Planting for Feb

Garden Vision Statement

Manifold Heights Community Garden Mission Statement

To build a sustainable community garden on Wathaurong country that welcomes and encourages people of all ages, genders and backgrounds to participate and learn about the joys of organic gardening. There will be areas for individuals and shared spaces for the school and community to work together, it will promote healthy eating and sustainable lifestyles while showcasing art and providing a place for contemplation.

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

3rd Meeting and visit to Danawa Community Garden, Tourquay

            

Manifold Heights Community Garden Minutes
Date 15/12/2010 Location Danawa Community Garden and then coffee shop	Present Trish, Rebecca, Vicky, Craig, Lorna, Pete, Phil, Liz, Katie	Apologies Helen, Helen, Alistair, Gillian
Next Meeting: Wednesday 12th Jan 2011 6.30pm Bar-b-que BYO something to share e.g. salad or desert 58 Wimmera Ave, Manifold Heights
Item	Action	Who	By
Visited Danawa Com Garden, John kindly showed us around and we learnt lots, what to do and what not to do. See Notes for more detail	None
Met in coffee shop and Rebecca read the Vision Statement, Vicky pointed out that it didn’t include the Watherong and  School, Rebecca rewrote mission statement including school and that the garden will be on Watherong land. Everyone happy with result.	Type up statement and send out to rest of group	Liz	Next meeting
It was mentioned that we should bring the Watherong in early to build a native garden and to be inclusive of all cultures at the school, Liz mentioned that she would have a Libyan boy next year as a student	To follow up with Watherong, namely David Tournier to consult on the space before we start any work on what is significant and important	Vicky	Ongoing
Art work on wall and as a sign to garden was talked about	Follow up on mosaic work	Vicky	Ongoing
Trees that are Dead and Weed species to be removed	Rebecca said her partner Tim who is a qualified arborist would probably be happy to do it	Rebecca	Soon as possible
Plan and Design of Site	Geology and Contour map of site to be done and	Rebecca	Next meeting
	Planning Map of area so we understand who are neighbours are and what restrictions on site emailed to Vicky and hard copy for meeting	Katie	Next Meeting
At Danawa John spoke about the problems when they had to have the water. Mains dug up and the disruptions it caused-stressed importance of dial before you dig	Dial before you dig	Craig	Next meeting

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
Funds needed for various actions already	Contact local councillor for a small grant to cover incidentals	Phil-Vicky to send forms	Next meeting
Design of Garden and plan of existing site	Measured plan of existing site and start of design	Pete and Vicky	Next meeting
Discussed that we should break up into smaller groups for different areas, suggested ·                     Planning and Infrastructure (This includes Artwork) ·                     Funding ,Promotions and Events ·                     Gardening and Maintenance of Site	Plan Groups	All	At next meeting

Notes: Danawa garden was beautiful, and gave us lots of ideas of what worked and what didn’t. We all liked the Mandela Garden and decided we should have one.  They garden communally due to people going away for long periods of time. They were given a tank by Barwon Water and had building built by the apprentices from the Gordon. Received Grants from Bendigo Bank, tables built by Men’s shed.  Have a share the bounty once a fortnight.  Pick and Plant once a fortnight.  There was a plan of the garden. Compost bins. We all liked the whiteboard with what needs to be done.  Crop rotation, through Mandela garden. Garden logo. Greenhouse that was donated.  Lots of water tanks. Shed for activities.  Are visited by schools etc, getting involved in local markets. Will keep in contact for ideas.