Starting Seeds

Patience, Patience...
by Ognom Gardens & Weaving

    Despite today's sunshine and the noticeably longer spring days, one need remember back to only last Sunday's freezing rain to know that it is not yet time to start planting the garden.

    At Ognom Gardens, however, we have to start early, germinating seeds inside, then separating the young plants into individual pots so that some can be sold at market and others can receive a couple more weeks of temperature controlled coddling before being hardened off and eventually planted in the gardens to produce produce, herbs, and flowers for market.

    Hardening off plants involves gradually exposing the young seedlings to outdoor conditions so that they can better handle wind and natural sunlight.

    Some plants require being started indoors six to eight weeks prior to the last frost.  Others require less of a head start, and a few, such as carrots, radishes, corn, and lettuces will be sown directly outdoors after the last frost.

    Ognom began placing orders for seeds in January.  Some of our favorite providers of heritage seeds are Seed Savers, Baker Creek, and our neighbors Zac and Phil.  We also get seeds from Gurney's, Burgess, and Rural King.

    This year we germinated over ten thousand seeds, expecting to sell or trade about one thousand of them as starters and plant the remainder in the gardens -- that is those plants that we do not end up donating to charity or youth gardens, which can also add up.

    This year we expect to give away about 300 tomato and marigold plants at the Seward Community Sustainability Fair held at Faith Mennonite Church, 11 April, 2015, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

    Ognom tries to recycle materials for starting plants in two ways.  Our favorite recycling project is to make biodegradable pots using recycled newspapers.  But, we also reuse pots and plant-pacs donated by customers or from our own purchases.

    To make a seedling pot out of old newspapers, simply cut the newspapers into 3 1/2" strips.  Using the PotMaker from Lehman's Non-Electric Catalog, wrap the paper strips around the wooden form, then press into the base, creating a pot that you can fill with soil.  The pot is biodegradable, meaning that to plant the seedling, one simply has to insert the seedling, pot and all, into a small hole dug with a trowel.  Lehmans.com

    For our personal use at the Farmers Market, we tend to focus heavily on tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, melons, beans, cucumbers and squash.   We also start perennials and wild-seed-perennials indoors for plantings at the rental units and other properties we own or maintain.

   

Peace and Justice on our Streets

Lord, Give Us Courage to See
Palm Sunday, 29 March, 2015, Elkhart, Indiana


    The Elkhart Advocates for Peace and Justice celebrated their fifth annual Palm Sunday Peace Parade, beginning at Hively Mennonite Church, regrouping at Prairie Street Mennonite Church and concluding at the Plaza in downtown Elkhart.

    Some of the groups represented included Hively Mennonite Church, St James AME Church, Belmont Mennonite Church, First Congregational UCC, Prairie Street Mennonite, Faith Mennonite (of Minneapolis, MN), Elkhart City Councilperson Rod Roberson, many religiously non-aligned participants, LaCasa, and three T4781 board members.

    A couple participants, in dialogue with their church leadership, carried a Rainbow Flag during the procession to remind us that just as towns such as neighboring Goshen are dealing with the legacy of being a "Sundown town," Indiana has now come under the shadow of the state's Restoration of Religious Freedom Act, which claims to restore religious freedom by empowering individuals and corporations in the state of Indiana to exempt themselves from basic human rights laws, codes and business standards, leaving room for discrimination against gays and lesbians, divorcees, unmarried couples, inter-racial couples, non-Christians or just about anyone whose lifestyle, political beliefs, or religious understandings fall short of the Indiana businesspersons' own private esteem.

    In that vein, it would seem important to indicate to others that not-all churches discriminate and that Indiana is full of businesses, professionals, for-profits, non-profits, and just plain ordinary citizens that do not discriminate but call for an open and diverse society in which all are welcome to buy, sell, work, play, live, worship, and create.

    Warm hearts and bright smiles challenged the cold rain, and St James' worship team warmed everyone up with music prior to Roberson's remarks.

From the Litany:

- From the belief that we are alone in this struggle
    Lord, teach us to work together and trust in You

- When we feel rage at injustice
     Empower us to action, rooted in Your Compassion and Grace

- For the creativity and vision to crate a just and peaceful society
    Lord, we pray

- When we take ourselves too seriously
    Lord, grant us a sense of humor for the long haul

- When we feel overwhelmed in the face of the powers of the world
    Remind us that You have walked the path before us 

- A living example of Love, Justice, and Mercy even in the face of death
    As we seek Your kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven

 

 

Images courtesy T4781, Elkhart, IN

If you missed the Palm Sunday Peace Parade, then please consider joining St James AME in the Passion Week Prayer Walk:

image courtesy St James AME Church, Elkhart, IN

Great Ideas from Others:

Buzzbench from AnneMarie van Splunter, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Buzzbench:  A shared habitat for humans and bees

Photo credit unavailable.

