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In the news April 30, 2013! Tree's, Seeds, Blackboard Charades!

Please share the donation link and image - We've raised $465 so far!   http://www.asmallgreenpatch.com/p/donation-drive-2013.html The Community Garden is open any time the gate is open. Planning Meetings - May 8 and May 10 @ the garden! Compost dropoff - every Saturday 11am - 1pm Kellen and Beyonce - Hive Happenings New bees from Sweet Pines Apiary in Bohemia, Long Island were installed on Saturday morning. A Small Green Patch: The garden will be filled with trees and very busy this Saturday. The Boerum Hill Association and the YWCA are working together to sponsor this New York Restoration Project program and we will be hosting the give-away. If you are interested in a tree, go here to reserve your tree. If you are interested in volunteering  or helping out, email clares@gmail.com and Clare will put you in touch with the YWCA   We will be planting seeds this Saturday 11am - till we’re done! Saturday and Sunday we will be working on finishing up a few projects - stop on by to see if you can lend a hand! A group of members worked all weekend to set up the beds donated by Feedback Farms - we also finished the improvements to the 2nd raised bed and kicked the rat couple that was living below that bed out! A few members are unable to make it next weekend so they got an early start on planting some Kale, Snap Peas and Bush Beans. Our friend Michelle, from the Bears Garden, donated some sprouts on Sunday (Thank you!) Compost team - the compost team sifted and utilized all the great compost you have helped create by adding them to some of the community side beds - it’s amazing how beautiful the finished compost product looks! The compost also agreed that if you have been helping compost bring a bucket by to pick up a little for yourself! http://www.nyrp.org/Greening_Sustainability/MillionTreesNYC/Tree_Giveaways/Brooklyn_Tree_Giveaways   New Garden Agenda can be viewed here - this will also be printed and hung in the garden shed so any members wondering what needs to be done can view and mark that they have completed any tasks or projects! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I0Vfh28TzlxxPO3QayBrcrBqEQ1omxfdwrS6cgqoH54/edit?usp=sharing   Compost Saturdays!: We need people to volunteer on Saturdays 11am - 1pm so people can dump their compost off - if you are interested in joining the composting team email us at asmallgreenpatch@gmail.com   Organizational Structure: We are looking for volunteers for the following committees: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xbcoY8Xd9rS10i7dQ9LuXR0U_WLgQxOjk0kgz29NI0U/pub Feedback Farms: A CSA is a mutually beneficial partnership between a farm and its surrounding community. As a CSA, Feedback Farms relies on the local community for support and in return provides healthy, affordable produce, a direct connection to the food system, opportunities for education and engagement, and a chance to spend time on a working urban micro farm. If you are interested in our working CSA share - 3 days a month for a June through September share of produce (including honey !) + you learn all we know about farming - send us an email at: info@feedbackfarms.com with the subject: 'working share'. St Lydia's: St. Lydia's is a dinner church; we meet every Sunday night to share a sacred meal in Brooklyn.  The St. Lydia's Enough for Everyone Garden is an experiment in radical generosity and grows out of our weekly practice of welcoming anyone and everyone to our table.  Now that we have finished the 2012 growing season, we are working on our plans for 2013. If you are interested in learning more about St. Lydia's or about the Enough for Everyone Garden, please find us at stlydias.org or email Rachel Pollak at rachel@stlydias.org. Textile Arts Center: We’ve have started preparing our Sewing Seeds Natural Dye Garden for its second season. We’ve been starting seedlings, planning garden layout, design labels, and planning our free educational programming for the Summer. Additionally, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be offering an artist residency, during the month of August, to an artist for the development of an outdoor art project, involving the Natural Dye Garden, natural dyes, and community interaction. Learn more about the Garden Residency and other Sewing Seeds projects at www.textileartscenter.com/sewingseeds Other local community meetings and events - if you know of any events or groups you would like to share with everyone email us at asmallgreenpatch@gmail.com American Littoral Society   Help the