Tag: Gateway Greening Community Gardens

GATEWAY GREENING AWARDED $205,000 GRANT BY MONSANTO FUND

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Grant will be used to educate and empower the youth of St. Louis through exposure to gardening and healthy eating.

St. Louis (April 20th, 2017) – Gateway Greening has been educating and empowering individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture in the St. Louis community for more than 30 years. As part of its 2017 initiative, the Monsanto Fund has granted $205,000 to Gateway Greening for its Youth and School Garden Program. Monsanto Fund has partnered with Gateway Greening since 2004, contributing more than $1.5 million to various programs over the last 12 years.

Through the Monsanto Fund, Gateway Greening’s youth and school gardens are able to inspire and educate children across St. Louis through hands-on outdoor lessons and activities in the garden. Gateway Greening works with parents, teachers and other community leaders to teach kids about gardening, agriculture and healthy eating. Matt Schindler, Gateway Greening’s Executive Director, explains the importance of this grant. “With the Monsanto Fund, Gateway Greening is educating and inspriring St. Louis’ future agricultural professionals. Our youth and school garden program is impacting 10,151 students in 51 neighborhoods,” said Schindler.

Michelle Insco, Monsanto Fund program officer, highlights the wide scope of benefits provided by the program. “Gateway Greening’s Youth Garden Program beautifies our community, teaches young people about food and nutrition, and pulls science education out of the classroom and into an engaging, outdoor environment,” said Insco. “Many of these students grew up in the city, so they also learn how agriculture is an integral part in our daily lives, even if they’ve never been to a farm. Monsanto Fund is proud to support this program.”

When building youth gardens, projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community and staff support and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), curricular resources and training. We strive to establish sustainable garden projects that can continue teaching our youth for years to come.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 220 community and school gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

About Monsanto Fund

The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farm families and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

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Greening the STL Map Room

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Blog | STL Map Room 01
Gateway Greening staff members worked with STL Map Room Site Coordinator Emily Catedral to mark current St. Louis LRA locations as part of their contribution to the STL Map Room project.

This week the Gateway Greening staff found a new way to highlight school & community gardens throughout St. Louis City – by teaming up with the STL Map Room project!

STL Map Room is a collaborative project between COCA (Center of Creative Arts) and The Office for Creative Research. On March 3, the partnership took over the shuttered Stevens Middle School in St. Louis, MO to create the St. Louis Map Room: a community space for creating and exploring original, interpretive maps of the city that reflect the personal stories and lived experiences of its residents.

Blog | STL Map Room 03
Gateway Greening Youth Educator Meg Holmes marking school garden locations throughout St. Louis City.

Last Thursday several Gateway Greening staff members spent the morning working with Emily Catedral of the STL Map Room to create a 10’x10’ canvas map of St. Louis City which our experience as urban agriculture advocates in the city.

It was a powerful experience as Catedral worked with staff to pull up a range of map data dating back to as early as the late 1800s and covering a range of topics: public transportation, residential and industrial zoning, racial distribution, public income and healthcare census records, and more. By adding a selection of school and community gardens throughout the city and projecting historical map data over top, it didn’t take long to observe how the locations of currently existing community gardens often correlated to St. Louis City’s zoning and financial policy decisions made as far back as the early 1900s.

After a great deal of debate and discussion, our staff narrowed down the list of possible data points that could be included to focus on current LRA land distribution, existing public green spaces, and a selection of school and community gardens throughout the city. The Gateway Greening map has joined others created by schools, non-profits, and the general public from around St. Louis and will be on display at the Stevens Middle School until April 9, 2017. Afterwards, the maps will be displayed in various locations throughout St. Louis for an undefined amount of time before being added to the City Archives.

Blog | STL Map Room 01
Gateway Greening’s contribution to the STL Map Room project, highlighting many of St. Louis City’s school & community gardens, public green spaces, and LRA land.

Discover more about this fascinating project by visiting the STL Map Room website, or find out how you can participating by contacting Emily Catedral at [email protected].

Have you met your Library Community Gardens?

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Library Community Gardens

5 Questions We Love Hearing About Library Community Gardens

We love it when people ask us questions about our programs, even if it’s something we’ve heard more than once! After all, what better way to learn something new? This week, we’re answering the five most commonly asked questions about Library Community Gardens. 

 

What are Library Community Gardens?

In 2012 the St. Louis County Library System (SLCL) and Gateway Greening formed a partnership with the goal of establishing several community gardens at public libraries. The concept was that by transforming the previously manicured lawns into thriving garden spaces, libraries would be able to extend their programing, offering a wide range of educational classes, gardening information, and environmental programming to patrons. At the same time, they would create a space for community members to grow healthy produce for their families.

The partnership has seen outstanding success since the first garden was installed at Prairie Commons branch library in March of 2013. Today, there are currently three library community gardens active in St. Louis County: Prairie Commons (Hazelwood, MO), Cliff Cave (Oakville, MO), and Grant’s View (Affton, MO).

 

How can I get involved, or get a plot of my own?

The best way to get involved – whether you’d like a plot or explore volunteer opportunities – is to contact the library branch staff directly. Since each garden is managed by a volunteer group, the library staff will be able to put you in contact with the correct person to handle your request.

Similar to other community gardens found throughout St. Louis, individuals can apply to have a plot of their own in their local library garden. If you’re interested, apply early! Garden space is limited and most library gardens will have a waiting list to sign up for available plots. If successful, gardeners can expect to pay a small annual fee (usually around $25) and will need to agree to follow basic garden rules.

If you are interested in volunteering or learning, you can also ask for information on the community garden, or look for the various educational classes held at various St. Louis County Library Branches throughout the year.

 

Grant’s View Community Garden Installation 2016
Grant’s View Community Garden at the Grant’s View Library in Spring 2016

How can I get involved at my Library Community Garden?

Currently, there are no plans to build any additional library gardens at existing libraries in St. Louis County. If you would like to learn more about a current library garden project, or ask about potential future projects, please contact our Outreach Manager!

 

Do you have opportunities for people to learn about gardening?

We regularly offer educational gardening workshops at each of the library branches, and even a few libraries that don’t currently have gardens! Gateway Greening also offers regular community education workshops at its Carriage House location throughout the growing season.

To find out more about upcoming learning opportunities, please visit:

 

What happens to the produce grown in the garden?

Just like any other community, each library garden establishes its own rules and guidelines. Most SLCL gardens provide individual plots to individuals or a family to grow produce for their own consumption. The rule of thumb is usually, “if you didn’t plant it, don’t pick it.” This doesn’t mean gardeners don’t get creative though. Other SLCL gardens have community areas, where multiple community gardeners share the workload and offer/donate produce to other families, local food pantries, or to library patrons and staff.

If you have a question about a particular location or garden, don’t hesitate to ask a community gardener or library staff at the main desk.

Gateway Greening Announces Installation of St. Louis Artworks Community Garden

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St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – St. Louis Artworks Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was installed in 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Three double-high raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 3 wooden picnic tables, 2 wooden benches, 1 wheelbarrow, 2 garden hoes, 2 digging forks, 1 hard rake, 7 garden trowels, and 125’ of garden hoses.

St. Louis Artworks Community Garden has 11 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 144 lbs of produce annually, on average.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The St. Louis Artworks Community Garden is located at 5959 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Gateway Greening Announces Installation of MRH Elementary School Garden

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St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – MRH Elementary School Garden in Richmond Heights, MO was installed on 29 Oct 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Twelve raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 2 picnic tables, 2 wooden benches, assorted signage, and garden tools.

MRH Elementary School Garden has 11 families from the community gardening and with the students, the garden will be able to grow 480 lbs of produce annually, on average. The produce will be used in MRH Elementary School lunches and is also for the gardeners’ personal use.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The MRH Elementary School Garden is located at 1800 Princeton Place, Richmond Heights, MO 63117.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Gateway Greening Announces Installation of Grant’s View Community Garden

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St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – Grant’s View Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was installed in 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Twenty eight raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 1 shed, 1 3-bin compost system with signage, 1 picnic table, 1 ANOVA bench, 1 garden scale, 150’ of watering hoses with carts, 12 shovels, 5 hard rakes, 5 digging forks, 6 garden hoes, and 5 hand tool sets.

Grant’s View Community Garden has 34 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 1344 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce will be used by the gardeners and informally distributed throughout the community.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The Grant’s View Community Garden is located at 9700 Musick Ave. St. Louis, MO 63123.

(PHOTOS ATTACHED)

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Grant’s View Community Garden Installation 2016

Gateway Greening Announces Installation of Blades Community Garden

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St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) –Blades Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was installed in 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. 10 raised beds were installed and filled with soil. The award also included: 1 garden sign, 1 toolshed, and 1 garden scale.

Blades Community Garden has 10 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 400 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce will be used by the gardeners.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The Blades Community Garden is located at 5140 Patterson Rd. St. Louis, MO 63129.

(PHOTOS ATTACHED)

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Blades Community Garden Installation 2016

Gateway Greening Announces Expansion of William L Clay Community Garden

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St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – William L Clay Community Garden in St. Louis, MO. was expanded in Fall of 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. The garden received: 10 cubic yards of garden mix, 1 garden scale, 150’ of watering hose, 1 wheelbarrow, 1 digging fork, 1 garden hoe, 1 hard rake, and 1 sprinkler.

William L Clay Community Garden has 18 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 750 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce is used by the gardeners and informally distributed throughout the community.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The William L Clay Community Garden is located at 5608 Clemens Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Gateway Greening Announces Expansion of People’s Nutrition Garden

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St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – People’s Nutrition Garden in St. Louis, MO was expanded in Fall of 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. The garden received: 2 cubic yards of garden mix, 2 hard rakes, 2 garden hoes, 1 digging fork, 1 garden scale, 1 deck box, and 1 small composter.

People’s Nutrition Garden has 7 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 300 lbs of produce annually, on average. Produce is used by the gardeners, informally given away in the local community, and formally donated to Operation Food Search.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The People’s Nutrition Garden is located at 5701 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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Gateway Greening Announces Expansion of Metropolitan Apartments Village Garden

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St. Louis (1 Dec 2016) – Metropolitan Apartments Village Garden in St. Louis, MO. was expanded on 20 Oct 2016 as a result of an award from Gateway Greening. Three double-high raised beds were installed and filled with soil. Additional granted materials included: replacement lumber for older beds, 10 cubic yards of compost, 2 hand tool sets, 2 shovels, 2 garden hoes, 1 wheelbarrow, 2 sprinklers, 2 hard rakes, 2 digging forks, and 2 watering hoses.

Metropolitan Apartments Village Garden has 20 gardeners from the community and as a group, the garden will be able to grow 2300 lbs of produce annually, on average. The produce is for personal use by the gardeners.

For 30 years, Gateway Greening has educated and empowered individuals to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening’s Garden Program receives many requests to start or expand community gardens in St. Louis. Projects are selected based on a number of factors including: need, the quality of the garden space, the level of community support, and the thoroughness of the plan for using the garden space. Awarded sites are typically supported with seeds/plants, garden tools, materials (hardscape and landscape), and guidance.

The Metropolitan Apartments Village Garden is located at 3111 Franklin Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63106.

 

About Gateway Greening

Gateway Greening is a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers people to strengthen their communities through gardening and urban agriculture. Gateway Greening has been working to provide creative, grassroots solutions to urban problems since 1984. Programs include supporting more than 200 community and youth-focused gardens across the St. Louis area through educational opportunities, garden supplies and technical assistance; and Gateway Greening’s Urban Farm, a 2.5-acre farm in downtown St. Louis that provides therapeutic horticulture and a jobs training program. Visit Gateway Greening at www.gatewaygreening.org. @gatewaygreening.

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