Spring into Bed, a grassroots effort, is/was an iteration of  the work of Stephanie Snyder-Seliga (who I am lucky to call my wife).  While coordinating the Kitchen Garden Project she initiated ”Day of the Bed”, which [...]]]> First off, thanks to all of the hundreds of people, organizations, and businesses that helped make this happen.  This first annual event was awesome.

Spring into Bed, a grassroots effort, is/was an iteration of  the work of Stephanie Snyder-Seliga (who I am lucky to call my wife).  While coordinating the Kitchen Garden Project she initiated ”Day of the Bed”, which focused on building gardens for low-income people, and one reason I fell for her, as I was getting CEL rolling at the same time.

CEL was founded on the idea of making a business model that helped people of all incomes grow food in their spaces.  Utilizing a “sliding-scale” approach, during the first 4 years of business we provided economic support for people of lower incomes.   While this was nourishing spiritually, it was not sustainable, meaning the business (and our philosophies) would not be around very long if we continued in this manner.  This is why we sought partnerships that could help make this mission happen.  Enter Seattle Tilth, whose director and board decided this year to support the Food Justice mission.   Our communities/city/region is wealthy in human, financial, and other resources, and the networks we create make things happen more quickly–and beautifully.  Soon after, Seattle Tilth provided fiscal sponsorship for Spring into Bed, the May 8th event focused on building a Just food-system–NOW.

CEL signed on as first “captain” –there were 8 total– pledging to raise $1000.  Our business generated this through cutting sod, and,  the generosity of the members of the Community-Supported Plant Starts program.  Hustle and Chutzpah of our team sellings plants, building edible gardens and landscapes, and providing hands on garden education filled in the balance

We (Spring into Bed)  built 9 gardens (two of which were sizable) for lower income individuals on May 8th.  CEL’s site was at a church in a low-income neighborhood in South Seattle.  Stephanie let me know a few days before the garden build day that I was going to have 70 middle school kids help.  I said “Great with a grin and thought ” I did not sign up for this but I’ve been here before”, having worked at Seattle Youth Garden Works.

The youth were fun, and they had great supervision from City-Year.  They especially liked Mayor Mike McGinn’s Magic Pole Beans donated to the cause.  We built a large garden and planted half of it; we moved a shed and removed a lot of blackberry.  The members of the congregation were really thankful for all of our support.  This gratitude was expressed throughout the project from the garden recepients for the material and logistical support to help them get their gardens going.  I feel blessed that I got to play Garden Gnome.  I also feel blessed that I got to talk to the youth about Food Security and Justice.

Spring into Bed got it’s traction before Will Allen made an appearance in February, but his words (with my paraphrase) were nonetheless inspiring:  ”Stop talking.  If you’re not going to do something in the next 3 months, then examine what you are doing.”  Gettings things (Food Justice) done, leading through example–we want this movement to be contagious–,as was facilitating connections between individuals in the food were the motivations for Spring into Bed, and I feel happy to say that all of these things happened. It also make me feel happy to think of the dirty hands of the new gardeners who will be eating good healthy food.

Moving forward, we hope to expand this community-supported model of Food Justice garden building throughout the rest of 2010 and beyond.  Each week there’s at least one family with limited resources that contacts Cascadian Edible Landscapes for building a garden.  On Spring into Bed’s list 9/20 were fulfilled.  While we do what we can, the larger Seattle communitycan get more done if we put our life force into it.

Thanks again to everyone who made this happen and we at CEL look forward to further co-labs.

About Sod Cutting Spree is:

Spring into Bed is a city-wide garden building effort where individuals, communities, families and organizations, will be creating all types of gardens, from p-patches to home plots to guerrilla gardens on May 8th.   Another component is the building of at minimum 10 Food Justice gardens to support people of lower incomes. [...]]]> Please contact  Stephanie for more information.

