Meeting June 9

Edi Birsan announced he is looking for volunteers to his Rotary club's Gleaning project. The project collects fruit from backyard orchards to give to food banks. He is encouraging people to talk to their neighbors to find if they have fruit to donate. Email Edi for more information.

Jenna talked about her Peace Corps Urban Farming experience in Honduras and Nicaragua. Like in the U.S., people are getting disconnected from their food sources. That is they're eating less fruits and vegetables.

The pilot Backyard Garden Project now has Lorena, an AmeriCorps volunteer working with Jenna. The subcommittee will meet this month.

Michael Kerr talked about how he started the Ambrose Community Garden in Bay Point. He found land with a willing owner, and met Jerris the Master Gardener who helped a lot.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday July 14, 7 PM at the Keller House. We will have more information on the upcoming Sustainable Commercial Urban Farm Incubator (SCUFI).

Community Gardens Meeting

Wed June 9
7:00 PM

Keller House

Jenna will speak about her Peace Corps Urban Farm

2009 Threads of Hope Award

Mary Lou was chosen winner of a Threads of Hope Award for her exceptional volunteer work with the Community Gardens Action Team. See the December 2009 Diablo Magazine article and nomination video.

March 2009 Community Garden Action Team Minutes

M.C.P
Community Gardens Action Team
www.communitygardensactionteam.blogspot.com
March 11, 2009 at Lakeside Apartments

Present: Procton Bonnell (resident), Ashley Taylor (resident), Lina Ortiz, Marylou Laubscher, Bill Miller, Harold Blair

Announcements
•Lakeside Community Garden Work Party, Saturday, March 14th 10-2pm, @ Lakeside
Volunteers needed to work the information table, the seed planting table and serving the food.
•Lina Ortiz, is the new Resident Services Manager at Lakeside and will be in charge of programming at the Lakeside Community Room and Case Management.
•Gaby looking to move to Lakeside
•Church of Nazarene Food Distribution 10:30am on Saturday mornings, you can sign in at 8am and return at 10:30am

Check In’s:
Procton, doing good, excited about the new garden and will be up early on Saturday to help with the community garden, he is a resident
Harold, retired social worker
Bill, photo journalist and will take pictures and write and article about Saturday’s event.
Elena, 3 years old and loves to dance, play with toys and dolls
Mary Lou, Senior Action Team and ready for the first garden at Lakeside
Ashley Taylor, in 4th grade at Meadow Homes and loves science

Lakeside Community Garden Work Party, Saturday, March 14th, 2009 10-2
• Lots of food ordered for workers from La Cabana, food around noon
• Bring plastic containers with lids to take food home possible leftovers.
• Cement blocks to be delivered on Saturday morning, workers to be contacted by Harold, Lina’s truck to be used.
• Procton will be there to receive blocks.
• Wes & Ekkert measured garden, Ekkert drew plans of garden layout.
• Markham Arboretum Society will put in $2,000 for soil and $360 for rebar.
• Trucks to be used, Lina and Ekkerts
• 9am set up, 1:30 clean up
• Concord Transcript photographer to arrive
• Harold will bring liability forms for workers to sign and picture waivers
• Information Table Outside: info for the residents who ask what is going on?
• Seed planting table: children and adults to plant
• Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with Procton and Deborah to say some words, both are residents.

Large Community Gardens Committee

Adopted into the Community Gardens Action Team on March 11, 2009 by members present
To meet with rest of group on March 12, 2009 at 10am at Wendy’s, 1551 Monument Blvd.

List of land in Concord that could be secured for a future Urban Farm (community garden) on Monument
• Area behind Orchard
• Galindo property
• BART property
• Across from the Concord Police Dept.

