Monthly Archives: September 2009

Gardeners win community leadership award

Harlem Children’s Zone honored the Carrie McCracken Community Gardeners with their Community Leadership award, recognizing our Most Improved Garden. TRUCE and other components of the Harlem Children’s Zone program saluted an inspiring group of community organizers, activists and volunteers at a reception in the Rio II Gallery on Friday, September 18th .

Representing the gardeners

Co-contacts representing all of our dedicated gardeners

garden society page

We wished all the gardeners had been invited to the Harlem Children’s Zone awards ceremony, here is the report!

Denise and Steve

Denise and Steve

You usually see us in our work clothes in the garden, but not tonight!

These pens will be useful for planning next season.

HCZ swag

HCZ swag

Watch Steve’s acceptance speech here:

The venue was the stunning Rio II galleries, a penthouse non-profit showcase for emerging Latino and African-American artists. Broadway Housing Corporation lends the space to worthy local organizations for meetings and events.

view of Hudson River and George Washington Bridge

view of Hudson River and George Washington Bridge

Spectacular view from this uptown Riverside Drive address.

parent volunteers

parent volunteers

Nice photography on display.

community leaders improve housing

community leaders improve housing

This was a chance to meet other Harlem’s Children Zone contacts.

Fernando from Community Pride

Fernando from Community Pride

Yvette from TRUCE celebrates with us

Yvette from TRUCE celebrates with us

Swing band at Minton's

Swing band at Minton's where more gardeners gathered later, across Saint Nicholas from the garden

Fall celebrations

Friday, September 18th is busy for the garden:

Join us during the day for grilled hot dogs, sausages and a hot sauce tasting, in conjunction with the Citizen’s Care Senior Center, at 146 Saint Nicholas Ave and 117th St., for their sidewalk and cake sale. Hot sauces are made in VA by Jeffrey Johnson, a former Harlem resident.

Steve will accept a Community Leadership Award from Harlem Children’s Zone on behalf of the garden and we’ll meet at Minton’s at 9pm to celebrate.

Hope to see you!

Olympian veggies

Congratulations to all the winners at GreenThumb’s harvest fair and first annual urban farmy olympics:

displayed for the judges

displayed for the judges

Gourds in competition

gourds galore

lush blooms

lush September blossoms

Veggie variety

veggie variety

winners! (next year we'll be up there)

winners! (next year we'll be up there)

Dyanne honors garden these garden champions, veteran gardeners successful in their first year on Staten Island

Dyanne honors garden two garden champions, veteran gardeners successful in their first year on Staten Island

Garden Survey and Urban Farmy Olympics

Let us know if you can join us this Saturday, September 12th!

We will be in the garden at 9:30am for a survey of the space, that will help us plan next season.

We need team members to represent the garden at GreenThumb’s first annual olympics later in the day, from 12-6pm. This promises to be a great opportunity to check out what other city gardeners have done this season, hope you can stop by:

Garden of Happiness 2156-60 Prospect Ave between E. 181st & E. 182nd, Bronx

SunflowerHarvest Contests, End of the Season Seed
Exchange, Live Music, Kids Activities, Balloon
Man & featuring the 1st Annual Urban Farmy
Olympics!