2018 Minutes

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

November 14, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Present: Illana, Ann, Will, Alan, Taylor,, Kathryn and Jessica.

Minutes The October minutes were approved.

No December Meeting Will proposed no meeting in December 2018 and resume in Jan. All agreed.

Registrar Update

Kathryn said she has little to report. She assigned a plot to a visiting scholar from China last week. Around 200 people still not done workday or paid for it. Next month she will contact Gardens to Be for plants to sell in the spring. She needs to order row cover. Last year we had two rolls but ran out quickly – maybe we should get 3? A problem is that excess takes up a lot of room and mice get into it.

Kathryn would like to eliminate late fee of $20 for workday fee. All voted for elimination. No abstentions.

SEED FAIR will be March 30. Seed repackaging will be January 21.


Garden Worker Report Will said they have had plenty of workdays this year at varying times. Last one will be soon.

Facebook/website Will to email Adam, he was the person who started it and Will may also be one of the owners. **We will ask Jolene if we can get back on university web space.**

Third garden worker We will write a third position description for Will, and a new garden worker will be hired in Will’s previous position. **Can Jolene contact Michiah to see if he’ll be coming back?**

Ideas for expenditures Can we buy loads of horse manure? (Ann) Will would like to consider an electric pole at our sheds – he will talk with Lynn to find out who does it and a quote. Will would also suggest a concrete pad for weeds at university houses. He can have a discussion with Rhonda to see if that would be allowed. Alan would like the party to happen still to bring people together. Will – has a two wheel Italian tractor that could use a flail mower attachment. Middleton power would be the people to get it from – approx. $1500. He will bring a quote to the next meeting in January.

Adjourned

Submitted by Jessica, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

October 10, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Ilana welcomed Ann, Will, Alan, Jessica, Jolene, Barb L, Kathryn, Niels, Janet and Karen.

Minutes Motion by Kathryn and seconded by Ann to approve the September minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update

Kathryn said she has been busy with the seeds. All the old seeds are organized and the seed that is too old is gone. She sent letters soliciting seed donations to companies and received 6 big boxes from Agway. She said seeds from Baker Creek were chosen by the Seed Fair Czarina, her delightful daughter Lily and herself. Renee’s Seeds will send a large box and we will pay the postage. Kathryn has also tried to diversify the seeds we receive by requesting a donation from Kitazawa Seeds, but this has not been successful. There was some question of having an earlier Seed Fair this year, but that doesn’t seem possible this year with Spring Break and holidays. SEED FAIR will be March 30. Seed repackaging will be January 21. Kathryn would like to keep the fees and application the same for next year.

Garden Worker Report

Will said the water system is being shut down. University Houses mowing will have to be done later because the ground is too wet. Will is requesting that Shorewood deliver 2 piles of leaves to University Houses and fill the leaf pile at Eagle Heights. He thinks we will have to work with MGE to make sure we can get leaf deliveries when MGE is doing their clearing project along the road. We will want to have the wood chips from the project. Will will coordinate with the Preserve. It was asked if it would be possible to deliver leaves closer to the plots next year? Will said he could use the tractor to deliver nearer the plots, but we would need to work out the details. Shorewood will manage the leaf and wood chip piles for us.

Jolene asked about the possibility of having a consulting position for the 3rd garden worker, but has not heard back yet.

New Garden Co-chair

Jessica introduced herself to the committee as a gardener with a plot at Eagle Heights. One of the things she said she is interested is that food does not go to waste. Kathryn said that there are many transitory gardeners and many gardeners that have been gardening a long time. Reaching the transitory gardeners is difficult. She asked Jessica, “How would you reach them?”. Jessica said it was difficult. Perhaps there could be an online message board or a physical message board. It was mentioned that there is a garden Facebook page. Discussion ensued. Perhaps we could connect gardeners together. After more discussion, Jessica was confirmed as the new Garden Co-Chair.

Brush clearing by MGE

MGE will start clearing brush along Lake Mendota Drive around the third week of October.

Will is going to make sure the water is off, the water line is marked and will try to contact the project manager to show them our water lines. Ann said she spoke to someone at the site that said they were going to bury the power lines. This was confirmed as true by Jolene. Note that MGE keeps changing their mind about this.

Various topics

Ann thanked the garden workers for the work on plot 115.

