Mindful Living

Permaculture Design Workshop

2012-01-28T03:04:00.004-06:00

Don't miss this AMAZING opportunity to learn more about Permaculture Design!!!

PERMACULTURE DESIGN IN CITY GARDENS

This 8 hour workshop will be held at:

Inspiration Kitchens – Garfield Park, 3504 W Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60624
Saturday, February 11, 2012 - 9am - 6pm. Includes lunch and beverages. Potluck for breakfast and snacks.

Fee. $80.00 - payable by cash, money order, credit cards. Work share discounts available at $20.00 / hour with a 2 hour maximum which means $40 cash/ $40 in time exchange towards future community projects. Limit 20 participants.

Topics to be covered:

*Ethics of Permaculture
*Basic Permaculture Design Principles
*Concept of Food Forest
*Role of Composting
*Zone and Sector Mapping
*Overview of Earthworks
*Examples of Pc in Action in local Chicago gardens

If you have any questions or to RSVP, contact the instructor, AnnaMaria León, at 414.339.5537 or amjleon5@gmail.com. About the instructor: AnnaMaria León received her Permaculture Design Course Certification in Fall 2011 from the Bloomington, IN Permaculture Activist Team. She has consulted for and designed several local Chicago gardens and is also a Traditional Chinese Feng Shui Consultant.

Neighborhood Block Party!

2011-10-16T23:10:00.002-05:00

The Mindful Living team is hosting their annual block party! To mark the end of this season's harvest, we are inviting the neighborhood to come to the Mindful Living garden, 3323 N. Drake, to bring the community together and enjoy the fruits of our collective labor. The party will be held on Friday, October 21 from 4-7pm. Activities include a potluck, face painting, and various games for the children. We will also be selling elotes for guests to enjoy.

If you have any questions, please respond to the blog post or send an email to mindfulivingchicago@gmail.com.

Invite your friends and family and we hope to see you there!

Red, White & Blueprints: A Rust Belt Documentary

2011-10-04T22:07:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc5Hu27MLFc&feature=player_embedded

Here is a preview to an upcoming documentary entitled "Red, White & Blueprints", a documentary taking a look at the postindustrial economies of the Rust Belt. Though Chicago has performed much better than its surrounding neighbors, Chicago faces some of the same problems these cities face. Furthermore, many of the people who have come to Chicago have left many of the Rust Belt towns that need economic remedies for their postindustrial slumps. Many people find possible remedies in urban farming, agriculture, and sustainable living, ideas Mindful Living and many others advocate as well. Stay tuned for when this movie comes out because I am sure many of us will go see it and benefit greatly from seeing Midwest solidarity in taking on the challenge of reinventing the Rust Belt for the best.

Organic Farming/Sustainable Living Vocabulary

2011-09-08T23:26:00.003-05:00

The Mindful Living team (most of them) possess a significant amount of knowledge pertaining to organic gardening and sustainable living. However, not everyone is as knowledgeable as these individuals and could use some introductory instruction on basic concepts and ideas within the topic's breadth. This reasoning has spurred the idea to introduce a small series of posts dedicated to increasing the basic knowledge of organic farming to beginners of all kinds, entitled (at least temporarily) Organic Farming/Sustainable Living Vocabulary!

The column's first concept: permaculture

permaculture |ˈpərməˌkəl ch ər|

noun

the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

When researching permaculture and the movement behind it, references are usually directed at larger scale agricultural ecosystems, whether they be found on acres and acres of land or located in between high rises in cities. The ideas behind permaculture strive to create an ecosystem where plants assist and/or are complimentary to other plants growing in the same area. A prime example of ecological harmony can be found in the relationship between corn, beans and squash. According to Urban Garden Magazine, "the traditional example in North America is the “three sisters,” or maize (corn), beans and squash. Benefiting from each other, the maize provides the structure for the beans to climb (no poles needed). The beans fix nitrogen for the soil and the other plants, while the squash vines spread along the ground, blocking the sunlight that weeds need. The squash leaves are also a “living mulch,” creating a microclimate that retains moisture while the prickly hairs on the vines help deter pests. This guild integrates while utilizing the “waste” of the other plants, thereby touching on another great Holmgren principle: Produce No Waste (meaning that everything can have a use, even if we call it “waste”).

