Category Archives: Projects

The Depot in 2022

We held weekly open workshops on Thursday evenings from June through September.
Patrick was one of the regular volunteers at open workshops.
Our strawberry beds kept expanding and spreading!
We sorted and organized lots of parts such as brakes…..
pedals….
seats…..
handlebars…..
helmets…..
tubes.
Painting the interior was a common theme and activity.
Here’s Patrick checking a tube or leaks by inflating and dunking in a container of water……
as he helped out this gentleman with his tires.
Folks learning together.
Got the porch roof restored.
Ursula working on brakes it looks like.
Painting continues.
Ursula and Frank visited two community bicycle shops in Quebec City to learn more about how they function and provide services.
An open workshop session where some volunteers including Ursula, Brian, and Xavier sorted inner tubes.
We found our mascot buried under debris outside the building – piglet wearing their bicycle helmet!
We had a successful Repair Clinic for Women, Trans, and Non-binary cyclists!
Our last (?) work session of 2022.
painting of the parts room……..
scraping the ceiling and painting walls in the entry and general purpose room.
Another regular visitor Layleigh.

Take a look back at 2022 scenes from The Depot. Want to volunteer and/or join as a member to use the services and tools in 2023, send us a note at info@alchemicalnursery.org and we’ll get back to you. Follow along on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheDepotAt713MarcellusStreet and keep an eye out in your email box for Alchemical’s monthly-ish e-newsletter for further details and events.

WISH LIST FOR 2023

  1. Interior designer to plan our tool and workspace layouts.
  2. New wrench sets (2)
  3. Flooring materials
  4. truing stand
  5. White paint or other leftover paint (contact us with what you have)

Stop the Zombie Bind Weed! Halloween Cleanup

Clean Up Day on Saturday October 31 at 2pm!
The Rahma Food Forest (3100 South Salina St) is under attack by hungry hungry bind weed. This vine is growing out of control like a zombie and it must be stopped. We need your help eradicate this invasive weed and protect the fruit trees and berries.
To kill zombies, you need to destroy their brains, best one with a chainsaw, machete, or sword.
To stop an invasive weed you must pull it from the root. Best done wearing gloves. We will also sheet mulch with cardboard and leaves to slow the bind weed from growing back.
Come prepared to be COVID safe and garden safe:
– masks required when working along side other volunteers!
– dress for the weather!
– bring your work gloves, weed forks, and hand spades if you have them.
– Hand sanitizer will be provided.
– Bring your own water.
If you REALLY plan to attend, RSVP here so we can have an accurate head count and can more effectively plan for providing supplies and the work that can be  done: https://forms.gle/58c33f2ps8sFPKHQA

Stewards Team List and Communications

We have a special email list for those who are actively involved in steward work at our project sites. It is a weekly update on progress and next steps, event scheduling, and other odds and ends.  If you would like to be included, please email info@alchemicalnursery.org with your request.  Here is a sample of the emails from the past couple weeks:

July 28th 2020 ANP Stewards Reports and Project Site Updates

First raised bed install

July 22nd 2020 ANP Stewards Reports and Project Site Updates

GENERAL
We still have 1 position in our Board of Directors to fill currently, have you considered serving in this way yet?  Please contact me with questions you may have.
Our 713 Marcellus St Lending Library site is now on a secure server and is now accepting payments for memberships.  Pledge your support by becoming a paying member today. Visit https://alchemicalnursery.lend-engine.com/ to join us.
610 GIFFORD ST COMMUNITY GARDEN
We will be meeting at 9 am this Saturday at Gifford garden.  Lots of currant harvest still available.  We’re in prime growing season, so necessary to stay on top of weeding. Fence repairs also need made, and shade cloth finish installation.  Let me know if you know you’ll be coming. Here’s Susan’s report from the past few weeks: “Welcome back!  I hope it was cooler where you traveled to than it has been in Syracuse.  Kathy and I were at the Gifford St. garden at 9:00 yesterday and on July 11 (she was also there on July 4).  We weeded; trimmed unruly plants; harvested raspberries, currants, radishes, and yarrow; and staked up some sprawling tomato plants.  (More tomato cages are needed.)  Fortunately, a couple of good rainstorms have kept the garden watered for the past two weeks, so we haven’t yet had to use the hydrant and raggedy hoses.”
As Susan mentioned, we need tomato cages, if you have any extra in the back of your garage or basement and want to donate, please let us know and bring them by.
RAHMA EDIBLE FOOD FOREST GARDEN
We are planning to go on Friday evening to harvest jostaberry and golden currants, they’ll dry up on the bush if we don’t get them soon, I picked a whole quart in only 5 minutes the other day, so it’s not too time consuming.  if you join us we’ll also do some trash pickup and weeding of the front corner.  Contact me via this thread so we can coordinate a time to meet that is best for everyone who’s coming.
 
