WILMINGTON COLLEGE GROW FOOD GROW HOPE

NEWSLETTER MAR-APR 2013

EDIBLE LANDSCAPING FRIENDS OF HOPE COMMUNITY GARDEN BACKYARD GARDENING UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

WHATS IN A SEED?

GET GROWIN THIS SEASON WITH GROW FOOD GROW HOPE

WORKING FOR YOU
Grow Food Grow Hope works to provide families and individuals with access to fresh and nutritious foods by teaching the benefi ts of small-plot gardening. Through the Friends of Hope Community Garden and our Backyard Gardening Program, we work to partner beginning gardeners with more experienced Garden Mentors so that they can learn what it takes to grow a healthy, sustainable and productive garden of their own.
Located on the Wilmington College Campus, the 40 individual plots of the Friends of Hope Community Garden are a teaching ground for families and individuals to learn the basics of small-plot gardening. From April till October, our gardeners have access to all of the tools, resources and support they need to maintain a 12x4 plot of their own. Gardeners and Mentors meet once a weekly at Tuesday or Saturday Garden Meetings where they participate in lessons, training and cooking demonstrations. All costs are provided for by Grow Food Grow Hope.

FRIENDS OF HOPE COMMUNITY GARDEN

APPLY TO GARDEN TODAY!

VISIT
WWW.GROWFOODGROWHOPE.COM

Since 2009, GFGH has established almost 30 backyard garden sites throughout Clinton County. Every spring, we make a team of volunteers available to anyone just starting out to till and construct a raised bed and to assist with a fi rst planting. Backyard Gardeners also attend weekly Garden Meetings at the Friends of Hope Community Garden where they participate in training opportunities and work with a Mentor to develop better and more effi cient gardening skills.

BACKYARD GARDENING

OR CALL 937-382-6661 EXT. 321

APPLICATIONS DUE APRIL 1ST

WILMINGTON COLLEGE GROW FOOD GROW HOPE

1145 Pyle Center 1870 Quaker Way Wilmington, OH www.growfoodgrowhope.com growfoodgrowhope@wilmington.edu 937-382-6661 ext. 321

GET GROWIN THIS SEASON WITH GROW FOOD GROW HOPE

2013 APPLICATION Applicationto Deadline: April 1, 2013 Deadline Garden Extended!
Personal Information: Name _________________ ___________________ Address_____________ ______________________ City_________________ State______ Zip_______ Email___________________ Phone_____________ Date of Birth_____________ Program: I want to garden.... Friends of Hope Community Garden_____ Backyard Garden ____ I want to teach.... Garden Mentor____ Household Information: Number of Household Members_____ Number of Children in Household_____ Yearly Household Income__________ Garden Meeting Availability: Tuesday Evenings (6pm-8pm)_____ Saturday Mornings (10am-Noon)_____ Optional: What do you hope to gain from your gardening experience? ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ I hereby certify that the information that I have provided is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge Signature______________________ Date ________
ll information provided will remain private and for the use of GFGHs records and non-prot reporting only.

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1870 Quaker Way 1145 Pyle Center Wilmington, OH 45177 growfoodgrowhope@ wilmington.edu

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Center for Service and Civic Engagement Wilmington College

WILMINGTON COLLEGE GROW FOOD GROW HOPE

1145 Pyle Center 1870 Quaker Way Wilmington, OH www.growfoodgrowhope.com growfoodgrowhope@wilmington.edu 937-382-6661 ext. 321

March, they say it roars in like a lion and out like a lamb and this year, although the temperature has been below average, the chirping of the birds and the sprouting plants signal that its almost time to plant our vegetable crops. Grow Food Grow Hope has been starting seeds and recruiting families to participate in the 2013 Garden Season. We are looking forward to another productive and exciting spring. This year is particularly special for us, this is the last summer that we will have AmeriCorps support for our current projects. On June 14th we will say goodbye to our AmeriCorps VISTA members however, on June 10th we will welcome 12 Summer Associate members who will take Grow Food Grow Hope through the summer. The next year is critical to the sustainability of Grow Food Grow Hope so this summer you may notice some changes to the way we do things. We will continue to support community gardens and schools in the same way that we have always supported them through June 14th, but after the 14th appointments at garden sites can be scheduled as needed. Grow Food Grow Hope will continue to operate the Friends of Hope Community Garden and support 40 families through our innovative mentor program, and all community and backyard gardeners are encouraged to come to our weekly trainings to be a part of the greater Grow Food Grow Hope community. The success of our Workshop Series has prompted us to rethink how we teach the community about our message. In the next year we will continue to provide workshops but, workshops and garden lessons will be recorded and embedded in our website. Grow Food Grow Hope will also expand throughout Southwest Ohio. Through partnering with new agencies and facilitating the implementation of new Grow Food Grow Hope gardens we will be able to serve a larger and more diverse group of people. The future can be scary but just like hardening off a plant a little stress is good for strength. I am excited for the next steps that Grow Food Grow Hope is going to take, and I look forward to seeing you at the Friends of Hope community garden this summer to participate in our weekly garden lessons and our workshops. I am proud of what Grow Food Grow Hope has been able to cultivate over the past four years and as we enter our fifth growing season I am excited to see so many budding opportunities. Thanks, Tony Staubach

DEAR FRIENDS,

CONTENTS
5 EDIBLE LANDSCAPING BY BRANSTRATOR FARM 6 FUN RUN 5K 7 WHATS IN A SEED: SEED STARTING THE GFGH WAY 9 FRED KRISHER ENDOWMENT FUND 10 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

7 6

7 8 9

Show your support!

50

Provides the tools and resources necessary for a family to garden for an entire year

Who says your lawn shouldnt work for you?

Inspired by our March 6th workshop Backyard Fruit Production with Jon Branstrator of Branstrator Farm, heres our plan to make every yard a full-scale fruit production zone! Stay native. How about an American Persimmon for a tasty treat?

Raspberries for the side of the house A peach tree will be the envy of the block

Asparagus ferns for front of the house landscaping!

Blackberries for the side of the house.

Line the front walk with strawberries

Currants and Gooseberries for a front hedge. Why not?

Whats In a Seed?
thats T-E-R-R-A-I-S-T,
Im a Terra-ist, jokes Bob Henson of Henson Family Farm to a crowd of about 25 gathered at the Friends of Hope Community Garden for the Grow Food Grow Hope Seed Starting Workshop. A few chuckles pop up here and there in the group and you get the sense that the murmur would grow into full-burst laughter if it wasnt so darn cold. A howling wind bellows in and sends temperatures plunging below freezing. The crowd stands huddled tight with cups of coffee and hot chocolate held close to their faces to catch the warmth rising from the steam. Some even retreat to the pop-bottle greenhouse for relief but all ears are trained toward Bob. The crowd is a represented by the total range of growers. From first time gardeners to seasoned farmers but everyone is busy scratching away at clipboards and notepads as Bob leads on. Despite the cold, nobody even thinks of turning away. Seeds want to grow, Bob reassures them but theyre all listening for the critical piece of advice that will make it all work for them. The same questions run through everybodys minds What can I do better? What have I been missing? and all for the same reasons, no matter what the experience level. Because starting seeds is about more than just getting things to grow. Its about experiencing your power to make the miracle of life possible. Present in every seed is a promise that for these growers is worth standing the cold.

Bob Henson displays various trays that gardeners can use to start their own seeds. Some cell trays can hold almost 100 starts. Gardeners typically start their own seeds for three reasons: to have a greater variety in their plots, because its more affordable than buying transplants and because it makes planning and timing plantings in your garden easier. but seed starting is also very important for many gardeners for establishing a bonded relationship with thier plants

ts an experience that Wilmington College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Stephen Pothoff wanted to share with his Values and Ethics students. So, he teamed up with GFGH to add a Service Learning component to his class that would see his students start every one of the transplants needed for the spring and summer growing seasons. Trays of seed starts and peat pots cram the tables and shelves on the back porch of the Center for Service and Civic Engagement at Wilmington College. When all is said and done, Stephens student will have started more than 2,000 plants. I want them to envision how their simple act of planting seeds has a tremendous effect beyond just this back porch, Stephen says. Every seed is an expression of the inherently creative nature of the universe. We are interconnected with all the elements that give us life and we are therefore also connected to each other.

