MAY 2021
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HOME GROWN Growing Places Indy Provides Agricultural Programs and Services BLOOMS AND BREWS Local Businesses Form Unique Partnership
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Victoria Beaty - Executive Director - Growing Places Indy
G R OW I N G P L AC ES INDY PROVIDES AG R I C ULTU R AL P R O GRAM S AND SERVICES Writer / Stephanie Duncan Photographer / Michael Durr
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I
ndianapolis is not immune to food insecurity, and Growing Places Indy was formed to cultivate individual, family and community wellness through urban agriculture, access to fresh, local food, and mind-body education. Executive Director Victoria Beaty is putting that mission into action by providing low-income areas with several unique programs. “I think everyone should have access to locally grown food and I think everyone should know how to grow it,” Beaty says. Before working with Growing Places, Beaty worked in advertising for global fast-food chains. She decided she wanted to learn how food was grown. “I never knew how to grow food,” Beaty says. “My mom grew food and planted flowers, but I was never interested in that before.” She started out by volunteering in various programs with Growing Places Indy and eventually quit her full-time job to focus on the organization, which led to her executive director role. With the help of staff and volunteers, Growing Places continues its mission at four urban lots - one at the Boner Fitness & Learning Center on the Arsenal Technical High School campus, one at White River State Park, and two in the Cottage Home neighborhood. Growing Places also helped build the urban farm located on the Monon trail by Public Greens in Broad Ripple. Beaty says the Broad Contact us now to view these brand new, never occupied lofts right in the middle of Broad Ripple Village on the Monon Trail
Ripple community has always been engaged, especially with the annual Winter Market. “You don’t have to directly live in a neighborhood to have an impact in the neighborhood, and I think we’ve always had a great engagement with the community in Broad Ripple,” she says. Growing Places Indy not only grows food, but also makes sure it’s accessible through local food stands with fair pricing. The organization offers 50% off of produce for those on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. They also donate to local food pantries and offer workshare programs for those who want to devote time working on the farms. Interested in supporting Growing Places Indy? You can purchase fresh, local produce from farm stands at the Boner Fitness & Learning Center and the IndyGo Transit Center.
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There are plenty of ways to get involved with Growing Places, but for those who want to get in the weeds, learn how to grow their food and possibly start their own business, the year-long Grow Getters program is a great option. It provides much-needed resources for aspiring urban farmers, and offers farm job training, mentoring, and other business development assistance for new, beginning and underrepresented farmers.
we had to shop at, and I didn’t know that wasn’t normal. I thought most people’s neighborhoods looked like that.”
There is also a related program called Young Grow Getters that will take place for six weeks this summer, for those aged 15 to 18. It’s a paid, intensive, hands-on youth agriculture program led by industry professionals in sustainable farming, culinary arts, food production and technology, offering real-world experience and career skills.
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omen naturalists are growing in Indianapolis, and are now taking larger roles in the beautification and urban planning of green spaces at Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB). Recent restructuring has allowed budding new opportunities at KIB, a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage diverse communities, helping people and nature thrive. Many Indy residents have no doubt seen some of the popular green
spaces created by the organization. They also create new tree canopies alongside streets, pocket parks, and possibly your backyard, thanks to their annual native plant sale. The KIB leaders would love for you to join them in cultivating our community. Kelly DeRolf, KIB green-space manager, has a background in wildlife biology from Purdue University and a vocation as a
biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. She felt a need for more connection to the community. “Academia and the state government were not a good fit for me,” she says. “It felt like we were gatekeepers of all this information and resources, but we weren’t connecting with the public.” She started volunteering in 2017 with KIB’s
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can’t do something and confront that - that’s how you grow.” She loves a quiet space to take in nature, particularly the Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve. Downes loves the process of the various habitat restoration projects undertaken by KIB. “It’s hard work, but immediately satisfying,” she says. tree planting committee. She felt more rooted in the community, and after hearing about an open position, she could not pass it up. “I’ve always been really into the outdoors, growing up in rural Pennsylvania,” she says. At the end of a long week digging in the dirt, you can find DeRolf relaxing in Daubenspeck Community Nature Park on the Northside. Her favorite project is Shelton Heights GreenSpace, an abandoned mobile home site transformed into a
beautiful pocket park for community gathering. Abbie Downes leads the Youth Tree Team, and has a background in outdoor recreation from Indiana University. Downes started on a team of five urban naturalists in April of 2020, and was promoted to Youth Tree Team coordinator in February. “It was empowering to use a Bobcat, chainsaw, etcetera,” she says. “Challenge yourself and be open, consider why you
Natalie Saylor is KIB’s native landscape coordinator. Having volunteered at KIB for more than a decade, Saylor is a seasoned veteran. When the pandemic began, the CARES Act provided an opportunity for a full-time position within KIB. As a jack of all trades, Saylor was perfect for the position. From supporting the community forestry programs to working on green spaces and community cleanups, Saylor has been thrilled to lead whenever possible.
