2016 highlights from the Urban Fusion Community Garden at 8th and Culbertson.

A positive 2016 community garden recap by Mallery Waters, as well as confirmation that the Wiemann building's rehabilitation (shall we say) did not turn out as originally promised. Perhaps as yet a new owner can make a difference. Congratulations to Mallery for her successful stewardship of the garden.

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Garden Supporters,

Thanks for your continued interest in and support of Urban Fusion Community Garden on Culbertson Ave. 

If you've passed by the garden lately, you may have seen that the garden property is for sale along with the Weimann building, which is at 8th Street and Culbertson Avenue. The owners of the property have had a lot of changes in their life since they bought it several years ago and have decided to sell it. (Keep New Albany Clean and Green leases the garden property from these private individuals.) In the meantime it doesn't sound like anything will change for the garden. We will see what happens once it sells.

While I'm at it, though, just a few highlights from what has been a good year for the garden:

• Added whimsical, hand painted signage made of driftwood from the Falls of the Ohio by Michael Jukeson of The Loving Year
• Welcomed more garden neighbors as gardeners this year
• Started the season with all the plots spoken for
• Ended the season with relatively pretty, well-tended gardens (considering the unusual weather and usual general busyness of summer)
• Shared extra vegetables with the women at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Charities as well as folks at Shepherd's Kitchen at St. Paul's Episcopal Church
• Passed out free wildflower seeds to neighbors of the garden - donated by Earthly Goods
• Enjoyed the use of a rain barrel (they really are cool!) donated by Floyd Action Network for watering the gardens

Anyway, thanks again for your support. Here's to a lovely fall!

Take care,

Mallery

Urban Fusion Community Garden update.

It's been a while since we checked in on the Urban Fusion Community Garden. Here is an update from Mallery Waters. Questions? Her e-mail is mallery.waters(at)gmail(dot)com

Garden Supporters,

Here are a few important updates about the Urban Fusion Community Garden. We do have some available plots for the coming growing season, so let me know if you're interested!

New owner but garden continues
As you may have heard, the garden property and Weinmann Building on the corner were recently purchased by a private individual. The new owner is supportive of the garden and is planning to let our garden continue on the property under the auspices of Keep New Albany Clean & Green. Getting a water hookup is in the works, and Grant Line Nursery has generously donated seeds for use in the garden.

Spring gardener meeting - Sun., Mar. 16 from 2-3pm
We'll start the season off right with a seed swap, mini orientation, and planning time. Come and meet/reconnect with your fellow gardeners! We will meet in the St. Paul's Episcopal Church Carriage House (1-storey building between church on Market St. and orange mansion on Main St.) at 1015 E. Main St. in New Albany.

Upcoming gardening classes
-March 6 and 13 (6:30-9:00pm) - Master Gardener lecture series on practical vegetable gardening, small fruit for the home garden, and growing/cooking with herbs. Held at Clark County REMC in Sellersburg. Light dinner included, $20 for both nights. Register with Floyd County Extension at 812-948-5470 by 2/28 (maybe they'll be lenient if you hurry...).

-March 13 (dinner at 5:30pm, presentations by Purdue extension educators after) - Annual Starlight Vegetable Growers meeting about the latest information on producing fresh veggies. Held in the Barnyard Bash II Building at Joe Huber Family Farm and Restaurant, Starlight. (Appears to be no charge.) Pre-register with Extension office at 812-945-4591 by 3/10.

-March 29 (9:30am-2:00pm) - Salsa & Sorbet with the Kentuckiana Unit of the Herb Society of America. Spring education day includes morning tea, a culinary chef preparing a variety of salsas and herbal dishes, and a demonstration on the art of "Sorbet." Held at Plantation Hall at Huber's Orchard & Winery. $35 includes hot Huber's buffet lunch. Pre-register at jettellen@yahoo.com or (812) 590-4604.

Urban Fusion Community Garden planning and orientation meeting on March 12.

Plots remain. Mallery Waters provides an update for what now appears to be the 2013 debut of the Urban Fusion Community Garden.

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in the community garden last year. My name is Mallery Waters, and along with Angela Connelly, I am helping spearhead the community garden at Culbertson Avenue and 8th Street this year. I am a lifelong gardener and have gone through the Master Gardener program.

The growing season is almost here! The garden’s raised beds were recently filled with soil. Nine of fifteen plots have been reserved so far. If you are interested in one of the remaining plots, please let me know as soon as possible.

A planning and orientation meeting is scheduled at the Ritter House at 1218 E. Oak Street on Tuesday, March 12 from 7 to 9 pm for people who are planning to participate with the garden this year. It would be great to see you there!

Best,

Mallery

It's another Urban Fusion Community Gardens update.

Jerry Finn provides another Urban Fusion Community Garden update.

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Greetings!

If anyone has a little extra time on Saturday morning, February 9th, 10:00 AM, we plan to fill the cedar boxes with the topsoil & compost mixture. We are very grateful to Dan Christiani Company for their donation of the garden soil. They have been very helpful. If you know anyone who works there, tell them thanks if you see them.

We will have a tractor with a front loader to help fill the boxes along the edges of the lot on the 9th. We will also have several wheelbarrows on sight to be filled and then taken to the boxes the tractor cannot reach. If you are able to come help, your support would be most welcome. Please bring shovels if you have one. Please let me know if you think you can help that morning.

We still have several garden boxes available, so if you are interested, please let me know. I am very excited that Mallery Waters is considering the role of Urban Fusion Community Gardens Coordinator. She will be a good resource for the group. I think you will be hearing from her soon!

And speaking of resources, I am attaching a few items from the Purdue Extension and the Master Gardeners.

We are very excited to be a resource for another community garden to be available this spring in the MidTown neighborhood. St. John’s Presbyterian Church will administer this exciting project. More news as the project develops!

As I mentioned before, our Citywide Spring Beautification date is April 27th, and the fall date is November 16th, so please mark your calendar and help if you can. We are also having a Scribner Gardens and Downtown spring cleanup to cut back the grasses and roses on Saturday March 9th. We would love to have you join us then as well. Pass the word to interested groups, Neighborhood Associations, Scouts, etc.

And for those who have not heard, my niece and nephew, Michele and Jeremy Finn added an adorable son to their family several weeks ago. All are doing fine!

Thanks for your excitement for community gardening!

Jerry

Jerry K. Finn
Vice President

Keep New Albany Clean and Green, Inc.
PO Box 574
New Albany, IN 47150

www.NACleanandGreen.org

Update: Urban Fusion Community Garden.

When last we heard news from the Urban Fusion Community Garden, it was May of 2012.

"I will be returning to work at this site when it has been made safe for children."

In short, the 707 site was kicked back over to Keep New Albany Clean and Green and Landmarks, and now Jerry Finn tells us what will be happening next.


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Urban Fusion Community Garden

Greetings, Friends!

I wanted to give you a quick update on the plans for the Urban Fusion Community Gardens at 707 Culbertson Avenue in New Albany. The cedar planting boxes have been built and installed. They look great. We hope to have the soil/compost mixture delivered by the end of the month. Next job will be to get the boxes filled with soil and ready for your planting. It won’t be too far out that cold crops can be planted!

The Board of Directors of Keep New Albany Clean and Green will meet on the 4th Friday of January. We will put together a process for people to reserve garden boxes. If you are interested, please send me your name, phone, and e-mail. I will have more details for you after the board meeting.

This past weekend, I was harvesting turnips, broccoli, kale, spinach, beets and onions out of my garden at home. It reminded me how important a garden can be for fresh, healthy food. If anyone is interested in being the lead person on this initiative, please let me know. That would be incredibly helpful.

Also, our Citywide Spring Beautification date is April 27th, so please mark your calendar and help if you can. Pass the word to interested groups, Neighborhood Associations, Scouts, etc.

Michele Finn is very close to her due date for her baby, so send good thoughts her way. Here are some of her favorite seed catalogs to get you thinking about spring planting! Sure to get the ideas for a garden plot in motion! :)

http://rareseeds.com/

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

http://www.seedsofchange.com/

Thanks so much for helping make this a reality. A special thanks to all those who donated money for the purchase of materials for the raised beds.

"I will be returning to work at this site when it has been made safe for children."

After a few days of confusion, perhaps the urban garden craziness is getting clearer. Keep New Albany Clean & Greens's Jerry Finn had this to say in a note to NAC:

"Michele (Finn) was taking the lead on the Urban Fusion garden, but community gardens have been an initiative of Keep New Albany Clean and Green since it was first incorporated in April of 2011. We will move forward with community garden plans, and look forward to the day that Michele is able to get re-involved."

Michele herself speaks in this mailing to her urban gardening group, reiterating what she'd written in blog comments and on the newspaper's web site.

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Hi Garden Gang,

If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, here is the link for the Tribune article.

http://newsandtribune.com/floydcounty/x915988550/Organizers-say-lead-contamination-won-t-hinder-community-garden-in-New-Albany

I didn't get a chance to speak with Daniel before the article ran. He had tried to contact me, I had tried to call him back. It didn't work out.

The lead content is at a level of est. 393 ppm. Not safe for pregnant women and children range is from 300-999.

From UMASS EXT office~

*If estimated lead totals are above 300 ppm, young children and pregnant women should avoid contact with the soil. Estimated levels of lead above 2000 ppm are considered a concern for all users and may represent a hazardous waste station.

So it's at a level safe for adults, just not expecting adults or children where brain development is still in the works.

Jerry and I have been working together and documents will be provided regarding the procedures used to make this site completely family friendly. I believe that we will see positive results. I will be returning to work at this site when it has been made safe for children.

Greg Sekula plans to use the Emery's building painting as an education tool for the public. He plans on teaching ways of testing for lead and how to remove toxic paint safely once it has been found.

We are still looking at other garden sites in conjunction with this site. If you have any other questions, fire away. There are bumps with all projects and this is one is no exception.

We would love even more community involvement with this project!

If you have questions for Jerry or Greg their addresses are

jfinn@horseshoefoundation.org
GSekula@indianalandmarks.org

Thank you for your support!

Urban Fusion and 707 Culbertson: Curiouser and curiouser.

(8:40 p.m. update: Michele Finn has provided clarification in two comments -- thanks for taking the time)

You may have read Urban Fusion lynchpin Michele Finn's words to her peeps, as reprinted here a week ago:

Urban Fusion update: Soil remediation necessary at 707 Culbertson.

 ... Some have stated that we can make 707 Culbertson Ave safe quickly. I personally will not accept a quick fix. According to the University of Massachusetts Lab levels of over 300 ppm are not safe for children or pregnant women. They would be at risk for lead poisoning. The current level is 393 ppm. My children will be with me all summer and we have gardener(s) that are expecting. Even if we made the back of the lot safe, the dirt mounds around the Emery's building and the lead paint on the building itself would contaminate our clean soil. Not to mention, where would the money come from to do so? Where would the money and efforts come from to fix the Emery's building? We have lost this season's planting window already. It's time keep looking.

Previously, NABC had donated to the community garden, and Michele phoned me over the weekend, reiterating that because the 707 Culbertson site was now off the table, I had the option to withdraw the contribution ... which I'd been told would be routed to her on behalf of Urban Fusion through Keep New Albany Clean and Green -- not that Clean and Green was running the Urban Fusion show.

Yesterday I asked her to send back the money, and I will redirect it to whatever project Michele comes up with. The point in all this? From the start, Urban Fusion seemed to be Michele's baby. Meanwhile, Daniel Suddeath's newspaper report today makes no mention of Michele at all.

So, who's the organizer, anyway -- and who's in charge?

Organizers say lead contamination won’t hinder community garden in New Albany; Levels were only slightly above trigger level, officials say

NEW ALBANY — Organizers said Wednesday they will proceed with a community garden despite lead contamination being discovered on the Culbertson Avenue site.

The amount of lead found in the soil at 707 Culbertson Ave. is only slightly more than what is considered an acceptable level and measures have already been taken to guard against exposure, Keep New Albany Clean and Green Vice President Jerry Finn said.

The organization is heading the effort to open the Urban Fusion Community Garden at the site, and recently the historic Emery’s Ice Cream Shop building was moved to the property to serve as a planting and canning education center.

Remediation at 707 Culbertson: "Alluvial soil + 200 years of industry = polluted sludge."

Here is what I've gleaned from weekend conversations, as previously discussed here: Urban Fusion update: Soil remediation necessary at 707 Culbertson.

Apparently Michele Finn will be pulling the Urban Fusion Community garden from its projected home at 707 Culbertson and looking elsewhere for a site.

At the same time, Keep New Albany Clean and Green will proceed with remediation (leads, toxins) at the original site.

Last week, NAC reader Gina had an excellent comment on this remediation work, which is applicable whether Urban Fusion remains there or not.

I think this is a great opportunity to raise residents' consciousness about the alluvial soil we live on. It's the perfect Bicentennial project, too.

Q: How do you restore soil that has been contaminated by 200 years of industry to a quality that food could be produced from?

This is a real world challenge, one each of us who owns an urban yard should think about. Alluvial soil + 200 years of industry = polluted sludge, probably two feet thick under our feet. Yum! Do you want to eat tomatoes grown in arsenic and lead? There are also many strong electro-magnetic fields that affect gardens and trees in New Albany.

I say: Let's keep going with Fusion Garden at Culbertson, and have the Phase I part be about REMEDIATION of toxins. What great knowledge to spread; the whole city is a toxic waste dump. Our goal should be actual native life-forms in the Falling Run creek as we clean the upstream watershed.

