Kick Starting the Fall Season!!

Ok Peeps! We are super excited over here at Healcrest Urban Farm!

We have brought back to a stronghold, Ms Dana Launius, formerly of Pittsburgh, a women goddess of world travel, sustainable project manager extraordinaire, food systems analyst and well, amazing bellydancer. She has arrived back to us via Portland, Oregon (our sister city) and is offering Burghers a Devi Dancing workshop.

Join us for beautiful breezy late summer Sundays at Healcrest as we dance in the grove under the old apple tree learning the ancient art of Devi dancing, yoga and goddess mythology! Light refreshments are served and you will see the summer sunset as we finish our time. Small tours will be offered if you want to know more about the farm as well.

You have the option of purchasing single classes or the full workshop. The final sunday, September 25th we will have an ending celebration, dancing and food – and hopefully a special performance by Dana herself – to inspire us to continue our beautiful goddess movements.

So here is an easy quick button if you would like to purchase online. Secure payments made though paypal and go directly to support the work of Healcrest Urban Farm!

Devi Dancing

Workshop 1, Sept. 4 $10.00 Workshop 2, Sept. 11 $10.00 Workshop 3, Sept. 18 $10.00 Workshop 4, Sept 25 w/celebration $12.00 Full Series $35.00 Full Series (student price) $30.00

**You can add a special message to let us know which workshop you are taking… Thank you!

Ok and even bigger news!!!

We are starting a Kickstarter Campaign on September 19th! Kickstarter is an online forum to match creative projects with angel investors! We are building a processing facility and classroom at Healcrest and your donation will be key.

PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER:

1. We must reach our goal of $20,000 to receive any funding
2. You can donate anything between $1-$20,000
3. We can exceed our goal!
4. You must pledge your support within timeframe/deadline
5. Supporting begins on September 19th
6. We will let you know when funding begins and give you the link directly to back us! There will be a great video on our project, pictures, images of our construction and site, etc…everything to show you the outcomes of our project

All backers funding over $100 will receive gifts for their support!

Full Spring Ahead

Kale…..mesclun mix…..beets….grapes…..strawberries…rasberries…..lavender…..lemon balm….bamboo…..beans….sage…motherwort….peppermint….catmint…rhubarb….comfrey….mullein….rue….red roses….rosemary……oregano….mugwort….asparagus….okra….apples…..peaches….

What do they have in common?

They are all growing tremendously at Healcrest Urban Farm in Garfield Heights, Pittsburgh!!

Spicy Salad Mix with Arugula, Cilantro and tender lettuces

 

Kale, getting ready for a thinning so it can have space!

Bamboo Leaf Harvest #1

We have several projects happening at Healcrest: Fence repair, compost application around fruit trees and grape vine, seedling transplants, tilling, and mulching!

 

This Saturday, May 14th we will have some great volunteers out from 9am-1pm! Please try and join us for some outdoor gardening at your local organic farm – there is major spring prep to be done and all are welcome!

 

We have two great pieces of news for our followers as well…..

We are partnering with a local flower grower, who will be growing on one of our spots at Healcrest this year! I will get more information on their business and do a blog post to let everyone know!

 

Also we have brought on a garden support person, Ms Annie Derek. She will be helping me out with some general maintenance and care of the farm, we get along smashingly and Negus Tafari loves her as well! I will also do a blog post on Ms Annie as well, once we get some pics of her!

 

Finally, we plan to sell a lot of our herbs wholesale/bulk on the website and to increase our overall web and community presence around the value-added products created from the luscious herbs on the farm. Healcrest is focused on these spectacular products and less on food production – if you want to eat our produce you have to put some back labor into volunteer time! You can support us best by purchasing your herbal, natural wellness products at www.vitalmothermoon.com or at www.vitalmoon.etsy.com!

 

We hope to see people out on Saturday for the volunteer day – coffee and healthy snacks on us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Earthstrong Lalibella!!

EVE

The EVE (Enlightened Voices for the Environment, http://www.cvvc.org/eveproject.php) Circle joined Healcrest earlier in the year but I was unable to post pictures, as they came from an amazing photographer and were originally posted in the Heinz Endowments Annual Report.

Well, these amazing women joined Healcrest again last evening for a fall dinner and discussion. We sat around the quiet farm as the sun was setting and enjoyed an amazing meal from Tana Ethiopian http://www.tanaethiopiancuisine.com/, as we shared our stories of health and wellness. These amazing women have come together through the invitation of Laverne Baker-Hotep (Well Woman Radio, Peace it Together Pittsburgh), http://www.cvvc.org/radio.php,

Together we share resources on environmental health, local and fresh foods and healthy eating, spiritual support for body, mind and soul and create a community of women that can take this information out to their families, their community and their city to ensure that women of color are on the forefront of the green movement!

This evening the women shared the beauty of Healcrest Urban Farms with garden tours, where we smelled and tasted all the delicious herbs sprouting in the gardens – asparagus, lemon balm, oregano, thyme, sage and lavender. We also munched on fresh chives and chocolate mint!

The women also buckled down and prepared two new gardens for seeding – together they planted okra and cabbage for this coming 2010 season.

Finally, as the sun was setting we shared in our Peace Meal of delicious grilled tofu for the Vegan’s and grilled chicken and a fresh crisp garden salad for all by Ola Catering and Rice and Cabbage by Tana’s Ethiopian.

It was an amazing time with this phenomenal group and we hope the beginning of a long and fruitful friendship. All EVE women are invited to continue to grow together at Healcrest. Peace and Blessings to our beautiful EVE women and children!