The Sprouts House is back open for 2012! Join us for Seed Swap Omaha on Saturday, January 14, 12-5 pm.

Please Bring: (Any or All of the below)
1) ENVELOPES to carry the seed you will collect
2) Saved seeds- preferably well labeled and cleaned
3) Winter Clothes for the Karenni Refugees
4) Other homemade craft
5) Nosh to share for potluck style afternoon
***its is absolutely okay to come empty-handed***

Are you a gardner? Do you save your seed? Are you interested in breeding veggies that are specifically adapted to you local climate/weather/taste? Want to have a greater sense of food security?

for any questions. ♥
email> betsy4589@gmail.com
call> Betsy at 402.321.1806

Join the City Sprouts community for a potluck to ring in 2012! The house will open at 7:30 PM, and all friends of City Sprouts are invited. No RSVP necessary. Just bring a drink or a dish to share and come as you are. Guitars and other musical instruments are welcome.

Due to renovations and a necessary end-of-season cleaning period, the Sprouts House will be closed starting November 1.

We may schedule a few open work days during the month, but we will not host any workshops or community potlucks until our work is finished. This includes worm classes and children’s programs, which will be delayed until December. Also coming post-cleanup is a series of OPPD Energy Efficiency workshops.

Also, all City Sproutsers are invited to help put the garden to bed for winter on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 10 am-2 pm. If you have a garden bed, please come help clean up the site! If you have winter crops growing that you want to maintain past Nov. 5, contact Jeanine or leave a message on the house phone. All other plants are fair game for volunteers to clean out!

All ghosties and goblins are welcome to join the City Sprouts Young Sprouts for a little Halloween fun on Saturday, October 20! Between 10:30 and noon, participants will design and decorate or carve (with adult assistance) their own jack-o-lantern for Halloween night. Costumes are welcome but feel free to come as you are!

There is no charge for the event. Free pumpkins will be available for the first 20 or so participants. Snacks will be provided.

Rescheduled from September!

When: Saturday, October 8 at 10:30 am
Where: City Sprouts House, 4002 Seward Street.

We will meet just outside the house

Please bring the family and join us Saturday for an educational and entertaining presentation about bird migration, led by Clem Klaphake from the Audobon Society of Omaha.

Snacks will be provided.  If you have any questions please contact Vickie at vickie-g@hotmail.com or at 402-215-7145.

Just a reminder that City Sprouts is at several Omaha farmers markets every week. Check out our “Markets” tab for more information.

New this week… SWEET POTATOES!

Special thanks to the Creighton volunteers who helped us dig and pull the sweet potatoes. You’re fantastic!

For Thursday

10 AM: Companion Planting and Natural Pest Management with Caitie Caughey

What can you do in the garden to prevent pests and diseases without using chemicals? Companion planting is a great method to deter pests, as well as other natural pest repellents. Come learn more, bring questions, resources will be available.

For Friday

10 AM: Infusions, Decoctions, Tinctures and Syrups: an Introduction to Different Methods of Using Medicinal Plants with Tyler Magnuson

This skill share will focus on a few basic ways to incorporate medicinal plants into your everyday life. We will mainly focus on different media that the medicinal properties of different plants can be brought out with and stored in. In no way am I an expert herbalist, so be prepared to learn together!

4 PM: Preservation: Canning, Fermenting, and Saving the Harvest with Tyler Magnuson

A brief intro to preserving fruits and veggies.  We will cover a few methods of preserving, depending on what is readily available. Possible projects: pickled beets and pesto.

For Sunday

11 AM: Food Not Bombs

A weekly event where donated food is cooked and shared with those who want/need it. Cooking takes place at the City Sprouts House (4002 Seward) and is served at 2 PM in front of the library in Gene Leahy Mall (NE corner of 14th and Farnam).

2 PM: Women & Herbs: A conversation and introduction to using herbs for your health with Caitie Caughey

Open conversation about women’s experience using herbs, feel free to bring your own knowledge AND questions. Printed resources and materials will be available. Topics can include: herbs to aid menstruation symptoms, herbs for a healthy cycle, herbs to promote menstruation, herbs to use during pregnancy, herbs for relaxation, etc.  Morning tea and snacks provided, feel free to bring something to share.

For more information about the DIY Fest, including a complete schedule of events, visit the fest website at: http://omahadiyfest.wordpress.com/

City Sprouts is currently playing host to several workshops and events as part of this week’s DIY Fest, organized by a few of our beloved community members.

For Wednesday:

7 PM: Designing and Growing Small Terrariums with Jamie Anderson

Bring a small glass container of any kind for your terrarium. All other materials will be available. Feel free to bring small plants to share if you have any; we’ll use seeds.

Also at 7 PM: Cloth Stenciling 101 with Matt Cronin

Learn the technique of locating and permanently applying stencils to fabric.

8 PM-midnight: City Sprouts Community Potluck (as usual)

Free food. Good company. Bring something to share. All ages! Don’t forget to tour the garden and pitch in on the weeding to keep our community areas looking good!

For more information about the DIY Fest, including a complete schedule of events, visit the fest website at: http://omahadiyfest.wordpress.com/

Just a reminder that the Rain Barrel workshop is tonight at 6pm. Hope to see everyone there!

Join Rita Corell and the City Sprouts team for an introduction to rain barrels! Rain barrels are a terrific, ecologically friendly way to provide safe, clean water for your garden. We will discuss different types of rain barrels, how they work, maintenance and methods of use.