May, 2025

 Eagle Heights Garden Committee Minutes

May 14, 2025  7 PM

Remote Meeting

Lily, Ann, Jolene, Pam, Ron, Zach, Barb A, Nick, Alex and Karen.

Alex started the meeting.

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

Registrar Update

Lily says there is now a waiting list for EH gardens.  There are 3 open plots at UH, but they are shady.

A former Eagle Heights gardener is teaching a class about growing watermelons in northern climates at an off site location.  They ask if the committee would be okay informing tour gardeners about this opportunity.  The committee agreed. 

Another gardener would like to try repairing a cart bed with a mesh screen and fiberglass.  The gardener has the supplies to do one cart and see if the repair will work.  If the repair works, they would like the supplies to do more carts for their workday.  The committee agreed this was a good idea.

The garden juries will start soon and there will be a second walkthrough 2 weeks later.

Windrow Composting

The windrow composting project will need Malachai’s support.  The Committee agreed we will need a written agreement with the Dining Farm before we proceed. Some questions remaining are; Who will buy the tarps? What will the schedule be? ( The committee is concerned that adding more tasks to the Garden Working is unsustainable.) The proposal by Malachai that the gardens keep the ride on mower filled with fuel may not work because we get the fuel from Housing.  Jolene will check about the gas.

The composting will work by building the row, putting on the permeable canvas top and not turning the pile.

University Houses also has a huge weedpile.  Maybe we can do it there too.

Garden Worker Report

Pam said the mowing has begun.  She is planning one workday during the week and one on the weekend for the season. Nick also thought that schedule would be good. Some support posts by water risers are missing.  Nick will check on the missing posts.  

Zack and Chris (a gardener) will be repairing the share shelves.  More wood than expected will have to be replaced.

Pam and Lily fixed the leak in the water line last week. They need more risers and faucets to complete repairs.

Motion by Ann and seconded by Karen to spend $200 on the needed plumbing supplies.  Motion carried.

It was noted that there is a second probably buried water shut off on the 1300 that goes to the east nursery area. 

Road Erosion

The Committee would like an update from the GOC about the road erosion.  Eagle Heights Drive drains down the road through the pedestrian ramp past the shed.  In a big storm,  a lot of water comes down the road causing large ruts.  We know that gravel has been added, but the road continues to wash out. 

The drainage from University Houses parking lots also terminates near the weedpile. 

Zack said the ditch has been extended to the west along the road at the back of the 100’s.

Motion by Ron and seconded by Barb A to agree to the windrow composting if a written agreement is signed by the Dining Farms.  $1000. Is approved for tarps, fencing and other supplies. 

Motion passed.

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

Adjourned about 7:40 pm

Submitted by Karen, subject to correction by the Garden Committee