Alice’s Garden
Nourishing the mind+body+spirit of its community

Center for Resilient Cities & Alice’s Garden

Working at the request and vision of community members, the Center for Resilient Cities redesigned Alice’s Garden, a two-acre urban farm in Milwaukee’s central city, in 2010. Resilient Cities remediated the soil, enhanced drainage and added a pavilion, tool sheds, benches, picnic tables and grills. Through these improved garden plots, program areas and facilities, more than 100 households now nourish their families with fresh and organically grown produce. Hundreds more enter Alice’s gates for rich cultural and agricultural programming and to meet neighbors over a healthfully prepared meal.










Labyrinth

Lake Park Lutheran Church funded and helped installed a labyrinth that nurtures spiritual health and promotes cultural healing at Alice’s Garden in 2011 as part of its 100th anniversary. Jeff Rainwater, RLA, LEED® AP and senior project manager at Resilient Cities, designed the labyrinth in conjunction with church members and Alice’s gardeners. For reflections and a schedule of weekly walks, visit www.AlicesGardenMilwaukee.com/labyrinth.html.

Programming

SeedFolks Youth Ministry under the leadership of Venice R. Williams, brought increased programming in 2006 to Alice’s Garden. Through Resilient Cities’ involvement with Alice’s Garden, we have supported various programs, including Junior Master Gardeners, a hands-on, outdoor gardening program for elementary students; Garden Mosaics Earn & Learn, a youth workforce development program -- run in partnership with the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board -- that weaves in environmental and cultural education; Healthy Moms, Healthy Kids, designed to guide mothers towards a holistic, beneficial lifestyle; and Fieldhands & Foodways, a cultural program that celebrates the farming, food preparation and folkways of African Americans and Africans throughout the Diaspora.

Programming at Alice’s is now guided by its grassroots Program Committee. “Providing models of sustainable farming, cultural community development and economic agricultural enterprises for global landscapes” is the vision of Alice’s Garden.

Renovation Donors


Our gratitude to the generous spirit of neighborhood residents, public agencies,
foundations and individuals that supported the garden renovation:

Peter W. and Mary Bruce

Diane and David Buck

The Ceres Foundation

Dawes Charitable Trust

Ralph Evinrude Foundation

Greater Milwaukee Foundation

Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation

Lux Foundation

Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation

David and Julia Uihlein Charitable Foundation

Wisconsin Energy Foundation

Zilber Family Foundation



Special thanks to Milwaukee County Parks for their longstanding support!

Moving Forward

The Center for Resilient Cities was the fiscal agent of Alice’s Garden until the Program Committee was ready to create their own organization. In May 2012, Alice’s Garden became incorporated as an independent, not-for-profit organization. It is currently seeking 501(c)3 status. The Center for Resilient Cities celebrates the leaders and gardeners of Alice’s Garden!

For the latest information on Alice’s Garden, visit its website: www.AlicesGardenMilwaukee.com. Alice’s Garden is located at 21st Street & Garfield Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53205.

Questions about Alice’s? Contact Venice Williams, Alice’s Garden Director, at 414.687.0122 or venicewb@msn.com.


Design Awards

Our design at Alice’s Garden is award-winning! We received a MANDI public space award and a Mayor’s Design Award for Alice’s Garden in 2011.









Composting

Click here to read about our spring 2012 Groupon campaign for composting bins at Alice’s Garden.

 

The Larger Project
The improvements at Alice’s Garden are part of the Johnsons Park Initiative. For more information on the entire initiative, click here.