Author: heikep2014

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Meeting Time Change

Hello, please note we have changed our meeting days to every second Monday from 6-7pm.  Next meeting will be February 27. See future dates in the right column of this website. Unfortunately, we are having issues with the times and meetings are NOT from 5-6pm, but from 6-7pm. Thank you and our apologies for the confusion.

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Meeting Minutes – Jan.20

Renfrew Community Garden Committee Meeting

Friday, January 20, 2017 6pm

RCA Hall

In Attendance:       Samantha, Ken, Lisa, Heike

Grant Application Review:

Alberta Canada 150 Grant (deadline Feb 15)

Tree to Our Nature (deadline Feb 17)

Edible Trees grant (deadline Feb 24)

Telus Community grant (deadline Mar 1)

Calgary Foundation Community Sould of the City Neighbour grant (deadline Mar 15)

Calgary Foundation Community Grassroots grant (deadline mid-May)

Servus Credit Unition

City of Calgary EVENT grant

Others?

Highest Priorities are Alberta Canada 150,Tree to Nature, Grassroots and Soul of City.

Heike to complete Alberta Canada 150.

LOC update – out of our hands. Waiting for City and lawyers to complete, approve and provide to us. Robert Dickenson & Vivian Cantin are our City contacts.

Garden Building start – Lisa, Heike and Lindsay, Adrian and Luke from reGenerate to hold initial meeting. Planning to build ¾ of garden as laid out in reGenerate’s plan. Looking to include PVC piping, stones and mulch to lay down under walkways and Meeting time set for Feb. 1 at 3:30pm.

Water Access at site  – City still needs to install the irrigation lines and spiggot.

Calgary Attendance Center – we booked 12 days with this organization in May, they will be providing man power to help with building of beds,sod removal, benches, compost and storage bins, garden signage, digging of swale and various other duties involved.

Tetra Society could help build fully accessible beds etc, as we are thriving to be a garden accessible to people with disabilities as well. Society is volunteer run and Sam will contact them to see how they work and what they would need.

Opening Ceremony:

To be held in early part of June, date to be set shortly. Sam to talk to Christy at BGCC Aboriginal Yough Program re. their group coming to ceremony.

Once we have date set, we can start inviting groups such as neighbouring gardens, schools, Calhort, RCG Members, Renfrew Residents, Aldermen and office etc. etc.

Membership – We need to finalize raised bed rental fees for summer 2017, look after Renfrew advertising, print and handout application packages, assign beds, gardeners and volunteer orientations etc…

Advertising – posters, Renfrew Reflections, Calhort, Tiwtter, Blog, Facebook, Sandwich Boards and more. Heike to look after posters, Reflections, FB, Sandwich Boards.

RCA Casino – June 8 & 9th – Asking committee members and future gardeners/volunteers to come out and help.

Stanely Jones Historical Garden Weeding – review commitment to garden, formalize agreement with school and create a schedule for the summer. Use sandwich boards for advertising/information during weeding sessions, passerbys will know what we are doing.

Meeting adjourned 7:15pm.

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Great news….the waterline was put in at our garden site today…we are excited to have this done…some pictures to show the construction

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Meeting Minutes from Friday, June 3, 2016

Renfrew Community Garden Meeting

Friday, June 3, 2016 7:30pm

At garden site Edward Street & Phair Ave. NE

In attendance:

Lisa M.            Ken L.                         Hazel M.        

Heike P.         Christine R.               Sven S.          

Aysia S.          Moremi                       Suri M.

 

Last meeting before Summer.

We opened meeting by planting veggies & flowers in the small garden box moved from community centre a few weeks ago. Symbolic “christening” of garden and we are looking forward to a good harvest this fall.

Monthly Meetings– we are taking a summer break and start up again on Friday, Sept.9 at 7:30pm at the RCA Pub. If our financial situation changes before than, we might call in a meeting sooner.