We have been "abating" our property at Main & 7th for five years now, and we are just getting to wormy good soil, although I still won't eat out of it. But bees and birds and bunnies are back, and this is a good sign.

Again, I think the city has a challenge we shouldn't miss to show how far forward, over time, a city lot can go with the right organic processes.

Urban Fusion update: Soil remediation necessary at 707 Culbertson.

(Submitted by Michele Finn. Let's hope there is a solution at hand)

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Agenda we covered for May 9th Meeting

Opening garden update.

Accomplishments since our last February meeting are as follows.

We have located a garden site which Indiana Landmarks has provided.

We pursued our own 501c and were offered services by Brandon Smith of Faith Ingle Smith.

During that time Keep New Albany Clean and Green offered for us to work under their status and will help us with insurance for the first year. This will save us close to $900, which is the approximate cost of the non profit status and also will help with the need of insurance.

Christina Pfau has provided us with a wonderful garden rendition.

Nathan Fessel has provided us with two great logo choices.

We have priced cedar raised beds already made at a cost of around $170 and decided we could probably save a lot of money building them ourselves. We have contacted New Albany's PC Lumber and they are offering us lumber at cost!

Dan Cristiani from Earth First donated a tri axel of rich top soil for the back of the garden site.

Jerry Finn & Mark Seabrook donated equipment to be used and Irv Stumler leveled the garden area.

Mark Seabrook, Kevin Zurschmiede & Irv Stumler worked to take down black walnut tree that was covering the back of the lot. Black walnuts are very toxic to almost all plants and the tree was damaged.

Eco Tech provided the dumpster for the tree removal.

The Emery's building has been moved to the site.

We received the test results from the soil samples. It took five weeks to get them back.

Because of the results, elevated levels of lead in the soil, we will have to remediate the site to make it safe for everyone. We are not experts in this dept. Precautions such as fabric barriers, raised beds, heavy mulch can be applied.

What should we do?

All of this work has been done with in kind donations.

We can use our best efforts to make it safe but the Emery's building will have to be scraped following a proper procedure and painted with lead incapsulating paint before we can move forward with making the site safe.

We must take a pause and see if we can make a summer or fall garden.

* Since the meeting several of you have emailed or called me all with the same thought. As one of you put it, we have put all of our eggs in one basket. I've also had some of you call and tell me we need a garden at a safer location. I'll be honest, this site is the only one that was offered in the midtown/downtown area. The only other proposed location is at Northside Christian Church. I haven't spoken to them recently but I hope their garden operation if going smoothly! The original idea was for an urban garden to set an example in the city and have it accessible by walking or bike riding. All garden members are welcome to search for another garden site so that the Urban Fusion Community Garden can start planting as soon as possible.

Some have stated that we can make 707 Culbertson Ave safe quickly. I personally will not accept a quick fix. According to the University of Massachusetts Lab levels of over 300 ppm are not safe for children or pregnant women. They would be at risk for lead poisoning. The current level is 393 ppm. My children will be with me all summer and we have gardener(s) that are expecting. Even if we made the back of the lot safe, the dirt mounds around the Emery's building and the lead paint on the building itself would contaminate our clean soil. Not to mention, where would the money come from to do so? Where would the money and efforts come from to fix the Emery's building? We have lost this season's planting window already. It's time keep looking.

The turn around time for soil test results is two weeks. If you know of a sight that might work, go ahead and take a sample. I'll attach a link on how to do so.

Click on Routine for Home Gardens

Keep your thumbs green! We have come very far since November and we will make Community Gardens a reality in New Albany!

Michele Finn, UFCG

Postponement: Next Urban Fusion Community Garden meeting is moved to Tuesday, May 8.

Michele Finn issues this postponement of the date for the next Urban Fusion Community garden meeting: To Tuesday, May 8. I assume the other information previously posted here remains valid.

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I have had several people tell me that because of the short notice and it being Derby week, Tuesday (May 1) will not work for them. We are going postpone the meeting for one week: Tuesday, May 8. 


If anyone would like to meet at the garden site and help to clear out Emery's this Tuesday (May 1) at 10 a.m., please let me know. We could also go over some of the things we are working on and help move things along. The garden location is 707 Culbertson Ave. It's behind the green building on the corner of 8th and Culbertson. Come check it out!


We have exciting news! One, the black walnut tree that had damage and was hanging over the back half of the lot has been removed for free. The quotes we were getting ranged from about $1,200 to $2,000, it was a huge savings. A big thanks to City Councilman Kevin Zurschmiede, County Councilman Mark Seabrook, and Irvin Stumler, chair of Keep New Albany Clean and Green and friends.


