Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here are resources, opportunities, and events that you might want to share with friends and neighbors:
1) First Friday Film at GardenHouse: King Corn on Mar 5
2) Dining from Your Back Yard – Mar 6
3) New ENO Spring Souper on Mar 13
4) New MI Ave. Thinkers and Doers features Bob Tresize on Mar 24
5) New Giving Tree Farm CSA shares available
6) New Do Kids Really Count in Michigan? on Mar 10
7) New Garden Leader Training Series
8) Free Workshops for the American Indian Community
9) Mid-MEAC’s First Friday Lunch on Urbandale Farm, March 5
10) New Fundraiser for Ron Abraham
11) Mobile Food Pantry on March 20
12) New Coins for Haiti
13) Potter Park Zoo hosts renowned Wolf Expert on March 28
14) New MI Recycling Coalition’s Master Business Recycler Training Program
15) New Rape Aggression Defense Training for Women
16) Parenting for Peace and Justice at Pilgrim Church
17) Fenner Spring Volunteer Orientation on March 13
1) First Friday Film Night: GardenHouse screening of King Corn Friday March 5th at 7pm
The GardenHouse will be screening a food related film on the first Friday of every month. Come down to the park for our second film night on March 5th at 7pm for a free showing of King Corn.
Here is what Amazon.com had to say about the film:
“KING CORN is a fun and crusading journey into the digestive tract of our fast food nation where one ultra-industrial, pesticide-laden, heavily-subsidized commodity dominates the food pyramid from top to bottom corn. Fueled by curiosity and a dash of naivete, college buddies Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis return to their ancestral home of Greene, Iowa to figure out how a modest kernel conquered America.
With the help of some real farmers, oodles of fertilizer and government aide, and some genetically modified seeds, the friends manage to grow one acre of corn. Along the way, they unlock the hilarious absurdities and scary but hidden truths about America s modern food system in this engrossing and eye-opening documentary.
A graceful and frequently humorous film that captures the idiosyncrasies of its characters and never hectors (Salon), KING CORN shows how and why whenever you eat a hamburger or drink a soda, you re really consuming … corn.”
2) Dining from Your Back Yard: Intensive gardening techniques, including sequencing and mixing flowers, veggies and herbs for bountiful backyard harvests.
Saturday, March 6, 2-3:30 pm in the Hunter Park GardenHouse
Lynne Martinez, known to many of you as our former state rep, county commissioner, and non-profit director, also owned a small landscaping company at one time. She has also been a life long, successful, back yard gardener—just the person we needed to inspire gardeners throughout the neighborhood and beyond.
Join Lynne for a relaxed and interactive conversation about dining from your back yard, including information on:
Intensive urban gardening – preparing beds, giving up rows and sequencing planting
Integrating plantings – mixing flowers, vegetables and herbs for beauty and bountiful harvests
Discover the joy of “finding” dinner in your garden, and identify complementary plantings to satisfy and expand your dining preferences, including recipes. To register, call Allison at 367-2468 or email her at allisonb@allenneighborhoodcenter.org.
3) ENO Spring Souper
On Saturday, March 13, from 4-7 pm, at Pattengill Middle School, join your neighbors for the 30th Annual Spring Souper – a fundraiser for the Eastside Neighborhood Organization. Enjoy Soups of all Sorts, Bread, Beverages, and Desserts; Adult/Child Raffles, Silent Auction, and catching up with neighbors. Tickets are: $5 for adults, $3 for kids under 14 years, and $18 for a Family of 5 or more. Tickets available at the door. Call Denise at 484-9109 or Marti at 648-9877 for more information.
4) Michigan Avenue Thinkers and Doers features Bob Tresize
Please join the MSU Center for Community and Economic Development’s Michigan Avenue Thinkers and Doers on Wednesday, March 24 in welcoming Bob Trezise, President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Development Corporation. He will discuss planned developments along Michigan Avenue and in downtown Lansing. The event will take place at the CCED office (1615 E. Michigan Ave.). Refreshments will be served at 5:30 pm, and the presentation will begin at 6:00pm. Contact Natalie Youakim, Center for Community and Economic Development, Michigan State University, 517.353.9555, msu.cced@gmail.com, youakimn@msu.edu for more information.
