Growing Cities Movie Premier and Discussion

I am privileged to serve on a panel after the viewing of this documentary along with Alexa Delwiche and Teague Weybright, two folks I've had the chance to work with in these past few years. Both are profoundly knowledgeable and I'm sure this will be a marvelous evening of provocative thinking and vision.

The Los Angeles Community Garden Council presents…

The “Growing Cities” Movie Event

​

Sunday  June 1, 2014

3:45 to 6:00PM 

Park La Brea Movie Theater

475 S. Curson Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90036

EVENT TIMELINE

3:45PM – Arrive and enjoy healthy snacks.

4:00PM – The 60 minute movie starts.

5:00-6:00PM – Refreshments & discussion with local urban agriculture experts:

> Teague Weybright, Board President, LACGC

> Alexa Delwiche, Managing Dtr, LA Food Policy Council

> David King. Inaugural Chair, Seed Library of LA.

TICKET PRICES

Adults: $14.00

Under 18: $10.00

To purchase tickets and get more information, go to:

tinyurl.com/lacgc-movie

Sponsored by:  LACGC & the Park La Brea Residents Association

david

LA Interactive Kundalini Yoga Community Gathering/workshop ~*Outdoors" At The Learning Garden!

Bringing together communities / practices devoted to positive thought / intentions/ actions
Sat.  May 24 at The Learning Garden (enter on Walgrove at corner of Venice Blvd & Walgrove):  13000 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066. In Courtyard patio. Street Parking: 
$5  Requested love donation, no one turned away for lack of funds

Come join friends for another beautiful afternoon in this community garden, ~*Celebrating*~ & experiencing this practice, & connecting with wonderful people :) This month we’ll share, explore & celebrate positive practices/traditions/ communities parallel & synergistic to the practice & community of Kundalini Yoga, --especially the Interactive & White Tantric aspects!*~ 

As a symbolic celebration of this coming together, we'll of course do some Interactive, as well as regular, Kundalini Yoga:  We’ll do some in pairs, + facing into the circle:  With another awesome, magical class with *~Sat Devbir Singh*~(Donations go to www.AceOfHeartsDogs.com ) while listening to his guided journey of words, music, & Tibetan Singing Bowls, --& sharing breath, chanting/singing, movements  or stillness (often while looking into each other’s eyes while holding hands, or leaning against each other’s backs) – Interactive Kundalini Yoga facilitates a space of being comfortable & able to celebrate just *being* with another person, & *just being* with oneself –without needing words:  And being able to be present to ones breath, & the needs of one’s body, *while* truly being present & connecting with another human being & enjoying it!.  Celebrating each other, building energy & having extra to share with our community! 

There are so seldom opportunities for us to connect as a community outside of classes, so we've set aside a more informal, relaxed space & open forum for people of all backgrounds to feel welcome to evolve new ideas for the community together, & people of all experience levels to share the practice; an especially welcoming space for beginners to try their 1st class!  . ***There will be chairs for people who need them & people of all ages & fitness levels participating.***

BRING:  Ideally *2* of the following: Yoga Mat, Blanket, beachtowel will do if that’s all u have…; Cushion if you need it; water; hat; sunscreen; snack if you need it; comfortable, flexible clothing

MENU (Drop in for whatever interests you):
12:30pm to 1:30pm:  
Group Therapeutic Massage Sharing Circle Fully Clothed:  4 People Massage 1 Person At Same Time (includes new massage therapy practices), --then they get up & give while next person lies down & receives.  A few easy techniques for people w/no experience in massage + ways to massage w/out tiring or straining yourself will also be taught.  Participants need to be willing to give as much massage as they receive, & comfortable giving & receiving massage from both genders.  Terrific practice & group activity to share at gatherings of friends & community, especially before physical activity or facing life’s challenges.  Learn it & share it!
1:30 -2:30pm:  
Interactive + some regular  Kundalini Yoga  Class w/~*Sat Devbir Singh*~
2:30-3pm-ish: 
a.    1 Dance Of Universal Peace will be lead + some exploration of cocreating a Kundalini Yoga focused dance.
b.    Anyone is welcome to drop-in TEACH 15min of *Interactive*: Kundalini, AcroKundaliniYoga, Sattva Yoga, or Osho & receive part of the donations of the day if you teach w/out needing to correct yourself, ask for assistance, & we don’t need to add comments to insure the safety of the class J 
c.    Positive Practices Exercise Sharing Circle:  everyone is welcome to share an exercise or teaching of your favorite positive practice, especially those that equally include the body! ( Diana will lead an exercise demonstrating + sharing a bit about the connections between, & special gifts of, various positive practices/communities);
~*Afterwards hangout or explore community garden*~  Bring a snack or beverage to share if you like J

What is KUNDALINIi Yoga? How is it very different than other kinds of Yoga?:
Kundalini Yoga *simultaneously* combines chanting or singing with movement & postures, symbolism, dynamic breathing, & meditation focused on positive intentions/ energy/ actions, --to experience mind, body, spirit epiphany, connect with divine energy, & manifest peace for ourselves & the world. Like many other Yogas it centers the mind, helps rid back pain & stress, improves strength, flexibility & provides tools to reach & maintain optimal fitness while continuously expanding one’s ultimate fitness possibilities. Kundalini Yoga is especially known for increasing life energy & zest; therapeutic benefits for nervous system, improving immune system, ridding people from addiction, depression & insomnia; & releasing the spirit to flow freely. *Interactive* Kundalini Yoga is sometimes offered as part of workshops, but rarely ever offered in regular classes; we always do some: Enjoy an expansive, deeper, transcendent experience connecting with other human beings! 
~*<>*~<>*~<>*~~*<>*~<>*~<>*~~*<>*~<>*~<>*~~*<>*~<>*~<>*~

     RSVP appreciated, welcome to  Drop in without RSVP  but please join our list (in case of last minute info) - this low volume email list/ messageboard is the best way to contact us.

