Aaa communitygardens

 

http://www.cce.ufl.edu/past/commgardens/index.html

 

A community garden is a plot of land around which neighborhoods can come together on individual or family plots to grow food and build community. Cultures throughout the world have always depended upon individual and community gardens. In this country, the American Community Gardens Association (ACGA) estimates that from less than 20 community garden programs in the early 1970’s there are now more than 550 programs. Gardening in the US is a popular recreational activity and yet there is still hunger and poor nutrition in the US. A study done in 1991 found that 30 million Americans reported that they did not always have enough to eat. This includes 12 million children, including 246,000 children in Florida. The area of Alachua County, including Gainesville, has been rated as one of 11 counties in Florida with the worst designation of ‘Very High’ for a condition of child hunger. In addition, many Alachua County schools participate in School Breakfast and School Lunch programs. Community gardens are a first step in providing food security for families, neighborhoods and communities.

 

Read more at http://www.cce.ufl.edu/past/commgardens/index.html

 

no.org/what_we_stand.asp

Sample flier for Community Gathering introduction

The Community Gathering

An effective, fun way for neighbors and friends to come together to create thriving, self-reliant communities.

The biggest problem with trying to make positive change is getting people involved. The combined aspects of the Community Gathering dissolves the obstacles to participation;, stamps out hopelessness and apathy; gets people excited; and empowers people to work together for a free, just society.

The Community Gathering combines fun, food, music, conversations and child care with a special way of having a town meeting called Open Space Technology which makes it easy for everyone attending to:

*Build friendships

*Share knowledge

*Strengthen neighborhoods and communities

*Effect positive change

*Be engaged in the job of “civilization building”

Some of the many things that will happen at a Community Gathering include:

*Meetups, Time Banking co-ops, and other already existing groups can use this as their meeting space.

*A diverse group of people will have a chance to network and cooperate, building trust and connection

*A shared vision and strategy for getting neighbors’ needs met will unfold

*People are empowered to get support to follow through with their passionate goals including things like starting a community garden, getting a neighborhood emergency plan together, elect accountable political candidates, taking care of their family, getting meaningful work, feeding the hungry, and caring for the environment

*Creating communication networks and connections outside the weekly gathering

*Classes of all kinds including reading, art, languages, communication, and grassroots activism

*Fun activities including dance, music, art and games

*On going work groups to help get projects going and enlist help.

Do you want to make a huge difference in your neighborhood and world? Help create an environment where people can effectively address things that matter most to them. Start a Community Gathering in your neighborhood!

For more information, call Patricia Mikkelson

Learn more and view a slide show here or at www.myspace.com/communitygathering

A Seed exchange: A celebration of abundance

I just returned from a seed exchange. People brought seeds to give and we all took what we wanted. Isn’t it amazing how many seeds come from one plant? We just need to learn how to save them .

I envision that eventually every neighborhood will have a seed exchange because so many people are growing food. In our case, everyone lived in the same city, Fayetteville. I want to share with you how to do a seed exchange, and how useful it is.

Mariah was kind enough to facilitate the event, which has been happening annually, this time for the third year. She brought the following items:

Sharpie pens to mark the seed packets

Old envelopes cut in half, and other packets to put seeds in.

Tape to close up the envelopes

Some seeds that  someone had given her left over from another seed exchange.

yoghurt container and other white lids (so seeds could show up easily) for people to put seeds into to give away.

Everyone put the seeds they wanted to give away on the table–like a big potluck. Some were still in packets, some were in the lids.

People made up envelopes and put seeds into the packets and marked them.

That’s it! Simple!

There were tons of seeds left over. Amazing abundance.

I enjoyed the conversation. We talked about such things as:

Collecting seeds: some are easier than others. It is something worth learning. Tomato seeds all you have to do is let the tomato rot and then take the seeds out. (I didn’t hear the rest)

What to feed chickens instead of regular feed. We thought about growing some special greens for chickens–like amaranth. We are going to do some research. Some people got compost from the local organic restaurant or the local natural foods coop.

How beautiful and great amaranth is. You can eat the greens and the seeds. It is a beautiful plant. Hard to collect the seeds, but possible.

