Alameda Backyard Growers is excited to invite you to a very special field trip Sunday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. We’ll be visiting and touring REAP, Alameda’s new Center for Regeneration, Education, Aquaculture, and Permaculture. Now about 40% complete, it’s a half-mile-long outdoor training and science center focused on biodiversity in soil. With a biomimicry-based focus, REAP’s staff and volunteers teach and demonstrate climate competence to empower the ability to grow food, practice urban forestry, and build resilience. The Center demonstrates how healthy microbes in soil enhance nutrition and carbon sequestration at scale, yielding cooler and healthier communities.
Truly a work in progress, REAP is becoming an edible park with a sculpture garden, interactive soil labs, community composting, a permaculture community garden with a free farmstand, and a maker space serving youth through Ph.D.- level curiosity. The exhibits, already underway, will provide materials and tools to green and restore the site and the region at large. REAP will also be whimsical with a Worm World, Fermentation Station, Fungi Hut, Microbe Mine, Biome Boutique, and Hydrology House. These elements, along with beehives, bioswales, and sheep will further maximize the greening of the 4.26 acres.
In its first year REAP created 200 tons of compost with vigorous green waste reclamation efforts. Additionally, the Center created or enhanced over 600 feet of bioswales, spillways, retention basins and water tanks, while managing over 1.5M gallons of water.
For more information about REAP go to: https://www.reapcenter.org/news/annual-update-2022
Tour space on June 26 is Limited, so REGISTER here NOW. REAP’s location, in Alameda, will be provided upon registration.
As a member of Alameda Backyard Growers, you are already protecting the climate by preventing food waste through gleaning produce for the Alameda Food Bank, and by reducing food mileage by growing your own food. What else can one person do in such a huge crisis to make a difference? A LOT! Climate change affects our everyday lives with drought, food supply problems, sea level rise, fires and the general survival of nature. This presentation will cover the crisis, solutions and 70 surprisingly simple things individuals can do about it including how to influence others to protect the climate.
Joyce Mercado Bio: Speaker Joyce Mercado earned her Bachelor of Science in Physics at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She completed Climate Reality Project Leadership training led by Al Gore and joins thousands of other Climate Reality Leaders to give climate protection and sustainability presentations. She is an active member of a local climate protection non-profit, Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda, where she writes a monthly column on Climate Protection for the Alameda Sun and created a Climate Protection Checklist.
ABG Monthly Meeting on Zoom with Paige Benveniste
Join us for a behind the scenes talk on the organic food label. We’ll be discussing the history of the organic label, how it’s regulated, and what it means to buy organic (hint: it’s more than the absence of pesticides/herbicides). We will also discuss the current state of organics, why some people think the organic label doesn’t do enough, and the emergence of “add-on” labels like The Real Organic Project and the Regenerative Organic Certification.
About Our Speaker: Paige Benveniste is an International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) certified crop and processing inspector. She currently works as an organic inspector for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). As an organic inspector, she travels throughout the Bay Area inspecting a wide variety of farms and food manufacturers. Prior to becoming an organic inspector, she worked on an organic farm and was a local food buyer/educator at a tech campus in San Francisco.
View the recording below.
Because of our chilly weather earlier in the season, many of Alameda’s fruit trees have already gotten their winter’s worth of chill hours; well over 400 as of January 27. As a result, many are ready to bud out ahead of schedule and need to get pruned soon!
Marla Koss, one of ABG’s fruit tree pruning experts, will demonstrate winter dormant and citrus pruning and you’ll get to try it out on your own with help from experienced pruners, and help Ploughshares at the same time.
Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes (preferably hiking or work boots). If we have a sunny day, you might want to bring a sun hat and/or sunscreen. A water bottle is also highly recommended. Also helpful: eye protection (clear safety goggles/glasses).
Equipment to bring, if you have it:
- bypass pruning shears
- gardening/work gloves
- other pruning equipment such as a pruning saw or loppers
Adults only. We know that interest will exceed the space available and will keep a waiting list. If you register and are unable to attend, we need you to cancel at least 3 days in advance so that we can offer your space to someone else. Please cancel by emailing abg.grow.food@gmail.com.
Ploughshares Nursery is a social enterprise that is part of Alameda Point Collaborative. APC works to end homelessness by providing housing and services to create communities where formerly homeless families and individuals can flourish.
Here are some photos from this event:
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- Marla Koss presenting
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- Marla Koss demonstrating fruit tree pruning
Join us for a discussion of the joys of perennial vegetable gardening. Why grow them? What are the drawbacks? Which veggies are perennials? We’ll also discuss when and how to plant selected perennial vegetables that can be grown in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as how to take care of them and when and how to harvest.
Speaker Bio: Linda Carloni is an enthusiastic vegetable gardener in the city of Alameda, as well as a UC Master Gardener in Alameda County and a member of Alameda Backyard Growers’ Board of Directors. She watches birds whenever she can, and works to protect them. In a past life, she practiced law, mostly serving small technology companies.
Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/perennial-vegetables-why-not-tickets-524219894817
Zoom link provided after registration.
Rescheduled Event!
