Come to our upcoming Flatbush Church Garden Community Potluck, Sunday August 1st at 3pm!

We will be holding this event in the future garden space, located in the backyard of the Flatbush Reformed Church at 890 Flatbush Avenue (at Church Avenue). Based on ideas and input from participants at last month’s visioning sessions, experienced gardeners and community members have been working hard on creating a variety of designs for the garden.

Here’s what to expect at the event:

• * a delicious meal (bring food or drink to share)
• * lively discussions
• * voting on a garden design
• * choosing a name for the garden
• * learning how to get involved!

For more information, contact Sustainable Flatbush at info[at]sustainableflatbush[dot]org, or call us at 718.208-0575. We hope to see all of you on the 1st! Bring friends, family, and fellow gardeners! ]]> http://sustainableflatbush.org/2010/07/24/community-garden-potluck-august-1st/feed/ 3 http://sustainableflatbush.org/2010/07/22/block-party-report/ http://sustainableflatbush.org/2010/07/22/block-party-report/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:49:41 +0000 Jeremy Teperman http://sustainableflatbush.org/?p=3873 Our Traffic Calming Block Party on Sunday was a big success and lots of fun! Thanks to the efforts of the many people who worked on the event, as well as an enthusiastic bunch of local residents (many with kids lured in by sprinklers and colorful decorations), we were able to raise awareness about the important issue of making our streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Bike helmet decorating (photo by Keka Marzagão)

Throughout the day, passers-by stopped in to chat, listen to various live music acts, decorate their bikes and helmets, pick up helpful NYC biking guidelines provided by Transportation Alternatives, decorate the sidewalks with chalk, get food and drink from Vox Pop Café, and most importantly, fill out our pedestrian survey requesting their opinions about the safety (or lack thereof) of Cortelyou and Stratford Roads. Everyone from toddlers to the elderly stopped by and took part in our party, which lasted from 10AM to about 6PM.

Along with the approximately 60 surveys that were filled out in person on Sunday, at least 40 more have been filled out online. Hopefully these can serve as further testament to the Department of Transportation that permanent action at this intersection is necessary, be it a four-way stop sign or a traffic light or some other design from their toolbox. As Cortelyou Road accrues more businesses and development, the number of pedestrians, cars and bicycles will only increase, which will make it that much more of a concern. I think that our Block Party was a great demonstration of a fun and creative way to take on issues on a community level that affect the whole city. Now if only we can have a block party for Queens Boulevard!

(UPDATE: We now have 140 surveys! Thanks to everyone who participated!)

Garden Brainstorming (photo by Keka Marzagão)

As Jeremy described in his last blog post, on June 16^th we had part two of our brainstorming sessions for the new community garden we’re creating with Flatbush Reformed Church, in the backyard space of 890 Flatbush. Thirty people attended this meeting, and were able to see the garden spaces and participate in a vision collage of ideas for the garden spaces.

Here’s what some people want to see (I tried to include everyone’s ideas, so skim as needed!):

- WHAT WE WANT TO GROW:

• herbs (examples: basil, medicinal herbs, rosemary, cilantro, thyme, parsley)
• fruits (grapes, berries, fruit trees, avocados, apples, peaches, cherries, watermelon)
• veggies (pumpkins, squash, brussel sprouts, eggplant, artichokes, salad greens, radishes, beans, chickpeas, root veggies, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, scallions, ginger, kale, legumes, swiss chard, zucchini, bell peppers, leeks, green beans, cucumbers)
• wine harvesting
• flowers

- FOOD-BASED EDUCATION PROGRAMS: youth-run mini-CSA for neighbors, cooking classes and demos on nutrition, medicinal herb workshops

- ART/CULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS: art workshops and art and culture curriculum

- BIKE PROGRAMS: bike riding lessons in parking lot, bike maintenance workshops

-  YOUTH PROGRAMS: education programs with local schools, summer/weekend activities for kids, garden visits from schools around the city

-  GARDENING PROGRAMS: gardening 101 info sessions, Haitian community sharing of traditional farming knowledge, how-to start a backyard garden, sustainability education, solar installation demos, vermicomposting how-to’s