Permaculture’s principles also state that farmers should be cultivating plants that are native to the soil and climate where they are to be grown. Cultivating plants that are not naturally found in a certain climate may lead farmers to adjust the amounts of nutrients, water and care a plant gets, therefore tampering with the natural balance found in a plant’s native soil. It may also have negative effects on the rest of the ecosystem as it may not have qualities and characteristics beneficial for surrounding plants.

These are just two examples of the ideas behind permaculture. It is truly a revolutionary movement and we here at Mindful Living hope to contribute towards that movement and do our best to promote a sustainable and self-sufficient permaculture here in Avondale, Chicago. The garden is small now, but the future holds great possibilities.

Bricks needed!

2011-09-05T15:12:00.003-05:00

This fall we will be creating a permaculture herb spiral in our largest square raise bed! In order to successfully construct the spiral, we will need about 50 flat bricks. If anyone knows of an inexpensive way to acquire said bricks, please let us know! Thanks!

Saturday Landscape work day!

2011-09-02T20:20:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow we are receiving a large delivery of organic soil to the garden, mostly to amend our raised beds throughout the fall, but also to plant our new addition of beautiful shrubs and bushes to the garden landscape! We will be starting at 10am and would love volunteers! Wear comfortable clothing you don't mind getting dirty and be prepared to dig lots of holes. Stop by anytime after 10am to pick up a shovel, and lets hope we'll be finished by 1pm. Feel free to bring friends too!

Change in Fall classes

2011-08-30T16:23:00.001-05:00

Starting this week, for the month of September, our Kids Thursday Gardening class will be moved to Friday and is now combined with the Yoga/Art class. Each class will begin with basic yoga and breathing exercises to nourish the body and mind. Students will then learn fall gardening and lessons in how to prepare the garden for winter. We'll finish each class with an arts & craft project that fosters creativity and garden reflection. Friday from 4-5pm. Ages 5-10 are welcomed; $15 for the month, or $5 drop-ins. Hope to see you there!

Food Deserts and Chicago's efforts to reduce their impact eliminate their existence

2011-08-28T18:53:00.001-05:00

Aug. 25, 2011

Published Aug. 23, radio station WBEZ 91.5 featured an article on their website that featured a topic important to anyone interested in food security, organic farming, and community development: food deserts. According to Wikipedia and writer Mary Story, “a food desert is any area in the industrialised world where healthy, affordable food is difficult to obtain.” Food deserts are common in “low-socioeconomic minority communities, and (are ) associated with a variety of diet-related health problems.” Rahm Emanuel has expressed his commitment to relieve Chicago residents who live in food deserts across the city by encouraging large-scale retail and grocery stores to build new stores in communities struggling to gain access to healthy foods. He is also proposing an ordinance to the city council to make “urban agriculture a new zoning designation in Chicago.”

Areas without large and extensive grocery stores or farmer’s markets may only have small corner food stores that offer products that lack the nutrition that people need. Their products may possess longer shelf lives and may be cheaper to buy wholesale than fresh produce, but neighborhoods may become somewhat reliant on these goods if fresh produce is unavailable.

These are all huge steps in the right direction for the health and nutrition of all Chicagoans, especially those that are living in the city’s many “food deserts.” However, those of us who work, play, and learn at Mindful Living should make note of the importance of taking Mayor Emanuel’s initiative a step further by promoting personal nutrition and knowledge of organic agriculture. It is important for individuals to have access to sufficient nutrition, but also be able to independently provide their own nutrition at the same time. Mindful Living’s humble space may not be sufficient to provide nutrition to the entire Avondale neighborhood or close community, but it is a place where we can all practice how to live sustainably, healthily and also foster a community spirit at the same time. Through all of our efforts (from Mayor Emanuel to our newest members), we can do our part to promote healthy lifestyles, food independence, and the most tasty nutrition possible!

Head over to the garden for an excellent cooking class! Here's the scoop:

2011-08-19T04:01:00.001-05:00

Bring students to our garden for your next field trip!

