Steering Committee meeting and more

Hi All,

Just a reminder that we have a SC meeting this Wednesday. Please bring your own copy of the agenda, which you should have gotten in my recent email.

SAVE THE DATE: Our last workday scheduled for this calendar year is March 17, time to be determined. If you have not yet completed your work day requirements, you have to attend so that it fulfills at least one of your two required work days.

Lastly, please keep voting for our project! We're ranked 2nd, and we need to stay in the top 3 through March 15 to win. Here is the link...

http://www.iuowawards.com/Projects.aspx#project|105c2bc7-2491-4f58-9336-e9b0696abe29

Best,

Alek Bartrosouf

Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop

The Coalition for a Green Glendale is proud to share with you some news...

The Monterey Road Eco-Community Garden is hosting a Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop on Saturday 02/25 at 10 a.m. Please see above flyer for detailed information. RSVP is required with Katy Tafoya at ktafoya@gmail.com.

REMEMBER: The Monterey Road Eco-Community Gardens is currently competing for a $5,000 grant. Now through March 15, our project needs to earn enough votes to get up to top-three in the contest. We're currently at 5th but it takes persistent voting to get up top. Please vote (and it can be done once per day) by clicking on this link.

It should take you directly to the garden page. If it doesn't simply search for "Glendale" up at the top and we should be the only project to come up. If you would like a daily reminder to vote now through March 15, let me know. Thanks much for your support!

Best,

Alek Bartrosouf
Coalition for a Green Glendale

January Newsletter - Coalition for a Green Glendale

Hello and Happy New Year!

This will be a short and sweet newsletter. There are 6 events coming up that we think you should be informed of. It is always helpful for the Coalition to know if you are planning to attend any of these events. Please let us know via reply which you'll be going to. Here they are...

1. Bike Master Plan OUTREACH MEETING - Wednesday January 18 at 7 p.m. (Glendale Police Department 131 N. Isabel)
The Bike Master Plan is finally out. Transportation staff needs your feedback! Even if you aren't a biker this is important infrastructure improvements to provide safe routes for people who want to reduce their dependance on cars to get around. Please come and show your support. If you want to read the plan in advance, see the draft here... http://www.bikeglendale.org/

2. GWP Water Rate Restructure COMMUNITY MEETING - Wednesday January 18 AND 19 at 5:30 p.m. (http://www.glendalewaterandpower.com/news.aspx?item=167) for details and locations.
The Glendale Water and Power is considering a progressive rate structure to replace the flat rate structure that has been used in the past. This new model incorporates simple economic principles to bring in more revenue by minimizing the affect of rate increases to most users. Its very interesting. Come to the meetings to learn more, or ask me.

3. Monterey Road Eco Community Garden VOLUNTEER WORK DAY - Saturday January 21 at 10 a.m. (827 Monterey Road)
Join us for a volunteer session at the gardens! Bring the basics if you have them - gloves, hand shovel, weed puller, a hat, sunscreen, etc. RSVP required here (you can just reply). See attached flyer.

4. Greener Glendale OPEN HOUSE - Monday January 23 at 5 p.m. (633 E. Broadway MSB Room 106) 818-937-8159
The City of Glendale wants your ideas on what the city can do to be more environmentally friendly. You read me right... the city wants YOUR opinion! Please join me and support the Planning Department in making our city go green. See attached flyer.

5. Monterey Road Eco Community Garden WORKSHOP 1 - Saturday January 28 at 10 a.m. (827 Monterey Road) 818-359-0108
The Community Garden on Monterey (near the wash, not the freeway) is hosting its first 2012 community workshop. Come learn from Jeri Huston, a Master Gardener about seeds and what to plant for Spring! RSVP required. You can reply and let me know. See attached flyer.

6. Monterey Road Eco Community Garden WORKSHOP 2 - Saturday February 25 time TBD (870 Monterey Road) 818-359-0108
The Community Garden on Monterey (near the Freeway) is hosting a fruit tree pruning workshop led by Lora Hall, a Master Gardener. This will be an interactive experience and you'll have the opportunity to help us prune our trees! More information later, but save the date!

That is all!

Moving forward, we may consider using a newsletter service online with a fancy format that is easier to read and follow. The board is also meeting later this month to determine the next steps for the Coalition. Stay tuned! We look forward to a fun and productive 2012.

Best,

Alek Bartrosouf
Coalition for a Green Glendale

Monterey Road Eco-Community Garden (West) featured in the LA Times Home and Garden blog!

