Thanks to a special member, the garden has been tilled and put to bed for the winter. We planted a rye and vetch cover crop to help stabilize and add some organic nitrogen to the soil. We also planted garlic for an early summer harvest in 2012! Until next year, THANKS members for a successful season.
The Grand Junction Main Street Community Garden is a product of friends and families in your neighborhood working together on a communal plot to create a productive garden. The Community Garden features shared rows of vegetables, herbs and flowers, cared for and harvested by you. Please join us!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Garden Potluck!
This Tuesday, August 23rd we will have our regularly scheduled work session starting at 5pm which will be followed by our Annual Garden Potluck at 6:30! The potluck is a great way to meet fellow gardeners, hang out with friends and eat delicious food together. Please bring a dish to share, along with your own dishes/utensils. Beverages will be provided!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Watching out for the Garden!
Hello Dear Hardworking Gardeners!
Before I delve into our weekly work session, I want to thank Phil and Trish for being diligent and watching out for the garden. Trish confronted the guys taking off with our cabbages (mystery solved!) and produce after a second week in a row. Although we want to maintain an open fence policy and encourage all of you to work/harvest during the week if the Tuesday session does not work for you, we also want to make sure that all of our dedicated gardeners benefit from the efforts they have put in.
If you encounter people you have ever met before in the garden feel free to introduce yourself and ask how they are involved. If they are not involved, please tell them about the garden, and feel free to give them info on how to get involved (I will be putting some brochures on the garden board on the side of the shed), but make it clear that produce is only for garden members! You will either meet a new garden member you haven't met before or you will help us weed out people that may just be mooching off our hard work.
I also want to remind everyone that the garden should be a supplement to your weekly vegetables. With 35 members and Grow Another Row, we want to make sure everyone gets a piece of the pie so please take/harvest with that in mind...there is PLENTY to go around!! And will only have more as the season progresses!
On to this week's session: We have our weekly garden session tonight from 5-7pm. We will be addressing weeds (the ever constant battle, we had a GREAT session last week, let's repeat that!), removing dead zucchini plants (in to the garbage since they are infested with squash bugs), and harvesting: onions!, green beans, ripe tomatoes, tomatillos, okra, eggplant, cukes, chard, kale, basil...etc!
See you tonight!!
Ilana
Before I delve into our weekly work session, I want to thank Phil and Trish for being diligent and watching out for the garden. Trish confronted the guys taking off with our cabbages (mystery solved!) and produce after a second week in a row. Although we want to maintain an open fence policy and encourage all of you to work/harvest during the week if the Tuesday session does not work for you, we also want to make sure that all of our dedicated gardeners benefit from the efforts they have put in.
If you encounter people you have ever met before in the garden feel free to introduce yourself and ask how they are involved. If they are not involved, please tell them about the garden, and feel free to give them info on how to get involved (I will be putting some brochures on the garden board on the side of the shed), but make it clear that produce is only for garden members! You will either meet a new garden member you haven't met before or you will help us weed out people that may just be mooching off our hard work.
I also want to remind everyone that the garden should be a supplement to your weekly vegetables. With 35 members and Grow Another Row, we want to make sure everyone gets a piece of the pie so please take/harvest with that in mind...there is PLENTY to go around!! And will only have more as the season progresses!
On to this week's session: We have our weekly garden session tonight from 5-7pm. We will be addressing weeds (the ever constant battle, we had a GREAT session last week, let's repeat that!), removing dead zucchini plants (in to the garbage since they are infested with squash bugs), and harvesting: onions!, green beans, ripe tomatoes, tomatillos, okra, eggplant, cukes, chard, kale, basil...etc!
See you tonight!!
