Summer 2022 – GreenThumb Programming

July 17, 2022
by garden
11 min read
1 Comment
Each season greenthumb sends out a news letter, 
here's the copy for summer 2022. You can also find the PDF version here

We hope your garden group had a great summer solstice! GreenThumb’s program guide is back just in time for summer programming! Click here for a digital copy and to request future paper copies in the mail. 

  

A note on our emails: Only the designated primary/secondary garden contacts receive these emails. Please be sure to always share these updates with your garden group and add our email address to your “safe senders” list or your contact list to avoid them ending up in your spam/junk folders! 

A quick note for gardens on NYC Parks property: please don’t forget to request approval for your garden’s upcoming events through our event request approval form here, it is required! 

New: This email is now also translated into Spanish below for any Spanish speaking gardeners in your group!  Por favor, desplácese hacia abajo si desea leer esto en español. 

  

Conflict Transformation Circles for Community Gardens   

Next Session: Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  

Organized by GreenThumb   

This month’s theme is: How can we hold space for and resolve conflict within our groups? 

Conflict is natural and can happen even in the most well-organized garden group or with the best of friends. How can we hold space for and resolve conflict within our groups? In these monthly sessions, mediators Skye Roper-Moses and Michelle Jackson will facilitate discussion circles for community gardeners to bring their challenges to the group and collectively generate solutions. The facilitators will model skills for holding space that gardeners can bring back to their own groups to begin to develop a practice for addressing and transforming conflict in the garden. The sessions will consist of an introduction, modeling of conflict transformation, and listening to issues arising in gardens while practicing the conflict transformation techniques.   

This will be a confidential space that is not recorded. Register here to join.   

Queens Waterfront Garden Bike Tour  

Saturday, July 16, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  

Rain Date: Sunday, July 17, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  

Join us on City of Water Day for a breezy ride along the Queens waterfront! On this easy 3.5-mile ride, we’ll be biking to GreenThumb Community gardens in LIC and Astoria. Along the way, we’ll visit gardens that have transformed traditionally industrial waterfront areas into vibrant green spaces where nature, culture, and community thrive. Riders will experience varied garden spaces: from urban farms with a focus on social justice to relaxing botanical gardens dotted with works of art. Please RSVP on Eventbrite. 

GreenThumb Workshops are Back! Both In-Person & Virtual 

To learn more about and RSVP for upcoming GreenThumb workshops, please visit our website at the link above! Upcoming workshops, with direct links, include: 

Apply for the Fall 2022 Compost and Farm Apprenticeship with Earth Matter 

Dates: 10 full-day Saturday sessions from September 10 – November 19. There will be no class on Saturday, Sept. 24, the date of the GreenThumb Harvest Fair. 
Location: Soil Start Farm, located on Governors Island. 

Apply by August 1 to join the Fall 2022 cohort of the Compost and Farm Apprenticeship with Earth Matter NY! This training offers GreenThumb gardeners the opportunity to work with Earth Matter and learn hands-on practical skills to grow plants on a small-scale urban farm, with a focus on composting. You will learn how to make “Gold Standard” compost in a variety of urban environments (e.g., community gardens, urban agriculture enterprises, multi-unit apartment buildings). Space is limited.  Finalists may be called for an interview with Earth Matter. As with other GreenThumb trainings, this training is free of charge. 

Save the Date for the NYC Parks GreenThumb Harvest Fair  
Mark your calendars for the 43rd Annual GreenThumb Harvest Fair on Saturday, September 24, 2022 at Friends of Brook Park Community Garden in the Bronx! Join us to celebrate GreenThumb gardeners as the community gardening season comes to a close with workshops, greening partners, and more! Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for more information.   

As you work on your community garden this season, please keep the GreenThumb Harvest Fair Competition in mind. Whether you grow vegetables, flowers, or are growing ingredients to include in your favorite dish, there is a category and entry for you. Guidelines to submit your images virtually will be shared on our website soon, so keep those veggies growing! The competition is open to anyone that gardens in a registered GreenThumb community garden. Winners will be announced on Saturday, September 24th during the 43rd Annual GreenThumb Harvest Fair at Friends of Brook Park Community Garden.  

