Hey all… as you may or may not know we have been invited to share in a great time at the Funky Art Fest in collaboration with To Entertain U, LLC.  It is going to be an awesome night of art, music and fun. Come out and check out the great local artists and our booth. We will be doing LED Water Purification demos as well as have a henna artist on hand to help you become part of the art. Its gonna be a great night so come out and visit us.

Where: Knitting Factory Boise

When: Friday 2/3/2012  @ 7pm

Who: Everyone 18 +

What: Funky Art Fest

We also have a new membership program we will be debuting after our website upgrade…. stay tuned!!!!

In some cases things get donated that we have no use for, so we find the right organization to re-gift the donations too. Below is a great story of how we can all give back and its easier then you think.

“Hello my name is Kris Howell. I am the Director of Entertainment for Growing Change Inc… I would like to share my experiences from Tue Jan 3rd 2012. I also am the Kitchen Manager at The Knitting Factory Boise. We were doing our annual inventory of food items yesterday and the amount of stuff that was being written off started piling very high. I could not let these valuable food items go to waste so I asked my Manager Jodie if it would be ok to donate these items to a local charity. She of course had no objections. The charity I chose was the Boise Rescue Mission. When I walked into their office they looked at me as if I was a Client looking for shelter but when I told them I had a sizable food donation their smiles started growing. It made me feel good to know that our “wastes” would help to feed many needy people. Some of the items donated were fresh vegetables, rice, soy sauce, salad dressings, crackers, dessert toppings, etc.

These types of organizations rely on many local donations to function. They help people get out of the weather and have time to think about their next move. I strongly back organizations such as The Boise Rescue Mission because I personally have had to use them before back in Florida when times were rough. Without these amazing souls that help run these places people that have had bad breaks would have a much harder time getting back on their feet. May the Universe smile upon them.

If you have a business in the food industry and are thinking of throwing supplies out because they are close to date or are no longer needed due to menu changes. DON’T! We at Growing Change will come to your place of business and pick up the items and distribute them to needy organizations in our community. We can also write you a receipt for tax deduction purposes if needed which would then pay you back for your wonderful contributions.

Sustain Yourselves,

Kris Howell”

As Boise settles in for the Occupy, we at Growing Change decided to check out the activies at the old court house in downtown. As it is getting cold we also decided it might be nice to donate some food. We aren’t quite sure all the facts, but we do know people need healthy nutrients. In total we donated $80 worth of groceries to the Occupy including: rice, beans, ramon, coffee, hot chocolate, snacks, chips, water, tea, noodles, fruits, vegtibles and potatos. We also donated safety blankets and safety lights we had left over from Agua Palooza.

As we arrived at the Occupation we weren’t really sure what to expect, but were greeted by friendly happy faces. They could tell it was our first time and before we could ask any questions they started giving us a tour. I was instanly impressed at the ingunity and cleanliness of the camp. There were people from all races and ages, although the average was around 32 years of age.

The first stop on our walk through camp was the information tent which is located so passerby can grab information. Next it was on to the communication tent and medic tent. We found out that their is no doctor on site, but a nurse checks in from time to time. I was also surprised to learn that the only people allowed in the camp are people who are actively participating in the demonstrations/disscussions and camp duties.  Transients and homeless are asked politely to help or leave.

Next it was on to the makeshift kitchen. I was surprised to see the organization dispite being in open air tents/tarps and at the amount of donations that had been giving by the public. They will surely need them if they are to grow and be sustained through out the winter.

After dropping off our donations we walked through the heart of camp. We could hear people singing, disscussing and meeting amongst themselves. Learning what makes the society tick and what needs to be change and how it can be changed.  In reality there are no set of demands or concerns. It is a group of people who are angry about how we have been treated by the government and big corporations. People who are angry about our contaminated food by monsanto, the coruption in our governement, the disparte treatment amongs civil classes, and everything else. They are people who are fighting the only way they can.

I fear that at times that it will not be enough and that we are not big enough. But then I am reminded that we are the 99% and eventually voices will be heard and things changed. Perhaps our kids will be eating organic meat and vegitibles and have free healthcare. This is what we can hope for.  Regardless this group of people has come from different places and different backgrounds to make a difference in our country. They are doing it through peace and information and I hope they are able to succeeded for the rest of us who cant!

