Leslie Middle School Plant Sale

The Leslie Middle School gardening class will be selling plant starts all next week in the Pringle Creek Community greenhouse starting next Monday, April 4th from 10am to 12pm. They are selling lettuce, cilantro, and other varieties. Each 4" pot is only $.50 and contains several organic seed starts! All proceeds go toward their gardening classes and will help pay for raised beds at their school garden.

Please pass along this wonderful opportunity to support our local middle school gardening program!

Gardening Workshop Opportunities at Zena Farm

If you weren't able to sign up for our Urban Farmer Certification this year, check out these spring learning opportunities from Willamette University's Zena Farm:

Mid-Valley Green Awards

The 2nd Annual Mid-Valley Green Awards is April 9th at Salem Conference Center! Get your tickets from the Straub Center!

Painters Hall was nominated for Green Building of the Year. We will see you at the dinner!

Nature of Cities & Open House

Special Open House this Saturday at Noon! In response to last night's film, five homeowners are opening their homes to people interested in learning why a neighborhood that is beautiful and healthy to live in is so great, and what a home that integrates with nature looks and feels like.

Last night I presented at Salem Progressive Film Series, after the film "Nature of Cities." One of the data points I shared was

The trend towards community

Here's a nice nytimes article highlighting why people are drawn more and more to the idea of living in a community where neighbors know and look out for one another, share resources and spaces, and in general live happy and healthy lives together.

While Pringle Creek isn't co-housing, we have certainly borrowed from many of the values of co-housing; community gardens, tool library, Painters Hall, clustered houses, 12 acres of open space, and neighbors that know and care about one another...

From the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/realestate/06Wczo.html?_r=1

March 3, 2011

Co-Housing Group Plans for Shared Future

By LISA PREVOST

NEW HAVEN

A BOOK editor, two physicians, a nurse, a retired teacher, an organic gardener — the people