Cultivating Culture

Me and my besties went to one of my favorite places in Olde Town, Green Oaks Apothecary to get me some smell good (wax melts) and some sage to purify our new space and of course saw Brandee Santini! Now last week she said she had a couple seeds to donate and ummm… Yeah. 🤣 A huge box for our seed libraries! Thank you so much!! When I tell you this woman is everything and then some in our community truly a gem and an OG in OT! (She also gave the boys some cool pastries to try out!)
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Tonight for the Sip and Terrarium !!! We got some Nachos to snack on! 🌮 Who doesn’t love that?! See yall soon!

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So excited to be apart of this amazing cohort offered by the National Farm to School Network! Not only are we gaining knowledge centered around Racial Equity and Food Justice but we are connecting with individuals all around the US who are like minded and want to provide for our communities via school and community gardening!

Thankful for the opportunity and the $3500 stipend that will go towards our programming! Truly grateful!

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We gone do this one!
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Build Your Own Self Watering Containers

Materials Needed:�Before diving into the construction process, gather the following materials:
Plastic storage containers (preferably with lids)�PVC pipe or tubing�Drainage gravel or pebbles�Potting soil�Wicking material (such as cotton rope or felt fabric)�Water reservoir (could be a second container or a section within the same container)�Drill with drill bits�Utility knife or scissors�Step 1: Prepare the Containers�Start by selecting your plastic storage containers. These will serve as the main vessels for your self-watering system. Drill holes in the bottom of one container for drainage, ensuring excess water can escape. The other container will become the water reservoir, so no drainage holes are needed in this one.
Step 2: Create the Wicking System�Cut a piece of PVC pipe or tubing to fit the height of your containers. This will serve as the wicking mechanism, allowing water to travel from the reservoir to the soil. Next, cut a length of wicking material (cotton rope or felt fabric) and thread it through the PVC pipe. Leave enough length to reach the bottom of the soil container and extend into the water reservoir.
Step 3: Assemble the Container Layers�Place a layer of drainage gravel or pebbles at the bottom of the soil container. This helps prevent waterlogging and provides aeration for the roots. Insert the PVC wicking system into the center of the container, ensuring it reaches the bottom. Fill the container with potting soil, leaving enough space at the top for planting.
Step 4: Set Up the Water Reservoir�Place the second container (the one without drainage holes) beneath the soil container. This will act as the water reservoir. Fill it with water, making sure the bottom of the wicking material is submerged. You may opt to install a water level indicator to monitor the reservoir’s water level easily.
Step 5: Plant and Maintain�With your self-watering container assembled, it’s time to plant your desired greenery. Choose plants that thrive in containers and adjust watering needs accordingly. The self-watering system will provide moisture as needed, but it’s essential to monitor the soil moisture periodically and refill the reservoir when necessary.

Consistency is key in all manners!

Not everybody will like you and what you are doing.
Keep on watering.
Not everybody will understand what you are doing.
Keep on watering.
Not everybody will like the flowers you grow.
Keep on watering.
Not everybody will like the vegetables you grow.
Keep on watering.

Keep on feeding and the rewards shall come in due time.
Keep your eyes on the prize!
And
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🌱 Why Practice Regenerative Agriculture? 🌱

Regenerative agriculture isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a necessity for the future of our planet. By focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and sustainable farming practices, we can rebuild our ecosystems and ensure a healthier environment for generations to come.

🌍 Heal the Earth: Regenerative agriculture restores soil health, which in turn sequesters carbon and combats climate change.

💧 Protect Waterways: By reducing runoff and preventing soil erosion, these practices keep our water sources clean and healthy.

🍃 Boost Biodiversity: Regenerative farming encourages a variety of plant and animal life, creating resilient ecosystems.

👩🏽‍🌾 Support Farmers: This approach empowers farmers with sustainable methods that improve yields and build long-term resilience.

🌾 Healthy Food: By nourishing the soil, we grow nutrient-rich, chemical-free food that’s better for us and the planet.

Let’s grow together! 🌿 Practice regenerative agriculture and be part of the solution. 🌍
EverybodyEats 🌿🍅🍆🫛🍄‍🟫🍠

Morning friends!
I feel we haven’t been posting much but we will be back on track and way better than ever once our new space is complete 🥰 What was once a curse is truly a blessing and trust me our community is going to feel it as well!
Fall Harvest is being cooked up in our greenhouses though! They are currently at my home but that ain’t stop no show!
The community garden is looking a bit burnt but that’s to be expected in this heat! Very soon our irrigation is going to be updated and new plants will be planted for Fall!
Excited isn’t the word!
Our space is looking very demure, very at peace, very mindful and Lord YES! We love it!

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This little experiment (which anyone can do at home) illustrates how important plants and trees are in purifying our groundwater and therefore our drinking water. The more we clear trees and destroy green spaces, the more difficult it becomes to keep our drinking water clean.

Reposting this! Who doesn’t love some good pesto?!

My Super Easy, Lazy Hack For Freezing Basil: The Pesto Sheet

Yup, you read that right. So, when I’ve got a glut of basil on my hands, I make pesto and freeze it…

…spread in a thin layer, on a baking sheet. It’s perfect. I break it apart into slabs and keep it in a zip-top freezer bag.

