April 15, 2016

2015 Chicago Community Gardeners Association Resources Committee Report

Mamie Gray, a great community gardener!

Hello Chicago Community Gardeners!  Here is the report from the Resources Committee on its activities in 2015.  

  • For the March 2015 Third Annual CCGA Conference, the Resources Committee supplied plant material for the Container Workshop, gathered and distributed gently used tools and other garden resources for the Raffle, and ran the seed distribution table.
  • In April 2015, we held a distribution of early flowering annuals such as pansies, alyssum and cerinthe that we had grown.  We were also able to distribute over 100 beautiful house plants that we received from Macy’s after their Flower Show.  We also held another raffle of used tools.
  • May 2015:  The Committee distributed over 4000 vegetable seedlings that we had grown in two greenhouses.  101 community gardens participated and the accompanying raffle had 100 garden items.  
  • The Resources Committee held two summer perennial distributions, one on the south side and one on the west side.  Over 300 community gardens received dozens of perennials each at these events; Elite Growers donated over 5000 plants!
  • September 2015:  we held the fall perennial distribution simultaneously in three different sites (north, west and south); 103 community gardens received 4000 perennials total.
  • We held two “mini distributions,” one of perennials from a private gardener and one of herbs.
  • October 2015:  we purchased and distributed 5400 bulbs to 65 community gardens, and held an accompanying workshop ably taught by Mattie Wilson.  

At each distribution, the Resources Committee charged a registration fee of $5 per community garden.  We also gathered, planted and sold donated containers, and sold some of the Macy’s plants.  As a result, the Resources Committee earned just over $3000 in 2015.  We spent $2300 on bulbs and on soil for the plants we grew; thus, we entered 2016 with a surplus of roughly $700, which will be spent on bulbs and other materials for the community gardeners.  

Thank you for helping to make 2015 a great success!
The Resources Committee

 

Filed Under: CCGA, News, Plant Distribution