Report on the 2014/2015 growing season

Post date: 24-Jun-2015 09:18:06

The Community Garden, now well known throughout Dunedin, celebrated its fourth anniversary in April.

Working Bees

We continue to have working bees every week of the year alternating Saturdays and Sundays. Harvesting also continues throughout the year and every volunteer goes home with some produce. There are between 10 and 25 volunteers at every working bee. Many of these people are new to the Valley or Dunedin and come from a variety of situations and backgrounds. Many are renters and often have no room for vegetable garden at home. Morning and afternoon tea are an integral part of every working bee. Introductions occur, notices are given and decisions made at these times and many informal conversations swapping gardening information and often having questions answered. Many Garden related matters are decided at these times giving every volunteer a role in decision making.

Steering Group

The Steering Group has been revitalized with new members but now only needs to meet to consider governance and more formal matters. Opinions from Steering Group members are often sought by email. Richard Tozer continues to oversee the gardening operations and direct volunteers at working bees. Jenny Roxborogh continues as Secretary/coordinator, managing communications of various sorts, including the email list. Various members of the Steering Group have taken responsibility for specific projects meaning that the load is shared in quite an informal manner. Major tasks undertaken by the Steering Group this year have been drawing up a realistic Heath and Safety policy and hazard register, revising the Memorandum of Understanding with the NEV Normal School and establishing a memorandum of Understanding with the North East Valley Project.

The Vegetables

Planting is based on the crop rotation schedule developed over time by the group and is modified responsively, season-by-season. At least 90% of the garden seeds are now collected from our own crops. Successful garden crops have included some two and half thousand garlic heads, approximately 80+kg of yams of varying sizes, over two thousand leeks, three plots of potatoes, a generous harvest of broad beans and scarlet runner beans, and a steady supply of cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbages, silver beet, parsnips, carrots, lettuces and rhubarb. A small supply of corn, spring onions, white-stone turnips, beetroot, celery, courgettes and pumpkins complemented the garden’s ‘staple’ crops. Asparagus plants are now well established and we enjoyed our first crop this year. A steady supply of herbs is enjoyed from the herb garden and spiral.

A beehive at the garden, placed and maintained by a local beekeeper, Colin Fitzpatrick, provides a great source of bees for pollination and also Garden members get to share in the honey. At least one member has helped with the bees and is learning the art of bee keeping from Colin.

Improvements to the Garden infrastructure (and materials donated)

Improvements to the garden this year include:

  • Continuing the edging of gardens with rolled donated roofing iron

  • Laying donated old carpet on paths and covering these with wood chips (thanks to local residents and NEV School)

  • Extending the irrigation system to include most of the beds (money from Fonterra Grass Roots Fund)

  • Incorporating bales of pea straw into the Gardens. (Thanks to NEV School)

  • Garden sign erected in the school grounds (Thanks to Erena Robins, Andrew Bowen and Kidz Inc)

  • Drainage system completed with donated drainage coil

  • New small tool shed (thanks to John Shanks)

  • Repairs to the driveway after recent heavy rain (thanks to Carl, the school caretaker)

Grants and Awards

  • Fonterra Grass Roots Fund Award - $1000 Thanks to Margi McCloy for putting in this application. This has funded the completion of the irrigation system, seedlings, a trestle table for produce and still $200 to spend.

  • Trustpower community award – Commended in the Heath and Wellbeing category. $100 Trustpower voucher which we plan to use to help some NEV families.

Relationships with other groups

The Garden and Transition Valley 473 have continued to have a cooperative easy relationship with many TV473 supporters also being involved with the Garden. They have continued their conscientious maintenance of fruit trees and berry bushes around the periphery. We have had joint activities including fruit tree pruning, and an activity (including the Project as well), with fruit juicing, a preserves swap, an open day at the Garden with vegetables to give away to everyone and a barbecue to finish with. Garden members were well represented at the Community dinner in conjunction with the Soil and Health Association. We also contributed willing workers and vegetables for the Matariki hangi and contribute vegetables regularly to the Food share initiative for some Valley families. Members of the Garden contributed vegetables and plants to the North East Valley Normal School’s fair as well as demonstrating worm farms, making seed raising mix and preparing cuttings.

Another role for the Garden has been to provide advice and inspiration for other groups establishing community gardens. These groups have included gardens at the University, Pine Hill, Dalmore, and most recently Green Island.

Visitors to the Garden

There has been a steady stream of visitors to the Garden. Among others there have been geography students from the University, Students for Environmental Action, horticulture students studying organics from the Polytech, the Dunedin Vegetable Growers club, students from St Hilda’s and DNI, visitors from the Department of Internal Affairs, and visitors sent by Presbyterian Support. We have also had a visit from the CCS Supported Life Styles Coordinator and regular visits from a CCS client and her caregiver. North East Valley Normal school children also visit the Garden regularly as do children from the after school and holiday programmes organized by Kids Inc.

Other things

This year T shirts with the Garden logo have been produced and sold to members. (Thanks to Kristin for organizing this.) Almost all of the second run of Community Garden recipe books produced by Occupation Therapy students as part of their course, have been sold. Facebook has become a major way of disseminating information.

Conclusion

The North East Valley Community Garden is in good heart and we look forward to continued successful harvests for 2015/2016 growing season. We value our relationships with the NEV School and the Project and look forward to developing these relationships in the future.