Looking forward to sharing this, & connecting communities we love with new friends & new positive communities

~*Sat Nam*~

Potluck for 28 March? Maybe. Maybe Not.

People: changes at The Learning Garden... stay tuned for info - potluck may be canceled this week or possibly postponed to 1:30. Look for new, later hours and some additional changes. We'll update here and on the site as well. 

david

Fava Leaf Pesto (Recipe!)

With flowers, this what fava leaves look like -
remove the stems before using.

makes 1 cup
2 cups fava leaves, stems removed
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked pepper to taste


Mince garlic in the food processor.  Add the fava leaves, walnuts, salt, and lemon juice.  With food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil.  Blend until mixture is smooth and uniform.  You will probably need to scrape down the sides.  Add parmesan and pulse until mixture is combined.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately on pasta, pizza, or toast.  Store any left over in an airtight container in the refrigerator.



david

David King Gave Me Worms!

This Saturday is the last installment of the Growing Food in SoCal work shop with David King for 2013! As usual we run from 10 to noon, in the classroom (or on the patio) of The Learning Garden, at the intersection of Venice Blvd and Walgrove Avenue (enter on Walgrove). 

To get your New Garden Year off right, we are going to give away some  WORMS and teach you how to care for them.  WORMS are on a 'first come, first served basis;' we expect a good turn out for this and have only a limited amount of Red Wigglers to give. BRING A YOGURT OR COTTAGE CHEESE CONTAINER (not the 'single serving' size!) or something similar to take your worms and be prepared to make their bin in short order and give them some scraps or you could have dead worms on your hands.  Yuck! 

Everyone will learn how to care for their worms and how to make an inexpensive worm bin to keep them - they are perfect for apartment dwellers and others who can't have a real live compost pile!  Thye are easy to care for and keep recyclable material out of the waste stream.  And they make a wonderful fertilizer for your plants!  

On this last class of the year, we have a lot to cover – if it's as cold as they say, we'll have hot coffee and tea to help you stay warm.

As usual, $20 at the gate or in advance by PayPal to greenteach@gmail.com.  Thanks!!!  

Thank You LA City Council!

From Left to Right:  Mike Bonin, David King & Paul Koretz with the
Letter of Appreciation for The Learning Garden.

This last Saturday, August 17th, The Learning Garden hosted a new organization's launch in Los Angeles:  Seed Freedom LA.  Seed Freedom was conceived in November 2012 in a meeting of many Los Angeles activists and Dr. Vandana Shiva to carry on with 'what's next' for the anti-genetically modified community in Los Angeles.  The organization's goal is to spear-head the drive to have Los Angeles City Council declare LA a GMO Free Zone - it will be illegal to grow genetically modified plants in Los Angeles in a way that non-GMO plants could be contaminated with the pollen of genetically modified plants.  In the past, industrial agriculture has maintained if their pollen spreads to your plants you are guilty of 'stealing' their technology when in truth most farmers who do not have GMO plants consider it a form of pollution.  This law will protect organic gardeners in their school, community or home gardens from having to wonder if their food has been contaminated with this untested technology.  

City Council Members Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz spoke to the several hundred folks gathered in the Garden and pledged their support for legalizing bee-keeping in Los Angeles and presented The Learning Garden with a Letter of Appreciation from LA City Council.  David King, the gardenmaster, noted in accepting the letter that it was addressed to the community of The Learning Garden and not to any one person and stressed that is how it should be as the garden is a community of many and it has taken everyone's effort to make the garden the success it is today.

Pretty good looking letter!  

Would You Buy Some Plants From This Guy?

Two March Events for your calendar...

Plant Sale
March 16 10am to 2pm

Brian Bailey, Organizer, Sign Sandwich 

Veggies, herbs, flowers, succulents and much more… lettuces and tomatoes; heirloom varieties, SLOLA seedlings, squash, cucumbers, roses, sunflowers, fruit trees, and medicinal plants

Six Packs and Individual plants priced from $1 to $4 .Proceeds from sale go directly to grow and maintain the Learning Garden.  




Spring Equinox Celebration

March 23 12pm to 3pm

No Maypole yet, but...

Spring is officially here, it is time to plant and rejoice in another new growing year.  Join us for lunch, music, live art, presentations, demonstrations, continued plant sale, garden tours, yogic dance and more.

Presenters include: David King; gardenmaster, educator, author and seed saver. Sasha Rovin; founder of Better, local nonprofit that is open sourcing engineered permaculture to create DIY sustainability curriculum. Matt Van Diepen; grower, Home Grown Gardens, local activist. Jim Tate, Our Time Bank – neighborhood service and skills share and trade group. Musicians Include Lokah with Bhakti music Percussion and Yogic Dance. Arianna Solare, singer, songwriter harmonium maestro. Sweet Beets, with David King and KZ G  and Special Guests. 

As usual,enter on Walgrove and park on the street!  

Check back for additional updates; we're still adding stuff!  

david