Dundee Community Garden Work Nights Now Wednesdays

Hello DCG Members and Friends,

WEEKLY WORK NIGHTS RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAYS AT 7 P.M.

We're hoping we'll get more volunteers to help with our harvest nights by changing our work nights to Wednesdays.  Please come if you can help us pick from the community beds-- we take it right over to the Underwood Towers once we've picked!  And we've got a lot of weeds growing that need some attention!

KEEP YOUR PLOTS PICKED:  Some plots are looking a bit neglected-- remember that we are picking produce that is over-sized and about to spoil-- we'll add it to our donations to the Underwood Tower-- so please keep your plots picked!   Also please keep your plants contained in your plots so the lawn mowers can get through!

GRASS CLIPPINGS NEEDED:  We need more grass clippings for mulch!!! Please dump your grass clippings around the sweet potatoes (in area between sidewalk and street.)   And if anyone knows someone with a yard service, can you ask them to drop off their grass clippings at the north side of the sweet potato plot?

 

WATERMELON FEED WITH LIVE MUSIC SUNDAY JULY 31, 3-5 P.M.

Music by "We Are Static"  and watermelon for 50¢ a slice!  Come for a chance to win the watermelon-seed spitting contest!  

Dundee Community Garden This Week/ Roofing the Tool Rack

Hello DCG Members and Friends,

MONDAY NIGHT 

HARVEST NIGHT:

ROOF BUILDING AND 

Just a reminder that Monday nights are our weekly work night/harvest night.  Please come between 7-8 p.m. if you can help harvest from the food pantry plot, weed, water, etc.  We donate fresh-picked produce to the resident of the Underwood Towers across the street as soon as we're done picking!  Also we'll be roofing the tool rack/ sign board.  We need people to help hammer shingles.   Please help!

NEXT DCG BOARD MEETING:  Thurs. July 14, 7 p.m. at Dundee Presbyterian Church, dining room.  All members welcome!

SAVE THE DATE:  WATERMELON FEED SUNDAY JULY 31, 3-5 P.M.

KEEP YOUR PLOTS PICKED:   We're starting to see some plots with produce not getting picked.  As a reminder, our by-laws state:  "I will harvest my crops when ripe.  I understand that if I do not regularly pick my produce when it is ripe, my plants may be harvested by other garden members during group work nights, and my ripe produce will be donated to the Food Pantry."

TAKE CARE FOR THE MOWERS:  We have great volunteers who mow the garden every week.  Please help them out by keeping the areas between plots cleared of any rocks, bricks, and over-abundant plants.  Thank you to our mowers!

NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD SWAP EVERY MONDAY AT 7:   The weekly food swap continues every Monday evening at 7 pm, at the Dundee Community Garden.  Neighbors are invited to bring their surplus garden produce, baked goods, homemade jam, and more to trade with others.  Bring something to trade, and take home something new!   

Fwd: Dundee Community Garden Next Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

Harvest Night/ Roof Raising on Tues. July 5, 7 p.m.  We're moving our weekly harvest night to Tues. next week due to the Fourth of July holiday.  Come help us pick greens, do some weeding, and hammer in the shingles for the rood of our new sign-board.  Last week we picked enough greens from our food pantry plot to fill a grocery cart to the top at the Underwood Towers!

Next DCG Board Meeting:  Thurs. July 14, 7 p.m. at Dundee Presbyterian Church, dining room.  All members welcome!

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

Open House and Solar Etching Party at 49th & Farnam Community Garden, Sunday July 3, 1-2:30 pm

Bring the kids and come out to enjoy some iced tea and cookies and practice solar etching: wood etching with the sun.  This is one of the easiest activities you can do for solar energy education.  Using a magnifying lens and using sunlight like a wood etching tool, you may create beautiful artwork!  Some scrap wood will be available, and our gardeners can decorate wood stakes for their garden plots.  Bring along dark glasses, pieces of wood, and magnifying lenses if you have them.  Also view demonstrations of solar-powered devices.

