grapevine newsletter of project grow - summer 1999

8/4/2019 Grapevine Newsletter of Project Grow - Summer 1999

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Interval House is thrilled to be chosen as one ofthe nine shelters in the State of California to takepart in Project GROW. With our 85% ethnicallydiverse staff and ability to speak over 32 languages,we hope to be able to develop an original andstimulating program that serves as an inspirationand model to others in the future.

We held focus groups with the women,volunteers, staff and Board

members to ensure that ourproject most accuratelyreflected the needs andpreferences of the group thatthe garden was intended toserve. This will beinstrumental for many aspectsof the project in the future.

Interval House has beenfortunate to have somefabulous partners. We areproud to have had the expertise and experience of

Long Beach Organic throughout our project.LBOsExecutive Director, Paul Racko, was responsiblefor redesigning the yard of one of Interval Housesshelters into a lush, green food forest that willprovide over 50 varieties of fruits, vegetables,herbs, and flowers.

The lawn was rarely used by the residents andrequired lots of water and energy to maintain, soraised beds were installed to provide an area forvegetables. Special containers called Earth Boxeswere placed along the concrete area at the side ofthe house to provide additional growing space.

Since security for the shelters residents is animportant issue, a variety of fruiting trees andshrubs planted along the outside perimeter of theyard will be espaliered into a single hedge toprovide fruit year round. Trellised kiwi and passionfruit vines will occupy vertical space and shade thehouse from the heat of the afternoon sun. Japaneselandscape artist, Shigemasa Masa Kawamura,other volunteers, staff, and shelter residents

installed the garden.LBO will be providing over thirty garden

workshops along with volunteers from the U.C.Cooperative Extensions Master Gardener Program.Workshops in composting, pruning, and variousother subjects, will give shelter residents theinformation they need to start successful gardenprojects of their own. Food that is not grown on site

will be augmented by local

Farmers Markets andgleaning events at localranches and farms.Furthermore, Interval Houseand LBO board member andTV chef, Paul Levitt, willhost cooking workshops toturn the produce grown andgathered on-site into healthy,delicious, international meals.Nutritionist Helen Wong will

work with our staff in creating an ethnically

diverse, seasonal menu incorporating produce fromthe garden and Farmers Market that will result in acookbook that Interval House can proudly call itsown.

Interval Houses Executive Director, CarolWilliams, has enlisted the help of Michel Stroot,executive chef at the world-famous Golden Doorhealth spa in San Diego County, and ChristianRassinoux, executive chef for the Ritz-Carlton inLaguna Niguel. They will add their experience andspecial touch to the recipes that are created.

The response to our project has been amazing.

Both residents and staff look forward to eachworkshop and enjoy the beauty and relaxation thathas come from transforming the yard of our shelter.Working with Long Beach Organic and others,Interval Houses model Project GROW is bringingto life the lessons and benefits of this therapeuticpartnership with nature.By Paul Racko, Carol Williams, and Melissa Yates

Project GROW Takes Root!Project GROW Takes Root!

The Newsletter of Project GROW Volume 1, No.1 Summer/Fall 1999

Staff and clients planting earthboxes.

In each future newsletter, one or more agencies will write an article profiling their Project GROW pilot program.


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The Occidental College TechnicalAssistance and Training-EvaluationContractor (TAT-EC) Team went on a

grand tour of the Project GROW pilotprograms in May and June. Ourconsultant team (depending on the sitethis has included Robert Gottlieb,Michelle Mascarenhas, Susan Stuart,Kate Stafford, and Christine Welsch)had a wonderful time meeting with allof you.

From the southern border of SanDiego County to the northern border ofCalifornia in Crescent City, thepopulations that Project GROW

agencies serve are as diverse as therange of climates and growing seasonsthe projects will operate in. This alsomeans a smorgasbord of menus andgardens taking into account the diets ofwomen and children from southeastAsia to Latin America to Native

America.As Program Manager, I will work

with the Project GROW pilots to make

sure they get the technical assistanceand training they need to make theprograms a success. I will also behelping to coordinate the evaluationand documentation of the pilotprojects, to learn what it takes todevelop them. We may learn that someparts of these models just arentfeasible in domestic violence programsettings, but thats importantinformation for other agencies trying toget such programs going. Its like

composting - - building better soil forthe future. But if our first site visits tellus anything, it is that there are going tobe some fantastic success stories andlasting benefits developing out ofProject GROW!

