Milwaukee
Community Outreach Projects:
“Los
Cultivadores de Paz” Growers of Peace Community Garden
Established
in 2008
Summer
Youth program with a focus on soil remediation, nutrition education, land
stewardship, building community
Los
Cultivadores dePaz Community Garden is located on the Prince of Peace Church
property on Milwaukee’s predominantly Latino Southside. The Volunteer run community group, Southside Parents Against Lead,
initiated the garden project in January of 2006 after a few members attended a
Growing Power weekend workshop. The
main initiatives of the community garden include soil remediation (removing lead
from the soil), nutrition education (with respect to eating the appropriate
foods to remove lead from the body), land stewardship, and building a healthier
community. Families who have
children with high levels of lead in their bodies are especially involved in
maintaining the garden and accessing the vegetable harvest. Growing Power has provided training and materials to help the families
install and maintain the gardens. Early
in 2007 two classrooms from the Prince of Peace School (located next door to the
church and adjacent from the garden) came to Growing Power for a tour. Their exposure to the Growing Power Urban Farm inspired the two
classrooms to come together and build a “Pizza Garden” within the Growers of
Peace Community Garden site. The
Growers of Peace Garden continues to expand with plans of installing more garden
beds, a tool shed, a picnic area, rain barrels, and a Summer Youth Program for
the 2008 year.
Oakton
Manor
Oakton
Manor is a Community Based Residential Facility located on the near Southside of
Milwaukee and serving all of Milwaukee County residents. During the 2006 summer season, Growing Power trained residents and
Metrobrook Church volunteers on organic gardening while installing microbial
raised garden beds onsite at the Oakton Manor building on Milwaukee’s near
Southside. Residents and community
members are very pleased with the newer raised bed system and continue to work
with Growing Power. In fact some
residents boast that their garden is the “biggest on the block.” Produce from the garden is used onsite for meals and extras
are disbursed among residents. Residents
chose to grow produce that can easily be introduced to kitchen meals, such as
cherry tomatoes, loose-leaf lettuce, green beans, cucumbers, and peppers. With the assistance of Growing Power training and materials, the Oakton
Manor Garden continues to improve its service to its residents and volunteering
community members.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Center
(Parkway Clinic garden site, San Rafael Catholic School, Casa Romero Renewal Center)
Hola Leana, aqui va
Un abrazo enorme.
Growing Power has been working with the Sixteenth Street Community Health Center (SSCHC) in several capacities.
Over the years the south side-based health center has regularly ordered Market Baskets from Growing Power, and
now there is a strong drive by SSCHC staff to build more community gardens through current programs, such as the
Kinnickinnic River Revitalization Program.
SSCHC and its community partners have built two small community gardens at San Rafael Middle School and at
the United Community Center (partnering with Casa Romero). In addition, Growing Power's support has been
essential in a new project lead by SSCHC and SUPAR High School to build a small aquaponics system at the school.
The gardens and the aquaponics system will be used to teach the community about safe gardening practices,
water conservation, and ways to reduce storm water pollution related to the Kinnickinnic River.
Milwaukee
School Garden Projects:
University
School of Milwaukee (School Garden, School-wide composting system, potential
Sprout Production):
Over the past few
years Growing Power has supported several sustainable agricultural activities at
the University School of Milwaukee. In
return, USM students come regularly to the Growing Power Community Food Center
to do service learning projects encompassing a variety of activities in the
greenhouses and surrounding community gardens. In 2006 Growing Power helped design a school wide composting system for
the USM students and teachers. Currently,
USM composts a large portion of lunch waste and uses this material in the onsite
raised garden beds. Before
installing the garden beds, a couple of USM teachers and students attended a
Growing Power workshop where they received training in Vermicomposting,
Greenhouse Production, Project Planning, Aquaponics, and Raised Beds Gardening. Growing Power also provided onsite training and the initial compost and
plants for the USM Karen’s Garden, which carries the name of one of its
founders. The USM kitchen also
regularly orders a variety of sprouts from Growing Power. Due
to the success and continued interest in the garden the third grade teachers are
leading a project to grow sprouts themselves at the school. Growing Power is helping the teachers develop a sound plan and will
provide training and materials as needed.
To learn more about Karen’s Garden, visit the website: http://karensgarden.wikispaces.com.
Urban
Day School
12th Street & Atkinson site
A
summer school garden incorporated into school curriculum with a focus on Latino
Cuisine.
During
another successful School Garden Installation, Growing Power trained summer
school students and Urban Day School (UDS) teachers on maintaining the newly
installed raised garden beds outside of the 12th St. & Atkinson
St. Urban Day School site. Students
planted produce found commonly in the Latino Cuisine, such as tomatoes, peppers,
onions, cilantro, and squash/pumpkin flowers. The UDS teachers incorporated lessons from their summer school curriculum
to coincide with work in the garden. Due to the success of this school garden, UDS is looking
forward to installing another school garden at its 24th St. &
Vliet St. School site for the 2008 year. UDS
will collaborate with Growing Power once again to ensure a successful school
garden installation and program.
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