Newsletter, October 2021
How is it possible that October is already ending?! I guess time flies when you’re working hard. Last month we continued work on the Healing Spaces Initiative, prepared gardens for winter, and harvested more than 1,000 lbs. of fresh produce. We were also emboldened by the good energy that our neighbors brought to our first series of Garden Markets. We’re definitely doing more of those! Last but not least, we welcomed a new Executive Director to our team. Welcome, Young! Read more about what we’ve been up to below.
How is it possible that October is already ending?! I guess time flies when you’re working hard. Last month we continued work on the Healing Spaces Initiative, prepared gardens for winter, and harvested more than 1,000 lbs. of fresh produce. We were also emboldened by the good energy that our neighbors brought to our first series of Garden Markets. We’re definitely doing more of those! Last but not least, we welcomed a new Executive Director to our team. Welcome, Young! Read more about what we’ve been up to below.
message from the executive director
health hubs
garden network
Kilbourn garden
maglio farm
shared harvest
urban waters
Green Futures
ground corps
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Greetings, Groundwork Milwaukee supporters! Today marks my sixth week as the new Executive Director here at Groundwork Milwaukee. The priority for nonprofit Executive Directors is fundraising, which is simply convincing people to give money to their agency or cause. We're told to develop something called an "elevator speech" in case we find ourselves in an elevator with Bill Gates or Elon Musk and have 15 seconds to request a donation.
My first week on the job, I was having a hard time coming up with an elevator speech for Groundwork Milwaukee, but then I remembered that old BASF commercial from the '80s and '90s that went, "We don't make the products you buy, we make them better." (Those of you too young to know the BASF ads - you can see them on YouTube.)
Similarly, Groundwork doesn't actually run the 80+ urban gardens in the Milwaukee Grows network - we leave that up to the residents as they meet their neighborhood's unique needs with their talents and leadership styles ... but I'd like to think we do make them better. We help garden leaders navigate the paperwork that comes with growing on city-owned vacant lots. We help with mini-grants, insurance, water access, training, and family-friendly programming. In doing so, we're helping people develop friendships and relationships that make our city less of a city. All of us are social beings looking for connection, and I can't think of a better place to get to know someone than in a community garden, sharing seeds and exchanging recipes. Thank you for your interest in what we do!
Wishing for peace and health for you and your loved ones,
Young Kim
HEALTH HUBS
Garden Markets
In October, as part of our Fall 2021 Health Hubs programming, Groundwork Milwaukee ran a series of three garden markets in which free produce and other nonperishable food items were available to the community. Two garden markets took place at our Health Hub Gardens, Peace Place and Scooters Garden of Hope, while the third took place at the St. Francis of Assisi Church. During the garden markets, visitors could also enjoy a preservation workshop, cooking demonstrations, cider pressing, and art activities for the kids. In total, over 150 people attended our garden markets across the three dates. Thank you to all of the attendees and partners who made the garden markets possible!
Scooters Garden Market
St. Francis Assisi Garden Market
Want to participate in Health Hub programming?
If you live near one of our Community Garden Health Hubs and would like to participate in healthy outdoor programming, fill out this form to let us know what types of activities you’d like to see in the gardens. We would love to see you there!
GARDEN NETWORK
Historic Walnut Hill
The Groundwork Milwaukee team supported the Historic Walnut Hill Community Garden at 3118 W. Brown Street to prepare their garden for winter. Together with gardeners, we collected debris and trash, supported harvesting greens and peppers, and winterized garden beds. Shout out to Angela Pruitt, the garden leader of Historic Walnut Hill Community Garden, for dedicating her time and energy to caring for this valuable community space!
Bumblebee Haven
Bumblebee Haven Community Garden held their end of year social gathering and invited Groundwork staff, Elena and Samson to join! We’ll be publishing a Community Spotlight on this amazing garden soon. Check it out to learn more about what Bumblebee Haven gardeners are doing to inspire their neighbors to take action around vacant lots in their neighborhood.
Office Hours
Office Hours! Huge shout out to the volunteers who have assisted in office hours this fall! We truly cannot do the work in the field without these behind the scenes activities. If you’re new to Groundwork Milwaukee, but interested in getting involved, this is a great weekly opportunity to familiarize yourself with staff and to support with fun painting, organizing and cleaning projects! A big thank you to Marquette students, Maya and Mac, who have been consistent supporters of these projects. Thanks, also, to the group of Marquette students who supported us during their fall break. Check out our new and improved annex space, all ready for winter indoor projects like bench construction, little library building and of course, painting! We couldn’t have done this without our volunteers.
Volunteer
We’re proud to support our inspiring gardeners and look forward to working together as the season continues. There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in the next month. Keep an eye out for weekly opportunities on our Volunteer Sign-Up page and social media.
KILBOURN GARDEN
Activities at Kilbourn Community Garden are wrapping up for the season. The remainder of the year will be focused on infrastructure repair in preparation for the 2022 gardening season. To keep up to date on news at Kilbourn for 2022, please periodically visit the Kilbourn Garden page on our website.
Volunteer
There will be end of season volunteer days at Kilbourn. They should be set soon. Circle back to us if you’re interested in helping prepare the garden for the off-season.
Maglio Farm
September had another huge harvest at the Maglio Farm. More than 1,100 lbs. of fresh produce was harvested and donated to local food pantries. Now, we’re gearing up for winter at the farm! The plastic endwalls have been reinstalled sealing the inside of the hoop houses creating their own little micro climates. The hoop houses can get 20-30 degrees warmer than the outside air when the sun is out. It’s always summer at the Maglio Farm.
Volunteer
If you’re interested in supporting the Maglio Farm, follow the link below to see available work opportunities. We’re planning to grow all winter long, but we’ll need your help. This work depends heavily on volunteers. Thank you for dedicating your time and energy toward healthy eating and food sovereignty in Milwaukee!
shared harvest
Fruit Gleaning
Thanks to all the volunteers who supported this year’s Shared Harvest fruit picking outings. With your help, we rescued 1,144 lbs. of local fruit! There are big plans in store for gleaning next season. Stay tuned over the winter to learn more and get involved!
Register a Fruit Tree
Did you know we’ll harvest your fruit as well as your veggies! Register a fruit tree with us today and we’ll organize a crew of volunteers to come save those cherries, apples and pears from going to waste. We’ll rescue your fruit and bring it to a local food pantry. Register your tree at the link below.
Urban Waters
Water School
Over the past month, some of Groundwork’s programs staff have participated in Milwaukee Water Commons’ Water School. Water School provides local organizations opportunities to experience Milwaukee’s waterways through recreation (boat rides, art walks, etc.) and then share their experiences in the form of projects, events or collaborative projects. Our team attended an art walk at one of the largest green spaces in the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network, KRIC Peoples Park, and took a tour of the Community Sailing Center. Thank you Milwaukee Water Commons for providing these valuable water-centric experiences!
