Goats in the City

Get a firsthand experience of the famous Harambee Goats. One of the earliest domesticated animals, goats have been providing for human beings for thousands of years. Join us for a chance to participate in a unique project that is exploring the role goats can play in both vacant lots and your own back yard. You will also have a chance to try goat cheese, milk and ice cream that is made right here on Chicago’s west side.

Time: June 28th Thursday 6-9pm

Location: Root-Riot Harambee 500 N. Waller, Chicago

Get a firsthand experience of the famous Harambee Goats. One of the earliest domesticated animals, goats have been providing for human beings for thousands of years. Join us for a chance to participate in a unique project that is exploring the role goats can play in both vacant lots and your own back yard. You will also have a chance to try goat, cheese, milk and ice cream that is made right here on Chicago’s west side. (learn more about the project here)

Here is a message from Carolyn with more details.

Goat Guardian Event Thursday June 28^th 6pm.

Dear Friends:

You are invited to the Root Riot Garden on Thursday June 28 to taste goat products: milk, cheese, and later ice cream. The goat sweeties will be in the pasture by the garden with their four kids.

The topics of discussion are available to any of you with interest in these areas related to the goats. They do not have to be tackled and solved; however I would like to put the ideas out there.

Why to become a Goat Guardian? So that we can influence your future community, by finding our food where we live. Goats provide a lot of opportunities to do this. However Goats in the city or country require land and care. While I have been able to set a system for these animals to be established in the city, my original purpose was that the effort was to be more of a community effort. Several of you have helped in the past or benefited in the process by visiting and enjoying these animals. Here are some topics for consideration which you may have been involved in or are interested:

1. Goat Grazers and Fencing. Without fencing goats are a menace. My neighbors have survived two Goat escapes in the last year. I spend a LOT of time moving fencing or seeking empty lots and overgrown yards for the goats to graze.

2. Milk Share and Milking. Many people remain fascinated by the milking process and goat Milk has been scientifically proven to aid in health and growth for good nutrition. Yet the processing of goat milk to cheese and ice cream or just keeping it raw in the frig has a set of very specific procedures.

3. Feed. Goats , especially milk goats, require a good mix of local vegetation and dry hay. At this time I am still seeking good alfalfa from a farmer friend in Grant Park, barring the lack of rain. We also purchase goat feed for nutrition supplement of the lactating mothers. Hauling Dry hay or finding a truck would be useful.

4. Composting. We process over 100 pounds of soiled hay and manure each week. In the next few years, our soil production will become more useful for gardens as the composting process becomes more regular. I also produce worms to set into the compost. (We have a good amount of chicken manure as well). Meanwhile we pay an unemployed youth to work with us. We would like to provide more short term jobs for these high school graduates who have little training in the work world. This area could prove to be the most viable; yet it needs to be developed. Soil production in the city of Chicago is not a common goal; yet with goats, the results for gardens could be cost saving or perhaps income generating.

5. Shelter. WIth six goats and decisions on which one to keep or sell, the availability of shelter is vital.

6. Public Relations: My priority remains high to seek out my neighbors on the west side, and obtain their help and be inspired by them as well. Last week a neighbor stopped by to tell me she now has chickens and rabbits and has begun to plant in her yard. She mentioned my model. It is humbling to see this influence. Yet many calls come from other sources and groups are also interested. While I rejoice in the interest, my time is stretched already. I could use some help and perspective on how to organize this area.

As a part of public relations, I am inviting the parents of the kids who attend St. John’s Church preschool program at 8:00-9 p.m. this night Thursday June 28 to come and enjoy goat ice cream with us. Goat cheese and crackers as well as veggies are provided at 6:30 p.m. Ice Cream share at 8 – 9 p.m.

Thank you again for your interest in goats in Chicago. Perhaps we are creating a new paradigm for local food efforts.

Sincerely

Caroly Ioder

Root Riot- Harambee

What’s on Your Plate?

A screening of the film “What’s on Your Plate” will be shown at the Austin Town Hall Auditorium, 5610 W. Lake St., Chicago, at 12pm on June 18th, 2011. Here’s a link to the trailer, http://www.whatsonyourplateproject.org/about/watch. This event is open to anyone, but is especially a great opportunity for parents and their children. It is being hosted by Dr. Bill’s Learning Center inside of a committment to bring nutrition education to the West Side.

