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Thanks to all carrot growers at Festival Beach

20 Mar

My daughter Asha and her friend (both 7yrs) visited the garden and enjoyed a few wonderful carrots from the community plot.

This inspired them to draw a “Thank You” picture to everyone who helped grow them.  It’s been a magical experience for her and her friend to see the development of our gardens over the year we’ve been members.  Once they ate two whole cucumbers, came home and didn’t even want birthday cupcakes — they liked the fresh organic cucumbers more!

So thanks to all the carrot growers!

Jolyn and Jay.  B19

Asha's Drawing (7 y/o)

Asia's Drawing

Asia's Drawing (7 y/o)

Saturday & Sunday January 7-8: Reorientation

2 Jan

Saturday Jan. 7, 2-4 p.m. and Sunday Jan. 8, 2-4 p.m.

Come to one of the above scheduled reorientation sessions  - All are invited!

  1. Fill out and sign new contracts for 2012 (required by the Parks Department).
  2.  Pay plot rental fees for 2012 by Jan. 30: $35.00.

You can also:

  • Meet and visit other gardeners.
  • Learn about plans for the coming year.
  • Hear about and get involved in current projects.
  • Enjoy the outdoors!

Some folks are planning to bring food and refreshment.

Attendance is not required, but we hope everyone can come for ONE of the days.

Good Pizza, Good People. East Side Pies Goes Local on Festival Beach Community Garden

5 Jun

When East Side Pies opened its doors on Rosewood Ave. in 2006, our East Austin community had more to celebrate than a great new restaurant. We finally had pizza delivery! Long time residents will tell you what a milestone this really was; some had lived mere blocks from pizza restaurants for 30 years with none willing to cross the physical, cultural and class divide of I-35 to deliver to their homes. East Side Pies changed that.

But the good news didn’t end there. It turned out that East Side Pies serves up some of the best pizza in Austin, with an emphasis on inspired combinations of super fresh, seasonal ingredients, often from local farmers’ markets and East Austin’s own Boggy Creek Farm. They were recently named in a top 10 list of restaurants that buy local produce.

So when they offered to donate pizzas for Festival Beach Community Garden’s first-anniversary event, and they suggested they use our own gardeners’ bounty… our tummies growled as our hearts did a little flip flop.

East Side Pies let us peek behind the scenes as they concocted 10 museum-worthy pizzas, using our gardeners’ donated heirloom, tiger stripe and cherry tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, bell peppers, cherry peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant, onions, jalapenos and serranos, placed on top of their superbly thin crust layered with sauce, cheese, EVOO and an amazing chimichurri made of fresh parsley.

The pizzas were promptly gobbled up by party goers and served as one of the big highlights of the day.

Thank you East Side Pies. You are good cooks, good people, and good neighbors.

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Garden Mourns Loss of Giant Cottonwood — Garden Closed

22 May

Update: Garden is now back open.

The cottonwood tree that was the focal point, gathering place, shelter and spiritual guide of the Festival Beach Community Garden split down the middle and toppled over today. City crews were called in, but postponed removing the felled tree and cutting down the part that remains standing because they didn’t have equipment that could handle the job. They’ll return on Monday.

The garden, meantime, remains closed until the the tree is removed. As it is now, the other half could fall at any moment, injuring anyone unlucky enough to be in its path. Nobody was hurt in the incident though it was a close call for Regina who had been working in the herb garden nearby. She heard a number of creaks and cracks, not realizing where they coming from. When she heard it one more time, she turned to see the tree slowly falling over. She ran out of its way to safety.

Many thanks to Alberto Martinez, Austin American-Statesman, for these photos. The first was shot in April during a potluck under the tree. Alberto shot the second today from the same vantage point.

Our beautiful cottonwood in April 2011

The cottonwood today

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Multicultural Refugee Center and FBCG Featured in Statesman Article

1 May

Multicultural refugees growing food for the soul as well as the table

By Renee Studebaker | Saturday, April 9, 2011, 09:47 AM

On a recent Saturday morning at the Festival Beach Community Garden, the first thing I notice about the small group of refugee gardeners I’ve come to meet is that they really know their way around a hoe. Especially Sylvia Niyiera, a 60-something refugee from Burundi.

aam edie garden 21.jpg

>> Read the full article at Statesman.com

UT Student Volunteers Whip the Garden into Shape!

