The face of Five Points is changing. It is a “historically” black neighborhood, yet the future is uncertain…. and we have been the last man standing in a gentrified neighborhood before. Tis not the place to be.

It has been a learning experience that opened some doors (mentally & economically) and had some others close (mentally & economically) I have had some very good lessons in business, perception, intention, acceptance, loyalty, confrontation and how to measure success.

What I feel like I’m walking away with today is… that what makes I (Faatma) most fulfilled is within and the measure of success that I have been working toward is not by my own ruler. I love all those who lent me their glasses so that I could see what was in front of me and lent me their mirrors so I could see myself.

As always… this is not the end… but we are putting this project to rest.

Community work still happens in the EastSide and as our community grows so do we.

Thanks for your support & Love!
Faatma

1) I (faatma) and currently taking the Master Community Gardener Training with Denver Urban Gardens and am really excited about the possibility of a community garden space/collective in NE ParkHill… more info to come on that soon

2) whats happening with Solar?  well…thats a long conversation and you know it… but just so you know we are exploring the idea of Solar being owned by the community… more on that to come soon… altho you can call me if you wanna talk now.  7202123026

3) I’m excited that folks are gardening this year.  Michelle Obama is planting a garden at the White House and the following is a statement released by Denver Urban Gardens in response to that… I enjoy it… you should too…

Love your Guts!

Faatma

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Denver Urban Gardens Helps Local Residents Answer Obama Family Call to Connect Through Community Gardens

(Denver) March 23, 2009 – As the Obama family breaks ground for their new vegetable garden on the south lawn of the White house, Denver Urban Gardens (DUG) urges local residents to partake in community gardening as a means of promoting health and strengthening community ties.

Founded in 1985, DUG operates and assists with the creation and management of more than 80 metro-area community gardens. Through these gardens, participants are empowered with responsibility of bettering their community, initiating a sense of pride in their surroundings and improving their nutritional status through healthy, fresh food.

In a White House interview this month with The New York Times, Mrs. Obama said of her new garden, “Its most important role will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.”

As Denver’s flagship urban agriculture organization, DUG helps more than 25,000 people annually through education programs, providing nutritious food, and fostering neighborhood collaboration.

“Participants in DUG’s community gardens throughout the Denver metro-area will produce more than 200 tons of healthy, homegrown fruits and vegetables for not only themselves, but local food banks, shelters and others in need this year,” said Michael Buchenau, DUG executive director.

Mrs. Obama also emphasized the important role played by the nation’s many community gardens in giving city dwellers the opportunity to grow their own fresh food and make connections with their neighbors.

As metro-area residents have intensified their efforts to address both the economic crisis and the obesity epidemic, many have turned to DUG for help. In response, DUG has worked side-by-side with them to coordinate and build 20 new community gardens in the past two years, and has more than 10 new garden projects on the horizon for completion in 2009.

“A community garden is a remarkable place of refuge, as well as an oasis where neighbors with diverse cultural backgrounds can gather to work and grow together,” said Buchenau. “For so many, engaging in a community garden has become a very real and lasting way to respond to the serious challenges in their lives.”

For more information about how you can get involved with Denver Urban Gardens, please visit www.dug.org.

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Oh the journey through 2008 was a wild and carazy on wasn’t it?

I been hermit-ing and am quite good at it so please pardon my absence and please don’t take it personal because I love u and u really can call me anytime to tell me what to do.

So lets start with today first and then we can walk backwards and forwards.

I (Faatma) sat on a really lovely panel hosted by the folks at Transition Denver called “Eat Here Now: Growing Food in Denver”.  It was brilliant.  The Mercury Cafe was packed … I mean packed to the hilt and overflowing even with folks who are ready to grow and buy and sell food in Denver.

I’m an avid gardener of sorts and aspire to be a farmer but am not yet an “expert” so I wondered for a while why I was sitting on the panel.  And it became clear after a while that our community does in fact acknowledge that we need places to eat our food together.  We need businesses to advocate for local farmers and to buy local produce to create what? Local Economy.

