Soil Food Webs and Composting class on Monday evening, February 5, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Public Library

As our March 5, 2012 meeting of Sustainable Monroeville at 7:00 PM in the downstairs program room of the Monroeville Public Library we will be hosting Jeff Newman of Steel City Soils.


 Class topic:  Soil Food Webs and Composting

from Jeff: "Join us for an informative class on the basics of your garden soil.  This 1.5 hour class will include a lecture by Jeff Newman of Steel City Soils LLC and some interactive group work.  

We'll be focusing on getting to know the site and soil at the Monroeville Public Library Food Garden.  Talking about soil fertility and plant interactions.  Then participating in a small group exercise to get you thinking about the underground city that is your garden soil.  You will leave the class with some new facts and some practical things you can do to increase your long-term fertility."

 Monroeville Food Garden work session following Sustainable Monroeville third annual pot luck dinner  February, 2012 meeting

Amy Baer, Pam Barroso, Susan Cardoza, Sandy McFall, Lois Drumheller, Jeff Newman

Thanks Don Winkie and Emma Winkie for giving us an update on your participation with the local girl scouts in the garden. We look forward to your continuing participation!

Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium

Elisa Beck and Lorraine Vincent of Sustainable Monroeville presented to the Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium today. The faith leaders in attendance wrote suggestions about how to involve themselves in gardening efforts in the Monroeville Food Garden behind the Monroeville Public Library and beyond. The Monroeville People's Garden provided 500 pounds of vegetables for the four local food pantries this past year!

Here are some of the things the faith leaders wrote: "My parish may have a person or two who might be interested in working in the Monroeville Food Garden. I would be happy to publicize events in the bulletin, newsletter, etc." Eric Ash

"Advertise, Educate, Inform, Invite congregation to participate. Have a Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium member as part of the leadership."

"Have congregations take turns tending garden. Give us a 'garden mentor' to come to our congregations and create our own, also to benefit the food banks. Help us write the grant to the Monroeville Foundation."

"Ask parishiners to become involved. Develop own garden."

"Promote volunteers via weekly e-mails." Crossroads Church has a wonderful garden. They use their vegetables they grow for the folks that frequent their own food pantry.

"We can volunteer to weed and tend the garden, or start various plants at our homes and bring to garden to transplant."

"Tell someone else about it."

Thanks so much Monroeville Interfaith Ministerium for your efforts!

We talked about the importance of a pure food system, enriching the soil, living soil vs. sprayed lawns and promotion of the ideas of Food, Not Lawns in our beautiful suburb. We are the change we have been looking for!

Come one, come all to our February meeting of Sustainable Monroeville on Monday evening, February 6, 2012, in the downstairs program room of the Monroeville Public Library. Our third anniversary dinner pot luck will be at 6:00 PM with the meeting from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Bring food that is locally sourced, if possible and your own place setting. This will be a zero waste event and leftovers will be composted. We will have reports from the Recycling Committee,  the Monroeville Food Garden, the developing permaculture landscape at the Cedars of Monroeville, and plan for 2012 including the action item of filling out the application for the Monroeville Foundation! Elisa Beck, Founder, Sustainable Monroeville