At Glendale community garden, a compulsion for compost

October 19, 2011 | 3:42 pm

Community Gardens Dispatch No. 50: Monterey Road Eco-Community Garden (West), Glendale

It’s transition time at the Monterey Road Eco-Community Garden (West) in Glendale, and plot partners Lindsey Hansen and Tom Selling are putting in lettuce, peas, potatoes, onions and garlic. But before anything new got planted, they harvested their most important crop of the year: compost from a pair of stackable bins they got free from the Glendale Integrated Waste Management Section.

Hansen and Selling, at right, are part of a team of seven who have made composting a group project at the garden. Four more Integrated Waste Management compost bins are assembled, but they’re empty or filled with non-composting green waste.

In contrast, the bins of the composting team are full to the brim, an inch-thick layer of dried oak leaves on top. Hansen collected 30 bags of raked detritus from her grandmother’s backyard lawn to serve as a ready supply of material to keep the compost bins’ mixture aerobic and balanced, and the attention to detail has clearly paid off.

(Read the rest here!)

Organic Way to Help Rid Plots of Mint or Oregano

I found this in an on-line discussion group. Hope this helps!

“Dissolve 2 cups of salt (table salt is fine) and a squirt of dish soap into 1 gallon of white vinegar. Pour into a WELL MARKED spray bottle, and liberally douse the mint, or any other green thing you want to curl up & die

This is going to take MANY applications, because mint is the demon spawn of all garden plants, and is truly evil. But diligence will eventually win!”

Read more: Getting Rid of Mint | Herbs http://my.gardenguides.com/forums/topic/12708#ixzz1YRRHvGv4

Joan

In this season of plenty

Hey everyone

In the last few weeks I've heard a lot of "can you use some kale?" kinds of comments and since I'm also blessed with abundant greens (among other things) now seemed like a good time to mention some other destinations for your plot's productive bounty.  If your harvest is more than you, your family, friends and neighbors can accommodate you're eligible to reap the kharmic rewards of donating your surplus.

My first stop for this exercise is usually my neighborhood fire station.  Firefighters have to pay for and prepare their own food during their 24-hour-long shifts and they always appreciate contributions. They're also some of the nicest people in the world and it feels great to honor and thank them for their generous work.

My friend Vivian, a Glendale librarian, also recommended Meals on Wheels as a donation destination. Their address is 320 W. Windsor Road, Glendale. Their phone number is 818-246-5586.

If you have other places you'd recommend we all consider please leave it/them in a comment.

Thanks!

Hannah

PS The picture above left shows two purple potatoes I put into the ground and the next picture shows maybe half of the magical potato bounty I pulled out of my plot not much later on.  Turns out potatoes are the potato seeds!  Just cut them so at least 2 eyes are on each slice, put 'em in the ground and see what happens.  Important note: Don't eat any potatoes that have green on them or have grown on the surface of the soil, apparently they're a hazard.

Free Electronic Waste Recycling

News from Juan Gonzalez, the Glendale Neighborhood Services Supervisor:  The Committee for a Clean & Beautiful Glendale is partnering with Lexus of Glendale for a FREE electronic waste drive on November 14 at the Lexus Dealership, 1221 S. Brand Blvd., from 9:00 am - 3:00 PM. This is a great opportunity for gardeners to get rid of any unwanted electronic waste just taking up space in their storage rooms or garages at home. Lexus is very generously donating the proceeds of the collection to CCBG so that we may continue our community outreach, in-school education, graffiti removal and gardening programs.

Part Time Job Opportunity for a Gardener

Hey everybody, Kimberly Greitzer learned of this opportunity and asked that the word be spread among our community.  Contact info is at the end if you're interested.

Job Opportunity

Job Title – School Garden Coordinator Assistant  

Agency –  Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District

Location – District Schools in Santa Monica

Pay Rate – $12.00 hr x 15 hours week

Responsibilities –

• Assist in management of Santa Monica High School  9 raised beds and one 12’x16’ greenhouse to make it a source of produce, primarily lettuce for school use in organic salads sold at lunchtime.  Coordinate student workers as well as independent work. 
• Manage Olympic High School vegetable garden to make it a source of produce for the Farmers’ Market Salad Bar Program.  Includes bed preparation, planting and maintenance of garden in cooperation with Science Class.   
• Provide technical support for all school gardens as required
• Report harvests to Nutrition Specialist; take pictures whenever possible.
• Assist in planning workshop at beginning of year for gardening angels, teachers, parents, etc.  Deliver flyers for workshop to teachers and gardening angels promoting attendance.
• Submit summary of school activities for garden newsletter. Due November 15th, February 1st and May 15th.
• Coordinate activites with SMMUSD School Garden Coordinator

Required Skills – Proven experience with vegetable production; ability to communicate and work effectively with teachers and high school students. 

