Needs/ Has list

Here is a list of what we need, and who in the group has things they are willing to donate. Please check the list, and add anything you think we need or that you have and are willing to give under the comments section. Dont forget to put your name!

Needs:

• Rain Barrels
  
  
• Seeds
  
  
• Compost bins
  


• tomato cages
  
  
• tiller
  


• small green house
  
  
• wheelbarrow
  


• buckets
  


• rakes, trowels, shovels, etc.
  


• potting soil



• Compost
  

Has:

• Mary Jo & Ed: hand tools, soil, rain barrel



• Beth & Matt: Manure, egg cartons, space for seedlings, chicken wire, tiller, labor for riggin barrel



• Hillary: shovels, pond liner, preform ponds, tubing, mosquito dunks



• Dan Lawton: tractor



• Anna: rake, hoe, space for seedlings



• Brad Palmer: tools to loan (rakes & shovels), irrigation components, woodworking equipment for sheds, trellis, fencing, buidling composting bins and irrigation systems, 3 trucks (one is a dump truck), and bricks for building a pizza oven on site.



• Summer Creek Farms: Large bag of organic fertilizer



• Karen & Eli: Hand trowels, seedling pots, seeds, Bioactivator for compost.

Second Meeting

Our second meeting was slightly smaller than the first, but no less productive. After a brief discussion concerning the meaning of community, we then broke up into our respective committees and got to work laying the ground work for our garden. The primary key action items to arise from these discussions are as follows:

Legal Issues Committee
- Attain 501C3 status

Membership & Fund Raising Committee

- Create a budget
- Establish membership dues
- Establish treasurer
- Establish membership guidelines
- Identify possible donors
- Look into “wooden nickel” support from the Common Market

Tools & Supplies Committee
- Identify and gather necessary supplies

- Groundhogs were identified as major problem at Cannon Hill property (current supplies inventory soon to follow)

Logistics Committee
- Identify garden location

Much of our progress hinges on the selection of a garden site and establishing ourselves as a non-profit (501C3 stuff). We will then have a better idea of our budget as well as be able to solicit for possible sponsors.

Our next meeting will take place on Sunday, March 1st at 3pm (meeting in library community room). Provided we are granted access to the property, this meeting might involve a short field trip to check out the Cannon Hill property! Also, I believe there was a suggestion to push our meeting time back? I will be sure to keep you all updated should there be any changes in the above time.

Thanks again to everyone who came out! Things are definitely moving along!

photo credits: www.screensaver-download.info, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Small_tomatos.jpg, estatenumberfour.wordpress.com

Cannon Hill Property

The slideshow below provides more photos of the garden site we are currently considering.

Meeting Tomorrow

Prospective Site

Today Karen and I paid a visit to a prospective site for our community garden. This plot of land is part of the Cannon Hill property which is located on South Street between Market and Carol. The owner of this property has graciously offered us the use of his land as well as some assistance in preparing the site for our garden. Some of the highlights of this property include:

- proximity to town

- building for rain barrels

- enclosed by fence

- easy access

- fairly secluded

Although it is not a very large piece of land (roughly 25' x 90'), it should be sufficient for a good beginning. This and other sites will be presented for consideration at our next meeting to be held on February 23 in the library at 6pm.

First Meeting!!!

The first meeting of the Frederick Community Gardeners came to order at the community room in the C. Burr Artz Public Library on February 12, 2009. This meeting was made possible through the leadership and vision of Karen Buchsbaum who did a fabulous job of creating a focused and productive meeting agenda. We started off the meeting by going around the room and introducing ourselves, providing some basic information about who we are and why community gardening is important to us. Minutes from our meeting were recorded by Eli and an abbreviated version of our meeting agenda can be seen below:

I. What is a community garden?
II. Steps for creating a community garden

III. Create a vision, mission statement

IV. Group share:
V. Committees

Action Items:

- Send Karen your name, contact info, committee

- Contact Karen if you would like to host some seedlings in your home

- Please forward any photos of possible sites to Anna & Karen

- Continue to communicate with your respective committees. If you are not currently part of a committee, but would like to be, please contact Karen.

Next Meetings:

Feb 23rd 6pm

March 2 3pm

meeting location: C. Burr Artz Public Library

Hope to see you there!!!

Frederick Gardeners

The Frederick, Maryland Community Gardeners are a group of over 25 community members who have come together in hopes of improving community cohesion and sustainability through the creation of an organic community garden. This blog creates a space for the exchange of ideas and experiences in that pursuit.

“We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?” -Wendell Berry