Gardeners in Community Development

Growing People News Growing People News

Project Report:
Community Garden Church of Our Saviour
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VOLUME 9, NO. 2

Fall 2003

Inside this issue:

Project Report: Church of our Saviour Community Garden GICD Grows People!

Two members of The Church of Our Saviour on Jim Miller Road, Rebecca Smith and Jack Boedecker, started dreaming about a garden almost two years ago. Their dream was kindled during a GICD presentation sponsored by Fr. Ed Sholty, who was then priest at the church. (see GICD Grows People! on page 2). The community garden idea germinated for many months and, with the guidance of GICD, a garden plot was designed early this year and a cover crop planted. At that point, progress almost stopped due to a lack of gardeners. GICD again helped out by connecting the church with another gardener, Bob Curry, adding forty yards of compost, cottonseed meal, dried molasses, donated plants and seeds, and a large dose of volunteer labor for a work day in early May. By June, the crops were Jack Boedecker and kids from John Ireland Elementary School picking mustard greens. beginning to mature and donations were starting for the Southeast Dallas Emergency Food Bank. Still, the garden was understaffed with volunteer gardeners. To make matters worse, the two key founders, Rebecca and Jack, both developed physical problems what limited their ability to work. Providence intervened in the form of a neighbor, Teri Laguardia, the wife of the minister at the neighboring Umphress Road Methodist Church. Teri and the majority of the church congregation are from the Philippines and have a strong cultural tie to gardening. Before long, Teri brought four additional gardeners and prospects for the garden were looking up. Even with the additional people power, the garden was still not fully planted. Bermuda grass and nut weed were fast becoming major beneficiaries of the wonderful soil preparation. Another work day in late summer, again supported by volunteers and seeds from GICD, helped remove the weeds then planted greens and beans for a fall crop. As the summer came to a close and school began, the gardeners contacted the principal of John Ireland Elementary School across the street from the garden. As fate would have
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Produce Donation Projects A Thank You Festival

Chicago Awes GICD ACGA Convention Photo Spot: Gardening Helps Our Kids Grow! GICD Supporters SummerFall 2003 Tiah's Garden Recipe: Curry OkraStir Fry Garden Notes

Upcoming Events:
East Dallas Community Garden Safety & Health Fair November 22, 2003.
Details to be Announced!

Annual Spring Plant Sale 2004

Saturday April 24 & Sunday April 25 East Dallas Community Garden 1416 N. Fitzhugh, Dallas

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VOLUME 9.2

GICD GROWS PEOPLE!

by Rebecca Smith, garden co-manager What began as a biennial shows promise to become an evergreen thanks to Gardeners in Community Development. The seed was sowed two years ago when Fr. H. Edward Sholty, current vice-president of GICD, invited Tiah and Don Lambert from GICD, to give a presentation on community gardens to the parishioners of the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour. Eventhough members were interested, the church was going through a lot of changes and the timing was wrong. Several of us kept the subject on the vestry agenda until the timing was right. The garden would be a mission of outreach and fellowship to the community. Vegetables would be organically grown for the Southeast Dallas Emergency Food Bank. Families would be provided with a place to garden to supplement their diets and grow friendships. There was much groundwork before ground was broken. GICD was there with guidance, garden tours, education, even sponsoring trips to seminars on community gardening! This February we were finally ready to break ground on a 100 x 55 garden and GICD was there with gardeners, tools, and seeds for the cover crop and expertise! While the cover crop grew, we needed help recruiting gardeners. Bob Curry, our garden champion, needed a garden. GICD was there! May brought the need for expensive compost, dried molasses, cornmeal and extensive toil and tilling. GICD was there! On May 25, Rogation Sunday, at the Church of Our Saviour we took time to give thanks for and bless Our Saviours Garden, the gardeners and guidance, the donated seeds and plants and the common ground that connects us in fellowship and friendship in the love of God in His nature. GICD was there! June brought the first crops of Malabar spinach, squash, okra, watermelons, tomatoes and peppers. We made our first weekly harvest for the Southeast Dallas Emergency Food Bank. GICD was there! Since June, the number of gardeners has grown along with the need for weed control, plot management and seeds and plants for fall crops. GICD was there! This fall, when we wanted to interest the neighboring school in extending their science classroom to the garden, GICD was there! The Church of Our Saviour is now planning on the addition of orchard and vine arbors. GICD is there! It is comforting to know as we grow and plot against hunger; GICD will be there! True to their motto, they are growing people! Our Saviours Garden is located at 1616 Jim Miller Road, Dallas, Texas 75217. Our phone number is 214-391-2824. Our email address is osc@airmail.net. Work in the garden is an ongoing event, but Tuesday mornings, 8:00am-10:00am, are set aside as harvest time for the food bank and Saturday mornings, 8:00am10:00am, are set aside as a time to gather and work together. Helping hands are always welcome.