Spring into Bed is a city-wide garden building effort where individuals, communities, families and organizations, will be creating all types of gardens, from p-patches to home plots to guerrilla gardens on May 8th.   Another component is the building of at minimum 10 Food Justice gardens to support people of lower incomes.  Oh yeah, and there is going to be a party in the evening to celebrate the # of acres-and personal connections– we added to the urban food infrastructure.   Website being developed soon.  If you want to help with anything–from building gardens, organizing gardeners or throwing the party, please contact Stephanie

Hello Community, Wishing you a happy Wednesday and joyful week. Spring into Bed is a grass-roots city wide garden building event and fundraiser. We will be building community and gardens while making public the building of a sustainable city food shed.

Thank you for taking time to read this,.  Our enthusiasm and number of supporters has grown so quickly in only a month’s time! Seattle is ready for this kind of event and there are so many skilled and talented people ready to make it happen!

If food security, food justice, community building, neighborhood resilience, gardening, permacutlure and/or sustainability are of interest to you, and the idea of a city wide effort to build food gardens is even remotely intriguing, please attend the meeting and bring a friend.We will:

1. Share information and inspiration gathered from the Survey.
2. Set the date and schedule the key success points leading us from today to the Day we spring.
3. Establish a core counsel — folks interested in dedicating an increased amount of time, skills and services to this event.
4. Create and delegate a list of action items that folks can take on.

If you are interested in being part of the core counsel and cannot attend this meeting, please e-mail us back and we’ll be sure to get you the important information.

We look forward to your presence and to working together to build an even stronger Seattle food shed.

Yours in community,

Stephanie

Please respond to Stephanie with comments and inquires.
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Fwd Message…

1/9/2010 First Annual Garden Bed Bonanza (name TBD) – Planning Meeting

The first meeting had a great turnout for short notice over the holiday break.  There was a lot of consensus that a coordinated day this year is a great idea, and we discussed the different structures and dates that this could be surrounded.  A small group of people took on the project of refining the groups’ vision, deciding the name of the event from a list of 5,  and making contacts for future meetings.  Stay tuned.

Below is the original post describing the event.

Turn a seed of an idea–Building beds in a coordinated effort to create community, increase local food resilience, and support food justice–into the physical reality. This could be a one day per year event, or turn into something greater. A collaborative effort in essence, we are looking for people/partners to co-create this first ANNUAL event.

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1. PLANT A FRUIT TREE We will come to your loved ones’s place to plant a fruit tree in the winter January/February are the best times for the tree.  We will bring the tree, compost, and micronutrients, as well as a care guide for [...]]]> Give the gift that keeps on Giving ! We have 3 ideas:

1. PLANT A FRUIT TREE We will come to your loved ones’s place to plant a fruit tree in the winter January/February are the best times for the tree.  We will bring the tree, compost, and micronutrients, as well as a care guide for your new friend.    **Our beautifully designed gift certificate and the promise within will delight your loved one(s) on the holidays.

Types of Trees Available: Apple, Pear, Cherry, and Plum.  All varieties will be chose for their hardiness on West (wet) side of the Cascades, and will be announced by November 15th.  Tree Size: We will have 2-3 year old trees with DWARF (4-8’ tall at maturity) & SEMI-DWARF (10-15’) rootstocks available.

COST is $65 for the first tree and $45 for each additional tree.

2. VEGGIE STARTS FOR THE YEAR.  Grow more food by Pre-ordering a share of Community Supported Plant Starts and have flats of ready-to-plant seedlings arrive in your community throughout the growing season (March-September). 

Cost is $130 for four sucessions (flats) of crops.

3.  BUILD YOUR DREAM EDIBLE LANDSCAPE. This could be simple veggie boxes or an entire landscape complete with trees, shrubs, planter boxes, herbs spirals, and medicine wheels.  Cost is $500 on up. 

CONTACT US for more information or to RESERVE YOUR TREE, CSPS Share, or Edible Landscape Project

Assumptions- you eat enough vegetables–(a very healthy choice might I add), which add up in cost each month.

Click here to view the embedded video.