Growing Friendships in the Faith & Grace Garden

On Thursday mornings from May through September, the Faith & Grace Garden is filled with laughing, talking, and singing as 10 – 12 refugees from Burma, also known as Myanmar, spend time together working in the garden. Our new friends, who are all 60+ years old, were farmers in their homeland and love gardening now that they are living in Iowa.  Their path to Iowa was not an easy one. After our Burmese friends fled ethnic cleansing and oppression in their native land, they endured years of living in a crowded Vietnamese refugee camp. Life in the USA began in East St. Louis. There the refugees were robbed and heard gunfire all around them at night. The refugees said, “If we stay here we will die.” So they left suddenly under the cover of darkness and came north, and finally settled in Des Moines. Life is better now, especially when they can leave their apartments and work with their hands in the soil again.

Lutheran Services of Iowa (LSI) is our wonderful partner in this project and provides program coordination, a meeting place for the refugees, and a helpful language interpreter.

As we have worked with our Burmese friends over the summer we have learned much about their culture and community. They have taught us about new ways to garden and about new foods and how to prepare them.

We want to thank the many garden volunteers who greet and host our friends or transport them to and from the garden on Thursday mornings:

Faye Akers, 10:30am driver
Bev Blaha,  garden host
John Bloom, 8am driver
John Eft,  back-up driver
Celeste Egger, 10:30am driver
Ambre Grund,  back-up driver
John Kibet,  garden host/8 am driver
Susan Pohl,  garden host
Katie Ryan,  LSI contact & program coordinator
Karen Voss,  host gardener, back-up driver
The gardeners take home vegetables for their families at the end of the morning on Thursday.
Here’s list of garden production and donations through August 19:

Units in Lbs
Peas 75 Bush Beans 125 Pole Beans 75 Broccoli 10 Cabbage 48 Cucumbers 63 Lettuce 275 Strawberries 52 Okra 24 Onions 674 Tomatoes 601 Purslane 42 Peppers 5 Cantalope 4 Watermelon 168 Zucchini 95 White Potatoes 1,000 Radishes 335 Turnips 20
Total Harvested 3,691

DMARC 114
Trinity 2,095
Lutheran Social Services 295
Family Violence Shelter 25
Catholic Workers 150
Cottage Grove Pres 100
WDM Human Services 912
Total Donated 3,691

Volunteer hours in the Faith & Grace Garden are M – F, 6:30pm – 8:30pm. If you have any questions about the garden, please contact Tim Goldman at timothyjgoldman@gmail.com or by calling 745-9842, Mark Marshall atwdmmarshall@msn.com or by calling 988-5381 or John Eft atsomeassembly98@aol.com or by calling 491-0422.

TreeKeepers Update from Trees Forever

Interested in learning more about how to take care of the trees in your backyard, your neighborhood, and the entire community? Trees Forever is hosting TreeKeepers  in the Des Moines metro area on Saturday, October 5. TreeKeepers is a volunteer training program designed to teach the basics of tree care such as proper planting, tree care, tree biology, benefits of trees, and much more. Trained volunteers are the eyes and ears for our community’s trees. Join over 60 Des Moines-area  TreeKeepers who are already speaking for the trees. {Editor’s note: I can tell you from personal experience, this is a wonderful program and the training is first rate. Tim}

BE WATCHING NEXT WEEK FOR OUR THIRD ANNUAL ‘NAME THAT VEGETABLE CONTEST – THIS YEAR YOU COULD BE OUR BIG WINNER!

**********Links of interest from our friends at The Lord’s Acre******************

Check out The Bug Files and more at Dave’s Garden

FOOD SLEUTH RADIO – Helping People Think Beyond Their Plates. Great interviews with those in the forefront of the food movement are recorded and posted here  on Public Radio Exchange for your convenience and enjoyment. If you like what you hear, please forward a link to your local community and public radio stations.  Food Sleuth Radio is available and aired on community and public radio stations nationwide via Pacifica and Public Radio Exchange. Here it is   on iTunes.

This video – What Plants Talk About  – came to us this week from friends at the Organic Grower’s School as “Highly Recommended”. I confess, we haven’t watched it yet but with the rain that is coming, it looks like a great rainy day activity.  ”When we think about plants, we don’t often associate a term like “behavior” with them, but experimental plant ecologist JC Cahill wants to change that. The University of Alberta professor maintains that plants do behave and lead anything but solitary and sedentary lives. What Plants Talk About teaches us all that plants are “smarter” and much more interactive than we thought!”