Produce Donation Projects

For the first time this year GICD gardens have donated vegetables to local food banks. In our north sector the Kramer School Community Garden, together with Don & Tiah's Garden, have taken 546 pounds to the Network in Richardson. Our Saviour Community Garden has now donated over 800 pounds of vegetables to the Southeast Emergency Food Center. Community and backyard gardens can grow a lot of food, and make a significant impact on local food security.

Produce delivered at the Network and Southeast Emergency Food Center

We need help: Would you like to volunteer to help with picking and transporting produce to food pantries and food banks? Donation Project volunteers can call Darlene Smith at 972-690-1752 or email cdarlene@ev1.net.

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GARDENERS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

2003 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gerald G. Carlton, President H. Edward Sholty, Vice President Kai Kunnapas, Secretary Rick Guerrero, Treasurer Joanna L. Hampton Jeffrey Lamb Don Lambert Darlene Smith Ann Whitus

A Thank You Festival

On Saturday evening, Sept. 27th, East Dallas community gardeners, had a party for themselves, their families, and special friends of the garden. As these Cambodian and Laotian gardeners celebrated another successful garden year, they also thanked those who care about the garden and help support it. They shared traditional foods, and invited visitors to join them in traditional dances. Guests wandered the pathways where 20 some families grow an amazing array of vegetables. One visitor, Rod Dreher, from The Dallas Morning News staff, wrote this editorial piece:

STAFF
Don Lambert, Executive Director Bunyay Nhonh, Education Assistant

Urban Gardens
Fruits of labor are spiritual as well as physical
Reprinted from The Dallas Morning News Friday, October 3, 2003.

HONORARY BOARD ASSOCIATE

Mary Jane Beaman

BOARD ASSOCIATES
Ethel Sirls Campbell Navy Chean Jennifer Conrad Bob Curry Janet DeLee Jim Hobbs Ellen Khurshudian Chharveth Kiv Tiah Lambert Tori Lambert Jan Matlack Amy May Reed McAlister Bunyay Nhonh Sophorn Pich Lance Rasbridge Chanda Sovan Rebecca Smith Susan Stahl Paul Thai

Gardeners in Community Development 901 Greenbriar Lane Richardson, TX 75080 972-231-3565 214-675-8473 grower@flash.net
For information about newsletter contents, or permission to reprint, contact our acting editor, Don Lambert, at 972-231-3565.

The East Dallas Community Garden on Fitzhugh Avenue is a kind of social club for elderly Asian immigrants, most of them refugees from war-torn Cambodia and Laos. Since 1986, the gardenone of three nonprofit gardens like it in the Dallas areahas provided a place for these refugees to grow vegetables as they used to back in the old country. The intense Dallas heat is just like home for the 50 or so gardeners who till the soil there. One old woman is even known to sleep in the garden sometimes, to remember what life was like before the communist Khmer Rouge destroyed her native land. On most days during the growing season, you can drop by, meet the gardeners and buy their fresh produce. The garden is only minutes from some of the city's most desirable neighborhoods, but it looks and feels a world away. Many of the gardeners speak little English, and you can tell by the way they dress and the weary look on their faces that these are poor people who have lived through suffering and hardships beyond the imagining of most contemporary Americans. But these aren't unhappy people. In fact, what you noticeand what they tell you, if you stop to askis that working the garden with their friends from back home gives them pleasure, solace and strength. Enough, anyway, to live on. These folks don't ask for much. Last weekend, the gardeners held an open house to show off their accomplishments. If you stood among the vine-draped arbors, watching the families dance and mingle, you may have learned something about America. There among the worldweary grandfathers and grandmothers were their grown children and grandchildren, kids with fresh American faces, speaking shopping-mall patois, with nothing more serious to worry about than their SATs. Just as they took a vacant lot and turned it into a place of abundance, so did these gardeners plant their bereft families in the fertile soil of this country and made them thrive. You shall know them by their fruits.

