So There's No More Confusion

This eco-stuff is confusing, let's face it. Fuel Efficient Vehicle Parking? Seems obvious, but maybe it needs to say "Vehicles that get more than 15 MPG." Whatever. We have a long way to go. But I don't need to be confusing you anymore about this blog. This has always been my personal blog, but its name is too similar to our Sustainability Commission's social networking site, so, thanks to Dunwoody blogger Rick Callahan and his insistence on calling me Sustainable Pattie, here goes. Please click on this new blog and sign up for updates in the sidebar on the right as Sustainable Dunwoody (the blog, not the mission! See our 2009 Year in Review here), after 186 posts, is now done.

And since I'm launching a whole new thing, I'm changing it up as well. Shorter, more frequent bursts of news and views. More videos. Not always so Dunwoody-centric. And as joy-based as I can make it, which is how I like to live.

Looking for longer insights? I'll keep the Sustainable Dunwoody blog up as archives, and there are almost 600 articles at FoodShed Planet. Add in my year as a columnist at New Life Journal, articles in Edible Atlanta and Georgia Organics' The Dirt, and a ton of articles on Cox Enterprise's Kudzu's 101 Marketing Ideas with Pattie Baker blog (yes, I am actually paid to blog) and you'll see I've covered a whole lotta' ground. So please check the archives or shoot me a question at sustainablepattie@comcast.net if you're trying to figure something out and I'll give you what I have on it. I may even feature your question online!

Oh, and yeah, I know, I was supposed to be taking a few weeks off. This is what happens when it rains and I can't get to the garden.

Sunny, Flat and Possible (No, This Is Not a Sequel to Thomas Friedman's Hot, Flat and Crowded!)

Peachtree Charter Middle School--A Spot for a Garden from Pattie Baker on Vimeo.

I heard there were new benches at Peachtree Charter Middle School, and that made me think about the benchmark data I intended to gather this past year. So off I traipsed in the cold this past Saturday, with a simple intention of capturing visible evidence on one benchmark item: the number of Dunwoody school gardens. Now, you may think this is a crazy thing to care about in 25-degree weather, but all good gardeners are completely obsessed with thoughts of their spring gardens right now! What's more, I believe DeKalb County is just about to make an announcement regarding a county-wide community garden program (AND we have more than 20 people on the community garden waiting list, with more people asking me every single day how they can get involved, so the interest is definitely growing).

I was hoping to be able to say that every single school in Dunwoody has a school garden in our first year as a city, but that's not yet the case. I haven't spoken with folks at all the schools, but perhaps good ideas are still growing "on paper" and we'll see planting in the spring. I tried to "site survey" while I was at each school and find what looked like the best places for gardens.

The number one best place in the City of Dunwoody for a new vegetable garden is at Peachtree Charter Middle School (see the one-minute long video above, with my usual car-sickness-inducing camera movement and the added pleasure of what-is-that, wind or something?) I actually don't envision a traditional school garden there, but rather a community garden. I would love to talk with folks there (specifically with the counselors) in more depth about some ideas I have.

Okay, let's barrel through the other schools. First, the big, fat success story--

Vanderlyn

This is a bittersweet one for me, because, my goodness, I whined for an organic vegetable garden for years while my kids were there and nothing, nothing, nothing (but that's why I started my own "school garden" at home, so it's all good). But now, here it is:








This garden was installed and planted in mid-September. The secret? A few thousand bucks and Farmer D's foolproof school garden materials. It's one way to go, and it will guarantee you success. (Here is the school garden brochure I wrote for Farmer D, and no, I don't get any commission for raving about his stuff. I've just seen it in action for years now, and it works.)

Kingsley

Can it be?! Can that be a school garden I see? Yes! Kingsley has "put the bones" in place for a garden.






In fact, if you combined the fruit trees (espaliers--very impressive!), bench and sign from Kingsley with the raised beds from Vanderlyn, you'd have a really complete garden (well, there's still composting to add, but we'll get there!).





