growing people newsletter - spring 2008

8/4/2019 Growing People Newsletter - Spring 2008

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GICD WISH LIST:

garden benches

garden tool shed

new lap top computer

wheelbarrows

gardening tools

canning jars

Mantis tiller

Kubota tractor withloader and tiller

friends with trucks

volunteers

Twenty years ago, this won-derful garden was given birthto by a visionary group calledthe East Dallas CommunityGarden Alliance, with mem-bers representing the City ofDallas, Rotary Clubs, the Dal-las Arboretum, Police Depart-ment, Board of Realtors,Texas Agricultural Extension

Service, and several East Dal-las non-profit agencies. It isunlikely that on that sunnyday when Dallas Mayor An-nette Strauss, September10, 1988, officiated at theopening ceremonies, that any-one could have dreamed itwould still be a thriving com-munity asset today in 2008.

There is little informationabout this garden before itbecame a GICD member gar-

den in 1994. What we knowis that the garden is histori-cally important for the role ithas played in strengtheningthe families and communitiesof refugee families from Viet-nam, Cambodia, Laos, andmore recently Burma. It is amodel garden project for oth-ers in Dallas,

and across theUS. Dallas resi-dents for twodecades haveflocked to itsunique in-garden producemarket, annualplant sales, andoccasional gath-erings with ex-otic food anddancing.

We wouldlike to do

an exhibitof the his-tory of thisgarden andthe refu-gee fami-lies thathave bene-fited from

it. If you have photos, docu-ments, and stories to share, wewould like to hear from you.Lets make the annual plantsale on April 19 and 20 a reun-ion to celebrate this great pro-

ject. Call us at 972-231-3565or email [email protected].

Gardeners In Community Development

Mission: improving the quality of life in neighborhoods through community gardening

Spring 2008Dallas Area Community Gardening

Gardeners In Community

Development

901 Greenbriar Lane

Richardson, TX 75080

www.gardendallas.org

Whats in this issue:

20th Anniversary p. 1Plant Sales p. 1

Photo Award p. 2

New Hope Coordinator p. 2

At the Asian Market p. 2

Sweet Potato p. 3

Thanks To p. 3

Garden Brochures p. 3

Spring Planting Times p. 3

Garden Gleanings p. 4

Garden Blessing p. 5

U.H. Director Retires p. 5

Volunteers Honored p. 5

2007 Donation Total p. 5

AGCA Conference p. 6Dont Forget p. 6

Ever Growing

Dallas Area Community Gardening

Asian Gardens 20th Anniversary

Annual Plant Sales: Support GICDJoin the annual reunion of

gardeners and GICD

supporters at our twofundraising plant sales. Both

sales will feature many

colorful annual and perennial

bedding plants, some herbs

and vegetables, seeds of

special vegetables and many

other products donated by our

wonderful sponsors.

The sale at the East Dallas

Community Garden will take

place on April 19-20. Not only

is thisgarden

celebrating

its 20th

anniversary

but it now

has youth

projects in

the garden and spaces

dedicated to growing for

donations to food pantries.

Then on April 26 come to the

Plot Against Hunger Plant Sale

at Our SaviourCommunity Garden.

Buy some plants, visit

the garden, and see

the worm bin, bee hive

and new 2000 gallon

rainwater catchment

system and pavilion.

Help Support GICDs

Gardens and Programs


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Amanda Brown Receives Photo Awards

Ever Growing Spr ing 2008 Page 2Gardeners In Community Development www.gardendall as.org grower@fla sh.net

Grocery Stores Cards Support GICD

tion Form at the Customer

Service Desk with GICDs

Tom Thumb account num-

ber 6714. Then just be sure

and use your reward card

every time you shop.

And, if you are a Kroger

shopper, pick up a Kroger

Share Card from Don Lam-

bert or Rebecca Smith, or con-

tact GICD at 972-231-3565 or

[email protected]. We will be

happy to send you a card,

along with our many thanks.

