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New Garden Walk July 19 to Showcase North Side Beauty

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North Side Garden Walk Planned

These innovative gardens and programs are designed to inspire!

The Beauty of BID #32 Garden Walk – an event showcasing garden ventures of three northside organizations and featuring food, fun, live music and gardening information — will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19.Those attending can start at any of the sites, which all have tours and other activities planned.

This is the first garden walk the North Avenue/Fond du Lac Marketplace Business Improvement District #32 has sponsored. Organizers saw it as an opportunity to engage the community and spotlight gardens bringing together environmental interest, agriculture and the community.

“We’d like to share with the community the importance of having gardens, along with the history and culture that is rooted within them and our BID  district in particular, said Tia Cannon, BID #32 manager. 

Sr. Edna Lonergan, president of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, agreed. The center’s Bucyrus Campus is a participating site, and she urged parents to bring children along, saying the garden walk “is something for the whole community.”

Participating sites and their activities are:

  • Adams Garden Park, 1836 W. Fond du Lac Ave. – Tour,  visit information booths of environmental organizations (Milwaukee Environmental Consortium, Wisconsin Conservation Voters; Milwaukee Water Commons; Craftsman Restoration Guild; Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters), enjoy live music by Cigarette Break.
  • Alice’s Garden Urban Farm, 2136 N. 21st St. – Tour and learn the history of the area, walk the labyrinth, try yoga, purchase refreshments from local small businesses present, enjoy  live music.
  • St. Ann Center’s Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave.  – Tour raised garden beds and the hydroponic “Green Corridor,” experience the Intergenerational Playgarden, sample foods made from edible flowers, enjoy live music by Cream City Folk.

Victory Garden Initiative Celebrates Ten Years and Purchases Building to Create the Farmhouse

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MILWAUKEE , WI — On April 13, Victory Garden Initiative will close on the purchase of a building across the street from their Urban Farm. This building, located at 249 East Concordia, will be transformed intotheFarmhouse-aplacetoG atherandCreate ,helpingpeoplegrowtheirownfood.VGIrecently announcedtheir GatherandCreateC ampaign: atwo-phasecapitalcampaigntomovetowards developing the Victory Garden Initiative Urban Campus in the Harambee neighborhood.

VGI’s mission is to build communities that grow their own food, creating a community-based, socially just, sustainable, nutritious food system. This year, VGI celebrates ten years of urban farming. And, as VGI grows, so does the need for more programs and resources. “Though we have been doing this work for ten years, our new building will give us the ability to move to a deeper level of impact, meaning, and connection,”says Gretchen Mead, Victory Garden Initiative executive director. “We will serve more neighbors, teach more people, and share more good food. We will have deeper partnerships with the neighboring schools and community organizations. We will launch a CSA program this spring and expand our partnership with local restaurants. We will cook meals, directly from the garden, with and for our neighbors.”

Phase I of the campaign involves the building purchase and renovation work needed to finish the Farmhouse. The work will be complete in late summer or early fall with an office move and grand opening of the education space. Phase II will take place next year and involve additional exterior work to the Farmhouse, kitchen renovations and equipment, and Farm-to-Table Cafe supplies. At the Victory Garden Initiative Urban Campus, there will be opportunities for workforce development enhancement to include green infrastructure careers, food system careers, and extended internships. There will also be a Food System Small Business incubation program created. In total, VGI plans to raise $157,500 during Phase I and $109,000 during Phase II.

VGI will be hosting some amazing events and gatherings at the Farmhouse over the next several months. Follow us on Facebook for announcements and details here: www.facebook.com/VictoryGardenMilwaukee. Call (414) 431-0888 or email [email protected] tofindouthowyoucanparticipateintheG atherand CreateC ampaign.

This is a grassroots movement. Move grass, grow FOOD! ###

About Victory Garden Initiative:

The Victory Garden Initiative promotes a sustainable and socially just food system by building communities of people who grow their own food, reintegrating human and food ecology. The scope of Victory Garden’s educational programs and urban agricultural projects encompass a complete cycle: from soil, to seed, to plate, and composting back to soil – in back yards, front yards, rooftops and on patios.