Fwd: Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello DCG Members and Friends,

MONDAY NIGHT HARVEST NIGHT/ WORK NIGHT / TOOL RACK & SIGN BOARD BUILDING NIGHT:  

Just a reminder that Monday nights are our weekly work night/harvest night.  Please come between 7-8 p.m. if you can help harvest from the food pantry plot, weed, water, etc.  Also we'll continue working on the sign-board-- we'll be staining it and more!   Please help!

FREE RASPBERRY BUSHES:  We're still working on digging up the raspberry bushes.  Come and dig one up if you want it! Please bring a shovel and clippers, if you have them, to help us with the digging!   

NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD SWAP EVERY MONDAY AT 7:   The weekly food swap continues every Monday evening at 7 pm, at the Dundee Community Garden.  Neighbors are invited to bring their surplus garden produce, baked goods, homemade jam, and more to trade with others.  Bring something to trade, and take home something new!

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

THANK YOU to everyone who came to our ice cream social today!  We had beautiful weather, great turn-out, and so much fun visiting with our members, neighbors, and friends!  Special thanks to those who helped scoop ice cream and make tomato cages.

MONDAY NIGHT HARVEST NIGHT/ WORK NIGHT / TOOL RACK & SIGN BOARD BUILDING NIGHT:  

We're having our weekly Monday night harvest night/work night tomorrow (June 13), and this Monday we're going to get those raspberry bushes dug up!  Please bring a shovel and clippers, if you have them, to help us with the digging!  We'll also be harvesting from our food pantry plot to donate to the residents at the Underwood Tower.  And for any of you with carpentry skills, you're invited to help carpenter Jim Saville, who is planning to build a sign board at the garden!  Bring a pair of work gloves!  We can use your help!

NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD SWAP EVERY MONDAY AT 7:   The weekly food swap continues every Monday evening at 7 pm, at the Dundee Community Garden.  Neighbors are invited to bring their surplus garden produce, baked goods, homemade jam, and more to trade with others.  We had a number of people bringing greens, rhubarb, and herbs last week!  Bring something to trade, and take home something new!

WEEDS, WEEDS, WEEDS:  Our flower beds are full of weeds!  Please use some of your volunteer hours to pull weeds!  And remember, weeds go in the compost bins in the back of the garden!  Not piled up in the grass between the plots!  Not lying against the back wall!  Please, use the compost bins! 

Gardening Tip of the Week: (courtesy of Master Gardener Rebecca Reagan)

June 20 is the last practical date for planting tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants!

If you have damage to your bean plant, it is probably from the bean beetle.  This insect is related to our ladybug (good insect), but instead of eating aphids, the bean beetle eats plants(bad insect).

This 1/4 inch, round insect is  yellowish  to copper with  black spots on its wing covers.  Its eggs are yellow and are laid in clusters on underside of the leaves.  The larva is about 1/3 inch long, yellowish to orange in color. The larva has  branched spines, giving them a somewhat fuzzy appearance.

First line of defense is handpicking: pick and drop the insect into some water with a little dishwashing soap.  Look for the eggs on the underside of the leaves and smash them.  Insecticidal soaps can be helpful., as can neem oil. Check labels to keep in compliance with our organic-use policy.

The beetle has several enemies which enjoy feeding on the eggs, larva, etc. Hopefully they will help with control.  

This insect can be an ongoing problem.  Control is needed, or the beetle will very likely cause quite a bit of injury to your plant.

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

Food Deserts and Public Policy Forum, Wed. June 15, 6-8 p.m. at UNO

What are food deserts? Why do they exist? And more importantly, what can be done about them? According to the US Centers for Disease Control, a food desert is an area that lacks access to affordable and healthy foods that make up a nutritious diet. Many believe that the presence of food deserts may be related to wide-ranging, preventable health problems in both rural and urban America.

