October 2023

 Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

October 11, 2023  7 PM

Remote Meeting

Ann, Ian, Lily, Alex, Jolene, Barb L, Jessica, 

Barb A and Karen.

Minutes  With a motion by Ann and seconded by Lily, the September 2023 minutes were approved. 

Registrar Update

Lily reports there are now 4 empty plots and the water will be turned off sometime next week.

E and R Seeds has already donated a box of seeds for the Seed Fair. We also received a box of seeds from a local garden center.

The Seed Fair will be April 6th and the seed repackaging and sorting is on January 15th. 

The committee agreed to spend up to $100 on Seed Fair supplies.

Andy, a former garden worker, asks if he could have the old metal pieces of the removed Arbor.  Discussion ensued.  Jolene said that we are not allowed to give away state property.  Some people suggested replacing the arbor with a good concrete foundation and the committee agreed to discuss it this winter.

The weed piles need to be removed.  Lily asked for a cost estimate from UW Physical Plant to remove both weed piles.  Lily will ask if any of the other gardening groups have been using the pile also and can contribute to the removal costs. When the weed pile is removed, UW Pest Management will be there to check if there are rats living in the pile.

Nicole and Lily met with NRCS representatives last week.  Pollinator gardens were discussed.  We will hear more later.  

The date for putting away the carts and tools is November 5th.

2024 Applications

The 2024 applications are being updated.  Could the student status be based on the number of credits? Are auditors considered students? Jolene suggested we use the UW Housing criteria for verifying student status. Discussion ensued about the rise in price and people's ability to pay.  The lowest is the student price.  For people in the community price range, we could have an appeal process to the committee.  Lily will send any email telling gardeners about the new fees.

Garden Worker Report

The last path mowing will be soon.  Very few people are signing up for workdays lately.  The tasks still to be done are replacing a few faucets, digging trees and generally cleaning up.  Ian said he had a discussion with a Preserve volunteer about the 500’s native shrub border.  There will be a discussion with the GOC about who has responsibility for this area.  Lily will send an email to Laura and Rhonda about the boundaries and connect with Ian. 

Ian will send an email to Ric and Karen about repairing carts.  Ian would also like to clean out the shed.

COLA

Jolene suggests that the Gardens keep pace with the UW cost of living increases so there is not such a jump in wages like we had in the recent past.  The committee agreed we should follow the UW cola in the future.

Adjourned 7:43

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee