May 2026

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

May 12, 2026 7 PM

Remote Meeting

Jolene, Deborah, Alex, Alan, Will, Yohan, Ric, Pam, Lily, Karen, Ron, Rhonda, Gayle, Barb A, Brad, Kelly, Missy, Therese, Lori, James, Peter, Amy.


Alex started the meeting.

Minutes With a motion by Ron and seconded by Barb A the April 2026 minutes were approved.

Access road update from Rhonda: The new service road to the PP storage area is a part of the Frautschi Center project. Map shared. The existing driveway will shift south. There is a problem with the plan for the dumpster that will need to be addressed. The access will be difficult as it is. The storm water management will be improved, and the culverts will be improved. The road for vehicles will be 14 feet wide with pull-offs for trucks to pass. The access will be secure. A stop sign will be added to the top of the hill on Lake Mendota drive.
Concerns are discussed about the safety of crossing Lake Mendota dr. Gardeners would like a change to the curvy pedestrian entrance on the map that will take gardeners in behind the dumpster and porta-potty. This will be reevaluated. There is also concern about adequate access to the leaf and weed piles by trucks. Rhonda will ask Shorewood about this. They need to get a front-end loader in there and maneuver.

 
The timeline for the project is uncertain. Some trees will need to be removed. The Garden footprint will not change, and no lights will be added.

 
Questions: Why is the road right next to the garden path? They are trying to keep the disturbed area to a minimum. Jolene: Could a natural fence be installed? Rhonda: The fence could be slightly above the ground to allow animals to go under. Concern that children can climb chain link fences. Was a tree survey done? Yes, in the area that the road is planned for.

Registrar Update

$1500 was donated in assistance funds and half has been given out. More than half of the recipients were apartments residents. Vacancies: one large plot at EH and four at UH. Nine small plots at each site. We will probably see a few cancellations in the spring as usual. More applications are coming in.

Do we want to contribute volunteer time to help the People's Farm control their thistles? Yes, we can work together to help them. It is in our interests to reduce these weeds also. Volunteers can be given workday credit.

How can we organize the juries to be consistent? This is often a difficult problem. We probably need more groups and more follow-ups. Looking for specific problem weeds is a good idea. People on the jury need to be available once a month. Will: What if we scheduled juries like workdays instead? Set the dates biweekly for Saturday mornings. Also, we should give the juries resources and information about weeds. Everyone likes this plan. The juries will be set up like workdays for every other Saturday morning. There will be two teams at EH and one at UH.

A gardener expressed concern about mouse/vole traps catching toads since they will want to go in the PVC pipes. We could add a requirement that the pipes be raised off the ground. Agreed.

Do we want to consider getting wood chip deliveries that could contain black walnut? Juglone breaks down after 6 months in chips. Yes, if this allows us to get chips we should accept them. We could potentially put a sign at the pile.

The Eagle Scout that make the Leopold benches delivered them. There are two in the tree island at EH and two by the fruit trees at UH.

Some gardeners are not aware of the new mouse and vole trapping option. Lily will send this out again.

Garden Worker Report

Pam: Just getting started on the season. We've had a few good workdays.

 
Other topics

-Jolene: Thanks for the help for Eagle's Wing. They are really pleased with the Peace Garden and they send their thanks.

 
-Thanks for the mowing!

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

April 2026

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

April 8 , 2026 7 PM

Remote Meeting

Alex, Ann, Yohan, Ric, Pam, Lily and Karen.


Alex started the meeting.

Minutes With a motion by Lily and seconded by Pam the March 2026 minutes were approved.


Registrar Update

There are 10 full plots and 24 half plots open in the gardens. 26 new gardeners have been assigned plots since last month's meeting. Half of all the openings at at UH, which is proportionaly a lot. Many of these are in the shadier A row.

The Seed Fair will be this Saturday from 9-11.

A gardener would like to plant mountain mint in his plot for pollinators. The committee approved this request. Mountain mint is not considered invasive.

Bucky's is adding a $31.50 fuel surcharge every month. This will continue until the priced of gas goes down. They did not tell us about this ahead of time, but we do not really have an alternative.

