Garfield Farm had a very busy, but very good weekend. On Saturday we worked along side folks from other local churches at the the garden, weeding, watering, planting, and building. At this same time Valley View Presbyterian Church was feeding over a hundred of Garfield’s residents at their Saturday food bank. And this was the first time Garfield Farm significantly participated in the food bank. Dozens of bags of our fresh spring mix salad greens were given away to those in need, probably the only fresh food available. It is exciting to know that we are doing what we’ve said we want to do, get fresh organic food to people who otherwise may not afford it.
During our work and the food bank, volunteers from local churches were also working with Open Hand Ministries to transform yards, houses, an old church building, and other spaces. Their ministry focuses on rehabilitating abandoned property in Garfield and East Liberty for first time home owners who otherwise may never afford a decent home. This work day was spent working on the yards and homes of our recently new homeowners, we all know that a fixed up house soon needs more fixin’.
Finally, on Sunday morning Garfield Farm participated in the Highland Park Yard Sale, really it’s more like a neighborhood festival, put on by the neighbors, no corporate sponsors or big businesses. There were of course people all over the neighborhood selling their antiques, junk, and what-not, but there were also arts and craft vendors, musicians, and DJ’s, and folks gillin’ up on the sidewalks. It was a great atmosphere of neighbors being neighbors. We participated by setting up our tent at the Union Project and selling our salad greens, spinach, radishes, and tomato and pepper plants. It was a great time talking with folks, signing them up on the mailing list, and even inviting them to church.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Monday, May 04, 2009
A Green House for All
A part of the purpose behind Garfield Community Farm is to learn and teach how we can become more self-sufficient, or maybe we should say communally-sufficient (we're not looking to make hermits who don't have to go anywhere or know anyone because they are self-sufficient, instead we're looking to develop community that relies on each other to survive and flourish). So, this past weekend we began building a small greenhouse, an important addition to Garfield Farm's ability to grow food and teach others how to grow food in our neighborhood. When we think of green houses, hoop houses, or high tunnels we usually think of things that cost at least a grand. Big green houses that need big-time space. We've hired Darrell Frey, and organic farmer who specializes in sustainable green houses, to help us build a low cost green house. He calls this design his Bale-House design. It is a post and beam structure, no metal hoops. We cut the posts from vacant lots in Garfield and right at the farm. They are either Black Locust or Red Elm. Both tree species grow abundantly in our neighborhood. We didn't even have to cut down the Locust, just trimmed some large branches off. The rest of the lumber is just untreated 2x4's and 2x6's. It is called a BALE-house because in the fall we will line the north facing wall, the wall that gets no sunlight, with straw-bales for insulation. This will allow us to grow more food further into the winter.
It's a small structure, about 16' by 12', big enough to fit 50 seedling flats. But not big enough to provide Garfield with local green all winter long. This structure is a teaching tool, not a high production tool. Sure we'll grow in it and house our seedlings in it to be sold, but the main purpose as I see it is to teach and inspire. While it does take some work and a little cash, this structure could fit in most yards in Garfield (it has cost about $250 so far, probably about $50 more). My hope is that we'll see friends and neighbors helping each other create gardens and green houses together. My hope is that people, kids especially, will learn to eat the food that the earth provides, and do it in community, sharing space, sharing gardens, and green houses all over the neighborhood. For now, I'll settle with this one, and hope that we can involve lots of kids and have lots of fun as we learn together.
Here it is after five volunteers worked with Darrell for about four hours. We're becoming more "communally-sufficient" together. Without help this would have taken days.
It's a small structure, about 16' by 12', big enough to fit 50 seedling flats. But not big enough to provide Garfield with local green all winter long. This structure is a teaching tool, not a high production tool. Sure we'll grow in it and house our seedlings in it to be sold, but the main purpose as I see it is to teach and inspire. While it does take some work and a little cash, this structure could fit in most yards in Garfield (it has cost about $250 so far, probably about $50 more). My hope is that we'll see friends and neighbors helping each other create gardens and green houses together. My hope is that people, kids especially, will learn to eat the food that the earth provides, and do it in community, sharing space, sharing gardens, and green houses all over the neighborhood. For now, I'll settle with this one, and hope that we can involve lots of kids and have lots of fun as we learn together.