FREE Webinar #1: HOW TO TEACH COOKING TO KIDS

Aug 27, 2-3:30pm Centrl is an introductory webinar that will enable you to combine your love of cooking and teaching kids into a marketable skill. Taught by nutritionist and wellness expert, Julie Negrin. All you need is a phone and access to the internet!  Julie Negrin , MS.  NOTE: Recording of webinar available to all registrants. For more info and to  TO REGISTER for this webinar, go here

You’ll learn:

• The three biggest mistakes people make when creating a cooking program and how to avoid them.
• The five questions you MUST be able to answer before deciding on menus for your classes.
• The bare bones cooking equipment you need to teach cooking to kids in any classroom.
• The best recipes to introduce to new students and which recipes to avoid when your students are still learning to trust you.
• How to get the ball rolling with your own cooking classes and/or program when you have no idea where to start

See you in the garden!
Tim

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner – Friday, July 26

All of our volunteers, past and present, are invited at an appreciation dinner on next Friday. Social time – 5:30pm, Dinner – 6:00pm, in the Parish Hall at St. Tim’s.

There is nothing to bring. We will be in the air conditioned indoors. Come see old friends and let us say, thank you for all you help over the years! Please let us know if you can attend by contacting Tim Goldman by Wednesday, July 24, at 745-9842 or timothyjgoldman@gmail.com.

Too much heat, Volunteer Hours Change: For now, we are no longer having volunteer time on Saturday mornings. We may resume after the summer heat subsides.

Children in the Garden
“I have younger children. May we visit the garden?”   Frequent inquiry from parents

Children are very welcome in the Faith & Grace Garden. The best time for children to visit the garden is during our regular volunteer times. Volunteer hours are 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Monday through Friday.

There are playgrounds on the east and west sides of the garden so children can spend time both gardening and playing. There are picnics tables on the east side of the garden for snacks, too.

For preschoolers, there is also a new Children’s Garden in the northwest corner of the Faith & Grace Garden. The Children’s Garden is a fenced area with pole bean teepees, a sunflower room and several small garden plots. Easy access to the Children’s Garden is available by parking in lot at the Covenant Presbyterian Church. This fall there will be two benches added in the Children Garden.

Here are some things consider when bringing your child, grandchild or group to visit the garden.

Call ahead. Help us plan for your child’s visit to the garden. This is especially important if you would like to bring a group of children to the garden. Together, we can consider conditions in the garden and pending weather. On your first visit to the garden, we would also like to give you a brief garden tour that will include restroom and drinking water locations.

Safety First. We adhere to risk management guidelines in the garden. (Available for download soon) We will ask you read and sign our risk management guidelines on your first visit to the garden.

What to bring/ what to wear. Dress for the weather in clothes that can get dirty. We recommend sturdy shoes (not flip-flops). Apply sunblock, bug spray, and bring a water bottle. We try to have these items on-hand for you to re-apply. Bring a hat for additional sun protection.

Other things to bring might include a magnifying glass, children’s field guides to plants, birds or insects, and a small pad and pencil. While we supply gardening tools, you are welcome to bring your own.

Fresh, organic produce donated to area food pantries through July 15:

See you in the Garden!

Volunteer hours in the Faith & Grace Garden:
Monday – Friday, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm  Saturday, 10:30 am – NOON

This week we will tighten up the garden fence to keep the bunnies out, plant the flower beds, and mulch the strawberry patch.
The pre-schoolers will be planting in the Children’s Garden. Here’s a diagram of the garden:

We have plenty of extra seed potatoes and a few sweet potato sets for anyone who can use them. Please contact Mark Marshall for details wdmmarshall@msn.com

Memorial Day Picnic in the Garden. On Monday, May 27, we will be gardening at 4 pm and then have a potluck picnic at 6 pm. Bring a side dish or something from the deli and table service. There are picnic tables but you might bring a lawn chair, too. Please join us for either or both events.

Last week we said good-by for the summer to most of our student volunteers from Dowling Catholic High School. Their energy, enthusiasm, and fun-loving presence will be missed! We expect to see a few of them throughout the summer working on service requirements for next year.

Valley High School exchange student Meutia W K Hakim was recently selected to take part in the 2013 Real Soil, Real Food, A Real Difference summer camp offered through The Wallace Centers of Iowa. We are very proud of her.

Nationwide Insurance employees made a major contribution of time and effort to completing the Children’s Garden. Below Nationwide employees are working on the fence that surrounds the Children’s Garden.

