1. Introduction and approval of March minutes – John V.

2. President’s Report – presented by John V.
Bylaws changes will be proposed by Garden Council at an April 16th meeting and presented to the membership during the May meeting. A quorum will be needed at the May meeting. Please attend!

3. Vice President’s Report – John V.
March clean-up was well attended and a resounding success. Thank you everyone!

April clean-up is 4/13 from 8 until 12. Come for 2 hours during that window to get credit. More wood chips are being delivered this Wednesday evening so if you need hours come spread them around.

30th anniversary t-shirts are available for $10. They are in the shed and are organized by size. Leave money in an envelope in the cigar box on the bench inside the shed.

Plot inspections will be mid-May. Plots must be cleaned up, planted, mulched and looking cared for.

The weekly watering duty schedule is posted on the website on the calendar. Place your cursor on “Watering Week” on the Monday of each week to see a pop-up list of who is on duty. Questions, see Anne S. A list will also be posted in the shed for quick reference.

Rose clippings should NOT be composted or put in the chipping pile. They must be trimmed down and disposed of in double paper bags (as you would a broken glass).

4. Treasurer’s Report – Deirdre
15 plots still owe dues. Please submit dues directly to Deirdre or leave them in an envelope with your name and plot number in the cigar box in the shed and then call Deirdre and let her know you’ve done so.

Current balance is $3,800. $500 was given to Thom for the rain barrels. Water bills remain unpaid on advice of PHS.

5. Fundraising – Chris Jefferson
For those who want to make tax deductible gifts to the garden it can be done in four simple steps: 1) write a check payable to “Neighborhood Garden Assoc.” and in the memo line, write “SWQV Community Garden”; 2) send the check to the Horticultural Society; 3) NGA will send an acknowledgement letter to the donor with tax info; and 4) NGA will remit the contribution to the Garden.

Consider leaving a gift to the Garden in your will.

Whole Foods Markets offers weekly 5% days (tuesdays) where a local organization receives 5% of the daily sales proceeds. Chris to see if the Garden can get on the list of beneficiaries.

6. City Harvest – Ed. M.
The Garden has participated with City Harvest since 2005. City Harvest operates in 60 gardens city wide. The weekly harvest takes place at 9am on Mondays and volunteers are welcome. All produce goes to River View just across Christian Street. Over the past 5 years the Garden has donated over 8,000 lbs of produce to River View. This year harvesting started last week and 75 lbs has been harvested to date in 2013.

City Harvest is helping out with obtaining salt hay and Ed and Janice are organizing the effort. If anyone wants salt hay to mulch their plot please bring cash to the clean up on Saturday and give it to Janice. Bales are $12 a piece and will be delivered in 2 weeks to the plots.

7. Bees – Carolyn
The hives were inspected last week and are approximately 2 to 3 weeks behind where they were last year. One hive died over the winter, and one is pretty weak and won’t produce honey this year. We have four healthy hives and a new hive was ordered to replace the hive that died. The new hive cost $100.

The bees are not in a good mood right now so it’s best to stay off the patio if possible and don’t go near the hives.

The Garden doesn’t have Epi Pens because it doesn’t have a place to keep them at the necessary temperature. If you have an allergy to bees, please be sure to bring an Epi Pen with you and let others know.

8. Kids Lab – Don S.
The perimeter of the Lab has been finalized and plants in the space will be kept and used to designate the boundaries between the Kids Lab and the Shade Garden. The maximum number of children allowed in the Lab at any time won’t exceed 10-12. There will also be general educational information available for everyone in the Lab. Initial plans for events will be out in June.

9. Composting Toilet – Anne
Maintenance of the toilet will be added to the Saturday cleanups. Additional people are needed to help with the upkeep. It has been getting a surprising amount of use over the winter and will need to be emptied every 4 to 6 weeks.

Practical tips: 1) make sure to fully cover your “contributions” with the mulch that’s in the bin next to the toilet. 2) if the “contribution” pile appears tall, use the small purple hoe that’s in the toilet shed to push the pile back a bit. Sometimes it appears the receptacle is full but it’s just the pile that needs to be spread out.

10. Jared Littman’s Beer Sharing Fundraiser – Jared L.
Jared hosts a monthly beer sharing event at various restaurants in the city that draw 70+ people who pay $15 for the event. Jared proposes hosting one in the Garden as a fundraiser. The number of attendees will be determined after consulting with the BBQ organizers for their thoughts and experience but will probably be around 100. The event would take place on a weekend evening and last approximately 3 hours. Jared will handle the recycling and will investigate the possible need for a portapotty. The membership voted to approve this event.

11. Other Business
Carolyn raised concerns about children running in the garden and cutting through plots. The membership expressed various points of view and it was agreed that all children must abide by the rules of conduct set out in the by-laws (i.e. may walk/run on main pathways but may not cut through plots on “in plot” paths). Concerns with children’s behavior should politely and appropriately brought to the parent’s attention. We are a community garden and need to be able to communicate politely with each other about these concerns.

Carolyn requested that trash be left by the west gate and not by the trash cans. It’s too much to drag out on Thursdays.

Thom announced that the water has been turned on and reminded everyone that ONLY the water committee (those designated each week to fill barrels) shall turn on the water to fill the barrels.

Introduction – Cyndi – welcome; motion for approval of minutes from November 2012.

Treasurer’s Report – John
General Funds – November Meeting Balance $4,075.41

November
11/28/2012
Donation – from neighbors to the west
Revenue
200
Subtotal Revenue $200

November
11/19/2012
Holiday Party – room deposit
Expense
-100
November
11/27/2012
PECO Electric Bill – no charge
Expense
0
December
12/14/2012
Holiday Party – room charge
Expense
-200
December
11/21/2012
Irrigation system service
Expense
-174
December
12/15/2012
BBQ Expenses
Expense
-191.22
December
12/15/2012
Settlement Donation
Expense
-100
December
12/15/2012
NGA Donation
Expense
-100
December
12/15/2012
Heifer Fund – $100 donation
Expense
-28.01
December
12/31/2012
Supplies for Holiday Party
Expense
-31.5
December
12/28/2012
PECO Electric Bill
Expense
0
January
1/25/2013
PECO Electric Bill
Expense
0
February
2/3/2013
PWD
Expense
-220.84
Subtotal Expense -$1,145.57

General Funds – March 2013 Meeting Balance $3,129.84

Donations:
Settlement Music School – Thank you for use of room during off-season $100
NGA – Thank you for support of SWQV Community Garden $100
Heifer Fund – $100 Donation meeting collections +$28 from general funds
Flock of Chicks, Ducks, Geese, Honeybees and Share of Trees $100

Utilities
Electric: Credit due to solar panels covered Nov, Dec and Jan bills current credit balance is $37.10
Water: $220.84 water bill for 2011 – 2012 service charges and 2012 usage charge (2011 usage charge was lost by PWD and will not be paid). Runoff charges remain unresolved at this time.

Grants Account – No changes since August 2012 Meeting
Philadelphia Activities Fund Account
Starting Balance $2,000
No expenses/revenue – no activity
Ending Balance = $2,000

Green Roof Account Balance – $520 – no activity

Rainy Day Account
Balance = $2,000 – no activity

Please note: with the current general funds balance of $3,129.84, if we take out the $1,150 seed money required for Bees and BBQ, we are left with $1,979.84 that could be applied towards a 2013 water bill.

State of the Garden – Cyndi

Generally all is well.
The arborist hasn’t come this year. If the membership wants an arborist, we need to find/raise money.
House hours are May 4th. Volunteers are needed.
No new member. The waiting list is 50 long.
Bylaws changes are forthcoming. The intention is to call a Council meeting in early April and then be able to present proposed changes to the membership at the April meeting and bring to a vote in May.
We’re seeking suggestions for 5-10 minute educational sessions during general meetings. Got an idea? Let us know!
The water bill – it’s still unresolved. The run off assessment is in dispute. Thom has been very actively involved in communications with PHS and PWD. In 2012 the Garden paid $200 for water usage. The storm water run-ff is in dispute and we’ve not paid it as recommended by PHS.
Budget – The Fiscal Health of the Garden. We’re living “paycheck to paycheck” with one month of expenses in the bank. The bees and bbq are self-sustaining. Dues cover the following: 1) turning on the water; 2) mosquito control (dunks); 3) PECO; 4) trash bags; 5) munch for flower beds. Water – update from Thom – the water department hasn’t assessed usage charges for 2011 because the date was lost. Other items that need funding: maintenance items (shed repairs, arbor repair, arborist for the orchard).

