Patio Green Thumb Project

Greetings from the President!

Unfortunately for us the property we wanted to get ahold of for the Lake City Garden Project is undergoing legal action by the owners at this point (fines and such for permit violations) so we are unable to get our hands on it at this time. That said, I am happy to announce the kickoff of our Patio Green Thumb Project in the North District (encompassing Lake City, Northgate, and Aurora in Seattle).

 The Patio Green Thumb Project is all about getting food garden containers in the hands of apartment dwellers. The signup list is on the site above. We are excited to kick off such an ambitious project and hope to be able to bring a great deal of help to people in this area. We are hoping to get enough funding to help at least 50 households, which will require around $750-$1,000. A donation of $10 gets us a planter, $15 gets us the soil for two gardens. Even just $2 gets us a seed packet we can plant to help get the starts started for this noble vision. If you have pots, seeds, soil, money, or anything else you can donate to help us out in our vision, contact us and let us know. You will be helping your neighbors and supporting a great new organization in your community. Thanks for helping become a part of something wonderful!

~Ali S. Hartwell~
Acting President

Lake City Community Garden Project Update

Greetings blog followers and community members! We have located a prime piece of property, three acres of abandoned on Roosevelt and 143rd, near Aurora in Lake City. Our understanding of the history of the lot is that it was slated to become 22 houses by a Wu Construction LLC, construction scheduled to begin in 2009. Needless to say it didn't happen and the area has become a rather large eyesore. We are starting a petition as of Tuesday to have the city donate the land to us to create a three acre community food garden, educational facility, and gathering space. I am sure all of you in Seattle would much rather see this land put to a productive use than to sit there barren, unused, and neglected. We hope to bring some joy and community building to this abandoned Aurora lot, rather than waiting for some other group or construction company to build unnecessary, overpriced housing that does nothing for the greater community.

So if you all feel the same, shoot us an email at getinvolved@emeraldspirit.org and let us know that this is something you can get behind! Like us on your Facebook, let people in your neighborhood and your social network know about what we are trying to do. If you are a registered voter, we would love your signature. Tell us what neighborhood area you are in so we can swing a canvasser by. This is what community action is all about, and even though we are just starting out, we are determined to make a positive change in communities like Lake City. With your help we can make it happen.

Click here to get involved!

Thank you in advance,

~Ali S. Hartwell and Joe Martelle~

President and Project Developer respectively

Greetings From Project Development!

As Project developer, I am really looking forward to reintroducing the idea of the backyard "Victory Garden" setting up Community Gardens in neighborhoods, teaching the lost art of canning and "putting up" food for winter, re-purposing items into new things, as well as doing for ourselves; once common in our grandparents' day (some of us can remember gardening as a kid) these skills seem to have vanished form the collective modern memory.

There are a lot of skills of self reliance that have fallen by the wayside since the 1960's that we feel should make a come back.(sewing, canning and crafting for for example) With the current financial instability, it would be a wise move to try your hand at growing some of your own food.

Now I hear you say "But I live in an apartment and have no access to a garden!" 

Well step right up! We have a plan for you to convert some of that patio or balcony space into a highly productive container garden! You will be amazed at what bounty you can grow in simple containers in a small space!

"But, it's December, it's too cold to even think about gardening.."

True, but I am putting this out there so you can start to think on "What If" and start to look at the possibilities. and be honest, who DOESN'T like the idea of saving money by slashing your food bill?.

Take a few moments and think about what would make a community "Sustainable"? Start small, like say a community garden to feed the people, and expand from there. We are at a point in history where we don't have to reinvent the wheel to create a sustainable community for I believe there is no problem that we as a people can not overcome.

If this sounds like something you want to get behind, than stop by the Emerald Spirit Community Action site and click on the "Get Involved" link. For working together, we can achieve great things.

Check Us Out! 

I Look Forward To Working With You!

~Joe Martelle~

Head of Project Development