Next Steps
Come to the Lakeside Community Garden Work Party on Saturday, March 14th at 10 am
Meeting to be had with the Large Community Garden Committee on Thur., March 12 at 10am

Agenda for Next Meeting
Report on Lakeside Community Garden Work Party
Report on Large Community Garden Committee
Ivette to speak on Gleaners

This Meeting Highlights
Procton, residents input
Ashley, child resident input
Good planning for garden work party at Lakeside
Good coordination between members for work party

How this meeting could be improved
More residents to participate at meetings
More gardeners from Lakeside

Next Meeting
Regular Monthly Meeting (2nd Wednesday of Month)
Wednesday, April 8th 6-8 at Lakeside

November 2008 Minutes

M.C.P

Community Gardens Action Team

www.communitygardensactionteam.blogspot.com

November 12, 2008 at the Keller House

Present: Susan Vought, Kevin Edwards, Stan, Mary Lou Laubscher, Yvetter Maruri, Jenna Carlssen, Kathy, Ekkert and Lucy Keller

Announcements:

Susan Vought, lives at Brookview Mobile Home park, always been interested in gardening

Stan, 78 years on the Monument, owner of Brookview, use to be two lane, you could nap on Monument everyone use to farm, poplar trees, Sherman acres use to be a hay field.

Kevin, Ygnacio Valley H.S. Students Services Coordinator, new garden area there and Stan has been helping there

Yvette, would like to work with a big community garden, free and easy access to help feed people who are

Mary Lou, lived on the Monument since 1954 love someone elses flowers, HEAL grant here at MCP, this group is part of the HEAL project

Lina, facilitator in training for MCP, almost a year now since this position arrived.

Bill,

Ekkert, drip system expert, has a plant sale this Saturday, past president of Markham Arboretum, don’t sell winter vegetables.

Lucy, set up children programs at Garden apartments. The family’s there became involved with children literacy programs and Lucy helped with the moms. Helping at Lakeside apartments with the spanish bingo.

Jenna, just finished AmeriCorps Vista in San Diego, a project to help refugees from Africa, Iraq, Burma. Like a domestic Peace Corp. Born and raised in the East Bay, lives in W.C. wants to work with communities like the Monument.

Bill, doing good

Kathy, working with Lakeside, loves to garden and looking forward to build and start the garden at Lakeside

Announcements:

Monument Urban Redesign: The built environment, effects are mental and physical health, it’s a thirty year project

Lakeside Garden Work this Saturday 10-2, weather permitting,

Public Hearing: Monument Streetscape

11-24 4^th Wednesday of every month, Lakeside Garden Planning

11- Memorial for Susan’s mom this weekend

Markham Nature Area Tour given by Ekkert Keller

1. Ygnacio Valley High School Garden

(Chair: Kevin Edwards)

• Showed us a powerpoint presentation of YV High new community garden area.
• Sledghammer needed, should know how to use the tool so that the bricks don’t break. Beds are 8ft by 25 ft wide, chicked wire 50ft by 4ft, layed two side by side.
• $5,000 to begin with.
• Chicken wire underneath, 2 beds have been built, 7 left.
• Challenges at the school. Sophmores and Seniors to share a bed to grow and sell what they grow. Freshman and Juniors to share a bed. Farmers market, products that they can sell. Profit for the school garden to keep the garden going.
• Families at the school work with cement mixing. Free garbage dumpsters through a family. Various resources were covered by families at the school.
• Water timers, easy water access
• Started in January through October, idle time

2. Cambridge Elementary School Garden

(Chair: Janice Winsey, Matt, Colleen, Janice, Lina, MaryLou, Leslie, Stan, Ekkert, 90 Day Committee)

3. Lakeside Apartments

A. Small Gardens Sub Committee to meet on February 27, 2008

(Susan V., Miguel, Enrique, Lina, Stan, Ekkert, Mary Lou)

• Can not dig into dirt cover already in place
• Clean fill top soil when searching on Craigslist
• Can use the garden shed there for now but will be on a search for a new shed
• 1ft high rebar

Container Gardening

• Martinez Navlets has a good selection of veggies

Next Steps

Review the Lakeside Community Garden Agreement

Agenda for Next Meeting

Finalize the Lakeside Community Garden Agreement

Lakeside report on update of garden action

Soil analyzer guy

This Meeting Highlights

Cross education

Member participation

Number of mixed ages

Sopes are good

Ygnacio Valley pictures

How this meeting could be improved

Questions not answered

A place for

Next Meeting

Regular Monthly Meeting (2^nd Wednesday of Month)

Possible Meeting Wednesday, December 18^th at the Keller House (may be cancelled due to the holidays)

October 2008 Minutes

M.C.P
Community Gardens Action Team
www.communitygardensactionteam.blogspot.com
October 9, 2008
Brookview Park @ 1201 Monument Blvd.

