Recap: Our (Almost) Fall Harvest Potluck

We had a great potluck last night at the garden! Delicious food and great company!

Thanks to all who attended! We're hoping to hold one more before the end of the season.

Tomato pie!

Eggplant rolls! 

So many delicious salads!

Fall Harvest Potluck DATE CHANGE

We changed the date of the Fall Harvest Potluck to Tuesday, September 18 immediately following the work session (instead of Tuesday, September 25). Feel free to join us even if you cannot make the work session.

Bring your friends and families, a dish to share, a chair and your own plate/bowl/utensils.

Please join us, even if you aren't currently a garden member but would like to learn more about the garden and how it works.

Part of last night's harvest

A big THANK YOU to all the members who showed up last night and helped weed the garden.

Garden Update and Fall Harvest Potluck

Hello Community Gardeners,

As the summer starts to wind down, we want to provide you with a garden update:

The garden is still thriving! We will continue to hold Tuesday evening work sessions until the end of the season (usually mid-October). The cooler evenings should be perfect for working in the garden! Remember that we'll also need a lot of help cleaning up the garden at the end of the season to prepare for next year.

A beautiful Tuesday night harvest

We have been harvesting a lot of tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, green (and purple) beans, basil, tomatillos, chard, kale, potatoes and more! We will soon be reseeding greens for the fall (spinach and lettuces).

As always, if you cannot make the Tuesday work sessions, please feel free to work and harvest on your own time.

We will be holding our second community garden potluck of the season at the garden:

Fall Harvest Potluck

Tuesday September 25th

7:00pm (after the work session)

Please invite your families and friends and bring a dish to share, a chair and your own plate/bowl/utensils

Purple beans from last night's harvest

A huge thank you to everyone for your continued efforts in making this a successful year at the community garden!! It has been a fun and productive season, and we have enjoyed gardening with all of you!

Beautiful tomatoes from last night's harvest!

There is still a lot of time left in this growing season! Please continue to join us for Tuesday night work sessions.

Aug 14th Session: Weeding + Harvest Fest!

This should be a great cool night to work in the garden!  Please spend at least 30 minutes WEEDING before you begin harvesting; the garden is starting to look a little jungle like. 

For harvesting we'll be picking beans, kale, chard, basil, tomatoes, eggplant and maybe digging about 1/4 of the potatoes!  See you all this afternoon :)

Weeding

Thanks to everyone who showed up for last night's work session and potluck! Lots of weeding was done in the back half of the garden and lots of delicious food was consumed. If you stop by the garden to do some work this week, please continue the weeding along the fences and in the pathways. Don't forget about spicing up your cooking with herbs from the back beds, as well as a bunch of kale or chard as they are in abundance!

Garden Potluck

Summer Potluck! Get creative with all the fresh veggies and herbs and create your favorite garden potluck dish to share after tonight's work session. Potluck will get underway around 7pm. Lemonade and water provided. Bring your own plates, utensils, and chair. Family and friends are welcome to join!

July 3rd Work Session

Our garden is really starting to take off.  With all this heat and the automated water system, things are looking good.  There are lots of green tomatoes and the eggplant and beans are just starting to produce.  The greens and herbs are all charging ahead.  And, of course, the weeds are right there with it all.

As per usual we have a work session tonight and this will include: WEEDING (including herb and flower beds, i encourage everyone to put in a solid 1/2 hour of weeding), staking any tomatoes that don't already have stakes, continuing tomato suckering (someone should know how to do this if  you don't), turn the compost, check for squash bugs, thinning beets, carrots, radishes as needed.  As for harvest:  chard, kale, herbs, and this week we'll have our first green beans and a few eggplant!

Heat + Sunshine + Irrigation= growing plants!

Thinking the heat is too much? It's wonderful for the tomatoes! Tonight at garden session we'll be staking them, and doing LOTS of weeding, turning compost, looking for squash bugs, spreading diatomaceous earth, replanting choy, seeding beans, and harvesting greens!

Please focus on weeds tonight!  The sooner we get them the better!  If everyone weeds for 30 minutes solid each to start that will help out a lot!

Also- As of this past weekend, the garden now has an automated watering system with a timer! It will water the garden every other day, for now. Please don't mess with any of the valves, it's a system all of it's own now! Thanks to the volunteers that made it happen!

Work Session Tonight 6/5

Please join us for our weekly work session tonight from 5:00-7:00PM


We will be weeding, reseeding, repairing drip tape, staking tomatoes, and harvesting!


If you have tomato stakes that you are willing to donate, please bring them to the garden during the next few weeks, we will likely need more than we have left over from last year. We planted a lot of tomatoes!