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Her favorite project thus far happens to be right in her backyard at Garfield Park. “We planted so many trees, and I had a great time with the crew,” Saylor says. KIB does happy-hour weeding on the last Friday of every month from April through October, which Saylor says is a great way for volunteers to network. It starts at 4 p.m., and participants weed and clear brush. Leaders talk to the group about native plants, and afterwards everyone cools down with more conversation about conservation and local beverages. You can also adopt a block, volunteer at tree plantings, and so much more. The local native plant sale starts in May with varietals like purple coneflowers, little bluestem and mountain mint. You can request a tree planting in your neighborhood or sign up to volunteer through kibi.org.
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pring has finally arrived here in Indy and people are out and about, going on walks, enjoying patio dining, and riding bikes in and around Broad Ripple. One thing passersby might see around the neighborhood are the lifelike floral murals by local artist Abigail Staffelbach. Her murals are eyecatching and larger than life, depicting flowers that are native to the region. Staffelbach got started with these murals during the pandemic by reaching out to local organizations like the Beautification Committee for the Broad Ripple Village Association, and eventually settled on the firehouse for her first mural. This gave the spot its own life, and inspired Staffelbach to be on the lookout for other blank walls in Broad Ripple that could use some art. While she may call Indiana home, Staffelbach was inspired while studying abroad in Florence, Italy, where she says there is art on every corner, including the sides of churches and street-corner graffiti. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Notre Dame, and has been painting murals in the Broad Ripple area for more than a year now. Staffelbach finds her subjects for murals from the space she has available, and after finishing the floral mural on the firehouse, she continued to do murals of the same subject. “Art is a part of people’s lives, and getting to do that with murals is inspiring - to see them be part of people’s lives,” she says. Check out Staffelbach’s work online at instagram. com/abigail.staffelbach.
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boost the business and create an engaged and devoted customer base, which RubyWojtowicz turned to when she realized the pandemic would force her to adapt. She asked the community on the Lilly Lane Facebook page if they would want the option of home delivery of fresh blooms, and there was resounding enthusiasm. The Lilly Lane Flower Club allows people to subscribe to weekly or monthly deliveries of fresh floral arrangements and create a more personal experience. They can choose the time frame and then customize, and people who don’t live in the Indy area can send arrangements to those who do. RubyWojtowicz uses a local wholesaler that sources flowers from all over the world.
LOC A L B USINESSE S FO R M U NI Q U E PARTNER SH I P Shay McCoy / Writer Photographer / Michael Durr
deliver local Black Acre beer and fresh flowers to doorsteps across the city.
When it comes to special occasions, sending flowers is always a kind gesture and can make someone’s day. Local business owners found a way to put a unique spin on fresh bouquet deliveries by collaborating, and bringing blooms and local brews to doorsteps.
