From Our Friends at Grow Pittsburgh

FRESH NEWS  

In this issue:  Growers’ Spotlight: Nichelle and Krystal Smith Community Garden Sustainability Fund applications open We’re hiring!  Join us at the Garden Get Down on 9/28 Garden tool beer series: Stirrup Hoe Volunteer at Braddock Farms this weekend Partner profile Upcoming events Regional news and events    

Grower’s Spotlight: Nichelle & Krystal Smith

 

This Grower’s Spotlight packs a double punch with a spotlight on a mother-daughter duo Krystal and Nichelle Smith, who are lifetime residents of the Pittsburgh region. They currently reside in the Hill District and are active growers and members at the MLK Community Garden. Since their neighborhood is classified as a food apartheid area, folks have unreliable access to fresh produce, and that’s why being able to grow fresh food at the Community Garden becomes critical to good health.

Krystal and Nichelle share how they got started with gardening, their favorite things to grow, challenges as the Community Garden is undergoing changes. Read on! Grow Pittsburgh: Which of Grow Pittsburgh’s values resonates with you the most?

Krystal:  Resourcefulness. Claire [Matway, Community Garden Project Manager at Grow Pittsburgh] is always willing to help and give you the knowledge and she does it freely. It’s good to have her as a resource.  Nichelle: Food Sovereignty. Supporting people’s rights to access food is critical since we live in a food desert or a food apartheid area and we have no grocery stores in this area. With climate change being an issue, it’s better to have food closer to you to reduce emissions.   Read the Full Growers’ Spotlight    


Mini-grants Available to Improve Your Community Garden
 


With help from the Sustainability Fund, the Gardening Team at  Braddock Youth Project built new compost bins this summer.    Apply to the Community Garden Sustainability Fund for materials like compost, fencing, tools, or other garden supplies and infrastructure. The CGSF is a project of Grow Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, sponsored in part by Allegheny County Economic Development, that exists to provide material and technical assistance to existing community food gardens in Allegheny County. These include gardens managed by schools, community organizations, shelters, religious institutions, and individuals. The Sustainability Fund supports projects that will improve or enhance gardens so that they may have a long-lasting positive impact as part of their communities. The program has been active since 2013, having supported 125+ community gardens with over $175,000 of materials.     Important information: Due to reduced staffing and less funding available this round, we will be prioritizing: Applications that are clear and specific (include measurements, amounts, and links to specific items)  Projects that require minimal staff time to implement. If you wish to apply for a larger, more complicated project requiring consultation or our staff time to install, we recommend you apply next round starting March 1, 2023. Applications for this round are due by September 1, 2022.   Apply for the Fund today  


Want to Be Our Next Communications Coordinator?
   

Does managing Grow Pittsburgh’s social media, website, this newsletter, and all things marketing and communications sound exciting? If this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, apply for the Communications Coordinator opening on our team. We are looking for a highly organized self-starter who is passionate about food and social justice. This position requires strong interpersonal and writing skills, the ability to thrive both independently and in collaboration, success with prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines, and good judgment.   Learn More and Apply  


Earlybird Ticket Deal Ends Aug 21
 


Join us on September 28 from 6 – 9 pm at Sherwood Event Center    Join us on September 28 for Grow Pittsburgh’s annual event. Enjoy tastes of the harvest from 9 Cafe, Veggies N’at, and Secretos, treats from Confections by Casey Renee, craft beers and soft drinks from East End Brewing Co, music by DJ Mary Mack, a mini seed share, and other activities as we celebrate the many positive impacts of gardening and urban agriculture

Tickets are sliding scale and all proceeds directly benefit Grow Pittsburgh’s work to help people of all ages learn how to grow food and enjoy the many benefits that gardens bring to our neighborhoods.

Buy your tickets by August 21, 11:59 pm to be automatically entered to win some great Grow Pittsburgh swag!   Get Your Tickets Today!    