GREEN FUTURES
New Horizons
Groundwork Milwaukee’s partnership with the New Horizons School in Shorewood is in full swing for the fall! In October, the New Horizons students assisted with work and learned about composting and seed saving at the Hilltop Community Garden. In addition, they learned about the back-end work to achieve what we do in the field by assisting us with various tasks at our office such as putting together little libraries and signs as well as organizing equipment and tools.
Lloyd Barbee Montessori
Through the Big Green grant, many schools are investing in outdoor learning experiences to foster students’ wellbeing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lloyd Barbee Montessori called on us to support their school’s garden. We worked with them to build four raised beds. Unique stamped tiles were added to the beds giving the garden a unique sense of place. There were plenty of weeds, but we took care of them with help from the staff and students. All activities involved student participation. The students were particularly interested in using the drill and learning techniques to pull out stubborn weeds!
GROUND CORPS
This month, Ground Corps has kept up with bioswale maintenance along Sherman Boulevard and continued progress on the Healing Spaces Initiative. Pathways for most of the Healing Spaces have already been excavated with gravel installed. We’re near completion at Tranquility on the Beerline Trail near Townsend and Holton. All Peoples Community Garden is also nearing completion. Along with all of this work, we set aside time to explore careers in green infrastructure. Members of our team attended the One Water Career Fair hosted by Employ Milwaukee. At the fair, Ground Corps members explored their options for continuing to a career in green jobs once the Groundwork season has ended.
Newsletter, September 2021
Another eventful month for Groundwork Milwaukee. We harvested 500lbs of fruit, taught high school students how to monitor water quality and completed major construction at multiple sites for the Healing Spaces Initiative. We’re moving towards the off-season and have been doing a lot of harvesting and winterizing with our gardeners. Thanks to all of our dedicated volunteers who make our work possible! Read more about what we’ve been up to below.
Another eventful month for Groundwork Milwaukee. We harvested 500lbs of fruit, taught high school students how to monitor water quality and completed major construction at multiple sites for the Healing Spaces Initiative, and that’s not all. We’re moving towards the off-season and have been doing a lot of harvesting and winterizing with our gardeners. Thanks to all of our dedicated volunteers who make our work possible! Read more about what we’ve been up to below. Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all.
health hubs
garden network
Kilbourn garden
maglio farm
shared harvest
urban waters
Green Futures
ground corps
HEALTH HUBS
Upcoming Health Hub Workshops
If you’re interested in participating in Health Hub programming, we’d love to see you in the gardens! Check-out the list below for upcoming Health Hub events. We’re excited to announce we’ll be hosting garden markets and preservation workshops running through October. Fresh produce provided by Groundwork and the Riverwest Food Pantry’s collaboration at the Maglio Farm.
Garden Market Volunteers
We’re looking for volunteers to help promote, set up and work our upcoming Free Garden Markets. If you’re interested in supporting these events click the button to sign-up for a volunteer role. Thank you!
Want to participate in Health Hub programming?
If you live near one of our Community Garden Health Hubs and would like to participate in healthy outdoor programming, fill out this form to let us know what types of activities you’d like to see in the gardens. We would love to see you there!
GARDEN NETWORK
In the past month, we made a lot of improvements to the garden network. Among other efforts, we oversaw a work day with Kappa Delta Chi Sorority at Garden of Delight, conducted maintenance at KRIC People’s Park with Sixteenth Street Health Clinic, and serious updates at the Sherman Park Young Farmers Garden in collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.
Garden of Delight
Groundwork Milwaukee worked with seven volunteers from Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc. chapter in Milwaukee for a workday at Gardens of Delight on 64th Street. The volunteers worked on weeding and winterizing the entire garden to prepare for great soil health for the 2022 season. Two new beds were also constructed. Thank you to all of our great volunteers!
KRIC People’s Park
Groundwork Milwaukee supported the weeding and wood chip spreading at the KRIC People’s Park on South 14th Street and West Harrison Avenue. Welcome to new garden leader, Yesi P. from the Sixteenth Street Health Clinic. Welcome to the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network, Yesi!
Sherman Park Young Farmers Garden
Over the course of three September workdays, Michael Waite of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee worked with volunteers to remove 12 defunct beds and prepare the space for the construction of new beds next season. Just this past Wednesday, the Black Store Managers Council of Lowes’ Region #4 supported a full workday at Sherman Park along with the giveaway of home winterizing safety supplies. With their help, we were able to winterize 12 beds and till and lay wood chips down on the walkway between them.
Volunteer
We’re proud to support our inspiring gardeners and look forward to working together as the season continues. There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in the next month. Keep an eye out for weekly opportunities on our Volunteer Sign-Up page and social media.
KILBOURN GARDEN
We have been working every week to slowly shut down Kilbourn Garden for the year. We had an amazing year at the garden with 100% of available beds being rented. Volunteers have had the opportunity to work on compost management, bed repairs, and winterizing garden beds. Thank you to all of our gardeners and volunteers that make Kilbourn Garden possible every year!
Volunteer
There will be end of season volunteer days at Kilbourn. They should be set soon. Circle back to us if you’re interested in helping prepare the garden for the off-season.
Maglio Farm
In August, we harvested 2,668 pounds of produce! August marked the beginning of the end for our main summer harvest. We’ve started rolling down the hoop house plastic sides and putting up end walls in preparation for cold weather. We’ll be growing all winter long so watch for opportunities to volunteer!
Volunteer
If you’re interested in supporting the Maglio Farm, follow the link below to see available work opportunities. We’re planning to grow all winter long, but we’ll need your help. This work depends heavily on volunteers. Thank you for dedicating your time and energy toward healthy eating and food sovereignty in Milwaukee!
shared harvest
Garden gleaning is over for the season. Fresh Food Connect and donation drop-off locations have ended for 2021. We're proud to report that with help from our dedicated gardeners and volunteers, we were able to rescue nearly 500lbs of fresh produce and donate it to four different Milwaukee food pantries. Thank you to all who contributed to a successful Shared Harvest season!
A special thanks to St. Marcus for dedicating a section of their garden to donate to Shared Harvest all summer long. You can read more about their space in our community spotlight here.
Fruit Gleaning
Our volunteer fruit picking operation is going strong. We’ll be out picking apples until the first frost (nighttime temperatures dipping below 32 degrees). We’ve harvested over 550lbs of fruit so far this season! You can sign up for fruit gleaning work days here.
Register a Fruit Tree
Did you know we’ll harvest your fruit as well as your veggies! Register a fruit tree with us today and we’ll organize a crew of volunteers to come save those cherries, apples and pears from going to waste. We’ll rescue your fruit and bring it to a local food pantry. Register your tree at the link below.