Please bring a haul of cardboard if you can for our stash so we can continue sheet-mulching. 
713 MARCELLUS STREET DEPOT
Likely will be at 713 some point Saturday afternoon or evening, time to be determined based on a number of factors.  One of which is we are hoping to do the first trial install of the metal raised beds we are providing as mutual aid, and are scheduling that right now; will update the group once I know more.
OTHER
The Oswego Shonnard Orchard Meadow is also flowing with black currants, we picked 6 quarts in a half hour on Sunday, please visit if you’d like to harvest (701 Oswego St, corner with Shonnard St).

Raised Beds for Food Sovereignty Mutual Aid

WHAT IS IT

Do you struggle to afford fresh food? Do you wish you had the tools and resources to grow your own vegetables? Apply to The Raised Beds for Food Sovereignty Mutual Aid program to request a raised garden bed, soil, seeds, and gardening instruction for your household.
 
With support from the Gifford Foundation, The Alchemical Nursery Project is able to provide 15 raised garden beds to 15 households in Syracuse, NY that face financial and health vulnerability (based on U.N. and C.D.C guidelines).
 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE

If you fall into any of the following categories below you will be considered a priority recipient while materials supplies last. We do not have the capacity to analyze all applicant’s personal data or health records, so we are using the honor system, based upon what you tell us. The raised beds and materials will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from those applying who fall into these categories:
 

HOW TO APPLY

Requests are accepted on a rolling basis; the first round of submissions that have been received will be processed starting on Wednesday June 17th. Requests must include:
 
  • Your Name, Address, and Contact Information,
  • Your Risk Category from the list above,
  • Why you are interested in receiving a raised bed,
  • and what support you will need gardening.

Submit requests via:

  • email to info@alchemicalnursery.org; OR
  • Text or phone call to 315-308-1372; OR
  • FB message to https://www.facebook.com/AlchemicalNursery, OR
  • Postal letter to 717 Otisco St, Syracuse, NY 13204; OR
  • Come in person to 610 Gifford St Community Garden on Saturdays at 11:00 AM

UPDATES

May 27, 2021: Almost one year later, this project is continuing to help people access raised beds for food sovereignty. We’re thankful for the volunteer and material support to help make this happen! You can see a recent installs at https://www.facebook.com/AlchemicalNursery and follow that page for more garden installs and updates.

Public Harvest Map for Onondaga County and Central New York

Here is a map of publicly available sources of food that can be harvested in Onondaga County and the broader Central New York region. This map is being shared by popular demand. It is our hope that we, people sharing interest in public food sources and all their co-benefits, will populate and maintain this resource as a community. The map is viewable and editable by the public, hosted and occasionally backed up by non-profit mutual aid group The Alchemical Nursery Project, Inc. of Syracuse, NY.

Please respect the land these potential harvests are on. Alchemical Nursery is not moderating every map entry, and we cannot ensure that points on the map are 100% publicly accessible for harvesting. You sure are welcome at the public community gardens we host, which are on this Public Harvest map and are listed in our Projects page. If you have questions or suggestions, please email us ( info [at] alchemicalnursery [dot] org ) for assistance. Please harvest honorably.

To use this map, go to the following link for zoom and search functionality: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kYz4UCuVrOMYC45WO4C1SspzhXc&usp=sharing

Or in the map below, you can click the top-left icon to view a legend of potential harvest points.

