Urban Gardening For Adult Education
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01/ INTRODUCTION
02/ COURSES
03/ WORKSHOPS
Best practices for organising courses with local urban gardener groups.
This part gives examples for organising practical workshops for adult learners.
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04/ INITIATIVES AND ACTIONS
05/ MANUALS
Showing some of the actions and initiatives our partners organised. Feel free to copy them!
Do-It-Yourself instructions for future workshops on healthy lifestyle.
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07/FOR WHAT WE ARE BURNING FOR Selected initiatives that we „burn“ for to share.
06/ RECIPES These are our favorite recipes that can be cooked from veggies grown in urban gardens.
01/ Messzelátó Association
INTRODUCTION
In 2013-2015, partner institutions from Lithuania, Finland, Latvia, Hungary and Turkey implemented the Grundtvig Learning Partnership project “New Flavour of Your Life: Promoting Active Citizenship and Health Awareness Through Gardening in Towns and Cities”. This publication is intended for adult educators and provides brief information on successfully implemented courses, organised workshops, best initiatives, campaigns and specific instructables with references to supplementary material on the website of the project www.new-lifeflavour.net The publication is ‘seasoned’ with recipes. Here one will find feedback from project participants illustrating exceptional project activities and benefits. We hope this publication will become the source for new ideas and aspirations to organise and develop adult education activities on the basis of urban gardening.
HUNGARY
Balvi Further Education and Human Resources Development Centre LATVIA
Dodo FINLAND
Toroslar Public Education Centre TURKEY
Pakruojis Adult and Youth Education Centre LITHUANIA
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02/COURSES Best practices for organising courses with local urban gardener groups.
TURKEY
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A HEALTHY CITY
After the courses, the participants started to believe in themselves. It is significant to note that the food preservation techniques contributed to their family budget. These courses helped the participants to develop their skills in establishing gardens. The course participants learnt cost effective approach; it costs the same amount of money to purchase a pack of seeds as it does to buy one vegetable in the store. The course helped to improve quality of lives: - making life healthier, - creating family time, - planning for the future, - saving money on health care, - having more productive citizens, - having less air pollution and better access to green spaces, - expanding social networks.
„A Healthy City is an active and a happy city“
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CELEBRATING THE HARVEST - FOOD PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES AND THE TRADITIONS OF HARVEST FEASTS
During this course, the participants acquired knowledge and skills in food preservation techniques trying the recipes recommended by partners from Latvia, Turkey, Finland, and Hungary. By making new recipes and discussing the traditions of harvest feasts, the learners have improved their understanding of the culture of partner countries. Adults were encouraged to organise the event of the Restaurant Day related to cooking and the established gardens. The idea was developed to turn those gardens into interactive spaces for city dwellers and village communities where they could gather and organise events. For more details on the course and its organisation www.new-lifeflavour.net
LITHUANIA
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LATVIA
FROM SEED TO BASKET
During the first class of the course all participating students must complete an inquiry form about the possible themes of the course, for example garden style and trends, garden design and arrangement, garden zoning and architecture, herbs, wintergreen, ornamental bushes. The outcomes of the inquiry forms must be summarized and included into the thematic plan of the course. If you want to make the course more interesting, organize special classes - course about making floral arrangements from natural materials, organize an excursion to a seedplot and creative gardens.
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BUILDING COMPOST BIN IN A COMMUNITY GARDEN
Composting is an excellent way to demonstrate the cycle of life: life, death, decomposition, and re-birth. The four essential ingredients of compost are: browns, greens, air, and water. “Browns” are dry and woody plant trimmings, such as wood chips, dried leaves, and straw. Browns are rich in carbon. “Greens” are moist vegetable and fruit scraps, green leaves, and fresh manure. Greens are rich in nitrogen. In a compost pile, you want approximately half brown materials and half green materials by volume. Decomposer organisms need air and water to break down organic matter. Turning and watering your pile provides it with the air and moisture needed for micro-organisms. The pile should be as moist as a wrung out sponge. These four ingredients create the perfect environment for the main decomposers: fungi, bacteria, and insects.
! Some advice
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With the help of micro-organisms and insects, we can take our biodegradable materials and turn them into a rich, dark soil amendment called compost. In this way, valuable nutrients are returned to nature rather than shipped away to a landfill.