Here it is after five volunteers worked with Darrell for about four hours. We're becoming more "communally-sufficient" together. Without help this would have taken days.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Design of an Urban Farm
On Tuesday night a group from the Open Door attended the final presentations of seven masters level students in the Sustainable Systems program at Slippery Rock University. Each of the students had researched the land and interviewed folks from the Open Door about the Garfield Farm project we're currently undertaking. The two plus acres of land in Garfield that we are working is was their final project for the class. The presentations were very interesting and exciting to hear about and look at. In the coming week or so I will have the visuals and hopefully be able to post some of the ideas here.
In addition to this opportunity we are also conducting an "innovation session" with Jackson Clark Partners with Garfield neighbors and folks from our churches to discern the future of Garfield Community Farm and share what is already happening. We will have the opportunity to share the designs that the students created, but more importantly listen to residents share their ideas for the project.
In the mean time, as we think about big picture designs for the 2+ acres of city land in Garfield, we're also working hard to create a smaller garden on about 1/8 of that land. It's been an exciting process. So far we've sheet mulched the entire space with thick layer of cardboard, wood chips and leaves. We've also begun composting hundreds of points of used coffee grounds from local coffee shops for our nitrogen loving plants. We've built raised beds 4'X25' across the space, built a natural wood terrace begin with is our raspberry garden, and we've planted a small orchard of plum, apple and pear trees. The two peaches look dead, we'll see. In addition we also put in two Jostaberry shrubs and three black currants, neither of which I have ever tasted. All of this has been done with volunteers and neighborhood youth. Each Wednesday night we work together, pray together, and attempt to bare witness to the redemptive work of Christ in our world to these kids who keep showing up to hang out with us and learn to garden. The youngest kids seem to have as much fun as the oldest (that would be the adults). Here's Micah "working" in the potato patch.
In addition to this opportunity we are also conducting an "innovation session" with Jackson Clark Partners with Garfield neighbors and folks from our churches to discern the future of Garfield Community Farm and share what is already happening. We will have the opportunity to share the designs that the students created, but more importantly listen to residents share their ideas for the project.
In the mean time, as we think about big picture designs for the 2+ acres of city land in Garfield, we're also working hard to create a smaller garden on about 1/8 of that land. It's been an exciting process. So far we've sheet mulched the entire space with thick layer of cardboard, wood chips and leaves. We've also begun composting hundreds of points of used coffee grounds from local coffee shops for our nitrogen loving plants. We've built raised beds 4'X25' across the space, built a natural wood terrace begin with is our raspberry garden, and we've planted a small orchard of plum, apple and pear trees. The two peaches look dead, we'll see. In addition we also put in two Jostaberry shrubs and three black currants, neither of which I have ever tasted. All of this has been done with volunteers and neighborhood youth. Each Wednesday night we work together, pray together, and attempt to bare witness to the redemptive work of Christ in our world to these kids who keep showing up to hang out with us and learn to garden. The youngest kids seem to have as much fun as the oldest (that would be the adults). Here's Micah "working" in the potato patch.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Getting What We Asked For
We're getting just what we asked for, praise God! Wait a second, this is hard! Garfield Community Farm is really moving forward, great things are happening, community involvement is coming about. The main site at Cornwall and Wicklow street in Garfield is actively being developed by church members, community members and friends from around the area. What we asked for was kids. We thought that the involvement of kids would bring the involvement of adults and the greater community. We thought we would partner with Valley View Church's summer camp and other after school programs to make the happen. We didn't think that our simple presence at the garden would be all we needed. Over the past few weeks we went from having two neighborhood kids come out, so about 10, 15 and then this week about 30! We were not prepared, it was chaotic! But that's what we've been praying for right? And most of these kids are coming out to work. One week they were upset with me when we had to finish up, so I let them keep a wheel barrow and a couple shovels out to start spreading mulch in a new area. We have a lot of work to do though. Work to create meaningful activities for these kids to learn and get involved, work to build trust and relationships, work to build more adult involvement tending the garden and more importantly ministering to and with these kids. The picture is from last Saturday. They call themselves the "Cornwall Kids" since they all live on Cornwall Street. These kids are great kids! 30 of them was a little overwhelming!
