Meeting August 11, 2015 6:30pm - Growing Pride's future - RSVP by Today Monday night midnight

[angela.orourke]

Hi Gardeners - 

Rachel moved to Pilsen and asked me to reach out and set up the new meeting. The next meeting is tomorrow evening Tuesday August 11, 2015 at 6:30pm either at Read Write Library or Mozart's Community Garden ( 876 N Mozart Street, which is next door to the library). 

Rachel asked after the last meeting are Growing Pride Gardeners still interested in this network or has it had its purpose due to very low attendance? 

Here is my personal answer to her question: I'm part of Mozart's Community Garden which is in it's 3rd growing season. Back in  2011 when the garden was just a dream, Growing Pride along with CCCA, Neighborspace and Openlands helped us make Mozart happen. I do not want to take this away from a future community gardener. The collected knowledge and wisdom in these networks is better than any library and the internet. I am a big believer in peer-to-peer sharing of knowledge which is what happens in a network like this. I remember the first Growing Pride meeting I went to, it was in the Boathouse gallery, there were at least 15 gardeners plus lots of little kids running around. It was a joyous potluck with seed exchange, seedling exchange, knowledge exchange, free mulch and compost connections and garden walk planning all in one meeting.  

Let me know if you can come tomorrow and continue this fantastic network.  If its no hassle, bring something to share: food, seeds, seedlings, worms, insecticide soap, ladybugs.....

Best,

Angela

PS: If some of the founding members could please do a little post on the history of Growing Pride, who founded it, gardens, past walks that would be great. It would help new members like myself to know the history - Thank you!

I found a blog post written by a Community Gardener from Staten Island NY whom really loved and praised Growing Pride's Garden walk/bike tour 2014 - pat yourself on the shoulder and enjoy: http://commmunitygardening.blogspot.com/2014/08/seeing-really-seeing-community-gardens.html 

[K2]

Thanks for the reminder, Angela.

I am planning on attending and will have some copies of the flyers for the Restoration of the Jensen Formal Gardens meeting if people want to post them in the Open Pride gardens.

Cheers,

Karl 

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[Julie Samuels]

Hi, Everyone,

Change is in the air - and it can be an opportunity to grow in a lot of the ways that Angela had listed. She really made an important observation of what it means to have a "network" of gardens and gardeners. 

  I checked my old files and found the original (draft) Open Space Plan for Humboldt Park which has a brief history of Growing Pride in it.  And I found a picture of the banner for what was actually the first community garden "local"  farmers' market in Chicago - in Humboldt Park!  I  attached them here.  

If I can I would love to help, Garden Networks are really important to be able to build a strong Chicago Community Gardeners Association.  

julie samuels

[Julie Samuels]

I found a LOT more history in my files....  here's a taste!

julie

[K2]

Thanks for sharing! It might be nice to have some of this history archived physically and digitally, if it is not all ready. I bet some of my fellow Gardeners at Mozart Garden would be interested in helping with that. I will ask around.

Cheers,

Karl

<Garden Walk history.doc><Map 2007.pdf><Walk brochure.doc>

[Elizabeth Breiseth]

Thanks for sending along the history! I'm sorry I can't make the meeting tonight. Campbell Garden is definitely interested in the network, we've just had trouble getting to the meeting this summer with our work schedules. 

Also, I can't make the meeting on the 18th for the Jensen garden restoration, but I'm an architectural historian with some experience with historic landscapes, so let me know if I can be of any help!

Thanks, Liz

[amy olson]

Hi Angela and all,

Angela, thank you so much for organizing this meeting! I am sorry I won't be able to attend.

I can speak on behalf of the Bickerdike gardens (Our Block and Harold Washington) to say that we're in full support of continuing Growing Pride as an organization. 

As other gardeners have expressed,  making time for meetings can be very challenging these days. Our group would love to be more involved, as we have been in the past. Weekends are usually easier for us to plan activities and have folks actually show up :)

I feel excited about the evolution of this group, it's been an invaluable resource and source of inspiration for me personally over the years! I was part of the Homegrown Chicago market back in the day, and it's what sparked my passion for urban ag! 

Have a great meeting this evening and I look forward to connecting soon!

Amy

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amy olson

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