AGM and Volunteer Appreciation

Annual General Meeting & Volunteer Appreciation PotluckDate: Friday, 21 November 2014
Time: 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Location: St. Mary's Anglican Church, 780 McEvoy Street

AGM at 6PM & Potluck supper at 6:30PM

Join us as we review the accomplishments of NBCHG and celebrate our wonderful volunteers with a ceremony and potluck.

The AGM is your opportunity as an active member to make decisions about the future of our organization. We will review this past year’s work and achievements and elect our new executive.

The Nominating Committee is looking for persons who have interests or experience in Fund Sourcing, Membership, Workshops or Events to bolster our board. You can submit a nomination in advance by email, or at the AGM. For more information, send an email to info@nbchg.org

We’re also celebrating our amazing volunteers with a potluck supper.

We’d like you to bring a favorite dish to share so that we can raise our glasses (and plates) to people whose hard work have made us into the NBCHG we are today.

Bring a dish to share!

Use healthy local food, if you can!


Remember to label the ingredients in your dishes!

Winterizing your Garden, The 5 P's: Prior Preparation Produces Better Plants and Produce

Winterizing your Garden

 

Remember the 5 P’s: "Prior Preparation Produces Better Plants and Produce"

CLEAR UP:

The first thing is to clear out the past year’s waste – especially after all the rot, fungus and blight problems we have had this year – These MUST GO ( and not even into the compost – they are to be put in the trash), as you do NOT want to infect next year’s growth. Clear around perennials and clear under trees. Plants and weeds without disease go into the compost.

DIG IN:

Secondly dig in any or all of the following amendments (mixed together):

Well rotted manure – preferably horse, chicken or cow and/ or Leaves and Compost from your hot compost bin/pile

CHECK pH (you can get a test from the co-op or skip this step):

Add Sulphur or Lime – if you find your pH is too low or too high ( acid or alkaline )

NOTE: If you are not putting in a green cover crop (see below) until the spring or have left it a bit too late to plant now (start in early Fall), leave enough of the above amendments to layer on top of the bed especially if not completely rotted yet. Frost and snow break down the last few strands, leaves etc., so that it is ready for the next spring.

LAYER:

Layering on top is important as it will stop any weeds from growing, will help cut down the ultimate deep freezing of the soil and will create worm space. Worms are vitally important.

Suggested layers :

Direct onto the ground – newspaper in strips- try to use non-shiny, non -coloured paper as far as possible – worms can be affected by the chemicals in highly coloured papers. Make sure that all the soil is covered.

Next layer –leaves, compost and manure – I tend to mix the whole lot up (if and when I have it) as you are going to have to mix it all when you dig it in, in the spring. If you can lay your hands on enough, make it at least 6 inches deep, and make sure you cover the paper completely.

Finally a layer of wetted leaves( so they don’t blow away) or even a layer of horticultural fleece.


GREEN COVER CROPS:

If you went the green cover crop route, and you want to dig it in now, dig it in to a depth of 5-6 inches deep and then layer on top of it. If you want to leave it over winter and there are few fall planted green manures that will last the blast of 25 below, then just cover it over with something like straw. Don’t use hay – there are too many weeds and seeds in it , especially this year.

Green Cover crops: Winter wheat or rye, Buckwheat - A quickly maturing plant, buckwheat bushes out fast and produces a prodigious amount of biomass, creating a ground canopy that chokes out weeds (which rob other crops of nutrition).

Check out our website for more information: http://www.nbchg.org/category/gardening-tips/preparing-for-winter/#sthash.nlYUYXIT.dpbs

Market Garden

Every Saturday from 10am -1pm Heather will be up in the garden to lead our maintenance days. We will need lots of help keeping the Market Garden growing as well as laying down the rest of the cardboard and wood chips.  Please attend a maintenance day.

You can now find us at the Northside Market every Saturday from 10am- 4pm.  Stop by our booth, support NB Community Harvest Gardens and take home some fresh veggies. All vegetables are by donation.