Urban Waters
New Horizon Students helped us conduct water quality monitoring sessions on the Milwaukee River. A fun and educational time on a beautiful day!
GREEN FUTURES
New Horizons
This Fall, Groundwork Milwaukee is continuing its partnership with the students and faculty of New Horizons Charter School in Shorewood. The students will be learning about and assisting with topics such as winterizing garden beds, the importance of soil health in gardening, along with testing and improving water quality. We’ve got a lot of good memories with the team at New Horizons and look forward to making more!
GROUND CORPS
This month as volunteer days for Healing Space Initiative (HSI) sites begin to wrap up, the Ground Corps has continued construction for HSI sites, beginning pathway and patio excavation at Beerline Trail, Harambee Tot Lot, Richards Sculpture Garden, and Peace Park. Our team, along with Harambee community members and Eras Senior Network, were able to plant more than 100 perennials and six fruit trees between three volunteer days at Peace Park, Adams Park and the playground on 1st and Wright. We were also able to begin construction for the much anticipated MacCannon Brown Homeless Sanctuary. Plans for the sanctuary, designed by Nagel Architects, includes a rainwater catchment structure capable of catching 1000 gallons of fallen rainwater.
Newsletter, August 2021
Health Hubs! Healing Spaces! Green Team! Young Farmers! All of our programming is in full swing, and it’s all here for you to explore. Watch for opportunities to get involved. Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read everything.
Health Hubs! Healing Spaces! Green Team! Young Farmers! All of our programming is in full swing, and it’s all here for you to explore. Watch for opportunities to get involved. Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read everything.
health hubs
garden network
Kilbourn garden
maglio farm
shared harvest
urban waters
YOUNG FARMERS
GREEN TEAM
ground corps
HEALTH HUBS
This past month, our Community Garden Health Hubs hosted yoga and planting workshops galore. We led ten classes in total across our six Health Hub sites on topics related to garden pests, soil health, and composting systems. We’re very excited that we’ve secured funding to continue season extension and indoor growing workshops from now until January. Watch for upcoming events on social media and on the Health Hubs page of our website.
Upcoming Health Hub Workshops
If you’re interested in participating in Health Hub programming, we’d love to see you in the gardens! Check-out the list below for upcoming Health Hub events.
Want to participate in Health Hub programming?
If you live near one of our Community Garden Health Hubs and would like to participate in healthy outdoor programming, fill out this form to let us know what types of activities you’d like to see in the gardens. We would love to see you there!
GARDEN NETWORK
We’re proud to support our inspiring gardeners and look forward to working together as the season continues. There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in the next month. Keep an eye out for weekly opporutnities on our Volunteer Sign-Up page and social media.
Compost Crusader Discount
We are excited about a new collaboration with Compost Crusaders! Compost Crusaders is offering discounted compost to gardens or partners affiliated with Groundwork Milwaukee. Compost will be discounted from $35 per yard to $30 per yard for orders of 3 yards or more.
Garden Network Volunteer Opportunities
We’ll be hosting volunteer work days at the below times on a weekly basis. View our sign-up page for specific times and locations.
KILBOURN GARDEN
On August 12th, we organized a day of support with approximately 20 incoming first year medical students at the Medical College of Wisconsin. They assisted us with various tasks at Kilbourn Garden including making new number labels for beds, sealing garden signs, mowing, compost management, and debris removal. For the Medical College of Wisconsin, the goal of this service program is to send their students into the community with an upperclassman mentor to learn about the city and get to know populations they will soon be serving as physicians.
Volunteer
Each Thursday at Kilbourn, we host a volunteer workday to keep the garden looking fresh throughout the season. Thanks to all the volunteers who have helped us to keep the space tidy so far this season. If you’d like to come help out, follow the link below and sign-up for a ‘Weekly Kilbourn Workday’ time slot.
Maglio Farm
The height of harvest season is upon us! We are surrounded by huge squash and bright red tomatoes. In July we harvested more than 2,000 pounds of fresh produce! All of it was donated to local food pantries. Thank you to all of our hardworking and dedicated volunteers. We truly could not do this without you!
Volunteer
If you’re interested in supporting the Maglio Farm, follow the link below to see available work opportunities. This work depends heavily on volunteers. Thank you for dedicating your time and energy toward healthy eating and food sovereignty in Milwaukee!
shared harvest
Fruit Gleaning
Season’s gleanings, everybody! Fruit gleaning season is upon us. We’ll be gleaning on Tuesdays and Fridays (5:30pm-7:30pm), August through September. Fruit is donated locally and volunteers are encouraged to bring as much home as they’d like. Sign up at the link below. Select the ‘Fruit Picking (Gleaning)’ slots and we’ll reach out to coordinate the rest.
Register a Fruit Tree
Did you know we’ll harvest your fruit as well as your veggies! Register a fruit tree with us today and we’ll organize a crew of volunteers to come save those cherries, apples and pears from going to waste. We’ll rescue your fruit and bring it to a local food pantry. Register your tree at the link below.
Fresh Food Connect
Does your home garden have too many zucchinis? Overgrown collards? An abundance of kale?! We can help you donate it! If you’re a backyard gardener and would like to donate your extra garden produce to local food pantries, sign-up for Fresh Food Connect and our volunteer couriers will come pick-up your donation once a week. To sign-up, download the Fresh Food Connect app from the app store and create an account.
Urban Waters
Week 6 of Green Team was designated WATER WEEK! We did a week's worth of water-based curriculum and activities. This included rainwater harvesting system education, water quality testing, trash pickup along Lincoln Creek, and a water challenge (drinking enough water throughout the week). The Green Team tested water quality along the Milwaukee River at Estabrook Park. They tested for temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and identified different classes of macroinvertebrates. At Lincoln Creek, a tributary of the Milwaukee River, the Green Team collected litter. They collected roughly 1,400 pieces of trash! The crew also learned about the importance of green infrastructure like rain barrels and rainwater harvesting systems and discussed other ways that our garden network leaders obtain water for their spaces (fire hydrant permits and nearby houses with outdoor spigots). The week finished with a tour of the MMSD wastewater treatment plant on Jones Island. It was stinky, but the team perked up a bit when they learned they could start at $35/hour with a high school diploma.
YOUNG FARMERS
Sherman Park
The end of July marked the end of Young Farmers for the two groups of Boys & Girls Clubs members growing at Sherman Park: Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club and Milwaukee Academy of Sciences Boys & Girls Clubs. Over the six week training, youth learned about planting, caring for their plants, and, of course, how to safely harvest, wash and cook what they grew. The Young Farmers tasted all kinds of new fresh flavors. Some of their favorites were sour cherries, chocolate mint, kale chips, and mulberries. They really enjoyed cooking together!
