Right now in our community, there is too much fear and worry around starting a community garden to take this proposal any further. There will be no Sycamore Hills Community Garden.
Thus, this site now does not apply to Sycamore Hills, but I am going to keep it up in case other people looking to start a community garden would like to see how the process went for us.
I hope this helps you, and feel free to contact me for additional information.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
My Speech for the Annual Meeting
Here is what I am going to share at the annual meeting on Monday. A neighbor came by and suggested I share this to help people understand the situation and come to the meeting in a positive way.
Hi, I’m Amy _, and I would like to speak on behalf of the community garden planners and volunteers tonight about the garden proposal. The community garden project began over a year ago with the distribution of a survey to each and every household in Sycamore Hills. Two basic questions were asked: Is there interest in and support for the garden proposal, and if so, where should the garden be located?
We asked these questions because we wanted to find out if the community garden was something our neighborhood wanted. It was very important to us that our neighbors felt that their voices mattered in the planning process, even if they didn’t plan to be directly involved in the garden itself. We asked questions and listened carefully, especially when people expressed reservations about the garden, because we wanted the project to be for and by the community.
Many people responded to the initial survey. Those responses can be summed up as follows: Yes, we think a community garden is a good idea, but putting the garden on Shadowbrook is not a good idea. Based on this positive response from the community, planning for the garden moved forward, with a focus on locating the garden in the park.
Meetings were held to which all were invited, emails were sent out, updates were published, and a blog was set up so that everyone could see and take part in the planning. And good things started to happen! People joined in and helped shape the garden--they volunteered their time to work on the four grants we submitted, they worked on the entrances to raise money for the project, they worked with the City of Columbus to create a new community garden/city park lease agreement, and they wrote letters to businesses and schools to create partnerships.
Until very recently, none of the garden planners had any idea that a few people were unhappy about the community garden project. No one contacted any of the garden planners with a simple phone call or email for clarification. Instead, a handful of folks spread misinformation, and as a result, what had been apathy on the part of some turned into anger.
When the garden planners finally caught wind of some opposition to the plan, a new survey was distributed. Again, the idea was to invite people to voice their feelings about the garden proposal and to take part in the planning. Many people responded (thank you) and so now we have a more accurate idea of how the community garden proposal is perceived. Although there is even more support for the garden than before, there is also new opposition to the garden in the park. Because we could not find a location that worked for everyone and because our intention was always to do the will of the community, the garden project will not move forward at this time.
It is disappointing that the many people who spent hours volunteering their time for this community project could have and would have spent their time more productively on other projects if people had expressed their concerns about the garden project when first given the opportunity to do so. We hope that the people who are involved now will continue to be involved in positive and neighborly ways and that people who have good ideas for the community do not become reluctant to propose them because of the way in which the garden project has unfolded.
This is the end of the community garden, but the beginning of something else. Just the planning and working toward the garden have brought many neighbors together. I personally have made new friends and connected with people I wouldn’t have had a chance to talk with otherwise. This work has created a lot of support and interest in a community building initiative around gardening, so we hope that all of that goodwill and fellowship create something else really great.
In closing, thank you to the neighbors who joined in the conversation, thank you to the volunteers who gave of themselves for the betterment of others, and thank you for your attention.
Hi, I’m Amy _, and I would like to speak on behalf of the community garden planners and volunteers tonight about the garden proposal. The community garden project began over a year ago with the distribution of a survey to each and every household in Sycamore Hills. Two basic questions were asked: Is there interest in and support for the garden proposal, and if so, where should the garden be located?
We asked these questions because we wanted to find out if the community garden was something our neighborhood wanted. It was very important to us that our neighbors felt that their voices mattered in the planning process, even if they didn’t plan to be directly involved in the garden itself. We asked questions and listened carefully, especially when people expressed reservations about the garden, because we wanted the project to be for and by the community.
Many people responded to the initial survey. Those responses can be summed up as follows: Yes, we think a community garden is a good idea, but putting the garden on Shadowbrook is not a good idea. Based on this positive response from the community, planning for the garden moved forward, with a focus on locating the garden in the park.
Meetings were held to which all were invited, emails were sent out, updates were published, and a blog was set up so that everyone could see and take part in the planning. And good things started to happen! People joined in and helped shape the garden--they volunteered their time to work on the four grants we submitted, they worked on the entrances to raise money for the project, they worked with the City of Columbus to create a new community garden/city park lease agreement, and they wrote letters to businesses and schools to create partnerships.
Until very recently, none of the garden planners had any idea that a few people were unhappy about the community garden project. No one contacted any of the garden planners with a simple phone call or email for clarification. Instead, a handful of folks spread misinformation, and as a result, what had been apathy on the part of some turned into anger.
When the garden planners finally caught wind of some opposition to the plan, a new survey was distributed. Again, the idea was to invite people to voice their feelings about the garden proposal and to take part in the planning. Many people responded (thank you) and so now we have a more accurate idea of how the community garden proposal is perceived. Although there is even more support for the garden than before, there is also new opposition to the garden in the park. Because we could not find a location that worked for everyone and because our intention was always to do the will of the community, the garden project will not move forward at this time.
It is disappointing that the many people who spent hours volunteering their time for this community project could have and would have spent their time more productively on other projects if people had expressed their concerns about the garden project when first given the opportunity to do so. We hope that the people who are involved now will continue to be involved in positive and neighborly ways and that people who have good ideas for the community do not become reluctant to propose them because of the way in which the garden project has unfolded.
This is the end of the community garden, but the beginning of something else. Just the planning and working toward the garden have brought many neighbors together. I personally have made new friends and connected with people I wouldn’t have had a chance to talk with otherwise. This work has created a lot of support and interest in a community building initiative around gardening, so we hope that all of that goodwill and fellowship create something else really great.
In closing, thank you to the neighbors who joined in the conversation, thank you to the volunteers who gave of themselves for the betterment of others, and thank you for your attention.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Another neighborhood with a CG
Here is the text from the development website. I know there are many others.
New Community Garden in Summerwood
Submitted by Pulte Homes on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 12:44 in Pulte Homes
-->
Our new home owners are excited about the new community garden that our developers have made available in Summerwood! I have had the pleasure of meeting quite a few Summerwood residents over the past few weeks and the main topic of conversation in the community garden! They have commented that it is a great place to meet new friends! The children are having so much fun getting buckets of water from the pond and watering their gardens! The adults have planted a pumpkin and watermelon patch that the children are really excited about! There is a lot of action going on at our community garden! Maybe one day our new home owner's will host a Mint Hill Farmer's market!
I have been selling new homes in the South Charlotte area for over 10 years and Summerwood is by far the prettiest community!
New Community Garden in Summerwood
Submitted by Pulte Homes on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 12:44 in Pulte Homes
-->
Our new home owners are excited about the new community garden that our developers have made available in Summerwood! I have had the pleasure of meeting quite a few Summerwood residents over the past few weeks and the main topic of conversation in the community garden! They have commented that it is a great place to meet new friends! The children are having so much fun getting buckets of water from the pond and watering their gardens! The adults have planted a pumpkin and watermelon patch that the children are really excited about! There is a lot of action going on at our community garden! Maybe one day our new home owner's will host a Mint Hill Farmer's market!
I have been selling new homes in the South Charlotte area for over 10 years and Summerwood is by far the prettiest community!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Updates
Three lovely people showed up to work on the entrances on Saturday. We weeded, trimmed and prepped the beds for winter. None of us could bare to take out the annuals because they look so lovely, so we left them to remove later.
The rain started in earnest shortly there after, which might be why people didn't show up for the perennial exchange. However, plants were exchanged with neighbors on a door to door basis later on, and new friends were made, which was the point of all of it--so let's just call that one a success! :) Hopefully this will be a biannual tradition.
Much of the discussion on Saturday centered around catching people up on the opposition to the garden. Ideas of a revitalization of the garden club ensued as a different way to help get people involved in the community and connected. We will see where this all goes.
Lastly, today surveys were handed out to neighbors, and an electronic version will go out via email. Hopefully the organizers will get a lot of responses.
The rain started in earnest shortly there after, which might be why people didn't show up for the perennial exchange. However, plants were exchanged with neighbors on a door to door basis later on, and new friends were made, which was the point of all of it--so let's just call that one a success! :) Hopefully this will be a biannual tradition.
Much of the discussion on Saturday centered around catching people up on the opposition to the garden. Ideas of a revitalization of the garden club ensued as a different way to help get people involved in the community and connected. We will see where this all goes.
Lastly, today surveys were handed out to neighbors, and an electronic version will go out via email. Hopefully the organizers will get a lot of responses.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Updated Survey and Information August 2009
This survey will go out to residents around 9/26. This was a solution I proposed to the SHRA board and concerned neighbors. We all thought it is a good idea to get more information on this specific garden proposal now that a lot of work has been done and we know more.
The previous survey showed that people wanted the garden, but not at Shadowbrook. Many people responded via returned surveys, emails, and letters. No one from the park area had anything to say at that time, so a year's worth of planning and coordination with the city to establish the first community garden in a city park commenced. The SHCG planners were successful in laying the foundation for a garden in a city park, which is a huge accomplishment.
In the past week, neighbors that live around the park expressed concerns about it going there and a few individuals approached the board and Amy to talk. Those talks again show that people are either in favor of, or indifferent to a community garden, but that they don't want it in their backyard.
This kind of information is exactly what I wanted to gather. Mainly, do people want a garden? if so, where?
If people want it, I will put in the work to do it. I have always tried to communicate that I am not doing this garden for me, I am offering this garden as a gift to the community that I love. I love this community enough that not only did I love growing up here, I eventually bought my childhood home so that I could raise my own family here.
If people don't want it, well, that is okay too. I just need to know whether or not to work on it. A CG is something I know a lot about, I know it would be a great thing for the community, and I would help create it IF AND ONLY IF people want it. People said they wanted it. Now people around the park are saying they don't.