Treasurer’s Report

Barb L reported that the gardens have sufficient funds. Discussion ensued. Let’s have a party so Gardeners can get to know each other. How about an ice cream party? Aso we should continue repairing the retaining walls. We could electrify the sheds. About 15 water spigots need replacing. More discussion will follow at a later meeting.

The committee thanked Janet for her work as Co-Chair and wished her well at her new position.

Adjourned at 7:58 P.M. By Janet

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

September 12, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Ilana welcomed Ann, Will, Barb L, Ric, Kathryn, Michaiah, Barb A, Jolene, Niels, Rhonda, Janet and Karen.

Minutes Motion by Kathryn and seconded by Ann to approve the August minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved.

Road Erosion

Rhonda reports that the estimate to repair the road by the shed is $4200, which includes the digging out of the trench, a concrete protector for the irrigation pipe, the addition of a blowout fitting for the pipe and smoothing the road. Discussion ensued. There was concern that others were driving on the road. This was previously a footpath. We have the funds. Some would like to see the road repaired now. There was talk of creating an MOU with CALS and FH King about our shared infrastructure.

Motion by Kathryn and seconded by Barb L to approve the repair of the road project ($4200) and develop an MOU so future costs can be shared equitably by all.

Rhonda announced that the whole western edge along Lake Mendota Drive will be cleared by MGE this fall. There was also discussion about the needed repair of the 700’s retaining wall. Rhonda thought it needs reinforcement. Will thought the wall needs heavier T poles. The GOC will review this on their walkaround visit.

Registrar Update

Kathryn said the weed juries were done for August at Eagle Heights and for September at University Houses. She sent out 101 emails and 66 plots have been resolved. Three plots have been confiscated. It has been a difficult year. The 500 and 600’s have been underwater!

The gardens has received a wonderful donation of seeds from Agway.

Eleven plots are open, 5 small and 6 large. Michaiah has cleared 5 of the plots with workday crews.

Garden Worker Report

Michaiah reports besides clearing plots, he has not mowed a lot. Will mowed about 10 days ago. Standing water is still present in the lower field. FH King damaged the lower field with a truck. Michaiah will be using the scythe and the small power mower to clear paths. Will cleaned up around the shed and took the sign down to be repaired by Dave.

Discussion ensued about how wonderfully the new weedpile at Eagle Heights is functioning. The positive discussion lasted quite a while.

There was discussion about the garden workers plans for next year. Will requested that we consider hiring another worker because he will be a senior citizen in 2 weeks and finds the heavy work tiring. He is still quite capable of tractor driving, work group supervision and the water lines. Jolene said that approvals would be needed. Discussion ensued. Jolene said that 3 months would be needed for approvals. Jolene thought perhaps that Will could be put into a consultant role and we would try to hire a second garden worker. Jolene will report back at the next meeting.

Rain Garden

Rhonda gave permission for rain gardens at 115 and 606a. These plots have been underwater for a lot of the summer. Some of the plants could be planted this fall and some in the spring. Rhonda has provided a list of species and Barb A knows which of these have survived in the Arbor Garden this season. Discussion ensued.

Motion by Ann and seconded by Janet to spend $100 on the rain garden plants. Passed unanimously. Niels volunteered to help Barb A, Ann and Kathryn with the rain garden plantings.

There was a request that Michaiah bury plot 115 with leaves using workday labor. Michaiah said he would add it to the list. Michaiah will report his future plans to the committee at the November meeting.

Adjourned at 7:57 P.M. By Janet

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

August 8, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Janet welcomed Ann, Will, Barb L, Ric, Kathryn, Michaiah, Barb L. and Karen.

Minutes Motion by Ann and seconded by Will to approve the July minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update

Kathryn said that she has been busy with weed juries. She has sent 66 weedy plot notices and 33 have been resolved. Half cleaned up the plots and half gave up the plot. There are 8 large plots and 5 small plots empty. Kathryn has placed an ad in the September Housing newsletter saying that plots are free until the end of the year.

The entrance sign needs rehabilitation. Dave Williams has volunteered to fix the sign. He will do a transfer to save the old design and repaint it with enamel colors. Motion by Karen and seconded by Ann to budget $100 for paint to repair sign. Passed unanimously.

