GreenThumb October News and Events

GreenThumb‘s annual Harvest Fair at Brooklyn Bears Pacific Garden in Brooklyn was huge success! We welcomed thousands of New Yorkers and hundreds of community gardeners to celebrate another gardening season and award ribbons in the annual Harvest Competition. We also celebrated the 2nd annual GreenThumbGarden Recognition Awards. Please join us in recognizing this year’s winners below.

Lifetime Achievement Award (Individual)
Jenny Benitez – Jenny’s Garden (Manhattan)

Lifetime Achievement Award (Garden)
Liz Christy Community Garden (Manhattan)

Greening Partner Award
Citizens Committee for New York City

Sustainability Award
462 Halsey Community Farm (Brooklyn)

Landscape Design Award
Clinton Community Garden (Manhattan)

Rookie of the Year
Windmill Community Garden (Queens)

Community Engagement Award
Joe Holzka Community Garden (Staten Island)

Youth Programming Award
McKinley’s Children Garden (Queens)

Public Art Award
Children’s Magical Garden (Manhattan)

Urban Agriculture Award
Taqwa Community Farm (Bronx)

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 GreenThumb requirement, and no service requests can be processed until this is met.

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.

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!

Green Thumb is excited to welcome Kristin Fields as the new Director of Grow to Learn, the citywide school gardening initiative. Kristin was formally introduced to food and farming at the Queens County Farm Museum, where she started as an educator and later managed all educational programming. As a high school teacher, she integrated environmental sustainability into her English Language Arts curriculum before transitioning back to non-traditional learning spaces, most recently at the New York Transit Museum. Kristin is thrilled to join Grow to Learn and continue to build upon the amazing work already in progress.
Learn more about Grow to Learn here.

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 website or contact Carina by email carina.nieves@parks.nyc.gov.

GreenThumb is also excited to welcome Hauwa Abubakar as a Civic Corps Fellow. Hauwa will be creating a volunteer program to support 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!

Registered GreenThumb gardens can pick up basic winter maintenance supplies, including ice breakers, bags of calcium
chloride 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 communities 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

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, Oct. 10

Composting with Bokashi 
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Shig Matsukawa, community gardener at El Sol Brillante, and GreenThumb

Learn about the bokashi composting method, how to ferment all food waste, how to use fermented food waste in soil, to feed earthworms, or to add to your existing composting setup, and how to make your own bokashi fermentation starter.

Location: El Sol Brillante Community Garden. 526 E. 12th St. MANHATTAN

Wednesdays, Oct. 11, 14 and 18

Soil is Alive Series 
October 11: 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
October 14: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
October 18: 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

This three-part workshop will focus on maintaining and building healthy soil, vital to any productive garden, whether you grow vegetables or flowers. Learn what soil is, how to enrich it the organic way, and what concerns exist for urban soils. Parts 1 and 2 will take place at The New York Botanical Garden, and Part 3 will be hands-on at a community garden. Pre-registration is required. Priority will be given to Bronx community gardeners, but others are welcome if space allows. To register or for more information, call 718.817.8026 or e-mail bronxgreenup@nybg.org.

Location: New York Botanical Garden – Watson Education Building. Enter through the Mosholu Gate entrance. BRONX.

Thursday, Oct. 12

Triangular Double Raised Bed Design 
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
GreenThumb

Need a raised bed for a corner or just looking for interesting raised bed designs? Come learn how to measure angles and put together a triangular, double-height raised bed.

Location: 462 Halsey Community Garden 462 Halsey St. BROOKLYN

Saturday, Oct. 14

Soil Reboot: Compost and Green Manures
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
NYC Compost Project hosted by Snug Harbor

Explore cover cropping strategies that return fertility back to the land and hand-sow a fall cover crop mix to shelter and enrich the soil. Register at snug-harbor.org/compost/

Location: Snug Harbor STATEN ISLAND

Compost Demonstration Site For directions visit snug-harbor.org/visit/directions/. The Compost Demonstration Site is #23 on the map

Tuesday, Oct. 17

Keeping Chickens Part 2: Fall and Winter (Brooklyn) 
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Alex LaMond, GreenThumb community gardener at Tranquility Farm, 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.
Register at snug-harbor.org/compost/

Location: Tranquility Farm 267 Throop Ave. BROOKLYN

Thursday, Oct. 19

Gardening in a Changing Climate: What to Expect and How to Adapt 
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Dr. Darcy Telenko, Cornell Cooperative Extension, El Puente, and GreenThumb

Mild winters, summer droughts, and heavy storms are impacting growers throughout the region. More garden pests and diseases are surviving the winter and weed issues are changing. Come share what you’ve been experiencing with the changing climate in your garden and discuss what to do about it with Dr. Darcy Telenko, regional vegetable extension specialist for the Cornell Vegetable Program, who currently serves twelve western New York counties, where she focuses on fresh market vegetable production, weed management, and climate change resiliency. Join us beforehand for a tour of Espíritu Tierra Community Garden at 5:00 p.m. before the workshop, located at 203 South 2nd St., weather permitting.

Location: El Puente 211 S. 4th St. BROOKLYN

Tuesday, October 24

Season Extension and Cover Crops 
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
GreenThumb

Harvest your greens and root veggies well into December with low tunnels and row cover. We’ll discuss and build some simple season extension methods. We’ll also discuss and plant a cover crop seed mix. Registered GreenThumb community gardeners will be eligible to receive row cover and cover crop seeds, while supplies last!

Location: Howard Garden 750 Howard Ave. BROOKLYN

Wednesdays, Oct. 25, Nov. 1, Nov. 8, and Nov. 15

Pruning Series 
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Bronx Green-Up of The New York Botanical Garden The New York Botanical Garden • Watson Education Building

The Pruning Certificate course has been designed to help you learn to prune properly and improve your community garden. This course is ideal for community gardeners who want to keep their gardens in good shape. The focus of the class will be on pruning small trees and shrubs, with a full class devoted to fruit tree pruning. To receive a pruning certificate you must attend the four class dates listed above and demonstrate your pruning skills through 8 hours of practice at community garden workdays. Pre-registration is required. Priority will be given to Bronx community gardeners. To register or for more information, call 718.817.8026 or e-mailbronxgreenup@nybg.org.

Location: New York Botanical Garden – Watson Education Building Enter through the Mosholu Gate entrance. BRONX

Pumpkin Painting (Bronx)
5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
GreenThumb It’s that time of year to use your creative chops and turn pumpkins into festive decorations. GreenThumb will have pumpkins and paint ready – please bring any other supplies and decorations to add to the beauty of your seasonal creation. This is a great workshop for the whole family! Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.

Location: United We Stand Garden 627 E. 137th St. BRONX

More Details

Saturday, Oct. 28

Pumpkin Painting (Brooklyn)
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
GreenThumb It’s that time of year to use your creative chops and turn pumpkins into festive decorations. GreenThumb will have pumpkins and paint ready – please bring any other supplies and decorations to add to the beauty of your seasonal creation. This is a great workshop for the whole family! Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.

Location: Berry Street Garden 303 Berry St. BROOKLYN

More Details

Saturday, Oct. 28

Bulbs: Design and Planting 
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
The Battery Conservancy Participants will learn about different types of bulbs, how to properly plant them, and how to design a beautiful spring display full of flowers. Pre-registration required attbcevents.eventbrite.com.

Location: The Battery. Enter at the corner of State St. and Broadway. MANHATTAN

More Details

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