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FINLAND
POTLUCK LUNCH
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On our weekend courses we asked people to bring food with them to share at lunch. This way we got a break in the long course day, informal discussions and energy to continue learning. Asking who made what, giving compliments and discussing vegetarian diets was heard during the lunches. Participants also continued talking about the topic of the day and got to know each other better. The lunches can be built around the idea of healthy living. We got a wide variety of vegetarian foods as we had vegetarians on the course and most people brought food that would suite everyone. Preparing the potluck lunch is preparing for the course day. Read tips on how to organize potluck lunches on www.new-lifeflavour.net .
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what th particip docume ey an nt. This c an also would bring in ts could share previou s weeks a share be don e on pa d on-lin meeting e . per alw a y •• We c s at the ollected a list of people all kn but ser v ew what to av ergies and sp ecial d oid or w e on th iets e side. hat not to mix in , so that to the s •• It is p alad ra of the c ctical to have ourse to someon e not in before prepare vo the lunc h break the buffet tab lved in teach ing . le and make d •• It is g ri n ks oo somethin d to stress tha t people g just b o even if that kin ught they don can bring any d of eff ort is a ‘t have to bak thing, also lways n e thems •• We u ice. elves, sed the potluck and we lu d nch be ca days. W idn‘t have mon e offere ey to sp use the cours e was fr d drinks end on e and so mething food on the co e, urse small wit h coffee .
03/WORKSHOPS This part gives examples for organising practical workshops for adult learners.
TURKEY
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MAKING FRUITSOAP
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Required materials A bar of soap A glass of warm water A grater
•• First grate the soap in a big bowl. It must be 800 grammes •• Add a glass of warm water •• Do not add the whole water, check the consistence •• Make a dough with the soap •• Knead the dough approximately for 5-10 minutes until it becomes soft
•• Put in a plastic bag as small balls •• You should tie the bag tightly •• Leave it rest for 2 days •• Cut the soap as square shape •• With the help of a jar lid, roll it •• Bunches of fruıt are ready!
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PLANTING OF BULBOUS FLOWERS AND PREPARATION FOR THE EASTER PERIOD
The head of the sessions discussed video material with the participants on how to plant spring bulb flowers. The participants have learnt how to prepare the soil suitable for this kind of flowers and seeds, how to take care of plants and seedlings. Such workshops for adults are scheduled between the gardening seasons. The participants learn how to create a small garden in the apartment or how to make a decoration on a windowsill during the winter season when we are still longing for some greenery and colours. For more details, read www.new-lifeflavour.net
LITHUANIA
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In November we organised several workshops on how to plant the bulbs of hyacinths or tulips and in March we learned how to prepare greenery for the approaching Easter period – to plant seeds and have seedlings (in vases and cups).
LATVIA
CANDLE MAKING
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page 12 The manufacturing of candles consists of three steps: preparation of the wicking, preparation of the wax base and adding some flavour/seeds base to it. For candle making you will need paraffin, stearin, beeswax, wick and shapes. More about the candle making process you will find in website www.new-lifeflavour.net
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Urban foraging Edible fruits and berries grow also in cities. Some are used as decorative elements in parks others grow from a discarded cord. Urban foragers look out for these trees and bushes and harvest them when season is ripe. In Helsinki there is a map over fruit and berry trees in the city. People can tip about where they grow and the places are checked and mapped. In autumn bike rides are arranged to get to know urban foraging and what is collected is turned into jams and juices. In Finland everyman‘s right gives permission to pick mushrooms and berries in forests this right goes also for parks in cities. The set of rights and duties are older than laws and can be found also in other Nordic countries among others.
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HUNGARY
SOLAR FOOD DRYERS
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page 14 Objective: Participants will build two types of solar food dryers, learn how to use them and why they are useful. Background information: A food dryer uses a source of heat and the flow of air to reduce the water content of foods. The water content of the food is generally very high, typically 80% to 95% for fruits and vegetables. Removal of moisture from the food retains various bacteria to grow preventing the food from spoiling. It also drastically reduces the weight of the food. For these reasons solar food dryers are a good solution to save food for a long time, without wasting both the taste and the vitamins. In the tutorial available on our webpage we will show how to make a solar food dryer, which uses solar heat to dry foods.
04/INITIATIVES AND ACTIONS Showing some of the actions and initiatives our partners organised. Feel free to copy them!