Garden Worker Report

Michaiah reports that a workday cleared the treeline and rechipped the 100’s path. The water problems have been resolved. It took longer to repair the breaks because the pipes are the old steel lines.

Michaiah says that the Greenhouse learning community does not have space for us to start plants.

The rain garden site 115 has had black plastic put down on it.
Janet was asked about the stink bug project. She said that according to her study that 20% of the stink bugs had been predated upon, but not by the parasitoid they had been seeking.

Michaiah said that he has been having 2 or 3 weekday workdays. The attendance has been low, but he will keep having them. He will also try for a workday next weekend.

Kathryn said it is probably too late for the greenhouse project this year. Gardens to Be will still be asked to be our vendor.

Arbor Poles

Will has contacted UW Grounds and has not yet heard back about the arbor poles. When we did the hose reel project, they approved the auger and a crew to operate it. Ric said he found product at Marling Lumber that could work to support the poles. Discussion ensued.

Various Topics

The rain garden idea at plots 115 and 606A were mentioned to Rhonda. She likes the idea, but hasn’t gotten back with any specifics.

Weedy plot rehabilitation was then discussed. Karen suggested that turnip greens could be seeded to keep down weeds. The greens bloom in the early spring, which is good for pollinators. Janet said that Brassicas and legumes are also natural fumigants. Discussion ensued. Michaiah said we could put down leaves. Maybe we need some cover crops. Kathryn said we probably have enough Turnip green seed for 2 to 3 plots. In the absence of other cover crops, we can use leaves.

Co-Chair Needed
Janet announced that she got a new, good job so she will be leaving. The committee congratulated her and thanked her for her service. We need a new co-chair.

Adjourned at 7:48 P.M. By JanetSubmitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

July 11, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Ilana welcomed Ann, Jolene, Barb L, Edward, Kathryn, Michaiah, Barb A. and Karen.

Minutes Motion by Kathryn and seconded by Barb A. to approve the June minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update

Kathryn said that there has not been as much to do lately. A few people gave up their plots. There are 3 large plots and one small plot empty. The weed juries from June have finished their work. After checking the plots, Kathryn has contacted the plots with difficulties and people are cleaning their plots. There was a suggestion that how to apply for a garden plot should be displayed on the garden bulletin boards. All thought this was a good idea.

One of the plots next to the Arbor was under water for four days after one the recent storms. Discussion ensued about making the area a rain garden. Kathryn will check up on this idea.

Kathryn reports that the idea of using a UW greenhouse to start plants has turned out to be more work than previously thought. There are two greenhouse locations: Walnut Street and West Madison Ag Station. It was agreed that the West Madison Ag Station is too far away. At the Walnut Greenhouses the plants would need to be watered every day. All volunteers need to go through a one hour orientation. Kathryn is trying to find a time that works for the volunteers to have the orientation. Time is getting late, but she hopes to try growing starter plants for this fall. Discussion ensued. Jolene suggested that the residence Hall Learning Community at Leopold has a greenhouse too Michaiah will find out if that will work for us.

Garden Worker Report

Michaiah said that a cycle of mowing has almost been completed. Will used the tractor today around the 500’s and Michaiah scythed the edges. We now have 8 parsnip predator shovels. We received cart parts recently and can begin repair of carts.

There is a break in the water line between 727 and 729, one of the oldest lines. Discussion ensued. Kathryn succinctly described the problem in the Wednesday email note:

“WHEN THE WATER IS OFF – Last week, our garden workers needed to fix a leak. So they turned the water off for that line, and left the area to dry. They came back very early the next morning, and found that someone had turned the water back on. The hole where they expected to work was full of water. They were a little annoyed. Okay, they were a lot annoyed. They asked me to mention this in my next message. So here it is: IF THE WATER IS OFF IN THE GARDENS, IT IS PROBABLY OFF FOR A REASON. We will try to do a better job from now on to let people know when we have turned off a water line, and if you have a question, you can always email me to ask what’s going on. (A number of gardeners did email me about the water being off.) Our water system is old and quirky, and needs frequent repairs. Most often, the water has to be turned off in order to make the repairs, and if the problem is below ground, the ground has to dry out before our workers can get at it. Our workers do their very best to fix water problems on weekdays so that the water is available on Fridays and weekends.”

The garden workers will try to have the water line repair done by Friday.

