Hi all!! It looks to be a wonderful day tomorrow, and I want to
double-invite everyone to join us at the garden. We've made plans
to go down there and get the beds prepared and cleaned up, and also
start organizing our seeding process and get soem things started.
This will also be followed at 5:30 by the general meeting which has
been discussed and really EVERYONE should make effort to attend.
Susie, Nina & I (as well as a guest recruit Jeff) went down there
on Saturday to begin the trash picking process; Nina suggested a
very intensive picking for small pieces of broken glass so we can
one day go barefoot inside that chain-link. As I said, it's
supposed to be nice out tomorrow.
I'll be down there w/ Trev potentially hanging a new door on the
sunhouse that is 68% GLASS. So fun stuff. Mark will be coming and
I've recruited a URI master gardener as well as droves of
neighborhood kids. Fun will be had by all.
As you can see, the moon is more than half full, meaning we have
about four or five days to most wonderfully capture the rhythm of
the SYNODIC cycle of the moon, it's rhythm between full and new.
This week is considered the best week for seeding in the SYNODIC
cycle. Best to plant during the big & waxing moon!
According to Biodynamics, tomorrow is a good day to plant LEAF
vegetables (moon in cancer, ruled by water, which is associated with
Leaf Growth in plants) so any of that lettuce spinach kale cabbage
is perfect. theres a bunch of info on that HERE: http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/MoonPlanting.asp
and I'd also like to highly recommend this article title ALCHEMICAL
GARDENING----
http://www.triad-publishing.com/stone20c.html
(actually meant to blow your mind---
"The intent of this article is to establish not the last word about
alchemical gardening, but rather the first. By this approach I hope
to stimulate an ongoing dialogue within the worldwide scope of the
STONE so that we may grow in our understanding of natural, lawful,
gardening.
Concern about the environment, overpopulation, earth changes, global
disease, and a dozen other serious issues, stalk our daily lives.
Realistically, what can we expect in 5, 10, or 20 years? It's
impossible to say, exactly, but we know we'll need to eat, and we'll
need medicines, and we'll need a sound and productive natural world.
This is certain.
More specifically, increasing toxicity in our air, water, and soil,
which eventually seeps into our food, directly affects our health.
Meats and dairy products carry anti biotic residues and hormone
growth enhancers; fruits are sprayed; vegetables are radiated; and
many prepackaged foods carry propyl derivatives.
In view of these considerations, more and more people are taking the
responsibility of augmenting their food resources with back yard
gardens, organically grown food, stored food, and "controlled
environment" food production such as the biodynamic principles of
farming. Yet, I dare say, the vast majority of these well
intentioned people are unaware of the nutritional potential of
adding Alchemically managed food production principles to their
methods."
401PURE858
On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 8:02 PM, Dauna J. Noble
<daunajean@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
mike! You are an angel! yes get waiting list! yes best way to fill
out and keep in. FYI_ Yarrow is currently negotiating with an
afterschool program to rent the rear bay of his building, if they
do, they want to garden...its all in the works man!
On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 10:58 PM, Michael Giroux <eagleseasons@xxxxxxxxx
> wrote:
Thanks for caring for the schedule, Dauna.
I have planted some flower seeds in the serpentine bed thus far, so
let me know where we put in those blueberries, (I would be
interested in those!)
I am in full agreement, Andrea, that we have a unique and
effective opportunity to grow crops way more efficiently when we
have them in neat rows, planted to receive their proper sunlight and
so forth, and can have one person go over there and take care of
watering the whole thing, so on and so on. It is very eloquently
put in your message; I couldnt say it any better.
