Engaging City Hall
Steps that community gardeners can take to help their elected officials appreciate the value of their community garden.

Tips on Meeting Elected Officials
Created by the Community Food Security Coalition, this two-page tip sheet has some timeless tips on meeting with elected officials at the state or federal level. 

Factsheets

• Community Gardens help mitigate food insecurity and malnutrition – a factsheet
• Public Benefits of Community Gardens – commonly listed benefits
• Multiple Benefits of Community Gardens – Ten benefits annotated with references to academic research
• Snapshot of Community Gardens in the Twin Cities – Information learned from the Community Garden Directory

What Good Is Community Greening?
Short review of some the discoveries from various disciplines, ranging from psychology and economics to sociology and medicine, confirming the value of community gardens for “healthy human functioning.”  A great advocacy article for community gardens.  (by David Malakoff & American Community Gardening Association)

Donating Produce or Flowers
A quick factsheet with helpful hints on how to make fresh produce and flowers available from the community garden for those who can not afford nor access them. Written by Aimee McAdams of 18th Avenue Community Garden, Minneapolis.

Find a Food Shelf
Have surplus produce?  Minnesota Hunger Solutions can help you find a food shelf when the bounty is good.  Could be the start of a beautiful relationship!  And perhaps provide a plot for a foodshelf client.  Includes search for nearby food banks and soup kitchens. 

Putting Community First
A list of community building principles that every community gardener should keep in mind while making their garden stronger, more effective and sustainable.

Gaining Community Support
A short factsheet listing a number of reasons for supporting a community garden, and ideas on getting people involved. 

Peace Poles
To date, more than 200,000 Peace Poles have been dedicated in over 190 countries bringing a message of peace around the world.  Peace Poles can be found in town squares, city halls, schools, places of worship, parks and gardens. Consult with Melvin Giles, from the World Peace Society, to bring a Peace Pole to your community garden.  Peace poles are available in many languages and several styles.  Contact Gardening Matters for more information.