Community CROPS October 2008 Newsletter
Veg Fest III - Year of the Squash and More
Saturday, October 11th, 2:00-6:00pm Havelock Park, 62nd and BallardThis year's Veg Fest will be a great event, full of lots of farmers' market vendors, local organizations and fun contests. Gather the kids, have them create a squash critter, or make a scarecrow with them, and then come on over to Havelock Park for a fun afternoon. Live music will be provided by Trigger Town and other talented local bands. Veg Fest III details
CROPS Updates
Fall is definitely here and the growing season is winding down, although there is still plenty to harvest. The second wave of tomatoes is ready for picking, peppers are looking beautiful and our fall planted crops have started producing lettuce, cucumbers and more. We are beginning to clean up at the community gardens as well as plan for new locations for next year. One of those is a partnership with the Irvingdale Neighborhood Association and BryanLGH for a garden a block south of 14th and South Streets in a large empty lot. We're working on layout and planting perennials this fall, and will have it open for community gardeners next year.
Out at the farm, we are in our last week of the CSA but we are still planting new crops in our hoophouse, tending our chickens and bees, and planting cover crops for fall. It's also time to plant garlic and think about flower bulbs for next spring's blooms.
We're also begining to work on the Community CROPS annual Harvest Celebration, and have tenatively planned it for Saturday, October 25th. More details will be forthcoming on this delicious event.
Will Allen wins MacArthur Award
Will Allen, founder and director of Growing Power, just received a MacArthur fellowship. Many of us here at CROPS have had an opportunity to go through Will's training and he's amazing--a great trainer with innovative ideas. Growing Power provides young people an opportunity to grow food, and increases the amouhnt of fresh food available in low-income areas in Milwaukee and Chicago. He does it all using innovative farming methods including aquaponics and vermicomposting, and teaches people all over the country how to use his methods. More on Will Allen
Community CROPS in Print
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has just published a fascinating guide to community gardening, with how-to's and profiles of projects across the country, including Community CROPS! As the book says, "Greening, sustainable living, and learning about food are becoming top priorities in North America, and community gardens directly address these issues and more." Very true, exactly what we are all about here at Community CROPS.
Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Online Store to purchase the book.
Upcoming Events
Peter Raven from the Missouri Botanic Garden in St. Louis will be speaking Friday, October 10, 7:30pm at Kimball Recital Hall on “A Sustainable World: Our Shared Responsibility". Visit the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum for more details.
Open Harvest has a class coming up on cooking with pumpkins. Wednesday, October 15, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m at F Street Rec Center, learn how to take a garden-fresh pumpkin and bake it into delicious pies, breads, and other appetizing treats using all natural ingredients. Recipes and samples included. Space is limited. Call 475-9033 to register.
Buy produce from CROPS
Community CROPS still has lots of fresh produce for sale. Stop by our booth at the Old Cheney Road Farmers' Market on Sundays, 10-2. We're towards the west end of the market with a delicious array of vegetables.
You can also buy produce and many other farm fresh products from other producers on-line through the Nebraska Food Cooperative.
