Bec's additional thoughts...

I was thinking after our latest get together and having a look around at what else I could come up with and came across this fantastic website from a community garden in Melbourne - http://www.merricorner.org/ - if we could get a website up like this one I think it would be great as an information base for new members, any press, and the local community in general.
I also had another thought for fundraising, you can get those Cadbury chocolate boxes to sell. Tim (my partner) got one for his cricket club and sold the whole box at our work in 1 day!! I think the profit is around double your outlay.
Anyway that's all for now...

Site Conditions

Working Groups-Please add your ideas as comments

The group divided up into 3 groups to try as smaller groups often get more done.

We discussed what each group would try and achieve

Gardening and Maintenance

·         Accessable,Practical and attractive-should try and keep the garden attractive as well as practical, should be a beautiful space

·         Soil analysis-look to the council for advice (Parks and Rec)

·         Fees for individual plots, keys, tools, equipment and maintenance

·         Plant propagation

·         Seed Saving

·         Improving Soil

o   composting

o   Worm farming

o   Mulch

·         Irrigation

o   Tanks

o   Hoses

o   Pumps

o   Swales

·         Construction

o   Garden Beds

o   Paths

·         Pest management

·         Developing a planting calendar

·         -loose leaf book (children illustrate it and share with wider community

·         Planting, weeding harvesting, especially  communal areas

·         Choice of fruit tree species, pruning

·         Design Skills

·         Education

·         Social

·         Share days

o   Communicate with others e.g. indigenous section

o   Food swap-produce, seedlings, donations

·         BBQ

·         Urn/Tea/facilities

·         Free cycle

·         Communal Working Bee, How many-rotational set time, different days to allow more people to attend

Funding, Promotions and Events

·         Accessing funds from a variety of sources as required by group

o   Grants

o   Raffles

o   Bunning’s BBQ

o   Annual fees

o   Donations

·         Promoting the Community Garden to the wider community in a variety of ways

o   Local newspapers and radio

o   Word of mouth

o   School newsletter/community garden newsletter

o   Local groups such as MC2 , GOG and GSG

o   Signage

o   Letter drops

o   Online presence-Blog, Face book

·         Planning and conducting events for promotion and socialisation

o   Ecofest

o   Guest speakers

o   Inhouse-composting, worm farms etc

o   Sustainable living expo

o   Food swap

o   Film nights?

Planning, Infrastructure and Artwork

·         Storage

·         Propagation area

·         Design of Garden

·         Sculpture

·         Sign

·         Rainwater Tanks

·         Educational

·         Raised Garden Beds

·         Auspising garden and future inc

·         Shared space

·         Individual plots

o   Some discussion over individual plots where should be sited, perhaps in sloping area near school fence, various sizes, people requiring individual plots should help decide ‘rules’ and fees etc

·         Native/indigenous Bush food garden

o   It was decided that we should approach David Tournier and the Wathaurong people to visit site and help design/build a garden either inside the fenced area or outside the gate , but talk with David first, site visit with Vicky and Liz.

·         Toilet and school access

Meeting Minutes 12th Jan

Manifold Heights Community Garden Minutes
Date Wed 12th 2011 Location Vicky Grosser’s House	Present  Rebecca, Vicky, Craig, , Pete, Phil, Liz, Katie, Helen	Apologies
Next Meeting: Monday 7th Feb Manifold Heights Primary School Community Garden Site
Item	Action	Who	By
Ate food drank beer and wine had a generally good time	Must do again	Everyone
Vicky spoke to David and he was very interested in being involved in the garden	Vicky will invite him for a site visit	Vicky	Ongoing
Rebecca had a contour map and bird’s eye view of garden	Liz put in THE FOLDER OF DOCUMENTS
Planning Map of area	Sent to Liz for THE FOLDER OF DOCUMENTS	Katie
Craig got Dial before you dig docs	Sent to Liz for THE FOLDER OF DOCUMENTS
Was discussed public liability were we covered by the school	Find out wherever we are covered by the schools insurance	Liz	Next meeting
Governance stuff needed, eg management plans etc	Examples of previous ones to be found so we can cut and paste	Trish	Email to group ongoing

Contact local councillor for a small grant to cover incidentals	Phil got grant form, will invite local councillor to next meeting
Measured plan of existing site and start of design	Pete done
Group broke up into 3 groups and discussed stuff,
	Tea and coffee facilities for next meeting	Will someone offer to organise?

Notes:

Sorry, meant great meeting Wednesday

Great meeting on Tuesday.

If anyone is interested, there is a great program called "Foodfight" on community radio staion 3CR (855 on the AM dial).

The program is on every Tuesday 5.30-6pm and covers all aspects of food sustainability and security and they often have interviews with community gardens, information about food swaps and other events etc.

If you can't listen when it is on, they also podcast the program.

http://www.3cr.org.au/foodfight

Catch you all next meeting.

Craig