Since Becky Weidhaas started working with TGP as our Volunteer Coordinator, she has been nothing but blessings, hard work, smiles, and kick-butt volunteer coordination!  And for her efforts, she received a Certificate of Recognition last month from United Way!

Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for her, she will be leaving Fort Collins this August, to move on to great endeavors at Washington University in St Louis for a Master of Social Work. As this is the #1 MSW Program in the US, this is quite an accomplishment; so although she will be sorely missed, we are nothing but proud of her and wish her all the best!

What we will both miss and remember her most for is her awesome job on creating and managing our weekly volunteer newsletter, titled "Dig This", in which she manages to colorfully and accurately highlight the week's events for all to come and enjoy. Before she joined us, we were somewhat flailing around in our attempts to capture the attention and ongoing interest of the community...but with our knock-out newsletter, we now regularly have people enthusiastically showing up at our gardens, checking out our website more often, and just in general becoming more interested in TGP.

So Congratulations for all your dedication and hard work Becky!!!

We are proud to announce that Chad has been recognized by the United Way of Larimer County for his tireless work and enthusiasm for The Growing Project!  He was featured in The Coloradoan, where they wrote:

"Chad Shavor has the ability to get folks excited about getting their hands dirty, working away under a hot sun and then giving away the fruits of their labor. Shavor serves as co-director of The Growing Project, a Fort Collins based nonprofit run entirely by volunteers that uses community gardening to grow and donate food to those in need. Since its inception three years ago, Shavor has transformed The Growing Project from a flickering idea into a thriving community effort. He also founded the Urban Foods Outreach program and supports local youths at residential treatment facilities by providing therapy through gardening."

Congrats Chad, and thanks for all your hard work and dedication!

Click here to see article.

When The Growing Project (TGP) was asked by Global Natural Health Alliance (GNHA) to collaborate on a garden build at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, a team of our leaders promptly headed up to the reservation this past weekend for a 4 day jaunt into the land of the Lakota tribe.  The experience will be remembered and treasured, and hopefully repeated in the seasons to come!


Upon arriving on the reservation, the first item of business was to check out the locations of the garden plots. At first glance, we were disappointed and very concerned to see that the soil appeared to be infertile ashy silt and that it would be impossible to grow anything. So we scoped the land for signs of vegetation and life…and soon, we thankfully encountered alfalfa, bind weed, blades of grass, and acres upon acres of fertile soil! There was now enthusiasm in the group for the growing and digging in the days ahead, and the design, construction and layout needs began to take shape.

Once we arrived at camp to unload gear and get our tents in place, our hopes and concerns for the soil quickly shifted; every few minutes, the stormy clouds and gusts of wind began to show signs of just how much weather could halt the garden plans altogether. Just as our camps were set up, and talk of the next day’s plans were underway, we found ourselves hunkered down in the private home of our host for several hours to stay warm and dry. Thunderstorms continued to drive in heavy wind and rain. It rained the entire night and by the early morning, the thick mud brought several delays in obtaining materials and other needs for the gardens. These delays had several of us worried. Would we get the garden built? What, in the given amount of short time, could we possibly manage to build? Would this garden even actually happen?  It was frustrating for the volunteers and leaders on both sides, and certainly more questions arose as the planning and designs began.  What was certain, we would do whatever we could to begin, rain or not…we were going to begin.

The weather was windy, rainy, and at times downright unbearable; especially to work in. A little sunshine would seep through, a break in the rain would allow small advances the whole day, and little by little the materials were obtained. Finally, 24 hours into our adventure, we were given the opportunity to begin!  Soon, each rake, shovel, and pitchfork did their part to lay out the beginnings of the Jail House garden.  As the moisture from the night storm made its way deeper into the newly tilled soil, it began to show its life through gifts of huge earth worms and tiny little toads. After all the concerns, all the what if’s; this fertile wet soil was clearly showing signs that this all will work! As the drip tape was measured and laid, and the final pieces of the irrigation line were being dealt with, the seeds and plants, and a few trees were planted in the ground.  By sunset, the chatter among the volunteers, and later the jail mates, went from, “Wow, look how much we’ve gotten done” to “Wow, look at how much we could do further!”

We left South Dakota knowing that although this little 'big garden took more effort than we had anticipated, it also gave us all a reflective view of what exactly it takes to live on a reservation. As we drove home, I thought a lot about the evening we were invited to a “night fire dance” at one of the local elder’s homes for a meal and to celebrate in community. We watched as members of the younger Lakota tribe were called by name to participate in a “celebration of service.”  These young men and women were celebrated in a drum song, as they danced around 3 large fires. The elders in the audience looked at each of the young members as the future of the tribe and celebrated them in their honor, honesty, integrity, and for their community work.  After the dance, each member was asked by the drum leader to go out into the audience and “shake everyone’s hand”. One by one, each of the young members reached out their hands, looked you in the eye and shook your hand. What a proud moment that we were able to share in, and what a turning point in all of our hard work and dedication for the garden we were asked to help build. After such a poignant and enriching evening, we returned to the garden the next day with a new lens of tradition and community through which to look.