Open Garden Day Feedback Wanted 

Thank you for helping GreenThumb celebrate our 5th annual Open Garden Day. We are so grateful for the everlasting hard work and dedication of the community gardeners and want to give a huge thanks to everyone who participated, in any and all forms. If you haven’t done so already, please fill out the satisfaction survey to help improve Open Garden Day NYC for upcoming years. And check out our Open Garden Day highlights on Instagram. 

An Update Regarding GreenThumb Soil/Compost/Woodchip/Lumber Requests 

Due to current constraints, including vehicle maintenance, alternate side parking regulations, and staff shortages, NYC Parks GreenThumb is working its way through existing requests of bulk materials and looking to complete these deliveries as soon as possible. While we have continued improving the delivery times of these materials in the last few years, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. If you no longer need your requested materials or would like to change or reduce your request, please contact your Outreach Coordinator.       

Delivery of Community Garden Improvement Program Special Items 

NYC Parks GreenThumb gardens submitted requests for special items through the Community Garden Improvement Program Item Order Form this past winter. Requested items included wheelbarrows, folding tables, tomato cages, composting tools, and other exciting materials. We regret to inform garden groups that benches are not available due to supply chain issues.  

Direct deliveries of all other requested items will begin in August-September. Please be reminded that some items (from Section 4: Items in Limited Quantities) are only available in extremely limited amounts. Garden groups may receive only 0-1 of items they requested in that section. Garden Contacts will receive an email from GreenThumb’s Operations team when their delivery is scheduled. Please be advised that we cannot accommodate any changes to requests. In order to ensure we can complete the delivery, please be sure to inform your Outreach Coordinator if your garden’s locks or combinations have changed. Funding for this program was made possible through the advocacy efforts of the Play Fair for Parks campaign. 

Did you know the spotted lanternfly is an invasive species?   

These invasive insects are a threat to agricultural crops, including grapes, apples, blueberries, and stone fruits. Learn more about the spotted lanternfly on the NYC Parks website. They were first discovered in the city in July 2020 and now we need your help to slow the spread! Please note harming NYC City’s wildlife is prohibited, but if you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this pest in order to help slow the spread. Report any findings to NYC Parks by emailing Forest.Health@parks.nyc.gov. Please include photos, location of infestation, and details of property damage. Please also report the finding to NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets.   

GreenThumb Resources At a Glance   

  • For gardens on NYC Parks property seeking required event approval, click here!  Please submit events at least two weeks in advance when possible to ensure timely approval. You can start submitting your event requests for the 2022 garden season. 
  • For gardens that would like to request standard materials available from GreenThumb including soil, compost, and lumber, click here or reach out to your Outreach Coordinator.  
  • GreenThumb’s YouTube channel is a wealth of information available 24/7! 
  • GreenThumb’s Gardeners Handbook is your first stop for policy answers and recommendations for a variety of gardener issues. It is available in a variety of languages at the link. 

  

Updates and Resources from Partners  

What’s Bugging You? Cornell New York State Integrated Pest Management’s Monthly Webinar 

Each month, experts will share practical information and answer questions on using integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. We’ll end with an IPM Minute, and cover a specific action you can take in the next few days to help you avoid pest problems.  Click here for more information and to RSVP. 

2022 Urban Design Forum Forefront Fellowship: New Loops 

Forefront is an annual professional fellowship by the Urban Design Forum dedicated to cultivating emerging leaders in urban design, development, policy, and advocacy. The seventh fellowship, New Loops, is focused on taking on waste to design for cleaner and healthier communities. In the fellowship, you will research how multifamily residential buildings currently manage waste streams and then will work in interdisciplinary teams to explore how to build a more circular waste system. To learn more and apply for this fellowship, please click here. Applications are due Thursday, July 21. 

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Seed Series Webinars 

The NRDC Seed Series, launching on July 6, introduces participants to key topics and issues in the world of discard studies; a growing, transdisciplinary field that centers how waste impacts our world. From the role of waste in pop culture to the lifesaving labor of sanitation workers to the relationship between the after-deathcare industry and waste inequity, and so much more. This 10-part webinar series serves as a point of departure for participants to learn more about how they can take steps in their own lives towards climate justice, anti-racism and rethinking waste. Click this link to learn more about the series and RSVP for the various webinars. 

ioby & NYSDEC Environmental Benefit Project Matching Program 

ioby is matching donations, up to $5,000, for neighborhood sustainability and environmental justice projects with their partner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. To apply for this match program, visit the ioby website here.  

