March+Minutes+2011

Minutes from March 12, 2011 Meeting
1. Garden Helpers have planted spinach and moved strawberries to a new bed. 2. We have ordered our new compost kit to try the new system in a small way before we implement it school-wide 3. Students continue to attend Garden Helpers in large numbers. They are using gardening journals for the first time to increase their ability to observe and record what they observe in the garden. 4. Sean will provide a chef and tasting experiences for students -- we just need to stay in touch as we get closer to that date. 5. We duscussed using a sale similar to our mum sale to provide"carrot dollars" to help maintain the garden over summer. Also discussed educational opportunities for parents who mibght be willing to help maintain the garden over summer. 7. The butterfly garden wall will be completed in the next couple of weeks. The soil remaining will be distributed over the garden area and we will move strawberries into that garden to become ground cover. 8. THANKS for Alex Cauthen our Eagle Scout who with his crew placed the new beds and is building the retaining wall around the butterfly garden 9. Thanks to Good Food and Martha Stamps for providing the additional "Carrot Dollars" to supply the soil for our new beds and for seeds and nursery stock. 10. Thanks to our Daisy Scout troop who have been here on two recent Saturdays to remove leaf/pinestraw and clean up and plant around our sign!! They are getting a jump start on loving to be outside and garden! 11. Sean is investigating a farm inside Davidson County for the kids to visit. 12. Karen reported on the meeting of the newly formed Nashville School Garden Network....click on the link above to read the minutes. FEEL FREE TO ADD TO OR EDIT THESE MINUTES. 13. Check out how Denver's schools have worked with their cafeterias in providing food from the school gardens. =Action Steps = > April 16th Composting > May 7th Indoor Lighting > May 21st Organic Gardening > June 11th Climate Control > June 25 Hydroponics > July 9th Vermicomposting
 * C﻿ ontact Dimple Simpson with J.T. Moore to learn how she helped them start Fresh Friday's,
 * The Farm Trip,
 * Moving strawberries to the butterfly garden, adding more plants and mulching.
 * Possible garden fundraiser - [] through this 50% eco-friendly fundraiser --- we will be talking with the PTO to see if they will be sponsor -- as they did for the Mums and we could take in trade from Good Food.
 * Possible Grant opportunity []
 * Ms. Obriant will be present at Garden Helper times on Thursday at 12:00 noon and Friday at 2:00p.m. to help with kids.
 * Sean will come to Garden helpers the week after Spring Break -- to see what is happening. He is thinking of a way to get a person to manage this for us and run an afterschool club for the garden. The position might be shared among the other school gardens in our area.
 * [|Contact Cumberland Compact]about possible Earth Day---celebration and maybe doing some things that would prevent the kind of erosion the ruined our foundation in the flood!
 * Worms Ways [] has classes available as well as organic seed -- dates are March 26th Insect Control
 * Classes are also offered by []
 * Interest in getting fruit trees for our school? []