So just to be sure I have my information correct, and it is not a squeeky wheel being heard over the rest, I am going to do another survey.
With all of that said, I forsee that the location and water are combining to make the community garden an idea that most likely is not going to happen in this community. I do wish I could have helped people to accurately envision how wonderful the garden will be so that they would be willing to work through their concerns with thorough and detailed planning, but that did not happen.
The previous survey showed that people wanted the garden, but not at Shadowbrook. Many people responded via returned surveys, emails, and letters. No one from the park area had anything to say at that time, so a year's worth of planning and coordination with the city to establish the first community garden in a city park commenced. The SHCG planners were successful in laying the foundation for a garden in a city park, which is a huge accomplishment.
In the past week, neighbors that live around the park expressed concerns about it going there and a few individuals approached the board and Amy to talk. Those talks again show that people are either in favor of, or indifferent to a community garden, but that they don't want it in their backyard.
This kind of information is exactly what I wanted to gather. Mainly, do people want a garden? if so, where?
If people want it, I will put in the work to do it. I have always tried to communicate that I am not doing this garden for me, I am offering this garden as a gift to the community that I love. I love this community enough that not only did I love growing up here, I eventually bought my childhood home so that I could raise my own family here.
If people don't want it, well, that is okay too. I just need to know whether or not to work on it. A CG is something I know a lot about, I know it would be a great thing for the community, and I would help create it IF AND ONLY IF people want it. People said they wanted it. Now people around the park are saying they don't.
So just to be sure I have my information correct, and it is not a squeeky wheel being heard over the rest, I am going to do another survey.
With all of that said, I forsee that the location and water are combining to make the community garden an idea that most likely is not going to happen in this community. I do wish I could have helped people to accurately envision how wonderful the garden will be so that they would be willing to work through their concerns with thorough and detailed planning, but that did not happen.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
What are we losing by not having this garden?
Not that any of these possibilities is guaranteed, but here are some of the reasons why I feel a community garden could have been a jewel in our community:
Consequences
Here is an email I just received about our neighborhood. This is what happens when people act poorly:
I apologize in advance if you’re not the correct _, but I got your name off of the Sycamore Hills and Columbus community gardening blog sites. I am contacting you because my husband and I are currently looking into purchasing a house in the neighborhood (down on Northport Circle), and you seemed like a good person to ask about the ‘hood. I was very sorry to read about the resistance to the community garden, and frankly it is making us think twice now about the house. I guess I was just hoping to get your take on whether you still think the neighborhood overall is a friendly place to live. For example, if I wanted to put in a big side yard garden bordered in neon pink chicken wire, do you think the neighbors would despise me? (not that I would necessarily do this, just a litmus :) I hope this doesn’t sound out of order – the community looks very nice and I know there will always be a few grumps in any neighborhood – but I just want to make sure we’re not walking into control freak central if you know what I mean. Any insights you would feel comfortable offering would be greatly appreciated.
I apologize in advance if you’re not the correct _, but I got your name off of the Sycamore Hills and Columbus community gardening blog sites. I am contacting you because my husband and I are currently looking into purchasing a house in the neighborhood (down on Northport Circle), and you seemed like a good person to ask about the ‘hood. I was very sorry to read about the resistance to the community garden, and frankly it is making us think twice now about the house. I guess I was just hoping to get your take on whether you still think the neighborhood overall is a friendly place to live. For example, if I wanted to put in a big side yard garden bordered in neon pink chicken wire, do you think the neighbors would despise me? (not that I would necessarily do this, just a litmus :) I hope this doesn’t sound out of order – the community looks very nice and I know there will always be a few grumps in any neighborhood – but I just want to make sure we’re not walking into control freak central if you know what I mean. Any insights you would feel comfortable offering would be greatly appreciated.
Worthington Gets a CG in their City Park
http://www.sustainableworthington.org/projects.asp
http://www.sustainableworthington.org/c-garden.asp
Community garden will grow on city ground
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 3:12 PM
By CANDY BROOKS
ThisWeek Staff Writer
The Worthington community finally has a place to grow together.
Plans are being made this fall to plant a community garden at the Worthington Community Center next spring.
A public meeting will be held the evening of Oct. 1. Beginning at 7:30, gardeners will be able to look at the garden plots. A meeting at the center will begin at 8.
The city will make available 30 plots that are 20 feet by 30 feet each on the northwest side of the community center parking lot. Residents will be able to rent a plot for $40 a year, or $25 for a half plot.
There, they will be able to work side-by-side with neighbors sowing and growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers.
Members of Sustainable Worthington have been trying to establish a community garden for the past two years. A proposal to start a garden at the United Methodist Children's Home fell through when problems cropped up.
The garden at the community center is meant to be cost neutral to the city, with gardeners expected to volunteer to take care of coordination, communications, maintenance and programs.
Participants will also be expected to tend their plots on a regular basis, attend meetings, and grow more than they need so that donations of fresh food can be made to charitable organizations such as the Worthington Food Pantry.
Gardeners will bring their own tools. Efforts will be made to keep the garden organic, with no use of pesticides or herbicides or treated lumber.
Water will be available from a pump, but no hoses will be used.
No fences will be erected, unless efforts to keep animals out fail using other means, said Lisa Staggenborg of Sustainable Worthington.
Organizers are also planning to offer educational programs for gardeners.
Early registration will be available at the meeting. Volunteer assignments will be made at a kickoff meeting in November, when plot assignments will also be made
To learn more about the garden or to apply for a plot, go to the Sustainable Worthington Web site, www.sustainableworthington.org, or e-mail info@sustainableworthington.org.
cbrooks@thisweeknews.com
http://www.sustainableworthington.org/c-garden.asp
Community garden will grow on city ground
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 3:12 PM
By CANDY BROOKS
ThisWeek Staff Writer
The Worthington community finally has a place to grow together.
Plans are being made this fall to plant a community garden at the Worthington Community Center next spring.
A public meeting will be held the evening of Oct. 1. Beginning at 7:30, gardeners will be able to look at the garden plots. A meeting at the center will begin at 8.
The city will make available 30 plots that are 20 feet by 30 feet each on the northwest side of the community center parking lot. Residents will be able to rent a plot for $40 a year, or $25 for a half plot.
There, they will be able to work side-by-side with neighbors sowing and growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers.
Members of Sustainable Worthington have been trying to establish a community garden for the past two years. A proposal to start a garden at the United Methodist Children's Home fell through when problems cropped up.
The garden at the community center is meant to be cost neutral to the city, with gardeners expected to volunteer to take care of coordination, communications, maintenance and programs.
Participants will also be expected to tend their plots on a regular basis, attend meetings, and grow more than they need so that donations of fresh food can be made to charitable organizations such as the Worthington Food Pantry.
Gardeners will bring their own tools. Efforts will be made to keep the garden organic, with no use of pesticides or herbicides or treated lumber.
Water will be available from a pump, but no hoses will be used.
No fences will be erected, unless efforts to keep animals out fail using other means, said Lisa Staggenborg of Sustainable Worthington.
Organizers are also planning to offer educational programs for gardeners.
Early registration will be available at the meeting. Volunteer assignments will be made at a kickoff meeting in November, when plot assignments will also be made
To learn more about the garden or to apply for a plot, go to the Sustainable Worthington Web site, www.sustainableworthington.org, or e-mail info@sustainableworthington.org.
cbrooks@thisweeknews.com
Friday, September 18, 2009
irony
perhaps we will get our first grant after all...
how awesome.
Dear Captain Planet Foundation Grant Applicant,
Thank you for submitting a grant application for the Captain Planet Foundation’s March 31st deadline. We have had a chance to review your request for funding but unfortunately we are unable to fund your project at this time. This does not mean that your application has been taken out of our queue. Instead your application has been selected to be held over for consideration in our next round of applications. Please contact me via email if the shift in time affects your project goals. We anticipate that you will receive the final status of your grant by mid-December 2009 if not earlier.
We appreciate your patience and commend you for your efforts to educate and inspire children to be great stewards of the planet.
Remember, the Power is Yours!
Taryn Murphy
Email with Maureen 9/18
Hi Amy,
I was at a conference when your emails came in. Sorry for the delayed response. I did have some neighbors from the neighborhood contact me and raise some strong opposition to the garden proposal. We currently have a Volunteers Maintenance Agreement with one of these gentlemen for mowing the grass. I asked them to let their views be known to the Civic Association. Have you heard of this, yet.
One thing Recreation and Parks does not want to get into is pitting neighbors against neighbors. I really hope this can be worked out. The gentleman that contacted me lives adjacent to the park.
I will call you this afternoon. In answer to your question - we develop a lease agreement with your Civic Association. Your garden would be organized as a subgroup of the CA. It was the CA's ownership of land that allows the raised beds and any fencing. (however, the fencing was a big part of the objections from the neighbors). As your CA, you can decide who gardens there.
As a side note, I don't think we will allow chicken wire. That's a fencing material that we definitely are trying to avoid. I am looking into the garden policies that Grandview has for guidance.
I look forward to talking with you!
Maureen
___________________________________
Hi, Maureen, Yep, that is what I wanted to talk to you about-a heads up as well as ask about some other issues. Unfortunately, when I did the survey a year ago, none of those neighbors joined in the discussion. If I had known there would be any opposition, my year's worth of work wouldn't have happened. BUT the good thing is we have made some headway between community gardens and the parks, so I am happy about that. Maybe someone else will have more luck! So, like the city, I also do not want to put a garden in where people don't want it. That was never my intention, but they never talked to me, so there was no way to know. But some of them have contacted me now, so we are going to do another survey with the updated garden plan and more specific information to find out what the new feelings are about the garden. I will share the results with you if you are interested. I am going to contact Jennifer Adair from the CA so she can have heads up, too. It is so frustrating that people didn't just start this process by talking to me first-the whole reason they have your name is because I shared on the blog about our meetings and the steps we have been going through. I have gone above and beyond to make this whole process transparent and invite people into the planning (the blog, meetings, updates, work days, etc) and instead of being neighborly, people acted poorly. I suppose you have to deal with this in some fashion with CRP. It is draining. Not that this matters, but I don't think chicken wire is in the plans.Okay, so I will look forward to your call and we can just make sure everything is clear.Thanks!!Amy
I was at a conference when your emails came in. Sorry for the delayed response. I did have some neighbors from the neighborhood contact me and raise some strong opposition to the garden proposal. We currently have a Volunteers Maintenance Agreement with one of these gentlemen for mowing the grass. I asked them to let their views be known to the Civic Association. Have you heard of this, yet.
