Perth Dupont Community Garden
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2010 Building Projects and Teamwork
Our Community Garden has grown in maturity, it is now in it's fifth year. We have been able to establish a self-governing frame work of Guidelines and working teams to keep our garden and our garden group running smoothly.
The "Teams" is a new concept for us, but it was agreed that the tasks required to keep the common areas around our garden neat, and implementing our Garden Guidelines, would be better handled this way.
We have received A Grant from the Carrot Cache to build a new structure around our existing Garden Shed.
So, this year we will be building this structure. The hope is that it will not only make the garden shed will make the garden more accessible for the disabled, but more attractive, as well.
The Perth Avenue Public School has joined us this year, and we look forward to working with them.
It will truly be a time for building our Structure and our Team Work.
Public Out Door Cooling Station!!
During this extreme heat wave the Perth Dupont Community Garden has been set up as an
Out Door Cooling Station
We have turned on the park sprinkler, and, inside the garden area, near the train tracks, chairs have been set up in the shade. People can cool off in the sprinkler or use the hose to run a bit of cold water onto their hands or feet, ... what ever they need to do to feel better.
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This is a great, free way for your kids and pets to cool off, and to get out of the apartment, and not have to spend money.
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The Perth Dupont Community Garden is located at the Symington Ave. Playground,
which is accessed off of Perth Ave. north of Dupont St.
Set-backs And Advancements
The month of May seemed to drag on, we were excited about getting our project started, but we had to wait for the Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to get their Summer Staff, ....and we had to wait for them to get their fork lift training ...and then, after the training -test-, they found out that the fork lift it self, needed to be repaired, and once it got into the shop ... they found a lot of things that needed to be repaired, including parts that needs to be ordered!! Sigh... so we wait... I could complain that this is a setback but many good things happened.
We received two separate donations of "turn of the Previous Century" red Toronto bricks, and enough cinder blocks to raise the shed up to help with the design concept for our porch. We also received from Parks and Rec., 10 yards of very fine quality triple mix soil from a place called Zephyr Peat.
We also received a donation of seedling from the Stop Green Barn. Some Japanese Egg Plants as well as heirloom tomatoes and potatoes Peanut Fingerling Potatoes! how cute is that?!,we also got some herbs and other leafy green plants.
List of Working Teams:
For 2010, the Perth Dupont Community Garden has created a new way to delegate the workload of maintaining the community garden. This will consist of teams. The "Teams" is a new concept for us, but it was agreed that the tasks required to keep the common areas around our garden neat, and implementing our Garden Guidelines, would be better handled this way.
As set out in the 2010 Garden Guidelines the gardeners are expected to join at least one of the teams:
- Working Group Teams (to share the workload of caring for the common areas of our community garden). Grass Cutting Team, Compost Team, Maintenance Team, Watering Team.
- Experienced (second year) gardeners may also join a Core Group Team (to help keep the community garden running smoothly) Building Team, the Events Team, the Fund-Raising team and the Communications Team. They may also be a Team Captain.
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Grass Cutting Team
Instructions for using the push mower:
The Push mower is the environmentally friendly way to cut the grass.
If you pull it, it won't cut any grass – this is a good way to get the mower to your area.
When you are ready to mow, just push it forward two feet or so, then pull it back to the starting position, and push it three feet forward, pull it back and push it forward again. Depending on how long the grass is, you will need to keep repeating this process, to get your area done. If your grass is short you can push it forward 3-4 feet, if the grass is too long you will only be able to push it forward 1 foot at a time. To be able to get it done quickly, please keep the grass short, the longer it is, the harder it will be to push it forward.
Please note:
- The Garden Coordinator will assign volunteers from time to time to assist this team. The Team Captain will make sure that these people are trained on how to use the push mower, before giving them an assignment.
- Make sure that the grass is dry before you cut it. Even the dew early in the morning is too wet for it. Do not try to cut wet grass, it will clog up the cutters, and, they will rust!
- Check from time to time, to make sure that the grass or other stuff is not jammed up in the mower parts. In this picture you can see that the grass is jammed up near the wheels on either side. Please make sure that it is cleared up before you put the mower back. If you are having problems,or difficulties cleaning it please notify your Team Captain.
Core Group Teams.
This year we will be dividing the work of caring for the common areas around the community garden garden, into Work Teams. For the smooth running of the community garden group, we will have Core Group Teams.
- Experienced (second year) gardeners may also join a Core Group Team (to help keep the community garden running smoothly) Building Team, the Events Team, the Fund-Raising team and the Communications Team. These people may also be a Team Captain.
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Communications Team
- The Communications Team will also act as the Steering Team until we are able to establish such a team.
