SFG Teachers are Our Future

Mel and the SFGF staff believe that the certified teachers are the key to the future success of SFGF. As you teach others at home and abroad and build gardens for your families and communities, you are spreading the knowledge of SFG. You are involved in a grass roots movement that builds self reliance and even saves lives. Since the future of SFGF is recruiting and training more teachers, we are now offering opportunities for our teachers to host SFG Group Certification Classes. All you need to do is round up 6 people or more who want to become certified. They will receive their teacher kit at a discounted rate. The host will earn money for sponsoring the class and everyone will benefit by learning together in a series of sessions. If you would like to host a class in your hometown contact Belinda at sfgteachers@gmail.com

The Samaritan Women receives SFGF Display Grant

Here is Kim Roman and the Pyramid Bed that the Foundation donated and the 2 other beds that she donated to The Samaritan Women in Baltimore. www.thesamaritanwomen.org
TSW will house women who have made poor lifestyle choices, who were trafficked into the sex trade and will also house 6 homeless women veterans.

TSW is farming a couple of their 23 acres, selling some at a local farmer’s market, some to the public at their facility and donating the overage to shelters and families in need in the neighborhood.

These three beds plus several other demonstration beds will be used to teach the public.
One day of the Baltimore symposium will be held at The Samaritan Women property

SC Symposium & Homeless Helping Homeless

Stephen Gibbs first contacted SFGF in March requesting a visit from Mel for the grand opening of the new Homeless Helping Homeless Square Foot Gardens in Columbia South Carolina. Stephen's enthusiasm for this event spread quickly throughout the SFGF staff and soon travel plans were made including a 3 day symposium. Mel was planning to go but unfortunately was unable to because of his fall. SFGF staff was undaunted and with Mel's encouragement carried out the plans on April 28-30. Scholarships to the symposium were awarded to Charles W. Witherspoon and William Sweat. They along with Stephen Gibbs began the HHH Square Foot Gardens just one month ago. When the symposium visited the site they had many nice boxes already in place with vegetables growing. Attendees helped to make Mel's Mix, pinch tomato shooters and even turn compost. Stephen has been very proactive in getting a lot of help and donations from the community. He plans to make a patio on the HHH garden site to hold a barbecue for the Mayor cooking the vegetables grown there.

Stephen Gibbs & William Sweat

RIGHT-William Sweat, Stephen Gibbs & Charles Witherspoon,now all SFG certified teachers, worked to begin this community garden for the Homeless

35 Year SFG Celebration

Plans are in the works for a big reunion at Disneyworld in Florida this summer. It will celebrate the 35th anniversary of Mel presenting SFG to the world in 1976. It will be a 3 day celebration around July 4 for anyone that loves SFG. Save that time now to be with Mickey and Mel! More coming soon!

Spring Fling Contest!

Enter your Spring poem, photo or adaption of the stock power point to win! Teachers will be the judges! Victoria will award $20 SFG gift certificate for best poem and best photo. The best Power point will receive a FREE CASE of SFG books! 10 All New,5 cook and 5 original. Send your entry to sfgteachers@gmail.com

Square Foot Gardening 101

Check out this excellent SlideShare Presentation by Linna Ferguson:

Square Foot Gardening 101

View more presentations from vafoodscaper.

More Classic Quiz Answers

Santi Rogers,Kansas City,MO
Question: After learning, studying, and implementing SFG in your own yard, what have you experienced?

Healing!!!!!!!! I am originally from california and due to a life threatening health issue I decided to take a vacation to the heartland to get away for awhile. I ended up stopping in Kansas City and moved into an apartment at a complex on large acreage. I was introduced to a quadriplegic resident who began to share with me his love for gardening and gave me a grand tour of his garden plot near his apartment. He asked if he could pay me to be his hands and tend to his garden. I was so physically ill I didn’t feel my work would be worthy of a wage. I told him we could be partners and my pay would be his company and some of the produce. Almost everyday I was in the garden for hours and often was invited in his home to eat healthy meals. Within weeks I was on my way to complete recovery. Since then I got to start a large community garden where I live and have also had the opportunity to help start over 22 backyard gardens. I have met life long friends and learned valuable information that will keep me healthy and others.

Gina Dykes Denver,CO.
Question: New Opportunities: Whether the SFG is done on a small scale, i.e. a personal garden to the large scale farming the SFG is adaptable in any climate all around the world. Humanitarian projects have been successfully completed in developing countries using the SFG method. A large space is not required to have a profitable farming/gardening enterprise using the SFG system. The possibilities are endless when applying the entire concept of the SFG outside the garden and in the everyday life situations. This system is changing how any idea or situation can have an alternative perspective. When we grow inside the SFG box, we are thinking “outside the box.”