Lilly Lane began as a company catering to large-scale events like weddings, providing floral arrangements and establishing connections within the community. These relationships have blossomed through the years, Ruby-Wojtowicz says.
Becky Ruby-Wojtowicz of Lilly Lane and Steve Ruby of Black Acre Brewing Company are siblings who found a way to pivot both of their businesses amidst a pandemic, and
“There are now close to 10 Lilly Lane babies at my kid’s day care,” she says. These clients-turned-friends have helped
She describes the flowers she sources as “the freshest blooms we can get every week - pretty and unique stuff.” While customers love giving and receiving these gorgeous arrangements, RubyWojtowicz says making them is a creative outlet. Throughout the pandemic both siblings have been running businesses, and they realized there could be opportunities to collaborate and cross over. Black Acre began offering more delivery options in 2020 and brought local beer to people’s doorsteps, but once Ruby-Wojtowicz had a customer say they wanted to deliver flowers along with a beer, she knew a partnership with Black Acre could be something unique and different. They kicked off Beer and Blooms, through which customers can buy a weekly
18 / BROAD RIPPLE MAGAZINE / MAY 2021 / BroadRippleMag.com
bouquet and get beer delivered as well. Lilly Lane still caters to events with appropriate social distancing in place, but COVID has certainly changed the way RubyWojtowicz does business in other ways. She uses a weekly model now, and takes a more impromptu approach. Deliveries can be placed on a Tuesday to be sent out on a Wednesday, instead of the four to six weeks it would take for weddings and events before the pandemic. The team at Lilly Lane has learned to work together even more, and make an impact in an industry that is currently difficult to operate in, given the protocols in place. Lilly Lane has found ways to shift and create opportunities to bring the community unique flower deliveries. Ruby-Wojtowicz looks forward to having the capacity for more collaborations and partnerships. She says support for local businesses is vital. “It’s nice to know someone is sitting in Broad Ripple making your bouquets,” she says. She encourages fans of flowers to join the Lilly Lane email list for promotions and discount codes, and to join the Flower Club for even more perks. Beer and blooms can be purchased for delivery through the Black Acre website.
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Lilly Lane is located at 6556 Ferguson Street in Indianapolis, and is currently operating by appointment only. For more info, call 317989-9936 or visit lillylane.com. Black Acre Brewing Company is located at 5632 East Washington Street in Indianapolis. The business can be reached at 317-2076266, or at blackacrebrewing.com.
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TEAM RUBICON
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PROVIDES DISASTER & CRISIS RESP ONSE Writer / Jon Shoulders Photographer / Michael Durr
When James Harless joined Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that provides disaster relief for a variety of situations, he was aware of the impact the organization had and continues to have across the country and the world. What he wasn’t fully aware of, however, was the impact it would have on him. “Seeing what we do for those people that we’re able to help is great, but it lifts me up, and I see how it has lifted up other members of Team Rubicon,” says Harless, who has served with the Anderson Fire Department for 15 years, and previously worked in Ohio and Michigan. “We would have campfire sessions at the end of the day at my first deployment, and there were some veterans that said they were on the verge of suicide and found purpose and healing in Team Rubicon. That’s what really sold me on the organization.” Founded in 2010, Team Rubicon was initially formed as a response to the earthquake in Haiti in January of that year. Two Marines named William McNulty and Jake Wood took it upon themselves to collect supplies and a group of volunteers - military veterans, first responders and medical professionals - and deploy to the area a few days after the disaster struck. The team went on to lend medical and leadership assistance, and since then, Team Rubicon (the name is a nod to the phrase “crossing the Rubicon,” referencing a commitment to a course of action despite risks or possible downside) has served many underserved locations affected by disasters and humanitarian crises. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has provided relief after earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and more, and has served internationally in Pakistan, Chile, Burma, Turkey and Greece among other locations. In the U.S., Team Rubicon has assisted in the aftermath of hundreds of natural disasters. Their services are provided free of charge, and military or medical experience is not required for volunteers. Food, lodging, and flight or gas costs are provided for volunteers during deployments. In 2015 Harless got wind of the California-Based organization, which he says currently consists of approximately 70% veterans, 25% first responders and 5% civilians, after coming across an online fundraiser. “I did a little investigation to find out who they were, and was pretty intrigued by it,” he says. “I was very busy at that time though and it wasn’t quite the right time yet.”