You can make your online donations here:

Growing Change Donation Page

Or on Paypal: Growingchangeinc@gmail.com

We are in the need of several things as well…

Recycled Materials for Greenhouse

• 2×4′s preferably 12foot length
• 2 pane Vynl windows of all sizes
• 1 or 2 french doors
• PVC/plex-glass sheets for roof.

Solar Panels

Seeds – Specifically spices, vegetables, fruits.

Trees – Donations for community projects.

Marketing and Design

Grant Writting

Board of Director Members specializing in Non Profit Law and Accounting

Neo Tundra Cowboy playing their Agua Palooza, their last show before Nashville.

Antonio Bommarito doing Steri Pen demonstration from river water!

Caroline and Antoino reading off raffles!

Agua Palooza was a hit! We raised a little over $1500 and got our name out to 300 – 500 people! We had 6 beautiful goddesses in the VIP section healing . We had 5 rocking bands and two dozen donations from different stores and local artists. This community sure knows how to show support.

Thank you….

Pat Mcdonald and the Tropical Cowboys

Danger Beard

Neo Tundra Cowboy

Jupiter Holiday

Actual Depiction

These bands rocked the house!!

Special Thanks to Steri-Pen! You were inspirational in helping us show the public what we want to do on a large-scale!

special thanks to 8th Street Market Place… There were countless donations from this handful of businesses. They need your support!

Special thanks to the Knit Boise! Rocking staff and great accommodations!

Super awesome thanks to our MC Sandy Cavanaugh you are the best MC ever! So super happy and impressed!

Thank you to our BSU Service Learners, Jenn, Katie, Jamie and Tara… you ladies rock!

A special thank you to the board and guidance of Growing Change Inc...  Pamela and Chuck Bommarito, Ken Harris, Donna Vasquez.

Thank you Jacqueline Kennedy, Kat Rolley and all the other mystic healers in the VIP Mystic Lounge!

Thank you to Linzi Alabama, our social media coordinator!

A very very special thanks to Kris Howell and Caroline Nutter. We had so many sleepless nights working to make this show happen. We gave it everything we had and the fruits of labor truly showed in the success of Agua Palooza.

It was a great success and we are so happy that the community came out to support us!

The work is hard and not always glorious but we think we can change the world a little at the a time. Thank you for your help in creating a better place for all.

Do you have your Agua Palooza tickets yet?

We can’t wait to see you down at the Knitting Factory in Boise tomorrow night.

Agua Palooza will be a night of rockin’ bands, raffles, silent auctions, a VIP massage and reading room,  and many many more fun surprises.

So come out and support a great cause –you know you want to!

A huge thank you goes out to The Knitting Factory for sponsoring this event.

Literally.

As in a night filled with tons of local talent ready to rock your socks off!

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A huge thank you to our bands!

Actual Depiction

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Danger Beard

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Jupiter Holiday

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Neo Tundra Cowboy

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Pat McDonald and The Tropical Cowboys

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1/4 Size Violin from Doyles Broadway Music.

THANKS DOYLES.

The end of summer always brings about the feeling that you never want it to end. You want to enjoy that one last late sunsets (10pm in Boise), one more float down the river or another camping trip before the snow. Hyde Park is one of those ways of sending off the summer in a festive, fun, community oriented way. I have been going to Hyde Park Street Fair since I was a kid, when it was held in the historic Hydepark in north downtown  Boise. We would get some good street food and watch the belly dancers in the middle of 13th street. A few things have change since then, one of those being the location. Although still referred to as Hyde Park Street Fair, this joyous event takes place streets away in the much larger Camelsback park. The festival at one time would get hundreds of visitors over the three day affair, now gets over 50,000.

(Picture thanks of Blog Your Apples Are My Oranges )

Amongst the beer tents, music stages, hippie kids, drums, and food stands lies the culture of Boise. People selling their artifacts, curios  and promoting their services. This was the perfect place for us to get out our message. We want to bring more awareness about our Mission and Goals to the community. We were also collecting money and donations for our up coming concert. As you followers know, Growing Change is having their benefit concert:

 Agua Palooza  It will be at The Knitting Factory,  in Boise, ID.   -    Oct 15 2011.  6pm – 11:30pm. There will be spinner prizes, raffles, silent auction and a Mystic VIP Section complete with massages, tarot readers and psychics. Its going to be a great time and is all ages, so come on out! There will be 5 bands and a guaranteed good time.

So far we have raised several hundred dollars for this great event. Below are some pictures of our fundraising/awareness building efforts at Hydepark.