American Littoral Society Restore Jamaica Bay! We need volunteers to plant over 30 acres of salt marsh on Black Wall and Rulers Bar marsh islands. In addition to improving water quality and protecting the salt marsh, the Marsh Restoration Initiative program preserves migratory stopover and breeding grounds for over 330 species of birds, preserves estuarine nursery and habitat for over 100 species of finfish, and improves the recreational environment for anglers, boaters, and community members. Salt marshes also help protect communities from dangerous tidal storm surges.The health of these marsh islands is critical to the well being of the 20 million people that live and work in this urban region. Volunteers are needed to plant several acres of marshland. We will be traveling the short distance by boats and planting Spartina plugs. Please sign up to volunteer! Bring neighbors, friends, families, even groups. We need all the help we can get! We have 3 days planned. To register and for more information, click on the dates: May 19th, 9 am - 1 pm May 25th, 11 am - 3 pm May 26th, 12 pm - 4 pm   The salt marsh, shorelines, and upland areas in Jamaica Bay are disappearing at an estimated rate of 40 to 50 acres per year. Join us in the first ever community-led marsh restoration in a National Park.   NYC Community Garden Coalition: NYCCGC - General Meeting 4/18 Our next general meeting will be Thursday, April 18, 6:30pm, at the Neighborhood Preservation Center, 232 E. 11th St.. Agenda will include report back from last month's decentralized meetings, legislative updates, forum planning/updates, and hearing from each other about what's happening in our city's gardens. Brooklyn Community Gardeners Group APRIL 30TH What is magical about sundials? And…how do you make one that you can use in your school or youth garden? Join the NYC Youth and School Garden Network https://groups.google.com/forum/#%21forum/nyc-school-gardens and the Old Stone House http://sundialmagic.eventbrite.com/theoldstonehouse.org to learn the secrets of the sundial - the most reliable teller of time - so you can have your children/students do the same back at home/school. As you construct a durable sun-directed "watch", you delve into middle and high school mathematical principles that drive a sundial's function. And then discuss ways to integrate this learning task into other subject areas. Designer and garden educator Ilona de Jongh <http://www.schoolgardenexperts.com> of Sprout by Design <http://www.sproutbydesign.com> leads this fun, creative, and practical workshop. Cost is $20. TO REGISTER: http://sundialmagic.eventbrite.com/# http://sundialmagic.eventbrite.com MAY 4th: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: WEAR SPECTACULAR COSTUMES/ HELP WITH PUPPETS FOR ECOLOGICAL PROCESSION- EARTH CELEBRATIONS @ NEW MUSEUM - IDEAS CITY FESTIVAL DANCERS/ PERFORMERS/ PUPPET VOLUNTEERS/ MAKE-UP ARTISTS/ BODY PAINTERS NEEDED to join as models-wear spectacular Earth Celebrations costumes for "Procession of the Urban Gardens & Estuary" at  the NEW MUSEUM -IDEAS CITY Festival. Earth Celebrations has been invited to join along with Manhattan Rickshaw for IDEAS CITY Festival at the NEW MUSEUM on Bowery with an ecological "Procession of the Urban Gardens and Estuary" featuring giants puppets and spectacular costumes highlighting the importance of the community gardens, river estuary, nature within the urban environment, and the efforts to restore and preserve these oases and habitats as integral part of city life. SATURDAY MAY 4th   Costume Dressing/Make-up: Meet 9am Location: Sara D. Roosevelt Park bet Stanton and Rivington at Manhattan Rickshaw Booth #136 on Festival Map Procession/Performance & Festival 11am-5pm TO SIGN UP - email: mail@earthcelebrations.com MAY 8TH An Evening of Youth-Focused Climate Change Programming Join the NYC Youth and School Garden Network and GROW to Learn to explore two powerful youth-focused climate change programs - The Alliance for Climate Education http://www.acespace.org and Rainforest Alliance- <http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/> that can benefit the work your students and you do around environmental teaching and learning. DATE: Wednesday, May 8th TIME: 5-7 PM WHERE: GROW to Learn 51 Chambers Street, Room 228 New York, NY 10007 Room 1226 RSVP no later than April 5th to Michele at malamu@optimum.net

We've raised $465 for this season - please pass the link around to help with our donation drive! http://www.asmallgreenpatch.com/p/donation-drive-2013.html

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A Small Green Patch News - Working Day Saturday!

