It’s hard to believe, but the 34th annual GreenThumb GrowTogether is a few weeks away! GrowTogether will feature a special keynote address from Karen Washington – a familiar face and tireless advocate for community gardens and food justice, a member of La Familia Verde Community Garden Coalition, and the co-founder of the Black Urban Growers.
This year’s event will take place at the Borough of Manhattan Community College on Saturday, March 31, 2018 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m..
Once again, we’ll be offering:
- 60+ workshops
- Dozens of greening partners sharing information and resources
- Networking opportunities with community gardeners across the city
- Breakfast and lunch
- And, of course, the 34th edition of the annual GrowTogether t-shirt!
This year’s theme is “Honoring our Roots,” as this year also marks GreenThumb’s 40th anniversary. We are encouraging gardeners to share their old garden-related pictures and documents with GreenThumb to display at GrowTogether to showcase how far the gardening movement has come in the past 40 years. If you have GreenThumb related photos and/or print material from the early days of GreenThumb or your garden, please bring them to GrowTogether. We will have a scanner available, and will help you scan and digitize your materials.
If you are interested in displaying these materials at GrowTogether to help us show how far we have all come in the gardening movement, please contact: greenthumbinfo@parks.nyc.gov or (212) 602-5300.
At a cost of only $5, this is the best buy in all of NYC!
Here is a link to more info and where you can register.
The first 500 people to purchase discounted tickets in advance will receive a special 40th anniversary gift!
News
Spring Supply Distribution
Pick up basic gardening and maintenance supplies for your registered GreenThumb garden at the Spring Supply Distributionon April 14th from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m..
- On-site pick up only at the dates and locations below
- One pick up per garden group
- Carpool with other garden groups that may not have access to transportation
- We encourage gardeners to take inventory of your toolsheds to see what you already have before taking supplies
Please note: RSVP to pick up supplies from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.. You may only RSVP for 1 distribution site at a time. If you are registering for more than one garden, please enter them one at a time.
Walk-ins will be accepted from 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.
*Staten Island: Please coordinate with your Outreach Coordinator or attend another borough’s pick up
Locations:
Brooklyn (Hattie Carthan Community Garden, New Vision Garden), Bronx (La Finca Del Sur), Manhattan (Green Oasis Community Garden, Pleasant Village Community Garden)
For more information, including addresses and directions, go to the Events page on our website.
Bylaws Requirements for 2019 Garden Relicensing
All community garden groups under NYC Parks jurisdiction must submit copies of their bylaws to their outreach coordinators to be re-licensed for 2018.
Visit our Bylaws page to learn more and to get started.
GreenThumb Soil Requirements
Growing food in urban soils is a challenge, and we want to make sure that every garden meets the highest standards for food safety. Visit our new Safe Soil Gardening Practices page to learn more about our best practices shared by your fellow gardeners.
2018 GreenThumb Youth Leadership Council
The Youth Leadership Council is a great way to give back to the community, earn volunteer hours, learn new skills, become a leader, and have fun! We are still looking for youth to apply to our 2018 Youth Leadership Council to serve in GreenThumb community gardens across all five boroughs!
The deadline has been extended to March 12th!
Youth Leadership Council Application
Grants and Opportunities
The Awesome Foundation
The Awesome Foundation is a global community advancing the interest of awesome in the universe, $1000 at a time. Each fully autonomous chapter supports awesome projects through micro-grants, usually given out monthly. These micro-grants, $1000 or the local equivalent, come out of pockets of the chapter’s “trustees” and are given on a no-strings-attached basis to people and groups working on awesome projects.
Deadline: Last day of each month
New York City Chapter
Grant Application
Citizens Committee for New York City
View a listing of other grant opportunities, resources, and workshops, like below, on the Citizens Committee for New York City website.
Composting Grant
In collaboration with the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Boardand Borough President Gale Brewer, Citizens Committee is awarding grants of up to $750 to start or expand compost projects in NYC.
Groups such as community gardens, schools, tenant associations, and community organizations in all 5 boroughs are eligible for the grant. Grant funds can be used to build compost bins, purchase other compost materials or tools, do outreach and education, and more.
Deadline: March 23
Learn more about the Composting Grant.
Questions? Contact Katie: kgrassle@citizensnyc.org or 212-822-9567
ioby
The Power Up Neighborhood Match, funded by Con Edison, provides matching dollars up to $5,000 for any parks, garden, or street tree project in Con Edison’s service area. Funds are easy to access–there’s no deadline or lengthy application, we just distribute funding first-come, first-served to all eligible projects.
Deadline: Rolling
Register for Power Up! Crowdfunding for your Neighborhood Webinar: March 21 at 12:00 p.m.
