Grow Pittsburgh

Big news as we head into 2021... join us in welcoming Denele Hughson as the next Executive Director of Grow Pittsburgh! Denele has worked at GP for over five years, most recently as the Director of Farm Education, where she's been successful in expanding our food access initiatives across the county and spearheading our expansion at Garden Dreams. Learn more about this exciting transition on our blog: http://ow.ly/mVJ950D3E0I

Free Mulch Available For Pittsburgh Residents Ahead Of Spring Gardening Season! City residents will be able to pick up that free mulch at eight different locations from April 10 to May 10 while supplies last. The following locations will be open seven days per week from 6 am - 10 pm:... Riverview Park Moore Park Sheraden Park Zoo Overflow Parking Lot (Pine Mulch only) Highland Park The following locations will be open Monday - Saturday from 8 am - 2 pm 5th Division of Public Works (Hassler Street) 2nd Division of Public Works (Hamilton Avenue) 3rd Division of Public Works (Melanchton Street) http://ow.ly/U4EF50EjWVU

Are you direct seeding this year? Now that it's early spring, soil temperatures are warming up! Once they get closer to 60 degrees, it's time to plant many direct sow crops. Check out this table form the University of Delaware that shows average days to germination for cold season crops. The takeaway? It pays to be patient. Peas planted at 40 degrees can take a month to come up, verses only nine days to germination when planted at 60 degrees. Learn more: http://ow.ly/7gwz50EgZ8L

There are little signs of spring everywhere here at Braddock Farms. Take a tour with Farmer Nick to explore some of the new buds popping up on our strawberries and paw paw tree, and learn about the delicious flowers and other edible crops that come from overwintering plants like kale, onions, spinach, and more! . Anyone else overwinter crops in their garden? How do you like to prepare the rabe from these plants?

Shop your fav GP seedlings in one of the following places over the next few months! For more details on the 2021 seedling sale and to view the full sale catalog, check out our latest newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/growpittsburgh.org/march-2021

How cute is this Little Free Seed Swap at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh?

Our team always travels deep to the Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Conference because it's one of our favorite events each year! Here's some of the crew that attended the conference in 2019. Taking place virtually this year, the conference offers more than 2 WEEKS of amazing speakers and fun, informative sessions, including keynote Robin Wall Kimmerer, scientist & author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants! Today is the LAST day for early registration. Don't miss your chance to save up to $40! Learn more and register today: http://ow.ly/umUe50D0Mxa

It's not too early to start looking ahead to early 2021 events! Here are just two virtual happenings taking place in the coming weeks that we're excited about: Three Rivers Urban Soil Symposium, Jan 13, 3 pm - 5 pm: http://ow.ly/QLFe50CWpbv Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Jan 19 - Feb 5: https://web.cvent.com//091ee4c7-21fc-47fd-9541-07b/summary

In true 2020 fashion, here’s some of our staff and board sending you warm wishes this holiday! Thank you for growing with us in this year like no other. Onward!

Are you between the ages of 21-26 and want to spend two years turning your passion into action? Applications for the Repair The World Pittsburgh fellowship are open now. Fellows are placed with one to three community organizations working to address local justice-related issues. The RTW fellows we've worked with have been valuable assets to Grow Pittsburgh over the years. The first priority deadline is February 1st, 2021. Submit your application today! http://ow.ly/Lyoa50CTjoS

It's mushroom madness on the farm right now with Farmers Hanna and Silvan who've innoculated more than 60 logs of shiitake mushrooms recently! Mushroom inoculation involves introducing spawn to a planting area. In this case, we used logs. Here’s the fairly simple process if you're interested in growing some mushrooms of your own this winter.

Looking for community groups and projects to support this giving season? Here are a couple of great local food growing projects we recommend: Project Love Coalition's Peace and Friendship Farm in the Hill District on ioby: https://ioby.org//peace-and-friendship-farm-helping-one-an Help Sankofa Village Community Garden/ Farms move locations to expand their operations! http://ow.ly/3ULi50CNvwt... Both fundraisers have a ways to go! Pitch in if you're able to help more of our neighbors grow and access fresh food in their communities.

More than 10% of Americans faced food insecurity at some point in 2019, and the holiday season and the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerabte this harsh reality. Join us for Gratitude Shabbat next Friday, hosted by Repair The World Pittsburgh, along with Just Harvest, and 412 Food Rescue, as we discuss the importance of gratitude, food justice through a Pittsburgh lens, and how you can still make a difference in a pandemic! To RSVP: http://ow.ly/JsvV50CgEhV

The Garden Resource Center is going into hibernation soon! Tomorrow is the last day before next spring for GRC members to come pick up monthly allotments! And now available for everyone (even if you're not a registered GRC user!), we have bulk materials for sale. Autumn is a great time to plant cover crops and apply soil amendments to set your garden up for success next season! You can learn a bit more about a few of our offerings in the video below. Stop by 147 Putnam St from 9 am - 3 pm to get yours. After 3 pm tomorrow, the GRC will be closed til March so make sure you get there!

TONIGHT: Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op will be profiled, along with other local groups, on WQED's new local documentary that examines food injustice affecting those in Western PA. 'Starved: Our Food Insecurity Crisis' premieres tonight at 8 pm on WQED. Watch the trailer now: http://ow.ly/6Qa950CcTd6

Pittsburgh, is your child safe from lead exposure? Visit gettheleadoutpgh.org and Women for a Healthy Environment for resources and to learn more.

Fresh on the blog: a new Grower's Spotlight, featuring Ebony Lunsford-Evans of Farmer Girl Eb! Read it now: http://ow.ly/ghdb50C6m1m