Our First Work Day Was A HUGE Success! Thank you!

Hello!

On behalf of the Community Garden Collective's Board, I would like to express our sincerely appreciation for all the effort and hard work put forth by all the volunteers who attend our first SP Community Garden Work Day.  Because of your hard work and volunteerism the gardens are taking shape and becoming a reality- seeing is believing!

I was at the site today and I am still amazed at how much work was accomplished between 9 - 2 PM.  We are fortunate to have such a dedicated, hard-working group of volunteers.

Future activities will include gathering to spread woodchips on top of the cardboard - a task to be accomplished before the 10/1 workshop.  Gathering seaweed for the beds will also be another work event. An email will be going out this week with more information. Please stay tuned for these days and those willing to loan or use their trucks - your help will be very beneficial. 

Please remember to collect a stack of newspapers for the plots. Each plot will need 6 pounds of newspapers. You can bring them to any of the events or drop some off at Crystal's house, 17 Highland Ave., in the breezeway. You can call if you need more information: 671-6393.

We will be sending out additional reminders on what materials you can be collecting to help make the 10/1 another great successful work day.   More information will be sent out regarding the FREE lecture and hands-on workshop as we prepare the soil for our beds using a no-dig/lasagna layering of materials to super charge our soil with healthy nutrients and compost.

Again, many thanks for a tremendous Volunteer Work Day on Saturday, let's keep growing our community!

Patti

Patti Smith, President

Community Garden Collective

Work Day, September 10th - Help Build the Garden!

Volunteers - COME ON DOWN!

WHAT: Work Day - for the new Community Garden at Hamlin School

DATE: September 10th (RAIN DATE SEPTEMBER 11th)

TIME: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

LOCATION: Hamlin Elementary School, 496 Ocean Street - the intersection of Sawyer Street and Ocean Ave. (Rt. 77).

PLEASE RSVP TO: communitygardencollective@gmail.com.

It's time to build the raised beds for the garden and make the pathways with a permaculture method!

There are two goals for the day:

1.) BUILD THE RAISED BEDS:

Please bring work gloves, work clothing suitable for woodworking, durable footwear, a water bottle and snacks. If you have a cordless drill with a spare battery please let us know so we are sure to have enough tools to build with.

2.) LAY THE PATHWAYS FOR THE GARDEN:

Using permaculture methods we will be preparing the pathways for the garden using cardboard. This job will require utility knives / box cutters to lay the cardboard throughout the pathways, overlapping it to prevent grass growth. This is a less strenuous job but will need many hands. Please let us know if you can bring utility knives of your own.

PLEASE RSVP to  communitygardencollective@gmail.com so we can prepare for food at lunchtime for volunteers.

We will need many people to come to the build. Bring a friend!

If you have any questions please contact the CGC Board members at communitygardencollective@gmail.com.

Upcoming Events and News

Hello Everyone!

It's been a busy summer since we had our open house in the spring, and lots of things have happened. We are in the midst of grant writing, fundraising, spreading the word about CGC and getting ready to build the first garden at Hamlin School this fall!

The Community Garden Collective will be at the Art In the Park event this Saturday August 13th. We will be under a tent at a table near the  "Officials" so please drop by! We will have a supply of Clynk bags for you to take home, fill with your returnable cans and bottles and take to Hannaford. The barcode on the bag will give CGC credit for your returnables, a great way for us to continually raise funds!

Art In the Park

Date: Saturday, August 13

Location: Mill Creek Park

Time: 9 am to 4 pm

Community Garden Collective will be under the tent near the "Officials"

Take some Clynk bags home and choose a seedling plant to take home as a thank you for your support!

Bring your friends and help us spread the word about community gardens. We will need lots of help in Sept/Oct as we “Raise the beds and prepare the soil”. 

CLYNK Bags - Ongoing Fundraiser

If you would like some bags NOW I can drop them off at your house. Just email me at this address with how many you would like and your address and I will arrange for you to get a few. You can also pick them up at my house at 17 Highland Ave. Just let me know how many you need and I will leave them in my breezeway with your name on them. Email communitygardencollective@gmail.com to let us know when you need more! You can also call me at 671-6393 and let me know.

Bayside Bowling Fundraiser

On Monday, August 1 we had our fundraiser at Bayside Bowling in Portland. The event had light attendance, but the lanes were busy with league members. We will know by next week how much money will be donated to CGC by Bayside Bowling. When you want to spend a night out doing something fun support the businesses who support CGC, Bayside Bowling is a lot of fun and they have great food! Thanks to those who attended!

Garden Building and More!

We will need help this fall building the garden beds and preparing the garden! Please keep updated through Facebook and our emails for  opportunities to help! We have a very motivated group of supporters and we look forward to working with you even more!

Please contact the group with any questions at this email. If you want to reach a specific board member please indicate their name in the email and it will be forwarded to them. 

Thank you!

Crystal

Plant Sale to Benefit the CGC!

WHAT: Plant Sale / Small Yard Sale - a few gardening items
(There are perennials only - no veggies or annuals, sorry!)