Do you shop for groceries?

Of course!! Well, if you shop

at Tom Thumb or Kroger,

heres a quick and painless

way to support GICD at no

cost to you. Just link your

Tom Thumb or Kroger reward

cards to GICDs organization

and a percentage of your

purchase price will automati-

cally be donated to us.

To link your Tom Thumb re-

ward card with GICD, just fill

out a Good Neighbor Applica-

Fresh From the East DallasCommunity and Market Garden

For the freshest, most locally grown produce

available in Dallas, come to the East Dallas Com-

munity and Market Garden,

1416 N. Fitzhugh.

Even with our variable

weather in March, there is

still plenty to purchase. Look

for garlic chives, cilantro, leaf

lettuce, mustard greens and

bunching onions. April

should bring amaranth

greens and the start of sum-

mer heat loving crops.

The produce at the East Dallas Community

and Market Garden travels zero miles

to reach its market!!

Our Saviour gardener and

GICD board member,

Amanda Brown has had

three of her pictures taken at

community gardens appear

in national publications. Her

picture of peaches (see pic-

ture on Ever

Growings

masthead) was

taken while

visiting com-

munity gardens

in Holyoke,

Mass. during

the ACGA conference in

2007. She entered it in an

amateur photo contest and it

has been published in a cof-

fee table anthology. Her

picture of a hyacinth bean

flower, also taken in

Holyoke, was chosen to

be in the ACGA calendar

for the month of April. In

addition her

picture of

tomatoes

and peppers

that her

group of children

from the Fireside

Recreation Center

summer camp picked at Our

Saviour last summer was

featured as the ACGA calen-

dar picture for August. To

top it off, her picture of the

East Dallas Asian garden-

ers performing their native

dances during their garden

party in October appeared

in the NeighborsGo section

of the Dallas Morning

News.

Upcoming Events at GICDApril 19 & 20, 2008: Plant Sale at East Dallas Community Gar-

den

April 26, 2008: Plant Sale at Our Saviour Community Garden

May 4: Garden Blessing at Our Saviour Community Garden

New Hope Garden CoordinatorNancy Wilson, Hope

Community

Gardener

and 2008

GICD board

member,

has accepted

the position

of Hope

CommunityGarden Coordinator following

in the footsteps of Kate

Macaulay and Carolyn Bush.

Nancy came to GICD through

her interest in Heifer

International and has been a

Hope gardener for three

years. With her warm smile,

boundless enthusiasm,

willingness to learn andexcellent communication

skills, under her leadership

Hope Community Garden

is looking forward to

moving into more outreach

into the community and

having more planned social

events.

Nancy Wilson

and Don Lambert

Area Community

Gardens

Coppell Community Garden:

www.coppellcommunity gar-

den.com

Education Community Garden

at Dallas:

www.educationcommunitygarden.

org

Gardeners in Community De-

velopment:

www.gardendallas.org

GreenHill School Garden

City Community Gardens

(proposed)

Plano Community Garden

www.jlplano.orgclick on outreach

projects

UTD Student Garden

UTD campus

Know of a community garden?

Send information to [email protected]


3/6

The Entirely Edible Sweet Potato

Spring Planting Times

SEED

2/10-2/25 Parsley, Potatoes

2/10-3/01 Beets, Carrots, Lettuce,

Onions, Peas, Chinese Cabbage, Leeks

2/10-3/10 Swiss Chard, Collards, Turnips

2/10-3/15 Spinach

2/10-4/15 Radish

3/20-4/20 Snap Beans, Cucumbers

3/20-5/01 Sweet Corn, Mustard

3/25-4/15 Squash

3/25-4/20 Lima Beans

3/25-5/01 Watermelon

4/01-5/20 Southern /Black-eyed Peas

4/05-5/01 Okra, Cantaloupe

4/05-6/01 Sweet Potatoes

TRANSPLANTS

2/10-2/25 Onions

2/15-3/01 Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauli-

flower, Kohlrabi

3/20-4/05 Tomatoes

4/01-5/01 Eggplant, Peppers

and the slip is then planted horizontally, 2-

3" deep, so just the tip is above ground.