One thing Recreation and Parks does not want to get into is pitting neighbors against neighbors. I really hope this can be worked out. The gentleman that contacted me lives adjacent to the park.
I will call you this afternoon. In answer to your question - we develop a lease agreement with your Civic Association. Your garden would be organized as a subgroup of the CA. It was the CA's ownership of land that allows the raised beds and any fencing. (however, the fencing was a big part of the objections from the neighbors). As your CA, you can decide who gardens there.
As a side note, I don't think we will allow chicken wire. That's a fencing material that we definitely are trying to avoid. I am looking into the garden policies that Grandview has for guidance.
I look forward to talking with you!
Maureen
___________________________________
Hi, Maureen, Yep, that is what I wanted to talk to you about-a heads up as well as ask about some other issues. Unfortunately, when I did the survey a year ago, none of those neighbors joined in the discussion. If I had known there would be any opposition, my year's worth of work wouldn't have happened. BUT the good thing is we have made some headway between community gardens and the parks, so I am happy about that. Maybe someone else will have more luck! So, like the city, I also do not want to put a garden in where people don't want it. That was never my intention, but they never talked to me, so there was no way to know. But some of them have contacted me now, so we are going to do another survey with the updated garden plan and more specific information to find out what the new feelings are about the garden. I will share the results with you if you are interested. I am going to contact Jennifer Adair from the CA so she can have heads up, too. It is so frustrating that people didn't just start this process by talking to me first-the whole reason they have your name is because I shared on the blog about our meetings and the steps we have been going through. I have gone above and beyond to make this whole process transparent and invite people into the planning (the blog, meetings, updates, work days, etc) and instead of being neighborly, people acted poorly. I suppose you have to deal with this in some fashion with CRP. It is draining. Not that this matters, but I don't think chicken wire is in the plans.Okay, so I will look forward to your call and we can just make sure everything is clear.Thanks!!Amy
Emails with Jennifer from NWCA
Hi, Jennifer,
I wanted to give you a heads up on the proposed CG in Sycamore Hills. We have some drama happening, and perhaps some people have contacted you before talking to me to clear things up. This whole situation is obnoxious, but i wanted to fill you in on what is going on from a rational point of view. I am a little annoyed if you haven't noticed! :(
Unfortunately, when I did the survey a year ago, some of our neighbors didn't join in the discussion. These same people are now saying that they don't want the garden in the park, and only a few are actually talking to me about it. Thank goodness for the few who are acting neighborly.
So, just so you (on behalf of the NWCA) knows, if I had any awareness that there would be any opposition, my year's worth of work wouldn't have happened. The other proposed spot also had opposition, and so we proposed the park location as a solution, and NOT ONE PERSON OBJECTED for a whole year! I have held community garden planning meetings, sent out updates, had work days, and invited people to look at the blog where I have written out every single step in the planning proposal-so I really couldn't have done more to invite them into the conversation.
In the end, I do not want to put a garden in where people don't want it. That is why I did the survey. Because they never talked to me, there was no way to know. But some of them have contacted me now, so know I do know, and we are going to do another survey with the updated garden plan and more specific information to find out what the new feelings are about the garden. I will share the results with you and NWCA if you are interested.
So, it is quite likely that there will not be a CG now in SH. The good thing is there is now a process for creating community gardens in parks, so I am happy about that. Maybe someone else will have more luck! Also, I know a lot more neighbors now, which was the whole point-for people to know each other! :)
Please advise me if you think I need to come to the next meeting to share this. I feel like I have to defend myself. I have class on Wednesdays from 1-9:30, so I will have to miss class to be there, just to throw that in the mix.
Thanks, Jennifer!
Amy
I wanted to give you a heads up on the proposed CG in Sycamore Hills. We have some drama happening, and perhaps some people have contacted you before talking to me to clear things up. This whole situation is obnoxious, but i wanted to fill you in on what is going on from a rational point of view. I am a little annoyed if you haven't noticed! :(
Unfortunately, when I did the survey a year ago, some of our neighbors didn't join in the discussion. These same people are now saying that they don't want the garden in the park, and only a few are actually talking to me about it. Thank goodness for the few who are acting neighborly.
So, just so you (on behalf of the NWCA) knows, if I had any awareness that there would be any opposition, my year's worth of work wouldn't have happened. The other proposed spot also had opposition, and so we proposed the park location as a solution, and NOT ONE PERSON OBJECTED for a whole year! I have held community garden planning meetings, sent out updates, had work days, and invited people to look at the blog where I have written out every single step in the planning proposal-so I really couldn't have done more to invite them into the conversation.
In the end, I do not want to put a garden in where people don't want it. That is why I did the survey. Because they never talked to me, there was no way to know. But some of them have contacted me now, so know I do know, and we are going to do another survey with the updated garden plan and more specific information to find out what the new feelings are about the garden. I will share the results with you and NWCA if you are interested.
So, it is quite likely that there will not be a CG now in SH. The good thing is there is now a process for creating community gardens in parks, so I am happy about that. Maybe someone else will have more luck! Also, I know a lot more neighbors now, which was the whole point-for people to know each other! :)
Please advise me if you think I need to come to the next meeting to share this. I feel like I have to defend myself. I have class on Wednesdays from 1-9:30, so I will have to miss class to be there, just to throw that in the mix.
Thanks, Jennifer!
Amy
Thursday, September 17, 2009
water collection ideas from co planner
Amy,
Have you ever seen Little Square Farms rain barrels before? I was doing some rain storage research on the internet and came across this company here in Columbus. They offer several seminars too.
www.littlesquarefarm.com
I also found some interesting information on the Brooklyn Botanical Garden website. There is a picture of these upside umbrella rain collection mechanisms. Maybe if we could design some type of collection mechanism and then go with a pipe into a tank instead of a barrel we could get around the need for the roof/gutters and open containers. The umbrella things are obviously on a grander scale than what we would want or could afford, but it is worth considering this type of option.
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/sustainable/2005sp_rainwater_harvesting.html
Ideally the city could add a picnic shelter to the park. Then we could collect the water from that. I'm guessing if they won't fund a water connection they won't build a pavilion either.
Here is another website with a large selection of various collection barrels and storage tanks.http://www.plastic-mart.com/
I don't know how well something like this would do on it's own without a gutter feeding in to it.http://www.plastic-mart.com/class.php?item=3479
In an ideal world it would be great to develop an agreement with the nearby houses the use their gutters for rain collection and then run hoses to the garden.
Just some thoughts...
I'm going to take a look at the updated survey now.
Linda
Have you ever seen Little Square Farms rain barrels before? I was doing some rain storage research on the internet and came across this company here in Columbus. They offer several seminars too.
www.littlesquarefarm.com
I also found some interesting information on the Brooklyn Botanical Garden website. There is a picture of these upside umbrella rain collection mechanisms. Maybe if we could design some type of collection mechanism and then go with a pipe into a tank instead of a barrel we could get around the need for the roof/gutters and open containers. The umbrella things are obviously on a grander scale than what we would want or could afford, but it is worth considering this type of option.
http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/sustainable/2005sp_rainwater_harvesting.html
Ideally the city could add a picnic shelter to the park. Then we could collect the water from that. I'm guessing if they won't fund a water connection they won't build a pavilion either.
Here is another website with a large selection of various collection barrels and storage tanks.http://www.plastic-mart.com/
I don't know how well something like this would do on it's own without a gutter feeding in to it.http://www.plastic-mart.com/class.php?item=3479
In an ideal world it would be great to develop an agreement with the nearby houses the use their gutters for rain collection and then run hoses to the garden.
Just some thoughts...
I'm going to take a look at the updated survey now.
Linda
Monday, September 14, 2009
Emails about the park location
1.
Amy:
Good Friday afternoon and I hope this e-mail finds you safely home from time on the coast.
_ spoke with Tom K. yesterday and he directed us to you. We have concerns associated with the Community Garden and want to make sure that we go to the source for information, hence we are coming to you.
Would you be willing to contact me when you return home? I would rather have you answer our questions via a conversation to ensure that we are able to ask follow-up questions and "unpack" some of our concerns instead of e-mail.
My cell phone # is .
Thank you,
_ Rockport Rd.
_________________________________
Hi, _,
Thank you so much for writing and starting a solution focused conversation! It is refreshing! I would love to talk with you and hear your concerns. I will call you Sunday afternoon.
Amy
ps I like the word "unpack"-it is a good one- we use it all the time in my courses/discussions at OSU.
2.
Tom and Amy,
_ have always attempted to be "good neighbors" to the Sycamore Hills community over the twenty years in which we have made this our home. We have both served as trustees of the resident's association, me for one year and _ for about five years. _ additionally published the newsletter and prepared the neighborhood directory for many years. My children walked the neighborhood to hand deliver the newsletters and directories to save the residents' association the postage. We have hosted wine socials, Christmas caroling and other events in our home. I donated the legal work to rewrite the bylaws and restrictive covenants so the annual dues could be increased. _ considered moving about eight years ago to a larger home, but we loved being next to the park so much we instead added a large family room to our house with as many windows as we could to enjoy the view.