FRESH, THE MOVIE

New thinking about what we’re eating FRESH, the Movie Sunday ▪ March 20 ▪ 6:00-8:00pm Euclid Ave UMC, 405 S. Euclid Ave,  Oak Park Sponsored by the Green Action Task Force      @ Euclid Avenue UMC The movie, FRESH, features farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the transformation of our food system into an industrial model, and confronted the resulting consequences of environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and obesity.  Now they are forging healthier alternatives that offer a new vision for the future of our food and our planet.  What can we do in and around Oak Park to support the transition to a more sustainable food system?  What strengths do we have to build on?  What more is needed? Join us for a showing of FRESH and a lively conversation on creating a joyful, sustainable food system for our community.

Sustainability and Community Resilience Presentation February 2nd

Sustainability and Community Resilience

Healthy Food Hub Market Day

Sat. Feb. 5th, 12-2

7823 S. Ellis, Chicago IL

(enter from the rear parking lot)

This past summer, you may have heard different people talking about the Healthy Food Hub CSA and wondered what it is all about. 

One of the reasons that the local food movement is getting so much media attention these days has its roots in increasing energy costs.  Depending on how far it has traveled, transportation costs can make up to 70% of the cost of the food we eat.  Increasing energy prices are going to have a direct effect on the cost of food, particularly fresh produce since so much of it is grown thousands of miles away. Only a small percentage of food grown in Illinois is sold directly from the farm to consumers.

This Saturday February 5^th, Root Riot Members are invited to join in a discussion on the topic of community resilience.   Like food, almost every aspect of the way we live is tied to energy and our ability to move people and goods across long distances. 

As energy prices increase, changes to the way we live will be inevitable.   This presentation and discussion on community resilience is an opportunity to look more closely and critically at the ways in which these changes will affect you and your communities.

The presentation portion will be delivered by Fred Carter the executive director of the Black Oaks Center for Sustainable Living located in Pembroke Township.   Following the presentation, attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and network with other people who are interested in making their local communities more resilient.

In addition, to the Community Resilience presentation, your visit will also be an opportunity to visit the Healthy Food Hub CSA that is doing great work to bring fresh locally grown food to under-served communities in Chicago.  

The term CSA stands for community supported agriculture and the typical model involves one farm and many individual subscribers.   The Healthy Food Hub connects consumers with numerous farmers while providing a powerful incentive for more farmers to grow fresh produce in Illinois.  Presently, 97% of agricultural products grown in Illinois leave the state to enter into a vast long distance food-manufacturing process. 

While you are there you will also have an opportunity to place orders for  bulk dry goods .



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BUGS (Building Urban Gardens) Class Starts January 29, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If you want to take the Building Urban Gardens (BUGs) classes in 2011 you need to sign up now.  NeighborSpace will subsidize the complete costs of the class.  Just tell Julie that you are a NeighborSpace gardener and the name of your garden when you sign up.  Don’t wait.  Do it today.  The classes are great.  And they fill up fast.

BUGs was created by Openlands to equip urban gardeners with the knowledge and hands-on training necessary to plant and grow organically.  This is an eight week class taught by experts in the field and should not be missed.

For more information about BUGs, please contact Openlands Community Outreach Coordinator Julie Samuels www.openlands.org or by phone at 312-863-6256.

Green Community Connections: Tues, Sept 7, 2010

A notice about a local group interested in sustainably minded getting together shared with us by Sally Stoville and Dick Alton, Root-Riot Regulars at Harambee.

- Amy + Seamus

________________________________________________________________

Green Community Connections: a forum for sustainability advocates Tuesday, September 7, 2010 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM Hassler Hall at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church 405 South Euclid Ave, Oak Park

Dear Friends,

In response to conversations with many of you regarding how to forward sustainability efforts in our community, we are inviting you to attend Green Community Connections: a forum for sustainability advocates.

Please join us to learn what others are doing and to explore how we can collaborate, support each other, and strengthen our collective impact.

Come to celebrate all the good work we’ve already done and engage in thinking and acting together to meet the continuing challenges to create a healthy, sustainable community.

Please acknowledge your attendance by email to greencommunityconnections@gmail.com or by responding by calling Earl Lemberger, Communicator for the event, at 708-383-5559.

Light refreshments.

Parking on the street or in the lot across from the Euclid Avenue entrance. Bicycle rack outside Euclid Avenue entrance.

Suggested donation: $5 to cover meeting expenses

Facilitated by: Dorie Blesoff (Green Blocks) in an interactive format designed to encourage idea sharing.