It should be kept well watered until rooted

and actively growing, about 2-3 weeks.

Mulch well after plants begin growing.After getting a good start you can pretty

much ignore your sweet potato patch until

time to harvest in early fall.

Once vines are growing on your planted

sweet potatoes, you can not only eventu-

ally harvest the tubers but can start har-

vesting the actual vine which is consumed

as a leafy vegetable in many oriental

countries. For best flavor and texture, it is

best to use the smaller leaves and growing

tips.

Copeland Marks in The Korean Kitchen

recommends the following recipe for

Sweet Potato Vine and Mushroom Stir-Fry:

If anyone wants to grow sweet potatoes,

they should try starting their own

plants. Go to Whole Foods and pick out

three or four nice medium size sweet

potatoes. If you can find rougher oneswith little buds showing on the stem

end, those are better. Store them at

home in a warm, dry, dark place, as you

want to stimulate bud formation. Just

after mid-March, bury the potatoes in

potting soil, in a big pot with good drain-

age and keep them wet. Place the

planted pot in a warm sunny location

outdoors. In a few weeks sprouts

should begin growing.

Ideally sprouts should grow to about 18"

to make the best "slips" for planting.Cut these slips off of the potato tuber,

with none of the tuber attached. All but

the last couple of leaves are removed

Have you ever been talking with friends

about community gardening or attended

a function and

wished that you

had some infor-

mation to pass

out about GICDs

community gar-

dens? GICD has

several bro-

chures about our

gardens, educa-

tional opportuni-

ties, and harvest

donation pro-

grams that you

can download.

Community Garden Brochures Available


Goguma Chilge Muchim

Ingredients:

1 tbsp corn oil

lb sweet potatovine and smallleaves, cut into 3pieces lb mushrooms,caps only, sliced1 clove garlic,crushed1/3 cup carrot,

julienned1 tsp salt, orto taste1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Heat oil in wok or skillet. Add the

sweet potato vine and leaves andmushrooms and stir-fry over a moderateheat for 1 minute. Add all the rest ofthe ingredients and stir-fry for 8-10minutes. Serves 4.

Just contact Don Lambert at

[email protected] to obtain attachments

that you can print out.

Also, Carolyn Bush, GICD board member,

has produced a generic community gar-

den informational brochure that can be

utilized by any community garden in the

Metroplex. It gives information on the

benefits of community gardening, lists

how to contact several community gar-

dens in the Metroplex, and gives sources

for further information about community

gardening, including the American Com-

munity Gardening Association. To

download a copy of this brochure email

her at: [email protected].

Community

Gardens

Grow Plants,

People,

Neighborhoods,

and Cities

GICD Thanks:Clint Horticulture

for their donation of hundreds of bulbs

for GICDs gardens

Jimmys Food Store

for their friendship, support of GICD,

and for in-kind donations

Sweet Potato Vine


4/6

Katie Grimesteacher and mom

Growing and Giving HomeSchool Club

Ever Growing Spr ing 2008 Page 4Gardeners In Community Development www.gardendal las.org grower@fla sh.net

Garden Gleanings: Growing Gardeners

May it be delightful in our garden.May our senses be filled with delight

As we breathe the life-giving scent of vegetablesFreshly plucked from the vine,

As we refresh our tongues and souls withIcy mint tea on a scorching day or

Feel a warm blackberry burst within our mouths.May it be delightful in our garden

As we labor with love to till the soil and free ourPrecious roots from the invasive weeds,

As we meet as a communityfor the sounds of childs play,And to swap lessons learned

With joyful family members and good friends.

A Garden of Delight


5/6

tion with a $500.00 budget to a network

of 130 Houston community gardens and

orchards. These gardens feed the hun-

gry, teach organic and permaculture

principles and bring neighborhoods to-

gether.