On June 15, 2011, Senator Brenda Council will facilitate a panel that will focus on food deserts and their causes. Forum panelists include Rev. Stephanie Alschwede, Fritz Nordengren and Dr. Courtney Pinard, who will explore local and state policy approaches as well as community initiatives to effectively address food deserts.

More information at http://ppc.nebraska.edu/SorensenSeminar/FoodDesertsandPublicPolicy&year=2011

Beginning Vegetable Gardening Workshop/Demonstration Series, with UNL Master Gardeners.  The Master Gardeners are offering a series of free demonstration classes on beginning vegetable gardening May 7-June 18.  The final workshop on June 18 is "What to Harvest and When."  See attachment for details.

 

FOOD COMMUNITY INITIATIVE:  Neighborhood Fruit Registry:   If you own fruit trees or berry bushes whose harvest you are willing to share, or if you would like to pick fresh local fruit, register at www.neighborhoodfruit.com. The fruit owner notifies the registry when the fruit is ready to harvest. Volunteers are given a time and place to pick fruit. A share goes to the owner, and the rest is divided amongst the volunteers.

FOOD COMMUNITY INITIATIVE:  Yardsharing.  Neighbors who would like to garden but have no sun, and neighbors who have a sunny yard but do not garden, can pair up through the website, www.sharingbackyards.com. This website offers a secure way to connect landowner and gardener, along with tips on how to set up a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Rethinking the Food Cycle

A great article published by Omaha By Design

Check it out here!

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

Gardening Tip of the Week: (courtesy of Master Gardener Rebecca Reagan)
Continue to sow greens in your garden for an extended season. Select heat-resistant varieties, and for best results, sow small amounts about every 10 days. Choose the shadier side of your plot, perhaps in the shadow of your tomatoes or other tall crop. The greens will appreciate the shade, instead of the baking sun of summer.

Work Day this Saturday: Our next work day will be this Sat. June 4, 10-12. With the rain days, we've gotten behind in our planting-- we'd like to finish up planting the produce this weekend! And we've got cannas to plant, and there's weeding and general clean-up that we need to do to get the garden in shape... Come when you can! We ask all members to volunteer eight hours during the course of the gardening season. Please remember to record your volunteer hours on the log in the garden.

Neighborhood Food Swap Every Monday The weekly food swap will be held every Monday evening at 7 pm, at the Dundee Community Garden. Residents are invited to bring their surplus garden produce, baked goods, homemade jam, and more to trade with their neighbors. Gardeners, consider swapping your surplus greens, radishes, etc!!! Help Dundee become a "Food Community!"

Grass Clippings: We need lots!! Please bring some if you can!


Sunday June 12 Ice Cream Social, 3-5 p.m. Ice cream sundaes and great toppings for $1. We'll be painting stakes to mark your garden plot. And our tomato cages were such a success at the Dundee Spring Fling that we're planning to make another batch of them to sell at the ice cream social-- this is your chance if you missed out on Saturday.

Help Mowing: We're still looking for a third volunteer to help us keep up on the mowing.

Watering: Please remember that rain water is the best water to use on your garden plot. You can get rain water out of the blue rain barrels or the "white whale" large water container.

Coming in early June: Shed-Raising Party. We'll get a crew together to build a covered tool rack/sign board. If you are handy with tools and would like to help build the shed, contact Curt Hickman at curt3@cox.net

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

Permaculture Workshop Thurs. June 2, 5:30-7:30, at Hands to Harvest Community Garden, 1113 S. 31st St. (between Pacific and Poppleton)
Free Permaculture Workshop -- Building an Herb Spiral
Everyone will receive hand-outs about the basics of permaculture, easy ideas to incorporate into your garden, and information on herb spirals. Then... we will do some work building an herb spiral for all Hands to Harvest gardeners to enjoy.

What is Permaculture? Permaculture is sustainable land use design. Based on ecological and biological principles and using patterns that occur in nature to maximize effect and minimize work. Permaculture aims to create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs while harmoniously integrating the land with its inhabitants. And what is an Herb Spiral? Come and find out!