Ilana
Friday, July 15, 2011
Squash Bugs: a call to arms!
sad squash plant :( |
eggs! |
nymphs |
adults! mating pair! |
THIRD: and finally are the adults. as seen here (a mating pair! getting ready to lay eggs! don't worry, they are now in the land of squash bug heaven). look near the base of the plant to find these. they are fast, but they don't bite. pick them up and either squish them with your finger-thumb or put them on the path and step on them, quite firmly!
i know, this is a violent post and i am not a supporter of violence. but we have a problem and there are only so many of my lunch breaks that i can try and tackle the squash bug invasion alone. if this is not taken care of almost daily we will lose all our squash plants, so get on it! (and if you can't find any eggs, nymphs or adults, feel free to do some weeding :) )
~ilana
Thursday, July 14, 2011
SQUASH BUGS!
Squash Bug! |
For those that do NOT know what the squash bugs or the eggs look like, see this VERY helpful link sent by our very own Jerry Stringfellow:
http://www.elperfecto.com/ 2010/06/25/squash-bugs-what- are-they-and-how-to-get-rid- of-them/
Jessie: that was a squash bug that you brought over last week for inspection! Good work --- they must perish! That was a HUGE adult and if you could only imagine how many babies come out of those eggs. Squash the bugs away!
One other word of caution w/ all of this unusual rain we are having: please do NOT pick the beans when the bean plants are wet as it spreads bacteria to the plants.
Jessie: that was a squash bug that you brought over last week for inspection! Good work --- they must perish! That was a HUGE adult and if you could only imagine how many babies come out of those eggs. Squash the bugs away!
One other word of caution w/ all of this unusual rain we are having: please do NOT pick the beans when the bean plants are wet as it spreads bacteria to the plants.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Last work session of spring + springtime recipes
Happy Flag Day!
Tonight will be our last work session of the Spring as next Tues. will officially be SUMMER!
Tonight will be our last work session of the Spring as next Tues. will officially be SUMMER!
Tonight we will be focused on:
- Suckering tomatoes
- Beginning to train the tomatoes to the stakes
- Drenching the corn
- Drenching the nasturtium
- Pulling weeds!
- Replanting cucumbers
- Harvesting kale, chard, and broccoli
NEEDS:
- More stakes for more tomatoes! Please bring them if you have them. Anything tall and slender, like a tamarisk branch...
- Boxes & plastic bags for harvesting (especially for when we have bounty for Grow Another Row)
- Twine for training tomatoes up the stakes
- Organic Cucumber seeds (we need about 8 seeds to replace what hasn't sprouted in a few of the mounds!)
Please bring whatever you have on this above list to our work session this evening.
Here are two recipes to help you utilize our garden's bounty. The first one showcases a succulent weed which is popping up everywhere (especially in the cracks of my back patio!)
Roasted Broccoli with Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds 1 lb. fresh broccoli florets (see trimming instructions) 1 1/2 T olive oil 1 T soy sauce 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 T sesame seeds, toasted
Purslane Pesto 1 bunch purslane
1/2 of a lemon’s juice
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 c or less olive oil added slowly until it reaches desired consistency
salt and pepper to taste
Blend up in food processor and enjoy! Serves two. Excellent over salmon, and a medley of roasted onion, new potato, sweet carrots, and cutting celery greens. So delicious!
1/2 of a lemon’s juice
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 c or less olive oil added slowly until it reaches desired consistency
salt and pepper to taste
Blend up in food processor and enjoy! Serves two. Excellent over salmon, and a medley of roasted onion, new potato, sweet carrots, and cutting celery greens. So delicious!
+++
Roasted Broccoli with Soy Sauce and Sesame Seeds 1 lb. fresh broccoli florets (see trimming instructions) 1 1/2 T olive oil 1 T soy sauce 1 tsp. sesame oil 1 T sesame seeds, toasted
Preheat oven to 450 F (or use 475 and shorten the cooking time slightly.) ---OR--- forget the oven and marinate the broccoli then toss it in your stovetop or outdoor grilling wok!
Cut broccoli into pieces about 2 inches long. Then cut through stems just to where florets start, and break apart so broccoli is in same-sized pieces. (This method of cutting through the stems and then breaking the broccoli apart also eliminates the mess when you cut broccoli and small bits fall off.)
