Community Garden Kickoff Meeting Set for March 3rd
Isles will host its annual Garden Kickoff meeting from 5:30 to 7:00 pm on Thursday, March 3rd. The meeting will be held at Isles’ YouthBuild Institute at 33 Tucker Street. We will discuss guidelines for the upcoming season and the schedule of seed and plant distributions. If you are not currently a member of the community gardening program but are interested in joining us, please call for more information. Light refreshments will be served.
Please call 609.341.4724 to RSVP or for more information.
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How Does Our Garden Grow?
Posted: August 19, 2010
YouthGrow students spread tons of compost on the site of their garden in June in anticipation of planting the following week.
One month later, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and onions are well-established.
Two months later, summer college interns Elizabeth O’Grady and Hakimah Abdul-Fattah take a break from work. The garden has already produced hundreds of pounds of produce for students, staff, and donation to emergency food providers.
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Environmental Education in Trenton
Posted: July 19, 2010
Students at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School took part in environmental education sessions offered by Isles in June. Made possible by a grant to the City of Trenton through Sustainable Jersey, the program aimed to teach students about the natural environment and help foster an appreciation for a sustainable environment in their neighborhood and city. Pictured below are some of the students with their completed models of dinosaurs and aquatic life.
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Trenton Central High School Starts Garden and Nursery
Posted: May 20, 2010
During the week of Arbor Day, students and staff at Trenton Central High School started both a vegetable garden and tree nursery at the Chambers Street campus. The school received a donation of over two hundred trees, which will be cared for and then gradually planted at other permanent locations throughout Trenton.
Check back for more pictures as the nursery and garden progress!
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YouthGrow Students Prepare for Garden
Posted: April 20, 2010
Beginning in March, students involved in the YouthGrow project got a head start on the upcoming growing season by sowing seeds in a nearby hoophouse.
Larry Kuser of Fernbrook Farms in Chesterfield, NJ provided space for the seedlings and also gave the students some background on farming and the nursery trade. Students will transplant the vegetable, herb, and flower seedlings at their new garden adjacent to Isles’ Training Center at 33 Tucker Street where the Isles YouthBuild Institute is located.
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YouthGrow Participants Visit the Philadelphia International Flower Show
Posted: March 17, 2010
On Saturday, March 6th, Isles staff and students from Isles’ YouthBuild Institute attended the Philadelphia Flower Show. The trip was a part of the new YouthGrow urban agriculture project being conducted by Meredith Taylor and Jim Simon, members of the Environment & Community Health Department.
The trip was designed to help the students generate ideas to incorporate into the quarter-acre vegetable garden being developed adjacent to the YouthBuild facility. Students will install and plant the garden in April, and then care for the vegetables through the fall harvest season. The project will teach the students about food production, nutrition, marketing skills, and local food systems.
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Community Garden Kickoff Meeting Set for March 5th
Posted: February 25, 2010
Isles will host its annual Garden Kickoff meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 5th. The meeting will be held at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral at 801 West State Street in Trenton. We will discuss guidelines for the upcoming season and the schedule of seed and plant distributions. Dinner will be served, so please bring $4 to help defray the cost of the meal.
Please RSVP to 609-341-4700 if you plan to attend the meeting. If you are not currently an Isles community gardener, but are interested in joining us, please call Jim at 609-341-4724 for more information.
Pictured to the left: Cole Street Garden.
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Get Growing!
Posted: February 8, 2010
Even though a certain groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter, the time is ripe to plan a food garden for this year. How? Join or start a community garden, plant your own backyard garden, or start small by growing fresh greens or herbs in a container. In addition to providing tasty food, gardens are good for the environment by saving fuel used to drive to the grocery store or transport it from far-flung locations. Gardens beautify neighborhoods and help build community, so feed your mind, body, and soul together. Call Isles at 609-341-4700 for information about gardening in the Trenton area, or use other great resources like your county extension office, local library, and the Internet.
Pictured to the right: Rainbow chard gleaned for donation to a food pantry.