Other reminders:

• If you have not yet paid your membership, please do so ASAP!
• Please log your work hours on the sheet posted on the bulletin board at the shed. We still have people interested in joining the garden, and in an effort to keep membership around 40, we'll bring in new members if we see that current members are not showing up.

Do NOT water the garden until further notice

We will be trying a new approach to watering the garden over the next two weeks, so if you are scheduled to water during the next two weeks (Karen G, Ilana, and Harriet - are on the schedule) please DO NOT WATER the garden! We'll let you know as soon as we are back to the regular schedule and/or if we have to make any changes.

Thank you!!

Work Session Tonight, May 29 from 5-7pm

We will be focusing on weeding, reseeding greens, repairing leaks in the drip tape, and securing the black plastic rows after the crazy windstorm over the weekend.

Also, if anyone has basil starts to donate to the garden, please bring them! The basil that we already planted did not get enough water and all dried up.

If you have not paid your membership ($35) please do so ASAP!

Thanks and see you tonight at the garden!

Perennial herb bed and strawberries update

Hi all
Just a few updates, the perennial herb bed has been planted and labeled on Sunday (5/27), I took advantage of the cool weather. There are still a few more plants to go in there, but we are on our way! Also, I planted half of the strawberries. While I was at the garden on Sunday, I had to secure some of the black plastic. It had blown over and covered some of the eggplants and tomatoes, so the battle continues. 

Garden work session tonight 5-7! We have lots of work to do. The tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers are looking great from the planting day. But, the garden is in need of some SERIOUS weeding. We'll also take out bolting lettuce and arugula and re-seed with chard, beans, lettuce, more arugula. The radish and greens might need thinning. We also have some extra flower seeds (zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers) that can be direct seeded in the front of the garden. It will be a busy evening! Don't forget to sign in on the sheet on the side of the shed. See you all soon.

Spare Tomato Starts?

Since our great transplant evening last week we've lost about 18 tomatoes.  It's normal to lose a few to transplant shock, but unfortunately the little plants that couldn't reach above the plastic cover were beaten up by the plastic on some of the windy days.  If you have any spare tomato starts please bring them to the garden session tomorrow evening and we'll get them in the ground!  After planting (with roots fully under the soil and plants thoroughly watered with a gentle watering can), place a few rocks on the plastic to keep it from moving too much.  (If you have spare peppers we'd plant a few of those too!)

With the upcoming heat plants should start taking off!

Thanks and see you Tuesday!

Tuesday is Planting Day!!!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 8 is PLANTING DAY at the garden!!

5:00-7:00pm

We'll be transplanting the rest of our starts including

a variety of tomatoes

cherry tomatoes

anaheim, poblano, sweet and jalapeno peppers

eggplant

tomatillos

basil

okra

flowers

herbs

potatoes

We also need to keep on top of the weeding, finish laying drip tape, and thin some of what we planted two weeks ago.

See you out there!

These starts have been growing in the greenhouse at Cameron Place for the past month and a half. It's finally time to put them in the garden!

Updated planting plan for 2012!  Enjoy : )

Work Session Tonight!

We'll be laying more drip tape and plastic, weeding, hand tilling some rows, and preparing for planting next week.  See you there! 

Registration is now closed for the 2012 season!

Last Tuesday's work session -  What a great turnout! And an awesome new sign!

We're looking forward to a great season!

Sign-ups Today!!

Sign-up is today from 4:30-7:00PM at the garden.

We will also be working during this time: weeding, laying drip tape, and planting starts (chard, kale and choy).

 Each member must complete a garden registration form and pay the $35 per household membership fee (checks made out to Cameron Place CSA). We will once again be limiting membership to 40.

 Due to feedback from last year we will be sending out fewer emails and relying more on this website to relay detailed info on plants, to do lists, and other fun tidbits. We will not be sending out weekly reminders for Tuesday work sessions. Please assume that the weekly work sessions will be held every Tuesday from 5-7pm (weather permitting). Throughout the season, members will be required to participate in a beginning of the year event and an end of season event (planting and cleanup) as well as 10 hours throughout the season, which can be completed at any time. In order to allow everyone to keep better track of their participation, there will be a sign up sheet located on the side of the tool-shed. Every week there will be a garden leader who will be responsible for helping direct the activities, weeding, planting and harvesting for the evening.

 Keep in mind our garden is all natural and herbicide and pesticide free! (This means more manual weeding and sometimes creative ways to address bugs!) For those of you that are new, we plant the garden together, meet on Tuesdays to care for the garden and harvest once a week. Everyone present on Tuesdays is encouraged to take home a share of veggies. For people that can't make Tuesday evening work sessions you should plan on working and harvesting at a time that works for you.

 Please let us know if you want to be a garden leader or waterer this summer, these are critical to keeping the garden going! Additionally, please let us know if you have any new ideas for the garden or would like to take on a specific role. We always welcome new ideas and more involvement in the garden!

