2nd Annual Food Security Forum December 5th!

Urban Harvest Dinner was a beautiful success!

Last Friday's Urban Harvest Dinner benefit for the Bountiful Cities Project was nothing short of magical. I want to share with you some images (by Naomi Johnson Photography) of the evening, and some information about the generous and amazing donors who made the benefit a success. I am always amazed at small businesses in Asheville, and the readiness to pitch in that so many business owners show. Please support these businesses who support your community! The Bountiful Cities Project is growing in new and exciting directions, and the Urban Harvest Dinner served to bring a wider group of supporters to the table, as well as helping us to envision the continued use of the Pearson garden for community celebrations in the future.

The most beautiful outhouse in Buncombe County; Pearson Garden's handbuilt cob composting toilet with living roof:


Hearth-keeper/baker-lady extraordinaire Tara Jensen baked focaccia on the Pearson Garden's community wood-fired cob oven. The DELICIOUS dough was given to us by Farm and Sparrow! Thanks Tara! Thanks, Dave!

And I cannot emphasize enough how impressive the work of the chefs was.
This is Chef Mauricio and Chef Vinnie of Artisan Catering:

And this is the meal that they prepared: spinach salad, beet salad, parsnip-carrot puree, mashed potatoes, smoked trout corn cakes and sun-dried tomato salsa, and Le Chon with red onions.

And this is Chef Andrew of Chef in Motion, showing off their offerings, which consisted of a mixed greens salad with roasted beets, candied walnut goat cheese crest, smoked bacon and stone ground mustard vinegarette; apple encrusted NC trout with romesco sauce; stuffed pork loin with sausage and mushroom ragout roulade over adobo sauce; and tomatillo lime roasted potatoes (grown on-site at the Pearson garden!)

There are so many others to thank.
Shay Brown, of Shay Brown Events and Palettes of Perfection, worked her magic to bring together vendors, decorations, and all the little details that can be overlooked, but make all the difference.

Pisgah Brewing donated the beer!
The Wine Guy gave us a discount on the wine!
Mountain Foods and the Fresh Quarter donated the produce that was not grown in the gardens. (let me just stop here and thank Ron, owner of these two businesses and also the Grove Corner Market, for being such a badass for the local community. In my 8 years of living here and working on community projects, I have always known these businesses to give back to the community consistently and kindly. Ron even gave me a pat on the back for working on this... while agreeing to give me lots of food for free. Rock on, Ron.)
Greenlife Grocery: Thanks Sam!
Sunburst Trout Company! Yum! Thank you!
Hickory Nut Gap Farm: Thank you, Jaime, for the sausage! Y'all rock!
And, for dessert, there was a collaboration between little old me, AKA Short Street Cakes, and my friends Braden and Mindy's Farm: Good Times Farms! They grew the sweet potatoes that went into the sweet potato spice cupcakes. Thanks, y'all!
Fast Lit Fuse also provided the musical entertainment for the evening. Thank y'all so much for all your hard work! It was a beautiful event!


For more information about the Bountiful Cities Project, or to find out how to get involved, go to www.bountifulcitiesproject.org. Together we can return our cities to living on a more sustainable, more connected, and more just food system! We can start right here, in Asheville, one garden at a time.

Upcoming Harvest Dinner Highlights Top Chefs

The upcoming Urban Harvest Dinner will highlight top local chefs as well as local food and urban agriculture. BCP's September 25th event will feature a line-up of top-notch local businesses donating their time, talents and resources, including:

ShayBrown Events

Artisan Catering

Chef Mo

Short Street Cakes

Mountain Foods & the Fresh Quarter

East Coast Entertainment

the Wine Guy

Naomi Johnson Photography

and many others!

The menu will feature ingredients grown at Bountiful Cities Gardens throughout Asheville, as well as other local food. Cocktail hour will feature a demonstration of the community wood-fired bread oven baking fresh focaccia!

Appetizers,salads, sides and fantastic entres will be prepared by Chefs Mauricio and Mo, with dessert (local sweet potato cupcakes) provided by Short Street Cakes. There will be ample opportunities to learn about BCP's work in the movement towards true food security for everyone in Asheville.

Tickets are $60 each and are available for online purchase. Tickets are limited.

Letter from Treasurer

I am writing you today to give you an opportunity to be a part of an inspiring movement - a movement that addresses the most profound social and environmental issues facing Asheville’s communities. The movement is Urban Agriculture, and the Bountiful Cities Project has been at the forefront of that movement for almost a decade.