-Susan Stuart, M.P.H.

The Community Food SecurityProject (CFS Project) develops

collaborative programs and conductsresearch and education to promote asustainable and socially just foodsystem.

In addition to our work on ProjectGROW, we have also developed farm-to-community programs such as theMarket Basket and the FarmersMarket Salad Bar Program.

The Market Basket Program worksto get farmers market produce tofamilies through schools, Head Start

preschools, and social service agencyoffices. At these sites, families andindividuals sign up to purchase abasket of seasonal fruits andvegetables at a price that is lower than

the farmers market. Farmers at thefarmers market agree to provide fresh

fruits and vegetables to the bulk-buying program at a discounted rate.Subscribers then pick up their MarketBasket at the community center wherethey signed up. Your domesticviolence agency might be able to workout such an arrangement with yourlocal farmers market too!

The CFS Project has also developeda Farmers Market Fruit and Salad Barin collaboration with schools in SantaMonica. The program also integrates

gardening and tours of farmersmarkets and farms. The interactiveprogram has been a hit with childrenand adults alike! Next on the menu:Los Angeles Unified School District,

The Occidental College

Community Food

Security Project(TAT-EC Consultants):

Susan StuartProgram [email protected](831) 466-0755-phone &fax

Michelle Mascarenhas

Director, CFS [email protected](323) 259-2633-phone(323) 259-2734 -fax

Robert Gottlieb

Co-Director of [email protected](323) 259-2712-phone(323) 259-2734-fax

Kate StaffordHorticultural TherapyConsultant(831) [email protected]

Department of Health

Services:

Kathony JerauldProgram Consultant

(916) 653-4691- phone(916) 653-2125 - fax

Amy Blandford

Contract Manager(916) 654-9945-phone(916) 653-8655 - fax

Zipora Weinbaum

Research Specialist(916) 657-3921-phone

Blue Shield:

Marianne Balin Public Affairs Specialist

(415) 229-5861-phone(415) 229-5070- fax

Edited by Martha Contreras, Occidental College Community Food Security Project: An affiliate of the Urban andEnvironmental Policy Institute (UEPI). Illustrations by Joe Linton. For more information or to send in letters, articles, photos,drawings, calendar listings or other entries, call (831) 466-0755. Project GROW is sponsored by the California Department ofHealth Services.


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Today we put on our straw hatsto welcome Project GROW andthe first issue of the newsletter.Before this groundbreakingproject, we couldnt tell the

difference between a tomato andsquash plant, but did understandthe fundamental joy and rewardsof:v Working with your hands in

the soil,v Exercising in the fresh air

and sunshine,v Preparing garden-fresh

foods,v Socializing in a safe and

nurturing environment, and

v Developing new skills thatbenefit the whole family.

Perhaps you too have thoughtof spending some time with thesesimple empowering activities, or

just relaxing in the cool shade ofa peach tree in the back yard.

One executive director told us,staff thought I was crazy toforego a more lucrative grantapplication to spend a dayplanning our Project GROW

application (only $18,000). Butnow the children, women,volunteers and staff are all feelingsuch a connection with thegarden. Its so grounding, and weall benefit. Similar accountsfrom around the state show howquickly these projects haveforged a common bond and senseof pride and ownership at theshelters.

The Domestic Violence Section

seeks to understand theapproaches, challenges andbenefits of Project GROW-forwomen, children, staff, agenciesand communities. Results andinsights from these projects willbe shared through Project GROW

workshops, web site andnewsletter. We are pleased towork with the technical assistanceteam from Occidental College,who bring extensive experience

and creativity to this process.Gardeners are by nature

optimistic, and many tell us thatone of the best things about agarden is the anticipation itprovides. Join us in anticipationof the rewards of these excitingpilot projects.

