West Seattle Herald / White Center News - Gardening

Shop abundance of fresh produce, handicrafts at Burien Farmers Market

ericm — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:01:29 +0000

Press release:

Stock up on just-picked produce, locally crafted food items and one-of-kind handicrafts at the Burien Farmers Market, which opens Thursday, May 2.

Market hours are every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October 31 in Burien Town Square in downtown Burien.

A major benefit of shopping at the market is better prices for fresher food, according to Debra George, event manager for the Discover Burien Association, which operates the market. The fresh-from-the-fields fruit and vegetables are from Washington State farmers, mostly local, who sell directly to market customers.

Don’t miss new market eatables that include locally concocted Full Tilt ice cream and chocolate biscotti. Among the many returning food vendors, expect to see organic berries and other organic produce, freshly baked goods, shaved ice and hand-made dried pasta.

New this year, handcrafted wood furniture will join the line-up of unique handicrafts. Greenery will feature freshly cut flowers of all sorts and such plantable vegetation as rhododendrons and rose bushes.

Buy lunch from the market’s hotdog cart and other market vendors for a great price to eat al fresco at one of the market’s patio tables. Enjoy live music by Eric “Two Scoops” Moore from noon to 3 p.m.

Buskers are sought to perform live music from 3 to 6 p.m. for tips, and they may also sell their CDS. Check-in at the yellow Discover Burien tent is required before busking.

The Seattle Humane Society MaxMobile will park at the market on the second Thursday of each month for on-the-spot adoption of loving pets.

Market customers may make their purchases with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, debit cards, WIC or EBT cards. Some vendors accept credit cards directly. Otherwise, shoppers can use debit, credit or EBT cards by purchasing market tokens at the Discover Burien Association booth. Debit and credit tokens can be spent like cash with the majority of the market’s 40-plus vendors. The nonprofit Discover Burien will not charge a fee for debit card use.

Discover Burien is a nonprofit organization that works on Burien’s economic development, promotion and education.

Sponsored primarily by Prudential Northwest Realty Associates, LLC, the market will be situated on Fifth Place Southwest off Southwest 152nd Street in Burien Town Square. For more information, call 206-433-2882 or go online to www.discoverburien.com.

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ericm

04/25/2013

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Volunteers will plant 90 native plants Saturday in Normandy Park

ericm — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:23:41 +0000

Press release:

Since 2008, volunteers in Walker Preserve have removed large amounts of invasive plants and planted many native trees and shrubs. You can help – no experience is required! This weekend we will be planting about 90 native plants in places where dense ivy was removed.

When: Saturday, October 20, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m

Where: Walker Preserve park, SW. 168th St. and 2nd Ave. SW. in Normandy Park, up the road from Normandy Park City Hall. If driving, your parking options include:
Three spaces in the small lot at SW 171st St. and Second Ave. S.W.
On the street along SW. 168th St

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please plan ahead - this park does not have a restroom.

From the gate behind the Walker Preserve sign, walk down the trail towards the creek.

Activities:
• Plant 90 native plants where there used to be just ivy. Seek out English ivy and remove it from trees and pull roots out of the ground. Seek out Himalayan blackberry plants, cut them back, and then dig out the root balls. Learn as you volunteer and make a difference!
What to bring:
• Your enthusiasm
• Clothing that will protect you from the rain and blackberry thorns
• Filled water bottle, gloves if you have them
We provide:
• Gloves
• Tools
• Snacks
Sign up and questions: Elissa Ostergaard, elissa.ostergaard@kingcounty.gov, 206-296-1909 (Saturday, October 20 only: 206-707-6549)

This volunteer event is an opportunity to visit a pleasant park in the City of Normandy Park, along Walker Creek. The City of Normandy Park recently rebuilt the footbridge over the creek, and neighbors and other volunteers have made a lot of progress restoring the native plant community in this park. This work will help native plants thrive, and provide shade and food for the salmon that live in the creek. Please sign up if you can, or decide to show up at the last minute!

This stewardship project is a joint effort of the City of Normandy Park, and the Miller and Walker Creeks Stewardship program.
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Weeding along Miller Creek at the Southwest Suburban Sewer District Plant

In 2010, the Southwest Suburban Sewer District in Normandy Park, along with former Miller-Walker Steward Dennis Clark and many volunteers, removed ivy from along a stretch of Miller Creek, and replaced it with native plants. Come see how the plants are growing, and help pull a few weeds so they can continue to grow!