With that in mind, I cannot tell you how utterly disappointed I am that the trustees would plan to erect a six foot high, 50' by 50' chain link fence immediately next to my property. I just found out about this a week and a half ago. I reviewed the presentation that you posted on the Sycamore Hills website at that time which further indicated you intended to put a 16' compost pile just below my children's bedroom windows into which you invited the neighbors to dump their kitchen scraps. It indicated you also intended to put a tool shed immediately next to my yard and invited the neighbors to leave their empty milk jugs on site. You intend to build a "structure" of some type with large barrels containing standing water which would breed mosquitos. I cannot believe that you would all plan to do so without giving our family, as well as the other park neighbors, the courtesy of calling us to find out if we would have any objections to this scenario.
I am not sure if you are aware of this, but when my daughter, _ was three years old she was diagnosed with leukemia. She was on chemotherapy and underwent cranial radiation treatments for over two years. Since that time I have refrained from having any non-organic herbicides sprayed on my lawn. My neighbors, the _, have similarly refrained from doing so out of concern for my daughter's health. I do not see any way to monitor the spraying of herbicides, insecticides or pesticides by twenty different individuals in their garden plots and I was/am especially upset when your plans posted as recently as two weeks ago indicated this could be going on right next to my house.
I wondered how you got authority from the City of Columbus to fence in such a large area for the garden. In reviewing the website, it appears the city specifically asked "How much community acceptance/support" there was for the project. I was shocked that the trustees/garden club represented to the city that: "We have 97% support of the garden from the neighborhood." In reviewing the chart on your website, it appears that less than 30 of the approximately 225 Sycamore Hills residents responded that they supported the general concept of a community garden and only 8 of the 225 residents preferred that it be placed in the park. Assuming I am reading those graphs correctly, advising the city that 97% of the 225 households supported a garden in the park in order to get permission from the city was a misrepresentation of which the city ought to be made aware.
Virtually all the neighbors that border the park strongly oppose the placement of a community garden in the park. I say virtually all because there are some that I do not believe are still aware of the plan such as _. _have houses near the park. They have been dedicating their time to cutting the grass in the park using their own mowers in order to keep it nice for the neighborhood. They also strongly oppose a garden in the park and wonder why they were not given the courtesy of a call to discuss these plans with them. I have also spoken with a number of the neighbors in the Wishing Well subdivision who are part of the community that surrounds the park. It appears that no one notified them of any plans to make such a significant change to the use and appearance of the park and I have yet to speak to any of them that support it.
I am going to be out of town this weekend. I will try to attend the trustee meeting Sunday evening if I am able to get back in town in time to discuss these issues. In the meantime, I strongly urge you to abandon any attempt to use the park for this project in its entirety.
_____________________________
_,
Thank you for the email. It is good that people communicate directly about these issues. Your concerns are valid and a number of them are not what is occurring. As an example, like you, the community garden planners are committed to 100% organic and so is the city in their lease agreement.
As email leaves a lot to be desired, I think it is imperative that there is a meeting to clarify what has been proposed. Two of the garden planners and some time will be available during the SHRA meeting Sunday night. Should your schedule not allow you to be there, please advise what times next week are good for you and hopefully our schedules line up and we can work through any remaining issues.
It is important to the garden planners that folks be involved in this process. This is why the garden planners personally went to every resident's home and attempted to discuss the proposal, as well as setting up the blog / website. Also, at every house, printed material encouraging folks to ask questions, share their opinions, and to become involved in this process was left behind. Out of these efforts, suggestions for improvements were made from residents and the plan revised. Hopefully with your input, further improvements can be realized and this community building activity can/will be as successful as we envision and as successful as my community garden experience was in Bend, Oregon and here in other community gardens around Columbus.
Have a safe trip back to Columbus and let me know when we can meet.
____________________________________________
3.
A few days ago I spoke with _ about an Association proposal to establish a Sycamore Hills Community Garden at Sycamore Hills Park. Although I doubt our family would take advantage of a Community Garden, we still support the concept none the less. However, from the information Jim provided, it appears the proposed garden site would be right next to the Gallagher house and property. Given the probable negative impact on his property value as well as the equally negative impact on his families summer time quality of life, being in such close proximity to the frequent noise, odors, (and worse) from agricultural chemicals, etc., I would think locating the garden in the back of the park property, (next to the train tracks) would be a far better situation and more fair to the Gallagher family and their immediate neighbors. I do not support the site plan as it now exists, so I encourage you to reconsider and put it in the back of the park.
Thanks for all the Association work you do.
Best Regards,
__________________________________
Hi, _,
Thank you for the feedback regarding the garden location. I've learned that there has been some confusion about the proposed location of the garden, most likely due to an inaccurate image previously provided by the city.
I have attached the corrected image. I believe you will find the location to be acceptable. It is not near the railroad tracks because the garden should be accessible to people of all ages, including those who are less mobile. The location behind the basketball court and trees allows for stroller, wheelchair, etc access via the paved path and basketball court.
Also, I would like to address the additional concerns mentioned in your email. The garden will be organic, so no chemicals will be used. Compost of leaves, plant material, and grass creates only enriched soil, no odor. Noise will be minimal, infrequent, and equivalent to that of a neighbor doing occasional yard work, but the actual location should also alleviate this concern.
I appreciate your thoughts and am glad you brought them into discussion. Please feel free to contact me and/or attend the SHRA or SH Community Garden meetings in the future if you have any other concerns.
Thanks for your email,
Amy:
Good Friday afternoon and I hope this e-mail finds you safely home from time on the coast.
_ spoke with Tom K. yesterday and he directed us to you. We have concerns associated with the Community Garden and want to make sure that we go to the source for information, hence we are coming to you.
Would you be willing to contact me when you return home? I would rather have you answer our questions via a conversation to ensure that we are able to ask follow-up questions and "unpack" some of our concerns instead of e-mail.
My cell phone # is .
Thank you,
_ Rockport Rd.
_________________________________
Hi, _,
Thank you so much for writing and starting a solution focused conversation! It is refreshing! I would love to talk with you and hear your concerns. I will call you Sunday afternoon.
Amy
ps I like the word "unpack"-it is a good one- we use it all the time in my courses/discussions at OSU.
2.
Tom and Amy,
_ have always attempted to be "good neighbors" to the Sycamore Hills community over the twenty years in which we have made this our home. We have both served as trustees of the resident's association, me for one year and _ for about five years. _ additionally published the newsletter and prepared the neighborhood directory for many years. My children walked the neighborhood to hand deliver the newsletters and directories to save the residents' association the postage. We have hosted wine socials, Christmas caroling and other events in our home. I donated the legal work to rewrite the bylaws and restrictive covenants so the annual dues could be increased. _ considered moving about eight years ago to a larger home, but we loved being next to the park so much we instead added a large family room to our house with as many windows as we could to enjoy the view.
With that in mind, I cannot tell you how utterly disappointed I am that the trustees would plan to erect a six foot high, 50' by 50' chain link fence immediately next to my property. I just found out about this a week and a half ago. I reviewed the presentation that you posted on the Sycamore Hills website at that time which further indicated you intended to put a 16' compost pile just below my children's bedroom windows into which you invited the neighbors to dump their kitchen scraps. It indicated you also intended to put a tool shed immediately next to my yard and invited the neighbors to leave their empty milk jugs on site. You intend to build a "structure" of some type with large barrels containing standing water which would breed mosquitos. I cannot believe that you would all plan to do so without giving our family, as well as the other park neighbors, the courtesy of calling us to find out if we would have any objections to this scenario.
I am not sure if you are aware of this, but when my daughter, _ was three years old she was diagnosed with leukemia. She was on chemotherapy and underwent cranial radiation treatments for over two years. Since that time I have refrained from having any non-organic herbicides sprayed on my lawn. My neighbors, the _, have similarly refrained from doing so out of concern for my daughter's health. I do not see any way to monitor the spraying of herbicides, insecticides or pesticides by twenty different individuals in their garden plots and I was/am especially upset when your plans posted as recently as two weeks ago indicated this could be going on right next to my house.
I wondered how you got authority from the City of Columbus to fence in such a large area for the garden. In reviewing the website, it appears the city specifically asked "How much community acceptance/support" there was for the project. I was shocked that the trustees/garden club represented to the city that: "We have 97% support of the garden from the neighborhood." In reviewing the chart on your website, it appears that less than 30 of the approximately 225 Sycamore Hills residents responded that they supported the general concept of a community garden and only 8 of the 225 residents preferred that it be placed in the park. Assuming I am reading those graphs correctly, advising the city that 97% of the 225 households supported a garden in the park in order to get permission from the city was a misrepresentation of which the city ought to be made aware.
Virtually all the neighbors that border the park strongly oppose the placement of a community garden in the park. I say virtually all because there are some that I do not believe are still aware of the plan such as _. _have houses near the park. They have been dedicating their time to cutting the grass in the park using their own mowers in order to keep it nice for the neighborhood. They also strongly oppose a garden in the park and wonder why they were not given the courtesy of a call to discuss these plans with them. I have also spoken with a number of the neighbors in the Wishing Well subdivision who are part of the community that surrounds the park. It appears that no one notified them of any plans to make such a significant change to the use and appearance of the park and I have yet to speak to any of them that support it.
I am going to be out of town this weekend. I will try to attend the trustee meeting Sunday evening if I am able to get back in town in time to discuss these issues. In the meantime, I strongly urge you to abandon any attempt to use the park for this project in its entirety.
_____________________________
_,
Thank you for the email. It is good that people communicate directly about these issues. Your concerns are valid and a number of them are not what is occurring. As an example, like you, the community garden planners are committed to 100% organic and so is the city in their lease agreement.
As email leaves a lot to be desired, I think it is imperative that there is a meeting to clarify what has been proposed. Two of the garden planners and some time will be available during the SHRA meeting Sunday night. Should your schedule not allow you to be there, please advise what times next week are good for you and hopefully our schedules line up and we can work through any remaining issues.
It is important to the garden planners that folks be involved in this process. This is why the garden planners personally went to every resident's home and attempted to discuss the proposal, as well as setting up the blog / website. Also, at every house, printed material encouraging folks to ask questions, share their opinions, and to become involved in this process was left behind. Out of these efforts, suggestions for improvements were made from residents and the plan revised. Hopefully with your input, further improvements can be realized and this community building activity can/will be as successful as we envision and as successful as my community garden experience was in Bend, Oregon and here in other community gardens around Columbus.
