3/17/12 Meeting Recap

We had another lively discussion about the garden development at Saturday's meeting, and enjoyed the participation of 3 new people in our group, including nearby neighbors and a Yates County Cooperative Extension staff member.

Here are some of the highlights:

• After discussing the preliminary site plan with our nearest neighbor, we have decided to locate the garden 85 ft. away from the southern boundary of the property. This will give our neighbor more privacy and reduce the impact of noise and other disturbances.  

Adjustment made to garden location

• There was discussion about the pros and cons of fencing the garden. Those against the fencing felt that fencing a large area would be too expensive, would not keep out deer who can jump very high, and would foster a feeling that we are doing battle against “nuisance animals” rather than working in partnership with nature. It was suggested that members who wanted fence protection could fence their individual plots, and that we should leave the rest of the garden open. Those who were in favor of fencing the perimeter of the garden felt that installing fence around individual plots would make access for weeding and maintenance difficult, and would be visually unattractive unless we could get everyone to use the same type and style of fencing. There was also a feeling that a fence around the perimeter would define the area of the garden, and keep the cultivation together in one place. The group voted and agreed on a 4 ft. high perimeter fence of cattle panels and chicken wire, for a cost of $1800 for 1 acre. This type of fence will be cost effective, easy to install ourselves, and will be easy to reconfigure or change as the garden expands. The cattle panels themselves can also be repurposed for trellises and other uses.

Cattle Panel fence

• The group discussed what to do about providing water to the garden. The advice from Public Works about hooking up to the city water was discussed. Some of our members felt that providing on-site water would be unnecessary, and that we could depend on rain to water the garden, and that each member could haul in their own water supply as needed. Others felt that providing no on-site water would exclude people who had no vehicle to haul water, or would exclude older gardeners and physically disabled people who would not be strong enough to haul water. It was felt that some on-site water would be needed. Hooking the garden to the city water was felt to be too expensive for our budget, so the group agreed to purchase a 500 gallon stock tank and haul in our own water supply to fill it. A couple of our members have trucks, and can haul water purchased at the water treatment facility on West Lake Rd. Other sources of water to fill the tank will also be explored.

• A new 500 gallon stock tank can be purchased for $500-600.

• Master Gardener Kathleen Badger would like to install a perennial rain garden along the lowest point of the property, which will help to soak up any irrigation run-off, protect the drainage ditch from contamination, and provide habitat for butterflies and bees. The rain garden design includes bellflower, black eyed susan, blazing star, buttonbush, culver's root, joe pye, little bluestem, ninebark, red osier dogwood, switchgrass, and sycamore and black alder trees. All plantings will be deep rooted water loving species which will tolerate both drought and wet conditions. A 100 ft. by 8 ft. perennial rain garden could be installed at a cost of $412.08. We can spend the next few months preparing the ground for the plantings, while we raise money for the materials.

Rain Garden Plan

• A cost estimate for the gravel parking area has been provided by Mike Morehouse of Mike's Construction. An excavation of 8-12 inches of topsoil will be needed, which will provide soil to fill our raised beds. 25-30 loads of gravel will be needed to create a gravel base, at a cost of $3,700. Mike is willing to donate his time and labor to do the work, at a value of $1,000. If we want to add a layer of smaller rocks, called a crusher run, this will be an additional cost of $1,200. Total cost of the parking area and entrance comes to $5,900, with our out of pocket expenses at $4,900.

• A bank account has been established for the community garden at Five Star Bank, and a private donation of $1,000 has been deposited. Large purchases over $500 will require approval from the board of directors at Milly's Pantry, who is acting as our sponsor and has financial oversight for the project.

• Our next meeting will be focused on developing a more detailed site plan, and program ideas.

The next meeting will be April 7th at 2:00 pm, Cafe Next Door on Main St. Penn Yan. All are welcome to attend.