The Community Garden is open any time the gate is open. Planning Meetings - May 8 and May 10 @ the garden! Compost dropoff - every Saturday 11am - 1pm A Small Green Patch: Thanks for coming out to the party last Sunday! Some pictures of the event from members and the Textile Arts Center below!   This weekend we will work on tree-pruning, cleaning behind the back middle fence, moving 9 sip beds that Feedback Farms will be donating to us and a number of other things.. mostly a manual labor weekend but rumor has it there will be Girl Scout cookies to eat after all the hard work!   Please meet at the lots around 11am till we are done this Saturday and Sunday!   New Garden Agenda can be viewed here - this will also be printed and hung in the garden shed so any members wondering what needs to be done can view and mark that they have completed any tasks or projects! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I0Vfh28TzlxxPO3QayBrcrBqEQ1omxfdwrS6cgqoH54/edit?usp=sharing Compost Saturdays!: We need people to volunteer on Saturdays 11am - 1pm so people can dump their compost off - if you are interested in joining the composting team email us at asmallgreenpatch@gmail.com Organizational Structure: We are looking for volunteers for the following committees: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xbcoY8Xd9rS10i7dQ9LuXR0U_WLgQxOjk0kgz29NI0U/pub Textile Arts Center: Sewing Seeds is having a Fundraiser this coming April 26th, from 7-11PM at the Textile Arts Center’s Manhattan Studio. We’ll be celebrating Art, Color and Natural Dyes through interactive installations, visuals and performances. Our studio will be transformed into a Color Haven curated by Frank Traynor, a special interactive performance by Study NY x Cat Lauigan of Cave Collective and a raffle of 7 one of a kind scarves, by Audrey Louise Reynolds, Adrienne Antonson (STATE), Erin Considine, Ilana Kohn, SHABD, Tara St Tames (Study NY) and Titania Inglis. Join us for naturally dyed cocktails from Van Brunt Still House + snacks, dancing + mingling, fun fun times and surprises. $20 Ticket includes naturally dyed cocktails + snacks, 1 raffle entry and awesome times Buy tickets at: http://sewingseedsfundraiser.eventbrite.com/ All the proceeds from this event will go to Sewing Seeds programing, including a community natural dye garden, free and open to all summer workshops and a garden art residency. We believe in natural plant dyes as a sustainable alternative for art making and textile production. We believe education is empowering and will lead to change. Help us continue making Sewing Seeds possible. Learn more Sewing Seeds projects at www.textileartscenter.com/sewingseeds Feedback Farms: Feedback Farms has been starting lots of seeds in preparation for the coming season. We will have at least 15 varieties of tomatoes and a dozen varieties of peppers this year, along with lots of other things. We will be in the garden this weekend cleaning up the beds in preparation for these rapidly growing seedlings.  www.feedbackfarms.com St Lydia's: St. Lydia's is a dinner church; we meet every Sunday night to share a sacred meal in Brooklyn.  The St. Lydia's Enough for Everyone Garden is an experiment in radical generosity and grows out of our weekly practice of welcoming anyone and everyone to our table.  Now that we have finished the 2012 growing season, we are working on our plans for 2013. If you are interested in learning more about St. Lydia's or about the Enough for Everyone Garden, please find us at stlydias.org or email Rachel Pollak at rachel@stlydias.org. Kellen and Beyonce - Hive Happenings All will be quiet on the bee front over the next couple months. When temperatures drop, the bees remain in the hive and form a cluster, shivering their flight muscles to generate heat and keep the hive warm. The winter cluster will move through the hive, consuming honey stores until the weather warms and they can begin to forage again. I'll be checking in on them occasionally through the winter, if we have some days that are warm enough for them to be active.

