Category - News

Hello 104th st Garden Members,

La Perla garden on 105th needs help! If you can, please lend a helping hand. Below is a message from Robert about helping out at La Perla at noon on Saturday. Some members from 104th st Garden will be attending.

Robert’s message:

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Robert Pollard <ecology2001@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 25, 2018 at 6:59 PM
Subject: [la-perla-garden] Urgent: Work Day Saturday, April 28 – maybe Sunday too
To: la-perla-garden@googlegroups.com

Friends

I received a call today from Elizabeth Kellner, representing the current owners of 76 West 105th Street, to let us know that the closing date for the sale to the builder will take place on Monday, April 30. and that the builder will install a chain link fence between the properties on that day or very shortly thereafter.

This means that we will need to remove all of our items from 76 W 105th this weekend – including the compost structure, the stone bench, unassembled wheelbarrow, rainwater barrel, etc. Ideally we would also move the sculpture, although it is not clear whether we would be able to move that, and may have to talk to the builder about help and arrangements moving it.

I suggest a starting time around noon on Saturday. Some of the items will require four or more strong helpers.

In case we are unable to move everything on Saturday, we need to be prepared for a second work day on Sunday.

Since moving the items constitutes a major part of the proposed meeting agenda, we might need to consider holding the meeting tomorrow (Thursday) or Friday.

Robert

Happy New Year Gardeners (and Happy Birthday GreenThumb)!

On behalf of the entire GreenThumb team, I want to thank and congratulate all of our 20,000 community gardeners on another amazing year. Your volunteer efforts – topping one million combined hours – continue to strengthen communities across our City. It goes
without saying that a neighborhood with a GreenThumb garden is one that is greener, healthier, and more united.

Did you know that 2018 marks GreenThumb’s 40th anniversary? GreenThumb was founded in 1978 to support neighborhood activists who had reclaimed vacant lots throughout the City and turned them into green oases. Today, 40 years later, GreenThumb’s mission to support
New Yorkers in coming together through the shared stewardship of open space remains as important as ever. We are thrilled and humbled at the prospect of another 40 years of partnership with you all, and we can’t wait to see what is possible in the decades
to come.

We can’t wait for the next season to begin, and we’re putting the finishing touches on a season-long celebration of our four decades supporting gardeners. Together, we’ll continue to green, beautify and strengthen communities across New York City in 2018.

Thank you so much for all that you do.

My best,

Bill LoSasso
Director, GreenThumb

GreenThumb
GrowTogether 2018

Save the Date and Register Now!
34th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference
March 31, 8:30am-4pm
Borough of Manhattan Community College
199 Chambers Street,
New York, NY 10007
Directions:
Subway:
A, C, J, M, 1, 2, 3 to Chambers Street
R to City Hall
Buses:
M20, M22 – Stop outside College
M5 to Broadway and Chambers Street

Join NYC Parks GreenThumb for our annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference, where we’ll be “Honoring Our Roots” and kicking-off the community gardening season surprises. Check back in early March for an updated schedule of speakers and in New York City! The
day will be packed with workshops, kids’ activities, and fun workshops.

Join us in the celebration and
get your $5 discounted tickets here for GreenThumb GrowTogether today! Tickets at the door on the day of the conference will be $10.
The first 500 people to purchase discounted tickets in advance will receive a special 40th anniversary gift!

Call for Workshop Proposals
It’s that time of year again! We’re excited to invite you to
submit a workshop proposal for the 34th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference on Saturday, March 31.

Please complete the form here by Monday, January 8th.
All workshops will be confirmed by the first week in February.

Volunteers Needed for GrowTogether Conference
We are seeking volunteers to help with the annual GrowTogether conference! Must be 18 or older.

Register here to volunteer. Volunteers will assist with making sure the event runs smoothly, helping with a range of tasks from collecting compost to running youth activities
and registration. If you have any questions, please contact:
greenthumbinfo@parks.nyc.gov
Timeframe:
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

News

MulchFest – January 6th & 7th

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Bring your holiday tree to a designated city park or garden to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city. Join the NYC Parks, the

New York City Department of Sanitation, and

GreeNYC to recycle your trees into wood chips. These wood chips are used to nourish trees and plants on streets and gardens citywide. Or, take home your very own bag of mulch
to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a
street tree. More than 26,000 trees were recycled last year. Help us top this number!
For
MulchFest locations, please visit here.