Desired Skills – Composting

Application Mode – Submit Resume to Dona Richwine

Application Deadline – September 30th, 2010

Contact for Further Information – Dona Richwine, Nutrition Specialist, SMMUSD, 1651 16th Street, Santa Monica, California 90404, 310-450-8338 ext 70259,drichwine@smmusd.org

MRECG on Your Garden Show Site

There we are, listed on this website called Your Garden Show.  Take a look if you like:

http://www.yourgardenshow.com/users/MontereyCommunityGardenGal/monterey-eco-community-garden

it's a pretty useful site and it's free.  You can look up plants, see other gardens, check out the almanac, etc.

There's a section where you tell them your USDA hardiness zone and ours is 9b.

Here are a few tips from the 9b August almanac:

Seed starting for those plants which need a long, warm growing season: Gain time by soaking all but the tiniest seeds. A simple method: scatter the seeds on a damp paper towel, roll it up, put it in a plastic bag. Unroll daily to see if dormancy has broken.


Summer's here and the time is right for planting warm weather veggies: corn, beans, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and pumpkins. Get these in the ground ASAP.  You can also plant broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts now to harvest next winter.


Pick fruit and veggies the minute they're ripe.

Pruning Tomatoes

Here's an article from the LA Times about pruning tomatoes that could be helpful:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/07/tomato-pruning-techniques.html

Organic Gardening Supplies and Biological Pest Control Products

This is a web site where gardeners can buy organic pest-control items:
ARBICO (www.arbico-organics.com).

NGA Regional Reports for Glendale

The Regional Report for Glendale from the National Gardeners Association, for March 11, 2010 -- click here.

Some great information from the National Gardening Association:

Get Healthy and Save Money by Food Gardening

It's almost predictable: When economic times are hard, people head to the garden. It happened in the early 20th century with Liberty Gardens ... Read more »

Edible of the Month: Asparagus

It’s almost predictable: When economic times are hard, people head to the garden. It happened in the early 20th century with Liberty Gardens ... Read more »

How to: Build a Raised Bed

Raised beds are a great way to intensively garden without taking up too much space. They are perfect for urban small- space gardens, but also have advantages ... Read more »

Charlie says...

While the intention of this Edible Landscaping newsletter is to help people grow more food for themselves around their homes, I'd be remiss in not mentioning that it’s important to think of ... Read more »

March Q & A

Question: My strawberries are starting to flower but there’s frost forecast for my area. What should I do to protect them?

Answer: Strawberry flowers are particularly sensitive to freezing temperatures. Frost damages blooms by causing ice crystals to form, puncturing the plant cell walls and causing the cells to collapse. Commercial strawberry growers spray their fields with water to protect the blossoms. As the water freezes on the flowers, it gives off heat, keeping the temperature of the flower above freezing. However, this technique can get tricky because if temperatures are in the high 20ºFs, you’ll have to continue adding water and the weight of the ice may damage the plant.

For a home gardener it’s best to simply cover your strawberry plants before sunset with a heavy weighted, floating row cover. These floating row covers are designed to protect plants to 26ºF, while allowing air, light, and water to pass through them. They are worth the monetary investment. Remove the row covers once the temperature warms above freezing in the morning.

Question: I’m starting some basil seed indoors and they germinated fine. However, this morning I noticed many have flopped over and died. What happened?

Answer: It sounds like your basil got attacked by damping off fungal disease. This disease thrives with cool moist soil and poor air movement. It could be you overwatered the seedlings and this led to the disease getting established. Usually the seedlings rot at the soil line and the disease can spread quickly throughout the seedling tray.

The key to stopping this fungus is to act fast. Remove the diseased seedlings and any that look like they might be dying. Allow the soil to dry out by running a small fan over the seedling tray. This will dry out the soil and make the seedlings tougher. If in a few days your remaining seedlings aren’t growing well, consider starting over again. There’s still time to start another crop of basil indoors.

For more of this kind of information, we encourage you to subscribe to their newsletter!

National Gardening News

Here is a link to the National Gardening Association's "Regional Reports" for Southern California Coastal and Inland Valleys - biweekly news, tips and information for gardeners. It's a great link to bookmark and return to often:

http://www.garden.org/regional/report/current/4

Exotic and invasive pests information

There has been a lot of attention paid lately to the problem of exotic and invasive pests in California's urban, agricultural and natural areas. Here's a link to the latest articles, links, fact sheets, educational materials and other resources on the problem:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/EXOTIC/exoticpestsmenu.html