If you have extra produce from your plot to donate that would otherwise go to waste you can leave it for pickup Saturday mornings under the picnic table. 

It's July!

Hello Gardeners, 

1. Water 

2. New Lock *email me for combination*

3. Maintenance Day: SIGN UP!

4. Market Plot 

5. Pest Control 

6. Blight

7. Keep track of your harvest

8. Workshops and Gardening Tips

1. We are going through water fast at the garden. Please try and conserve as much as possible. Do not water in the middle of a hot, sunny day. The best time to water is early in the morning. CLICK HERE for more information on what plants need watering and when. 

2. The locks are always a challenge at the garden. We are trying something a little different at the front gate. We have a word lock, the combination is *email me for combination*' The other gate is the regular lock so if the front doesn't work for you use the other gate. Please let me know if this lock works better for you. 

3. We need a leader for this Saturdays (July 12th) Maintenance day. If you are around and able please let me know. You simply need to be there between 10am-1pm to welcome people into the garden and make sure everyone has something to do. I will talk with you before hand so you know what needs to be done and where everything is. 

4. The Market Plot needs some attention. If you are interested in volunteering throughout the week or just have some extra time after caring for you plot it needs to be weeded. There are stakes at the end of each row with what is in them. Only weed rows that say "MARKET GARDEN" as there are some individual and group plots mixed in that section as well. 

5. We have lots of bugs up at the garden, some beneficial and some not. CLICK HERE to identify pests in your bed. We definitely have potato beetle and cucumber beetle in Marysville. We have sticky trap in the shed on the first aid kit. You are welcome to use this in your plot. To use cut a strip of something yellow (paint a piece of wood, cut up plastic cups, etc.) and paint the sticky trap on and place around your plants. CLICK HERE for more ideas on Organic Pest Control. 

6. Late blight warning issued for New Brunswick. CLICK HERE for more details. Blight is a disease caused by a fungus-like organism which spreads rapidly in the foliage and fruit of potatoes and tomatoes. The spores can become airborne and travel. The initial symptom of blight on tomatoes is a rapidly spreading, watery rot of leaves which soon collapse, shrivel and turn brown. During humid conditions, a fine white fungal growth may be seen around the edge of the lesions on the underside of the leaves. Brown lesions may also develop on the stems. If allowed to spread unchecked, the disease will begin to attack the fruit. This is recognized by brown patches appearing on green fruit. If infected, the more mature fruits will decay rapidly. Do not over water your tomatoes. Make sure they have plenty of room for air to move through. Prune lower branches to keep them off of the soil. If you see signs of blight remove effected branches/ plants and put them in the garbage (not the compost!) 

7. Please keep track of your harvest so that we can have a record for the end of the season. We have a small scale in the shed or you can weigh it at home. 

8. Check out our Gardening tips and Workshops on our website for a full list of handouts and videos: http://nbchg.org/?page_id=1662

If you have any issues or are heading away on vacation and need someone to look after your plot please let me know. 

Thanks, 

Madeleine Berrevoets 

Garden Coordinator 

506-292-7646 

www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com 

www.nbchg.org 

Maintenance Day every Saturday from 10am- 1pm

Everyone welcome! Marysville Community Garden, 20 McGloin St.

They're back!

Look out for cucumber beetles up in the garden. If you are planting any kind of squash or cucumber be sure to cover them with a fine mesh. Cucumber beetles can be picked off individually and squished. They don't just go after cucumber plants, they will eat radishes, kale, rhubarb and more.
 Click here for more information on cucumber beetles

Compost!

Hello Gardeners, 

I hope you have all had a good start to the growing season. Unfortunately we were late getting compost this year, next year we will make sure we have extra in the Fall so it is ready to go for Spring planting. If you have been up to the garden lately you will notice that things have changed! We have piles of compost. Outside the gate there is Seafood Compost from Envirem Organics(the big pile), beside the woodchips is beautiful compost from Jemseg River Farm and inside the gate is Fredericton City Compost.