Cherry Street Community Garden
Young Farmers at the Cherry Street Community Garden learned to test soil for nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and pH level. They also learned to use special tools to remove the pits from and caramelize cherries. Obviously, when they were done, they tested out the final product on some ice cream!
Thurston Woods Community Garden
The Thurston Woods Young Farmers have been hard at work taking care of their beans, squash and pepper plants. They planted 30+ flower plants in five of their raised beds. They also learned to prime the inside of the raised beds by carefully removing any soil and applying primer with a sponge brush. With each painter at their station, they completed the priming of three beds in the record time of 10 minutes!
GREEN TEAM
Green Team has officially ended for the 2021 season. We had a great time with our crew and wish them all the best as they head back to school. Some highlights from the summer were: hiking through Havenwoods Forest and learning about the importance of physical activity for our mental and long term health; learning about resume and cover letter writing from Groundwork Milwaukee’s Deputy Director of Programming and Operations, Damien DeBuhr; learning about remote sensing and how it can be a tool to address environmental injustice from NASA scientists with help from Groundwork Milwaukee’s Deputy Director of GIS, Lawrence Hoffman; meeting artist, Akira Yashema Mabon, who taught the crew how art can be a catalyst for social change; and, on the final day, they all played basketball and went to the beach. To hear about the Green Team’s experience this summer directly from the crew, check out the Green Team Blog 2021.
GROUND CORPS
Ground Corps completed monthly maintenance at the bioswales early in the first week of the month and ended that week with nearly all of our Ground Corps receiving limited CPR AED training. The team is now certified for one year. This month we were able to begin construction on three Healing Spaces Initiative sites (All Peoples Church, Solomon Church and Harambee Tot Lot on 1st and Keefe) digging pathways and erecting structures for shade sails. We also painted little libraries scheduled to be delivered to other Healing Space Initiative locations and planted 30+ perennials with the help of members of the NDIC and Eras Senior Network volunteers.
Newsletter, July 2021
June was another busy month for the Groundwork Milwaukee crew. We provided direct support through infrastructure improvement, programming and volunteer workdays to more than 14 of our garden locations and so much more. Thank you to all the supportive community members and volunteers that have made invaluable contributions! Scroll down to learn more. Watch for opportunities to get involved! Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all.
June was another busy month for the Groundwork Milwaukee crew. We provided direct support through infrastructure improvement, programming and volunteer workdays to more than 14 of our garden locations and so much more. Thank you to all the supportive community members and volunteers that have made invaluable contributions! Scroll down to learn more. Watch for opportunities to get involved! Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all.
health hubs
garden network
Kilbourn garden
maglio farm
shared harvest
urban waters
ground corps
HEALTH HUBS
Groundwork’s Health Hub programming is in full swing. We’ve been providing educational opportunities at Health Hub gardens. Our Food Systems Specialist, Samson has been holding training events at the gardens. Below are a few great photos from these events as well as a list of upcoming gardening and yoga workshops being held at Health Hub gardens in the near future.
Upcoming Health Hub Workshops
If you’re interested in participating in Health Hub programming, we’d love to see you in the gardens! Check-out the list below for upcoming Health Hub events.
Want to participate in Health Hub programming?
If you live near one of our Community Garden Health Hubs and would like to participate in healthy outdoor programming, fill out this form to let us know what types of activities you’d like to see in the gardens. We would love to see you there!
GARDEN NETWORK
Last month Groundwork provided direct support through volunteer workdays or original programming to 14 gardens in the Garden Network, including: Peace Park, Uptown Crossing, Kilbourn, Discovery World, Maskani Gardens, Beauty from the Root Healing Garden, Thurston Woods, We Got This, Cherry Street Garden and Scooters Garden of Hope. We’re proud to support our inspiring gardeners and look forward to working together as the season continues. Here are a few of the highlights from last month.
Planting at Maskani Apartment Gardens
With help from residents we held a community event for the Maskani Apartment Gardens. We turned over the soil in garden beds, added new soil and planted various plants such as tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers, and squash. Over a dozen residents and their families came out to enjoy the nice weather and plant with us!
Vel R. Phillips Block Beautification
On June 5th, we partnered with Safe and Sound and local residents of the 3800 block of Vel R. Phillips Avenue to orchestrate a neighborhood-wide clean up and beautification. Groundwork Milwaukee volunteers worked with residents of the block to cut their grass, remove debris and trash and plant beautiful flowers along all of the homes.
Compost Crusader Discount
We are excited about a new collaboration with Compost Crusaders! Compost Crusaders is offering discounted compost to gardens or partners affiliated with Groundwork Milwaukee. Compost will be discounted from $35 per yard to $30 per yard for orders of 3 yards or more.
Garden Network Volunteer Opportunities
We’ll be hosting volunteer work days at the below times on a weekly basis. View our sign-up page for specific times and locations.
KILBOURN GARDEN
Each Thursday at Kilbourn, we host a volunteer workday to keep the garden looking fresh throughout the season. Thanks to all the volunteers who have helped us to keep the space tidy so far this season. If you’d like to come help out, follow the link below and sign-up for a ‘Weekly Kilbourn Workday’ time slot.
Maglio Farm
We’re entering a full harvest season! We’ve been picking peas & beans for a few weeks now, and are just entering harvests of zucchini, cucumber, and tomatoes!
As always, our “harvest help” shift is a great way to come out to the farm if your time is short.
shared harvest
We’re six weeks into our food rescue program Shared Harvest. Combining gleaned produce (produce rescued from backyard gardens) with harvest supplemented from our farm, that’s 180 lbs of produce donated to local food pantries together.
Fresh Food Connect
Does your home garden have too many zucchinis? Overgrown collards? An abundance of kale! We can help you donate it! If you’re a backyard gardener and would like to donate your extra garden produce to local food pantries, sign-up for Fresh Food Connect and our volunteer couriers will come pick-up your donation once a week. To sign-up, download the Fresh Food Connect app from the app store and create an account.
Register a Fruit Tree
Did you know we’ll harvest your fruit as well as your veggies! Register a fruit tree with us today and we’ll organize a crew of volunteers to come save those cherries, apples and pears from going to waste. We’ll rescue your fruit and bring it to a local food pantry. Register your tree at the link below.
Urban Waters
In June, we planted nearly 300 plants from MMSD’s annual plant sale! We also installed two pollinator garden beds at Kilbourn Garden and another perennial garden was planted at Village Roots in Bay View.
Milwaukee River Water Monitoring in Estabrook Park
This year, Groundwork Milwaukee is partnering with Milwaukee Riverkeeper to monitor the quality of our waterways. We monitored our section, near Estabrook Park, with the help of Rebecca from Milwaukee Riverkeeper in May. These were our first samples of the season.