Place broccoli in plastic mixing bowl and toss well with olive oil, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet and roast 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir and continue roasting 5 minutes more, or until broccoli is tender-crisp and slightly browned on the edges.
While broccoli roasts, toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over very high heat for 30-60 seconds. When broccoli is done, put it back into plastic bowl, dump in sesame seeds, and toss again. Serve hot.
+++
Toodloo spring...see you again next year.
(image from DesignSponge)
(image from DesignSponge)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Work Session Tonight!
We are getting into the thick of the season now and we have lots to do and even some luscious food to take home and eat! Please join us this evening for:
- installing stakes for the tomatoes and initial suckering
- thinning beets
- thinning carrots
- hand watering the corn
- pulling weeds, particularly elm as they continue to grow
- replanting additional okra plants
- arugula
- kale
- chard (particularly as we thin the plants)
- choi
- lettuce
- broccoli
Please be sure to ask if you have any question at all whatsoever about how to harvest any of these items. We will be around tomorrow between 5 and 7pm to help you out.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Renegade Lunch Lady!
The Renegade Lunch Lady is coming to town! Learn more about Chef Ann Cooper here: http://www.chefann.com/
She will be at Two Rivers Winery Wed., May 18th, 6-8pm giving a talk and helping to raise funds for the Wingate School Children's Garden. The event is $25 per person or $40 per couple which includes food and drinks, enters your ticket number for a chance to win fantastic door prizes! See flyer link for more details and call Melanie at 970.523.7248 for tickets.
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102211686051-91/Festival+Flyer+Email.pdf
http://library.
If you have not already gotten your ticket to see the Renegade Lunch Lady, please do so! Cameron Place CSA will have a booth at the event serving up scrumptious spring greens salad. Those farmers know how to make a salad, let me tell you! Mmmmmmmmmmm! If you are unable to attend (or even if you are planning to attend!), have you considered spreading the word about this wonderful event to at least 5 people that you know?! Please give it a try if you haven't already!
Monday, May 9, 2011
wahoo! what a successful Planting Day!
Thank you all for your hard work and participation. To ice the cake, we have Ben to thank for getting the irrigation system fixed up and ready to roll with little to no leaks. We gave everything a good soaking overnight on Sat. and today's rain and mild (notwithstanding some of this wind!) weather should be welcome by the little transitioning plants. We still have peppers, okra, and eggplant starts coming our way in the next few weeks when they have gotten big enough to leave the nest (or greenhouse as it were.)
We are working on putting together the list of work assignments for each of you to be independently responsible for over the course of the season. We will hopefully be able to send that out before tomorrow's work session along w/ the revised planting plan according to where everything wound up on Saturday. If it is super rainy and muddy tomorrow, we will not conduct a work session. If it is a lovely day, please join us there starting around 5pm.
For those that could not make it to Saturday's mandatory Planting Day, please see the list below for items that need your attention. Please send us an email letting us know when you have been able to put this work into these areas. We expect that you will spend about 2 hours accomplishing this work over the next week or so. These items include:
1) pulling weeds from the north end of the garden next to the alley and in the NE corner next to the Raimer's fence --- do NOT pull the lemon balm! It is a big full-leafed plant right at the NE corner of the furthest north CSA raised bed.
We are working on putting together the list of work assignments for each of you to be independently responsible for over the course of the season. We will hopefully be able to send that out before tomorrow's work session along w/ the revised planting plan according to where everything wound up on Saturday. If it is super rainy and muddy tomorrow, we will not conduct a work session. If it is a lovely day, please join us there starting around 5pm.
For those that could not make it to Saturday's mandatory Planting Day, please see the list below for items that need your attention. Please send us an email letting us know when you have been able to put this work into these areas. We expect that you will spend about 2 hours accomplishing this work over the next week or so. These items include:
1) pulling weeds from the north end of the garden next to the alley and in the NE corner next to the Raimer's fence --- do NOT pull the lemon balm! It is a big full-leafed plant right at the NE corner of the furthest north CSA raised bed.
