søndag den 16. juni 2013

Stiftende generalforsamling! - First annual general meeting

We have decided to start our own organisation as up until now, Adopt A Box has been a project run under the volunteer community Himmelhaven.

On Wednesday 7pm we are having our first annual general meeting at Institute For X. If you would like to become involved in the project, or just hear more about our hopes and dreams(!) then feel free to join! We will eat dinner together and please bring 20kr to help towards the costs.

If you get lost, or would like more information, write to foedevaregruppen@gmail.com or call Hester on 27430039.


tirsdag den 21. maj 2013

First boxes on the street (Hands On Urbanism + GoGreenAarhus)

Last week the first Adopt A Boxes went out on to the street! Don't worry if you have ordered one and are thinking "but but but where is mine?!" - these were special orders. The good folks at GoGreenAarhus have opened GoGreenBiksen on Frederiksgade, which sells sustainable products as well as offering inspiration and advice to the green-minded citizen and tourist. More information can be found here: http://www.gogreenaarhus.dk/gogreenaarhus/sider/artikler/gogreenbiksen1/
They ordered 4 boxes which will be placed on the street around the shop.


Pernille who has recently published a pixibook about urban gardening helping deliver the boxes!
 
I went to check on them on Sunday evening and they were still in one piece so fingers crossed that Frederiksgade will be more trustworthy than its reputation would suggest!

The boxes outside GoGreenBiksen at Frederiksgade 44
A fantastic exhibition has opened at the Architecture School - Hands On Urbanism. Accompanied by a day long seminar focusing on urban farming the exhibition displays examples of urban gardens and other sources of city greenery. There are both historic examples but also examples of local initiatives like the farm on the central reservation at Nørreport by PhD Marie Markmann and Adopt A Box!

The boxes outside the main auditorium at the Architecture School
The box at the Hands On Urbanism exhibition, which is still open: http://aarch.dk/skolen/aktuelt/offentlige_arrangementer/hands_on_urbanism_1850_2012_the_right_to_green/    

We used a new method of transport this time as Tore's trusty three-wheeled fixed-gear trailer bike is starting to get a bit rusty and is only able to take 3 boxes at a time. Pernille and I used this trailer instead and were able to transport all 9 boxes at once! It was tough, especially in 25 degree heat but it worked surprisingly well. We are going to be using 2 or 3 of these trailers to deliver the boxes on the 1st of June. 

Hester outside Føtex with the boxes for the Architecture School (before ice cream)
In other news, the plants are looking beautiful! Pictures speak a thousand words so I will let them talk for themselves.
Parsley ready be planted out!
A glass shelf at the top of the greenhouse, allowing more light in than the old wooden boxes that we have used elsewhere
Nasturtiums starting to make buds
Tim is leaving for Michigan! He has been involved in the project since November last year and will be sorely missed! Here he is planting out some nasturtiums that he had been caring for
Laura and Claus watering
Beetroot seedlings looking genuinely like beetroots!
All the Carlin Peas that we received from Camilla Plum last year ready to be planted out
Fran, Hester's sister, helping make a trellis for the peas to climb up
The final, colourful, result
Hester demonstrating the strength (and physical challenges) of the Tetris greenhouse
Don't forget that we are distributing the boxes on the 1st of June! We start with an open (green)house at 9 at Institut For X then start the "parade" at 10. See you there!!

tirsdag den 7. maj 2013

What stunning weather!

For people that are not reading this from Aarhus - the weather in this otherwise chilly part of the world, has recently been absolutely beautiful.

 

The area that we occupy down at Institut For X has a sufficient amount of shelter from the wind to make it the perfect area for sowing, transplanting, re-potting, building, watering and almost every other garden-related activity.


Tore, our on site carpenter and general handyman, has built a work table from some old railway sleepers which is the perfect height for working at!



All the plants for the boxes, which have otherwise been lying relatively dormant have sprung into life and we have been struggling to catch up with their needs for re-potting and more space!

  


We have been holding meetings every Sunday at 3pm which, for the last few weeks, have been blessed with perfect sunshine. If you would like to come one Sunday the best thing is just to turn up at Institut For X! Otherwise you can write to us at foedevaregruppen@gmail.com to hear more or call Hester on 27430039 if you get lost.

This year the boxes will be delivered on Saturday the 1st of June. It's going to be a great day with an open greenhouse, music and (hopefully!) lots of sunshine!!