 We're all looking forward to a great season, and we hope to see you at the garden this evening!
 
 
 

GJ Main Street Community Garden Membership Expectations 2012

• Each gardener is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the common garden. Watering, weeding, harvesting and any other garden related maintenance are responsibilities which are shared among the community but expected of each gardener according to the schedule and commitment made at the beginning of the season.
• A limited number of tools and watering equipment (watering cans, shovels, etc.) will be available in the community garden storage shed for use during the regularly scheduled work time each week.
• Regularly scheduled work sessions will be every Tuesday evening from 5:00-7:00pm throughout the season. We will not send out an email every week as we have in the past. Instead, we will post changes and updates on the website.
• There will be a garden work session leader for each Tuesday work session. The leader will list weekly tasks for the session on a white board.
• If you cannot attend a Tuesday work session, you may work at another time that is convenient for you. We ask that each member put in at least 10 hours of work throughout the season and attend the planting day and fall cleanup at the end of the season. There will be a sign-in sheet posted on the side of the garden shed. Please sign in each time you work at the garden.
•  Children are welcome in the garden! Please ensure our young gardeners are accompanied by an adult for their safety.
• Each gardener must complete a registration form.
• Garden times are from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. All gardeners are asked to enjoy and work in the garden during these times.
• The application of herbicides (weed killers) and pesticides to the garden plots is strictly prohibited.
• Membership fees ($35 per household) are due in full by May 22, 2012.
• We will have a group harvest during Tuesday work sessions. Each gardener may take home a portion of the harvest and the surplus produce will be donated to the Grow Another Row charitable outlet which distributes the produce to area food banks and emergency food programs in Mesa County.
• The common garden is an intentional attempt at providing organic food, grown locally for the neighborhood. In this vein, any gardener who harvests and sells produce from the Main Street Community Garden for personal financial gain will have their membership revoked without refund.
• Dogs are not allowed within the garden fence at any time. Dogs may accompany their owners to the garden property but should be restrained outside of the planting area in order to maintain the cleanliness of the produce being grown.

Week of April 16th

We will not be holding an official work session this Tuesday, April 17, however, there is still a lot of work to do! Please stop by the garden if you have some time to finish spreading the compost and continue weeding around the edges of the garden.

Reminder that sign up day will be next Tuesday, April 24!

Spreading Compost

A huge THANK YOU to the members who came out to help at Tuesday night's work session! We got a lot of work done and removed all of the weeds from the garden!

But we still have a lot of work to do. There is a giant pile of compost in the driveway that has to be spread on the garden before we can rototill. If you were not able to make it out to help on Tuesday night but have some time another day this week, please consider heading over to the garden to spread some compost. Compost should be spread along each row about 3-4 in thick.

All Hands on Deck Tonight!

We need all hands on deck tonight at the garden.  All weeds need to be cleared completely and then we have about 20 cubic yards of compost to be spread around the beds.  Thank you so much to Jenn and Alicia for coordinating and a special thanks to MA Concrete for the delivery. 

Bring extra shovels and wheelbarrows if you have them tonight.  Wear sturdy shoes, and be ready to roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty!  Should be fun!

GJMSCG 2012 Perennial beds

As some folks may know, the Cameron Place CSA is not going to continue in 2012 and so they will not be using the 3 rows closest to the alley for their members.  We thought this was a unique opportunity to try something different and have put together a plan to grow some perennial consumables in those rows, including herbs, strawberries, rhubarb, and asparagus! 

GJMSCG 2012 planting plan

Next Garden Work Session: Tuesday, April 10!!

Please join us for the next garden work session:


Tuesday, April 10 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm


We need help preparing the garden for the growing season. Feel free to stop by for the full two hours or for just part of the time.


Tasks for the work session will include:

• spreading compost
• weeding
• cleaning out beds
• laying drip tape for rows already planted
• transplanting starts (chard, kale, choy, etc.)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Free compost is coming!

Mesa County has generously donated 20 cubic feet of compost to our garden! Now we are in need of a dumptruck, or trucks with trailers to haul the compost to our lot. Anybody know of an available dumptruck? We have a garden member with a CDL license who could drive for us!

Look what's coming up in the greenhouse!

The kale and other greens are doing well in the greenhouse! We'll be planting these in the garden on sign-up day April 24.

Also, a big THANK YOU to the garden members who have been watering the garlic and the greens that we direct-seeded in the garden!

Planting Starts!

The growing season is underway!

Garden members planted the starts for the community garden on Saturday afternoon out at the Cameron Place CSA greenhouse. We planted tomatoes (cherry, cherokee purple, brandywine, some heirlooms, and several other varieties), peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, tomatillos, basil, chard, kale, head lettuce, choy, and a variety of flowers. We will direct seed everything else in the garden on planting day.