2) pulling weeds along the fence on the east side of the garden. Do NOT step IN the corn's luscious tilled soil (which is a 4' wide bed about 2' away from and running parallel to the Raimer's fence) and do NOT step on the newly planted strawberries which are south of the corn's row.
3) clearing the alfalfa and seeding grasses from the driveway area west of the garden fence
4) Front Easement Xeriscape Perennial Planting Beds: pulling weeds, pulling back rock ground cover, reinstalling new weed mat (with many thanks to Martha Jones for finding a screaming deal at True Value on the weed mat and graciously donating 4 rolls of it to us!) and spreading the rocks back out.
5) Clearing the cheet grass from the area b/w the garden beds and the garden fence near the irrigation system.
6) Securing the black plastic (that has loosened in the wind) sheeting under rocks/soil.
If you need assistance or clarification on any of these tasks, please ask!
Generally speaking, now we keep on top of the weeds and the watering (the watering is handled by a small group of people that operates the irrigation system to give the garden a good soak twice a week) and the compost and wait for things to be ready to eat!
Generally speaking, now we keep on top of the weeds and the watering (the watering is handled by a small group of people that operates the irrigation system to give the garden a good soak twice a week) and the compost and wait for things to be ready to eat!
Friday, May 6, 2011
PLANTING DAY TOMORROW (Sat., 5/7) 10am - Noon
MANDATORY WORK SESSION:
This Saturday, May 7th from 10am - Noon (or until we get it all done!) is our PLANTING DAY! Please plan on being there. If you cannot be there, please email us to let us know and we will get back to you with ways in which you can make up the time for this mandatory all-hands-on-deck work session.
This Saturday, May 7th from 10am - Noon (or until we get it all done!) is our PLANTING DAY! Please plan on being there. If you cannot be there, please email us to let us know and we will get back to you with ways in which you can make up the time for this mandatory all-hands-on-deck work session.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
This week at MSCG + The Renegade Lunch Lady May 18th!
TODAY'S WORK SESSION (OPTIONAL):
We are workin' today from 5-7pm. It is very important for us to get the extra compost spread along the east side of the garden where we will be planting corn seed this Saturday. We also have a bit more weeding to do. A small number of hardy folk pretty much did away with most of the alfalfa and cheet grass last week. We have more cheet grass to eliminate from the decorative planting/xeriscaped easement today and we need to fine tune the weed free aspect of our beds to ready them for Saturday's big planting session.
MANDATORY WORK SESSION:
This Saturday, May 7th from 10am - Noon (or until we get it all done!) is our PLANTING DAY! Please plan on being there. If you cannot be there, please email us to let us know and we will get back to you with ways in which you can make up the time for this mandatory all-hands-on-deck work session.
MANDATORY WORK SESSION:
This Saturday, May 7th from 10am - Noon (or until we get it all done!) is our PLANTING DAY! Please plan on being there. If you cannot be there, please email us to let us know and we will get back to you with ways in which you can make up the time for this mandatory all-hands-on-deck work session.
MSCG PHOTO DIRECTORY:
Please advise if you do not wish for your name, email, phone #, address, etc. to be shared with the other garden members. We have received a handful of photos from members so far and we are still looking for more members' photos to add to our photo directory. Please email them to us when you have a chance. We would like to pull it together by the beginning of June and will email it out then.
WORK ASSIGNMENTS:
We are planning on issuing work assignments to everyone for the entire season. This will allow for folks to be able to take responsibility for a part of the garden in which they have shown interest. If you have not specified your area of interest, you will be assigned a row for which you (and another member or 2) will be responsible for keeping tidy and weed free! This will also lend itself well to members being able to work in the garden (not just harvesting, but a way to get their work time in) on their own time and not only at the community work sessions. We will be happy to orient you to how it's done if you need guidance. We do hope that we will continue to have big numbers at our Tuesday community work sessions thus keeping the community aspect front and center in our community garden!