Every other South Side Community Garden has a waiting list. Some
people have been on waiting lists for three years. We should
contact these people, and incite them to join with us, to be in
involved with our progressive and novel take, which is actually more
efficient and rational. I have been personally speaking on our
behalf to a few people who have shown interest, some right in the
neighborhood. But I think a cohesive recruitment is very much in
order!! I would be willing to write a statement, Andrea, your
statement right there may be a righteous piece in itself!! Can we
get that waiting list and contact them?? I am with you too, A, in
that I'm not opposed to people doing their own thing, but I would
much prefer them to join with us!! I did talk with Yarrow to the
point that if we see a bed being obviously neglected this year, we
would place a complaint and if those repsonsible dont take care of
it, that bed will revert to the collective control of the garden
after a said amount of time (I proposed three days, like if there is
tons of bugs on their plants and everything, we want to be able to
address that quickly)
I am going to write to the gardens coordinator right now, from
SCLT, and try to get that waiting email list. If any of you would
like to write quick snippets, such as:
"There is this greenhouse that kind of reminds me of a spaceship,
and the people there reassured me that the sun wasn't going to blow
up in two thousand twelve!" -Christian, young neighborhood
resident
You know, in your own words though, not paraphrasing for someone
else. With these three year waiting lists, I have a feeling we may
be able to drum up some members, and I believe we're offering a sort
of premier membership in some ways, considering the greenhouse
access, although I havent heard anything about extra fees for
greenhouse use; emm? I have been nominated as Greenhouse Steward, a
position I will accept if/when it becomes formal.
I submitted my own wishes for our agreement, including the right
to keep BEES which Yarrow is also entirely in favor of, and that we
can maintain a campfire space. I am all about maximizing garden
beds, but I really feel that the fire is part of keeping our spirits
burning, and actually (quick story) one friend and potential new
member I brought over changed his opinion from "maybe interested" to
"definitely coming this thursday" when I showed him our bad-ass
firepit. So as far as making sure we've got enough members, I think
there are other allures besides vegetables, being honest. Community
and good times are right up there. (we're also going to be needing
to burn those blight ridden tomato plants and so forth, so it's
really part of farm operations in my book.)
More update: the kids have been coming around regularly, they
want to learn a lot and grow their own seeds, very interested, very
enquiring. So I am inviting them to come on Thursdays also, because
that is my consistent day of stewardship and I'll be coming up with
activities for them and satisfying their interest in astronomy etc.
I think we could eventually get money to do after school programming
summer programming etc. which is another way we could pay for our
collective rental of the land. If anyone would like to work with me
on that, please do!!! For now I just keep doing the good things
with trust it will all pan out in the end.
More update: The greenhouse is so god-porkin beautiful these
days; it has gained a whole new motif since y'all have been there.
There's a reason we'll be planting SPACE SPINACH in there this
week. (By the way, I went and picked up our 200 seed packs from
URI, and also traded for some local seeds from the Laotians and
other Providence gardeners. It is high time to get some seeds going
and I really look forward to getting some trays filled.) Trev gave
it all a fresh coat of paint, and our friend Than has been coming by
to water his seedlings, am I making you envious???? well you should
be! let's get some seeds going! we gotta straighten out the deal
before we do that, tho I put in some basil just to keep myself calm.
Yarrow's main focus seems to be upon effective use of the space.
He doesnt want to see the land neglected nay more than we do. That
is why he would like to get more people involved. Hell, I think we
all do! My own hope is that we bring them into the fold of Fertile
Underground, because I think it is more coherent, as Andrea
described. We have a novel approach that I agree, I don't see
elsewhere in any gardens of our size in Prov. So write me some
short quotes, those of you with the inspiration to do so, and I'll
piece together some sort of press statement if I can get it to that
waiting list.
Much love, everyone, I look forward to seeing you. By the way,
anyone up for a game of 8-player chess?
Michael
On Sun, Mar 21, 2010 at 1:34 PM, Dauna J. Noble
<daunajean@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> OK, firstly --- blueberry bushes have recieved such excitement, I
think we
> would alll love to have them if possible and Yarrow concurs, and
serpentine
> bed seems good for them. So, if that can happen -DO IT!
>
> scedule adjust per request- WE WILL MEET EVERY OTHER THURSDAY @ 530
> CAMPFIRE, STARTING MARCH 25TH, BUT, ALSO APRIL 1, THEN EVERY TWO
FROM
> THERE. SO MARCH 25, APRIL 1, APRIL 15TH, APRIL 29TH, MAY 14, MAY
> 28......
>
> AND 1ST SAT OF THE MONTH @ 430 APRIL 3, MAY 1, JUNE 5, JULY 3....
>
> EVERY THURS AFTERNOON IS A GROUP WORK DAY, AND EVERY SAT AFTERNOON
IS A
> GROUP WORK DAY. EVEN IF ITS NOT A MEETING DAY.
>
> You are not required to catch every meeting but both are offered
for sched
> flexabilty. the idea is to stay connected, so if you cant do
thursdays,
> really try to be there for the sat meetings and vise versa. YOU
ARE REQUIRED
> TO CATCH AT LEAST ONE A MONTH!
>
> NOW THE BIG DEAL
>
> met with yarrow last weekend. He is taking a MUCH more active
role this
> year and is hell bent on seeing the garden filled up and rockin.
This is
> definately a good thing, but presents its challlenges. Yarrows
title is now
> Garden Director, while mine is Garden Coordinator, and he pretty
much wants
> to make most of the decisions. He seems to be developing the
garden under a
> system to allow it to run as a community garden should our group
pull out.
> He is giving us first rights on everything and does acknowledge
that we
> brought it this far, so he is being cool, but he is tricky to
understand.
> Basically, he has staked out many many more beds that he claims he
will lead
> the building of(and pay for building of), maybe 30 or 40 beds in
total (4x8
> beds-so many of ours are doubles). Now, he says we can take as
much of the
> garden as we want to pay for, and the rest he would rent out
community
> style. This leaves the greenhouse running as a separate entity,
where some
> members or the group rent greenhouse space, or other entities, other
> seasons, rent it separately. Seems confusing to me and I would
much rather
> see us rent the whole garden and be more clear. But that is up to
you
> guys. Nothing is set in stone yet- but he is thinking 40 beds at
$40 a bed
> (includes dirt, water, etc) which is $1600. We have 15-20 members
> currently, so that would put us at $80 - $100 PER MEMBER for the
year, if we
> want the whole garden and most of the greenhouse (except special
projects,
> winter rental etc) Payment this year is one-time pay, preferable
on April
> 1. (sorry we cant do the monthly thing again - hes not having it
and it was
> alot of trouble.)and the season means April thru November.If we do
it this
> way we would be paying less than last year, have alot more
services and
> recsources via Yarrow, and twice the bed space, more than twice
the food.
>
> or...do we want to consider having less beds, less contol, less
food, and
> pay less, and have our group function as a group that works a
portion of the
> garden while other community members have their own beds. At this
point,
> the garden itself is one thing, Fertile Underground its tenant.
>
> We have to have a final vote on this ASAP, AND SIGN UP AND PAY UP,
so we
> will discuss it at the meeting this coming thursday @ 530, and
vote. If you
> are unable to attend, please forward your comments and insights, and
> preferences about which way you would like to see this go and how
much $
> you would prefer to pay/ how much is your limit you would pay and
still
> maintain your membership. We intend to sign a lease April 1, so
please plan
> to arrange for your membership fees by then if at all possible.
We will be
> in the garden for facetime/payment thursday 25th (3-7) sat. 27th
(1-4) and
> thursday april 1 (3-7), or can be mailed to Dauna Noble 109 Summer
St. Prov
> RI 02903.
>
> It is tricky, but considering how far we have come and how lucky
we were to
> get out of $1000 debt AND still have a garden, I think we can work
it out.
> what do you think? hope to see you alll thursday!
>
> dirtluv!
> -Dauna
>
> ps-sorry i missed you at the sat. kick-off --my truck broke down,
got
> stuck....