ReGenerate supplied us with a final garden design and they also provided a cost estimate and plant list with a construction total of $63,443.75 and a project total of $68,603.75. Further details can be provided upon request.

Weeding Days at Stanley Jones School Garden – first date is Wednesday, June 8 at 7pm. Bring own tools, shovel, spade, clippers etc. Heike to send out Doodle invite to general email list on gmail account, to see, if we find further volunteers.

Spoke about possibly setting up a Community Garden table at RCA Bike Day on Sunday, June 4. Unfortunately, no members were available to man the table, had to cancel attendance.

Scotts Miracle Gro $500 Grant – brainstormed on how we best utilize the funds. Group agreed on a storage bin/chest for tools, hoses etc. to be the best investment at this time.

Renfrew Stampede Breakfast – setting up a community garden table from 8:30am til 11:30am. Committee members to man table for shorter 1-hour shifts, or longer, if available. Heike to send out a schedule for volunteers to sign up.

Insurance coverage for volunteers – Volunteers with the community garden do not need to hold an RCA membership, 3rd party liability is completely covered by  the RCA insurance. ·         There is a $25,000 non-negligence “Medical Payment” coverage under the RCA insurance that would cover any medical costs for an injury to a volunteer. The intention of the “Medical Payment” coverage is to cover the cost immediately after injury – first aid, ambulance, etc… so that the injured person can get immediate care, feel cared for (and hopefully not sue us later). As far as self-inflicted injury goes, the RCA volunteers would have to get medical coverage through their own personal insurance.

Waiting to hear whether we won the Coop Community space grant for $25,000. Hoping to hear by mid-June.

Meeting adjourned 8:45pm.

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March 4 – Meeting Minutes (finally! :) )

Renfrew Community Garden Meeting Minutes
> March 4, 2016 7:30pm
>
> Meeting started 7;35pm
>
> In attendance:
> Sam G.
> Ken L.
> Heike P.
>
>
> Considering applying for the Communities Choose Well Grant (promoting Healthy/Active Living, Eating Well). It’s a seed grant for start up, only available in 2016.
> Event/Workshop held on April 2, Sam is going through work, she would be willing to collect information for us, but can’t really represent our garden, since she is there for her work.
>
> March 10, 4pm-5:30pm, public meeting with reGeneration Design Ltd., the landscape architects we hired to help with design and implementation of such for our garden layout.  Meeting to be held at RCA Hall, pub downstairs.
>
>
> Sam offered to approach home Depot or Rona and ask for in-kind donations, such as lumber etc. Committee to come up with a donation letter we could leave with companies.
>
> Calhort – more kitchen table talks coming up  in the next few weeks. Check http://www.calhort.org for dates and topics.
>
> Seedy Saturday coming up March 19, 2016 at Hillhurst Community Centre.
>
> Fundraiser Party – we tossed around the idea of a party, rent the pub downstairs and sell tickets in advance. Sam has access to a free Keg through a friend, probably a soundsystem and DJ as well. Heike to ask Peter about possible free hall rental during next General Meeting.  Also ask if we would need a liquor license.
>
> Next meeting April 8, 7:30pm.
>
> Meeting adjouned 8:30pm.

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May 29 Meeting Minutes…..better late than never, right?!

Hello, here are the meeting minutes from our meeting on Friday, May 29, 2015. Sorry that they are being posted soooo late.