Seeking Youth Water Monitors
We are looking for a youth group that may be interested in monitoring with us the last week of August. Reach out to jacelia@groundworkmke.org for more information!
GROUND CORPS
This month The Ground Corps began working on the first of 10 Healing Spaces to be constructed throughout the city from now through September. On Saturday, July 10th, with the help from some phenomenal volunteers we began to revitalize a portion of the Beerline Trail near Holton and Townsend. A Pergola was constructed, 40 perennials were planted, and the frames for what will be two garden bed benches were built. We expect to begin work on another healing space along the Beerline Trail next week. During this month we have also started a farmstand and rainwater catchment structure at Scooters garden and constructed five additional garden beds on site, while continuing to wrap up construction on the outdoor kitchen at We Got This on 9th and Ring. This week the outdoor triple burner stove for the kitchen arrived for pick up and we managed to find a free sink perfect for the kitchen donated to us by one of our Riverwest neighbors.
Newsletter, June 2021
We got so much done in May! We hosted Health Hub plantings and cook-outs, built a lot of infrastructure for the Garden Network and harvested 428 pounds of food at the Maglio Farm! Scroll down to learn more. Watch for opportunities to get involved! Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all.
We got so much done in May! We hosted Health Hub plantings and cook-outs, built a lot of infrastructure for the Garden Network and harvested 428 pounds of food at the Maglio Farm. Thank you to all the supportive community members and volunteers that have made invaluable contributions! Scroll down to learn more. Watch for opportunities to get involved! Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all.
health hubs
garden network
Kilbourn garden
maglio farm
shared harvest
urban waters
ground corps
HEALTH HUBS
Last month in our Community Garden Health Hubs, we hosted major garden builds, plantings and cook-outs. Along with garden leaders, volunteers, and our Ground Corps, we built five garden beds, a new compost structure and new platforms for rainwater tanks. Thanks to Tricklebee Cafe who donated lunch for all the workers!
At Thurston Woods Community Garden, Ground Corps built a much anticipated rainwater structure and three new ADA accessible beds. Neighbors were excited to see this new addition and impressed with the speed of the Ground Corps crew.
We also hosted a planting and cook-out event at Scooter’s Garden of Hope. Thanks to Chef Martin of Unsalted Life for his creative healthy cooking lessons and delicious food!
Upcoming Health Hub Yoga Sessions
We’re excited to announce that we will be hosting weekly yoga sessions at our Community Garden Health Hubs throughout the summer. Emily McDoniels of SoulShine Yoga will be leading all sessions. Sessions will rotate between Peace Park Community Garden, Uptown Crossing Community Garden and Hilltop Community Garden. Follow the link below to see all times and dates.
Want to participate in Health Hub programming?
If you live near one of our Community Garden Health Hubs and would like to participate in healthy outdoor programming, fill out this form to let us know what types of activities you’d like to see in the gardens. We would love to see you there!
GARDEN NETWORK
There’s so much going on in the Garden Network. Last month, we added another garden to the network, prepared our huge urban farm at 26th and Clybourn for planting and collaborated with Walnut Way to do the same at their location. We also made infrastructure updates to a number of gardens including, Mulberry Urban Eden, Solomon Community Garden, Historic Walnut Hill and the Young Farmers Garden at Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club in Sherman Park. Check out the pictures below from this eventful month.
New Garden Alert
Yet another new garden joined the network this month. Welcome, St. Mark AME Church to the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network! We look forward to growing together!
Compost Crusader Discount
We are excited about a new collaboration with Compost Crusaders! Compost Crusaders is offering discounted compost to gardens or partners affiliated with Groundwork Milwaukee. Compost will be discounted from $35 per yard to $30 per yard for orders of 3 yards or more.
Garden Network Volunteer Opportunities
We’ll be hosting volunteer work days at the below times on a weekly basis. View our sign-up page for specific times and locations.
KILBOURN GARDEN
Each Thursday at Kilbourn, we host a volunteer workday to keep the garden looking fresh throughout the season. Thanks to all the volunteers who have helped us to keep the space tidy so far this season. If you’d like to come help out, follow the link below and sign-up for a ‘Weekly Kilbourn Workday’ time slot.
Maglio Farm
The sun is out and the hoop house sides are rolled up at the Maglio Farm. We’re entering peak production months and need all the help we can get!
The last of the winter greens were ripped out, and as of this Saturday, June 5th, all beds are planted with new summer crops. Get ready for the bounty - peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. Join us for weeding, harvesting, or for this month’s garden workshop!
May Harvest
COMPOST WORKSHOP
This month’s workshop is on composting. Learn to turn your organic waste into super soil with Samson Srok. Follow the link to register in advance.
shared harvest
June is here! That means we’ve kicked off our Shared Harvest programming. If you’re a backyard gardener and would like to donate your extra garden produce to local food pantries, sign-up for Fresh Food Connect and our volunteer couriers will come pick-up your donation once a week. To sign-up, download the Fresh Food Connect app from the app store and create an account.
Urban Waters
Adopt-a-River Annual Spring Clean-Up
Groundwork Milwaukee has partnered with Milwaukee Riverkeeper to adopt a section of Lincoln Creek between Hopkins and Sherman. In April, we collaborated with Milwaukee Riverkeeper to lead the annual clean-up kickoff! We filled 15 contractor bags with trash, and removed street signs and tires from the creek. A huge thank you to our tremendous volunteers who brought energy and joy to the event. We appreciate you! Thank you to all the community members who stopped to let us know the space was looking great. We look forward to our continuing stewardship of this tributary with Milwaukee Riverkeeper!
Please, come join us on June 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for our next clean up event. Find more details below.
Prairie Planting at Lakeshore State Park
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in our prairie planting extravaganza with the Friends of Lakeshore State Park! We transplanted 1,052 prairie grasses and flowers along the Hank Aaron Trail. We couldn’t have done it without all your help, thank you!
Milwaukee River Water Monitoring in Estabrook Park
This year, Groundwork Milwaukee is partnering with Milwaukee Riverkeeper to monitor the quality of our waterways. We monitored our section, near Estabrook Park, with the help of Rebecca from Milwaukee Riverkeeper in May. These were our first samples of the season.
Seeking Youth Water Monitors
We are looking for a youth group that may be interested in monitoring with us the last week of August. Reach out to jacelia@groundworkmke.org for more information!
GROUND CORPS
Welcome, Bree!
In May, Bree joined Groundwork Milwaukee as the Ground Corps Crew Leader. In her short time with us, she has already brought a ton of energy and support to our field operations. Welcome to the team, Bree!
Newsletter, May 2021
Groundwork Milwaukee has been working hard! April was a very eventful month. We held Health Hub kick-off events, led garden cluster and adopt-a-river clean-ups and grew 638 pounds of food! Scroll down to learn more. Watch for opportunities to get involved! Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all.
