Garden meeting notes

[Flo@the garden]

Community Garden Meeting notes 10/4/11

Randy’s announcements:
• A very sad announcement first….Jennifer LeMay has throat cancer and
is doing chemo right now.
• A four camera web-camera system (can see on internet) has been
purchased for the Farm because of the stealing of produce and for
security for equipment, chicken house, etc. There will be signs put
up saying you will be on camera 24/7 and anyone can see it on the
web. Since all the corn got stripped at Shepherd’s Field, if it works
out at the Farm, a similar system could be purchased for SF. I asked
whether we can secure the cameras themselves, and Randy indicated he’d
work on that.
• There is a gate going in at the Farm and all gardeners will have a
key.
• We got a $10,000 grant from the Pierce Conservation District. We
have rec’d $26,000 since we started; began with $1,000. We are the
largest community garden in S. Puget Sound, even bigger than Tacoma.
• A composting toilet is being set up at the Farm with a 600 gal
concrete tank, with port-a-potty over it, only need to pump once a
year. Will save $1200 a year.
• Shepherd’s Field is getting a new, bigger shed.
• Randy announced that for personal reasons he won’t be able to be as
involved in the garden activities. He’s not leaving, will stay on the
City Council, but needs help with some of what he was doing before.
He wants 3 volunteer positions:
o Assistant to Randy: put banner up, other jobs to be determined.
(ask Randy)
o Food bank plot: disk field with tractor, assign plots, etc. There
is someone to assist with this.
o Strawberry patch: Grant (?) and Mike Hedrick (?)
• The tractor was donated to us, used at Farm, and will be housed in a
new building (?)
• Re food bank area (Farm): There will be a drip line at the Farm so
that if you want to plant corn, beans, potatoes, etc in those areas,
you’ll only have to turn water on and off. There will be rotating
areas of those crops plus one in cover crop. Randy also announced
that about 95% of the corn donated came from the food bank plot, and
went to Sumner Food Bank, Sumner Family Center, the Senior Center, and
some to other food banks.
• The strawberry patch (Farm): if you volunteer for anything, you get
free strawberry plants. However, you have to take the runners that
got out of the rows, dig up and transplant into new rows. One
person reported he got 45 gallons out of 2 rows!
• Question from group about why we can’t save seed corn: Randy said
Bantam is the only one that can be used that way, but you can’t have
any corn within a mile of it or the pollen mixes, and you can’t
maintain the purity. If you grow corn, you can pick your own variety.
• If you want a pumpkin patch (Farm), there’s an area for it. The
tractor will prepare, and then you water with drip. Need someone to
manage this.
• Fava beans: Randy has lots. Ask if you want some.
• The Farm is forming a maintenance committee and buying a lawnmower
for individual use. The city will mow the big paths. (He said he
can’t do that at SF because the land is privately owned.)
• Questions from group re hoses at the Farm, crops encroaching on
paths, tall plants. Discussion ensued. Randy says if plants encroach
into path, you can cut them off, but you can tell the garden
management committee (Randy, Bruce, Ed) and they’ll be the “bad guys”
so you don’t have to. Rules on tall stuff…just can’t shade anyone
else’s plot.
• Question re rototilling at SF: problem is that people are still
gardening, and also it’s too hard to do by hand and too small for big
rototiller. We are purchasing a 4 ft one to use with tractor (?) so
may solve problem.
• Question re getting manure/compost for SF: Pierce Conservation
District has list of places, but problem is getting it loaded. Becky
Rice says she has a line on some very well composted horse manure (up
to 20 yr), and Randy promised to follow up on it.
• There is a reminder that we are an ORGANIC garden.

Ed’s announcements:
• Ed announced that there is a 30 ft by 90 ft barn (metal pole
building) that needs to be torn down. He’s working on the legal
angles, and then will take down and store at the Farm for later use.
• Applications for renewal are open now, and you have until the end of
November to renew. Can download forms from City of Sumner website (be
sure you get both parts), sign, add a check, and mail in or put in
mailbox outside City Hall. If you don’t know your plot numbers, ask
Ed (Farm) or Bruce. (SF) There is also a plot map at the Farm.
• Ed announced that there is still a need for volunteers for
strawberries and raspberries. Plants are available, but need
volunteers.

Bruce’s announcements:
• Because Jennifer is ill, someone else has volunteered to deal with
the Yahoo website. I asked about using the Facebook site, which is
very active, but was told the Yahoo site is the official one. Randy
also said, “We aren’t communication Nazis; the more the better.”
However, only one is official. After the meeting I was granted
permission by Bruce to post Facebook notices on the SF bulletin board
as long as they are clearly marked that it is not the official website
of the garden.
• Thank you’s to Bev, Dennis and Don!!!!
• Each field needs volunteers to take over and help Don with the beans
and corn. One or more persons at each location, one of whom will be
his assistant….he’ll be able to direct, but can’t do the physical
labor of all of it anymore.
• The new shed will be done by spring.
• Question re the sink: it has leaks underneath but will work on it.

Don’s announcements:
• Food bank tally sheet: 414 lbs of eggs, 1657 lb of corn (probably
way less than actual), 1659 lb of other produce….and lots more that
didn’t get onto the tally sheets.
• He really does need help with the bean patches. He has a seeder and
furrower, but needs “more elbow grease.”
• He has people who are doing community service time, and asked about
moving the compost. After discussion, he says he’ll move it and cover
with tarp and you can use it on your plots.
• He said he had lost all that corn at SF in two days…totally
stripped. Sad!
• There is a little corn available in the 2 plots by the bean patch
(not marked by tape) at SF and you can have a couple ears per person
as long as it lasts.

Final questions/announcements:
• There will be quarterly meetings from now on.
• Dennis needs more volunteers to help mow and edge.
• Randy suggested that if you leave your hose in the way in the path
you may lose it. (I was thinking afterwards, what happens when other
people use your hose?!)

After the meeting, Bruce also told me to announce that if you want
your plot rototilled, put a stake in the middle of the plot.


People who attended: Please let me know of errors in this document.
It was hard to keep up!

Respectfully submitted 10/5/11
Flo Ariessohn