The arbor poles repair project was discussed. We all agreed that the idea that Will had about consulting UW Grounds about how the repair the structure was excellent and we are interested in their recommendations.

There probably won’t be any workdays in August due to the heat. Workdays will resume in September. There was some discussion about plot clearing and Michaiah said he would welcome help. This would occur in August.

Wild parsnip has been removed from the gardens by Ann, Kathryn and Karen. Please report any wild parsnip sightings to Kathryn.

Various items

Michaiah said he will put down the new black plastic to kill the weeds in Plot 115. The piece of plastic there now is too small.

Ann reported that she contacted someone about the safety of Spinosad. She needs to tell them what brand our Spinosad is because sometimes the inert ingredients can be a problem.

There was a discussion about the problem of biting flies. It was suggested that they are more attracted to wet skin, so try not to splash yourself when watering.

There was more discussion about the rain garden idea near the Arbor. Someone suggested that we could apply to get free rain garden plants through Plant Dane free nature plants program. Our gardens are in a wellhead protection zone. Discussion ensued.

Adjourned at 7:37 P.M. By Ilana Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee 

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

June 13, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Ilana welcomed Ben, Ann, Ric, Janet, Barb L, Edward, Kathryn, Will and Karen.

Minutes Motion by Kathryn and seconded by Ric to approve the May minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update

Kathryn said that there were 11 cancellations and the plots were reassigned. There is still a waiting list. All the row cover has been sold. The webmaster has left and Ann has volunteered to be the new webmaster.

Kathryn said the weed juries have started. There are 4 weed juries for Eagle Heights and one for University Houses.

Garden Worker Report

Will said all of University Houses has been mowed and most of Eagle Heights except the perimeter. Both weedpiles have been cleaned out once by Shorewood. The 700’s path has been rechipped. The blackberries and raspberries have been pruned. Will is trying to get wood chips from a tree service. Michaiah has been doing a lot of mowing.

There is an opportunity to grow starter plants in the UW greenhouse. We would rent a table at the cost of $46 a month. The materials needed would be provided at cost. Volunteers would have to water on the weekend. Discussion ensued. What about our present relationship with Gardens to Be? How much labor would be required? The UW Greenhouse would require a short list of people who were allowed access to the greenhouse. What about a fall crop of plants? Gardens to Be does not provide a fall crop of plants. The transplanting labor could be considerable. It was agreed that we would explore it for a fall crop. Kathryn said that the donated seed could not be used except for recovering greenhouse costs.

Parsnip Predator

Ann showed us a tool the is useful for removing wild parsnips and thistles. A wild parsnip was removed from the garden at the water faucet near 810. Wild parsnips can give a horrible burn if you touch the plant.

More information here: https://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/1999/jun99/parsnip.htm

We should remove it from the gardens. Discussion ensued.

Moved by Karen and seconded by Ann to buy a parsnip predator for $50. Passed unanimously.

Arbor Poles

The arbor poles are deteriorating at the base where cement has been poured around them.

Ric explored possibilities about fixing the poles. After discussion with Will, they recommend a concrete base with a metal hardware attachment cast in which will attach to the pole and keep it from having direct contact with the concrete.

Will suggests asking the UW Grounds crew for their advice. UW Grounds put in the poles for the hose reels for us at University Houses.

Moved by Barb L and seconded by Karen to approve $500 for supplies for the project.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Janet said the brown Marmorated stink bug is a big pest on crops in the east, especially apples. She is conducting a research project at her work looking for natural enemies of the stink bug. She has permission from the Preserve to place stink bug eggs in the garden for a short time and then remove them to see if natural predators can be detected. Discussion ensued. She will place the eggs in public areas of the garden and only in plots of people whom she has direct permission.

We agreed that she has the Garden’s okay for this project.

Various items

It was requested that Will put down the new black plastic to kill the weeds in Plot 115.

There is a plot in Eagle Heights that has a fence on the boundary that is made of willow branches that are sprouting. Discussion ensued. If the branches were pruned, it would probably kill the willow, especially if they were moved off the boundary. Kathryn asked if we were getting more sticks. Ben said yes and these were drier so they won’t sprout.

There was discussion of the Mexican bean beetle control efforts. In previous years after we released the predator wasp, we have not needed to release again for several years. We will monitor the beetle numbers and decide if we need to release wasps.

