FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 28, 2009 -- ,000 New Gardens
Missoula, a volunteer-led project that formed in February this year, is one of eight ideas across the nation eligible for winning a $10,000 grant. The online competition, Ideablob, propels one project idea every month with the grant. However, unlike most grants that are awarded by a committee, Ideablob grants are awarded based on nation-wide popular support through on-line voting. Anyone can pitch, comment, advise and vote on the ideas in the online community. In June, the Missoula project garnered enough votes to be a finalist in the competition.


The finalists have until June 30th at 11:59:59 pm CT to get out the vote for their idea. 1,000 New Gardens is asking Missoulians to vote for an idea that will help revitalize the well-known nickname,

the Garden City. Board President, Max Smith said, “For the majority of community residents, their legacy on urban land has not reached its full household potential. The mission of our group is to organize in the spirit of potlucks, AmeriCorps, and the Victory Garden era so that we can nurture this legacy by creating something powerfully sustainable in 1,000 backyards. We’re counting on Missoulians to support us in many ways. The easiest way is by voting for the project at the www.ideablob.com homepage.”


1000 New Gardens plans to focus grant money on community outreach and financially supporting the gardening ambition of low-income households. In order to create a community-based body of knowledge about local gardening, the group created and maintains a web-based

interactive blog where local gardeners express ideas, questions and other information. If awarded the grant, 1,000 New Gardens will also use it to improve and increase content about gardening techniques and information. The group also understands the importance of face-to-face interaction. Part of the funding will propel “local agriculture” by establishing neighborhood tool and canning libraries, plot sharing, volunteer labor to start new gardens, seed-ordering and vegetable harvest potlucks, and garden workshops.


In 2009, volunteers helped 12 new gardeners by hauling manure from local farms, checking out tools from the Missoula Urban Demonstration tool library, and providing salvaged materials from Home Resource for garden related uses. Nate Watson is one of the new gardeners. He said, “With the help of 1,000 New Gardens, I have not only been able to gain the ability to grow my own organic food, but I also have a great way to give back to Missoula and other aspiring gardeners.”


Missoulians interested in the project should email the group at 1000newgardens@gmail.com and see what kind of vegetables new gardeners are getting into at the blogsite, www.1000newgardens.wordpress.com. Don’t forget to vote!