Portable Toilet Rentals

GreenThumb has updated its process for reserving and paying for portable toilet rentals at registered GreenThumb gardens, effectively immediately. All orders for rentals from March 2018 – June 2018 must be received by GreenThumb and paid in full no later than
February 9, 2018. Please contact your Outreach Coordinator if you need a Request Form.

Snow Removal

Garden groups are reminded to keep sidewalks, walkways, and curbs inside and adjacent to the garden clean and free of snow and ice as per the

GreenThumb Handbook and license agreement. Please review

this snow removal guide to prepare for the winter season.

Bylaws Requirements for the 2019 Relicensing

As we get ready for the 2019 relicensing of all GreenThumb community gardens, we’d like to inform you that GreenThumb will be requiring all community garden groups under Parks jurisdiction to submit copies of their bylaws to their Outreach Coordinators as a
prerequisite to being licensed. We will be offering workshops on group structure and bylaws every quarter during 2018, and we encourage all members of your garden groups to attend these workshops if you haven’t already.
For
more information, please visit here.

GreenThumb Soil Requirements

Growing food in urban soils can be a challenge, and it is important that all food grown in GreenThumb gardens is done so in the safest manner possible. To help educate and support GreenThumb gardeners in growing food in the safest way, we have summarized GreenThumb’s
requirements and best practices on our
website here, and in more detail,

in this document. Please take a look, share with your fellow gardeners, and contact your Outreach Coordinator if you have further questions.

GreenThumb Volunteer Program

We have started a volunteer program to further connect volunteers from the community and beyond, with gardens that need assistance with occasional projects and beautification efforts. Potential projects include assistance with breaking down and building new
raised planting beds or planting bulbs. The continued success of community gardens come from the dedicated gardeners and community members critically up keeping the green space of their neighborhood. If you are interested in recruiting volunteers for your
garden or in volunteering with one of our community gardens please reach out to
Hauwa.Abubakar@parks.nyc.gov or call 212-602-5315.

2018 GreenThumb Youth Leadership Council

We’re recruiting youth ages 14 to 21 to volunteer in our fourth iteration of GreenThumb Youth Leadership Council (YLC) at these community gardens from May to early August. The YLC is a great way to give back to the community, earn volunteer hours, learn new
skills, and have fun! Youth are required to volunteer at a garden at least twice a month and accumulate at least 20 service hours.

Go
here to apply.
Deadline: March 5, 2018
For more information please email our YLC Coordinators:
Amanda.Groziak@parks.nyc.gov &
Carina.Nieves@parks.nyc.gov

Grants and Opportunities

City
Parks Foundation

View a listing of other grant opportunities, resources, and workshops, like below, on the

City Parks Foundation website.

Capacity
Fund Grant

Get funding for your park or garden group’s ideas and efforts to improve NYC Parks from our Capacity Fund Grant. If you are an active community park or garden group supporting an NYC Parks property in any of New York City’s five boroughs, you may be eligible
to apply for a small grant of up to $5,000 for park projects including events, tools, websites, and outreach materials.

Next deadline: February 1, 2018
Upcoming deadlines: October 1, 2018
Learn
more about the Capacity Fund Grant

Safe
in the City Grant

The Safe in the City Grant offers funding opportunities designed to support community based actions and activities that will make neighborhoods safer. In addition to funding, applicants will also receive best practices and strategies from the Mayor’s Office
of Criminal Justice’s Public Safety Tool Kit, further empowering them to employ prevention, intervention and trauma response methods while amplifying the voice of community to stand against violence and promote healthy, vibrant neighborhoods.

Deadline: Rolling
Learn
more about the Safe in the City Grant

Community Board Applications are now available for the 2018-2020 term

Please see the links below if you’re interested in learning more or applying:

• Bronx
• Brooklyn
• Manhattan
• Queens
• Staten
  Island

As hand-on volunteers with deep community ties, GreenThumb gardeners are great candidates to serve on boards, which play an important advisory role on neighborhood issues including land use, city budgets, local service provision, and other community issues.
Community boards are consulted when new gardens are begun, and they identify funding priorities in neighborhoods every year during the City budget process.
Learn
more about Community Boards

NYC
Food Policy and Practice Database

A free, searchable directory of all food-related organizations, groups, businesses and agencies in New York City who are working to create healthier, more sustainable food environments and who use food to promote community and economic development. View more
than 300 food-related and socially minded organizations in the
directory here.

For more information please contact:
Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center
2180
Third Avenue, New York, NY 10035
info@nycfoodpolicy.org
List your organization by filling out this
Submission Form.