What sets the Bountiful Cities Project apart from other “Local Food Movement” organizations? The Bountiful Cities Project has a social justice perspective. This means that we understand that no movement is effective unless it considers ALL members of the community, and that true change comes from the ground up, in our daily lives, or it is not sustainable. We are an organization committed to helping urban communities grow and sustain healthy food systems within their communities through gardening. We serve as a resource for turning vacant lots into food production spaces, and we maintain those spaces towards education and empowerment of the community.

Here are some examples of how we are putting our principles into action in Asheville’s urban communities:
· Our partnership with the Shiloh Community Association has included three years of the Strong Roots Children’s Gardening Program, and the first year of our teen internship program, the Youth Eat This! Initiative (YETI), encouraging children and teens to participate in the food system from seed to seed.
· At the Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park and the Joyner Garden, community members continue to cultivate urban land to produce food in abundance.
· At the Pearson Drive Garden in Montford, the Bountiful Cities Project has created a model community space showcasing sustainable systems such as cob building, community bread ovens, beekeeping, and water catchment.
· Our school gardens include Hall Fletcher Elementary and Vance Elementary, where we work to integrate valuable food production knowledge within the schools’ curricula.
· Other partners include the Burton Street Community Peace Garden, Randolph Learning Center, South French Broad Neighborhood Association, Asheville Middle School, Claxton Elementary and Merrimon Baptist Church.

Friends, this is a critical time. As Asheville faces growing recognition as a “Foodtopia,” and the world faces growing food insecurity, the Bountiful Cities Project wants to ensure that everyone has a place at the table. Now more than ever, we need your support. Bountiful Cities has been on the ground, following through with our mission since 2000. With your support, our organization can grow with the demand for more local food, more community spaces in the city, and more education towards a just and sustainable future of abundance.

Please give generously to your community. Your contribution of $25, $50, $100 or $500 will significantly impact our ability to effect change that you can see, on the ground, in Asheville, at this critical moment.

Please save the date! September 25th we will be hosting an urban harvest with our first On Garden Dinner. Please see details below.

With Sincere Thanks,
Jodi Rhoden
Treasurer

On Garden in the Citizen-Times

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090902/LIVING/909020314

Get Your Tix for On Garden Dinner Now!

Limited Seating - so get your tickets for the dinner that is sure to be a memorable one!
Click here for tickets
See post below for more details.

It is National Community Gardening Week!

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that August 23-29 is National Community Gardening Week, and declared the need for Americans to connect with the land, the food it grows, and their local communities.
Community gardens are growing ( literally J ) in North Carolina, and there are many ways to learn more and become involved.
· Visit a community garden in your area. Pearson Garden Work Day - This Wednesday!
· NCSU; NC A&T; Eat Smart, Move More NC and the NC Department of Public Health have partnered on an NC Community Gardens site:http://nccommunitygarden.ncsu.edu/
· The Eat Smart, Move More Growing Communities Through Gardens Guide was also released today. It’s available in .pdf format.
· Does your organization have an upcoming community garden-related event or workshop? If so, be sure to put it up on the Environmental Education Calendar. If you have never posted an event, contact the Office of EE for instructions.
· Join N.C. Community Garden Partners.
· Want to learn more about community garden/school partnerships and ways schools are utilizing gardening in the curriculum? Consider the upcoming N.C. Outdoor Classroom Symposium, October 23rd, 2009.

Join Us for our On Garden Dinner!

On September 25th, our flagship garden space at Pearson Drive will host our first On Garden Dinner. Fresh, delicious produce will be transformed by the magical chefs, Mauricio of Artisan Catering and Chef Mo of Chef in Motion, into an evening of delectable delight. Paired with wine from the Wine Guy, the dinner promises to have you wanting to know more about our local food, more about the urban agriculture and food security that Bountiful Cities Project works towards.

Tickets will be $60 per plate. Special Thanks To: Shay Brown of Shay Brown Events and Palettes of Perfection; Short Street Cakes, the Fresh Quarter, and many more who are making this event possible!

New Van!

BCP has been generously given a large van by Buncombe County. It is a retired Mountain Mobility van. The plan is to use it as a mobile farmer's market.

There is discussion of giving it a colorful vegetable-themed paint job. Might be a painting party in the near future, stay tuned for more info.

Imagine seeing this in your neighborhood!

Mead Making & Pizza Baking Fun 8/3

Come to Pearson Garden to learn about

MEAD MAKING from Turtle, who makes some of the best mead in these mountains
and
PIZZA BAKING from Frank Cook

About Frank Cook: As an extensive traveler he has developed a deep-rooted network of people whose lives are consciously intermingled with plants, healing, and ways to create a better world. He makes a wide range of foods and medicines to share with his family, friends and community. He leads a simple life communicating, teaching, reflecting, and spending a lot of time in the forests and gardens delving deeper into the mysteries of the plant kingdom and our place in the web of life. Visit his website.

