Meeting notes for April 11th 2009

Held at the Caldense Bakery.

In attendance we had: Susan Berman, Marcel Fortin, Yves Candau, Silvan Trunt, gay Tough, Kevin Loffree, Andrea Stauber, Samantha Stauber-Nichols Edmond Chano.

Notes taken by Gay T, supplemented by Susan B.

Date for garden clean up.

We need to choose a day - or a few days - to do the repairs and cleaning, the decision was the second week of May, between the 11th and 16th. Susan will be sending an e-mail out to let people choose a few days and times that will work out for them.

Discussion of what to do about the wood and stuff that is piled on the shelves outside the garden shed.

Apparently the shelves collapsed. Yves and Marcel discussed the construction of a system for organizing the wood in a vertical manor on the outside of the shed. Also using shelves of the inside of the cement shed was discussed.

Discussion of a new saw - circular or otherwise. The consensus was a circular saw because it is more accurate. Yves said that he will look at prices and brand names to get a good quality saw. Get something that has not too big a (to) handle so that the women and those with small hands can use it too. We discussed getting one with a battery for using at the garden area. Susan will go 50/50 with the community garden money to buy the saw. It will be kept at Susan house (436 Perth Ave.), but gardeners can ask to use it any time. There is an out door electrical outlet that people can use the saw at her place.

Susan mentioned getting a grant for an accessible porch for the shed (also want to make the raised garden bed). If we get a grant we would be able to use the new saw in building it.

Basic maintenance

We need to cut the grass this year, Parks and Rec. can no longer do it. It needs to be cut often so it will remain easy to handle. Edward Bhim has donated a push-mower to the garden.

The yard waste bags that are in the shed need to be move to Susan house for yard waste pick up.

More crocuses were brought by Jamie.

Susan will leave the tape measure and the hammers at the shed for taking out the nails etc from the wood in the wood pile from the collapsed shelves.

As to sorting out the collection of stuff on the shelves, the things to be thrown out should be piled in front of the shed where it will be easy for parks and rec to collect it.

The pathway between plots 18 and 19 need to be cleared of the "quack grass". The roots of this grass are very invasive... and a nuisance. Every little piece of this root will grow a new plant. -project for the summer.

For the yard waste.. Marcel asked if we can use the old blue bins for yard waste, good way to recycle them into a new use.

We have rodents... Rats? in the compost, and there were in the weed pile last fall. Not sure if they are still there, but the dirt from the old weed pile needs to be dealt with. We need to put it into the compost or elsewhere in the garden (Susan has added carbonatite to it already)

New gardener Laura works for a construction company she might be able to get left over wood.

Susan has notified parks and Rec. About the hole in the fence, along the railway line. People are jumping over the fence. Susan has asked that the gardeners to notify her when there is drinking and partying over there. The CP police need to be notified every time this goes on, it is the only way to keep it under control. Mille and her daughter were chased by an intruder in 2007.

The gates to the garden need to be closed to keep the dogs out, we talked for a moment about how to do this.

Garden techniques... the dirt pile came about as a result of people "weeding" there garden, but leaving so much dirt on the plants that it was too much for the composter, or yard waste bags. We need to teach the new gardeners how to tap the dirt off the roots of the unwanted plants, to keep the good soil in their garden plot.

Talked about seeds. Urban harvest is at Dufferin Grove at the Thursday Farmers Market 3:30 has seeds and seedlings. She is also at the Wichwood Barns Farmers Market Saturday Mornings.

Her name is Collette Murphy grow@uharvest.ca

or phone her at (416)504-1653

www.uharvest.ca

As a side note.

While we were waiting for more people to arrive at the meeting Marcel and Yves were speaking French. Marcel if from Northern Ontario, and Yves is from France. Yves can also speak some German, and Andrea is from Austria. We are truly a multicultural community group.

Susan brought the gardens seed collection, there are still lots of seeds for every one.