The Garden needs fundraising this year. Please start thing brainstorming. Think beyond the plant sale and events we’ve done in the past. We can do lots of little events or one big event. Possible ideas: a flea market on the sidewalk in front of the garden; a rummage sale; soliciting donations through PHS (if we can use their tax exempt ID #).

Water
Usage has increased for the past several years. We must all encourage conservation efforts such as mulching within each plot. Using runoff from adjacent buildings is being researched. Conservation will be an educational topic for one of the spring meetings.

Vice President’s Report – John V.
The row captains are the same as last year, with the exception of the last row (back row) which still needs a row captain.

Committees are being eliminated. The old structure is gone because it wasn’t working as intended. In lieu of committees, we will have “Advisors” who will advise on the areas generally covered by the committees. Advisors will lead activities during monthly clean-ups. So far, Mark Raymond has volunteered to be the Advisor regarding the orchard and tree trimming; Karyl Weber is advising on compost; Linda Witt and Barb McKenzie and Gwyn McDonald are advising on garden health; Thom is advising on maintenance; Anne Seidman is advising on watering schedules; and Frank Sherman is advising on the Childrens’ Garden.

Make sure you signed in for this meeting, for the NGA waiver and the bylaws and paid dues. ALL GARDNERS (including assistant gardners) must sign the bylaws and NGA docs.

Bee Report – Carolyn
All 6 hives made it through the winter. Five are strong and one is weak. A new hive has been ordered to replace the week hive. Don, Scott, Carolyn and Frank are the bee keepers.
**Reminder – please DO NOT feed the cats! thank you!

Childrens’ Garden – The Garden has a $2,500 grant for educational activities which has been earmarked to develop the childrens’ garden. The Childrens’ Garden group has renamed the project “Kids Lab” and the vision is that the space will be an educational resource for kids and gardners alike. It will be a place for kids to learn about plants, insects, nature and ecology. The plan for 2013 is to start small and grow slowly. This project is being approached as a multi-year project. The first step is to be up and operational by the end of May and have the space available as a resource for summer camp.
One project – create a seed bank over the course of 2013. If interested please speak with Frank Sherman.

Saturday’s Clean-up If you have ideas for tasks contact John V. The list will be posted on Saturday. The clean-up will run from 8am to 12pm.

Announcements
Please don’t over fill trash bags. Please put trash bags by the west gate, not by the trash cans/compost bins.
The grape arbor was pruned.
The garden is in bloom!

Cyndi opened the meeting at 7 a.m. and asked that the previous meeting’s minutes be accepted; Carolyn Scott so moved and the minutes were accepted.

Deirdre being away on business, Cyndi presented the treasurer’s report: (to be e-mailed for inclusion by Cyndi).

Cyndi thanked those responsible, primarily Thom and Carolyn, for battening down the hatches before Hurricane Sandy. The garden suffered no damage.

The holiday party and potluck, Dec. 13 at Gloria Dei, still needs a coordinator. Set up will be 6-7, the party 7-9, and cleanup 9-9:30.

John Ventre is coordinating garden cleanup Saturday, Nov. 17, and it will be a three-hour cleanup (8-11 a.m.) – lots to do to get garden ready for winter – and a good time to makeup garden work hours. Please let John know if you plan to leave the garden or would like to move to a vacated plot.

Carolyn reported that the bees are pretty much dormant for the year, though a warm day may bring out a few.

Grant is resigning as compost co-chair, though Karyl will remain to advise. Presents an opportunity for anyone eager to learn more about composting. She asked that gardeners cut into six-inch pieces material such as vines, stalks, and squash/pumpkins, and that vines especially be cut into manageable size.

