No-Dig Garden Bed Workshop / Permaculture Methods Sat. October 1, 8:30 a.m.

What: No-Dig Garden Bed Lecture and Workshop: Permaculture Methods (a "no dig" and organic method to create garden soil). Lecture and demonstration by permaculture expert Lisa Fernandes.

Cost: FREE!When: Saturday, October 1, 2011 starting at
8:30 am.
Where: 496 Ocean Street, South Portland Planning and Development Department - the former Hamlin School

The lecture and demonstration will teach you how to create the loam for a garden using organic materials from your home and neighborhood. 

After the lecture we are planning to have some work ready to do for the garden (i.e. tasks may include possibly spread woodchips, put wet newspapers in the beds and shovel manure into the beds). If you are able to give some of your time after the event please bring gloves, a shovel and sturdy shoes. More workers the merrier!

To RSVP please contact the CGC at communitygardencollective@gmail.com or Crystal Goodrich at 671-6393.

Finish Building Beds for the Community Garden Tuesday Sept. 9/27, 9am to 4 pm

Hello Garden Volunteers!

We still have a few beds left to build and two handicapped accessible beds. Susan Chase and a volunteer will be working on the beds on Tuesday 9/27 of this week between 9 am and 4pm. If you can make it for one or two hours to help build we would appreciate it. Come If you need more information or if you plan on coming later in the day please call Susan at 615-7840 to make sure the builders still need your help. Thank you! Crystal Goodrich, CGC Secretary

Workers needed for Tuesday 9/20 from 6-7:30!

Thank you to those who responded to our request for help - but we weren't able to get enough people to work on Sunday to help move the beds. Weekends seem to be tough, so let's try a weeknight! 


We have changed the work time to:

Tuesday Sept. 20  from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Hamlin School Garden, 496 Ocean Ave. 

If 5 or 6 people get one or two friends who can do some heavy work to come we will be good to go! We need to shift some of the beds to adjust the final location of the garden.


PLEASE RSVP!
communitygardencollective@gmail.com

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!