By David Boehnke
Have you always wanted to have a way of getting cheaper, healthier vegetables? Or do you love to garden and need a way of doing so? While it can be hard to get access to healthy food in Phillips it is getting easier with a growing abundance of gardening opportunities, many of which are being organized by a new group called NCAP: Neighbors Connecting for Action in Phillips.
There are four opportunities particularly worth highlighting:
Get a garden in a box-Sign up to participate in this initiative where you, with other neighbors will get a raised bed garden, plants, and mutual support for growing food where you live. RSVP to attend the Meet and Greet Event for this exciting opportunity: Shea, 612-423-1351, shea.peoples@gmail.com. The event is on Saturday April 14th, 11am at the Phillips Community Center, 2323 11th Ave. S. This project is in partnership with the Growing the Backyard CHAT of the Backyard Initiative and fits into Gardening Matters”' Cold Crop Distribution Event””meet other gardeners and get reduced price seeds and seedlings.
Help create a community garden-Join your neighbors in creating new community gardens on 28th and Portland Ave or 26th St and 13th Ave. Contact ncap@riseup.net or call 612-466-0770 to get connected. We need your leadership in helping to design, work, and collectively benefit from these gardens. This is an amazing opportunity!
Attend the 3rd Phillips Food Justice Table on Monday April 2nd from 6:30-8:30pm at the Waite House, 2529 13th Ave S. This is our third meeting of people and organizations interested in food justice. Anyone is welcome, translation and childcare available on request to ncap@riseup.net, 612-466-0770.
Come to NCAP”'s weekly food share-every Sunday, 2pm at the Waite House, 2529 13th Ave S””we get extra food, people come and take it. Nothing goes to waste and everyone wins. Also, a great place to donate extra produce in the summer and fall!
NCAP, it is a grassroots volunteer run organization working on a number of issues that put neighbors first and focus on addressing race and class inequities: food access, community safety outside policing, youth issues, and responding to instances of neighborhood injustice.
That said, in a place as big, diverse, and wonderful as Phillips there are many more ways to get plugged into gardening. Consider getting in touch with Little Earth, Waite House, Hope Community, Gardening Matters, the Phillips Resource Hub and much much more!