WORK ASSIGNMENTS:
We are planning on issuing work assignments to everyone for the entire season. This will allow for folks to be able to take responsibility for a part of the garden in which they have shown interest. If you have not specified your area of interest, you will be assigned a row for which you (and another member or 2) will be responsible for keeping tidy and weed free! This will also lend itself well to members being able to work in the garden (not just harvesting, but a way to get their work time in) on their own time and not only at the community work sessions. We will be happy to orient you to how it's done if you need guidance. We do hope that we will continue to have big numbers at our Tuesday community work sessions thus keeping the community aspect front and center in our community garden!
The Renegade Lunch Lady is coming to town! Learn more about Chef Ann Cooper here: http://www.chefann.com/
She will be at Two Rivers Winery Wed., May 18th, 6-8pm giving a talk and helping to raise funds for the Wingate School Children's Garden. The event is $25 per person or $40 per couple which includes food and drinks, enters your ticket number for a chance to win fantastic door prizes! See flyer link for more details and call Melanie at970.523.7248 for tickets.
http://library. constantcontact.com/download/ get/file/1102211686051-91/ Festival+Flyer+Email.pdf
http://library.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Work sessions 4/26 & 5/3: optional
In order to save some of our gardening mojo for PLANTING DAY (Sat., May 7th at 10am), the next 2 Tuesday work sessions are optional. But rest assured, there is plenty of work to be done!
For tomorrow's work session, please bring old sheets and blankets so that we can cover up any delicate transplants and sprouts from the frost that is slated for tomorrow night. Feel free to say a little prayer for all of our valley's beloved peach farmers who won't be getting much sleep that night!
April showers bring May flowers AND enormous weeds as soon as the sun comes out! We will be doing some serious weed PULLING and weed-wacking tomorrow evening (please bring a canister of gasoline for the weed wacker if you have it handy.) We will also be working on weeding the landscaped easement between the sidewalk and Main Street. The rain this weekend has really loosened up the soil, weeds are easily pulled right now.
Tues, May 3rd we will be focused on weeding the pathways and the beds to get ready for planting day a few days later.
Memberships are now capped. Wahoo! What a fantastic turn-out for registrations/burgeoning participation! We thank you for all of your enthusiasm and dedication that you have already shown this season. We are looking forward to gardening together this year!
For tomorrow's work session, please bring old sheets and blankets so that we can cover up any delicate transplants and sprouts from the frost that is slated for tomorrow night. Feel free to say a little prayer for all of our valley's beloved peach farmers who won't be getting much sleep that night!
April showers bring May flowers AND enormous weeds as soon as the sun comes out! We will be doing some serious weed PULLING and weed-wacking tomorrow evening (please bring a canister of gasoline for the weed wacker if you have it handy.) We will also be working on weeding the landscaped easement between the sidewalk and Main Street. The rain this weekend has really loosened up the soil, weeds are easily pulled right now.
Tues, May 3rd we will be focused on weeding the pathways and the beds to get ready for planting day a few days later.
Memberships are now capped. Wahoo! What a fantastic turn-out for registrations/burgeoning participation! We thank you for all of your enthusiasm and dedication that you have already shown this season. We are looking forward to gardening together this year!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Tues., April 19th Work Session
Join us for our 2nd work session of the season. We will be spreading plastic row covers and laying down irrigation tape. We will also be tilling up more soil along the garden's east border where we plan on planting bushels of corn! And we have a few more weeds to do away with in order to start the season with a clean slate or as clean as we can be of weeds.
We will resume with registrations for those who were not able to make it last week to sign up.
We will resume with registrations for those who were not able to make it last week to sign up.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sign-Ups/1st Work Session - Tues., April 12th 5pm at 10th & Main
Sign-ups/Registration for the 2011 season + Tilling Work Session/Spreading compost are taking place starting at 5pm Tues., April 12th at 10th & Main. Note: Membership dues are $35 for the season. Please bring extra shovels, pitchforks, and wheelbarrows as we may be doing some hand tilling and we will definitely need to be uprooting some weeds.