A Small Green Patch News - Opening Party this Sunday - Planning Meeting this Saturday

April Planning Meetings - Saturday April 13th Opening Party this Sunday April 14th - Come celebrate! Compost dropoff - every Saturday 11am - 1pm The Community Garden is open any time the gate is open. A Small Green Patch: Opening Party - this Sunday - April 14, 2013 Opening Party Events! Seedbombs by Clare! Bring your own t-shirt - Aida, the artist that helped us create the mural will be helping out again with screen printing of some of the characters from the mural - bring your own shirt and learn how to screenprint! (tentative) The Textile Arts Center will be doing a workshop on Bundle Dyeing starting at 1PM. We'll supply all the dye materials and fabric swatches but please bring a little tree branch or stick and some wind-fallen leaves, flowers, etc. Curious about what Bundle Dyeing is? Check some examples here: http://textileartscenterblog.com/bundle-dyeing-in-the-csa-garden/ . Hope to see you there!

Musical guests - Good Fences, Trumpet Grrrl!, and Jacob Cohen!

• 12pm Good Fences (One of the latest incarnations of the Brooklyn queer country music scene, Good Fences is an unplugged country/Americana trio fond of singing about heartache and hard times.)
• 1pm Trumpet Grrrl (plays trumpet,keys,sings and mixes them into her original compositions.)
• 2pm Jacob Cohen on Cello (improvisation-based experimental cellist and street performer)

Planning Meeting this Saturday 1pm - please come draw what your ideas and visions of the community side lot! This past weekend a couple of members found a much needed filing cabinet and shelving unit one block away on the sidewalk. Both of these items were brought back to the garden and utilized immediately! Thanks Brooklyn!

New Garden Agenda can be viewed here - this will also be printed and hung in the garden shed so any members wondering what needs to be done can view and mark that they have completed any tasks or projects! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I0Vfh28TzlxxPO3QayBrcrBqEQ1omxfdwrS6cgqoH54/edit?usp=sharing

Compost Saturdays!: We need people to volunteer on Saturdays 11am - 1pm so people can dump their compost off - if you are interested in joining the composting team email us at asmallgreenpatch@gmail.com

Organizational Structure: We are looking for volunteers for the following committees:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xbcoY8Xd9rS10i7dQ9LuXR0U_WLgQxOjk0kgz29NI0U/pub

The flowers are starting to popup! How many flowers can you find in the garden?

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Feedback Farms:

Feedbacak Farms has been starting lots of seeds in preparation for the coming season. We will have at least 15 varieties of tomatoes and a dozen varieties of peppers this year, along with lots of other things. We will be in the garden this weekend cleaning up the beds in preparation for these rapidly growing seedlings.  www.feedbackfarms.com

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Opening party this Sunday April 14 -The Textile Arts Center will be doing a workshop on Bundle Dyeing starting at 1PM. We'll supply all the dye materials and fabric swatches but please bring a little tree branch or stick and some wind-fallen leaves, flowers, etc. Curious about what Bundle Dyeing is? Check some examples here: http://textileartscenterblog.com/bundle-dyeing-in-the-csa-garden/ . Hope to see you there!
We’ve have started preparing our Sewing Seeds Natural Dye Garden for its second season. We’ve been starting seedlings, planning garden layout, design labels, and planning our free educational programming for the Summer. Additionally, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be offering an artist residency, during the month of August, to an artist for the development of an outdoor art project, involving the Natural Dye Garden, natural dyes, and community interaction.

