Garden Fuss

Come out to gather and engage in impactful community conversations around food in your community with growers and growers to be! Let's talk growing, cooking, food preservation, resources, programming, networking... You choose! We want to hear what you have to say about what is needed in your neighborhood. Everyone is welcome, from beginners, experienced gardeners/farmers, elders, youth, and children.    There are several opportunities to participate in this process so please check out Gardening Matters' website at www.gardeningmatters.org and don't forget to RSVP for a location and date that works for you while you're there.   Grow ~ Eat Good Food ~ Build Community!   BTW...Happy New Year!!!!   Tina

Hubs Appreciation Event 10/17/2013 Food, future, family & fun! Door prizes too! It seems like just yesterday when the family and I with other hubs members came together to pack seeds for this past growing season [ in chilly January brrrr ].  Autumn has now kicked into gear and as you know we've been in the thick of the harvest. That means we've come full circle in this process and it's time to come together with our new found friends and community for the 3rd Annual Fall Gathering, and guess what? You are invited to attend too!  Come out, celebrate, & reflect on the 2013 growing season while providing vital input to Gardening Matters for the 2014 season.  Seriously, even though I'm still a little stir crazy from picking the last cherry tomatoes and long beans; I have a few ideas about plant varieties I'd like to try out next year. How about you all? Are there any new trellising ideas you have for your veggies that climb? What are your weed control i...

I have been talking about Community Garden day for a couple of months now. [ previous post here ]  Today I wanted to share with you all, that Minneapolis has passed a resolution declaring August 10th Community Garden Day .  How exciting?   That means you can check out a map of participating gardens for tours and activity information on the Gardening Matters website and plan which tour(s) to go on  this Saturday .   Each garden will be celebrating in their own unique way with activities that range from: Collard Green Cook-off, Tomato testing, kids activities, art projects, story telling, and African drumming .   I hope you can find one or more gardens to visit through out the day. Maybe I'll bump into you and your family there!   For more info please visit: http:// www.gardeningmatters.org/   Happy Planting, Harvesting, and Garden Touring,   Tina

Slowly but surely I am getting caught up on all things green here at home and around town. Today I want to again promote and spread the word about the Local Food Resource Hubs , an initiative of Gardening Matters, the Minneapolis Health Department, Homegrown Minneapolis and many other neighborhood and gardening organizations throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul. Here’s how it works:   Hubs are organized by neighborhoods. You sign up as a member of your neighborhood (southside, northside, st.paul, etc.) and select a small, medium, or large garden package . There is a sliding scale for each size, and scholarships are available.  You get seeds and starter plants of your choice, free gardening classes and (starting this year) potential access to a tool lending library. Starting this year, it is also possible to purchase strawberry and raspberry plants at a steep discoun t. Seeds are purchased in bulk from Johnny’s Selected Seeds (non GMO!) and repackaged by...

The new year has just begun and I am meeting new people and participating in projects that a year or two ago hadn’t even crossed my mind. Who could have known that chronicling my gardening, DIY, and Foodie exploits could put me in touch with so many great people? Well, I am especially excited today to touch on some of the activities within the city of Minneapolis this year that have to do with access to good nutritious food, engaging residents in conversations about urban agriculture, and improving the health and resiliency of our entire community. Whether it be through the Gardening Matters’   “Local Food Resource Hubs”, a citywide initiative like Homegrown Minneapolis, or the Chard your Yard initiative that Transition Longfellow is kicking off this year; Minneapolis residents have an opportunity to fellowship with their neighbors and friends in embracing a healthier and maybe even a sustainable way of living with each other. The 1 st Saturday of this month I was...

I can't believe I haven't posted in over a month now.... OY!!! I truly apologize but my schedule this fall has been crazy. Now the holiday season is upon us all and the weather has made it too easy to slack off, away from the computer and technology all together. Comfort wise I have no complaints about the weather. Besides updating my blog I have been ever lackadaisical about finishing my garden clean up (there are still trellises, stakes, and hoses to put away). I haven't even harvested all my cruciferous vegetables. So far the Dino kale is still the star of my garden and an easy go-to for a smoothie or for a free snack for our guinea pig. To be totally honest I haven't been just lazing about like I'm alluding too. I have been actively participating in the Transition Movement in my area as well as participating with Gardening Matters. Last night I accepted an invitation to participate in a discussion on Global Food Security with Dr. Esther Brimmer the Assistant S...