Plans for our Future

Sunday evening about 22 of the gardeners met in the garden for a potluck and to discuss what to do about the garden next year. It was a gorgeous evening, a lovely setting, and, of course, great company. 

Here is the current situation and our options:

•  Our  current site at Winona Health: Lea met with Janel Miller, our liaision at Winona Health, on Thursday. Janel told her that,  "You should plan on not being here next year." She couldn't report on specifics, but  plans were in negotiation for development of the site. She added that it would be okay to leave our fencing and infrastructure in place over the winter. If the deal falls through (between WH and whoever), we may be able to stay 1 more year.

•  A possible site at the Watkins Distribution Center on 3rd St.: Jan and Lea contacted Watkins about the possibility of moving to this site. It fits our criteria of size, central location and water availability. We met with Jim Yenish of Watkins, who is very open to the idea. He spent some time working with Watkins' insurance and legal departments to negotiate a lease. Negotiations are not complete, but this site is a definite possibility. The downside of this site is that it is also temporary in nature. Again we would have a year-to-year lease and possibly be asked to move within the next 5 years. 

• Put our efforts into finding permanent site: Lea, who has researched other successful community gardens, notes that the ones that succeed long term are permanently located on city-owned land. Several times Lea and others have approached the City to begin a discussion for a suitable garden site on city-owned land, but have not been successful. 

The gardeners discussed these options and every permutation possible. People suggested other potential sites to look into.We brainstormed other ideas (My favorite: use small trailers as raised beds that could be moved wherever and whenever-a true "truck garden"). 

As the discussion wore on, it emerged that  there was little enthusiasm for moving to another temporary site. A  permanent site was what we needed. 

In the end we made the decision to take our chances with Winona Health for 2013 and immediately begin to work towards finding a permanent site for 2014. 

Implications of this decision are:

• It is possible that we will not have a garden in 2013
• We cannot begin to register gardeners until we get an official go-ahead from Winona Health.
• We may be moving our infrastructure off the site with nowhere to store it.
• We will need to refocus our energies. We will need to convince the city officials that a community garden is an asset to the city as a whole, not just a few gardeners. This will be uphill work. Our future success (indeed our future) depends on it.

As I always say, this garden belongs to everyone and all voices are important. If you were not able to attend the meeting last night and want to comment , please post a comment on the blog or email me.    

Next steps:

Immediately

• This Wednesday, September 19, 7-8 p.m. 3rd Floor, City Hall  (Layfayette and 4th St.)the League of Women Voters is conducting a forum. The candidates for Mayor and for Wards 1 and 3 will participate. The forum is broadcast by both HBC and Charter on their public access channels. 

This is the perfect opportunity to question the candidates about where they stand on supporting the idea of a community garden and to point out the benefits to you personally and to the community as a whole that a community garden provides. It will raise an awareness that may not yet exist. 

Ongoing:

• identify potential sites for a permanent location
• write letters to the editor
• write letters to city officials 
• talk to city officials 
• attend city council meetings 

If you have additional ideas or resources, let me know

If you are willing to help out at whatever level or time commitment you can, let me know.

The Board will be working on a list of reasons why a community garden is a valuable asset in our town, but I'm sure that everyone can name several from their own experience.

Jan

Gardener Potluck and Gathering

This Sunday is our Fall Gathering in the Garden.

This is a very important meeting and I hope most of you will be able to come. 

We will discuss our plans for next year and share what information we have about what our choices are.

We need everyone's thoughts and input.

Here are the details: 

Sunday, September 16, in the Garden

Bring your own table service, a dish to share, a chair

Gather 5:00, eat about 5:30

Agenda:

• 5:00  Gather and visit
• 5:30  Dinner
• 6:00  Discussion: garden location for next year
• 6:30  Discussion: organizing to find a long term location for the garden

State of Garden

STATE OF THE GARDEN

SEPTEMBER, 2012

Weeding Party

•    A big thanks to everyone who came out to help weed on Sunday. The garden looks a whole lot better. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Whenever you visit the garden, try to take a few minutes to pull a few weeds. Pay special attention to the weeds that are going to seed. If everyone would spend just 10 minutes each time they visit the garden, it would make a huge difference. 

