Full steam ahead! Ahem...dig deep dirt ahead!

We had our annual association meeting tonight and we got the green light to go forward on the community garden and seven new people signed up! Here's the plan as I presented it right now:

Purpose: to build community by growing good food together!

A team of five English Meadows residents would like to plant a community garden in the common area that will be open to any English Meadows resident who is willing to participate. We have chosen the area next to the current community fire pit (see below).

Our current plans include beginning with two raised beds which will be four feet wide by eight feet long and one foot deep with a rabbit/goose fence staked out around the perimeter. As more people become interested, we will expand into more raised beds of approximately the same dimensions. We currently are focusing on planting vegetables, but we are open to flowers being a part of the garden if we find people who are interested in planting them. Our long-term vision includes planting berry bushes (raspberries, blueberries, etc.) and possibly some fruit trees. Our current budget is a little over $300, and it is entirely covered by those involved and a $100 grant we have received from The Garden Project.

We hope to break ground on Saturday, May 15^th at 1:00PM. All residents of English Meadows are welcome to join us for that ground breaking and to participate in the community garden. The model we will follow will be more of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model than a traditional community garden where everyone has their own individual plots. We will create a work schedule for weeding and watering (Paul Pirrotta, an EMPOA board member and member of the community garden planning team whose house the garden will be behind has graciously offered for us to use his spigot for watering the garden). We will then have harvest days (one or more a week) and split the food between those who are part of the garden (a buy-in fee may be established for those who have not yet participated to cover expansion costs). We will also be donating some of the produce to the Holt Food Bank. For more info visit www.englishmeadowsgarden.blogspot.com. To add yourself to an email list please tear off the bottom portion and turn it in to Tom Arthur (5058 Glendurgan) or email Tom (tom@saraharthur.com).