Rahma Food Forest Stewardship Team Orientation

This date is for an orientation work day for individuals wishing to join the stewardship team at Rahma. Spots in this training are limited to 15 people in order to provide adequate instruction and attention to volunteer needs. You should be willing to become a return volunteer stewarding the site for other volunteers at future work days. Orientation will include full instructions on processes and procedures for you to be a part of the stewardship team crew :>)  You must register at the Facebook event page or contact Frank directly at 315-308-1372.

The Rahma Edible Food Forest Snack Garden is looking for volunteers for the 2020 season. This permaculture project supports the watershed and the Rahma Free Health Clinic at 3100 South Salina St in the southside of the city through landscape maintenance, stormwater management, providing free pick fruits and berries to the community, and educating clinic members and patrons.

We are looking for groups or families that would like to coordinate a date (or two) for coming and helping. We are also looking for individuals who would like to join the stewardship team, agreeing to host volunteers and be on site once a month during the April-September season. Learn more about the free clinic at https://www.rahmafreeclinic.com/

Join our Stewardship Team at Rahma!

To view the Stewardship Team Scheduling spreadsheet, please visit https://bit.ly/AlchemicalStewardshipSchedule and subscribe to our Calendar of Events!

The Rahma Edible Food Forest Snack Garden is looking for volunteers for the 2020 season. This permaculture project supports the watershed and the Rahma Free Health Clinic at 3100 South Salina St in the southside of the city through landscape maintenance, stormwater management, providing free pick fruits and berries to the community, and educating clinic members and patrons.

We are looking for groups or families that would like to coordinate a date (or two or more) for coming and helping. We are also looking for individuals who would like to join the stewardship team, agreeing to host volunteers and be on site once a month or so (we’re flexible) during the April-September season. Learn more about the free clinic at https://www.rahmafreeclinic.com/

Contact Frank at 315-308-1372 or frcetera@alchemicalursery.org

Fundraiser successes supporting trees in CNY!

Two local agroforestry fundraisers have succeeded in their goals this summer! Germinating projects that will grow toward fruition as we head into winter and the year to come. Much thanks for all contributions and support.

Alchemical Nursery fundraised $748/700 toward the 3 part peachy goal! “For part one, we will plant two dwarf peach at the 610 Gifford St Community Garden ($100), for part two we will invest in an electric mower (Kobalt 80V ($550) to maintain the abandoned orchard site so the peach trees there stay healthy, for part three, we will plant an additional peach tree at the Rahma Edible Forest Snack Garden ($50).”

New York Tree Crop Alliance (NYTCA) co-op has raised enough funds to buy a Kern Kraft Oil Press near Ithaca! This enables tree crop stewards to process Earth’s gifts of hickories & hazelnuts into useful & healthy oils that can be stored, shipped, and used to create a variety of value-added products. A key step in scaling up toward more broadly accessible and viable tree-based livings.
🌲 🙏 🙌 🌳

Rahma Edible Forest Snack Garden 10 Year Environmental Benefits Assessment

JULY 13, 2019 – Day of Service at Rahma

On this training & volunteer day we’ll learn about Rahma’s environmental benefits using free scientific software called i-Tree Tools from the USDA Forest Service. A basic environmental benefits report about Rahma will be shared and discussed, then we’ll measure trees on site to conduct a more detailed analysis using the i-Tree Eco software. We ask that tree ID experts help each forest garden sampling teams – please come if you can, or invite friends to help!

A digital copy of the preliminary report is available here as a PDF.

This Day of Service will be led by volunteer permaculture practitioners Robbie Coville and Frank Cetera. Please consider volunteering or donating to Syracuse’s permaculture mutual aid organization Alchemical Nursery, or even join the board of directors! Interested individuals of any skill level are welcome to get involved. To donate please consider our $1/month campaign at https://www.patreon.com/alchemicalnursery.

McKinley-Brighton Artwork & Student Garden at Rahma Edible Forest Garden

It’s taken quite a few years to figure this out, but we finally created a relationship with McKinley-Brighton school that worked! The kids and teachers did a great job with integrating their artwork into the garden, and we even coordinated a new growing space just for them to have fun and learn in. :>) Check it out when you’re heading down South Salina St! By the way, strawberries are ripening as we sleep and breathe, grab a snack, and take a look at what’s new, what’s old, and what’s in real.

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