Seward Neighborhood Group

It’s gardening season, even in a pandemic! And Seward’s community garden is still open this year, just with social distancing.

Hub of Heaven is Seward’s community garden, located on the corner of 26^th street and 28^th Ave. With 29 plots, Hub of Heaven has been continuously gardened for over 20 years, without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The garden welcomes new members every spring. Gardeners maintain their own plots, sign up for community chores, and help clean up the garden in spring and fall. This year, there will be no group cleanup or work days, and gardeners will sign up for chores online.

Interested in a plot? Those who gardened there last year get first choice of whether they would like to renew. If there are open spots, people who are on the waiting list get their chance. This year, there may be a couple of spots open. To get updates or join the waiting list, contact hubofheaven@gmail.com. Plots are $30 for the year and must be planted by May 31^st and cleaned up by November 1^st, weather permitting. If Hub of Heaven is full and you’re still looking for a spot to garden, consult COMGAR (Community Gardens in Minnesota) or the Minneapolis Parks and Rec Board’s Community Garden Coordinator (CommunityGarden@minneapolisparks.org) to see if they can track down a plot.

This year the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) and the Minneapolis Park Board areasking residents to celebrate our social distancing Earth Day by participating in a Do-It-Yourself (DYI) event.  SNG wants everyone to stay safe and healthy, but residents still can participate in this “virtual” Earth Day by collecting trash on their own or nearby blocks.  SNG’s request is for folks to bring a garbage bag on a walk in the neighborhood and collect any trash or debris cluttering our neighborhood.  People are advised to wear gloves /masks and, of course, maintain a safe 6 foot social distance.
Here is what to do:

1. Collect and bag trash while walking on your block or in nearby areas.
2. Budget an hour or so between this coming Saturday, April 18 and Saturday, April  25 to perform your collection – actual Earth Day is April 22.
3. Take a photo of yourself and your collected trash bag(s) to send to SNG. Hold our downloadable poster  Then, dispose of your collected trash in your own residential garbage cart.
4. Post your picture(s) on Facebook with the #MplsDIYEarthDay on the Mpls Parks Earth Day Facebook Page Minneapolis Earth Day Clean Up and Seward’s Facebood event Page
5. 5). Send your picture(s) to Kerry@SNG.org  SNG will include your photo into a SNG collage and also forward the photos to the Park Board.
6. Recommended –  Please try to include your own comments or hashtag “#Seward #MplsDIYEarthDay” to creatively celebrate Earth Day.  Alternatively, folks could also hold a sign while taking the photo commemorating Earth Day.

We have a few areas that could use some extra love.  Consider spending some time in the following areas:

• All of Franklin Avenue
• 9th Street by Highway 94
• All along the Midtown Greenway
• The lower areas of the river gorge

by Ellen Squires

The 2020 U.S. Census is underway! Here are some fast facts about this year’s census:

What is the Census? The census, which happens every ten years, counts the population in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. territories.

Why is it important? Census data is used by the government and others to provide community services. Billions of dollars of federal funding are earmarked for things like hospitals, schools, and highways, and the amount that is given to different communities is driven by census data. Census data is also used in politics; it helps determine boundaries of legislative districts, as well as the number of seats a state gets in the House of Representatives.

How does it work? In mid-March, a short questionnaire was mailed to homes across the country. You can complete the questionnaire online, by phone, or by mail. In addition to the mailed questionnaires, census workers will make a special effort to count people experiencing homelessness, college students, and those living in nursing homes. Census workers will also visit homes who have not responded from May through July.

What is asked? The census asks about everyone living in your household and gathers basic information like sex, age, race, and ethnicity. The census will NOT ask about whether you or anyone in your household is a citizen.

Where can I learn more? You can find much more information about the Census at minneapolismn.gov/census – or – 2020census.gov.

Let’s work together toward a complete and accurate count!