17 Apr

Saturday, April 9, on one of the prettiest days of the year so far, the garden welcomed student volunteers from UT’s Project Reach Out. Students, gardeners and garden volunteers joined forces to tackle several projects around the garden. We spread mulch and compost around several trees, including the giant Cottonwood in the center of the garden. We worked on the bioswale (formerly called the rain garden). We planted in our perennial beds. We worked our community garden plots and raised beds. We created a new path in section B, complete with weed cloth and gravel. We relocated bag upon bag of Bermuda grass away from the garden. And we did planning for the Habitat garden! Then we ate pizza!

It was an unbelievably productive day, and we are extremely grateful to our volunteers and new friends for the many improvements to our community garden. THANK YOU!

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Special thanks to the following folks who made a big impact on the day!

  • Mary Lynn and the Compost committee for pre-event planning and coordination
  • Keep Austin Beautiful for lending us tools and Kathy S. for transporting them to and from the garden
  • Patricia for arranging for a Bob Cat and driver to dig out the bioswale
  • Jose, Mark and David for repairing two broken water pipes!
  • Polly for getting everyone signed in
  • Alec for leading a group of volunteers who worked on the bioswale
  • Jean, James, Nick and Marcela for leading groups of volunteers who worked on the perennial beds
  • John for leading a group who worked on the community garden plots
  • Jack and Joy for leading groups who spread the compost and mulch
  • Crystal for leading a group who filled raised beds with compost
  • Daniel for digging out a weedy row in section B and turning it into a beautiful new pathway
  • Dan, Susan, Richard, Glenn, Katrina, Jane, Libby, Dawn and so many others for their hard work
  • Beverly and Joy for donating and filling bags with Bermuda grass, and relocating away from the garden
  • Kathy Mc. who was everywhere helping everyone as always!
  • Farah and Kathy S. for taking the photos (mostly Farah!)
  • Festival Beach Gardeners for chipping in on the pizza!
  • Joy and Kathy Mc. who provided the summary of the day’s accomplishments and the kudos to the team

Saturday, April 16: United Way Capital Area Spring DAYS of Caring at FBCG

13 Apr

This Saturday, we are excited to welcome volunteers from the United Way Capital Area Spring DAYS of Caring, sponsored by Freescale Semiconductor.

In celebration of National Volunteer week, which honors individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action and solving problems in their communities, UWCA and Hands On Central Texas is sponsoring a work day at Festival Beach Community Garden!

We welcome volunteers to join us from 9:00-12:00. We will be planting perennials, creating our rain gardens, mulching and working on the fence.   You can register for our project on the Hands On Central Texas website.  Please bring: Gloves, water, sunscreen,  hand tools (marked). Shovels and wheelbarrows  are also in great need.

For gardeners, participation in this event will count toward your work hours. See you Saturday!

Saturday, April 9: Workday

2 Apr

9:00 – noon.  We are thrilled to welcome volunteers from UT’s Project Reach Out! The compost committee will be leading the workday with 42 volunteers spreading granite, mulch and compost over the grass to control stickers and around the tool shed area. Thank you!

We need garden members to help coordinate the activity and pitch in and help.

Please bring shovels and other tools! We will be using tools from the kind folks at Keep Austin Beautiful,  but they are limited on tools due to a special project they have that day. If you have any shovels or other tools that may be helpful please bring them to the workday.

Vine Fest and Tea-ching Garden!

21 Feb

This Sunday, volunteers and gardeners gathered to plant grapes and berries to grow along the new fence line and made progress on a wonderful new “Tea-ching” herb garden. They raised a toast to bless the additions to the garden and celebrated the incredible weather with an impromptu picnic — a perfect reward for a lovely day of gardening. Thanks to Jennifer Lindley, who organized the effort,  and everyone who participated!

 

 

New Fence!

21 Feb

Our volunteers and gardeners have been busy, busy, busy preparing the garden for spring plantings. A major accomplishment is the work on our beautiful new fence.

Our February workday brought out the muscles and the welding equipment. The team work resulted in a gorgeous new fence that will serve as a trellis for grapes and other vines! Thank you to everyone for this wonderful new addition to our garden!

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