Ed Mitinger reported that our City Harvest donations now total 1302 pounds, some 85 pounds less than last year – but he thinks we may still equal that number with the final weeks’ donations.

Linda Witt noted that the flower committee is looking into a different organic humus/compost available from Primex that is less expensive than Right Dress licorice root.

Thom reported the water is now off, the garden used 78,900 gals. This year compared to 54,000 plus last year, but the city still has not billed SWQV Garden for last year. PHS is fighting for some accommodation for community gardens. Cyndi indicated that the city’s billing software may be at fault.

Mark Raymond is interested in the garden raising chickens, and consequently was appointed head of an investigation of chicken feasibility, legalities, etc. Goats were mentioned.

The meeting finished at 7:40.

Intro – Cyndi
Approval of September minutes
Treasurer’s Report – John on behalf of Deirdre
General Funds Account – September Meeting Balance $2,702.31

September 9/21/2012 BBQ Revenue Revenue 1284
September 9/21/2012 Bees (honey sales) Revenue 124
September 9/21/2012 Bees (extracting fee) Revenue 35
October 10/6/2012 Bees (honey sales) Revenue 257
October 10/6/2012 Bees (honey sales) Revenue 720
Subtotal Revenue $2,420.00

September 9/19/2012 PECO Electric Bill (credit – see below) Expense 0
September 9/19/2012 Bees Expense -60
October 10/6/2012 Bees Expense -74.38
October 10/6/2012 Garden supplies Expense -34.68
Subtotal Expense -$169.06

General Funds – October Meeting Balance $4,953.25

Grants Account – No changes since August Meeting
Philadelphia Activities Fund Account
Starting Balance $2,000
No expenses/revenue – no activity
Ending Balance = $2,000

Green Roof Account Balance – $520 – no activity

Rainy Day Account
Balance = $2,000 – no activity

Utilities
Electric: September’s Bill shows credit of $111.39 and a charge of $29.31 – so current credit balance is $87.48
Water: Water bill has not been received – as of October 6th.

The book sale raised $131. The remainder of the books will go to The Book Trader and any profit will be donated back to the garden.

Dues are projected to increase around $20 to $30 per plot for 2013. This is based on 2010 water costs and includes the addition of mulch to the general operating costs.

President’s Report – Cyndi
The NGA meeting will be on Thursday. Cyndi will attend.
The Garden Council met in September. There was low attendance from row captains. Issues addressed included: 1) Assistant gardeners – 2 drafts of bylaws changes have been worked through and will be revised again before the November general meeting; 2) Bindweed – pull it out!
The holiday party will be held at Old Swedes Church again this year. The extra profit from the BBQ will go to offset the increased cost.

Vice President’s Report – John V.
Committees – it’s been proposed that the current structure be revamped. Proposed new structure would be having “leaders” instead of committees to spearhead items such as “garden health”, etc. Leaders would participate on Garden Council and lead clean-ups. Leaders would be identified over the winter so we can hit the ground running in the spring.

Clean-up this Saturday will start at 8am. It is an important clean-up because we will be starting to put the garden to bed for the winter. If anyone is unclear on his/her status regarding clean-up attendance, please see John V.

Barb would like one or two folks to help her with the website and be her back-up person(s).
Committees

City Harvest – Will be harvesting until Thanksgiving. Have harvested 1,185 lbs of produce to date. If anyone has winter gardening questions see Ed. He has lots of knowledge and ideas.

Bees – They’re ready for winter. Bees born after September are physiologically different from those born in the spring. The bees need around 50 -60 lbs of honey in each hive to get through the winter.

Water – September water use was only 425 cubic feet (31,000 gallons) which is approximately $7.95. The water will be shut off November 5 , 2012 in the morning. Volunteers are welcome.

Old Business / New Business
The compost toilet will be cleaned out at the end of the season.
Winter Gardening – plant garlic now for spring harvesting. If anyone is interested in helping with a winter gardening blog, please contact Barbara McKenzie.
The Rabbit is staying for now. There doesn’t seem to be a legal way to remove it from the garden.