Kathony Jerauld, R.D., M.P.H.Project GROW Coordinator

Carol Motylewski-Link, M.P.H.Chief, Domestic Violence Section

Garden Council

Glen Dake(323) 663-6580Long Beach Organic

Paul Racko(562) 438-9000Veterans Garden West Los AngelesIda Cousino and BobVatcher(310) 268-4062UC Cooperative

Extension/Common

Ground Yvonne Savio(323) 838-45325-A-Day

Marianne Chiaro

(323) 828-4542EFNEPMargaret Fields(323) 838-8352LA Food Security and

Hunger Partnership -contact Board MemberBob Gottlieb

(323) 259-2712Occidental CFS Project

(323) 259-2633SHARE

(800) 773-SHARELA Grows

Chris Braswell(323) 526-1460Food for All

Helen Anderson(909) 605-2777Southland Farmers

Market Association

(213) 244-9190WIC- Public Health

Foundation

(626) 856-6618

Urban ResourcesPartnership (213) 580-1055Casa Colina

Wolfram Anderson(909) 596-7733, ext.4263

A different region of the state will be featured in each issue of the

Ingredients:

8 oz Penne or Other Pasta2 tsp Olive Oil1/2 Cup Onion, Chopped2 Cloves Garlic, Sliced1 Med. Carrot, Shredded1/2 Cup Zucchini, Shredded

1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, Diced1/3 Cup Tomato, Diced1/8 tsp Black Pepper1/8 tsp Salt1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese1/2 Cup (Part Skim)Mozzarella Cheese Shredded

Vegetable-Pasta Gratin(4-6 servings)(Recipe provided by Kings Community Action Agency)

Instructions: (CHECK RECIPE!)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add Pasta and cookuntil tender but still firm, 10-15 minutes. Drain. Heat oil ina large non stick skillet. Add onion and garlic and cookthree minutes. Add carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, tomato,salt and pepper, mix well and cook three minutes longer.

Heat oven to 350. In a 8x8 inch pan, mix vegetables, pasta,2 1/2 tablespoons parmesan and mozzerella. Sprinkleremaining cheese over top. Bake 15 minutes. Cut intosquares and serve.

Kid Tips: Older children can help by shredding thecarrots, zucchini, or cheese and by measuring thesalt and pepper.


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Project: A collaboration withlocal community garden leaders,Long Beach Organic, totransform the lawn of their 20-bed transitional shelter into afood, herb and flower garden andto also create a container garden.LBO will provide workshops ongardening skills; chefs and anutritionist will help residents

develop menus using seasonalproduce and publish a cookbook;and field trips will takeparticipants to a farm to gleanfruits and nuts.

Clientele: Very diverse,representing 32 differentlanguages

Contact: Christine Delabre;562-594-9492

Project: A multi-site gardening,nutrition education and foodsecurity program called Make ItFresh. Families will garden at the24-bed emergency shelter and usethe childrens garden at CrescentElk Elementary School. Nutrition,cooking, and health classesdeveloped with public healthnurses and the WIC nutritionistwill build skills and help

participants produce a cookbook.RHS also purchases harvestshares from a local CommunitySupported Agriculture (CSA)farm.

Clientele: Primarily Caucasian;also Latino and Native American

Contact: Teri McCune-Oostra orClaudia Frances; 707-465-3013.

GARDENGARDEN--TOTO--TABLE NUTRITION EDUCATIONTABLE NUTRITION EDUCATION

Interval House

Seal Beach, CA

Project: A resident-designedon-site garden, shared by the 12-bed emergency shelter and the15-bed transitional shelter, plusweekly trips to the FarmersMarket will teach participantsabout growing and selectingfresh produce. A nutritionconsultant will help design acurriculum, local nurseries andhorticulturists will provide

garden tips, and children willhave their own garden sectionand classes. Progressive dinners,childrens recipes and a personaltrainer to demonstrate safe waysof bending, digging, etc., willadd spice to the project.

Clientele: Caucasian and Latino.Contact: Traci Chester;760-942-5485.

