker, ACGA Board President
The 2024 ACGA Conference was held in Wellesley & Boston, Massachusetts from September 26-28. This year’s theme, Growing Greener Generations: Community Gardening For A Sustainable Future, reflects on the importance of urban green spaces in community wellbeing. Hosted by the American Community Gardening Association (or ACGA, as they’re more commonly known), the conference focused on immersive and collaborative learning which included various site visits to thriving community garden spaces in Wellesley & Boston as well as workshop sessions with critical topics like accessibility in garden spaces and youth wellbeing. This aligns with the organization’s long-time mission to build community by increasing and enhancing community gardening and green spaces across the United States and Canada. Since 1979, the ACGA has worked tirelessly to connect people, resources, and ideas to help foster sustainable, healthy, vibrant communities through gardening.
Two DUG team members attended the conference and gleaned incredible insights on how cities outside of Denver are making community gardens happen. Kristi Hatakka, DUG’s Community Education Manager, and Marisa Loury, DUG’s Senior Manager of Garden Leadership, thoroughly enjoyed the breadth of educational offerings during the conferences… but for both, the in-person community garden tours were the true highlight.
One such tour involved visiting the Erica Ball Community Gardens, a lush green space with mixed raised and in-ground beds which opened in 2022. Attendees were able to explore fruitful offerings from apple trees, peruse the sculptures & artwork, and discuss ADA accessibility in garden spaces in real-time. Another stop included visiting the Natick Farmers Market where attendees shared fresh & local treats, relaxed in the much-beloved shade, and conversed with garden-lovers from across the country.
It goes without mentioning that our team is thrilled to implement some of the big ideas and practical strategies learned during the conference. While the Denver metro area and our Front Range climate are truly unique in how gardeners can grow, plenty of the topics discussed resonate anywhere. From truly welcoming community members of all ages to considering unique sustainable practices gardeners can implement, there is no shortage of “next steps” our team can take. Stay tuned for upcoming projects in our community gardens and food forests!
