Greater Pittsburgh Green
The only real leaders at this great moment in Earth history are those who both: recognize that radical change is both needed and inevitable now; and look forward to those changes no matter how difficult they may be. Here are some local examples of people who are working to facilitate these changes. These are but a few of the many quietly and diplomatically transforming diverse problems into integrated solutions. And I think our success lies in somehow learning to enjoy working together on our common problems.
Fishes and Loaves Cooperative Ministries Buying Club
http://www.ststephen-hazelwood.org/flcm-buying-club
is addressing the long historical trend - fueled by mergers and acquisitions - of centralizing food distribution into larger and more distant retail outlets (resulting in food deserts). We no longer have any fresh quality produce in Hazelwood except what is either accessible by car or grown in our gardens.
Hazelwood Urban Gardens
http://hazelwoodurbangardens.blogspot.com , formerly http://hazelwoodharvestinc.blogspot.com
was formed to: make ours a more walkable neighborhood (groceries within walking distance); re-direct organic waste back to the soil where it belongs (where it went before we invented "civilization"); help Nature's processes clean up our polluted land; learn and educate regarding nutrition - food's connection to health; beautify the community; provide healthy and enjoyable exercise; increase property values; provide positive outlet for young peoples' energy; and nurture communication among people who would not normally meet.
The Sierra Club is among other things working to get us off of fossil fuels.
http://alleghenysc.org
Pittsburgh Permaculture
http://pittsburghpermaculture.org
is a group of agricultural experts taking our damaged land and turning it back into attractive, productive, and environmentally useful self-sustaining ecosystems. Hazelwood Food Forest is Pittsburgh's first food forest.
YMCA Hazelwood
http://ymcaofpittsburgh.org/locations/hazelwood-ymca
with the help of Blackberry Meadows Farm
http://blackberrymeadows.com
has established an educational and food-producing garden which includes a playpump in the form of a seesaw which the children can use to draw rainwater up to the garden which is behind and above the Y building. This garden also includes a greenhouse which Hazelwood community gardeners shared getting herb and veggie starts going in in late winter last year.
A consortium of groups is envisioning the use of the former Hazelwood Presbyterian Church as a community center which could include a place where people learn indoor food production, preparation, and sale. Growing trends toward locally-produced natural food (including fish) head toward providing some food security in a breathtakingly quickly changing world. Food may be grown on the roof in what is being called a "living roof." Growing Power http://growingpower.org in Milwaukee is a successful example of turning city organic waste into healthy food - inspiring those here at http://pittsburghaquaponics.org and Floriated Interpretations http://floriated.com and Schwartz Market http://1317eastcarson.blogspot.com and sproutfund.net/project/page/3 to establish similar socially conscious ventures here. John Todd's "living machine" concept, one of which was established was established with the help of Pittsburgh native David W. Orr, (who spoke at Phipps Conservatory recently) at Oberlin College some 20 or so years ago, is another example of safely and attractively transforming organic waste (in this case sewage) into fertilizer for the production of plants http://www.centerforsustainability.org/resources.php?category=226&root= .
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank continues to feed by supplying farmstands, but also fosters food self-sufficiency by encouraging the recycling of waste biomass to soil, with the recognition that natural organic gardens which encourage a variety of life are a way to help people provide for themselves. And they are interested in helping w/Hazelwood's farmers market/community grocery/co-op/eatery/culinary and food production training center should it get off the ground.
Healcrest Urban Community Farm in Garfield
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Llh19/healcresturbancommunityfarm
is empowering low-income residents by educating them on how to grow food and culinary and medicinal herbs.
Homewood Community Garden in Frick Park is Pittsburgh's oldest.
http://batchgeo.com/map/pghcommunityfoodgardens
The Pittsburgh Garden Experiment https://pittsburghgardenexperiment.org schedules hands-on and educational seminars where people network and help each other how to grow and process healthy food.
The worldwide Transition Movement, which has many sites in the UK, has one in Pittsburgh: http://transitionpgh.org They (we, I'm a part) are more aware than most how drastic the changes coming are, and are dedicated to cooperatively building resilience in this time of great change.