I walk the green path achieving right-livelihood through donation. I appreciate your assistance in this. Give what you can; Receive what you need. But most importantly show up at some of these outings and reconnect with nature.

WHEN: Monday, August 3rd
WHERE: PEARSON garden
408 Pearson Drive, Asheville NC
TIME: 3:00 pm

COST: by donation
CONTACT INFO: Turtle at 273-8151

Earthen Plaster Workshop 8/8

Come learn how to make beautiful natural plaster from clay, sand, and straw. Participants will learn how to mix and apply plaster on the Pearson Drive Garden cob oven. Also included will be a discussion on how to build and
use cob ovens.

Saturday August 8, 2009
Pearson Drive Garden
408 Pearson Drive, Asheville NC
10am-1pm
Cost: $30.00

For more information and registration contact Doug Sharkey
This workshop is in collaboration with the Bountiful Cities Project.

BCP is July's Friend of Earth Fare

BCP is the "Friend of Earth Fare" this month. That means every time someone uses their own bags at the stores, BCP gets a donation. This really adds up.

There will also be a cookout at the stores on the 18th, and a Tomato Fest on the 25th. ALL the proceeds from these events go to BCP.

So here's how you can help raise funds for our important work:

-- Go to Earthfare all month and bring your own bags
-- Go to the Cookout on the 18th and buy a tasty, healthy, low cost lunch.
-- Go to the Tomato Fest on the 25th and buy some 'maters
-- Volunteer at our table for a few hours on one of those days

Volunteers are REALLY needed 7/18 and 7/25, from noon to 6 (you can do all or part of this time slot) . Contact Katherine for more info on this.

Thanks!

Birdhouse Auction Success!

The first and second place winners are in the picture. Can you guess which ones won?

The Judge.

Thanks to everyone who donated, created, bought and shared in our birdhouse event! We raised $2000.00. Hope to see you all again next year!

Announcing: The 7th Annual Birdhouse Auction!

the Bountiful Cities Project Presents:
The 7th Annual Birdhouse Auction!


On April 18th, 2009, starting at 5pm, The Bountiful Cities Project hosts the 7th Annual Birdhouse Competition, Live Auction, and Celebration of Spring at the Courtyard on Lexington in Downtown Asheville to raise money for Urban Agriculture.

Featuring handcrafted birdhouses from local artists, the 2009 Birdhouse Auction will be a festive celebration of springtime! Dozens of locally made birdhouses, both functional and artistic, will be on display. The entries will be judged, with exciting prizes going to the top three winners. The entries will then be auctioned off in an old-fashioned live auction, while attendees enjoy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, and peruse the plants for sale. The location is the beautiful brick courtyard behind Bouchon French Restaurant on Lexington Avenue in Downtown Asheville. The 2009 Birdhouse Auction will be a lovely springtime evening celebration among friends and community!

Funds raised will go directly to the Bountiful Cities Project (BCP) to support the work of community gardening and urban agriculture. BCP is an Asheville-based non-profit with a 9-year history of supporting community gardening, urban agriculture, and food security for the Asheville community. The mission of the Bountiful Cities Project is: “to create, on urban land, beautiful community spaces that produce food in abundance and foster a learning environment for social justice and sustainability.” BCP works in and partners with 10 Asheville communities to grow food in the city: Shiloh, Burton Street, Montford, West Asheville (including Vance and Hall Fletcher Elementary Schools), Stephens-Lee, and others, running educational, youth and outreach programs and connecting communities to the resources they need to begin growing food in the city!

Community Gardening and Urban Agriculture are enjoying a renaissance as individuals recognize the health, environmental, economic and social benefits of growing, eating, and purchasing local food. BCP helps the idea become reality! Donating a birdhouse, and attending the party, will help BCP to fulfill its mission and enrich the patchwork quilt of gardens growing all over the city of Asheville.

Birdhouses are still being accepted! Donations accepted at the French Broad Food Co-op and the Short Street Cakes’ Cake Shop at 225 Haywood Road.

Children and youth in the Shiloh Community eating food from their garden as a part of the Bountiful Cities Project's Strong Roots Program:

Sesame Street Garden Cooperation

Click HERE to see a great show from Sesame Street!

Birdhouse Specifications

As you are building your birdhouse, consider that different birdhouse dimensions attract different types of birds. Construction materials, ventilation, drainage, entrance hole, accessibility, and predator access will also influence how habitable a birdhouse is. Birds will choose houses they find comfortable and that will keep them safe from predators such as cats, raccoons, snakes, and other birds. Refer to the following chart, keeping in mind that birds make their own choices, without regard for charts.