When: Wednesday, October 24, 9:30-11:30
Where: Southwest Suburban Sewer District, Miller Creek Treatment Plant 1015 SW 174th PL Normandy Park, WA 98166-3465
Activities: Weed a small, steep area where native plants are growing – remove Himalayan blackberry, ivy, butterfly bush, morning glory, and other weeds; plant a few native trees
We provide:
Gloves, tools, snacks, weed identification
What to bring:
Boots for walking on a steep bank
Gloves (optional)
Pruners
Filled water bottle for drinking

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ericm

10/18/2012

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Wildlife habitats to be discussed at Sustainable Burien meeting at Des Moines Library

ericm — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 19:18:28 +0000

Press release:

SUSTAINABLE BURIEN

Wildlife Habitat –Home & Community

September 9, 2012, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Des Moines Library, 21620 11th Avenue S, Des Moines*

Courtney Sullivan, Education Manager of the National Wildlife Federation for the Pacific Region, will be our featured speaker in September. She’ll be showing how at home or in our community we can learn to create a place where people, flora and fauna can all flourish!

Whether you have an apartment balcony or a 20-acre farm, you can create a garden that attracts beautiful wildlife and helps restore habitat.

By providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young you not only help wildlife, but you also qualify to become an official Certified Wildlife Habitat® with National Wildlife Federation.

If you love gardening and connecting with people in your community, the National Wildlife Federation can help you certify your community as a Community Wildlife Habitat® -- a community that provides habitat for wildlife throughout the community--in individual backyards, on school grounds and in public areas such as parks, community gardens, places of worship and businesses.

It is a place where the residents make it a priority to provide habitat for wildlife by providing the four basic elements that all wildlife need and also educates its residents about sustainable gardening practices.

Community Wildlife Habitats are organized by a team of people, who not only help create habitat, but also hold workshops about gardening for wildlife and organize community events.

Your neighbors in Burien, Tukwila, and West Seattle have started teams. Come learn more about how you can work with them or start your own community habitat project.

NOTE–different location than our usual meeting at Burien Library

Questions: rdare2@yahoo.com

http://www.sustainableburien.org/

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ericm

08/29/2012

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Sustainable Burien to tour two urban gardens on Aug. 12

ericm — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:43:53 +0000

Press release:

BURIEN URBAN GARDEN TOUR – Sunday, August 12, 2012, 2 p.m.
Sponsored by Sustainable Burien

We’ll meet at “the Rock” at Burien Town Square at 2:00 (no later than 2:10). We’ll arrange carpooling and hand out the addresses of the two urban gardens below.

More people are growing their own food and finding innovative ways to live more sustainably. Join us as we visit neighbors who are creating urban farms and be inspired to create your own version or get new ideas, or share what you’ve done.

The Feeney property is located in the Hazel Valley Area. It is made up of 1-1/2 acres, with 1 acre being second growth native forest. The forest has been continually worked on to remove invasive holly, ivy and non-native blackberries. The 1/2 acre has a house, a couple of out buildings, gardens and developing gardens. Every year new ideas come into play as how to minimize developing impacts and maximize housing for our population growth. We are enjoying the forest and gardens as we consider what the least impact will be for this property in the future.

The "Barry Patch" is a North Burien urban homestead that continues to grow and evolve as new friends are met, new trees are planted and old relationships are nurtured. We currently have a productive henhouse, a young and expanding permaculture food forest, an underutilized greenhouse, a tenantless apiary, an amazing rainwater catchment system, a large garden and many hopes and plans. We are learning about planting, cultivating, harvesting, hard work and sharing as we become more sustainable in food as well as in community. We welcome you to join us.

If you have questions, please call 206-243-9366.
http://www.sustainableburien.org/

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ericm

07/27/2012

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Tomorrow, Wednesday, Gov. Gregoire to tour Burien rain gardens, Seahurst Park restoration project

ericm — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:30:52 +0000

Press release:

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday, July 18th, will tour a series of projects underway to restore and improve the health of the Puget Sound. In 2005, when Gregoire created the Puget Sound Partnership, she called for a “swimmable, fishable, diggable” Puget Sound by 2020.