This is a special-for-ABG introductory class on the facets of Bonsai – the art of growing trees in pots. It includes a brief history, the horticulture and the artistry of bonsai. The class will be led by Tom Colby, one of the East Bay Bonsai Society’s best instructors. Colby is a long-time member and artist. Participants may bring a tree for the instructor to review and, given time, he will lead a tour through a bonsai garden.
Tickets for this event are $5, (proceeds will be shared with the Society).
Class participants are encouraged to bring questions as this always makes for a fun and rewarding experience.
We have space for a maximum of 25 participants (adults only). We know that interest will be high for this event so we will have a waiting list. If you register and are unable to attend, please cancel at least 3 days in advance so that we can offer your space to someone else.
The event is at an Oakland location, and carpooling is encouraged. Location directions will be sent to registrants. The classroom is under a roof but is open to the air. Parking is plentiful, for a $5/car parking fee.
A bathroom is available onsite.
Please direct any questions to info@alamedabackyardgrowers.org
Bring Pollinators to Your Yard! Learn About Raising Bees in Alameda
FREE EVENT – June 11, 2023, 10 am to 11 am
Thank you Andre and Silvia Kruglikov! Many thanks, Andre, for your fun, highly-informative Alameda backyard talk about bees and honey. We all learned something new from you and your Twin Bee Apiaries hives. Big thanks also to Silvia for using your honey to bake us all some delicious Honey Muffins. (Find the recipe here: www.browneyedbaker.com)
Original event listing: This month we’ll continue our pollinator theme and learn about beekeeping from Andre Kruglikov, longtime Alameda beekeeper. Andre will share with us:
- How he got started and progressed in beekeeping.
- What happens in a hive over the course of a beehive’s year and how it affects the beekeeper. Each season brings its own challenges, especially winter!
- The different bees in a hive – queens, drones and workers – their roles and natural history.
- Varroa mites – the main scourge of bees and beekeepers – and how to manage them.
- Harvesting honey.
- Questions and answers, and much more!
About our presenter: Andre Kruglikov started keeping bees twelve years ago, in an effort to improve pollination of his fruit trees. His hives now number about twenty and his Twin Bee Apiaries sells delicious honey. He’s learned a lot over his time beekeeping and will share his knowledge with us.
We have room for 30 people, and we know that more will want to attend. We will keep a waiting list. Should you find yourself unable to attend, please let us know no less than 3 days before the event.
The event will take place outdoors in the City of Alameda. Location provided to registrants after registration.
Thank you to participants who attended this event! For an information sheet on what was discussed at this demonstration click here.
Save water and still meet the needs of your plants! Two Alameda County Master Gardeners will show you how.
Our speakers will provide an explanation of the drip irrigation system used at the Master Gardeners’ site at the Gardens at Lake Merritt in Oakland. This presentation will demonstrate how to construct a drip irrigation system that waters plants with different water needs. The water requirements for various plants growing in Oakland and surrounding cities will also be covered.
Then join us for a tour of the Master Gardeners’ Trials /Demonstration Gardens showing the different ways drip irrigation can be used. This event is part of a series of summer garden talks by the Alameda County Master Gardeners at the Master Gardener site at the Gardens at Lake Merritt.
About Our Speakers: Hugh Globerson (ACMG class of 2019) and Margaret Wong (ACMG class of 2014) are both active long-term volunteers at this garden.
Join us as we discuss the best methods for keeping your stone fruit trees in good shape via summer pruning and other tree care tips. The focus in this two-hour session will be on caring for cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, and those newly-popular genetic dwarf peaches and nectarines. After an orchard tour of each variety, you’ll have the chance to turn your attention to whatever stone fruit variety you are most interested in, and, with coaching, go hands-on. Whether this is a brush-up session for you, or something entirely new, you’ll be adding real value to your gardening know-how!
Please wear sturdy, close-toed shoes (preferably hiking or work boots). Bring a water bottle. Eye protection is highly recommended (clear safety goggles/glasses, or even sunglasses in a pinch will make a difference in protecting your eyes from errant twigs and branches). You also might want to bring a sun hat and/or sunscreen, although we will be under the canopy of trees with filtered sunlight for most of this workshop.
Equipment to bring, if you have it:
- bypass pruning shears
- gardening/work gloves
- other pruning equipment such as a pruning saw and/or loppers
Adults only, please. We know that interest will exceed the space available and will keep a waiting list. If you register and are unable to attend, we need you to cancel at least 3 days in advance so that we can offer your space to someone else. Please cancel by emailing abg.grow.food@gmail.com.
Farm2Market is a social enterprise that is part of Alameda Point Collaborative. APC works to end homelessness by providing housing and services to create communities where formerly homeless families and individuals can flourish.
September 23, 2023 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lake Merritt Trials Garden
666 Bellevue Avenue
Oakland, CA 94610
Contact: Aixa Gannon
Sponsor: UC Master Gardener Program of Alameda County
David Blood will be speaking about cover crops (green manure) that are planted in the fall and then cut down and turned into the soil in early spring. Advantages include weed suppression, adding nitrogen, improving soil, preventing erosion.
NOTE: There is a $5 Parking fee on weekends. Lines can be long to enter the park by car.