Intro – Cyndi
Approval of August minutes
Treasurer’s Report – Deirdre

The water Company is having billing glitches that affect all the community gardens. We need to sit tight. Two members still owe dues.

President’s Report – Cyndi
The garden won first place in the PHS City Gardens contest. The awards ceremony is at the Naval Yard in late September. We need some folks to attend. There is also a ‘monster vegetable’ contest open to individual gardeners if anyone is interested.

There is a NGA meeting on October 11th which Cyndi will attend.

The Garden Council met last week and broke into three sub-groups to address three issues:
1) Bylaws (Cyndi to head this one) – will address assistant gardeners and proxy voting. They will prepare a proposal for the October 2012 meeting.
2) Children’s’ Garden (John to head this one) – work with local elementary schools to build raised beds. We already have a grant in place that we have to spend that is for educational purposes. They will prepare a proposal for later this season or next spring.
3) Committee Structure (Barbara to head this one) – review usefulness and functionality. They will prepare a proposal for the November 2012 meeting.

The Holiday Party – tentatively scheduled for December 13th from 6-10 pm at Old Swedes. The rental fee is $300. An open discussion was had regarding whether to use a different venue. This was left open and will be revisited at the October meeting.

Vice President’s Report – John
Saturday clean-up will be from 8-12 and will be important because of the BBQ held that evening. Clean-up attendance – some people are behind. Please do extra hours and log them on the sheet inside the shed. Also please e-mail John V. to notify him of your extra hours. More mosquito dunks and twine have been purchased. Row captains will reach out to members regarding attendance at clean-ups and meetings.

If anyone wants to switch plots for next season, please e-mail John V. They will be reassigned on a first come first served basis.

Committee Reports
City Harvest – Working to eradicate the bindweed in Cynthia’s plot. 186 lbs of produce were harvested in August which brings us to 992 this year. Harvesting will continue through October.

Compost – please cut up stuff before putting it in the compost pile. Roots go in the woody items bin. Paper goods are not compostable in the garden.

Bees – getting ready for winter. There is a fall nectar flow. One of the hives will be merged with another one. Honey will be sold at the BBQ. Approximately $1K has been raised from honey sales.

Water – The system has been running when it shouldn’t. Do not turn it on unless you are authorized to do so. If you’re not sure if you’re authorized then ask. The orchard should only be watered once a week if there isn’t any rain. As of August 12th 11,617 gallons had been used. This calculated to approximately $261 at 2010 rates. We expect an annual bill for 2012 of approximately $2,000. The water will be turned off November 5th.

There is a bind weed problem in the garden. Council has not endorsed a proposal to use chemical treatment. If anyone needs help combating bindweed in their plot, let John V know and it can be put on the clean up list.

Projects:
BBQ – It’s coming up. Please sign up to volunteer. Please bring your own chairs and café tables. Brian will have veggies kits at Kennett on Friday for pick up.
Booksale – Anne has received over 70 books so far but please bring more!
50/50 – Greg Line to run at the BBQ.

New Business:
Carolyn requested that the 2013 expenses/budget be addressed soon for planning purposes.

Next month’s meeting will be at Settlement.

President’s Report – Cyndi
Thom has an idea to close the gap in the front fence to dissuade uninvited visitors. The police have been notified of the trespassers. If anyone encounters a trespasser the proper protocol is to leave the garden and then call the police. PHS tells us we can put up a sign if we want to.

Treasurer’s Report – Deirdre
General Funds Account
July Meeting Balance
$ 1,379.87
Philadelphia Bee Company Revenue $70
Donation – 50/50 Revenue $55
Donation Revenue $10
Bees Revenue $64
Bees Revenue $232
Bees (not yet deposited) Revenue $322
Sub-total Revenue $753
PECO electric bill – July Expense -$23.90
Mosquito dunks Expense -$37.88
PNC Expense -$32.27
Bees Expense -$52.98
PECO electric bill – Aug Expense -$23.92
Sub-total Expense -$170.95
Account Reconciliation +$13.26
August Meeting Balance $1,975.18
Grants Account
Philadelphia Activities Fund Account
Starting Balance $2,300
Bee School $100
Transportation $200
Ending Balance = $2,000
Green Roof Account Balance – $520 – no activity
Rainy Day Account
Balance = $2,000 – no activity
** Water bill has not yet been received.

