Otford Association is getting ready to party

On the Saturday 24 November 2012, the association will hold its Annual General Meeting. It means that you, member, will have an opportunity to learn how the association and its (your) budget is managed. We'll also discuss the future and agree on the best strategy. But who wants to spend a summery saturday afternoon sitting down discussing about organisation and budget?....not that many of us. So to make sure you have an opportunity to have your say, but also that we all have a great community time, we have decided to organise a very fun fundraising day, the Otford (End of the Year Fundraising Garden) Party: curry night, live music, kid movie, circus, gardening.
To make this day a successful day, we explain below how you can contribute, just by giving a bit of your time, skills or strength!
This newsletter also gives more details on the next garden working bees, the Pechakucha night and the next brewer club meeting.

Pecha Kucha: sat 27 oct - 6pm

Participants have to prepare an oral presentation on a topic they like, with 20 slides. The challenge is to keep it short and fun, so no more than 20 seconds by slides and slides content which add to the speach (not repeat it). Please bring your presentation (.ppt) on a USB stick or send it here before the 26 at lunch time. The event is open to the public but won't be very interesting to kids. The event will be followed by BYO drinks and BBQ.

 Brewers club

The first batch came back from the 'beershed'. A new batch will be launched on Saturday 3 November. Guys are currently going to a beershed in Kirawee. If any of you has everything to welcome the next batch, email asap here.
It would be great to start thinking about growing hops. It could be even easier with the new night light on the garden.

Arm strength NEEDED

Friday 19, from 7pm, we need arm power to carry wood from 59 station road to the tennis court (via vehicle).
BEFORE Sunday 28 we need a trailer or a ute to go and pick up soil/horse poo
On the Sunday 28 & Sunday 4 November we need PEOPLE to to build our vertical frame for Melon and to build the new herbs beds on the terraces.
Who can help fixing the fences?

Help us to raise money

On the Saturday 24 November, we'll raise money for the association. We have a few people to make delicious curries and dahl. We'll serve sweet crêpes. Who is happy to bake cakes? Which local business is happy to give a price for the raffle. Contact us now here.

Who is interested in 'Landcare' activities?

The creek needs cleaning (removing branches, moving sand to ensure a better flow). We would need gumboots, gloves and a trailer. We could also apply for a Landcare grant. Who is interested?

Blossoming activities around our garden!

Not only are we very lucky to see potatoes enjoying their mulch and sunny winter, but we have a lot of ideas growing blossoming:

A parents groups is now meeting every Thursday morning. We meet around the garden but we also do walks (Sea Cliff bridge was a really nice one) and will find many other activities. Today we cropped the overgrowing salads/Kale/spinach to add to our pic nic. Kids had great fun harvesting. Once they knew they could pick up mainly 'small' leaves of the Spinach and Kale, they had hips of fun selecting and checking. One thing is certain, these kids will know where salad comes from and how to harvest greens.

A group of guy met at a local 'beer shed' and started a batch of beer. I understood that the plan is to make beer, in deed, drink it, in deed...but also to learn the process and experiment it  in order to be able to do a real 'Otford beer' soon.

We also caught up last Sunday to prepare some seedlings to be planted in a few weeks. Seeds of cucumber, beans, cherry tomatoes were a few of the wonderfull that our seed saver Greg gave us. James did a great job putting this together and the seeds are nox germinating in Greg's wonderfull greenhouse.

Spring has definitely started and it's really productive at the Otford Community Garden Association. Make sure your neighbours know about it !

***The potatoes and the worm are happy. As they need a bit of maintenance, put your hands up for your 'MAINTENANCE ROASTER'.
I (Gaetane)'m doing this week (10 to 16th). I'll water every two days and i'll feed the worm (lifting the lid, lifting the carpet, putting food scrap on the far end side) and water the garden.
Would be great to have a list of people to do this till December, as our potatoes look gorgeous but will need more love with this hot summer approaching.
Look at the pictures (click here): they are doing great.

***Cherry tomatoes, beans and cucumber have been planted and are now growing to seedlings size in Greg's greenhouse.
Dont miss our next 'Working bee - catch up' on the Sunday 30th of September (most likely from 3pm) We'll also have a little BBQ and drinks on the afternoon.

