Resolution PASSED :-)

A resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a license agreement with Pathstone Community Improvement of Newburgh, INC. in coordination with the Urban Farmers League, a community group to allow the use of city owned at 59 Chambers Street to provide an urban farm for City of Newburgh youth passed !!!!!!!!!!!!

Introduction to Gardening

Decora explaining to Latin and Sophia how to build a compost bin



















Now explaining how to build raised beds

City Council Work Session

What an amazing journey. Yesterday we presented to the city council to demand of use the abandon plot on the corner of Chambers and 1ST. When I say we, I mean we…… There must have been about 6 or 7 youth at the table giving their demands. The youth stood strong and spoke to the council about the neighborhood and how gardening in the neighborhood could help bring the people together. Young Cameron who isn’t even 12 years old told the council that he sees a bright future in the location and that maybe the council members could one day come and get their hands dirty in the soil. Emmanuel, Gilbert, Steven, Jerome and Christina all spoke asking that 59 Chambers become a garden for the youth. The council applauded and so did the audience when we were done, hopefully those same hands will be pulling weeds alongside the young urban farmers this Summer!

Today we attended the organizational meeting for Urban Bounty- the farm is going to be at Downing Park. There are alot of people involved with this:Downing Park, YMCA, Boy Scouts,Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Garderners, Urban Farmers and some others. The group is waiting for families to particpate. There is going to be a orientation May 8,2010 and the building of the garden is going to be May 22,2010. Another great project for the City of Newburgh.

Yesterday we attended the"Vacant and Abandoned Properties: Effective public policy" . We came up some great ideas for the future of Urban Farmers League and the City of Newburgh.

Beacon Sloop #1

Friday night members of the Urban Farmers League attended the Beacon Sloop Club potluck. We networked and built future partnerships for the Urban Farmers League.

Middletown Farm

At David Moore Heights the coordinator is Jamie….. He is on the board of the gardens of nutrition in New Paltz. April 1, 2010 was the first meeting for the farm at David Moore Heights. About 6 people showed up…one adult and five kids. On the way out Jamie recruited another gentleman to be apart of the garden. We work with those who signed up to get more of their neighbors to garden.

Today we bumped into the city manager and told him about our plans. We also informed him that according to the master plan it is a goal of the city government to produce food 10% of consumed in the city by 2015- this is a fact the city manager was unaware of.