The projects she will be touring are aimed at meeting that goal. Joining Gregoire on the tour will be Chair of the Puget Sound Leadership Council Martha Kongsgard, Bill Ruckelshaus, and the new Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership Colonel Tony Wright.

2:30 p.m. “SWIMMABLE”: Gregoire to visit Burien rain garden cluster, tour Seahurst Park restoration project:

Rain garden cluster (From 2:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.)
Seahurst Park (From 3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.)

At the Burien stops, Gregoire will visit a nearby neighborhood cluster of eight rain gardens in Burien that was built to prevent polluted runoff from entering Puget Sound, ensuring cleaner water for fish and the public. Following that, Gregoire will make the short trip to Seahurst Park, where more than 1000 feet of bulkhead was removed to improve habitat and provide a public benefit by increasing access to the beach. Gregoire will also visit the newly renovated Environmental Science Center and see high school students learning about Puget Sound, as well as meet families outside enjoying their day on the restored beach.

8 a.m. “FISHABLE”: Gregoire to tour Hood Canal Projects that may be completed with help from the new “In-lieu-fee” mitigation program

This “first-of-its-kind” mitigation alternative for the Hood Canal watershed will initially be used to offset the impacts of construction of the Navy’s new explosives handling wharf, but will have broader impacts within Hood Canal and Puget Sound for meeting county, state, and federal requirements for offsetting development.

Noon “DIGGABLE”: Gregoire to dig for shellfish at Taylor Shellfish, discuss Samish restoration project.

At this stop, Gregoire will join Taylor Shellfish at its “Shellfish-tival,” a community event to teach the public about shellfish and water quality. While there, Gregoire will put on knee-boots and participate in a beach walk, as well as dig for clams and oysters. Following the walk, Gregoire will meet with key players involved in the Clean Samish Initiative – including local elected officials, tribal members, local farmers and shellfish growers. Recently, due to pollution, the Department of Health has had to close a number of shellfish beds in the Samish area. As a critical industry in Washington state, Gregoire wants to make sure progress is moving forward to restore this area, and ensure the shellfish beds remain open.

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ericm

07/17/2012

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http://www.westseattleherald.com/sites/robinsonpapers.com/files/images/wwwhighlinetimescom/2012/07/dsc0144.jpg

Primary Image, Cropped:

http://www.westseattleherald.com/sites/robinsonpapers.com/files/imagecache/thumb/images/wwwhighlinetimescom/2012/07/zzzz.jpg

Photo credit:

Photo by Steve Shay

Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 18, Gov. Chris Gregoire, pictured at a recent Museum of Flight appearance, will tour a series of projects underway to restore and improve the health of the Puget Sound, and will include stops in Burien,

Highline Garden Tour Tickets Going On Sale

ericm — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:25:08 +0000

Press release:

Tickets for the 2012 Highline Garden Tour are now on sale. This much-anticipated annual event, which takes place Saturday, June 9, allows participants to visit beautiful gardens in Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac.

A special feature of the tour this year will be the chance to talk in-depth with the Seahurst neighbors who recently joined forces to install a cluster of rain gardens up and down their street. They did this under the auspices of 12,000 Rain Gardens, a region-wide campaign that is working to reduce polluted stormwater run-off into Puget Sound and other local waterways. Spearheaded by Washington State University Extension and the non-profit conservation organization Stewardship Partners, the campaign hopes to install 12,000 rain gardens throughout the Puget Sound region by 2016.

Ticket holders on the self-guided Highline Garden Tour also will encounter plein air artists at work in many of the gardens, as well as the opportunity to enjoy the private garden of popular local ceramic artist Dana Lasswell and to purchase her works.

Other tour features include a plant sale at the Highline-SeaTac Botanical Garden, discount coupons for a grab-and-go lunch special at Grand Central Bakery and for beverages at The Bean, and a drawing for a $100 gift certificate from Herr Backyard Garden Center. Event sponsorship support comes from John L. Scott realtor Susan Plecko, Discover Burien, Rodda and Sons Landscaping, and Burien Bark.

Advance tickets for the Highline Garden Tour are only $15, with group rates of $12 per person if bought in groups of four or more. Tickets will be $18 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased in person at Herr Backyard Garden Center, 107 SW 160th Street and Burien Bark, 13258 1st Avenue S, or over the phone by calling 206-241-5786.

