Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thank you to the Leptondale Nursery for donating a few of tomato plants, eggplants, 2 flats of marigolds, and other flowers.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Cheers (no jeers) | recordonline.com
Cheers (no jeers) | recordonline.com
Published: 2:00 AM - 06/14/10
•To some young people in Newburgh and those who are helping them turn a vacant lot on Chambers Street into what they are calling "La Vida Garden." In addition to learning what it takes to plant, tend and harvest vegetables, they will get the chance to understand something more important. As their adviser put it, growing her own "changed the way I look at food." If this pilot program is successful, it could spread to other neighborhoods with vacant land waiting to be put to productive use.
•To Jared Weiss, the youngest graduate on record at Monticello High School, who is off to college at the age of 14. In addition to excelling in the classroom, Weiss has had a full high school experience through two years of varsity tennis and lots of time playing guitar in a band. He could not have had such balanced success without the wise guidance offered by his parents, Jonathan and Beth Weiss, and the equally wise participation of so many in the school system who recognized his talents and helped him make the most of them.
•To the Port Jervis Middle School, for its recognition as a place that works hard to educate the "whole child." The honor, the Whole Child for the 21st Century Award, came from the New York Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a professional organization principally made up of superintendents and senior teachers. Instead of teaching to the test, this approach operates under the assumption that a better educated student will do well in life, as well as on tests.
•To three Orange County students going to military service academies through nominations from Rep. John Hall. Katherine Mucke of Fort Montgomery will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Jillian Kelly of Highland Mills will attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., and Katelyn MacDonald of New Hampton will attend the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.
•To the team from Pine Bush whose moon expedition camper took first place in the Nature Trail'R problem at the world championships of the Odyssey of the Mind. On the team were seniors Joe Landolina, Dan Stack, Meghan Walter and Nic Vesely, junior James Orr, and freshmen Dylan DiGasso and Martin Perez. Meghan's mother, Bobbi Walter, was the team coach. More than 800 teams from around the world competed at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
•To lawyer Howard Finkelstein who received the lifetime achievement award from the Orange County Bar Association. Finkelstein founded Finkelstein & Partners LLP in Newburgh in 1961. His pro-bono work includes representing several families of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and assisting U.S. veterans.
•To performing arts students from Monticello High School who have spent the spring cleaning up the old 400-seat theater on St. John Street, part of the original Monticello High School. When word of their effort got out to the community, they found others willing to volunteer and help in such tasks as repairing the torn curtains. As one student put it, "Our goal is for the theater to be a part of the community again."
Published: 2:00 AM - 06/14/10
•To some young people in Newburgh and those who are helping them turn a vacant lot on Chambers Street into what they are calling "La Vida Garden." In addition to learning what it takes to plant, tend and harvest vegetables, they will get the chance to understand something more important. As their adviser put it, growing her own "changed the way I look at food." If this pilot program is successful, it could spread to other neighborhoods with vacant land waiting to be put to productive use.
•To Jared Weiss, the youngest graduate on record at Monticello High School, who is off to college at the age of 14. In addition to excelling in the classroom, Weiss has had a full high school experience through two years of varsity tennis and lots of time playing guitar in a band. He could not have had such balanced success without the wise guidance offered by his parents, Jonathan and Beth Weiss, and the equally wise participation of so many in the school system who recognized his talents and helped him make the most of them.
•To the Port Jervis Middle School, for its recognition as a place that works hard to educate the "whole child." The honor, the Whole Child for the 21st Century Award, came from the New York Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a professional organization principally made up of superintendents and senior teachers. Instead of teaching to the test, this approach operates under the assumption that a better educated student will do well in life, as well as on tests.
•To three Orange County students going to military service academies through nominations from Rep. John Hall. Katherine Mucke of Fort Montgomery will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Jillian Kelly of Highland Mills will attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., and Katelyn MacDonald of New Hampton will attend the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.
•To the team from Pine Bush whose moon expedition camper took first place in the Nature Trail'R problem at the world championships of the Odyssey of the Mind. On the team were seniors Joe Landolina, Dan Stack, Meghan Walter and Nic Vesely, junior James Orr, and freshmen Dylan DiGasso and Martin Perez. Meghan's mother, Bobbi Walter, was the team coach. More than 800 teams from around the world competed at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.
