Hello Friend,
Each year, nearly 300 people volunteer to support Olivewood’s programs, events, marketing efforts, and property maintenance. We see youth, college students, retired professionals, corporate groups and more who generously donate their time and talent to ensure we can continue to run high quality programs in partnership with our community. We learn just as much from our volunteers and interns as they do from us. As April is National Volunteer Month we want to share our appreciation and adoration for all the volunteers who have supported Olivewood’s mission.
In April we also celebrate environmental awareness and stewardship during Earth Month. Olivewood has been doing our part to instill appreciation and awareness of our earth and our role in taking action for the climate, sustainability, and environmental justice through our programs, education, and actions. During this month (and beyond) we invite you to volunteer your time to an organization you connect with, and/or think about your personal sustainability efforts.
The next few months at Olivewood are full of programs, events, and our Plant Sale led by Sustainable Urban Agriculture high school interns. We hope to see you in the garden soon for one of these great programs!
Jen Nation, Executive Director of Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center
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Olivewood is teaming up with musician and environmentalist Jack Johnson on his 2022 Summer Tour as an All At Once Non-Profit Partner! Johnson’s foundation is matching donations contributed to us at his concert or directly to our organization from April 1 - October 15 2022, up to a total of $2500. Make a donation and it will be doubled by the Johnson Ohana Foundation!
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'The Kitchenistas' Screening, Panel & Demo with the Kalamazoo Foodways Symposium |
Tuesday, April 6
4PM - 5PM
Join us for another panel and food demo at the virtual Kalamazoo Foodways Symposium!
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Thursday, April 7
10AM - while supplies lasts
Exciting news! After a few months on hiatus, we are hosting our first donation-based Produce Stand of the year on Thursday, April 7th, at 10AM.
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Public Tour & Open Garden |
Saturday, April 16
10AM - 11:30AM
Join us for our first 'Open Garden' since 2019! We'll have a public tour starting at 10AM, and guests are free to enjoy the gardens and invited to learn more about our programs. No pre-registration required.
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All About Mushrooms Cooking Class with Chef Aureny Aranda |
Saturday, April 23 - New Date
3:30PM - 5:30PM
We are excited to host Chef and Kitchenista Aureny Aranda of Au Gourmet and Aureny's Salad Club who will share with us some very scrumptious recipes highlighting our star ingredient: MUSHROOMS!
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Spring Plant Sale
Saturday, May 7
9AM - 12PM
Join us for our annual Spring Plant Sale! This year, plants have been grown and the sale has been planned by high school participants in our Sustainable Urban Agriculture Entrepreneurship Academy! Swing on by for all your spring plant needs!
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Sunday, May 8
11AM - 1PM
Join us this Mother's Day to celebrate and honor all of the amazing mother figures who have nurtured us in our life! Come to the gardens to enjoy a delectable, garden-inspired brunch paired with refreshing mimosas! Everyone in the family is invited for this special day of garden fun!
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Chefcitos: Theme TBD
Saturday, May 14
10AM - 11AM
Save the Date!
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Please join us in celebrating and congratulating our newest Garden 2 Kitchen graduates! These awesome, engaged, and talented high school students completed an 8-week intensive internship focused on growing and preparing nourishing, whole foods.
Students culminated the program by developing, creating, and sharing a recipe with their fellow graduates and families. We enjoyed a full meal with a seasonal hearty salad, veggie and tofu stir fry, sandwiches and pizza with homemade bread, pasta with a creamy herb dressing, and passionfruit crepes.
Graduates shared some of their most valuable takeaways, from learning knife skills and how to prepare healthy meals, learning how to grow food for themselves and their families, gaining knowledge of proper harvesting technique, becoming more adventurous eaters, and practicing eating on a budget.
We are inspired by you, G2K graduates, and can't wait to see what's next!
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Olivewood Gardens Opportunities |
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We are looking for passionate volunteers that want to extend their knowledge and skills in community education, group management, nutrition, environmental science, gardening, marketing and communications, and more!
For more information, please contact Olivewood's Coordinator of Volunteers & Outreach Jackie Ante at: jacqueline@olivewoodgardens.org. Check out the volunteer and internship opportunities below and sign up to join us!
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Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce |
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Ingredients:
For Filling:
- ½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1-2 carrots, thinly sliced
- ½ jicama, thinly sliced
- ¼ red cabbage
- 1 bunch scallions, green parts only - 1 inch pieces
- Herbs - cilantro, mint, basil, thai basil, shiso (use all or choose what you like)
- ½ block firm tofu
- Ginger - 1 inch grated
- ½ lime - juiced
For wrappers:
- 1 Packet medium sized spring roll wrapper
- Shallow bowl with hot water
- 1 bunch broccoli leaves or collard green
- Pot of boiling water
- Ice water bath
For peanut sauce
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½ cup peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
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2 TBSP tamari, soy sauce or aminos
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1 TBSP rice vinegar
- 1 TBSP maple syrup
- 2 tsp sriracha or hot sauce - more/less to taste
- ½ lime - juiced
- 2-4 tablespoons warm water
- ¼ - ½ bunch cilantro - minced
- 1 clove garlic - grated
- 1 inch ginger root - grated
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Directions:
- Cut all veggies to similar size - thin matchsticks work well.
- Take tofu out of package. If stored in water - press between 2 plates with a weight to squeeze out more water for at least 30min or more. Cut into strips when drained.
- Place all veggies in a bowl, toss with lime juice and ginger.
- To assemble using the rice paper wraps - dip spring rolls wrappers in the hot water until they are just barely soft and lay out on a moistened cutting board. Fill the wrappers with the veggies, tuck in the edges, and roll! As you roll it up, place edible flowers, basil, or herbs inside for color and flavor.
- To assemble using the broccoli leaves - dip whole leaf in pot of water for 15-20 seconds, holding the stem end. Plunge into an ice water bath or run under cool water to stop from cooking. Lay on tea or paper towels to absorb water. Cut out center stem of leaf and lay flat on cutting board. Fill with veggies and wrap as you would the rice paper.
*Keep in mind you can use any combination of veggies in the mix.
For peanut sauce
- Combine ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
- If the sauce is very thick, add 1 TBSP of water at a time to loosen until desired consistency is reached.
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Follow the @OlivewoodKitchenistas |
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'The Olivewood Kitchenistas' Instagram & Facebook We invite you to follow Olivewood Kitchenistas on Instagram!
Kitchenistas are excited to join this social media platform and share with you their journey as community leaders, advocating for food justice and empowering others to live happier and healthier lifestyles. Learn about these incredible community leaders and the impact they continue to have through the wonderful work of volunteerism. Join the Kitchenista following today by following @olivewoodkitchenistas.
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Civic Engagement Opportunities |
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Check out these quick and easy energy-saving tips to help lower your bill while staying warm and comfortable.
1. Keep your furnace clean: Check furnace filters monthly and replace them every 3 – 4 months. A dirty air filter can increase energy costs and cause problems with your equipment.
2. Power off: Turn off lights, computers, TVs, gaming consoles and other electronic devices when not in use. Use a smart power strip to make powering off easier with the push of one button.
3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, if possible. You’ll save on energy and avoid scalding your hands and body.
4. Wash with cold water: Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load’s energy use in half; using cold water will save even more. Bonus – cold water helps your clothes last longer.
5. Stop the breeze: Caulk and weatherstrip around drafty doors and windows. Use a door sweep, door sock or towel at the bottom of doors with a gap.
Visit sdge.com/winter for more savings tips.
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