Have a safe trip back to Columbus and let me know when we can meet.
____________________________________________
3.
A few days ago I spoke with _ about an Association proposal to establish a Sycamore Hills Community Garden at Sycamore Hills Park. Although I doubt our family would take advantage of a Community Garden, we still support the concept none the less. However, from the information Jim provided, it appears the proposed garden site would be right next to the Gallagher house and property. Given the probable negative impact on his property value as well as the equally negative impact on his families summer time quality of life, being in such close proximity to the frequent noise, odors, (and worse) from agricultural chemicals, etc., I would think locating the garden in the back of the park property, (next to the train tracks) would be a far better situation and more fair to the Gallagher family and their immediate neighbors. I do not support the site plan as it now exists, so I encourage you to reconsider and put it in the back of the park.
Thanks for all the Association work you do.
Best Regards,
__________________________________
Hi, _,
Thank you for the feedback regarding the garden location. I've learned that there has been some confusion about the proposed location of the garden, most likely due to an inaccurate image previously provided by the city.
I have attached the corrected image. I believe you will find the location to be acceptable. It is not near the railroad tracks because the garden should be accessible to people of all ages, including those who are less mobile. The location behind the basketball court and trees allows for stroller, wheelchair, etc access via the paved path and basketball court.
Also, I would like to address the additional concerns mentioned in your email. The garden will be organic, so no chemicals will be used. Compost of leaves, plant material, and grass creates only enriched soil, no odor. Noise will be minimal, infrequent, and equivalent to that of a neighbor doing occasional yard work, but the actual location should also alleviate this concern.
I appreciate your thoughts and am glad you brought them into discussion. Please feel free to contact me and/or attend the SHRA or SH Community Garden meetings in the future if you have any other concerns.
Thanks for your email,
New Newsletter Update
In light of recent conversations expressing concern about the community garden location, it has become an immediate necessity that the garden planners clear up the misconceptions and misinformation that is spreading throughout our neighborhood. First and foremost, we would like to clarify that all items concerning the community garden are still in a planning/proposal stage and that no dirt will be moved until we have reached a consensus among neighbors and met the necessary city requirements.
To address this situation, clarifying information about the proposal along with a survey are scheduled to be distributed around 9/26. The goal of this effort is to improve the understanding of the proposal and to receive current data and input on the proposal. Included in the packet will be an updated survey allowing you the opportunity to voice your opinions on various elements of the proposed garden. Please take the time to make your voice heard so that we can move forward in an efficient and productive manner. Completed surveys should be returned to Amy _ by October 1, so that she can tally the results before the annual meeting on October 5th.
The goal for this community garden and its volunteers is to grow and connect our community.
To address this situation, clarifying information about the proposal along with a survey are scheduled to be distributed around 9/26. The goal of this effort is to improve the understanding of the proposal and to receive current data and input on the proposal. Included in the packet will be an updated survey allowing you the opportunity to voice your opinions on various elements of the proposed garden. Please take the time to make your voice heard so that we can move forward in an efficient and productive manner. Completed surveys should be returned to Amy _ by October 1, so that she can tally the results before the annual meeting on October 5th.
The goal for this community garden and its volunteers is to grow and connect our community.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
CG Location in Park
Here is our updated satellite image provided by our friend at the CRP, Maureen Lorenz.
Monday, September 7, 2009
email to maureen at city 9/6
Hi, Maureen! Two quick requests:
1. Have you discovered anything about the availability of water to the SHCG?
2. Could you send me a photo with the new agreed upon location of the garden in the park behind the basketball court and behind the trees (the one that is a satellite image with a red square for the garden location)? I need it asap because the previous image has it in the trees near a fence, and we have an annual meeting for SHRA coming up and I would like to be prepared!
Thanks so much! Amy
1. Have you discovered anything about the availability of water to the SHCG?
2. Could you send me a photo with the new agreed upon location of the garden in the park behind the basketball court and behind the trees (the one that is a satellite image with a red square for the garden location)? I need it asap because the previous image has it in the trees near a fence, and we have an annual meeting for SHRA coming up and I would like to be prepared!
Thanks so much! Amy
Soil Tested
A chemistry professor and friend at OSU, Dr. Ted Clark, collected 4 samples from the park's soil on 9/2. He will analyze them in his lab for traces of lead, arsenic, etc. The results will help us to make sure our soil is safe to use to grow food.
He did this as a gift to our neighborhood. We are very lucky to have such good friends!
He did this as a gift to our neighborhood. We are very lucky to have such good friends!
I will let you know the results as soon as I hear back.
Entrances
Sue and I will be meeting 9/13 at 4pm to make a plan for the entrances for the fall work day on 9/26 from 8-10 am.
We will be making a plan for moving and dividing plants, and creating an updated design for next year. If you would like to share your two cents, please let us know; you are more than welcome to attend the meeting or just let us know what you would like to see more of, etc.
We would welcome anyone who would like to help grow annuals at home to contribute to the entrances next year.
Grants
Roger and I will be working on two grants over tea and rhubarb crisp on 9/20 at 5 pm. The grants are Growing to Green/Scotts/The Columbus Foundation and Healthy Sprouts, which are due the first week in October. If you are interested in helping with grants, please let me know. We are going to try again for Captain Planet in the spring of 2010.SHCG Update for September 2009 SHRA Newsletter
SHCG Update
We have wonderful news for our future community garden. It would appear that through many meetings and emails, on 8/5, we finally made some headway with the city. They are in full support of our garden in the park, including our construction of raised beds and a fence. These two items are essential for our success and longevity as a garden, so this is great news!
CRP considers us a model garden to showcase partnerships between community gardeners and parks because we are so well organized and professional in our planning, we have proved we have a strong residents' association, and we have maintained the pool property for over 40 years. Because of their support, we will finally be creating the garden in the Spring 2010, so there will be lots of opportunities to help in a variety of ways, including: wood working, fence installation, getting dirt and compost, spreading woodchips, and getting donations!
More information to come on opportunities to support the community garden, as well as to sign up for a raised bed through which to grow food and fellowship.
If you are not on the email list for the SHCG, please let Amy know to add your contact information.
Amy also gave a presentation on the garden to the Northwest Civic Association on 8/5. The NWCA was happy to hear about our project and has offered their enthusiastic support, including ideas about bringing this project to the attention of our government leaders!
A SHRA entrance work day will take place before the perennial split sale on 9/26 from 8-10 am. We will be weeding, rearranging and dividing plants, and preparing our entrances for the winter. Please contact Amy at 849 8421 or pinnegar.1@gmail.com if you are interested in helping on that day (or a different time that would be more convenient for you).
We have wonderful news for our future community garden. It would appear that through many meetings and emails, on 8/5, we finally made some headway with the city. They are in full support of our garden in the park, including our construction of raised beds and a fence. These two items are essential for our success and longevity as a garden, so this is great news!
CRP considers us a model garden to showcase partnerships between community gardeners and parks because we are so well organized and professional in our planning, we have proved we have a strong residents' association, and we have maintained the pool property for over 40 years. Because of their support, we will finally be creating the garden in the Spring 2010, so there will be lots of opportunities to help in a variety of ways, including: wood working, fence installation, getting dirt and compost, spreading woodchips, and getting donations!
More information to come on opportunities to support the community garden, as well as to sign up for a raised bed through which to grow food and fellowship.
If you are not on the email list for the SHCG, please let Amy know to add your contact information.
Amy also gave a presentation on the garden to the Northwest Civic Association on 8/5. The NWCA was happy to hear about our project and has offered their enthusiastic support, including ideas about bringing this project to the attention of our government leaders!
A SHRA entrance work day will take place before the perennial split sale on 9/26 from 8-10 am. We will be weeding, rearranging and dividing plants, and preparing our entrances for the winter. Please contact Amy at 849 8421 or pinnegar.1@gmail.com if you are interested in helping on that day (or a different time that would be more convenient for you).
Saturday, September 5, 2009
SPLIT TO SAVE IN SEPTEMBER!
SPLIT TO SAVE IN SEPTEMBER! Amy -and Jill - would like to invite you to participate in a fall perennial split at the pool parking lot on Saturday 9/26 from 10-12. This event is free of charge to people who have plants to trade. If you would rather purchase perennials, there will also be plants available for sale to benefit the SHRA entrances. To trade, please place your perennial(s) with a good amount of soil surrounding the roots in a disposable pot or bag with no holes. Please attach a label to your perennial with as much information as possible. Some ideas for helpful, but not required, information include: the plant name, full growth size, preference for sun/shade, color of foliage or flowers, time of season that it blooms, and any other information (i.e. can be invasive, susceptible to slugs, deer resistant, etc).
Monday, July 13, 2009
Hope, gardens nourish town DHL left
Zucchini, cucumbers and beans are among the produce Gary and Carolyn Jones are growing as part of a Wilmington College effort. With the couple are their children, from left, Cameron, 11, Kendall, 9, and McKenna, 5.
Wilmington College established community gardens to teach those who have lost jobs that they can grow their own food. Families get help from volunteers. Wilmington College establishes plots; others push 'green' businesses
Sunday, July 12, 2009 3:26 AM
By Kathy Lynn Gray
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Sunday, July 12, 2009 3:26 AM
By Kathy Lynn Gray
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
WILMINGTON, Ohio -- By 7 p.m., the garden party was in full swing.
Carolyn Jones was fishing foot-long zucchinis out of her raised plot. Her 9-year-old son, Kendall, was chewing on a tiny hot pepper and fanning his mouth.
A few plots away, Josh Gillis snapped green beans off a leggy plant as his 4-year-old son, Logan, wriggled in the grass.
Nearby, a pan of fried zucchini patties sizzled on a portable stove, serving as a tasty example of how the garden's produce could be cooked.