If you cannot make it for the sign-up/work session tomorrow, please email us to confirm that you do plan on joining as an active member this season. Further, please plan on attending one of the upcoming Tuesday work sessions to help get the garden primed and ready for the next seven months of growing veggies and flowers and a healthy community!
If you cannot make it for the sign-up/work session tomorrow, please email us to confirm that you do plan on joining as an active member this season. Further, please plan on attending one of the upcoming Tuesday work sessions to help get the garden primed and ready for the next seven months of growing veggies and flowers and a healthy community!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Join us on Facebook
We now have a page of Facebook. If you use Facebook please become a fan of "GJ Main Street Community Garden" and feel free to post questions, pictures, and thoughts about the garden. And as always, remember that you are free to comment on any of these posts to start a discussion. We'd love to hear from you!!
and: the baby spinach poked up yesterday!
and: the baby spinach poked up yesterday!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Spring is here --- time to start thinkin' about our 2011 season! + IMPORTANT DATES!
A warm welcome to those who are joining us this year for the first time! And welcome back to veteran community gardeners who have already been working together with us over the past few years. Thanks for keeping us on our toes with all of your questions, interest, and anticipation of this upcoming season.
For your info., here are a few of the basic introductory points to know about how the Main Street Community Garden (MSCG) works:
Please send us an email if you have particular things that you would like to see planted in the garden this year. Further, please let us know if you have starts that you would like to donate to transplant into the garden so that we can include them in our master planning. We are once again receiving generous sponsorship from Cameron Place who will be providing us with seeds and starts, possibly mature lavender transplants as well for our beneficial plant perennial border. We are so fortunate to have their guidance, expertise, resources, and generosity. Our seasonal membership dues go toward reimbursing them for starts, seeds, irrigation infrastructure, compost, and our water bill.
FOR A BIT OF SPRING CLEANING: Please send us an email reply if you wish to remain on this list as an active garden member for 2011. If we do not hear back from you by April 1st, we will remove you from the list. If you wish to follow along with us this season, but do not plan to become an active member, please subscribe to our website for updates (www.gjmainstreetcommunitygarden.com.) The emails this season are meant for members only. Our website will be updated frequently for you to observe our current activities and learn from us as we go if you are not an active member.
Please give some thought to the shared responsibilities and community work sessions that we held last season. If you were not able to fully participate last season in the group effort (don't forget that you are always more than welcome to put in the required work at times that are convenient for you, you do not necessarily need to be at the work sessions) but you think that this season might be different, please join us again.
We ask you to give serious consideration to the variety of required community work sessions offered (such as cleaning up the garden at the end of the season, etc.) We typically offer about two or three sessions at the beginning of the season, two or three during the middle, and two or three at the end which are ALL-HANDS-ON-DECK type of sessions. As a rule of thumb, we would expect for you to be in attendance at at least one out of three of each of these sessions at each point in the season. If this does not work with your schedule, we ask that you let us know when you have put in the work at an alternative time. This will help us to keep track of how the workload is getting shared amongst all of our members. Please understand that we NEED the HELP so that there are not +/-4 dedicated folks left to do all of the work alone.
We are absolutely delighted with our community involvement and we hope to keep the infectious enthusiasm going with a proactive and hard working group of community members to build upon what we have already done in our first three seasons. Please just ask us if you have any questions about commitments, expectations, etc. THANKS!
Here are the early season dates that we are planning on coming together to work. Please mark them down in your calendar and please do spread the word to friends, family, or neighbors who might be interested in becoming members this year.
For your info., here are a few of the basic introductory points to know about how the Main Street Community Garden (MSCG) works:
- We work collectively on the entire garden as a group, we do not have individual plots.
- Cameron Place CSA maintains the four northernmost rows of the garden (near the alley) for their CSA members, MSCG members are not permitted to take food from these rows.
- MSCG is entirely organic. The seeds, the transplants, the maintenance practices, the compost, the soil amendments, the pest control, and so on and so forth are all done organically. When in doubt, please ask us to clarify!
