Putting Gardens to Rest and Winter Composting Talk, 10/2/12 @7:30p @Harvey Wheeler

Hello Cousins Field Gardeners,

Please join our Gardening for Life friends to hear Mark Hanson discuss how we may put our gardens to rest and what we can do over the winter to compost our beds. Hope to see you there!

Kitty
 

SAVE THE DATE

Gardening for Life

Tuesday, October 2, 7:30 PM at HWCC

Guest speaker: Mark Hanson, Putting gardens to rest and winter composting 

PLEASE NOT THIS IS ON TUESDAY NOT THURSDAY

Mark is an experienced gardener and composting guru. He comes with photos, handouts...and is ready for your questions about prepping gardens now so they are ready to go in the spring. 

Learn about soil improvement using a rotation plan that has simplified soil maintenance. How can we avoid harboring disease/pests in compost??  What about cover crops to improve soil in the spring: either clover or rye?? And when is it ready to be harvested? 

Last year, Mark spoke to a full house at Harvey Wheeler Community Center!  Please RSVP to deb01742@comcast.net to ensure seating!

Sustainable Home Gardening Meeting, Sept. 13th @7:30 @HWCC

Hello Cousins Field Community Gardeners,

Would you like to hear more about how to expand our network fo food gardeners? Come to the Gardening for Life September Meeting next Thurs., 9/13 at 7:30pm @Harvey Wheeler CC to learn more. See below for details.

Thanks,

Kitty

 

Gardening for Life September Meeting

Thursday, September 13, 7:30 PM,

at the Harvey Wheeler Community Center in West Concord

Featuring Sustainable Home Gardening

Gardening for Life’s September meeting for aspiring and practicing home and community gardeners will feature a “TED” talk by Roger Doiron, Kitchen Gardens International, entitled “My Subversive Garden Plot", followed by discussion of local actions we can take. In the future, Doiron notes that we will need to use less fossil fuel, less water, and have less land for growing food. Home gardens are sustainable and essential to a healthy, humane food system.

This kick-off meeting will focus on how we can increase visibility, expand our network of food gardeners and build connections with food fans, home gardeners and garden groups as set out in the Concord Food Assessment Report.  There is a LOT going on in Concord about our food system, and if we put our head's together, we will have quite a calendar of films, speakers, books to read, seeds to save and knowledge to share.  

What else can we do?? What would it take to partner with others to  demonstrate edible landscapes around town, season extension infrastructure, support seed-starting and sharing, gleaning, school gardens, organize random acts of gardening etc. etc??? Our meeting in June with representatives from garden clubs, Gaining Ground, Ag Committee, and community gardeners found lots of interests in common. 

Come join us for the next step! The meeting is free and open to the public. Contact Deb01742@comcast.net. For details, go to http://www.concordfood.ning.com.

Garden Swap and Talk (TODAY 8/9/12!)

Please join our Garden for Life friends for a swap and a talk at Harvey Wheeler tonight at 7.

Kitty

Gardening for Life

GARDEN SWAP AND TALK TODAY Thursday, August 9, 7 pm

Save the date for our annual Gardeners Swap and Talk at Harvey Wheeler Community Center parking lot followed by a discussion and review of this year's growing season. Bring your surplus greens, veggies, flowers, jams...or a favorite recipe!  How did you cope with bright skies...and so little rain? What did you plant that seems to thrive...or die? Are you new to gardening...or a veteran grower??

 All are welcomed to share what you know, enjoy great tasting food and good company. Seeconcordfood.ning.com for more information. Questions? Email deb01742@comcast.net.

Food System Assessment Report, Thur. June 14th @7:30 @Harvey Wheeler CC

Hello Cousins Field Community Gardeners,

Another invite from our friends at Garden for Life on an important topic: The Food System Assessment Report. Hope you can make it to hear about the results. See below for how to reply.

Thanks,

Kitty

Gardening for Life members and friends

NEXT UP

Thursday, June 14, 7:30 PM, Harvey Wheeler Community Center 

Concord Food System Assessment Report: Building Local Food Connections.

Promote a town wide gardening movement is one of six recommendations!

Community Gardeners and Garden/Life members will gather to review the Concord Food System Assessment Report with Debbie Barr, Debbie Bier and Enid Boasberg, all members of the Concord Community Food Project Steering and Advisory Committee.  Please RSVP by June 12 to deb01742@comcast.net so we can be plan accordingly for handouts etc. 

Packed cover to cover with informative and colorful charts, pictures, graphics and information about our unique and vibrant local food system, the report starts with our agricultural history then quickly moves to current assets and challenges of all facets of the food system in Concord: land use, food production, distribution, processing, storage, manufacturing and waste recovery. 

Will you be part of the conversation? Come on your own, or bring a friend.  Go to: www.concordfood.ning.com for details.

CSA Farm Tour this Sat. June 9th, 9-11am

Hi Cousins Field Community Gardeners,

Here's an invite to a CSA Farm Tour by our friends at Gardens for Life. RSVP below if you'd like to join them!

Thanks,
Kitty

Hello Garden/Life members and friends

Looks like Saturday will be a beautiful day for a CSA Farm Tour and Talk Sat June 9, 9-11 AM!  There is room for 4 more...so for those who leave things to the last minute...here is your chance! Both farms have gorgeous greens and unique stories of how they started PLUS why CSA's are good for them...and for us.

Come on your own, or bring a friend. Please RSVP to deb01742@comcast.net so we can plan accordingly.

See you there!

Debbie Barr

Request for gardeners to work with the next generation!

From our friends at Gardens for Life. Hope you'll consider this nice opportunity!

Kitty

 

Volunteers are needed to help second grade students plant 'the three sisters' garden: (corn, squash and beans) and much more at Battle Road Farms.  

Here are the dates: Alcott on May 18, Thoreau on June 1, and Willard on June 8.  Each of those three days will host 2 classes in the morning, 9:30-12, then 2 classes in the afternoon 12-2:30.

Here is a chance to work with the next generation of "food and garden enthusiasts" in a terrific program between the Concord Public Schools, The Farm School, the Farm-Based Education Association and the Minuteman National Historical Park!

Volunteers help with about 15 kids at a time, with their teacher, a parent chaperone and the farm educator. It is all very well organized, and a fun way to share the most basic information on gardening.  Sign up ASAP with Brooke Redmond, at brooke@farmbasededucation.org

The  farm visits are structured so all students move through a 'round-robin' experience through 3 stations.

After the welcome and introduction:
Station A  2 groups (~20 students)  1 hour of 'field management' with Farmer Dave from the Farm School
Station B  1 group (~10 students)  30 min. vegi farming with Laura of First Root Farm
Station C  1 group (~10 students) 30 min. Three Sisters garden with Park Ranger Judith

There are NO rain dates.  Punctuality and proper dress / footwear are paramount.

Volunteering with the Concord 2nd Grade program at Battle Road Farms is a great way to spend a spring day!

Visit FOOD FOR THOUGHT at: http://concordfood.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Happy Gardening!
Debbie Barr

Parking Reminder

Hello Gardeners-

Just a friendly reminder about parking on the grass at Cousins Field Community Gardens. Only use the area if you need to, as technically it is for unloading. Be careful to enter slowly from Brown St. and leave without driving on the playing fields. We expect the traffic to diminish as we all get our plots going, and hope that we won't need to implement stricter limits. Please be aware that neighbors are concerned and have raised these issues with us.

Thanks,
Kitty & Tracy
Cousing Field Community Garden Co-Coordinators