April Newsletter:

Happy spring to all of you!

We have had a few nice days, and I have seen some of you in the garden already!

There are Snow Drops, Crocus, and Tulips blooming in the garden, in Kevin's garden (plot #17) and in the Butterfly Garden.

As well, the 1000 bulbs that the children from the Perth Ave. Public School planted, are coming up! (they are along the sidewalk - just west of the black wrought iron fence)

As we announced last year, we have a list of important meeting dates already set out so you can plan to attend these meeting.

However, the Communications Team had their first meeting on April 10th. We discussed a few issues and created the Agenda that we should have for our first garden group meeting on April 28th. -The drainage problem in cement bunker, -the possible relocation of corral, -Rearranging the large half barrel planters around "Cat's" steel planter. -If the teams should document their hours somehow. and the main issue:

Having a Steering Committee: (First step is forming this committee) the suggested roles it should play is:

• to amend garden guidelines

• to come to decisions regarding garden issues, projects, spending of funds

• (larger issues and spending to be put to entire group once initially

• discussed with the Steering Committee)

• Did we decide we wanted to adopt the 70% consensus??

• to create garden meeting schedules

• to create meeting agendas, allowing adequate time for new business to be discussed

• to discuss ways of how to best approach with garden issues and to deal with them in an appropriate and timely manner.

About the Steering Committee - we also discussed that we thought that any one, no matter how new to the garden they were, even if they joined the garden to be on the waiting list, could be on this committee, and they didn't need any special requirements - except to be interested in the future and the leadership of the community group and community garden.

The first meeting was:

Thursday April 28 - Perth Dupont Community Garden All-Member Spring Garden Meeting, 6:30 - 8:30.

Location: Andrea’s home - the yellow house....

Agenda:

1. Opening (15 mins)

• Susan to give introductions; brief chat about past and upcoming gardening season; update on building project

• Susan pointed out some projects/things to do around the garden that will need addressing in the near future including, putting a fence around new garden area, resolving the flooding problem in the cement bunker, and the new porch.

2. New management model (15 mins)

• Development of steering committee

• Kipp to give brief presentation on format of a steering committee

-Kipp outlined the proposed new management model for the garden which includes a steering committee. The purpose behind the formation of this committee is to get gardeners more involved in the decision making and management processes of the garden and to insure a community process is followed when reaching decisions. We hope this will provide a stronger sense of ownership and pride of and for the garden.

The role of the steering committee is still in the works and will need some more defining as the season progresses. Some roles are to assist in settling disputes, amend garden guidelines, discuss and reach a consensus regarding current and future uses of garden space, approve any proposed garden projects, discuss garden funds and spending, create meeting schedules and agendas.

Anyone who has paid the garden registration fee, including people on the waiting list, can sit on the steering committee. The co-ordinator and treasurer will both sit on the committee.

It was mentioned that sitting on the steering committee could satisfy the team requirement for anyone who sits on the committee. A concern with this was that we may fall short in getting garden chores done as there will be less team members. So, committee work may need to be in addition to the regular required team work. This will need to be decided on soon.

For more information and ideas on steering committees please look at the community garden handbook in the garden shed section of the Perth Dupont website.

3. Finances (10 mins)

• An update on how much is in the account and how much is expected to be spent on building projects, etc.

• The new position of Treasurer was also discussed. The person who fills this role will ideally have some experience with numbers but mostly will be someone who is willing to fill the role. We hope this role will take the stress of dealing with these matters off the co-ordinator.

The Treasurer will work alongside the steering committee and co-ordinator and will manage and keep records regarding the gardenʼs bank account, they will create an annual garden budget, and will provide an annual report at the end of the season.

• Susan discussed the gardenʼs current financial situation. There is currently (a certain amount) in our account. Some of which is the grant allocated for the building project that is to be completed this season. There is also some petty cash that belongs to the garden at Susanʼs.

Susan mentioned an upgrade that could be made to the porch building project. We can upgrade from cedar to pine if all gardenerʼs paid an extra $10.00. This upgrade will need to be discussed by the steering committee and later decided upon by gardenerʼs.

• It was agreed that no one, unless otherwise discussed and approved of by the steering committee, is to pay for anything for the garden out of pocket.

• a few things that need to be included in our garden budget are money for any plants we want to purchase, yard waste bags, tool repairs, etc.. Edward suggested the budget be created with what gardenerʼs feel they need/want with a strong consideration of everyoneʼs abilities.

4. Teams (10 mins)

• Andrea to give brief presentation outlining the roles and responsibilities of each working team

• Teams are the same as last year with the addition of the Steering Committee as one of the Core Teams. The other teams are the communications team, events, building, maintenance, watering, grass cutting and compost.

All gardenerʼs are to sign up and participate in at least one team. Ideally, there will be 4 people per team.

Each team will be assigned a captain who will be responsible for co-ordinating team members and creating work schedules. Captains are expected to have had one season at the garden

5. Guidelines (10 mins)

• Go over last year’s garden guidelines and make motions to amend where necessary - I have attached the 2010 Guidelines, so you can go over the details ... these will be revised, and the new, revised one will be handed out later.

• Registration forms (go over, hand out)

• -Registration remains at $10.00 and garden key fee is $5.00, it was decided in the end, not to update the Garden guidelines for 2011, seems we ran out of time to get them ready for the gardeners.

6. Open Mic (15 mins)

• The floor is open to gardeners and those on the waiting list, to ask questions, or talk about successes and concerns

• The garden received a new garbage can and bike rack. The garbage can is to be emptied by the maintenance team and will be set up somewhere close to the shed.

The bike rack was discussed and the consensus seemed to be that gardenerʼs would prefer to keep space free for more garden space than to erect a bike rack. This will need to be discussed with the steering committee.

• Having more workshops at the garden was discussed. What would gardenerʼs like to learn more about? Some that were brought up were pruning workshops and bee workshops. Mik is involved with YIMBY (Yes in my backyard) and mentioned there is already workshops happening in the city that we can latch on to and participate in.

Could the garden offer a small honorarium for workshop leaders with the garden funds?

• A wild bee nest has just been installed in the butterfly garden that will help with the pollination of our garden. Donʼt worry! Theyʼre non- stinging bees!

• Kipp is going to create an email address for the steering committee and will send out committee info and sign up sheets for the committee. That way people can just respond through email.