FOOD COMMUNITY INITIATIVE: Neighborhood Fruit Registry: If you own fruit trees or berry bushes whose harvest you are willing to share, or if you would like to pick fresh local fruit, register at www.neighborhoodfruit.com. The fruit owner notifies the registry when the fruit is ready to harvest. Volunteers are given a time and place to pick fruit. A share goes to the owner, and the rest is divided amongst the volunteers.

FOOD COMMUNITY INITIATIVE: Yardsharing. Neighbors who would like to garden but have no sun, and neighbors who have a sunny yard but do not garden, can pair up through the website, www.sharingbackyards.com. This website offers a secure way to connect landowner and gardener, along with tips on how to set up a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Food Deserts and Public Policy Forum, Wed. June 15, 6-8 p.m. at UNO
What are food deserts? Why do they exist? And more importantly, what can be done about them? According to the US Centers for Disease Control, a food desert is an area that lacks access to affordable and healthy foods that make up a nutritious diet. Many believe that the presence of food deserts may be related to wide-ranging, preventable health problems in both rural and urban America.
On June 15, 2011, Senator Brenda Council will facilitate a panel that will focus on food deserts and their causes. Forum panelists include Rev. Stephanie Alschwede, Fritz Nordengren and Dr. Courtney Pinard, who will explore local and state policy approaches as well as community initiatives to effectively address food deserts.
More information at http://ppc.nebraska.edu/SorensenSemina/FoodDesertsandPublicPolicy&year=2011

Beginning Vegetable Gardening Workshop/Demonstration Series, with UNL Master Gardeners. The Master Gardeners are offering a series of free demonstration classes on beginning vegetable gardening May 7-June 18. Next workshop is June 4 on “Vegetable Gardening in Small Spaces and in Containers.” See attachment for full schedule.

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,


Gardening Tip of the Week: (courtesy of Master Gardener Rebecca Reagan)
Keep track of what, where, and when you plant. A small notebook with your plant information will help you identify those seedlings poking through the ground. The dates you planted will help you when it come to harvesting. Most plants and seeds come with the information on a tag or seed packet. It helps to keep track.

Work Day this Saturday:
Our next work day will be this Sat. May 28, 10-12. Come when you can! We need to finish planting our beds for the food pantry, we've got cannas to plant, and there's weeding and general clean-up that we need to do to get the garden in shape. We ask all members to volunteer eight hours during the course of the gardening season. And remember to record your volunteer hours on the log in the garden.

Grass Clippings:
Thanks to those of you who have brought up grass clippings for the community beds! We'll need more once we get more things planted on Saturday.

Sunday June 12 Ice Cream Social, 3-5 p.m.
Ice cream sundaes and great toppings for $1. We'll be painting stakes to mark your garden plot. And our tomato cages were such a success at the Dundee Spring Fling that we're planning to make another batch of them to sell at the ice cream social-- this is your chance if you missed out on Saturday.

Help Mowing:
We're still looking for a third volunteer to help us keep up on the mowing.

Watering:
Please remember that rain water is the best water to use on your garden plot. You can get rain water out of the blue rain barrels or the "white whale" large water container.

Coming in early June: Shed-Raising Party.
We'll get a crew together to build a covered tool rack/sign board. If you are handy with tools and would like to help build the shed, contact Curt Hickman at curt3@cox.net

COMMUNITY EVENTS:
Food Deserts and Public Policy Forum, Wed. June 15, 6-8 p.m. at UNO
What are food deserts? Why do they exist? And more importantly, what can be done about them? According to the US Centers for Disease Control, a food desert is an area that lacks access to affordable and healthy foods that make up a nutritious diet. Many believe that the presence of food deserts may be related to wide-ranging, preventable health problems in both rural and urban America.

On June 15, 2011, Senator Brenda Council will facilitate a panel that will focus on food deserts and their causes. Forum panelists include Rev. Stephanie Alschwede, Fritz Nordengren and Dr. Courtney Pinard, who will explore local and state policy approaches as well as community initiatives to effectively address food deserts.