Help! Thursday morning summer transportation needed for Refugee Program Starting Thursday, June 6 from 8am – 10:30am and continuing through the summer, 10 elder southeast Asian retired farmers will be volunteering in the Faith & Grace Garden through Lutheran Services. We need to transport them to and from the garden. If you have a vehicle and would be willing to help, please contact Tim Goldman for details at timothyjgoldman@gmail.com or by calling 745-9842.

Other links of interest from our friends at The Lord’s Acre:

A striking photo series you won’t forget: What a week of groceries looks like around the world can be viewed here

National Geographic article – A Mixed Blessing – “If we don’t watch out, agriculture could destroy our planet. Here’s how to grow all the food we need with fewer chemicals.” Note the reference to the Harlan, Iowa farmer.

Simple Advice for Composting at Home: If these guys can make it work in the back of a truck, then you can probably manage to start a compost pile at home. Check out their site.

Ten Reasons Organic Food Is Often More Expensive: It’s a question everyone asks so look here for one assessment.

Faith and Grace Garden is ready to Grow with your help!Nine Special Projects Begin In the Faith & Grace Garden.

1.     Earth Day festivities will be held in the garden on April 20 from noon to 3 p.m. Coordinator: Deb Kellogg and Kay Meyer.
There will be activities for all ages including: taking home a planted flower, listen to a storyteller, Earth games, and more.  This will also be an opportunity to see what needs are in the garden and volunteer to help with one of our unfinished projects. Watch for more information in the next weeks. Save it to your Calendar Here:

2.  Children’s Garden- Coordinator- John Eft,
Our children’s garden is set up and ready to grow.  Materials were donated by Lowe’s Home Improvement Store and Home Depot.  The children’s garden will be separated into 4 quadrants. Covenant’s Headstart, St. Timothy’s Preschool and Education Committee will each have a quadrant to plant and care for.  The fourth quadrant will contain a sunflower room and pole bean tepees.  There will be a tunnel and path between each quadrant.  This will be a place for education, and allow our children to discover a love for gardening and growing plants to eat.
3.  40 Blueberry bushes will be planted this spring. Coordinator- Mark Marshall \
4.  A High tunnel will be put in as a temporary greenhouse this week.  Here’s a photo of the Hoop House getting built.  Thanks to those who helped!  More info soon!

5.    Install drip irrigation system to replace broadcast system. Coordinator- Mark Marshall, David Johnson, Pioneer, will be our technical advisor.  A grant from the United Way of Central Iowa was received for this project.
6.    Garden shed– to be put in this fall for storage and ground improvement.  Coordinator still needed.
7.    Mulch-  Coordinator needed.  Add wood chips to walkways.  Dave Hance will contact project coordinator to get donated hay after is drip system installed.
8.    Flower beds–  Coordinator- Elvin McDonald, 2 new flower beds are being added to front of garden on west side for beautification of garden on street. Flowers are used to provide cut flowers..
9.    Cinco de Mayo on May 4 (okay, we know that is Cinco de quarto) Coordinator needed.  Garden celebration- music, dancing, cooking demonstration, children’s activities and a garden project.

During the past weeks, we have received a $1,000 dollar grant from Cargill, Lumber for the children’s garden from Lowe’s Home Improvement store in WDM.  We have also had many volunteers get in touch with us to begin work in the gardens.

If you are able to help or would like to fill a coordinator spot for one of our projects please email Tim Goldman, Mark Marshall or John Eft to let them know.
timothyjgoldman@gmail.com,  wdmmarshall@msn.com or someassembly98@aol.com
Starting April 22, you can volunteer in the garden:
Monday-Friday: 6:30-8:30 p.m. (or dark)
Saturday: 10:30-Noon
Other times: By Appointment
Google Map: http://goo.gl/maps/AUKiM

We need volunteers in the garden throughout the summer.  Perhaps you could bring a group of friends to weed a night each week or as often as you would like.  We also need volunteers to transport food to the Food Banks.  This would happen on a fixed schedule. We need help throughout the garden.  There is always someone ready to help if you do not know what to do.  Bring your relatives, children, neighbors, colleagues, friends…We will see you in the Garden!  

The Faith and Grace Garden

Faith and Grace Garden
 – Save the date – Sunday, February 17 at Covenant Presbyterian Church for a free discussion on ‘Gardening under Drought Conditions’. Co-leading the discussion will be Angela Tedesco, retired owner of Turtle Farms and Ray Meylor, leader of DM Isaac Walton League/North Polk Pheasants Forever. We also will collect orders for garden seed, sweet potato plants and seed potatoes. Watch for the meeting registration form and seed order form.

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