CCGC Minutes 8/8/07

Carrboro Community Gardening Coalition

CCGC Minutes 8/8/07 7:30 p.m.-8:45 Open Eye Cafe.

Next meeting Wednesday, August 22 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

In attendance: Charlie St.Clair, April McGregor, Christopher Guidry, Sammy Slade

Agenda:

Member agreement

 * April has narrowed down the member agreement to basics with the idea that we can build upon it as we discover our needs as we evolve in the garden. Furthermore, per alderwoman Gist request, not too many rules for the garden.


 * Goal for member agreement to be used on Saturday for the first time.


 * New excell database to compile members of CCGC


 * April to send out latest draft today for feedback before printing for Saturday.

Newsletter

 * April brought a copy of the newsletter that Mary has worked really hard on to share with those present.


 * Everyone thought it looked good.


 * We can get a deal on the double sided color printing.


 * Goal to have some available for Saturday.

Fundraising

 * we currently have only $200 and we need $1,000


 * We need to fundraise as we are very low on funds ($200 after tilling) and need to purchase 550 gal. cistern ($342), seeds, and fencing.


 * Ideas for fundraising:


 * Solicit donors who could sponsor garden items.


 * Approach businesses that are local and make sense as potential donors: Fifth Season, Weaver Street Market, Whole Foods.


 * Bountiful cities project example: Auction off items built by gardeners or donors ( Bountiful cities has done this with bird houses and has been able to pay off some of its mortgage in this way)


 * Donation box at kiosk


 * We briefly spoke about possibility of cashing in receipts kept with OCPYC. Decision was not made to do this as energy is still for raising funds from the grassroots.


 * Someone is needed to serve as a fundraising coordinator ASAP.

Harvest

 * There is a surplus of harvest.


 * We debated actively taking surplus to groups that could use it.


 * Instead we have decided for now to have two harvest days for community gardeners to get picked harvest. We would spread the word about these harvest days to potential interested organizations that may use this food (Food no Sleep, elderly shut in organization?, Homeless shelter)


 * Pick in morning of Saturday workdays. Have large cooler available in the shed during hottest months of the year.  Keep morning picked vegetables in this and allow for vegetables to be picked up throughout evening.   Priority to Community gardeners.  TIme given to organizations is after the


 * Tuesdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.


 * Food not picked up at the end of a harvest day is taken to April's refrigerator for storage until it can be brought one last time to the next harvest day.


 * We need someone to volunteer as coordinator of harvesters per week.

Projects in need of help
It was decided that a call out to "carpenter bees" of the garden would be made and that this group could take on the needs below (in order of priority)

OCPYC Reply
The following letter from Michele Rivest, written on August 4th needs to be replied to soon:

Dear Sammy, Jay and April We are forming an advisory committee to help us guide the development of the 3 garden sites for our Carrboro Growing Healthy Kids project. The first meeting will be on Sept. 11th from 11:30 - 1:30 p.m. We would like to have one representative from the Carrboro Gardening Coalition attend - would any of you be willing to serve as the representative for this? Let me know and we will send the invitation out next week. How are things in the garden? It is looking great! On our end, we are working on the flyer and application and I would like to have this go out in mid August. Later then I had planned for the garden, but I would at least like to begin to recruit families and start a waiting list. Have you had any inquiries? Or are you keeping a list? I don't have a clear idea about whether this will be good timing to expand and include families in a fall planting. What are you thinking in terms of fall planting? Any new thoughts on how to involve families? I recently attended a national gardening symposium and saw some great community gardens in Minneapolis. We will be hiring a garden project manager through Cooperative Extension, and I would like to arrange a meeting between Cooperative Extension and us to discuss how we might incorporate families in the garden site at MLK park. Once we get our plans together, I will be able to work with you to draft a plan and budget for the garden, including reimbursing you for some of your expenses. I'll be on vacation from August 10 - 24th, but will ask Mark Danielly to get in touch with you to make a site visit, so we can get started. Then we can all meet when I get back, hopefully that last week in August or first week in Sept. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Michele Michele Rivest Executive Director Orange County Partnership for Young Children 1829 E. Franklin Street, Suite 1200C Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Phone: 919-967-9091 Email: mrivest@orangesmartstart.org Visit us on the web: www.orangesmartstart.org

Queen Bees journal/Log

 * It was suggested that we have a reference booklet for queenbees so as to make this job more accesible for anyone.


 * Queenbee log/book, for keeping a history of the garden and having a means of knowing what has been done.

Non-profit status

 * Charlie and Eric looking into the logistics of this


 * Understanding the burden of managing a non-profit we are not enthusiastic about incorporating and becoming non-profit.  We will do the research and steps to implement this status, so as when and if we are asked by the town to hurry up we will be ready to do so.