getstarted is grateful... for you. |
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thumbs up to you, starters! Nikko's got it right—our Starters get thumbs up for making this past summer's getstarted pilot program possible. We're so very grateful to you for your enthusiasm right from the start, your diligence in taking care of your kits, your willingness to bring them back on a day of record-breaking heat, and your caring wishes to neighbors as you handed off the fruits—well, vegetables—of your labor. During trying times, each and every one of you literally took matters into your own hands. For this, we thank you and wish you all a wonderful, meaningful, and safe Thanksgiving holiday. |
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but don’t take our word for it… As you know, back in September, we shared your starts with appreciative families and individuals at three Petaluma food pantries. Since then, we circled back to see how the “Growers” and their plants are doing. We're delighted to share that people were touched by your kindness, and they’ve been enjoying their cilantro—especially in salsas!—and lettuces. As you can see, and may be experiencing in your own gardens, pesky caterpillars have been munching away at the broccoli plant leaves, but by and large, people’s plants continue to grow, and everyone’s eagerly awaiting harvesting them! Here's what one young woman had to say: “It was easy, because it didn’t need much work and didn’t need a special place—my mother and I just had to put them in the ground. The only food it needed was water every day. The deer ate the lettuce, but we use the cilantro every day and didn’t have to buy any for a few weeks so that was good.” —Jacque | | |
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and in your own words… Thanks, Starters, for answering our survey, and we thought you might enjoy reading some of the highlights. Here are a few choice quotes, in response to: What motivated you to participate? - I love to grow things and think the concept is thoughtful because it is collaborative, caring, community building, educational, sharing, and easy.
- You offered a kit with all the parts needed; I've not grown anything from seed before, and I wanted to contribute something to our neighbors w/food insecurity. This seemed very positive and engaging.
- My grandfather wrote numerous books about soil science and gardening; an homage to him and his work. This program put words to action for me.
FYI, a whopping 90% of you would participate again, you liked the helpful e-comms and especially the video instructions, 53% of you identified as Mid-Level gardeners/38% Amateur/9% Expert, and 66% of you had previous experience volunteering with food insecurity causes. Nice! |
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looking ahead We're focused on continuing getstarted this spring and are currently in the process of applying for sponsorships and funding. If you know folks you think would like to become Starters, like you, please share this email and encourage them to join our mailing list now, so they don’t miss any updates! Together, let’s grow getstarted! |
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Want to see getstarted grow? Read how you can help support the initiative! |
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