Safe in the City Grant  

This grant offers funding opportunities designed to support community-based actions and activities that will make neighborhoods safer. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more.  

Workday Raindate and Other News

June 15, 2022
by garden
2 min read

Workdate on the 12th was cancelled, we plan on gathering on the 18th instead:

Due to pending rain, today’s meeting/workday has been cancelled.  Our pre scheduled rain date is  next Saturday, June 18.  A reminder notice will go out later in the week.

If you still care to be in the garden today and want to do some work, weeding around the OUTSIDE of all raised beds is always needed.  Remember to NEVER pull weeds from the inside of someone’s bed or communal bed.  You never know what unique or desired plant is growing there.  We have lost several special plants this way recently and the disappointment is deeply felt.

Thank you and have a beautiful day!

The West 104 Garden Steering Committee

Agenda for the Meeting

1.  Dirt Delivery-Volunteers needed for June 17 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

2.  Flea Market-New format this year

3.  Updates to Monitoring Sign-up and Website

  • Sign up for On Call shifts

4.  Make Music NY

  • volunteers needed?
  • Should the garden sell refreshments to raise some money?

5.  Compost Distribution Event

  • Suggested Dates
  • Explanation of Event

6,  Umbrella-new location?

7.  Announcements:

  • Weeding in communal beds or other people’s  beds
  • Member announcements

8.  Tasks:

  • Weed around the beds
  • Rubble removal
  • Painting shed roof (postponed because we need two days of no rain after painting)
  • TBA

Misc/Announcements

One of the Garden members Jean also pointed out that NY Philharmonic in the Park has returned this year! (thanks, Jean!) So we will be posting external events to the calendar.

See you on Saturday!

Garden Toy Drive –from Toddlers to Teens, Saturday December 11, 1-3pm

December 4, 2021
by garden
2 min read

Dear Gardeners!

We are organizing our first annual

Toy Drive next Saturday December 11th, in the gazebo, from 1-3pm.

Garden volunteers will be waiting to greet your generosity with winter refreshments, music, and good cheer

Your contributions will go toward the national “Toys for Tots” program, founded and run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, distributing toys to children whose parents and families can’t afford to buy them gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other solstice-time celebrations. 

If you’d like to donate,

please bring a gift that would make a child or teen happy. 

The Toys for Tots distributes presents to all ages of youth, from infancy through adolescence.

New (and non-violent please) toys, games, crafts, science kits, sports equipment, electronic entertainment, stuffed animals and dolls are all welcome.

Please donate unwrapped  items that come in their original packaging.

(Multiple gifts very welcome, and there is no price range;  all donations are much appreciated, whatever your budget allows.)

Our collection will be kindly transported by Manhattan Mini Storage to their 107th streetlocation, our neighborhood drop off in the Toys for Tots network.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact Raleigh Mayer (rm@raleighmayer.com) 212-678-2041 or Katy Pederson at our Garden Day tomorrow (December 4, 2021).

Happy Labor Day!

September 6, 2020
by garden
1 min read

Hi All Members,

A reminder that the westside garden grill & terrace are available for reservations as well as the small grill, picnic tables and gazebo on the eastside, anytime for members. 

Current status:

Reserved Monday Labor Day (4-8 pm) – westside grill & terrace

Reserved Monday Labor Day (6-8 pm) – westside grill & rose arbor  

Write to w.104.garden@gmail.com anytime for reservations.

  • Please continue to follow safe practices while gathering, masks & 6 ft distance, as your group/pod/cohort requires.
  • Insect repellant suggested for evenings.
  • Clean up after your gathering. 
  • Do not cover a HOT grill.  Followup the following day.
  • Separate recyclables.  

 Have fun!!

GreenThumb Events for September

September 6, 2020
by garden
10 min read

COMPLETE THE 2020 CENSUS NOW 

Dear all — please see below for the latest greenthumb announcements. In particular, I encourage everyone to sign up for the Rat Academy! It is more fun than you think to learn about preventing rats in our garden. 🙂 — Bethany  

The 2020 Census is critical to the future of New York City. If we don’t complete the census, New York City will lose billions of dollars distributed by the federal government every year for schools, hospitals, health clinics, affordable housing, public transit, and much more. We will also lose up to two seats in Congress and representation in Albany. 

