It’s Harvest Time…..we are now picking about 1,000 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables a week!

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Volunteers From Vegelife Help in the Garden Every Monday Evening.

For more information about VegLife contact:

info@veglifedesmoines.org
or go to:
http://veglifedesmoines.org

Garden volunteer hours are every M-W-F,  6:30pm until dark (weather permitting).

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So How Is All the Recent Rain Affecting the Garden?

Well, since Friday, 5½ inches of rain has fallen in the garden with more rain in the forecast.

This is good for the peas, radishes and lettuce that we planted recently. Those plants should germinate and thrive especially as the weather turns cooler.

This weather is challenging for the tomatoes and melons which tend to split open when they swell from taking in too much water. So we really need volunteer help with the harvest when the sky is clear. Please come out and lend a hand!

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Produce donated through August 31st, 2018

What we grew	Pounds
Apples	26
Bush Beans	314
Blue berries	90
Broccolli	29
Cantaloupe	211
Corn	60
Cucumbers	476
Grapes	16
Lettuce	70
Onions	18
Peas	60
Radishes	128
Potatoes	689
Tomatoes	2,214
Water melon	43
Zucchini	749
Total Harvested	5,193
Where donated:
Trinity Church, 8th & College, DSM	2,895
WDM Human Services	2,298
Total Donated	5,193

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Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-988-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com

Thank you Ashworth Road Baptist Church Volunteers!

On Saturday morning 20 volunteers from Ashworth Road Baptist Church gathered in the garden and planted over 1200 row feet of potatoes. This is the earliest time in memory that we have had all the potatoes in the ground!!

Mary Flynn, 86, (Second Photo Below)  prepares seed potatoes for planting. When Mary is not in the Faith & Grace garden she is in her home. Last year Mary bought us nearly 200 pounds of cucumbers to donate!!

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VegLife Des Moines Forms Garden Team

VegLife Des Moines (3rd Photo Down) is a new non-profit formed by local vegans to help the veg community thrive and make it easier for more people to enjoy a VegLife in our community. They will be in the garden volunteering on Monday evenings.

For more information about VegLife contact: info@veglifedesmoines.org
or go to:http://veglifedesmoines.org

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Would your group like to volunteer in the garden? Contact Tim Goldman for available dates and  times.

Upcoming dates and volunteer groups:

• May 15 – Habitat for Humanity
• May 16 – Covenant Presbyterian Youth Group
• May 23 – Waukee High School
• Memorial Day Weekend – Walnut Hills Church
• June 8 – Deloitte Services
• Wednesday evenings in July – Ashworth Road Baptist Church
• Monday evenings all season – VegLife Des Moines

You can also volunteer as an individual or with a friend. To make volunteering in the garden easy, we’re using SignUp.com to organize our volunteer program.

Why register? It allows us to advise you of last minute cancellations due to weather, and keep you informed of what we will be doing when you volunteer.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:
1) Click the link below to register as a volunteer on SignUp.com
http://signup.com/go/epvdYtE (New link!)
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.

The signup process may invoke pop-up windows that could be disallowed by computers running pop-up blocker applications – Please watch for notifications requesting permission to access and use the sign-up.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-988-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com

The Faith & Grace Garden – On the News!
If you missed the news last night – You can still view the segment online.  Thanks to the wonderful people at WHO 13 who helped us spread the good word about the Faith & Grace Garden!!

Metro Community Gardens Providing Fresh Food to Hungry Iowans

Come out this week and enjoy the mild weather while helping bring in the harvest!

Harvest Info (Lbs) As Of July 29

Bush Beans 80
Blue Berries 104
Cabbage 30
Cucumbers 20
Garlic 20
Kale 25
Onions 165
Peppers 25
Radishes 115
Potatoes 275
Tomatoes 502
Watermelon 50
Zucchini 100
Total Harvested 1511
Trinity Methodist 568
WDM Human Services 943

Total Donated 1511 lbs

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Busy Purple Martins get all their food by eating flying insects. They  are an important means of pest control in the garden.

Is a Boy Scout that you know looking for an Eagle Project? We would greatly appreciate some more martin houses and bat houses around the garden. Please have interested Scouts contact Tim Goldman

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BE A GARDEN VOLUNTEER!

HERE’S HOW:
Students Wishing to Earn Service Hours by volunteering in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/gUJ9V1

Everyone else wishing to volunteer in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/WGsJLt

Why register? It allows us to advise you of last minute cancellations due to weather, etc.
We’re using SignUp.com to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link on the left to see our SignUp on SignUp.com

2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
4) Remember to click the green  SAVE button after you have selected your sign ups.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

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Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 – timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-998-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com

 

Thank you Walnut Creek Church!!!

WOW!! 700 sweet potato plants, 4 rows of eggplants, 6 rows of cabbage and 2 rows more peppers planted over Memorial Day weekend by 56 volunteers from Walnut Creek Church.

Lots of mulching and weeding was done, too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GARLIC FESTIVAL
Mark your calendar: Saturday June 3

Picnic at 5 pm Gardening to Follow
Bring a side dish to share and dinnerware
Meat dish, a vegetarian casserole  and beverages will be provided.
Please RSVP Tim at timothyjgoldman@gmail.com

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BE A GARDEN VOLUNTEER!

HERE’S HOW:
Students Wishing to Earn Service Hours by volunteering in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/gUJ9V1

Everyone else wishing to volunteer in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/WGsJLt

Why register? It allows us to advise you of last minute cancellations due to weather, etc.
We’re using SignUp.com to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link on the left to see our SignUp on SignUp.com

2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
4) Remember to click the green  SAVE button after you have selected your sign ups.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

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Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 – timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-998-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com

“I believe that the community – in the fullest sense: a place and all its creatures – is the smallest unit of health and that to speak of the health of an isolated individual is a contradiction in terms.  – Wendell Berry, The art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays

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What Volunteers Are Doing in the Garden:

Potato Planting Now Underway – Students and faculty from Iowa State University and Dowling Catholic High School started planting potatoes on Saturday morning. We hope to have the potatoes all planted by the end of April.

 

CITY OF WDM ENFORCEMENT ACTION: GOOD BYE HIGH TUNNEL!

Our high tunnel has been  fixture in the garden for the past five years. We use the high tunnel to start plants in the spring and to extend the growing season in the fall. The City fire code views the high tunnel as a tent (sort of like those grocery store garden centers that pop up in the spring) which must be taken down during the off season). We realized once the high tunnel was first erected that it could not come down without impairing its structural integrity (the ability to withstand high winds). So after many discussions the high tunnel is coming down by June 30.

Hello Greenhouse – We are how considering the addition of a greenhouse as a permanent structure to the garden. While more expensive than our high tunnel it can provide many additional benefits including City approval.

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BE A GARDEN VOLUNTEER!

HERE’S HOW:
Students Wishing to Earn Service Hours by volunteering in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/gUJ9V1

Everyone else wishing to volunteer in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/WGsJLt

Why register? It allows us to advise you of last minute cancellations due to weather, etc.
We’re using SignUp.com to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link on the left to see our SignUp on SignUp.com

2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
4) Remember to click the green  SAVE button after you have selected your sign ups.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

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On Friday, May 5 come celebrate all things Latino with a potluck picnic starting at 6pm followed by gardening at 7pm.

On June 3 from 4pm until dark we will be celebrating the diversity of our natural world and humankind.

Through the lens of garden activities we will bring people of diverse backgrounds together to see how nature thrives on diversity through the interaction of soil, plants and people.

There will be activities for people of all ages followed by a potluck supper and brief program. Bring your family and friends.

Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 – timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-998-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com