In a town where the loss of thousands of jobs this year threatens despair, hope is growing in unlikely places.
It's emerging in 20 garden plots that Wilmington College has built and persuaded 20 novice gardeners and their families to nourish. It's sprouting in the Buying Local First effort, a push to keep Wilmington businesses healthy. And it's germinating, slowly, in a plan to make the area a center for "green" business and workers.
The city of 12,000 has become a national poster child for the economic downturn since its major employer -- air-freight company DHL -- announced last summer that it would close its doors by this July, eliminating 8,000 jobs in a county with 42,000 residents. CNN, People magazine and NPR have stopped by to record the aftermath in this Clinton County town 60 miles southwest of Columbus.
Most visible are the gardens, an attempt by the college to show families who need an economic boost that they can save money by growing food. Since May, the families have come together every Tuesday evening to weed, pick whatever's ripe and meet with gardening mentors from the college, including one who cooks up some of the produce.
"I didn't think I could do a garden," said Jones, an eighth-grade teacher whose summer job at DHL has disappeared. Her husband, Gary, has been unemployed since November, so the spinach, beets, string beans, peppers and zucchinis they've harvested have helped feed the couple and their three children.
Gillis, who supports four children and a wife on his salary as a cook, said he plans to start a garden in his own yard next year, now that he knows how.
That's the result that Monte Anderson, the agriculture professor who's advising the gardeners, hoped for.
"There's a sense of sustainability when you know you can grow your own food," Anderson said. The plots, on college land, will double in number next summer, he said.
Less than a mile away, in the heart of downtown, other efforts are being fueled by the energy of two Wilmington High School graduates, Class of 2003, who recently returned home.
"We have to reframe what this community is and change the way Clinton County looks at itself and how the world looks at it," said Mark Rembert, 24. He graduated with an economics degree from Haverford College in Philadelphia and was home for a visit after training for the Peace Corps when he began tossing around ideas with Taylor Stuckert, 23.
Stuckert, a Butler University graduate with a philosophy degree, had returned to Wilmington in September after volunteering with the Peace Corp in Bolivia. He was planning another Peace Corp post -- he'd hoped never to live in Wilmington again -- when he decided he was most needed in his hometown.
"Everybody was yearning for a positive vision for this community," said Rembert. He and Stuckert came up with one: Make Clinton County a breeding ground for environmentally friendly businesses that use renewable resources and use that to spur its economy.
This month, the Wilmington City Council is expected to designate the town a Green Enterprise Zone, giving financial help to encourage energy-efficient improvements, green companies and training for green-industry jobs.
That's part of Rembert and Stuckert's Energize Clinton County effort, which they run out of a small office. They've also applied for millions in federal stimulus money for a home-weatherization project, tried to arrange training for jobs such as solar-panel installation and worked with regional planners to promote the Buying Local campaign.
"The idea is that, although we have huge issues with unemployment, there are people who still have jobs, and we need to support them," Rembert said. That includes the farmer's market, which they're trying to expand, and monthly concerts downtown where businesses can offer specials.
"Our point is to bring all these efforts together," Stuckert said.
There's no silver bullet, they know.
"It feels like we're pushing a very slow, heavy rock up a hill, and we have to push it every day," Rembert said. "But here you have this rural community embracing a very progressive framework for redeveloping itself, and that's an exciting story for other communities."
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Sweet Briar Community Garden
This is an incredibly organized community garden. Click on the title of this post to check it out for yourself.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Great Photos from CG on Hudson & 4th St.
click on the title of this post to go to the dispatch slideshow..
More people getting hands dirty in community plots
Dana Kilgore has long loved to garden, but a spreading black walnut tree and growing shade made her Clintonville lot decreasingly productive.
So this year, she sought a solution in a community garden.
After some searching, she signed up for a new garden at 4th and Hudson streets northeast of Ohio State University. Now, she's enjoying the fruits of her decision: early radishes and spinach, and some new friends.
"I've made lots of great contacts," Kilgore said. "I think I'll be back for many years if they let me, as long as we can keep it going."
Survival doesn't seem to be a problem for central Ohio community gardens.
The area, already home to more than 150, is seeing at least 20 new such gardens this summer, said Bill Dawson, coordinator of the Franklin Park Conservatory's Growing to Green program.
"It's just taken off this year, with the White House garden, with the economy, the 'green' movement," said Dawson, who is active in the American Community Gardening Association, which is based at the conservatory.
Trisha Dehnbostel, who oversees 12 gardens in the University District, thinks greater Columbus might have as many as 50 new gardens this summer. Her organization, Local Matters, encourages Ohio-grown produce and is trying to build a comprehensive list of area gardens for next spring.
"The movement is changing," Dehnbostel said. "Now, so many people are doing it to produce food or to give back to food pantries because of our economy. And so many churches and social-service agencies are getting involved; it's not just communities."
St. John's Lutheran Church in Dublin, for example, is opening a 25-plot garden next to the church at Rings and Avery roads, said Millie Heath, a church volunteer.
"We just decided to do something for the community and perhaps bring someone over to our services as well -- and if people have extra, maybe raise some vegetables for our missions," Heath said.
Although many of the summer community garden plots are spoken for, plots remain available for newcomers.
Dawson and Dehnbostel offer these suggestions for people just getting involved:
• Find a convenient garden. The American Community Gardening Association's Web site (www.community garden.org) maintains a list of gardens by ZIP code.
• Prepare to spend money. Some community garden plots are free, but most charge from $10 to $50 a summer to help offset costs.
• Don't overdo it. An 8-foot-by-2-foot plot should be large enough for a solo novice gardener; a 10-foot-by-15-foot plot, for a family.
• Take the basics. Some gardens have sheds and encourage members to share tools, but don't depend solely on others' equipment.
• Think water. Some gardens offer a hose or faucet, but others rely on gardeners to supply their own, either by carting it to the site or by installing a rain barrel.
• Expect company. Community gardens are designed to nurture interaction. Be prepared to be sociable and to participate in the gardens' activities, such as harvest festivals, farm markets and cooking demonstrations.
• Plan to work. A community garden plot should be fun, but it does require labor. Plan to stop by your plot two or three times a week, if only to weed and water. Many gardens have requirements about keeping the plots properly maintained.
• Plan to donate. Virtually all gardens encourage that a percentage of produce be given to pantries and charities; some require as much.
• Keep it simple. If you're new to gardening, start with plants that are likely to succeed: tomatoes, peppers, beets, radishes, cucumbers or potatoes.
Also be careful about plants such as gourds, zucchinis and pumpkins, which require a lot of water and room.
The most important recommendation, Dawson said: "Grow what you like to eat."
jweiker@dispatch.com
Grow your own
The Columbus area is home to 150 to 200 community gardens, with more opening every year.
To find a community garden near you, visit the Web site of the American Community Gardening Association, http://www.communitygarden.org/.
So this year, she sought a solution in a community garden.
After some searching, she signed up for a new garden at 4th and Hudson streets northeast of Ohio State University. Now, she's enjoying the fruits of her decision: early radishes and spinach, and some new friends.
"I've made lots of great contacts," Kilgore said. "I think I'll be back for many years if they let me, as long as we can keep it going."
Survival doesn't seem to be a problem for central Ohio community gardens.
The area, already home to more than 150, is seeing at least 20 new such gardens this summer, said Bill Dawson, coordinator of the Franklin Park Conservatory's Growing to Green program.
"It's just taken off this year, with the White House garden, with the economy, the 'green' movement," said Dawson, who is active in the American Community Gardening Association, which is based at the conservatory.
Trisha Dehnbostel, who oversees 12 gardens in the University District, thinks greater Columbus might have as many as 50 new gardens this summer. Her organization, Local Matters, encourages Ohio-grown produce and is trying to build a comprehensive list of area gardens for next spring.
"The movement is changing," Dehnbostel said. "Now, so many people are doing it to produce food or to give back to food pantries because of our economy. And so many churches and social-service agencies are getting involved; it's not just communities."
St. John's Lutheran Church in Dublin, for example, is opening a 25-plot garden next to the church at Rings and Avery roads, said Millie Heath, a church volunteer.
"We just decided to do something for the community and perhaps bring someone over to our services as well -- and if people have extra, maybe raise some vegetables for our missions," Heath said.
Although many of the summer community garden plots are spoken for, plots remain available for newcomers.
Dawson and Dehnbostel offer these suggestions for people just getting involved:
• Find a convenient garden. The American Community Gardening Association's Web site (www.community garden.org) maintains a list of gardens by ZIP code.
• Prepare to spend money. Some community garden plots are free, but most charge from $10 to $50 a summer to help offset costs.
• Don't overdo it. An 8-foot-by-2-foot plot should be large enough for a solo novice gardener; a 10-foot-by-15-foot plot, for a family.
• Take the basics. Some gardens have sheds and encourage members to share tools, but don't depend solely on others' equipment.
• Think water. Some gardens offer a hose or faucet, but others rely on gardeners to supply their own, either by carting it to the site or by installing a rain barrel.
• Expect company. Community gardens are designed to nurture interaction. Be prepared to be sociable and to participate in the gardens' activities, such as harvest festivals, farm markets and cooking demonstrations.
• Plan to work. A community garden plot should be fun, but it does require labor. Plan to stop by your plot two or three times a week, if only to weed and water. Many gardens have requirements about keeping the plots properly maintained.
• Plan to donate. Virtually all gardens encourage that a percentage of produce be given to pantries and charities; some require as much.
• Keep it simple. If you're new to gardening, start with plants that are likely to succeed: tomatoes, peppers, beets, radishes, cucumbers or potatoes.
Also be careful about plants such as gourds, zucchinis and pumpkins, which require a lot of water and room.
The most important recommendation, Dawson said: "Grow what you like to eat."
jweiker@dispatch.com
Grow your own
The Columbus area is home to 150 to 200 community gardens, with more opening every year.