Food
Metrics Report

The Mayor’s Office of Food Policy recently published its
fifth annual Food Metrics Report. This report is an annual snapshot of the City’s many initiatives and accomplishments in increasing food security, improving the quality and
nutritional value of food the City purchases and serves, expanding access to healthy food in all neighborhoods, and promoting a sustainable and just food system.
Learn
more here.

Get on the map!

Did you know that you can add your community garden to Google Maps yourself? Nearly all GreenThumb gardens are already visible, but if not you can suggest it yourself and let the world know about your garden!
Learn
how to get on the map!

Workshops

Did you know that ALL our workshops are free and open to the public? You can find soil and lumber request forms at ALL GreenThumb-led workshops.

GreenThumb Workshop Survey

Do you have ideas for GreenThumb workshops? Would you like to host a workshop in your garden, share your skills by teaching other gardeners, or simply let us know which workshops you’d like us to offer? Let us know in the

GreenThumb Workshop Survey.

Thursday, January 11

Grant-writing
101
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
GreenThumb, Partnerships for Parks, Citizens Committee for NYC

During this workshop and info session, we will demystify the grant-writing process by discussing tips for applying for community-oriented grants. We will also share detailed information about Citizens Committee for NYC’s Love Your Block and Neighborhood Grants,
Partnerships for Parks’ Capacity Fund Grant, and other resources offered to community gardens with upcoming deadlines. This workshop is offered in collaboration with Partnerships for Parks and Citizens Committee for NYC.

Location:
A.R.R.O.W.
Field House
35-30
35th
Directions
to this location
QUEENS

Saturday, January 13

Organizing
for Garden success: Group Structure (Part 1 of 2)
11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
GreenThumb

Disorganization creates dysfunction. This two-part workshop series is designed to help your garden group build a strong foundation to deal with the many issues that arise in a community space. In this workshop, we will discuss different examples of group structure
and how they can help alleviate stressful decision-making.

Location:
GreenThumb Office (Please bring photo ID)
100
Gold St., Third Floor Grand Conference Room
MANHATTAN

Thursday, January 18

People
Power Within NYC Local Government
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
GreenThumb, Just Food

Learn about the roles and responsibilities of key city government departments and officials – in particular those who have funding and oversight on issues that impact the work of gardeners. Attendees will explore together how to influence key city government
stakeholders from the ground up. This workshop is offered in collaboration with Just Food.

Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.

Location:
Pelham Fritz Recreation Center (in
Marcus Garvey Park)
Directions
to this location
MANHATTAN

Tuesday, January 30

Crop
Planning 101
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
GreenThumb, NYC Compost Project

Grow more vegetables by planning ahead. Learn how to map out more than one season of bountiful harvests using planting calendars, knowledge of plant families, plant spacing charts, and more. This workshop is offered in collaboration with NYC Compost Project
and hosted by Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden.

Location:
Snug
Harbor
1000
Richmond Terrace
Directions
to this location
STATEN ISLAND

Grow
to Learn

Grow to Learn, the citywide school garden initiative, of which GreenThumb is a principal partner, provides workshops and programming for school and community gardeners as well as the general public. GTL has a wide variety of topics for you to select, including
learning about soils, carpentry or about how your fellow school gardeners are raising chickens in their gardens. You must register to attend any Grow to Learn workshop- fill out the information below to sign up for one or more workshops of your choice. View
the
Grow to Learn Workshop Calendar. The sign-up information is there as well. We hope you will come and join us this fall to learn and share skills with us.

Wednesday, January 31

Grant
Writing and Garden Design
9:30 p.m.–11:30 a.m.
5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Grow to Learn

This introduction to the Grow to Learn mini-grant will give you all the information you need to create an incredible application for a new or expansion garden project. The Spring 2018 Grow to Learn mini-grant RFP is open for applications from January 22 – February
23, 2018.
*You do not need to attend both workshops.

Location:
GrowNYC
(Please bring photo ID)
100
Gold St., Third Floor, Suite 3300
MANHATTAN

Access all workshop info and more in:

GreenThumb’s Winter Program Guide

Thank you!

Dear Gardeners:

Congratulations on yet another great season at GreenThumb! Together, you have stewarded over 550 community gardens on nearly 100 acres of open green space, and volunteered over 1 million hours toward the beautification of our city and strengthening of our neighborhoods this year. We at GreenThumb are grateful for your contributions and proud to work alongside you in our collective effort to bring the benefits of community gardening to as many New Yorkers as possible.

So, on behalf of everyone at GreenThumb, thank you so much for all that you do. You are appreciated.

My best,
Bill LoSasso
Director, GreenThumb

News

Winter is Coming!

