Loving Spoonful » news

A New Year for Loving Spoonful

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:14:11 +0000

As 2011 closes, we have many changes happening here at Loving Spoonful. Susan Belyea, our founding director and the driving force behind many of our projects to date (pictured left), has completed four years of fantastic work for Loving Spoonful, and is headed to Cuba and Guatemala to travel and engage in food security activities. She anticipates returning to Loving Spoonful as a member of our Board of Directors, and we know she will bring her passion and knowledge to this new role.

We are also saying farewell to Kate Archibald Cross, who coordinated our 2011 Grow a Row campaign and piloted our Community Kitchen Project. Under Kate’s leadership we achieved our most successful year of donations ever – a whopping 7,000 lbs of fresh, local produce delivered to Kingston meal providers where it nourished many community members in need.

Holly Platz will be taking over the role of Executive Director from Susan. She will also continue acting as the Community Gardens Network Coordinator, and will still oversee volunteers for all of our projects. We plan on rolling out our Community Kitchen Program in earnest in 2012, and anticipate hiring a Community Kitchen Coordinator in January. Details on this position will be sent out to the list serv once they have been confirmed, and will also be posted right here on our website.

Happy Holidays!

Time to Sign up for CSA Memberships

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:18:38 +0000

It’s time to sign up for your 2011 CSA share! What is a CSA? The Community Supported Agriculture model lets you pay a farmer in advance for a season’s worth of produce, while contributing to a more secure local food system. It’s a great way to support local growers and to ensure that you are getting the freshest seasonal produce.

Come sign up for your CSA Share at the following events:

Seedy Saturday: March 12th 10-3, Wilson Room KPFL Central

Earth Hour: March 26th 18:30-21:30, Market Square

Community Garden Network Up and Running!

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:28:45 +0000

Loving Spoonful, in partnership with Urban Agriculture Kingston and the City of Kingston, has established the Kingston Community Garden Network to support the creation of new community gardens on public or private lands, and to assist with the retention of existing community gardens in the city. We can work with your community group to help you through the process of starting a Community Garden in your neighbourhood. The CGN committee will be hosting gardening workshops and compiling a newsletter and resources to help Kingston gardeners connect with one another and share knowledge in order to foster food security in our city. For more information please contact: gardens@lovingspoonful.org or call 613 546 4291 ext. 1871. Check out our website : www.kingstoncommunitygardens.ca

Loving Spoonful welcomes Holly Platz!

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:26:40 +0000

Loving Spoonful welcomes Holly Platz as our new Volunteer Coordinator. Holly grew up Kingston and has recently moved back to her hometown, bringing with her a wealth of community education and volunteer engagement experience. She is passionate about local food systems, adult education and volunteer mobilization, and looks forward to connecting with Loving Spoonful volunteers and partners to bolster current initiatives and start up some new ones. Please give Holly a warm welcome!

Featured Grower: Mayor Harvey Rosen

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:52:28 +0000

Thanks Mayor Rosen for sharing your backyard harvest with Grow a Row.

Featured Grower: Nathan Manion

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:50:45 +0000

Growing up with a fruit and vegetable garden was a large part of Nathan’s life growing up, so starting a small garden in his small enclosed patio he shares with his partner Julia seemed natural. Among the variety of fruit and vegetables that Nathan cultivated this summer in the small, were eight different variety of heirloom tomatoes, jalepeno and bell peppers, heirloom melons and basil, and a scattering of cabbage, bok choy and a variety of herbs such as basil, thyme and rosemary. His motivations for donating to Grow a Row was simple: “Fresh food is essential to good health for those who cannot afford to eat. And when you have a garden, you always have a few extra food items than you can’t use at any given time. Donating to Grow a Row is an easy way to integrate both into a way to support those in need in our community.”

Apple pies sold out!

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:36:08 +0000

Thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered your apple pies. We are sold out of our 500 pies! If you didn’t get a chance to order this year, though would like to be contacted in fuure, please email applepie@lovingspoonful.org.

Thank you Kingston and to Tara Natural Foods for your support!

Featured Grower: InterCall

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:48:52 +0000

Thanks to the staff at InterCall for growing a row! They converted some of the flower beds around their building into vegetable plots. In this photo are staff members Christie (left) and Corliss with some of their harvest.

Thank you United Way!

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:04:39 +0000

Loving Spoonful wishes to thank the United Way KFL&A for awarding us a Priority Needs Grant, which has enabled us to hire a Grow a Row Coordinator. Thank you for your support!

Featured Grower: Hilary Davies

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:41:25 +0000

Hilary Davies has a passion for growing her own food wherever her travels may take her. Most recently she grew a surprising amount of food on her patio garden in Vancouver, including way more kale than any human being should (or could) ever eat! Hilary worked for an environmental not-for-profit in Vancouver focused on community building through gardening and is very proud to say that her legacy included the creation a community garden on the lawn of Vancouver’s City Hall. Hilary dreams of a in-ground garden of her own, but until then, she grows tomatoes, a variety of herbs, lettuce and edible flowers for donation to Grow a Row on the roof of her second floor apartment in Kingston. Although small compared to some other gardens, Hilary’s belief is that every donation counts and feels proud to be able to donate local, organic and tasty veggies to local food providers in Kingston through Grow a Row.