More information at http://ppc.nebraska.edu/SorensenSeminar/FoodDesertsandPublicPolicy&year=2011

Beginning Vegetable Gardening Workshop/Demonstration Series, with UNL Master Gardeners. The Master Gardeners are offering a series of free demonstration classes on beginning vegetable gardening May 7-June 18. Next workshop is June 4 on “Vegetable Gardening in Small Spaces and in Containers.” See attachment for full schedule.

Dundee Community Garden this Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

Hope you can join us for our workshop (open to all) and work-day this weekend!  See below.

Gardening Tips of the Week: (courtesy of Master Gardener Rebecca Reagan)

1. Finish your planting.   It is now warm enough to get your tomatoes, peppers and other warm season vegetables into the ground. 

2. Mulch.  After the seedlings appear, mulch your bed.  Mulching will help keep weeds down, cool the soil, and preserve moisture during hot weather.  It is easy to do: use chemical-free grass clippings, letting them dry a bit before using, or straw. You could also use newspaper, shredded or several sheets placed around your plants.  Make sure you wet the newspaper down after placement so it doesn't blow away. Adding a little dirt or straw over the top of the paper will also help keep it in your plot and not in the neighborhood.  

Need Mulch for the Community Beds:  Our garden needs grass clippings for mulch!  If you have grass clippings that you can donate, please bring them up to the garden.  Our newly-planted flowers in the beds along Underwood and 49th Streets are in desperate need of mulch-- and we won't have to water every day if we can get some good mulch down.

Help Mowing:  We're still looking for a third volunteer to help us keep up on the mowing.

Watering:  Please remember that rain water is the best water to use on your garden plot.  You can get rain water out of the blue rain barrels or the "white whale" large water container. 

Coming in early June:  Shed-Raising Party.  We'll get a crew together to build a covered tool rack/sign board.  If you are handy with tools and would like to help build the shed, contact Curt Hickman at curt3@cox.net

Sunday June 12  Ice Cream Social, 3-5 p.m.  Ice cream sundaes and great toppings for $1.  Also we'll be painting stakes to mark your garden plot. 

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

Beginning Vegetable Gardening Workshop/Demonstration Series, with UNL Master Gardeners.  The Master Gardeners are offering a series of free demonstration classes on beginning vegetable gardening May 7-June 18.  Next workshop is May 21 on “What Vegetables Should I Plant and When?” See attachment for full schedule.

Dundee Community Garden This Week

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

Please join us for our workshop and workday this Saturday, April 30.  And we've got a great trip organized for this Sunday May 1 to tour Rebecca Bloom's organic farm. 

Saturday April 30, 10-11 a.m.  Workshop at A.V. Sorenson Center, 48th & Cass: Crop Rotation, Companion Planting, and Natural Pest Control (free)
Refreshments provided by Blue Line Coffee and the Bread Oven.
11 a.m. Work-day at the garden: we'll be putting annuals in the flower beds.

Sunday May 1, Tour of Rebecca Bloom's organic farm in Honey Creek, Iowa
Meet at DCG to carpool/caravan at 12:45 (leaving at 1 p.m. sharp!) or meet us at the farm at 1:30 p.m.  Rain or Shine!

Tour a small organic farm and purchase herbs, veggies and flowers for your garden from Rebecca Bloom, owner/organic grower of BloomsOrganic.
The tour of Fertile Crescent Farm will include a walk around her growing areas, high tunnel production, and the passive solar home she uses for processing vegetables and starting the seedlings.  Rebecca has plants of all kinds, including herbs, cole crops, lettuces, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, many of which are heirlooms and other unusual varietals.  She also has interesting and unusual flowers. Rebecca  supplies vegetables to top Omaha restaurants, sells plants at Whole Foods Markets, and sells vegetable and starter plants at the Benson Farmer's Market.
Address: 27124 Ski Hill Loop, in Honey Creek, Iowa (near Mt. Crescent Ski Area and Hitchcock Nature area)
Directions: Fertile Crescent Farm is on Ski Hill Loop north of the Mt. Crescent Ski Slope, which is a west turn from the Old Lincoln Highway (#183).
That loop is the 2nd gravel left off of Old Lincoln Highway.  Those who are driving are welcome to give Rebecca a call and she will give very easy-to-follow directions--the farm isn't hard to find.  Rebecca's #s:  402-639-7365 (cell) or 402-455-1890 (home)