Grow Pittsburgh http://growpittsburgh.org teaches people how to grow food, grows food, and builds and supports gardens. Hazelwood Urban Gardens is grateful for their helping starting our first, the Ladora Way Urban Farm.
Fishes and Loaves Cooperative Ministries Buying Club
http://www.ststephen-hazelwood.org/flcm-buying-club
is addressing the long historical trend - fueled by mergers and acquisitions - of centralizing food distribution into larger and more distant retail outlets (resulting in food deserts). We no longer have any fresh quality produce in Hazelwood except what is either accessible by car or grown in our gardens.
Hazelwood Urban Gardens
http://hazelwoodurbangardens.blogspot.com , formerly http://hazelwoodharvestinc.blogspot.com
was formed to: make ours a more walkable neighborhood (groceries within walking distance); re-direct organic waste back to the soil where it belongs (where it went before we invented "civilization"); help Nature's processes clean up our polluted land; learn and educate regarding nutrition - food's connection to health; beautify the community; provide healthy and enjoyable exercise; increase property values; provide positive outlet for young peoples' energy; and nurture communication among people who would not normally meet.
The Sierra Club is among other things working to get us off of fossil fuels.
http://alleghenysc.org
Pittsburgh Permaculture
http://pittsburghpermaculture.org
is a group of agricultural experts taking our damaged land and turning it back into attractive, productive, and environmentally useful self-sustaining ecosystems. Hazelwood Food Forest is Pittsburgh's first food forest.
YMCA Hazelwood
http://ymcaofpittsburgh.org/locations/hazelwood-ymca
with the help of Blackberry Meadows Farm
http://blackberrymeadows.com
has established an educational and food-producing garden which includes a playpump in the form of a seesaw which the children can use to draw rainwater up to the garden which is behind and above the Y building. This garden also includes a greenhouse which Hazelwood community gardeners shared getting herb and veggie starts going in in late winter last year.
A consortium of groups is envisioning the use of the former Hazelwood Presbyterian Church as a community center which could include a place where people learn indoor food production, preparation, and sale. Growing trends toward locally-produced natural food (including fish) head toward providing some food security in a breathtakingly quickly changing world. Food may be grown on the roof in what is being called a "living roof." Growing Power http://growingpower.org in Milwaukee is a successful example of turning city organic waste into healthy food - inspiring those here at http://pittsburghaquaponics.org and Floriated Interpretations http://floriated.com and Schwartz Market http://1317eastcarson.blogspot.com and sproutfund.net/project/page/3 to establish similar socially conscious ventures here. John Todd's "living machine" concept, one of which was established was established with the help of Pittsburgh native David W. Orr, (who spoke at Phipps Conservatory recently) at Oberlin College some 20 or so years ago, is another example of safely and attractively transforming organic waste (in this case sewage) into fertilizer for the production of plants http://www.centerforsustainability.org/resources.php?category=226&root= .
The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank continues to feed by supplying farmstands, but also fosters food self-sufficiency by encouraging the recycling of waste biomass to soil, with the recognition that natural organic gardens which encourage a variety of life are a way to help people provide for themselves. And they are interested in helping w/Hazelwood's farmers market/community grocery/co-op/eatery/culinary and food production training center should it get off the ground.
Healcrest Urban Community Farm in Garfield
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Llh19/healcresturbancommunityfarm
is empowering low-income residents by educating them on how to grow food and culinary and medicinal herbs.
Homewood Community Garden in Frick Park is Pittsburgh's oldest.
http://batchgeo.com/map/pghcommunityfoodgardens
The Pittsburgh Garden Experiment https://pittsburghgardenexperiment.org schedules hands-on and educational seminars where people network and help each other how to grow and process healthy food.
The worldwide Transition Movement, which has many sites in the UK, has one in Pittsburgh: http://transitionpgh.org They (we, I'm a part) are more aware than most how drastic the changes coming are, and are dedicated to cooperatively building resilience in this time of great change.
Grow Pittsburgh http://growpittsburgh.org teaches people how to grow food, grows food, and builds and supports gardens. Hazelwood Urban Gardens is grateful for their helping starting our first, the Ladora Way Urban Farm.
posted by St. Jim the Composter at 9:05 AM
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