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Not just kale and snow peas, but ‘seeds’ of community organizing and excitement around community gardening!

We accomplished many things at our 2nd ‘The Plot Thickens’ Community Gardening Workshop held in East Vancouver at Lakeview Multicultural United Church Saturday May 5th, 2012. We even moved 5 yards of donated compost into 4 of the 6 garden boxes!

Removing compost clumps in Garden Bed to prepare for planting

Here are the ‘Why’s’ and ‘How’s’ that we addressed all in one day!

Why should we garden in the City? What is Food Insecurity and what gardens in our CGN is doing to address it? Why is food spiritual? How do plants use N, P and K? Why should aim to have ‘sticky’ soil? How can we create a cohesive community around the garden? Why is Community Gardening important?

Want answers?

We encourage you to discuss and learn from your friends and neighbors. We’ll be uploading our Gardening Slides online soon. Post your specific questions here on our Online Forum. Or be our host venue for our next ‘The Plot Thickens’ Community Gardening Experiential Education Workshop and help us plan a day of learning for your community.

See the Photo Album here!

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Benjamin Bouwman of Willoughby Church is looking for people in the Willoughby area that would like to be part of a Community Community Garden Organizing Committee.

Permission from the church has been granted to use their empty lot, so there is a blank state to work with. Exciting Opportunity!

Find his Inquiry Posting on our Community Garden Forum
http://www.arocha.ca/community-garden-forum/the-community-garden-network-forum-group1/starting-up-a-community-garden-forum1/willoughby-community-garden-thread24.0/

Let’s work together to grow food!

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Encouraged. Inspired. Exciting Opportunity. Daunting.

These were some of the ‘one-word’ descriptions by our Workshop Attendees at the end of the day.

Saturday April 28th we had the ‘The Plot Thickens’ – Community Gardening Workshop at our A Rocha Brooksdale Environmental Centre and it was a great success! Within 7 hours of the day we learnt about why Christians should seek Shalom in the City, the life of soil, how to build a strong community of people around a garden, and even planted potatoes in reused Coffee-bean Burlap bags!

Topics of the Day:

- Why do Christians care for God’s Creation: how do we think about Sustainability, Food and Justice biblically

- Gardening Fundamentals- Soils, Plants and Growing Methods

- Community Management- What is successful community organizing, ways to address challenges and barriers.

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On Saturday April 14th, we want to gather Community Gardeners (new & experienced) in the GTA to kick-off the growing season together. It will be from 1-3pm at CICS, 2330 Midland Avenue, Toronto. The location is also nearby Missions Fest happening April 12-14 at Global Kingdom Ministries located in Scarborough at 1250 Markham Road (south of Hwy.401, north of Ellesmere Road on the west side of Markham Rd.)

Let us know you’re coming, we’ll provide snacks and tea!

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If you were a Workshop Attendee at our Winnipeg Community Gardening Workshop, it would be lovely to have your input! Click ‘more’ below for our online form to submit your response.

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Interested in starting a community garden this year? Learn about how your garden will address food insecurity in our city. Registration Form here.

Our ‘The Plot Thickens’ Community Gardening Workshop will give you a good start! It will be given by A Rocha Canada’s experienced gardening friends, partners and trained community organizers. Vancouver ‘Plot Thickens’ Poster, May 5th 2012

Our workshop covers: gathering your garden team, generating excitement about a community project, managing plots, gardening how-tos, facing challenges and more. Participants will receive a community gardening manual, monthly gardening emails, an online space to connect and a webpage for profiling your new community garden. Our goal is to partner with you and your Christian community as you develop a garden to support local food production and facilitate community outreach.

Organizational Partner:

City Gate Leadership Forum as the main Coordinator of the Christian Food Security Network in Metro Vancouver wants to help you connect your garden to local organizations who could benefit from sharing your produce harvests.

City Gate Leadership Forum exists to inform, equip, and coordinate organizations and leaders for the spiritual and social renewal of Metro Vancouver, envisioning a future where the church is a valued leader in fostering vibrant, sustainable cities.

Contact:  T 604 484 8629, office@cglf.ca

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Interested in starting a community garden this spring?

The Plot Thickens community gardening workshop will give you a good start! It will be given by A Rocha Canada’s experienced gardening friends, partners and trained community organizers.

Our workshop covers: gathering your garden team, generating excitement about a community project, managing plots, gardening how-tos, facing challenges and more. Participants will receive a community gardening manual, monthly gardening emails, an online space to connect and a webpage for profiling your new community garden. Our goal is to partner with you and your Christian community as you develop a garden to support local food production and facilitate community outreach.

Details

Location: Crossroads MB Church, 231 Kitson Street, Winnipeg MB (Corner of Kitson and Traverse)
Date/Time: Fri. Mar. 23rd 6:00pm – 9:00pm & Sat., Mar. 24th 9:00am – 3:30pm
Food: Meals & refreshments provided. Please let us know about specific food needs.
Cost: $30 for single, or 2 for $50.  Includes garden manual and food (subsidies available)

Presenters: Jen Kornelsen (A Rocha’s Community Organizer) and Kristine (Farmer at Fort Whyte Farms)

Register here online!

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