This is a friendly reminder that all GreenThumb gardens on City-owned property are required to clear the sidewalks in front of their gardens of snow and ice following winter weather events. This is required as per the GreenThumb license, NYC Administrative Code, and DSNY regulations. It is important that all groups fulfill this responsibility to ensure public safety and maintain safe and inviting spaces throughout New York City. To support garden groups in doing this, GreenThumb will once again distribute shovels, calcium chloride, and ice breakers at our Fall Supply Distribution on November 4th. Details are below.

Strategic Planning Survey

GreenThumb has kicked off a 5-year strategic planning process, and we want your input! Help us plot out the next five years so that we can best support our network of 550+ community gardens and 20,000 community gardeners.

Current gardeners can participate here. And here is the Spanish version.

And anyone who is interested can participate here. And here is the Spanish version.

Please share widely. We want to hear from you!

Youth Leadership Council

GreenThumb is excited to welcome Amanda Groziak and Carina Nieves as our new Civic Corps Fellows who will be managing the 4th annual GreenThumb Youth Leadership Council (YLC), our initiative to engage New York City youth in civic service, promote intergenerational learning, and foster the next generation of community garden leaders. This free program takes place during spring/summer of 2018, and we are looking for our next cohort of youth members, and also college mentors. Our application is now open and the Deadline for gardens to apply is November 20th, 2017. For more information on the Youth Leadership Council, visit the GreenThumb websiteor contact Carina by email carina.nieves@parks.nyc.gov.

GreenThumb Volunteer Program

GreenThumb is also excited to welcome Hauwa Abubakar as a Civic Corps Fellow. Hauwa will be creating a volunteer program to connect GreenThumb gardens with New Yorkers interested in volunteering in gardens. More details to come!

Save the Dates!

GreenThumb GrowTogether – March 31, 2018

The 34th annual GrowTogether will be held on March 31, 2017. We have outgrown our past venue, and this year’s GrowTogether will be held at Manhattan Borough Community College. In addition to celebrating the kickoff to another great community gardening season, GreenThumb will be celebrating its 40th birthday! Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information.

MulchFest – January 6th & 7th

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Bring your holiday tree to a designated city park or garden to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city. Join the NYC Parks, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and GreeNYC to recycle your Christmas trees into wood chips. These wood chips are used to nourish trees and plants on streets and gardens citywide. Or, take home your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard or to make a winter bed for a street tree. More than 26,000 trees were recycled last year. Help us top this number!

Fall Supply Distribution

Registered GreenThumb gardens can pick up basic winter maintenance supplies, including ice breakers, bags of calciumchloride pellets (salt), and snow shovels for your registered GreenThumb garden on Saturday, Nov. 4 / 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

You must RSVP here or by calling our main line at (212) 602-5300 by October 27, 2017.

Please see below for additional information.

Saturday, Nov. 4

10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Pick-up by RSVP
12:30 p.m.–1:00 p.m.: Walk-ins on a first-come,first-served basis, while supplies last

BRONX

Townsend Community Garden
1735 Walton Ave.

BROOKLYN

New Vision Garden
590 Schenck Ave.

BROOKLYN

Hattie Carthan Community Garden
719 Marcy Ave.

MANHATTAN

Green Oasis Community Garden
382 E. 8th St.

MANHATTAN

Chenchita’s Group Community Garden
1691 Madison Ave.

STATEN ISLAND

GreenThumb will deliver directly to gardens in Staten Island.

Wednesday, Nov. 8

4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

QUEENS

GreenThumb Compound
10-01 Queens Plaza South

Grants and Opportunities

Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

National Institute of Food and Agriculture requests applications for the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program for fiscal year 2018. The Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program funds two types of grants, Community Food Projects and Planning Projects. The estimated total program funding in fiscal year 2018 is approximately $8,640,000.

Deadline: December 4, 2017
Learn more about the Community Food Projects Grant Program

STEW-MAP is Live!

The STEW-MAP 2017 survey is now live! STEW-MAP is a map and searchable database of stewardship groups designed to help understand and strengthen our civic capacity to take care of New York’s neighborhoods. Your response and input helps support a vibrant, connected, and green NYC.

Learn more about STEW-MAP, and contact stewmap.ufs@gmail.com with any questions.

Home Depot Community Impact Grant

The Home Depot Foundation offers grants up to $5,000 to 501(c)(3) organizations that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community.