What would we grow if we had to survive on what we grew. We decided potatoes are really good. They are supposed to have the highest mineral content of any vegie–and they keep during the winter. They are also easy to grow. If you don’t have a lot of space–go verticle with tires.

Spinach can grow right now in the cold weather.

Someone brought some hot pepper seeds all the way from Nepal.

Someone brought potatoes and shared how to plant them. There should be 3 eyes on the part you cut up. Then let it cure for a few days.

We had a potluck as well.  It was a very kind event–generous in all ways. I came away with about 25 varieties of seed. I am excited about my garden like I have never been! Thanks, Mariah, for facilitating this very important event.

Urban Homesteading in Pasadena: It can be done!

What if every house in neighborhood did what this family has done–we would solve many, many of the problems that face us, including genetic engineering, food stortage, health problems, government trying to control our supplements, pollution, and many more.

Please watch this most inspiring video and check out their website. This is  truly about finding freedom in your own neighborhood–taking back your power.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q

 

Urban Homesteaders, A Homegrown Revolution

“Pioneering a journey towards self-sufficiency – one step a time”

Since the early 80’s the Dervaes family has slowly transformed their ordinary city lot into a self sufficient urban homestead.

View an eco-pioneers life on an urban homestead as this family shares their homegrown revolution, being the change they wish to see by living the solution.

Name: Dervaes

City: Pasadena, California
Hometown: Planet Earth
Country: United States
Occupation: Urban homesteaders, urban farmer…
Website: http://www.pathtofreedom.com

Re

 

Growing and sharing food with those who don’t have enough

Wouldn’t it be great if every neighborhood had a learning center similar to SOL : Sustaining Ourselves Locally.

Here is a description of this wonderful organization, located in Oakland, California.

Sol resides in a mixed-use building in East Oakland. Here in the neighborhood of Lower San Antonio we are transforming an urban space into a center for sustainable living. By growing organic food, conserving and recycling resources, and organizing community events and workshops, we are exploring ways to make the city more healthy and liveable for all its inhabitants.

our mission
We work to support and promote an urban community involved in, inspired by, and educated about environmentally and socially conscious living, and to provide a space to model and teach these practices locally.

curent projects
Sol continues to revitalize our site, formerly a vacant lot, by cleaning out garbage, nourishing the soils, and planting fruit trees and vegetables. We have begun to reroute our water into garden greywater treatment, and to design on-site environmental education programs. We are partnering with local organizations to offer our resources and creatively connect our community to the environment which supports us.
more about current projects

Here is a wonderful video about SOL –educational and inspiring. I want to have a place like this!

I felt really inspired when I read about this opportunity to live in their home. It makes me wish I had such an opportunity to share with others:

We are a close-knit, nine-person household near the Fruitvale area of Oakland (very BART/bike accessible). As a cooperative, we share food (all as organic and local as possible), living room/common area (a commercial storefront), a 5,000 square foot urban farm planted mainly with edible and native species. Our private bedrooms are in shared apartments. In addition to being a cooperative household, we are also a
sustainable living/education/demonstration project – we open our home and luscious organic garden to the community, mainly for youth cooking and gardening programs. We all volunteer varying amounts of
time/energy to the project, depending upon our availability, interests and skills, and as part of the household, we are seeking a subletter who is interested in participating in the project on some level. (In addition, there may be upcoming opportunities for minimal employment in connection to the project).

We all share a commitment to environment stewardship and sustainable living. Outside the house, we are many things including school garden teacher, urban planner/natural builder, grad student in biofuels, sustainability coordinator, and plant propagator.

The available room has wood floors, ample space and gets lots of direct sunlight. It is available May 1st, and rent is $465/month plus utilities, which comes to around $500/month. We also each pay $100/month for the food that we share. This is technically a temporary sublet, but the possibility of a longer-term living situation could come up…

You can read more about the project on our website, www.oaklandsol.org We will be hosting an open house in the coming weeks, so check our website for details. If you are interested, contact Corey at oaklandsol@gmail.com

 

Community Gardening Collaborative encourages urban food production

The Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative is an example of an organization which I believe would benefit every city, and could encourage the creation of neighborhood community gardens. I hope that this might serve as an inspiration and source of hope of what can be done. I visited Berkeley last summer of 2007. Truly amazing things are happening in that city!

