Havana Herald

An idea that has roots

Havana officials tour community garden

In town for the 2009 Historic Apalachicola Homes and Garden Tour held in early May, Bob Bruggner left Apalachicola and returned to his hometown the City of Havana situated about 98 miles northeast of Apalachicola.

Bruggner left the city, but carried with him images of Historic Apalachicola and the community garden just added to this year's tour of historic homes.

So intrigued with the creation and functionality of the community garden, Bruggner contacted local garden organizers about coming back to take a second look.

Bruggner returned today Aug 21 with a Havana entourage that included Town Manager Howard McKinnon, Town Council Member Shirley McGill along with three members of the Havana Garden Club, Margaret Staron, Wendy Adams, and Judy Brundridge.

The group interested in starting a garden in their hometown arrived in Apalachicola around 11:30AM and had lunch at the Grill with local garden organizers Karla Ambos, Jenny Billings, and Beverly Hewitt with city administrator Betty Taylor-Webb also joining the group.

Following lunch, Apalachicola Mayor Van Johnson joined the entourage at the community garden and presented the group with a key to the city.

Photo taken by Betty Taylor-Webb

Community Garden germinates interest

Karla Ambos and the other organizers and participants of the Apalachicola City Square Community Garden really do deserve a hearty round of applause.

Through their efforts to make the community garden the success that it is, this group in the process also managed to generate a fair amount of interest from other garden organizers from around the area.

One such group situated about 120-miles west of Apalachicola, is the organizers of the Defuniak Springs Community Garden.

According to a blog post back in February of this year, the Defuniak Springs Community Garden group patterned their vision and approach after the Apalachicola project.

Also on Fiskars Garden Blog, the company in which the Apalachicola group submitted a grant application for garden supplies referenced a post from the Mayor’s Blog on their Project Orange Thumb Grant program.

I guess that it's a tried and true fact that community gardens grow more than just plants, vegetables, and communities. They also generate interest.

Links:
Community Garden of Defuniak Springs Blog
Fiskars Garden Blog

City’s First Earth Day Event

Since its inception in 1970, Wednesday, April 22, marked the first ever Earth Day celebration in the City of Apalachicola.

With the sound of birds chirping amidst a serene backdrop, a diverse group of Apalachicola residents gathered at the site of the City Square Community Garden to celebrate the occasion and to ask for a divine blessing upon the works of the newly established community garden.

It was truly an event to behold and “The Mayor’s Blog” has captured it beautifully for your viewing and enjoyment.

Footage and photos by Gail D. Johnson

ABC School Students Visits Garden

Today April 21, more than 50 students, teachers and parents from the ABC Charter School visited the Apalachicola City Square Community Garden.

The Charter School along with about 54 individual community members and the Franklin County Food Pantry have either a raised bed or a plot set aside in the garden.

Photos courtesy of Karla Ambos

Garden Projects Help Communities Grow

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) Comprehensive Cancer Control Program announces the “Grow Healthy” – Community Garden Project to support healthy lifestyles and cancer awareness. Research has shown that a nutritious diet and exercise can diminish the risk for colon and breast cancer. Floridians can also lower their risk of cancer and other chronic diseases by not smoking and getting appropriate screening to treat problems early.

Selected projects have received a supply of seeds (green beans, lettuce, basil, radish, tomato and carrots), information on community gardens and health education materials. Winning entries include gardens in Miami, Dade City, Bronson, Chipley, Apalachicola, Spring Hill, Palm Coast, Bristol, Wauchula, Bunnell, Defuniak Springs, Live Oak, Brooksville, Ocala, St. Petersburg, Panama City, Tamarac, Jacksonville and Palatka. Due to the enthusiastic response, the DOH Comprehensive Cancer Control Program secured an additional supply of seeds for a second round of projects.

Participants include county health departments, university and K-12 students, faith-based organizations, neighborhood associations, farm workers, long-term hospital patients, at-risk youth, seniors and minorities. Entries featured ideas for sustainable gardening practices such as roof-top gardening, composting, water conservation through drip irrigation and rain barrels, and organic gardening.

Projects are intended to foster teamwork within the community, increase daily exercise and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and reduce family food expenses. Several of the gardens are intergenerational efforts, combining the skills of youth and seniors. Many of the projects will also involve educational sessions regarding nutrition, science and sun safety. Produce from the gardens will be donated to local charities and food pantries, sold in school fundraisers, and distributed to communities and family members.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and in Florida, accounting for approximately 40,000 deaths in Florida each year. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the declining trend in cancer mortality demonstrates considerable progress in cancer prevention and early detection. Important new studies by the American Institute for Cancer Research indicate that over 45% of colon cancer cases and 38% of breast cancer cases in the U.S. can be prevented by making changes in diet and physical activity and controlling weight. Overall, a third of the most common cancers can be prevented, and one third of cancer is known to be caused by tobacco.