Essene has donated two canopies to the Garden. PHS is handling the water bill issue and trying to reach a resolution. We are not to take matters into our own hands.

Vice President’s Report – the Saturday clean up will be lead by Carolyn and will start at 9am. There will be a garden inspection shortly.

Committees –

City Harvest – 806 lbs of produce have been harvested this year which is more than last year at the same time. Extra brussel sprouts and onions are available on the table.

Bug Report – none

Garden Contest – Carolyn, Barbara and Gwyn hosted the judges.

Bees – 228.5 lbs of honey were harvested in 2012. Expenses have been $716.68. The Bee Guild had their picnic last Saturday and Thom gave tours of the Honey House. Barbara Seiple gave garden tours. It was a success!

BBQ – sign up sheets are in the shed. The committee needs hand on help the week beforehand. Tickets are available from Greg Line after the meeting. Tickets are still available on Ticketleap.

Book sale – Anne Tapper – please deposit donation in the shed.

Water Report – Thom – To fill system at beginning of season according to new meter, we used 240 cubic feet of water on 4/2/12. One cubic foot of water = 7.48 gallons. Therefore, we used 1,795.32 gallons to fill the system.
Usage from 7/2/12 to 8/2/12 has been 2,588 cubic feet / 19,359.5 gallons.
At 2010 rates, we used $435.59 for the month of July. The Garden has used 8,374 cubic feet/62,649 gallons during the 2012 season. At 2010 rates, this is $1,409.

Southwark Queen Village Community Garden
Meeting Minutes
July 9, 2012

1. Intro – Cyndi

2. Approval of Minutes

3. Treasurer’s Report – Dierdre –
June Meeting Balance* = $789.87
June member donations = $25.00 – cash
June member donations = $200.00- Sustainability Fair activities grant donations
June honey sales = $73.00 – cash
$292.00 -checks
Sub-total $1,379.87

June expenses** = $0.00
July Meeting Balance $1,379.87

*Green Roof Donation (T. Hardenberg) $520.00 has been taken out of general funds and set aside
**No June electric bill (It may be still sent to B. Seiple address so waiting for her return from vacation). Water bill also has not yet been received.

Other Monies:
Rainy Day Fund Balance =$2,000 (NOT INCLUDED in general funds)

July Grant Balance (NOT INCLUDED in general funds above) = $2,300 ($200 disbursement for Sustainability Fair in June)

4. President’s Report – Cyndi made the following announcements and reminders:
A) Cyndi reminded everyone to lock the gates when arriving and leaving and lock the shed. There are new tags on the locks on the gates and shed to remind everyone to lock up.
B) PHS Garden Contest – The judges are coming July 17th between 9:30 and 10am. We need to prepare the garden during Saturday’s clean-up. Barb McKenzie and Carolyn will host the judges.
C) Plot inspections were conducted June 29th. Plots in need of attention have been notified. Please remember to weed the aisles adjacent to your plot.
D) Clean-up projects – We need to remove the ivy from the house at the southeast corner of the garden. The clean-up will start at 7am to be done by 10am to beat the heat. If anyone wants to do work ahead of time, e-mail John V and let him know what you did to get credit.

5. Committee Reports –
A) Bees – Carolyn reported that this is the first year we will have two harvests of honey. On June 16th 91 lbs of honey were harvested. This is about $1,094 worth of honey. Based on anticipated expenses of $700, this means the bees will have paid for themselves and brought in a profit. On July 21st the second harvest of honey will take place. All honey orders should go to Barbara Seiple. We’ve received $70 from others who use the extractor. So far honey is the garden’s ONLY fundraiser – so, please buy honey! Prices are $6 for a small jar and $11 for a large jar.

