Winter 1999 Newsletter

Contact Us!
Staff: Ramona Clark, Executive Director
Christine Nock, ¡Cultiva! Co-Director
Matthew Gelder, ¡Cultiva! Co-Director
3198 North Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304
303-413-7248 (phone) 303-413-7201 (fax)
e-mail: info@growinggardens.org


Youth Program Completes a Successful First Season

¡Cultiva! is a new youth program offered this year to 12 disadvantaged youth in the Boulder community. The youth learned to manage a 2-acre organic garden. They sold their produce at the Farmer's market. While generating over $5,000 for the program, they learned valuable business and interpersonal skills. The youth also donated produce to the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless and Community Food Share. They planned and implemented community service projects; preparing a meal at the homeless shelter, cleaning up graffitti, and painting and picking up trash at the San Juan del Centro neighborhood. Cultiva! will continue next summer with 20 new youth and four returning youth leaders!
¡Cultiva! youth participants at the Boulder Farmer's Market!

"It made me feel good inside to do something nice for someone who needed it." --14 year old ¡Cultiva! participant.


Irrigation System Completed!!

A new irrigation system for the community gardens was built in October. We want to thank the City for putting in the system so fast, and thank the gardeners for being so patient and understanding about the heavy machinery that damaged a few garden plots. We now have an easy-to-repair system that doesn't intersect the garden plots! This system will allow us to extend our growing season. It is easier to drain and has more frost protection. Congratulations to all the gardeners who volunteered for our fundraisers this year, and to the gardeners who donated cash in October to purchase the materials. We did it!


E-mail us to be added to our current list.


A Children's Peace Garden is coming in the summer of 2000. We will be offering a 3 week curriculum to children from 5 to 10 years old. The children will learn about gardening while also playing games to teach peace-making skills. A garden is a wonderful place to learn about interconnectedness, diversity, and respect! It is also an exciting opportunity for children to learn to grow their own food and flowers!

A new educational series will be offered next summer, as well. Classes ranging from water gardens to seedling propagation will be offered. There will be more information at spring orientation.


Exciting Plans for Next Year!

We need your help!
If you would like to help us blossom, here is how you can help!
1. Get involved as a volunteer. There are many fun and interesting projects to help with. You will meet great people, and help to make your community a better place for people to live.
2. Support us through the internet! Go to kickstart.com and select ¡Cultiva! as a project to support JUST by using kickstart to do what you already do on the internet. E-mail us for more info.
3. Make a charitable contribution. We are a non-profit organization working hard to support the programs we offer. A little help goes a LONG way. Mail a tax-deductible contribution to us or become an ongoing supporter!
4. Purchase your produce at our Farmer's Market stand. Many of you saw us this summer We will be back next spring! All sales support ¡Cultiva!
5. Get a garden plot and join your community in making gardening a part of your life!


Get Involved with Your Community!


Thank You To All of Our Supporters!

Anschutz Family Foundation
As You Wish Pottery
Berger Foundation
Boulder County Farmer's Market
Boulder Fruit Express
Boulder Mountain Parks
City of Boulder
Clay Lite, Inc.
Colorado Garden Show
Denver Urban Resources Partnership
Ann Dixon
Mr. & Mrs. Gelder
Patty & Wayne Greenburg
Greenlee Family Foundation
Jim Guggenhime
Kenneth Kendal King Foundation
Lake Valley Seeds
Debra Lane
Long's Iris Gardens
McKenzie Farms
Carl McMakin
William and Dawne Nock
Real Live Foods
Richard Sandborn
Sonia & Robert Rossney
Sturtz and Copeland
Tangled Root Nursery
Treehouse Nursery
University of Colorado
Thank You Volunteers!


Shade Arbor

We are converting a community garden plot into a gathering place for gardeners and anyone who would like to wander in the gardens. There will be shade trellises and hopefully a water fountain to cool your fevered brow after a good garden workout. Come relax with friends and family and enjoy the beautiful setting. If you can volunteer to help us design this space, call or e-mail us!


Demonstration Walkway

Marie Zanowick has written a grant for a demonstration walkway. It will be made with recycled materials and provide information about how to obtain recycled materials and how you can use them. We plan to build shade trellises along the walking path with educational signs. There will also be demonstration compost bins that the gardeners can use. Call to volunteer with this project!


For Community Gardeners

Most of you have done a great cleanup job . Please clean off all plant materials that are not perennial. This year please don't leave plastic bags on your plots. They look bad in the winter and blow away in a good wind. Dig in your leaf material rather than storing it. THANK YOU!


Support Growing Gardens!

Yes! I would like to help support Growing Gardens! Enclosed is my Tax-deductible donation of:
$25 $50 $100 $250
Other amount $____________
(Make checks payable to Growing Gardens and send to Growing Gardens at 3198 North Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304)
Please apply my donation to:
¡Cultiva! Youth Programs ___
Community Gardens ___