An Invitation to Grow Together - Green Community Networking in Toronto, January 16, 2010

Consider yourself invited!:

An Invitation to Grow Together
Join Us for a Day of Green Community Networking & Collaboration
East End / Riverdale Region Community Gardens, Green Roofs & Food Projects
Saturday January 16th, 2010

We invite you to join a growing group of community members to share visions, activities and food using the Open Space process.

Date: Saturday January 16th, 2010
Time: 9:45am-4:30pm
Location: Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen St. East, second floor.
RSVP: by January 12th email: jaijot@jaijot.ca phone: (416)-935-1585

Vision
Building on the momentum of the Carrot Common Green Roof Project, we are looking to create synergies and opportunities with East End Community Groups, Community Gardeners and others who are engaged or interested in green initiatives and projects. Locavore food producers are being invited to provide samples of their food products to demonstrate how social enterprise opportunities are growing within the community.

Objectives
o Strengthen existing relationships and create new connections
o Create realistic next-steps based on mutual support and progress
o Establish a calendar of events, workshops, speakers and exhibitors

Emerging Themes
Urban Agriculture: Growing Food, Feeding People, Reconnecting with Food Source
Educational Opportunities: Urban-Rural Connections & Food Cycles
Horticultural Therapy: Healing Gardens & Therapeutic Plant Selection
Food Security Initiatives: Food Policy & Beyond
Food Production: From Heritage Seeds to the Table
Green Roof Initiatives: Beyond Grasses & Sedum: Hubs for Learning & Food Production
Alternative Energies, Water Recycling, Composting Methods, New Green Roof Technologies

Green Community
We wish to harness creative energy, sow seeds of possibility, harvest bold visions, passions and interests related to urban food production. What is your vision of an urban garden? What are you passionate about? How would you like to contribute to growing your green community?

Background
This event has grown organically from a meeting held in December with a group of 25 dedicated people. The group joined together in exploring related projects. The meeting was inspired by interested community groups, gardeners, existing food projects and the new Carrot Common Green Roof Initiative.

The Green Roof is being designed to showcase green roof technologies, urban food production and other sustainability exhibits as well as host garden and food related events. It will attract new and existing urban agricultural projects to encourage community engagement, by inviting members of the green community to present projects and research methodologies (i.e. renewable energies, water recycling, composting methods, pollinators etc.).

RSVP
We ask you to reply to this invitation and share your areas of interest. Please indicate if you would like to bring food to share in our communal pot luck lunch.