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Grow Food Grow Hope

July 2012 Newsletter

IN THIS SPECIAL VICTORY GARDEN ISSUE...

2 LILY SALE BENEFITS GFGH 3 GOBA RIDES INTO WILMINGTON

GFGH HOSTS SUMMER DAY CAMP

5 COMBAT THOSE GARDEN PESTS! 6 RECIPE OF THE MONTH

JULY HARVEST CALENDAR

4 GARDENER SPOTLIGHT

LILY SALE BENEFITS GROW FOOD GROW HOPE

On June 23 and 24, Mary Ellen Krisher hosted an Open Garden & Day-Lily Sale at her Clarksville home to benefit the Fred Krisher Endowment Fund for Grow Food, Grow Hope. Hundreds of Day-Lilies, comprising over 70 different varieties were sold during the two-day sale while Mary Ellen entertained guests with refreshments and tours through her gardens. In total, more than $3,000 were raised to benefit the memorial fund contributing to GFGHs goal of raising $10,000 for the endowment by the end of the summer.

Fred and I enjoyed working in the garden together, Mary Ellen said.
I think that Fred's enjoyment from gardening came from the summers he spent as a child at his grandparents farm where he helped them in their garden His favorite plants were hostas and day lilies. I liked planting perennial flowers in color coordinating groups to make pretty pictures. Fred Krisher was a beloved member of the Wilmington College family, a Master Gardener, and a friend to Grow Food, Grow Hope. When he passed away earlier this year, his loss was felt by the entire community. In the spring, an endowment fund was established by Wilmington College in Freds name, to benefit Grow Food, Grow Hope to ensures that our community gardens, educational initiatives, workshops, and community outreach programs continue into the future. Fred was a member of the Cincinnati Day-Lily & Hosta Society and a passionate gardener. As a mentor at the Friends of Hope Community Garden, he shared those passions with others by helping families learn about planting, cultivating, and harvesting a small plot vegetable garden, as well as the importance of fresh, nutritious foods in a healthy diet. For information about how you can continue to contribute to the fund, contact GFGH Project Manager Meghan Otto, 937-382-661 ext. 321, or email GFGH at growfoodgrowhope@wilmington.edu.

UPDATES GFGH HOSTS SUMMER DAY CAMP

By Rachel Beck , Summer Associate
During the summer, parents can struggle to find new and interesting ways to keep their kids active and to get them out of the house. All too often parents are priced out of expensive summer camps and affordable options are hard to find. Luckily, Grow Food, Grow Hope hosts two, completely free day-camps each summer. Recently, we wrapped up the first of these two camps, Seed, Seed Sprout. The camp was for 5-8 year olds and focused on science education through experience in the garden. Every day, campers would arrive in the morning and be separated into four groups (Crazy Carrots, Radical Radishes, Terrific Turnips or Super Squash). They would then go through 30minute rotating stations designed to be education and fun and to teach the kids about nutrition, crafts, gardening and outdoor recreation. Each day, campers learned something new about plants, healthy snacks, and how to recycle creative ideas through interactive activities. The kids always went home exhausted but happy from a day full of fun and learning. Between July 24-25th, GFGH will host Junior Master Gardener Camp for children ages 9-12. This camp will also focus on teaching kids about the importance that gardening can have in their lives. The camp is longer too so that even more fun can be anticipated! So, if youre having trouble getting your kids out of the house, why not send them down to Wilmington College for Junior Master Gardener Day Camp? Its, free, fun and educational and you cant beat that!

GOBA RIDES INTO WILMINGTON

By Katie Jameson, Summer Associate
On Friday, June 22, 2012, Grow Food, Grow Hope participated in a fundraising event at the Great Ohio Bike Adventure (GOBA) rally in downtown Wilmington. GOBA is an annual one-week bicycle loop tour held every June which features a different part of Ohio each year. Around 3,000 bicyclists from across the U.S. participate riding an average of 50 miles each day. This years GOBA tour began on June 16, 2012 in Hillsboro and included stops in Chillicothe, Ashville, Washington Court House, and Wilmington before ending in Hillsboro a week later. To feed the hungry cyclists, GFGH sold zucchini cake veggie burgers, along with homemade cookies and bottles of water. We had a prime location, in the middle of the action at St. Columbkille Catholic Church. We received many compliments on our veggie burgers and cookies, both of which were prepared by GFGH staff. We were able to inform cyclists not familiar to the area about our community gardening program and encouraged everyone to vote for Grow Food, Grow Hope for the DeLoach Vineyards grant. Cyclists also enjoyed having their picture taken with the Mobile Garden Unit, which was parked next to our booth. The evening was a successful fundraising event and a lot of fun for the GFGH staff that participated. The end of the day rally was well attended by cyclists and community members and the weather was great. The crowd was treated to tunes from Streetwise as well as from the Friday night song contest where cyclists performed songs they had written about their week-long experience. We hope the cyclists enjoyed downtown Wilmington as much as we enjoyed having them!