 

RCA Community Garden

Meeting Minutes, Friday, May 29, 2015 7:30pm

In Attendance:

Heike, Lisa, Samantha, Cari, Mary Jane, Chad, Aysia, Christine

Lisa and Heike attended “Meet the Funder” Community Partnerships workshop put on by the City of Calgary on May 27 at the Albert Park/Radisson Heights Community Centre. We had the chance to talk to a few organizations, who are giving out grants. We spoke to Julie Black from The Calgary Foundation about the Grassroots Grants (Stepping Stones and Neighbourhood Grants), to Sara Stepa, Grant Program Coordinator at Parks Foundation about the Conceptual Drawing Grant and Teresa Byrne from Culture, City of Calgary re. the Festival and Events Subsidy Program. We thought we may qualify for the latter, when eventually putting on a community event or vegetable soup cook off in our future garden, but Teresa said that this grant wouldn’t apply to us. Sara Stepa suggested for us to contact a few architectural landscaping/garden design firms, as the Parks Foundation would pay up to $5,000 of an architectural drawing grant. A professional plan would enhance our application and would provide preliminary cost estimates for the project. Sara to email us contact info for a few companies.

Bylaws – Christine emailed changed version to Lisa and Heike. To be printed and included in application package.

Budget – Sam sent back as well. A date should be put on it for record keeping.

Christine attended Kitchen Table Talk on May 27. She came back with some great ideas, one of them for fundraising. Village Brewery gives $1,600 in the first year, if a community garden grows hops for them. Something to consider for us for the future. First Calgary & Coop give out grants as well. Another issue that came up during KT talk is Theft Deterrence in community gardens. Suggestions were fake cameras, motion lights or set up a communal/free plot for folks to take veggies rather than steal from other gardeners’ plots.

Heike and Lisa represented the community garden at the last RCA general meeting on May 26. A motion was moved and seconded that the “Renfrew Community move that the RCA sign a new LOC (License of Occupation) to include the community garden at (address).” The motion was passed pending the following requirements:

  • the exact address of the site
  • the identification of the garden “footprint” (a mapped area)
  • an operational agreement with the City of Calgary Parks regarding mowing, pruning & watering.

Community Survey – Received overwhelming support on day of completion. We have 2 pages of signatures. Left leaflet on how to get a hold of us and how to leave feedback in people’s mailboxes, if they weren’t present. Survey to be included in application package.

Letter of Community Garden Support – we have received from St. Alphonsus School, the RCA Board and Ward 9 City Councillor Gian Carlo Carra.

Heike to update and freshen up Facebook website.

June 12 7pm – 8:30pm. GARDEN POP-UP Cleanup/weeding party at the garden on the hill on 10 Street near 8th Avenue intersection (formerly Zoltan’s Garden). Come and bring gloves, rakes, garbage bags, let’s make this small hill look beautiful again. This is in lieu of our regular committee meeting.

Renfrew Stampede Breakfast July 4, 9am – 12pm. Setting up community garden table. Volunteers to man for 1-hour shifts. So far, we have

8:30am – 9:30am Heike, Christine

9:30am – 10:30am Lisa, Hazel, Sam

10:30am – 11:30am Cari, Heike, Sven

We will have Sam’s awesome “Renfrew Rocks” buttons for sale (fundraiser) and will do a draw. To come up with 3 prizes, maybe flower basket again, veggie basket and something else.

Potential labour for building flower/veggie beds – Drop In centre has a labour program, Calgary Attendance Centre has free labour program, REAP is another program. Might be worth checking into, if we are short on volunteers, once time comes to build beds.

Meeting Adjourned 8:45pm.

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April 17 Meeting Minutes

Hello there, a little late, but here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was our last “all nighter” meeting. We reviewed our bylaws and budget (to be posted soon). Hope to see you at our next meeting (May 1, 7:30pm, RCA pub).

RCA Community Garden Committee

Meeting Minutes, Friday, April 7:30pm

Attendees:         Lisa Mulder Co-Chair                      Kathryn Chin – City of Calgary

Heike Pauli – Co-chair                    Samantha Grabinsky

Christine Riddell                               Sarah Ward

  1. Presentation – Kathryn Chin – Neighbourwoods Program

Renfrew has been chosen to take part in program.

Usually 10 communities per year, due to snowstorm increase to 30 communities in 2015.