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it, the principal and science teacher are enthusiastic about gardening and wanted their science club to take some remaining space. During the first week of October, 25 gardeners from third through sixth grade made their way to the garden. They helped with the weekly food bank harvest, thinned crops, and planted GICD donated seeds in their own plot. As a another bit of community linking, the bumper crop of fresh basil led to Kalachandjis Restaurant, the highly ranked vegetarian cuisine provided by members of the Krishna Community in East Dallas. Starting October 7, the Saviour garden has become their supplier of fresh basil. The garden and gardeners have

made a lot of progress during the year and there are still many tasks for the future. The garden needs a fence, improved watering system, compost bin, and a solution to the persistent nutgrass which encroaches from the adjacent field. Because the church has a small congregation and limited funds, the gardeners will be expanding their efforts to raise funds from organizations and individuals in the community. As the garden grows, the gardeners grow with it in many subtle ways through the sharing that occurs as people get to know each other. The crops grown in the garden reflect the backgrounds of the gardeners. Gardeners from the Philippines grow sweet potatoes just to eat the leaves, a concept unknown to most

Dallasites. The food bank and the school wanted more greens to satisfy the many AfricanAmericans. Mexican-Americans enjoy the spicy peppers. As gardeners get to know the crops each other enjoy, there has been active recipe sharing that has encouraged everyone to learn and experiment. In many ways, the Our Saviour garden has been a miracle. In addition to their community development, they have donated almost 700 pounds of produce to the food bank. The church is now in the beginning stages of starting a fruit orchard. Without the initial and ongoing support of GICD, the garden wouldnt be there today.
Story by Bob Curry

Chicago Awes GICD

American Community Gardening Association Conference
by Darlene Smith

Our GICD members attending the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) Conference in Chicago, July 31-Aug 2, were Bob Curry, Don Lambert, Ellen Khurshudian, and myself, Darlene Smith, thanks to a grant from Heifer Project International. We all were impressed and surprised at Chicago's beauty, numerous parks, greening efforts and recycling. We where shown much to support the claim that Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley intends to see Chicago become the greenest city in the nation. Equally impressive was how well the conference was presented, and the number of organizations and volunteers that work together on community greening and gardening

projects. The host team consisted Attending her first ACGA of community gardening, urban Conference, Ellen Khurshudian, the agriculture, community star volunteer at Kramer development organizations and Elementary School Community agencies, and Garden, besides hundreds of finding it fun to be "...the conference was a individual out of Dallas in the real eye opener the gardeners working middle of summer, breadth and depth of ideas learned numerous the earth throughout ways that a school was astounding..." Chicago's 72 garden can be Bob Curry neighborhoods. incorporated into We liked this city, the school had fun, and benefited by sharing, curriculum. She learned about networking, and learning from the school garden recycling projects, over 250 participants from across and use of solar power in a water the United States, Canada and garden. She appreciated Europe. opportunities to see and hear about successes of other gardens, and to Our favorite events were the find that gardens she saw on the welcome reception at Daley Bitours were no more spectacular than Centennial Plaza, workshops and her own, at Kramer, here in Dallas. seminars, tours of community Like other school gardeners, she gardens and projects, the ACGA struggles with the same problems of annual meeting, and the diner and finding enough community silent auction at the Chicago volunteers and of teachers having Botanic Garden. so many curriculum demands that they have a hard time incorp-

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Photo Spot

John Ireland sixth graders weed their plots at Our Saviour Community Garden

Gardening Helps our Kids Grow!

