It Takes a Village to Support a Community Garden!

Remarks by Charlotte Goldman, OPRF High School class of 2011 - at the Grand Opening Of the OPRF "Herban Garden"

Hi my name is Charlotte Goldman and I am one of the many leaders of the Environmental Club. Thank you again everyone for coming to share this important day with us. We have been waiting for this day for almost a year now. From the moment we started work on this project, we have had the help, support, and aid from the community. As some of you know, we first had the idea to build a roof garden, but because of legal reasons, this idea was passed by and we too passed the idea off for other dreams. But by chance, Donna Schuler from the OPRF Garden Club heard of our aspirations to build a community garden. We then received wonderful news over the summer of the gracious gift presented to us by the Garden Club, and we were back in business. This simple gift got us back on our feet, and rejuvenated our passions towards building an urban garden.

I remember looking at the garden after our fist workday. We had transplanted all the bushes and plants that had previously been here around the school, and what we were left with was a blank canvas of dirt, on what now rests the ‘Herban’ Garden, and I thought… “Can we really finish this project, or did we bite off more than we can chew?’ It was fear wrenching. But with the help and support from everyone around us, we achieved our goal, as we all can see. This garden threw us into the open seas with no floatation devices, and together we would either sink or swim. So, with little knowledge, we moved forward.

We were graced by the help of McAdam Landscaping and Mr. Scott McAdam, who devoted time and effort to consulting us, aiding us in the layout, advice, and products to use. We would also like to thank Tammy Cheverny from McAdam Landscape who was essential to the finalization of the garden from supplying the dirt and aiding us with advice and undying support. Through McAdam landscape we were introduced to Unilock, and Mr. Auggie Rodriguez, our brick supplier, who was always willing to patiently answer our many emails and phone calls, and always available to consult during the stone laying process, and was, of course, able to set us up with the best deals possible. We would also love to thank Rober J Neylan Architect Lmt. for drawing up our layout, AA Rental for aiding in the brick laying process, JH Mohr Concrete for the wonderful gravel, and Jessica with Seguin Services, for growing our plants and holding them as long as we needed since the construction took longer than expected, and Buildings & Grounds, who were always there to help us with our incessant needs on those late Sunday nights. Throughout the whole process we have met some fabulous people that were not only there to support us and help us, but to offer assistance and motivation to get this garden in tip top shape and complete our goals and dreams. This truly has become a community garden.

And looking around I think that we have achieved exactly what we set out to do. So again, I would like to thank everyone; whether it was the undying support, the inspiration, the donations, the supplies, the advice, the brain power, or the manual labor, it truly was a community effort. We would also love to thank Ms. Wise and Ms. McGuckin, because without them we would be lost. The school for being so accommodating. The Environmental Club and the family members dragged along with them, thanks again for the free labor! And most of all, to the 5 other co-presidents, my family. Our little dream, it has finally bloomed, and I wouldn’t have wished to overcome this feat with any other group of friends. So please enjoy this garden, love it, care for it, spread the word, because it aint leaving as long as we are around!

Grand Opening of the OPRF High School’s "Herban" Garden

Remarks by Russell Trenary, OPRF High School class of 2011 - shared at the Grand Opening Ceremony:

This garden despite its small area, has a great potential benefit for the school.  First and foremost, this garden provides our cafeteria a readily available and free source of fresh, organic produce. While we must credit OPRF's food service in their efforts to purchase produce from nearby farms, this garden takes local food to whole new level.  The industrialized food production system, from fertilization to transportation, is one of the most environmentally damaging industries. This garden is a step in the right direction -- away from such a system.

In the coming years we hope to see the current garden be just one section of an expanding urban food production system at OPRF and in the community.  Moreover, the educational impacts of this garden should be fully recognized. The disassociating effects of the industrial food system can be greatly alleviated by the reminder that this garden provides -- the reminder that food should come from soil, sun and not too much else.  And while the garden may be small now, it is at the forefront of a rapidly expanding movement in this country principled in the reclaiming of food, whole and simple.

Finally, this garden is proof that cooperative efforts motivated by common interest are not only possible but have great potential for success. These stone walls will last many decades into the future and the movement will undoubtedly grow in that time.  Have a good evening and come visit often as this garden is an evolving entity.