Species___________Floor (in)__Height (in)__Entrance Height (in)__Entrance Diameter (in)
Robin.................................7x8...............8..................................................................
Bluebird.............................5x5...............8........................6................................1 1/2
Chickadee..........................4x4.............8-10...................6-8..............................1 1/8
Tufted Titmouse................4x4.............8-10...................6-8..............................1 1/4
Great Crested Flycatcher....6x6.............8-12..................6-10.............................1 3/4
Eastern Phoebe..................6x6...............6..................................................................
Red-Breasted Nuthatch.....4x4.............8-10....................6-8..............................1 1/4
White-Breasted Nuthatch..4x4.............8-10....................6-8..............................1 3/8
Prothonotary Warbler.......5x5................6......................4-5..............................1 1/8
Barn Swallow.....................6x6................6................................................................
Purple Martin....................6x6................6.......................1-2..............................2 1/4
Tree Swallow.....................5x5..............6-8.....................4-6...............................1 1/2
Downy Woodpecker..........4x4.............8-10....................6-8..............................1 1/4
Hairy Woodpecker............6x6.............12-15..................9-12..............................1 1/2
Pileated Woodpecker........8x8.............16-24.................12-20.............................3x4
Red-Headed Woodpecker..6x6............12-15...................9-12................................2
Northern Flicker...............7x7.............16-18..................14-16............................2 1/2
Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker..5x5.............12-15...................9-12.............................1 1/2
House Wren......................4x4...............6-8.....................4-6..............................1 1/4
Carolina Wren...................4x4..............6-8......................4-6..............................1 1/2
Barn Owl.........................10x18............15-18.....................4...................................6
Eastern Screech Owl and
American Kestrel..............8x8..............12-15...................9-12................................3

Materials - Wood is durable, has good insulating qualities, and it breathes. Gourds are also breathable and make great bird houses. Because they sway in the wind, gourds are less likely to be taken over by house sparrows and starlings. Pottery, concrete, and plastic houses are durable and breathable, but must be secured tightly so they will not fall to the ground and shatter in high winds. Resist the temptation to put a metal roof on your bird house, the metal is more likely to attract predators.

Ventilation - Without air vents, birdhouses can turn into bird ovens. There are two ways to provide ventilation: leave gaps between the roof and sides of the box, or drill 1/4" holes just below the roof.

Drainage - Water becomes a problem when it sits in the bottom of a bird house. A roof with sufficient slope and overhang offers some protection. Drilling the entrance hole on an upward slant may also help keep the water out. You can assure proper drainage by cutting away the corners of the box floor and by drilling 1/4 inch holes in the box floor. Nest boxes will last longer if the floors are recessed about 1/4 inch.

Entrance Hole - Place the entrance (and exit) hole on the front panel near the top. A rough surface both inside and out makes it easier for the adults to get into the box and, when it's time, for the nestlings to climb out. If your box is made of finished wood, add a couple of grooves outside below the hole for them to grab onto.

Accessibility - Birdhouses should be easily accessible so you can see how your birds are doing and when the time comes, to clean out the house. Boxes that open from the top and the front provide the easiest access and are less likely to disturb nesting birds. While side- and front-opening boxes are convenient for cleaning and monitoring, they have one drawback: the nestlings may jump out.

Limiting Predator Access - Never put up a birdhouse with a perch below the entrance hole. Perches offer starlings, house sparrows, and other predators a convenient place to wait for lunch. Proper box depth, roof, and entrance hole design will help minimize predator (raccoons, cats, opossums, and red squirrels) access. Sometimes all it takes is an angled roof with a three-inch overhang to discourage mammals. The entrance hole is the only thing between a predator and a birdhouse full of nestlings. By itself, the 3/4" wall isn't wide enough to keep out the arm of a raccoon or house cat. Add a predator guard a 3/4 inch thick rectangular wood block, to thicken the wall, and you'll discourage sparrows, starlings, and cats.

For more information, visit the US National Fish & wildlife Service webpage: http://library.fws.gov/Bird_Publications/house.html#5aDESIGN

Artists! Create Your Birdhouse for BCP's Annual Auction!

Check out this beautiful flyer by Turtle:

Birdhouses (and birdfeeders, birdbaths, bat-houses, etc) can be dropped off at Short Street Cakes (225 Haywood Road) or at the French Broad Food Coop. Stay tuned for details about the auction, to be held in April. The Bountiful Cities Project's Annual Birdhouse Auction raises funds to pay for the land owned by BCP for community gardens, and funds urban agriculture, sustainability and community education projects in Asheville.