The East Alabama Gourd Sprouts had its first organizational meeting in Spring 2003. Gourd enthusiasts from Montgomery, Alexander City, Phenix City, Auburn/Opelika and Columbus, Ga make up the Sprouts membership. Currently they meet the first Sunday every other month (beginning in February) formally with planned activities to learn new gourding techniques from each other. On the off months (Jan., Mar., etc.) they meet informally to work on personal projects. See the current schedule below.

To get the gourd word out to the public, they have had a gourd information booth at the Lee County Fair (2004, 2005). They also participated in the Auburn University College of Agriculture Ag Market (Fall 2005) which resulted in an article about the group published in the campus newspaper The Plainsman entitled: Gourds Garner Interest. In 2004 the Sprouts began producing a Traveling Gourd, which is auctioned off at the Alabama Gourd Festival dinner as a fund-raiser for the group. Each member paints a different section of the gourd to create a very unique piece of gourd art. In 2004, Burl Slaten (grower from Hartselle) won the bid, and in 2005, Kern Ackerman (grower from Ohio) was the winner. In addition, one of the Sprouts members teaches a Painted Gourds class as a community outreach course through Auburn University in the spring and fall, which results in new members to our group.  Another member has worked with troubled youth and has used gourds as therapy with the teens (see picture below).

For more info, contact Kathryn Watkins (334) 821-1861, Winnie Logan (334) 826-8141.

Meetings are held the first Sunday of the month at 1:30pm at 225 Lee Rd. 20 in Auburn. 
    Directions: Follow I-85 to Auburn and get off at Exit 51 and turn south off the exit ramp towards Tuskegee.
                    Go straight about 2 miles to Lee Rd. 20 and turn left. Go straight about 2 blocks and you will see a large metal tan building on the left.
                    This is the business where we meet. If you go to the fork in the road, you have gone too far.