Approximately 100,000 new cancer cases are reported annually to the Florida Cancer Data System. The registry also reports that minority populations in Florida have higher rates of many cancers. For example, age-adjusted mortality rates for breast, colorectal and prostate cancer are significantly higher in blacks. Minorities are often disproportionately affected by cancer due to unequal access to quality care and a higher rate of behaviors that increase risk.

Editor’s Note: April is National Cancer Control Month and April 19-25 is National Minority Cancer Awareness Week.

Blessing of the Garden

The organizers of the Apalachicola City Square Community Garden located at Avenue F and 8th Street are inviting the community to come out and take part in the “Blessing of the Garden” starting at 5:00PM EST on Wednesday, April 22, which is also Earth Day.

On hand to welcome those in attendance will be Karla Ambos, Community Garden Coordinator.

In addition, members of the local clergy consisting of Vicar Martha Harris, Pastor David Walker, Pastor Themo Patriotis, Father Roger, and Minister Valentina Webb will be on hand to ask for divine blessings and a bountiful harvest.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, light refreshments will be served.

For more information on the ceremony, or other community garden activities email Karla Ambos at dambos@mchsi.com.

City Square Community Garden

Organizers of the Apalachicola City Square Community Garden are inching forward in their quest to sow seeds that will not only bring forth a harvest of nutritious foods, but also create an opportunity for social interaction through community involvement.

Community garden coordinator, Karla Ambos reported that the group has submitted an application to the Fiskars Corporation for their Project Orange Thumb grant. Fiskars is a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden, and outdoors. Based out of Finland, in 2003 the company launched Project Orange Thumb, which has already awarded more the 100 community groups, schools, churches and other organizations with more than $300,000 in total grants for their garden programs.

This year, the program will award 20 grants within the United States and Canada. Each will receive up to $1,500 in Fiskars garden tools and up to $800 in gardening-related materials (i.e. green goods).

As part of the grant process, the local garden group had to submit a creative piece that answered the following question.

Assume an alien landed on earth without speaking or understanding any language, but wants an answer to this: How does gardening make you feel?

To find the appropriate answer, members of the garden group combed the community taking photographs, and afterwards Nadine Kahn and Clarice Powell formatted the compilation of pictures into the following video for submission.

For more information on the activities of the community garden or on how to join, email Karla Ambos at dambos@mchsi.com.

Community Garden Update

Karla Ambos, coordinator for the City Square Community Garden reported that the garden project is moving ahead rather nicely. The committee is near 35% of their goal to raise the $10,000 necessary to purchase fencing, lumber, seeds, fertilizer, and the many other items needed to make the project a success. More funds are definitely needed and committee members have stated that they will accept and welcome donations in any amount.

Bill Kollar, George Watkins, and Karla’s husband Dieter have already built the first of several raised beds a featured part of the garden and are on schedule to build a couple more next weekend.

The committee has made plans to have the kids that are taking art classes at the museum create some temporary signage to place at each corner of the garden along with some yard art and maybe a sculpture or two.

For more information on the City Square Community Garden project or on how you can get involved, please email Karla at dambos@mchsi.com.

Photos provided by Karla Ambos

Apalachicola broke ground on Community Garden

In an effort to make the City of Apalachicola a little more greener, city officials together with local residents broke ground on a new community garden at the corner of 8th Street and Avenue F on Sunday, November 9.

City Commissioner Valentina Webb, City Administrator Betty Taylor-Webb, Chief of Police Bobby Varnes, community garden coordinator Karla Ambos, community members, and volunteers were on hand to celebrate the groundbreaking.

As part of the City’s Community Pride Partnership Program, volunteers from the community will work together to create twenty-eight, 24’x 4’ plots that will grow flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Each plot will be raised, with two much larger tilled areas set aside on the NE corner for the Franklin County Food Pantry and the ABC Charter School.

Ambos, was astonished by the turnout at Sunday’s groundbreaking ceremony, “this is very positive, I’m surprised at the amount of people that showed up today”, Ambos said.

About forty local residents including city officials attended the event.

All community members are encouraged to take part in the development of this worthwhile cause. The garden will provide an excellent opportunity for the more experienced gardeners to share their experiences with others as well as to foster a greater sense of community and goodwill.

For more information on how to participate in the community garden, email Karla Ambos at dambos@mchsi.com.

Photos courtesy of Paul Puckett

A Community Garden in Apalachicola

Under the umbrella of the Apalachicola Community Pride Partnership Program, the Franklin Promise food pantry and other community organizers are making plans to start a Community Garden here in Apalachicola.

At our Sept 2 meeting, Clarice Powell received the go ahead from the Commission to place the garden on City property located on 8th Street the site of the old city trailer park.

The Community Garden not only will produce nutritious victuals for the food pantry, but it will also serve as a catalyst for neighborhood and community development.

The garden also has the potential of reducing the food budget for families who participate, beautify the neighborhood, create opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education, but most of all it has the potential of stimulating social interaction and opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections that will help bridge the Apalachicola Community.

For more information, email Clarice Powell at victimadvocate@fairpoint.net or Joe Taylor at palme2blue@yahoo.com.