Green Thumb January Events Announced

January 8, 2015
by garden
3 min read

Green Thumb events are great ways for gardeners to learn about a topic related to community gardens. As a Green Thumb garden, West 104th Street Community Garden is eligible for certain benefits and free supplies. We are seeking volunteers who can commit to attending events. Attendance at certain Green Thumb may count toward the garden workday or makeup requirement. Contact us for details or to volunteer.

Irises & Green Thumb sign 5-15

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Grow to Learn Workshop: Permaculture

1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
Interested in permaculture, companion planting, spiral gardens and the like, but…
Location: Old Stone House (in J.J. Byrne Playground), Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Grow to Learn Meet-Up: Garden Classroom Mangement

4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Ever been curious about how other teachers maintain classroom order when outdoors in the…
Location: GrowNYC Greening Library, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Grow to Learn Workshop: Grant Writing and Garden Design Workshop

4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Is your school planning to apply for the Grow to Learn Mini-Grant this fall?…
Location: GrowNYC Greening Library, Manhattan
Cost: Free

GreenThumb Garden Registration & License Renewal

5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
All GreenThumb gardens under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks and…
Location: New York Botanical Garden, Bronx
Cost: Free

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

GreenThumb Workshop: Group Structure and By-Laws 101

6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Is your garden group in need of structure and more organization? This workshop will help…
Location: Citizens Committee for New York City, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Grow to Learn Workshop: Expansion Grants

4:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Please note:  These workshops are intended for schools that have already received one…
Location: GrowNYC Greening Library, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Grow to Learn Workshop: Cooking with Kids

4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Join chefs from School Food’s Garden to Cafe Program as they discuss tips, tools, and…
Location: New Settlement Community Center, Bronx
Cost: Free

Saturday, January 24, 2015

GreenThumb Garden Registration & License Renewal

10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
All GreenThumb gardens under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks and…
Location: GrowNYC Conference Room, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Grow to Learn Workshop: Grant Writing and Garden Design Workshop

10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Is your school planning to apply for the Grow to Learn Mini-Grant this fall?…
Location: GrowNYC Greening Library, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Saturday, January 31, 2015

GreenThumb Workshop: Garden Accounting Basics

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Learn how to effectively keep track of your community garden expenses, with an introduction…
Location: Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Saturday July 13: Green Thumb Garden Festival

July 10, 2013
by garden
2 min read

The team from GreenThumb invites you to join them this Saturday, July 13, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the plaza of the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building in Harlem for the 2013 GreenThumb Summer Festival!

This festival serves to recognize and celebrate GreenThumb community gardeners throughout New York City. Co-sponsored by New York State Assembly Member Keith L.T. Wright and NYC Council Member Inez Dickens, our greening partners for this event include: Circle of Brothers, Project Harmony, Green Guerillas, GrowNYC, New York Restoration Project, NYC Community Garden Coalition, Black Urban Growers, Boswyck Farms, Citizens Committee for NY, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Community Environmental Center, Food Bank for New York City, Hip Hop Public Health, Manhattanville Houses Resident Green Committee, NYC Compost Project in Manhattan, Corbin Hill Farms, Heritage Rose Foundation, and Casa De Frela.

We will have live music and dance, radio station WBLS on site as well as raffle prizes.  Additionally, there will be face painting, arts and crafts, food demonstrations as well as a full size garden on display courtesy of the Urban Garden Center. Come meet GreenThumb’s many partner organizations and learn about the resources we offer to help New Yorkers grow successful urban gardens.  

Should you have any questions, please feel free to email Roland Chouloute of GreenThumb at Roland.Chouloute@parks.nyc.gov. We hope to see you there!

Deputy Commissioner Larry Scott Blackmon

Happy Fourth of July!

July 4, 2013
by garden
1 min read
As a reminder of upcoming events:
July 4th  – 4th of July Potluck at the garden (If it doesn’t rain) starting at 1pm. Bring something and share with your fellow gardeners.
July 11th (Next Wednesday) Working day 6pm to 8pm.
July 14th  Join us! 2nd Flea Market of the Season. Please find attached the promo in two versions. Feel free to help us spread the word by printing a copy and post it in a visible area of your building. Thank you!
Have a Happy and Safe Holiday!
Dinorah
(Membership Coordinator)

April 27: Stand for Our Land

March 17, 2013
by garden
4 min read

Register now for Stand for our Land!
NYCCGC-Forum2013-MainGraphic-350w

Join New York City Community Garden Coalition, Fellow Community Gardeners, Parks Advocates, Friends and Allies for…

NYCCGC Forum 2013 :
STAND FOR OUR LAND! MAYORAL FORUM and GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING TEACH-IN

Saturday, April 27th
9:30am – 4:00pm The Cooper Union 7 East 7th Street

Register for the forum today! As always, the NYCCGC annual forum is completely free of cost.