Drink Local Beer and Support Grow Pittsburgh  
 
Through our partnership with Dancing Gnome Brewery and Camp Copeland Studio we bring you this month’s Garden Tool beer, Stirrup Hoe. This 6.2% hazy IPA was brewed with a German base malt to showcase the effect that the grain has on flavor and mouthfeel. It’s well hopped with Strata, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Centennial for waves of citrus cascading across your palate.

Head to our blog to learn about the beer and read up on how a Stirrup Hoe can help with your gardening projects.    Learn How to Use a Stirrup Hoe in Your Garden


Volunteer day at Braddock Farms
 
 

Join us on August 20 from 9:30 am – 11:30 am for a monthly volunteer day on Braddock Farms. If you’ve always wanted to stop by to check out the farm or wanted to get a taste of farming on a 1-acre farm then this is the perfect chance for you. Additional volunteering dates: September 17 and October 15. Register to volunteer    


Partner Profile: Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse  
The Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse is a non-profit whose mission is to inspire creativity, conservation, and community engagement through reuse. They operate a non-traditional art supply shop located at the intersection of Wilkinsburg, Homewood, and Point Breeze, where people can donate and purchase used art and craft supplies. They also facilitate hands-on creative programming that educates the public about the benefits of reuse for the environment, community, and self. They see reuse as a vehicle for boosting self-confidence, learning new skills, and creating opportunity for all. You can learn more about what they do on their website.

Creative Reuse and Grow Pittsburgh have partnered to bring the community creative garden-themed kits. Check out these super cool plant marker and garden journal kits in the Creative Reuse online store!  

   

Head to the full event calendar on our website  


Volunteer Day at Braddock Farms
August 20 | 9:30 am – 11:30 am | Braddock Farms 


Community volunteer day as part of the Grow Pittsburgh’s Monthly Volunteer Project (MVP). The volunteer day will involve farm work, tour, and a chance to shop at the Braddock farmstand. REGISTER

 

Garden Get Down 
September 28 | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Sherwood Event Center 

Join us for Grow Pittsburgh’s annual fundraising event. This year we reflect upon and celebrate the many ways that growing and sharing fresh local food are helping our community rise from the challenges of the past couple years. REGISTER  



Braddock Farms Fall Festival
October 8 | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm | Braddock Farm

Braddock Farms will celebrate fifteen years of providing fresh food and organic local produce to the surrounding neighborhoods in Braddock. Amongst the many activities, join us to participate in the Monster Vegetable and the Fall Dessert Contests.
REGISTER    

Regional News and Events  

Jobs

Student Conservation Associate is hiring for the Fall season. To apply:email Joanna Lemmon, jlemmon@thesca.org, with your resume and cover letter. Apply by ASAP since positions are filled on a rolling basis. 

Project Coordinator: Resident and Volunteer Resources at Grounded seeking a Project Coordinator to support communication, tracking, and coordination activities related to our grassroots land stewardship programs and resident resources.

Strategies Development & Communications ManagerGrounded Strategies is seeking a Development & Communications Manager who can lead effective communication of Grounded’s mission and vision to the public, funders, and supporters.

Communications Coordinator: Grow Pittsburgh is hiring a Communications Coordinator to create and deliver marketing and communications across all departments for Grow Pittsburgh.

News

A Wilkinsburg group is starting a land bank, hoping for better results than Pittsburgh. Read more

Inflation is pushing the cost of food to record highs. Could urban agriculture help? Read more

Opportunities

Consider signing on to support the creation of a Food Justice Fund for the City of Pittsburgh. Sign on here.

Tree Tenders Course with Tree Pittsburgh – Saturday, September 10 at 9:00 a.m. Want to get involved with the trees in your neighborhood or community? Become a Tree Tender! Tree Tenders all about trees and how to become an advocate for them in your neighborhood. Learn more and register at this link.

The PA Department of Ag’s Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program is open for 2022. The Urban Agriculture Infrastructure Grant Program (UAI) provides funding in the form of a reimbursement grant to eligible applicants seeking to improve urban agriculture infrastructure in Pennsylvania. The submission cycle is from July 30 – September 27.  Help Grow & Share More Fresh Food  

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