Easy Tasks – 311 Calls to Help the Garden

January 25, 2020
by garden
1 min read

Dear all,

Can you all help us with putting 311 requests in? The east garden needs lots of help and the DOB and Greenthumb people I’ve talked to say that putting in 311 requests could help a lot. Here is what we need: 

  • west side of east garden: the retaining wall is falling down (and rats hide in there)
  • south side (west) of east garden: we need a new retaining wall where the garden is flowing out under the fence (safety issue)
  • south side (east) of the east garden: we need the  holes in front of the retaining wall filled in with cement (rats hide in there)
  • south side of east garden: we need a new fence as our fence is falling down (safety issue)

Feel free to call 311 or put it in on the app.  Here is the address: 8 west 104. The more people who put in requests the better! 

Thank you!

Bethany

Open Gardens POSTPONED to July 27

July 19, 2019
by garden
1 min read

Dear all,

We had hoped to hold our open garden event on Saturday.  It seems that it will be too hot this weekend for our space. We have some shade but not enough.

We plan to hold our event the following weekend on July 27 with the same program and cooler temperatures (fingers crossed).  

We are truly sorry for this late cancellation. We are disappointed to feel it is necessary to do this.   

Hope to see you next week!

The Steering Committee

Thank You and Rat Update

July 16, 2019
by garden
4 min read

Dear garden members,

Thank you all so much for an incredibly productive workday yesterday! We made such great progress. Thank you thank you! 

We wanted to give you an update on the rat abatement project. On Friday, we had a visit from a senior case manager at the Department of Health (DOH). We gave her a tour and got lots of advice from her. Here are some things we learned:

1. There are rat holes in the back east and south sides of the east garden. The rats that are running up through the rock bed and behind the port-a-potty are running from there. We got instructions about what the exterminators need to do: Harass one week (collapsing the holes), bait the next (stick bait pellets into the holes) and keep doing that until holes don’t come back. There should also be bait stations every 15 ft along the rat paths. Bethany will be following up and monitoring what the exterminators do to make sure this happens.

2. DOH has pebbles they are going to give us. After we get rid of the burrows (using techniques mentioned above), we can mesh the perimeter and put pebbles in the trouble/perimeter areas.

3. Flies are a sign of a rat burrow.

4. DOH approved of the plan to clear out under the gazebo so that the exterminators can see what is going on there and help get rid of that colony (using the technique described above). That work is underway thanks to several fearless and heroic gardeners.

4. DOH said long term they will try to get us money to help us pick up the gazebo and put a slab down, plus scrape the earth off around the perimeter of the garden and put in protective mesh as well as new fencing. She is going to make sure we are on the list.  Short term she definitely says we need to clean the gazebo out. And we need to clean up the boards to get rid of the rat smell.

5. The back east corner of the west garden (where the weed area) is has holes and evidence of rats. She said that all the sticks and hay on the ground are being used as “harborage.” That needs to be cleared and cleaned as much as possible so that the exterminators can do their thing.

6. DOH doesn’t think rats are living under the cistern, but they are using it to hide and for passage. Meshing around the cistern would be good.

7. When we rebuild beds, DOH agreed we need to put mesh in the ones that are afflicted and agreed it was a good idea to get the boards into the ground pretty far down so it’s not easy for the rats to dig in and out. Craig and Melissa’s is like that and it has helped.

8. DOH is going to host a Rat Academy for us at the garden. Stay tuned!

In addition, the City has a plan to fix sidewalk holes and we are hopefully going to be on the list for our rat-infested sidewalk hole. We will follow up with Greenthumb to make sure that happens.  It will likely happen sometime next year.

The City’s extermination contract is now over as the fiscal year ended at the end of June. We are following up with them and hoping that the contract will be restarted again.

We are continuing to follow up with Mark Levine’s office for help with 12 West 104th st. The building was recently sold, so we  have provided Greenthumb, DOH, and Mark Levine with the new contact information. Please continue to submit 311 complaints as much as you all can.

Here is a helpful post by the city’s “rat czar.” It is nice to read about how other gardens are dealing with similar problems and this article has helpful tips!
https://www.bbg.org/gardening/article/managing_rats_in_city_gardens

Would anyone who isn’t on the committee like to join the rat committee? We have non-gross jobs to hand out! Please let Bethany (bdavisnollATgmail.com) know.

