[Grovenet] Community Garden Update

[Walt Wentz]

Hello, all!
Ellen Hastay and Holly Tsur are winding up the important task of  
writing a grant application to the city's Enhancement Fund.  It will  
be submitted this week.
Holly has requested and will apparently get a donation of six raised- 
bed garden boxes from NaturalYards Raised Beds, and is now seeking  
donations of garden soil to fill them. They will be placed near the  
entrance to the garden. This will allow elderly, disabled or  
wheelchair-bound gardeners to work with greater ease.
Meanwhile, the season is advancing rapidly, and there is still a LOT  
to do. Our first and main concern is to obtain City approval to work  
on the garden site. Last week I completed and sent to the city a more  
detailed proposal and plans, which will hopefully give us some  
traction. The next City Council meeting is tomorrow, March 30, at 7  
p.m. at the City Auditorium. Please turn out  if you can to provide  
some support for our presentation, which will be a short, 3-minute  
"citizen input."
Stephanie's "Backyard Poultry" initiative will be presented at this  
meeting, so many of you may also be interested in that.
Once official permission to begin work is obtained from the city, we  
will have to go into high gear.
The tasks will be about as follows:

March 30- April 15:
Alert Washington County Sheriff's Department to cultivate the main  
garden plots as soon as weather and resources permit.
Contact Forest Grove Parks and Recreation Department for help in  
laying out and excavating post-holes for fence and trench for the  
water main.
Obtain materials for rebuilding the water main, either by purchase or  
donation. Assemble and bury the water main.
Split up retired power poles to make fence posts, install in holes  
and hang wire and fence webbing, ether purchased or donated.
(All the above can be done by Shawn, myself, and any other help  
available)

April 16 - May 1:
Finalize liability insurance. (Walt)
Create posters and handouts advertising the garden, have them  
printed. Ruralite Services Inc. will provide low-cost Xeroxing for  
the latter. (Walt)
Print plot-rental applications, numbering them with plot numbers, and  
draw a schematic plot map to keep track of rentors. (Walt, anyone else?)
Canvass the immediate neighborhood with garden leaflets, meanwhile  
attempting to recruit a local caretaker/watchman. (As many of us as  
possible)
Begin renting plots, hopefully through city clerks. (city or us)
Create signage for the garden. (Anyone artistic? Miracle Signs may  
donate some materials)
Measure, locate and mark the individual plots with stakes and string.  
(Walt and anyone else available)
Finalize porta-potty rental. (Walt)
Assemble, install and fill donated raised beds. (Holly and anyone  
else available, some heavy shoveling required)
Install drip irrigation, if available; otherwise, prepare for  
existing sprinkler irrigation. (Greg, Walt, anyone else)
Collect and paint donated hand tools. (Walt, anyone else available)
Install signage around garden. (Anyone available)
Hold well-publicized grand opening. (Everyone!)

To keep things moving as quickly as possible, we should continue our  
weekly progress meetings. The next one will be Thursday, April 2 at 7  
p,m. at my place, 1817 17th Avenue. Of course,individual volunteers  
can get in contact with me at any time to carry through individual jobs.
Let's get growing!
Walt