1st Work Day

Hello Fellow Faith & Food Volunteers!

This is just a reminder that our 1st Work Day is this Saturday, April 21st, from 9am to 1pm.

Paul Gottschalk is purchasing the materials and all will be on site to build a permanent 2' extension to the height of the fence.

We will also plant some cool weather crops.

If you have any of the following, please bring:

• Gloves
• Electric or cordless drills
• Hammer
• trowel

Thanks very much. Praying for good weather to do our work,

Cathy

April On Broadway

Faith and Food GardenCathy Green & Barb Okonkwo

Doesn’t this wonderful early spring weather just make you eager to get in the garden? (Hopefully it is still in the 60’s plus when you read this!)

Faith and food gardeners are looking forward to planting, too, but first the beds have to be prepared and some work on the fence needs to be done.

Just a refresher for those who are new to the church or wondering about that fenced-in plot of land as you enter the parking lot, AACRC has joined a community-wide iinistry that grows produce for distribution through Food Gatherers. Last year was the first year for the garden and we were able to donate over 250 pounds of produce for people in our community. This is a practical, hands on way for our congregation to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our neighbors: the poor, the needy, the unemployed, and those on the margins of society.

Working in the garden is a great way to have some fun and fellowship while helping others. We need people to plant and build and weed and water and harvest.

Our first workday is scheduled for April 21st from 9 am to 1 pm. We will be cleaning up the beds and planting some early crops. We will also be adding to the height of the fence to deer-proof the garden. On June 2nd we will be planting the summer crops. Any and all are most welcome to join us.
From the time we first plant until the harvesting is completed in the fall, we will need people to water and weed and harvest. You can sign up for a week or a few days at a time on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall or you can contact us.

F & F Garden 2012 #1‏

Greetings to ALL the past AACRC Faith & Food Gardener Volunteers!

Excitement, Enthusiasm and Energy are in the air as the weather warms, flowers bloom, birds sing and we contemplate another garden. To refresh your memory, our garden was one of 30 - growing produce for distribution through Food Gatherers. For our first year participating, we were able to donate over 250 pounds of produce to Food Gatherers for people in our community!

Last week I attended the Faith & Food Garden Kick-off held at Food Gatherers. It was great to meet other gardeners, to learn a few things and have the opportunity to ask a few questions. Some facts I think you will find interesting are bulleted below.

• 2009 - 2011 a total of 25,022 pounds of produce was donated - A VALUE OF $40,773
• 2009 - 1st year
• 15 congregations
• 3,435 lbs

• 2010 - 2nd year
• 25 congregations
• 9,296 lbs
• 270% increase from 2009

• 2011 - 3rd year
• 30 gardens
• 12,291 lbs
• 32% increase from 2010
• 358% increase from 2009

This year our opening Work Day is April 21st from 9am to 1pm.

• Preparing up the beds (new compost has already been applied)
• Planting some early crops - collards, kale, peas
• Laying out the hose
• Adding to the height of the fence to deer-proof the garden. Paul Gottschalk will organize and head up this fence-finishing project. Thank you, Paul.

2nd Work Day is June 2^nd

• Planting the summer crops - Roma tomatoes, squash, carrots & beans
• Planting the flower containers & marigolds

We want to thank Muriel Learned for being a very dedicated garden steward last year. This year, Muriel has decided to step down from being one of the garden organizers. She will continue to help in other ways, so don't be surprised if you see her out there tending our garden. If you are interested in taking Muriel's place, please contact Barb Okonkwo or Cathy Green for more information.

Finally, like last year, from the time we first plant until the harvesting is completed in the fall, we will need people to water, weed, harvest and deliver the produce to Food Gatherers. If you are willing and able, you will be able to sign up for a week or a few days at a time on the sheet posted on the bulletin board (up by this Sunday) in the fellowship hall, or you can contact Barb or Cathy for further information.

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

Cathy

Work Day Reminder

Friends,
This is just a reminder that or F & F Garden work day is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 15, 9 AM - done.  If it is raining, our rain date will be the following weekend, Saturday, Oct. 22, 9 AM - done.  If you have extra yard waste bags, would you please bring some?  The compost bin is full.  If we find we don't have enough bags, I'll run up and purchase some.

Thanks go to Christine for helping me work in the garden Thursday afternoon.  We gathered up the rest of the produce and cleared out some of the beds.  We will clear out the remaining beds, remove the pea supports and remove the upper portion of the fence on our work day. 

Also, over the last two weeks, I took 57 pounds of produce to Food Gatherers.

Please join us tomorrow, if you are able.
Cathy

End of season work day‏

Hello Volunteers,

We have almost completed our first successful Faith & Food Garden Season.  It has been quite a journey from start (fall of '09 discussions) to now (end of the 1st growing season).  The bulletin board pictures remind us of all the work and volunteers that lent a hand in creating the AACRC Faith and Food Garden.  As Jesus said, "For I was hungry and you fed me.....", this garden is just another way our church is actively involved in doing God's work.

We want to thank Katrina Brehob for tending the garden last week.  She took 6 pounds of carrots to Food Gatherers.  I will work the garden this week and Christine Kim has volunteered to help the week of October 10th. 

Our final end-of-season work day will be on Saturday, October 15, from 9AM - 12noon.  If you are available that morning and can lend a hand, your help would be appreciated.  We will remove any remaining plants, take down the pea supports and remove & roll up the added fence top.  We will need a few tools:

• electric drills
• strong screw drivers and pliers to remove the staples holding the netting down
• some strong individuals to assist with the fence top removal
• gloves (You may want to bring water for yourself, too.)

When the last work day is done, we will then take a couple months off and schedule a meeting, after the new year, to plan for the next growing season.  If you are interested in making changes, having some input, or being more involved in all the pre-planning that goes on before the planting season begins, think about joining us at the first meeting in 2012.  

More later,
Cathy

Update

Friends,

Last week I took 36 pounds of food to Food Gatherers.  There are just a few tomatoes, carrots, and all the squash remaining.

This week the Brehobs are taking care of the garden.  We can be very thankful that God has given us plenty of rain to make our tasks a bit easier.

I will be speaking with Barb and Muriel about our clean-up date, which needs to be postponed, to allow the squash to continue to grow.  In the meantime, if any of the plants (other than the squash) look spent, we can extract them and put them in the compost bin.

We do need 2 volunteers - someone to volunteer to tend the garden next week, the week of Oct 3rd, and the following week, the week of Oct. 10th.  Please let me know if you are willing and able to help in on of those slots.  I am hoping a 2-3 week extension on the garden will be enough time for the squash, so we can get all done before November.

Thanks so much,
Cathy

Update

Friends,

We thank Kathy G. for tending the garden last week and I am tending it this week.  We also thank Barb O. for getting the compost bin for the garden waste.  If it is your week, please take the bin to the street Tuesday - pick-up is Wednesday morning.

Just a quick note to let you know:

• Last week Kathy took 30 pounds of food to Food Gatherers
• Today I took 23 pounds
• I took the rest of the Kale and Collards, so they are done
• What's left are a few tomatoes, carrots and squash
• Our final clean-up day may have to be extended into October, as the squash continues to grow.  It is suggested that the squash be picked: 1 - if the vines brown out & die  or  2 - after the first frost.  So we will have to wait and see.

Thanks again for helping to make this a successful first year,
Cathy