Project: An aromatherapy garden in the front yardand a vegetable and horticultural therapy garden inthe backyard of the 15-bed emergency shelter.Designed in concert with a landscape architect andhorticultural therapist, these will be accessible towomen, children, and staff. Produce grown will beincorporated into shelter meals, and herbs will beused in arts and crafts and as homeopathic

remedies.Clientele: Diverse population

Project: A childrens horticultural therapyprogram will be added to an expanded garden at the30-bed emergency shelter for children at the shelteras well as at the 20-bed safe house. Twohorticultural therapists provide direction andprogram design to staff and volunteers workingwith children. In addition to gardening, there areprojects for rainy days such as planting fast-growing seeds and arts and crafts.

Clientele: African American, Caucasian, Latino,and Native American

ONON--SITE HORTICULTURAL THERAPYSITE HORTICULTURAL THERAPY

Rural Human Services

Crescent City, CA

Community Resource Center

Encinitas, CA

San Leandro Shelter for Women & Children

San Leandro, CA

Ocean Park Community Center

Santa Monica, CA

Espalier?Espalier?Espalier (pronounced "esEspalier (pronounced "es--paulpaul--y ay" in French)yay" in French) -- a plant (such as a f rui t tree) trained to grow flata plant (such as a f ruit tree) t rained to grow f lat

against a support (such as aagainst a support (such as a wall). Can be used as a verb or a noun.wall). Can be used as a verb or a noun.

Want to maximize your garden space? Espalier fruit trees along a wall or a fence for a delicious

harvest without shading too much of the garden!


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Project: The agencys WIC and domestic violencesections are partnering to establish a garden at theirbusiness office for use by both WIC participantsand women staying in the 8-bed emergency shelter.Clients will be able to utilize the garden even afterthey leave the shelter and will be encouraged tostart their own gardens. Activities will includegrowing produce for entry in the county fair,working with women and children at the shelter toplan the menus using the garden harvest and WICcommodities, and teaching how to preserve fruits

and vegetables.

Clientele: Caucasian, Latino and Native AmericanContact: Tina Wood; 530-283-5675

GARDEN PROJECTSGARDEN PROJECTS

Project: Head Start nutritionists offer nutritionclasses in the 38-bed emergency shelter. Throughthese classes, the women and children will also learnhow to prepare quick and simple meals from fresh,seasonal produce. Produce from the shelter's existingvegetable garden, which was established inpartnership with the Hanford Garden Club in 1998,will be incorporated into these meals when possible.Plans to develop and market a cookbook fromrecipes used in the GROW project, as well as recipessubmitted.

Clientele: Caucasian, Latino, African American

CHILDREN & MOTHERSCHILDREN & MOTHERSCOOK & LEARNCOOK & LEARN

Project: A landscape training program for womenin their emergency shelter (11-bed) and transitionalhousing program (52-bed). Plans are also beingmade to establish a microenterprise component sothat participants in the job training program candevelop business skills while they are learning abouthorticulture and landscaping. Classes will be taughtby Southwestern Colleges HorticulturalDepartment.

Clientele: Latino, Caucasian and AfricanAmerican

Contact: Joan Pelkey; 619-420-3620, ext. 23

GARDENGARDEN--BASEDBASEDJOB TRAININGJOB TRAINING

South Bay Community Services

Chula Vista, CAKings Community Action Organization

Hanford, CA

Plumas Rural Services

Quincy, CA

Project: CCS and Little House have partnered onProject GROW to allow an opportunity for womenfrom the 10-bed emergency shelter and women inthe community to form relationships through acommunity garden. It is hoped that the garden willprovide a safe space for women from the El Cajoncommunity to come, for women to learn of theshelter and the domestic violence programs offeredthrough CCS, and for women in the shelter todevelop relationships with people in El Cajon.Gardening classes will be offered throughGrossmont Adult Education Center.

Clientele: Caucasian, Latino, African Americanand Chaldean

Contact: Lizeth Porras; 619-272-5777, ext. 34

Center for Community Solutions

San Diego, CA

Here are some other excitingprojects that are not Project GROWpilot programs: SAVE, in Fremont,has a community garden plot andgardening activities for children at its transitionalshelter; Defensa de Mujeres shelter in Santa CruzCounty has a small garden which was a volunteerproject of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners; and

La Casa de las Madres in SanFrancisco has initiatedinnovative cooking and bakingclasses. Let us know about

other projects such as these so that we can spreadthe word in future issues!