We should learn more soon about the Physical Plant storage area access road project. The GOC will attend a meeting with the surveyors on April 20th to hear the results of their inital assessment. There will also be a time later this summer for public comments on the environmental impact of the whole visitor center project. The Committee's main concern is safety, both during the construction of the road and after, when it is used by trucks.

A gardener that put down sod in a couple of plots has been asked to remove it. He has asked for the grass to be grandfathered in. Discussion ensued. The consensus of the Committee is that sod is not in keeping with the intentions of the gardens, and is not a cover crop. The definition of cover crops was made more explicit in the 2026 rules, and the gardener agreed to these when renewing.

Ron could not attend, but made a suggestion to improve the EH irrigation update plan. Rather than adding another line to the 300s row for redundancy, the line that goes from the 500s past the People's Farm would be extended up the North side of the hill. This would feed the existing lines from both ends, providing a backup if one line fails, and better water pressure when both are working. Also no lines would ever cross.

Garden Worker Report

One new garden worker has been hired. Her name is Nanci, and Pam and Lily met with her on Monday for a tour of both gardens. We will only be hiring one garden worker at this time.

With a motion to adjourn by Lily and seconded by Ric, the meeting ended at 7:20

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

March 2026

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

March 11 , 2026 7 PM

Remote Meeting

Alex, Ann, Yohan, Ron, Alan, Barb A, Pam, Jolene, Lily and Karen.

Alex started the meeting.

Minutes With a motion by Lily and seconded by Barb A the February 2026 minutes were approved.

Registrar Update

There are 23 full plots and 39 half plots open in the gardens. There were 460 renewals, which is average, and a little higher than last year. New applications are still low. We have 49 new gardeners so far this season.

Update on assistance fund: 1/3 of all the money given in donations received has been given out in assistance. Assistance was given to everyone that applied and qualified, and the largest category of recipients was UW apartments residents.

The two Kadco carts that we agreed to order have a shipping charge of $160. With a motion by Karen seconded by Barb A, the additional shipping charge was approved.

The Committee approved the guidelines for snap trapping voles and mice that Lily outlined in the pest guide. Ron pointed out that we should specify that mole traps are not the same as snap traps and are not allowed. The registrar and the weed jury will check to make sure that the guidelines are followed.

Garden Worker Report

We are in the process of hiring more garden workers. Jolene says that the two finalists are going through background checks. One candidate has to reply to this by March 17th. Jolene hopes we will know by early April.

Additional topics

Peace Garden at Eagle's Wing Childcare Center: Jolene says that the Peace Garden at the Community Center needs help. Could the gardens help with maintenance and planning for this to run well? Maybe we could have some workdays there. Some of the leaf mulch from EH could be moved there to keep weeds down. Barb A will talk to a master gardener she knows that did a children's garden. Pam manages the school garden at Randall elementary. Alan says that weeding and basic workdays would be enough to help with this. Maybe both parents and gardeners could contribute to the effort. Lily and Pam will meet with them to work out a plan. They struggle with turkeys in the Peace Garden and fences will not keep them out due to the high fir trees.

Irrigation system: Ron reviewed the email Lily sent to him and Pam with details about the work done last summer and the options for the future. Do the 1300s have problems with water pressure? Not in general, only when the system is being used heavily, which can cause pressure problems throughout the garden. The main line parallel to Lake Mendota Drive is metal and above ground. Larger pipe than those in the garden, maybe 2-3 inches. Ron does not think that adding more lines will not change the overall demand for water and therefore is not a concern for heavier usage. It would be best to build in redundancy. A second line could be added along the 300s coming from the west. This would have to split off from the current line after the concrete slab across the gravel road. Longterm, the two lines could feed alternate rows so that the hill is never totally without water if there is a broken pipe. The 1300s line was done without outside help. Volunteers dug the trench and the line was installed by garden staff.

The meeting ended at 7:40

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

February 2026

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

February 11 , 2026 7 PM

Remote Meeting

Alex, Ann, Barb A, Jolene, Sandra, Lily and Karen.

Minutes With a motion by Lily and seconded by Ann the January 2026 minutes were approved.

Ann started the meeting.

Registrar Update

So far this year we have 383 renewals and 32 new applications. The deadline for renewals is February 15th, and the number of renewals so far is average. It seems that gardening interest may be down. The number of new applications is a bit lower than previous years. It is likely not related to the plot fees, since they are lower than the fees at other area community gardens.