Photo credit unavailable.

Buzzbench door AnneMarie van Splunter (Official Page)

http://voordekunst.nl/vdk/project/view/2280-buzzbench

Play Scapes Blog by Paige Johnson

http://www.play-scapes.com/play-design/natural-playgrounds/buzzbench-annemarie-van-splunter-amsterdam-2015/

Mediamatic.net: Feeding the Bees

http://www.mediamatic.net/386271/en/feeding-the-bees

Spring Weaving

    To celebrate Spring, Will Lipscomb brought his four-harness Norwood Loom to Goshen Farmers Market for demonstrations.

    For a demonstration project, Lipscomb, of Ognom Gardens & Weaving, chose to weave a series of three small altar clothes to be given to three Mennonite churches as a symbol of Easter fellowship.

    Lipscomb chose two shades of lavender or purple, representing the liturgical celebration of Easter, and chose a traditional pattern incorporating the 'Open Leaf of Mexico' and 'Lee's Surrender.'

    The demonstration was a great success, especially with the children.  A few adults even decided to try their own hands at weaving.  Many, many folk were pleased to share stories of their parents or grandparents weaving.

    The three churches receiving the altar clothes are Assembly Mennonite of Goshen, Indiana, Prairie Street Mennonite of Elkhart, Indiana, and Faith Mennonite of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

Last Minute Reprieve...

Saved:  502 W Franklin, Elkhart, Indiana

    Elkhart's 502 W Franklin received a last-minute reprieve as Concord Township Commissioner Frank Lucchese and Elkhart County Administrator Tom Byers diligently assisted Trust 4781 and other concerned citizens to convince Elkhart City Building Commissioner Dennis Correll, Sr. to stay his demolition order on the site in order to enable ReEnviron's Steve Wall to pursue ownership of the building and lot when the tax certificate lien he purchased last fall matures and he can obtain a court-issued deed.

    Wall currently owns and resides at 519 W Franklin, another historic home on the block that was saved from further deterioration in 2014.

    Wall dialogued with Correll's office last summer and fall in order to preserve the historic structure and the beauty of the neighborhood while preventing yet another ill-kept vacant lot from marring the streetscape.

   It was recommended that Wall purchase the tax certificate in order to receive clear title to the structure and lot.  Once he files for the deed, as is expected October 2015, he will be able to begin assessing repairs, drawing necessary permits and obtaining the necessary performance bond in the amount of $10,000 guaranteeing that ReEnviron will bring the structure to code, permitting issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

    Wall was taken aback two weeks ago when he pulled a permit for another project and the city casually mentioned that 502 was scheduled to be torn down in about 8 weeks.  Wall and Will Lipscomb scrambled to determine how the building could be saved using ReEnviron's interest as a lien holder, and they also brought it to the city's attention that due process for demolition of a structure in the City of Elkhart appears to have not been properly adhered to.

    County Administrator Tom Byers was able to clarify the ownership and procedural status of the site and recommended to Wall and Lipscomb that they appeal to Correll to simply revoke his demolition order until Wall was able to assume full ownership of the site and apply for the necessary permits.

    In the meantime, the city apparently sped up the scheduled demolition prep at the site, including removing utility feeds at least eight weeks earlier than they had stated, eight weeks being the time Correll's office had said they would give Wall in order to fight the demolition.  Evidence at the site indicates that the city may have intended to demo the structure prior to Wall's ability to receive the legal deed.  Correll had instructed Wall to ask the County for a County-issued deed before the eight-week deadline.  The County could not do this but was able to convince Correll to suspend the demolition order, enabling Wall take title to the property this fall under his rights as the tax-lien owner.

    Correll has now provided Wall with verbal confirmation that the structure will not be demolished as long as he obtains the tax deed, files the necessary permits and furnishes a performance bond in the amount of $10,000.00.  Wall will then have six months to make significant improvements to the structure, completing all necessary repairs within the required twelve-month period.

    Wall is somewhat concerned in that the schedule means that major repairs to masonry, for instance, will have to be addressed during the coldest winter months, which will be a challenge, but he is working with the board of T4781 to determine the best options for meeting the city's requirements and completing the repairs on the city's schedule.