Thanks again for all your work everyone.

All best,

Steering Committee    

GreenThumb: December 2018 News and Events

December 4, 2018
by garden
7 min read
GreenThumb’s monthly newsletter of workshops and events not to miss in December!

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

Gardeners learning about espalier fruit tree pruning from Outreach Coordinator Eric Thomann at Know Waste Lands Community Garden in Brooklyn.
Gardeners learning about espalier fruit tree pruning from Outreach Coordinator Eric Thomann at Know Waste Lands Community Garden in Brooklyn. Photo by Mara Gittleman, GreenThumb
 

GreenThumb GrowTogether 2019

Our 35th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether conference will be Saturday, March 30, 2019, at the CUNY Graduate Center – 365 5th Ave. in Manhattan. We’re looking forward to putting together another powerful and invigorating conference with you to kick off the 2019 growing season!
 

2019 T-Shirt Contest

Submit your artwork to the GrowTogether t-shirt contest for our 35th annual conference!
The theme is: Roots, Shoots, and Fruits: Celebrating Generations of Gardening
The winning design will appear on the 2019 GrowTogether t-shirts, worn by hundreds of gardeners all over the city. The winners will receive: a t-shirt with their design, framed certificate, and Parks swag (reusable bag, hat, and more!). All are welcome to enter! Applicants may submit up to three entries.
 
For submission details and how to apply, visit: 2019 T-shirt Contest
Application Deadline: Friday, December 7th
 

Interested in facilitating a workshop at the 2019 GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference?

Apply with your ideas at GreenThumb GrowTogether Workshops 2019 by Monday, January 7, 2019. We’re looking for a wide variety of workshops on topics related to gardening, composting, food and racial justice, medicinal plants, group development, community organizing, and more.
 

Apply for Uprooting Racism Training

Facilitated by Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm, Uprooting Racism will be a practical training for community garden leaders to address racism in our communities. We will delve into the history of our community gardens and look at our personal and collective roles as stewards of the land. We will spend time developing tangible action plans for uprooting these dynamics within our own gardens. All levels of experience welcome to apply.
 
 

Community Board Applications are now available for the 2019-2021 Term

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.
 
For Community Board Membership Applications and Deadlines, please visit links below:
Brooklyn / Bronx / Manhattan / Queens / Staten Island
 

Snow and Ice Removal Responsibilities

As the weather becomes colder and the winter season approaches, a friendly reminder that the removal of snow and ice from sidewalks following a winter weather event is the responsibility of GreenThumb gardeners. Garden groups must have a group plan for keeping sidewalks safe after a snowfall.

 

Please visit our website for tips and to download the Snow Removal Guide from the New York City Department of Sanitation.

 

Did You Know?

You may request translation services for any GreenThumb workshop for any language at least three weeks in advance at greenthumbinfo@parks.nyc.gov.
 

More News & Stories

 

Grants & Opportunities

  • Through Neighborhood Grants, Citizens Committee awards micro-grants of up to $3,000 to resident-led groups to work on community and school projects throughout the city. For more information and to apply, visit their website.
    Application Deadline is January 21, 2019, at 11:59 p.m..
  • Borough President Capital Grants provide support for various important capital projects throughout the city, including capital projects at community gardens such as water installation, new fencing, and more. If you are interested in advocating for a grant for your garden, please visit the links below and contact the office of your Borough President for more details on the application process. Brooklyn / Bronx / Manhattan / Queens / Staten Island
  • New York City Council Members can also offer capital grants for capital projects in community gardens. Contact your local Council Member to ask about the process to apply for capital project support in FY 2020.
  • Gardens that are part of Brooklyn Queens Land Trust or would like to register with the Cooperative Economic Alliance of New York City (CEANYC), Mini-Grant Opportunities are available for various capacity-building projects. Visit their website for more information.
  • NYC Service Neighborhood Volunteer Collaborative – Learn about the free tools and resources that are available to support volunteer engagement while connecting with other community groups. Contact Marcus Johnson (mjohnson1@cityhall.nyc.gov) if you have any questions and to see how you can become involved.
  • New Yorkers have an opportunity to propose projects for inclusion in the participatory budgeting process by visiting the New York City Council Participatory Budgeting website. Add an idea about how things could work better for your community to the map and after your idea is submitted, it will be given to community volunteers, called Budget Delegates. These proposals will be up for community-wide vote in the spring
 

Workshops & Events

ALL of our workshops are free and open to the public.
 
