Sign-Up + Spring Clean-Up this Thurs. at 5:30pm

Please join us this Thursday, April 1st for the 2010 Community Sign-Up and Spring Clean-Up work session. If you are interested in becoming a member, now is the time to bring in your dues and get signed up. Dues for the season are $35 per household.

Meet us at 10th & Main Thurs., April 1st at 5:30pm.

As far as our Spring Clean-Up goes, we have lots of work to do in raking and picking up debris around the garden and the perennial border. And if you can believe it, we even have some weeds to tackle that are sneaking in a little jump on things in the early rays of spring sunshine. We are also working on a new sign to put up on Main and we need help prepping the sign for the paint job that will make its way onto the old sign that we are up-cycling for our use. If you have them, please show up with gloves, rakes, and trash bags. And be ready to meet & greet your fellow gardeners for this season!

Spread the word to all of your friends, family, and neighbors ----
Something's Growin' Downtown!

GJ M.S.C.G. Informational Flyer

See the attached scan of our informational flyer. Please note: this is a tri-fold flyer, so it may appear a bit out of order in this double-sided display. But all of the info. is still there/the same!

2010 Planting Plan

In order to get everyone excited about this growing season, we wanted to share the planting plan with you:


We have incorporated everyone's votes on the poll on the blog and we worked by committee to establish the planting plan for this season for the Children's and Community sections. The CSA is giving us two extra rows this year. So we are excited about growing some flowers, onions, leeks, and scallions this season!

Please keep the early season dates in mind that we posted on St. Patty's Day. Looking forward to seeing you all there! Email: gjmainstreetcommunitygarden@gmail.com with any questions.

Join Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution!

MESSAGE FROM JAMIE

The American Food Revolution needs to start now! If you care about your country and the health of its children please help us make a difference. We need your support to get people back in touch with food and keep cooking skills alive before it's too late. We want to make sure every kid gets good, fresh food at school. It's proven that real food promotes more effective learning. If you want better health for your kids the junk food must go. I need to be able to show The President and industry how many of you out there really care about this issue so please don't wait, sign up today. It will only take 30 seconds.

America's health needs you!

Thank you. Please forward this to your friends, family, classmates, teachers, colleagues and anyone else who you think cares as time is short.

Be sure to Join Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution! You do NOT want to be left behind!

www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

GJ Main Street Community Garden

's

Jamie Oliver!

** Early Season Important Dates **

Please make a note of the important upcoming dates over at the GJ Main Street Community Garden:

Thurs., April 1st, 5:30pm - Community Sign-Up + info. meeting / Early Spring Clean-Up

Thurs., April 8th, 5:30pm - Sowing transplants from seed hands-on learning session

Thurs., April 22nd, 5:30pm - Season Kick-off Work session --- we'll be spreading compost and tilling the soil

Thurs., May 6th, 5:30pm - Work together to spread the plastic weed + irrigation mat over the rows

Sat., May 8th, 10am - Planting Day!

Please stay tuned to the blog for additional information and feel free to email us with any questions or comments: gjmainstreetcommunitygarden@gmail.com

Spread the word ------ Something's growin' downtown!

Recipes of the season

Spring Recipes

Asparagus and Morel Bread Pudding
http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/BREAD%20PUDDING.pdf

Egg Topped Soba Noodles with Asparagus and Prosciutto
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Egg-Topped-Soba-Noodles-with-Asparagus-and-Prosciutto-357234

Spring Greens and Lima Bean Soup
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spring-Greens-and-Lima-Bean-Soup-352537

AND

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pastry for 9" double-crust pie
1 egg, beaten

Procedure:

In bowl combine first 6 ingredients. Om lightly floured surface roll out 1/2 of the pastry and line pie plate. Spoon in filling. Brush pastry rim with egg. Roll out top pastry. With a pastry wheel or a knife, cut into 1" wide strips. Gentley weave strips ver pie to form lattice. Trim and flute edge. Brush with egg. Bake on a baking sheet at 425F for 15 min. Reduce heat to 375F and bake 50-60 min, or until rhubarb is tender, filling thickened, and crust golden.

Movie at the Library: DIRT

As we think about our own patch of "dirt" and start discussing its wonderful potential, do you wonder about all the dirt out there in the world and its potential?  Watch Dirt! The Movie by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow, presented by Mesa County Public Library.

"It's under our feet and under our fingernails, but what is it? And how did it get there? Inspired by William Bryant Logan's acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, find out how industrial farming, mining and urban development have led us toward cataclysmic droughts, starvation, floods and climate change. Dirt is part of everything we eat, drink and breathe. Which is why we should stop treating it like, well... dirt.

Mesa County Libraries are partnering with Rocky Mountain PBS to provide opportunities to watch Independent Lens documentaries followed by community discussion. The series from which these films are chosen is Emmy Award-winning. Films are shown the 2nd Tuesday of each month."

Movie Site: http://www.dirtthemovie.org/
Location: Central Library Programming Room
Time: Tuesday, March 9th, 6pm
Contact: Rachel 243-4442

Summatime: When the livin' is easy.

As the new (however slowly approaching!) growing season lingers, I am finding myself anxiously awaiting the promises of long summer days. The cooling down of the heat of the day will draw me out of my afternoon siesta. After I finish up my iced-chai tea and the chapter I am reading, I'll cruise over to the Main Street Community Garden. Every Thursday, I am guaranteed to encounter new and known, like-minded folks who share my values. I didn't know it at the time, but this is the community I sought when I moved here. As the kids cover themselves with dirt and share with me the many-legged creatures they have just discovered, I'll try to keep an eye on my pooch. I hope I get a chance to run into the little girls who live next door to the garden. I am so thrilled that they prefer to be outside instead of staying in on a beautiful summer day numbing their minds on some type of instantly gratifying technology. Every chance I get, I will introduce them to something new and help them to appreciate the time and work that goes into the creation of a summer's bounty. In exchange for yanking all of the goatheads they can find out of the soil, I will show them new herbs they should taste and send them home with an armload of veggies to share with their family for dinner. As the Cameron Place CSA members drop by to pick up their weekly veggie shares, I will get a chance to reunite with friends and chat with everyone about the upcoming weekend and the "going's on" in the Valley. I am looking forward to meeting this year's farm interns and to seeing how much everyone's babies have grown over the winter! As soon as the volunteers who made it to the garden finish up harvesting veggies to send to a local charity, I will choose a few varieties of ripe tomatoes, eggplant, and basil to feast upon later in the evening after the sun has gone down. As I bike down to Main Street to join friends for a cool drink and some people-watching at the Farmer's Market, I will count my blessings and thank my lucky stars for the joy and happiness to be found in the dirt of the Main Street Community Garden!