We LOVE worms!

Join Booka Alon, self-professed worm whisperer, at Graze the Roof, GLIDE’s Rooftop Garden on:
Sunday, February 19th from 1p-3p for a two hour Introduction to
Worm Bins for Urban Dwellers.

Did you know, if you compost the scraps from your kitchen using a worm bin, you can create the world’s greatest all in one fertilizer-plant-food-and-pest-deterrent known to mankind?

If you’re on a budget, like to be resourceful and are wondering how to reinforce your organic matter without manure, kelp or other expensive mediums, then VERMI-LOVE is just the workshop for you!

In this in-depth 2 hour workshop, Booka Alon guides you through the process of creating a 2-bin, worm system with readily available materials such as newspaper, rubber tubs and a drill. It’s easier than you think you to maintain a balanced, happy home for the voraciously hungry Red Wrigglers. Aside from the basics of worm bin startups, Alon will also lead a casting harvesting session. From 4 years of vermicomposting practice, Alon will teach some tried and true techniques in gleaning the most castings, while sorting worms methodically and efficiently, so they can return to the worm bin for more rounds of eating your garbage.

RSVP for this unique workshop on vermi-composting at
grazetheroof@gmail.com

WHAT: Meet Booka the Worm Whisperer and learn all about Worm Bins for Urban Dwellers
DATE: Sunday February 19th 2012
TIME: 1p-3p
LOCATION: Graze the Roof the rooftop of 330 Ellis St. Read more...

Creatin' Compost. Cultivatin' Community!

A big "Thank You!" to all the new volunteers who came out to the garden yesterday! We planted a forest of diverse salad greens, buckets of bunching onions and REBUILT OUR COMPOST SYSTEM!

We arranged 9 pallets, used an array of tools like saws, screws, drills, crow bar and our hard working hands to construct the vessel that will house our dynamic compost pile.

Nik Dyer of Purple Carrot Gardening described the needs and elements for any successful compost pile to work, including the ideal dimensions of 3ft * 3ft (which informed our use of wooden pallets), ample moisture, a healthy balance of organic matter: greens (nitrogen) and browns (carbon). Following these simple guidelines, we created conditions for the microorganisms of our pile to stay healthy and fed, while heating up and breaking down the organic matter we add to the pile.

The final product!?! Nutrient rich, organic matter to put back into our thriving rooftop garden system!

Look out for the next edition of our Sunday Workparty/Workshop coming up on February 19th from 1-3pm.
VERMI-LOVE with Booka Alon of Roots to Fruits and Kitchen Garden SF.
Booka will teach us about the benefits of Vermi-composting (composting with worms) and we will build a few worm bins for the garden.

RSVP grazetheroof@gmail.com Read more...

Winter in the Garden + REFRESH our COMPOST

It has been an unusually warm and sunny winter in San Francisco. I know gardeners all over the city who are praying and dancing for rain as well as happily harvesting greens, brassicas, fava beans and radishes from their unusually productive winter gardens. At Graze the Roof we're loving the sun, yet also dancing for rain! ...

This last week during our volunteer workday we harvested a hefty 11.5 lbs from the garden, getting us to a comprehensive 50 lbs since we began our weekly harvest in early November of 2011. When we got to the basement to hand it over to the kitchen crew, we bumped into one of the prep cooks who delightfully dug through the bag of fresh greens, herbs and bulbous radishes! He was excited to work with such fresh and tasty seasonal fare!

In other news, the Graze the Roof crew is visioning for how we want to continue increasing food production as well as designing and building out more niches on the roof, to gather, learn, teach and be...lots of great projects on the horizon! Join us on Thursdays from 10a-2p to be a part of this visioning and support the development of our rooftop garden!

We will be offering more opportunities for the community to experience and work in the garden on Sundays this season. Our first Sunday workparty of the year will be Sunday January 29th from 10a-3p! We will round out our workday with a potluck lunch! Bring something delicious to share!
...
REFRESH OUR COMPOST
As gardeners in this fine city, we are learning how important living, breathing soil is to any successful garden community. In our rooftop garden story, we are growing all our goodness in containers. The soil is a dynamic medium that needs a lot of attention. In the spirit of this new year, we want to re-build our compost system to heighten the efficiency and fertility of our soil. Our compost system needs to be REFRESHED and RENEWED. We will be building a classic 3-bin system with pallets and chicken wire. WE NEED YOUR HELP! Join our special Sunday workparty to rebuild our compost!

