Wopida Group Partners With - All Welcoming Adult Care - Open House Advent 2015

 

Friday Afternoon, Dec 4, we held our first Open House at AWAC, with the intention of inviting elders and leaders in healing through the power of the medicine wheel and the four directions.  Here is my tehanshi Ted 'Shire' Porpoise with Purpose' Harrison I have known since being led back to Minnesota MKP, New Warrior Community in 1995 after working with Lakota elders, to begin participating in NWTA, New Warrior Adventure Trainings here in the Prairie Lakes Region, Minnesota and Sioux City Communities.  Next to Ted is the CEO, Farhiya Farah of AWAC, who founded the Care Center with her family in 2010, to serve the Somali Elders in South Minneapolis.  At the table is, Deborah Aurianivar, skilled Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, L.Ac., MaOM, and Linda Rose, newly arrived to Minnesota  health coach, and student to D/Lakota ceremonial traditions.

 Andrea, a new young grandma, at the back table provides marketing materials for AWAC, and arrived before Ted and Deborah came for Kenyan tea around 1:30, the first to arrive for the Open House, and began a conversation with Farhiya about their visions as healers of the traditions of social work (Ted) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (Deborah)

 

Here are the two "shires"  Berhan Shire and Ted "Shire" Harrison with some of Farhiya and Mulki's relatives sharing some of the food and snacks  provided.  

 Mark T Scannell, A friend of mine I met over 20 years ago, is the author of a new book about Gratitude and the Serenity Prayer who is well connected to the liberal Catholic Faith Community and educators, in South Minneapolis, chats with Jamie Wellik, a property management friend who introduced me, and Wopida Group to Farhiya in Mid Novemeber, at the Swedish Institute - Jamie is a active leader in the Central Plains

  The energy in the room shifted when Father Christmas arrived, in the presence of Randy Lee Peck, my friend who worked at Carleton College as an advocate for earth center traditions for many years, and now represents the multicultural presents of Father Christmas, mostly in the Scandinavian Finnish style.  Her he is with one of Farhiya and Mulki's family as she shared her experience of Father Christmas being raised in Kenya.


 Randy with his staff, talking with the Somali men and elders who come to AWAC for afternoon prayers.

 Mulki, Farhiya with Cris Anderson, fiddler and marriage cultural consultant listening to a poetic Somali wedding ceremony on a smart phone.

 Cris, playing a Norwegian shottish (sp) for the three Somali Women

 Farhiya , Mark, Linda Rose, Father Christmas Randy with Mulki in back of 5 of the Somali elders who arrived for prayer.

 One of Farhiya's malawa, a crepe that was served for food.  My first time having a Somali Homemade crepe!

 My favorite image summarizing the multicultural vision of AWAC with me, the business development Weaver, consultant, Frahiya the CEO and co founder of AWAC, Father Christmas Randy Peck and Cris Anderson, a local storyteller, networker with Kairos Dance, founded by his wife..

Farhiya and Randy Father Christmas with author and long time South Minneapolis resident, Mark Scannell.

Greenhouse Transplanting from Germination Trays to Cell Pack Flats April in Gray's Greenhouse 2015

A favorite and tasty early heirloom that did especially well in 2014 gardens is Matt's Wild Cherry. 

We had good germination and have up to 72 plants for the season this year. 

Zoe and Jamie Wellik came out to Grey's farm near Winsted in March to plant seed in the germination trays, that are heated for quick germination. Here in late April, they returned with me to support the transplantation stage into cell packs of 4 each, to make flats,trays of 48 plants to carry to the city to support late May family garden planters.

 

Jamie and Zoe working with me to transplant some 1300 seedings, of heirloom tomatoes, peppers,  eggplant, and leafy greens.  Note completed flats in front with 48 seedlings to be ready in May

 

Another view of the transplanted trays with Jamie and Zoe demonstrating the technique. 

 Larger view of the green house.

 Large orange marigold to support companion planting for gardens with a splash of color.

 Heirloom storage onion and slicing onion.

Heirloom Especially grown for container gardeners with a compact shape prolific 24" plants with deep red 3" fruits with fern like foliage.

 Source of tasty colorful greens for salads and juicing also the roots for eating.  Bulls Blood suggested planting with rainbow Chard , Russian Kale and basil for ongoing greens this summer.