Gathering Ideas (photo by Keka Marzagão)

- SEASONAL PROGRAMMING: spring hat parade, Halloween party with campfire-style ghost stories, pumpkin carving

- THEATER: small performances on the porch, showcase edible plants with “plant of the week” shows for community

- FOOD EVENTS: monthly potlucks, barbeques, tea parties, lemonade stand

- OTHER EVENTS: leaf collection in the fall, plant swaps, party to design the garden sign, live music, acupuncture, garden book club, farm trip, porch party to meet neighbors

- Inter-generational gardening

- GARDEN AREAS: fragrant garden, butterfly garden, kid garden, discovery garden, meditation bench, cactus/low water garden, pollinator garden, pumpkin patch, vertical gardening for fenced area, maze path line with flowers, tree beds

- GARDEN INFRASTRUCTURE: murals, sculptures, long table for potluck, beehive, birdhouse, greenhouse, sundial, solar lighting/lanterns, water fountain (solar powered), rainwater catchment, compost, treehouse, swing, hammock, bike parking, welcome gate with info on how to join, living wall/structure that kids can play in

- GARDEN TECHNIQUES: lasagna gardening, 3 sister planting (corn, beans, root veggies), companion planting, permaculture, container gardening (with recycled containers), raised beds, recycled container planters, cold frames, organic fertilizers

- Heal the soil!

- Keep seed library for future

- Make how-to guide for other aspiring urban gardens

- Recycling on church grounds

- Wind power/human power/solar power/whimsy

- Chickens!

Based on the ideas that people offered, and what the land requires (for example, high concentration of lead in the soil = building raised beds for our plants instead of growing directly in the soil), Chris Kreussling, the Director of our Urban Gardens and Farms Initiative, and others are working together to create several possible designs for our new garden.

On August 1^st at 3pm Sustainable Flatbush will host a community potluck to engage in discussion, eat tasty food, and vote for our favorite garden design!

What to do if you’d like to be involved:

• Bring your ideas and something to eat/drink to August 1^st event
• Sign up to stay informed on the Flatbush Church Garden listserv, and get updated on events, plantings, and community meetings
• Email us to submit your design ideas

I look forward to seeing everyone at the potluck, and to breaking ground soon!

I Love Brookln from our 2008 Newkirk Block Party (photo by Anne Pope)

Can’t make it to the party? Fill out our survey online and make your voice heard! Survey results will be shared with Community Board 14 and the NYC Department of Transportation, with the goal of bringing traffic calming infrastructure to Cortelyou Road.

Funding for this event provided by Citizens Committee for New York City’s Love Your (NYC) Block campaign

Garden Site Visit (photo by Keka Marzagão)

Chris led us out of the church to see the two plots on which the garden will be cultivated: one small but sunny plot is bound by two brick walls and a fence which will remain open to the public, and the other plot is located in the front yard of the pick-up site of the Flatbush Farmshare CSA. It has high shade from a few stately oak trees and is quite a bit bigger. Immediately, people began brainstorming ideas for how to best use the space. We all went around and introduced ourselves, our respective homes, and what motivated us to come to this meeting. The group was a mix of young and old, native New Yorkers and transplants, and gardeners both experienced and novice. It was really exciting to see that people actually cared enough about this new community garden to take time to come, and I get the feeling that many of them (and hopefully others, too!) will become the backbone of the project.

Garden Visioning (photo by Keka Marzagão)

Back inside the church, we spent the rest of the brainstorming session writing down our ideas on large pieces of paper and getting to know one another. The range and quality of suggestions and ideas was really stellar. Some listed vegetables, fruits and other plants they’d like to grow. Other suggestions included a variety of different events that the garden could be host to, from classes to potluck dinners to small concerts. One person even drew a little plan-view map of the garden with possible paths and beds. Overall, I think the participants’ ideas could be grouped into a few main hopes for the garden: that it will become a community space, one where neighbors can get to know each other and work together, that it will be a place to learn about and grow food, and that it will be a quiet, green nook in an otherwise bustling area. I’m looking forward to doing my part to ensure that the garden becomes all of those things.