Other YummyOther YummyProjectsProjects


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Project GROW (Gardening forRespect, Opportunity andWellness), an initiative of theDHS Domestic Violence Section,grew from the idea that gardensand access to healthful foods canplay an integral role in improvingthe lives of women and childrensurvivors of domestic violence.At the same time, Project GROWcould provide a vehicle foragencies to conduct therapeuticand educational activities thatcould inspire staff and partneringorganizations. A garden can alsobring the otherwise untappedskills and gifts of individuals andorganizations to a domesticviolence agency setting.

The Seeds:In 1997, Hope Mohr,

Occidental College CommunityFood Security Project, released areport, Gardens for Survivors: AFeasibility Analysis forDeveloping Healing and FoodSecurity Strategies for Survivorsof Domestic Violence whichconcluded that food securityshould become an integralcomponent of serving survivorsof domestic violence, and thatgardens could provide both foodand a healing environment.

Mohr interviewed staff atbattered womens shelters andfound that many shelters hadbeen forced to rely on apatchwork system of foodacquisition, storage andpreparation. Donations,government vouchers, andsupermarket purchases includedmany highly processed foods oflow nutritional value.

In addition, many womencome to shelters with littlenutrition knowledge or skills inbudgeting, shopping and cooking.

Coming into a domestic violenceprogram is a time of great stressand upheaval. Thus, this may notbe the time to deny women andchildren comforting or familiarfoods. Yet by creating anenvironment to grow, purchaseand prepare fresh fruits andvegetables, agencies canempower women and childrenwith the knowledge and tools toincorporate more nutritious foodsinto their diets in an enjoyableway.

The SproutsIn Spring 1998, DHS

collaborated with the OccidentalCollege Community FoodSecurity Project in sponsoringthree Project GROW workshops.As a result of the enthusiasticresponse of shelter staff and thesupport of the StatewideDomestic Violence Council,MCH/DVS agreed to fund projectdevelopment and technicalsupport to a number of pilotprojects.

The FruitIn March 1999, DHS funded

nine Project GROW programs(see extended descriptions ofeach of the pilot projects on pages3-4). While each agency hasdeveloped a different programbased on their particular goalsand resources, as a whole, ProjectGROW seeks to accomplish thefollowing goals:

provide horticultural therapy toclients and staff of bat teredwomen shelters

assist agencies in findingmethods to address the issue ofcommunity food security

empower women and childrenwith food security and/or jobskills

identify effective programsthat can be implemented inother shelters to improvetherapeutic and educationalprograms

DHS also funded theOccidental College CommunityFood Security Project as theTechnical Assistance andTraining-Evaluation Contractor(TAT-EC) Team to providesupport during the 21-monthduration of the pilot program. Theteam will also help DHS and theBWSPs evaluate whether the

projects are feasible andaccomplish their objectives andwhere additional resources areneeded.

The HarvestOver the next two years, the

BWSPs funded through ProjectGROW, DHS, the OccidentalCollege Community FoodSecurity Project, and all of theother individuals andorganizations involved will work

together to make the pilotprojects successful in betteringthe lives of survivors of domesticviolence and the communitiesthey live in.

Blue Shield of California hascommitted to provide support for3-6 gardens at domestic violenceprograms throughout the state.Thus far two programs have been

identified: 1736 Family CrisisProgram in Los Angeles and theSexual Assault and DomesticViolence Center in Davis. BlueShield staff will work with thesegarden projects as part of theircommitment to communityinvolvement.


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HORTICU

LTURAL

THERAP

Y

Any gardener will tell youwhat experts are now applyingin a professional context: formany people gardening istherapeutic. Horticultural

therapy has been accepted bymany in the medical professionas an effective medium torehabilitate or stabilizeindividuals facing physical andmental challenges. Whether bywalking through a garden,watering, or double-digging abed, gardening helps the bodyand soul. Many populationsincluding people with physicaldisabilities, low-income families

in dense urban environments,and children and adults whohave suffered from abusecontinue to benefit fromhorticultural therapy.