2011-08-17T05:00:00.015-05:00

Please contact us for more info: mindfullivingchicago@gmail.com

2011-07-03T18:13:00.001-05:00

This Thursday.......

Summer Classes

2011-06-27T14:58:00.005-05:00

Toddler Gardening Class

Mondays 11:30-12:30

Ages 2-4

Enjoy this interactive gardening class with your toddler! Learn the basics of gardening while exploring the fascinating world of dirt, bugs and plants! Each class includes an art project and concludes with a story. All material costs included with admission.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Mondays 1-2

Ages 4-10

Students will learn valuable ways to reduce their impact on our environment. Come learn about things like composting and re-purposing old items to make new favorites. All material costs included with admission.

Kids Gardening Class

Thursdays 4-5

Ages 4-10

Students will learn the basics of vegetable and flower gardening: the science behind making things grow and hands-on experience seeding, weeding and transplanting. Kids will create their own garden journals and continue to grow at home with plants they start from seed. All material costs included with admission.

Art and Wellness Class

Fridays 4-5

Ages 4-10

What better way to end the week than an outdoor yoga and art session in our garden? Each class will begin with 30 minutes of beginner yoga for kids: to nourish the body and mind. Students will create their own handmade journals and add to it weekly with sketches, drawings and journal entries to foster creativity. All material costs included with admission.

All classes held in our beautiful garden at 3323 North Drake Avenue
In the case of inclement weather, classes will relocate to the Avondale Park District located at 3516 West School Street
To register for classes, please send your name and number of seats requested to mindfullivingchicago@gmail.com. Payments accepted in cash upon arrival or via paypal on our blog.
No classes on Monday, July 4th. Happy Birthday, America!

See you at the garden!

Slight Change in June Class Schedule!

2011-06-13T17:29:00.002-05:00

The Wednesday Kids Garden Class is changing its time to 3-4pm.

We encourage siblings of Avondale Gymnastics members to stop by for our class. Come get your hands dirty and learn about seeding, transplanting, harvesting and about organic gardening!

Same admission fees apply.

June Classes!

2011-05-27T21:19:00.003-05:00

Spaces are limited! Reserve your seat today :)

Toddler Gardening Class
Kids ages 2-4
Mondays 11:30-12:30pm, June 6-27

Experience the joys of gardening with your child in this interactive toddler class. Over four sessions, our experienced instructors will introduce your toddler to the wonders of digging in the dirt and watching plants grow. Each session will include an art project and conclude with a story. All material costs included with admission.
$5 per class/$15 for four classes

Kids Gardening Class
Kids ages 7-10
Wednesdays 4:00-5:00pm, June 1-29

This 3-session class will teach kids the basics of vegetable and flower gardening: the science behind making things grow and hands-on experience seeding, weeding and transplanting. Kids will create their own garden journals and continue to grow at home with their own plants started from seed. All material costs covered with admission.
$5 per class/$15 for four classes

Kids Gardening Class
Kids ages 4-9
Thursdays 4:00-5:00pm, June 9-30

This 4-session class will teach kids the basics of vegetable and flower gardening: hands-on seeding and transplanting plus the science behind it all. Kids will create their own garden journals and continue to grow at home with their own plants started from seed. All material costs covered with admission.
$5 per class/$15 for four classes

Kids Art and Wellness Class
Ages 5-12
Fridays 4:00-5:00pm, June 10-24

What better way to end a school week than with an outdoor yoga and art session in our garden? Each class will open with 30 minutes of beginner yoga for kids – to nourish both body and mind. Students will create their own handmade journals and add to it weekly with sketches, drawings and journal entries to foster creativity. All material costs covered with admission.
$5 per class/$12 for three classes

-All classes held outdoors in our beautiful garden at 3323 North Drake Avenue.
-In case of inclement weather, classes will relocate to a nearby Chicago Park District Building in Avondale Park: 3516 West School Street.
-To register for classes, please send your name and number of seats requested to mindfullivingchicago@gmail.com, or call Elizabeth at 815-236-1645. Payments accepted in cash upon arrival.

Can't wait to see you there!

What's In Season?

