History

Ann Arbor Farm & Garden's Commitment to the Community and Horticulture Scholarship and Grants—the Early Years!

The Ann Arbor Branch of the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association is a unique organization in today's modern world. Its presence is dominated by a quiet formality and gentleness of spirit, yet the women are strong and committed to the principles that define the organization and to the tradition established by their founding president, Mildred Matthaei and the founding members.

Historical Background

Founded in 1914, in Ambler, Pennsylvania, a group of women organized a gardening club originally named the Women's National, Agricultural and Horticultural Association. In Boston, two years later the organization was renamed the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association, as it is known today. The singular woman's is used to emphasize the individual responsibility of each member. The Michigan Division was founded June 16, 1926, in Alma, Michigan at the home of Mrs. Francis King. The second meeting was held at Fairlane at the home of Mrs. Henry (Clara) Ford in 1926, who later went on to hold a national position with the organization.

Twenty years later Mrs. Frederick (Mildred) Matthaei founded the Ann Arbor Branch on October 16, 1946, after a year's work as an informal "Horticulture Committee." But Mildred Matthaei felt the need of a larger organization which would help them carry their work farther and serve the entire country instead of a small local area. After extensive research by Mildred Matthaei and traveling to several Farm & Garden meetings in the Philadelphia area, Mildred and her Committee decided that the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association could serve them best. On September 18, Mrs. Truman Barbier, the National President, came to Ann Arbor as a result of a personal invitation from Mildred Matthaei. Mrs. Barbier expressed the aims and purposes of her organization, and invited the group to form a Branch and join Farm and Garden. In 1947 they formally accepted an invitation to affiliate with the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association and elected Mildred Matthaei as their first and founding president. At a Council Meeting of the Michigan Division in Detroit, the Ann Arbor Branch was formally accepted into membership on September 25, 1947. At the first formal meeting on October 16, more than 200 women and special guests attended. Professor Samuel Dana, Dean of the School of Forestry and Conservation introduced Wayne Toby, who was awarded the first Branch scholarship of $300. Mildred Matthaei was instrumental in ensuring the scholarship and educational goals of the organization were established and she recruited a group of responsible and outstanding individuals to implement and carry on those obligations. It is to Mildred Matthaei's credit that over 60 years later we still gather together in community service and horticulture projects built on the legacy she established.

The Francis King Dogwood Garden at the National Arboretum, Washington, D.C., was built as a tribute to Mrs. King for her devoted service to helping develop Farm and Garden. It now contains the most complete collection of dogwoods in the world. A teakwood bench in the garden honors Mrs. Ford.

The stated purposes of the group were to foster a closer association between city women and country women and to stimulate interest in country life through educational assistance of students of agriculture, horticulture and forestry. Community service and charitable activities based upon gardening and horticultural pursuits remain a principal focus of the Ann Arbor Branch and Michigan Division. The early statewide Greens Markets provided a venue for the produce of farms across northern and upper Michigan, helping to establish a closer relationship between farm and urban women. However, in Ann Arbor after many meetings and discussion the country women in the surrounding area declined to join, declaring the organization "too social" and established their own unaffiliated organization. This slight, perhaps provides one of the early examples of "town and gown" separatism.

The purpose of the Ann Arbor Branch, as defined by their bylaws, is to:

to encourage an interest in and a knowledge of horticulture and its allied pursuits among women on local, state, national, and international levels;
to preserve and beautify the environment by granting scholarships and fellowships to increase interest toward this end through education;
to engender informed awareness of ad participation in community projects;
to distribute charitable gifts;
to provide opportunities for learning about horticultural and environmental activities and issues.

Anyone who has lived in Ann Arbor long would recognize names from the early membership days, they are prevalent in the development of Ann Arbor and many are still active today: Mrs. Peter Van Boven, Mrs. John Swisher, Mrs. Frederick McOmber, Marion Barrett, Verna Goss, Marion Waggoner, Mrs. Verna Parker, Mrs. Richard Earhart, Mrs. Paul Leidy, Mrs. James Inglis, Mrs. Fielding Yost, and Mrs. Robben Fleming.

There were a variety of small endeavors to raise money for scholarship before settling on the Greens Market format and much later the annual Garden Walk. The first year teas, fashion shows, and a small shop sold hand made items and home made baked goods, with the proceeds going toward a Scholarship Fund. The first Greens Market was held December 13, 1947 at the YMCA. In 1951, we moved the Greens Market to the Ann Arbor Women's City Club, when we became members there the year they opened; we remain members today.

In 2007, after 55 years at the City Club, we again moved our Greens Market to Matthaei Botanical Gardens, to capture more space, reduce expenses and to compliment our membership marketing base. We are completely supported by a volunteer base, and clearly distinguished from other holiday bazaars by the strong tradition which guides the organization in its planning and execution. It is the oldest philanthropic holiday bazaar in the greater Detroit metropolitan area and perhaps, southeastern Michigan.

In 1991 a second annual fundraiser was initiated. The Ann Arbor Garden Walk now draws more than 1,100 guests from the area to tour private gardens in Ann Arbor and neighboring communities. Again, the proceeds are given back to the community in the forms of scholarships and grants. Traditionally, because of timing, the recipients of the Greens Market include relevant scholarships and grants to local and area students, organizations, and programs. Garden Walk recipients are usually local and area gardens and horticultural projects.