The census is easy, safe, and confidential. It can be completed online or by phone, and is just 10 simple questions that can be answered in under 10 minutes. By law, your responses are completely confidential and cannot be shared with anyone — not immigration, not the police, not tax authorities; not even your landlord. There are no questions about immigration, citizenship, criminal history, or income. 

All you need is your address – no special code required. Visit my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020 to complete your census form today.

Invasive Pest Sightings – Spotted Lantern Fly

The Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) is an invasive pest that was first found in the northeast in 2014 and was confirmed as found in NYC in Manhattan in the latter half of 2019. Since that initial sighting they have been found in many places in Manhattan and other boroughs, unfortunately. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the state Department of Agriculture & Markets are conducting surveys currently via inspections. It is important that people report sightings of the SLF as well as their egg masses to  spottedlanternfly@agriculture.ny.gov or here https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63  

The fact sheet attached to this email can help you identify the Spotted Lantern Fly and its egg cases. All sightings should be reported, and the insects themselves should be placed in a baggie or jar to be suffocated so that a DEC or NYSDAM representative can collect it after you report it through the above survey or email address. For egg masses, a small sample should be scraped into a zip-lock bag and sealed. The remainder of the egg mass should be put in a baggie and doused with alcohol or hand sanitizer and then discarded.

GreenThumb Programming Updates

Special Webinar with International Partners

Food for Resilience: Transatlantic Lessons from Community Gardens and Farms
Friday, September 18, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  

This webinar will share lessons from across the pond on how community food growing is building resilience in cities, how they have responded to Covid-19 and reflect on what we can learn for the future beyond Covid-19, for challenges that lie ahead.

Organized by Capital Growth in London, NYC Parks GreenThumb in New York City and Toronto Urban Growers, it will provide a context for how the cities are supporting and organising their networks, and share valuable insights from the gardens.  

Harvest Fair Goes Virtual

Saturday, September 26th, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

GreenThumb’s annual Harvest Fair celebrates the ongoing efforts of GreenThumb community gardeners who have continued growing and producing during these uncertain times. Join us for a day filled with workshops, a virtual tabling with our greening partners, and the announcement of this year’s winning harvest from community gardeners. Stay tuned for the schedule for the day! 

If you are a GreenThumb gardener and think you’ve grown an award-winning vegetable or flower, please enter the 2020 Harvest Fair competition! Submit up to 10 photos in total of your best vegetables and flowers. Winners will be announced on Saturday, September 26th during our virtual recording. Winners will receive a virtual certificate or a ribbon for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Entries will be judged on condition, quality, uniformity of size, and color.

For more information visit www.greenthumbnyc.org and to enter the competition, please fill out the Harvest Fair Submission Form by Friday, September 16th.

What’s Wrong With My Vegetable Plant? Office Hours with Cornell Cooperative Extension

Thursday, September 17, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

What are these spots on my tomatoes? What is this bug, and is it eating or helping my crops? GreenThumb is thrilled to continue our partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) this fall to help GreenThumb community gardeners have a successful growing season. Please submit your photos and questions in advance (photos from past seasons are welcome if you anticipate recurring issues this season). During the virtual office hours, CCE Urban Agriculture Specialists Yolanda Gonzalez and Sam Anderson, together with GreenThumb staff, will do our best to provide answers, tips, and suggestions! Register to attend the virtual office hours at cce_officehours_sept.eventbrite.com. These sessions are reserved for members of GreenThumb community gardens in good standing. Please submit your photos and questions in advance, by Monday, September 14 at noon. 

GreenThumb Growing Food Toolkit

GreenThumb supports community gardeners in growing food through educational workshops and materials. In the GreenThumb Growing Food Toolkit, you will find most of our workshop handouts and webinar recordings, as well as many resources from partnering organizations, on topics related to food production. We will continue to add to this page and update our educational resources as time and capacity allows.

GreenThumb Webinars

Join us for an ongoing series of online workshops to dig in, grow food, and keep your community garden going while following health and safety protocols.

Did you miss some of our past webinars and are interested in learning more about that topic?  Did you miss our great keynote speakers on Earth Day?  They are now available to watch online here: bit.ly/GreenThumbWebinars 

Upcoming webinars include:

Please click the link to RSVP and receive information on how to join the webinar.