WHEN: Saturday, May 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: 17 Highland Ave, Crystal Goodrich's house.

FOR: Community Garden Collective Fundraiser!

RAIN OR SHINE!

Please park at Cottage Road Service Station on the corner of Highland and Cottage Rd. and walk over! The sale is in the white ranch with the garage behind the service station.

See you there!

Hamlin Garden Fundraiser at Hannaford Mill Creek - Month of May

Please forward this to your friends - so we can get the most donations possible! Thank you!

 

Community Garden Collective is having a fund raiser to support the Hamlin School Garden!

For the month of May at Hannaford in Mill Creek you can donate your returnable cans to our efforts to build the Hamlin Garden!

Please go to Hannaford - Mill Creek and print our your Clynk / can returnable slips and donate the slips to the Community Garden Collective!

Right after the cash registers there is a small kiosk and you can can drop cash donations into it as well as Clynk slips. 

The CGC will receive 100% of the donations in the kiosk for the entire month of May!

This is our first fundraiser and we hope to get the ball rolling with some money to get materials purchased so we can begin building later this summer and fall. 

Also think about where you can get more can donations - from work, family and friends? Get those cans to Clynk and we can get the proceeds!

If you don't have a Clynk account - cans can be dropped off at my house,

17 Highland Ave., South Portland (the corner of Highland and Cottage Road)

. I am two doors down from the Main Library parking lot, and directly behind the old Cottage Road Service Station. You can call for directions: 671-6393.

Cans can be left in my yard or in the breezeway anytime.

Please make sure you get down to Clynk and donate your slips and have your friends do the same! Every bit helps!

Please pass the information on to others, we need all the support we can get!

Lease for community garden at Hamlin School APPROVED by City Council!

Tonight the South Portland City Council approved the terms of the lease for the Hamlin School property so the Communuity Garden Collective can move forward with the plans to build a 39 plot community garden! The garden is expected to be ready for planting in spring of 2012.

E-mail us if you would like to be put on a waiting list for a plot!

communitygardencollective@gmail.com

Keep updated on our progress and our volunteer opportunities by joining our FACEBOOK GROUP!

Council to Vote on Granting Lease of Hamlin School Property to CGC on Wed. 4/20

The CGC has presented their plan to the City Council and has had two successful workshops with the City Councilors. This Wednesday, April 20^th, the councilors will vote on allowing the City to sign a lease with CGC. This vote will allow us to move forward and begin construction of the community garden, which will be accessible and available to any South Portland resident. 

The meeting will be at City Hall, on the second floor, Council Chambers. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm, but the lease for the garden is the last item on a long agenda. CGC is asking for you to attend the first half of the meeting and make comments if you would like to at the first public comment session. If you cannot make the meeting at the end of this post there is a list of City Council e-mail addresses and you can e-mail the council to let them know about your support.

E-mails to councilors need to be sent by Tuesday (4/19) afternoon so the councilors have a chance to read them before the vote Wednesday night.

Your support will be helpful in moving this community project forward.

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE GARDEN

The garden is less than 20% of the entire open space at the former Hamlin School allowing for many other uses of the land.

As a non-profit group the CGC will be investing approximately $24,000 in this community garden. These funds will be raised through donations, fundraising and grants applied for by the CGC.

Due to the significant monetary investment, the CGC is seeking appropriate and fair exit/early termination language. 

Below is the exit/early termination language that is being put forth for consideration and hopefully, adoption:

  

The City would need to give CGC notice by December 31st of the calendar year.

The City would make best efforts to find an alternative, suitable community garden site(s).

The City would assist in the physical relocation of raised beds, shed, and bins.

If the City gives notice of termination on or before 12/31/11, CGC would get back 75% of the cost of actual improvements* to the property

If the City gives notice of termination on or before 12/31/12, CGC would get back 50% of the cost of actual improvements to the property, not to exceed $10,000.

If the City gives notice of termination on or before 12/31/13, CGC would get back 40% of the cost of actual improvements to the property, not to exceed $7,000.

If the City gives notice of termination on or before 12/31/14, CGC would get back 30% of the cost of actual improvements to the property, not to exceed $5,000.

If the City gives notice of termination on or before 12/31/15, CGC would get back 20% of the cost of actual improvements to the property, not to exceed $3,000.

*Improvements* to include, but not limited to, fencing, raised beds, shed, plumbing and irrigation, soil and compost). 

If you can't make the meeting Wednesday night please email the City Council members to let them know you support the approval of the lease so CGC can build a community garden at the old Hamlin School.

Also join us on Facebook: CGC on Facebook

Thank you,

Crystal Goodrich

CGC Secretary

E-mail your City Councilors and support the Community Garden Collective in obtaining a lease for a portion of the Hamilin School property to build a garden!

Rosemarie DeAngelis

rdeangelis@southportland.org

Tom Coward

Tcoward@southportland.org

Patti Smith

Psmith@southportland.org

Maxine Beecher

MBeecher@maine.rr.com

Jim Hughes

JHughes@hbisoftware.com

Alan Livingston

aliving1@maine.rr.com

Tom Blake

TEblake@aol.com