In addition to fund raising, the Ann Arbor Branch also has a dedicated Horticultural Therapy group led by annual rotating chairs. They work all year with seriously ill children at the University of Michigan Mott's Hospital to bring joy and new learning experiences to their stay in the hospital through gardening and flower arranging. This is our oldest committee and the oldest volunteer group at the hospital. Florists in the area, i.e., Chelsea Flower Shop and Tom Thompson Flowers, donate fresh flowers to the committee who work with the children to arrange a vase of flowers to take back to their rooms and share with their families. On most days it is a welcome respite from their daily routine to spend time with the "Flower Ladies."

Anniversaries

In 2004, the National Woman's Farm & Garden Association celebrated their 90th anniversary with a national meeting, April 21-25, in Lansing Michigan. Jennifer Granholm was the keynote speaker. The Ann Arbor Branch is one of the largest branches in Michigan and the Michigan Branch is one of the largest state organizations, nationally; they were both well represented at the national meeting. Although some branches are struggling to maintain numbers while losing members, the average age of most branches probably approaches 70+ years of age, the Ann Arbor Branch is growing with a younger and more active base. We typically accept more than 15 new members annually and are actively recruiting new members at our October Tea when we extend an invitation to guests. We are working hard to make the branch and its activities relevant to the community and the membership.

The Greens Market is "Tradition at its Best," but not the only form of Fundraising.

For the Greens Market, greens were bought from farm women in Northern Michigan, decorated and sold. Mrs. Herman Kuster, of the St. Clair Shores' Branch gave a demonstration on decorating the wreaths and making table centerpieces. Tea was served mid-afternoon to all the guests. The profit from the first sale was $327.22 which was added to the Scholarship Fund.
December 12, 1948 marked the second Greens Market and the start of the long tradition still continuing today. It was the first time the word Annual was used in conjunction with the Greens Market. It was held at the Masonic Temple. This is the first award of the School of Forestry and Conservation (now the School of Natural Resources) student scholarship. To date, we have given more than $45,000 in scholarships to the School.
In 1951 Farm & Garden and the Greens Market found a home at the Ann Arbor Women's City Club and marked the occasion with a fashion show given by Green Furriers, who also contributed $50 to the scholarship fund. Lunch was prepared by members for all the guests and sold for $1.25. Fashion shows continued as a fund raiser until 1958.
Lunch was also served at the Greens Market, some years the members served as many as 150 lunches. The menu was arranged early and the recipe passed out to members; everyone brought the same dish, typically a salad, with dessert and coffee. It was really "potluck." Members prepared and served lunch until 1971 when the Women's City Club opened their dining room to the Greens Market customers.
In 1953 Farm and Garden planted 100 flowering crabs on the bank by the railroad station, now the Gandy Dancer.
Greens were cut on the Kraus Farm in Highland by Verna Parker and volunteers from 1961 to 1971 and bundled for sale. Some members were able to cut greens in their own garden.
In 1962 Mrs. James Parker (Verna) started the hor-therapy work at the Ypsilanti State Hospital and formed the Garden Club of Ypsilanti with the active patients as the members. Through her efforts and with the support of the Branch, a greenhouse was built and opened in 1971. As a memorial to her, in 1979, the Branch donated a bronze sundial and pedestal and placed it in the hospital garden which she established.
A local artist, Peggy Bradfield donated her paintings to the Greens Market beginning in 1963 and continuing, until her death in October 1977.
The White Elephant sale at the Market has always been very popular, it is completely stocked by donations from members, yet many members attribute the nicest things in their homes to purchases they have made at the Greens Market. Not only do the members donate the items, they then buy back other select items. Today antique dealers are in line waiting for the doors to open, hoping to purchase the best items first.
The members wore gloves and hats to all events until sometime in the mid 1970s. Aprons were worn during work events and gardening smocks with the Farm & Garden insignia were also sold by the national organization. Today the membership meetings are one of the few places were jeans and sweatshirts do not prevail as elsewhere in Ann Arbor, suits and good slacks are the typical dress. No gloves but hats are still worn at the Garden Walk.
Members were expected to bring baked goods to each Greens Market in addition to their donated time. The baked goods continue to be a huge success selling out early in the day.
Baking Workshops have been a long-standing tradition, with long hours spent decorating cookies for the Market. One year Gretchen Zale’s dog ate every decorated cookie. The members pitched in and baked all night the night before the Market opened to replace them.
Tea and desserts are still served at each meeting, another tradition preserved since 1946. The baked goods are home-made and provided by rotating members who act as hostesses.
In 1978 the Branch planted the Slack Garden at the AA City Library downtown, and in 1977 restored the fountain in the front yard of the Cobblestone Farm.
Today there are 25 vendors who participate at the Greens Market and donate a percent of their proceeds to the Scholarship Fund. Originally there were no vendors and all the handmade crafts were made by members. For example, Marguerite Mundus was a fine hand-sewer and made beautiful gifts and aprons that some members, in particular Terry Bartholomew still wear. Marion Barrett made more than 50 aprons during the years since 1961 when she joined. Although aprons were discontinued, they were made again in 2003, in honor of the tradition theme and sold very well; because of that, holiday aprons will be sold at the 2004 Greens Market.

The Garden Walk is newer than the Greens Market by forty years but is clearly demonstrating its value in the community and now earns more than the Greens Market annually. Typically seven-eight local and private gardens are opened to the public providing an opportunity to view unique gardenscapes that inspire and motivate. The Garden Walk is typically the second Saturday in June, rain or shine.

We are currently working on updating the history, keep an eye out for Part II, The Later Years!