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St Lydia's:

St. Lydia's is a dinner church; we meet every Sunday night to share a sacred meal in Brooklyn.  The St. Lydia's Enough for Everyone Garden is an experiment in radical generosity and grows out of our weekly practice of welcoming anyone and everyone to our table.  Now that we have finished the 2012 growing season, we are working on our plans for 2013. If you are interested in learning more about St. Lydia's or about the Enough for Everyone Garden, please find us at stlydias.org or email Rachel Pollak at rachel@stlydias.org.

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Textile Arts Center:

Learn more about the Garden Residency and other Sewing Seeds projects at www.textileartscenter.com/sewingseeds

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Kellen and Beyonce - Hive Happenings

All will be quiet on the bee front over the next couple months. When temperatures drop, the bees remain in the hive and form a cluster, shivering their flight muscles to generate heat and keep the hive warm. The winter cluster will move through the hive, consuming honey stores until the weather warms and they can begin to forage again. I'll be checking in on them occasionally through the winter, if we have some days that are warm enough for them to be active.

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A Small Green Patch News - Save the Date - Opening Party!

April Planning Meetings - April 10th and 13th Opening Party April 14th - Come celebrate! Compost dropoff - every Saturday 11am - 1pm The Community Garden is open any time the gate is open. A Small Green Patch: Save the date! Opening Party - April 14, 2013 Events being organized after planning meeting brainstormed some ideas: Bring your own t-shirt - Aida, the artist that helped us create the mural will be helping out again with screenprinting of some of the characters from the mural - bring your own shirt and learn how to screenprint! (tentative) Textile Arts Center is working on a workshop for the day Seedbombs by Clare! Musical guests - if you play music or know of friends that would enjoy playing some acoustic music in the garden please contact asmallgreenpatch@gmail.com A number of members helped move all of the a-frames along the building side of the community lot this past week. We also were given woodchips and there is a fresh layer on the front half of the garden. This weekend we will try focus on some tree trimming to let the sun in and more. Working day this Saturday and Sunday! More clean up happening this Saturday and Sunday. Come to the lots around 11am. If no one is there you can check the tasks list on the inside door of the shed or check out what the garden needs help with at the link below! New Garden Agenda can be viewed here - this will also be printed and hung in the garden shed so any members wondering what needs to be done can view and mark that they have completed any tasks or projects! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I0Vfh28TzlxxPO3QayBrcrBqEQ1omxfdwrS6cgqoH54/edit?usp=sharing Compost Saturdays!: We need people to volunteer on Saturdays 11am - 1pm so people can dump their compost off - if you are interested in joining the composting team email us at asmallgreenpatch@gmail.com Organizational Structure: We are looking for volunteers for the following committees: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xbcoY8Xd9rS10i7dQ9LuXR0U_WLgQxOjk0kgz29NI0U/pub Feedback Farms: Feedback Farms has been starting lots of seeds in preparation for the coming season. We will have at least 15 varieties of tomatoes and a dozen varieties of peppers this year, along with lots of other things. We will be in the garden this weekend cleaning up the beds in preparation for these rapidly growing seedlings.  www.feedbackfarms.com St Lydia's: St. Lydia's is a dinner church; we meet every Sunday night to share a sacred meal in Brooklyn.  The St. Lydia's Enough for Everyone Garden is an experiment in radical generosity and grows out of our weekly practice of welcoming anyone and everyone to our table.  