"I can't think of any project in Indiana that's been as successful at drawing people together...as the Indiana Community Garden." (Kay Snyder, volunteer coordinator at the Indiana Community Garden)
The Indiana Community Garden is a beautiful public space where people share their ideas, interests, and skills for common goals, thus fostering a stronger community. Almost every month, events occur at the community garden in which all are welcome to participate.
Many local businesses donated plants and supplies for the Seedling Project. Karen Eller, owner of Plant-It Earth Greenhouse & Gardens, donated flats of tomatoes and peppers. She also donated plants for the public beds at the community garden,
where they will grow and eventually supply more food for people.
Seedling choices included tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, onion sets, and potatoes.
Gretchen McCormick, a Biology student at IUP, helped people select seeds based on growing conditions and food preferences.
Nicole Dann-Payne, a nutritionist instructor at IUP, also helped with the Seedling Project.
"Thank you!"
If they didn't have a garden space, clients were provided buckets filled with soil for container gardening. One recipient remarked, "We used to have a garden. But since we moved into a mobile home, we haven't been able to do that. Now we can grow stuff on our porch."
Once people selected their seedlings and seeds, they moved outside to collect their growing containers.
Students from Dr. Melissa Swauger's class assisted them.
Students filled buckets with garden soil and carried them to the clients' cars.
Amber Book, coordinator for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, and Dr. Swauger
discussed growing requirements of the seedlings with a client.
Many businesses and individuals made the Seedling Project possible and successful. From left to right is Amber Book, coordinator for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank; Dr. Kay Snyder, volunteer coordinator for the Indiana Community Garden; and Eugene Ferg of the Zion Food Bank.
A team of volunteers from the community, the community garden, and IUP,
helping empower people to grow their own fresh, high quality foods.
Many student participants of Into the Streets contributed their time and manpower on Building Day.
More photos can be seen on the VOLUNTEER page.
The ground surrounding the gas well was prepared for installation of new raised beds.
Students from CALSA (Caring About Latino Student Achievement)
turned the compost pile.
FIRST ANNUAL SEED SWAP
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and the Indiana Community Garden will present a community seed swap on Saturday, November 8, 2014, from 1 to 4 pm. This event, hosted by IUP's SEEDS Club, is part of a larger project: the Northern Appalachian Seed Bank, which is a multidisciplinary collaboration of IUP and the community garden. The seed swap will be held at Zink Hall (1190 Maple Street) on the IUP campus. Seeds are not required for attending this event! Come and meet people who are saving native and heirloom seeds and discover some of the fascinating stories that accompany these seeds. Have seeds of your own to share? Bring 'em. Anthropology students will be present to document the stories/histories of your seeds, helping to preserve them in the seed bank's database as a valuable part of Appalachian culture. There will be fun and educational activities for children.
Also, we are excited to announce that plantsman Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm and Gardens will be the keynote speaker! His topic is "WOODLAND WONDERS FROM THE WILD- an enlightening, entertaining and educational look at some of the plants that we overlook on our woodland hikes. Some of the most interesting and unusual wildflowers are growing in our own backyards right under our noses. Join native plant expert Barry Glick for a fascinating wild wander into the wonderful world of woodland wildflowers." Barry is a foremost authority on native plants and propagation techniques. Click here to read more about this dynamic, engaging, and nationally acclaimed speaker. You can review his professional speaker portfolio here. Barry will also bring an excellant selection of native plants available for purchasing during the seed swap.
Also, we are excited to announce that plantsman Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm and Gardens will be the keynote speaker! His topic is "WOODLAND WONDERS FROM THE WILD- an enlightening, entertaining and educational look at some of the plants that we overlook on our woodland hikes. Some of the most interesting and unusual wildflowers are growing in our own backyards right under our noses. Join native plant expert Barry Glick for a fascinating wild wander into the wonderful world of woodland wildflowers." Barry is a foremost authority on native plants and propagation techniques. Click here to read more about this dynamic, engaging, and nationally acclaimed speaker. You can review his professional speaker portfolio here. Barry will also bring an excellant selection of native plants available for purchasing during the seed swap.