When I want pesto, I grab as much or as little as I need. When I want fresh basil, I reach for my pesto bag because, let’s face it, if you’re cooking with basil, chances are whatever you’re making could also use a little garlic and olive oil too.

No messing around with placing individual leaves on a baking sheet. No filling and packing ice cube trays.

Just toss everything into the food processor, pulse, dump it back out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

You’ll need to keep it level in the freezer. And it only takes about two hours to freeze solid because it’s so thin. Then break it apart and toss it in a freezer bag, seal and freeze until you need it.

Cultivating Culture is now representing over on Carey St! Closer to our garden and closer in the heart of Olde Town! You can’t stop a mission God gave, we are in Olde Town to stay! So excited to make this shop twice as beautiful as the last since it’s 3 times as big!

We now have our actual classroom space, AND MORE!

A live will be posted soon with a tour!
So excited and grateful!

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Great reads for the Culture

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🌱 𝓖𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓒𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮: Afro-Indigenous Heritage, Nature, and Food 📚

Get into these powerful books that celebrate Afro-Indigenous heritage, the beauty of nature, and the wisdom of growing our own food:

𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙂𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙣
A soulful collection of stories and recipes that intertwine the magic of food with the spirit of family, tradition, and the resilience of Black women.

𝙎𝙤𝙞𝙡: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧’𝙨 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙏. 𝘿𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙮
A poetic exploration of how cultivating a garden connects us to our ancestors, the land, and the deeper truths about our lives.

𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙒𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙗𝙮 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙝 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙣
Penniman shares insights from Black and Indigenous leaders on how we can heal the land and ourselves, reclaiming our connection to the earth through regenerative practices.

𝙁𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙝 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙣
This guide is a must-read for anyone interested in farming and food justice, offering practical advice and stories that inspire a new generation of Black farmers.

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙆𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧
A celebration of Black women chefs and their contributions to culinary culture, this book is rich with recipes, stories, and the history of food.

𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙣 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙆𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧
Combining Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge, Kimmerer invites us to consider our relationship with the earth and how we can live in harmony with nature.

These books are more than just great reads—they’re essential tools for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of Afro-Indigenous heritage and the role of food, culture, and nature in our lives.


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🌱 𝓖𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓼 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓒𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓒𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮: Afro-Indigenous Heritage, Nature, and Food 📚

Get into these powerful books that celebrate Afro-Indigenous heritage, the beauty of nature, and the wisdom of growing our own food:

𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙂𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙣
A soulful collection of stories and recipes that intertwine the magic of food with the spirit of family, tradition, and the resilience of Black women.

𝙎𝙤𝙞𝙡: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧’𝙨 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙏. 𝘿𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙮
A poetic exploration of how cultivating a garden connects us to our ancestors, the land, and the deeper truths about our lives.

𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙒𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝙗𝙮 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙝 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙣
Penniman shares insights from Black and Indigenous leaders on how we can heal the land and ourselves, reclaiming our connection to the earth through regenerative practices.

𝙁𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙗𝙮 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙝 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙣
This guide is a must-read for anyone interested in farming and food justice, offering practical advice and stories that inspire a new generation of Black farmers.

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙆𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧
A celebration of Black women chefs and their contributions to culinary culture, this book is rich with recipes, stories, and the history of food.

𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙣 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙆𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧
Combining Indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge, Kimmerer invites us to consider our relationship with the earth and how we can live in harmony with nature.

These books are more than just great reads—they’re essential tools for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of Afro-Indigenous heritage and the role of food, culture, and nature in our lives.


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Morning friends! Today while gardening I found this friend or foe! 🍄‍🟫 Anybody know what this is?

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✨ What’s Happening on the Northshore This Week? ✨

Check out all the fun and exciting events lined up for you!

Whether you’re getting your zen on at Yoga Blossom’s Moon Salutation Flow 🌙, empowering the next generation at the Teen Girl’s Workshop 💪, or putting your minds to work at the STEM Fest in Hammond, there’s something for everyone.

Heads up mall business owners, are you ready to connect with the community?

We’ve got your back with budget-friendly marketing solutions to make your business shine. 🌟

📲 Shoot us a DM to chat about how NSS can help your business grow!

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🌱 𝓗𝓮𝔂 𝓢𝓽. 𝓣𝓪𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓗𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓻𝓼🌱

Is your child new to homeschooling? Looking for a fun, interactive, and educational way to get them outside and learning? Look no further! 🎉

Join Cultivating Culture’s Homeschool Garden Club—a hands-on gardening adventure where your little ones can dig into nature, grow their own food, and learn about sustainability while making new friends! 🌻

🔎 Why Join?
- Hands-On Learning: Kids will get their hands dirty while exploring the wonders of gardening! 🥕
- Interactive Classes: Each week is packed with activities that make learning fun and exciting. 🐝
- Community Connection: Meet other homeschool families and grow together in our vibrant garden community! 🌼

Sign Up Today!
💲 $20 per class | 💲 $200 for the semester
💻 Zoom Access Only: Just $10!

Spaces are limited, so don't miss out! Let’s grow, learn, and thrive together in Cultivating Culture’s Garden Club! 🌍💚

Click the link to register now! 🔗
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849A9AD2DA2F5C25-50740998-2024



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