(Y)Ardfarmers Garden Report August 2011

1. Produce: In the ten weeks since we started harvesting (at the end of May) we have delivered the following amounts of produce to the Calvin Presbyterian Church 'Care Closet' in wssest Philadelphia each Thursday morning:

• 22 gallon bags of salad greens
• 3 gallon bags of spinach leaves
• 6 dozen radishes
• 24 8-oz. bags of parsley
• 194 4-oz. bags of other herbs (sage, rosemary, basil thyme, mint, oregano)
• 10 bunches of chives
• 10 qt. bags of green beans
• 53 zucchini
• 6 pint bags of jalapeno peppers
• 6 qt. bags of banana peppers
• 11 qt. bags of frying peppers
• 14 sweet peppers
• 65 lbs. of plum tomatoes
• 39 lbs. of beefsteak tomatoes
• 27 lbs. of cherry tomatoes.

2. Labor: Church members have responded well to requests of help with watering and harvesting the garden. Watering continues to be done by weekly teams of volunteers, and Wednesday evening harvesting by ad hoc volunteers responding to email and church bulletin requests. The four-barrel rain capture system has benefited from recent rains, and continues to be used as available for watering the main gardens and the tire-container herb and potatoes beds.

3. Matt. 25:35 Project: A.P.C. (Y)Ardfarmers continue to help develop the Matt. 25:35 project (also known as the Tri-Church Table Fellowship) with Overbrook and Calvin Presbyterian Churches. With the end of the Barry School roof garden project, Sherina Poorman has volunteered her skills (and those associated with the Build-It Bus) to the Matt 25:35 Project. She brought the Build-It Bus to the July meeting of the project committee so that committee members of the other two churches could tour it. (They were very impressed). She also made suggestions for how a youth gardening project could be integrated into the larger project via the summer camp and after-school programs at Calvin Presbyterian Church. A.P.C. (Y)Ardfarmers continue to discuss how and when raised beds like our own might be erected in the enclosed sunny side yard of Calvin Pres. Most recently, we forwarded to them information from the Philadelphia Presbytery regarding available grants from the Michelle Obama-inspire 'LET'S MOVE!" program for the setup of urban gardens. They are considering applying for such a grant.

4. Finances: At present, the garden fund has a positive balance of $1537. 39. Now that the garden is established, we anticipate that a $500.00 annual budget will be sufficient for all expenses (seeds. cuttings, herb plants, tomato cages and other plant supports, organic insect and mildew repellents, fence repairs, etc) in future years.

If You Have Already Made Reservations: Rembrandt Info

This information is for those who have already made reservations for the Philadelphia Presbytery event:

“Rembrandt and the Face of Christ”
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Presbyterian Night
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
5 – 8 pm

1. Parking: Vans/Buses may park in the parking lot directly North of the Museum Building on the West Entrance Side. 

Auto Parking for those with Accessibility Needs is available in the lot directly South of the West Entrance of the Museum Building.

General Parking located in the Parking Ramp directly Northwest of the West Entrance. Bring the White Parking Ticket to the Registration Table and you will receive a Blue Parking Chaser which will permit you to have complimentary parking. When you return to the Parking Ramp; Go to the Validation Machines located on the Ground Floor; First insert the White Parking Ticket; then the Blue
Parking Chaser; the White Ticket will be validated and returned to you. Locate your car and as you exit insert the White Validated Ticket into the machine and the gate will open automatically.

2. Museum Accessibility: The ramp is located outside the West Entrance of the Museum on the North side. Elevators are available on the Ground Level. Additional wheelchairs are available.

3. Registration: Before you go to the Great Hall, Balcony Cafέ, and the Exhibit, please stop at the Registration Table on the Ground Level just inside the West Entrance of the Museum to check in and receive a Name Tag.

4. Beverages and Snacks: The Balcony Cafέ on the Main Level will be open during our time at the Museum. Cold beverages such as soda, water, wine, beer as well as light snacks will be available to purchase. As it is after Museum hours, there will be no meal service.