When the rain was heavy, and gardening was delayed, we ventured out into the reservation community. We visited the Wounded Knee memorial, a burial site that housed many of the tribe’s greats who were killed in battle, and read about their bravery as we visited the Wounded Knee museum. The museum honored and remembered their tribal leader’s service through pictures, quotes, and paintings on the wall. We were able to take in a different view of the Lakota as a tribe with so much to look forward to… and upon reflection; we were brought here to help in the healing of all of the pain from the past. For us, this was no longer just a garden at a jail site, but a way for us to take part in a collaborative tribe garden for the youth and generations of community leaders who will turn it into a way of giving back, like so many of the Lakota elders before them.
 
I had gone up there originally thinking that I was the one who had so much to give, to teach, and to contribute; but in the end I was the one who had received.  Through so many examples I witnessed during my short stay, I saw how much they had to teach, and I to learn, about what really makes community. 

We feel truly blessed to have been asked to participate, and very honored to be part of this story.

CSU Earth Hour with TGP and The Girl Scouts!
By: Katie Garcia, age 12

My brother, Alex, and I have been volunteering for TGP for 3 summers’ now, and we have learned so much! It is fun getting to play in the dirt and build what once was just a green grass into a beautiful garden! As a young volunteer, watching everyone in The Growing Project lead, has made me proud to help out! But so far my favorite event has been The Girl Scouts of Colorado Earth Hour event. Even though my brother wasn’t there, he wishes he was! Not kidding!

The Earth Hour event for the Girl Scouts was hosted by Colorado State University. There were various community helpers there as well to help raise awareness for the environment! I went to view all of the different displays and project tables. I witnessed, listened and participated alongside my peers.  CSU's event was enormous, for the girl scouts and their families! They were able to come and learn more about how to help the environment, the way TGP does.  Our table was hunger for change plate decorating. We asked the girls and their families to come share their “wishes for the environment”, by pledging to make a difference, and share their “Hunger”. Many of the girls said things like, “I am hungry for waffles”, or “I am hungry for hot dogs”. These tiny authors were too young to understand what we were really asking. Some made me laugh, and lots made me REALLY laugh. As the older girls came to the table, their answer's and imaginations were more able to grasp the question, wishes for things like, ”I am hungry for environmental awareness”, or “I am hungry for peace”.

If you asked me, 3 summer’s ago what I, or my brother were “hungry” for, we’d not only have answered in line with our favorite food or beverage, like the young author's did, but would have asked for a new game or trip somewhere. But, today, because of The Growing Project, I now attend events and volunteer in the gardens knowing that my "hunger' has grown and changed. We’ve grown more environmentally aware, but my brother and I have proven to ourselves that we care by doing. Doing by growing food and doing by giving to the community and to people who need healthy food and who really are changed by it. Everyday, what we can do with TGP is prove that at small ages, over time, with effort, we too can make changes in hunger, and that makes a difference!

It was fun and I am excited to share what I have learned with kids younger than me whenever I can! Also, when asked if I would write this blog, I thought I would write about the difference TGP makes every time I participate, but by the time I got to it, I realized, EVERYONE already knows that! What you don’t know, is my story and what makes me proud! More importantly, that I am 12 (almost 13 in June) and am more hungry than ever to keep making a change!

I can’t wait until this summer when schools out and I can begin volunteering again! My brother, Alex, though not here to write this, says the same! We’re so happy to learn, and change the world!

Katie Garcia, a guest blogger, TGP  volunteer, age 12.

;)->-<……. ~ KTJ

_The Growing Project kicks off our 4th year in style as we welcome back old volunteers, greet our new ones...and introduce our newly elected board members!

Last Wednesday, January 25th, marked The Growing Project’s 2nd annual Volunteer Appreciation Party! Hosted by our good friends at Odell Brewery!

Volunteers spent the evening enjoying food, drinks and live music! The night also hosted a silent auction with proceeds benefiting our Giving Gardens of 2012.

This year, we teamed up with ‘Hunger free Colorado’ and asked our guests: What are you hungry for? This campaign allowed everyone to take part in the “hungry for change” campaign, and gave each participator a chance to write their request on their hunger for change plate.  Hunger for change is Colorado’s leading anti-hunger organization leveraging the power of collaboration, system change, policy change and social change to end hunger in Colorado. You can, yourself get in on the action by signing your virtual plate here.  Thank you to Ron James photography who captured  photos of the plate dreams in action, as well as the bright smiling faces of the 2012 leadership and BOD team!

Thank You! to our all of our sponsors and donors who made this event possible:
Odell Brewery, Pickle Barrel, Fort Collins Food Co-op, Balanced Healing Yoga, Rocky Mountain Home Collection, The Bean Cycle, Brave New Wheel, Wisdom Ways Acupuncture, Sarah DeNardo, Core Power Yoga, Heller Work, Fort Collins Nursery, Green Buffalo Foods, Erin Edwards, Telle May Pettinger, Small Farm, the Cowboys Dead band,  Amber Spenser Photography, local artist Gail Kenney, Ace Coatings, Achiving Health, Your Daily Fiber, Jerry’s Artarama, Mad Greens, Noodles & Company, Canino’s Restaurant, Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, Ingredient, Salon Nani, Curiosities, Nature’s Own, Inspector Magic, The Cupboard, Greenredfield Media, Jax Restaurant, Kelsi Nagy with Slow Foods, and the FoCo Press. 

Our event wouldn’t have been successful without your support!

The giving, growing and sharing season of 2012 has started, and we here at The Growing Project, couldn’t be successful in the continuance of change if it weren’t for the great community builders we are so lucky to have as friends!

Thank you to everyone who has helped us along the way!