Oak Street Garden meeting April 11, 2012

Oak Street Garden meeting April 11, 2012

 

people attending:

 

Nick, Ben, Lowell, Renee, Jacoba, Beth, Virginia, Stella, Julia, Lucia, Mike, Mary, Bonnie, Mike, Maryse, Pierre, Myriam, Dorene, Michelle, Holly

 

Item 1:

 

We discussed dates to have key events at the garden for the year and agreed on the following:

 

Summer Tuesday Evenings 4pm-7pm:

Acorn Garden volunteer workbees (starting May 22) facilitated by Loving Spoonful

 

Tuesday May 22, 2012 4pm – 8pm (rain date Thursday May 24th):

Lots will be happening this evening including:

 

Beginner’s Gardening Workshop Pt. 1 ( 6 pm – 8pm) presented by Kingston Community Gardens Network.

 

Acorn Garden volunteer workbee (4pm – 7pm)

 

Grow a Row kick off and Oak Street Gardens seedling sale (4 pm – 8 pm)

 

Garden prep work bee (5pm- 8 pm) – come help fix up some plots that need extra attention

 

Tuesday May 29^th 6pm – 8 pm: Beginners Gardening Workshop Pt. 2. presented by Kingston Community Gardens Network.

 

 

Saturday June 9^th, , 2012 1pm – 4pm (rain date June 10^th ):

planting deadline last chance planting party. Come out and plant out your garden while helping with a few other general garden wide tasks.

 

Permaculture Herb Spiral Workshop (1-4) presented by Kingston Community Gardens Network (built in Acorn garden)

 

Saturday August 11^th, 2012 1pm – 4pm (rain date August 12^th ):

 

Mid summer corn roast and garden cleanup

 

try to prepare 0 mile diet treats

 

Saturday September 29^th, 2012:

Harvest party and garden cleanup

try to make a meal out of food growing at oak street

 

Saturday October 27^th , 2012:

garden cleanup and tilling festival

 

Winter 2012:

Oak Street Garden skating rink???

 

 

Volunteer groups:

After key dates were set the room split into smaller groups to discuss group organization for the year.

 

Julia volunteered to help keep the website up to date

 

Pierre head of grass trimming team – Jacoba Maryse members of the team

 

Myriam- volunteered to head events planning

 

The tasting garden group met and set their own meeting date

 

items to do:

 

• Nick make web sign up sheet for plot care event.
• Get tiller and trimmer maintenance done.
• Set up tiller request form.
• Ask city about compost options.
• add mike to odd jobs team.
• Address the lock problem on the shed.

Toronto has a Community garden with an Orchard

I was listening to CBC a while back and they mentioned this community garden in Toronto that is working to restore an orchard that was previously on the site.

Very cool

check out their website

http://www.oakvalegardens.ca/

Site Coordinator Meeting January 17, 2012

Oak Street Garden Site Coordinator meeting agenda January 17th 7pm

Present: Nick Laan, Holly Platz, Tim Lyon, Lowell Cochrane, Maryse Chalifoux, Mike Payne

1. budget update.

We approved Maryse’s budget for 2012, noting that we will need to find some new ways to keep our accounts in the black. There is a 2-yr (and ongoing) shortfall of about $500 that we have met through spending our starting balance, and through grants. We will start the year with a balance of over $800, but, if we don’t get any grants, will end close to zero. We will apply again for city funding, and also for KHS grant for a new bench, but also decided to hold a plant sale as fundraiser, and to make a decision in the summer about raising plot fees.

Tim will plan on organizing the seedling sale to be held the week before the May long weekend. He will communicate information to Nick well in advance of the April 11 meeting. Tim will use the April 11 meeting as a chance to marshal energy and enthusiasm. In Nick’s emails about the April meeting, he will introduce the idea of people donating/purchasing seedlings.

2. volunteer planning for 2012

Nick said that at least a couple of people were ready to drop their plot due to an inability to give 5 hours of service, and wondered if the gardener contract was a bit intimidating in leading with “I volunteered x of my 5 hours last year.” There were many responses, but we all agreed that we won’t know if this ‘forward’ approach works until after next year, and were willing to entertain other options. We discussed using social media to give people more of an idea as to the who and how many were to be at a gathering. We discussed a cash buyout of the hours as a way of appeasing consciences and bolstering the budget. We discussed going from the ‘small team’ approach to accomplishing tasks with email global calls to community action as a way of reinforcing the all-for-one-idea. In the end we took ideas from the what worked best in the most successful groups of last year (communication and tasting garden). We again have the team-kick-off meeting where people can sign up for ways to spend hours (at April 11 meeting). We will have Communications, Grass cutting, tasting garden, Permanent crops, Events, and the rest of the people can just come out to work bees and other calls for help. (oh, and possibly a flower group – see item 6)

We thought that work bees would work better than a composting group.