Here is a succinct note about potato beetle from Kathryn. “We have potato beetles in the garden now- they are serious pests of potatoes, of course, but also potato relatives such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Both the adults and the larvae eat leaves, and if there’s a large enough population, they can strip the plants. Once again, the safest and most effective method for getting rid of them is to hand-pick them off your plants, and toss them into a bucket of soapy water. Some years, our garden workers spray Spinosad in areas with lots of beetles. It’s a natural substance made by a soil bacterium. It is very toxic to insects, but not to most other organisms, such as mammals, birds, or earthworms. It can be dangerous to bees, but our workers are very careful about when they spray, so that bees won’t be affected. We haven’t made a decision on spraying yet for this year, but here is a fact sheet on Spinosad: http://npic.orst.edu/”. Discussion ensued about spraying the potato beetles with Spinosad.

Sign Repainting

Janet and another volunteer will repaint the entrance sign.

Adjourned at 7:57 P.M. By Ilana

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

May 9, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Janet welcomed Ben, Ann, Ric, Janet, Barb L, Barb A, Ilana, Edward, Michaiah, Kathryn and Karen.

Minutes Motion by Kathryn and seconded by Ric to approve the April minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update

Kathryn said that all plots are now assigned and there is a waiting list. There are a couple of problem plots. Plot 838A is small, triangular and shady and she is embarrassed to show it to new gardeners. She suggests that we offer it to plot 836. Plot 115 was submerged last year. Perhaps it could become a rain garden, but does it have enough water? Discussion ensued. It was said that rain gardens with native plants can tolerate dry summers. A rain garden would need a gardener to take care of it. Some people thought we should try to rehabilitate the plot for gardening. There was a question as to whether the water flow had changed with the new weed pile. Some said maybe the Preserve could help us install a rain garden. It was decided that Ben would contact Rhonda and ask about the water flow and her recommendations for the area.

Kathryn said she will be starting the weed juries and will be asking for volunteers. She also reported that necessary refunds have been given. The rules state that no permanent structures are allowed. Someone at University Houses has put up a greenhouse that takes up half the plot. Discussion ensued. Kathryn will check with the gardener about how long it will be up.

Garden Worker Report

Michaiah said he sold row cover and unpacked the order of hoes and forks. The paint has arrived and he will paint the handles. Discussion ensued about the shovels that were put out without handle paint. Polyurethane on the handles might make it difficult for the paint to stick. There was general agreement the garden tools should have painted handles.

Michaiah said that cart maintenance is needed and we will be needing some supplies. He will also be repairing some of the hose reels. There is a water leak in the 900 row that we all agreed can wait until Will is back next week for it to be repaired. Michaiah said they will start mowing using the scythe and the mower when it dries out from the rain. The power mower has been repaired and will be ready on Tuesday. The big projects on the list for work this year are the end of the University Houses main path and the retaining wall by the 700’s and FH King.


Ben, who works for the Preserve, said there is a big patch of garlic mustard in the woods next to the road where our main water line is. He said a Preserve group will be weeding it soon. Ben will also flag the hazards before the MGE work starts.

Arbor Poles

The arbor poles are deteriorating at the base where cement has been poured around them. Discussion ensued. The concrete sleeves are also cracking. These sleeves hold moisture around the poles. Perhaps a different design where the pole was held up by a metal piece embedded in concrete would be better in the long run. Ric knows a carpenter that he will consult about what we should do to repair the poles. Barb A and Ric will bring back the recommendation to the committee.

Various items

The steps at 737 need work. Discussion ensued about the condition of various steps in the garden. Michaiah thought that repairing steps with workday labor would be difficult, as some previous knowledge is required. Michaiah thinks garden workers will have to do the repairs.


Is there a protocol for abandoned plots? Kathryn said that gardeners should email her if they think a plot has been abandoned and she will contact the gardener and see if they are still interested in gardening. There is a waiting list!

Plot rehabilitation

Someone asked the status of Plot 501. It has not been assigned and needs rehabilitation. Janet will contact Will about 501 rehabilitation with the new plastic we just bought.

