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Season Five at the Roosevelt Community Garden Completed
Our Roosevelt Community Garden in the Town of Hempstead is gaining momentum and receiving much deserved attention since its inception in 2018. The Garden has become an avenue for adults and children to work together to grow fresh wholesome food while learning about agriculture, biodiversity and appreciation of the outdoors. The lessons of the Garden also deepen the connection between protecting our land, air and water and our health. With the help of our partners, each year we provide a series of educational programs and activities for seasonal gardeners and all residents in the County. Here’s a summary of our 2022 activities: Educational Programs Our monthly gardening workshops, facilitated by Master Gardeners from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County, provided information to those interested in gardening, horticulture and related topics. We hosted seven workshops, which included a square foot gardening demonstration, succession planting talk and Garden to Table: How to Prepare to Grow presentation. Our aim was to support gardeners by teaching them how to start and maintain a vegetable garden in small spaces, care for their crops and soil and get more produce throughout the season. Family and Community Engagement This year, 41 families secured a raised garden plot for the 2022 gardening season, of which 10 were new. We kick-started the season with our annual Earth Day program. It was attended by more than 80 participants who took action to help their environment. During the summer we hosted Paint Night in the Garden to get more people outdoors and reduce stress, followed by our fall Dinner in the Open Air to celebrate another successful growing season. Young Explorers Program This season, more than 50 young botanists and future conservation stewards from Roosevelt and surrounding communities visited the Garden to do more than grow flowers, vegetables and herbs. The Land Alliance Young Explorers program provides a pathway for children, ages 4-17, and their families to engage with nature, learn about wildlife and the ecosystems they need to survive as well as how to improve their own health. We also had the pleasure of hosting students from the Roosevelt Prevention Coalition. They visited the Garden each month to connect with nature and find ways to cope with stress. Community service opportunities were also available for high school students. We hope to see many of these students and their families again next year so we can continue to cultivate a love of nature. Volunteers Engagement and commitment from volunteers is vital to the sustainability of the Garden. We are so grateful to all our volunteers for their immeasurably valuable work including leading educational programs, planting and harvesting crops, weeding, spreading woodchips and organizing social events. Our achievements have been made possible thanks to the many partners who have helped us over the last five years: Cornell Cooperative Extension – Nassau County Master Gardeners Roosevelt Public Library Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock Social Justice Committee One World Girl, Inc Hofstra University Department of Geology, Environment and Sustainability Bank of America Associates in Nassau County Girl Scout Troop #4703 Volunteers for Wildlife Roosevelt Prevention Coalition sponsored by Family and Children’s Services We welcome new partners from schools, civic organizations and local businesses. For more information, please contact Andrea Millwood at [email protected] or 516-922-1028.
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A New Season Has Begun at the Roosevelt Community Garden
We are pleased to kick-start the fifth growing season at the Roosevelt Community Garden. This year we are partnering with new organizations, hosting more activities and educating more people. Our overarching goal is to help connect more youth to nature and better understand their role in protecting our environment. Annual Garden Members’ Orientation and Garden-to-Table Presentation On Saturday, March 19th, we hosted an educational presentation led by Master Gardener Charlie Kemnitzer at the Roosevelt Public Library. Participants learned how to start a vegetable garden and maintain their raised-garden plots and tips to care for their crops in a sustainable and healthy manner. Earth Day Celebration On Saturday, April 23rd, more than 50 volunteers and garden members participated in our Annual Earth Day event. Together we accomplished a lot, from removing debris and weeds to refilling plots with soil and replacing garden hoses in preparation for our annual Planting Day in May. We are grateful for all our volunteers, especially our newest friends from Bank of America, Girl Scout Troop #4703 and Rojah Peck. Special thanks to Claire DeRoche, Barry Nobel and other members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, who started volunteering last year, and to Bagel Chalet of Merrick for donating bagels for our breakfast. Members from the Universality Unitarian Congregation at Shelter Rock Bank of America Staff Annual Planting Day and Square Foot Gardening Demonstration On Saturday, May 21st more than 80 people, including Garden members, volunteers and visitors from throughout Nassau County, joined us to learn how to grow food using the Square Foot Gardening method. After the presentation led by Master Gardener Reese Michaels, Garden members and youth from the Roosevelt Prevention Coalition Roots Club and Girl Scout Troop #4703 worked together to plant vegetables and fruits. It was a pleasure to work alongside these students and watch them learn to grow their own food. Healthy food makes for more productive and healthier students! One World Girl Prosperity Project We were also pleased to work with the One World Girl organization again this year on their Prosperity Project. This awesome group of young people planted native wildflowers and shrubs throughout the Garden to help attract beneficial insects, create a stopping place for Monarch butterflies and provide food for birds. We hope to attract some new species for our pollinator project in June. Special thanks to Atlantic Nursery in Freeport and Long Island Natives for donating a portion of the plants. One World Girl Volunteers at the Roosevelt Community Garden
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Fourth Season at the Roosevelt Community Garden
The Roosevelt Community Garden celebrated its fourth year on April 1, 2021. The Garden has become more than just a place to grow organic fruits, vegetables and herbs; it also is a place for gardeners to come together, to share and learn from each other. Situated in the hamlet of Roosevelt on a 10,000 square foot lot, the Garden boasts 49 raised garden beds, a garden library, picnic tables and two tool sheds. It’s open from sunrise until sunset April until November. During the growing season, gardeners and volunteers join forces to plant, weed, water and grow a variety of crops. They share in the bountiful harvest and grow food to share with community members in need. During these difficult times, the Garden is also helping to fight food insecurity. This was the original idea for the garden, but that notion became much more critical throughout the weeks and months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Garden has created a sense of community. Neighbors are working together, getting to know one another, caring for each other, building new kinds of relationships and creating a more unified community. Many thanks to Nassau County for making this opportunity available to the community. Special thanks to the volunteer Master Gardeners from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County for leading many of our educational programs in person or online. Their lifelong love of gardening and agricultural expertise continues to be an invaluable resource for the Garden and its members. To volunteer or for more information about the Garden, please contact Andrea Millwood at [email protected] More information about the Garden can be found online at www.northshorelandalliance.org/rcg. Special Thanks to Edrington Brands for Supporting the Roosevelt Community Garden We are most grateful to Marc Bromfeld and Edrington Brands for their generous $10,000 donation to help enhance our Garden and ensure that it is sustainable for another year. This spring, a wooden gazebo with aluminum roof was installed to create a more comfortable seating area for Garden members and volunteers to socialize and for educational programs. The gazebo will also bring warmth and character to the garden and provide shade for those working in the summer heat. A portion of the proceeds will also be set aside for programs in 2022. We hope the community finds great enjoyment in the space provided. Special thanks to Jill DeGroff, one of the first individuals to sign up to volunteer at the Garden in 2018, for spearheading this donation. We are most appreciative and grateful for her support.