Flatbush Avenue (photo by wallyg)

This coming Monday night, June 28th, presents a great opportunity for local Livable Streets advocates to have some input on what the future design of Flatbush Avenue will look like!

See the invitation below (received from Assemblymember Rhoda Jacobs’ office) for a Public Input Session to discuss the Department of Transportation’s Flatbush Avenue Study, part of DOT’s Congested Corridors Project. The study area encompasses Flatbush Avenue from Empire to Nostrand Avenues, including the Flatbush/Nostrand Junction near Brooklyn College. (Apparently this study was initiated some time ago, since it refers to the Target store at the Junction as being “under development”.)

At the moment this major thoroughfare that cuts through so many of Brooklyn’s neighborhood’s is dangerous territory for pedestrians and bikes (a cyclist was killed at the intersection of Flatbush and Beverley only two months ago), and crossings are hazardous enough to effectively cut neighborhoods off from each other. Although street design appears to be a permanent and unchangeable part of the urban infrastructure, this is not actually the case, and the fact that DOT is studying this part of Brooklyn shows that they recognize the need for change.

Let’s dare to imagine and advocate for a Flatbush Avenue design that is welcoming to people instead of acting solely as a conduit for automobiles!

WHAT: Flatbush Avenue Congested Corridors Public Input Session
WHEN: Monday, June 28th from 7-9 pm (registration begins at 6:30)
WHERE: Erasmus Hall High School, Bedford Avenue between Church and Snyder Avenues

Sunset Park, Brooklyn (photo by Barry Yanowitz)

The name “Solid Waste Advisory Board” might evoke images of a room full of important-looking people, conversing in abstract and political language that would be lost on, or irrelevant to, the average New Yorker. At least, that’s what I was half-expecting. What greeted me instead was a room full of interesting and diverse people ranging from a retired science teacher to a graduate student to members of various community groups, talking candidly about issues that affect all Brooklynites. I quickly learned that, although it was a small meeting, the Brooklyn SWAB is a group of and for the people of Brooklyn, open to any and all interested residents. They make recommendations directly to the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, chaired by councilwoman Letitia James, so I really encourage anyone interested in the fate of solid waste in Brooklyn to come to next month’s meeting. I learned a lot and every attendee has the opportunity to voice their opinion and ask questions.

Last Monday, the main subject was the plan to build a new glass/metal/plastic recycling facility at Brooklyn Pier in Sunset Park, a site which is currently an empty paved lot. Tom Outerbridge, the General Manager of Sims municipal recycling entity, came to the meeting to give an informal presentation on the plans of the company, as well as answer the many questions and concerns posed by members of the Board. Sims is working with the Economic Development Corporation, and has a long-term contract with New York City, which also includes existing facilities in Long Island City, the Bronx and Jersey City. He really enlightened me on many aspects of recycling in New York that I had never thought about (and some that I had).  Focusing on efficiency, he stressed that building this facility would reduce the number of miles that recycling trucks would drive by 240,000 per year because currently, most of Brooklyn’s recycling is being driven to Queens for processing.

He also highlighted some unique aspects of the project which include easy pedestrian access to the site, a recycling education center to be used by elementary school classes, and the attempts to hire employees locally within Sunset Park. He also stressed a more general problem, which is contamination and sorting; even deciding what is “recyclable” is tricky, Outerbridge explained to us, because certain types of plastic,  in small enough quantities, have no market and the facility has no place to ship those materials to. He said that if they could collect and sort more substantial amounts of those plastics, then they would be able to sell them to companies who re-process them into usable material. If you’re confused, take comfort in knowing that I am too, and I think it’s fair to say that many of us at the meeting were slightly unsure about what the bottom line is. This highlights one of the most important aspects about recycling, which is the need for more outreach and education on the community level, so that every New Yorker has a clear idea of how to sort their trash and recyclables. And, the more that we all know about the ins and outs of recycling, the more we can make informed opinions and put pressure on the city to improve our recycling infrastructure.

