On Saturday, April 13, St. John's Safer Soil participated in the 5th Annual FEASt FEST, organized by Food Education Action St. John's (FEASt) at the Foran/Greene room at St. John's City Hall.

As always, a great time was had by all!

St. John's Safer Soil displayed information on lead safe gardening and landscaping and we all enjoyed the informative presentations given by Matt Middleton, on saving money while gardening; Danilo Gonzales, on how to grow food year round; and Genevieve and Angela, on sprouting!

What an amazing community of foodies and gardeners! Well done!

On Saturday, October 20, St. John’s Safer Soil and Seed to Spoon will extend the FEASt workshop series at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market by hosting a free public workshop , “Putting Your Garden to Bed.” It will take place at 11:00 am in the St. John’s Safer Soil tent, at the Lions’ Club Chalet (Bonaventure Avenue, behind the Remax Centre). No registration is necessary.

Now that fall is here and the winter is approaching, learn how to prepare your garden for the winter and for a bountiful 2013!

The workshop will include:

• soil nutrient testing and soil preparation
• monitoring and adjusting soil acidity
• planting trees and shrubs
• season extension tips
• cool temperature vegetables
• soil lead testing and lead safe yard planning
• landscape planning
• ...and more!

Join Common Ground and St. John’s Safer Soil for an Autumn Garden Party behind the Gathering Place, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012, from noon to 3pm!



We will begin at noon with a workshop on “Year Round Vertical Gardening,” featuring information on gardening indoors and outdoors for small spaces, easy and simple production techniques and technologies for year round food production, how to prepare the home for this kind of production, what kind of materials are required and best plants to use. The workshop will be led by Luis Reyes, Katherine Meneses and Danilo Gonzalez.

St. John's Safer Soil will be participating in FEASt’s fourth annual Open Garden Day on Sunday, September 9, 2012  from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm!

Drop by our demonstration garden behind the Gathering Place to see our new garden layout, our brand new greenhouse and new biochar field trial! You can also learn everything you need to know about planning a lead safe garden. (Those who drop by for a brief tour will qualify for a prize!)

Here is the latest St. John's Safer Soil Brochure, which gives lots of tips on soil testing, lead safe gardening and landscaping and other lead safety tips!Latest%20Brochure%20July%2020%202012.pdf

May 12 Free Public Workshop in St. John’s

“Designing a Lead Safe Yard or Vegetable Garden”

ST. JOHN’S - On Saturday, May 12, St. John’s Safer Soil and LeadNL will host a free public workshop on ‘Designing a Lead Safe Yard or Vegetable Garden.’  The workshop will be led by Luisa Oliveira, Boston-based landscape architect, city planner and initiator of the ‘Safer Soil’ Program that began in New England and has been emulated here in St. John’s.  Luisa will speak about her experience and the issue of lead in urban soil, issues related to vegetable gardening in areas with elevated soil lead levels, how to conduct soil tests, and the importance of landscape design for lead safety.  Luisa will also guide participants through the process of designing a plan for their own residential yard or community garden, in order to make it safe for children and for growing food.  The workshop is especially relevant to residents of the downtown area of St. John’s, where elevated soil lead levels have been recorded.

Recent…

On Saturday, October 1st, St. John’s Safer Soil will conduct a free workshop on

Autumn Lead-Safe Garden Planning at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market.

Autumn is a great time to plan for a lead safe garden, for early enjoyment of your garden

in the spring!

 Workshop topics include soil testing, preparing new soil, building garden beds and containers

and landscape planning for lead safety.

The workshop will take place at 11:00 am as part of the FEASt summer workshop series.

The Farmers’ Market is located at the Lion’s Club Chalet on Bonaventure Avenue.

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St. John’s Safer Soil is a project of Common Ground, a new non-profit organization which promotes environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture and community development.

The project is made possible with funding from Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Fund, the Home Depot – Evergreen Rebuilding Nature Grant and the Home Depot – Evergreen Green Grant.

St. John’s Safer Soil

Lead Safe Gardening and Landscaping

Demonstration Garden Tours at the Gathering Place

Are you concerned about lead in city soil? St. John’s Safer Soil promotes safe city gardening and recreation in areas with elevated soil lead levels.

During the summer and fall, Safer Soil will conduct garden tours at its demonstration garden, behind the Gathering Place, at the north side of the Basilica parking lot.

The garden will be open on Thursdays from 12 to 2 until the end of October. Follow the sign to the garden out back and bring your lunch to enjoy outdoors! Or contact Lori Heath at 738-7542, or safersoil@gmail.com, to arrange a time that is convenient for you.

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St. John’s Safer Soil

Lead Safe Gardening Workshop  - FEASt Workshop Series

St. John’s Farmers’ Market

Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 11:00 am

On Saturday, August 6, St. John’s Safer Soil will conduct a free workshop on Lead Safe Gardening at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market, located at the Lion’s Club Chalet on Bonaventure Avenue. The workshop will take place at 11:00 am at the FEASt (Food Education Action St. John’s) table, as part of the FEASt summer workshop series.

Recent studies have found elevated lead levels in the soil of St. John’s, particularly in the older parts of the city. St. John’s Safer Soil conducts education and capacity building activities to promote safe gardening and recreation in urban areas, given the questionable soil conditions found in many urban areas. Workshop topics will include how to conduct soil testing for lead, how to grow food safely in urban areas, simple landscaping projects and other tips to prevent lead exposure, and more.

During the summer and fall, St. John’s Safer Soil will also conduct garden tours at its demonstration garden behind the Gathering Place, situated at the north side of the Basilica Parking Lot. The demonstration garden promotes safe city gardening and sustainable agriculture.

To arrange a free garden tour for your family, workplace or community group, please contact Lori Heath at 738-7542 or safersoil@gmail.com. Educational materials are also available at our website at www.safersoil.ning.com.

St. John’s Safer Soil is a project of Common Ground, a new non-profit organization which promotes environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture and community development.

The project is made possible with funding from…

During the Summer and Fall of 2011, St. John’s Safer Soil will conduct free garden tours at the demonstration garden behind the Gathering Place, situated at the north side of the Basilica Parking Lot.