1 tree costs Cad$30, which includes Education Session, Waterbag, Bag of Mulch and Urban Forestry to come and dig a hole. Type of trees are typically ash, aspen, hawthorn crabapple, oak and elms, but City hasn’t decided on the kind yet. They are around 6ft tall, 10 gallon waterbag and the purchaser is required to commit to watering tree for at least 5 years. Urban Forestry will do pruning.

Lynne Engelman, our RCA President, is the volunteer lead on this program and application deadline is May 7.

Kathryn will ask City about whether they can provide orchard trees for the orchard as part of our community garden. She isn’t sure, if she will get an answer or not.

Regal Park Condominiums came up, property lost a number of trees during the snowstorm last fall. Kathryn to check and Christine, whose husband is on the RP board, will check into it.

  1. Review Bylaws

Bylaws were formulated at last meeting, March 20. They were reviewed tonight and revisions were made in regards to accessibility of garden and the beds to members with disabilities, the fee structure to include more details on number of beds a household can rent and a potential fee sliding scale. In addition, members needing to take on garden roles are asking to choose the top 3. Bylaws and map have been approved for inclusion in minutes and posting on blog.

  1. Draft Budget

A budget was put together based on 1 bed made out of untreated wood or cedar costing app. $300, size 8’ x 12”. Phase 1 to include 16 beds, Phase 2 to add an additional 15 beds, various sizes. Beds, tools, garbage containers, storage sheds, garden sign, bike rack, tools etc. to cost app. $10,000.  A more detailed and better laid out draft budget to be posted on our blog soon.  Priority for this year is to get bed build and set up. Heavy fundraising needs to be involved.

  1. Fundraising options

Looking to set up a table at RCA Stampede Breakfast on Juy 4, same as last year, and make neighbourhood more aware of our community garden. Considering doing fundraising again, still need to discuss a plan for that. Also planning on asking RCA board on whether part of casino money in the fall could be allocated to garden, we could look into providing volunteers. In addition, maybe monthly bottle drive could go to garden committee, if we man the drive.

  1. Next Meeting Friday, May 1, 7:30pm

Should not be a long meeting. Reviewing application to date. Assign roles to members for application (e.g. Secretary, Photographer, Community Liaison etc. ).

  1. Presence at RCA general meetings and AGM

Heike and/or Lisa to be present at the community garden committee at the monthly meetings and AGM, give members an update and strengthen ties with board.

Meeting adjourned 9:52pm.

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Successful Stampede Breakfast July 5/Draw Winners

Hello Fellow Gardening Enthusiasts,

Last Saturday, we had a great day at the annual Renfrew Community Stampede Breakfast, with a long line of hungry neighbours and guests waiting to be served eggs, pancakes and sausages. The community and the wonderful volunteers have outdone themselves again and I feel fortunate to be part of this great neighbourhood….

The Community Garden committee had a table set up and we had a few volunteers donating their time to update inquiring folks about our garden. Unfortunately, the City is experiencing backlog in the departments helping with the approval, so, we still don’t have an approved location. We will keep going strong and are confident that we will be planting in spring of 2015. Thank you to our great volunteers, Sam, Mary Jane, Lisa, Hazel and Zuri for manning the table and selling Raffle tickets.
Another Thank You goes out to go out to the Raffle supporters/ticket buyers, which was part of our fundraising efforts. $172 was raised and this amount will go towards purchase of material for garden beds etc. Congratulations to our winners Stella D. – 1st prize, Rainbarrel, Brian K. for 2nd and 3rd prize, veggie box and hanging plant basket (yes, he legitimately won twice 🙂 )
Last but not least, Thank you to the Renfrew Community Association, the Board of Directors and the volunteer coordinators (Kathy G. to name just one) for letting us be part of the event and help with various logistics etc.

