On Friday, four of us boarded the #38 and headed out to the TLC Farm. We were greeted by farmie Matt G. and picked up two more attendees, for a total of seven. We toured the TLC Farm and I pointed out a few different species of fungus that were fruiting. Matt took us to the fruit trees and explained when most of the pruning takes place, the spring and fall. Pruning at different times of the year produces different results. We got some hands-on experience and moved on over to the garden. He showed us how to plant cover crops; fava and clover and then we went over to the compost heap. We took a temperature reading and got more hands-on, this time with organic matter. Loamy, warm and without any smell, this is the stuff that great gardens are made of. We then shared some freshly harvested vegetables from the garden in the form of a salad with homemade dressing and then headed out on the last bus of the evening.

On Saturday, we gathered at the Guerilla Garden Site at 79th and SE Woodward. There is a small, overgrown garden, partially kept up by a neighborhood couple on the side of a not-improved roadway. Cardboard, sawdust, composted horse manure, woodchips and a few donated plants were our materials. Erin led the Permaculture Guild workshop and Leonard assisted. We cleaned up the dead plant material, planted an overwinter garden of strawberries along with other plants, and installed a mushroom bed with King Stropharia mushrooms. We continued the fish-scale design motif and even created a small compost area at the top of the garden. There were eight or nine volunteers and within four hours, we had made a small corner of our community a little nicer. The Pizza Harvest & Potluck Party was one of the highlights of the City Riparian for me. We met at the Mt. Tabor Commons and were handed fresh, hot pizza from a cob oven. Erin and Mark kept them coming until we were all full. Mark showed us some mushrooms he had found the day before near the coast and we identified them as lobster mushrooms. They were delicious. Connie, Erins neighbor, gave us a small tour of her grow spaces, which were some of the most fertile and diverse, I have ever seen. Even the small kids got in on the tasting. Grapes, kiwi, apple, walnuts, herbs. Someday all of our gardens will be this packed with wholesome, organic produce.

On Sunday, we all gathered at the Annex for Vegan French toast and Mushroom Omelettes(Chanterelles and shiitake). This was the best attended event with almost twenty of us in the kitchen. A crowded kitchen is a happy one, for the most part. We then let Henry guide us through a few of the projects happening at the Annex. A 300 gallon water tank and proposed gray-water system along with other water conservation features(Blue food grade barrels)are just a few good things you can do at home to practice sustainability. We made a small mushroom bed, using the wild version of the Enoki mushroom and then set off with Leonard for urban wild foraging. He took us around the neighborhood and identified native, planted and invasive plants. We harvested some figs and kiwi’s and took them over to Harriets for a workshop on canning and preserving. All told, there wereseven people for the last workshop of the day and this time, we all got to take something home. There is a difference between a workshop and a hands on , resource oriented informal talk-the latter is more my style. Typicall speaking, a workshop is an in-depth hands-on lesson that gives the participants a chance to learn by doing. Printed handouts are an integral part of a good workshop, and they don’t need to be lengthy, just easy to understand directions, a few good resources and URLS is all you need.

This was the second City Riparian event and even though it was small, it was a success. As a bridge event between Village Building Convergences, it is just the right length. We hope to see you at the next one!

Friday, October 12th, from 3pm-5:30pm

Saturday, October 13th, from 8am-3pm

Sunday, October 14th

Some of the ideas we are sharing this year include:

· Inter-Organizational community collaborations and projects
· Watershed/Habitat restoration and regeneration with native species
· Small lot permaculture* design methods, and edible and medicinal gardens
· Creative development of local food systems and trade markets
· Examples of financial autonomy and creative fundraising ideas
· Plant and mushroom propagation
· Edible landscapes and communal gardens
· Water catchment systems
· Nutrient and waste stream cycling

Learn About Last Year's City Riparian

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