Present: Janice Winsby, Lina Ortiz, Mary Lou Laubscher, Ivette Mauri, Bill Miller, Harold Blair, Daniel Ayala

Announcements:
Janice, just signed up for the advanced adult Spanish class at Mt. Diablo Adult Education
Harold, not feeling well and is overwhelmed with the planning for the future Lakeside Community Garden
Ivette, spending time with her four year old daughter while she is not in preschool and working with her other
Mary Lou,
Lina, has started working as a Spanish teacher in Orinda
Bill, terrific
Susan, just served chicken for thirty and has been busy
Daniel, works with 100+ children at Oak Grove Middle School and wants to start

Announcements:
2008 Gardening Seminar on October 11, 2008
Work Plan for 2009 was adopted by all members

Markham Nature Area Tour given by Ekkert Keller
Recommends a drip system
Everyone pays and has a signed agreement
Expensive timers
Beautiful gardens growing lots of different vegetables, overgrown fun to walk through

1. Ygnacio Valley High School Garden
(Chair: Kevin Edwards)
beds are finished

2. Cambridge Elementary School Garden
(Chair: Janice Winsey, Matt, Colleen, Janice, Lina, MaryLou, Leslie, Stan, Ekkert, 90 Day Committee)
Intendes to put a $900 dollar timer, current drip system is broken, currently replacing main lines that are about eight years old. A volunteer comes and does the work.
School Garden Week, Oct. 25, Garden Party 10am-2pm

3. Lakeside Apartments
A. Small Gardens Sub Committee to meet on February 27, 2008
(Susan V., Miguel, Enrique, Lina, Stan, Ekkert, Mary Lou)
Next meeting, October 15, 2008 @ 6pm at 1897 Oakmead off Monument Lakeside
RCD Director to meet with Dr. Len in the future so that they can cover
Possible seed money from MCP per Harold’s conversation with Dr. Len
Harold will check out the Flea Market this weekend Oct. 10th
Supply list, donation letter handed out


Next Steps
Grant Purposals for what? (shed, irrigation lines)
Volunteers to plant at Lakeside
Meet at Lakeside tomorrow at 11am

Agenda for Next Meeting
Update on Lakeside

This Meeting Highlights
Daniel
Lakeside planning steps

How this meeting could be improved
Too long

Next Meeting
Regular Monthly Meeting (2nd Wednesday of Month)
Wednesday, November 12th Keller House at 7pm

August Community Garden Action Team Minutes

M.C.P

Community Gardens Action Team

www.communitygardensactionteam.blogspot.com

August 13, 2008

Keller House

Present: Lina Ortiz, Miss Dorthea Jenkins, Susan Vought, , Harold Blair, Lucy Keller, Colleen Majors, Mary Lou Laubscher, Virginia Aguirre, Susan Lawson, Ivette Maruri, Charly Hahn, Bryan Reiss, Michael Kerr, Kathy Greene, Alex Barton, Christi Campbell

Announcements

Miss Dorthea, Lakeside Apartment Meeting- excellent attendance and good number interested in the volunteering at the Community Garden, lots interested

Susan Vought, reporting for Stan Hansen on Y.V. High School garden project, garden area leveled, concrete blocks purchased for raised beds, garden is measured out,. irrigation system being worked on.

Lucy, has a contact for free seeds, good for summer planting (Harriet Burk – 372-8038).Kevin Edwards from YV High in charge of getting grounds ready for school. Volunteers call him at 685-8414 x 3602

Susan Lawson, facilitator Lakeside/Palm Terrace Apt. planning group, this summer got approval for a community garden, Javier Huerta took a look at Lakeside plot, very hilly, top boxes would work best, not low to ground because of the raccoons. High platforms best to keep raccoons out.

Colleen, teaches at Cambridge Elementary taught summer school and enjoyed a few days of vacation

Harold, has moved. He misses his large vegetable garden at his old home.

Ivette, has a vision of starting a community garden in an open space where residents could grow food and then hand it out to the homeless and hungry. Wants us to check out Galindo house and property behind Osh on Monument

Virginia, has a new Caring Hands volunteer coming to her house and is excited. Will now be able to get to more meetings

Bryan, Anti-War action CCRA, Contra Costa Radical Action, worked feeding the homeless in Berkeley, draws, music, organizing community events for a cause to help others.

