More Beds at the Food Bank

Today we put in 4 more lasagna layered beds at the Fredericksburg Food Bank.  While there I had a conversation with their Volunteer Coordinator, Julie, about how excited everyone is about the work we're doing with them.  It was exciting to hear that everyone, administration, workers, and volunteers are excited about what we're bringing to this location.  It is great to see such wonderful progress being made as well.  It truly seems like we are the only ones out there doing this.  Which is good and bad as things go.  People can be very receptive and welcoming of the idea and others turn theor noses up at it and think we're crazy for wanting to help in this way.  It is all a matter of helping people re-focus their lenses and see what potential is really out there and if we really want to be a better nation then we have to start in our local communities. 
(Photos to come)
 
On that note! I have just been contacted by a local Freericksburg church that wants to be apart of our network in Fred, AND wants to help in the gardens and maybe even host/be a champion at a garden site.  This is so exciting.  I'll be meeting with them all in 2 weeks to talk about all that wonderful-ness!  yay!

Growing more and more!

Composting with worms!

We did our first workshop in New Kent at the Community Services Building.  At the garden establishment event, interest in composting was expressed and especially composting indoors with worms.  So CFP planned an event and did a workshop on vermicomposting.  We had five people plus two CFP staff in attendance.

Worms break down kitchen and food scraps
 For example a bin that is 18"x24" will be able to process about 10.5 pounds of food scraps per week (ext.vt.edu - 442-005). 


Steps to making a Worm Bin


1. Locate 5 gallon - 20 gallon plastic bin/storage container. When choosing a bin, select a darker colored one, as this will let in less light, and will make the worms happier and less likely to want to run away from their home. If you choose a lighter colored container, store it in a space that gets little light, ie. under the sink, in a closet, etc.

 
2. drill hole,s with a 1/8" drill bit or similar, along the top/on the cover and around the top 2-3" on the sides of the container.  (remember to clear out the plastic shavings from the drill before proceeding.


3. put in 6-8" of damp, shredded newspaper.  NO colored, glossy paper.  **Shiny belongs on your finger, around your wrist or neck, but NOT in your worm bin.**  The paper should feel like a damp sponge. 



4. Add in a small amount of soil, as this aids in the worms' digestion.


5. Add Worms (Red Wigglers only!)  Earthworms that you find in the garden are not what you need for this project, they are best left in the garden to help out the soil.  If you need red wigglers, please call us or check out your local bait shop.



6. DINNER!  Add worm food.
Worms enjoy eating...
- Coffee grounds; paper (dampened); cardboard including paper egg cartons; vegetable and fruit peelings and waste (cooked or raw or spoiled they LOVE it all); crushed up eggshells.

The general rule of thumb is if it is from a plant, worms can eat it, with a few expections:
In moderation you can put in citrus peels (oranges, lemons, limes)

Absolutely NO pineapple, grass clippings; meat; bones; dairy; things cooked with/in oil; no cooking oils; NO pet manure!

Some links to help you out.
wormmainea.com
www.thewormguy.org
www.wormcrusader.com

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...)