- Responsibilities, such as weeding, planting, watering, cleaning/tidying up, and harvesting are shared among the members.
- In addition to the 10 hour required minimum work commitment for the season, those who are harvesting food for themselves during any given week should plan to put in at least one hour of work that week on weeding, turning the compost, maintaining our xeriscape perennial right-of-way planting area, cleaning out beds, etc. The time spent harvesting food should not count towards this hour of task-oriented work.
- Each week we donate a portion of our harvest to local community emergency food agencies through the Grow Another Row volunteer leaders. We have found that one of the most effective ways to distribute the harvest is for everyone to work together during the community work session to harvest the food that is ready to be harvested. Each household then takes home a reasonable amount (this varies throughout the season depending on the quantities that are available/ready for harvest, we will be making those determinations on a weekly basis and letting you know, via email or on a notice posted at the garden, what is ready and how much can be taken home) and we set aside our charitable donation from this bulk harvest as well.
- Members are encouraged to work in the garden and harvest from the garden at any time during the week that is convenient for them. We would love to see members out there sprinkled in at different times throughout the week as it can add an extra level of watchfulness over our crops.
- We encourage members to take on leadership of at least one weekly work session over the season. If you are not an experienced gardener, do not fear. We will be able to offer you support and guidelines. The main responsibilities of the weekly work session leader consists mainly of unlocking the shed at 5pm, collecting and accounting for all of the tools at the end of the session at 7pm, and organizing the charitable harvest to hand off to the Grow Another Row volunteer. This is not a requirement for members, but we do encourage it to help spread the responsibilities and time commitment amongst the entire membership. If you would like to be put on the calendar to lead a weekly work session this season, please send us an email reply specifying this and also let us know of any dates that you already know that you will be unavailable. We will put together a calendar for everyone's reference.
- We are looking for volunteers to commit to turning and watering the compost each week. If you are interested in doing this, please let us know and we will add your name to the calendar. This is a very important aspect of our organic gardening methods and we need to focus on actively working our compost pile to create a cycle where our plants break down and we have rich soil to use the following season. Beginners are welcome at this task! All it takes is a little elbow grease and some patience. (ahhhhhhh, the organic gardening mantra...!)
- The 2011 season weekly community work sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings, typically between 5 & 7pm.
Please send us an email if you have particular things that you would like to see planted in the garden this year. Further, please let us know if you have starts that you would like to donate to transplant into the garden so that we can include them in our master planning. We are once again receiving generous sponsorship from Cameron Place who will be providing us with seeds and starts, possibly mature lavender transplants as well for our beneficial plant perennial border. We are so fortunate to have their guidance, expertise, resources, and generosity. Our seasonal membership dues go toward reimbursing them for starts, seeds, irrigation infrastructure, compost, and our water bill.
FOR A BIT OF SPRING CLEANING: Please send us an email reply if you wish to remain on this list as an active garden member for 2011. If we do not hear back from you by April 1st, we will remove you from the list. If you wish to follow along with us this season, but do not plan to become an active member, please subscribe to our website for updates (www.gjmainstreetcommunitygarden.com.) The emails this season are meant for members only. Our website will be updated frequently for you to observe our current activities and learn from us as we go if you are not an active member.
Please give some thought to the shared responsibilities and community work sessions that we held last season. If you were not able to fully participate last season in the group effort (don't forget that you are always more than welcome to put in the required work at times that are convenient for you, you do not necessarily need to be at the work sessions) but you think that this season might be different, please join us again.
We ask you to give serious consideration to the variety of required community work sessions offered (such as cleaning up the garden at the end of the season, etc.) We typically offer about two or three sessions at the beginning of the season, two or three during the middle, and two or three at the end which are ALL-HANDS-ON-DECK type of sessions. As a rule of thumb, we would expect for you to be in attendance at at least one out of three of each of these sessions at each point in the season. If this does not work with your schedule, we ask that you let us know when you have put in the work at an alternative time. This will help us to keep track of how the workload is getting shared amongst all of our members. Please understand that we NEED the HELP so that there are not +/-4 dedicated folks left to do all of the work alone.
