April 6th guided work party report

We had more new volunteers today, and we had perfect gardening weather! The drip irrigation system lines were re-installed in several of the beds, although we still don't have the water turned on at the Garden and the water butt is almost empty. Several more of the beds were cleared of cover crop and weeds, and reshaped ready for planting.  Spinach, Cilantro and flat- leaf parsley starts were planted in the accessible beds, and radishes, Asian greens, turnips and beet were sown in the Four Season Bed.  Further pruning was carried out on the blueberry bushes, and the central strawberry bed was tidied up, with new young plants transplanted into the median strip; this job will need to be finished on Sunday.
Angela Hoy, guided work party lead

Sign up for guided work parties for Wednesdays and Sundays 11-1. All welcome. We also have volunteer needs outside of gardening for hands-on and leadership roles. Contact Joanne for more information.

1st Guided Work Party of the season is canceled

It has been raining quite a bit the past week and our garden beds are very wet. Unfortunately, we are canceling the work party for Wednesday, March 23rd. If things dry a bit, Art Bomke will be leading the Sunday Work Party. There are 3 spots available. Sign up or check our Events Calendar for links and information.

Garden season is opening!

Volunteer in the Riley Park Community Garden. Sign up for Guided Work Parties. 

Welcome as we start a new season in the garden. RPCG has a communal model of community gardening which means we share the work and the harvest. Following organic gardening practices, gardeners come together to plan, plant, weed, and harvest. Harvests are shared among volunteers and produce is donated to the LMNH programs and to our community fridge. Novice gardeners work alongside experienced gardeners, sharing customs and stories around the food we grow and eat together. We grow a variety of culturally specific foods and have garden beds dedicated for Middle Eastern, Japanese, Asian, and Latino veggies. Regular formal and informal educational sessions also take place in the garden on growing seasonal food. There are no waitlists to join this community garden, just a willingness to show up and join in the fun of growing food!

At this  time, we have work parties for up to 10 people. We want to make sure our garden volunteers have a great experience and are able to ask questions and get support to grow food in your own gardens. You can also check the event calendar and click on the day you want to join us in the garden and for other events! .

Click here to sign up for our Garden Work Parties.   Email Joanne if you have any questions or would like to support our work in other ways that gardening. We have opportunities to help us with communications, marketing and other ways. 

Apply online for a Neighbourhood Small Grant

Neighbourhood Small Grants (NSG) provides grants of up to $500 for projects that connect people socially or involve sharing skills or talents with each other. Grant streams are for Youth, Greenest City and NSG. Watch the slideshow for ideas! Apply online until April 30th for projects to be completed by November 30th. If you are applying for the first time, sign up for the grant writing workshops. S u n . , M a r c h 2 7 a t 1 0 a m or March 31 at 7:30pm. For more information email Joanne at LMNH or Susan NSG Coordinator - Central Vancouver info.nsgp@gmail.com

Farmers Market Donation Stations Supports our Community Fridge

A huge thank you to our new community partner, Vancouver Community Fridges project. They provided volunteers for the Riley Park Farmers Market Donation Station March 5, and the produce from the vendors was placed in the fridge that is in front of LMNH.

Shoppers donated $309.80 at the market so for the LMNH fiscal year (April 1, 2021-March 31, 2022) shoppers cash contributions is $2,469.50!

Shoppers funds donated support our capacity to buy fresh produce to add to the items we receive from the food bank. In addition to the fridge that is community access, each week our Food Distribution program serves on average 69 households and over 200 people.

With such gratitude. I hope that all volunteers had fun and look forward to next month. The donation station is at the Riley Park Farmers Market the 1st Saturday of each month. Thank you to our long-term partner, Vancouver Farmers Market, the market vendors and shoppers. To volunteer at the donation station and to learn more, email Joanne.