The Harvest

•    I feel silly having to say this, but be sure to harvest your veggies. Leaving them to rot on the ground invites unwanted scavengers. If you have more than you can use, find someone who can. The Food Shelf is happy to take produce. The Catholic Worker House has taken batches of tomatoes to make sauce, etc. Ask your friends and neighbors if they can use some. One enterprising woman has left her name and phone number on the shed bulletin board. She will be happy to pick up any extras if you give her a call.  Also, extra veggies can be left in the wooden box by the compost bin. Joyce left a styrofoam cooler there for this purpose. It has since disappeared. If it doesn't reappear, I'll bring something. If all else fails, put them in the compost.  (and just personal note here, I could use some extra basil. My whole crop failed to germinate this year.)

Late Summer Gardening

•    Nature abhors a vacuum. If you have harvested a crop, you're not really done yet. Continue to weed, cover the bare soil with mulch or straw (there is still some left by the shed), or throw down some fast growing seeds. I will put some oats or rye in the shed for people to use.  In my own garden this year I have been using up old seed that is past it's shelf life. So far I've thrown down radish, curly cress and some really old pea seeds. I now have the cutest little patch of pea plants sprouting. My original intention was to add organic matter to the soil, but I may actually get a few servings of peas.  

Fall Gathering-

•     

September 16, in the Garden

 Gather 5:00, eat about 5:30

Rain contingency-at the shelter house by the lake, across the road

 Bring a dish to share and your own table service

Agenda:

 Welcome new board members

Discuss plans for 2013 in depth

Discuss hope and ideas for establishing a permanent garden site 

Next Year

•    There is still no final decision for moving the garden next year. Last week Lea and I met with someone from Watkins about a possible site near their Distribution Center. In many ways it would be a wonderful site, but there are pros and cons to moving. Come to the potluck on September 16 to discuss the issue. We need and value everyone's input. 

Visitors to the Garden

•    The other day 2 redtail hawks were chasing  a squirrel round and round the big tree at the northeast corner of the garden.  The squirrel had one of her babies in her mouth.  The hawks rushed the squirrel repeatedly.  Their efforts did not appear to be coordinated, but they finally succeeded  in getting the baby and took it off for their feast. I was sad for the squirrels, but it drove home the lesson about nature's unbending laws and the cycle of life. These hawks  are probably eating significant numbers of voles, which would otherwise be decimating our beets and carrots. The garden is also full of small birds and even some toads. They are all part of reason that we have very few bug pest problems. Nothing is inherently good or bad in nature. It's all a part of the circle of life. If we remove one piece of this circle, the whole circle may collapse.

Board Openings

•    The Board currently has 2 openings for the coming year, including the position of treasurer. Rosemary Lyons has volunteered to take one of the Board positions (Thank you, Rosemary). If you are interested in helping the garden out in this way, let me know. The meetings are friendly and fun, and give you a say in how the garden is run. 

Other Reminders

•    If you have taken straw to mulch your plot, don't forget to pay for it-$3/bale, $1.50/1/2 bale. 

•    Be sure to log your volunteer hours on the sheet which is posted on the bulletin board on the west side of the shed.

Musings

•     Lately I've been aware of having to push myself to keep up with the community garden. I'm wondering if others are feeling this, too. And I'm wondering if our unsettled plans for next year are influencing this, thus the general weediness in the garden. It is important to keep up our efforts in the garden. This is a wonderful project and we are so lucky to have the opportunity. Hang in there and keep February in the back of your mind when your fingers will be itching to get in the dirt

State of Garden, September, 2012

STATE OF THE GARDEN

SEPTEMBER, 2012

Weeding Party

•    A big thanks to everyone who came out to help weed on Sunday. The garden looks a whole lot better. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. Whenever you visit the garden, try to take a few minutes to pull a few weeds. Pay special attention to the weeds that are going to seed. If everyone would spend just 10 minutes each time they visit the garden, it would make a huge difference. 