So yeah… it was really good.  Shout out (I know I know) to Mickki Langston who I swear can hear my thoughts and/or inserts brilliant thoughts into my head every time I see her…and to Patrick Harrington… cus he’s fly and everyone else who is down to get dirty to make things grow.

So… a few things we are doing…

Supper Clubs Y’all!

for more info about what a supper club is…visit our website or call me (720.212.3026) and I’ll tell you…you can host these super fun house partays at your crib or a friends crib and throw down $25 per person in support of the build up (yes up) of SOLAR.  This is FUN way to support local business, eat good and party with people u love.

We are having an open to the public Supper Club at Solar on January 23rd to kick of the Food Justice Discussion Group.    For folks who are wanting to know more about the growing food movements in our city and how we can brainstorm and work together to make change.  Donations of $25 are what we ask and  we’ll watch the movie “How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” and we’ll eat food made by yours truly.  We DO need you to RSVP via email to fa@solarlivity.com or you can call me to confirm that you’ll b there.

We love you and all the ways you support us family!

So… over the past months we have been steadfast in working every avenue we can to receive capital to build and grow our community space and its been challenging and there has been continued personal growth as well as our connection to the people and space it self.

We will make this happen together y’all.  This is a community space and any way you see fit to donate your dollars, time, resources, information is welcome and appreciated.

I’ll keep you all posted on upcoming projects, parties, and food fun!

Love ur Guts

Faatma

Its been rough times to vision a way to utilize a monetary economy for solar. Many times I have asked myself if its worth it to keep pushin’ forward on a project that seems to be challenged by the status quo in various ways. We’ve been unsuccessful in our efforts to secure funding by traditional avenues, which is frustrating but telling, because it speaks to our mission challenging the norm.

I try to listen to you universe and receive messages from daily that we do this work to leave a legacy of longevity, sustainability and good health in body, mind, soul and business practices for our children and their children and I think we all know this... and the thing that has been standing out in the message as of late is “we”, not me.

How do we create a “business model” for “we”. Well simply put, we invite “we” to create it and sustain this project we call SOLAR.

We think a good lesson to take home from this “economic crisis” is that it reminds us that there is always a solution in collective effort for local economy. The answers seem so simple and also so untapped. We want for our community to flourish and so we should tend its gardens (metaphorically as well as physically).

We’ve been tryna hustle for Solar, and realized most recently that hustlin’ don’t work because what were doin isn’t a hustle. So the messages were receiving now from friends, family and cohorts in business is to present the idea to ALL to participate. We’d like to create a Fundraising Committee to spearhead the effort to get Solar’s doors open. Lets do this! Please contact Faatma @ 720-212-3026 to join the forces of SOLAR! (like voltron!)

banana – I could very easily post a banana bread recipe here but lets switch it up for a minute and make french toast wit dem nana’s

black grapes – most of us eat the grapes before we get them home, or while we are mulling over what to prepare for dinner…which is just fine, but just so you know they are also a fine addition to any salad… like this one

raspberries – I put raspberries in my salads too… but there are other fab creations like this cake because anyone who knows me knows I have an affection (not infection…. or maybe that depends on who’s watchin) for coffee….mmmmmmm

cauliflower – I love curried cauliflower, and raw mashed cauliflower… here are a few recipes for soups and stews and here are some raw lovelies for cauliflower

cucumber – I could eat these raw, pickled, stuffed, or juiced ( and you can too)… I found this recently and tried it and it was fun enough for the kids to be curious enuf to try… plus I also have a weakness for veganaise!

okra – all about Okra… don’t be scurr’d and theres a recipe for a bangin stew on this link too.

green bell pepper (choppers) – if you still have that corn from last week… lets stuff these green peppers wit’em.

butternut squash – last saturday at Local Motive, Sister Da’ron made these delectable pizza’s wit butternut squash on them… it was the first time I had had squash on pizza, (she’s got a cookbook comin out Y’all!) well it had me so hype I searched and found this, which isn’t her recipe but I’ma try it nonetheless

roma tomato – look people… fall is my favorite season… comfortably chilly, the best clothes, and we can start eating hot food (and if were raw we start eating hot spices!) anyway… here you go

Going forward I’ll post blogs re: the OGLunchBox and its contents, post directions for tastiness (recipes) and by all means feel free to add on ( u 2 can submit recipes and leave comments)

below you will find the rules of the lunchbox… let me know if you wanna get down!