The watering schedule at the greenhouse
Pineapple sage ready to be repotted
Beetroot seedlings in their newspaper pots
Potatoes sprouting vigorously!
Garlic in desperate need of more space!
Lots and lots of sage seedlings
Garlic from Hvidløg & Vin in Faxe
Amanda watering some newly potted plants
The results of the garlic repotting
View across the Institute grounds
Relaxing on the small platform outside the greenhouse

søndag den 5. maj 2013

Godsbanen portræt af Tetrisdrivhuset

http://www.godsbanen.dk/nyheder/artikel/1044/

Adopt-A-Box har brugt vintermånederne på at konstruere et helt nyt drivhus

Tekst og foto: Eva Lisby

Har I set drivhuset i orange, pink, gule, grønne og blå neonfarver på de nedlagte jernbanespor ved Bygning D på Institut for (X)?  Beklædt med plexiglas og bygget af store, firkantede trærammer, der er lige til at skrue fra hinanden og flytte om på. Lige som et tetris-spil.

Drivhuset – eller rettere Tetris-drivhuset er resultatet af måneders arbejde i Adopt-A-Box-projektet, som består af en gruppe ildsjæle med hang til at se med squash, hvidløg, porrer, selleri, tallerkensmækkere og mange andre grønne vækster indtage midtbyen i Aarhus.

Måske du også har lagt mærke til deres små trækasser i gaderne, med alle planterne – og med det grønne logo Adopt-A-Box malet på siden? Sidste år valgte 51 små butikker og virksomheder i Mejlgade, Graven, Studsgade og Klostergade at blive adoptivforældre til en af dem. I år håber Adopt-A-Box på at have 105 kasser klar midt i maj.  

Og derfor var der hårdt brug for et drivhus – til at forspire væksterne i. De 15-20 medlemmer af Adopt-A-Box har ikke længere plads nok til det hjemme hos sig selv.

Drivhuset på vej

I efteråret begyndte de første tanker om drivhuset at tage form rundt om en dampende varm suppegryde på 1. sal hos først Frontløberne i Mejlgade og siden i køkkenet hos Institut for (X).

Jeg var selv så heldig at deltage i nogle af de første møder og oplevede der, hvordan brainstorme, blyant, papir og ord fra deltagere fra Europa, Asien, USA og Australien blev til et 3D drivhus i hænderne på nogle bygningskonstruktionsstuderende fra de baltiske lande og en uddannet arkitekt et andet sted fra i verden. Senere har andre brugt timer på at søge – og få – penge til projektet hos Byggeriets Ildsjæle, og til sidst har flere været med til at save, male og skrue.

Til aller sidst er der blevet skovlet grus ned mellem jernbanesvellerne, så der nu er en god og jævn bund at gå på i drivhuset, der havde officiel åbning forleden.

En af dem, der glæder sig meget over resultatet er Tore Abbednæs, der har været med til at skabe drivhuset fra start. Han er selvlært tømrer, pædagogstuderende og friluftsvejleder.

”Det er godt at lave noget med planter – og med mennesker og natur i det hele taget. Og nu har lavet et drivhus, der har mange muligheder: Vi kan flytte rundt på  hylderne, så det passer til lave eller høje planter. Eller vi kan flytte nogle af rammerne og evt. leje noget ud,” fortæller Tore Abbednæs.

Det tog faktisk kun en uge at bygge drivhuset, da alt det andet var plads.

”Det er vildt at tænke på – fra dengang vi stod med bare ideen,” siger Hester Callaghan, der har været med til at starte Adopt-A-Box som et projekt under Himmelhaven - en forening, som også arbejder for et grønnere Aarhus.

At se noget gro

Hester Callaghan kan rigtig godt lide at se ting gro. For hende handler Adopt-A-Box-projektet meget om at få naturen ind i byerne, så vi kan lære den at kende.

”Naturen skal ikke bare være til pynt. Folk skal vide, hvor de grønsager, som de spiser, kommer fra, og de skal se, hvordan de er dyrket,” forklarer hun.

Det hjælper kasserne med til, foruden at de også har en sidegevinst.

”De er gode til at skabe kontakt i lokalsamfundet. Jeg har for eksempel mødt alle mine naboer i Mejlgade på grund af dem,” fortæller hun.

