What's up Newsletter for these final days of Summer.

Greetings everyone! It's been a while since we posted, and we've got a lot to talk about.
For starters, we'd like to invite everyone to our fall barbecue/performance fundraising event on Sunday, October 4th. Come by and see the garden's progress, watch the show, eat, drink and be merry with us. More details in our next posting.

We'd also like to send a few thank you's out to some businesses and individuals who've been really helpful to us this summer:

-Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Greenbridge program donated a lot of plants to us which are now filling the garden with much-needed greenery.

-A shoutout goes to our generous neighbor arborist Venola, who donated a truckload of mulch to us this summer.

-Thank you to Jeff Bialas and Bialas Farms of New Hampton, N.Y. for donating herbs, vegetables and a couple carloads of beautiful healthy soil for them to thrive in.

-Bushwick's own community board 4 director Nadine Whitted has been instrumental in assisting us with rubbish removal.

-We'd like to thank the Overboard Longboard Crew for doing lots of heavy lifting and cleanup in the garden and donating materials, time and labor to build us our big composter. Which brings us to our next point:

COMPOST! We started filling our new composter up right away and it has already turned into wonderful soil for the new garden plots and flowerbeds we've constructed. We've also placed a compost bin in the garbage area of 345 Eldert street. (So if you live in the building, please contribute!)

Our first veggie harvest was delicious, and it's still going. We grew tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, basil, mint, peppers and a bunch of other herbs.

Garden contributor Miriam Betancourt harvested the mulberries from one of our two resident mulberry trees and made a batch of delicious beer out of them. We can't wait for the next mulberry harvest so we can drink some more of her creations!

Now, as always, we are looking for new garden volunteers. The plots we're building now will be open to neighborhood residents in the 2010 season. If you or anyone you know wants to cultivate their own plot, contact us to find out more about it.

We wish everyone a wonderful September.

More to come...stay tuned!

B.G. visual memories

Photos of the Breaking Ground event

Here's some of the performers doing what they do best.

Whats Up Newsletter: Breaking Ground recap

Hello and good day,

We would like to extend our gratitude to our friends, artists, and everyone
who came by to spend their Saturday afternoon with us at the garden.

Muchas Gracias!

We had a great time, The weather was warm, the smiles were sweet and the food was tasty.
The energy the Association invested into the event paid for its self thanks to the generosity
of all of the guests and the art show supporters.

The Eldert Street Garden raised a sufficient amount of funds to continue its building
process into the these coming summer months. We can direct some of the earnings
towards legal type things like opening a bank account, beginning the non-profit
Status, et cetera.
The garden can acquire necessary materials to finish the brick path, build a compost bin
and a rain barrel water access system.

And maybe even get a lawn jockey (kidding!)

Also we wish to thank the businesses that contributed supplies and foods
for the Breaking Ground fund raising BBQ/ Art exhibit.
Heres a list of who they are and where they are located,
please stop by and support their establishment if the need arises.

Jazmine Grocery- corner of Irving Ave. and Halsey St.

Food Bazaar- 454 Wyckoff Ave. and Putnam St.

Green Market- corner of Myrtle Ave. and Stephen St.

Parrot Cafe- 58-22 Myrtle Ave. off George St.

Nat Hardware- 576 Wilson Ave. between Covert St. and Decatur St.


The Artists info and photos of the work presented at the Junto Gallery
will be uploaded on a separate posting.

Have a good evening and hope to see you at future Eldert Street Garden events.

Que viva la tierra y la jente de ella!

Peace

What's Up Newsletter

Good Day friends,

Hope your enjoying the rainstorms.
There is a few announcements for this month.

First, We'd like to thank those of you that have been showing
interest and have put your support and backs into the arduous labors
of turning the lot into a healthy place for the garden to thrive in.

This weekend we cleaned up the second flower bed
and plan to add the remainder of the donated soil
(thanks Holly, Wood, and Vine and Gwen)
to the area, so as to begin planting some shade loving plants.
The garden also received a group of tomato,
sunflowers,cucumbers, and beans for the front bed,
so thanks goes out to Radim and Alex for your contribution.

Its come to our attention that a few plants in need of a home
are finding there way to the garden and we'd like to say,
Keep them coming.
Considering the early stage of the garden we welcome any additions,
if you have an unhealthy plant you'd like to donate,
we'll happy to access its condition and if its curable,
find a place for it.

Also for the end of the month we are planning
an Eldert Street Garden fund raising event
at the garden and at Junto Gallery.

Breaking Ground
Fund raising Arts exhibit
Saturday May 30th @ 4pm
Eldert Street Garden
315 Eldert Street
Brooklyn,N.Y. 11237


The Fundraiser will be our first attempt at reaching out
to our community of friends, families, interested advocates
of the arts and anyone else who desires to contribute
to the good times and building process of the Eldert Street Garden.

There will be a Barbecue in the afternoon at the garden and at sunset
we are hosting a multimedia group arts exhibition at Junto Gallery.
We will be presenting paintings, sculpture, performances,
and musical acts from both New York based artists and out a town
talents coming through to be involved and show their recent creative endeavors.

There will be a silent auction wall with small works on view.
Healthy, homemade treats will be sold at Junto Gallery
to accompany a musical act and a special performance
by a talented up and coming artist.

I'll be posting a flier by next week and sending invites soon,
so hope you can come through.

Thanks for your time and have a great day,

E.S.G.A.

Whats Up Newsletter

Good day from the Eldert Street Garden Association

Want to update everyone reading our blog
with the recent developments of the soon to be Eldert Street Garden.

Since March of this year the vacant and unmaintained lot at 315 Eldert Street in Bushwick Brooklyn has been handed over to the E.S.G. Association for the construction of a community
operated garden.

for the last two months the group of neighborhood volunteers have begun
breaking ground in hopes of establishing a kickass garden where those interested
in growing some flowers, fruits, and vegetables or just want a place to relax and socialize
can do so.

as of April 26th, Thanks to the hard work, good advice, and donations of the volunteers and supporters, the lot is truly showing some improvement.There is now a sweet looking
flower bed in the front and some donated plants (thanks Jose, Nate, AJ, and Nick)
in wooded barrels giving the lot a healthier, active appearance.

We plan to build a brick path stretching all along the left side of the garden
and so far we've managed to carve out a 3 foot by 7o foot trench to get that
path started. (thanks Senator Martin Dilan for the donation towards the tools
and materials and to those who put there backs into it.)

We also recently got our soils health test results and it turns out
the soil has LEAD. 1135 ppm to be technical. which kills my mood
but comes as little surprise. To amend this we plan to apply bio-dynamic
soil healing methods during the coming seasons.
But until then we need to be careful at the garden with children, pets,
and of course ourselves.

If you have any comments or questions about this edition of the Whats Up Newsletter
feel free to do so.

Thanks for your Time and valuable support,

Rodrigo G.
Eldert Street Garden Association

Thanks, Jose!