Monday, January 05, 2009
A Dog Named Tiny
Alyssa has wanted a Great Dane for years now, ever since we stayed at a home with one in Athens Ohio, when we recorded our first album. But, since them, we got Emma, a 75 pound, playful German Shepherd, who is a VERY good watch dog. She has a very intimidating bark when people approach the house.
A few weeks ago we began a conversation with the Cincinnati Great Dane Rescue, they were at the Over the Rhine concert. The lead couple in the band Over the Rhine are Dane owners and support the rescue by having them come to their shows. We then stopped by to visit the president of the Pennsylvania Great Dane Rescue, and her dog Moose, at the Washington County Petco. So, to make a long story shorter, Emma now has a new friend and playmate, a 1 year old full bred Great Dane named Tiny. He's an amazing dog, very gentle and great with kids. He's teaching Emma how to relax and she's trying to teach him to be suspicious of strangers, but it's not working. Tiny weighs about 130 pounds, almost 2x Emma, and eats about twice the amount of food.
As you can see, Emma is very happy about Tiny's ability to get Mom to lighten up on the couch rules!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
An Open Santa Conversation
Maybe we were wrong, but here's why we told Teah that Santa was make-believe. This is part of a conversation that I had on Facebook. I decided to post it here so that everyone else who thinks we're horrible for not playing into the Santa story understand why we didn't.
Here's why we did what we did, basically there are two reasons.
1. From our perspective Santa has become a tool for consumerism in a culture drowning itself in the stuff we buy. Kids get so much and even expect so much in our culture that we thought Santa would serve as another reason for Teah to expect more stuff. Santa does not teach kids the joy of giving only getting. So we decided to tell Teah that Santa is a fun make-believe character in books and stories that we can pretend comes to our houses with presents, but the real presents come from Mommy and Daddy because we love her. The real joy for Teah this year truly came from her opportunity to give gifts to us, it was amazing how excited she was to buy each of us, including Micah, a gift from her. So, that's reason one why we did it, to teach her that the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is about just that, GIVING gifts. Sure, she was very excited about the gift she got, but she knew she was getting them from those she loved and because we were also excited to make and buy her those gifts.
2. The whole Jesus thing. I think it's hard for kids to have parallel stories. We taught all about Jesus' birthday and even had a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day.
That all said, I'm not against Santa. We're not fundamentalists saying Santa is Satan or anything. We respect those who disagree and think that the story of Santa is something to teach and believe in.
On the positive side, there have been great teaching opportunities that have been afforded by making Santa a minor story in Christmas. Santa is still a part as a story, like a princess story or Winnie the Pooh, but Teah knows the real story is about Jesus and the stories we're creating as a family through the gifts that we make and buy for one another. (Yes, we made most of our gifts, I wasn't about to tell her the table and chairs I made for her were actually made by elves, I worked long hours on those :)
On the negative side, Teah REALLY likes the Santa story and has said she wishes her were real. It's an example of how the story can take over Christmas for kids, they lose perspective and it becomes all about Santa. But, it is also a great imaginative and fun experience that is greatly decreased when kids know it's pretend. Even with that negative, I think our choice is a good option considering the nature of our culture. Maybe I am a bit of a fundamentalist... I'm fundamentally opposed to the hyper-consumerism that drives Christmas and much of the way that we live in America.
Sorry to write so much, that's why I took the conversation off of your walls and to your inbox. Didn't think everyone needed to see my essay! Hope you can understand and respect what we did.
