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