January 29th 2012
9a - GLIDE Celebration Service
10a - GTR Workday begins...
10:30a - Tour of GTR
11a - GLIDE Celebration Service
12:30 - Tour of GTR
1p-3p - REFRESH OUR COMPOST workparty!
3p - late afternoon potluck! Bring a snack to share! We'll harvest a great big salad from the garden :)
*****(bring your own bowl/plate and utensils)

For a special treat, consider starting your Sunday off by attending one of GLIDE's celebration services at either 9a or 11a. These gatherings of song, compassion and community are inspiring and a great way to connect to the heart of GLIDE.

Feel free to contact Lindsey Goldberg, Project Manager of GTR (grazetheroof@gmail.com) with any questions concerning the workparty and/or other Graze the Roof related inquiries!

Happy gardening! Read more...

To a BRIGHT New Year!

It has been an incredible year for Graze the Roof!

Highlights include:

-Interdisciplinary afterschool and summer enrichment programming in the garden for students of the FYCC Kinder-Teens

-Collaborations with Candice Jacobs (art), Paul Koski (Bees), Bruce McKinley (food, education and advocacy) numerous university student groups, and a burgeoning partnership with the Museum of Craft and Design

-Weekly seasonal harvests for the GLIDE kitchen totalling over 40 lbs in two just 2 months!

-Monthly educational tours in tandem with Sunday Celebrations

-Weekly volunteer workdays

-We've increased our biodiversity tremendously and are cultivating rare, unique and heirloom varieties of FOOD, flowers and native plants!

-We are visioning for the BRIGHT new year and cannot wait to share it with you!

SUNDAY JANUARY 8TH TWO EDUCATIONAL TOURS FOLLOWING CELEBRATION - 10:30A AND 12:30A

JOIN US FOR OUR FIRST VOLUNTEER WORKDAY IN 2012 ON JANUARY 12TH 2012 FROM 10A-2P

email grazetheroof@gmail.com

In gratitude for the opportunity to grow food and community with you all,
Lindsey Read more...

Gift to the Garden ACTIVATES fenceline

In collaboration with Candice Jacobs, Creative Arts Leader of the FYCC (Family, Youth and Childcare Center), our afterschool garden classes (Kinder-Fifth grade) participated in gifting Graze the Roof a vertical garden this holiday season.

The vertical garden consists of dozens of diverse potted succulents and drought-tolerant rosemary strung along the eastern fenceline. Each potted plant is labeled with the child's name and age who is responsible for planting the plant; offering ownership and connection to the environmental stewardship and arts-integrated project.

The children and staff of the FYCC were incredibly respectful in their participation and support of this collaboration. We hope to continue to activate this vertical space into the new year; transforming a chain-link fence into a garden, hummingbird and butterfly sanctuary, and mosaic of art, and living plants! Read more...

Gratitude, Nourishment and Community

Thanksgiving morning at GLIDE Memorial Church was buzzing with activity, community, prayer, song, and delicious food.

We harvested 8 pounds of food from the garden to integrate in the free meals program distributing meals to the community over the holiday weekend. Read more...

Get to know the plants growing at Graze the Roof

At Graze the Roof, we have an abundance of BIODIVERSITY; plants of different sizes, shapes, colors, tastes, textures, and functions. The biodiversity of the garden is one of the factors supporting the resiliency, and health of the system.

As my own gardening experience expands and my knowledge and skill-set become more and more refined, I am getting to know, really know and understand the vast world of plants. Like human beings, plants have personalities, tendencies, and unique characteristics. It is fascinating, magical and as I learn more, I become more enchanted by the miracle of life, growth and gardening...and it is so much FUN.

The first plant I am excited to introduce you to is PINEAPPLE SAGE or Salvia Elegans. It is a perennial shrub, meaning that it has an extensive root system and you do not need to re-plant it year after year like many edible annual plants that we know and love: broccoli, tomato, carrot, etc...

The leaves do smell like pineapple and the bright red tubular flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies.

In traditional Mexico, this plant is used medicinally to treat anxiety and to lower blood pressure.

It is a beautiful plant and can thrive and be enjoyed in both in a containers or in the ground.

Visit our two pineapple sage plants at Graze the Roof during our volunteer workdays (Thursdays 10-2p or the first Sunday of each month between 10a-1p).

Happy planting! Read more...