Welcome to Ann Arbor Farm & Garden's 72nd Season!!
Autumn has officially arrived! Ann Arbor Farm & Garden looks forward to the start of our 72nd year of friendship, fun, and philanthropy. Join us Thursday, October 11 for our monthly meeting, with an optional lunch, an educational presentation, and of course the opportunity to meet and greet old friends and new! |
2018-19 Grant & Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted
AAF&G is all about growing gardens and gardeners, and since 1946 we've raised and awarded more than $600,000 in support of that mission. If your nonprofit organization has a garden-related project that needs funding, apply now for our next cycle of awards. Download the grant application; students seeking scholarship support should download the scholarship application form. All applications are due by November 16, 2018. Questions? Email AAFG.Foundation@gmail.com.
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Ann Arbor's Own "Burning Man"
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Ann Arbor City Club, 1830 Washtenaw Avenue
11:30 am Lunch ($15, optional)
12:30 pm AAF&G Business Meeting
1 pm Program (no cost)
Presenter: David Borneman, manager of the City of Ann Arbor's Natural Area Preservation (NAP) program, oversees the ecological restoration of 1,200 acres of city parkland. He is an expert in using fire to manage natural areas. Currently the president of The Stewardship Network, David formerly served on the boards of the Natural Areas Association and the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council. Join us and learn why and how fires are set for a reason.
The presentation is open to the public; please RSVP by October 3 through AAF&G's SignUp Genius page. Please click here to RSVP for the program alone, or for the program and lunch. Pre-payment for lunch can be done by mail or via PayPal.
Members, your RSVPs are due by September 5 as well. Look for the SignUp Genius invitation in your email.
The presentation is open to the public; please RSVP by October 3 through AAF&G's SignUp Genius page. Please click here to RSVP for the program alone, or for the program and lunch. Pre-payment for lunch can be done by mail or via PayPal.
Members, your RSVPs are due by September 5 as well. Look for the SignUp Genius invitation in your email.
Why is AAF&G's mission so important?
For more than 70 years, Ann Arbor Farm & Garden has been supporting gardens and green spaces in our community. We’re passionate about gardens and horticultural therapy, and the many, many benefits that accrue from each. Every year we award grants to school gardens, therapeutic gardens, edible gardens, community gardens and more. Why? This is what a sampling of studies and statistics on the many benefits of gardens have to say:
Our efforts DO make a difference!! When you participate in our annual June Garden Walk, you are directly funding worthwhile projects throughout the community. Thank you!!
- Students (grades 3-5) who participated in a one-year gardening program showed a significant increase in self-understanding and the ability to work in groups.
- Students involved in gardening make greater science achievement gains than non-gardening students. Gardening activities can be integrated into all areas of the school curriculum. Parental involvement increases at schools with garden programs.
- Children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Youth interns in community gardens reported increases in maturity, responsibility and interpersonal skills.
- Juvenile offenders who participated in a horticultural training program believed that it sparked their interest in further education, gave them ideas for green careers, and improved their job skills.
- Community gardens foster a sense of community ownership and stewardship, bringing people of varied ages, races, cultures, and social class together and enabling them to work and learn together.
- Community gardens are recognized as an effective crime prevention strategy. Crime rates decrease as an area’s green space increases; community involvement puts more “eyes on the street.”
- Gardens filter rainwater, clean the air, reduce soil erosion and runoff, provide wildlife habitat, and beautify our surroundings.
- Being in natural places fosters recovery from mental fatigue, improves outlook and life satisfaction, helps us to cope with and recover from stress, improves our ability to recover from illness and injury, restores concentration, and improves productivity.
Our efforts DO make a difference!! When you participate in our annual June Garden Walk, you are directly funding worthwhile projects throughout the community. Thank you!!
Ann Arbor Farm & Garden
P.O. Box 354
Dexter, MI 48130
P.O. Box 354
Dexter, MI 48130