Volunteer to help Mow the Garden:
We need another volunteer or two to help keep the grassy areas of the garden mowed.  If you can help, contact Mary at megreen4@cox.net  

Record your Volunteer Hours:
Don't forget to record your volunteer hours on the laminated sign attached to the white water container in the garden.

COMING DUNDEE COMMUNITY GARDEN EVENTS (open to members and friends of Dundee Community Garden):

Saturday May 14, 10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson Center, 48th & Cass:  New Varieties-- Cool Crops for Small Gardens (exploring some of the new smaller varieties for small gardens) (free)  Refreshments provided by Blue Line Coffee and the Bread Oven.
11 a.m. Work-day at the garden

Saturday May 21  Dundee Spring Fling  Dundee Community Garden will be sponsoring a plant and seedling swap, and we'll be selling home-made sturdy tomato cages as a fund-raiser.

Coming in early June:  Shed-Raising Party.  We'll get a crew together to build a covered tool rack/sign board.  If you are handy with tools and would like to help build the shed, contact Curt Hickman at curt3@cox.net

COMMUNITY EVENTS:

Gifford Park Community Garden Opening May 7
The Gifford Park Community Garden is pleased to invite you to the Gifford Park Community Garden Opening on Saturday May 7th at the Community Garden (35th and Cass). The event will take place from 11 am -1 pm.
The following events will be offered:

• Face Painting
• Get Your Photo with Your Plot!
• Painting of Garden Stakes – to identify your plot
• Children’s Garden Activities
• Plot Sign Up
• Seed Swap
• And much more!!!

Please join us for this special event. All are welcome and snacks will be provided. We hope to see you there!

Dundee Community Garden Update

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and friends,


Welcome to our New Garden Members! We had a great turn-out at our New Member Orientation, and also for our Spring Ground-Breaking on Saturday. We got the garden cleaned up and one community (food pantry) bed planted with cool-season greens, so we are going to hold off on having another group work day until Sat. April 30. On April 30 we have our gardening seminar at 10 a.m, and at 11 a.m. we'll have a group work-day and plant the annuals in the flower beds.

New Garden Guidelines: We have some changes to our 2011 Garden Guidelines (attached). An important change that we want all members to be aware of:

"I will harvest my crops when ripe. I understand that if I do not regularly pick my produce when it is ripe, my plants may be harvested by other garden members during group work nights, and my ripe produce will be donated to the Food Pantry."

This change came about because we saw so much excellent produce last year that rotting, un-picked, in people's plots. Since our work nights are Monday nights, our members have all weekend to pick from their plots-- and if you let us know NOT to pick from your plot we can honor that-- but we'd like to see more produce from the garden getting used.

Watering Reminder: Just a reminder that we ask our members to follow the watering guidelines, which include using a watering can and water from the rain barrels whenever possible.

Mowing: We are looking for another member or two to help our current volunteers keep the garden mowed! It would involve bringing your own lawn mower up to the garden. If you can help, let us know!

Dundee Community Garden Gardening Workshops: Thank you to Vince Huebert for leading last weekend's gardening seminar on preparing your soil, and what to plant when. And thanks to our sponsors, Bread Oven and Blue Line Coffe, for the excellent refreshments! For links to the handouts from Vince, go to:

Planting a Home Vegetable Garden www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM819.pdf

Small Plot Vegetable Gardening www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM870A.pdf Small Plot Vegetable Gardening

Garden Soil Management www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM820.pdf

Planting and Harvesting Times for Garden Vegetables www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM534.pdf

Future Dundee Community Garden workshops are listed below.