Deadline: Rolling basis until Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017
Learn more about the Home Depot Community Impact Grant

Citizens Committee for New York City: Love Your Block Grant

Love Your Block is an initiative of NYC Service in partnership with Citizens Committee for New York City that provides a unique opportunity for neighborhood groups to transform and improve their 5communities through local action while leveraging City services. Resident-led volunteer groups receive a grant of up to $1,000 and City services provided by the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Sanitation of New York, and the Department of Environmental Protection to help improve their block. In addition to the grant and City services, groups receive project planning and community building assistance as well as support with local media coverage for the project.

Deadline: November 6, 2017
Learn more about the Love Your Block Grant

Safe in the City Grant

The Safe in the City Grant offers funding opportunities designed to support community based actions and activities that will make neighborhoods safer. In addition to funding, applicants will also receive best practices and strategies from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice’s Public Safety Tool Kit, further empowering them to employ prevention, intervention and trauma response methods while amplifying the voice of community to stand against violence and promote healthy, vibrant neighborhoods.

Deadline: Rolling
Learn more about the Safe in the City Grant

Capacity Fund Grant

Get funding for your park or garden group’s ideas and efforts to improve NYC Parks from our Capacity Fund Grant. If you are an active community park or garden group supporting an NYC Parks property in any of New York City’s five boroughs, you may be eligible to apply for a small grant of up to $5,000 for park projects including events, tools, websites, and outreach materials.

Deadline: February 1, 2018
Learn more about the Capacity Fund Grant

City Parks Foundation

View a listing of grant opportunities and other resources on the City Parks Foundation website.

Workshops

Did you know that ALL our workshops are free and open to the public? You can find soil and lumber request forms at ALL GreenThumb-led workshops.

GreenThumb Workshop Survey

Do you have ideas for GreenThumb workshops? Would you like to 6host a workshop in your garden, share your skills by teaching other gardeners, or simply let us know which workshops you’d like us to offer? Let us know in the GreenThumb Workshop Survey!

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Gardening for Liberation: A Social Justice Roundtable Series GreenThumb (Part 1)

6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Join community garden leaders for a panel followed by small group discussions where community gardeners will share stories about how they’re using their community gardens in various interconnected movements for liberation.

Moderator: Karen Washington, Farmer at Rise & Root Farm, GreenThumb community gardener at Garden of Happiness

Check the event listing page for an updated list of panelists and for pre-registration which is strongly recommended.

Location: Project Farmhouse
76 E. 13th St.
MANHATTAN

Thursday, Nov. 9

Gardening for Liberation: A Social Justice Roundtable Series GreenThumb (Part 2)

6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

Join community garden leaders for a panel followed by small group discussions where community gardeners will share stories about how they’re using their community gardens in various interconnected movements for liberation.

Moderator: Yonnette Fleming is a lifelong musician, social change catalyst and urban farmer who is committed to advancing systems of knowledge which help people recognize oppression and build health and resilience at the individual, community, and ecosystem levels.

Check the event listing page for an updated list of panelists and for pre-registration which is strongly recommended.

Location: P.S. 262 El Hajj Malik El Shabazz Elementary/Middle School
500 Macon St.
BROOKLYN

Saturday, Nov. 11

Keeping Chickens Part 2: Fall and Winter (Bronx)

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lilly Kesselman, GreenThumb community gardener at Brook Park, and GreenThumb

Learn the nuts and bolts of keeping chickens in the city. This workshop will be the second in a two-part series and will cover maintenance for the fall and winter seasons. Garden groups who attended Part 1 in the summer and attend either location for Part 2 will be eligible to receive a book on keeping chickens.

Location: Brook Park
494 E. 141st St.
BRONX

Saturday, Nov. 11

Putting your Garden to Bed

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
NYC Compost Project hosted by Snug Harbor

Use traditional techniques to keep soil protected from the elements, experiment with mulch, and sow cold weather crops for next spring.

Register at snug-harbor.org/compost/

Location: Snug Harbor Compost Demonstration Site
For directions visit snug-harbor.org/visit/directions The Compost Demonstration Site is #23 on the map.
STATEN ISLAND

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Organizing for Garden Success: Group Structure (Part One of Two)

5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m
GreenThumb and Partnerships for Parks

Disorganization creates dysfunction. This two-part workshop series is designed to help your garden group build a strong foundation to deal with the many issues that arise in a community space. In this workshop, we will discuss different examples of group structure and how they can help alleviate stressful decision-making. Registered GreenThumb community gardens will be eligible to receive a free book if members of your garden group attend all three sessions.

