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The Big Garden on TV...this week!
|  The Big Garden will be featured in an upcoming episode of the Nebraska public television show, the Backyard Farmer. Airing  continuously since 1953, the Backyard Farmer show consists of a panel of experts affiliated with the University of Nebraska at Lincoln's Extension Office. The show also features interviews and stories of interest to gardeners.
Filmed at the garden started at Grace United Methodist Church in Omaha, the Big Garden segment features interviews with Nathan Morgan, Executive Director of United Methodist Ministries, Miriam Peralta Gandarilla, pastor of Grace UMC, and Matt Freeman, Director of the Big Garden. It will air this Thursday, July 18th, at 7 PM on NET-1/NET-HD. All are encouraged to tune in!
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New Leadership at the Big Garden
|  Matt Freeman, former Big Garden staff person, has been appointed as director of the Big Garden. Freeman joined the full-time staff of United Methodist Ministries in the spring of 2013. An Omaha native, Freeman previously worked as a Big Garden summer intern in 2010, and as a part-time employee from 2012-2013. Freeman received his B.S. degree in Political Science/Pre-Law. He has a passion for social justice and the environment. Outside of work, his interests include playing with his dogs, coaching wrestling, cooking, and playing drums. Freeman takes over for Nathan Morgan, who assumed the role of Executive Director following the Rev. Stephanie Ahlschwede. For more information about the Executive Director transition, go to http://www.bigmuddyumc.org/news/141-new-executive-director-hired-at-united-methodist-ministries. You can reach Matt at mfreeman@bigmuddyumc.org.
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Community Garden Update
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We went from a really wet start to summer that often delayed tilling and planting, and now we're on to a pretty hot and relatively dry portion of the summer, which  presents us with a challenge, but one that can be met with lots of watering! One highlight of this summer is that the gardeners at Clair Memorial United Methodist Church in Omaha replaced all of their garden beds, and they have each one filled and beautifully maintained. Many groups and individuals have worked to improve this particular garden including church members, seniors with the community cente
 | | Gardeners at the Intercultural Senior Center in Omaha. |
r, youth in the church's summer leadership program, and Boy Scouts. Fruit trees which were planted on the site a few years back are now well-established and starting to put out more fruit. In addition to the improvements at Clair UMC, we replaced the beds at Christ Child North in Omaha last summer and have begun programming with seniors there once a week this season.
We've also grown our relationship with the La Fern Williams YMCA in South Omaha by expanding the garden there, and will likely began programming at the end of this year, with the goal of expanding it next summer.
In our next issue, we will feature our rural and small-town gardens, as well as those outside of Nebraska.
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Our experience with groups volunteering in the garden has been outstanding this summer. One example of this is a group currently volunteering with us through the  Outward Bound Omaha Youth Leadership program. This group received food security training beforehand, so Matt and Nathan have been able to get into depth with them on a number of the larger issues surrounding food security. While working with the Big
 | | Youth mission team from St. Paul UMC in Cedar Rapids, IA worked in the garden at the Blue Flamingo. |
Garden, this group also participated in neighborhood walking tours which have led to some great conversations. Church members at the Big Garden in Springfield treated the group to apotluck dinner, which was enjoyed by all. The group will also travel to Auburn, where they will see what the Big Garden is doing there to improve food security. While there, they will also be treated to another church dinner, which they are looking forward to. |
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Keep in touch with the Big Garden
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On the web: www.gardenbig.org
E-mail: mfreeman@bigmuddyumc.org
Like us on Facebook at The Big Garden.
2665 Farnam St. Suite 102
Omaha, NE 68131
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The Big Garden, and Blue Flamingo.
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