Composting Inside and Out: 14 Methods to Fit Your Lifestyle

June 20th, at 7pm, Chicago author Stephanie Davies will present a program based on her book, Composting Inside and Out: 14 Methods to Fit Your Lifestyle at the Oak Park Public Library.   The book includes in-depth instruction on the best composting methods for home, garden, and urban living. Plus special features on soil health, composting equipment, and stories from the worm world. Since graduating from the University of Illinois in Chicago in 2008, Stephanie Davies has helped install hundreds of residential worm bins throughout the country. According to the Urban Worm Girl web site, they provide worm composting solutions for everything from household bins for a family, to classroom bins and education for students, and commercial bins for offices and cafeterias.  More recently, she has been installing the first wave of commercial worm bins throughout the Chicago area to help manage commercial restaurant and office waste on a grand scale.

This program is co-sponsored by Ethical Eating, an Oak Park community organization. 7 pm Veterans Room, Second Floor, Main Library.

OPRF High School "Herban" Garden Grand Opening

We are proud to celebrate the grand opening of OPRFHS Environmental Club's 'Herban' Garden and would be honored to share the special occasion with those in the community. Drinks and treats will follow the ribbon cutting ceremony.  Please feel free to spread the word!!!

Questions email czgold@sbcglobal.net

OPRFHS Environmental Club

• When:
  Wednesday, May 18 from 03:30 PM to 4:00 PM
• Where:
  201 N. ScovilleMeet in the Mall Across from the football field

Thoughtful Living Series Continues at River Forest Library with "Your Grandma was a Locavore"

Eating locally and with the Seasons

The River Forest Parks Foundation and the River Forest Public Library are pleased to present a series of monthly community programs in 2011 centered around the theme of “Thoughtful Living”.  The next topic in the Thoughtful Living Series include Your Grandma Was a Locavore- Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m.

What does it mean to “eat local”? Like the idea of eating seasonal produce grown on regional farms but wonder what’s in season near you this week? And just how are you supposed to eat local in the winter in Chicago? Join us for a discussion with members of Growing Power, the urban agriculture organization featured in the documentary Fresh.

Growing Power teaches individuals and communities sustainable practices to grow, process, market, and distribute food. Learn how eating “green” can mean eating fresher, healthier foods while reducing your grocery bill and supporting local farmers.

We hope you will drop in for this special series of events!  River Forest Library, 735 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest.  Programs are free and our website is www.riverforestlibrary.org, phone is 708-366-5205.

Help the OPRF Enviro / Bio Club Get a Little Green($$)er!

Especially for those of you that do not have recycling pick up at your home, please consider dropping off your paper recyclables at the Paper Retriever recycling bin on the East Avenue Mall side of the school near the OPRF Tennis Courts. We’re trying to increase our monthly recycling from about 2.8 tons to over 4 tons. That increase will nearly triple the monthly donation to our Enviro/Bio Club. For more details about this fundraising arrangement and what allowable materials are, please visit… http://paperretriever.com.

OPRF Environmental Club is Multitasking!

The OPRF Environmental Club has been more than busy this year. The precedent was set last year, when we organized a march on October 24, 2009 to coincide with thousands of others across the globe. The whole thing was the brainchild of 350.org. Last fall, 350.org followed up its marches by organizing thousands of global “work parties” for the climate. We held our own work party, where we transplanted plants to clear ground for our urban garden.

The garden is by far our biggest project this year. It started as a far-off dream and now is in full swing. First, we measured the space and had a professional architect, the dad of Co-President Isabelle Neylan, design plans for the garden. We collectively decided that raised beds with stone walls would be the most appealing and long-lasting. Of course, our garden was organic from the get-go.

The amount of bricks our garden will require is hefty, but we received a generous grant of 3-4 pallets of bricks out of the 10 that we need. Also, the seeds were paid for by the OPRF Food Service. We will be partnering with them to further healthy and environmental initiatives in the cafeteria.

The Environmental Club is also responsible for the vast majority of paper recycling in the school. Each Wednesday we walk around the school with bins and collect paper to be recycled. We dump in it a bin that gives the school a small amount of money for each ton of paper.

Other activities of the club include an annual lightbulb exchange, where we give out free CFLs for incandescent bulbs that people bring in.   Also, we are hosting the game “coin wars,” as a way to collect money to build a well in Africa. The game is designed as a war between high school classes, where coins add points to your class and dollars subtract points from the other classes.

The Environmental Club engages in activities of which the fruition is later. For example, last year, we testified at an EPA public comment hearing. Two of our club members gave short speeches while others held up signs behind them, encouraging the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant, which would give the organization greater power than it has ever had. This year, the EPA announced that it will regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant, which is something that we as a club can point to say, “We helped that.”

For groups or individuals seeking to contact us, our club sponsor's email is cmcguckin@oprfhs.org.  She will relay any emails to the student club leadership. Please don't hesitate to contact us for any reason. We are looking forward to making more community connections in the coming years. Submitted by Owen Brady