Cedar Cottage Garden Spring Fling Schedule

The Spring Fling is just a week away! Take a look at all the great events and activities we’ll have taking place on May 1st at Cedar Cottage Garden. We hope to see you there!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
12:00 pm – Master of Ceremonies will say a few words
12:15-12:45 pm – Kurai Mubaiwa (marimba)
1-1:20 pm – Andrea Bellamy – seedball making workshop
1:20-1:25 pm – Kim Letts – demo hula hoops
1:30-1:45 pm – Molly Caron leads a song
2-2:30 pm – Faune Johnson leads poetry contest (cash prizes offered)

CHECK OUT:

• Maggie with her chickens will be on hand to help educate the public
• West House – Tour of eco-friendly laneway house -12:00-3:00pm

CONFIRMED VENDORS:

• Zero Waste Vancouver – handmade recycled market bags, along with an info display on composting food scraps
• Sarah Chalmers – handmade natural soaps and bath products
• Andrea Bellamy (Cedar Cottage gardener) – book signing and sales of ‘Sugar Snaps and Strawberries’ plus seedball making workshop
• Marcela De la Peña – felt fabric foods
• Sandie Yew (Cedar Cottage gardener) – pretty sparkly things (jewelry with precious stones)
• Dalia (Cedar Cottage gardener) – jewellery, naturally dyed yarns and knit creations
• Kimlett Hoops – hulahoops
• Annette Fick (Crow’s Point gardener) – seed starts
• Renee – handmade aprons, for adults and children, and other handcrafted items, including delicious truffle date-balls and herbal salves

CEDAR COTTAGE ACTIVITIES:

• Seed starts/plants/Effective Micro-organisms/organic soil amendments
• Baking/samosas/beverages
• Used books – gardening, cookbooks, food, etc. – priced to sell
• Cedar Cottage garden membership table/tour, seed swap, co-op radio brochures, Cedar Cottage Seed Saving Collective info
• Green Tomato Chutney – created by local canning duo Faune and Cylia
• Kids area – Molly will entertain the children

Mason Bee House Installation

Mason Bee House

It looks like spring has arrived. Although temperatures have been higher than average, we have experienced bouts of cold, wet rain.

Mason Bees

Not so good for the mason bees who need to forage for the pollen and nectar to sustain themselves.

Today is a clear, warm day and the bee condo with cardboard inserts has been nailed high up under the roof of our garden shed (to avoid vandalism).

The whole process goes smoothly, and the cocoons are safely inside.

We are visited by a neighboring mason bee — a sign that all is well. Dusted with pollen, he waits for the others to join him in a celebration of spring.

Cedar Cottage Community Garden Spring Fling

Join Us at the 2011 Spring Fling at Cedar Cottage Community Garden

Cedar Cottage Community Garden’s 2011 Spring Fling is happening on May 1st between noon and 3pm. Join us and enjoy live entertainment, children’s activities and more.

Members of the garden will be hosting a bake sale, plant sale and book sale, with all proceeds going directly to improve the garden and make it more accessible for the community.

You’ll also have the opportunity to take a tour of West House, the first eco-friendly laneway house in Vancouver.

Take this opportunity to spend some time meeting your fellow Cedar Garden neighbours and head home with some treats for your own gardening adventures this season.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Time to Renew Your Membership!

Hey there gardeners!

It’s that time of year already – time to renew your garden membership fees! Existing members have until March 1st to renew their fees and keep their plot. If you missed our most recent AGM, fees have gone up by $5 this year so it will $30 in total to renew. A member of the Membership Action Team will be at the garden this Saturday, February 19th between 10am and 1pm.

Also, don’t forget that all members are required to participate in at least two work parties or equivalent over the course of the year to hold onto their garden plot. If you did not participate in 2010, you will be required to do so before renewing. Participation in the garden can take shape in a lot of different ways. If you don’t have the time to lend to work parties, consider signing up for compost duty or get involved with one of the garden’s Action Teams. We’re still looking for people to fill the following positions:

Download the membership agreement here.

Looking forward to another great growing season! See you all at the garden!

2011 Garden Member AGM

The first AGM of 2011 will take place this Saturday, January 23rd at 1:30pm. The following topics will be addressed:

Business

1. Welcome – voting procedure

2. Agenda – approval (with amendments)

3. Minutes of Jan. 23, 2010 Annual General Meeting- corrections and approval

4. Report from President – Faune

5. Report from Membership Action Team

6. Report from Treasurer/Finance Action Team

a. Status of funds currently

b. Budget for 2011 – Discussion and vote

c. Set fee for 2011 (Budget divided by 90)

7. Reports from Committees and Groups:

a. Triangle Construction – Dean & Lois

Plans for Work Parties – Arbours and tree planting, finishing of Triangle with irrigation.                 — set dates (to be confirmed)

b. Permaculture – Cylia

c. Action Teams – Spring Fling, Construction, Orchard, Outreach

8. Election of Officers – Nominations from floor and ballots (if needed)

President – overall coordinator of garden Board of Directors; contact with community; chairs general member meetings

Vice-President – assists President with decisions, coordination, and chairing

Secretary – maintains minutes of meetings and circulates copies as soon as  practical after meetings to members

Treasurer – communicates with the bookkeeper on a regular basis and reports on the status of funds; meets with the Finance Action Team as  needed, advise on financial matters.

