Mitchell Park West Neighbors

Community garden planning

Recollections of meeting: (Saturday February 28, 2009

Recollections of this morning’s meeting: (Saturday February 28, 2009; Community Garden at Mitchell Park Exploratory Committee for Grant Application)

The meeting started about 9:15 AM. Mark Lymer moderated, as initiator of the idea and proponent of the Community Garden Grant.

Those appearing comprised a good mix of both old and new MPNA area residents, as well as two residents of MPNE. Attending: Suzanne Ecker, Jackie Jaap, Jon Spinner, Steve Martin, Pat Konomos, Paul Ewry, Mark Lymer, Kathleen Tucker, Shelley DiGialomo, Jason DiGialomo, Ira Domsky, (and nonvoter Marie Tucker).

There was some dissension about the goal of the meeting, reflecting conflicting recollections of the discussions at the last general neighborhood meeting. However, three members stated remembering that the goal was to first establish interest in the garden project before final grant application, with a lack of interest by sufficient neighbors to be considered a mandate to submit another application for neighborhood trees (backup plan).
One member did not remember this, and concluded we were to only consider the garden plan. We did not vote on this, as we had not yet determined a committee.

At Mark’s suggestion, each adult present suggested goals and boundaries for the proposed project. This is what I recall of the ideas offered: *

*Use the garden for informal teaching of children (especially) about how we can grow our own food.
* Provide peer learning for beginning gardeners, through interaction with the skilled gardeners in our neighborhood.
*Provide both individual and communal plots, with possible charitable effect via sharing with the disabled, homebound, etc. ; or financial yield through participation in a Farmer’s Market on site or nearby.
*Budgeting the equipment and other necessary expenses (to be done via Garden Committee).
*Including flowering plants both to attract bees, moths, etc, and for the aesthetic effect.
*Utilizing the space between the two cement plats on the North side of the Park. Mark provided a written map for this plan. \
*Placing the garden area at the Northwest side of the park, both to provide shade and to retain the sightlines between the old school buildings (Childsplay) and the park.
*Making sure the sun/shade areas are used for appropriate plantings.
*Having the garden “spade ready” with grant money, for first year; with to-be-determined fees thereafter.
*Researching neighborhood interest and other community gardens asap so the committee can determine the next step and what to submit to the neighborhood association by next general meeting. *(Anything I have forgotten, please add to this list.)

We then determined committee membership and co-chairmanship via volunteering. Co-chairmen Jackie Jaap of MPENA and Pat Konomos of MPWNA.
Other committee members: Scott Seibel, Jon Spinner, Steve Martin, Paul Ewry, Mark Lymer, Kathleen Tucker, Jason DiGiolomo. Absent neighbor Donna La Guardin wrote of her interest and is a potential committee member. First meeting will be Saturday, March 7, 10 A.M., At Pat’s home, 719 W 11th Street. Potential for immediately leaving for viewing of nearby community gardens. We will research this and contact via email all committee members. If you wish to contribute info re this, please email Pat at pat7700@earthlink.net (you may be put in my spam folder, but I will keep checking it), or contribute to this neighborhood links site.
Thanks, Pat




Please add in other items which were brought up if I have not included them above.