(Attention: For Resources please go to the bottom of the page.
For the class information please go to Events - Get involved.)
New! Check out our 2 Hands blog at 2hands.typepad.com!
"With My Own Two Hands" Urban Gardener Program
Vision and mission
Build, strengthen and educate urbanites towards a healthier, more productive, and community conscience way of living.
Make it possible and viable for urbanites to grow a portion of their food in their personal yards and/or their neighborhoods
at a *collective garden plot.
Once the ground is laid, so to speak, from the excess create a farmers' market, and take a tenth to feed the less fortunate.
The cities we now live in house over half of the world’s population. Given this, we feel urbanites can, and should, see it as a
privilege to literally change the landscape of our cities with edible landscapes, community gardens, and back yard farms
that create environmental health, food availability, global cooling and biodiversity.
The Location
- The fruits and veggies will be grown at your home, the homes of other urban gardeners, and our new collective garden.
- Excess produce generated from the collective garden and personal gardens (Tier 1 members) will be sold at the 2Hands Farmer’s Market (Spring 2009) held at Elizabeth Anna’s Old World Garden.
When
- Harvest season is approximately April-Oct, unless you have a green house. During the Fall/Winter (September - March) we will focus on establishing new gardens and rebuilding older gardens. Early Spring through mid-Summer (April – July) we will focus on our 2Hands Farmers Market.
- 2 Hands Farmer’s Market (Spring 2009) will be on Saturday mornings during the Spring.
How
- Volunteer Work Days/Workshops: Guidance through hands-on learning and information sharing
- Website/Blog: We will provide resources and information in the 2Hands tab on the Elizabeth Anna website and post information on our blog
- Newsletter: We will contact members through our weekly newsletters. So sign up (at the bottom of this page)!
Why become an official member?
- Access to a community of like minded people
- Discounts on workshops and products
2009 Membership/Costs
We welcome all those interested in supporting or participating in “2 Hands”. You do not have to be an official member to participate in volunteer days, activities, workshops, or the market. However, we offer two levels of membership. Tier 1 is for those who are willing or able to participate in building a “2 Hands” community through volunteering. Tier 2 is for those desiring gardening tools for personal use. The two tiers policy began April 4, 2008. A detailed description of the tiers is listed below.
Tier 1:
- Membership fee is $100 per household
- 10-25% Discounts on amendments, seeds, starts, and other products
- Vegetable Garden evaluation:* (Only after 8 hrs of volunteer work) A volunteer work day will be dedicated to installing or working on your garden.
- Workshops: Class free or greatly reduced price
- 10 gallons of aerated compost tea free (A $75 value). Please bring your own containers to the shoppe.
- 12 hours of volunteer work (Does NOT include Farmers Markets)
- Free access to our compost if participating in our Compost Program
- Spring Farmer’s Market
- Sell/Volunteer at 4 markets
- Time does NOT count towards the 12 required volunteer hours
- If you do not have excess produce to share, you are still required to attend 4 markets. You may either sell something other than produce (baked goods), or help others at the market
- If you have excess produce, we also suggest donating to a local food bank or other charity
Tier 2:
- Membership $150 per household
- Discounts on amendments, seeds, starts, and other products
- Workshops: Discounted rate
- Garden evaluation: $35 for vegetable garden consultation ( ½ off; Reg. $75)
- Free access to our compost if participating in our Compost Program
- No obligation to volunteer /sell/give to the Spring Farmer’s Market
Who is Membership Open To?
People wanting to make a positive impact on themselves, others, and the environment.
Things to Consider
- Urban gardening/Community gardens are common and are thriving in most large metropolitan areas. (Do a random search on google and see for yourself!)
- Recent increases in the cost of fuel and food has generated a lot of interest in vegetable gardening as a means to increase self sufficiency and to lower household food costs.
- By providing locally grown produce to your community you reduce fossil fuel use and emissions that are used to import food - from out of state and out of the country.
- Organic gardening has been proven to build your immune system and enhance well being, due to your contact with healthy soil, chemical-free plants, fresh air and sunshine.
- Gardening provides the benefits of exercise!
- GARDENING IS FUN!!!
Elizabeth Anna & James Samudio
and the Staff of Elizabeth Anna's Old World Garden
Before...
during...
and after!