Here's why we did what we did, basically there are two reasons.
1. From our perspective Santa has become a tool for consumerism in a culture drowning itself in the stuff we buy. Kids get so much and even expect so much in our culture that we thought Santa would serve as another reason for Teah to expect more stuff. Santa does not teach kids the joy of giving only getting. So we decided to tell Teah that Santa is a fun make-believe character in books and stories that we can pretend comes to our houses with presents, but the real presents come from Mommy and Daddy because we love her. The real joy for Teah this year truly came from her opportunity to give gifts to us, it was amazing how excited she was to buy each of us, including Micah, a gift from her. So, that's reason one why we did it, to teach her that the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is about just that, GIVING gifts. Sure, she was very excited about the gift she got, but she knew she was getting them from those she loved and because we were also excited to make and buy her those gifts.
2. The whole Jesus thing. I think it's hard for kids to have parallel stories. We taught all about Jesus' birthday and even had a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day.
That all said, I'm not against Santa. We're not fundamentalists saying Santa is Satan or anything. We respect those who disagree and think that the story of Santa is something to teach and believe in.
On the positive side, there have been great teaching opportunities that have been afforded by making Santa a minor story in Christmas. Santa is still a part as a story, like a princess story or Winnie the Pooh, but Teah knows the real story is about Jesus and the stories we're creating as a family through the gifts that we make and buy for one another. (Yes, we made most of our gifts, I wasn't about to tell her the table and chairs I made for her were actually made by elves, I worked long hours on those :)
On the negative side, Teah REALLY likes the Santa story and has said she wishes her were real. It's an example of how the story can take over Christmas for kids, they lose perspective and it becomes all about Santa. But, it is also a great imaginative and fun experience that is greatly decreased when kids know it's pretend. Even with that negative, I think our choice is a good option considering the nature of our culture. Maybe I am a bit of a fundamentalist... I'm fundamentally opposed to the hyper-consumerism that drives Christmas and much of the way that we live in America.
Sorry to write so much, that's why I took the conversation off of your walls and to your inbox. Didn't think everyone needed to see my essay! Hope you can understand and respect what we did.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Obama and Warren, That's What I Was Trying to Say
This is a great article that expresses well why I'm all for the Warren and Obama thing. It's from the Washington Post.
A Gamble for Obama
. . . And a Risk for Rick Warren, Too
It's by E.J. Deonne Jr.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008; Page A17
By inviting Pastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation, President-elect Barack Obama has alienated some of his friends on the left. By accepting, Warren has enraged some of his allies on the right.
Obama and Warren have helped each other in the past, and both know exactly what they're doing.
If you're on the left, how you view Obama's move depends upon who you think Warren is, where you think he's going, and what you think Obama is up to.
Liberals who see Warren as a garden-variety conservative evangelical defined primarily by his opposition to gay marriage accuse Obama of selling them out. Gays and lesbians enraged by Warren's strong opposition to gay marriage in last month's California referendum charge Obama with pandering to white evangelicals and fear the president-elect has gone out of his way to offend them in order to curry favor with straight conservatives.
But a more benign view on parts of the religious left casts Warren as the evangelical best positioned to lead moderately conservative white Protestants toward a greater engagement with the issues of poverty and social justice, and away from a relentless focus on abortion and gay marriage.
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Recall Warren's 2006 invitation to Obama to come to his Saddleback Church in California for a discussion of the AIDS crisis. The right came down hard on the idea of giving an evangelical platform to this up-and-coming supporter of abortion rights.
Warren wouldn't back down and offered ABC News a delightful explanation for his political apostasy. "I'm a pastor, not a politician," Warren said. "People always say, 'Rick, are you right wing or left wing?' I say 'I'm for the whole bird.' " Many liberals hope -- and a lot of conservatives fear -- that the rise of "whole bird" Christianity will break up right-wing dominance in the white evangelical community.
