The Garlic Mustard Pickers band got its start in 2003 when three members began to discuss their love of music as they pulled the invasive weed, garlic mustard, out of a Grant Park natural woodlands area. Garlic Mustard was brought to this area as a culinary plant, but with recent changes in the climate, it has moved into the category of “invasive weed” as it voraciously takes over natural woodland areas, crowding out native plant life and even threatening tree regeneration. The three original band members were part of WeedOut! (http://www.parkpeoplemke.org/weed-out.htm) a program of the Milwaukee County Parks that brings people into the parks to help keep invasive plants like garlic mustard from destroying the woodlands.

Talking about their love of music lead to the three weed-pickers getting together to play, then pulling in spouses and friends who played other instruments, and voila, by August of 2003 the band was having regular rehearsals. “The Garlic Mustard Pickers” was an obvious choice for the band name! Our first “paid” gig was in December of 2003. By consensus, our earnings were turned over to a community project, and that set the tone for our mission: using profits from performances, CD sales, and tips, after band expenses, to support worthy public service projects in our own community.

Each year we had more to contribute, and by 2006 realized that we needed to incorporate as a non-profit; we were soon granted tax-exempt status by the IRS. In 2007 the band made a total of $2400 in cash donations:

In addition, in 2007 the band contributed $5600 of in-kind donations (free performance time) to fundraisers.

Please note: the band does NOT solicit independent donations through its website or by any other means. Rather, we solicit paying performances and take additional donations and CD sales during those performances to be donated to specific causes at various times throughout the year.