Partnerships for Parks/ioby
The Partnerships for Parks Crowdfunding Challenge provides up to $1,000 of matching funds for any accepted project benefiting NYC Parks properties – including parks, playgrounds, and green streets and street trees!
Learn how to apply here.
Deadline: Rolling
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, March 1
Grow your Garden Group
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Brooklyn
With spring around the corner, this is a key time to welcome new members to get involved in your garden. This workshop will cover creative and time-tested ways to grow your garden group, with a focus on recruiting new members and retaining existing members. Learn how to build the leadership of garden members and create healthy, effective groups with strong relationships at the core.
Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Saturday, March 3
Starting Seeds in a Greenhouse or Indoors
10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Bronx
Get gardening early by starting your seeds in a greenhouse or sunny window. We’ll walk you through sowing, growing, and documenting your plant growth from seed to mature crop. In partnership with GreenThumb/NYC Parks, Praxis, and Urban Cultivated.
Please note: Pre-registration required by visiting our Eventbrite page or by calling: 212-602-5300.
Staten Island Garden Get Together
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Staten Island
Staten Island community members can gather to learn more about starting, growing, or joining a community garden.
Register on Eventbrite to attend.
Compost Mania
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m..
Queens
New York City Compost Project Hosted by Queens Botanical Garden
See decomposers under the microscope, meet our red wiggler worms, mix your own potting soil, sow some seeds, and roll wildflower seed balls! Take home what you make! This family-friendly day is all about compost—how it’s made and used. Find out why recycling food scraps and yard waste creates a more sustainable urban environment!
Thursday, March 8
The ABC’s of Event Planning: How to Plan a Successful Event at your Garden
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Manhattan
In preparation for Garden Month in June and the summer season, please join us as we discuss and come up with simple, quick, and easy steps to organize garden events. Whether you are thinking about hosting a community volunteer day, or opening the gates to your garden for a garden tour, this workshop will provide resources and information key to hosting a smooth, fun-filled, garden event!
Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Please note: Pre-registration required by visiting our Eventbrite page or by calling: 212-602-5300.
Tuesday, March 13
Organizing for Garden Success: Group Structure (Part 1 of 2)
5:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Brooklyn
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 gardeners who attend both sessions will be eligible to receive a free book for their garden.
This workshop will be offered with Bengali translation.
Thursday, March 15
Compost for Community Gardens
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Queens
Reimagine your garden as one where yard waste and veggie scraps are transformed into a rich soil amendment that creates a lush bounty. There’s no magic involved, only composting! Learn to make compost, pick the bin that’s best for your garden, and set up a management plan. Presented in partnership with GreenThumb and Queens Botanical garden.
Please note: Pre-registration required by visiting our Eventbrite page or by calling: 212-602-5300.
Tuesday, March 20
Microbes and Fungi: The Life of the Soil Party
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Manhattan
Get to know the soil in your garden. If we take care of the soil, the soil will take care of our plants and crops. Meet the microbes and other members of the soil food web who recycle nutrients and share best practices for soil care.
Please note: Pre-registration required by visiting our Eventbrite page or by calling: 212-602-5300.
Wednesday, March 21
Plant a DIY Sub-Irrigated Window Box
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Brooklyn
Almost any container can be converted into a water-wise, sub-irrigated planter. Learn how, with the right plant choices, you can keep your window sill looking lush with less work and up to 80% less water than a traditional window box!
Please note: Pre-registration required at Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s website.
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.
Thursday, March 8
Seed Starting
4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Bronx
Join us for this workshop on how to start your seeds indoors, including proper timing and planting, care, and transplantation. Registered Grow to Learn school gardens ONLY will receive seed starting kits. Schools can attend one seed starting workshop.
Register to attend on the Grow to Learn Spring 2018 Workshop Registration page.
Thursday, March 15
Building a Bulletin Board From Scratch
3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Bronx
In this workshop we will construct a weatherized bulletin board for communicating important information to your garden groups and/or the general school community and public. Please Note: the materials for building this bulletin board will not be provided, but lists of the items needed along with plans for the structure will be provided.
Register to attend on the Grow to Learn Spring 2018 Workshop Registration page.
Tuesday, March 20
School Garden Social
4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Manhattan
Join Grow to Learn and gardeners from across all of New York City to celebrate the growing school gardens movement! This fun event will feature food, cooking demos, prizes, hands-on activities, and lots of chances to connect with other school gardeners from across the city! We welcome as many members of your school community as are able to attend.
Register to attend on the Grow to Learn Spring 2018 Workshop Registration page.
Access all workshop info and more in: GreenThumb’s Spring Program Guide