For more information about the Highline Garden Tour and about the Highline Historical Society, visit www.highlinehistory.org.

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ericm

05/02/2012

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Update: Garden plots still available in Burien

ericm — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:01:29 +0000

There’s a couple garden plots left at Burien’s Community Garden.

The garden plots, open to Burien residents, are located just west of the Burien Community Center Annex at Southwest 144th St. and 4th Avenue Southwest.

To sign up for a plot or for more information, contact Burien Parks at 206-988-3700.

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ericm

04/19/2012

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Sustainable Burien hosting Seahurst Park urban foraging walk on April 15

ericm — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 20:36:21 +0000

Sustainable Burien press release:

Welcome to the fun and delicious world of urban foraging! Come join us at Seahurst Park on April 15th from 2-4 p.m. to learn how to identify some of the most common edible weeds and wild foods available to us in the city.

Weeds are an abundant source of nutritious food available for the picking. Many of our most common weeds hide huge nutrition in their tasty little leaves!

Master forager, Melany Vorass, will present information on gathering ethics, local rules and regulations, safety, and general information about how to cook with weeds.

Participants will learn about free and abundant superfoods like dandelion, plantain, catsear, nipplewort and shotweed and will receive a handy take-home brochure with field identification information and cooking tips.

After almost 25 years as an environmental policy analyst, Melany retired to pursue a combination of her three greatest loves: plants, food and writing.

She studied ethnobotany at the Evergreen State College, has a degree in environmental policy, and has been an avid forager for well over 40 years. With over 20 years experience in adult instruction, she now teaches urban foraging to a wide variety of people including University of Washington, high schools, youth groups, homeless shelters and through Seattle Tilth.

Smack in the heart of Seattle, she tends an urban farm with chickens, honeybees and goats. Between farming, foraging for plants, bugs and snails, urban trapping and fishing, and cooking, canning, drying and fermenting her family’s food, she seldom needs (or has time) to visit a grocery store.

Allow enough time to park at the upper parking lot if lower is full. Walk will start right at 2 p.m. from the lower parking lot. Dress for the weather.

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ericm

04/03/2012

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SeaTac lawmakers clash over 'healthy living' policies

ericm — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:58:44 +0000

SeaTac lawmakers ended up March 10 endorsing ‘healthy living” policies such as encouraging neighborhood grocery stores to stock more fresh fruit and produce but the vote was close.

The City Council voted 4-3 to endorse the “Corner Store” policies and regulations. Mayor Tony Anderson, Deputy Mayor Mia Gregerson, Councilman Barry Ladenburg and Councilman Dave Bush voted in favor of the endorsement. Council members Terry Anderson, Rick Forschler and Pam Fernald voted against.

The policies are part of a healthily living grant from Public Health-Seattle, King County. Besides working with local stores, the policies would encourage such activities as mobile farmers markets and community gardens on public land. The policies could be incorporated into SeaTac comprehensive plan at a later date.

Fernald said she didn’t believe the city should become involved in what products are sold in the city. She said she opposes “bribing” stores to stock foods they would not normally carry. That could lead to stores throwing away lots of food they can’t sell, she added.

Fernald suggested churches, nonprofits and schools raise gardens, apartment dwellers grow food in container boxes on their balconies and the community center offer classes in chicken raising and container gardening.

Forschler said the regulations would make it more difficult for groceries and fast food restaurants to succeed.
“We need to cater to what the market will bear,” Forschler declared. “It’s the free market that supplies goods and determines what makes sense.”

Forschler also voiced skepticism about community gardens. He said the economy works best when people do specialized tasks and goods are bought from those capable of producing mass quantities.

He said instead of farming, low-income people should go after jobs doing what they do best at a living wage. Forschler added he didn’t object to gardening as a hobby.

Terry Anderson said it is up to parents to encourage healthy eating for their children, not the city.

Gregerson said SeaTac has received national press coverage as an unhealthy city. She said the discussion could open up zoning and other creative ideas to help residents become healthier.

Bush urged listeners to imagine a single mother taking a bus to the supermarket to buy fresh produce and having to carry the heavy bags back to her third-floor apartment because neighborhood stores do not stock those healthy items.

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ericm

03/15/2012

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