Upcoming Chances to Get Growing!
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Have you checked our Growing Hope calendar lately? Lots of upcoming opportunities, including weekly chances to dig in at the Growing Hope Center with Farmer Dan in the hoophouse, seed starting set-up builds, work with Terry and youth at area schools, and more! Read more throughout this blast and one our website. Saturday, March 28: Our next Urban Farmer Breakfast will take place from 8:30 to 10 am on Saturday, March 28th at Bombadill's Cafe. Saturday, March 28: Seed Starting Squad from 11 am-2 pm at the GHC. Saturday, March 28: Ann Arbor Film Fest co-presentation at 1:30 pm Sunday, March 29: "What Will We Eat Film" at EMU as part of the Transition Town Ypsilanti Wednesday, April 2: Growing Hope Spring Catalog available! Check our website to download it on 4/1-- no kidding! Tuesday, April 7: Lisa Bashert's "Your First Garden from A-Z" class Tuesday, April 14: Farmers' Market Vendor orientation beginning at 9:30 am April 2-5: Play Poker from Growing Hope at Coop! Wednesday, April 22: Join us on Earth Day for a SEEDLING & SEED SWAP from 5 pm to 7:30 pm at the Corner Brewery (location changed from GHC). Bring seeds and seedlings you'd like to swap with other gardeners. Friday May 1-Saturday, May 2: Growing Hope Spring Plant Sale at the Growing Hope Center! Tuesday, May 6: First day of the season for the Downtown Ypsilanti Farmer's Market!  |
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Join Us at the Ann Arbor Film Fest |
 Don't forget to check out Ann Arbor's 47th Annual Film Festival on March 24 - 29. Growing Hope will be co-presenting a short film at the Festival-- Beyond the New World screens March 28th at 1:30 pm. |
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Seed Starting Squad
Last Build Day!
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Thanks to everyone who signed up for our Seed Starting Squad! We are having our final Light Stand Build Day on Saturday, March 28th, and will be distributing the last of our seed starting set-ups. Although we can't afford to lend out any additional set-ups, you can still help participate in our last assembly and planting day-- where you can learn how to build a set up at your own home. Join us Saturday-- March 28 from 11 am- 2 pm at the Growing Hope Center to help out and learn more. RSVP to kelly@growinghope.net.
Read more about the Seed Starting Squad at our new Seed Starting Blog!
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Film and Discussion:
What Will We Eat? |
Join Transition Town Ypsilanti for a film showing and discussion at 203 Porter Hall, EMU from 4-6 pm this Sunday, March 29th. The 26 minute film "What Will We Eat" reveals the growing crisis in industrial agriculture and how a grassroots coalition of consumers and small farmers is inventing a healthy, humane, homegrown alternative in Western Michigan.
Porter Hall is building #17 on Eastern's Campus Map. For more info, please e-mail Lisa at wombbat@umich.edu or call 734.483.6420. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Your First Garden from A-Z
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Want to grow some of your own food, but never tried before? Please join our friend and Rec Park Community Garden steward Lisa Bashert for a basic class on starting your first vegetable garden. She'll cover what to plant, where to put your garden, how to order seeds, where to find compost locally, how to lay out a raised bed, how to buy plants, and more!
This is a one-time class that meets April 7th from 7-9PM at the Ypsilanti Senior Center, 1015 North Congress. Cost is $20 per person; Free for seniors. Pay $40 and leave the class with your first raised bed, built by Growing Hope! This class is not being run by GH, but we are highly encouraging all to attend-- Lisa is one of the gems of our Ypsi garden & sustainability community! For more information, contact Lisa Bashert at 734-483-6420, or e-mail wombbat@umich.edu |
Keep a Lookout! Growing Hope Spring Catalog Will be Published Next Week!
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It's almost done-- keep checking our website for our Spring Catalog, and get your orders in for raised beds, seedlings, planters, herbs, youth-made hand-balm, and more! The catalog will be on our website and available in our office...
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March Ypsi Urban Farmer Breakfast!
Saturday, March 28th 8:30-10 am!
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Back by popular demand-- month three of the the Ypsi Urban Farmer Breakfast! We'll be at Bombadill's this time (and they're cooking up some extra special stuff for us!), and are doing it on Saturday so new folks can join us to talk and dream and plan and scheme about growing food and farms and hope in Ypsi. All are welcome-- please spread the word, and RSVP to dan@growinghope.net if you can. Among other things, we'll try to take the next steps on creating inventories of existing gardens, fruit trees, and empty spaces that are urban gardens/farms to be!
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Next Weekend
Play Games - Grow Hope! |
Come to one night or all. Bring your friends, and tell everyone you know!
Don't know how to play poker?
Become a player! Learn to play poker from the staff at Coop's. Playing while learning is just for fun; but stick around for a tournament with friends and make yourself and Growing Hope a Winner! Learning tables will be available from
7 to 8 pm on Friday, April 3rd, and from
7 to 8 pm on Saturday, April 4th.
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Getting Hungry for the
Downtown Ypsi Farmers' Market?
Sign Up Now To Become a Vendor! |
Are you interested in selling garden goods, farm harvests, food, or crafts at the Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market this season? Join us every Tuesday afternoon, beginning May 5th, and running through the end of October from 2-6 pm in the parking lot at the corner of Michigan Ave & Hamilton in downtown Ypsilanti. Read about the Market in our 2008 Season Report. Find out more about becoming a vendor, and fill out an application today! Vendor orientation is coming up-- April 14!
Would you like to get more involved in making our fourth season a success? Contact sarah@growinghope.net about joining our Community Advisory Board! The CAB will be meeting on April 16-- drop a line and we'll tell you more!
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Volunteer Mechanic Needed!
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Are you handy with vehicles? Growing Hope needs someone to take a look at the beater truck we use for Farmers' Market, compost hauling, and more. We'll pay for any parts, and would like someone to at least do a diagnosis of the most important things to fix this spring. Can you look under the hood for us? Let us know at info@growinghope.net. Thanks!
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| Growing Hope's Greenhouse is Alive! |
The water is flowing and the vegetables and herbs are growing. Last fall Growing Hope and friends planted the passive solar greenhouse (ie. A greenhouse heated only by the sun) with greens, including kale and spinach among others. In the past few weeks the sun has risen in the sky and the greens have really been growing. We've recorded temperatures up to 100 degrees F! Dan installed vents on the end walls to help cool things down. Keep an eye out at Beezy's for Growing Hope home grown spinach and other goodness. For more updates about the hoophouse, check out the Growing Hope Center blog! |
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Can You Support Us This Spring?
Donate to Growing Hope Online
or Join our Facebook cause!
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 Join the Growing Hope cause on Facebook, where you can see event updates and invite your friends to join!
If you support our work and want it to continue, please consider make an online donation through our website! Keep an eye out for our Spring Catalogue, available on April 1st, and support us by ordering seedlings, raised beds, container gardens and more! |
Washtenaw County Food Security Study
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| Our friends over at Food Gatherers just released an amazing Washtenaw County Food Security Report and Food Security Plan. There's powerful data about the trends in food access, and creative ideas to help reverse the challenges-- including encouraging people to grow their own! We highly encourage you to head to Food Gatherers website to read more! Keep an eye out in our next e-blast for more information about our new Faith in Food initiative with Food Gatherers and Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice-- we'll be working this season with faith communities to plant donation gardens. |
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