COMING DUNDEE COMMUNITY GARDEN EVENTS (open to members and friends of Dundee Community Garden):

Saturday April 30, 10-11 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson: Crop Rotation, Companion planting, and Natural Pest Control (free)

Refreshments provided by Blue Line Coffee and the Bread Oven.

11 a.m. Work-day at the garden: we'll be putting annuals in the flower beds.

Sunday May 1, Tour of Rebecca Bloom's organic farm in Honey Creek, Iowa

Meet at DCG to carpool/caravan at 12:45 (leaving at 1 p.m. sharp!) or meet us at the farm at 1:30 p.m.

Tour a small organic farm and purchase herbs, veggies and flowers for your garden from Rebecca Bloom, owner/organic grower of BloomsOrganic.

The tour of Fertile Crescent Farm will include a walk around her growing areas, high tunnel production, and the passive solar home she uses for processing vegetables and starting the seedlings. Rebecca has plants of all kinds, including herbs, cole crops, lettuces, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, many of which are heirlooms and other unusual varietals. She also has interesting and unusual flowers. Rebecca supplies vegetables to top Omaha restaurants, sells plants at Whole Foods Markets, and sells vegetable and starter plants at the Benson Farmer's Market.

Address: 27124 Ski Hill Loop, in Honey Creek, Iowa (near Mt. Crescent Ski Area and Hitchcock Nature area)

Directions: Fertile Crescent Farm is on Ski Hill Loop north of the Mt. Crescent Ski Slope, which is a west turn from the Old Lincoln Highway (#183).

That loop is the 2nd gravel left off of Old Lincoln Highway. Those who are driving are welcome to give Rebecca a call and she will give very easy-to-follow directions--the farm isn't hard to find. Rebecca's #s: 402-639-7365 (cell) or 402-455-1890 (home)

Saturday May 14, 10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson: New Varieties-- Cool Crops for Small Gardens (exploring some of the new smaller varieties for small gardens) (free) Refreshments provided by Blue Line Coffee and the Bread Oven.

11 a.m. Work-day at the garden

Saturday May 21 Dundee Spring Fling We'll be sponsoring a plant and seedling swap, and we'll be selling home-made sturdy tomato cages as a fund-raiser.

Coming in early June: Shed-Raising Party. We'll get a crew together to build a covered tool rack/sign board. If you are handy with tools and would like to help build the shed, contact Curt Hickman at curt3@cox.net

COMMUNITY EVENT:

Beginning Vegetable Gardening Workshop/Demonstration Series, with UNL Master Gardeners. The Master Gardeners are offering a series of free demonstration classes on beginning vegetable gardening May 7-June 18. See attachment.

Note: If you would like to be removed from the Dundee Community Garden e-mail list, please send an e-mail to megreen4@cox.net and ask to have your name removed.

Dundee Community Garden Workshop and Groundbreaking this Saturday

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends of the Garden,

This Saturday is our big kick-off: new member orientation, gardening workshop, and spring groundbreaking, all on Saturday!  

After that, we'll have Saturday morning workdays throughout April, 10 a.m. to noon, to get the garden planted.  Come when you can to help!

In May we'll be starting evening work-nights on Monday nights.

See below for details.

Saturday April 9  

9:30 a.m. New Member Registration and Orientation at A.V. Sorenson Center, 48th & Cass.  All new members, please plan on attending!

10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson:  How to Grow Your Soil; and What to Grow and When.  Garden member Vince Huebert gives a great overview for new and experienced gardeners.  This one-hour workshop is free and open to the public.  Special bonus: our sponsors The Bread Oven and Blue Line Coffee are providing treats and coffee for all of our workshops!  Thank you to our sponsors!  Please bring your own re-usable mug!