The Harvest

•    I feel silly having to say this, but be sure to harvest your veggies. Leaving them to rot on the ground invites unwanted scavengers. If you have more than you can use, find someone who can. The Food Shelf is happy to take produce. The Catholic Worker House has taken batches of tomatoes to make sauce, etc. Ask your friends and neighbors if they can use some. One enterprising woman has left her name and phone number on the shed bulletin board. She will be happy to pick up any extras if you give her a call.  Also, extra veggies can be left in the wooden box by the compost bin. Joyce left a styrofoam cooler there for this purpose. It has since disappeared. If it doesn't reappear, I'll bring something. If all else fails, put them in the compost.  (and just personal note here, I could use some extra basil. My whole crop failed to germinate this year.)

Late Summer Gardening

•    Nature abhors a vacuum. If you have harvested a crop, you're not really done yet. Continue to weed, cover the bare soil with mulch or straw (there is still some left by the shed), or throw down some fast growing seeds. I will put some oats or rye in the shed for people to use.  In my own garden this year I have been using up old seed that is past it's shelf life. So far I've thrown down radish, curly cress and some really old pea seeds. I now have the cutest little patch of pea plants sprouting. My original intention was to add organic matter to the soil, but I may actually get a few servings of peas.  

Fall Gathering-

•     

September 16, in the Garden

 Gather 5:00, eat about 5:30

Rain contingency-at the shelter house by the lake, across the road

 Bring a dish to share and your own table service

Agenda:

 Welcome new board members

Discuss plans for 2013 in depth

Discuss hope and ideas for establishing a permanent garden site 

Next Year

•    There is still no final decision for moving the garden next year. Last week Lea and I met with someone from Watkins about a possible site near their Distribution Center. In many ways it would be a wonderful site, but there are pros and cons to moving. Come to the potluck on September 16 to discuss the issue. We need and value everyone's input. 

Visitors to the Garden

•    The other day 2 redtail hawks were chasing  a squirrel round and round the big tree at the northeast corner of the garden.  The squirrel had one of her babies in her mouth.  The hawks rushed the squirrel repeatedly.  Their efforts did not appear to be coordinated, but they finally succeeded  in getting the baby and took it off for their feast. I was sad for the squirrels, but it drove home the lesson about nature's unbending laws and the cycle of life. These hawks  are probably eating significant numbers of voles, which would otherwise be decimating our beets and carrots. The garden is also full of small birds and even some toads. They are all part of reason that we have very few bug pest problems. Nothing is inherently good or bad in nature. It's all a part of the circle of life. If we remove one piece of this circle, the whole circle may collapse.

Board Openings

•    The Board currently has 2 openings for the coming year, including the position of treasurer. Rosemary Lyons has volunteered to take one of the Board positions (Thank you, Rosemary). If you are interested in helping the garden out in this way, let me know. The meetings are friendly and fun, and give you a say in how the garden is run. 

Other Reminders

•    If you have taken straw to mulch your plot, don't forget to pay for it-$3/bale, $1.50/1/2 bale. 

•    Be sure to log your volunteer hours on the sheet which is posted on the bulletin board on the west side of the shed.

Musings

•     Lately I've been aware of having to push myself to keep up with the community garden. I'm wondering if others are feeling this, too. And I'm wondering if our unsettled plans for next year are influencing this, thus the general weediness in the garden. It is important to keep up our efforts in the garden. This is a wonderful project and we are so lucky to have the opportunity. Hang in there and keep February in the back of your mind when your fingers will be itching to get in the dirt