GARDENER SPOTLIGHT
By Dominique Parks, Summer Associate Grow Food, Grow Hopes intentions are to teach and encourage families and individuals in the community to garden. Its difficult for us to gauge whether or not they are actually listening or learning anything we teach them, let alone enjoying it. However, it seems that no matter what person we sit down and speak with about their experiences with Grow Food, Grow Hope each one has nothing but positive things to say about the gardening initiative. With no exception is Robin. Robin is one of the participants from Prairie View Apartments. Though all of the garden participants were eager when they learned that GFGH would be building garden beds for them, Robin showed the most enthusiasm. She had gardened in the past with her grandmother and was excited to have the chance to learn more. The very first day that a few Summer Associates went to build the garden beds at Prairie View, Robin was there already tending other plants that were on the property. Unlike the Friends of Hope Community Gardens on campus, we allowed the participants at Prairie View to choose what they wanted to grow. It wasnt until the beds were finished and it was time to plant that Robin really began to shine! Robin greets us every week when we are there with a huge smile on her face. Robin shared with us that one of the reasons she enjoys gardening is that its relaxing and keeps her mind off of things that may be troubling her. What Robin noticed and what we here at Grow Food Grow Hope love to hear is that the garden beds have been a meeting place for neighbors to come together with a common goal and get to know each other better. At Grow Food, Grow Hope, we know how gardening can relieve everyday stresses and bring neighbors together as friends and as a community. We are glad to have Robin as a participant and even more glad that she enjoys working with us as much as we enjoy working with her and the other participants at Prairie View Apartments.

Keep Voting!
Last Month to Vote

Grow Food, Grow Hope in the running for a $,4000 grant from DeLoach Vineyards and Organic Gardening Magazine!

Grow Food, Grow Hope is competing with 15 other community gardens from across the United States and Canada. Only the five highest vote-getting garden projects will win and we need your help to make sure that GFGH stays at the front of the pack! Voting is going on right now. So be sure to go to www.deloachcommunitygardens.com and to cast your vote now. You can vote once a day, every day until the August 6th deadline. Your support is what makes GFGH. Help us to continue to build our garden programs and grow our community.

KEEP OUR GARDENS GROWING THIS FALL!

Help GFGH extend the growing season

We Need...

Seeds! Starts!

Compost! Tools!

Hands! Donations!
And More! 5

Combat Those Garden Pests The Right Way

By Melissa Serafin July is an exciting time for gardeners. Nothing is better than sitting back and watching the sprouts that you planted in spring start to blossom and bloom in the summer heat. And while there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the fruits of your labor come to life, there is nothing more frustrating than seeing your prized tomatoes nibbled away by sneaky garden pests. Thats why we put on gardeners on high alert in July. Animals are always active and hungry and larger plants are an attractive target for potential predators. Luckily, weve created a list for you of some of our favorite ways to keep your garden safe! Use Potent and Scented Herbs: Lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, and basil will repel leafhoppers, aphids, cabbage loppers, mites, cucumber beetles, and others. Crush the herbs and place in a bucket that is at least half a gallon. Fill with water, cover, and let sit in the sun for a few days. Strain, add 1/8 teaspoon liquid soap, and pour liquid into a spray bottle. For Everything: Sprinkling garlic, red pepper or chili powder on your plants should give your garden predators a spicy surprise. For Deer: If a fence is out of the question, try hanging mylar or old CDs or wind chimes around your plot to scare them away. You can also make a homemade deer repellent by combining a dozen eggs and four beef bouillon cubes in a bucket, and fill the rest with water. Cover and wait until there is a noticeable odor. Add two tablespoons of soap per gallon of liquid, and pour into a spray bottle. Spray around the plants, being careful to avoid the actual vegetables or fruit. For Rabbits: Shake baby powder or flour on young seedlings and garlic powder on mature plants. Slugs and snails: Use thin copper strips, pine needles, coffee grounds, or crushed eggshells as a barrier. You can also leave out grapefruit and melon rinds elsewhere to lure them away.

Recipe of the Month!

By Trenton Hython
SPANISH FRUIT PUNCH INGREDIENTS This is an unique take on a classic 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1 small apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced Spanish beverage. Feel free to add any fruits that you may desire, or to experiment with other fruit juices. DIRECTIONS

4 cups cranberry-grape juice 1 cup orange juice 1 orange, sectioned 2 cinnamon sticks, or pinch of ground cinnamon 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds 1 lime, sliced into thin rounds 3 cups carbonated lemon-lime beverage, or ginger ale

In a large pitcher, add the apple slices and lemon juice to the pitcher and stir. Combine cranberry-grape juice, orange juice , orange sections, and cinnamon to the mixture. Let mixture sit for at least an hour (up to 12) to allow flavors to mix. Just before serving, add carbonated lemon-lime beverage or ginger ale.

JULY HARVEST CALENDAR

Sunday 1 Harvest summer squash & green beans regularly
8 Sow carrots

Monday 2 3

Tuesday

Wednesday 4
5

Thursday 6
Sow parsley in pot for indoor use

Friday 7

Saturday

Sowing leafy greens one more time

Harvest corn when ready

10

11
Harvest Onions and tomatoes

12

13

14

15

16 Harvest beans, cucumber, broccoli, melon, & summer squash as soon as they ripen

17

18 Harvest tomatoes, pepper, & eggplant

19

20
Start indoor herb planting in south or west facing window

21

22 Chop up cornstalks after harvest 29 Harvest potatoes

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31 Test soil for limestone or sulfur deficiency 7

Grow Food, Grow Hope is a Wilmington College sponsored initiative dedicated to making fresh and nutritious foods more accessible to the neediest members of our community. We believe that by growing a little food, we can sow a lot of hope.
937-382-661 ext. 321 www.growfoodgrowhope.com growfoodgrowhope@wilmington.edu

Grow Food, Grow Hope Garden Initiative 1145 Pyle Center 1870 Quaker Way Wilmington, OH 45177