Location: GreenThumb Office (Please bring photo ID)
100 Gold St., Third Floor Grand Conference Room
MANHATTAN

Saturday, November 18

Winter is Coming: Prepare for the Off-Season

11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
GreenThumb

Learn how to prepare your garden for winter so you can get a head start on the growing season. We will go over proper storage of tools, winter compost maintenance, and general garden clean-up. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.

Location: Townsend Community Garden
1735 Walton Ave.
BRONX

Tuesday, November 28

Share your Story with the Smithsonian

5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Cindy Nibbelink Worley and Haja Worley, GreenThumbcommunity gardeners at Joseph Daniel Wilson Memorial Garden, Board Members of NYCCGC, author and WHCR Radio Host respectively; Sarita Daftary, Food Dignity Project; and GreenThumb

Bring your garden’s story, and we’ll help you shape, edit, refine, and submit to the Smithsonian’s ongoing Community of Gardens project. You can submit up to 2,000 words about your garden, as well as photos and audio. “By contributing images, videos, and stories to this website, your participation will help others to better understand the meaning and value of gardens to American life–today and in the future. Community of Gardens is the Smithsonian’s digital home for sharing and preserving the stories of gardens and the gardeners who make them grow.” For more information, check out communityofgardens.si.edu, or join us at this workshop.

Location: GreenThumb Office (Please bring photo ID)
100 Gold St., Third Floor Grand Conference Room
MANHATTAN

Thursday, Nov. 30

Organizing for Garden Success: Bylaws (Part Two of Two)

5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
GreenThumb

Disorganization creates dysfunction. This two-part workshop series is designed to help your garden group build a strong foundation to deal with the many issues that arise in a community space. In this workshop, we will discuss garden rules and procedures that assist in decision-making. Registered GreenThumb community gardens will be eligible to receive a free book if members of your garden group attend all three sessions.

Location: GreenThumb Office (Please bring photo ID)
100 Gold St., Third Floor Grand Conference Room
MANHATTAN

Grow to Learn Fall 2017 Workshop Registration

Grow to Learn, the citywide school garden initiative, of which GreenThumb is a principal partner, provides workshops and programming for school and community gardeners as well as the general public. GTL has a wide variety of topics for you to select, including learning about soils, carpentry or about how your fellow school gardeners are raising chickens in their gardens. You must register to attend any Grow to Learn workshop- fill out the information below to sign up for one or more workshops of your choice. View the Grow to Learn Workshop Calendar. The sign-up information is there as well. We hope you will come and join us this fall to learn and share skills with us.

Access all workshop info and more in GreenThumb‘s Fall Program Guide

News

GreenThumb Harvest Fair and Garden Recognition Awards are almost here!

GreenThumb’s annual Harvest Fair will be held on Saturday, September 16th at Brooklyn Bears Pacific Garden in Brooklyn, located at 590 Pacific Street, where we’ll be awarding ribbons to the winners of the annual Harvest Competition and also celebrating the 2nd annual GreenThumb Garden Recognition Awards.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Parks Equity Initiative
We are pleased to inform you that the New York City Council has made additional funds available in every council district to support the Parks Equity Initiative (PEI) in Fiscal Year 2018. The PEI is a City Council-funded effort to help build a more equitable park system, providing Council Members with discretionary funding that they can allocate to enhance the maintenance and beautification of parks and gardens in their districts, to activate green spaces with vibrant programming or to support increased community engagement through volunteer projects and community-led activities.

GreenThumb has created a menu of options that are eligible for funding through PEI. Council Members have the option of funding gardens through the provision of various materials and equipment, including soil, lumber, plants, tools, picnic tables, rainwater harvesting systems, picnic tables, sheds, and greenhouses. If you would like to seek funding for your garden through this initiative, we recommend reaching out to your local Council Member today to request support. Council Members are expected to begin making allocation decisions in August, so call now!

Membership Updates are Past Due!
All registered GreenThumb community gardens should send an updated complete list of all their members to the respective Outreach Coordinator via email or US Mail. Download the submission template. Membership lists allow GreenThumb to identify gardens that can accommodate new members. This list is a requirement for receiving material support from GreenThumb.

Save the Dates!

Bronx Green-Up Harvest Festival
Saturday, Sept. 9
Join Bronx Green-Up for a celebration of the efforts of community gardeners that will include food, music, activities for kids, and much more. Learn more about the Bronx Green-Up Harvest Festival

GreenThumb Harvest Fair 2017
Saturday, Sept. 16
Bring your best harvest from your GreenThumb community garden to win prizes! Join us as we celebrate the close of the growing season. Learn more about the GreenThumb Harvest Fair 2017

Sixth Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival
Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept. 24
The Sixth Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival will feature music, dance, theater, spoken word, performance art, workshops and more in 50 community gardens on the Lower East Side. It’s free and open to all. Check their website for more details: Learn more about the Sixth Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival

Grants and Opportunities

New Yorkers 4 Parks – Daffodil Project
Registration for the 2017 Daffodil Project – one of the largest volunteer efforts in the city’s history – closes soon! Registration ends on Friday, September 1 at 3:00 pm.
Register for the 2017 Daffodil Project.