Left: GFGH AmeriCorps VISTA Erin Richardson helps students plant seeds. Right: a selection of some of GFGHs spring plantings.

Wilmington College student Cash Harris holds up a tray of starts he planted. In total, GFGH will start more than 2,000 plants for our projects.

How to Start a Seed

2. Get your growth medium ready. You can use a starter mix, compost or a peat pod like us. Make sure your medium is moist. 1. Gather your seeds. Make sure you read your seed packet to make sure that now is the right time for starting that seed or if it even needs transplanting. 3. Plant your seed. Place 2-3 seeds in each pod or cell. Use a pencil to push the seed gently under the soil.

4. Place your start in a well lighted, well ventelated area and wait. You should have growth within 7-10 days. Keep your starts moist and once they are big enough, think about transplantuing them to a larger container and start to acclimate them to the outdoors a few hours every day until they are ready to be planted.

Grow Food Grow Hope Endowment Fund

In 2012, we lost a cherished member of the Grow Food Grow Hope family. Fred Krisher, a Wilmington College alumnus and trustee, had been with our program since the beginning, sharing his knowledge and love of gardening with our participants as a mentor. Fred not only enjoyed sharing his knowledge of gardening but also his love for the land and the personal satisfaction one receives when learning by doing. He imparted his passion for gardening and for his community on those around him. Always eager to contribute to the Friends of Hope Community Garden, we are incredibly grateful he chose to spend his time with us. In memory of Fred, an endowment has been established, which will create enduring operational support for our program.

The Fred Krisher

For more information on how you can contribute to the Fred Krisher Grow Food Grow Hope Endowment Fund, contact Project Manager Tony Staubach at 937-382-6661 ext. 321 or email us at growfoodgrowhope @wilmington.edu

Krisher Family Gardens

March 18th Read and Seed Lesson with Head Start March 19th Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary March 20th Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary March 20st Read and Seed Lesson with Head Start March 21st Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary March 22nd Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary March 27th Learn + Grow Lesson at New Vienna Elementary April 3rd Read and Seed Lesson with Patri-tots Learning Center.

VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
April 6th Fun Run 5k April 9th Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary April 10th Read and Seed lesson with Rainbow Village April 10th Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary April 11th Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary April 11th Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary April 14th Garden Construction Temple Sholom Cincinnati April 16th Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary April 16th Garden Meeting Friends of Hope April 17th Learn + Grow Lesson at New Vienna Elementary April 17th Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary April 18th Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary April 19th Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary April 20th Garden Meeting Friends of Hope April 22nd Read and Seed Lesson with Head Start April 23rd Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary April 23th Garden Meeting Friends of Hope April 24th Read and Seed Lesson with Head Start April 24th Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary April 25th Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary April 26th Learn + Grow Lesson at East End Elementary April 27th The Quake Garden Meeting Friends of Hope April 29th Garden Meeting Friends of Hope April 30th Learn + Grow Lesson at Denver Elementary

Garden Weeds March 23, 2013 Wilmington College, Kettering Hall, Room 103 2:00pm

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Backyard Chickens and Beekeeping April 17, 2013 Wilmington College, Kettering Hall, Room 202 7:00pm Container Gardening May 4, 2013 Denver Park, Shelter A 2:00pm Beneficial Bugs and Pests May 20, 2013 Wilmington College, Kettering Hall, Mason Room 7:00pm

Bed Preparation April 4, 2013 Wilmington College Farm, Fife Ave. 7:00pm

Compost June 11, 2013 Friends of Hope Community More information on all of our Garden workshops at: 7:30 pm www.growfoodgrowhope.com

Permaganic Practices July 11, 2013 Wilmington College Pyle Center, Dining Room C&D 7:00pm

Wilmington College Grow Food Grow Hope works to provide families and individuals with access to fresh and nutritious foods by teaching the benefits of small-plot gardening.
1145 Pyle Center 1870 Quaker Way Wilmington, OH www.growfoodgrowhope.com growfoodgrowhope@wilmington.edu 937-382-6661 ext. 321