2011-05-05T19:37:00.002-05:00

Keep an eye out for these spring veggies at farmers markets and in grocery stores. Yum!

arugala
asparagus
rhubarb
chard
spinach
lettuce
radishes
beets

Class Schedule - MAY 2011

2011-04-25T21:01:00.004-05:00

Spaces are limited! Reserve your seat today :)

Toddler Gardening Class

Kids ages 2-4

Mondays 1:00-2:00pm, May 9-30

Experience the joys of gardening with your child in this interactive toddler class. Over four sessions, our experienced instructors will introduce your toddler to the wonders of digging in the dirt and watching plants grow. Each session will include an art project and conclude with a story. All material costs included with admission.

$5 per class/$15 for four classes

Kids Gardening Class

Kids ages 7-10

Wednesdays 3:30-4:30pm, May 11-25

This 3-session class will teach kids the basics of vegetable and flower gardening: the science behind making things grow and hands-on experience seeding, weeding and transplanting. Kids will create their own garden journals and continue to grow at home with their own plants started from seed. All material costs covered with admission.

$5 per class/$12 for three classes

Kids Gardening Class

Kids ages 4-9

Thursdays 4:00-5:00pm, May 5-26

This 4-session class will teach kids the basics of vegetable and flower gardening: hands-on seeding and transplanting plus the science behind it all. Kids will create their own garden journals and continue to grow at home with their own plants started from seed. All material costs covered with admission.

$5 per class/$15 for four classes

Kids Art and Wellness Class

Ages 5-12

Fridays 4:00-5:00pm, May 6-27

What better way to end a school week than with an outdoor yoga and art session in our garden? Each class will open with 30 minutes of beginner yoga for kids – to nourish both body and mind. Students will create their own handmade journals and add to it weekly with sketches, drawings and journal entries to foster creativity. All material costs covered with admission.

$5 per class/$15 for four classes

All classes held outdoors in our beautiful garden at 3323 North Drake Avenue.
In case of inclement weather, classes will relocate to a nearby Chicago Park District Building in Avondale Park: 3516 West School Street.
To register for classes, please send your name and number of seats requested to mindfullivingchicago@gmail.com, or call Elizabeth at 815-236-1645. Payments accepted in cash upon arrival.
Can't wait to see you there!

New Classes Offered!

2011-04-19T23:07:00.002-05:00

Starting in May, we will be offering classes at the garden four times a week on gardening and basic wellness. This is a new opportunity and will be super fun. Check back soon for class details!

The garden is open

2011-04-14T10:16:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all who made it out to help with the first open garden evening of the season. What a beautiful night to kick off the garden! After picking up garbage and cleaning up the area, we started in the raised beds. Having weeded and prepared the soil, we started planting! There was already some enthusiastic lettuce and spinach growing on its own from last season and we planted three rows each of carrots and radishes. Yum! Don't forget to stop by next Wed. April 20th, from 5-7, to help us plant more veggies!

Let the garden begin!

2011-04-07T19:07:00.002-05:00

Join us in the garden for the first time this season! Next Wednesday April 13th from 5-7pm we will be preparing the garden for a most amazing season. Come ready to work and ready to have fun!

Seeking a 2011 Mindful Living Intern!

2011-02-10T15:34:00.002-06:00

Following in the footsteps of Erica, Mindful Living's wonderful first intern, we are now taking applications for our second: the 2011 Mindful Living Intern!

If you or anyone you know lives in the Chicago area, is interested in organic urban gardening, and wants to work with enthusiastic volunteers toward building a stronger and healthier community, please apply! We're looking for a motivated, organized, and creative self-starter to help us make 2011 our best season yet.

Visit our post on idealist.org for more details, or send a resume and cover letter to Elizabeth at mindfullivingchicago@gmail.com. We hope to have a new team member by early March 2011! Can't wait to hear from you :)

P.S. Congratulations to Erica, who just graduated from U.S. Air Force Basic Training! We're so proud of you, and wish you all the best!

Get in on the fun!

2010-12-07T14:57:00.009-06:00

Want to start your own compost bin? It's so easy!! Here's how you get started:

1. Find a container with a lid (to keep out any smells).

You can re-use old food containers.

