Master Gardeners, May 26

Come visit the Green Tent on Sunday, May 26 from 9 am to 1 pm and see what the LA County Master Gardeners have in store for you. 

Pick up a lovely strawberry plant, a mystery pepper, or some basil and delicious yellow pear tomatoes, little teardrop shaped golden globules of sweetness. They’ll be ready in time for your perfect summer salad. There might even be some chives and lettuce, too.

And when autumn and winter come rolling around again, if you pick up an acorn squash plant, you’ll have a perfect veggie side dish, baked, roasted or stuffed. 

As always you’ll get a chance to start your own plants from seeds — everything the Master Gardeners bring, they give away for FREE!

If you’ve been planting and you have any leftover plastic six packs like these, please drop them off to the Master Gardeners so they can continue to provide you with seedlings every month. 

And while lately it seems like we’ve had all the water we need, drought is always just around the corner. So let this be your guide: www.bewaterwise.com

Here’s a handy monthly list of things to do in the garden in LA County: http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/Garden_Tips_for_Los_Angeles_County/

Art Walk - Sunday May 19

Mar Vista ArtWalk is breaking into new territory...literally...

This summer the Mar Vista Art Walk is joining forces with the Venice Art Crawl to to expand this amazing event from Venice Beach to the 405.  Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday and learn more about this latest incarnation of our favorite community event.  

All are Welcome!

The theme is "Get Around" exploring all forms of alternative transportation.  Created as a means of improving the walkability of our neighborhood, The Mar Vista Art Walk is a fun, FREE celebration of all the arts.  

The first Mar Vista ArtWalk was held in December 2015, when the environmental non-profit Green Communications Initiative and local artists came together to encourage community members to stroll their sidewalks and explore their neighborhood “Main Street." 

Now over three years later the ArtWalk continues to bring lovers of all the arts together to support one another and the community. Our mission is to grow, learn, and improve the strength of our community of neighbors, artists, galleries, and small businesses.

Food Forward May 11, 2019

SHARING ABUNDANCE WITH THOSE IN NEED

Learn how you can help provide fresh fruits and veggies to the hungry in your community! Food Forward is a Southern California based non-profit that recovers produce from backyard fruit trees, farmers markets and LA's downtown wholesale market and then donates 100% of what is collected to local hunger relief agencies. 

Food Forward not only battles hunger in Southern California but also works to curb the environmental issue of food waste. Recent studies have shown that 40% of the food in the country never makes it to the table and 20% of what goes into municipal landfills is food. Southern California is a land of abundance, so donating this surplus food to over 1.75 million food insecure individuals in LA and Ventura counties is a win-win!

This year, Food Forward is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Since forming in 2009, Food Forward has collected over 70 million pounds of produce, which has helped to feed millions of people through more than 1,800 diverse distribution partners across Southern California.

Sign up to volunteer at foodforward.org/volunteer

Food Forward hosts about 200 volunteer-powered events per month, so whether you'd like to pick fruit or go to the farmers market with us, there are many opportunities to contribute to our efforts in providing nourishing fruits and veggies food to those most in need. 

Julia and Chiara - the T-shirt Bag team- May 5, 2019

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ANNOUNCEMENT!!!  WE ARE BACK!

The Green Committee will meet at noon on  Sunday May 19 

at Grandview Market  12210 Venice Blvd.  

New Members get an extra smile and high-five!

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This Sunday at the Green Tent

What Can Our Community do to 

REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE?  

According to the Annenberg Learner, “Every day 230 million tons of trash are being thrown out. Only in the US!” My name is Julia and on May 5, 2019 my friend, Chiara and I will be handing out handmade bags to the Mar Vista Farmers Market. The Silver Award project in girl scouts is “the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn— it gives you the chance to do big things and make your community better in the process.”

The Artist at Work-or is it Play?

 Our project is to help reduce, reuse and recycle wastes in our community. This issue concerned us because so oceans are being polluted with waste and marine life is being harmed. According to the Asean post, 100 million animals every year are being harmed or killed by way of plastic. Even though there are many movements to help the animals, it is not enough. 

To do this, we first collected gently used t-shirts. We cut and knotted the shirts and printed our own, handmade logo. Not only did we reduce the use of plastic bags, but we also reused old t-shirts that would have been eventually thrown out. 

Some ways YOU can help the environment:

Refuse plastic straws at restaurants. Bring your own or just drink from the glass.

Reuse plastic bags.

Participate in beach cleanups.