- They will keep a list of all the gardener’s and people on the waiting list. They will also have a list of outside volunteers. They will have the full contact information and the list of skills for the gardeners.
- They will meet with the Garden Coordinator to discuss any decisions that need to be made regarding the other teams as well as problems that might arise in the community garden. They will help with any disagreement that might arise between gardeners.
- The Communications Team will be responsible to create documents that are needed for keeping the gardeners informed of the progress of the community garden.
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Events Team Read More >>
Fuzzy Boundaries - Junction Triangle - March 2010
Statement from Fuzzy Boundaries
The year-long Fuzzy Boundaries name-finding process is officially over, and the results are in! Hundreds of people have participated and the winning name is Junction Triangle, first used in the 1970s by residents fighting pollution caused by local industries. In recent years, the name has largely fallen out of use, but now it promises to be revived, since 83 percent of voters agreed to support the winning name no matter the outcome.
Junction Triangle won a plurality of the 674 votes cast - forty-six per cent (46.6%) of voters made the name their first, second or third choice in the preferential ballot - almost double the closest contenders Perth Park and Black Oak Triangle. Complete results here.
Junction Triangle has many postive attributes and links us to a time when the people in this community united to make their “toxic triangle” a healthier place to live. With future neighbourhood challenges and issues on the horizon, it seems fitting that this particular name be embraced once again.
For the Fuzzy Boundaries steering committee, it has been a long and interesting year. Over the course of the name-finding process, we’ve gotten to know many fellow residents, and heard a wealth of opinions about what’s in a name, how it can unite our neighbourhood and create a strong sense of community.
Some in the neighbourhood will be thrilled with the voting results; others less so. But perhaps it’s not so much what’s in a name, and rather what we do with it. Our huge thanks to everyone who participated. Let’s put the name to good use and do our community proud.
Kind regards,
Bruce, Chris, Grace, Irmina, Kevin, Kristen, Terri, Vic and Warren
The Perth Dupont Community Garden
project for 2010
The Carrot Cache Grant
We have received a Grant from the Carrot Cache to build a new structure around our existing Garden Shed. Here are some excerpts from our grant request:
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Detailed description of the project:
We are requesting a grant from the Carrot Cache Community Resource Board for a variety of initiatives. These include:
Structural and aesthetic improvements to our gardening shed. The shed is used to store gardening supplies and tools and can only accommodate 1 or two gardeners at a time. We are proposing the construction of a 3 – 4 foot wide porch with a roof that can provide shade and cover in case of rain. The porch would come equipped with ramps on either side to accommodate disability scooters. Currently, if there is a sudden rain, hiding in the shed is very unpleasant and dark.
Installation of solar panels. The portion of the park that makes up the garden has no access to the city’s power grid. Therefore, we would like to install solar panels onto the roof of the gardening shed to generate our own electricity. Along with the solar panels we would require a battery storage system for more efficient and reliable power. The generated electricity would be used for lighting both inside and outside the gardening shed.
Running water feature for our Butterfly Garden. We hope to use the electricity generated from the solar panels to power a running water pool or fountain. This will provide a water source for beneficial birds and insects. Running water, as opposed to standing water, is necessary to keep mosquitoes away as well.
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What are the expected outcomes of this investment?
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- Increased usage of the park and its facilities. A walk through the gardens has become a daily routine for many in the neighbourhood.
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- Providing an outlet for healthy, physical activity. One of our gardeners is using his gardening exercise as a rehabilitation exercise from a stroke.
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- Providing educational opportunities for children in the neighbourhood. There are 3 schools within a 5-minute walking distance of our garden.
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- Increased community awareness about nurturing a native plant garden, preserving heritage seeds and organic growing methods.
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- Produce more healthy food for donation to The Stop Community Food Centre.
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- More varieties of birds, butterflies and other insects in the garden and park.
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- Increased activity and a sense of safety in the park and garden.
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- To continue being a model for other community gardens across the city. We would be pioneering the way for other community gardens to also have power on their garden area sites.
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Latest update February 2010
Latest update March 2010
Latest update April 2010
Call for Volunteers
Latest update May 2010
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About the Big Carrot and the Carrot Common www.carrotcommon.com
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In early 1983 nine unemployed people decided to open a natural food store. They researched locations, products and discussed philosophy. All hoped to earn a living working at the store and decided to incorporate as a workers’ co-operative. This unusual business structure ensures that worker/owners have an equal voice in decision making.
Seedy Saturday on a Sunday - a Big Success
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By Nancy Sagmeister .