Or buy a fancy compost bin that comes with a charcoal filter (again, for the smell). This one's $20 on Amazon and so cute!

Or be ambitious like Paige and start a big compost bin with WORMS... but that's another blog.

2. Fill it up with food waste from your own kitchen! See the side bar on our blog <---- to learn about what to put IN and what to keep OUT.

3. Store it under the sink or show it off on your counter. Keep it in the freezer if you have to go a long time between drop-offs.

4. When your container is full, empty the contents into an outdoor compost bin in your yard-- this is where the real magic will happen. If you live in the city of Chicago, this should be covered and in compliance with city ordinances (to keep out alley critters and such). See the full set of rules for composting in Chicago here.

Happy composting!

2010-11-16T11:43:00.003-06:00

We now have a compost bin! Thanks Green Corps!

Basically the fresh stuff goes in the first section, then after a while it gets moved to the middle one, and then to the last. The decomposition happens in stages, and we can keep adding fresh things while the rest turns to compost to use in the garden. Its really good for the plants to grow as well as for the earth because we are not wasting, we are re-using.

There are lots of things that can be composted, including leaves and grass clippings, shredded newspaper, vegetable scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds. Things that can't be composted include meat, bones, dairy, pet droppings, weeds, or any inorganic materials (glass, plastic, metal) or synthetic chemicals (herbicides, pesticides).

Its easy to start your own, and there are great websites to help you out, like composting101.com, and howtocompost.org.

Do your part in living mindfully!

2010-10-28T17:07:00.003-05:00

A beautiful way to start the spring time...

Is by planting bulbs in the fall!

Its also a great way to spend the last warm days of the year...

Because now we will have colorful flowers calling us

back into the garden as soon as the winter will let us!

Let's hope for just a few more weeks in the garden!

Tuesdays at 5:30pm

2010-10-13T14:49:00.007-05:00

We had a great time at the block party!

We had a clown...

Games...

And lots of good food!

We sold herbs, banana bread, and pumpkins...

And received donations for the garden!

We got our faces painted,

Took home some pictures from this year in the garden,

And our alderman Rey Colon visited us!

Thanks so much to all who came or showed your support!

2010-10-01T13:11:00.002-05:00

Its that time again!!

BLOCK PARTY!!!

Friday, October 8th at 5pm

Come out and have some fun!

We'll have:

A bonfire

Hot apple cider

Caramel apples

Arts and crafts

and Lots of activities and games!

See everyone there!

2010-10-01T13:11:00.001-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who came to the fundraiser on Saturday and to those who made donations!

We are so excited for the great things to come in the garden - you have made these things possible with your support!

The party was lovely, thanks to the hard work of our gardeners, family, and friends who came to help.

Thank you!

Remember to keep an eye out for new developments in the garden!

2010-10-01T12:03:00.007-05:00

Our community work day was a great success!

Thanks to the hard work of our neighbors,

And our friends at Green Corps!

They built a new raised bed for us,

And now we have all this room for more growing!

We spread a huge pile of mulch all around the garden,

Decorated bags to sell our herbs in,

Filled them up with oregano, sage, basil, and thyme

We got into groups

Told neighbors about our hard work and fresh herbs,

And received donations

Then it was time for yoga!

We had lots of good food to eat

And good friends to share the day with

Come see the new improvements to the Garden

Every Tuesday at 5:30 pm!

2010-09-30T23:07:00.004-05:00

We had some busy days in the Garden in September!

First we made a plan,

Then we got straight to work!

We were weeding,

Planting,

And preparing our harvest for sale...

But the best and most important part is learning along the way

And of course, having some fun!

And after working so hard, its always nice to take a well deserved break

Come see how our hard work has payed off,

every week on Tuesday at 5:30!

2010-09-30T22:30:00.003-05:00

Recently in the Garden...

We got creative and decorated in a unique way!

They all look beautiful, and it was a lot of fun!

Come in to the garden to see our artwork and to help out,

every week on Tuesday at 5:30 pm!

2010-09-10T13:57:00.002-05:00

Invitation for YOU:

Please join us

Saturday, September 25, 2010

2648 W Crystal Street

Chicago, Il 60622

for

Drinks, Dessert, and Dancing!