TURKEY
RESTAURANT DAY
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page 16 We have organised a big and a small Restaurant Day in November. The big one was on November 14. Since the beginning of November, it was announced to the community that there would be a ‘ Restaurant Day’ nearby. We placed the Restaurant Day posters in the city and in the course centre. It was a day of joyfulness, friendship and nice flavour. There was a great atmosphere around the event with a lot of people and many different dishes. Some dishes were prepared at home, but others were cooked during the day. Our guests exchanged the recipes of the food they liked most. The learners and trainers prepared tasty meals from the seasonal fruit and vegetables together.
The Restaurant Day was the first event of this kind to take place in the district of Pakruojis (Lithuania). It was organised based on the experience shared by participants from Finland and Hungary. The staff of Pakruojis Education Centre and the project participants opened the few-hours restaurant on one Saturday day in October. During the event vegetable soup, pancakes and potatoes in foil were cooked outdoors; guests could also try mint and wild strawberry tea. Those who came to the restaurant could sit down at the tables made of pallets next to the autumn garden. The event promoted communication and dissemination of ideas about urban gardening, encouraged philanthropy; money collected were given to the charity canteen in the town.
For more details on the idea of the Restaurant Day and how to organise it www.new-lifeflavour.net
LITHUANIA
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RESTAURANT DAY
LATVIA
PUMPKIN GARDEN
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page 18 Idea to make pumpkin garden born after the first course of the project. We get the different varieties of seeds and each student chose some of them and planted it at common field near the city Balvi. From the beginning to the harvesting, each student took care of their plants, their pumpkins – watered, raved etc. Early pumpkins were harvested in the end of July, but late pumpkins- straight before frost. More about the pumpkin garden on the website www.new-lifeflavour.net
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SEED AND PLANT SWAP
Clothes swaps are the most popular, but exchanging plants and seeds is also a fun topic. It is basically an event where anybody can bring their own plants, shoots, seedlings or seeds and offer it to the community. At Messzelátó we prefer to let people do the exchange freely as many people prefer only to give and some don’t have anything yet to offer. Organizing a plant swap gives the pleasure to witness great personal growths seeing people starting gardening for the first time after adopting his or her first plant.
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A great opportunity to bring generations together following a common interest is to organize swap parties.
FINLAND
URBAN GARDENING SCHOOL
Kaupunkiviljelykoulu, the Urban Gardening School is a peer to peer learning event set up like a school day. Anyone can volunteer to give a lesson on something that they know or still learning. Sessions are set up in 45 min lessons with 15 min breaks between and a longer lunch break. As we have arranged the school days at our Urban Gardening Center Turntable, we could have the cafeteria open to serve a warm lunch. The teachers got food and refreshments, but no other compensation. At one time we had two lessons running parallel, but this was a bit confusing for some participants. With one lesson at a time, some people can be bored. It was suggested to arrange some kind of program that runs the whole day or set of specialized stands that people can pop足in at any time.
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05/MANUALS Do-It-Yourself instructions for future workshops on healthy lifestyle.
LITHUANIA
WHAT TO PLANT YOUR RAISED BED WITH?
Urban gardens in Pakruojis (Lithuania) were established next to one of the apartment blocks of the town and in the backyard of the education centre. Potherbs and vegetables were grown in wooden boxes filled with soil. Plan for planting the garden box, which is 80 cm longx80 cm widex60 cm high, with the following: 1. Nasturtium (1 plant) 2. Viola cornuta (blue) 3. Chards 4. Dill 5. Calendula double (you can plant 30x30 with approx. 9) 6. Onions 7. Lettuce or Brassica 8. Chilli pepper 9. Tarragon 10. Basil (green) 11. Oregano 12. Basil (red) 13. Red leaf lettuce 14. Ruccola 15. Tiny pumpkins 16. Viola cornuta (yellow) 17. Viola cornuta (yellow) Drafted in accordance with experience shared by the project participants and based on the consultations with plant specialists from www.facebook.com/Sodo.Meno.Avilys . More ideas – www.new-lifeflavour.net .
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GROWING SEEDLINGS
Tomato, pepper, eggplant, leek, cabbage, cauliflower and celery are the group of vegetables grown from seedlings. The soil and the climate should be regulated to maintain the required environment. The climate factors are light, temperature, damp and ventilation. Why do producers prefer seedlings? 1. Subsidence in the number of seed wasting 2. The soil conditions are not suitable for sowing the seeds 3. Its benefits of breeding in large areas.