To find a community garden near you, visit the Web site of the American Community Gardening Association, http://www.communitygarden.org/.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Entrances!
SHRA Entrances are done! :)
Hope you like them! We spent $394.55 out of the $1000 that would have normally gone to an outside contractor! That means the garden raised its first money ($605.45). The final work day was Saturday, May 9, and big big thanks go out to Sue Middleton, Jill, John and Max Gjamov, Roger Cherry, Kim Hugill, Jim Hezter, Annette Buckley, Holley Morris, and Melody and Dick Sexton for doing their part and kindly volunteering their Friday evening for shopping for plants or picking up 80 bags of mulch, as well as their Saturday morning spent weeding, tilling, trimming, fertilizing, transplanting, dividing, planting, shoveling, and mulching. On Sunday, I picked up the last 10 bags of mulch we needed for the N side and spread it. It was quick work.
On the first work day, April 25, Rosemary Sartor, The Gjamovs, Tom Kasberg, and Jim Hetzer prepared the beds by edging and weeding. This was key to have two days with a weekend in between. Sue and Amy continued the work on the Northside the next weekend.
We saved a lot of money through the generosity of Mr.Mulch and Oakland Nursery. Please let them know that you appreciate their support for SH when you go to shop there!
This information is just for the record and might not be very interesting! The mulch was easier to get in bags for this endeavor because Mr. Mulch would have charged us two different $45 delivery fees for each entrance. The NN side took 22 bags, NS 18, SS 25 bags, and SN 25 bags=90 bags total. 30 bags fit in my car, and 25 in Jill and Sue's, but going in shifts throughout Friday evening to pick it up worked out really well as Mr. Mulch was very accommodating. Knowing all of this should save time in the future. We also planted a bunch of perennials that will hopefully continue to grow and thrive, so we can devote more money to annuals next year. In the future, we would also like to coordinate with neighbors who would like to contribute plants they have extra of in their gardens like hostas, daylilies, and sedum. We are going with a red, yellow, and orange color scheme at least for this year-every year will reflect on what worked and what needs to change. The butterfly weed and crocosmia are not available at nurseries during May, so we may continue to amend the bed throughout the summer with those perennials as they become available.
Friday, May 8, 2009
My Reply to the City after the Meeting
Maureen, As you suspected, the area needs to be behind the trees. The garden would not be very productive in the shade. I am glad that Tom was able to communicate on behalf of the SHRA a deep understanding of possible issues for the city. I hope that you heard the same sentiments from what I shared with you on behalf of the SHCG. I feel that the raised beds are an essential part of the success and low maintenance aspect of this garden-the alternative leads us with weeds, mowing issues, communication issues, boundary issues and/or an open pit of mud. I would be happy to speak to anyone on the multitudes of reasons behind raised beds for our particular garden, including a detailed plan for how they will be taken out if the garden is no longer active. Enjoy your break!Amy
Email after Meeting From Maureen
Amy, Thanks for meeting with me Friday. I did not do a very good job with the weather! I made this map of the area I think you are proposing for the community garden. I have not taken the proposal to the Director, yet. I do think the raised beds throughout could be an issue, based on past experience. We will review the proposal and might ask for a reduction in the raised beds. Tom also mentioned a performance bond. I'd like to avoid that, but it was a very serious understanding of what our issues could be and I appreciate that. The condition of the park also is most appreciated. I've attached a plan that shows where I thought you were proposing the garden. This nestles into the trees, so I probably have it wrong. Should I go out beyond the "landscaped area" to avoid the trees, shade, and neighbors. Let me know. Taking a few days vacation, but I'll be back in on Monday morning. Maureen
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Good Ideas from our Fearless SHRA Leader!
Tom sent me an email with some good ideas for future SHCG endeavors:
"The SH Garden Club used to do these...
"The SH Garden Club used to do these...
- Hand out awards to recognize the investment folks have made in their yards.
- Hold a plant / mulch sale on the common area with profits going to SHCG.
- Organize a clean up day (few hours) at the SH Park and along Godown Road and /or hold a clean up walk going from the rail road tracks along the creek all the way to Godown Road.
All of these items would be great for the neighborhood and good to add to your efforts to increase interest in the community and the outdoors.
Tom"
Monday, May 4, 2009
NWCA Presentation
Email reply from Jen
Amy-- We can put you on the agenda for the June meeting (June 3). Our May meeting is very full. We do not meet in July. If that doesn't work-- our next meeting would be August 5. Let me know what works. Our plan is to add links to all of our neighborhoods and provide general information about hem. We will certainly link Sycamore Hills to our website--you can be our pilot neighborhood! Growing up in Wishing Well and Sycamore Hills, I know what a strong neighborhood it is. I also am a member of the pool and receive all of the event notices. Thanks for everything you do!~Jen
So, this means I will be doing a presentation on August 5. Linda has offered to help, and she also had a great idea to get kids and letter writing involved! whoo hoo!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Meeting with Maureen
We braved the rain for a minute or two to meet at the park, but ended up having the meeting at my house! It was a really productive meeting, and here is a summary in the email I sent to the city:
Hi, Maureen,
Thanks again for meeting with me and Tom in regards to the Sycamore Hills Community Garden proposal. I wanted to sum up what was said during the meeting for the benefit of the others not present, as well as to make sure we have everything correct, including the items we are going to follow up. Please let me know if there are any changes (CG=community gardening, SHRA=Sycamore Hills Residents Association):
The CDRP wants to make sure that the garden will be well maintained, and that there will not be any reliance on the city to do so. The City has had poor experiences with CGs in the past, and recently there have been an onslaught on phone calls from new Americans wanting to use the parks for food production. The City wants to avoid any sort of situation like this. Maureen was very pleased to see how strong our RA is and how we have years of proven experience maintaining a pool and collecting fees. She also mentioned that we have to get the insurance (how did I misread that?! in the agreement) but Tom said it can be really cheap, like $13/year.
Amy explained that she has been a part of CG around Columbus for years, and has developed this plan from everything that she has learned. This includes making sure that there is adequate support for a CG in the area, which is why she surveyed 230 houses and found out that 31 households are interested in participating in the garden. Amy also stated that she is taking this partnership with the City with the utmost care because she wants this CG to be so successful that other gardens to be able to follow in the footsteps of SHCG. She also made the case for the fence, raised beds, and hope for a structure to catch rainwater (and like today demonstrated, to have a simple covered area for the park for rain and sun protection).
Tom said the CG will have the SHRA support. This means that if the garden were to fail, a lease agreement will designate SHRA as responsible for any clean up. (Amy is morally never going to let this happen, but it is good to have the support so the city doesn't feel burdened.)
List of To-Dos:
Amy-present to NWCA and get their support, send Maureen the rationale for the structures, continue fundraising, creating community partnerships, and writing grants
Tom-just be awesome like he already is
Maureen-share info with City, and research water taps from garden club
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Draft of Agreement with MG
agreement between franklin county OSU MG & Sycamore Hills Community Garden
OSU [Master Gardeners] agree to
1. teach/consult/diagnose problems
2. weed/maintain/clean areas
3. assist with harvesting and taking food to pantry
4. take photos and send digital files to Amy via email
5. amend and stir compost
6. create art in the garden with children (specific projects)
SHCG agrees to
1. Keep schedule for help days shared on SHCG public and online calendar
2. REGULARLY CONSULT MGs FOR GARDENING ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE
3. Maintain positive working relationship in which work goals and expectations are clear
OSU [Master Gardeners] agree to
1. teach/consult/diagnose problems
2. weed/maintain/clean areas
3. assist with harvesting and taking food to pantry
4. take photos and send digital files to Amy via email
5. amend and stir compost
6. create art in the garden with children (specific projects)
SHCG agrees to
1. Keep schedule for help days shared on SHCG public and online calendar
2. REGULARLY CONSULT MGs FOR GARDENING ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE
3. Maintain positive working relationship in which work goals and expectations are clear
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Kroger Community Rewards Idea
Just received another great funding idea from Dick:
FYI Using the Kroger Community Rewards program might be a way to fund the Sycamore Hills and/or city wide gardening program. I have not checked out what it takes to get listed as one of their approved donor sites. Dick
Attention Kroger Shoppers! Kroger has initiated a new Kroger Community Rewards (KCR) program for providing financial support to non-profit organizations, and the Waste Not Center has enrolled in the program.The funding directed to each organization enrolled in the KCR program is based on the money spent at Kroger stores (including for gift cards to other stores) by members of each enrolled organization, starting May 1, and running to April 30, 2010.I f you shop at Kroger you can help raise funds for the Waste Not Center through your purchases. First you need to have a Kroger Plus Card or you can get one at any Kroger store (they are free). Then you enroll in the KCR program on line using the following steps. I enrolled personally to verify the process and it took only 3-4 minutes. However, if you have difficulty enrolling, I can help you the next time you are at the Center.
· To start, have your Kroger Plus card handy or get one at a Kroger store before you begin this process.
· Begin registration at www.krogercommunityrewards.com
· Click on Welcome!Sign in/Register
· Click on Sign up today in the New Customer box on the right hand side of the screen.
· Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering your zip code, clicking on the Find button and then the Select button for the store that you shop at in the list of those in your zip code, entering your email and password, choosing any email subscriptions you want (if any) and clicking on Confirm.
· Confirm agreement with terms and conditions.
· Watch for an email from Kroger with the subject: “Last step to activate your account”. Click on the link provided in that email.
· You will be directed to a page titled: “Your Kroger.com Account Has Been Activated”. But you are not done – keep going with the next steps. Click on Click here to login to your account.
· Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards Information and input your Kroger Plus card number (12 digit number on your card). Click the “save changes” box at the bottom.
· Update or confirm your personal information. Click the “save changes” box at the bottom. · Enter our organization number 81946 in the box and click on the Search box to bring up the names of organizations.
· Select Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance (the organization that operates the Waste Not Center), and click on the “save changes” box.
