26 May, 2022
www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org
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In this Issue:
- Summary from All Gardeners Meeting
- Getting Social at the Brewtorium May 31t
- Detailing New Dumpster Rules
- Austin Organic Gardeners June Event
- Deadline for Completing Sunshine Volunteer Hours
- Service Hours Task List from Steve Camp
A Summary from the All Gardeners Meeting, May 21, 2022
Kerry Drake, SCG Secretary
Donation to ABCTX
We began the meeting with a presentation of a donation to ABCTX. SCG is able to provide this donation thanks to the success of the spring Plant Sale. ABCTX representative Beth Pierce joined the meeting to accept the $3000.00 donation, and she highlighted the fact that donations provide additional funds for the education and development of Texas children who are blind or visually impaired. For example, since the beginning of 2022, ABCTX has funded 14 projects including summer enrichment programs for students in Brownsville, El Paso, Fort Worth and Dallas.You can find out more about this organization or easily donate through their website.
Gate and fence replacement
TSBVI Director of Operations, Brian McDonald, provided gardeners with information about the perimeter fence replacement and the eventual new gate. The new fence is 8 ft., and it is hoped to aid in security measures. The new gate will automatically open and shut for daylight garden working hours, and cars inside the garden will be able to exit if the gate is closed, thanks to a sensor system. A finite number of badges will be checked out to the board for use for special circumstances for the rare times people need to access the garden when the gate is closed.
Thanks to volunteers
Many of our fine volunteers were thanked at this meeting for their tireless, hardworking service. These folks included board members, particularly exiting board members Marsha Riti and Karl Arcuri, who are not seeking reelection. Carol Limaye, our new Assistant Treasurer, was thanked for her time in creating a booklet of financial policies and for her many volunteer hours as assistant treasurer. Plant Sale Coordinators Janet Adams and Randy Thompson were thanked for the many hours they spent planning and pulling off a plant sale that went above and beyond expectations. Thanks went out to Zone Coordinators who are a key point of reference for gardeners, for the Micah 6 volunteers, particularly Walter Kuhl and Dana Kuykendall and Mary Gifford. Maria Beach and Kristin Phillips were thanked for their time in putting out the Weekly Weeder; Bob Easter was thanked for his time in keeping garden tools in great shape; Matt was thanked for keeping the front garden looking so beautiful. In addition, thanks went out to Steve Shultz for his plumbing expertise and Robert Jarry and Stan Lundgren for their work with repairs.
President's report
In the President's Report, Jim highlighted our year as beginning to get back to normal. Micah 6 donations, Central Texas Food Bank donations, and plant donations to public schools are some of the ways Sunshine has provided to the community. Jim highlighted the plans underway for the Children's Gardens that are currently being built, and special thanks to Alex Lukasiewicz and Debra Mariano for taking charge of applying for a grant to fund this special project.
New dumpster rules
Items that were up for discussion included a change to our dumpster situation. No plant material should be placed in the dumpster henceforth: only trash. This is an effort to decrease the very costly price of the dumpster ($520/month). All plant material generated at SCG will now be placed in the pile labeled "Plant Waste" that will be found in the compost area. Plant waste additions will not require any cutting or sorting of plant material. Another discussion item was about whether we should begin allowing timers for soaker hoses. Gardeners weighed in with differing opinions on this, as they did on whether or not vines should be allowed to grow on the new fence line. See additional information below
Fall plant sale and removing invasives
There was brief discussion about arranging a fall plant sale for Sunshine gardeners, and a reiteration to get after khaki weed (see image above). Pull it up as you can! As an incentive, pulling up khaki weed counts as your TSBVI hour until further notice.
Request for financial assistance
A call went out for any gardeners with a financial background. We are looking for volunteers for the Audit Committee. The treasurer can not be on this committee, so please email Jim Willmann (jhwillmann@gmail.com) if you have an interest in serving.
Updates from treasurer and plot coordinator
The treasurer's report highlighted the fantastic plant sale and that it exceeded our goals, and financially, the garden is doing well. The Plot Report noted that our waitlist has gone down. There are now 178 people waiting for a plot. Quarter plots remain most requested.
Voting
Ila Falvey presented the slate of canditates: Kerry Drake for Secretary, and four candidates for the three director's positions: Juan Pedro, Mike Reed, Iris Slevins, and Kay McMurry. Online voting will continue for 5 days for those who did not vote by paper ballot.
Finally, nominations for next year's Nominations Committee were requested, and the following people were nominated and elected by acclamation: Polly Porter, Steve Uecker, Shannon Cunningham, Matthew Johnston, and Marsha Riti.
Thank you, gardeners, for coming out to the All Gardeners Meeting!
Getting Social: Beer & Conversation
Sunshine is having a happy hour at the Brewtorium! Please come out and socialize with your fellow gardeners. There is an outdoor area on the east side of the building where we will gather.
When: May 30th starting at 4:30pm.
Where: 6015 Dillard Cir A, Austin, TX 78752
Detailing New Dumpster Rules
To try to reduce the increasing cost of the dumpster (currently $530/mo. or $6000+/yr.), the Board is changing how plant material is disposed of at Sunshine.