Obama never forgot what Warren did for him and brought the episode up last week in explaining why he had asked the pastor to pray at his inauguration. "A couple of years ago," Obama recalled, "I was invited to Rick Warren's church to speak, despite his awareness that I held views that were entirely contrary to his when it came to gay and lesbian rights, when it came to issues like abortion."
One need not be too pious about any of this. Both Warren and Obama are shrewd leaders who sense where the political winds are blowing.
Warren understands that a new generation of evangelicals has tired of an excessively partisan approach to religion. Evangelical Christianity's reach will be limited if the tradition is seen as little more than an extension of the politics of George Bush, Karl Rove and Sarah Palin.
An opening to Obama is the right move for this moment, and Warren appears to be genuinely interested in broadening evangelical Christianity's public agenda. In a recent interview with Steve Waldman of Beliefnet.com, Warren compared gay marriage to "an older guy marrying a child," and to "one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage." But he also called upon evangelicals to be "the social change leaders in our society" engaged with "poverty and disease and charity and social justice and racial justice."
Obama wants to encourage this move, which would be good for him and good for progressive politics. Fear that Obama's analysis is exactly right is why so many conservatives are so angry with Warren for blessing the new president's inaugural.
A Gamble for Obama
. . . And a Risk for Rick Warren, Too
It's by E.J. Deonne Jr.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008; Page A17
By inviting Pastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation, President-elect Barack Obama has alienated some of his friends on the left. By accepting, Warren has enraged some of his allies on the right.
Obama and Warren have helped each other in the past, and both know exactly what they're doing.
If you're on the left, how you view Obama's move depends upon who you think Warren is, where you think he's going, and what you think Obama is up to.
Liberals who see Warren as a garden-variety conservative evangelical defined primarily by his opposition to gay marriage accuse Obama of selling them out. Gays and lesbians enraged by Warren's strong opposition to gay marriage in last month's California referendum charge Obama with pandering to white evangelicals and fear the president-elect has gone out of his way to offend them in order to curry favor with straight conservatives.
But a more benign view on parts of the religious left casts Warren as the evangelical best positioned to lead moderately conservative white Protestants toward a greater engagement with the issues of poverty and social justice, and away from a relentless focus on abortion and gay marriage.
ad_icon
Recall Warren's 2006 invitation to Obama to come to his Saddleback Church in California for a discussion of the AIDS crisis. The right came down hard on the idea of giving an evangelical platform to this up-and-coming supporter of abortion rights.
Warren wouldn't back down and offered ABC News a delightful explanation for his political apostasy. "I'm a pastor, not a politician," Warren said. "People always say, 'Rick, are you right wing or left wing?' I say 'I'm for the whole bird.' " Many liberals hope -- and a lot of conservatives fear -- that the rise of "whole bird" Christianity will break up right-wing dominance in the white evangelical community.
Obama never forgot what Warren did for him and brought the episode up last week in explaining why he had asked the pastor to pray at his inauguration. "A couple of years ago," Obama recalled, "I was invited to Rick Warren's church to speak, despite his awareness that I held views that were entirely contrary to his when it came to gay and lesbian rights, when it came to issues like abortion."
One need not be too pious about any of this. Both Warren and Obama are shrewd leaders who sense where the political winds are blowing.
Warren understands that a new generation of evangelicals has tired of an excessively partisan approach to religion. Evangelical Christianity's reach will be limited if the tradition is seen as little more than an extension of the politics of George Bush, Karl Rove and Sarah Palin.
An opening to Obama is the right move for this moment, and Warren appears to be genuinely interested in broadening evangelical Christianity's public agenda. In a recent interview with Steve Waldman of Beliefnet.com, Warren compared gay marriage to "an older guy marrying a child," and to "one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage." But he also called upon evangelicals to be "the social change leaders in our society" engaged with "poverty and disease and charity and social justice and racial justice."
Obama wants to encourage this move, which would be good for him and good for progressive politics. Fear that Obama's analysis is exactly right is why so many conservatives are so angry with Warren for blessing the new president's inaugural.
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