We had a good time too. This is Caroline our Fundraising Coordinator.

Me and the puppies…

Caroline and Kris..hes holding an awesome Bruno Jasper that was donated.  Be ready to bid on it at our event.

Non Profit is all about the fun as well as passion ! Go team!

On day two of the festival our board president Lotus, vice president Chuck and I headed down to market our organization. Shes dressed here appropriately for the event as a rockstar fairy goddess.

Board Vice president Chuck (seen here holding a donated item). Looks like a waterfall to me, but I have a one track mind.

Here is a picture of some money we have already raised and some of the auction items we have received thus far.

We also have had donations from local artists, local made jewelery, 2 Adirondack Chairs with foot stools, various gift baskets and more! So come on down and watch some good bands, have a drink and buy some super sweet items.

Trees are great to plant all year round. Some prefer when they are dormant, in early spring/late fall. That is how organizations such as The Arbor Day Foundation ships them to your door.  The Arbor Day Foundation is an awesome organization. You can join a 6 month membership for $10 and they will ship you 10 Free Trees. They have different packages from shade tree varieties to flowering trees. Once you are a member you can order other trees and shrubs. The down side is they only ship twice per year and the trees are usally 6″ -36″ tall, which means you have a few years until you can enjoy the full benefits.

That being said, trees usually cost a lot. I have seen them for $50 – $300 cheaper on the Arbor Day Foundation website.

Why Trees?

Don’t take me for a total nerd when I say trees Rock! They really do and I’ll tell you why. Growing up in Boise, The City of Trees has taught me a great respect for trees. It gets very hot in the summer and spending time beneath the shade of a big maple or oak makes it 20 degrees cooler. This works for utility bills as well. There is a large maple outside my house and each year it gets bigger. The shade covers more and more of the house during the hottest time of the day. Each year the utility bills get cheaper.  Also the shade covers more of the lawn which now requires less water. Each year I trim the trees around my house and this provides me with firewood for my chiminea or woodstove if the powerline people come. (They cut down part of a tree last year that was interfering with the lines and it provided me fire wood for several months)

For The Environment

Trees are great for the environment, they make lots of fresh oxegyn for us to breath and they filter out chemicals in the air and ground. They help stabilize soils and make entire cities cooler (a growing problem, read this artilce from Discovery News) by reflecting heat. Cities absorb more sun light due to cement and buildings which in turn causes micro-climates to develop. Trees help counteract this by providing micro-climates of their own.

Boise – The City of Trees

I

(Picture from http://greatworld-cheryl.blogspot.com/)

Boise is in the high desert and sits about 2400 ft above sea level.  It gets very hot in the summer! As you can see from this picture, Boise has a ton of trees which make it barable during those hotter days. In the 70′s the city had programs available that provided trees to residents to plant on thier property. As you can see from the picture it must have worked. This is a good example of how a lot of trees can make a difference over time.  Desert – Tree Covered Utopia

Easy Tree Growing

So if I have convinced you, here is an easy way to grow a tree for yourself! Make it be noted many trees are hard to grow from seed and require being frozen, burned or scared or a combination thereof. However, if you are lookg for a great all purpose tree thats easy to grow, the maple is number one! It grows fast, has lots of shade, is good for burning and building. You can even make syrup out of if it you get a little crazy.  The picture above is one of my maples that provides me great benefits.

In the spring/early summer this tree develops spinning seed pods that get dry and fall from the trees later in the season.

When they look like this I clip a hand full of them. I will take a one quart pot and fill it with dirt and place the seed in it.

Then water it ofter making sure the top layer is always moist. Within a couple weeks they will have spout and by a couple months it could grow 6″-12″. You can plant it anywhere, but remember to keep it about 15 ft from the house because within 15 years it will be 40 ft tall and you don’t want roots destroying your house foundation.

Here is one I making into a bonzai.

By triming the top of the tree it makes it grow slower, this one is almost two and should be twice the height.  (This one needs to be trimed) The trunk will grow but the height and spread will not. Since the maple is a fast grower it should provide some interesting results.

Tip: If bonzing a tree make sure to do  a little research. Generally you must trim the top sparingly and the root ball every two years to keep the dersired growth and spread the tree.

UPDATE: From Post below!

Letuce in the back about 2.5 weeks old, almost ready for a tasty salad.

Radish in front 4 days from planting seeds and 2″ tall! Amazing!