We are absolutely delighted with our community involvement and we hope to keep the infectious enthusiasm going with a proactive and hard working group of community members to build upon what we have already done in our first three seasons. Please just ask us if you have any questions about commitments, expectations, etc. THANKS!
Here are the early season dates that we are planning on coming together to work. Please mark them down in your calendar and please do spread the word to friends, family, or neighbors who might be interested in becoming members this year.
- Tues., April 12th, 5pm: Sign-ups/Registration for the 2011 season + Tilling Work Session/Spreading compost (tilling our cover crop into the rows)
- Tues., April 19th, 5pm: Irrigation Tape + Plastic Row Covering work session
- Tues., April 26th, 5pm: Inclement Weather Date if necessary (in case we are not able to work on the 12th or the 19th)
- Sat., May 7th, 10am-1pm: PLANTING DAY! (Transplant starts and direct seed plants. We will aim to plant out the entire garden on this day.)
- Sat., May 14th, 10am-1pm: Inclement Weather Date for Planting Day if necessary
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
urban gardening
as we experience these bright little snippets of the impending spring i'm sure many of our thoughts extend to our gardens. here is an inspiring (albeit 3 year old) video about a family's urban garden. if nothing else, this video provides a peek into the lush gardens of summer and the well organized urban garden. may it be inspiring as we look forward to new gardens, new plans, and new plantings! click on these links to read more:
The Family's Official Website
3/23/11: ***FOLLOW UP! the family has apparently TRADEMARKED the term "urban homesteading." read the article here. I find this ridiculous, can you really trademark a Movement?! What are your thoughts?***
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Volunteer Opportunity!
Main Street Community Gardeners:
Read on for more info. about a volunteer opportunity that might be up your alley!
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Hello Cooking Matters Volunteers!
Read on for more info. about a volunteer opportunity that might be up your alley!
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Hello Cooking Matters Volunteers!
We are off to a great 2011! We have three classes in full swing now with Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, Clifton Elementary, and WIC. A BIG thank you to our current volunteers and agencies:
Catholic Outreach Cl ifton Elem. WIC
Chef: Steve Thoms Brunella Gualerzi Griff Chiono
RD: Katie Donohue Christina Bybee Pat Stiles
Asst: Illene Rogansack/ Ellie Walworth Heidi Hoffman-Ham
Cheryl Gummere
Shopper: Cheryl Gummere Marika Stiles
Volunteer Orientation
Because we are always in need of additional volunteers, I will host two Volunteer Orientations: Monday, February 14th from 12:00-1:00pm (Room 2058, 2nd floor), and Tuesday, February 22nd from 4:30-5:30pm (Room 2048, 2nd floor) here at the Community Services Building (510 29 1/2 Rd, GJ). The orientation will include a brief overview of the Cooking Matters program and specific duties of the various volunteer roles. You will also have the opportunity to sign up for a class if you haven't already done so. Please continue to spread the word about volunteering with Cooking Matters!
Volunteer Needs
Please view the attached course schedule - any box that is highlighted yellow is where I still need volunteers! ALL ROLES ARE NEEDED! Please let me know ASAP if you are able to help with one of the classes. We will be scheduling more classes soon, so keep checking back if none of these work with your schedule.
Please contact me with any questions! Have a great weekend!
"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." (Luciano Pavarotti, My Own Story)
Tawny Espinoza, MBA
Prevention and Chronic Disease Manager/
Prevention and Chronic Disease Manager/
Cooking Matters Coordinator
Mesa County Health Department
PO Box 20,000
Grand Junction, CO 81502-5033
Phone: 970-248-6904
Fax: 970-683-6621
Cell: 970-260-3542
www.cookingmatters.org
Mesa County Health Department
PO Box 20,000
Grand Junction, CO 81502-5033
Phone: 970-248-6904
Fax: 970-683-6621
Cell: 970-260-3542
www.cookingmatters.org
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