Learning about planting leeks, garlic, and bunching onions at the Kramer School Community Garden

orating gardening. Over all, Ellen had a very positive experience. Bob Curry, also a first time attendee, has been instrumental in getting Our Saviour Community Garden up and productive. He says, "the strong support from the Chicago Mayor was impressive. I wish the Dallas government would show the same strength." Attending the conference changed Bob's commitment to community gardening in Dallas. He states that "I can see a greater range of possibilities for the types of gardens we might encourage and how they impact communities." He now believes we can increase the effectiveness of GICD in the community. "We need to develop a core team of committed and talented people, and develop a long term strategy that encompasses both government and private sectors. Don has been doing the work almost all alone and if we can give him support we can develop many

more gardens." Bob continues, "Our biggest obstacle is the lack of a clear cut vision,and our inability to powerfully articulate [GICD's vision]...for developing community gardens. The second biggest obstacle is the Dallas mind set which tends to advocate development over a good environment." Bob sees great potential and a lot of interest in community gardening out there. I was impressed that Chicago sees gardening as way to improve the city. In just one example, at a City Farm in downtown Chicago, gardeners sale much of their produce to restaurants. This acre of garden on city land, now estimated to be worth $5 million will soon be developed. But, the city is committed to provide replacement land and support so this gardening and jobs program can continue its contributions to the good of the city. Don Lambert executive director of

GICD, serves on the ACGA board of directors, and feels that ACGA conferences, like this one in Chicago, provide all community gardeners and the communities they serve, with opportunities for mutually beneficial networking, and was pleased that GICD had so many participants attending. He sees that supporting ACGA and attending such conferences, is a significant way to provide training and personal connection opportunities that will increase local team work and inspiration for our own efforts here in Dallas.

To learn more about the American Community Gardening Association go to: www.communitygarden.org. Please consider becoming a member and supporting this great non-profit organization.

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GICD SUPPORTERS
SUMMER FALL 2003
Communities Foundation of Texas The Real Estate Council (TREC) Les Dames dEscoffier Heifer International Huitt-Zollars
Mary E. Cronin Michael DiCarlo & Jimmy's Store Keely Helton, Fun on the Farm
Linda Ahrens Suvapote Atiyawijitr Mary Lee Broder Mr. & Mrs. Ted Dornseifer Stephen B. Jones Carol Lyons

Tom & Pungut Korytowski Don & Tiah Lambert Bernice Meyerson
Chek & Moi Poh Redenta's Garden Linda Snow Emily Summers Tom Thumb Good Neighbor Program Carol Weinstein

Blooming Grove Landscapes Blue Mesa Grill, Liz Baron Bruce Miller Nursery Java & Cha Co., Ron Faruqui Green Lake Nursery Jimmy's Food Store King's Creek Garden in Cedar Hill Lakewood Garden Center Lawns of Dallas

Plant Sale 2003 Donors

Thank you Dallas area businesses for donations to our annual plant sale!

Organic Dynamics, Bob Kephaft Pickerings Plant Market Rohde's Organic Nursery and Nature Store Sunshine Farms at Wills Point, Nathan Hullum TruGreen Lawncare in Irving Vickery Greenhouse YC Nursery

Special Volunteers
It really would be impossible to have a great community gardening program without generous help from volunteers, many whose names never get recorded. At our plant sale each year, volunteer teamwork makes it all possible. At Kramer Elementary, Our Saviour, and East Dallas gardens, volunteers mow, pick up trash, and help with construction and general gardening. Community Gardeners and their family members routinely spend several hours each month on general garden maintenance. Recently, volunteers picked vegetables and herbs for food bank donations. And, of course we have wonderful Board of Directors and Associate volunteers, that work to keep GICD viable, on track, and are known to volunteer additional time as needed. The following are just some of the great helpers we note for this year:
Barbara Baughman Mary Jane Beaman Jack Boedeker Carolyn Bush Pat Bywaters Ethel Sirls Campbell Jerry Carlton Navy Chean Ex Chith Bob Curry Norsiah Daniels Sophia Daniels Janet DeLee Sonny Din Sally Ee Pum Fey Rick Guerrero Joanna Hampton Krong Heum Yai Kam Sue & Vanh Keovixay Kai Kunnapas Ellen Khurshudian Jeffrey Lamb Aaron Lambert Don Lambert Tiah Lambert Sok Lon Mau Lun Amy May & Chuck Saporn Moeul Nyet Mon Krath Mou Bunyay Nhonh Ek Noeun Mom Nov Sophat Ok Ruth Oldham Ngone Phomphakdy Peter Pich Sophorn Pich Leap Pin Steven Platt Voeun Prak Lance Rasbridge Khamkong Satsoy H. Edward Sholty Ly Seng Darlene Smith Rebecca Smith Soeurt Khann John Thompson Rosa Thompson Tres Thompson Paul Thai Khamkong Throndara Nang Ting John Tatum Ocie Vest Ann Whittus Noy Xayaseng Lee Ming Zheng Lin Li Zheng Ting An Zheng & others