STEW-MAP is Live!
The STEW-MAP 2017 survey is now live! STEW-MAP is a map and searchable database of stewardship groups designed to help understand and strengthen our civic capacity to take care of New York’s neighborhoods. Your response and input helps support a vibrant, connected, and green NYC. Learn more about STEW-MAP, and contact stewmap.ufs@gmail.com with any questions.

Home Depot Community Impact Grant
The Home Depot Foundation offers grants up to $5,000 to 501(c)(3) organizations that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community.
Deadline: Rolling basis until Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017
Learn more about the Home Depot Community Impact Grant

Partnerships for Parks Capacity Grants
Partnerships for Parks makes small grants of up to $5,000 to strengthen the outreach, membership, and program-planning capacity of community groups who care for their neighborhood parks in all five boroughs of New York City.
Deadline: Oct. 1, 2017
Learn more about the Partnerships for Parks Capacity Grants

Captain Planet Foundation: Environmental Education Grants
The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to give the next generation of environmental stewards an active understanding and love for the natural world in which they live. The Captain Planet Foundation primarily makes grants to U.S.-based schools and organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $3 million. Funding range: $500 to $2,500.
Deadline: Sept. 30, 2017
Learn more about the Captain Planet Foundation: Environmental Education Grants

Citizens Committee for New York City: Reuse and Repair Grant
Citizens Committee for New York City is partnering with the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB) and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer to launch our newest grant initiative: NYC Reuse and Repair. The goal of the grant is to support New York City in reusing, repairing, and refurbishing 100% of all discarded products that can be reused in some capacity, with the balance being recycled.
Deadline: Sept. 12, 2017
Learn more about the Citizens Committee for New York City: Reuse and Repair Grant

Safe in the City Grant
The Safe in the City Grant offers funding opportunities designed to support community based actions and activities that will make neighborhoods safer. In addition to funding, applicants will also receive best practices and strategies from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice’s Public Safety Tool Kit, further empowering them to employ prevention, intervention and trauma response methods while amplifying the voice of community to stand against violence and promote healthy, vibrant neighborhoods.
Deadline: Rolling
Learn more about the Safe in the City Grant

Farm School NYC Certificate Program
Whether you’re a novice gardener or you want to dive deeper into the world of urban agriculture, Farm School NYC classes might be the right fit for you! Farm School NYC also offers a two-year certificate program in Urban Agriculture. Their courses are taught by experts in the field, and focus on a wide range of topics from social justice issues, to urban planting techniques, to grassroots community organizing. Farm School NYC also offers a more intensive, year-long certificate course with the Youth Farm in Brooklyn. More information on the program and how to apply here. Or attend an info session to learn more!
Deadline: September 30, 2017

City Parks Foundation
View a listing of grant opportunities and other resources on the City Parks Foundation website.

Workshops

Did you know that ALL our workshops are free and open to the public? You can find soil and lumber request forms at ALL GreenThumb-led workshops.

GreenThumb Workshop Survey
Do you have ideas for GreenThumb workshops? Would you like to host a workshop in your garden, share your skills by teaching other gardeners, or simply let us know which workshops you’d like us to offer? Let us know in the GreenThumb Workshop Survey!

Saturday, Sept. 9

Annual Bronx Green-Up Harvest Festival
1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Bronx Green-Up of The New York Botanical Garden, International Rescue Committee, and GreenThumb

Bronx Green-Up, International Rescue Committee and NYC Parks GreenThumb will celebrate the efforts of community gardeners citywide with our annual Harvest Festival. Join us at the New Roots Community Farm for food, music, activities for kids, and our Harvest Contest featuring prizes for best vegetables and fruits, floral arrangements, garden photos, and pies! Contest entries must be submitted by 2 p.m..
For more information, contact Bronx Green-Up at 718.817.8026 or e-mail bronxgreenup@nybg.org.
Location: New Roots Community Farm, 670 Grand Concourse, Bronx

WormShop
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
NYC Compost Project hosted by Snug Harbor

Let worms convert your food scraps into compost for your plants. Learn how to set up, care for, harvest, and use vermicompost from a worm bin. Register for the WormShop
Location: Snug Harbor Compost Demonstration Site, Staten Island

Get directions. The Compost Demonstration Site is #23 on the map.