Effective immediately. plant material will be disposed of as follows:
| Dumpster | Plant waste pile in compost area |
|---|---|
| No Plant Material - None All plant material goes to compost area |
All Sunshine Plant Material No Outside Plant Material No Nonplant Material |
Sunshine plant material includes khaki weed, diseased plants, woody plants - i.e. any plant material. The plant material will not need to be cut up or separated. An area has been roped off in the compost area for the plant waste pile and signs put up by the dumpster and in the compost area. Sunshine will contract with a landscape supply company to periodically deliver a roll-off container (like those at construction sites). The container will be filled with the material from the plant waste pile and hauled off. The landscape company will use the plant material in its mulch/compost operations.
This will work, only if nonplant material (rocks, plastic, etc.) is not put in the plant waste pile.
The goal is to reduce the volume of trash going into the dumpster so Sunshine can move to a smaller dumpster, less frequent pickup schedule, or both. The composting of plant material generated at Sunshine will be discontinued. But the collecting and composting of kitchen/food waste will be continued. -- Jim Willmann
June 30 Deadline: Completing Spring Service Hours
Gardeners are reminded that spring service hours must be completed by June 30. For each of their plots, gardeners must work 1 TSBVI hour and 4-8 regular hours (Full Plot: 8; Half/Qtr. Plot: 4). Unworked hours will be billed as follows: TSBVI $50; first two regular hours $30 each; subsequent regular hours $10 each. Bills for unworked hours will be sent out in July.
Hours for new gardeners who have joined since January 1, 2022, are prorated. New gardeners do not have the option of paying for unworked hours and must work their prorated service hours.
For all gardeners, hours must be completed by June 30 and recorded in the virtual Green Binder by July 7. The board has added the removal of khaki weed to the tasks qualifying for TSBVI credit. -- Jim Willmann
Garden Tasks - By Steve Camp
New Gardeners
There are several new gardeners at SCG! Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself and y'all get to know each other a little and share garden knowledge and tips. Let's emphasize the Community in Community Garden.
Additionally, please read handbook and site rules. Any hardware (hoses, sprayers, nozzles, splitters etc.) attached to garden faucets and maintenance of said items are the responsibility of individual gardeners, not garden staff.
Roads and Parking
Speed limit is 3 MPH. (Primarily for safety, but also to keep the dust down.)
Sunshine's roads provide access to plots and common areas.
Gardeners should not
- park on roads except to unload a heavy load from vehicle,
- drive on roads when wet,
- drive around barriers,
- drive into another gardener's plot, or
- put plants or other items in the road.
Cars may not be left idling while at the garden.
Park only in the front parking area or your common area. On weekends there are parking spaces on Sunshine and 49th Street.
Handbook and Site rules specifically state that Parking on garden roads is strictly prohibited. Park in the parking lot or common areas only. When the emergency vehicle enters SCG, they may (I hope not) be coming to assist You. How inconvenient it would be for them to have to wait for folks to move cars.
Priority Tasks
Khaki Weed Season is Upon Us! For the uninitiated, Khaki weed is an invasive plant that infects the garden in late spring, summer, and fall. We are determined every year to eradicate it as much as possible. To this end, we are allowing digging up khaki weed to be counted as TSVBI hours until further notice.
Maintaining common paths and common areas. If you have plants extending into common paths, trim them. The common paths are designed to allow the biggest wheelbarrows that we own to traverse them unimpeded.
TSVBI
Weeding paths in TSBVI garden and wood chip areas on west side. (This is normally needed. Try to get out roots. Be sure to smooth out paths after weeding to facilitate TSBVI students moving around garden).
Mowing between fence and street along 49th St. and Sunshine Dr. along and 10' inside fence.
Picking up trash in compost area and along fencelines.
Cleaning the street curb gutters of dirt and debris buildup. (At places in the curb gutter along Sunshine Dr. And 49th St. soil has built up and grass is beginning to grow.
Scrape off with shovel and put in wheelbarrow. If debris is gravel it can be put in low places in the parking lot, otherwise, destination is dumpster.
Note: TSVBI hours can also count as regular hours.
Regular:
Mowing, edging (Please check area around trailer and greenhouses). The mowing season is picking up (if it ever rains, it will pick up exponentially.) It's way easier to keep it mowed than try to catch up when it gets overgrown.
Maintaining common paths. (Gardeners are required to maintain a 2' strip of common paths adjacent to their plot.)
Mowing and cleaning up overgrown/messy places in common areas.
Your Zone Coordinator may have more tasks than are listed here. Contact them if you feel that you have run out of things to do.
Slow Down (3 MPH!) You're on Garden Time! Enjoy!
Weeder Content
Temporary Weeder Editors
Kerry Drake and Kristin Phillips will serve as temporary editors of the Weeder for several issues. Gardeners wanting something published in the Weeder or having a question about the Weeder should contact Kerry (kerry@sunshinecommunitygardens.org) or Kristin (phillips.102@gmail.com) by the end of Wednesday preceding publication.