Resilience Gardening in Bennington
On May 18, CAPA and the Robert Frost Stone House Museum hosted a webinar on Resilience Gardening in Bennington, featuring some of our community's expert gardeners who answered questions on everything from compost to keeping plants healthy to saving seeds, and much more.
Resilience Gardening is the idea that by getting outside and growing food, we are doing our part for our health, the health of the planet, and our community.
In the same way that Victory Gardens were a response to World Wars I & II, Resilience Gardens are our generation's way to create self and community prosperity in the face of the global COVID pandemic.
On May 18, CAPA and the Robert Frost Stone House Museum hosted a webinar on Resilience Gardening in Bennington, featuring some of our community's expert gardeners who answered questions on everything from compost to keeping plants healthy to saving seeds, and much more. We also discussed our "Grow a Row" campaign, where we are encouraging local gardeners to grow an extra row of vegetables to donate to families in need.
Presenters
Shannon Barsotti is the Community Development Director for the Town of Bennington and the co-owner of Longview Farm in Pownal, where she and her family raise lamb and chickens and tend a large vegetable garden.
Aila West is a medicinal herb farmer who grows and wildcrafts Ayurvedic, Chinese, and Western herbs for a company based out of Cold Brook, New York.
Dane Whitman '16 is the owner of Grey Oak Landscaping & Garden Design, a Bennington based business that promotes edible and ecological land management.
Bennington College's involvement in this work is supported by a $1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that supports a three-year collaborative effort with local partners to address the systemic causes of food insecurity in Bennington County.
Learn more
Book/Film Recommendations
Start with the Soil, Grace Gershuny
North Bennington McWaters Park Permaculture Garden
Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective - documentary mostly featuring northeast permaculture farms
Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, Edward Smith
Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening, Louise Riotte
Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health (or other books by Rosemary Gladstar)
Four-Season Harvest, Eliot Coleman
Books from Storey Publishing and Chelsea Green Publishing
Home Gardening/Victory Garden Resources
Home Gardens for Beginners from SUNY Adirondack—free webinar on May 22, 2020
UVM Master Gardeners—includes an "ask a master gardener" service; you can also sign up for the training to become a master gardener
Master Gardener Hotline: 802-656-5421 or 1-800-639-2230, open Mon-Thurs from 9:00 am-12:00 pm
NOFA VT on resilience gardening—includes access to seeds and gardening information
The Time is Now for Vermont Victory Gardens—find out how to connect with folks involved with Victory Gardens
Soil testing info —Contact Chris Callahan at Bennington’s UVM Extension office for soil sample kits and order forms:
Strictly Medicinal Seeds for organic, open-pollinated herb seeds