Seed Swap on August 9th

Garden Safety and First Aid Certification

Hello, Gardeners!!

Do you want your garden to be a place where

·         the produce is nutritious to eat,

·         the paths are clear to wander,

·         the grounds are risk-free for picnicking and somersaulting,

·         the air smells fresh because it is fresh,

·         gardeners and visitors can retreat from our unrelenting urban environs,

·        and everyone departs from the garden feeling healthier and happier?

Green Spaces is offering its third work(ing)shop of 2010 to help you take steps in this direction!

Garden Safety and First Aid Certification

Saturday, July 31, 2010

9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Gardens of St. Therese, 906 W. Kentucky** (behind the Basilica of the Little Flower)

$15 for the first participant ($35 for the second)*

RSVP required!

The work(ing)shop will consist of:

1.       A garden walkthrough to give participants experience recognizing and addressing potential safety hazards.

2.       A licensed instructor to provide hands-on demonstration of the tools and techniques used to respond efficiently to accidents.

3.       Handouts that list ways to assess and make safety improvements to community gardens for the whole community’s benefit.

4.       One first-aid certification per participant so fellow gardeners feel at ease knowing that one of their own will be helpful in case of accident.

Please identify at least one of your garden members to attend this upcoming work(ing)shop and encourage him or her to RSVP as soon as possible. You, your fellow gardeners, your families and friends, and even the random passerby will greatly benefit from enlisting this representative to bring these lessons back to your garden.

Put it on your calendar and reply today!

Seed Collection and Storage Workshop

Gardeners!

Here’s your chance to learn another way to save resources and money. Green Spaces is holding our second work(ing)shop of the year.

Seed Collection and Storage

Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 9am to 12pm

Community Gardens of St. Therese

906 W. Kentucky Avenue (behind the Basilica of the Little Flower, near Zarzamora and Culebra)

At this workshop, we will have Josh Greene from the St. Andrew’s Seed Bank with us to discuss:

1. the philosophy and reasons for saving seeds;

2. how to ensure good quality seeds;

3. common techniques for preparing seeds for storage; and

4. best storage practices.

The presentation will include hands-on opportunities for you to

1. identify seeds that are ready to harvest;

2. select seeds from various vegetables, herbs and flowers;

3. remove seeds from pods, fruit, etc.;

4. start the cleaning process for the various types of seeds;

5. start the drying process for seeds; and

6. figure out which simple tools you already have for proper storage.

As donations come in, participants may go home with seeds, seed saving envelopes and containers.

We look forward to spending time in this garden with representatives from all 25 community gardens.

Pass the word. Everyone must RSVP for this free and open-to-the-public workshop!

ANGELA@GREENSPACESALLIANCE.ORG

The Garden Workout

New Year's Resolution to Eat Right and Exercise? Do Both in the Garden!

By John Hershey
Freelance Writer

The seasons change in the garden, but the debate over health care reform still rages on in Washington. For all the complex proposals to "bend the curve" of the unsustainable increases in medical costs, nearly everyone seems to tacitly acknowledge that this is very difficult to do by tinkering with the kind of incremental reforms you have to settle for to get Joe Lieberman's vote. There is one thing that would probably make huge difference: a massive nationwide shift toward healthy living, so we would need less treatment for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other health problems in which lifestyle can be a factor. But there is really not much the government can do to affect people's eating and exercise choices. This conundrum probably makes our policymakers frustrated and depressed enough to binge on a quart of Ben & Jerry's.

The government has plenty of programs to promote wellness. One hopes they do some good, but efforts like the confusing food pyramid ("Ooh, sweets and fats are right at the top — they must be the most important things to eat!") don't inspire much confidence. And of course the federal government could change the system of subsidies that promote bad eating by making processed food cheap, so we should keep pushing for that. But Congress can't legislate healthy diets. The President isn't going to issue an executive order mandating 30 minutes of daily cardiovascular exercise. The best thing our leaders can do is probably just set a good example,

Grown in Your Own Backyard Event

Get tips on community gardening and buying locally grown produce at an event called “Grown in Your Own Back Yard” on Sunday at Pearl Stables.

Texas Public Radio and the Green Spaces Alliances of South Texas have teamed up to stage the free event, which includes speakers, cooking demonstrations and exhibitions.

Organizers hope to build on the growing interest in local produce and farmers markets to get more backyard and community gardens going. The event will run from 1 to 4 p.m.

Community Garden Grant and Meeting

Congratulations!

Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association

was awarded the community garden grant from

Green Spaces Alliances!

It's time to plan what our garden will look like!

We want your ideas and input so come meet

and plan with us at the,

ROOSEVELT PARK COMMUNITY CENTER

WHEN: Thursday, August 20th

WHERE: Roosevelt Park - Party Room, 311 Roosevelt

TIME: 6:00 pm

We will discuss the garden design,

plan what plants and crops will be grown in the garden,

and schedule workdays and celebration days to be held in

the garden. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday!

If you cannot attend but would like to submit your ideas, please call

Jill Mata at 210-240-9980 or email jmata@bexar.org

Roosevelt Park Community Garden

You are invited to attend a meeting regarding the

ROOSEVELT PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN

WHEN: Wednesday, July 29th

WHERE: Roosevelt Park - Party Room

TIME: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

If you have any questions, please call 335-1965 or 335-1961.

Hope to see you there.