Seed Swap: 24 March 2013, Sunday 2-4

In case you hadn’t already heard, FPCG is hosting a seed swap in Forest Park this Sunday 2-4PM.  Admission is free as long as people reserve themselves a ticket online prior to the event using eventbrite.  We’ll also have a gardening workshop and a book swap!  For more details see the eventbrite site here:  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5694504416 .  Since you’re Root Riot folks are so nearby to Forest Park, I thought some of them may want to attend.  Feel free to spread the word s much as you desire.

 

Thanks!

Jessica Rinks

President

FPCG

ps. 2013 growing season is getting started. will be sending out a email soon about the April Root-Riot  kick-off meeting. -Amy

Root Riot Frost Warning Tonight

Hi Everyone,

 

It looks like we are finally going to have a frost tonight. If you have not gotten out and got your last tomatoes- there really are still a lot out there, today is the day will be the time. Yesterday, I harvested the last of my tomatoes, pluse some green peppers and chives.

 

We request that some time before Thanksgiving that you get out and clean out your bed. Or if you are planting anything over winter that you go ahead and do so. The Sunday following the Thanksgiving we are going to have a rolling workday to clean up at the various gardens ending up at Madison and Pizza at Leona’s

 

We will send out another reminder with specific details in the next week or so.

 

In the meantime- Stay warm.

 

Thanks,

 

Seamus

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

water! water! Root-Riot Madison cistern filled!

You Root-Riot folks are amazing! GREAT effort these past several weeks at the garden. The place looks great for spring! Happy Growing

Second 2012 Getting Started Meeting: When: Thursday, April 26, 7:00PM

Host:	Root Riot Urban Network
Location:	Village Hall, Room 101 123 Madison St Oak Park, IL 60302 US
When:	Thursday, April 26, 7:00PM
Root-Riot Regulars. Welcome! Welcome! You are invited to the second group meeting of the Root-Riot Regulars. We have two meetings set-up at Oak Park Village Hall… we will use the time to organze for each of the gardens.  April 26, 7-9 pm in 101.   For Root-Riot Madison, we need your forms and payment by April 14th. Please check your email or the tool shed for additional information

Root-Riot Starting for Spring of 2012

All,

Clearly by the number of emails and phone call that have come in over the last week or so, we are itching to get going in the Root-Riot gardens!

We are tracking down a large meeting room, for one meeting this month, and one meeting next month. Very similar to what we did last year to get planning for the gardens. I’ve asked for an week-day evening from 7:00 to 9:00.

Fees, forms, work days, clean-up, new Root-Riot Gardeners will all be discussed there. Bring your ideas and discussion points! We look forward to seeing you there.

Also, I have updated the 2012 calender… take a look at it and see what else we need to include- Thanks!

Thanks.

I’ll send out an evite for the days when we have a place secured. Please keep an eye out for them.

Thanks.

Composting. Please help us.

The single most conversational issue in the garden at Root-Riot Madison has been the Compost bins. If you have been to the Root-Riot Madison Garden you know that  big green tumbler is our well loved “bin”.

While we have this entirely welcoming and engaging group of people contributing to composting by adding material, it seems like the independent thinkers in our group are perhaps becoming overly flexible in how they are participating.

I’ve recently received a correspondence from the Composting Crew and have posted it below. Please review the following and continue to respectfuly participate in the composting process.

========================================================

The Composting Crew Needs your Help

• We do not have the equipment to compost large material or items that are difficult to compost. 
• For our purposes, the harder the material, the smaller it should be.
• While technically, avocado and stone fruit pits may be compostable, these will take way too long. Please do not add these.
• If you want to compost your corn cobs, please cut them into 1 – 1.2″ pieces.
•  Softer material, vines and such, should be cut into 2, 3 or 4″ segments.
• We particularly welcome egg shells. However, it is best if you let egg shells dry and then crush them so that great calcium is better distributed throughout our compost. Otherwise, we’ll just end up with a bunch of big pieces of egg shell laying around here and there.

Please do not expect the composting crew to break down the material produced by your gardening activity.

Finally, you probably already know this; but, weeds that have developed seeds or any plant material that you suspect is diseased should not be composted. Please put them in the garbage dumpster, buy the alley.

Also, No inorganic material – no twist ties and no nylons.

Thanks.