The Benefits:

Self-Worth:Helping and watching a plantgrow and preparing meals usingfruits and vegetables from thegarden, can improve self-esteemand self-worth.

Dealing with anger:Gardening can teachconstructive ways of dealingwith aggression and anger thatthen can be applied throughoutones life.

Physical activity:Gardening provides a chance towork outdoors and exercisemany parts of the body.

Community Building:A garden can bring together

many individuals who mightotherwise be isolated from oneanother.

Skill Building:Acquiring gardening skills canhelp an individual to believe inhis/her abilities to get a job, ortake other steps that they wouldnot have been confident to take

in the past.

In gardens, children learn

to care, to be patient and to

experience both success and

failure. In time, childrensmaintenance of plants might

give them insight into the care

that they will require in their

relationships with others.-Maureen B. Heffernan

inAmerican HorticulturalistJuly 1994

Whether through a structuredhorticultural therapy program or

just through gardening, Project

GROW is sure to yield a harvestof benefits for the women andchildren who participate.

-Martha Contreras

Project GROW Intern

Occidental College

Referencesused:Discussionswith KateStafford;TheAmerican

Horticultural Therapy Association HTFacts; Mohr,Hope, MichelleMascarenhas and Robert Gottlieb.Garden for Survivors: A FeasibilityAnalysis for Developing Healing andFood Security Strategies for Survivors ofDomestic Violence February 1998; Relf,Diana The Use of Horticulture inVocational Rehabilitation; and American

Horticulturalist, July 1994.

WEB SITES ONHORTICULTURAL THERAPY

http://www.ahta.orghttp://www.hort.vt.edu

http://www.netreach.com/pachttp://www.usda.gov/news/garden

See Project GROW tool kit

developed in 1998.

What is a

Horticultural Therapist?A person who has completed

the required coursework in thefields of horticulture, therapy/human sciences, andmanagement as well as aninternship may apply forprofessional registrationthrough the AmericanHorticultural TherapyAssociation. For moreinformation on H.T.Registration or to locate ahorticultural therapist near you,contact:

American Horticultural

Therapy Association:

909 York street

Denver, CO 80206-3799

(800) 634-1603

or call Kate Stafford,Horticultural Therapyconsultant on the Project

Seasonal Tip:Seasonal Tip:

In the fall, plant a cover cropcover cropofry e, vetch, fava, and/ or other

soil f ixing plants to build the

soil while crowding out weeds.

In the spring, turn it under to

add ni trogen-rich organic

matter. Wai t two weeks before

replanting the garden.


8/9

InAugust:

Timetoplanyourwintergarden!

InSeptember:

9/14-9/15/99:ProjectGROWAnnualMeetingandFieldTrip

9/15/99-9/17/99:MCHDomesticViolenceConference

InOctober:ProgressReportDuetoDHS

10/14/99-10/17/99/99:

*USDAFoodSecuritySummitandCommunityFood

SecurityCoalitionConferenceinChicago

InNovember:

11/7/99-11/9//99:FarmConference(Urban/RuralLinks)inBerkeley

11/7/99-11/11//99:AmericanPublicHealthAssociationConferencein

Chicago(ProjectGROWpresentation)

Foodsecuritymeansfirstandforemostthe

incometobuyfood,butalsoaccesstosafe

foodthatisculturallyappropriate.It

meanstheskillstoprepareandgrowfood

thatpromoteshealth,makesusfeelpersonallygood,

strengthenourfamiliesandbuilds

ourcommunities.

WorldHungerYear

Project GROW

Occidental Collegec/o PPERC1600 Campus RoadLos Angeles, CA 90041


9/9

We are in the process of selecting a logo for Project GROW and need your input! Below are a numberof logo designs by artist, Joe Linton. Please fill out the form and fax it back to us with your choice forProject GROWs logo. Fax to Michelle Mascarenhas at (323) 239-2734 or mail to Oxy CFS Project.

Name:Organization:Which design would you like to represent Project GROW? Please circle one.

Why did you choose that logo?

Are there any logo designs that you do not like? If so, please explain.

Any other comments?

Please fax the complete form to Michelle Mascarenhas at

(323) 259-2734. Thank you for your input.

grapevine newsletter of project grow - summer 1999

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