Hello Gardening Friends!
Our Farm & Community Manager, Lindsay Page provided us with this update today. Here's what's happening in the garden and where we need your help:

• Weeding the orchards, pumpkin patch and garden pathways
• Spreading sand and then mulch underneath the rain water collection system
• Deadheading flowers
• Monitoring for pests
• Moving the benches from the pool house to the garden
• Harvesting radishes, kale, baby swiss chard, arugula, spinach, collards, herbs & more
• Thinning beets
• Seeding new greens and flowers
• Staking and pruning tomatoes
• Trash pickup

NOTE: Many of these to-dos are very kid-friendly. Also, great community service work for teens. Now that school's out, why not set aside a little time together and volunteer an hour or two? We'd just love to meet some new folks who like to get their hands dirty, who love being outdoors and who love Palmer Park! Remember, those who volunteer can share in it's harvest!


The Urban Educational Garden is located near the Splash Park parking lot on Merrill Plaisance. Look for the raised beds and rain collection system!

Thursday, June 25th at Lola's on the Avenue 
Arrive 6:00-6:30pm, pitches start promptly at 7:00pm.
Cost only $5 to attend/eat/vote!

Magic of Art in Palmer Park (MAPP) - artist-led creative workshops - has been selected as one of only two projects that will pitch at Livernois SOUP. 

Detroit SOUP is a microgranting dinner celebrating and supporting creative projects in Detroit. For a donation $5 attendees receive soup, salad, bread and a vote and hear from presentations ranging from art, urban agriculture, social justice, social entrepreneurs, education, technology and more. Each presenter has four minutes to share their idea and answer four questions from the audience. At the event, attendees eat, talk, share resources, enjoy art and vote on the project they think benefits the city the most. At the end of the night, we count the ballots and the winner goes home with all of the money raised to carry out their project. Winners come back to a future SOUP dinner to report their project’s progress.

We need your support!

MAPP is proud to be one of only two presenters tomorrow night, so we're hoping you'll join us and show your support for our artist led workshops in Palmer Park!

LINKS:
Lola's on the Avenue, 19150 Livernois, Detroit.
Detroit SOUP

We’re Back! 
The First Tee of Greater Detroit is bringing programming back to Detroit and Palmer Park is the site of the launch.

Our Mission
To impact the lives of young people in Greater Detroit by offering affordable and accessible golf facilities to those with limited exposure to golf, resulting in character development and life enhancing values.

SUMMER PROGRAMMING
WHAT:  A new local chapter in Detroit of The First Tee, a national youth development organization focused on instilling life-enhancing values in children through the game of golf. 
WHERE:  Palmer Park Golf Course, 19013 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48203 
WHEN:  Classes will run weekly on Tuesday from June 16-August 18, 2015.

SCHEDULE
9:00-10:00 am – TARGET & PLAYer level 
6:30-7:30 – TARGET & PLAYer level 

Note: There will be no classes on June 30. 

TARGET – for children ages 5-6 
This is an introduction to The First Tee Life Skills Experience. It provides a fun and safe environment that creates curiosity about the game of golf. 

PLAYer – for children ages 7-17 
This first certification level introduces playing the game of golf with special emphasis on learning The First Tee Code of Conduct, core values, golf skills, and healthy habits as well as appreciating the etiquette and rules of the game of golf.  

Cost: $30 per student for 9 one-hour sessions. Sponsorship is available if necessary. 

As the chapter grows and students return for additional programming year after year, The First Tee of Greater Detroit will begin to offer Par, Birdie, and Eagle level programming. For more information, visit www.thefirstteegreaterdetroit.org

If you are interested in the programming, but the times offered do not work for you or your family, please contact the chapter with dates and times that would work better for future planning.  

Contact: Lisa Woodcox, Program Director 
lisa@thefirstteegreaterdetroit.org 
Cell:  (248) 763-5501 (call or text) 
Office: (313)  820-3362

Our first workshop is scheduled for Sunday, June 21 from 2- 4 pm near the urban gardens.
Register for this event and reserve your spot on our Facebook event: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/519772801514118/
It’s called Summer Solstice  Eco-Dying with Mandisa Smith, who is the co-owner of Detroit Fiber Works in Detroit. Using natural dyes and materials, participants (of all ages and skill levels) will learn how to create beautiful designs on individual silk squares, as well as work on a group project of a larger fabric mural to exhibit in the park.


Stay updated on the MAPP Program on their own page here on the People for Palmer Park website. 

After a 5-year hiatus, The First Tee of Greater Detroit returning this summer.

The Greater Detroit Chapter of The First Tee, a non-profit youth development organization, is returning to Palmer Park in June after a five-year hiatus, thanks to support from the local business and foundation community. The organization, which has more than 175 chapters nationwide, uses the game of golf to teach young people positive core values and life skills.

The First Tee’s reintroduction to the city is an example of Detroit’s economic progress. The original Detroit chapter was one of four announcement cities when the program was established in 1997, but fell victim to the recession in 2011. Local business leaders and corporate citizens, including the DTE Energy Foundation, Huntington Bank, PwC, Quicken Loans, Penske Foundation, Carl’s Golfland, The Skillman Foundation, MAC Valves, Inductoheat, Brown & Brown of Detroit, have raised over $250,000 to bring the organization back to Detroit.

This year, the chapter will be partnering with over 20 Detroit Public Schools and several charter schools, to bring the program to hundreds of children between ages 5-12. Participants in The First Tee’s curriculum consistently show positive results in all aspects of their lives, from confidence in academics and sports to healthy choices and community involvement.

“Detroit Public Schools is thankful for the partnership with The First Tee of Greater Detroit. The First Tee has helped to re-introduce golf into our physical education classes with their new cutting edge curriculum. We look forward to our students participating in the golf programs this summer,” said Ed Tomlin, Director of Elementary/Middle School Athletics for Detroit Public Schools.

The CEO of The First Tee is Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., son of Detroit boxing legend Joe Louis. Along with his famous career in the ring, he also was the first African American to play in a PGA Tour event in 1952 at the San Diego Open.

"I am pleased to see a chapter re-emerge in Detroit, an important American city and one that is closely associated with my father,” said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of The First Tee. He continued, “We trust The First Tee of Detroit will be an important part of the rebirth happening in Detroit and will have a positive impact on young people in the city for many years to come.”

Roger Penske, Chairman and CEO of Bloomfield Hills-based Penske Corporation, is also a National Trustee of The First Tee.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.thefirstteegreaterdetroit.org , our Facebook page athttps://www.facebook.com/thefirstteegreaterdetroit or for press inquiries contact:

Executive Director, Jody Dungey – jody@thefirstteegreaterdetroit.org 
Chairman, Niall Hay – nhay@thefirstteegreaterdetroit.org 
Vice Chairman, LeRoy Richie - roy@thefirstteegreaterdetroit.org 
Chairman - Marketing Committee, Michael Follis – mike@thefirstteegreaterdetroit.org