End of Season Potluck Brunch and Meeting

November 10, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Meeting and Potluck Brunch
This Sunday, Nov. 13
1-3 PM
Schneider Houses
West 102 St., btwn CPW and Manhattan Ave.

This is THE time to see fellow gardeners before winter sets in. Bring a favorite dish or beverage to share or plates, cups, napkins and utensils. (We’re in desperate need for a restock on paper goods!)

We’ll have applications for the 2012 season. Bring cash or check and sign up now to avoid stamp and mailing. Think about your committee choices and whether you would like to try out a new committee next year, or become a committee head. This is a great opportunity to put your inspiration to work.

As always, we will have a brief wrap-up meeting after the brunch. Thanks to all who helped to make the season shine.

Hope to see you there,
The Steering Committee

PS: WINTER CLEAN UP. There will be one additional, optional workday scheduled on a Saturday before Thanksgiving. It’s a good opportunity for anyone who needs a makeup task.

2nd Annual Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference

October 9, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Greenthumb
2nd Annual Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference
Growing Wealth, Health and Justice
October 14 – 16, 2011

The Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference connects growers, eaters and organizations across the country to nurture the health and well being of Black America and the environment as a whole. Attendees explore issues of race, class, health and food through panel discussions, workshops, films and conversations. Resources are exchanged. Ideas are pollinated. Solutions are born.

The second annual conference will be held from October 15th, 2011 9am to 5pm at Hostos Community College in Bronx, New York. Registration: $25

Oct 14th kickoff Fundraiser at Kiosk Restaurant 80 East 116th in Harlem from 6pm to 9pm.

October 16th, Farm and Garden Tour in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Newark. The Bronx Farm Tour will be during lunch on October 15th.

The Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference is organized by Black Urban Growers (BUGs), an organization committed to building networks and community support for growers in both urban and rural settings. Through education and advocacy around food and farm issues, we nurture collective black leadership to ensure we have a seat at the table.

More Information

September 10, 2011 workday meeting minutes

October 5, 2011
by garden
3 min read

Ann Levine, who was chairing the meeting, announced that the Parks Department had provided the Garden with pavers for the areas devoted to water barrel storage, and thanked Kevin Lee and Victor Calise for their efforts in obtaining these supplies from the City. The installation of the pavers is a work day task.

Members were urged to support the composting event that is scheduled for October 13, from 6-8. The event will feature a guest speaker and free refreshments.
Another round of discussion was devoted to the possibility of relocating the composter to the rear of the east garden. Various suggestions were offered to mitigate the downsides of the present location. To make the composter itself more attractive, it was suggested that it could be decorated as part of a children’s art project. To improve accessibility at the entrance to the east garden, it was suggested that the platform under the composter could be refurbished and its footprint reduced. Further discussion was tabled until Jean Jaworek, chair of the compost committee, could be present.

Members discussed the option of replacing the Halloween Party with a Harvest Festival. The reason for doing this would be to provide an event with greater appeal to adult members who don’t have young children, and because there are so many Halloween events already. A suggestion was made that we aim to emulate the Harvest Festival done by the Bloomingdale Group. Noreen Whysel, a Steering Committee member, does web design for that group, and has contacts with that group who might be helpful in making suggestions for how we could do a similar event in the Garden. The consensus of the meeting was that the garden should present such an event, but that it would require too much planning to be able to do it this year.

Nikki Kowalski announced that the Garden had received an offer from a group called Green Guerillas to supply perennials and cover crops to the Garden. Members with requests should talk to Nikki during the workday, because the September 16 deadline for requests is rapidly approaching.
Members were reminded that they are responsible for weeding the area around their individual planting bed.

The condition of the fire hydrant from which we get our water supply was once again a topic of discussion. Earlier in the summer, some members thought it was broken, but it turned out that it was just difficult to operate. Now it appears to be really and truly broken. Kevin Lee will report the problem to 311 if he can’t get the hydrant working by the end of the weekend.

NK for the SC

Garden Workday is Saturday, September 10, 10am to 12pm

August 25, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Be sure to come out for the Sept 10 workday, from 10am to noon. With all the rain we have been having, it is a jungle out there, and we expect to have a lot of weeds to pull and perhaps some surprising harvests. Remember to log in your reapings to the Farming Concrete notebook.