What Is The OG LunchBox?

… well let me tell you. This is a organic produce share started by the folks who brought you Karma Cafe and SOLAR Vegetarian Restaurant. We know its hard to buy organic in the city, and we know it could be easier, so in an efort to revitalize the bellies of our families and neighbors in the metropolis of Denva, CO., we’ve decided to start a co-op of sorts.

Anyone can join, who has a determined idea to create better health for self, family, community and world.

We post recipes for what will be included in your weekly box as well as storage tips and other lovelies for your urban gardens

We love your guts!!

Who Can Be Down

Anyone who wants to eat & support organic, locally grown food

What You Get

Fruits & Veggies from Local Farms, there are a few exceptions to the rule (bananas, avocados) when dealing with stuff that doesn’t grow in North America, but its all organic and we support our local farmers by buying an OG lunchbox. The Box varies from week to week and you can tell me what you like, and I will do my best to fill the boxes to your liking, but understand that it is near impossible to please everyone. With that in mind, we invite you to try new foods and will even help you out by giving up new recipes everyweek on the SolarLivity blog! http://solarlivity.wordpress.com We send out an email the Friday before the delivery with the contents of your box.

Sizes & Prices

$20Small Lunch Box – Assortment of organic locally grown fruits & veggies. Enuf to feed 1-2 people for the week (Of course you will have to supplement with grains & beans etc.)

$36 Large Lunch Box – Assortment of organic locally grown fruits & veggies. Enuf to feed up to 5 people for the week (Of course you will have to supplement with grains & beans etc.)

How You Pay

We take Cash, Check, & Credit (via Paypal – solarlivity@gmail.com) Payment is to be received for the Monday Box no later than Friday before 5pm.

Delivery

I do it within the very small circumference of space I am comfortable driving in and if you email me I’ll give you the particulars on that shtik… just know it’ll cost ya a couple bucks in gas at least until I get my car veg oil converted (any takers on that project are welcome)ser

Tags: cooperative, community, vegetable, vegetarian

thanks a million times over to Fetien, Raw(b), and Daroni for bringing the vegan nourishment, to the mile high business alliance for partnering with us and letting the whole world know, the redirect guide, denver coop, pangea organics, transition denver for tabling and teaching!, akwe starnes for inspiring me to return to live food, Ona for breakin down backyard herbalism, malik for donating water, the alliance building for donating recycle bins, deejays sd & cavem for spinning me right round (baby right round like a record baby…j/k), mike word & ietef for the bboy/bgrrl class with the little people, jason bosch/argus fest for showing brilliant food justice films, environmental film fest for showing love support and showing a trailer to a film coming out soon!, magnet mafia for freaking magnets on the bus w/ the little people, slamnuba for doing a spoken workshop & stimulating neurons in my seeds 3rd, Ashara for being an organizer & Guerrilla marketer of magnificent proportions, Maurice for showin up EARLY and being a huge support, speech for translating energy into english for us, Mani for being the rock of the day, Art for talking about how grassroots activism can affect policy change ( NO on 46!), Celia for being the matrix guru and master wrangler of wild & young energy, Kinh for putting in LABOR for days, Lavell for easing us in to futuristic funk, gerald for donating pansies and sharing his vision, the shoppe for the gifts certificates (which we gave away with love), hysteria who donated a party (and added so much adult conversation!)… there are so many add ons… it was inpriring on so many levels, people reached out to me and added bricks to our community building… it was a beginning for what can be done in the face of stereotypes.  I love people (and their guts)

p.s. This friday were having a community forum to discuss amendment 46, 47 & 48 which are initiatives that are on the ballot in the coming weeks locally.  Faatma (yes me) is making food for this event for y’all to partake in while we have some serious discussion about language in local politics and it is the day before the last day to register to vote!  LOCAL MOTION… we hope to see you all there from 6-9pm friday oct3rd at SOLAR.

PEACE (and organic peas)

Faatma