Important Dates

Warm Weather plant sale- May 20


Adjourned at 8:02 P.M. By Ilana
Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

April 11, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Ilana welcomed Ben, Ann, Ric, Vicky, Janet, Will, Barb L, Kathryn, Jolene and Karen.
Minutes Motion by Kathryn and seconded by Ric to approve the March minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update

Kathryn reported that 241 plots were signed in at the Seed Fair and we gave away about 3615 seed packets. Kathryn thanked the seed fair volunteers and Karen for their work. We recently received a box of seed from Territorial Seeds which we will save for next years Seed Fair.

There are 12 large plots and 6 small plots that are not yet assigned at Eagle Heights. At University Houses there are 3 plots left. Some of the small unassigned plots at Eagle Heights have problems which need to be remedied.

Kathryn has contacted Scott at Gardens to Be for a plant list of the cool weather crops. When she receives the list, she will post it on the gardens home page.

Garden Worker Report

Will said that 20 shovels have been rebuilt and are ready for handle painting when the weather warms. The all tools approved at the February meeting have arrived. The only the cover crop seed still needs to be purchased.

The workday planned for the utility corridor this weekend will be deferred due to rain. MGE will be clearing under their power lines and we need to remove any unused water pipe and mark our existing water pipe before they start work. MGE plans to remove all the ash trees in the corridor.

Erosion on the road from the shed to CALS

Will explained the idea to dig a trench and put a secondary protector pipe for our water lines to go through when they cross the road. The water lines cross the road in three places: the 100’s line at the top of the hill, the main path line at the bottom of the hill and the 500/600’s line a little further. Discussion ensued. There was a suggestion that we didn’t need to fix anything but the 100’s line where it is steep. The other lines are already protected by cement slabs and they are in a flat place so the road does not wash out. The bad erosion problem is the 100’s line.

Manure

Will contacted Grounds about getting manure, but they have not yet replied. Hoofers was moved to a farm near Verona. Will said we cannot bring in fresh manure. Will could use a Housing truck, but it would only have about 3-4 cubic yards. A better idea is to have manure brought by a UW Grounds dump truck at 30 cubic yards at a time. Will will try to get some manure.

Various Items

Kathryn said she is arranging 2 volunteers for the cool weather plant sale on April 22.

Will said the order of business for tasks is: A workday for the MGE corridor project, get ugly paint for the new tool handles and paint them, and then field work in the gardens.

Ben said he will try to be a contact with the UW Preserve as he works for them and has a plot at Eagle Heights. There was general agreement that this was good.

Ric asked if Orientations are done.

Discussion ensued about a border issue in the 500’s at Eagle Heights. The committee thinks it’s important to maintain the borders where they should be. Kathryn will check on the problem and Ilana and Janet will be available if necessary.

Important Dates

Cool Weather plant sale- April 22
Warm Weather plant sale- May 20

Adjourned at 7:46 P.M. By Ilana
Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

March 14, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Ilana welcomed Michaiah, Will, Barb L, Kathryn, Jolene, Edward and Karen.
Minutes Motion by Michaiah and seconded by Edward to approve the February minutes. After a discussion about the rehabilitation of plots, the minutes were unanimously approved.

Rehabilitation of Plots

In February we said, “Another way to rehabilitate plots is to give a gardener help by assigning 3 to 4 workday laborers to work with the gardener in their plot. The plot owner would have to be part of the workday help and would owe the gardens an extra workday for this help. We should promote this program.” We need to discuss the issue of not promoting this beyond our means to deliver the help. Perhaps we should only be offering this help on plots that we have been previously identified as terrible. Discussion ensued. The garden workers will check the plots in the spring and see which plots need rehabilitation. Ilana said we will announce it and see if the feedback warrants it. The plot owner will have to work with the workday help and will owe the gardens an extra workday.

Registrar Update

Kathryn has renewed 393 plots and assigned 115 new gardener to plots. We have 53 plots left. About 3 to 4 applications are coming in every day and are getting assigned plots. A few plots with problems have not yet been assigned. 704 was rehabbed last year with the lasagna method so it has cardboard and leaves to smother the weeds. 115 has water issues that might be solved now that the weedpile pad is in. And 501 has weed problems.

E&R Seeds sent a large box of seeds, some of which will be used for next year’s Seed Fair. They sent flowers, cabbage and basil among other things. The porta potty has been ordered for March 22. Next Wednesday the regular emails from the Registrar will start.