New York City Community Garden Coalition’s Forum 2013 will serve as a platform for mayoral candidates to go on record with their policies on community gardens, parks, and urban agriculture. We will also use this day to organize and inspire the grassroots movement to protect and increase our community gardens and open public spaces so New Yorkers can grow healthy food, learn from one another, celebrate our diversity, and nurture our planet and our communities.

Come to a planning meeting

Join us for our next  Forum planning session on Monday, March 18, 6:00 – 8:00pm, hosted by GrowNYC  – located at 49 Chambers St, Rm 212. This is your opportunity to shape the conversation around the future of our parks and community gardens! Workshop ideas and leaders welcome. Check our website for meeting updates and event announcements. The next meeting will be Thursday, April 4, 6-8pm, same location.

Don’t forget to register for GrowTogether!

GreenThumb GrowTogether
8:30am to 4:00pm
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Hostos Community College 500 Grand Concourse – Bronx, NY 10451

Click here to register.

You are invited on March 23 to join thousands of community gardeners and greening professionals from all over New York City for a day of learning, sharing, networking and greening inspiration at the 29th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether!

GrowTogether 2013 will offer many workshops you may have missed out on in years’ past, like Bees & Beekeeping, Urban Chicken Keeping, and Basics of Community Organizing and will feature favorite workshops from past years, like Seniors Arts and Crafts and Improving your Soil Quality as well as exciting new topics, like A Farmer’s Yoga and many hands on workshops for youth gardeners!

Volunteer to help!

Help out our friends at GreenThumb and volunteer for the 29th Annual GrowTogether Conference! Volunteer opportunities include a Folder Stuffing Party (3/19 10am-6pm – come when you can); and both Spanish Interpretation and General Volunteer Help on the day of the event (3/23 all day). All volunteers must sign up in advance and will receive FREE admission to GrowTogether, breakfast, lunch, a T–shirt, and hopefully a fulfilling experience. Please contact Bianca Bockman (GrowTogether2013@gmail.com) for more information and to sign up.

Ask the city to support GreenThumb

You are all invited to come join GreenThumb and NYC Parks at the New York City Council Fiscal Year 2014 Preliminary Budget Hearing. Parks budget to be covered:

250 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
Friday, March 15, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

If you plan to testify, remember to ask the City Council to allocate money for GreenThumb. All their money is currently federal and they’re way under-funded…the City needs to start contributing! They’ve never paid for the amazing work that GreenThumb does.

Come to the next general meeting

Once again, NYCCGC will be hosting three general meetings simultaneously in three boroughs. Come to whichever is most convenient for you. Invite your neighbors and fellow gardeners. This meeting is a great opportunity to meet fellow gardeners and discuss common issues. We’ll also be giving legislative updates, membership updates, and, of course, talking about our upcoming forum.

Bronx
Berger Jr. High School
Brook Avenue btw 141 & 142 Street (enter on Brook Avenue)

Brooklyn
Offices of Brooklyn Queens Land Trust
677 Lafayette Avenue (at Marcy)
G train to Bedford Nostrand or #38 bus

Manhattan
Neighborhood Preservation Center
232 E. 11th Street

Join NYCCGC as an official member

Our long-anticipated new sliding-scale membership structure is live! You can sign up as an individual gardener, your whole garden can become members together, or you can join the movement as an ally. For more information, see our membership page.

Become a member TODAY and support NYCCGC, New York City’s independent voice for our community gardens!

Harvest Festival is Sunday, October 28

October 23, 2012
by garden
1 min read

Our harvest festival is going to be celebrated this Sunday, Oct. 28th. From 1 to 4 pm. We will have games, food, music and prizes. We count with you and your family presence to make of this event a successful one.