11 a.m.  Spring Clean-Up and Groundbreaking:  bring work gloves and tools such as rakes and shovels.  We'll have a big load of Oma-grow at the garden, ready for you to dig into your plots.

Saturday April 16, Workday, 10-12

Saturday April 23, Workday, 10-12

Saturday April 30  10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson: Crop Rotation, Companion planting, and Natural Pest Control

11 a.m. Work-day at the garden

Saturday May 14   10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson:  New Varieties-- Cool Crops for Small Gardens (exploring some of the new smaller varieties for small gardens)

11 a.m. Work-day at the garden

Saturday May 21  Dundee Spring Fling  We'll be sponsoring a plant and seedling swap, and we'll be selling home-made sturdy tomato cages as a fund-raiser. 

Coming in early June:  Shed-Raising Party.  We'll get a crew together to build a covered tool rack/sign board.  If you are handy with tools and would like to help build the shed, contact Curt Hickman at curt3@cox.net

Note: If you would like to be removed from the Dundee Community Garden e-mail list, please send an e-mail to megreen4@cox.net and ask to have your name removed

Dundee Community Garden Thinking Spring!

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends of the Garden, 

We're already thinking spring and planting time!  Our Spring Groundbreaking and Clean-up is scheduled for Sat. April 9.  And we've got a series of three workshops scheduled at the AV Sorenson Center, at 48th & Cass, to help you get started planting and planning what to grow.  Our workshops are free and open to the public.  Please see below for our spring schedule, and put these events on your calendar:  

Saturday April 9
9:30 a.m. New Member Sign-Up and Orientation at A.V. Sorenson Center

10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson:  How to Grow Your Soil; and What to Grow and When
11 a.m.  Spring Clean-Up and Groundbreaking

Saturday April 30  
10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson: Crop Rotation, Companion planting, and Natural Pest Control

Saturday May 14
10 a.m. Workshop at A.V. Sorenson:  New Varieties-- Cool Crops for Small Gardens (exploring some of the new smaller varieties for small gardens)

Saturday May 21
Dundee Spring Fling  We'll be sponsoring a plant and seedling swap, and we'll be selling home-made sturdy tomato cages as a fund-raiser.

Coming in early June:  Shed-Raising Party.  We'll get a crew together to build a covered tool rack/sign board.  If you are handy with tools and would like to help build the shed, contact Curt Hickman at curt3@cox.net

Our next Board Meeting will be Tues. April 5, 7 p.m. at Dundee Presbyterian Church.  New members and new ideas welcome!

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! 

Dundee Community Garden Harvest Party on Sunday

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

FALL HARVEST PARTY AND POT-LUCK   This Sunday, Sept. 26, 3-5 p.m.  Come celebrate the end of the growing season with a harvest pot-luck.  Bring a dish to share and your own re-usable place settings and beverage.  You may want to bring a blanket or folding chair as well. We'll be cutting down the sun flowers and giving away the heads to be hung up at home for the birds and squirrels.  We'll also have Dundee Community Garden t-shirts available for $15.  All garden members and friends of the garden, please join us on Sunday!

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!

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.

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

HARVEST NIGHTS NOW MONDAYS AT 6:30: It's getting dark earlier so our harvest nights are moved up to 6:30.  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. 

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.  

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! 

FROM FRIEND OF THE GARDEN DAVID CORBIN: You might be interested in letting others know about these two neighborhood events on 10-10-10.  Here is a link to the environment-related events.    http://web.me.com/dcorbin/sites/Corbin_10-10-10.html

Dundee Community Garden This Week: 13 Sept

Hello Dundee Community Gardeners and Friends,

HARVEST NIGHTS NOW MONDAYS AT 6:30: It's getting dark earlier so our harvest nights are moved up to 6:30.  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.  

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.  

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! 

SAVE THESE DATES: 

Sunday Sept. 26, 3-5 p.m.  Fall Harvest Party and Pot-Luck

Sunday Oct. 17, 1-4 p.m.  Fall Clean-Up

LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO GARDEN??  SEE ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW!

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