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Tiahs Garden Recipe: Curry Okra Stir Fry

Ingredients: 1 lb okra, chopped in 1/2 inch lengths 2 sweet banana peppers, chopped bite size 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in two 1 medium onion, chopped coarsely Method: Heat oil in frying pan. Saut garlic and onion for 3 minutes, and stir in curry powder. Add chicken granules, peppers, and okra, stir well and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 2 minutes, until cooked and tender. Serve with steamed rice.
GARDEN NOTES:
Secret Gardens Sacred Grounds A wonderful garden tour organized by Preservation Dallas of 13 special gardens with spiritual and sacred qualities. Many visitors remarked that it was a "happy surprise that places like the East Dallas Community Garden exist in Dallas." Blessed Earthworms We took some of our earthworms on St. Francis Day to Our Saviour Church, where a Blessing of the Animals was held for a few fortune dogs, cats, and other critters, including our worms. May this be the beginning of a successful vermiculture composting project for GICD, as we work towards getting more Dallas schools involved with worm bins. Rev. Raymond Jennison said that in over twenty years of blessing animals he had never blessed earthworms before. A Gift of Manure A call from Keely Helton, of Fun on the Farm, resulted in the donation of 4 pickup loads of very special manure, a mix of horse, sheep, goat, llama, alpaca, emu, and various poultry. This gift came from her educational farm in Lucas, TX. www.funonthefarm.net

2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly 2 tsp curry powder 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules 2 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Become a Community Gardening Supporter

Individual or Group
Principal Supporter $100 or more ____ Organizations1 Individual/Family Other Amount $ 35 ____ $ 25 ____ $ ______________

Business or Corporation
Program Supporter Garden Supporter Small Project $500 or more ____ $ 250 ____ $ 100 ____

1 Households, GICD gardening teams, organizations

Make checks payable to:

GICD

Gardeners in Community Development is a 501(C)(3) organization Please mail your contribution to: GICD, 901 Greenbriar Lane, Richardson, TX 75080
Your name _________________________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________________________ City __________________________________ Zip ___________________ Phone ____________________

G ROW I N NEWSLETTER, GROWING PEOPLE NEWSFALL 2003, VOLUME 9.2 GARDENERS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTG P E O P LE N E W S FA LL 2 0 0 3

PLANT SALE

THE 2004 ANNUAL COMMUNITY GARDEN

Saturday April 24 & Sunday April 25
EAST DALLAS COMMUNITY GARDEN 1416 N. FITZHUGH AVENUE

Tom Thumbs Good Neighbor Program Benefits Gardeners in Community Development

GICDs Good Neighbor Number is: 6714

The next time youre at Tom Thumb, remember to link your Reward Card to our number. Tom Thumb will pay us a percentage of your total purchases providing another way for you to donate. So be sure and use your card every time you shop!

IGIVE.COM

Another way to help GICD to is to shop at the IGIVE.COM site on the internet. purchase you make will provide benefits for our community gardening program.

Each

Go to IGIVE.COM , register as a Gardeners in Community Development supporter. Be sure when asked to type in your cause to enter Gardeners in Community Development. Once registered, you can return anytime and your shopping will be linked to supporting GICD. They will send us the donation, and you can enjoy easy low-cost online shopping. Thank you!

Fall 2003 Gardeners in Community Development 901 Greenbriar Lane Richardson, TX 75080

Growing People News