Collaborative Teaching Garden
Ribbon Cutting and Greenhouse dedication
by srichardson on Aug.30, 2010, under Collaborative Teaching Garden, Fiskars Project Orange Thumb, Uncategorized
*“The wind began to switch the house to pitch
and suddenly the hinges started to unhitch”
That was the very picture of the Community Garden Partnership’s just completed greenhouse, during the spring storms earlier this year. Several months later and we can say * “Let the joyous news be spread”…….
The newly built Community Garden Partnership greenhouse was dedicated to the 2010 Leadership Fox Cities group (who funded and built the original greenhouse) on Tuesday, August 24th at the Goodwill Community Garden site.
Our own Bob Pederson and Mayor’s Hanna (of Appleton) and Merkes (of Menasha) were present to assist with the dedication. Bob’s remarks, about the day of the storm, suggested a correlation to the Munchkin Land song from the Wizard of Oz. (a visualization that was pretty accurate).
But with Goodwill NCW support the new greenhouse became a reality and an opportunity to thank the Leadership Fox Cities group for their commitment and energy. As well as, to those who worked throughout the summer of 2010 to ensure that the “greenhouse project” was reclaimed and completed. They included: community gardeners and volunteers Bob Koehler, Lori Hill, Tracey Moon & Caycie, Bill Kraemer, Dave Thompson family and friends.
The dedication also included a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring the Fiskars “Green Thumb” award granted to the CGP earlier this year.
Historically this greenhouse represents the will of our community to push through adversity and it stands as a reminder of just how important it is to have a community place around food.
Peace,
Community Garden Partnership
The Greenhouse #2
by srichardson on Jul.29, 2010, under Collaborative Teaching Garden, Fiskars Project Orange Thumb, Uncategorized
Building this greenhouse at the Goodwill Community Garden is about coming back to the reasons why we do this work. It is challenging, resources are always in short supply and the weather… well don’t get us started.
Access to good food is a human right and not something to just walk away from. This is a place where motivation lives beyond money. You see this is the greenhouse #2. The first one blew away a week after it was built. Months of planning and raising funds and the work of the volunteers who build it were all gone with the wind. This was a donated project from group called Leadership Fox Cities with the purpose of serving the community. We grieved the loss but it never occurred to us to throw in the towel.
The day after we received word that Goodwill NCW would replace the greenhouse!
Since then even more people have stepped up to the plate, and still after a long day at work, showed up again to build. This is what a community garden represents. It is a place where we remember that what we value most is our community and our shared human rights.
We have many projects this year that are either directly or indirectly supported by the Fiskars grant, and we decided that this is the site where we are planning the ribbon cutting ceremony. It most clearly represents the value of shared space, work and community around issues that affect us all.
Thank you,
Community Garden Partnership
Circle of Life Garden at AWHS
by srichardson on Jun.25, 2010, under Collaborative Teaching Garden, Fiskars Project Orange Thumb, Uncategorized
We are approached by a group of Key club students who are interested in growing food and donating it to area food pantries. After some discussion it was clear they would committee to any of the life planted in the garden. Another group from the same school has been working with us doing a garden/entrepreneurship based ‘for credit’ curriculum called Community Herbs for the last 3 semesters.
We thought building a garden led by the students at the High School would bring about great connections for the two student groups to the neighborhood and each other. One group is a service club and the other is made of individuals with challenges to graduate High School. In the garden these labels disappear, especially when passerby’s see everyone working hard in the garden.
It is easy to get lost in a community and to believe that we have ‘bowed out’ of the social interactions that shape out lives. Having a garden in a very public place signals to the students that they are in fact valued members of the community and the responsibility of individual to community and from community to individual is a two way street.
This unique garden is led by students and the High School and supported by Community Garden Partnership. This garden was dropped right next to the tennis courts directly on the grass. The students developed the name and design!
It is very early in development but as you can see, many hands support it.
Peace,
Community Garden Partnership
Discovery/Simply Learning Gardens
by srichardson on Jun.25, 2010, under Collaborative Teaching Garden, Fiskars Project Orange Thumb, Uncategorized
In its fourth year and third year respectively the Discovery Garden at Columbus Elementary School and the Simply Learning Garden in Pierce Park, have never looked better! We meet as a group weekly and independently during the week. Gardeners come to these places as a way to reconnect to the basics. Growing food, harvesting and eventually preparing it in a way led by residents from those particular neighborhoods, is one of the basic needs transferred in the gardens. Another basic need addressed is the need to give- to community and to each other either as a friend and neighbor or contributing to the neighborhood’s food security.
With the help of the many quality tools the people in the neighborhoods near these gardens were able to take more of the work into their own hands to create the space they love. Currently supported by an Americorps VISTA and the Community Garden Partnership (a program of Goodwill NCW) these garden sites will within a year be completely driven by emerging citizen leaders.
We believe that a garden ought to be led by the people most directly affected by it. These gardens create a sense of place through an intimate connection with living space and people. Experiences like a group build, scarecrow making, or building cold frames bring a memory to that place that locks into place personal relationship to community.
Peace,
Community Garden Partnership
Demonstration/Teaching Garden
by srichardson on May.25, 2010, under Collaborative Teaching Garden, Uncategorized
This past Saturday a group of eight of us braved the blazing sun to transform a piece of unused grass into a garden. About 500 sq. ft. in size smothered in several inches of compost, a raised bed, three no-till sites, two Good Garden Works bag gardens painted by the Boys and Girls Club, and the start of a container garden.
This Garden is located behind a food pantry and will be gardened by participants from that pantry and another across town. We hope to teaching, to learn and to be with our gardeners for years to come. We are excited for the chance to build community and to learn with this group who has a truly deep perspective on food.
No-Till no problem
by srichardson on May.17, 2010, under Collaborative Teaching Garden
On may 15th at one of 7 rental gardens of the Community Garden Partnership. A lesson and WORKshop of No-Till gardening led by gardeners was held. A perennial gardener who works three jobs had a vacation last month. He wanted to spend it in the garden, but it turns out that one of his work places had him on for two of the days. On top of that he ended up helping the rest of his family with theirs and his site didn’t get much love. That is until we pitched in:)
About 20 gardeners and community members helped to build up his 2000 square foot garden plot with the no-till method and ended up about an hour later with half the plot done.
Felt great to be able to help out such a great guy.
We used the pitch fork, rake, and other supplies from Fiskars, and rather than asking who’s tools are who’s we sort of just figured it out with no problem. Probably having to do with the BRIGHT ORANGE!
Until out next project (coming up May 22nd)
peace,
Community Garden Partnership
Testing tools on no-till
by srichardson on May.11, 2010, under Collaborative Teaching Garden
The Fiskars tools will get their first real workout this weekend when the Community Garden Partnership hosts a gardener led training on how to garden no-till. We will not be missed from the road in our bright orange ’something great is happening here’ shirts.
Tools are also being distributed accross our seven community gardens and 5 teaching gardens for use on site. We look forward to all of the work to be done and will keep everyone posted!