Mike, runs the www.baypointcommunity.org website Friends of the Anuta Park, works with Bay Point Garden, Ambrose Community and Recreation

Charly, interested in creating sustainable communities

Kathy, compulsive gardener, Mt. Diablo Peace Center Wants opportunity to start a Soup-Kitchen garden, Grew tomato plants with produce for food bank people

Christy, interested in everything talked about tonight

Lina, all moved in, back from vacation NY/camping, ready for her son to start Kindergarten at St. Francis. Great Kids Garden Discovery Area at the Monument Community Pride Celebration in June, lots of volunteers and over a hundred children visited our booth.

Community Gardens Updates

Ygnacio Valley High Garden

(Chair: Kevin Edwards

Stan saw that trees were removed to make room for planter beds

Now there is room for two areas of raised beds.

Basalite blocks will be used to contain beds

Need volunteers to help build the beds

Cambridge Elementary Garden

(Janice Winsey chair)

Gardens used during summer school

New Lakeside Apartments Garden

(Doretha Jenkins, Chair, Susan Lawson, facilitator)

7 residents from Lakeside signed up to participate

Lakeside Gardens Meeting

_____________________________________________________________

HEAL Grant Requirements –(Kaiser funds this Action Team)

1. Inventory of Present Community Gardens in Monument Area

Map where gardens are presently and other possible sites within walking distance

- City Planner needed to assist us with larger size maps

2. Community Gardens Strategic Plan

Mary Lou passed out our current plan which is in progress

A strategic Plan Committee established with:

Ivette. Convenier

Lina, Facilitator

Mary Lou

Others welcomed

*HEAL Grant Strategic Plan Committee will meet

Wednesday, August 23, 2008 at 8:30am. at Country Waffles near Kohls

Fall Garden - What to plant now – Tomatoes, peas, spinach, kale, mustard greens, Chinese greens, collard greens, radishes, garlic, onion, broccoli, cabbage (ask Janice for a planting list for fall gardens)

Oct. 4 Health Fair

Planning Committee Established

Lina, Facilitator

Lucy

Janice

Stan

Mary Lou

Any interested members

October Health Fair Planning Sub Committee)

Tuesday, September 9th at 10:30 at Ygnacio Park (Lina and Ivette)

What Our Booth will look like

Container Gardens, rolling gardens to show examples of fall gardens

School Gardens Display, posters with pictures of progress

Apartments – Display of pictures of hanging gardens

Informational Hand Outs- Starting a New Garden and Best Plantings in the fall

Kids Discovery Garden

Children’s’ Garden Book Give Away – Coordinate with Sally Smith (798-1680)

Parking Lot of Ideas for Future Discussions

Monument Community Healthy Eating Guide

Group planting project Bryan’s house

Monument Community Gleaners

Galindo Property

BART Land by the Skateboard Park

Property behind Osh on Monument

Health Gardening Guide

Problem, ground squirrels and raccoons

Invite Brian to the Transportation Action Team

Look into Rent A Gardener for vacant lots – talk to Monument Futures

Bryan: signed up to research where there are current community gardens, call him with further instructions

Agenda for Next Meeting

City Planner / Gardner speak on what land we can use in the future, where there are community gardens

Currently in use.

This Meeting Highlights

New faces, Lakeside group attendance, all attendees seem to be on same page, networking potentials

How this meeting could be improved

When our regulars come back, Stan, Ekkerhardt, Bill, Janice

Next Meeting (All Members)

(normally the 2^nd Wednesday of Month)

Note Change for this Month:

Thursday, September 11, 2008, Brookview Park's Clubhouse, 1201 Monument, 7-9 pm,

Mission Statement

Within five years the Monument Community Gardens Action Team will help with the establishment of five community gardens within walking distance of high density neighborhoods in the Monument Community

Vision Statement

A Monument Community Gardens Action Team will be established to: Foster both nutrition and health for all community members; Foster spiritual and psychological health of the community; Involve all ages and capabilities; Foster Garden Clubs, School Gardens and Large Community Gardens; Establish a Farmers Market in the Community