 

http://www.ecologycenter.org/bcgc/

 

Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative

School Gardens • Youth Training Gardens • College Gardens • Nonprofit Garden Projects • Community Gardens • Demonstration and Restoration Projects • Affiliates & Supporters • Get Involved

Who We Are: BCGC is composed of diverse community garden members who share a common commitment to organic, urban agriculture and access to healthy food for all residents of Berkeley.

What We Do: By providing a forum for mutual support and the sharing of common resources, BCGC assists and protects existing gardens, facilitates the formation of new gardens, and advocates food security initiatives in our local schools and city.

Our Mission: BCGC actively seeks to create a more sustainable society by engaging in environmentally beneficial urban land stewardship, which includes urban agriculture; the preservation of open space; habitat restoration; and cultivating community. To broaden its impact and build alliances, BCGC partners with other organizations that share its goals. Land, air, water, and seeds are our commonwealth, which we have a right and duty to protect.

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School Gardens

School gardens, on-site at elementary, middle and high schools, aim to integrate organic food production into the curricula and into the school lunch pro-grams. Children are introduced to food production, nutrition, composting, ecological awareness, and cooking and preparing the food they grow to share around the table. Most garden and cooking classes are supported by the California Nutrition Network Program.

Berkeley Technology Academy
Derby Street at MLK Jr. Way
Contact: Justin Watkins, 763-5584

Edible Schoolyard at King Middle School
Rose Street at Grant Avenue
Contact: Kelsey Segel, 558-1335

Longfellow Middle School Garden
California Street at Derby Street
Contact: Lisa Beard, 644-4500 x27510

Willard Greening Project, Willard Middle School
Telegraph Avenue at Stuart Street
Contact: Matt Tsang, 848-7073

Arts Magnet / Whittier School Garden
1645 Milvia Street
Contact: Kate Obenour, 548-1707

Early Childhood Development Gardens
1810 Hopkins Street, 1939 Ward Street
Contact: Not staffed at this time

Emerson School Garden
2800 Forest Avenue
Contact: Not staffed at this time

John Muir School Garden
2955 Claremont Avenue
Contact: Michael Bush, 604-3279

LeConte School Farm and Garden
Ellsworth Street between Oregon and Russell
Contact: Ben Geoff, 684-7881

Malcolm X School Garden
Ellis Street at Ashby Avenue
Contact: Rivka Mason, 653-5317

Oxford School Garden
1130 Oxford Street
Contact: Chris Nakao, 981-1288

Rosa Parks School Garden
Allston Way at 8th Street
Contact: Tania Stiller, 644-8812

School of the Madeleine
1225 Milvia Street
Contact: Katie Calvert, 524-6617

Thousand Oaks School Garden
840 Colusa Avenue
Contact: Chris Nakao, 981-1288

Wahington School Garden
MLK, Jr. Way at Bancroft Avenue
Contact: Tara Creehan, 644-6310

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Youth Training Gardens

Youth training gardens train and employ young people from high-risk neighborhoods. Mentors work closely with youth gardeners, sharing practical skills for future employment and enjoyment. The Collaborative recognizes that urban gardening offers lifelong learning that can help prevent substance abuse and violence. Moreover, food production is an ecological and sustainable means of economic development that addresses both hunger and hopelessness.

Berkeley Youth Alternatives Production Garden
BYA Office: 1255 Allston Way
Garden: Bancroft Way between West and Bonar
Contact: Becca Prager, 647-0709

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College Gardens

Gill Tract Urban Farm
San Pablo Avenue at Virginia Street
Contact: Miguel Altieri, 642-9802

UC College of Natural Resources Student Garden
Walnut Street at Virginia Street
Contact: Jonathan Irvin, 295-5938

UC Graduate Student Family Garden
3040 Smyth Road

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Nonprofit Garden Projects

Spiral Gardens Community Food Security Project
Sacramento Street at Oregon Street
59th Street between Adeline and Market
Produce stand and nursery of edible, medicinal, and native plants at Sacramento Street Garden
Contact: Daniel Miller, 843-1307

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Community Gardens

Community gardens make plots available to individuals, families, and groups for growing food, flowers and herbs. Community gardeners use food to feed their families and share with neighbors.

