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Topeka Common Ground, Inc.

Topeka Common Ground promotes and supports community gardens in Shawnee County, Kansas. They offer local community gardens educational resources, free seeds and seedlings, and mini-grants to foster connections and enhance local food systems.

Join us for a half-day conference designed to provide real-world knowledge and useful strategies for gardeners at any level&mdash;from beginners just getting started to those managing community garden projects. Throughout the conference, you&#39;ll hear from local speakers on topics like:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">How to grow lesser-known or culturally unique vegetables</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Tips for starting a home or community garden</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Introduction to hugelkultur and low-maintenance soil-building</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">What to do with your harvest: recipe planning, preserving &amp; donating</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Edible native plants</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Tips for engaging and retaining community garden volunteers</li></ul>You&#39;ll also have time to explore vendor and resource tables, connect with fellow growers and join in a closing raffle and group activity. Tentative Schedule Overview:<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">8:30 a.m. &ndash; Check-in Opens</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">9:00 a.m. &ndash; Welcome &amp; Keynote&quot;Le Bizzarre: Growing Unique Vegetables from Italy and Beyond&quot;, Will Nagengast, Seeds from Italy</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">10:00 &ndash; 10:45 a.m. - Breakout Sessions&nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Starting a New Home or Community Garden: Tips for Success Barbara LaClair, Topeka Common Ground&nbsp; OR</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Hugelkulture - Water, Soil, and Beauty Amber Thumann, Kansas Permaculture Institute</li></ul></li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">10:55 - 11:40 - Breakout Sessions&nbsp;<ul fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Growing a Native Food Forest Kevin Siek, Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners OR</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Building Volunteer Networks Jenna Gorton, United Way of Kaw Valley</li></ul></li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">11:55 - 12:50 - You Grew It! Now What To Do With It? Making the Most of Your Garden HarvestCarrie Riordan, Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">12:40 p.m. &ndash; 1:30 pm. Closing Group Activity &amp; Door Prize Raffle</li></ul>Register now to save your seat! Register by February 23, 2026. Learn more about Topeka Common Ground at <a fr-original-style="" href="https://topekacommonground.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">topekacommonground.org</a>.

Topeka Common Ground's Garden Conference 2026

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1738003670/plfnse8ovxltk63yvbrm.jpg" style="width:300px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:bottom;margin:5px 0px 5px 5px;text-align:right;max-width:calc(100% - 5px);position:relative;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit;float:right" />PLEASE JOIN US! WHAT: 2nd Annual Building Common Ground Conference: Greener Growing with Sustainable Gardening Methods WHO:  Hosted by Topeka Common Ground, co-sponsored by Ogden Publications/ Mother Earth News WHERE:  Washburn Tech, West Campus, 5724 SW Huntoon, Topeka, KS REGISTRATION COST:  (including lunch)   $45.00 general public   $35.00 for current individual members or members of TCG Affiliate Gardens PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Registration deadline: April 4, 2025

2nd Annual Building Common Ground Conference, Greener Growing with Sustainable Gardening Methods

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1706037933/udh6v8p81qukvkrsxgtn.jpg" style="width:222px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:bottom;margin:5px 0px 5px 5px;text-align:right;max-width:calc(100% - 5px);position:relative;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit;float:right" />You Are Invited! WHAT: Building Common Ground, Community Gardening Conference , Hosted by Topeka Common Ground WHEN:  Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, 8am - 4:30pmWHERE:  Washburn Tech, West CampusREGISTRATION COST:  $25.00 general public      ($15.00 for current indiv. members or participants of TCG Affiliate Gardens) PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Registration deadline: March 15, 2024

Building Common Ground Community Garden Conference, March 23, 2024

<span contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="fr-img-caption fr-draggable" fr-original-style="width: 212px; display: inline-block; vertical-align: bottom; margin: 5px 0px 5px 5px; text-align: right; max-width: calc(100% - 5px); position: relative; box-sizing: inherit; float: right;" style="width:212px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:bottom;margin:5px 0px 5px 5px;text-align:right;max-width:calc(100% - 5px);position:relative;box-sizing:inherit;float:right"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1701205908/bsdw1t8yhmqiv7k8h49w.jpg" style="width:212px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:bottom;margin:auto 5px;text-align:center;max-width:calc(100% - 10px);position:relative;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit" />Are you thinking about starting a new Community Garden, or maybe you have a new one that is struggling to get off the ground?   If so, this interactive workshop is for you. We will cover the key questions that are important to consider and answer before launching a new Community Garden. Participants will leave the workshop with the beginnings of a solid Community Garden Plan, and a clear idea of what additional questions still need to be researched and answered.  We encourage multiple representatives of a garden to attend as a team to facilitate group discussion and decision-making.  NOTE:  Participants of this workshop will be given preference for Topeka Common Ground's 2024 Community Garden Start-Up grants.

Digging In - Community Garden Startup Workshop

Thank You for Supporting Us with Your Individual Membership Come Grow with Us!   This annual membership opportunity is a way for individuals to support our mission of helping and encouraging local community gardens, or become more involved with us by volunteering or participating in our programs and events.  In addition to receiving our monthly e-newsletter, individual members are entitled to participate in our annual distribution of free garden seeds, to participate in our annual tour of community gardens, and to discounted registration fees for our workshops and conferences.   Membership Dues:  $10/year   (membership year is Jan 1 - Dec 31)

Thank You for Supporting Us with Your Individual MembershipCome Grow with Us! This annual membership opportunity is a way for individuals to support our mission of helping and encouraging local community gardens, or become more involved with us by volunteering or participating in our programs and events. In addition to receiving our monthly e-newsletter, individual members are entitled to participate in our annual distribution of free garden seeds, to participate in our annual tour of community gardens, and to discounted registration fees for our workshops and conferences. Membership Dues: $10/year (membership year is Jan 1 - Dec 31)

Individual Membership

Your donation will help us to expand the support we offer to local Community Gardens. With your help, we'll be able to : - Provide more free garden seeds, seedlings and starts to local Community Gardens - Provide additional mini-grants to local Community Gardens to help cover the cost of their needs - Encourage and support the development of new Community Gardens- Provide more educational programming and resources- Help to strengthen our Community

Your donation will help us to expand the support we offer to local Community Gardens. With your help, we'll be able to :- Provide more free garden seeds, seedlings and starts to local Community Gardens- Provide additional mini-grants to local Community Gardens to help cover the cost of their needs- Encourage and support the development of new Community Gardens- Provide more educational programming and resources- Help to strengthen our Community

Topeka Common Ground, Inc.

Topeka Common Ground, Inc.

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