Create a “Network Notebook”

The Resource Leader can create a Network Notebook of all of the available resources and contacts who have contributed or who could potentially support the school garden. The Network Notebook might include:

educators schools families community members collaborators local businesses

For each entry, the Network Notebook should include:

name of individual organization address phone number and email what this individual and/or organization is willing to provide (i.e., products, money, time) notes about related resources dates of past contacts and short synopses of what was asked for or pledged (This will help you space calls properly. You don’t want to “wear out your welcome” and you should have more than one person making calls.)

Having a Network Notebook allows the team to be self-sufficient because it provides easy access to expertise and resources within the schools’ own community.

Tip: The ability to network with other school gardens is a bonus, and is recommended. Find a citywide network of school garden projects and teams in which the school might participate. The degree to which schools function in a community network with other gardening schools can have a big impact on long-term viability of the garden.

Try these online resources to search for local school garden initiatives:

American Community Gardening Association
http://www.communitygarden.org

American Horticulture Society
http://www.ahs.org

Garden Mosaics
http://www.dnr.cornell.edu/gardenmosaics/

Junior Master Gardener Program
http://www.jmgkids.com/

National Gardening Association
http://www.garden.org

Also, see:
Forming a School Garden Team
Getting the Entire School Involved
School Garden Links