This fundraiser is to help us keep doing all of the wonderful things we do

Tickets are $25 before the party, or $30 at the door

Leave a comment or send us a message on facebook for more information or to reserve your tickets

We can't wait to see everyone there!

2010-09-08T15:48:00.019-05:00

We've had a wonderful summer in the Garden!

Its a lot of work...

...and a lot of fun!

We made jewelry...

And loved to show off our beads!

We brought stumps into the garden...

..and enjoyed story time.

And of course, we've been planting...

...weeding...

...and watering...

And we were so excited when we could start harvesting!

Identifying what we had was important...

...to know what was ready, and what was still growing.

We have herbs, including oregano, sage, thyme, and parsley,

peppers,

eggplant,

tomatoes,

cucumbers,

carrots,

watermelon, and more!

We've been taking what is ready to eat home with us, and its super tasty and good for us too!

Come see us and pick up some fresh produce every Tuesday between 5:30 pm and sunset!

2010-06-23T16:27:00.007-05:00

We've been hard at work....
The garden is growing like crazy!!! We've been so busy planting, weeding, and harvesting we haven't even been able to blog about it!

Starting
TUESDAY, June 29, 2001 @ 5:30 pm

Mindful Living will be offering organic gardening classes!!!In our classes students will learn about organic gardening, environmental sustainability, and community development. Please join us as we plant, grow, and harvest our organic community garden.
Space is limited so sign-up now!!!

We're Baaaaack......

2010-04-23T15:50:00.009-05:00

We're baaaaack....

After another Chicago winter, the Mindful Living family is VERY excited to be back in the garden and starting the growing season!

On our first day back, we were very pleased to find that NOTHING in our garden had been lost, stolen, or damaged while we were away, despite the fact that we do not fence or close off our space to the public. We're very thankful to the neighborhood for keeping a watchful eye and to all those who have enjoyed and respected our garden as much as we have.

On our first day, we picked up any trash that blew into the lot, started weeding, and shoveled the natural plant food (maneur) that was left as a surprise from Paige's dad - THANK YOU!!!

One the second day back in the garden we were able to continue weeding, and start PLANTING!!! The kids were so excited to dig in and get their hands DIRTY ....and so were we!

We planted lettuce, carrots, peas, and swiss chard. Our mouths are watering thinking about all the great things we'll have to EAT!!!

This spring, summer, and fall we will be at the garden

TUESDAYS
5pm-7pm

Hope to see you there!

2009-08-25T15:43:00.011-05:00

~~YOGA IN THE GARDEN~~

CORRECT BREATHING IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF ANY YOGA PRACTICE.
THE KIDS PRACTICED DEEP BREATHING BEFORE WE BEGAN OUR INSTRUCTION.

REACH, REACH, REACH TO THE SKY

CHILD'S POSE
THIS IS A GREAT RELAXATION POSE THAT REALLY STRETCHES THE BACK.

DEEP YOGIC BREATHING WITH CLOSED EYES IN MOUNTAIN POSE

AFTER ALL THAT YOGA WORK, WE HAD A LITTLE SNACK. ELIZABETH BROUGHT SOME BROCCOFLOWER, A CROSS BETWEEN BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER.
WE ALL THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY YUMMY!
WONDER WHY IT'S ORANGE THOUGH?

JAILENE WAS EXCITED TO SHARE SOME WITH HER DAD!

MARIO IS A ROCKSTAR WATERER! HE'S GOES STRAIGHT FOR THE HOSE EVERY WEEK WHEN HE ARRIVES AT THE GARDEN.

CHECK OUT OUR BABY EGGPLANT!
ISN'T IT CUTE?

WE HAVE TONS OF BASIL!
MEET US AT THE GARDEN ON TUESDAYS OR WEDNESDAYS TO GET YOURS AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE MINDFUL LIVING GARDEN!

HAPPY GROWING!

2009-08-03T16:52:00.009-05:00

All in a hard day's work...

Putting on her gloves so she can GET TO WORK!

Because this is a kid-friendly, health-oriented space, our garden is completely ORGANIC. We use only natural fertilizers and weed killers to protect ourselves and the kids from anything that might be harmful.

