This page is set up primarily for meeting minutes -
Feel free to comment, add your thoughts…
this latest one was written by Laura for the 12/12 meeting:
I will be talking with Jeannette from HRHC on Monday per her request to tell her what happened at the meeting with the city.
This is what we decided: Please review and make suggestions so by tomorrow evening so I can be prepared.
-The City likes the idea of a garden, but can provide no logistical or financial support to get it going. So, we propose planting 3 or 4 blueberries, (‘Reka’, a variety that does well in moist soil, Nourse Farms, 8$ each, shipped bare root, I will order and they will probably ship the plants in spring) We can just fence the shrubs individually with chicken wire fencing, the whole thing should cost no more than 60$. then we will have a chance to see how they do and the feasibility of making a farm/garden there. We are also going to order some Garlic, Scott and I are going to look for some hard neck varieties this weekend to purchase for planting up there before the ground freezes. the great thing about garlic is it doesnt need fencing-nothing bothers it. If we get a decent harvest, we can sell some of the garlic for a fundraiser. Also, we are going to scatter wildflower seeds and plant some bee balm, deer resistant, colorful, bees and hummingbirds love. Ultimately, we envision this area being a place where young people can raise cash crops-possibly blueberries if the trial plants do well-earn money, learn entrepreneurial skills, learn about investment, and horticulture.
-We will pursue community garden/school garden collaborations at the schools. If anyone knows anyone connected with the schools who might want to work on this at their school, let them know about us!
-We envision raising about 1,000 dollars next year through fundraisers that serve mostly to publicize our organization. Fundraising ideas: Talent show at the Peekskill coffee house, garlic sales, film night at the paramount. Next year it will focus on getting IBM employees to contribute to our cause through HRHC.
-Jeannette wants to meet in the beginning of next year. We will propose to her on Monday that we include teachers and administrators in the schools that are interested in a collaborative gardening project.
Leah Quinn - Artist & Designer
Thanks, Laura.
I heard back from my friend about the Woodside teacher who is interested in having a garden at her school:
Karen W.
Have you already spoken with her?
If not, I’ll email her about it.
Barbara
I removed her email for privacy…since our blog is public at the moment… ;P
Oh, I didn’t realize: I thought we were private already. My bad.
hey – we are all getting the hang of this blog – including me with having additional people being able to post articles and not just comments! lol
Please, talk to the teacher at Woodside!!
I spoke with Jeannette at HRHC yesterday. She is interested in having a meeting with all the people who want to be part of these community garden projects, the youth farm, and the school garden-community garden collaborations. HRHC is associated with the Preservation Company, I think thats it, which is also involved in creating employment opportunities for youth. I think she also mentioned that she also has contacts with the garden club.
We agreed that we would plan for a meeting near the beginning of January. So, please, talk to your teachers or contacts and interested community members and mention this meeting and get their emails so we can keep them posted. We envision having a big meeting to give everyone an overview of the vision, and then breaking the big group into committees. Sound good? (Sound familiar old timers?)
Garlic: Tom, I am running out of time to order it and I think the ground may be frozen by the time it arrives. I have a little hard neck seed stock for you, and, for me, I am just going to purchase some from the store and plant it and see what happens. I am very curious to see if it works. If you want to order it call Scott or check in with Johnnys Select Seed or Territorial or search ‘Garlic Seed’ – that worked for me.
Blueberries. I ordered three. Glad we are starting small. I really dont know for certain if this idea is going to work. the ground may be just too wet. I would love to come up with an idea that doesnt involve heavy manipulation, an ingenious idea that capitalizes on the uniqueness of the spot of earth just the way it is. It has a spring, wow. Bottom of a hill, (rich in nutrients?) Sun. Pretty special. I will get a soil sample while I am there this afternoon planting garlic and send it in for testing.
All Sounds Fantastic Laura!
Hi, I am Environmental Science student at Pace University and just moved to down town Peekskill this January. It sounds like you are in the midst of planning a community garden, and I would really love to be involved- I am motivated and ready to do some work outdoors in the dirt! But I can also help fundraise, etc… Who should I contact?
Hi,
I would love to be involved in getting a community garden going in Peekskill. Is this project still on-going? Who should I contact? Or, if someone would like to get in touch with me, that’d be great