<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-7a724b3d-7fff-9134-864b-35f7b428693b"><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Hi Chicago Community Gardens Association, </span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I hope this email finds you well! My name is Yulia Haraguchi and I’m a Neuroscience major here at Northwestern. I'm reaching out to ask for some advice or direction on collaborating, centering around seed banks and similar resources in the Chicago area.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I'm participating in an Art History class called "</span><a href="https://class-descriptions.northwestern.edu/4810/WCAS/ART/25547" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Food Culture</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">” and we are exploring food networks in Chicago. We are looking for seed banks in the area, any related organizations you might recommend, and/or any way for us as students to volunteer and exchange resources. We are essentially making paper to distribute seeds, but the project (described below) is also open to thinking along the lines of destroying invasive seeds, or safely exchanging food-based seeds for volunteer work...etc.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">If you have the resources available to provide us with some seeds or ways to get involved, we would greatly appreciate your help. We hope to begin making our “growing paper” in two weeks and to distribute them through mail on or around March 2. We’d like to share the finished paper with organizations who we engage with during this project if that’s of interest too. Thank you for your time and consideration.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">All my best,</span></p><p style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;white-space:pre-wrap">Yulia Haraguchi</span></font></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:9pt 0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(45,59,69);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Growing Paper</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(45,59,69);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 9pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(45,59,69);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We will seek out seed banks in the city. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 9pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(45,59,69);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We will bring a selection of seeds to class, and together, we will create “growing paper” postcards to mail out to friends or family.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 9pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(45,59,69);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Growing Paper” is a process of fusing seeds between sheets of paper. The paper preserves the seeds and makes them easy to store and transport until a recipient is ready to grow the seeds inclosed.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;padding:0pt 0pt 9pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(45,59,69);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">When ready, the paper can be moistened with water to germinate the seeds. The moist paper supports the initial development of the seeds, helping them to develop roots. Once roots develop, the young plants are ready to be planted in soil to continue their growth. </span></p><br></span><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"times new roman",serif">Yulia Haraguchi</span><br style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"times new roman",serif"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"times new roman",serif">Northwestern University ’21 | Neuroscience </span><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"times new roman",serif"><a href="mailto:yuliaharaguchi2021@u.northwestern.edu" target="_blank">yuliaharaguchi2021@u.northwestern.edu</a></span><div><div><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:"times new roman",serif">808.253.9889 </span><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>