Lily will be going to the Garden Expo on Friday and will bring garden applications.

Brad, the new director of the Preserve and the other Preserve staff are fine with gardeners using snap traps in plots to control voles. This committee would need to approve this change. It would be nice to feed the hawks any voles that were trapped. We would probably want some requirements around the use of snap traps. Traps should be out of reach of paths, and inside pvc pipe to protect birds. Traps would need to be checked regularly. Lily will write a proposed list of guidelines for the Committee to approve.

The Eagle scout working on the benches for EH and UH Gardens has checked in with Bryn, the Preserve contact. This Committee will need to choose locations for the benches. Next to the granite benches at EH in the shade might work, but those will probably be moved due to the access road construction. The EH tree island is another option. The best UH option is probably by the apple trees.

Lily is writing weed and pest guides for the gardens. She will share drafts with the group but need more photos. Barb likes the emails sent out in the growing season about current weeds to look out for.

Garden Worker Report

Pam was not able to attend, but had nothing to report due to the time of year.

Additional topics

Jolene has submitted the pay increase for returning garden employees and asked for a March 1st effective date.

 
Jolene is currently recruiting for a new garden worker and also for a full-time person at the Community Center office. Lily suggested that we could put the garden worker job in the apartments newsletter. Jolene said they could try this, but it has not been very effective in the past.

 
Opening day will be April 4th, and carts and tools will be out. The Seed Fair is later due to holidays (April 11th). Sandra will update the website.

Motion by Lily and seconded by Barb A to adjourn which passed.

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

January 2026

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

January 14 , 2026 7 PM

Remote Meeting

Jolene, Alex, Jessica, Ann, Ric, Ron, Pam, Lily and Karen.

Jessica started the meeting.

Minutes With a motion by Lily and seconded by Ann the November 2025 minutes were approved.

Registrar Update

So far this season there have been 187 renewals and 18 new applications . New applications are a bit low. The financial assistance program has been very successful, with a lot of generous donations. We may consider not accepting aid next year or suggesting a small donation amount. Many people receiving aid are residents. Lily added a note to the Apartments newsletter about the assistance program which stated that names of recipients and donors are confidential. A couple of things to note: People applying for assistance should be asked to omit payment with their initial applications since the amount will likely change. Lily is reserving funds for new applicants in the order they applied, along with renewing applicants so they are still eligible on the same first-come, first-served basis.

Jolene has had a button for the Gardens added to the Foundation website. This is the only tax-deductible way to donate to the gardens, so we will make it available to anyone who is interested.

Budget review: Due to a system upgrade, no financial reports have been available since June, 2025. Lily has reviewed the budget to provide the best estimate she can of where we stand. We probably entered the current fiscal year with about $28,000 in the account and we will likely come out in line with the budget. The financial assistance funds are tracked separately and subtracted from the budget.

Garden Expo: A staff member at Eagle's Wing has asked if we would like to share a table at the Garden Expo on Feb 13th. Lily will go and bring along some applications. We will also donate some non-viable seeds for a craft activity.

Garden Worker Report

Pam says there is nothing to report given the time of year.

Additional topics

Hiring

Jolene reminded everyone that TE positions must now have an end date. Pam and Lily are returning next season, but Nick and Zach are not. This means we have two positions to fill. We could recruit and/or do a direct hire. Ron may know someone, and will look into it. The transition to the new system has also slowed down hiring. Jolene will put in a request for a recruitment tomorrow.


Ric asked about water system plans for next year

We need to consult a plumber about water pressure before adding a second line to the main path. Ron has some experience with this and volunteered to help. Lily will email Ron and Pam about the project.

Lily and Pam left the meeting before the wage plan was discussed

A 3% wage increase for returning employees would be in line with Campus. Discussion ensued. A 4% raise was approved for current employees.

The meeting ended at 7:24

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

November 2025

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

November 12 , 2025 7 PM

Remote Meeting

Alex, Ann, Ric, Barb A, Lily and Karen.


Minutes With a motion by An and seconded by Barb A the October 2025 minutes were approved.