Nick will contact the FCRC and try to book April 11 or some other evening that week.

Nick should put the names ofgroups onto thetask groups onto the agenda again at the april 11 meeting.

Lowell to investigate poll or social media way of allowing people to know if a happening at the garden is something they just can’t miss!

3. finishing up the document we started at the last meeting (attached)

Lots of discussion, with good consensus that we want a document that establishes the intentions and transparency of the arrangement, and also the opportunities for annual reporting that will allow us to showcase the great work that is being done in the MTG.

Mike to revise based on discussion and circulate to group to allow for thought and perhaps further editing. Final approval desired at next meeting.

Tim will work on developing a yearly report/garden planning template for the MTG tenant.

4. removal of excess raised garden bed by Q.E. / Lovingpoonful / City / future home?

done

5. plans for Tasting Garden #2

Plan will be for Lloyd’s QECVI class to have the run of tasting garden #1 (at the front (NE)), and for the Tasting Garden group to take on the new plot at the opposite end,

Nick to contact Lloyd

6. longer term planning for garden shape / fixtures – how about a bench along the East / West path for walkers to stop and look at the gardens; does anyone know where the bench we had under the tree has gone?

We all liked the idea of a bench, but decided that it should go under the tree because it’s such a lovely place to sit and it is easier to secure. We also hoped that someone might like to spend volunteer time planting or hanging flowers.

Mike to apply to KHS for grant for a bench.

7. getting permanent signage on actual composters to educate folks r.e. how to fill the bins

We agreed this would be desirable – that the signs be there and that they be fixed to the bins.

Communication team to be tasked with this at April 11 meeting.

8. plans for a seedling starter shed for the Market Training Garden on the South side of the shed

We agreed there was no money in the budget for it now, but that we should develop plans and a budget and perhaps mount a donation campaign on the website.

Tim to give a sketch to Lowell who will improve the sketch. Tim will then do a budget. Lowell will put the campaign on the website.

Nick will inform/ask Danita.

9. which community organizations are returning, who is leaving, any new to invite/accept? (Native Youth Garden, Lovingspoonful+ OEYC want to come back, what about Q.E. + L.C. highschools?)

Tim told us that the Native Youth Garden and OEYC want to come back. Holly said LS is back for sure.

Nick will inquire at QECVI.

Tim will keep asking Doug at LCVI.

I think Tim and Holly said they would make some other inquiries – ISKA, Literacy?

10. re-state our plans for reorganizing gardens which end up underwater + delegate who + how

We decided not to do any digging or order any more soil to fill in the low plots. We decided not to offer discounts on those plots or let any go fallow.

We decided to just see how it goes. If people are really unhappy we’ll accommodate them by giving them the money back for their eastern-most portion.

Nick will inform people who get those plots that they can be wet in the spring.

11. repairing wheelbarrows / sink / other hardware

We will repair the one barrow wheel, but not until the first work-bee where it is required.

Should go on Odd-Job worklist (Nick? Maryse?)

12. new tools needed?

Stirrup hoe

Someone can buy it midsummer when a deal comes up– and notify the group.

13. establishing that the green hoses stay on the outer path for use on far gardens – do we agree that they don’t need to be put away between use during the growing season?

Agreed to this.

Should be mentioned at the meeting April 11.

Fall Cleanup Party October 16th 3PM – 6PM

This years fall garden cleaning will happen October 16th 3 PM-6PM.

This is also the registration deadline to sign up for your plot again for the 2012 growing season please fill out the waiver and bring it on the day (http://oakstreetgarden.wordpress.com/administration/gardener-responsibilites/)

Events to happen that day:

• clean garden for winter
• prepare area on south side of shed for new rain barrels (If you have flat limestone or old patio stones to donate please bring them.
• compost workshop (3PM)
• rototilling of plots in fall as opposed to spring. sign up on the tiller form now (http://oakstreetgarden.wordpress.com/administration/tiller/)
• Backyard Chicken Demonstration (4PM)
• Dinner (5PM)

see you then

Community Gardens Cycle Tour

The community Garden Cycle tour is happening this Saturday September 17th from 1-4  it ends at Oak Street Garden.

For more information visit this website  http://www.kingstoncommunitygardens.ca/   and look under upcoming events

Upcoming Events at the Garden

On Tuesday, Sept. 6th

two free gardening workshops.

1. At 4:30p.m. Louise Cooper will be demonstrating how to harvest sweet potatoes and explaining the curing process.

2. At 7 p.m. Tim Lyon will be showing us how to prepare garden beds in the fall for next year’s planting.

Everyone is welcome to attend!

Wednesday September 7th

At 7 p.m. the site coordinators and odd jobs team will have a meeting at the garden to discuss different options for installation of new rain barrels.

Sunday October 16th Fall Clean up Party 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Items happening at this event

• cleanup garden
• Compost workshop
• Putting your garden to bed for the winter workshop
• Rototilling plots in fall as opposed to spring
• Backyard chicken demonstration
• Dinner at 5 p.m.

Mid Summer Garden Party

Saturday July 23, 2011 Mid summer garden party

2pm – 6pm

BBQ Dinner at 5:30 with live music

Kids activities and a sprinkler (bring bathing suits) all afternoon.

Work to be done for the day:

• Weedathon: help weedy plot owners get plots weeded
• move rocks out of gardens and to the base of water taps in central isle (this helps our grass trimmers a lot)
• Repair our broken composter and learn how it works
• Help mulch and dig over a few unused beds
• help weed the permanent crops
• install new rain barrels if they are delivered

You can believe the hype about kale – and a recipe for kale chips!

http://lifestyle.ca.msn.com/health-fitness/diet/you-can-believe-the-hype-about-kale

You can believe the hype about kale ~ This is one food trend Rosie Schwartz hopes sticks around – here’s why

Kale is hot: It’s everywhere you look – restaurants, food magazines farmers’ markets and grocery stores. While I’m sometimes happy to see a food trend bite the dust (bacon in anything and everything that’s edible, thank you very much), I hope this one has true staying power.

If you haven’t yet jumped on the bandwagon and discovered what a wonderful veggie kale is, now’s the time to get on board and reap its countless health perks.

Kale has always been considered to be chock full of traditional nutrients such as vitamins C, K and A, fibre and minerals such as potassium, manganese, iron and calcium. For a mere 36 calories in a cup of cooked kale, you get almost three grams of fibre and a little less potassium than what’s contained in a small banana – not too shabby.

But as scientists probe its heaping dose of phytochemicals, they’re finding even more disease-fighting properties.

Also see:

• Bing: Foods with the most antioxidants
• Last week’s Enlightened Eater: Scientific proof healthy marketing works
• Get Enlightened Eater on Facebook!

The latest? Spanish researchers just recently identified in kale eight different glucosinates – compounds which fight cancer in a variety of ways. But their power is only unleashed once they’re eaten and they turn into a variety of different anti-cancer substances that work in different ways. Some may target cancer-causing agents while others may stop cancer cells from spreading. And there’s more: The same researchers found 20 different flavonoids, the same compounds that have elevated the health status of dark chocolate and red wine.

Other Spanish scientists – they certainly seem to love that kale in Spain, don’t they? – have identified a flavonoid called kaempferol, which has a simply astounding range of effects. Not only does it act as an antioxidant, but it also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties – meaning it kills germs while defending against heart disease, diabetes and allergies. How’s that for a superstar?

Antioxidants protect arteries throughout the body, both in the heart and brain, lowering the odds of heart disease, stroke and even cognitive decline. When it comes to killing germs, scientists have found that kale’s antimicrobial effects can play a role in decreasing the risk of stomach ulcers caused by the bacteria H. pylori.

Finally if that’s not enough to sell you, consider that kale ranks along with spinach as the top sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, two compounds with potent power to protect your eyesight. These pigments have been linked to a reduced risk of developing both cataracts and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.

Just one note of caution for those taking certain blood thinners such as warfarin: The vitamin K in kale can impact the rate of blood clotting and as a result, it’s often recommended to simply not eat these vegetables in order to determine proper medication dosages. But rather than avoiding kale, consuming a consistent amount of dark leafy greens is a better approach that allows for healthy eating and taking the right amount of blood thinning medications. But before you make any adjustments, make sure to talk to your doctor.

As diversified as kale’s health benefits may be, so is its cooking versatility:

For a side dish, add it trimmed and chopped to sautéed garlic and onions and cook until it’s wilted. Or toss the mix with cooked pasta and garnish with freshly grated parmesan. You can also use kale in salads – I had a yummy one recently made with chopped kale, dried currants, pine nuts, parmesan and lemon vinaigrette. Add it to soups, as you might use spinach or Swiss chard.

Or go for Asian dishes or stir-fries, using it as you would any dark, leafy green. Whatever preparation, save the tough stems, chop and add them to your veggie soups.

And if you’ve never tried kale before, these tasty chips are a sure fire preparation that will definitely hook you. To make Kale Chips:

1. Wash the kale well and dry (a salad spinner will do this in a flash).
2. Cut off the stems and remove any thick ribs and reserve for another use.
3. Place the leaves in large bowl and sprinkle with a little extra virgin olive (about one tablespoon for about four cups of leaves) and salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. Place in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake in a preheated 300°F/150°C for about 25 to 30 minutes or until kale is crisp.
5. Remove from the oven and cool them on a rack – unless they get snatched away and eaten first.