Chesnut

I see no evidence of a vegetable garden, but here is a spot that might be good:













Austin

Again, no sign of a vegetable garden, but a few spots look sunny, flat and possible:







Dunwoody Elementary

No garden yet, but Farmer D, PTO Co-Prez Kevin Cameron, Principal Clarke and I did a site survey in July and determined that this was the best spot for a vegetable garden:














Dunwoody High

Yes, it's possible, even at the high school. There's enough space right in the front, on Vermack. Consider these two options:





















Please note how very little space five raised beds (like Vanderlyn's garden) take up. You don't have to create the one-acre Edible Schoolyard just yet! And I didn't make it to Hightower yet, but that's next (I know it's not in the city limits, but the kids are part of our school cluster, and therefore our community).

If you are with one of these schools and are ready to dig in but need a little help overcoming some barrier, feel free to reach out and let me know and I will try to help or connect you with a resource, group or person who can assist.

With seeds of hope that every single school in Dunwoody will have a vegetable garden established by Spring Planting (March 15), I'm off to work on my own spring garden. And that means more leaves to crumble and spread, more kitchen scraps to compost, more saved seeds to sort, and more time just sitting by the fire with the Seeds of Change catalog and imagining the possibilities.

I'll be back in January. May your holiday harvest of love, peace and hope be immense.

Keep Voting for the Kind of City You Want

I've discovered two particular things since we voted to become a city and then turned the very direction of our future upside down.

1. We Are Capable of More Together Than We Are Alone

My ability to accomplish anything used to start and end at me. And, granted, I never really could get that far with my limited abilities. Now that we have our own city, however, busting with start-up energy and positive people trying to make a difference, my ability has suddenly expanded beyond my meager contributions. There always seems to be someone who can do, and wants to do, that which I am not capable of doing. Or, together, that heavy load becomes not only lighter but more fun to carry. This is an entirely new realization for me.

2. Little Eyes Are Watching, and Learning, From Us

I was talking with some children yesterday about a crosswalk that is about to be installed in a place that will enable the boy who lives closest to one of our schools to actually walk to school. These kids knew the names of John Heneghan and Richard Meehan (how many public officials and city staff members did you know growing up?), and it occurred to me that the children of this city are starting to take it for granted that Mr. Heneghan and Mr. Ross and Mr. Wittenstein and Ms. Bonser and Mr. Taylor and Mr. Shortal and Mr. Wright can make things right.

And I wonder what will become of the children who grow up in the newest city in the United States, who can't cross a street to get to school and then see a crosswalk installed. Who see idle strips of land turn into productive green spaces. Who see a bike lane where there wasn't one before. Who know their parents attend Comprehensive Plan meetings and then see the things for which they advocated actually happen. What becomes of children who live in a city like this?

What will become of any of us, who have seen that our actions can make a difference? Who have spoken in places where we used to be silent? Who have dared to dream when we had all but given up on dreams? Who have risked being rejected or laughed at or criticized? Who have shown up when staying home would have been easier?

What will become of you if you get involved? What dream of yours will come true? What positive difference will you make?

I worked for two major start-ups right at the point when each of them celebrated their ten-year anniversaries--USA TODAY and CNN. And what happens at about that point in a small-company-that-has-gotten-big is that the entrepreneurialism starts to die away, and the people involved in the start-up move on, and the rules and the regulations and the policies are more set in stone. (I'm not saying innovation stops--it just requires more approvals.)

For our city, I suspect the aperture of opportunity for start-up fervor will remain open for about another year. If you have been on the fringes of the city and have not jumped in yet, now is your time. Just show up. Find some part of the city's journey that interests you, and get involved. It just might turn your life upside down in a positive way you never could have imagined.

Keep voting for the kind of city you want. With your voice. With your dollars. With your actions.

We can build a beautiful city. In fact, we're on our way.

Some Food for Thought

I lost sleep the last two nights because of what happened Wednesday. My younger daughter and I swung by the food pantry at St. Pat's on North Peachtree Road to drop off what will probably be the last two family-sized salads of the year from the Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run. Instead of the usual 80 families that are served each week, there were expected to be 200 families that day. The parking lot was mobbed. Chairs wrapped around the church. Extended families stood and sat patiently. And we walked in with our measly two salads. I felt horribly inadequate, as if I not only could do more, but am actually being driven to, for reasons I don't yet know.

Listen, food insecurity is increasing, and is expected to continue. There is a way out, and that's by planting today for tomorrow. We've already started, and it's working, and it's fun. During this holiday season, give some thought to getting involved in the new year. I promise you you won't regret it. Ask Bob. Ask Angela. Ask Rebecca. Ask Page. Ask Don. Ask Van and Sally. Ask Ashley. Ask Caryn. Ask Rick. Ask John. Ask Robert. And then ask yourself, why not?

Here is my work-in-progress about what we can do:

Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run: Food Pantry Initiative Proposed Five-Year Plan

The Dunwoody Community Garden at Brook Run is committed to social justice and has determined that 20% of the garden produce will be donated to those in need through Malachi’s Storehouse Food Pantry at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church directly across the street from the park on North Peachtree Road. Currently, the food pantry serves about 80 families per week (and up to 200 families at holiday time). That number has been trending upward, and is predicted to continue to do so.

Start-Up Costs for Food Pantry Initiative

Total costs to pay for sponsorship of six plots, the building of six beds, organic planting mix, fish emulsion, garlic and strawberry set-up, row covers, and other supplies comes to $1, 386.

Food Pantry Donations to Date

Between October 1 and December 1, we have donated 22 8-ounce salads (value=$4 each), with dressing (value=$3 each), for a food value of $154. Currently, we donate to approximately 3% of the families in need.

Annual Costs*=$600 (to be provided by sponsors).

Fertilizer and other soil amendments: $100 x 3 seasons=$300

Annual sponsorship of 6 beds: 6 beds x $50=$300

*All seeds and transplants will be donated, our own compost will be used as much as possible, and new food pantry bed building materials, soil, amendments, and plants/seeds in the demonstration area will be donated. The 5 pine beds will be converted to cedar as donations.

Food Pantry Initiative Goals

End of Year 1 (August 22, 2010): To donate a food value of at least $1,386 to the food pantry, to equal start-up costs for the food pantry initiative

End of Year 2 (August 22, 2011): To donate to 20% of the families in need each week

End of Year 3 (August 22, 2012): To donate to 30% of the families in need each week

End of Year 4 (August 22, 2013): To donate to 40% of the families in need each week

End of Year 5 (August 22, 2014): To donate to 50% of the families in need each week

Strategy to Meet These Goals

In order to meet these aggressive food donation goals, I propose a concentrated plan of education, encouragement, and expansion. Tactical suggestions include:

• Maximize production of food pantry beds by using best practices from other gardens.

• Encourage food pantry donations from beds sponsored by service groups by providing education to maximize yields.

• Encourage donations from individually-tended beds by providing education to maximize yields.

• Add at least six demonstration beds that provide food to the food pantry.

• Develop Phase 2 to the community garden and dedicate two long rows to Plant a Row for the Hungry (food pantry donations).

• Encourage expansion of the Dunwoody Community Garden to include individual home-based plots from which these “garden members” are encouraged to donate to the food pantry.

• Advocate to alter the Adopt-a-Spot guidelines to encourage the growing of organic herbs that can then be donated to the food pantry.

• Encourage expansion of the Dunwoody Community Garden network to include community gardens on key sites in Dunwoody including Peachtree Charter Middle School, church property, the JCC, and under the power lines, from which food is donated to the food pantry.

Just give it some thought, okay?

City Council Member Rides Bike to Community Garden

City Council Member.

Rides bike.

To community garden.

These three phrases sound so simple, yet, my goodness, the possibility of this complete sentence didn't even exist a year ago. During this Thanksgiving week, I count it among my blessings to live in a city, just a week shy of one-year-old, where we have our own mayor and city council members. Who can ride their bikes. To our very own community garden.

And Robert Wittenstein (pictured above) is not the only one. Council Member Denny Shortal rode his bike to the community garden a month or so ago, and Council Member John Heneghan and his sons rode by during our very first potluck a couple weeks ago. (John, I was too busy talking and showing you the beer compost to get a photo--would you ride by another day so I can get you posing by the gate for the official City Council Member Community Garden Photo?) Also, Council Members Adrian Bonser and Robert Wittenstein participated in our Opening Day ceremony.


It's not odd that city council members have come by--they have been nothing but supportive of almost all the sustainability initiatives in the city of Dunwoody this past year (and, by the way, we'll be ending the year with about 100 points achieved on the ARC Green Community checklist, with 175 needed for Bronze Level certification, which we expect to achieve in 2010).

What's still odd, unfortunately, is that the city council members were even able to ride their bikes clear across town, when drivers and the roads don't make it easy for cyclists.

But all that is about to change. Here's why. City Council and Mayor passed this Resolution for an Action Plan for a Bicycle Friendly Community last night. Strap on your helmet before you read it, because it might just send you over your handlebars. BIG thanks to citizen activist Joe Seconder for his dogged determination in helping to make this happen.

(Quick garden update--FYI, Adrian Bonser and her husband, Brian, have recently come off the waiting list to get a plot in the garden--and yes, they were put on the list in the order in which they applied and had to wait for their turn, just like everyone else. Council Member Danny Ross' wife, Queenie, is still on the waiting list, and we are hoping to be able to have her join this garden, as well as everyone else who is on that waiting list. Or is it time to start talking about another community garden so everyone who wants to say, "I Dig Dunwoody" can?!)

Ken, Tom, Danny--let me know when you're coming by, and I'll bring my camera!

Dunwoody Restaurants (Not Exactly a "Buy Local" List, But We're On Our Way)

Ah, finally! The Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce sent out an enewsletter that lists its member restaurants in Dunwoody and encourages folks to eat there. This is step one toward encouraging a Buy Local Campaign. The next step is to compile a list of those businesses that are not only in Dunwoody but are also locally owned and operated. Highlighting restaurants that feature locally grown food is a step farther down the road (as far as I know, there are NO restaurants in Dunwoody that currently do that). The Chamber says that it will be sending out lists of businesses in other categories as well.

If anyone wants to help me with this laborious project of creating a truly Buy Local list, please email me at freshbakedcopy@mindspring.com! And, FYI, here is the complete list of Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce members. For someone who knows Dunwoody businesses really well, maybe it's as simple as scanning this list and highlighting the ones that are truly LOCAL (for instance, 48 Street Market isn't on the following list, but that's a locally owned and operated Dunwoody business).

Alon's Bakery & Market
Bonehead's
Cafe' Intermezzo
Carrabba's Italian Grill
Chequers Seafood
Co'm Dunwoody
d'Vine Wine Bar
Dunwoody Bistro
Eclipse Di Luna
Firebird Rotisserie
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse
Gilly's
J. Alexander's Restaurant
Olive Garden
Maggie Moo's
McCormick & Schmick's
McKendrick's Steakhouse
Mudcatz Bayou Grill
Old Hickory House
Outback Steakhouse
Peter's Restaurant
Rising Roll Gourmet
Rita's Ice
Taco Mac
Taki Japanese Steakhouse
Tin Drum Asian Cafe
Twisted Taco

2020 Vision for The City of Dunwoody

Click here for my first stab at pointing the way toward a more sustainable Dunwoody, long term.

This is a work-in-progress and your comments/suggestions are welcome throughout 2010. I will be presenting a ten-year plan to City Council and Mayor at the end of my two-year term as chair of the City of Dunwoody Sustainability Commission at the end of next year.

FYI, the Sustainability Commission, in partnership with City Staff and with the support of City Council and Mayor, has achieved about 100 points from the ARC Green Community checklist in our first year of operations (we were created by resolution on December 18, 2008, less than three weeks after the City of Dunwoody's first day). We are currently preparing a presentation for City Council and Mayor about these accomplishments, to be shown in late December or early January. I will also post the presentation on this site and our social networking site.

If you would like to get more involved with the Sustainability Commission, please email me at freshbakedcopy@mindspring.com.