Another major announcement is that the Emery's building will be moved Monday morning in front of the garden site around 9 a.m. Come watch if you would like. With the support of the community and grants, this building can updated and used to educate anyone who wants to learn homesteading skills like canning, vegetable prep, nutrition, vegetarian cooking, sewing, wood working, gardening classes ... and the list goes on. Rich, middle class or poor alike, these are skills anyone could benefit from. We have many neighbors who have knowledge of sustainable living techniques they would like to share. What better place that at the new green hub. Our local community garden!


Please contact me with any ideas or questions. Also let me know if you would like to have a peek at Emery's and help with a little clean up Tuesday morning. Feel free to bring a cup of coffee and good spirits.


I hope you all have a beautiful week!


Michele Finn
812-949-7198
Urban Fusion Community Garden
Keep New Albany Clean and Green Community Garden Initiative

Next Urban Fusion Community Garden meeting date is Tuesday, May 1.

(Submitted by Michele Finn)

We have scheduled a meeting for the next Community Garden update for next Tuesday, May 1st from 7-8 p.m. at the Cardinal Ritter House located at 1218 East Oak Street. It is across the street from S. Ellen Jones Elementary.

Some areas we will cover are garden needs and progress thus far. Also, will we be planting this spring? Yes, I believe so. Keep New Albany Clean and Green has helped us make great progress on the garden site.

"The Community Garden site at 707 Culbertson Avenue has been leveled and top soil put in place. Thank you Globe Mechanical for donated use of equipment, Earth First for the donated topsoil, and Irv Stumler for donated time and equipment operation! Now to get the raised planting beds constructed."

~KNACandG

I would like to thank them by inviting everyone to the Spring Clean Up this weekend. Saturday morning at 8 a.m. workers will be gathering at Main Source Bank downtown and collaborating in a community event to clean and plant downtown. Please join me in giving back and helping New Albany shine. Last year I helped with the fall clean up and the kids and I have loved seeing the plants we planted last for months.

If you have any questions please feel free to email or call.

Michele Finn
hoopvitality(at)gmail(dot)com

A peek at the plan for Urban Fusion Community Garden.

Previously at NAC: The Urban Fusion Community Garden needs your support.

Following is a statement of progress currently being made toward realizing a community garden on Culbertson Avenue, as submitted by chief organizer Michele Finn, who also notes Urban Fusion's fund-raising needs to get its opening phase under way.

Above is a rendition of the garden, as created by Christina Pfau. According to Michele, "There may be some slight changes but it is a great example of what can be done with the space we have available."

We'll continue to post updates here.

The Urban Fusion Community Garden needs your support.

Following is a statement of progress currently being made toward realizing a community garden on Culbertson Avenue, as submitted by chief organizer Michele Finn, who also notes Urban Fusion's fund-raising needs to get its opening phase under way. NABC will be donating $200 toward this effort; I'll get it to the bank this week, and I've adjusted Michele's numbers to reflect this donation. 

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The Urban Fusion Community Garden has been pricing raised beds. The best price we have found is from Youth Build in Louisville at $170 each for cedar. That is special pricing for a non-profit organization. The turn around time is two weeks. Our planting season starts in three!

"Our mission is to capitalize on the positive energy of young adults by helping them rebuild their communities and their own lives with a commitment to work, education, responsibility, and family.

YouthBuild aides unemployed and undereducated young people, ages 16 to 24, build affordable housing for homeless and low-income families in their own communities.

They split their time between the construction site and the classroom, where they earn their GED or high school diploma, learn to be community leaders, prepare for jobs or college."

We have had $575 donated thus far with a goal of $1,700 for raised beds which leaves us needing $1,125 for this project, which would estimate to about 60 people donating $20 each. All donations are tax deductible and can be made to Keep New Albany Clean and Green. They can be mailed to me (Michele Finn) at 2405 Beeler Street, New Albany 47150, or taken to Your Community Bank.

Here are reasons for a community garden, as given by the American Community Garden Association. I'll admit that I probably could come up with some better sounding ones, but I had a family wedding last night, cooking for Easter today, and I have to play Easter Bunny tonight. It's a busy weekend. But these are good reasons and it is a legit organization, even if it is a little bland. The garden itself will not be bland.

Preserves Green Space
Reduces Crime
Social Interaction
Encourages Self-Reliance
Beautifies Neighborhoods
Produces Nutritious Food
Reduces Family Food Budgets
Conserves Resources

I will add that the average vegetable from the grocery travels 1.500 miles. That's a lot a petro.