•To lawyer Howard Finkelstein who received the lifetime achievement award from the Orange County Bar Association. Finkelstein founded Finkelstein & Partners LLP in Newburgh in 1961. His pro-bono work includes representing several families of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and assisting U.S. veterans.
•To performing arts students from Monticello High School who have spent the spring cleaning up the old 400-seat theater on St. John Street, part of the original Monticello High School. When word of their effort got out to the community, they found others willing to volunteer and help in such tasks as repairing the torn curtains. As one student put it, "Our goal is for the theater to be a part of the community again."
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Fence
The poles for the fence are up, the rest is coming on Friday. Originally we thought the installation would be complete today but the installer was sick this morning. We are going to move forward today by building our raised beds this afternoon, and move the beautiful yellow rocks to their new positions in La Vida Garden.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Ashe Urban Farm update
Although, our work with the 21st Century Community Learning Centers ended a year ago; some of the students who were involved with farm wanted to continue growing flowers in their plot at the People's Garden.
Here we are weeding and working in Ashe Urban Farm.
Gilbert working on the walk way
Weeding the herbs
Chante weeding the herbs
Working on our plan for attacking the weeds.
Here we are weeding and working in Ashe Urban Farm.
Gilbert working on the walk way
Weeding the herbsChante weeding the herbs
Working on our plan for attacking the weeds.
Monday, June 7, 2010
In the future the Urban Farmers League will be driving biodisel trucks that grow food
In La Vada Garden you will find recycled objects with plants in them.
In La Vada Garden you will find recycled objects with plants in them.
A GIFT !!!
Liana Hoodes from the National Organic Coalition is going over a companion planting chart. She also gave us a wonderful book, Rodale's All New Encyclopedia's of Organic Gardening: The indispensable Resource for every gardener, as well the copies of the NOFA of New York: 2010 Organic Food Guide:the NYS Organic Source.Press Conference June 5 ,2010
Press Speech
We’ve asked several people outside of the city of Newburgh what they think of Newburgh and we keep hearing a reoccurring theme. Crime, drugs, gangs, violence some people we asked even joked about hiding their valuables before entering the city. Yet, what we didn’t hear was how Newburgh has a rich culture, history, diversity. Part of the reason for this is because of objective views falsifying the true beauty of this city.
How come we don’t get to read about the positive activities and the great organizations helping the community day after day? We hear about youth killing youth but what about the youth who are helping youth every day? We read about raids and gang intervention but what about jobs and gang prevention? What about the youth who volunteer their time everyday to better this community?
You see for too long Newburgh has been put into a box categorizing it as one of the worst cities to live in and in that process the youth have been outcaste and stereotyped. Because of this we’ve been omitted from the decision making process. Yet, according to statistics from 2000, as youth we hold 33% of the population. We are the vibrant seeds that help this city grow. We are the change that we’ve been waiting for here in this city.
As young leaders here in the community we refuse to stand aside and watch as our peers become a statistic for some sociology class. We will no longer be shunned and disregarded by outside sources when it comes to information on what’s really happening. We realize that we too are stake holders, holding equal weight at the table.
With that said we the Urban Farmers League are a youth led organization designed to combat environmental injustice, and social injustice by creating a platform for the youth to have equal participation in the future of our community. With the creation of Urban Farms we not only provide a space for youth to express but we are also able to provide the community with a high quality of life, mitigate environmental degradation and provide a space for organic food to flourish.
With the help of the community, partners, sponsors and donors listed in your press packets we plan to make La Vida Garden a beacon of light here in the center of the city. The title has words in English and Spanish to better represent the population here in the city. La Vida which means the life in Spanish, represents the good life that youth should have here in the city of Newburgh. By putting La Vida and Garden together we are showing the unity of cultures and ethnicities here on our site and in our garden.
La Vida Garden being only one of hopefully many gardens to come is going to be an agricultural resource for the people in the community, especially low income families in the surrounding area. We’ve voted as a board and have decided to grow Peppers, Tomatoes, Peaches, Herbs and Kale to name a few. We plan on having educational workshops, activities for youth and community events.