James Harless - Local Firefighter/ Paramedic and Team Rubicon Volunteer
In 2017, when Hurricane Harvey hit in Texas, Harless felt what he describes as a “call to action,” signed up, and soon found himself on a week-long disaster relief deployment to Rockport, Texas. He describes
Photo Provided by Team Rubicon
was chosen as one of those, with other bigger cities, and it basically means we’re going to have groups that are trained, with logistic and command training, so if something is to occur like the Pendleton tornado for “You see the devastation on TV when things like a hurricane happen, example, we have people who are ready.” but until you’re really boots-on-the-ground and see it firsthand, it doesn’t truly sink in,” Harless says. “When these disasters happen, it’s Visit teamrubiconusa.org for more info, including volunteer details, not only the loss of their property that people have to deal with. Any donation and fundraising pages, and more. incoming help, food and water is nearly impossible for them to get their hands on. You’re there to lift people up and try to get them back to heading in the right direction.” hotel tango print communication pc-501 the amount of work that Team Rubicon was able to provide as “amazing.”
Team Rubicon has assisted Hoosiers in several ways through recent years, including flood response in Elkhart in March of 2018, and tornado relief in Pendleton in June of 2019.
for: civilian display
“When there aren’t disasters in the area, we try to keep our local members engaged doing service projects,” Harless says, adding that the volunteer sign-up process is simple, and those interested can go directly to the volunteer tab on the official website, and expect a background check along with a few online training sessions. “We’ve done some work down at Camp Atterbury, helping them clear trees down there.” The organization is currently assisting nationwide with COVID-19 vaccination rollouts, including a large operation in Chicago. “Team Rubicon has grown in leaps and bounds, with well over 100,000 volunteers, and about 1,900 active and nonactive members in Indiana,” Harless says. “Right now we’re trying to build what we’re calling resilient Photo Provided by Team Rubicon cities. Indianapolis 21 / BROAD RIPPLE MAGAZINE / MAY 2021 / BroadRippleMag.com
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“JOHN” hand printed Serigraph, Image 24 ½ x 17” $395 WORKS BY DAVID O’DELL, HOOSIER MASTER PRINTMAKER
“Clark” 85 color Serigraph, Image 18 ½ ”x23 ½ ” $395 Winner of the 1965 Indy 500 Average Speed: 150.686 mph
David describes the process in creating the Indy Car prints. “I do a photo shoot of the car and crop the image in such a way that only true fans of the race will recognize the car. I then interpret the image and determine how best to transcribe it in silkscreen. I call my style ‘Crop Pop.’” David’s series includes titles such as “Vukovich,” “Sneva”,“Al Unser Sr.,”” AJ Foyt,”Ruttman,” “Flaherity,” and many more. David’s Beatles prints are based upon the photographs his father took in 1964 when the Beatles played two concerts at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. David’s father was the official photographer for the State Fair. David carried his father’s camera bag. All four Beatles were photographed and all four are the subject of a print.
“Mears” 18 color Serigraph, Image 18 ½ ”x23 ½ ” $395 Winner of his Second Indy 500 in 1984 Average Speed: 163.612 mph
FINE ART & FUN STUFF 6202 N College Ave Indianapolis, IN 46220 OPEN: Thur-Sat 1-7 | Sun 1-5 www.gallery6202.com | (317) 602-2185
23 / BROAD RIPPLE MAGAZINE / MAY 2021 / BroadRippleMag.com
J & J Art Enterprises, LLC
24 / BROAD RIPPLE MAGAZINE / MAY 2021 / BroadRippleMag.com