***Don't forget to register your interest for the bus tour of Community Gardens (Sunday 7th of Oct).

*** A local Playgroup has started and meets up every thursdays (pictures to come). We'll have a salad together this week.

*** A local brewers club is starting as well.

*** We'll have a fun night on the Saturday 27 of October (Patcha Kutcha) so save the date.

What a great preparation to summer !-)

Potatoes on their ways

Winter news

A worm farm and a cold frame are now on their way ! Worm juice and new plants soon to come.
The potatoes are loving the winter as well as the salads. 
We'll probably have a big salad at the next bureau meeting, this friday.

Don't miss the next working bee on the Sunday 2d of September 2012.

MORE PHOTOS HERE

Save the dates

Dear members,

Potatoes are enjoying the garden:

Here is a summary of our forthcoming activities (administrative, garden and others) and the dates to save in  your agenda. The most important one is probably the Sunday 25th of November 2012. We'll not only hold the General Meeting to decide of our future, but we'll have another great fun community day, probably involving more music and a fun night and a photo competition.

SAVE THE DATES
I also draw your attention on 4 important dates on the calendar below (on top of the weekly working bees):

• Next Sunday 29th of July, we'll set up a cold frame, worm farm and prepare some seedlings to plant soon.
  
• On the 9th of September, we'll have a bus tour to visit other community and kitchen garden in the Illawarra. Details to be confirmed soon, but register your interest (by answering yes to the calendar invite you ll soon receive).
• On the Monday 1st of October (public and school holiday) we'll organise (if council approves) a fundraising day at Bald Hill with cakes and crepes.
• On the 27th of October, we'll hold a PechaKucha night(20 slides in 10 mins about any subject, give you an opportunity to communicate experiences, ideas and things you are passionate about).

http://otfordgardenproject.blogspot.com.au/p/events.html

GET INVOLVED

Please answer this survey (link here) to express your ideas and opinions on the future of the association. We'll use the results to draft the 'Manifesto' to be approved at our general meeting. 

But before then, feel free to come to the monthly bureau meetings, to suggest idea, comments, react, propose and help (watering the plant, drawing plant signs names, discussing the plants to put on the terrace, leaflets in letter box.....from little things big things grow). 

 MEMBERSHIP

For those who didn't join already, you can join the association now, more information here.

Next working bee: Sunday 29 July 2012

Our next working bee will be on the Sunday 29 of July 2012

The next working bee will take place on the Sunday 29th of July 2012, at the garden, from 11am onwards.
New members are more than welcome and can download their membership form here.

The program for that day

Actions
Learning about 'Worm farms' and 'Cold frame'
Building a mini worm farm and a mini cold frame
Kids will also plant their own seedlings.

BRING: finished toilet roll, gardening tools, BYO foods and drinks for the BBQ.

Fun
BBQ
Recipe ideas for our potato crop (bring a recipe)

Discussion
Preparing our big fundraising events (summer 2012-2013);
Calendar of garden management between working bees.

For those who want to be more involved in the Association

All skills, ideas and activities are welcome. We'll meet up every second Thursday, of the month at 7pm at the club house.

Hi everybody,

We had a wonderfull day today, and all the members who left their emails will have received two links with the photo albums (gaetane and lucy, if you want to add your pictures, send them to the usual blog email and ill add them up).

Thanks so much to the musicians (John, Phil, Chris and Willow (from Chokoh)), to the cooks, and to our great team who prepared the potato patch yesterday (James, Chris, Lucie, Adam, Madeleine, Phil, Dan, Brownyn, Andrew), and thanks Dan for the sound system. Thank Kerin as well who got some tennis racket and balls for the kids to play around. Sorry if i forgot anyone.

I've got 16 membership forms with me and i know some people took some with them. Drop an email to otford.garden AT gmail.com when your transfer is done. This week would be great.
The wonderfull news is that we'll be able to pay for the insurance and extra costs.

In the idea box: playgroup, yoga, photo competition, more gardening, brewery....and in deed caring and loving for our potatoes and possibly some more tennis players.

Next working bee/meeting is on the Sunday 29 of July (morning). We still have one patch to plant, a bit of weeding and caring. We could also paint the inside of the house: so look around if you have some paint which would go onto laminate walls (we'll keep the Robin William Poster in deed ??).

Gaetane and Andrew (for the OCGA).