Contact Tom Weaver, tomw@wopida.com, call or text my cell 612 281 5230 for spring tilling and source of seedlings. Flexible pricing for family nutrition!  

Visioning A backyard garden for 2015? Reserve your own heirloom organic seedlings. i

 Tom Weaver here. Happy Spring Season!  Thanks for stopping by this page to see the variety of vegies and flowers I have planted to share with friends and clients this year.  I have written I little under each photo, describing the plant, and how many I planted.  Please consider emailing me, at tomw@wopida.com, if you want to reserve plants that will be available in May in time for garden planting.  Enjoy scrolling down these fun organic heirloom seed varieties. 

 CHARD RAINBOW - Colorful leafy green for salads, steamed vegies. (60 Plants)
MARIGOLD - Large orange. 2.5" globe goldens, great for garden edges.  (48 Plants)

 PEPPER GOLDEN CAL - Medium Sized plants, start green mature to yellow orange, 80 days to maturity. (48 plants) 
PEPPER SWEET CHOCOLATE - Early 58 day green, 78 brown, mild flavor medium thick flesh. (36 Plants)     WILL ALSO have some traditional Green Peppers, non heirloom available upon request 

TOMATO - YELLOW PERFECTION - English sweet heirloom, very sweet, little to no acid - 2" size for salads and slicing. 70 days  (48 Plants)

BEET Colored leaves planted for colorful mixed salads. Early harvest roots 35-50 days.(60 plants)
KALE Hardy sweet flavored leaves. 50 day maturity  (60 plants)

 EGGPLANT - Early maturing Italian variety - 65 days maturity (36 plants)
ONION - Firm fleshed yellow skinned storage onion. 112 days to maturity (48 plants)

 TOMATO BLACK CHERRY - Round dark purple sweet full flavor.  (64 days to maturity)
TOMATO SILVERY FIR TREE - Compact 24" plant with heavy crops of 3 in, deep red fruit.  Does well in pots-hanging baskets on patios. (60 Plants) 

 

TOMATO BLONDKOEPFCHEN YELLOW CHERRY - East German Hierloom, sweet 1" fruits borne in clusters.  (60 Plants) 

TOMATO  FARGO YELLOW PEAR - 1 - 1 1/2" fruits 1932 cross made in Fargo ND. Good for container gardening.   (48 Plants)

 TOMATO GILBERTIE PASTE - Heirloom long sweet and meaty. (85 Days to Maturity)
TOMATO YELLOW PEAR CHERRY - Clusters of pear classic shaped fruits, mild flavor (70 days to maturity)
 ++++ TOMATO MATT's WILD CHERRY - Small deep red with exceptional flavor. (55 days days to maturity. (72 Plants)

 Please consider emailing me any plants you are interested in reserving, and I will acknowledge that with a return email.   Thanks again for interest in supporting back yard gardening. 

Tom
Tom Weaver
tomw@wopida.com

 Just posted on my Facebook page March 1  "Listening to the birds singing now, changing their tunes, as Mother Earth is warming, and the suns rays melt the ice and snow.......Stopped in a the Wedge Community Coop where I am an owner/member and picked up some seeds for the gardens I will support planting this year. Matt's Wild Cherry was a great early producer and favorite snack of Rob Senden's grandson last year. And plan to carry some flats to Chicago and the south in May. Consider local snacks without high fructose corn syrup."

Looking to support local friends and families, who want to raise veggies and flowers in their own yard, or community gardens this spring.    I will be germinating seeds at the end of March with my friend who has warm germination beds and a greenhouse in the country near Winsted again this year.  He is ordering a small yellow round cherry tomato that I will offer for planting in mid May, when the danger of frost is past.    Roto-tilling happens after the frost is gone, late April and early May.  Please let me know if you are interested in having support for your garden this year.   Below is the same flyer I sent out last spring.......

Celebrating the Garden Harvest - Heirloom Tomatos and More!

Each of the past few years, I have rototilled gardens, this year, some new, like the community garden plot by Hyland Park High School in St Paul.  Rob Senden and I again this year, put up a fence and planted flowers and vegetables in Crystal, about 5 miles north of my apartment in St Louis Park.
I harvested more of this platter of vegies, Friday AM Sept 5th .  Mmm, lots of fresh tomatoes to share.