Also, the organizers will appreciate any generous contribution to the event…We welcome pies (food in general), drinks, prizes, and your time to help supervising one of the multiple activities we are planning. If anything else comes to your mind that you think might be good for the event, and was not mentioned, please contact Dinorah Matias-Melendez at: dinotias@rocketmail.com. Subject title: Harvest Festival.

Thanks, and hope to see you all on Sunday!

west 104garden harvest festival October 28, 2012
Download the flyer to post on your building bulletin board

Fig Cooking Demo at Wave Hill, Sat Oct 13

October 12, 2012
by garden
1 min read

Growing figs in New York City often evolves from a garden pastime into a garden passion. Fruit expert and fig fancier Charles Day shares cultivation information for growing your own Ficus carica in the ground or in a container. A chef from Great Performances shares cooking tips and figgy recipes for your anticipated backyard bounty. Free with admission to the grounds.

Saturday, Oct 13—2PM

Before you come, download a coupon to get a complimentary beverage with any $10 purchase from the Katchkie Truck!

http://www.wavehill.org/events/demonstration-cooking-figs/

Summer Flea Market

July 6, 2012
by garden
1 min read

Our second Flea Market will be held on July 14th from 11am-6pm in the West 104th Street Community Garden. The flea market features a great bazaar of vintage clothing, toys, bric-a-brac, and whatever else your imagination brings.

Vendors please inquire with Julia at 646-363-4513. Table space is $10, but you must provide your own table.

Download the flyer to post on your community bulletin board.

Make Music NY is Today! Plus How to Stay Cool

June 21, 2012
by garden
1 min read

Hi Garden People,

Make Music NY is today, the longest and, yes, the hottest, day of the year. So far we have had two cancelations due to the weather, so we are down to just 1-3, 5-6 and 7-8 pm performances with the possibility of some of our garden/neighbor kids performing around 6:30.

And yes it is going to be hot. For those of you who are reluctant to help out today because of the heat, a thought would be to drop off chilled, bottled water or sports drinks and salty snacks for the musicians and garden volunteers. You would only be out for a little while and it would be very much appreciated.

Also, if you are out in the garden today, please give some extra water to our community beds or anyone’s whose bed looks particularly thirsty. Be sure to check on elderly neighbors in your building and keep yourself hydrated, too.

Here is an article about how to protect plants during heat spells. http://www.wikihow.com/Protect-Your-Garden-During-a-Harsh-Summer

Thanks and stay cool today!

Noreen

Gardening Classes at Riverside Farm

April 4, 2012
by garden
1 min read

Thanks to Walli for finding these course opportunities at Riverside Farm, East 29th Street at the East River.

Preparing planting beds, seeding and transplanting

Description: Learn how we get soil ready for planting and when to direct seed vs. starting plants ahead of time for transplant. Time: 9am – 12pm Dates: March 31, May 12, June 23

Plant Maintenance: Watering, feeding, mulching, pruning and weeding

Description: Here we’ll show you all the basics and teach best practices for successful growing. Time: 9am – 12pm Dates: April 14, May 26

Composting

Description: Learn how we turn kitchen scraps and farm trimmings into healthy soil for our plants. You’ll learn the basics and how to start your own systems. Time: 9am – 12pm Dates: April 28, June 9

2012 Opening Potluck Brunch

March 11, 2012
by garden
2 min read

Since it looks like we aren’t going to have a winter after all, let’s plan for spring! The first meeting of the 2012 season for the West 104 Garden will take place on Sunday, March 18, at the Schneider Houses, 17 West 102nd Street, from 12 to 3 pm.  Time to catch up with gardeners you haven’t seen for a couple of months and think happy thoughts about the warm months to come.  This will be a Pot Luck lunch, as usual, so start thinking about what you want to bring.

Meeting and Potluck Brunch
Sunday, March 18, 1-3 PM
Schneider Houses, 17 West 102 St.
North side if the street, between CPW and Manhattan Ave.
We meet in the community room in back and to the right of the lobby.

We are looking forward to seeing you all and meeting new members.

**Important**
Steering Committee Election

If you would like to serve on the Steering Committee, please let us know and we will put your name on the ballot. While GreenThumb does not have a minimum required number for the steering committee, we have found that the five or six people we have had over the past couple years is not enough. At this time not all committee members are returning, so please step forward if you think you can help out.

See you all next Sunday!

W104 Garden Steering Committee