Since this used to be a vacant lot, we have LOTS OF WEEDS!

We had to find a natural way to kill all those pesky things. Instead of Round-Up, Miracle-Gro, or some other toxin, we used..... VINEGAR!
Believe it or not, vinegar is a natural weed AND grass killer - be careful only to use it where you DO NOT want weeds OR grass!

Paige got the kids started by mixing water and vinegar through the hose. They all took turns spraying and Paige told them to KILL THOSE WEEDS!

Some worked in teams.

Once we sprayed the entire lot, we had to cover it with fresh mulch.
This is HARD work!

Check out these sweet shades!

OK, back to work...

Cherish was a SUPER hard-worker! What a great example she set for all the neighbors.

We even had some visitors...
The Block Club came by to see what we were up to and how the season was coming along. Thanks for coming to see us guys!

Check out the rest of our pics on SHUTTERFLY!

2009-07-29T16:01:00.014-05:00

Lots of kids and volunteers met us at the garden to take part in...
SUNFLOWER NIGHT
At this event, we planted sunflowers, measured plants, and recorded what we've harvested from each plant.

A great view of the garden from the back. Here you can see all 5 raised, organic beds and the trusty hose we couldn't live without.

The kids were so excited to count, plant, and water their seeds.
We hope they all come up!

These two were a great team! They loooove flowers...

Jalene is becoming quite the little gardener. She's at every class and maintenance day with friends and family in tow. Such an inspiration!

There's Vanessa...quite the gardener herself. She's also got a great food blog the ML team reads faithfully, check it out.

Jennifer was a great help in getting accurate measurements of all the plants. We're tracking everything that happens in our garden so we can plant for maximum growth in the coming years.
Afterall, gardening is science...

Moe and Rick helped get those morning glories started on their climb up the fence. We can't wait until they flower!

Here are a few pics of what we've grown so far...

BROCCOLI

CAULIFLOWER

GREEN PEPPER

Mindful Living has been blessed to have so many great volunteers, neighbors, and supporters. We hope you're enjoying the ML garden as much as we are.
MANY THANKS TO YOU ALL!

2009-07-28T16:17:00.009-05:00

On July 21, 2009 ML staff, volunteers, and neighbors kicked off our Learning in the Garden classes.
Our first class was...

Art in the Garden

We all painted our own pots, then planted herbs and flowers to enjoy at home.

Getting started!
There were so many great colors and seeds to choose from.

Art in the making...

Paige was such a great teacher, what would have done without her artisitic talent?

Best friends and fellow painters

A MASTERPIECE...

Elizabeth, Paige, and all the artists - great job everyone!

2009-07-28T15:48:00.008-05:00

We're very excited to share some of our lastest developments with you.

We've recently added a FACEBOOK page and we'd love for you to become a fan. We'll be posting events, photos, and more!

We're also on SHUTTERFLY. Check out all our great pics!
A big thanks to Moe for getting us setup.

We're meeting in the garden tonight at
6:30 pm
for a little
YOGA
we'll be stretching, breathing, and learning some basic yoga poses you can practice on your own.

We'll also be selling produce and herbs that are ripe and ready to eat. Arrive early to get your fresh, organic, local produce.

Happy growing!

Just a few things....

2009-07-07T16:38:00.009-05:00

Who's Will Allen?

Mindful Living has been fortunate enough to learn from some of the best in the urban ag biz. In a recent email, we were sent a link to an amazing article about a guy who is changing the face of food in America. Please check it out and see why folks like Will Allen and Mindful Living are so passionate about agriculture in an urban context.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html?hpw*

Will Allen also has a blog that looks pretty great. http://www.growingpower.org/blog/

We've also added it to our "ML Blog Friends" (at the bottom of the page.) Check out this and all the other great blogs we're fans of.

As for the garden

It's been absolutley fantastic since our last workday. The neighborhood has essentially taken over watering and we're looking forward to all the great fruits, veggies, and herbs we have growing.