Registrar Update

Lily has been making seed donation requests. Some companies are now using third party websites to handle their donation processes and it is more difficult to qualify or be accepted than previously. However, we've already received some nice seeds and expect some more. The bulk seed purchasing and repackaging went very well last year. The seeds from Fedco were good quality and gardeners liked them. We should purchase more this January when the new catalog comes out. Lily will take inventory of the seeds we have left from last year's purchase and plan another order. Broccoli and Kale are always popular and run out quickly. We will also purchase small seed envelopes for the repackaging. A budget of $400 was approved for this.


Lily has placed the work order for the mulberry tree pruning per the three-year thinning out plan. This will happen in the fall or winter.


Swap accepted most of the items we wanted to get rid of today.


The Seed Fair will be on Saturday, April 11th.


We will plan on regular, scheduled path weed whacking to solve the problem of people planting outside of borders. Gardeners will be notified about this. It was noted that many gardeners try to dig up comfrey. It would be good to share more information with gardeners about comfrey. The tap roots are so deep that digging it up is pretty futile. It makes a great mulch though, and gardeners can be encouraged to use the leaves for this.


The Eagle Scout that originally wanted to build Leopold benches for the gardens didn't get back the Preserve about the project. However, a new Eagle Scout reached out to the Preserve about building four. The scout would like to add memorial plaques to the benches for family members. A couple of years ago, the Garden Committee looked into putting up our own benches with memorial plaques for long time gardeners that had passed away. We were told that any request would have to go through the University and memorial benches are $10,000 each, so we were not able to proceed. The Committee decided that although it is a nice idea, we could not accept the benches from the scout with plaques since we aren't able to have plaques for gardeners. We will let the student know that we would be happy to have the benches if they are still interested but understand if they are not.


Garden Worker Report

No garden workers were able to attend the meeting, but there is not much happening at this time of year. The tools and carts will be put away before we have heavy snowfall.


Additional topics

Ric noted that the rabbit population was very large this year. Everyone has really struggled with rabbit predation on plants of all kinds. The only really protection is chicken wire or other rabbit-proof fencing around plants.


There will be no meeting in December this year. We will meet next in January.


Motion by Lily and seconded by Barb A to adjourn which passed.


Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

October 2025

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

October 8, 2025 7 PM

Remote Meeting

Pam, Nick, Jolene, Yohan, Zach, Alan, Ann, Barb A, Lily and Karen.

Minutes With a motion by Lily and seconded by Barb A the September 2025 minutes were approved.

Registrar Update

Should we consider a penalty for gardeners digging outside of their plot borders? A waterline was damaged last week when a gardener dug up the path. Gardeners could be given a flat fine, be asked to cover the cost of repairs, or be required to do an extra workday. We do not want the penalty to be too punitive. Discussion ensued. Ideally the requirement would be general, so that it could be applied fairly, and all gardeners would have the same expectations for not planting or digging in the path, not just those close to a water line. The committee will revisit the topic next month. Garden staff could also routinely weed whack up to border posts.

Pam and Lily cleaned the EH shed. There are a number of items we could send to Swap: A generator, an apple press, sprinklers, and other items. With a motion by Ann and seconded by Barb A the committee agreed to offer these to Swap.

Ric and Lily spent some time on cart repair. A new cart is $400. An individual new wheel with no tire is $70. The committee agreed to budget for 1-2 new carts per year to use at both gardens. Existing carts should be repaired and maintained, when possible, with the cost of components in mind. Two new carts will be purchased for 2026.

Gretel and a group of volunteers will be doing plot checking at EH. They have requested the purchase of reflective tape and a small printer for marking posts. A budget of $100 was agreed upon.

We could consider doing more waterline work at EH next year, since we have about $4000 worth of parts and knowledge of how to install these lines. A second main line could be added to the 300s. The cost of this would probably be an additional $1000. Everyone liked this idea, and Lily will research the project more to share further information.

Garden Worker Report

Pam said that the season is wrapping up and there is not a lot to mention. Many treasures were found in the shed. Zach has moved out of EH and has not been around as much but mowed the borders one more time.

Additional topics

The request for the water to be turned of will be on Oct 21st. However, the process has been more automated by Physical Plant in the last couple of years. The closing date will be later because leaf deliveries are late.

Motion by Lily and seconded by Barb A to adjourn which passed.

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee