Indian Village Woman’s Garden Club Annual Outing

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

4:30pm: Tour of Beaubien Rooftop Garden next to GM Renaissance Center

5:30pm: Happy Hour Andiamo Riverfront (half off drinks/appetizers)  

6:00pm: Dinner at Andiamo Riverfront on Terrace 

$35 for Members, $40 for Non-members

Contact <kathleenkrasity@yahoo.com> to reserve by June 11. 

Payments to be made by check before the dinner.

The Beaubien Rooftop Garden is on top of Beaubien Place Garage, 238 Beaubien St, directly east of the GM Renaissance Center. The garden is part of General Motors Green Strategy to reduce waste. Started to collect food preparation waste from two restaurants at the RenCen, it has now expanded to include all occupants of the complex. The garden works with  Detroit Dirt, a local composting startup. Food scraps are  mixed with manure to create compost  used there and in other Detroit urban gardens.  This compost makes a full circle as produce from the Beaubien Garden is used by  Andiamo Riverfront Restaurant. Andiamo makes donation to a local charities in return the fresh greens. In 2017 alone, the garden netted 815 pounds of fresh produce, 150 jars of honey, and $3,546 in donations. “At General Motors, we see waste as simply a resource out of place,” said John Bradburn, GM global waste reduction manager. “Our strategy goes beyond recycling and includes keeping those waste resources in use, creating jobs and serving our communities and the environment in the process.”

The Beaubien Rooftop Garden also hosts much needed pollinators. Honey, produced by the garden’s bee hives, is sold it in the Renaissance Center’s holiday shops. Proceeds from the 150 jars supported a warming center. Since Detroit’s Riverfront is on a direct monarch butterfly migration path, GM has planted milkweed plants to create three certified Monarch Waystations. In late summer, RenCen employees and children from the  building’s daycare gathered to release colorful orange monarchs butterflies.

Dinner at Andiamo includes salad, breadbasket, main course of chicken marsala chicken parmasean, whitefish, or vegetarian pasta, and raspberry sorbet for dessert. Beverages are not included. However, Andiamo offers half off wine on Wednesdays.

The Tour starts at Beaubien Place Garage, 238 Beaubien St, Detroit. You may wish to park there, standard fees apply. Valet parking is also available at Andiamo Restaurant, on the river side of the RenCen. Car pooling encouraged.

Links to parking information: https://www.parkme.com/lot/86948/beaubien-place-garage-detroit-mi