We had a sweet end to winter here at CG - literally and figuratively! Over the past month, our community made maple syrup, held an incredible school-wide Black History celebration, took a field trip to New York City to learn about Latina American art, and so much more! Now, spring is officially here, and to celebrate, you can sign up for spring community programs, our farm share AND attend our beloved annual seedling sale! Read on for details!



Photo above by CG Staff Cjet Raymond.

"Each sugaring season is unique, and this one was no exception. When we start tapping varies each year depending on the weather - and this year's fluctuating temperatures made it a challenging decision." says CG Facilities Manager Mark Loalbo.

Climate change has made the alchemy of turning sap into syrup harder to do, and has led to an earlier, shorter season. Get all the details about Common Ground's 2023 sugaring season HERE straight from Mark, who leads our syrup-making.

The syrup we make here at Common Ground seems to taste extra sweet because it is made & shared with community. Our high school students, NatureYear students, staff and supporters come together to gather and boil the sap and enjoy treats like maple bannock cooked over the campfire. The tasty syrup that results from this labor of love goes back to our community through our farm share (more info below!) and our school cafeteria.

Photos above by CG Staff Jason Espinell, Aurora Coon and Mark Loalbo.

CULTURE CREATORS & CULTURE TEAM LEAD ANNUAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT!

"Black history, accomplishments and contributions should be recognized 365 days a year! Black people deserve to be celebrated in every way, at all times," says CG Communications Coordinator Amanda Byam.

We couldn't agree more! So, it seems almost fitting that CG's all-day Black History Month event, the culmination of a month full of celebrations, was postponed until mid-March due to a snowstorm. The rescheduled event was truly spectacular.

We're grateful to the student leaders in the Culture Creators group, Xavier, Deja, Jeremiah, Patience, Madison, Areyanna and Mikela, pictured above, and the talented staff on our Culture Team, Ericka Toney, Miriam Sheffield and Gammy Moses, for their hard work to make this magical day possible. They spent months planning a day packed full of performances, guest speakers and activities!

HILLHOUSE BAND & THE GIFTED ONEZ KICK OFF CG BLACK HISTORY EVENT WITH HIGH ENERGY PERFORMANCES

All students and staff first gathered for a special assembly featuring the Hillhouse High School Band, our New Haven neighbors. The band blew us away with tunes and moves that had the audience on their feet, clapping and dancing along with them. The high energy kept on rolling with an incredible performance by students from The Gifted Onez Performing Arts Co., brought to CG by Hartford Performs. This talented group of young people, ranging from ages 8 to 17, took us through a journey of black experiences, struggles, and JOY through the mediums of music, dance, poetry, song, spoken word and rap.

STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT BLACK CULTURE AND HISTORY THROUGH DYNAMIC SMALL GROUP SESSIONS

Our school community then joined sessions providing insight into different aspects of Black culture and history, including African Drumming, Black Art & Paint, Hip Hop Debate, Black Panther Pancakes, and more (pictured above)! Many of the sessions were lead by students and full of learning and collaboration as students, staff, and guest presenters shared ideas and knowledge.

This engaging, energizing celebration demonstrated the many ways we can commemorate those who came before us and paved the way for ALL OF THE BLACK EXCELLENCE we are surrounded by all year long!

Photos by CG Staff Ericka Toney, Amanda Byam and Aurora Coon.

SIGN UP FOR OUR SUMMER FARM SHARE!

SIGN UP HERE TODAY! Each week you'll get a bag of in season, chemical free, farm fresh veggies (like kale, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, tomatillos, cabbage and more) from the Common Ground Farm! We are able to grow fresh, local, organically grown food for you while training young people from our community and CG High School. You can support our farm and our farm’s future!

Questions? Read this FAQ for all (or at least a lot of!) the answers!

P.S. Did You know Community Supported Agriculture (farm shares) are rooted in Black History? As early as the 1960s, deep in the heart of Alabama, the concept of community supported agriculture was developing as the brainchild of a pioneer of sustainable agriculture who was raised on his family's farm & was passionately advocating for what he called "smaller and smarter" farming.

Dr. Booker T. Whatley, pictured below was this pioneer! He strongly believed in regenerating farmer livelihoods through direct marketing methods such as Pick Your Own farms and what he called "Clientele Membership Clubs," the predecessor to modern-day CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Common Ground's Farm Share is committed to Whatley's legacy & achieving this same concept of community!

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR ANNUAL SEEDLING SALE!

Our farm team is already hard at work growing seedlings for our annual sale! On Friday, May 12th and Saturday, May 13th come to our campus to buy tomatoes, hot peppers, melons, cucumbers, herbs, and more! We'll have lots of varieties and lots of healthy plants. Plus, on Saturday, we'll have a seed share where you can give or receive seeds from fellow gardeners. The sale will help you grow your own food and supports our urban farm so we can continue to educate and feed our community.

CGHS ALUMS CONTINUE TO PURSUE RIGOROUS, REAL WORLD LEARNING - AROUND THE WORLD!

Alums Jenisha Khadka, CG Class of ’19 and Noor Fadhil, CG Class of ’20 spent their Winter Break this year taking vitals and observing surgeries in the Dominican Republic. Jenisha currently attends Fairfield University on a medical Pre-Physicians Assistant track with a major in Psychology/ Behavioral Neuroscience and minor in Anthropology. Noor currently attends UCONN, also on a Pre-PA track with a major in Biology and minor in Arabic & Islamic Studies. We were so excited to hear Jenisha and Noor reconnected, and inspired to see them continuing to pursue real world learning! We know they will both keep making their communities better as they finish their studies & go into the healthcare field!

Read more about their trip HERE in an article written by CG's School Operations Manager Carla Lia.

STUDENTS TRAVEL TO NEW YORK CITY TO SEE UNIQUE MULTI-MEDIA EXHIBIT FIRST HAND!

Student leaders in Sra. Miller's Latin American Language and Culture class and Ms. Pertelesi's Multimedia Art class traveled to the big apple to see the exhibit DOMESTICANX at El Museo del Barrio. The group not only got to see the paintings, textiles and ceramics firsthand, they also had the opportunity to create their own art in a workshop related to the exhibit. This type of hands-on, relevant, real-world learning is what Common Ground is all about!

Photos by CG Staff Nuria Miller.

SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE IN SELECT SPRING K-8 PROGRAMS!

April 10-14 School Vacation Day Programs: Sign up HERE

Program hours are 8:30 - 3:00 and morning care/after care are not available. Activities are offered in mixed age groups and children will be able to choose between a variety of activities including time with the farm animals, outdoor play, cooking, and other farm and forest fun. Children should bring a lunch and come dressed for the weather! ​The enrollment fee is $60 per child per day.

Kids Unplugged After School Spring Session: Sign up HERE

Kids Unplugged gets children playing outside in nature after school. Spring brings mud kitchen fun, baby farm animals, and the start of garden season! The Spring Session is March 27 - June 3 (you can choose one or more days per week) and tuition is $140 to come once per week. More information available on our website.

Our spring Seedlings Class for caregivers and young children is full, but you can join the waiting list HERE to be notified of openings for this session and when enrollment opens for the fall session. 

Questions? Email rholcombe@commongroundct.org.

OPEN FARM DAY RETURNS APRIL 1ST!

Join us on our beautiful campus EVERY SATURDAY 10 AM – 2 PM April through November for this free program - no RSVP needed!

Open Farm Day is a self guided experience. Staff are available to welcome visitors and answer questions. There are lots of opportunities for play and exploration! Visit the farm animals, taste and smell in the children’s garden, look for frogs in the wetland, make a pie in the mud kitchen, or build a fort in the woods. The animal yards and gardens will be open and we are happy to provide information about our campus and our programs and to recommend hiking trails in West Rock. 

BE A SUPER HERO FOR CG - JOIN OUR ROCK TO ROCK TEAM, THE CLIMATE JUSTICE LEAGUE!

There's still time to fundraise, bike and/or hike with CG's team for the Rock to Rock Earth Day Ride, coming right up on April 29th!

Will you add your superpowers to our Climate Justice League and help us raise $50K towards being 50% fossil free in 2023?

CG counts on the funds raised by our Rock to Rock team each year to sustain our important work. Not all heroes ride bikes- if you can't join our team, you can still donate to support student leaders like Quinton, pictured above, HERE.

Questions? Email Team Co-Captain aurora.coon@commongroundct.org!

SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS FROM CG SUPPORTER

KOFFEE KATERING!

Do you have an event coming up? Provide delicious, good quality food while being environmentally responsible! Local business Koffee Katering is a long-time sponsor of CG. They are doing their part for the earth with their "Zero Landfill" option. To avoid all the waste typically created at a catered event, they serve their tasty food with reusable trays, bowls, serving utensils and pitchers. Plus, they provide compostable plates, flatware and cups, and a compost bin they pick up at the end of your event! We love that Koffee Katering makes every attempt to keep waste out of the landfill! Find out more about their breakfast, lunch, coffee break and evening options HERE or call (203) 809-1382.

NEW HAVEN NAMED TOP PLACE TO BE!

We already knew that this city was special, and now the rest of the world is catching on! The New York Times recently named New Haven one of the top places to visit. It's an even better place to live, of course! If you are looking to rent or buy in the Greater New Haven region, consider CG sponsor Seabury Hill Realtors. They are top-rated, family-owned and have known how great the New Haven community is for years - since 1926 to be exact. Find out more on their website HERE or call them at 203-562-1220.