Now that we have finished the 2012 growing season, we are working on our plans for 2013. If you are interested in learning more about St. Lydia's or about the Enough for Everyone Garden, please find us at stlydias.org or email Rachel Pollak at rachel@stlydias.org. Textile Arts Center: We’ve have started preparing our Sewing Seeds Natural Dye Garden for its second season. We’ve been starting seedlings, planning garden layout, design labels, and planning our free educational programming for the Summer. Additionally, we’re proud to announce that we’ll be offering an artist residency, during the month of August, to an artist for the development of an outdoor art project, involving the Natural Dye Garden, natural dyes, and community interaction. Learn more about the Garden Residency and other Sewing Seeds projects at www.textileartscenter.com/sewingseeds Kellen and Beyonce - Hive Happenings All will be quiet on the bee front over the next couple months. When temperatures drop, the bees remain in the hive and form a cluster, shivering their flight muscles to generate heat and keep the hive warm. The winter cluster will move through the hive, consuming honey stores until the weather warms and they can begin to forage again. I'll be checking in on them occasionally through the winter, if we have some days that are warm enough for them to be active.     UPCOMING LOCAL MEETINGS AND EVENTS: 596 Acres info!   Come to the Far Rockaway Library on this Saturday, April 6th, at 2pm for a 596 Acres organizing meeting and a screening of the documentary Soul Food Junkies. Learn how to work to support community-based recovery in the Rockaways, how to find the lot in your life and gain access to public vacant land, meet other gardeners and organizers, and find out about projects happening in your community! Here's the Facebook invite. Free MapPLUTO! Check out this article in New York World, and this blog post by Steven Romalewski, Director of CUNY Mapping Service, about MapPLUTO - a city data tool that the Department of Planning keeps hostage. Contact us if you want to help release it from bondage!   Reminders 596 Acres is seeking an intern who can work with us 10 hours per week for 10 weeks starting April 24, 2013. Please send a resume, a letter of interest and a photograph of the place in your neighborhood that you are most curious about. Application due by 11:59p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2013 toorganizers@596acres.org with the subject 'Spring 2013 Intern Application.' Join us at our Manhattan General Meeting on Sunday, April 14th, from 3-5pm. Get help and support for your projects, meet other folks who are organizing to gain access to land, and pick up some seeds! Give us an RSVP so we can plan for snacks:organizers@596acres.org Want to spend a Saturday celebrating worms and composting with your kids? On April 21st, from 10am-2pm, GreenThumb is hosting Worm Fest at the South Brooklyn Children's Garden.  Green Thumb Tuesday, April 2, 2013 APR2 GreenThumb Seed Giveaway 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Pick up vegetable, fruit, flower, and herb seeds for the upcoming season! For registered… Location: GreenThumb Office , Manhattan Cost: Free Saturday, April 6, 2013 APR6 Grow to Learn Grant Writing & Garden Planning Workshop 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Need help applying for a Grow to Learn Mini-Grant? Attend a grant-writing and garden… Location: GrowNYC Office, Manhattan Cost: Free Sunday, April 7, 2013 APR7 Hattie Carthan Volunteer Recruitment Drive / Rebuilding from Sandy Community Workday 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. The Hattie Carthan community garden welcomes you to join us as we embark on rebuilding… Location: Hattie Carthan Garden (in Magnolia Tree Earth Center), Brooklyn Cost: Free APR7 Rebuilding From Sandy Community Workday at Hattie Carthan Community Garden 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. The Hattie Carthan community garden welcomes you to join us as we embark on rebuilding… Location: Hattie Carthan Garden (in Magnolia Tree Earth Center), Brooklyn Cost: Free Thursday, April 11, 2013 APR 11 Garden Lessons with The Horticultural Society of New York 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Are you ready for Spring in the Garden?  Join us for a hands-on look at how to… Location: The Horticultural Society of New York, Manhattan Cost: Free Saturday, April 13, 2013 APR 13 How to Build a 3-Bin Compost System 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Get ready for hands-on learning! We will construct a 3-Bin Compost System and learn the… Location: 176th St Community Garden, Bronx Cost: Free Please join NYCCGC's "Stand for Our Land!" Mayoral Forum & Grassroots Activism Growing food and justice for this election year and beyond Cooper Union Great Hall, April 27th 2013 Please join the forum planning group and be a part of healing of our neighborhoods. This is your opportunity to shape the conversation around the future of our gardens - come to the planning meeting and pitch in. We plan to use our forum to inspire a grassroots movement to preserve, enrich and increase our community gardens and open public spaces where we grow healthy food, provide places for rooted education, celebrate our cultural diversity, nurture our communities and much much more.