If there are any vegetables or special varieties that you would like to try, please feel free to plant your own starts at home and bring them to the community garden on planting day!

Optional Garden Work Session

Come out to the garden from 5-7ish tonight (March 6th) for a quick planning/work session!

Welcome 2012 Gardeners!

We hope you have all enjoyed a nice winter, mild as it has been.  And though it's only February, it's time to start thinking about the Main Street Community Garden again!  There are signups to be completed, direct seeding to take place, transplants to be started, signs to be painted, compost to be spread and tilled and fun events to be planned.  Dates and details are below.

We really want everyone to ENJOY their time being part of the garden and feel like the garden is their own backyard.  Due to feedback from last year we will be sending out fewer emails and relying more on this website to relay more detailed info on plants, to do lists and other fun tidbits.  Start checking the garden website on a weekly basis to keep up with the latest! 

Sign ups & Expectations:
We will hold a sign-up and composting, tilling, sign hanging session on TUESDAY, APRIL 24th, 2012, 4:30-6pm.  Please mark your calendars and plan on attending as this year we will once again be limiting the garden to 40 participants.  Cost will be $35 for the season.  We are once again parterning with the Cameron Place CSA to get seedlings started and access to gardening materials as needed.

Our sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 5-7pm.  Throughout the season everyone will be required to participate in a beginning of the year event and an end of season event as well as 10 hours for the season.  In order to allow everyone to keep better track of their participation, there will be a sign up sheet located on the side of the tool-shed. Every week there will be a garden leader who will be responsible for helping direct the activities, weeding, planting and harvesting for the evening.  Please let us know if you want to be a garden leader or waterer this summer, these are critical to keeping the garden going!

Keep in mind our garden is all natural and herbicide and pesticide free!  (This means more manual weeding and sometimes creative ways to address bugs!)  For those of you that are new, we plant the garden together, meet on Tuesdays to care for the garden and harvest once a week.  Everyone present on Tuesdays is encouraged to take home a share of veggies.  For people that can't make Tuesday evening work sessions you should plan on working and harvesting at a time that works for you, and remember to log your time on the sign up sheets.

If you know you want to be involved in the garden again this year (or if you have moved or for some other reason won't be participating, let us know as well!), please reply with an email so we have an idea of how many new people we can bring on this year (aka how much outreach and advertising we should do!) We will be limiting the number of participants this year and will develop a wait list after the sign-up day.  We will do an assessment of participation in mid-June, and if some spaces open up then we'll invite people from the wait list to join. 

This year we will once again be participating in Grow Another Row, and the excess veggies not taken home by garden members will go to this great organization which donates fresh veggies to soup kitchens. 

Plants & Plantings:
We know there were some great hits last year (everyone always loves the tomatoes!) and then there was some produce that maybe wasn't a huge hit (anyone love picking those okra?).  We have created a poll on the left side bar where everyone can vote for the favorites they want to see again this year.  Please vote by March 9th. If you have other ideas please comment on this post.

We also encourage all members to start their own seeds and bring the starts to the garden to plant, especially if there's something different that you'd like to see in the garden, a certain variety that you'd like to try growing or just want to start your own seeds but have no garden of your own to plant them in!

Upcoming Dates:
- March 6th-  Pre-sign up work day (designing the garden layout, discussing new ideas, painting signs, direct seeding greens, starts for transplants, cleaning out and organizing garden shed)
- April 24th- SIGN UP, composting, tilling, hanging signs
- May 1st- running drip tape, preliminary weeding, weed plastic
- May 8th- Planting Day!

Fun Things:
Since we want this to be a fun year, we are thinking of having more potlucks, perhaps a couple talks on various ag related subjects and show a movie or two.  These would all be on Tuesdays after the garden session.  We know there are quite a few kiddos that come to the garden, and if there's someone out there who wants to organize a small kids' plot, or even a coordinated dirt pile for kids to play in during work sessions, let us know!   If you have other ideas on how to make the garden more fun, interactive and community oriented, feel free to share your ideas in the comments section of the website!

Please email us with any questions or let us know if you would like to be a garden leader and/or waterer this summer.  We're looking forward to a great season together!

Your gardening gals,

Nina, Jenn and Ilana

Vote for your favorite veggies 2012!

Hello Garden Peeps!  Please vote for your favorite veggies etc on the poll to the right of this post before March 30th.  You may choose as many favorites as you want.  If you have other comments or suggestions (or strong dislikes...anyone else hate picking okra as much as i do?!), please feel free to post them below. We will try to make the garden as tailored to everyone's input as seeds/transplants/availability allows.