General Garden Meeting 6.12.21

 

East Phillips Community 17^th Ave. Garden

Gardener Meeting Minutes

June 12, 2021

 

Present: Lindsey Fenner, Stacy Stiles, Flo, Megan and Luke, Steve Sandberg, A, Ali, Brad Pass

1)     9:00 AM Call to Order

2)     Announcements

a.      July Steering Committee Meeting – Monday, July 5 at 7pm Via Zoom

          First Monday of the month at 7pm

b.     July Garden Meeting – Saturday, July 10 at 9:00 AM Via Zoom

          Second Saturday of the month at 9am

c.      Garden Fall Harvest Party: Saturday, October 16^th from 4:30 PM until the fire goes out.

3)     How to Pay the Plot & Key Fee and Submit the required Garden Use Agreement:

a.      Please make checks payable to “EPIC Garden”. Place Cash or Check in a sealed envelope with “EPIC Garden”, your name and plot # and the amount you are paying on the outside. Checks may be mailed to EPIC Garden, 2433 Bloomington Ave. S., Mpls., MN 55404. Do not mail cash. Drop envelopes into the mail slot on the Right (South) side of the EPIC office door at the same address.

b.     Garden Use Agreement Forms are located in an envelope on the EPIC Office door (2433 Bloomington) and in the Garden Work Groups Binder in the Garden Shed. Each gardener in each plot must read and sign the agreement and drop it in the mail slot at the EPIC garden or leave it in the Binder in the Garden Shed.

c.     Open plots for reassignment:

                                                                                       i.          32

                                                                                      ii.          6

4)       Finances:

2021 Budget
Paid by	EPIC	Gardeners
Property Tax		$384.12
Water		$300.00
Other	$450.00
TOTAL	$450.00	$684.12

                    Paid plots as of 6/8/21:      680.00

 

5)       Work days

○      send out when2meet for larger tasks

■      what is top priority? - saw down tree

■      Tools/Shed? Compost area? Fix kinked hose/switch out hose? Other?

■      Hose: Bike inner tube, hose clamp, plumber’s tube

■      Tree: Ben and Matt - coordinate with Ryan, may have truck as well

●      ryan.justak@gmail.com

○      ongoing work days for ongoing tasks

■      I.e. clearing paths

■      Ryan is happy to do upkeep

●      Evenings or weekends work best

●      Lindsey is best in the morning and every other weekend

●      Flo - morning

■      Come up with a list of regular things to be done

 

6)       Garden transition/organization discussion

Notes from May garden meeting:

●         Idea that Steering Committee has access to a shared Drive including use agreements, history, finances

i.Paper copies for people who don’t use computers as much

ii.Are people comfortable with sharing their information with Steering Committee members?

a.     Goal is that not just one person is taking on everything, Steering Committee shares tasks

                                                                   i.          Continuity is key

          Discussion from June Steering Committee Meeting:

●         Make a side by side list of Brad’s tasks, Steering Committee strengths and willingness to do tasks, as well as what volunteers can contribute

■      Nuts and bolts: what Brad has covered in the past, bookkeeping, administrative tasks

●      Examples: Plot map, list of gardeners

○      Bigger picture: How garden operates, how to address issues

■      Community organizing aspects of garden (figuring out bigger questions and participatory and democratic stuff), making it approachable, neighborly

●      Idea posed to hire community organizer for garden

■      Figure out process, replacing duties and tasks Brad does

■      Not having a process for decision making ex. Tool sharpening event

●      More focused committees - find a way to make these work and report back to the steering committee - more work being done outside of the meeting

●      Include a winter working group

■      Look at standing processes, standing bylaws etc.

■      EQUITABLE ENGAGEMENT

■      Make policy that items to fix garden items - anything under $50 or $100. Otherwise approval process. Budget.

          Discussion from today’s meeting:

●      Start having garden meetings outside in the garden

○      Take precautions necessary for them

○      Lindsey will look at the current COVID guidelines - update garden rules based on that

○      Have a sign in sheet at the meeting so if someone becomes symptomatic people can be contacted

○      Have a way for someone who is symptomatic or quarantined to participate

●      Community member thinks we stay with Zoom meeting unless we have identified that Zoom meetings are the reason that people aren’t attending the meeting

●       

7)       Communication and Garden Camaraderie

○      See who consents to having their contact information shared?

■      Allows for better communication

■      Put in agreement going forward (with option to opt out)

○      In person gatherings!

■      Fall harvest party

●      People interested in helping to plan? Form a planning group?

●      In the past they have closed down the street

●      In the past it has been a potluck, s’mores, musicians, pumpkin carving contest

■      Interim gatherings - interest?

8) Syringe disposal

●      Could at least be an educational tool

●      2 gardeners in favor of syringe disposal

●      More trash bins? Plus a recycling bin if possible

●      If we can get trash pick up - would need to pay

●      2 motions - needle box, trash pick up service

Pay for the City to empty the litter container for you by adding a monthly fee to your utility bill (all costs are before taxes and fees):

The City will empty the litter container once a week for $12 a month.

The City will empty the litter container twice a week for $24 a month.

The City will empty the litter container three times a week for $36 a month.

 

Wagners - Penn and 60th - annual flowers - put in email

          -which ones are better for shade, which for full sun

          -first come first serve - grab them because of heat