5. Musical Entertainment: During your visit to the Museum, various musicians from our Presbytery will be performing in the Great Hall. Please feel free to linger and enjoy.

6. Exhibit: Trained Docents will be available in each gallery to talk about the artists and their pieces. You are free to listen to each presentation or move at your own pace. There is a brief DVD that describes the various techniques used by Rembrandt to produce his etchings. It is recommended that you begin viewing the Exhibit no later than 7:00 p.m. as it closes at 8:00 p.m. The audio players will not be available during our visit.

7. Exhibition Store: The Store will be open during the hours we are present. It is possible
to enter the Store anytime during your visit.

Thank God for such a Bountiful Harvest

Hello (Y)Ardfarmers --

Just a reminder that we will be harvesting tomorrow (Wed. Aug. 11) at 6 pm.  Come if you can!

FYI, Here's what we've taken to Calvin Pres. Church in West Philly since the end of May:

27 gallon bags of salad greens

2 gallon bags of spinach

6 dozen radishes

20 8-oz bags of parsley

83 4-oz bags of herbs (sage, rosemary, basil thyme, mint, oregano)

6 bunches of chives

47 zucchini

3 8-oz bags of jalapeno peppers

6 qt bags of banana peppers

7 qt bags of frying peppers

36 lbs, plum tomatoes

23 lbs. beefsteak tomatoes

12 lbs cherry tomatoes

God be thanked for such a bountiful harvest!

FYI, I've also [providing a link to a] recent article form the U.Penn alumni magazine, which talks about a project at Penn for planning a network of green spaces in the city.  Among other things, it mentions that in 2008 alone, community gardens in Philadelphia produced an estimated 2 million pounds of fresh produce, valued at almost $ 5 million.

Cheers!

MSVL

Pastor's Pen: "The Life of David"

In 1994, archeologists were excavating a wall in Northern Israel from the biblical city of Dan.  Since building materials were often recycled, each of the stones within the wall had its own history.  Three stone fragments discovered there were covered with writing dating from the mid-800s BC.  Apparently these fragments were from a monument, ancient propaganda, proclaiming an Aramaean victory over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.  What makes this discovery particularly important is that Judah is referenced by its dynastic name, the House of David. 

This discovery is the first extra-biblical evidence for King David.  Although the writing marks a defeat for David’s descendents, the Aramaens would not be gloating over a victory of some local hero from Southern Israel.  Likewise, it is telling that the Jewish people were still using the title, the House of David, around 150 years after the king’s death.  The fact that after the defeat of Aramaean king, the inhabitants of Dan tore down the monument shows an enduring cultural allegiance to the history and heritage of Israel. 

From stones in a wall, we turn to the pages of Scripture, and we discover a story rich in politics, intrigue, and emotion.  David, the poet and warrior, is able to unite the tribes of Israel in a way that his predecessors and successors are not.  David was a man who struggled to be faithful in a new situation.  He was a reformer, holding onto the traditions of the past while charting a new course for Israel.  Although he was not their first king, he defined what it meant for each succeeding generation.

Every day we deal with multiple decisions in our lives.  There are compromises and shades of gray.  There are fights and battles that we must face.  God is there in both our victories and our defeats.  Life isn’t easy, but being faithful means seeking first the Kingdom of God in a difficult world.  The heroes of the faith like David can help us understand that struggle. 

Nan Clarke and I will be exploring the life of David in a sermon series this summer.  We will meet David, the young and charismatic leader.  We will struggle with him as he seeks God’s will for himself and his nation.  We will watch him fail as all human institutions are tainted by human sin.  More importantly we will learn about the God in covenant with David.  We will discover how God used the flawed kingship of David to prepare us for a Messiah.  We will proclaim Jesus Christ alone as our king. 

If all you know is the story of David and Goliath, then let’s be surprised together.

Grace & Peace,

James