Rosie Schwartz is a Toronto-based consulting dietitian in private practice and is author of The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide: Harvest the Power of Phyto Foods (Viking Canada). You can find her on Twitter @rosieschwartz.

Enjoy Enlightened Eater? Get it in your Facebook newsfeed every Wednesday!

Gallery: Rosie’s 11 best food picks for 2011 (kale made the list!)

4 Surprising Health Benefits of Gardening

http://lifestyle.ca.msn.com/health-fitness/health/4-surprising-health-benefits-of-gardening

 

By Emily Main, Rodale.com

 

You may garden just for fun, but you’re also protecting your mental and physical health, too

If the idea of digging in the dirt has never much appealed to you, consider this: A growing number of studies are finding improved mental and physical health benefits of gardening that extend far beyond the obvious rewards of exercise and fresh air. And in this economy, the free food certainly doesn’t hurt. There’s no need to dig up your entire backyard, either.

You need only a window box or a few houseplants to see these improvements in your health:

6 strategies for urban vegetable gardening.

#1: Improve your satisfaction with life.
It’s hard not to enjoy life when you’re surrounded by flowers, vegetables, and all the wildlife they attract—and now there’s science to back that up. Professors from the University of Texas and Texas A&M asked 298 older adults how they would rate their “zest for life,” levels of optimism, and overall resolution and fortitude and found that gardeners had significantly higher scores in all those areas than non-gardeners.

Also see:

• Lifestyle TV: How to start your own vegetable garden
• Bing: The best way to kill weeds

Considering that antidepressant use among adults over 65 has nearly tripled since the 1980s, gardening could be be as useful as Prozac for warding off the blues in our aging population.

Gardening and caring for plants can provide relaxation, but can it stop depression?

#2: Lower your osteoporosis risk.
It’s probably no surprise that gardening, and all the physical activity that goes along with it, leads to weight loss and better overall physical health. But that physical activity can improve your bones as well. In a study of 3,310 older women, researchers from the University of Arkansas found that women involved in yard work and other types of gardening exercises had lower rates of osteoporosis than joggers, swimmers, and women who did aerobics.

That likely has to do with the fact that gardening is sort of like weight training, the study authors note; you have to pull weeds, dig holes, carry heavy loads of soil and compost, and do other forms of weight-bearing activities that ward off osteoporosis.

#3: Lower your diabetes risk.
One of the primary components of managing diabetes is getting enough physical exercise. Active gardeners easily get more than the recommended 150 minutes per week of exercise, and those who garden just for fun get just slightly less than that, according to research from Kansas State University.

And if you grow food in your garden, you have another diabetes-management tool at your disposal: fresh produce. A number of studies have found that diabetes rates are lower in areas with community gardens, or places where backyard gardening is more common.

Get moving: 5 Tips to help you start a daily walking program.

#4: Better sleep.
The mental health benefits of gardening are so strong that a field of medicine called horticultural therapy has been developed to help people who have psychiatric disorders deal with their conditions. Studies of people with dementia and anxiety have found that gardening helps calm their agitation, leading to better sleep patterns and improved quality of their rest.

There’s no reason the rest of us won’t benefit, too. Researchers from the International Society for Horticultural Science interviewed 42 people both with cancer and without cancer, and found that all of them used gardening as a coping strategy for stressful life situations. The less we’re all stressed out, the better we’ll sleep.

For more tips on starting your own garden this spring, see also: 5 ways to create an organic garden on the cheap.

Garden Veggie Pizza Squares

Recipe Photos

 

 

Link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/garden-veggie-pizza-squares/Detail.aspx

 

By: Meghan Brand 

“This is a must make appetizer for every event in my house. I received it from a friend years ago and everyone loves it. Great for Christmas parties.”

Rate/Review | Read Reviews (480)

17,486 people have saved this | 8 custom versions

 Prep Time:
5 Min

Cook Time:
15 Min  Ready In: 1 Hr 30 Min 

Servings  (Help)

US Metric Calculate

 

Original Recipe Yield 48 squares

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (1 ounce) package Ranch-style dressing mix
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Roll out crescent rolls onto a large non-stick baking sheet. Stretch and flatten to form a single rectangular shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Allow to cool.
3. Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Mix cream cheese with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix. Adjust the amount of dressing mix to taste. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange carrots, red bell pepper, broccoli and green onions on top. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 1 hour. Cut into bite-size squares to serve.

 

~ Another great recipe to feed a crowd. Some of the comments suggested that a second package of crescent rolls made the construction of the pizza squares easier. Also the addition of broccoli and other vegetables were suggested to make it even more delicious.

For personal use only.