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Seedlings of vegetables are grown in greenhouses, seedbeds and tunnels. Because of the preparation of seedbeds and finding fresh compost is hard, the use of this method has been reduced. It was replaced by greenhouses and tunnels.
LATVIA
PUMPKIN FOR BEAUTY
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page 24 Pumpkin is one of the gentler beauty products, and therefore suitable for every skin type. It cleans and soothes the skin. Pumpkin mask for all skin types Squeeze the juice out of peeled and minced fresh pumpkin; moisten the gauze pads (thin cloth pads) in the juice; apply them on the face for 15-20 minutes. Apply this mask 2-3 times a week. The entire course consists of 15-20 masks. The mask is suitable for all skin types; it vitalizes, moisturizes and cleanses the skin. Pumpkin patches to cure tired eyes Chilly pumpkin patches help to cure tired or swollen eyes. Grate the pumpkin, keep for a while in a cool place, then place it on the thin cloth and put on the eyes. To find out more about pumpkin masks visit website www.new-lifeflavour.net
Trees are a fundamental part of our lives: they clean our air, filter our water and hold soil in place. Also, they provide us the raw material for everyday use-objects such as paper and furniture. For these reasons it is really important not to waste it. One way to do that is to make homemade recycled cards from used papers instead of buying new ones. A unique idea to do that is to create “seed-papers�: papers with seeds inside, that could be put in a pot or in the soil to grow plants. You can use natural colors to paint a design or message on it. Please find the detailed recipe on our webpage to make your own seedpaper!
HUNGARY
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SEED-PAPERS
FINLAND
PRECULTIVATION OF PLANTS Seedlings need 6 to 8 weeks of precultivation. Place the seeds in some seed starter mix (a soil that is light on nutrients). When the first 2 to 3 pairs of leaves have appeared, move the seedlings to bigger pots. Before planting them outside, you can accustom the seedlings to the outdoor climate by moving the pots out during daytime, then taking them back in for the night. Wait for the seedlings to be properly grown before planting them outdoors, or they may freeze at night. In Finland it is necessary to start growing seedlings indoors, as the ground doesn’t warm up before the beginning of June.
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06/RECIPES These are our favorite recipes that can be cooked from veggies grown in urban gardens.
LATVIA
PUMPKIN RISOTTO
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page 28 Pumpkin Pearl barley Onion Celery stalks Butter Salt, seasoning
0.32 kg 0.25 kg 0.1 kg 0.1 kg 0.1 kg to taste
Soak pearl barley, boil to readiness, clean and slice an onion and fry it, cut a pumpkin into cubes. Cut celery stalks into slices and fry. If sweet pepper is used than seeds have to be removed, sweet pepper has to be cut into small cubes and slightly fried. Mix all the ingredients and place in the oven, which is heated to 180째 - 200째C for 15-29 minutes. To find out more www.new-lifeflavour.net
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VEGETABLE SPITS beetroot, carrot, radish (fresh or boiled), 1 pumpkin, a twig of green mint or parsley.
1. Cut carrots and radishes into small pieces using a special or corrugated knife. 2. Take out the inner part of beetroot in nice pieces using a special spoon. 3. Cut the pumpkin in half, take out the seeds. 4. Put the pieces of carrots and radish onto the spits ending the spit with a piece of beetroot. 5. Stick the spits into the pumpkin making a beautiful bouquet. Decorate with a green mint twig or parsley.
LITHUANIA
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TURKEY
GÖZLEME COOKING
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fleur 1 kg salt 1 tea spoon water spinach 1 kg onion 1 oil 5 spoons salt egg or white cheese parsley topping with butter
First, wash the spinach very well then cut into small pieces and leave them in the strainer. Mix the flour, salt and water, then knead dough softly. Cut the onion very thin; put some oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Fry until ıt turns to pink. Then add the spinach, salt, red pepper and black pepper to the fried onion; mix well. Take a small lump of dough; roll it into round shape. Put some spinach mixture on one side of the dough and close the other side on it. Heat the saucepan and put gözleme in it. Bake two sides very well. When baked, add some butter on the top.