Please, no hybrids...bring seeds only from open-pollinated varieties of plants.
For questions concerning either the event or sharing your seeds, please contact:
Gretchen McCormick bgqq@iup.edu
Lisa McCann lisamccann75@gmail.com
THE SEEDLING PROJECT- 2014
On April 28, and again on May 12, members of the community and university worked together to provide people of limited resources with seedlings and supplies, enabling them to begin growing their own fresh food.
The project was a collaboration of the Greater Pittsburgh Area Food Bank, Zion Food Bank, the Indiana Community Garden, the Indiana County Community Action Program (ICCAP), and a sociology class taught by Dr. Melissa Swauger of IUP. She included students' participation in planning and execution of the project as part of the curriculum for her Sociology of Family class.
Many local businesses donated plants and supplies for the Seedling Project. Karen Eller, owner of Plant-It Earth Greenhouse & Gardens, donated flats of tomatoes and peppers. She also donated plants for the public beds at the community garden,
where they will grow and eventually supply more food for people.
Seedling choices included tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, onion sets, and potatoes.
Gretchen McCormick, a Biology student at IUP, helped people select seeds based on growing conditions and food preferences.
Nicole Dann-Payne, a nutritionist instructor at IUP, also helped with the Seedling Project.
"Thank you!"
If they didn't have a garden space, clients were provided buckets filled with soil for container gardening. One recipient remarked, "We used to have a garden. But since we moved into a mobile home, we haven't been able to do that. Now we can grow stuff on our porch."
Students from Dr. Melissa Swauger's class assisted them.
Students filled buckets with garden soil and carried them to the clients' cars.
Amber Book, coordinator for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, and Dr. Swauger
discussed growing requirements of the seedlings with a client.
Many businesses and individuals made the Seedling Project possible and successful. From left to right is Amber Book, coordinator for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank; Dr. Kay Snyder, volunteer coordinator for the Indiana Community Garden; and Eugene Ferg of the Zion Food Bank.
A team of volunteers from the community, the community garden, and IUP,
helping empower people to grow their own fresh, high quality foods.
BUILDING DAY, April 2014
The weather was perfect and nearly 100 people worked together at the community garden to prepare it for the upcoming growing season. All the garden beds were replenished with topsoil, the fruit trees were mulched, and mulch was also added to the strawberry beds. Many other essential garden tasks were completed. It was an amazing day of collaboration, productivity, and camaraderie.
Layers of newspapers were placed on the ground before application of
a thick layer of shredded bark mulch. The mulch aids the young fruit trees
by helping to conserve soil moisture and minimizing fluctuations in moisture levels.
Many student participants of Into the Streets contributed their time and manpower on Building Day.
More photos can be seen on the VOLUNTEER page.
The ground surrounding the gas well was prepared for installation of new raised beds.
Members of IUP's Pi Lambda Phi fraternity filled the raised beds with soil. More photos can be seen on the VOLUNTEER page.
Volunteers applied mulch to the newly planted strawberry beds.
Students from CALSA (Caring About Latino Student Achievement)
turned the compost pile.
Members of Phi Gamma Nu under the pavillion with Marie Olson (at left),
the founder of the Indiana Community Garden.
THE GARDEN IN A BOWL FUNDRAISER, February 2014
On the cold, snowy evening of February 15, The Artists Hand Gallery and Expresso Bar was the venue to be at for a unique fundraising event. In an elegant gallery setting, local residents and IUP students socialized while sampling hot gourmet soups and fresh baked artisan breads, all prepared and donated by local restaurants and bakeries. Later in the evening,
an auction was held to benefit the community garden.
For a small donation, patrons could choose their own beautiful, one-of-a-kind stoneware bowl (hand crafted by a local artist) to keep, which was then filled with steaming hot soup.
Eight local restaurants donated a wide variety of delicious soups, all made from scratch. People could choose from Italian Wedding soup, chicken noodle soup, a robust tomato bisque, and more. There were gluten-free and vegan soup choices as well.