Conflict Transformation Circles: Orientation
Wednesday, September 9, 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

How can we hold space for and resolve conflict within our groups? In these monthly sessions, mediators Skye Roper-Moses and Michelle Jackson will facilitate discussion circles for community gardeners to bring their challenges to the group and collectively generate solutions.  This one hour orientation is important to attend for all future sessions.

Conflict Transformation Circles for Community Gardeners
Wednesday, September 23, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

How can we hold space for and resolve conflict within our groups? In these monthly sessions, mediators Skye Roper-Moses and Michelle Jackson will facilitate discussion circles for community gardeners to bring their challenges to the group and collectively generate solutions.

Demystifying Mental Health Care with ThriveNYC and the Department for the Aging
Thursday, September 24, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Tune in for a discussion on ThriveNYC and NYC Dept. for the Aging’s services and resources, and how they can support community gardens across the city. Come with your questions!

Organizing for Garden Success: Group Structure
Wednesday, October 7, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

This two-part workshop series is designed to help your garden group build a strong foundation for your group’s leadership and decision-making structures. 

Updates and Resources from Partners

Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Rat Academies

Rat Academies have gone Virtual!  Attend a session to learn more about safe and effective rat prevention techniques. Upcoming sessions require RSVP here:

Partnerships for Parks Webinars

Partnership for Parks provides support to neighborhood volunteers to advocate and care for parks and green spaces. They are offering a variety of webinars that may be of interest to community gardeners.  Details about upcoming webinars are available here. 

Distance Learning from our Partners

GrowNYC’s Education programs are providing weekly reads and activities using upcycled, easy-to-access materials for children and adults at home. Learn how to build your own tiny greenhouse in your apartment, a tasty recipe for mugwort, and more by visiting: https://www.grownycdistancelearning.org/

New York Restoration Project is also posting webinars on their YouTube page on different topics including climate change, green infrastructure and soil health.

Soul Fire Farm is hosting Black womxn farmers every Friday on Facebook Live to discuss gardening, livestock, agroforestry, plant medicine, and food preservation. Anyone is welcome to join, but please create space for centered folks to speak and ask questions. Learn more.

Food Resource Guides: 

In this difficult time, we understand that food insecurity is a growing concern. Please see these food access resource guides from partner organizations. 

Coronavirus NYC Neighborhood Food Resource Guides: To help connect community members in need with food resources during this challenging time, the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center is constantly updating Coronavirus NYC Food Resource Guides for each NYC neighborhood. Each resource guide includes information related to food access within the community, such as meals for students and seniors during this time, delivery services for people with disabilities, and resources for immigrants. Resource guides will be published and updated as rapidly as possible, in order of the NYC neighborhoods most impacted by poverty and food insecurity. For more information, visit: https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/coronavirus-nyc-food-reports/. 

GrowNYC COVID-19 Schedule Changes & Resources: Most Greenmarkets and some Farmstand locations are open and operating on schedule, changes to the schedule are listed here. In addition, many Greenmarket producers are offering a variety of ways to purchase their products, from allowing customers to pre-order and pick up at a market, to direct home delivery and shipping products from their online stores. All of that information is available in one place at GrowNYC Greenmarket Alternative Sales Directory 2020. For more information, visit: https://www.grownyc.org/blog/schedule-changes. 

Cooperative Extension Survey about Urban Agriculture

The survey available at this link will help Extension educators and researchers at your local land grant university better serve urban farmers and gardeners. NYC Parks GreenThumb is not affiliated with this research. We are sharing it in case gardeners want to get involved.

Food and Agriculture Anti-Racism Resources

FoodTech Connect compiled this list of resources to help with better understanding systemic racism in the food system. They also included Black-owned farms, businesses and organizations to support. Learn more.

LES Ecology Center has Compost Available

The LES Ecology Center has free compost available for community gardens! Delivery options are available to sites in the Lower East Side. All other gardens would need to coordinate a pick-up from the Ecology Center’s compost site in East River Park in the Lower East Side. Fill out their Compost Request Form to request compost and learn more.

GreenThumb Deliveries For The 2020 Season

April 24, 2020
by garden
2 min read

Good evening gardeners,

In advance of our Zoom garden meeting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., I wanted to bring everyone up to date on how the city shut down is/will likely affect the garden this season. 