Root-Riot: Madison Street: June 2011

Root-Riot
Urban Garden Network

Madison Street 2011 Growing Season is
Growing, Growing, Growing
June, 2011

Things have really taken off this year! For “Charter” members, they will remember that by this time last year most of us only had their plants in the ground for a few weeks and we were wondering if they were going to grow.With all the rain this year, things have really taken off well! So nice to walk around and see all the different things that have been planted.

Saturday Community day? There was an effort afoot to have a Community work day at the garden this Saturday, but I didn’t coordinate with the Village soon enough to get wood chips delivered. Let’s plan on doing it Saturday, July 16th. We will make it a small tent raising party! I’ll bring red cool-aid and some refreshing munchies while we assemble the tent. (And perhaps use our new picnic table!) Then we can move some mulch around as well. Same time as usual, 8:00 to noon-ish. Come when you can. Leave when you need to. Bring your friends, children, neighbors… hope to see you there.

Root-Riot Harambee have invited us to join their Community day, this Sat June 25th  from 4-7pm| We will be offering a class on Maximizing the Potential of your Plants at 5:00pm.  at Harambee. There are also about 8 to 10 beds that need dirt and we will be working to fill them up. I’d encourage folks to come out if you can. Harambee is an amazing place! So different than Root-Riot Madison. You should stop on over. If nothing else, come see the goats.

For Sale? Who put that there? As all of you know, the owners are trying to sell the land. I don’t know what the taxes are on the property, but I am sure it isn’t cheap. They are more aggressivly trying to sell the land and hence the new sign. As they pretty much put it spot on exactly where I was going to put the Root-Riot sign, I’ll have to regroup a bit and go with a series of smaller signs. I’ll bring mock-ups on the July 2nd work day and get your input to them.

Cistern: The cistern was out of water last week. The Village is committed to filling the tank once a week on Friday so if you notice by mid-day on Friday that there is no water, then send off an email or text to me and I’ll let them know.

Composting
Angies Angel Dust Composter has been getting quite the work out this year. I was over there last week and it looks like it is making us some good compost! We also have a new tumbler compost right next to it. The general idea is when Angie gets filled, It is then “closed” for a few weeks and we start using the other one.

Also, those black “buckets” that are filled with Compost under Angie? Yes thoses. That you almost trip over? Please take them and use the compost in your beds. Just “sprinkle” the compost in the area where you can and let nature do the rest. I’m telling you, this stuff will make your plants so happy!

We will get some laminated signs soon to help explain it. Be sure to thank Dean and Nicole when you see them for their help.

Common schedule   posted on the web site take a look at it (under the “Garden location” tab).  The idea was to meet once a month. I’ll back on the “Organizing bandwagon” and we will get those going once again.

Learning Sessions: We have had several great meetings about the Root-Riot Learning Sessions and have outlined a list of educational events to go along with the Community days/workdays. We will get that posted and make a better effort to communicate it to you. Please take a look at it when it is posted and come out and enjoy the events.

Kids? in the garden? this year?  Just remember to keep an eye out for them in a couple key ways. That back alley seems almost like part of our back yard, but the cars do zoom by. Same with Madison St, but somehow that is more expected. Also if there is any sharp metal pokey thing sticking out out of your garden bed, the fearless leader of the “I-don’t-like-sharp-poky- things” will be lurking about the garden looking for thinks to keep her busy. Be responsible. Make sure it is a safe environment for everyone.

Dogs? General rule is that they are not allowed in the garden. Please if you do bring them, tie them up along the fence in the front or back at the edge of the property.

Thanks for putting a stick in it please! The current green fancy bamboo stick is very nice! Thanks for remembering to keep the shed “locked”

Empty beds: Two of the beds have recently been “reassigned” so you will see new plants it it. Bed 19 should end up with a few of the German pink tomatoes, and then lots of room for herbs… the herbs are going to come from a Learning Session class where we get to mix herbs and drinks! Now doesn’t that sound yummie!

Thank You!!  Thanks for participating, and if you see someone you don’t know. Take the time to say hello and find out who they are. We all should all know each other by the end of the summmer.

Keep on Root-Rioting + See you in the Garden

Amy Beltemacchi

Co-Founder Root-Riot Urban Garden Network

grow@root-riot.com

Seamus Ford

Co-Founder Root-Riot Urban Garden Network

seamus@root-riot.com

http://root-riot.com/

Root-Riot: A rhizomatically spread network of urban gardens, growing local food, fostering resilience, creating community, one planting bed at a time.

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.