The Urban Fresh Gardens Newsletter - August 2023 - Issue 1

August 2023 - Issue 1

The Greenhouse

Thanks to funding from the US Department of Agriculture, we’re erecting a greenhouse (the size of a small house ) on Hill Street. Once installed, the space will help extend our growing season and increase crop yield. It will also house plants and flowers for sale to support our programs. Kudos to the BIPOC farmers and students in the Learn to Earn program who’ve been helping Greg, our president, with installation.

The Treasurer

At our last board meeting, we welcomed Simone Preston to the Urban Fresh Gardens (UFG) Board as our new treasurer. She has a background in banking, budgets, and procurement. Simone’s already off to a great start. We asked her a few get-to-know-you questions. Please see her responses below.

Q and A with Simone

UFG: What’s your earliest gardening memory?

Simone: My earliest gardening memory is helping my mom to sow carrot seeds. I think I was about five years old and was curious to learn how such a tiny seed could produce such a large product. Looking at the surface-level growth of each seed, one can never truly tell the size of the carrot buried beneath.

UFG: What’s one fact about you that someone won’t see on your resume?

Simone: I strongly dislike coffee.

UFG: UFG: How did you hear about UFG and why did you decide to join the board?

Simone: My son needed volunteer hours for school. He always had a passion for growing different types of plants. So using the Charity Navigator website, I found UFG as a legitimate and credible organization that aligned with my interests. The sign-up process was seamless. As he began his volunteering journey, I saw a light radiating from him as he talked about what was happening in the garden and its bike repair program. His passion influenced my decision to join the organization to help streamline operations, ensuring the mission stays true and the organization continues to grow and have an impact on young people being served, as it did for my son.

UFG: Where would you like to see the organization in the next 3 years?

Simone: In the next three years, I’d like to see the organization expand its outreach program to provide more hands-on experience to participants. This would require enlisting support from local professionals in the science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) sectors. It’s amazing the impact STEAM has in garden operation! It carries over into our Bike Program too. Ultimately, I would like to see our program participants mentored by these subject matter experts, which would allow the kids to get a better understanding of the world around them. The development of a financial literacy program and interactive community events would be great too.

UFG: How will you be part of that vision?

Simone: As treasurer, my primary responsibility is ensuring our programs are properly funded and allocations happen as prescribed by each donor. Outside of that, I’ll be hands-on in whatever capacity is needed, be it hauling mulch in the garden, building garden beds, developing classroom lessons, or setting the table at a community event.

English Classes

One of the barriers preventing any immigrant from successfully integrating into his/her new environment is an inability to speak the language of the host country. Urban Fresh is offering English classes at 77 Hill Street on Thursdays. Greg set up our first outdoor classroom, building a giant dry-erase board and benches. We were scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. for the first class on July 27th but down came the evening rain around 6:30. Fifteen minutes later, we canceled. Then, around 6:57, as if the Lord was saying, “I was just testing you”, the showers stopped. The plan is to meet every Thursday until September 7th. Could you please share the flyers below with someone you know? Tell them to sign up here: http://urbanfreshgardens.com/event/learn-english/

Houdini and Rebecca, our New Employees - Sort of

We brought on two new employees at the UFG farm - sort of. Meet Houdini and Rebecca. Their job is to hop around, look cute, and wait to be fed. The Learn to Earn participants and Greg have been building their new crib - we mean hutch -but they haven’t lifted a toenail to help. Houdini and Rebecca should be settled into their new space by the time leaves start changing color.

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To donate to UFG https://urbanfreshgardens.com/donate/

The Greenhouse, a new Treasurer, New Employees, and ESL classes, O my!.