Groundwork Milwaukee has been working hard! April was a very eventful month. We held Health Hub kick-off events, led garden cluster and adopt-a-river clean-ups and grew 638 pounds of food! Scroll down to learn more. Watch for opportunities to get involved! Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all.
health hubs
garden network
Kilbourn garden
maglio farm
shared harvest
urban waters
youth green literacy
HEALTH HUBS
Last month we held Health Hub kick-off events in participating gardens. Kick-offs took place at Scooter’s Garden of Hope, Thurston Woods, Peace Place and Hillside Garden. We were thrilled to have to the opportunity to work with residents to prepare these gardens for the upcoming growing season. We were also proud to facilitate a cooking class in partnership with HeartLove Place at We Got This garden with Chef Martin of Unsalted Life as part of our Health Hub programming. Look for more programming like this in coming months. Check out these great pics we snapped in the Health Hubs!
Scooter’s Garden of Hope
Thurston Woods
Peace Place
Uptown Crossing
We Got This
Health Hub Planting & Cooking Event - May 21st
Join us at Scooters Garden of Hope for an afternoon of planting and cooking fun! We’ll be planting vegetables, herbs, and flowers in community garden beds between 3:00pm and 4:30pm. There’ll be a cooking demonstration from Chef Marvin between 4:30pm-6:00pm. Pre-register to guarantee a plate for the cooking demonstration by calling 414-763-9947 ext. 1009.
No experience required. Come prepared to work outside. We look forward to seeing you there!
Scooters Garden of Hope
2462 N. Buffum Street
May 21st, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Want to participate in Health Hub programming?
If you live near one of our Community Garden Health Hubs and would like to participate in healthy outdoor programming, fill out this form to let us know what types of activities you’d like to see in the gardens. We would love to see you there!
GARDEN NETWORK
Garden Welcome Signs
Over the past couple months, volunteers have created 45 welcome signs for our Milwaukee Grows Garden Network. This project has been a hit with volunteers and garden leaders alike. This month, we began installing them in Groundwork Gardens. Cherry Hill Garden was among the first gardens to receive its new welcome sings. While we were there, we helped prepare the garden for the growing season.
Neighborhood Cluster Clean-Up
In April, we were able to lead our first Neighborhood Cluster Clean-Up. A group of volunteers joined us at four of our gardens in the Midtown and Walnut Hill neighborhoods. We filled 15 bags of debris and got them picked up by the City of Milwaukee’s Project Clean & Green. Thank you volunteers!
More New Gardens!
We have more new gardens to introduce this month! Riverview Community Garden joined the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network and kicked-off their growing season with a work day. We are also very excited to announce that Walnut Way Conservation Corps has joined the network. We look forward to working together toward a greener more equitable Milwaukee!
Milwaukee Seed Library
A Seed library program will be launching soon in Milwaukee. The Seed Library program will be similar to the Little Free Library "take a book, leave a book" model. Gardens are free to start their own seed library, which they can register with the Milwaukee Seed Library, so community members can find seed library locations. A website will be launching soon, but for more information or to register a seed library, please contact milwaukeeseedlibrary@gmail.com
Compost Crusader Discount!
We are excited about a new collaboration with Compost Crusaders! Compost Crusaders is offering discounted compost to gardens or partners affiliated with Groundwork Milwaukee. Compost will be discounted from $35 per yard to $30 per yard for orders of 3 yards or more.
Garden Network Volunteer Opportunities
We’ll be hosting volunteer work days at the below times on a weekly basis. View our sign-up page for specific times and locations.
Walnut Way Campus Lift Up 2021
Come support our newest Garden Network members, Walnut Way Conservation Corps this Thursday, May 13th, 9am-1pm at 2240 N. 17th St. We’ll be building rows of soil, planting seeds and cleaning up the block. Sign up here.
KILBOURN GARDEN
All beds at Kilbourn Garden have been reserved for the 2021 season. Thank you to all our gardeners for registering. We look forward to seeing the fruits and vegetables of your labor!
Maglio Farm
We’re so excited for summer, we wet our plants! April was filled with some incredible volunteer days. We’ll continue to plant all May long. Come join us!
April Harvest
Art at the Maglio Farm
We’re excited to host family-focused events at the garden this May! We’re launching our raised bed youth education garden at the farm. If you have a youth group that’s interested in visiting the farm, email urbanfarm@riverwestfoodpantry.org and we’ll coordinate with you to offer hands-on urban agriculture education for youth.
Workshop: Addressing Insects & Disease in your Home Garden
Join us June 4th for our monthly gardening workshop at the Maglio farm. We’ll cover ecologically conscious ways to address insects and disease in your home garden.
Volunteer Hours
Planting has already begun at the Maglio Farm! Starting this April 6th, we’re officially launching our growing season hours. We’re out at the farm four days a week and need all the help we can get! Our harvest help shift is great for folks who want to support our work, but can’t commit to a full workday. It’s also the most family-friendly activity on the farm!
shared harvest
We’re looking for Fresh Food Connect couriers! Are you interested in picking up donated produce from your fellow Milwaukeeans? We’d ask you to collect once a week and bring the produce to us during one of our specified times. Groundwork then delivers the produce to local food pantries. Learn more on our Shared Harvest page. If your interested, email samson@groundworkmke.org or sing up for an upcoming orientation.
Urban Waters
Adopt-a-River Annual Spring Clean-Up
Groundwork Milwaukee has partnered with Milwaukee Riverkeeper to adopt a section of Lincoln Creek between Hopkins and Sherman. In April, we lead the annual clean-up kickoff! We filled 15 contractor bags with trash, and removed street signs, tires and a car bumper from the creek. A huge thank you to our tremendous volunteers who brought energy and joy to the event. We appreciate you! Thank you to all the community members who stopped to let us know the space was looking great. We look forward to our continuing stewardship of this tributary with Milwaukee Riverkeeper!
Please plan to join in the fun at our next clean-up on June 26th, 9:00am-11:30am (sign-up details yet to be published). Individuals and groups are welcome. Bring everyone you know! Let’s keep our waterways clean.
Friends of Lakeshore State Park Prairie Planting Extravaganza!
The Friends of Lakeshore State Park are happy to see all visitors using the park this spring already! The Friends and donors have provided funding to assist with restoration of Lakeshore’s second largest prairie. Known by DNR staff as Fox Prairie. This area is on the Lake Michigan shoreline and just south of the marina. DNR staff have been busy prepping the site and laying native prairie seed. 1,052 plant plugs have been ordered for the planting. We need your help getting them in the ground, and are looking for 15 volunteers to work alongside the Friends and Groundwork Milwaukee crew for each shift. Sign up for one or multiple plantings!