B) City Harvest – Ed reported that to date 573.75 lbs of produce have been donated to Riverview in 2012. The campers visited today and had a lecture on bees from Don S. Next Monday the Fleischer Day Camp will be visiting at 10am. CH meets at 9am on Mondays to harvest for the week. If you‘d like to select the produce you’d like to donate, please leave it in the gazebo Sunday evening or flag your produce by Sunday evening.

C) Bugs – The sawfly larvae are eating the rose bushes. If you see them, pick them off and squish them. Also look for squash borer eggs on zucchini plants. Crush the eggs if you find them. If you have infested vines in your plot take them out and dispose of them in a trash bag – DO NOT COMPOST. Photos of these pests will be posted on the website.

6. Projects – The BBQ planning is underway. Cyndi, Greg, Shanna and Elizabeth are organizing this year. Since the BBQ must be entirely self sustaining financially (we don’t even have any “up front” money as we have in years past) we are asking everyone to buy tickets at the August meeting and clean-up. Tickets are also available online through ticketleap.com. A link will be posted on the website and/or circulated via e-mail. One big change from last year – tickets will not be held for pick-up at the gate. Everyone must pick-up their tickets when they purchase. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children 16 and under. Sign up sheet were circulated for vounteers and potluck dishes.

Facebook – The garden has a facebook page. Come check us out!

Book sale – Anne Tapper has suggested we hold a book sale of old gardening books & cookbooks. We need volunteers to carry and store books and we need space to store the books. If interested in helping please see Anne.

7) Water – Remember to put the screens back on the barrels so the bees don’t drown. Thom checked the water usage again and it shows we’re on track to incur approximately $2,250 in water fees in 2012. Since we don’t have enough money to cover what is anticipated to be a high bill, it is possible that each plot will be assessed a water surcharge. We’re still waiting on the bill from the Water Dept from last year. The water committee is trying to get access to the bill and usage online. Please note that the water system will be unavailable on July 21st during the honey extraction.

Suzanne is spearheading an effort with the water committee, the executive committee and other community gardens to seek relief of the water bill/charges from the city. This effort is in very preliminary stages.

Suzanne offered several watering tips to conserve water:
(1) Amend the soil with compost soit retains water.
(2) Weed!
(3) Mulch, mulch, mulch. Use the material of your choice but mulch deeply – 7-8 inches is recommended. ***Reminder – mulching your plot is a requirement stated in the Bylaws.
(4) Best time to water is first thing in the morning. If you water mid-day, most of it simply evaporates. Best not to water in the evening because you run the risk of your plants developing fungal disease.
(5) Never water daily UNLESS you’re watering seeds/seedlings. The rule of thumb is aproximately 1 inch of water which translates to 5-6 gallons for a 3ft x 3ft area.
(6) You should water when the soil is dry MORE than 3 inches deep. It’s fine for the soil to be dry for the first 3 inches.

8. New Business – It’s time to plan for the Christmas Party and reserve Olde Swedes’ Church.
Mark Raymond invited folks to pick gooseberries which are ripe (in his plot).
Birdnetting has been strung up under the arbor to try and disuade the birds from eating all the grapes.

Garden Meeting Minutes
June 11th

May minutes approved

President’s Report – Cyndi Line
General reminder: lock the shed and gates. They’ve all been found unlocked recently.
The cherry tree has been picked.
This weekend’s clean-up will be lead by Lisa Z. and will start at 9am. Please keep adding “to do” items to the task list in the shed.
Fundraising – Kristy Littman has prepared an activities grant to fund summer camp programs an community outreach and education.
Greg Line will run a 50/50 raffle at clean-ups starting in June.
The Bee Guild will hold a BBQ at the garden patio for a fee of $100.
We are entered in the annual PHS garden contest.

BBQ – Elizabeth Coleman
The date is September 15th. Brian Ricci has agreed to assist with the menu and food again this year. Thank you Brian! Volunteer sign up sheets and potluck donation sheets were circulated.
This year the ticket sales must be primarily done ahead of time so that the proceeds can be used to purchase food etc the week before the BBQ. Tickets will be available starting in July. Any questions please contact: Elizabeth Coleman (267) 304-8430 or elizanncole@gmail.com.