Highlight of the Month:
 
Make it Rain: Grants for your Green Space
 
Hear from Citizens Committee for NYC and Partnerships for Parks, who provide funding for community green space projects. Learn about the financial resources they offer and tips to secure funding for your 2019 community garden projects.
 
Tuesday, December 4, Bronx: RSVP on Eventbrite
6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
St. Mary’s Recreation Center
* Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al español.
Tuesday, December 11, Brooklyn: RSVP on Eventbrite
6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Brownsville Recreation Center
 

December 8, Bronx: Herbal Soap Making
December 13, Manhattan: Organizing for Garden Success: Group Structure (Part 1 of 2)

Soil and lumber request forms are available at ALL GreenThumb-led workshops for GreenThumb Community Gardeners.
 

Grow to Learn NYC

Grow to Learn is the citywide school gardens initiative and managed through a partnership between GrowNYC, NYC Parks GreenThumb, and the Department of Education’s Office of School Food. Grow to Learn provides ongoing resources, technical assistance, and training to support gardens in NYC schools.

Join the Grow to Learn Network and become eligible to apply for a Grow to Learn Mini-Grant, request soil and lumber deliveries to your school, and more, by registering your school garden!

December 4, Manhattan: Food Justice 101: A Workshop for Kids and Teens
December 6, Queens: Bug Hotels

Follow GreenThumb on Social Media!

If you or your Community Garden are on social media, follow @greenthumbgrows on Instagram and Twitter, and @GreenThumbNYC on Facebook, to find out about the latest workshops, events, and news at GreenThumb.

Pergola Installed, Cistern Repaired, Rat Abatement Update, License meeting delayed, Reminder Clean-up meeting

November 28, 2018
by garden
4 min read

Hello 104th Street Garden Members,

This is Craig, and I have several recent garden happenings to tell you about. Mostly, it is all very good news.

Pergola Installed:

Les and I were in the garden today with a crew from the Parks department that installed the new Pergola. The Parks department supervisor and crew did a great job on the installation. After the installation, I called up Ariana who is a Project Planner at NYC Parks – GreenThumb to thank her getting us the Pergola and setting up the installation and to tell her the Parks supervisor and crew did a great job on the installation. And thank you to Les for helping and giving me a break so I could get out of the cold.

Here is the new pergola installed:

Pergola installed on November 28

Cistern Repaired:

The Cistern has also been repaired by Sammy the super for the building to which it is attached. Sammy came up and talked to Les and I during the installation of the pergola and showed us what he had done. The pipe hook-up is a little different, but it all looks great. He has a new overflow drain set-up that drains on both side of the cistern, and the last thing he needs is about 10 feet of 4” width flexible black tubing for the overflow drain. He gave me a small sample of what he needs, and I will shop for it by the weekend. This is the first time that I have talked to Sammy about the cistern repair, but I know that Beverly and Simone, from the Steering Committee, have worked on the Cistern repair, and I wanted to thank them too. Figuring out how to fix the cistern was a difficult problem, and I think we should figure out a way to thank Sammy for his hard work.

Rat Abatement Update:

There have been a few small billing and admin issues with the exterminator. Simone, and Ariel and Linda sorted out those issues for us, and I want to thank them for handling all that stuff. An exterminator called me yesterday, and I walked with him as he serviced all of the bait traps in the garden. I wanted to get a sense of how well the traps were working. The bait stations have two ways to kill the rats. They have two posts that hold a packet of rat bait (which is poison) a lot of the rat bait was missing so the rats are eating it. The bait stations have a snap-trap too. There were eleven rats caught in the snap-traps this time. Most were caught in the east garden this time. But the west garden had a gigantic rat caught in a snap-trap. I couldn’t believe such a fat rat could get in the bait station. That’s more than twenty rats total that have been caught in snap-traps inside the bait stations that I know of. We’re getting good service on the bait stations from exterminator, and we are killing rats. The same exterminator called me later in the afternoon since he was going back to do a dry ice treatment. He filled in rat holes as we walked around too.

License Meetings Delayed:

GreenThumb has delayed the garden license meetings. They have all been postponed until early next year. They have extended our license. When we have a firm new date and details we will let you know.