Garden Worker Report

Will said that 30 shovel heads are ready for new handles. The tools approved at the previous meeting have been ordered and are shipped. They will be put out after the handles are painted our ugly color. This step might need to wait for a warmer day. Pruning tools were also purchased, including loppers, shears and saws. Landscape plastic for plot rehabilitation has been ordered for a good price and is enough for 4 plots. The plastic will only be used for two weeks to kill the weeds, but not sterilize the soil.

Michaiah marked the plot numbers on the stakes for the missing marker poles. The carts and tools have been put out at Eagle Heights. He and a volunteer also pruned the pear trees with the new pruning ladder and the ladder is great.

Seed Fair and Orientation

The Seed Fair is April 7th from 9:30 to 11:00. The seeds are ready and we have 33 volunteers and some backup volunteers. The Co-Chairs will have a table near the front to talk with gardeners. We have a lot of seeds for this year. Kathryn also suggested we have a knowledgable gardener answer questions at the Seed Fair. Kathryn will try to get a volunteer.

Kathryn will lead an Orientation at noon on April 7th at Eagle Heights. She will find a volunteer for University Houses. Kathryn will also find volunteers for orientations in Mandarin and Korean. It was suggested that a part of the orientation will be how to dispose of weeds. Will volunteered to write a draft that the committee will approve of via email before the seed fair. He will also have a sign made. The sign will need to be in place by May. It was also mentioned that the garden rules should be included in the Wednesday Registrar email.

Weed Pile Swales

Discussion ensued about the drainage swales. Will said the culverts are installed and the swales need to be put in to direct the water. Culverts were installed in a different place than the plan, so Rhonda needs to review the swale placement at the site before they are put in. The culverts will also have to be kept clean. Also plot 115 will remain unassigned until we see if the water problems are solved.

Plot Rehabilitation

Discussion continued. Michaiah suggested that a multi seed mix would be a better choice for the cover crop. Will will order a multi seed mix and also a drop spreader. If we have a waiting list, then the cover crop will be turned over by the new plot owner. How easy will the cover crop be to turn over? The easier the turnover the better it will be for the new plot owner. If there is no waiting list, the cover crop can remain to keep down the weeds.

Strategic planning

Ilana suggested we have a better system for for voting and expressing opinions. What about a three card system: Red = no, green = yes and yellow = neutral or need more information. Discussion ensued. We agreed to the “Stoplight” system of cards.

Other

Bindweed is growing vigorously in the chipped paths. Vinegar could be used to suppress it, but it would require two applications.

The University Houses hose reels need maintenance because some are not turning properly. This task will need to be done the 3rd week in April when the water will be turned on.

Will needs plumbing supplies. The committee approved $200 in supplies.

Adjourned at 7:55 P.M. By Ilana

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee


Important Dates

Opening Day- March 24

Seed Fair- April 7

Cool Weather plant sale- April 22

Warm Weather plant sale- May 20

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

February 14, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Ilana welcomed Michaiah, Will, Janet, Ann and Karen.

Minutes Motion by Michaiah and seconded by Ann to approve the January minutes. Minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update Kathryn could not come to the meeting due to illness, so there was no report at the meeting.

Garden Worker Update Michaiah said he might be getting another job that would only allow him to work in the gardens two days a week. He will keep us informed. Discussion ensued. Will said he was unable to keep up with the scything last summer and used the tractor to mow. Michaiah said he likes to use the scythe to mow because it meets his personal standards.

Weed Pile Swales Will said the weedpile is ready for use, but we need 6-8 more concrete blocks. Physical plant will have to do this work. He will talk to them. Discussion ensued about the drainage swales. Will said the culverts are installed and the swales need to be put in to direct the water. It was agreed that this should be the earliest workday in the season.

2017 Tool Inventory

Eagle Heights

Big Hoe 8

Small triangular hoe 7

Small rectangular hoe 8

Regular hoe 13

Rakes 16

Forks 18

Digging shovels 7

Edging shovels 6

Square shovels 1

Gravel shovels 3

Broad forks (All accounted for)


University Houses

Big Hoe 1

Small triangular hoe and Small rectangular hoe 4

Regular hoe

Rakes 4

Forks 5

Digging shovels 3

Edging shovels

Square shovels

Gravel shovels

Cultivators 3

Broad forks (All accounted for)

The discussion was divided into two parts: repairs and purchases.
Many shovels have broken handles and can be repaired. There are also some broken rakes. Long handled shovels are easier to use, but get broken more often.
We need to buy new forks because many of the broken ones cannot be fixed. Discussion ensued about the types of forks to buy. We all agreed that that we will not buy any more of the all metal forks.