5) Interested in joining a CSA? Check out Giving Tree Farm
About the Farm
Giving Tree Farm is located just north of Lansing on Turner Rd (the Old Town area). The farm serves as the site for Community Based Intervention’s vocational training program and also hosts an independent horticultural therapy program year round. For more information about the social programming check out http://www.cbirehab.com/57901/73201.html We are Certified Organic, with eight hoop houses, 7 acres of fields, a cut flower garden, and a herb garden. In addition to our CSA program, we sell our produce at farmer’s markets (including Allen Street Farmers Market), the East Lansing Food Co-op, and restaurants in the Lansing area.
About CSA’s
You can find out more details about this concept at this link: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ but a CSA is basically a great way for people to directly connect with local farmers in order to get the freshest, healthiest produce possible while supporting local economies and farm ecosystems.
What to Expect
Buying locally grown food means learning to eat seasonally. For example, spring is mostly lettuce, spinach, greens, peas, fava beans, beets, green onions, etc. Summer is all the traditional farm veggies: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, carrots, celery, beans, summer squash, cucumbers, melons, broccoli, cauliflower, etc (too many to list), and then fall is storage crops like onions, leeks, cabbage, carrots, beets, winter squash, and more lettuce, spinach, and greens. Recipes will be available with your produce each week. It’s a great way to learn to cook with veggies!
Logistics
As the consumer, you pay us $300 up front, or in installments, and you get around $12 (often more than that) of produce each week from mid-May through the end of October. Pick up is available at the farm (day TBA later) or at the Allen St Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays from 2:00pm-6:30pm. My goal is to have 75 members signed up by April 1st. To sign up please visit our CSA website at http://cbisgivingtreefarm.wordpress.com/ or if you don’t have internet access just call the farm at 517-482-8885 and ask for Melissa Hornaday.
6) Do Kids Really Count in Michigan?
The League of Women Voters of the Lansing Are (LWVLA), MSU Women’s Resource Center and the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing, Inc. are sponsoring a program, Do Kids Really Count in Michigan? League for Human Services Project Director for the Kids Count in Michigan, Jane Zehnder-Merrell will focus on the impact of the state’s economic and social problems on Michigan’s children. She will also discuss her work organizing Kids Count. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Esselman at 351-0417. This program is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10, 2010 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the East Lansing Public Library Meeting Room at 950 Abbot Road in East Lansing. This event is free and open to the public.
7) Garden Leader Training Series, offered by the Garden Project
Thursdays, March 4, 11, 18, 25, 6-8:30 p.m., Gier Community Center (2400 Hall Street)
Anyone starting a new community garden or intending to have a leadership role at a community garden should plan on attending all four classes in this free series. To register, contact The Garden Project at (517) 887-4660 or gardenproject@ingham.org.
8 ) FREE Workshops for the American Indian community
Personal Action Towards Health (Path) for Native Americans
Starting Wednesday, March 3, 2010 from 1:15p.m.-3:45p.m., the Native American Outreach Program at the Ingham County Health Department will be offering the 6 week Personal Action Towards Health (PATH) classes. The class will be every Wednesday for 6 weeks from 1:15p.m.-3:45p.m. in the Atrium Conference Room.
The class is specifically for the American Indian community in Ingham, Eaton and Clinton County. The class will discuss how to better manage your on going health condition (chronic health condition) such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, COPD and many others. The class is also for individuals who may NOT have a chronic health condition but are caring or know someone with an on going health condition. If you attend the classes you will get a free gift card and other gifts, PLUS a snack! There is still space available if you are interested or know someone who may be interested.
The Ingham County Health Department is located at 5303 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48910. We are the block of brown brick buildings and are located in building #3. Please look for bright pink signs directing you where to go OR ask the Security Guard.
The class will be taught by Ashley Harding and Ana Tristan. If you would like to enroll, please call Ashley at 517.272.4127 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact her. From Ashley: “I hope many will be in attendance as we move forward in developing vital programming for our American Indian community. Ahe’hee and Miigwetch.”
9) MidMEAC’s First Friday lunch focuses on Urbandale Farm
Plan to attend MidMEAC’s First Friday lunch on March 5th at Central United Methodist Church, 215 N Capitol Ave, from noon to 1. A light buffet lunch (suggested donation $5) will be available; all are welcome; no need to rsvp. Laura Delind and Linda Anderson will describe their work to date to develop an urban farm in the floodplain on Lansing’s Eastside: Why an urban farm? Why this neighborhood? What’s it going to take to create a farm? Who’s involved? What will be done with the food that’s grown? What else might happen with vacant lots in this neighborhood besides a farm? Don’t miss it!