Ashby Community Garden
Ashby Avenue between Mabel and Sacramento
Contact: Jess Btes, 658-9178

Berkeley Community Orchard
Between Derby and Carleton Streets at Acton
Contact: Carole Raimondi, 843-2808

BYA Community Garden
Bancroft Way between Bonar and West Streets
Contact: Steve Moros, 666-1254

Codornices Creek Daylighting Project and Community Orchard
8th Street at Harrison Street
Contact: Richard Register, 444-4508

Karl Linn Community Garden
Peralta Avenue at Hopkins Street
Contact: Carlos Benito, 558-8891

Northside Community Garden
Northside and Peralta Avenues at Hopkins
Contact: Barbara Beatty, 524-4230

Ohlone Community Garden
Hearst Avenue at McGee Street
Contact: Jeff Akeley, 845-1018

People’s Park Community Garden
Bowditch Street between Dwight and Haste
Contact: Terri Compost, 658-9178

Peralta Community Garden
Peralta Avenue at Hopkins Street
Contact: John Hawkridge, 529-1072

West Berkeley Senior Center Garden
1900 6th Street
Contact: Senior Center Office, 981-5186

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Demonstration or Restoration Projects

Berkeley EcoHouse Permaculture Demonstration Garden
Hopkins Street at Peralta Avenue
Contact: Babak Tondre, 547-8715

California Habitats Indigenous Activists (CHIA) Natives Restoration Project
Natives Restoration
Ohlone Greenway between Peralta Community Garden and Gilman Street
Contact: Mike Nettles, 559-9421

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BCGC Affiliates and Supporters

• Americorps
• American Community Gardening Association
• Berkeley Partners for Parks
• Center for Ecoliteracy
• Chez Panisse Foundation
• City of Berkeley
• Friends of Westbrae Commons
• N.Y. Community Foundation
• Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
• Raymond Family Foundation
• Schoolhouse Creek Commons
• Sustainable Agriculture Education (SAGE)
• West Berkeley Neighborhood Development Corporation

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The Berkeley Community Garden Collaborative is working with:

• American Community Gardening Association, a national organization that promotes sustainabilty through all aspects of community gardening and greening of urban, rural, and suburban communities.
  Contact: 1-877-ASK-ACGA
• The Berkeley Food Policy Council, which includes garden/food/children advocates working to ensure access to fresh, nutritious food for all.
  Contact: Kate Clayton, 981-5314
• Center for Ecoliteracy, who, in collaboration with the Berkeley Unified School District, works to link famnily farms to schools, and to offer all students healthy, fresh, and organic meals.
  Contact: Janet Brown, 845-4595
• Child Nutrition Advisory Committee, which works with the Berkeley Unified School District to plan for meals that comply with the Food Policy, including fresh, organic, and locally grown food.
  Contact: Eric Weaver, 524-2355
• How Berkeley Can You Be? Grand Parade, at which we give away hundreds of seed packets to the community, donated by local nurseries.
  Contact: Epic Arts, 644-2204

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BCGC can assist your neighborhood by offering:

• Compost and seeds to community, school, and nonprofit projects
• Resource and tool sharing contacts
• Technical advice, troubleshooting and design assistance

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You can help BCGC!

• Volunteer your time in our gardens
• Donate or locate garden resources, such as: irrigation supplies, garden tools, construction tools, building supplies, seedlings, etc.
• Donate money to BCGC. (Checks made payable to Ecology Center/BCGC: 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702)

Want to garden in Berkeley? We can help you find a plot! Call the community garden nearest you, or call us at 510-883-9096. We check messages once a week.

Berkeley Community Gardening Collaborative
P.O. Box 2801
Berkeley, CA 94702
510-883-9096