· To verify you are enrolled correctly you will see Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance on the right hand side of your information page. You are done at this point and may click on (Logout) in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
How much money will the Center receive?Each quarter Kroger will award up to $1,250,000 to all enrolled organizations. The amount awarded to any given organization will be based on the percentage of spending by members of that organization in comparison to that of all other enrolled organizations. Purchases made at any Kroger store (even outside Columbus or Ohio) with your Plus card count toward our spending amount.So, if you are a Kroger shopper, please take 3-4 minutes to help us with this. Its free money! Sign up by May 1.We will report to you each quarter on the amount of money we receive from the KCR Program.Thanks in advance for your help. ********************** PS: One does not need to be a member of the Waste Not Center to have his or her purchases count towards the Center’s spending amount. So if you have friends or relatives (in or outside Columbus) that are willing to support the Center, ask them to sign up using the above procedure.
FYI Using the Kroger Community Rewards program might be a way to fund the Sycamore Hills and/or city wide gardening program. I have not checked out what it takes to get listed as one of their approved donor sites. Dick
Attention Kroger Shoppers! Kroger has initiated a new Kroger Community Rewards (KCR) program for providing financial support to non-profit organizations, and the Waste Not Center has enrolled in the program.The funding directed to each organization enrolled in the KCR program is based on the money spent at Kroger stores (including for gift cards to other stores) by members of each enrolled organization, starting May 1, and running to April 30, 2010.I f you shop at Kroger you can help raise funds for the Waste Not Center through your purchases. First you need to have a Kroger Plus Card or you can get one at any Kroger store (they are free). Then you enroll in the KCR program on line using the following steps. I enrolled personally to verify the process and it took only 3-4 minutes. However, if you have difficulty enrolling, I can help you the next time you are at the Center.
· To start, have your Kroger Plus card handy or get one at a Kroger store before you begin this process.
· Begin registration at www.krogercommunityrewards.com
· Click on Welcome!Sign in/Register
· Click on Sign up today in the New Customer box on the right hand side of the screen.
· Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering your zip code, clicking on the Find button and then the Select button for the store that you shop at in the list of those in your zip code, entering your email and password, choosing any email subscriptions you want (if any) and clicking on Confirm.
· Confirm agreement with terms and conditions.
· Watch for an email from Kroger with the subject: “Last step to activate your account”. Click on the link provided in that email.
· You will be directed to a page titled: “Your Kroger.com Account Has Been Activated”. But you are not done – keep going with the next steps. Click on Click here to login to your account.
· Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards Information and input your Kroger Plus card number (12 digit number on your card). Click the “save changes” box at the bottom.
· Update or confirm your personal information. Click the “save changes” box at the bottom. · Enter our organization number 81946 in the box and click on the Search box to bring up the names of organizations.
· Select Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance (the organization that operates the Waste Not Center), and click on the “save changes” box.
· To verify you are enrolled correctly you will see Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance on the right hand side of your information page. You are done at this point and may click on (Logout) in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
How much money will the Center receive?Each quarter Kroger will award up to $1,250,000 to all enrolled organizations. The amount awarded to any given organization will be based on the percentage of spending by members of that organization in comparison to that of all other enrolled organizations. Purchases made at any Kroger store (even outside Columbus or Ohio) with your Plus card count toward our spending amount.So, if you are a Kroger shopper, please take 3-4 minutes to help us with this. Its free money! Sign up by May 1.We will report to you each quarter on the amount of money we receive from the KCR Program.Thanks in advance for your help. ********************** PS: One does not need to be a member of the Waste Not Center to have his or her purchases count towards the Center’s spending amount. So if you have friends or relatives (in or outside Columbus) that are willing to support the Center, ask them to sign up using the above procedure.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
CG update for newletter and SHRA meeting 5/3
As of 4/21/09 these are the SHCG updates that will also be shared at the next SHRA meeting:
1. We have donations already starting to come in and want to make more community partnerships. Letters asking for donations that are out: Costco, Oakland, Mr. Mulch, Strader’s Garden Center. Letters thanking for donations: Wild Birds Unlimited. Please tell us your other ideas and connections.
2. Entrance idea for funds out. We have approximately 10 people willing to help. What great support!
3. Nature Hills Nursery Winner was announced on 4/17, and we were not selected. A calendar to share information of this kind of information is now on our blog.
4. Coordination to have the support of the OSU Master Gardener program is underway. We are sort of the guinea pigs for this!
5. The city wrote back. I heard from a new person, Maureen, and I hope she will be supportive; our previous city contact, Tina was very nice and enthusiastic about our idea. She included the agreement to put community gardens in the park. Things to consider:
- Water taps are an option from the division of water and power, public utilities dept? How much would that cost? What would it look like? Would we be able to get drip irrigation and a hose spigot? Bill says one CG was allowed to turn on water over the summer, but we would have to check that it is potable.
- Maureen is willing to have a meeting in the park May 1. This is great! I would like planners, trustees and Bill Dawson to be there. Would other neighbors being there help or should we save that for later?
- Maureen asked for SHCG to contact the “Northwest Area Commission”? Who are they? Upon my research I found that we do not have any representation for our area-so they do not exist. She wanted us to meet with them because: "parks often have competing space for programs, we ask the groups that have oversight of the area plans to review and provide direction to the Department." She will be getting back to me about this issue.
I want SHCG to meet with NWCA to get their support. I have emailed them about a presentation. - I called Bill because the agreement states that CG work has to be done as outlined by "the Franklin Park conservatory." What is the outline? He is not sure what this means either.
- The agreement states that power tools can be used with written approval-what is the process behind this?
- The agreement states that any fees that are charged have to approved-what is the process behind this?
- What are the city's maintenance standards that we are to adhere to?
- What about my friends of the park question? I am going to go for it because Bill says it will be incredibly helpful to realizing our vision. Need four other people to sign up. I am hoping the three garden coplanners and Tom, as the SHRA president, will join on. This is in the works.
6. I volunteered for another CG kickoff event to learn how others have organized their garden. It was incredibly helpful and I have posted photos and paperwork on the blog: http://sycamorehillscommunitygarden.blogspot.com/ .
7. I found our community connection to donate veggies/fruits to within the Plant a Row for the Hungry program: Clintonville Beechwld Community Resource Center.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Email to NWCA
northwestcivic@yahoo.com Hi, NWCA! I live in the northwest area of Columbus and I am writing to you for two reasons. The first is that I would like to tell you about my neighborhood's new homeowners association website that we would appreciate you adding to the "Other Area Association Websites" on your blog. It is http://www.sycamorehills.us/. We have a wonderful community with a very active residents association and special programs like the Sycamore Hills Pool, Sycamore Hills Community Garden (SHCG) and Mothers of Sycamore Hills (MOSH) that we would like NW residents to know about. Secondly, I would love to come to a NWCA meeting on Wednesday night to present information about the community garden. At the last meeting I attended, I spoke with Bill Carleton (because it is a garden in a park) about it after the meeting was over and he said that this is something that the association would be interested in hearing about. Thanks for your time and all you do for the community,Amy
Email to Midwest Living
Hello, I am an avid reader of Midwest Living, and I am writing to inquire about possible funding or awards for community initiatives. I (with the help of many other community members) am in the process of creating the first community garden within the parks and recreation department in Columbus, Ohio. We need funding and support to make this happen, and I would love for Midwest Living to get involved. Please let me know if this is something you would be interested in and I will write back with more details. Thanks for your time and consideration,Amy
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Images from LAMC Kickoff Event
Raised raised bed
Table they created together
Slideshow presentation
Fence Activity for Kids
Garden design and plot assignments
Cistern to collect water
Entrance Research
Here is my organizational chart to facilitate the workdays. 
I was busy the other day thinking about possible plantings for the entrances. I am looking for deer resistant perennials.
I was busy the other day thinking about possible plantings for the entrances. I am looking for deer resistant perennials.
SHRA Entrance Pictures
Hi Amy:
I have the pictures downloaded to my PC. I will try to contact you to find out how to attach them to this blog. Thanks.
Jim Hetzer
LAMC Community Garden Kickoff Event Documents
This weekend I volunteered as an OSU MG at the Leave a Mark Church's community garden kickoff event. It was really great to see how another community garden organizes and creates community. I think we should fashion some of our documents and our kick off the same way!
Fundraiser
Release of Claims Form
Gardener's Agreement
Handout for Day of Kickoff Event
(other side)
Fundraiser
Release of Claims Form
Gardener's Agreement
Handout for Day of Kickoff Event
(other side)
Eating Healthy Information Sheet
The last sheet has a whole story behind it. One of the gardeners lost 70 lbs just by incorporating fruits and vegetables into her diet. Now she is so inspired she wants to help others by teaching a series of classes. Her story was so inspiring and her dedication to helping people learn how to utilize what they grow in the garden is a fantastic idea.
The last sheet has a whole story behind it. One of the gardeners lost 70 lbs just by incorporating fruits and vegetables into her diet. Now she is so inspired she wants to help others by teaching a series of classes. Her story was so inspiring and her dedication to helping people learn how to utilize what they grow in the garden is a fantastic idea. Friday, April 17, 2009
2009 Nature Hills Nursery Green America Award Winners
Grand Prize Winner - Bridging The Gap, Kansas City, MO - $2500 Winner
First Place Winner - Two Coves Community Garden, Astoria (Queens), NY - $1500 Winner
Second Place Winner - Homewood Heights Community Garden, Austin, TX - $1000 Winner
We are thrilled and grateful for the hundreds of worthy submissions we have received and are very excited to make the 2010 Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards bigger and better. We will begin taking submissions for the 2010 Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards in September, 2009.
First Place Winner - Two Coves Community Garden, Astoria (Queens), NY - $1500 Winner
Second Place Winner - Homewood Heights Community Garden, Austin, TX - $1000 Winner
We are thrilled and grateful for the hundreds of worthy submissions we have received and are very excited to make the 2010 Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards bigger and better. We will begin taking submissions for the 2010 Nature Hills Nursery Green America Awards in September, 2009.
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