We invented recipes that doesn’t contain hydrogenated vegetable fat, powdered milk, flavor or additives, but all the ingredients are to be purchased from reliable sources (farmers, if possible). Furthermore, We also use seasonal and local fruits, so these ice creams are healthy and sustainable! This time, we‘d like your gloomy winter days to be brightened by our special and healthy versions of winter ice-cream! Please find our detailed recipe on our webpage to make your own ice cream!
HEALTHY WINTER ICE CREAM
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The so called “winter ice cream” is well known in Hungary. It is a non-cold chocolate cream in an ice cream cone served in autumn or in winter time made of really unhealthy ingredients.
FINLAND
ARONIA JAM aronia berries 2l sugar 4-6 dl good spirits 3-4 tbsp Clean and rinse the berries well. Put the berries and sugar in a pot. Boil the berries until they render juice and break. Remove the foam from the surface. Puree the jam in a blender and add the spirits. Pour in well-washed glass jars and close the lids. Turn upside down to cool.
ROWAN BERRY CAKE butter 150 g sugar 2 dl vanilla sugar 2 tsp eggs 2 wheat flour 3,5 dl baking powder 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp Whip the fat and sugar. Add the eggs. Mix the dry ingredients. Add to the batter alternately with the jam. Pour batter into a well greased pan with breadcrumbs. Bake at 175oC for about 1h. You can add apple, black currant or rowan berries to the jam.
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07/FOR WHAT WE ARE BURNING FOR Selected initiatives that we „burn“ for to share.
LATVIA
HOW TO ORGANIZE GREEN MARKET?
Municipality of Balvi already has two years experience in organizing Green Markets, where usually farmers and manufacturers from local and distant regions arrive in order to sell their own products. Fruits and vegetables grown without any chemicals are in high demand. In order to organize such market successfully, it is necessary to inform sellers, to find an appropriate place, to make posters with the information about the venue, date and time. As organizers, we have to participate in the market to monitor the process of selling. To find out more about the green market, visit the website http://www.new-lifeflavour.net
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COURSE INPUT FROM THE LEARNERS
During the courses, people were asked to share their tips with each other. These were made into leaflets. The rounds of sharing resulted in some nice discussions. We learned, for example, how rowan berries are used in baking and that nettles can be grown deliberately: they can be used like spinach in the kitchen, as a hair rinse in the bathroom and as a pesticide and fertiliser in the garden. Sharing is caring!
FINLAND
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To involve the participants in our preserving and herb foraging courses in the planning stage, we asked them to submit plant-related tips and recipes and to tell us what they wished to learn.
HUNGARY
GRUNDKERT COMMUNITY GARDEN CHARITY PARTY FOR A FAMILY IN NEED Kinga Fetykó, a member of our community garden once met a mother with two small children asking for money on a very frequented square of Budapest. While talking to them she got to know their story: they couldn’t make a living in the rural Hungary so they moved to the capital. But life wasn’t shiny there either – soon they became homeless with their 7 kids. Kinga got touched by their story. ‘I knew our garden community was kind hearted and passionate for events so I proposed to organize a charity garden party to raise money for that family. Still I was touched how many people engaged in it! I never expected it!’ – remembered Kinga. During the party and the online auction the community raised 400 EUR for the family.
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THE PROJECT HELPED A PARTICIPANT FIND NEW ACTIVITIES Still a learner and a participant in the project activities of Pakruojis Education Centre (Lithuania) Ms. Ilona MaÄ?iulienÄ— says that she has discovered ecological gardening in the city. An urban garden allowed her to find some character features she was not aware of: to feel the joy when the first seedlings appear and grow into exuberant plants, to be proud of having grown the plants and vegetables herself. The international meeting in Budapest encouraged her to explore unknown plants and new recipes. Participation in the course on preserving foods gave her an opportunity to share her new experience at the Restaurant Day and reinforce the relationship with other project participants. Read the interview with Ilona on the website.
LITHUANIA
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TURKEY
MIRACLE OF THE HERBS An old lady, Mrs KarakuĹ&#x; is our oldest learner. She feels herself lucky as she has recovered from a serious liver illness by using herbs. She thought she would die. She had no plans or hopes for the future. Fortunately, she has learnt that the licorice juice was her life saver. She feels she is new-born. She advices people suffering from illnesses look for remedy from the nature and herbs besides the doctors.
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This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.