The best time of year to live in Minneapolis is coming soon! Are you ready? If you are
like most people in the neighborhoods of south Minneapolis you are chomping at the bit to get out into your garden or you know someone who is. Knowing a gardener in Minneapolis is similar to the Kevin Bacon principle, everyone knows someone who gardens! The online platform for ordering from the Seward Montessori Plant Sale has begun! You can bookmark this link to to place your order: www.sewardmontessori.org.

The Seward Plant Sale is not only to support great things a Seward Montessori
Elementary School, like the Peace Garden and Green Classroom, it is also a great way to fight global climate change and ecosystem loss and help the butterflies and bees! You have the opportunity to purchase beautiful annuals, herbs, and vegetables from Glacial Ridge Growers, a small family farm growing USDA Certified organic plants for over thirty years be part of their mission to “restore the native prairie and wetlands one backyard at a time!”

Glacial Ridge Growers is an innovative farming enterprise located three hours west of
Minneapolis near Glenwood, MN. The Stark family has been growing USDA certified organic plants to “restore rebuild and restore the native prairie and wetlands of Minnesota” that have been gobbled up by industrial farming. Jeremiah Stark, who grew up on the farm, uses controlled releases of ladybugs to eat common pests such as aphids that threaten their plants, instead of spraying with chemicals. Glacial Ridge Growers promotes eco-system restoration through propagation of our natives and organics, increasing bio-diversity, organic farming capacities and pollinator habitat. They sell Pollinator Packs of perennials that bees, monarchs and hummingbirds require to thrive. Their vegetables are nutritious and you can eat organic tomatoes right from your backyard or balcony pot that would cost you $4.50/lb at the Seward Coop! Heck,
maybe you can even sell to the Coop!? You can be part of the change when you plant neo-
nicothoid-organic plants that promote healthy pollinator activity! The Seward Plant Sale is a huge support to Glacial Ridge as they are experiencing a large number of order cancellations due to the Covid pandemic. You can learn more about the great work of Glacial Ridge Growers by watching this 8-minute video https://youtu.be/tNvlqQqgr6g.

Be sure to mark your calendars for Seward Plant Sale: www.sewardmontessori.org
March 23rd through May 1st and be sure to pick up your plants (and buy more!) on May 8th and 9th in the Seward Gymnasium. Mathews Park is willing to accommodate us should we need to move the sale outside to spread out and insure we are following the important social distancing guidelines. Seward families are brainstorming protocols we can implement to make sure people assembling orders are not passing along more than plants!

For fun: download and draw the Seward Plant Sale Tshirt design 2020

Seward Makes now has an ONLINE STORE! –> https://www.sewardsoftserve.com <–

A few things you can purchase:
Kimchi, Kombucha, Jam, Nuts, Honey, Tea, Mustard, Gift Cards!

You can support them and all their makers by purchasing products made at Seward Makes and from other local makers, as well as gift cards for soft-serve and drinks!

Message from: Center for Energy and Environment:

Xcel Energy is postponing its Flex Pricing Pilot so we can all continue to focus on the health and well-being of our families and communities as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. The pilot program, which would vary electricity rates based on the time of day, was set to begin on April 1, and participants received a packet in the mail earlier this month. The postponement means that all pilot participants will remain on their current electric pricing plan until further notice.

We will work with Xcel Energy and continue to closely monitor this situation and local and national public health guidelines as a new start date for the pilot is determined. Participants can expect to hear from Xcel Energy when a new date is set.

In addition, Xcel Energy will not disconnect service to any residential customers until further notice. If you are having difficulty paying your bills, contact them to arrange a payment plan that works for you.

Customers can visit xcelenergy.com/FlexPricingUpdates for the most up-to-date information about the Flex Pricing Pilot. If you have questions about the pilot program, contact Xcel Energy at inquire@xcelenergy.com or call 800.895.4999. For more information about Xcel Energy’s response to COVID-19, visit xcelenergy.com/covid-19_response.