Heike Pauli & Lisa Mulder
Co-chairs
Renfrew Community Garden Committee

 

Veggiebox Draw Gardenersatwork

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Stanley Jones Gardens-Volunteer Info/First Spring Cleanup May 12, 7pm

Hello, please find below info on the Stanley Jones Gardens and the first Spring cleanup on Monday, May 12, 7pm. Jerry Hoult, who is on our community garden committee as well, and his wife Karen are involved in this project, so please, if you have time and interest, please email Jerry at jerry.hoult@gmail.com or just show up at the ST gardens at 7pm on Monday night.

Thank you, Heike Pauli

PS: I am embarrassed to admit that I have tried to attach a file with the History on the Stanley Jones Gardens to this post and I have no idea where it is hiding on this blog. But, if you are interested, and you haven’t gotten the email with the same info, pls. let me know at heikep@telus.net, and I will email you the info.

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Volunteers Needed – Stanley Jones Garden & Vegetable Bed Upkeep 2014

Hello All,

Volunteers are needed to plant/upkeep the gardens & vegetable bed at Stanley Jones School on 8th Avenue & 6th Street NE. If you are interested and can lend a helping hand during the planting season and summer,  that would be greatly appreciated. Jerry & Karen Hoult are the contact and liaison for this project. Please email Jerry at jerry.hoult@gmail.com for further information. Thank you. ImageImage

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Library Program ” Heirloom Edible Gardening in Alberta”

Thank you to Liane for sharing this great info with us – I have also copied in the link below, haven’t had a chance to look at it closely, you may need to have a library membership to register. But, then, maybe not.

Last night I was made aware of a library program “Heirloom Edible Gardening in Alberta” presented by Janet Melrose.
It’s at the Forest Lawn library tonight (May 6) from 7 – 8:30 pm and there are still 20 spots available.  Other dates and libraries follow (but registration is recommended):
 
Bowness, Wednesday, May 14, 7 – 8:30
Glenmore Square, Thursday June 19, 7 – 8:30
Thorn-Hill, Wednesday, June 4, 7 – 8:30
Learn about the wonderful world of heirloom edibles that can be grown successfully in Alberta gardens. Presented by Calgary’s Cottage Gardener, Janet Melrose.
 
Have a great day,
 
Liane

https://calgarypubliclibrary.com/mobile/programs?id=4838

 

 

 

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Reminder – Free Yard Smart Workshop Sun, Apr 27 1-4pm at RCA Hall

Hello, just a friendly reminder that there will be a free workshop held by the Calgary Horticultural Society and the City of Calgary at the Renfrew Community Centre from 1-4pm tomorrow, Sunday, April 27. Registration opened a while ago and is required, it is limited to 12 households, but there may still be space available. Lisa and I are definitely going and we are looking forward to learning lots. Maybe see you there 🙂

Beauty on a Budget
Free Yard Smart Workshop

Renfrew Community Hall

811 Radford Road NE

Sunday, April 27th, 1 to 4 pm

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Community Garden Site Tour Friday, April 25

Hello, just a reminder that we will be viewing the proposed site at the Boys & Girls Club Calgary in Renfrew as well as another site on Friday, April 25. We will be meeting in front of the community centre at 6:30pm and will then carpool, just to save time and take advantage of as much the daylight we can. Please feel free to bring kids, dogs, husbands, mother-in-laws etc. if need be, you may have to take your own car though 🙂

We also hope that time will permit to view the established community garden in Inglewood (2297 17 Street SE) and Albert Park at 12 Avenue & 26 Street SE. These gardens are not too far from Renfrew and we should not be back too late.

Looking forward to being outside for our next meeting!  See you Friday.

Lisa & Heike

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Update from Heike

Hello there,

Just thought I would give you an update on what I am working on, since you haven’t heard from me as much. I am currently trying to establish a relationship with the Boys & Girls Club (have left  messages for Business Operations Manager) and am getting a community garden application from the city, including requirements for line of sight survey. Hoping to give you a good progress report at April 4 meeting. Thanks to all of you, who have come out to support our CG project, to give feedback, to help with projects etc. All is greatly appreciated. HP