Member at Large (Action Team Point of Contact Coordinator) – coordinates the  Membership Action Team and reports on the status of members, plots, and  the waitlist to members as often as needed (at general meetings)

Member at Large (Action Team/Point of Contact Coordinator) – communicates with action teams, receives reports on activity, coordinates members of teams

Members at Large – advise on various aspects of the garden as they arise.

- coordinate specific committees as needed.

9. Action Teams/Points of Contact (to coordinate and direct others in the  work):

Report from Board on recommended new approach to Action Teams/Committees – Kate

Discussion and vote?  Maintenance, Finance, Membership, Spring Fling, Children’s Interests, Compost, Meal Program Plots, Plot Inspections, Permaculture, Special Projects (Herb Spirals, Artwork, Public Events, Workshops, etc.), Outreach

10. Breakout groups – New Points of Contact and Action Teams meet to exchange contact information and set meeting times.  (15 minutes)

11. Draw for book: Andrea Bellamy – author  of Sugar Snaps and
Strawberries: Simple Solutions for Creating Your Own Small-
Space  Edible Garden- will introduce and do the draw.

13. Adjournment

14. After the meeting:  Socialize and following items –

1. Pay member and plot fees for 2011

2. Requests for plot reassignment must be made in writing & given to Membership Coordinator

We hope to see you all at Saturday’s AGM! New members welcome!

Reaping the Harvest – A Community Garden Study

Assessing Social Movement Learning On Both Sides of the Community Garden Gate

WHO:  You are invited to participate in a research project.

PURPOSE:  The purpose of the research is to explore the ways social movement learning might occur inside and outside of the community garden.

TIME:  This study will require approximately a two-three hour commitment, including the answering of a questionnaire and participation in an interview.  You also will be asked to choose an associate, someone in your life, spouse, co-worker, or parent for example, who is not a community gardener and who would agree to fill out a background questionnaire and engage in a one to two hour interview.   The importance of the involvement of your associate is to look at the possible ways social movement learning may extend between individuals in society.

WHERE:  All interviews will be held at the community garden or at a public venue close to the garden agreed upon by you and the researcher.

WHEN:  This research will be conducted throughout October 2010.

If you are interested in participating, please email me back at your earliest convenience at joycraddock@gmail.com.    Indicate how long you have been involved in the community garden and the number of hours per week you are involved in the garden on average.  Upon receiving your expression of interest, I will arrange to send you and your associate the official invitation to participate and consent form.  After receipt of the consent form from both parties, a background questionnaire will be sent to you both.  Once completed and turned in, interview times will be scheduled.

Thank you for considering being a participant in this study.

Joy Craddock (joycraddock@gmail.com)
Masters of Adult Education student
St. Francis Xavier University,
Antigonish, Nova Scotia

40 New Raised Plots – Let’s Celebrate!!

Hello Gardeners!

Everyone is invited to come to the garden on Saturday, August 14th, from 9-11 am for pancakes to celebrate the completion of the 40 raised beds in Cedar Cottage Garden Triangle!  Invite friends and family.   Bring a plate and fork.   Bring fruit, juice, or other goodies, if you wish.   Let me know if you can bring a camp stove and also if you can help cook.

There will also be a work party this Wednesday to finish filling the plots with soil!

Here are a few pictures from the work parties to develop the triangle plots…

A big thanks to all of the gardeners who have worked hard to make this happen!!

Spring Fling Photos!

We had our 2nd Annual Spring Fling in May.  It was a lot of fun.  We wanted to share pictures with all of you who got to come.  Thanks to all of the volunteers for your hard work!!

Potluck and Piano Concert with Nir Blu

Hello Gardeners,

We will have a potluck on Sunday, July 11th at 5 pm, followed by a piano concert from Nir Blu at 6 pm.  Everyone is welcome!  Bring your friends!   You might want to bring a chair, if you have one.

Here is a you tube link to music…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs3YGISu530&feature=related

Upcoming Work Parties

CEDAR COTTAGE GARDEN WORK PARTIES

JULY 1^ST , THURS. 10-11:30 AM AND 6:30-7:30 PM

PLOT PREPARATION & FILLING AND LIVING FENCE  PREPARATON

JULY 3^RD, SAT. 11AM – 2 PM - PLOT CONSTRUCTION AND FILLING

EVERYONE’S HELP IS NEEDED.

PEOPLE HELPING TO CONSTRUCT AND FILL PLOTS WILL BE ASSIGNED PLOTS FIRST.