Also, if you missed the August workday and need to schedule a makeup, please contact Noreen Whysel at nwhysel@gmail.com.

Labor Day Potluck

August 25, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Labor Day
 
Potluck picnic and BBQ
 
September 5, 2-6 pm
 
Come ring out the season with your fellow gardeners.
 
All members (and their guests) welcome!
 
Please RSVP to siswi@aol.com.
Tell us how many you will be and what you will bring

Peach Picking Time

August 10, 2011
by garden
1 min read

The annual Peach Picking party will take place two dates this year , July 30 and Sunday, August 14 from 4-6pm.

A Farming Concrete weigh station will be available to record the harvest. The peaches we collect should contribute mightily toward our federal grant weight goal!

Stay tuned for pictures!

UPDATE: The July 30 peach picking party totaled 25 pounds. Second date planned for August 14, 4-6pm. Unfortunately, someone saw renovation workers from 12 West 104th Street cutting down branches overhanging the property line. Sadly they did a careless job with a chain saw and some branches will need to be repaired. The Pruning committee is meeting at 11am on Sunday to repair the damaged limbs, so please take care when picking on the back side of the tree!

Steering, a play premiering July 22-24 in the garden

July 17, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Hello everyone,

The play, “Steering” will premier in the West 104th Street Community Garden this Friday, 6pm and continue Saturday, July 23 at 3pm & 6pm, then Sunday at 3pm & 6pm. Lillian Meredith is curating the play by Lucy Gillespie as a part of a series of plays pertaining to the Community Gardens. It’s free of charge.

For more info, check out the website: www.communitygardenproject.wordpress.com

Here is the flyer:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=916fc3b5d047a0f191b0706dc&id=b736ee6ff5&e=

Enjoy!

Kristin

July 4 Potluck

June 27, 2011
by garden
1 min read

Next Monday, July 4th is our potluck 4th of July Party!
West Garden at The W. 104th Street Gardens
12pm until sundown/9pm

  • The larger grill will be available
  • Please bring something yummy
  • Also remember things like ice, paper towel, napkins & charcoal–and remember that charcoal that has been soaked in lighter fluid is not permitted.
  • Remember, No smoking in the garden, no intoxication or disorderly conduct
  • Children should be attended to at all times
  • Please keep the volume down (music & otherwise)
  • Thoroughly clean the BBQ & utensils at the end of the party

Most of all, let’s have some fun!!!

–Kristin Ligocki
kristinaligocki@yahoo.com

You can email me w/ questions!

Upcoming Events from Greenthumb

June 24, 2011
by garden
2 min read

Here are a couple of events recommended by Greenthumb:

Planning Your Garden for Seed Saving – Monday, June 27

It is with great pleasure that we announce a lecture and discussion with Seed Savers Exchange: “Planning Your Garden for Seed Saving” presented by GreenThumb, Horticultural Society of New York and New York Restoration Project. We hope that you will help us reach the New York City urban agriculture community by sharing this invitation with your colleagues as well as the communities that you work with.

Seed Savers Exchange curator Shanyn Siegel will lead an informative presentation and discussion on the seed saving movement and guide the audience through the basic knowledge that is needed to begin saving your own seeds. Light refreshments will be served.

This event will be held on Monday, June 27, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Horticultural Society of New York.

Please RSVP to events@nyrp.org by June 24 to reserve your seat. We look forward to seeing you there!

More Information

Register now for the American Community Gardening Association 32nd Annual National Conference
“Community Gardening Works!” – August 18-21

August 18-21, 2011
Columbia University

The conference includes, Keynote Speakers, Workshops, Garden Tours, Networking Events, Film Festival Gala Dinner & Silent Auction, Garden Bookshop

$300 Early Bird Registration until July 15, 2011 (includes ACGA membership)

First 200 registrants receive a free copy of the book “Restorative Commons. Creating Health and Well-being through Urban Landscapes,” edited by Lindsay Campbell and Anne Wiesen. 

Volunteers are eligible for $100 off registration fee.  Limited scholarships are available.

Please register at: www.communitygarden.org