Meeting2008–06
June 10, 2008
Present:
Steve Adams, Tony Machi, Catrine Lehrer-Brey, Mary Lou Lamonda, Janet Gamble, Susan Gravelle, Lance Weinhardt, Margee Foulke Evans, Jan Christiansen, Venice Williams, Marcia Caton Campbell, Nina Muscherji, Julilly Kohler, Ron Doetch, Leon Todd, Jacqueline Crumbo, Dave Bouchart,
Positive City Change
Lakeshore Burial Vault built and delivered the cistern for TUG gardens. Alternative Plumbing plan is being developed in the city regarding cisterns not connected to housing plumbing, which means the code will not be a strict.
Ron Doetch is going to Kellogg’s annual Food and Security conference and he has been asked to present the “Milwaukee Experience”: how we got policy change with the city.
Questions about Growing Power’s new 3 car garage with green intensive roof and green house. Did anyone know more about it?
Venice Williams Presented
20 years in Milwaukee working with children, youth and families.
She has been involved in reading circles, rites of passage, urban ag, families etc.
She handed out her principles: see attached.
Seed Folks, and Lutheran Center. She feels she is a cultural, spiritual midwife of beginning new projects. She comes from a history of strong women leadership and many generations before her of hands in the garden.
Seed Folks, Paul Fleishman, about an inner city neighborhood in Cleveland inspired her gardening work in Milwaukee. Why she does it: Getting them outside, getting them dirty, reconnecting African American families connected to the land. “Most of our families are all from the South, and farmed the land, and it was a very tough life, and the shared history of share-cropping” We want to reconnect them in healthy ways, to what it does for income, building community and connecting with our souls. It is deeply personal for me. We are holding our second celebrating George Washington Carver in November. It is intergenerational which is really important. We want the elders to help teach the youth. “We have tons of grandparents teaching grandchildren. We still need to bring the adults in.”
Alice’s garden is two city blocks. Three quarters is rented by UWEX, ¼ children and families lots. Monday thru Thursday, 9;00–12:00. Five teenage males are hired through the American Community Gardening Association. Check out Garden Mosaics. http://Gardenmosaics.org. Has a wonderful curriculum with asset based teams. Teams interview gardeners. Helped establish gardens in 6 backyards. Youths will publish a book on the garden and their experience.
She teaches 4-H, and a junior master garden club in 3 different churches. 2nd and Clark, Divine Word 55th and Lloyd, Ascension Lutheran Church 27th and Scott. Part of her work is to keep the garden training going during the winter months.
Seasonal women’s rites of passage school during the school year.
Dreamkeepers, writing program for teens.
Jacks and pickup sticks and books on public playgrounds in early evenings.
Milwaukee Urban Garden (Hockings Heritage Gardens), 4716 N 45th. Mainly put together for food pantry clients to garden and learn to grow their own food. Community has asked them to take over some other lots, as an orchard. Lot behind the garden is vacant, could purchase.
Getting books in people’s hands and helping people to read is another interest and project of hers.
Oct 9–12 event to rebuild community gardens in New Orleans. Received an anonymous grant and re-directed it to New Orleans. Biggest sign of fresh produce comes into 9th ward, no major chain has rebuilt. Renaissance project to rebuild community gardens, to 2nd Harvest doing urban ag. Green houses and stable urban ag community. Five community gardeners from New Orleans, 24th event, 23rd-26th are coming into town. Orgs and people are adopting a site, some folks will go to build, some will just send some money, or will donate for a tree.
See attachment, forward on the notice.
Volunteer opportunities: Read to children in mornings. Help with morning program at Alice’s garden.
Need to bring in farmers back to New Orleans, they have disappeared from the surrounding communities.
Other News
Kellners. Other than to say that this season is being run by two managers and lots of volunteers. It is being run as per normal. A few folks are coming up with proposals.
Backyard gardens being put in the riverwest.
MUAN will not take any fill soil unless it is tested and delivery is monitored. Problems with last delivery of free soil to neighborhoods.
Needs to build more constituents in the Common council. Update meeting with DCD to find out how to become part of the economic development planning for the city to include Urban Livestock, Land Tenure, comprehensive plans with urban agriculture. Cistern policies. Access to water for urban agriculture, good soil creation and access.
Julilly will try to get a meeting going with the city to address these issues.
Mitchell Park and County Parks with the domes and their commitment to urban ag was discussed.
National Trust for Historic Preservation has a study on gardening and economic sustainability.
Grameen Bank founder will be coming to Milwaukee in the fall and a local videographer is doing a film of his work, suggestion that there be a Green Grameen in Milwaukee.
Fondy Farmer’s market this Saturday is doing a BBQ and greens cook off on Saturday.
Farmers market: this Sunday is first day of Farmers Market on Locust Street. 11–3:00.
Washington Park 11:00–3:00, every Sunday, in front of the Senior Center on Vliet Street.
