Photo credit: Lori Eanes
With both the cost of food and concerns about global warming rising, it is easy to feel powerless and unable to contribute to the solution. But there are things you can do to make a difference and making compost is a great one. Compost is easy to make, using your own kitchen scraps, fall leaves and garden debris. Home composting keeps materials out of the waste stream, improves soil for healthier crops, conserves soil moisture and can save a considerable amount of money every year.
In this workshop, you will learn the fundamental principals of making compost, including its benefits and uses, the different composting systems available, what materials to use (and what to leave out) and how to troubleshoot problems. Then you will get to see a farm-scale composting system in action and, finally, you will help build a compost pile. By the end of the class, we hope that you will feel confident enough to start your own composting system at home.
This class is being co-hosted by Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) and StopWaste and is being taught by three graduates of the StopWaste Environmental Educator Training (SWEET) on Soil Health and Compost Science.
Sarah Miller is an ABG board member, Alameda County Master Gardener and the Assistant Manager: Operation Specialist at Alameda Point Collaborative’s Farm2Market farm.
Oliver Stouffer is the Compost Site Supervisor at Alameda Point Collaborative’s Farm2Market and produces most of the compost used on the farm.
Birgitt Evans is an ABG board member, Alameda County Master Gardener and environmental educator.
All three are passionate about composting and the difference it can make in creating healthy soil, growing healthy vegetables and reducing carbon emissions.
Thank you to everyone who participated in ABG’s fun, outdoor, in-Alameda wreath-making workshop on Sunday, December 4. We used gathered and purchased items to craft beautiful wreaths. ABG provided instruction, wreath backings, floral wire, glue and light refreshments.
Check out photos from our workshop!
2022 was another huge year for ABG’s Free Seed Libraries! With your help, we gave away close to 17,000 packets of seasonal seeds. Food inflation in 2022 was 11.8% so those seeds had the potential to help many households with their food budgets.
We are getting ready to reopen our network of seed libraries at the end of January and need help packing up seeds to go in the libraries. We will be hosting our first Seed Packing Party on January 22nd from noon – 2PM at an outdoor, but covered location on the East End.
There will be both space for social distancing and the opportunity to socialize while doing something meaningful for a finite amount of time. Past parties have left us able to stock the libraries for months.
Seed packing qualifies for Community Service hours for the student in your household. (We do ask that students younger than 16 be accompanied by an adult.)
We will have hot mulled cider and light snacks.
The weather is forecast to be sunny with a high of 57 degrees.
Please join us to get the Alameda Free Seed Libraries off to a strong start in 2023. Reply to this email to let us know if you will be able to attend.
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
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
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.
Sunday, August 27 at Noon at an East End Location
2023 is turning out to be another big year for ABG’s Free Seed Libraries. With your help, we packed and have given out close to 10,000 packets of seeds so far this year.
As summer comes to an end, we are getting ready to move on to our fall seed selection and we need your help packing up fall and winter seeds to go in the libraries. We will be hosting our next Seed Packing Party on August 27th from noon – 2PM in a covered garden at on the East End. There will be both space for social distancing and the opportunity to socialize while doing something meaningful for a finite amount of time. This event will let us stock the libraries through the remainder of 2023.
Seed packing qualifies for Community Service hours for the student in your household. (We do ask that students younger than 16 be accompanied by an adult.) We will have summer refreshers and light snacks. Please join us to keep the Alameda Free Seed Libraries going through the remainder of 2023.
Here are some photos from the event: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TfebKQRRJiB17CQq8
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.