We will be meeting at Lakeshore’s marina. 3-hr street parking is available near the north entrance on Harbor St. and Clybourn St., or at the south entrance near the Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse. Masks are required when social distancing is not possible, and we will be breaking up into small groups. Participants are encouraged to bring their own hand sanitizer, work gloves and spade or hori hori knife. A limited amount of loaner supplies will be available.
Saturday, May 22nd: 11am-1pm
Saturday, May 22nd: 1pm-3pm
Friday, May 21st: 11am-1pm
Friday, May 21st: 1pm-3pm
If you’re interested in volunteering at one of these plantings, sign up here!
Youth Green Literacy
Our Craig Montessori Green Literacy students have been operating a Mother’s Day Plant Sale internally at the school. They’re selling the plants they grew themselves! Students prepared promotional materials and spread the word at the school. They also priced each plant based on the effort it took to grow, its size, health and decoration. Plants are being sold at the school to staff and parents. Everyone is having a lot of fun with this event!
Today was our last day with our students at Craig. We had a celebration to recognize the students’ hard work. Part of the celebration was a meme-making exercise. Students made memes based on plant-related prompts. This is the one that made us laugh the hardest. They turned Elena into a meme!
Newsletter, April 2021
Groundwork Milwaukee is gearing up for the growing season. Below is a recap of what we did in March and what we’ll be working on in the near future. In April, we’re looking forward to our Community Garden Health Hub kick-off events which are underway in participating gardens. We’re also excited to lead the annual clean-up of Lincoln Creek with community partners - just to name a few events. There’s so much going on! Come join us!
Groundwork Milwaukee is gearing up for the growing season. Below is a recap of what we did in March and what we’ll be working on in the near future. In April, we’re looking forward to our Community Garden Health Hub kick-off events which are underway in participating gardens. We’re also excited to lead the annual clean-up of Lincoln Creek with community partners. There’s so much going on! Come join us! Click the tiles below for program-specific updates or just scroll down to read it all!
health hubs
garden network
Kilbourn garden
maglio farm
shared harvest
urban waters
youth green literacy
sky schools wellness circle
climate safe neighborhoods
HEALTH HUBS
Last Friday, Groundwork Milwaukee kicked off its Community Garden Health Hub programming with We Got This and Running Rebels. Participating in urban gardening can have the effect of improving the number of servings of fresh food eaten, number of hours spent engaged in moderate physical activity, and the number of positive social interactions for gardeners. Studies have shown that when people engage in more of these activities they also reduce their risk factors for chronic disease. Gardens designated as Health Hubs will be provided intensive support and guidance for gardeners over the coming season. Groundwork plans to lead trainings on planting, preparing, and preserving fresh food through in-person and virtual, cohort based activities. Join us for upcoming Health Hub kick-offs.
Health Hub Kick-Off Events
*UPDATE: Both of these events were originally scheduled for April 10th, but have been rescheduled for April 17th due to rain on the original date.
Uptown Crossing Garden
2321-25 N 45th Street
Saturday, April 17th
2:00pm-5:00pm
Peace Place Garden with Heartlove
3240-48 N Martin Luther King Drive
Saturday, April 17th
9:00am-12:00pm
GARDEN NETWORK
Garden Welcome Signs
Over the past couple months, volunteers have created 45 welcome signs for our Milwaukee Grows Garden Network. This project has been a hit with volunteers and garden leaders alike. This month, we will begin placing them at our 80+ sites to welcome community members to the spaces!
New Gardens
Shout out to our new gardens! Last month, Solomon Community Temple and NIA Purpose Garden joined the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network. We can’t wait to see what you’ll grow in your new green space!
Neighborhood Cluster Clean-Up
*THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED*
Please check back at a later time for more information on Cluster Clean-Ups.
Spring cleaning of Groundwork gardens has begun! We’ll be doing Neighborhood Cluster Clean-ups throughout April and May to ready community green spaces within our Milwaukee Grows Garden Network for the growing season. Clean-ups will take place at a series of gardens located within walking distance from one another.
The first clean-up is on Saturday, April 17th from 9am - 2pm in the 53212 zip code. We’ll begin at Summer of Peace Park and Garden (2904 N. 5th St.) and continue southeast to five other sites, ending at Riverwest Garden School (831 E. Clarke St.).
We will have trash bags, leaf bags, garbage pickers and gloves for safe pick-up.
If you are interested in participating, please sign-up at our sign-up genius link, here. Elena Olsen-Valdez, our Volunteer & Community Programs Specialist will follow-up with liability forms and waivers.
Summer of Peace Park and Garden
2904 N 5th Street
Saturday, April 17th
9:00am-2:00pm
Thank You Stein’s Garden & Home!
Thank you to our partners at Stein’s. Their generous gift of seeds, tools and soil supplements will help our gardeners grow this season!
KILBOURN GARDEN
Registration is open for Kilbourn Garden. There are still beds available. Follow the link below to reserve your garden bed today! We look forward to seeing you in the garden!
Maglio Farm
Planting has already begun at the Maglio Farm! Starting this April 6th, we’re officially launching our growing season hours. We’re out at the farm four days a week and need all the help we can get! Our harvest help shift is great for folks who want to support our work, but can’t commit to a full workday. It’s also the most family-friendly activity on the farm!
As we lay the groundwork for a big summer harvest, the greens we cared for this winter have grown mature, and we’ve been able to harvest throughout this March.
shared harvest
A huge thanks to Little Laurentide Farm for dropping off a huge donation (48 lbs!) of salad greens, brought directly to Solomon Community Temple. Do you want to donate produce for Shared Harvest this summer?
Free Seeds
We’re offering *free seeds* for gardeners who commit to donating part of their harvest. Sign up on the Fresh Food Connect app now, or, if you’re not in an activated zipcode, email samson@groundworkmke.org to receive more information on how to pick up seeds.
Free Gardening Workshop
Join us for a free gardening workshop on April 30th at Maglio Farm, open to the public!
Soil Health 101 for Gardeners: Good gardeners grow food, but GREAT gardeners grow soil! We'll break soil science down to plain language, so what you need to know as a gardener.
Friday, April 30th
5:30pm-6:30pm
at Maglio Farm
Urban Waters
Come join Groundwork Milwaukee and Milwaukee Riverkeeper in the Annual Spring Cleanup from 9am-12pm on Saturday, April 24th. We will be hosting the cleanup at Groundwork’s Adopt-A-River site between Sherman Boulevard and Hopkins Street along Congress. Our section is along Lincoln Creek which is a tributary of the Milwaukee River. We will meet on the northwest corner of Congress and Hopkins St, near 3510 West Congress Street. Park on Congress Street on either side of the river. We will supply all necessary gear, just be sure to wear comfortable clothing and durable shoes as there is a steep decline to the creek. Our site is designated as a Class III, meaning there is a lot of cleaning up to do. We will need your help! Register to help by clicking the button below.
