GICD Ever Growing News
Don Lambert
EVER GROWING
August 5, 2011News
WE WON!!! Center for Growing People a Winner!!! Thanks to everyone who supported us by going online and voting, we received enough votes -- 8,435 – to be in second place. We and four other community gardens in the top five each win $4,000. To read the press release from DeLoach Vineyards open the attachment to this email, or you may view a version republished by the American Feast’s Sustainable Food Blog at http://blog.americanfeast.com/2011/08/five_community_garden_award_wi_1.html
Team Water Works a Great Success. Not only did this great group of 20 some kids volunteer to spend seven Fridays helping and learning at GICD community gardens, but they also took pictures and videos to post on the web. You can see their work for yourself at:
https://www.facebook.com/TeamH2OWorks
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=TeamH20Works&aq=f
This partnership between Dallas Water Utilities and GICD is timely given our current drought situation. Team members participated in many activities to learn water saving skills, like deep mulching garden pathways and beds, repairing leaky faucets and hoses, installing drip irrigation systems, rain water catchment, and planting crops well adapted to our Texas growing conditions.
American Community Gardening Association Annual Conference. Three of us from GICD are attending the conference in New York City two weeks from now. This annual conference is the best way we know of to get some real perspective on community gardening, and to network and learn from other programs across the country, and other parts of the world. Every community garden, here and elsewhere, benefits from this sharing of knowledge, advocacy, and validation that local grassroots organizations can make a difference in rebuilding communities and local food systems. To learn about this conference (register and attend maybe), and the work of ACGA visit www.communitygarden.org.
North Texas Community Gardener “Lunch ‘n’ Learn”. If you are not going to the ACGA conference, then do attend this event on August 20. Meet other area community gardeners and learn about conserving water, share a potluck lunch, discuss the successes and challenges of community gardens. You can ask question and RSVP to Deb Bliss, de...@plano.gov. See attached flyer.
We still need volunteers to help with harvesting. At the Center for Growing People we are getting bumper harvests of long beans, okra, eggplant, and peppers. The okra especially needs daily harvesting to keep producing through summer and into the fall season. We are talking about 100 foot rows, 2 of okra and 2 of Chinese long beans. The regular weekly harvest is on Tuesday mornings at 9am, but if you call Becky Smith (214-564-5801) and make arrangements, your help is welcome any day (especially early mornings or evenings). This produce is grown in the Just Greens garden at Our Saviour, and is donated to the Pleasant Grove Food Pantry.
Visit Gardeners in Community Development at www.gardendallas.orgTo be removed from GICD’s list of community garden supporters contact us at gro...@flash.net .
-- Don Lambert Executive Director Gardeners in Community Development 972-231-3565 www.gardendallas.org