Greenvale Park Community Garden is now making applications available for the 2010 gardening season. A limited number of 10 x 10’ and 10 x 20’ plots will be available. Gardeners can plant what they choose and will be responsible for weeding, watering, harvesting and otherwise maintaining their plots throughout the growing season. All gardeners at the community garden will use organic gardening methods, and experienced gardeners will be available to help newer gardeners learn the necessary skills. In addition to gardening in their own plots, gardeners will participate on work teams to share tasks like maintaining the compost, mowing and trimming grassy areas, and tending the Sharing Plot. All the produce from the Sharing Plot is donated to the Northfield Food Shelf.
Applications will be accepted beginning February 1. Application forms can also be downloaded in pdf from the link below.

Once applications are approved, gardeners will pay a gardening fee of $25 for the year ($15 for half-plots) to help cover costs of water and other garden expenses. Financial assistance will be available for those who are unable to pay the full amount. If you have further questions about the garden please call Northfield Community Gardeners at 507-649-0707. Northfield Community Gardeners would also like to hear from and offer assistance to people who are interested in starting community gardens in other locations in Northfield .

Greenvale Park Community Garden is a joint project of the Northfield Community Gardeners and the Northfield Public Schools Community Services Division.

Download Community Garden Application & Guidelines 2010
Greenvale Park Huerta Aplicacion 2010 (Spanish Language)

See the new Transition Northfield web site for more information.

Garden plots are 10 feet by 20 feet (with a 10’x10’ half-plot option also available.) If you get a plot, you can plant what you choose and you will be responsible for weeding, watering, harvesting and otherwise maintaining your plot throughout the growing season. The produce of the plot will be yours to eat, share, and use as you choose. All gardeners at the community garden will use organic gardening methods, and experienced gardeners will be available to help newer gardeners learn the necessary skills.

Community Gardens are just as much about growing community as growing food! Learning from your gardening neighbors is part of the joy of it . . . share recipes, gardening tips, or figure out together what’s that bug that’s eating your beans. In addition to gardening in their own plots, gardeners will participate on work teams to share tasks like maintaining the compost, mowing and trimming grassy areas, and working the Sharing Plot. All the produce from the Sharing Plot is donated to the Northfield Food Shelf.

Applications will be accepted beginning February 2. Applications (in English and Spanish) can be picked up at Northfield Public Library, Greenvale Park School, Northfield CAC, and Northfield Schools Community Services Division. They can also be downloaded in pdf form from the links below.

Completed applications should be mailed to Northfield Community Gardeners, 619 E 3rd St, Northfield; or they may be dropped off at the Greenvale Park School office or the Community Services Division at the NCRC. Once applications are approved, gardeners will pay a gardening fee of $25 for the year ($15 for half-plots) to help cover costs of water and other garden expenses. Financial assistance will be available through the CAC for those who are unable to pay the full amount. If you have further questions about the garden please call 507-649-0707. Habla Espanol? Llame al 507-663-0662.

Community Garden Application & Guidelines for 2009

Huerta Aplicacion en Espanol

PDF files . . . requires Adobe Reader.

From now until August 1, Ryan will be taking on projects completely of his choosing related to his passions for sustainability, public policy, ways to “make things easier” for folks to live sustainably, and also spending valuable “unstructured time” in nature! You could call it a “self-designed sustainability camp” of sorts. All of his research and projects will go forward with him on his path of leadership, and he will share it all through his own blog and through our organization.

Apart from his activities on sustainability, he is joining eight other students this summer, living in a St. Olaf honor house in a community. These nine students will be preparing meals together, reflecting on their experiences, and will have the opportunity to engage in retreats and leadership programming throughout the summer.

All of us with the CSL have recognized for some time now that many of us lead busy lives full of “tasks” that have little to do with our passions, or the interaction with nature - much less finding ways to live a more sustainable life. And, in much the same spirit as the former Village School (which the Center for Sustainable Living had a hand in helping with visioning and bylaws for this former charter school), Ryan will be guided to form his own learning and research plan, engaging in projects and activities of his choosing.

His experiences and findings can be an invitation to others on how a person might take a journey into exploring the issues they care about. Stay tuned as we’ll journey with him!

You can check out Ryan’s Blog from time to time to see what he’s up to! We’ve added a link to it on our sidebar as well. Enjoy!

Here are some interesting local blogs that we thought we’d highlight that have a sustainability or grassroots community organizing “bent” to them. This list is not inclusive, so if you have others, please share them with everyone in the comments!

• Living in Northfield is a blog by Marcea Frasier, who takes long bike rides, works at Valley Creek Community Farm, makes her own soap, and home schools her children.
• Olivia Frey, our secretary for CSL, has a new blog called Make/Do, where she shares insights and sustainable tips about living more simply. Every post she has a “make/do” tip!
• In Penelopedia, Penny Hilleman talks about her adventures in gardening, bird watching, finding abandoned wasp nests, and living lightly in the world.
• Bruce Anderson hosts a blog on his site, Sustainable Community Solutions. He’s been very busy organizing folks around the issue of cohousing in Northfield.
• Bill Ostrem’s blog, Northern Letter, discusses topics of sustainability, bicycling, energy, and climate change.
• Scott Schumacher (yours truly), has moved his blog to a new site entitled A River Between, where he speaks about unschooling, holistic healing, sustainable living, and raising a more natural dog, Junebug.

If there are more blogs out there, please let us know! We hope you enjoy peeking into the lives of a few Northfielders who are taking steps to live a more sustainable life.

You can view all of the details of this request, plus post your own ad for anything you’re looking for, willing to trade, or willing to give away on our new Community Bulletin Board!

As well as a place for free exchanges and trades, you can continue discussions with regard to Permaculture and the Northfield Commons Café!

Click here to join our bulletin board, or click the link on our sidebar!