Cranky Blisters Get the Job Done

After our Genernal Membership meeting, and after selecting garden plots, 8 of us spent about 3 hours digging fence post holes, and set posts and ralls for our cedar split rail fence.

All the post holes got dug and posts set. Unreal. Five guys dug around 33 holes. It wasn't as easy as we thought. Less sand that expected, more rocks. But huge volumes of elbow grease was available and effectively applied to each and every hole.

The white collar types working alongside the blue collar types, reminded me of what all us must have looked like the day we started out at USMC bootcamp ... "what in the hoot have we gotten ourselves into!" But all persisted, prevailed and went home nursing this or that sore hand or back.

A couple of our strong-willed women, installed, plumbed, reset the soil and packed it in solid. They also had fun dancing around each pole, some sort of ancient initation rite they came up with...sorry I didn't get that on video. Only kidding.

We still have to finish installing the rails, but got a few up. Also the main entrance pole system is awaiting it's proper placement.

Enjoy some pictures...click to enlarge.



"Look ma, I dug a hole!"


"Hellooooo down there...I'd love some Chinese take-out!"

Peace and shalom to all.

MINE! OURS!

That great time has come. After a 1 1/2 hour General Membership meeting, those present went outside to our garden and had the opportunity to select the plot of their choosing. Each put their name on a stake...and staked-out their garden plot.

See pictures below...click to enlarge.




As the day went on, a few members came by and selected their plots as well.

The 10X10 plots went fast. Now people can either choose to have 1/2 of the 10X20's or take the whole plot.

By this afternoon, at least 3 have already begun to work up their soil, build raise beds, and/or plant. Very cool!!!

Green Thumb Kudos to all.

The Plot Thickens

We got the garden plots staked out today.

As things are laid out now, there are 8-10X10 plots, all on the south end of the garden area. There are 16-10X20 plots in the middle and north row of the area.

If we divide all the 10X20's in half, we would have precisely 40-10X10 plots.

So however you divide up things...we will have a good number of plots for all comers! Unless there is a pent up groundswell I am not aware about.

Anyway go check it out...let me know if you fall in love with this or that plot. Ha.

[Click on picture to enlarge]





Sorry it looks like a Hobbit cemetery for now...

Shalom

Master Gardener Training: Joyous Learning!

This past Saturday (18th) the north city community of Lynden received 2 gifts. One was a bright sunny, albeit cool, morning...but we'll take the sun ANY DAY! And we received the gift of presentations by Whatcom County Master Gardeners. We learned much. Had fun. And are now super-charged to get our hands in the soil.

On behalf of our North City Community Garden group, I wish to thank these fine folk for spending part of their valuable Saturday with us...imparting sound wisdom and sage advice. Of course for me, the "central instruction" I came away with was: "Have Fun!" Well of course is your reply!

Organizational Stuff Just About There...

This past Saturday, the garden's Steering Committee meet for 2-hours. We tackled a lengthy Agenda list.

Central was to review a draft of Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, General Membership Agreement, and Individual Plot Usage Agreement and Contract.

Yeah I know....boring! But someone had to do it!

Below are some of the "troopers" who endured this process. Give them a rousing and standing ovation for their hard work.


All of this work was put in so that the General Membership meeting (this Saturday at 10 am at Sonlight building) will have an effective set of materials ready for all of us to decide upon. This will get us going on getting our plots and then start planting!!

Look for such materials to be included in an email to members.

Bless you all.
Jeff

People "Pocket" taking shape

Also last week, we started to form the landscaping system for the community gathering area just east of the garden plots. As you can see this area is adjacent to the large fir trees next to Bender Field.

When this is finished, envision having bright yellow, orange and green ornamental bamboo perched upon this raised bed. It will provide a mixture of colors, textures and moderate enclosure for folks wanting to sit around a barbecue or free-standing fire pit.

It will be a great place to just rest from all your weary, back-breaking, blister-forming garden tending. Ha. Or just an excuse to hang out with other good folk and chat.

I hope to add more height to the raised area. This will effectively contain bamboo rhizomes, and thus limit their venturing beyond limits. More on that later.



Peace.

Communal Plots Tilled

Last week, Eldon tilled the general garden area one more time. The Edaleen compost has worked in very well.

Also, I asked Eldon to till up 2 communal plot areas. These will be used for all of us for growing corn and squash together. These areas had a bit more left over concrete from the old buildings...and more rocks.