10) FUNDRAISER to raise money for Ron Abraham, Eastside resident for over 60 years, professional engraver for over 30 years, and all-around good guy.
Ron, stricken with polio at age 2, is been wheelchair bound and the community is raising funds to provide a first floor bathroom. The fundraiser is on March 15 at Auggies Pub and Grill on the corner of Miller and Washington.
11) MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
City of Lansing HUMAN RELATIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT & the Mid-Michigan Food Bank ANNOUNCES the distribution of FREE, fresh, non-perishable food items:
When: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 9am until 11am
Where: St. Casimir Catholic Church, 800 W. Barnes, Lansing, MI 48910
Who can participate?
• The disadvantaged and vulnerable.
• Senior citizens on fixed incomes.
• Families/individuals with limited or low income jobs.
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BRING A VALID STATE IDENTIFICATION CARD OR DRIVER’S LICENSE
If you or someone you know must choose between buying food and filling prescriptions, please tell them about this important program. Participants should bring a box or bag to carry food. For more information, call the City of Lansing HRCS at (517) 483-4477
12) Coins for Haiti
Message from Freya Rivers, Principal of Bingham School
Just an update on the Coins for Haiti project. As a school district we raised $13,508.40. Our goal was $10,000 and we exceeded it. The last of the money will be sent to Doctors without Borders on Friday. Bingham raised $1284.70 but Eastern was the top with $1700. I’m so proud of all our schools and students to reach out and help those in need. Thank you for your continued support.
13) Potter Park Zoo hosts world renowned Wolf Expert
On Sunday, March 28 at 2:00pm, Potter Park Zoo will be hosting world renowned wolf expert Dr. Rolf Peterson. He will lead the audience through the wild life of the wolves of Isle Royale National Park and the important predator-prey research taking place there.
Tickets are $15. For more information please visit our website http://www.potterparkzoo.org
14) The Michigan Recycling Coalition’s Master Business Recycler Training Program is coming to Lansing.
On Tuesday, April 6, 2010 local businesses will have the opportunity to take advantage of this beneficial workshop. Participants will receive a training manual and other valuable materials. See attached flyer for details and/or please feel free to contact Lori at the City of Lansing at 517/483-4599 or lmiller@lansingmi.gov.
15) RAD Training- Rape Aggression Defense Training for Women
Location: Lansing Police Department, North Pct, 740 May St., Lansing, MI.
FOR WOMEN ONLY
Dates/Times: April 20, 27 and May 4, 2010 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
ALL SESSIONS ARE REQUIRED!!!!
Cost: FREE- With commitment to attend all three nights for program completion
Attire: Clothing comfortable for exercise
TO REGISTER: Contact Michelle Reddish at mreddish@lansingmi.gov or call (517)483-6040
16) Parenting for Peace and Justice
Pilgrim Congregational UCC is hosting a free 6 week workshop entitled “Parenting for Peace and Justice”. The workshop will focus on inspiring peace with your family in the home and in the world. Free childcare is provided. The series begins Saturday April 10th and runs 6 consecutive Saturdays through May 15th. The workshop will meet at Pilgrim UCC at 125 South Pennsylvania Avenue from 6 pm to 8 pm. Please preregister by emailing or calling Shantana Goerge: goergesh@msu.edu or 517-676-1671.
17) Fenner Spring Volunteer Orientation
Message from the Fenner Volunteer Coordination Team
We’d like to invite all returning and new volunteers to our Fenner Spring Volunteer Orientation! Please join us Saturday March 13th from 10 am-noon for meet, greet, and treats and to start the official kick-off for the upcoming schedule of volunteer activities. In addition to taking care of some of the necessary formalities (bring your emergency contact info!), join us for an informal tour of the center and park (weather permitting). We’ll look back with some history of Fenner as well as look forward to the exciting future at the Center. Thanks in advance for your attendance and participation!
PLEASE RSVP (reply including name and email or phone to fennernature@lansingmi.gov or call 517-483-4224). If you are unable to join us this time, we look forward to seeing you at a future scheduled Volunteer Orientation.