Though Randall is retiring, he plans to

continue teaching at Urban Harvest and

will continue to inspire gardeners and

other community gardening programs,

including GICD.

To read an article about Urban Harvest

and Bob Randall go to: http://

www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/

gardening/features/5578965.html

Garden Blessing at Our Saviour


Gardeners in Community Development

A 501 c (3) Non-Profit Organization

Board of Directors

Cathi Haug, President

Amanda Brown, Vice-President

Carolyn Bush, Secretary

Nancy Wilson

Helen Harrell

Azenath Wright

Gerald Askew

Don Lambert, Executive Director

Rebecca Smith, Education Assistant

Support Community Gardening

Your tax-deductible donation will support

GICDs community gardening programs. Any

and all donations are gratefully accepted!!

Please make your check payable to: GICD and

send to 901 Greenbriar Lane, Richardson, TX

75080

Urban Harvest Director Retires

2007 TOTAL

HARVEST DONATION

7093 Pounds

donated to area

food pantries

Volunteers Honored for Service

Bob Randall, Executive director of Hous-

tons Urban Harvest, the fourth largest

community gardening program in the

country has retired after a 14 year

tenure.

A friend and mentor to Don Lambert,

GICDs Executive Director, they both

followed surprisingly similar career

paths. Both served in the Peace Corps,

received doctorates in anthropology

from the University of California at

Berkeley, taught in universities, then

eventually became involved in commu-

nity gardening.

Since 1994, under Randalls leadership,

Urban Harvest grew from a small opera-

Many GICD gardeners, volunteers and interested persons were given Exemplary

Volunteer Service Awards for 2007 at GICDs Annual Meeting on February 12, 2008.

GICD honors these special people as well as thanks all those who have given their

time and talents to making community gardening an important part of our city.

2007 Exemplary Volunteer Service Awardees:

On Sunday, May 4th, the Church of OurSaviour will have its annual Blessing ofthe Our Saviour CommunityGardens. We are honored to have theRev. Canon Paul E. Lambert, Canon tothe Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese ofDallas, officiate. The Holy Eucharist andBlessing begin at 10:00 a.m. followedwith a brunch. Please make plans to joinus! The gardens are located at 1616 N.Jim Miller Rd, Dallas, 75217 MAPSCO

58E. For moreinformationcontact thechurch office,(214) 391-2824 or BeckySmith (214)564-5801.

Rebecca Smith,

Our Saviour Community

Garden Coordinator

Amanda BrownAzenath WrightBarbara BaughmanCarolyn BushCarolyn MarvelCathi HaugDarlene SmithMary RidgwaySusan and Brandon PollardDeacon Nona PayneGary and Patricia AguileraJohn and Peggy RalstonKatie Grimes

Lee and Maggie CoblerMichael DiCarloMyrna GorchoffTiah LambertTJ PatelMichael SmithAshlynn SmithNancy WilsonSophia BrownMichael BrownAndrew BrownTammy LewisAaron Lambert

Interested in volunteering?

East Dallas Community and Market Garden: contact Don at (972) 231-3565 or [email protected]

Hope Community Garden: contact Nancy at (214) 348-1126 or [email protected]

Our Saviour Community Garden: contact Rebecca at ( 214) 564-5801 or [email protected]


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Dont Forget:

2008 Plant Sales

12th Annual Community Garden

Plant Sale

East Dallas Community Garden

1416 N. Fitzhugh, Dallas

Saturday, April 19 from 9:00-4:00

Sunday, April 20 from 10:00-3:00

Plot Against Hunger Plant Sale

Our Saviour Community Garden

1616 N. Jim Miller Road, Dallas

Saturday, April 26 from 9:00-4:00

Gardeners In Community Development Ever Growing901 Greenbriar Lane

Richardson, TX 75080

Pass-a-long this newsletter: help sow the seeds of community gardening.

To subscribe or un-subscribe, or to offer suggestions, contact [email protected]


growing people newsletter - spring 2008

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