If you're in the area

We'll be hosting a SUNFLOWER PLANTING NIGHT on July 14 from 6:30-7:30. We'd love for everyone to plant sunflower seeds and take them home for a little TLC until they're ready to be planted in the garden. All materials will be provided free of charge so join us for a night of planting, fellowship, and friends. Hope to see you there!

PHASE 1: COMPLETE

2009-06-18T16:56:00.010-05:00

WOW!

Mindful Living hosted it's innaugural workday over the last weekend of May!

With an amazing group of volunteers and community members, we were able to complete phase 1 of the transformation of this vacant lot into and educational, urban garden.

Check it out.................

Before Mindful Living, this lot was being used as a parking lot and driveway.

We knew we had a lot of work ahead so we brought in the big guns!

That's right.....a BOBCAT

John (the master raised bed builder) and Pat (the Bobcat man)! What would we have done without them??? We found that the foundation of the house that once stood here, was simply buried after demolition. There were huge chunks of cement to be moved; and boy was it exhausting! The volunteer team also cleared trash, pulled weeds, and tilled the remaining soil to prepare for the NEW GARDEN!

Once the lot was cleared, and the beds were in place. We loaded them with rock (for drainage), landscape fabric (to keep out contaminants), and tons of soil and compost. Following Paige's (co-director) garden design, we layed out the plants and starting putting them in the soil.

The kids were soooo excited to start planting! Along with their excitement, came tons and tons of questions about gardening, plants, watering, and science in general. It was a great day of learning and sharing while working together to create a beautiful space. There was even a little socializing - haha (see background)

Elizabeth (co-director/founder) worked with a group to educate them about spacing, labeling, and watering plants for optimum growth. They were so excited to finally DIG IN!!! This bed has peppers and tomatoes - we can't wait to see the harvest.

The workdays at the Drake Ave Garden were absolutely amazing! It was so inspiring to see everyone working together for something that will serve the community for years to come. We're looking forward to PHASE 2 of development for this garden which should put us near completion on our first site!

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO VOLUNTEERED OR OTHERWISE SUPPORTED THIS ENDEAVOR, WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

Want to be part of something amazing?

Join us for Phase 2 of development at the Drake Ave Garden

JUNE 27, 2009

10am - 4pm

3323 N DRAKE AVE

CHICAGO, IL 60618

2009-05-18T21:10:00.005-05:00

whistle while you work..........

With support from the City of Chicago and 35th ward Alderman, Rey Colon, Mindful Living will be developing its first educational garden space! We're so excited to be developing our first large garden site that will be a place of growth for food, individuals, and communties.

In addition to the lot, we were fortunate enough to receive a grant from Fiskar's. Way back in March, we applied for the grant with dreams of our ideal garden space. When we found out we were one of 20 recipients out of more than 1,000 applicants, WE WERE ECSTATIC! We've received a gift of more than $1500 in tools and a credit card to help pay for materials. We're so excited to get started and begin construction on what will be a great asset to the community and city.

To make our dreams a reality, we need your help!

On our workdays, we'll be building raised organic gardening beds, creating walkways, and overhauling the entire lot. We need lots of help and would love to see you there.

HERE'S THE INFO...

MAY 30th & 31st

9am - 4pm

3323 N DRAKE AVE
CHICAGO, IL 60618

Join us for a day of shoveling, planting, and giving back as we make Mindful Living history with the creation of our first Mindful Living garden site.

We look forward to seeing you!

2009-04-24T14:48:00.009-05:00

On March 28th, we hosted our innaugural fundraising event!

We enjoyed food from Mike Tantillo, wine from PRP Wines, and great silent auction items from Lia Sophia, Interior Illusions, and many others.

A big thanks to all who helped make the event a success!

hurry hurry.....

2009-03-25T17:04:00.003-05:00

The Mindful Living 2009 Spring fundraiser is this Saturday at 7pm.

We'll have great food prepared by Mike Tantillo, a wine consultant from PRP wines, and lots of great silent auction items. Can't wait to see you all there!

2009-02-23T17:46:00.004-06:00

As a budding non-profit organization, your support is vital to the success of our work. We’d like to invite you all to join us for the first ever Mindful Living Fundraiser on March 28! Please click on the invitation for an enlarged view and to see further details. Space is limited, so order your tickets today!