Youth Green Literacy
Through generous donations, a SeedMoney Garden Grant, community members’ plant propagation donations and students’ efforts to collect repurpose-able materials, we assembled 50 take-home kits for 6th-8th graders at Craig Montessori! Throughout March, Groundwork Milwaukee has provided experiential learning remotely. Students have learned how to find the best sun in their home, check the moisture level of their plants and how to troubleshoot small issues using their observations.
Sky Schools Wellness Circles
Groundwork Milwaukee is happy to host a Wellness Circle in partnership with SKY Schools Milwaukee. We invite ALL of Milwaukee to join us in this community conversation and empathy-expanding experience. How? Participants are invited to explore areas of their own identity, their wellness needs and the wellness needs of their community using diversity/equity tools and mindfulness/social/emotional learning processes.
Please come join us this Thursday, April 8th from 4:30pm-6:00pm, here.
climate safe neighborhoods
Climate Safe Neighborhoods was mentioned in the media again. This time in Yale Climate Connections. Check out the full article below.
Milwaukee Urban Farm Plows Ahead Despite Coronavirus Pandemic
WUWM, August 31st, 2020
WUWM’s Susan Bence talks with Groundwork’s Damien DeBuhr and Samson Srok about the Maglio Farm and its support of local food systems including a discussion of farm operations, COVID-19 safety protocols for workers and volunteers, and Fresh Food Connect. View full story.
WUWM, August 31st, 2020
Small groups of volunteers have been helping Groundwork Milwaukee keep up with 11 hooop houses in which 12,000 pounds of produce are grown in a season (Susan Bence for WUWM).
WUWM’s Susan Bence talks with Groundwork Milwaukee’s Damien DeBuhr and Samson Srok about the Maglio Farm and its support of local food systems including a discussion of farm operations, COVID-19 safety protocols for workers and volunteers, and Fresh Food Connect.
Newsletter, March 2021
Welcome to the Groundwork Milwaukee newsletter! We will be publishing an all things Groundwork newsletter each month providing our followers with program updates, community stories, and upcoming events. Find the newsletter monthly on the News page of our website. Below is the March 2021 edition. Enjoy!
Welcome to the Groundwork Milwaukee newsletter! We will be publishing an all things Groundwork newsletter each month providing our followers with program updates, community stories, and upcoming events. Find the newsletter monthly on the News page of our website. Below is the March 2021 edition. Enjoy!
Cold Weather at the Maglio Farm
Groundwork staff harvest greens at the Maglio Farm with the snow piled high on the outside of the hoop house.
The Maglio Farm is a collaborative project between the Riverwest Food Pantry, Maglio Companies, and Groundwork Milwaukee. Staff and volunteers work year round to grow food for local food pantries on the 11 hoop house site. February was our coldest month of the winter. It tested the resilience of both our staff and the greens. Luckily, the previous two weeks of warmth have seen the greens making a nearly full recovery from the icy shock of February. The hoop houses are now consistently warmer (60-70 degrees) and should be for the rest of the season. If you come out to volunteer - remember to bring layers. Spring in Milwaukee can be very unpredictable!
April Volunteer Hours:
Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
8:30am-12:00pm; Wednesday 5:00pm-7:30pm
March Volunteer Hours:
Thursdays 8:30am-12:00pm
Fridays, 2:00pm-4:00pm
URBAN AGRICULTURE APPRENTICESHIP
Groundwork Milwaukee is in search of an Urban Agriculture Apprentice for the 2021 growing season. The apprentice will learn agriculture fundamentals over the course of a 12 week curriculum led by our experts while taking on a leadership role at an urban farm. To view the full position description and to apply click below.
SHARED HARVEST
Groundwork staff pose with a harvest of pears from a fruit gleaning outing in summer of 2020.
Last year, Groundwork Milwaukee piloted two produce gleaning programs: Glean Milwaukee and Fresh Food Connect. This year, both of these programs are combining to launch our food rescue program: Shared Harvest.
Shared Harvest collects produce donations from community gardens and private gardens to donate to food pantries. We're excited to connect with individuals to increase food security across the city. There are many ways to contribute to this year's program!
Donate Your Extra Garden Produce with Fresh Food Connect
More info on our Fresh Food Connect page.
Volunteer to Glean and Transport Produce
If you're interested in becoming a produce gleaning bike courier - we'll provide the trailer, as well as road safety & bike maintenance orientations. Special thanks to DreamBikes for assisting with custom trailer build and road maintenance trainings. To volunteer follow the link below.
Milwaukee Grows Garden Network
March is in full swing! The Milwaukee Grows Garden Network, our anchor between our many programs, has exciting plans for this summer with plenty of room for volunteer support. Below you can find some highlights through mid-February to April, and ways to be involved.
African American Environmental Pioneers
Nearby Nature hosted their Second Annual African American Environmental Pioneer Awards. At the awards, Groundwork was able to honor two board members, Sherry Terrell-Webb and Michelle Dowl and former staff member, Antoine Carter. We are grateful for their continued contributions to Groundwork Milwaukee and the greater Milwaukee community. It is with their shared vision and guidance that we are excited to move forward with our health equity programming this summer.
Former staff member, Antoine Carter (left), board member, Sherry Terrell-Webb (center) and board member, Michelle Dowl (right).
Become a Milwaukee Grows Supporter
In 2021, Groundwork is offering the opportunity to become a Milwaukee Grows Supporting Member. The Milwaukee Grows Garden Network directly impacts the lives of over 1,200 people in Milwaukee who use the gardens for a variety of purposes such as growing food for their families and using them as safe spaces for children to play. Overall, the gardens have close to 1,080 raised garden beds growing food and flowers. These beds combined with the area of in-ground planting across the network, equates to 2.8 acres of total growing space. The gardens in the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network are important assets for their respective communities. Sign up for the Supporter Membership to bring resources to the Milwaukee Grows Garden Network.
Community Health Hubs
Thank you to our program partners, Medical College of Wisconsin and the American Cancer Society for their support of Groundwork’s Community Health Hub program. Through their generous support, we are expanding programming to six garden sites within our network. More to come about our Health Hubs programing, soon!
Groundwork GIS featured on npr
A map animation comparing historical redlining boundaries to current landcover and surface temperature in Haverhill, MA. Groundwork Milwaukee has made maps similar to these for nine cities. In each instance their is a strong relationship between historical practices of segregation and current vulnerability to climate change.
Check out this story on Boston’s local NPR station, WBUR. It discusses Groundwork USA’s Climate Safe Neighborhoods efforts in the Lawrence, MA area. All of the maps discussed in this story were made by Groundwork Milwaukee! Learn more about Climate Safe Neighborhoods below.
