BACG History Post #16
In 1975, Gardens for All changed Tommy Thompson's job title from "director" to "director of field operations."
During the previous summer, Gardens for All began planning for a national campaign. A newspaper clipping service was hired to keep track of community garden projects across the country. GFA also put together a step by step manual for community garden coordinators, which it sold for $10.
Through a partnership with the federal Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Thompson went on a seven-state tour in February 1975 to meet community garden organizers from across the country. He conducted seminars in Seattle, San Francisco, Albuquerque, Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Ann Arbor.
At the local level, community gardens in the greater Burlington area stabilized in 1975 with 23 sites. Community garden acreage at the University of Vermont expanded to meet the increased demand for plots. Chairpersons and site coordinators were appointed to handle the wave of garden registrations and to orient new gardeners.