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Roosevelt Community Garden Safely Reopens
One of the best ways of dealing with stress in the times of the COVID-19 Pandemic s to get outside. On April 22nd (Earth Day), gardeners were able to enjoy a breath of fresh air and touch the soil when the Roosevelt Community Garden opened for the season. It was a pleasure to see the many smiling faces as they arrived at the Garden to help clean up, plant cool weather crops and reconnect with neighbors. This season concluded with a Fall Harvest and Garlic Planting in November. It was a very good year, with a harvest that included 25 different types of fruits and vegetables, including callaloo, Roselle Hibiscus, eggplant, okra, bok choy, sweet potatoes, organic garlic, strawberries, flowers and ornamental gourds. Throughout the season, the health and well-being of our gardeners and volunteers was a priority. Visitors were required to wear face masks and maintain safe distance. In addition, hand sanitizer was accessible, gardeners were encouraged to use their own tools and some activities were cancelled to minimize the number of visitors to the Garden. We also offered virtual educational presentations. Through the Garden, we’ve been pleased to be able to bring healthy, locally grown food to the residents of Roosevelt and Nassau County to help combat preventable diet-related illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and obesity. We are especially grateful to our volunteers Peter Meleady, Iesha Saunders and Master Gardeners Mary Callanan, Kathy Gaffney, Charles Kaminsky and Audrey Thomas. Special thanks to Nassau County for being such a great partner by providing the space and the materials needed to achieve such a positive community impact. 2020 programs Highlights and Activities include: • Partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Nassau County to host two in-person and two virtual workshops for gardeners and local residents • Five new volunteer joined us at the Garden to help educate Garden and community members and to help maintain the Garden • Nine new families joined the Garden to grow their own food and learn about their environment • Two square-foot demonstration garden plots were installed by CCE to educate the community about square foot gardening • Installed a bookshelf stocked with new books donated by the Book Fairies and a communication board
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Roosevelt Community Garden Impact
Now entering our third year, The Roosevelt Community Garden kicked-off the growing season on April 22nd (Earth Day) with an annual clean up of the garden and distribution of plants and seeds to gardeners to start their gardening. This year, we are pleased to continue our partnership with the Roosevelt Public Library and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County to provide garden workshops and hands-on demonstrations to help gardeners and members of the community to succeed at growing food. The Land Alliance also remains grateful to Nassau County for their work to build the garden and create more access for community members to grow their own organic food. Healthy, local food enhances not only gardeners’ quality of life, but also their community environment. A series of educational workshops were scheduled for early spring, but due to the COVID 19 pandemic, these activities were postponed. For more information about the Garden, please visit us online at www.northshorelandalliance.org/rcg. 2020 Earth Day Event and Annual Clean up Earth Day 2020 Earth Day 2020 Earth Day 2020 Testimonials “The Garden is a superior community asset. Please continue your good work.” ~Daphne Adedeji/Gardener “I love the community garden, it helps me find calmness and feel connected to the earth especially during these challenging times when we are in the midst of a pandemic. It’s nice to see others in the community. Everyone sharing and learning about gardening is a healthy way to connect with others and building lasting friendships. ~ April Diane/Gardener “One of the best reasons to have a garden is to teach children where food comes from. How it’s supposed to look and taste. We have loved our experience with this community garden and we’re looking forward to many more years!” ~ Julia Schilling/Gardener “The Roosevelt Community Garden is a great addition to the community.” ~ Silinda Hickson/Community Member “I had a wonderful experience as a first-timer. I learned a lot and members were very helpful throughout the growing season. Thumbs up!” ~ Dimas Rodriguez/Garden Member “I truly believe that this project will help to usher in much-needed transformation and economic revitalization to our community. …We may be facing some hyper-inflation as indicated by the increased prices for goods and the community garden may be a means to protect vulnerable populations such as the elderly, homeless and orphans in Roosevelt by setting aside a portion of the harvest from the garden to donate to these vulnerable people.” ~ Michelle Avery/Community Member Children getting Involved at the Garden Ulysses Byas Elementary School Student planting at the Garden New Bookshelve stacked with book from the Book Fairies. Garden members passing on their knowledge Onsite Garden Manager Keno Williams working with kids C’Anna Millwood Volunteer Peter Meleady and Roosevelt Middle School Student Annual Presentation at the Roosevelt Public Library with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County CCE of Nassau County presentation
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