If you want to move compost please move it directly onto the Market Garden plot or into your own plot, not the ready to use bin. This year our Market garden is set up in 2 ft rows. We are experimenting with a technique called SPIN (Small plot intensive) Gardening. If you are up in the garden and looking for work to do cardboard/ woodchips need to be put on the paths and the market plot needs compost worked into the 2 ft rows. 

If you still need orientation or have not had a chance to get your plot planted and need help please contact me. The weeds are really taking over and the longer you wait the harder it is going to be to get going. We do still have 4 plots left to assign if you would like a second plot ($20) or know anyone new interested in gardening with us this year($20 +$10 membership fee.) 

This Thursday is our first in the garden workshop. We will be starting to plant the Market plot as well. I have attached the poster. It is free for all members. Don't forget all our workshops are online, there are some great hand outs. CLICK HERE to see more workshops. 

We will be having maintenance days every Saturday from 10am-1pm. It would be great if you could sign up to lead at least one maintenance day throughout the season. If you would like to sign up to lead a Maintenance day please CLICK HERE or contact me.  

Thanks again, 

Madeleine Berrevoets 

Garden Coordinator 

506-292-7646

www.nbchg.org 

www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com

Maintenance Day Saturday June 7th 9am-2pm

This week we had two large loads of compost and a load of wood chips dropped off outside the gate. We are going to need help moving it all inside. We will be up working from 9am-2pm tomorrow (Saturday June 7th.) We really need help getting this moved so if you are able please do come, if you have an extra wheel barrow or shovel please bring them along. RAIN OR SHINE! 

We had a great meeting last night. I am attaching the minutes. An important thing to note is that we changed our maintenance days. We are going to do it every Saturday from 10am-1pm. I am looking for volunteers who would be interested in leading a maintenance day. The only commitment will be for the day/s you sign up from 10am-1pm. I will organize with you beforehand to make sure you know everything on the to-do list. Your job would be to welcome people into the garden and give them tasks. Please let me know if you are interested/able to sign up for a day or two. 

Hope to see you all soon.

Madeleine Berrevoets

Garden Coordinator 

506-292-7646 

www.nbchg.org 

www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com

Marysville Community Garden General Meeting

Hello Marysville Gardeners, 

Just a reminder that we are having our general meeting tonight. If you are interested in getting more involved with the garden or just want to come and hear what we are up to please feel free to join. 

Here is the proposed agenda, let me know if you have anything to add to it. 

Marysville Community Garden General Meeting 

Thursday June 5th, 6-7pm 

Pharmasave Community Room (upstairs) 231 Canada st. 

• General update
• membership 
• water 
• soil amendments 
• other

• Market plot volunteers/planning committee
• Volunteers
• Child discovery plot
• Maintenance days 
• Add more days? 
• Volunteer to lead a maintenance day 
• Potluck/ Social gathering/ Plant swap
• Date and location

If anyone has any empty 2L plastic pop bottles laying around could you bring them to the meeting or leave them in the shed? We are looking for some for a project on water conservation for next weeks workshop. 

I will bring along the seed library this evening as well for anyone that wants to take a look through it and "borrow" some seeds. 

Thanks, 

Madeleine Berrevoets 

Garden Coordinator 
madeleineberrevoets@gmail.com

506-292-7646 

www.nbchg.org 

www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com 

Update

1.Orientations and Seed Library Tuesday June 3rd 6-7:30pm 

2. Marysville Community Garden general meeting June 5th, 6-7pm 

3. Next Maintenance day June 11th 5-7pm 

4. Garden Workshop June 12th 7-8:30pm 

5. Check out our blog www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com 

6. In the news! 

1.I will be up at the garden this evening (Tues. June 3rd) doing orientations from 6-7:30pm. I will bring along the seed library so if you want more seeds (we have plenty left!) please stop by and check some out. If you are a new member and have not had an orientation please come up this evening between 6-7pm or contact me to arrange another time. 

2.This Thursday from 6-7pm is our Marysville Community Garden general meeting. We will be meeting at the Pharmasave community room again (231 Canada st.) Everyone welcome

3.Our next maintenance day is scheduled for Wednesday June 11th from 5-7pm. 

4.Our first in the Garden Workshop is June 12th from 7-8:30pm. I have attached the poster, please feel free to share the event. 

5. If you have yet to see our blog go take a look at it: www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com. There are some pictures from last weekends maintenance day. If anyone wants to contribute to the blog please let me know! 

6. Check out Marysville Community Garden on CBC. Interview starts around 5:30. http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/NB/ID/2459321385/

We ran out of water this morning. They will be filled up later this evening. Thank you to everyone who let me know. The Community (Market Garden) plot is looking great. Thank you to all who have been weeding it. If you want to continue to work on it we need to work on the edge, laying cardboard and woodchips. 

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call or email me. 

Thanks, 

Madeleine Berrevoets

Garden Coordinator 

506-292-7646 

www.nbchg.org 

www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com 

Out of water!

Hello everyone,

Just a heads up that the water bins are empty. They are being filled up this evening.

Thanks!

Madeleine

Out of water!

Hello everyone,

Just a heads up that the water bins are empty. They are being filled up this evening.

Thanks!

Madeleine

Saturday's Maintenance Day

Thank you to all who came out to our maintenance day this Saturday. It was absolutely wonderful. If you need help getting your plot ready for planted (it is time!) please let me know at madeleineberrevoets@gmail.com or 506-292-7646.

Our compost bins are ready to use. Please add all garden waste (no compost from home!) into the bin on the left. If you are up in the garden and would like to do some general maintenance we are trying to get all the compost in front of the bins moved into the left side bin.

PLANT SWAP

FREE PLANT SWAP: On Saturday, May 31, 8:00 to noon, Saint Mary's Church(780 McEvoy st.) is having their annual indoor yard sale, and we gardeners are going to be represented with a plant swap/giveaway table. You are definitely going to want to check this event out. The church's big, beautiful yard sale is always worth going to, and the plant table will give you an additional reason to go. If you have surplus vegetable or flower seedlings, houseplants, etc. you would like to donate please bring them.

After the yard sale you can head up to Marysville Community Garden for our Open Garden Day from 10am-1pm.

FROST WARNING!

There is a frost warning for tonight (May 28th.) If you have tomato or pepper plants in please cover them up! A sheet or plastic will protect them from frost, use stakes so whatever you use does not put too much pressure on the new plants. For more information see here.

This weekend we are having an open garden day! Bring your friends and come work on the community plots or pathways. Hope to see you all there!

FREE Plant Swap: On Saturday, May 31, 8:00 to noon, Saint Mary's Church is having their annual indoor yard sale, and we gardeners are going to be represented with a plant swap/giveaway table.  You are definitely going to want to check this event out.  The church's big, beautiful yard sale is always worth going to, and the plant table will give you an additional reason to go. If you have surplus vegetable or flower seedlings, houseplants, etc., please bring them to the church on Friday, May 30, between noon and 6pm, and leave them on the garden table. (Or under it, if it's filled up).  You might also choose to contribute some plants to the church to sell. Don't forget to water your plants if appropriate, as they might be there for the better part of 24 hours.

How To: Pathways

As this garden is still young we need to invest some energy to make sure we have a solid base for years ahead. One very important job is properly setting up pathways.

*Click on the pictures to see them larger.

Step 1: Dig, dig, dig! Make your pathway level with the ground. Pathways should be 2 feet wide, garden beds should be 4 feet wide (we use string for a guide.)

Step 2: Lay down cardboard, better to get it under your garden bed on the edges instead of up the sides.

Step 3: Pile on the wood chips


Step 4 (optional): Box in your plots. Make sure you do them to size (4ftx8ft or 4ftx16ft) use untreated lumber. Cedar or hemlock is ideal for outdoor use. If interested in a workshop on this please let me know at madeleineberrevoets@gmail.com and we will see about setting one up asap. Approx. cost is $30.

What NOT to do:

• Do not lay down just wood chips without cardboard 
• Do not lay down cardboard and wood chips onto raised area, dig to make it level with ground
• Do not fold edges of cardboard up 

Here are some examples of improper pathways:

Happy Long Weekend everyone!

Hello Gardeners, 

This is not an official maintenance day but I will be up in the garden today (Saturday, May 17th) from 10am-1pm to mark out plots, put down wood chips and work on the community plot. Feel free to stop in and join! We have a white board in the shed now, it has information on what general maintenance needs to be done around the garden. If you come up on your own and want to work grab a job off that board. 

We will be having a youth volunteer coming into the garden today. He is 12 years old and volunteering for a school project. If anyone has children that would be capable of weeding/measuring feel free to bring them (you are welcome to leave them with me for an hour or two if they are comfortable.) 

You will see up in the garden plots 1 and 2 are boxed in. You are welcome to box in your plot (at your own cost.) It must be with untreated lumber and to the proper measurements of a plot (4x8ft or 4x16ft.) If you are interested and don't know how or do not have the tools please let me know, we may be able to do a workshop on this if we get enough interest. I believe the cost is around $20-$40. 

We are still trying to get compost for the garden. We will definitely have some near the end of May but would like to have something sooner. If you know of anyone that has any well composted manure let me know (I have a truck and could shovel/pick up.) 

Please keep spreading the word about the garden. We have about 17 plots available. 

Have a wonderful long weekend everyone! 

Thanks, 

Madeleine Berrevoets 

Garden Coordinator 

506-292-7646 

www.nbchgmarysville.blogspot.com

A Wonderful Day for Orientations in the RAIN!

Happy Gardening Everyone!

There were more out who did not make it into the picture. Huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out on this rainy Saturday. (click on the picture to enlarge)

If you have any questions about where your plot is or orientations please email me at madeleineberrevoets@gmail.com or call 292-7646.

Maintenance Day and Orientations!

This weekend, we will be holding our first maintenance day. This is a day for all gardeners to get out and work together on community areas. 

We will also be holding orientations for new members. If you are on the waitlist you DO have a plot. Please attend orientation this Saturday, orientations will start at 9:45am. If you cannot make this time please contact me and we can arrange another time. You will not be assigned your plot number until you complete an in garden orientation. 

Marysville Community Garden

Maintenance day and Orientations

Saturday, May 10th 10am-Noon (Orientations at 9:45am)

Rain or Shine!

Hope to see you there!

Madeleine Berrevoets 

Garden Coordinator 

506-292-7646 

madeleineberrevoets@gmail.com 

Get out your calendars!

Maintenance Days:

At Marysville Community Garden

Saturday, May 10th 10am-Noon

Wednesday, May 14th, 5-7pm

Saturday May 31st 10am-Noon

Wednesday June 11th 5-7pm

Saturday June 28th 10am-Noon

Wednesday July 16th 5-7pm

Saturday August 9th 10am- Noon

Wednesday September 17th 5-7pm

Saturday October 25th 10am- Noon

Marysville Community Garden General Meetings:

Monthly location TBA

Thursday June 5th 6-7pm

Thursday July 3rd 6-7pm

Thursday August 7c th 6-7pm

Thursday September 4th 6-7pm

Thursday October 2nd 6-7pm

Thursday November 6th 6-7pm

Events Committee Meetings:

Last Thursday of each month. (May 29th, June 26th, July 31st…)

Home Hardware on Main st. Fredericton North. There is a community room upstairs at the back of the store that we meet in.

7-8pm