Wood delivery for bed rebuilding-As of April 23, 2020, GT is still planning to provide enough lumber to rebuild and raise approximately 22 beds. The delivery was supposed to take place the last week in March, but has been postponed due to the shut down. This was to be the first of three deliveries, the last of which was to arrive towards the end of October 2020. To date, GT has not cancelled any of the planned deliveries. 

Supplies and Plants-Between Jan. and March, GT has offered various supplies (garden equipment, flats of flowers, herbs and vegetables) to gardens in good standing.  GT has not committed to a delivery date or to what will actually be received, but hoped that deliveries would begin in May.  Although, it’s unlikely anything will arrive before the City starts to reopen.

Rainwater Harvesting System and Repairs to the Cistern-GrowNYC has applied for a grant to provide a water harvesting system for the east garden.  The original proposal was for installation on the gazebo.  However, due to the unresolved rat problem, if the grant is approved, the system will be installed on the new shed.  Additionally, GrowNYC will upgrade the overflow on the cistern in the west garden.

Plant Sale-This is on hold until we have a better sense of when the city is going to reopen.

There will be ample opportunity for further discussion at the meeting tomorrow.  The SC hopes  to see (or hear) everyone then.

-Simone Nicholson

COVID-19 changes

March 29, 2020
by garden
2 min read

Dear Garden Members,

Our garden is a peaceful and beautiful refuge, especially in springtime!

But in consideration of the public health emergency, we want to update you on the current garden plans in response to COVID-19.

1. The garden will be open to members only until further notice. All public open hours are canceled.

2. If you visit or work in the garden, it is imperative that you respect social distancing guidelines (See here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-signs-new-york-state-pause-executive-order). 

3. The water barrels will be filled by the weekend of 4/4 for anybody needing to tend to their personal bed. 

4. The April workday is cancelled, but we will have a short open garden meeting online (virtual group conversation on ZOOM via computer or phone; instructions will be circulated) at the same time (10am on April 25). The meeting will be moderated and an agenda will be distributed beforehand.  

5. UPDATES: Our compost delivery has been postponed until further notice. DSNY suspended our food scraps program until further notice. We are *not* accepting food scraps at this time. Please do not use the brown food scraps receptacles. 

6. REMINDERS: When you enter the garden, please hang the lock behind a sign on the inside of the fence. When you leave, check to see if anybody else is there and if nobody is there, LOCK UP.

7. Due to the extremely high risk of contagion, please clean your hands thoroughly before you enter and leave the garden.Please understand that these new practices may change pending new or different official guidelines and instructions.

We will keep you posted, and, most importantly, stay safe and well. 

Greenly,

Your springtime garden buds

Welcome New Steering Committee Members

March 28, 2020
by garden
1 min read

Dear garden members,

We had a vote on two new Steering Committee members at the garden potluck (Donna and Hamid) and we are writing to report the results. There was a quorum present and both Donna and Hamid received a majority of “yea” votes. Congratulations Donna and Hamid! And thank you so much in advance for your service!

2020 Steering Commitee

Hamid Alaoui
Beverly Bates
Donna Checkan
Mark De Rocco
Joyce Griffen
Raleigh Mayer
Simone Nicholson
Bethany Davis Noll
Katy Pederson
Ariel Behr, Treasurer

You can reach the Steering Committee by emailing w.104.garden@gmail.com.

FYI: We will be sending separate updates related to COVID-19 changes later this weekend.

Thank you,

Your friendly garden gnomes

Reminder: Help Us Call the City About Garden Maintenance

March 17, 2020
by garden
1 min read

Dear all,

As discussed at the brunch, there are a few 311 calls you could all help us put in.  You can say you are calling about a Parks department maintenance problem and make the following three complaints.

  • 8 West 104th st, at the back of the garden lot (south side, western portion): there is no retaining wall. The area is unstable and unsafe and rats have burrowed there. We need a retaining wall.
  • 8 West 104th st, south side: the fence is falling down and needs to be replaced.
  • 8 West 104th st, along the western edge: the retaining wall is falling onto the neighboring lot and is making it difficult/impossible for the neighbor to maintain the strip. This area needs to be maintained to keep the rats out and we don’t have access to it. Our retaining wall needs to be fixed.

Thank you!
Your friends the garden worms