As you can see, the center entrance poles are getting positioned and ready for being set. Hope this happens before Saturday April 25ths fence installation party.


Entrance Poles



Communal Plots and General Garden

See ya,
Jeff

Urban Homesteaders Make it Big!

One of the families we link to (the Jules Dervaes family in Pasadena CA) has been doing some really impressive stuff when it comes to growing food on residential lots. I first discovered them on YouTube.

Sunday, 60 Minutes ran a feature on this extraordinary farm within their very small lot. Shows you what is possible when you eliminate your lawn. Amazing!

Here's the video clip...enjoy. Again...sorry for the 30-sec intro commercial.



Peace and Joy

Garden Hits the News Stand

Our garden made it to the big-time yesterday...received a great write up by Tim Newcomb. See the full article and evil pitchfork by clicking here.

Jeff

Split Rail Fence

We have received our permit to construct a split rail fence along the sidewalk on Aaron Drive.

Even more wondrous, we received our supply of split rail posts and rails today. See pictures below.

Keith Vander Laan and Don Van Maanen did us, our community, a HUGE favor! As a gift, they cut to length and split both the posts and rails for around 400 lineal feet of 2-rail fencing. Unreal!!

So next we have the joy of installing the fence...that's you and me dear friends. How about we assembly as a work crew after our General Membership meeting on Saturday, the 25th, after lunch?

I will follow-up with an email broadcast to members with details.

Keith (left) with glove-in-face, and Don Van Maanen (right) both resting from unloading the good cedar fencing.

Keith pacing off the perimeter for fencing.

Ain't this the greatest!!

Thanks so much Keith and Don for your stellar donation of labor and materials.

Joy.

Voting Results

It was close, almost a Bush-Gore thing, fortunately we do have an undisputed winner. With 20 votes cast, 6 went to "North City Community Garden". This just one more than for "The Garden". See the results below...click to enlarge the image.

Even though it only received one lonely vote (wasn't mine), I think "Lettuce Inn" was THE most creative of the bunch.

Thank you to all who submitted nominations. NOW - who wants a recount?!

Peace

Another Design Concept

Thanks to John vanStaalduinen (Black Diamond Designs) we have one more layout design for consideration. This originated from some vision-casting and discussion at the steering committee meeting on March 21st. Thank you John for this wonderful in-kind contribution.



I spent some time yesterday with John, reviewing this design and learning what people were thinking. I find this very interesting, even inspiring. Other than working on details and modifications...I wonder how and when we could decide on this or any other plan?

One idea perhaps is to start this summer season with the current rectangular plot as is there now. Get this first initial growing season going and finished. Then this would give us ample time to work through toward a final design, details, materials, costs, etc...all geared for next summer.

This way we can get going with planting soon and not have to get bogged down in more than we are set up for right now.

Anyway...we really should have a general membership meeting...to address this and a number of other key matters needing our attention to get things off and running for this season. Look for a call to a meeting like this in short order.

Jeff

Fruit and Nut Trees

In terms of planting fruit and nut trees on-site, what's your pleasure?

Would it be great to have pear, apple, cherry, plum, peach, apricot, almond...with perhaps current bushes...maybe figs?

One local and reliable source for growing fruit in the northwest is Cloud Mountain Farm [click here] near Everson. Check out their site, see the descriptions and prices.

I think we can worry about the costs once we come to some collective agreement how to proceed.

But for now, go to Cloud Mountain online or to their farm...and dream what can be!

Jeff

Compost Thoughts - Or is that "Rotten" Thoughts?

We have a good amount of fairly raw compost/manure in the garden now. With some time, this will break down, I hope, before much of our planting. With cold weather continuing...it might before mid-August when we plant! Errr.

Anyway, I still hope to get two large truck loads of supremely wonderful compost. But I am thinking we should not spread it out over the garden like the silt or manure.

How about we have a load dumped to the east and one to the west of the garden, near the chicken coup bldg.? This way we can use this good stuff a bit more effectively, by putting on areas of actual plant growing vs. walk ways or the like.

We can make this last a lot longer.

To contain this compost, perhaps we could use straw bales stacked 2-high like the nearby eco-blocks. Once the straw starts to rot, we replace it with new, and use the old for topping off composting.

Food for thought.

Jeff