Day 101 - Reworking Thurman Brisben's Garden

Today was a very exciting day for the Community Food Program, we re-vamped the garden that had been established at Thurman Brisben to make it more effecient and we added new beds.  Roy and I headed to pick up the donated wood for the new beds. 
We loaded it up and headed on to the hardware store to pick up a few supplies. 
Then we rounded up our volunteers, Annie and Kristen and headed off to Thurman Brisben.

Once there, we got right to work, after signing in of course.  We were greeted by some of the children who are in residence at the shelter, they asked if they could help, of course!  After unloading some of the wood from the truck, we set to work pulling up last summer's crop (or what was left of it).  Then we re-organized the garden beds that were already existing.

While we were working on re-ordering the garden, Roy set to making the new beds.  Roy cut the cumber to the correct size for the beds and assembled the beds.  It was a great afternoon of working together to make this garden more productive for this upcoming year.

At the end of the day we had created four new beds in the already existing garden location and created a spot for compost to go, so that we weren't wasting what was pulled out.

We also created seven new raised beds for the location as well.

Day 88 - ST. mary's Catholic Church signs on

Today, I met with the Co-chairs of the St. Mary's Catholic Church pantry folks.  Aftrer describing what the program is structured to do, and how it will all work.  They agreed to join into the network.  They agreed that what we're doing and how it is structured is important, that providing access throughout the county to people in need is really important.  They mentioned that was the reason they have decided to cover two days when they started 4 years ago.  I am really excited that they are going to be apart of the network, especially since they are so centrally located in the county.  It was a great day!

AND.... not to be pushed aside, but I delivered two funding applications: one to Lowe's and one to Wal-Mart.  now, it's time to wait and see what happens.  I am hopeful that this is something they will both be interested in, especially as it has such the potential to really impact people who are in need.

Day 85 - Move in...

Today I moved into my new office.  A real office, with a door and a desk!  Ok, I had a desk before but not a door... I am now located in the Caroline County Social Service office.  It is really neat.  I also have internet, as this post indicates... since I'm able to post a note.  Today is going to be an eventful day as well, since I have a meeting with a Garden location and with a possible funder. 

I just realized I am going to be able to hang art on the walls!  I can put up pretty things!  and of course my white board, and cork board!  yay for an office.  All those things I've been dreading moving, finally have a home.  Can you tell I'm excited about this... oh wait how about a photo of the new office....

Here it is...

And of course there is a cup of coffee (in a recyclable cup) already too... because you can't start a day at work without one... and if you did, it would be a sad day... or a day with hot cocoa, then it would be a happy day.

Day 75 - Meet with Caroline's Promise

This morning, I met with the director of Caroline's Promise, Sarah.  She was wonderful, a young woman (similar to me) who want to make a difference in the world, through starting with the young people in the county she lives in.  She was very excited to talk about the program and how they could be involved in the gardens.  She thinks that there is great opportunity for the different programs to become active in the gardens.  She herself is an avid gardener and looks forward to helping in the gardens, as well as adding to the pantries from her own backyard garden. 
We also talked about how the church she attends could get involved if they decided this was something they wanted to support.  Sarah realizes the importance of food and the growing issues of food insecurity for many of the young people in Caroline county as it is.  She also realized that her little church, where she is a member, and their sister church, might have a real niche in the area, as they are located in a predominately rural area that often gets forgotten. 

While I was at the office that is housed at DSS, I spoke with the director, to see if there might be an opportunity for me to come and "live" there as well... I was welcomed into the building.  Now all I have to work out are some logistical things, and then I will have an office home closer to the areas in which the program is focused in during these first few years.  It was really wonderful.

I also stopped into Fredericksburg DSS and spoke with them, about the possibility of doing a bag-lunch presentation once Community Food is ready to roll out in Fredericksburg area.  Very exciting!

Day 74 - First Grant Application

Today, I submitted the first grant application for the program.  It was a small grant application for a local foundation that chooses local projects to get involved in.  The local organization is a branch of the SunShine Lady Foundation, they are referred to as Sunbeams.  They seek out projects and funds for the SunShineLady foundation to invest in.

It was really a wonderful, and at the same time, daunting task.  It did prepare the program (and its documents) for what is to come in the future of grant writing.

We ultimately asked for enough money to fully setup two of the seven gardens that are committed for the Spring of 2010.  This was VERY exciting!  And a HUGE relief once the grant was postmarked and mailed off.

We'll find out in November but no later than the beginning of December  (i think...)

Day 72 - Pantry HUB meeting number 2

Today I met with the pantry HUBs in Caroline County, as well as with two of the Garden partners. It was a wonderful meeting.  It was great to feel their excitement about the program and that we are moving along.  I showed them the draft database with hopes we'll be using it soon. Maybe even the first of the year.

We also set the date for the garden spaces to be established, also in the beginning of the new year.  This is very exciting.  During our next meeting, we will talk about what will be planted, although I think I will set what we plant and standardize it, and then as a group simply determine what will be grown where.

Overall, it was a great meeting and it really boosted my spirits as I head into intense day of grant writing, to fund these Gardens!

Day 68 - garden measurements

This morning, I spent 2.5 hours with Mac, the Caroline County Extension Agent.  We drove around to four of the 7 garden locations that will be started in the spring.  He helped me to take soil samples in 2 of 4 gardens.  i wil box them up ans send them off to VT where the soil testing is done.  We should get the results before December! 
At each location that we stopped at, we looked at it, walked around it, and talked about what would need to happen.  It was wonderful to see the gardens, start the planning.

In just a few short hours we were very productive and made some great plans for where to go in the future, and what will need to happen before spring.