This brings me to the other part of the meeting, which was to discuss a set of eleven new bills which will amend LL 19, the city’s comprehensive residential recycling law. These bills span from expanding the types of plastic to be recycled, to increasing the responsibility of the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education, to changing the enforcement and fines associated with improper recycling. Members of SWAB will be attending and testifying at upcoming hearings on the legislation, and the bills are expected to pass at some point this summer. These are meant to make recycling easier for residents, but more action may be necessary. For example, one attendee at the meeting pointed out that the Department of Sanitation has exactly one employee in charge of managing recycling in apartment buildings throughout the city, a tremendous job. Many people at the meeting seemed in agreement that there should be many more people with the same job, since apartment buildings may represent one of the biggest challenges in recycling outreach and education. Apparently, more money will be directed towards outreach in the near future.

Going to this meeting heartened me because it showed me that there are people in all corners of Brooklyn who are interested in informing themselves about solid waste in their city and in doing what they can to advance the cause of reducing our waste stream. It’s up to organizations like ours to educate our community and to come up with creative new ways to complement the actions the Department of Sanitation is already taking.

**If you’re interested in attending future meetings of the Brooklyn Solid Waste Advisory Board, contact Ken Diamondstone at (718) 522-5437 or Nancy Walby at (718) 258 2701.

photo by Jeremy Teperman

I first began getting interested in environmental issues and community improvement around the same time, at the end of high school and have really tried to immerse myself in studying it during my time at Vassar. I’m really excited to be working with Sustainable Flatbush this summer!  First of all, I think it will be a great new way to learn about and hopefully give back to my New York City community, in which I was born and raised. Also, I really believe in the work that our organization does and I think this experience will help me decide if I want to pursue a similar career. Overall, I feel lucky to be able to work with Sustainable Flatbush and I’m looking forward to a great summer.

Go to the People;
Live among them;
Love them;
Learn from them;
Start from where they are;
Work with them;
Build on what they have.
But of the best leaders,
When the task is accomplished,
The work completed,
The people all remark:
“We have done it ourselves.”

–Lao Tzu

Today I say goodbye to Sustainable Flatbush, and to all of you, dear readers. Thank you all for coming to the events, for participating and engaging with each other and for supporting Sustainable Flatbush.

Dassa at Brooklyn College Earth Day (photo by Keka Marzagão)

And to the SF-ers: Anne, Keka, Jocelyn Cohen, Chris, and Mela (and Madeline & Maikel, honorary SF-ers and true gardeners). Thank you for opening your organization and your hearts to students like me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute something — something small, to be sure, but something at least — to the sustainability movement to which you are all devoted.

I wanted my last post to be about what I learned, but how can I encapsulate an entire semester in a single blog post? So instead I found a poem to express the thoughts for which I don’t have adequate words. Lao Tzu’s poem, above, captures what I have discovered over the past semester while working alongside the wonderful folks at SF: That giving to the community is not about passing down wisdom from up above; it’s about supporting people and giving them the opportunity to learn. And SF has given so many people — has given me — the opportunity to learn. For that, I will always be grateful.

So goodbye everyone, and here’s to many more years, and many more events, of giving others the chance to learn something new. What can be better than that?

Sustainable Flatbush is collaborating with the Flatbush Reformed Church to create a new community garden!

UPDATE: Check out the list of ideas for the future garden from June’s visioning sessions, and come to a potluck on August 1st to vote for your favorite garden design!

photo by Flatbush Gardener

Join us in a creative brainstorming session to plan this new neighborhood green space!

WHAT: Community Garden Visioning Meetings

WHEN: Sunday June 6th at 4pm and Wednesday June 16th at 6pm

WHERE: Flatbush Reformed Church, 890 Flatbush Avenue

Refreshments and childcare will be provided!

What to expect at the meeting:

• - see the garden location!
• - contribute your ideas for what the garden will be
• - what we can grow (flowers? herbs? vegetables?)
• - how we can best use the space we have
• - how we will build and maintain the garden
• - decide on a name for the garden
• - learn how you can get involved!

Sign up to attend a Visioning Session here.

For more information: 718-208-0575 / info@sustainableflatbush.org

Sustainable Flatbush brings neighbors together to mobilize, educate, and advocate for sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond.

The Flatbush Reformed Church is a welcoming, inclusive and ecumenical Church located in the heart of Brooklyn.

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