Reminder garden Clean-up and mulch meeting:

We have a Garden clean-up and mulch meeting on Saturday December 1st from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

(If needed, we have a rain date of Sunday December 2nd from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.)

Some agenda for Clean-up meeting:

*Spread out some mulch.

*Put the beds to bed.

*Empty the water barrels and get them secured for winter.

*Put other things away for the winter.

Hope to see everyone at the meeting,

Craig

Garden Updates: May 18, 2018

May 18, 2018
by garden
2 min read

Hello West 104th Street Community Garden Members,

Just a reminder:

We have a work day on Sunday, May 20th, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm in the garden.

We are monitoring the chance of thunderstorms, and if there is a change in the work day we will email a notice.

For the full list of our garden 2018 Work Days see our website calendar at:

http://west104garden.org/news-and-events/calendar/

The website has upcoming events, garden news, and social media contacts at

http://west104garden.org/

Including garden twitter:

Twitter: @west104garden

GreenThumb updates:

1)  GreenThumb is hosting a Manhattan Garden Get Together on Saturday, June 2nd from 11 am – 2 pm.  The venue is Recreation Center 54 at 348 East 54th St. between 1st and 2nd Avenues.  RSVP at mngardengettogether.eventbrite.com.

2) GreenThumb will install new signage at all GT community gardens beginning now and continuing throughout this summer.  This new signage will incorporate a welcome, general rules, and dog guidelines.  At the time of installation GreenThumb will remove previous and non-compliant signage.

3) Our portable toilet application and payment for July through December has been submitted to GreenThumb.

Please reach out to Melissa with any GreenThumb questions. Thank you for reading.

Hope to see you all at the work day!

GreenThumb: August 2017 News and Events

August 14, 2017
by garden
9 min read

Help NYC Parks GreenThumb grow as we expand to reach more New Yorkers across social media!

Follow GreenThumb on:
Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | Instagram | tumblr

News

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 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.

GreenThumb Harvest Fair and Garden Recognition Awards
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.

Nominate a garden or gardener for a Garden Recognition Award

GreenThumb in the news!
In case you missed it, GreenThumb and our partners at GrowNYC were featured in a recent New York Times article on food production in community gardens.

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

Harlem Green Community Garden EXPO
Saturday, Aug. 12 – Saturday, Aug. 19
The Harlem Green Community Garden EXPO will be a week-long event advancing the cause of community gardens and displaying their outstanding resources. Learn more about the Harlem Green Community Garden EXPO

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

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

Building Healthy Communities: Healthy Communities 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: Aug. 5, 2017
Learn more about the Building Healthy Communities: Healthy Communities 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

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!

Tuesday, Aug. 1

Signage for Inside the Garden
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
GreenThumb

Come paint educational, informational, and decorative signs to hang inside your garden. Bring your creative ideas. This is the perfect intergenerational workshop for the whole family.

Location: Evergreen Community Garden 47-32 Colden St., Queens

Saturday, Aug. 5

Sharing our Food Traditions: Canning
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Brenda Thompson-Duchene, GreenThumb community gardener at Powell Street Garden and GreenThumb

Preserve the harvest! Learn how to safely can summer bounty to enjoy through the winter.

Location:  Powell Street Garden 434 Livonia Ave., Brooklyn

Thursday, Aug. 10

Seed Keeping: Storytelling, Liberation, and How to Save Seeds
5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Owen Taylor, Seed Keeping and Philadelphia Seed Exchange; Abu Talib, GreenThumb community gardener at Taqwa Community Farm; Bronx Green-Up/The New York Botanical Garden and GreenThumb

Keeping seeds connects us to our past and to our collective future. Come explore the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of saving seeds and the stories they hold through discussion and hands-on practice.

Location:  Taqwa Community Farm 90 W. 164th St. Bronx

Saturday, Aug. 12

Living Soil: Supporting Diverse Soil Ecology
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
NYC Compost Project hosted by Snug Harbor

We’ll go on a soil organism safari to understand how soil biodiversity sustains ecosystems and human health. Learn how to support soil life in the garden. RSVP for Living Soil: Supporting Diverse Soil Ecology.

