Celebrate With Us as We Dedicate Our New Northside Community KitchenGardenPark and Orchard

All are invited to Come To The Dedication Celebration of The Northside Community Welcome Table KitchenGardenPark and Orchard

Sat. May 12 from 10 am to 2 pm with Public Ceremony at 11 am

6005 N. Johnstown Ave.

This has been a Major Part of our Miracle Among The Ruins project, taking a block of abandoned homes, trashed properties, overgrown weeds and immense tree damage from 2007 icestorm and transforming it into community space and food justice projects. Our food pantry routinely gives out some 11,000 pounds or more of food each month in our 74126 and nearby zipcodes; the food grown here not used by neighbors who work the beds goes into the pantry for all. We encourage residents, but also anyone who wishes to help grow healthy food for and with the poor, to be involved. Come see the transformation of the block, and have your family or civic group, or church take on a bed to grow and give away.

We are now Completing the first phase of the project to address food insecurity in far north Tulsa, and to build community connections and empower residents in neighborhoods. Site preparation nearly complete, Raised Vegetable garden beds, 20 completed another 20 ready to be built; 40 fruit tree orchard; plus berries; some of the social areas and play areas completed already as part of the second phase; Native Plant prairie trails area across the street for residents in Suburban Hills addition and the other neighborhoods as they walk the mile plus from their homes to the stores on North Peoria. New fence will be completed this coming week.

Such projects bridging diverse neighborhoods, and providing healthy food in our area where it is hard to find or afford healthy food, are needed now more than ever.

Three years ago we were in the planning stage working with OU Graduate Social Work students; two years ago we were involved in planning with OU Graduate Design Studio students, and were raising funds to try to buy the block of abandoned and trashed out homes and properties with overgrown weeds and much damage from the ice storm back in 2007;

After raising the funds and buying the property, with the help of Tulsa County and INCOG and the Turley Community Association we got the homes torn down; with the help of the Tallgrass Resource and Conservation District of the USDA, and Freedom Bank and the federal Home Loan Bank our $25,000 grant was received to begin site preparation; with help from the Indian Health Care Resource Center, and the Tulsa Community Gardening Association we began creating with our neighbors in Suburban Hills and Northgate and Turley the raised beds and tranforming the property;

Last summer with the assistance of many across the country we last year won the free 40 fruit tree orchard from the National Fruit Tree Association and Edy's Fruit Bars, and with help from many organizations such as Up With Trees we had great volunteer help on the Orchard Day. Since then we have been finishing site preparation (all done except for fence which will be erected next week), added more beds, and built new areas for people while they are in the park working. We also have our prairie trails almost done across the street from the park alongside where many residents walk on their long trek to the store and back, or shopping, etc, creating a safer and more restful area here in the 74126.

This will be the first of many new starts for community health on the northside this summer, with the expected openings soon of the Tulsa Health Dept Regional North Wellness Center on 56th St., and the OU Wayman Tisdale Specialty Clinic on 36th St.

 

There will be activities for children, tours of the property, refreshments, garden work for those who want to help or learn, and lots of information about upcoming community events and resources in our area.