Tuesday, Sept. 12

Rat Prevention for Community Composting: Part 2
6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
NYC Compost Project hosted by LES Ecology Center and GreenThumb

Learn about the things you can do to prevent rats at your community compost sites. We’ll be covering composting techniques and equipment that discourage a rat habitat. This two-part workshop series will cover rat biology and behavior, and explore best management practices that help community composting sites avoid rats.
RSVP for Rat Prevention for Community Composting: Part 2
Location: La Plaza Cultural, 674 E. 9th St., Manhattan

Vertical Gardening: Pallet Planters A-Frame
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Community gardeners from La Isla Community Garden and GreenThumb

Transform recycled pallets into vertical gardening structures. Pallet planters provide a fantastic way to add green to walls and small spaces. In this workshop, we’ll connect two pallet planters to form an A-frame that can stand on its own. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Location: La Isla, 96-98 W. 163rd St., Bronx

Tuesday, Sept. 19

Welcome! The Garden is Open: Making A-Frame Sandwich Boards
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
GreenThumb

Invite neighbors and passersby to your community garden with an A-frame/sandwich board that you can place on the sidewalk in front of the garden gate. Learn how to make this very simple but very effective welcome sign. We will make and give away a limited supply of A-frame/sandwich board kits to registered GreenThumb garden groups at the end of this workshop.
Location: St. John Cantius Parish Community Garden, 476 New Jersey Ave., Brooklyn

Saturday, Sept. 23

Walk This Way: Laying Bricks and Pavers for Garden Paths
1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Angel Sepulveda, GreenThumb community gardener at River Garden, and GreenThumb

Follow the [red] brick road! Join us for a hands-on workshop where we’ll learn how to create beautiful brick pathways that your fellow gardeners will enjoy for years to come. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Location: River Garden, 1086 E. 180th St. Bronx

Sunday, Sept. 24

Honoring Ancestors Through Medicine-Making
2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Myrna Cabán Lezcano, Casitas Wisdom, and GreenThumb

When we honor our ancestors, we honor ourselves. We will uplift the legacy of New York City’s casitas as community healing spaces and make medicine for nourishment and resiliency. All will walk away with their own herbal tea blend or body spray. To learn more about Casitas Wisdom, please visit casitaswisdom.org. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español. This workshop is part of the Sixth Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival
Location: 9th St. Community Garden & Park, 703 E. 9th St., Manhattan

Tuesday, Sept. 26

They Only Come Out at Night: Inviting Bats to your Garden
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
NYC Urban Park Rangers and GreenThumb

Bats love eating mosquitoes, so we love bats! Join NYC Urban Park Rangers for a workshop on how to create bat habitat in your garden. We’ll discuss bat house design and installation.
Location: Green Oasis Community Garden, 372 E. 8th St., Manhattan

Wednesday, Sept. 27

South Asian Medicinal Plants
5:30 p.m.-7:00p.m.
Muhammad Rahman and Nazma Begum, GreenThumb community gardeners at Drew Gardens, Sara Katz, and GreenThumb

Join gardeners at Drew Gardens to discuss South Asian medicinal plants that grow in this region such as turmeric, ginger, black seed/nigella, bay leaf, moringa, bitter melon, and stinging nettle. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Location: Drew Gardens, 1059 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx

Thursday, Sept. 28

Eat Your Greens: Delectable Vegetarian Recipes for Your Garden Veggies
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
GreenThumb

Put the superfoods from your garden to use in recipes that heal the body and appease the palate. An assortment of colorful fruits, veggies, and herbs from the garden will be the backdrop to this hands-on workshop celebrating the healing qualities of our gardens harvests. Be ready to eat, learn and share. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Location: Riverside Valley Community Garden 699 W. 138th St., Manhattan

Grow to Learn Fall 2017 Workshop Registration
Grow to Learn, the citywide school garden initiative, of which GreenThumb is a principal partner, provides workshops and programming for school and community gardeners as well as the general public. GTL has a wide variety of topics for you to select, including learning about soils, carpentry or about how your fellow school gardeners are raising chickens in their gardens. You must register to attend any Grow to Learn workshop- fill out the information below to sign up for one or more workshops of your choice. View the Grow to Learn Workshop Calendar. The sign-up information is there as well. We hope you will come and join us this fall to learn and share skills with us.

Access all workshop info and more in GreenThumb’s Summer Program Guide