61 Franklin Street Garden Infrastructure and Rain Harvest Build

In 2014, through a competitive process, 61 Franklin Street Garden received a $21,920 from GCEF (and provided $25,000 in matching funds) to further the self-sustainability of this GreenThumb community garden. A derelict lot until 2013, GCEF funding enabled the garden’s continued development as a community green space. Major project activities included improving the garden’s planting space, constructing community education spaces and rainwater harvesting facilities, and installing solar panels to serve as a renewable power source for the garden.

• Constructed 2 picnic tables to better accommodate weekly school classes and other community groups at the garden
• Built 6 vertical planters which added an additional 100 square feet of vertical growing space
• Installed a new irrigation system and a rainwater catchment system which can store up to 600 gallons of storm water and prevent over 2,500 gallons of water from entering the NYC sewer system per year
• Installed 3 solar panels that provide 2,250 watt-hours of electricity to the garden
• Held 4 workshops attended by approximately 50 people on topics including medicinal plants, tree care, and recycling textiles with dying techniques
• Hosted 1-hour weekly garden classes for children ages 4 to 6, and attended by a total of 64 children
• Hosted the YMCA summer camp multiple times in the summer of 2015 and that was attended by approximately 60 children