Meeting 2: Getting there 29 April 2012

Ideas, food and plantings! 

Meeting notes
Coming events
What do we need?
Membership

Narelle, Nick, Rachel, James, Andrea, Marc, Greg, Lorraine, Esther, Chris, Suri, Yoshi, Andrew and me(Gaetane) came around. 

Adam, Madeleine, Allison, Richard, Sarah, Chris, Pauline couldn't make it today.

Meeting notes

We met at the tennis club house/court (ideal for kids riding their bike and playing) as Pauline has nicely agreed to let us start this project on this land. It is a wonderful opportunity as this area is central, easily accessible by locals (from Stanwell t/p to Helensburgh). It also corresponds to the preferences expressed by most of the participants in the survey: safe for kids, existing shed, possibility to install rainwater tanks, existing toilets, water access. (if you didn't fill the survey, feel free and send an email to otford.garden@gmail.com).

Allison is also in the process of investigating for a possible access to crown land near the cricket pitch. It would offer a bigger space for specific projects. It would require a DA via crown land and an annual fee. 

We discussed the results of the survey, also published here. A majority of people want to combine the garden activity with a local social activity: a safe place where people can together to grow food and get to know each other. A majority seems happy to have a 'shared garden' (versus individual plots). The choice of what to plants where would be done according to permaculture;/organic principles and the willing to grow food. The use of heirlooms and seeds from the seed savers network appear to please everybody. Fortunately we have permaculture experts and seed savers in the team. Share crops appears also to correspond to everybody's expectations.

Narelle is leading the 'kitchen garden at the school' project and it appears that many people are happy to collaborate in this project. It will involve working bees and great opportunity to learn more about gardening. It would also be a great help for the kitchen garden project, where  future generation can learn that wool doesn't grow on tree and other key things about food and sustainability.

Everybody also appears very happy to make this area live as a real 'community hubs'. Some people could be less involved in gardening but would look after having a club house where we could always refresh and have a good tchat.

Grants deadlines appears to be tights and past for 2012 (for some of them). However, we may start with local donations and will organise a fundraising events (movie-music-local stalls) when the sun and warm temperatures are back. Any professional of 'grants application' will be warmly welcomed.

We also had a good discussion about the location and design of our first 'potato patch' which is discussed below. 

We also planted an Illawarra Plum tree (Gae+Andwoo 's gift) and a Chili tree (Greg's gift and he said they were not too hot) as a way to mark the start.

Coming events

The next working bee is on the WE of the 26/27 of May 2012. The plan is:

• Preparing the bed for potatoes - planting potatoes : IF WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED.
• Introducing the auspicing organisation (if it works).
• Electing a bureau (President - Treasurer - Secretary - Fundraiser coordinators).
• Membership forms.
• Organising a local July event to collect materials (team, communication, date).
• Organising an August verge gardening day (team, communication, date).
• Organising a bus tour of other Community Garden (team, communication, date).
• Organising a spring big fundraiser events.
• Keeping the working bees happening to have a good crop of potatoes next spring.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES : otford.garden@gmail.com

What do we need?

In the short term, to prepare the potato bed(s) (no dig) we need:

• Beds surroundings (3m*4m) in wood or corrugated iron. The height would have to be a minimum of 60cm and hopefully more. The higher the more protected from running kids and...animals.
• Cardboard
• Soil: 2 tonnes
• Manure: 2 trailers
• Mulch: good idea to collect neighbors' compost for that date (if we have the beds surroundings confirmed)
• Compost
• Corresponding tools (BYO): trailer, wheelbarrow, shovels, gloves, building tools, spades, possibly netting... 

ANY IDEAS, CONTACT, FRIENDS TO HELP US TO GET THIS FOR NEXT MONTH: write to otford.garden@gmail.com

ANY BUSINESS OFFERING HELP WILL HAVE HIS LOGO ADVERTISED ON THIS BLOG AND WILL BE MENTIONED IN THE FACEBOOK OTFORD LOCAL. 

In the longer term:

For the garden, it would be great to have donated gardening tools (see list above) which could be kept safe in the tennis club house as long as we organise a clear area to keep the tools. Those could constitute your member contribution.

For the club house, it would be great to fix the broken window, the hot water system, to decorate and make it a clever shared space (space for tennis gears, space for garden gears, foldable chairs, a few towels for when it rains, a sunshade to be stored, a confy area to do stretching and chill out while other work hard :-) ).

Membership

The current idea is to agree on a 'membership rule' and a 'membership form' for the next meeting. The minimum requested would be contact details (from the area covering Stanwell Park/tops/Otford/Helensburgh) and a donation to contribute to the work (in kind or in $). The list of what we need is a work in progress, see above.

It is also important to keep in mind that we have the chance to be welcomed in the tennis court area. In this context our work has to contribute to keep this place welcoming, nicer, safer and cleaner.