Winter Recaps (Final)

The last two properties are each unique in their own way.

Cooper



Cooper is an old elementary school that is now owned by DNDA. Space on the first floor is rented out to other non-profits such as Nature Consortium, Arts Corps, and Youth Media Institute. The first floor also has a small auditorium, a recording studio, and a movement studio, which anyone can rent. The other floors are artist housing. The gardens at Cooper are a great example of what DNDA is striving to accomplish at all 8 properties. There is so much going on at this garden that I barely play a role :-).



Not only are there many involved and interested residents, but part of the garden area is managed and maintained by FEEST (Food Empowerment Education Sustainability Team), which is a youth leadership program for high school teens run by two residents of the building. Between FEEST, Nature Consortium (a non-profit with offices in the building), and the residents, there is little need for my direct involvement. Last year they built a chicken coop, which is a cooperative in which any residents who wish to benefit from the eggs and meat must participate in cleaning, feeding, tending, financing, etc. The focus this year will be on highlighting sustainable practices and holding community cookouts in the patio area.

Santa Teresita



Santa Teresita is unique in that it is not owned by DNDA, but by Catholic Community Services. CCS gave DNDA some funding and in appreciation of the gift the Family Gardening Program works with their residents. Last July, they built 4 garden beds.



I met with some of the families in January. There are about 8 families that are involved in the gardens and their main two concerns are getting an early start to planting (since the gardens were built late in the season last year), and building a few more beds to accommodate the demand. In the next few weeks I will be helping them start seed indoors and prepare the soil outside for planting. I will also be leading a children's garden class to get some of the kids at the property involved and interested. I hope to have 2 more beds built by the end of April.

Thanks for wading through these updates and backgrounds. From this point on, the picture quality will be better and posts will focus on what's happening now. Stay tuned for Youth Garden Clubs to start up next week!