Our vision is that La Vida Garden will serve as model for future gardens we’d like to start throughout the community, each garden having its own theme. The theme for La Vida Garden will be shown through our cultural events. Other gardens we plan might be specifically for corn and showing movies.
Although we realize that we are taking on an ambitious project; we are ready for it and excited about it. We plan to show everyone at our opening that we can make a difference; we can make a positive change. We say to all the youth in the community, if not now then when? If not us, then who?
Thank You for coming!
Sincerely,
The Urban Farmers League
Everyone practicing what needs to be said at the press conference
Getting ready...Ashe!!!!!!!!!
Presenting our information to the press and our supporters
Thank you Vanissa W. Chan for the fantastic photos.
We’ve asked several people outside of the city of Newburgh what they think of Newburgh and we keep hearing a reoccurring theme. Crime, drugs, gangs, violence some people we asked even joked about hiding their valuables before entering the city. Yet, what we didn’t hear was how Newburgh has a rich culture, history, diversity. Part of the reason for this is because of objective views falsifying the true beauty of this city.
How come we don’t get to read about the positive activities and the great organizations helping the community day after day? We hear about youth killing youth but what about the youth who are helping youth every day? We read about raids and gang intervention but what about jobs and gang prevention? What about the youth who volunteer their time everyday to better this community?
You see for too long Newburgh has been put into a box categorizing it as one of the worst cities to live in and in that process the youth have been outcaste and stereotyped. Because of this we’ve been omitted from the decision making process. Yet, according to statistics from 2000, as youth we hold 33% of the population. We are the vibrant seeds that help this city grow. We are the change that we’ve been waiting for here in this city.
As young leaders here in the community we refuse to stand aside and watch as our peers become a statistic for some sociology class. We will no longer be shunned and disregarded by outside sources when it comes to information on what’s really happening. We realize that we too are stake holders, holding equal weight at the table.
With that said we the Urban Farmers League are a youth led organization designed to combat environmental injustice, and social injustice by creating a platform for the youth to have equal participation in the future of our community. With the creation of Urban Farms we not only provide a space for youth to express but we are also able to provide the community with a high quality of life, mitigate environmental degradation and provide a space for organic food to flourish.
With the help of the community, partners, sponsors and donors listed in your press packets we plan to make La Vida Garden a beacon of light here in the center of the city. The title has words in English and Spanish to better represent the population here in the city. La Vida which means the life in Spanish, represents the good life that youth should have here in the city of Newburgh. By putting La Vida and Garden together we are showing the unity of cultures and ethnicities here on our site and in our garden.
La Vida Garden being only one of hopefully many gardens to come is going to be an agricultural resource for the people in the community, especially low income families in the surrounding area. We’ve voted as a board and have decided to grow Peppers, Tomatoes, Peaches, Herbs and Kale to name a few. We plan on having educational workshops, activities for youth and community events.
Our vision is that La Vida Garden will serve as model for future gardens we’d like to start throughout the community, each garden having its own theme. The theme for La Vida Garden will be shown through our cultural events. Other gardens we plan might be specifically for corn and showing movies.
Although we realize that we are taking on an ambitious project; we are ready for it and excited about it. We plan to show everyone at our opening that we can make a difference; we can make a positive change. We say to all the youth in the community, if not now then when? If not us, then who?
Thank You for coming!
Sincerely,
The Urban Farmers League
Everyone practicing what needs to be said at the press conference
Getting ready...Ashe!!!!!!!!!
Presenting our information to the press and our supporters
Urban Farmers League taking a photo Jim Delaune of Orange Coutny Land Trust.
Thank you Vanissa W. Chan for the fantastic photos.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Hip Hop Season
The Urban Farmers enjoyed some amazing Hip Hop performances, DJ's, and Break Dancers. They also made a Graffiti mural with Trust Your Struggle collective.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Our mural
Trust your struggle(trustyourhustle.blogspot.com) and the Urban Farmers League work togather to create a mural to be hung in La Vida Garden on First and Chambers Streets.
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