Congratulations to all who contributed to making Seedy Saturday a big success. We made $328.45 this year! Lots of people helped with the work and a big thank you to everyone who helped pack seed packets, opened their homes for us to plan the work, helped with the set-up on the day, or just sent good vibes all around. Thanks Indra, Andrea and Samanthia, Kevin, Nancy, Lindsay K., Yves, Dahlia, Edward and Pam, Talia, Meg, Daniella and Kipp and the rest of the community garden group and their families for their support! Also a BIG CONGRATS to our ever-energetic garden leader Susan, who provides smiles and overall leadership to make the work pleasant and successful. Did we tell you that our seed list this year (and all seeds came from our very own garden) ranged from chives to the aptly named rat-tail radish!
Don’t forget that because we donated seeds to the TCGN we were able to pick up some good seeds for the garden. We were able to get twenty seed packets! Some of those seeds included the root vegetables that we can use for the sharing garden. But there are also Native Plants and Flower seeds, and some international seeds, there is enough of most of them to share with all the gardeners.
The big dose of sunshine and clear skies no doubt helped bring in the thousands of visitors that passed through the Artscape Wychwood Barns.
There were workshops throughout the afternoon on topics like food justice, native plants, early seed starting, bee-keeping and organic gardening. The Stop Community Food Centre also had a big presence at the Barns and brought their culinary skills to share with the visitors.
Visit The Perth Dupont Community Garden
At This Years
Seedy Sunday.
601 Christie St
Seedy Saturday and Sundays are the day when the new gardening season begins in earnest. You can have an opportunity to learn more about gardening, hone and share your gardening skills, and buy or exchange vegetable and flower seeds. See this video from last years Seedy Saturday.
The Perth Dupont Community garden will have our Open Pollinated seeds available from last years growing season.
Our list of seeds includes:
- Russian Kale
- Nasturtium
- Chives, Asian Chives
- Dill
- MustardGreens-Osaka Purple
- MustardGreens-Tatsoi
- a variety of Garlic
- Cilantro - Coriander
- Tagetes-Marigolds
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Here are the gift items that we also have available for donation
We a non-profit community garden run by volunteers. We strive to make our garden accessible to those in the community that do not have their own growing space.
As a multicultural group of gardeners with ethnic and lifestyle diversity, we are a place to grow food, flowers, and friendships, as well personal social and leadership skills.
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Seed Packing
At our meeting in January we were only able to do half of the seeds that we had saved. So we needed to meet one more time to pack some more seeds. in early Feb. Lindsay was again gracious enough to let us come and pack more seeds. we had a good conversation that we all enjoyed as we were packing and we were able to get a lot done.
There were a number of people that wanted to help, but couldn't make it that evening. They came by my place during the week and picked up the bags of stems that had seed pods on them, that had been collected during the summer and fall. That was a lot of work to clean them all, but very valuable, and a real help.
Watch this video and find out how you can make your own seed packets.
January 20th 2010. Garden Meeting and seed cleaning.
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Agenda:
Discussion and review of the Garden Guidelines
and our new Working Teams,
and the Core Group teams.
We will also start preparations for Seedy Sunday, by cleaning seeds and packing them.
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Attendance: Shirley and Grace, Dahlia, Andrea, Meg, Marcel, Nao, Daniela and Kipp, Silvan, Ms. Douglas (Perth Public school), Indra, Millie, Kevin, our host and hostess,Raymond and Lindsay, and one of the children, as well as their tenant.
Introduction:
(the speech read by Susan, the garden coordinator)
I have been reading my first entries onto the website ... from 2006. It said “At first glance some one might think that we have nothing in common, but we all like to garden! Whether it is for recreation or to put dinner on the table, the gardening has brought us together. This year, my first goal was to get all the plots occupied, and get people gardening! Well that worked out just fine. The next thing was to start organizing us as a functioning community garden as set out in the guide lines from the city. “ Ha! Now we have a waiting list for garden plots! And I am still struggling to get the organizational part working.
I was asked why have I created these 'make-work projects' around the garden. Many of you might also be wondering the same thing.
Now there are a lot of chores that have arisen because of these things that I have decided for the garden, and it seems that they have happened without really asking the garden group, and perhaps others have not been a part of deciding, and that maybe, some don't particularly care for these extra things.... Well, in most cases, I have consulted at least some of the garden group. One problem is poor attendance at meetings. I would like to have the proper community process, that is: at least a certain number of people need to be at the meeting to make decisions, and that there needs to be consensus for projects to go forward. Maybe for this year, it can be a priory for us to use this form of system. And a priory for all the gardeners to make every effort to attend our meetings. What we really need is a Steering Team. A core group of gardeners that will be the driving force for the progress and direction of the community garden. If you read over the progress of the years on the website, you can see that is what I have been trying to do, to find this core group of gardeners that are community minded and committed to the growth of our community garden.
Content last modified on July 09, 2010, at 10:51 AM EST