The Garden Growers: Quad Cities Community Gardening is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization formed in 1997 to accomplish the mission: "To develop a community gardening program that promotes education, social interaction, and beautification in neighborhoods.' The concept of community gardening is to provide an opportunity for people in a neighborhood to garden in a public place. Horticulture becomes a tool to encourage openness, togetherness, problem solving, and pride. Fresh food is the catalyst, a better neighborhood will hopefully be one of the results. In 1996, a children's garden was started near the Antoine LeClaire House in Davenport. Master Gardeners, the City Parks Department, Friendly House and Vander Veer Botanical Center found themselves cooperating at this garden as well as at other gardening projects, and, with the Friends of Vander Veer and Scott County Extension, they agreed to pool their resources in an organized way. They formed The Garden Growers to achieve that. The participating agencies work together through The Garden Growers, each providing what it does best to support community gardens. It is this collaboration of local organizations that provides the strength of The Garden Growers. While no one group could or would build a community gardening program, each has a strong interest in the type of community-building that is the goal of The Garden Growers. In addition to the six participating agencies, we also partner with the Davenport School District, Ecumenical Housing Development Group, John Lewis Coffee Shop, the Sisters of Humility, Palmer College, and United Neighbors. By working with existing agencies with footholds in neighborhoods, The Garden Growers is not required to reinvent the wheel each time it starts a garden. The Garden Growers supported seven gardens on six sites in 2000. One of these is the LeC[aire Heights Children's Garden. Twice each week beginning in late May and continuing through August, children from the LeClaire Heights neighborhood drop in at the garden site to learn about gardening, and grow produce to take home. Scott County Extension staff provide nutritious snacks and lessons on healthy eating habits. There are crafts and field trips each summer, including a trip to a working farm in Princeton, Iowa. The other garden sites are gardened by adults and their families. Land for the gardens is provided by the City of Davenport, Davenport School District, and Ecumenical Housing Development Group. Gardeners are encouraged to meet their fellow gardeners in order to build a safer and better neighborhood. The Garden Growers provides support such as land, roto tilling, plants and seeds, tools, horticultural training, leadership building, handbooks for horticulture information and information on organizing a neighborhood garden group. In June of 2000, The Garden Growers was recognized at the Tri-State Master Gardener Conference as the winner of the first "Tri-state Search for Excellence Award." This award commends volunteerism and the ability to make a difference in low-resource areas of our community. Scott County Master Gardeners were pleased to accept the award on behalf of The Garden Growers. The Garden Growers' unofficial motto is, "Gardening is good." It is good for neighborhoods, good for children, good for health, and good for our whole community.