Be careful of what can be recycled and what cannot. Many people mess this one up. When a batch of recyclables is contaminated, there's a good chance it'll be rejected and end up in the landfill, this is called wish cycling.

Pick up trash around the neighborhood.

Master Gardeners May 27, 2019

More Goodies from your Favorite Master Gardeners

This Sunday, the  UC/CE LA County Master Gardeners are springing into spring with lots of seedlings for your garden — and lots of seeds to start your own. From 9 am to 1 pm, stop by the Green Tent for:

Lettuce Red and freckled, makes a lovely salad

Arugula Spice up that salad!

Cucumbers Make your own pickles!! 

Squash Winter or summer, squash is a healthy veg!

Basil The king of garden herbs

Sequoia strawberries They should leaf out very quickly and produce prolifically 

Yellow and green bush beans 

Not all beans are green, you know…  

Chives They add kick to any dish

Scallions: yummy little sidekick or base for recipes. Itty bitty mini onions, only milder.

And please, if you have any empty six packs (plastic, not beer!), let the MGs recycle them next month with even more plants to give away; just bring them to the booth.

And look here for great articles and monthly tips for LA County gardeners:Garden Tips for Los Angeles County    

Drawdown April 20, 2019

HOW DO YOUR EATING HABITS 

IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT?

According to the well-researched Drawdown Project data, if we can shift our habits to reduce food waste and eat lower on the food chain, we will significantly reduce the release of greenhouse gasses, the cause of global warming.

Sustain our fragile planet while you enjoy healthier, less expensive meals.

  Here are some tips to get you started.  Stop by the Green Tent this Sunday and learn more or share your own suggestions.  

Eat foods in their original form.  
No processing to degrade food value, no packaging to deplete the environment.

Grow your own  
Food is right outside your door. What could be more convenient? Don't have space for your own garden?  Help a friend or neighbor with their crops and share the bounty.

Buy and prepare only what you need. 

Learn how experts such as Kitchen Karate help you determine the right quantities of food to purchase and prepare for your meals.  

Save Water
Eat Lower on the Food Chain

Eat Lower on the Food Chain
Replace beef with other forms of protein to save water, money and lives.  And when you do consume animal protein, look into how it was raised.  Choose farmers who use more humane practices at all stages of meat production.

Prepare  and eat meals at home. You will burn about 250 calories for each meal you prepare.  If you have young children, include them in all phases of the process, from menu planning to cleaning up.  You will teach them a valuable skill which is empowering and a money saver.  

Mar Vista resident and Green Committee Chair Jeanne Kuntz is a certified wellness coach.  Stop by the Green Tent and get a free consultation on habit change.  Learn more at her  website, Teaching Wellness .

Grey Water Conversion - April 14, 2019

What is grey water? It's the "waste" water from your washing machine reused to water your fruit trees or perennial plants instead of being sent to the reclamation plant and then out to the ocean.With a greywater system, every time you do a load of laundry your plants get a good drink and you save money as well.

As everyone knows, California has experienced an extreme drought for many years and it will most likely continue. Water is probably the most important resource for every living species on our planet. Learn how to double the usage of your water!

Green Tent guest Art Lee holds workshops that cover all the information you need to install a grey water system at your house. He's bringing a mini greywater demo system so visitors can see how it works and will answer your questions. He'll also have a signup sheet for those interested in attending a future workshop.

SELVA & More- April 7, 2019

CONSERVATION DONE RIGHT

...after

SELVA International, a Venice-based environmental non-profit, has partnered with conservation biologist and landscape contractor Steven Williams to offer EcoGardens, a sustainable landscape service to help you convert your water thirsty lawn to an ecological garden.

Learn how your garden can:
• Conserve water
• Save money
• Grow native plants to attract birds and butterflies
• Reduce polluted runoff to our beaches
• Collect and use rainwater
• Support our local community

At the Green Tent, SELVA International will display before and after pictures of sustainable, "Ocean Friendly Gardens." They'll have informational handouts on SELVA's EcoGardens program and Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Gardens program. They will be distributing free LADWP water-saving devices (low-flow shower heads, sink aerators, and more!) Get your questions answered and free advice on ecological landscaping!

before...

Would you like to sign up for Selva's non-profit service to install a water saving EcoGarden at your home? Check out this service at http://www.selvainternational.org/ecogardens.htm and find out more at the Green Tent this Sunday.

Joining SELVA at the Green Tent we are lucky to have, Marla Brennan, the singing, fruit-juggling eco-chef. Catch her act from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.  Marla is also available to visit your school or play group and make the serious issue of saving the planet seem like child's play.