Location:  Snug Harbor Compost Demonstration Site, Staten Island.
Get Directions
The Compost Demonstration Site is #23 on the map

Wednesday, Aug. 16

Toys from Twigs
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
GreenThumb

A hands-on workshop for teachers, parents, and care-givers of elementary school children. Learn how to safely build an array of toys that can be made from twigs the kids have gathered. Share your own ideas. You will build a toy in this workshop. Handouts will be provided with twig toy plans and a suggested tool list.

Location:  The Arsenal, 3rd floor gallery 830 5th Ave., Manhattan

Saturday, Aug. 19

Sharing our Farm Traditions: Willie Morgan
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Willie Morgan, GreenThumb community gardener at Our Little Green Acre, and GreenThumb

Harlem Farmer Willie Morgan will share crop stories, histories, and growing tips with us at Our Little Green Acre in Harlem. Mr. Morgan is well known for planting and tending to cotton and peanuts at the Harriet Tubman Memorial statue around the corner from his garden, where he teaches visitors about the legacies of slavery. He also farms dozens of varieties of heirloom vegetables and herbs.

Location: Our Little Green Acre 277 W. 122nd St., Manhattan

Tuesday, Aug. 22

Grant-Writing 101
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Partnerships for Parks, Citizens Committee for NYC, and GreenThumb

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.

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

Thursday, Aug. 24

Sowing Late Summer and Fall Crops
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Bronx Green-Up/The New York Botanical Garden and GreenThumb

Join us as we plant vegetables for the fall harvest at this urban farm. Learn which plants are best for the cooler weather.

Location:  La Finca del Sur 175 E. 138th St., Bronx

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

Karl Porter’s Funeral: June 16

June 15, 2017
by garden
1 min read
5 Comments

Linda Prudhomme sent out this information on Karl Porter’s Funeral tomorrow. The North West Central Park Multiblock Association is the garden’s fiscal sponsor.

Dear Neighbors:

Our neighbor from 425 CPW, Karl Hampton Porter, died Friday, June 9 at St Luke’s Hospital.

Along with his many career and musical accomplishments, Karl served as the President of the North West Central Park Multiblock Association right up until his death.

His congenial spirit will long be in our memories.

Please pass the memorial info on to others who knew and loved Karl.

Unity Chapel
2352 8th Ave (Frederick Douglass Blvd)
between 126 and 127th Streets East side of the street.
Easily accessed via the #10 bus..

Date : Friday June 16
Time: 11:00 am
Phone 212 866-8300

June 3: FREE & SECURE On-Site Paper Shredding

May 17, 2017
by garden
1 min read

Saturday, June 3rd, 11am-3pm
FREE & SECURE On-Site Paper Shredding

Please join Assembly Member O’Donnell & City Council Member Helen Rosenthal for FREE & SECURE on-site paper shredding on Saturday, June 3rd from 11am-3pm just East of the corner of Columbus Ave & 88th St. American Security Shredding’s mobile truck performs on-site shredding services using a highly secure shredding process and is AAA Certified by the National Association of Information Destruction. This is a great opportunity to securely dispose of sensitive documents to eliminate the risk of identity-theft, in just minutes!

GreenThumb – July News and Events

July 4, 2016
by garden
6 min read

News

GreenThumb Blog : An Introduction to GreenThumb’s Community Garden History
This month on our Tumblr blog we are excited to highlight the history of GreenThumb community gardens and the work of our early gardeners in New York City. Please read the article and visit our website www.greenthumbnyc.org to learn about how you can get involved in a garden near you.

Grants

Ioby Matching Grants Program
Crowd-resourcing platform In Our Backyards, or ioby, is partnering with the New York State Health Foundation to provide training and $100,000 in matching grants to help Brownsville residents improve health in their communities. Learn more about grant program.

NYRP Gardens for the City Program
Is there a community space in your neighborhood you’d like to see transformed? If so, apply for help from New York Restoration Project. NYRP provides support for project of various scales — from building a few vegetables beds to large-scale restoration work. Apply here.