Breads were baked during the afternoon of the fundraiser. Six Hand Bakery donated many loaves of artisan french bread, a perfect accompaniment to soup. Yummy for Every Tummy Bakery provided equally delicious gluten-free bread.
Local musician Jason Gamble provided live music...
Tom Nowak served Maggie's Peach Farmhouse Ale, brewed by Terrapin Beer Company.
The beer was donated by John Cuccaro of Holiday Beverages.
For Holiday Beverages' Facebook page, click HERE:
Meet some of the chefs and bakers who prepared the artisan-quality foods that were donated to the Garden in a Bowl.
Jean-Yyves, co-owner of Six Hand Bakery, as he takes hot loaves of bread out of the ovens
shortly before they were delivered to the Garden in a Bowl event.
Learn more about this bakery: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Six-Hand-Bakery/106799272699948
Kay Snyder, volunteer coordinator of the community garden, accepts a pot of soup from the chef at the Coventry Inn Restaurant.
Karissa cooks at the Cozy Corner Cafe. To view the restaurant's menu, click HERE:
Nick is the owner of Nap's Cucina Mia.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Naps-Cucina-Mia/113956391969360
Kyle is a chef at Spaghetti Benders. He prepared Italian Wedding Soup for the fundraiser.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Spaghetti-Benders-Pasta-Shop-Inc/115856595104176
Zack is the chef at Benjamin's Restaurant.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Benjamins-Restaurant/117042105754
Angela Bartek is an owner of the Yummy for Every Tummy Bakery; she's shown here making a batch of gluten-free bread.
BUILDING DAY, April 2013
How could a raw, cold, blustery day at Winter's end not be a deterrant to people for venturing outside? Yet, ignoring snow flurries and a biting cold wind, dozens of people assembled at the Indiana Community Garden and spent the afternoon working together.
Building Day generated large numbers of volunteers from many backgrounds: IUP students, high school students, Master Gardeners affiliated with Penn State Extension, local organizations and businesses, gardeners, and non-gardeners. Volunteers planted apple trees, built new raised beds, installed a decorative fence, and created a rain barrel system. They also prepared the garden beds and applied mulch for the upcoming growing season.
PLANTING DAY, June 2013
On a warm Saturday in early June, people arrived to spend the day planting summer vegetables, flowers, and fruits at the community garden. Many donated heirloom vegetable seedlings. As they planted, gardeners shared stories and knowledge, and helped others.
Faculty from IUP's Department of Food & Nutrition gave a presentation about herbs. They discussed how to identify herbs, their nutritional and culinary value, and cultivating and harvesting tips. Attendees enjoyed sampling foods infused with herbs.
TASTE & TOUR, July 2013
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In conjunction with Friends of the Parks, Master Gardeners and volunteers from the Indiana Community Garden invited the public to spend a fun and educational afternoon at the garden.
Despite intermittent rain showers, more than 70 people attended. Foods made from vegetables and herbs from the community garden were served to guests. Master Gardeners gave demonstrations on topics such as composting techniques, rainwater collection systems, how to create a worm farm, identifying edible weeds, preparation of garden foods, soil preparation, and more.
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Children and adults of all ages were interested to learn how worms break down food scraps and enrich gardening soil.
Volunteers from the Indiana Arts Council painted nature-themed designs on children's hands and faces. Members of the Indiana Garden Club showed visitors how to identify and harvest herbs and flowers, as well as various uses for them.
CANDLELIGHT DINNER at the GARDEN, September 2013
At summer's end, local chefs from Nap's Cucina Mia restaurant gathered fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs from the community garden. Against a backdrop of lush, verdant garden beds, they prepared and served a delicious gourmet meal. Gardeners and friends enjoyed friendship and laughter during a candlelight dinner on white-linen-clad tables set with sparkling china and silverware.
Using flowers from the Indiana Farmer's Market, members of the Indiana Garden Club
created beautiful arrangements to decorate each table.
Click on the link below to view scheduled events at the Indiana Community Garden:
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