The agreed tool purchase is as follows:


Garden Forks- 12

Triangular hoes- 6

Regular hoes- 10

Fine tines leaf forks- 3

New shovel and rake handles

Weed tarp- 1 (See later discussion)


Ilana asked if some of the tools could be fixed before the next meeting and Will said yes.

Plot Rehabilitation

It was agreed that we need manure at the gardens. Will will explore our options about getting aged horse manure. Discussion ensued.

We also discussed the problem of really weedy abandoned plots. Roto tilling is bad for plots with quackgrass. Last year Michaiah and Dane managed to clear 5 or 6 of the 16 to 20 plots on the terrible list. Rehabilitating a plot with cardboard, leaves and compost is really time consuming. There is a Canadian organic gardener that mows a bad plot, waters it and uses a weed tarp for two weeks only to kill the weeds. Then sews a cover crop to control the weeds. We agreed to try this method on one or more of the plots that are really bad. This would only be a few plots a year.

Another way to rehabilitate plots is to give a gardener help by assigning 3 to 4 workday laborers to work with the gardener in their plot. The plot owner would have to be present and would owe the gardens an extra workday for this help. We should promote this program.

Adjourned at 8 P.M. By Janet

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee
Important Dates

Opening Day- March 24

Seed Fair- April 7

Cool Weather plant sale- April 22

Warm Weather plant sale- May 20

Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

January 10, 2018, 7 P.M.

Eagle Heights Community Center

7:00 Janet welcomed Kathryn, Ann, Rosemary, Rollie, Michaiah, Will, Ulrike, Ric, Jolene, and Karen.

Minutes The December minutes were unanimously approved.

Registrar Update Kathryn reported that 165 gardeners have renewed and there are 26 new gardener applications. A handful of people used the online application. Scott at Gardens to Be will be selling plants this year. The Cool weather plant sale is April 22 and the Warm weather plant sale is May 20. Kathryn is asking Scott to send a list of plants.

Two rolls of row cover from Johnny’s have been ordered for $764. We need someone to cut the row cover. Michaiah and Will will take care of it before the Seed Fair on April 7th.

The Seed Fair is being organized. An email will be sent out getting volunteers for seed repacking and another date for the seed sort.

Garden Worker Update There was little to report, due to the season. Michaiah said a third garden worker would be a good idea. It would be nice to work with someone got sick. The worker hours used were lower than the budget. Discussion ensued. Our budget needs to accommodate the workers we hire. It is difficult to justify the third worker when the hours that are available to the two workers are not being used. Could there be a smaller position of 10 hours a week? Older budgets had money in plumbing that could be moved if there was an need. The work is very manual, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have a third worker. Jolene stated that creating a new position is time consuming.

Strategic Planning Janet opened the discussion by discussing the role of the garden committee. Discussion ensued. Janet will send out a survey.

Adjourned at 7:45 P.M. By Janet

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee

Important Dates

Seed Fair- April 7

Cool Weather plant sale- April 22

Warm Weather plant sale- May 20


Eagle Heights Gardens Mission Statement

Mission

The University Apartments Community Gardens are an opportunity for the UW Madison community and area residents to enjoy nature, build community, learn about gardening, and feed their families. Specifically our purposes are:

Nutritional – The gardens are an important source of fresh produce for many students and their families

Recreational – The gardens are an opportunity for many people to enjoy nature and interact with the earth.

Educational – We help our gardeners learn about the natural world, new gardening techniques, and ways to garden in an organic or environmentally friendly manner.

Community building – The gardens are a place where students, university and community members from diverse age groups and cultural backgrounds can interact, learn from each other, and share in the creation of an aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly space.

These purposes are an outgrowth of the broader goals of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, of which the gardens are a part, and its mission to "shelter biologically significant plant and animal communities for teaching, research, outreach, and environmentally sensitive use, and safeguard beloved cultural landscapes."