For many years RIGC gardeners have participated in Green Thumb NYC which provides programming and material support to over 600 community gardens in New York City. Workshops, which are an access point for supplies, are held throughout the year, covering gardening basics to more advanced farming and community organizing topics. 

By the end of this season, we will have sent representatives to five or six Green Thumb Workshops in gardens around the city to learn and connect with other community gardeners who are as committed as we are  to all things green and growing! Check out this related organization working alongside Green Thumb with many of our urban community gardens: New York Restoration Project. 

RIGC has gardeners who attend and share knowledge from lectures, courses, and conferences with rosarians, landscape designers, and educators in NYC and around the nation.  On our Links tab you can find July events that may interest you!

Below is a sampling of the workshops attended this year:

• Greene Acres Community Garden Workshop: Weeds & Composting
• Essex Street Community Garden Workshop: Build a Sifter for Finished Compost
• Creative Garden Design and Native Plant Giveaway Carolina Community Garden

The Workshops are free and open to the public.  If you would like to attend a future Green Thumb Workshop as a RIGC gardener representative please contact RIGC Board at rigardenclub@gmail.com.

According to Karen, who worked assiduously last year on this initiative, "Because of the the combined efforts and improved cooperation of all the club members we have reduced the amount of solid waste that we are producing by 85%."   It is true that we have a system in place for our 2014 gardening system and will be working to refine and make improvements in the fall.  We are offering regular classes, with the next one scheduled for July 19th,  and have produced the equivalent of four blue wheelbarrows full of organic compost since last season.  Click here for more information or see the links page for more reading about this important subject.