    The historical integrity of the 500 Block of Franklin Street is already a touchy subject with many long-term residents after the city tore down 501 W Franklin Street in 2012.  Still referred to as "the Pink House," its loss is felt by those who live there, and many wish the city would have found the means to save it.  Google Maps still shows the structures as they appeared Fall of 2011.

    Today 501 W Franklin Street is a vacant lot where people dump old mattresses and sofas, park for parties, and it is alleged, possibly traffic in drugs. 

501 W Franklin Street, Elkhart, today.  The tan house in the background was burnt out just a few weeks ago.  Though burnt out, the structure has seemingly received no official scrutiny from the city, unlike the secured and viable structure at 502.

Promoting Ancient Rights

Support for Thunderbolt Tsikamagi National Recognition by State of Kentucky

    Wednesday, 18 March, 2015, Steven Wall, T4781 Director out of Elkhart, IN, accompanied a tribal delegation from Elkhart, IN, to Lexington, KY, to show support for a potential decision by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to right ancient injustices by granting state recognition to Thunderbolt Tsikamagi Nation.

    The Tsikamagi trace their ancestral lands to Kentucky and Tennessee, where they have been recently granted title interests to privately held lands for the purpose of establishing a core community and tribal administrative offices, including private residences, ceremonial grounds, an administrative building, a cultural center and museum, a tribal community farm and services such as a tribal infirmary.

    While not all of the 1,500 tribal members will be able to live on the land allotments, the ability to define a geographic presence on the cultural footprint of the tribal ancestors is an important psychological asset to the diasporic people.

    Tsikamagi elders take great pride in establishing the fact that the historic chiefs were never defeated in battle and have not signed a treaty with the Federal United States government.  But, that lack of a settlement treaty has also prevented access to Federal grants, cultural privileges and rights that Federally-recognized (or “treaty”) tribes were granted in exchange for guarantees of peace, resettlement agreements or other often very one-sided, often militarily-enforced agreements.

    In seeking state recognition, the Thunderbolt Tsikamagi will not receive Federal monies, but will be better able to maintain the tribal identity, enforce efforts to prevent cultural appropriation by others, be better able to defend its citizens against abuse and discrimination, and have an established headquarters to facilitate both communication within the tribe and efforts to help state and local authorities identify, preserve, and protect the ancient Tsikamagi archeological heritage in the area.

    There has been a renewed interest by states in recognizing non-Federally recognized bands and tribes in order to encourage economic development, to extend social outreach and programming, and to better preserve an area’s historic and archeological heritage.

    T4781’s role in this process is one of providing organizational support in three key areas:  establishment and management of agricultural assets, establishment and management of farmers and ethnic craft markets, and working with other non-profits and universities to provide effective organizational support to preserve the ancient Tsikamagi narrative dialogue while communicating it effectively to future generations, and to non-Tsikamagi students, neighbors and tourists.

    T4781 has committed to help represent the tribe’s intentions in these regards to the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission and to work with the hereditary chief in Elkhart, IN, to facilitate implementation of envisioned agricultural and traditional craftsmanship enterprises.

    Wall is working to re-establish traditional crops.  Will Lipscomb will be focusing on helping to develop and establish a marketing program for traditional handicrafts and artisanal skills.

    T4781 is also hoping to develop an expertise in these areas that could be extended to other tribes and ethnic groups.

First Com-post of 2015

Last May (2014), volunteers from Prairie Street Mennonite Church helped salvage and rescue the antique tile roof from a structure scheduled to be torn down for the Prairie Street Railroad Over-Pass off downtown Elkhart, Indiana.

In addition to clay tiles, vintage window and doors were also removed for recycling into new buildings elsewhere.

 

The roof tiles were reinstalled at a private residence in the Downtown-West neighborhood, positively contributing to the retention of an important historical styling to Elkhart, and finding the ways and means to recycle re-usable building components rather than landfilling them.

The owners of the home did not stop with restoring an historic home and with the recycling of key building components.  Establishing healthy practices for the future, the owners have continued to restore the lot by replanting and maintaining responsible landscaping.  A dedication to recycling continues with the use of natural mulches made available by the counties of Michiana from the wood debris collected from yards and residents last summer.

Composting is an important step in preparing spring flower beds and landscaping for the new growing season.  Natural composts, free of dyes and preservatives, break down naturally, adding nutrients to the soil while discouraging the growth of weeds, preserving moisture and mitigating soil erosion.  Most spring bulbs and perennials have sufficient vigor to push through a 4-inch layer of fresh mulch, and it can be spread evenly over the entire bed.

T4781 contributed to this project by supplying volunteers to load and unload the mulch and by providing the equipment and transportation of the mulch to the residents' lot.