Workshops & Events

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Sowing Late Summer and Fall Crops
11:00 am – 1:00 p.m.
Get the most out of the growing season by sowing late summer and fall crops. Learn about the best vegetables, herbs, and fruits to plant around this time. Also, gain insight on good cultivating practices for supporting this type of plant growth. This workshop is in partnership with Just Food. RSVP here.
Location : Dyckman Farmhouse Museum, 4881 Broadway at 204th Street, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Garden Moves : African Dance
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to move in the garden with instructions in African dance. Each session will feature an African dance-based workout. No partner or prior experience required.
Location : Target Brooklyn Community Garden, 933 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Double Raised Bed Design
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Learn how to build a double-high raised bed for your community garden. Higher raised beds provide an easier gardening experience for senior members, and provide better access for community members. All gardeners are welcome to this hands-on workshop. This workshop is offered with Spanish translation. Please RSVP here.
Location : New Hoe Avenue Garden on Hoe Avenue between Aldus Street and Southern Boulevard, Bronx
Cost: Free

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Art In the Garden Series : Natural Insect-Repellent Candles
12:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Annoyed by pesky gnats and mosquitoes that congregate in the garden once the summer sun sets? Interested in illuminating your garden at dusk? Join GreenThumb as we create our own natural insect-repellent candles using citronella oil and soy wax. RSVP here.
Location: Brooklyn Bears/Pacific Street Garden, 590 Pacific Street Brooklyn, NY 11217
Cost: Free

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Soil Health Series : Soil Science
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Want to learn how to keep your plants growing strong this season? In this workshop, we will cover soil health basics such as soil sampling and testing, and delve a bit into soil science, covering elemental make-up and building good soil quality with resources that are available. Please RSVP here.
Location: GreenThumb Compound, Queens Plaza South and 10th Street, Queens
Cost: Free

Thursday, July 14, 2016

City Chicken Institute: Coops, Runs, and Predators
6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Visit a live chicken coop and learn how to raise your own flock. Learn how to keep you chickens safe and how to identify predators after an attack. Workshops are suitable for all levels of experience. Workshops may include hands-on components, so please come in appropriate attire. You will be provided with all necessary tools and gloves. Garden gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the workshop begins at 6:00 p.m.
Location: Imani Community Garden, 91 Schenectady Avenue, Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Building a Birdhouse
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Interested in building a birdhouse? Come and learn how to build a birdhouse to invite our feathery friends to the garden. RSVP here.
Location: 1278 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11221, Brooklyn.
Cost: Free

Monday , June 18, 2016

Kids Workshop : How does Soil Impact Plant Growth
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
At this workshop, we will learn how soil impacts plant growth. We will use hands-on explanations to explore soil health, while using our five senses. This is a kid-friendly event and it will include interactive components.
Location: East 43rd Street Block Association Community Garden
Cost: Free

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Staying Fiscally Fit
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to effectively keep track of your community garden expenses. This workshop is an introduction to basic bookkeeping tools and systems to manage garden finances, including receipt organization and sticking to a budget. Led by Pamela Capalad, CFP. RSVP here.
Location: The Arsenal (in Central Park), 830 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
Cost: Free

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Garden Moves : African Dance
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to move in the garden with instructions in African dance. Each session will feature an African dance-based workout. No partner or prior experience required.
Location: Target Brooklyn Community Garden, 933 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn
Cost: Free

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Building a Birdhouse
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Interested in building a birdhouse? Come and learn how to build a birdhouse to invite our feathery friends to the garden. This workshop is offered with Spanish translation. RSVP here.
Location: College Avenue Garden, 1420 College Avenue, Bronx, NY 10456, Bronx
Cost:Free

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Garden Moves : African Dance
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to move in the garden with instructions in African dance. Each session will feature an African dance-based workout. No partner or prior experience required.
Location: Target Brooklyn Community Garden, 933 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn
Cost:Free

Friday, July 29, 2016

Greenbelt Native Plant Center Field Trip
1:0 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Join GreenThumb on a field trip for a tour of the Greenbelt Native Plant Center, NYC Park’s 13-acre greenhouse, nursery, and seed bank complex on Staten Island. RSVP here or call (212) 602-5300. Limited spots available. RSVP required. RSVP does not guarantee participation; GreenThumb will confirm if spots are available.
Location: Greenbelt Native Plant Center, Victory Blvd, bet. Ridgeway Ave. and Travis Ave., Staten Island
Cost:Free

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Designing a Children’s Garden
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Huge sunflowers, purple hyacinth bean, and bitter gourd are just a few of the colorful and magical crops you can grow to interest young children in gardening. Come to Keap Fourth Community Garden and learn about great crops and structures that you can design for a thriving children’s garden. RSVP here.
Location: Keap Fourth Community Garden, 347 Keap Street, Brooklyn
Cost:Free