 Pink (Purple) Prudens, lower left, green striped, then a green pepper and hot jalepeno, yellow bush beans and Kentucky Wonder beans,  brown berry, the red striped, yellow pear, and a yellow and Umberto Italian small paste tomato and a heart shaped heirloom.  So many flavors for snacks, sandwiches and stir fried!

Varieties of heirlooms, lower left, Pruden's pink-purple, red zebra striped, green grape cherry and brown cherry, Matt's wild grouped red cherry, green zebras on the right and lower Umberto small paste.  

Planting Gardens for Sustainability - Pollinators of Native Plants For Spring Planning and Planting

 Here is a book that I picked up yesterday from Kent Petterson at his independent bookstore in St Paul.   He has a treasure trove of natural history books in a residential area of St Paul near W  7th. 
I visited him yesterday and was amazed by how comprehensive this work is for ecological gardens.

To learn more about the author, who is local to the Twin Cities, check out. http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/heather-holm-and-pollinators-of-native-plants/

 

With all the concern about Honey Bees, it is important to know of the indigenous bee and other pollinators of our native plants.  

  
And of course the butterflies too.   

 

An example of how one plant, the Purple Cone Flower, Echinacea, has many pollinators and visitors here.   I invite folks to consider sustainable native species for your gardens.  If you want a site visit by me, I will bring along my copy of this beautiful book    Best regards for a wonder filled spring with garders galore....

Rosen Method Global Congress WHISTLER, B.C., CANADA August 5-9, 2014

  Here is Marion Rosen at the Berkeley Center still teaching at age 96 surrounded by students from Denmark at the Intensive I attended as my second in Dec 2010
In 2013, I attended my 7th Rosen Method Body Work intensive. Since beginning getting sessions from Dorothea Hrossowyc in Aug of 2009 for my own personal growth ,and have joined the Rosen Method Institute as an advance student.  FYI,  My MKP friend Andy M, referred me to the work, and I have found it to be a great adjunct practice and work to stay more centered in my body. and to share with others    For more information check out   http://www.rosenmethodmn.org/

 

Here are some of the crew at the 2010 Berkeley Intensive in Berkeley.  Bill Samsel the only male teacher available came to Minnesota to lead what I think is the first ever all men's Introduction to Rosen Method Body work, that Eric Wickiser and I sponsored in Aug of 2012. 

I am looking to attend the Aug 2014 World Congress as an Advanced Student interested in speading the word and work in our Heartland Community and around the world.

 "We, the Canadian Rosen Method community, are excited to be hosting this event, and we welcome you all to Canada! Once again we will connect deeply, laugh, and play together.

Marion Rosen is still so present in our hearts. This Global Congress is special, for this would have been Marion Rosen’s 100^th birthday in June 2014. We will embrace our roots by celebrating Marion and her legacy.

This is a unique opportunity as a community to bring our passion, to build on the strong legacy that Marion gave us. Together we honour our roots, recognize our growth to date, and collaborate to powerfully step forward with Marion’s vision of taking Rosen Method into our communities and the world.

To Learn more  go to   http://www.rosenmethod.ca/global-congress-registration/

Spring Gardening in between the rains and storms! Wopida Group services

 Carol Olson who lives in north Minneapolis and had tornado damage from last year, called me to get a later start this year in tilling her garden.  Here is my trailer with the Troy Bilt rear tined tiller after I tilled the garden with the support of my sister Jane and Carol herself.

 Jamie and Rebecca Wellik of Golden Valley have been expanding their garden over the past few years and I recall starting from just lawn a few years back.  This year, they graciously allowed me to plant my own garden here.  Notice the cherry blossoms to the right on their tree, as Jane and I were getting some of the plants in this year in June, after a late starting season.

 Another view of the garden in the Wellik back yard.

For the first time this year, I planted a lot of bok choy in the greenhouse at the Schmidt farm. Seeing the 4 petaled flower, it is easy to see it is a cabbage or Brassica family plant. Here it is flowering at the Richfield raised bed gardens organized by public school teacher Brian Wheat at District 287.