Dundee Community Garden Fall Wrap-Up

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners,

THANK YOU to everyone who helped with the fall clean-up yesterday.  We can measure the success of our 2010 growing season in many ways, including by noting that we had two times more yard waste this year than last year at our fall clean-up!  And we donated over twice as much food to Together Inc.'s food pantry this year as last year.  Last year we donated just over 300 pounds to Together;  as of today, we've donated over 600 pounds of produce to Together in 2010!  A big chunk of the 600 pounds is the 190 pounds donated this morning, which were mostly sweet potatoes... along with some squash, peppers, beans, etc.  

SPECIAL THANKS to Vince Huebert for taking charge of the sweet potato project-- we harvested at least 300 pounds yesterday-- and to Jeff Beiermann and Mary Lincoln for keeping up with the lawn mowing all summer!

PLOT RENEWAL FOR CURRENT MEMBERS:  If you wish to renew your plot for 2010, please fill out the attached Plot Reservation Form, and mail it with your check to hold a spot for 2011.  Renewals should be mailed to our treasurer, Deb Hickman, at 1227 N. 53rd St., Omaha, NE, 68132.  Renewal will be accepted until March 1, 2011.  After that, we'll start on our waiting list.

IF YOU DO NOT PLAN TO CONTINUE WITH US NEXT YEAR,  please let us know that also as it helps with our planning.

NEED YOUR FEEDBACK:  Also, all members, whether or not you plan to garden with us next year, are asked to fill out an end-of-year survey (attached) to give us your feedback and suggestions.  You can mail it in with your renewal, or simply e-mail your comments back to me.  We'd like to get the surveys returned within the next week or so please.

PLOTS MUST BE CLEANED OUT before you can sign up for a plot for the 2011 season! Please bag all yard waste from your plot, take it home with you, and set it out with your household yard waste.   (If you live in an apartment, just place it with a neighbor's yard waste.)  Please have all plots cleaned out by Nov. 1.  

OMAHA BY DESIGN HONORS COMMUNITY GARDENS:  

Omaha by Design has honored all community gardens across our city with its 2010 Neighborhood Leaf. Click on the attached link to learn more: 

 http://www.omahabydesign.org/2010/10/neighborhood-leaf-to-honor-community-gardens/   

Thank you for supporting these urban greenspaces that allow families a safe place to be active, learn, and grow together!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make 2010 our best season yet! 

Dundee Community Garden Final Harvest and Fall Clean-Up

FINAL HARVEST NIGHT TONIGHT AT 6:00:  This is our last Monday night harvest night to pick produce for Together's food pantry.  Join us if you can!   

FALL CLEAN-UP SUNDAY OCT. 17, 1-4 P.M.  We will need lots of help digging up the sweet potatoes and cleaning out the community beds, so bring shovels and garden tools for the fall clean-up.  You'll also want to bring a yard waste bag for cleaning out your own plot.  We plan to have a trailer there to collect the yard waste bags.  

Note: if you clean out your own plot before Oct. 17, leave the yard waste bag in your plot and we'll load it on the trailer on Oct. 17.  If you clean out your plot after Oct. 17, you will need to dispose of your own yard waste bag.

Plots must be cleaned out before you can sign up for a plot for the 2011 season!  Please have all plots cleaned out by Nov. 1.

We will also need volunteers to help store the canna bulbs over the winter.

FREE RASPBERRY BUSHES  We're planning to dig up the raspberry bushes this fall, as they became un-manageable, so please feel free to dig out a raspberry bush to transplant to your own garden!   Dig one up at any time, or we'll try to get them all dug up on  Oct. 17.

FREE CORN STALKS available at the fall clean-up-- for your fall decorating!

FREE CANNAS available at the fall clean-up.  We'll have lots of extras to give away!

END OF YEAR SURVEY   All garden members, please fill out the end-of-year survey at our fall clean-up Oct. 17.  Your feedback is important!

2011 PLOT RESERVATIONS  Current members may reserve their same plot for the 2012 gardening season.  We are testing out a two-tier system next year:  $30 for a regular plot, $20 for members who plan to contribute at least eight hours on our community work-nights.  Look for the reservation forms at the fall clean-up Oct. 17.

VOLUNTEER HOURS CHART: Check out the chart posted on the large white water container.  If you've volunteered some hours  that have not been recorded, please update the chart to reflect your hours.  If you want to volunteer at a time other than a work night, the beds can always use weeding and dead-heading. Each garden member is expected to contribute eight hours working in the community plots over the course of the gardening season.    

Dundee Community Garden This Week - 3 Oct

HARVEST NIGHTS NOW MONDAYS AT 6:00:  For these last two weeks we'll be harvesting at 6 p.m. Please join us if you can help pick produce for Together's food pantry, and we always have a need for help with other gardening tasks. As always, bring gloves, scissors, and other gardening tools to help with harvesting and weeding. 

FALL CLEAN-UP   Sun. Oct. 17,  1-4 p.m.  We will need lots of help digging up the sweet potatoes and cleaning out the community beds, so bring shovels and garden tools for the fall clean-up.  You'll also want to bring a yard waste bag for cleaning out your own plot.  We plan to have a trailer there to collect the yard waste bags.  

Note: if you clean out your own plot before Oct. 17, leave the yard waste bag in your plot and we'll load it on the trailer on Oct. 17.  If you clean out your plot after Oct. 17, you will need to dispose of your own yard waste bag.

Plots must be cleaned out before you can sign up for a plot for the 2011 season!  Please have all plots cleaned out by Nov. 1.

We will also need volunteers to help store the canna bulbs over the winter.

FREE RASPBERRY BUSHES  We're planning to dig up the raspberry bushes this fall, as they became un-manageable, so please feel free to dig out a raspberry bush to transplant to your own garden!   Dig one up at any time, or we'll try to get them all dug up on  Oct. 17.

FREE CORN STALKS available at the fall clean-up-- for your fall decorating!

FREE CANNAS available at the fall clean-up.  We'll have lots of extras to give away!

FREE FENCING AND STAKES AVAILABLE: Garden member Carla Hanson has about 40 feet of 3' wire fencing,  and about 15 3' metal stakes, available for whoever would like them.  If you are interested, contact Carla at 556-8498, or hanson1997@cox.net

END OF YEAR SURVEY   All garden members, please fill out the end-of-year survey at our fall clean-up Oct. 17.  Your feedback is important!

2011 PLOT RESERVATIONS  Current members may reserve their same plot for the 2012 gardening season.  We are testing out a two-tier system next year:  $30 for a regular plot, $20 for members who plan to contribute at least eight hours on our community work-nights.  Look for the reservation forms at the fall clean-up Oct. 17.

VOLUNTEER HOURS CHART: Check out the chart posted on the large white water container.  If you've volunteered some hours  that have not been recorded, please update the chart to reflect your hours.  If you want to volunteer at a time other than a work night, the beds can always use weeding and dead-heading. Each garden member is expected to contribute eight hours working in the community plots over the course of the gardening season.  available at the fall clean-up. 

EXTRA PRODUCE ALWAYS ACCEPTED FOR THE FOOD PANTRY!  Let us know if we can pick from your plot if you're not coming to the harvest night!  And if you have produce that is neglected and very ripe, we'll go ahead and add it to our food pantry box!