Convened by members of The Power of 10, Oak Park Energy Initiative, Openlands, Green Blocks, the Active Transportation Alliance, and Interfaith Green Network.

iPhone Garden App for Math Challenged Gardeners

Haven’t tried it but thought this looked interesting.

For the math challenged gardeners among us, there’s an app for that.
The Garden Buddy iPhone garden app features a number of handy calculators as well as useful planting information. Using the native GPS location services on the iPhone, it provides location-based real…

Providence Baptist Church Farmers Market

Hi Everyone,

Ms. Jones of the Harambee garden is inviting anyone from Root riot to participate in a farmers market that is being held at the Original Providence Baptist Church located at 515 S. Pine, Chicago, IL 60644.  (Just a few

The market will be taking place this Saturday from 9am until Noon and all are welcome.

If you are experiencing a bounty of tomatoes and don’t know what to do with them, you are welcome to donate them to Original Providence.   This is an opportunity to support the creation of a farmers market on the west side of Chicago.

If you are available to contribute or participate, please contact Ms. Jones by phone or email at:

- 773-444-8543
- catherinekata@yahoo.com

ORIGINAL PROVIDENCE BAPTIST CHURCH
(click on link for map)
515 N. PINE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60644
773-378-5678

Our Good Works and Reputation are Spreading!

Our good works and reputation are spreading!

On Friday,  July 30, Cook County Commissioner Earlean Collins and Frederick Douglass High School Principal Dr. Deborah Crump did a walkthrough tour of our garden.

As a follow-up, Root Riot Harambee was mentioned in a Chicago CBS News story.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/crime.fighting.initiatives.2.1840118.html#comments

Chicken Talk with Jennifer Murtoff

On Thursday, July 22^nd Jennifer Murtoff of Home to Roost gave a talk about raising chickens in an urban environment.  Murtoff brought 2 chickens in a travel pen.  Both were hens.  Roosters are illegal in Chicago; they crow all the time, not just in the morning.  You don’t have to have a rooster for hens to lay eggs.

Buff Orpingtons, Black Australorps, Plymouth Rock, and Barred Rock are varieties that are hearty laying hens and withstand the cold.

Murtoff then went through the anatomy of a chicken and showed us the comb, wattles, ears, earlobes, keel, crop (where food is temporarily stored before going to the stomach) and the cloaca.  Eggs come out of the same hole (cloaca) as poop, but are protected by uterine tissue, so they are sanitary.

There are laws that address humane treatment of animals including chickens.  You can’t kill them yourself.  You must take them to one of six licensed slaughter facilities in the city.  You can get chicks at the feed store at Harlem & I55 or through the mail.

Young Root-Riot gardener Lauren feeds one of Jennifer Murtoff’s hens.

Chicks need feed starter (a special mixture) because their digestive systems are not fully developed.  They need a brooder box to keep them warm.  Murtoff recommended having a light bulb in a box for warmth and straw or a towel on bottom of box.  A thermometer will help keep the right temperature.

When chicks are ready to go outside they need a coop.  Murtoff recommends having a run, coop with a slanted roof with ventilation.  Seventy five percent of the cost of having chickens is the feed.  A 25 lb. bag of feed costs $10.95 and should last about 2 weeks for 2 hens.  Chickens can be fed table scraps but be careful as too many greens and potato peelings can cause an impacted crop.

Hens start laying eggs at about 20 weeks.  They produce one egg per hen per day, with a break in winter.  Peak egg production is up until about 2-3 years of age, and chickens can live to be as old as 10.  An owner must consider air predators (hawks) as well as ground predators.  An owner should protect feed from other animals.  Keep it in a sealed container.

An owner doesn’t know birds are sick until they are very sick (they try not to show it) so get to know what’s normal for your birds.  There are 3 avian vets in Chicago.  If chicken eat a nail or a tack or some other shiny object like glass, it can get stuck in the gizzard and they may die.  They are probably as much work as a dog.  Clean the coop every one or two weeks.  Also consider vet costs and how to handle end of life, end of laying cycle issues.  What will you do with your bird?

Chickens don’t need a lot of space, 7 sq ft per bird.  Wing clipping is optional, as hens don’t tend to fly off.  Take eggs out of the coop everyday.  You don’t want them to eat an egg because once they taste one they’ll do it all the time.  The best time to get chicks is in the spring so they are fully matured by winter.

For more info on raising chickens in an urban environment Jennifer Murtoff’s blog is: Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consulting.