When one gets out and about in the Garland downtown square, there is no end to the amount of connections and magic that can happen. Yesterday, at the Mosaic Festival, was no exception. Just take a look at the connections I made.
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JAM THE GYM AND HEALTH FAIR - Lister Elementary School - 3131 Mars - Garland, Texas Thursday November 6 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM
First of all, I met Nurse Beverly Wardwell who invited Loving Garland Green to have a table at an event this Thursday at Lister Elementary School's Jam the Gym the Gym and Health Fair event. We are thrilled at the opportunity to tell parents and childen about the value and fun of growing at least some of the food we eat. We won't be selling anything, but we will be giving away a few things such as information sheets on gardening as well as seed packets put together from produce from members of Loving Garland Green. This event is an opportunity for folks to tell others about the things they do and the products they sell to keep us healthy. This is not an opportunity to sell items, but rather an opportunity to educate. I don't know regarding the space available left, but if you are interested, contact Nurse Beverly and make a connection yourself: School Phone: 972.675.3030 ext. 45004
But I won't let the connections for this event end here. I plan to contact my friends at Bud and Blossom Garden Club, the Heritage Herb Club and the Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club to see if they would like to furnish literature too for this worthy event.
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Nancy Ghirla, Editor of THE MESSENGER - Furthering Nancy's vision of a Garland Neighborhood Garden across from Roach Feed and Seed right in downtown Garland.
I met Nancy--at last! Delores Elder Jones, a mutual friend connected me up with Nancy last spring and I wrote an article for THE MESSENGER about Loving Garland Green. However, until yesterday I had not met Nancy in person. What a treat! In chatting with Nancy I learned that she has the idea that a vacant lot across the street from Roach Feed and Seed would be a great place for a Garland Neighborhood Garden. I agree. I'm hoping this project can be added to Loving Garland Green's Program "Another Neighborhood Garden." In addition to stewarding the Garland Community Garden at 4022 Naaman School Road, Loving Garland Green also has two other programs designed to encourage the growth of gardens in our community: Another Urban Garden and Another Neighborhood Garden. Another Urban Garden is designed for individual Garland residents whereby members assist individual residents in planting gardens at their home. Another Neighborhood Garden is designed to create community gardens at the neighborhood level. For these gardens we begin with securing permission to use city-owned property for a garden. Then we get the word out to interested residents living within a 1.5 mile radius of the location. We believe the closer one lives to a community garden, the more likely they are to participate in its upkeep. I will be talking with Mayor Doug and Felisa Conner from our Neighborhood Vitality group about this project soon. A lot of folks may not know this, but if you get organized at a neighborhood level for projects, there is money available for your projects.
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Ken Risser from Keep Garland Beautiful stopped by to chat about their rain barrel program
If you went to the Garland healthy living expo back in September, you may remember Keep Garland Beautiful’s display of rain barrels. They are absolutely lovely. These rain barrels are fashioned from recycled pickle barrels. Ken and I chatted about a possible partnership whereby we would sell these barrels bearing the Loving Garland Green logo. I’m hoping that next year we can partner with Keep Garland Beautiful on a grant whereby we would be able to furnish rain barrels to our citizens free. In addition, I would like to have the rain barrels involved as part of a rainwater harvesting project that Loving Garland Green currently has under consideration with the Garland Parks and Recreation Department.
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Additional Random and Fruitful Connections
I made many more informative and feel-good connections at this great community event: I collected a hug from BJ Williams, council member for District 4. Billy, like all our City Council members, supports the Garland Community Garden. He told me that not only has he been down to the garden several times, he has planted veggies down there. Anita Goebel, Council member for District 2 here in Garland, stopped me for a hug. Anita mentioned that she sees me often working in the Garland Community Garden as she drives by. Council woman Goebel is very supportive of urban agricultural events in our city. She is among those who worked hard to see the establishment of the Garland Marketplace. And that reminds me: Kirk Lovett, President of Eventive Marketing, the organization who hosts the Garland Marketplace showed up to support the event. Next week Kirk will be hosting the Garland Mistletoe Festival. A certain amount of the proceeds from his events go to our local charities. Councilman Scott LeMay was there with a happy smile as usual. I'm sure that all the council members who could made the event. Of course, it goes without saying that our mayor was there.
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PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
Carol Garrison, Loving Garland Green Vice President
Margie Rodgers, Loving Garland Green Board member and Carol Garrison arrange yard art plate flowers created by Margie for the sale. Note: Life is filled with second chances. We will be at the Mistletoe Festival on the Garland downtown square on Saturday November 8. This art will be for sale then too!
Winner of our wreath raffle. Loving Garland Green member, Jean Shortsleeve, created this beautiful Thanksgiving wreath (Value approximately $50.00) that was raffled off at the Mosaic Festival. Tickets were sold at $2 each. We plan to raffle off a large Christmas wreath at the Mistletoe Festival this coming Saturday as well. Hope you can make it.