Update May 7, 2012

Faith & Food Garden Friends,

First Work Day

Our first work day started out pretty cold, but warmed up after the first 1.5 hours. Five women and five men were present to clean up in and around the garden areas and extend the height of the fence. Thanks go to Paul Gottschalk for leading us in this project and for picking up all the needed materials. Prior to our first work day, I had compost delivered and spread on the raised beds, so we would be ready for planting early crops. We had a great time working together on the fence and planting the collards, kale and peas.

Welcome New Gardeners

We want to welcome Pastor Ryan's family, the Stephenson family and Ken Elgersma to the Faith & Food Garden mission. They will be helping to tend the garden this year. If anyone knows of others who are interested in helping this year and are not on our email list, please let me know.

Garden

I stopped by the garden this past Saturday to see how our early plantings were doing and all is well. The collards and kale are looking healthy and the peas have sprouted and will be ready in a couple weeks to coax onto their supports. God has given us plenty of rain, so the work has been easy for those tending.

Workers Needed

We have many weeks open for your participation and care of the garden that I'll list below. If you are able to help tend the garden this year (and we hope you are) please look over the list, check your personal calendar and sign up. You can sign-up on the form in the Fellowship Hall or you can let me know via email, whichever is easier for you. I will then transfer the information to our Garden Calendar on the church website. You may sign up for one or more weeks. Last year, some people partnered up with others to tend the garden together. (For those who are new, the weekly tasks include weeding, watering, pest control, coaxing the peas upwards on their supports and, in the fall, harvesting and delivery to Food Gatherers. Contact Barb or Cathy if you have any questions and we'll do our best to answer.)

Dates Needing Gardeners

• May 7 - 12
• May 14 - 19
• June 4 - 9
• July 2 - 7
• July 9 - 14
• July 16 - 21
• July 23 - 28
• July 30 - Aug 4
• Aug 13 - 18
• Aug 20 - 25
• Aug 27 - Sept 1
• Sept 10 - 15
• Oct 1 - 6

Financial Support

If your participation in the Faith & Food Garden has been through financial support, we thank you. If you would like to contribute funds to the Faith & Food Garden this year, that can be done during church offering. Please be sure to write Faith & Food Garden on the memo line of your check and your donation will be put in the Garden account. We had an early contribution to the garden fund this year, which allowed the compost and fence project to proceed. We will be purchasing plants, flowers, pest control items, and fencing for tomato stands the last couple weeks of May, so financial support will be appreciated. Thank you.

Working with you to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Blessings,

Cathy