Men det kan nogle gange kræve lidt at få alle med på ideen om at adoptere en kasse, når Adopt-A-Box medlemmerne er ude for at finde nye aftagere blandt gadeforeninger og forretningsdrivende.

”Det giver forskellige oplevelser. Nogle tør ikke, mens andre er meget åbne. Jeg havde fo reksempel en rigtig god oplevelse i Volden, hvor de to, jeg lavede aftale med, fik flere med på ideen. Så nu er vi kommet af med 17 kasser der,” fortæller Tore Abbednæs.

Og lige nu står spirerne til dem og vokser sig store nok til at blive plantet ud i kasser, som skal køres ud i byen og fordeles i gaderne midt i maj. Til det tid vil Adopt-A-Box meget gerne have flere frivillige hænder til hjælp - og også til at komme med i det grønne fællesskab i det hele taget.

”Det er godt at have en hobby – og dejligt at have et formål og ikke bare at sidde og stene på Facebook. Vi prøver at mødes ofte og bygge et fællesskab op om det her – og alle er velkomne til at være med,” lyder opfordringen fra Hester Callaghan.

Der vil også være en høstfest i udsigt – både som adoptivforælder til en kasse med grønt og som frivillig. Det blev der holdt sidste år, hvor sæsonen sluttede med, at alle kasserne blev samlet ind, grønsagerne høstet, tilberedt og spist - i fællesskab.



søndag den 21. april 2013

Opening ceremony 18th April 2013

On a quite spectacularly windy day where most people were safe inside, away from the flying sand and impending rain, we held our opening ceremony!

The opening ceremony "audience" trying to smile through the high winds
After Aarhus Sustainability Festival last weekend, the main structure was finished, we just needed a roof, door and some kind of floor. During the following week, Tore, the carpenting wizard galore, fixed up all of these things, filling sand between the railway sleepers to form a floor.

Dugald from the Adopt A Box crew eyeing up the plants after the ribbon was sawn over.
Laura and Claus demonstrating the rigid structure of the greenhouse that allows for the watering of the top shelves. It might be slightly more practical with an in-built watering system!
Hester standing ready with a pair of secateurs to clip the ribbon - the secateurs weren't entirely well-suited to cutting cotton thread..
  

A little bit of Cava to celebrate the opening (note the ominous clouds in the background!)

Unfortunately it was slightly to windy to use the new field kitchen as the gas kept blowing out. After a quick glass of bubbly we went inside for some soup, bread and hot chocolate.

The colours, whilst brighter than I think most of us had envisioned, fit very well with the Aros Rainbow in the background. In time we would like to find some neon tubes to light up the greenhouse in the dark.

Feel free to drop by anytime to see the greenhouse, if you would like to come at a time when there is some activity going on, follow us on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adopt-A-Box/352207261469041.

Have a lovely Sunday!

onsdag den 17. april 2013

Åbningsceremoni pressemeddelelse!

Efter to ugers hårdt arbejde på Institut For X er det nye Adopt A Box drivhus blevet færdigt og planterne skal flytte ind! Med en generøs bevilling fra fonden Byggeriets Ildsjæle er projektets drømme om udvidelse gået i opfyldelse og det er nu muligt for projektgruppen at forspire endnu flere planter og derved producere endnu flere kasser til at pynte Aarhus' gader. Der afholdes en åbningsceremoni for det nye Tetris-inspireret drivhus 17-19 d.18 april på Institut For X ved Godsbanen, Aarhus. Alle er velkomne og der vil være lidt mad, lidt boblevand og ikke mindst, lidt såning! Vi ses dernede!

søndag den 14. april 2013

Ding dong the frost is GONE (almost)

The last week has given us sunshine, some light showers and has finally shunned the frost!

Most of the seeds that we have sown have started to sprout and are currently being nurtured either at home in our windowsills or in the greenhouse/shed that we occupy down at Institute For X.

I won't bore you with words, instead I will show you how far most of the plants are :)

Tim's Tea Box
Camomile
Pineapple Sage 
Peppermint
Tagetes

Potato Box
Potatoes in paper bags
Marigold

Borsch Box
Garlic 

Nasturtiums
Beetroots (with a Tina)

The Little Green One
Kale!
Leeks (in hiding)   
Nasturtiums (again) 

Fireworks
Parsley
Cornflowers  
The remains of the flowers after the mouse came by...