This collection contains selected records of the anti-hunger organization GardenShare. The records include administrative files spanning the years 1996-2012. These files include GardenShare’s bylaws, incorporation papers, records of fund raising, annual dinners, awards, workshops, newsletters, finances, recruitment, food pantries the organization worked with and various other information.
GardenShare Local Harvest Dinner.
Collection Overview
GardenShare traces its roots to the North Country Garden School, founded by Phillip Harnden in 1994 as a way for people to learn skills for gardening in Northern New York. Because gardeners often grow more food than they can use, Harnden began exploring ways for gardeners to share the extra food with hungry people. In 1996, Harnden produced a brochure describing North Country Garden School’s new “GardenShare Project.” The brochure was mailed to many local gardeners, to the Garden School workshops, to local stores and churches. After 1998, thirty gardeners were active in donating part of their harvests. Aware that charity alone can not end hunger, GardenShare begin publishing a newsletter of gardening tips and insights on the root causes of hunger. In May, GardenShare incorporated as a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger.
As a follow-up to the “Hungry No More” workshop, GardenShare decided to pursue a farm-to-school project, which was getting more locally grown food into the cafeterias of St. Lawrence County schools and colleges. So each week during the harvest season, this project had the collection of locally grown produce from a dozen farmers and delivered it to SUNY Potsdam. In November 2003 and in the early year of 2004, the GardenShare received awards for helping to build the community’s food security in the North Country. In 2006, GardenShare helped make the Canton Farmers’ Market accessible for the first time in years to shoppers in the food stamp program. In 2008, GardenShare initiated a “Growing Local Bread” interest group with a November meeting attended by a dozen growers, gardeners, and bakers. Also on November, GardenShare sponsored a training workshop called “Growing Your Own CSA Farm.” In March 2010, GardenShare co-sponsored an all-day training workshop on school and community gardens. In November 2011, GardenShare held its first Harvest Social, a free event to celebrate GardenShare at SUNY Potsdam.
Donation from the organization. First transfer: August 30, 2012; second transfer: Feb. 7, 2013; third transfer, July 1, 2014, 4th transfer, October 2014.