Vice-President’s Report – John V.
Clean-up is at 9am.

Treasurer’s Report – Deirdre
$1,431.29 is the May meeting balance. There was income of $75 in dues.
May expenses are $196.42 which includes: $25 for garbage bags, $23.92 for the electric bill, and $147.50 for the bees. This leaves a current balance of $1,309.87.

The water bill is expected this month for $1,200. We don’t have enough money to cover that anticipated bill so expect we’ll need to impose a surcharge per plot for water.
It was discovered that the general funds included $520 which is grant money earmarked for the water barrels. This amount has been removed from the general funds ledger.
The rainy day fund has $2,000.

Committee Reports
City Harvest – 479 lbs of food have been donated to date. The garden received a commendation from City harvest for support of the program.

Bees – The bees are doing well. Extraction is scheduled for June 21st. Barbara Seiple will take honey orders.

Watering – the trash and recycling MUST go out on Thursdays. This includes the bags that are waiting by the west gate AND the bags in the trash cans that are next to the compost bins. It was suggested that the barrels not be filled every day but be maintained at 50% capacity. This will be referred to the Committee. Bottom line is that water use must be curtailed. There is no need to water when we have been getting plenty of rain. The more the plants are watered, the shallower the roots grow leading to weaker and more water dependant plants. This will be a topic for a future educational presentation.
Thom noted that he checked the water meter on June 2nd and it showed that the garden has consumed exactly the same amount of water as the prior month. This means, that based on the 2010 rates (which is all we have to go on at this time) we have used $520 of water this year through June 2, 2012.

By-law proposed amendment – Deirdre
The proposed changes to the by-laws regarding dues have been circulated by e-mail. The proposed changes incorporate feedback and suggestions from the Garden Council. After reading the proposed language aloud questions and comments were taken from the membership.
It was suggested that a “garden” collection can be passed at meetings.
There will not be a senior citizen discount.
It was suggested that the rainy day fund be split over two years – instead of keeping the $2,000 which is currently set aside it was suggested that half that amount be transferred to the general fund for 2012 to help meet basic costs.
It was suggested that the proposed by-laws language include a provision stating that any fundraising proceeds designated for “general funds” will be subtracted from the year’s basic costs, before the annual basic costs are divided by the number of voting plots. This suggestion was approved and the language incorporated to the proposed by-laws.

With a quorum present, the proposed by-laws were adopted by a vote of 38 members.

SWQV Garden Minutes, 5/14/2012
Submitted: Pamela Barnett

Suggested that we should have paper copies of agenda at each meeting.

Discussion of by-law changes will be postponed till the next meeting when more members of executive committee are present.

We approved April’s meeting minutes.

Sustainability Fair: Sponsored by QVNA on June 2nd at Weccacoe Playground. Any attendee at fair will be offered opportunity to tour our garden at 2pm. We will have volunteers already set up for several stations, including bees, honey house, city harvest and composting.

House tour on May 19th. We will open our gates from noon to 4pm. We have two volunteers, and need two more.

Fundraising. Two initiatives. 1) Kristy Littman will write an activities grant. Will support activities, but not monies toward maintenance or other bills. 2) Form a 50/50 raffle for clean-ups, barbecue event and some meetings. Who is organizing this?

Maintenance committee report will go to next month.

BBQ. The committee in place. Cindy, Elizabeth, Shannon and Greg. No chair. September 15th tentative date. Need a volunteer or two to coordinate the signing up and workload for the event. Oversee activities including ticket taking, serving, clean up. . . Contact Cindy or Elizabeth.

Gentle reminders:

•Recyclables in bin, not trash.
•Children need to be supervised in garden.

Committee reports:

City Harvest: Working to get Riverview garden started. 228.5 pounds donated. (vs. 184 last year). Of course we’ve had four extra weeks of spring weather. Please put the pink flags near harvestable produce. They will harvest heavily.

Water: in 2010 we used 54,204 gallons of water, for a total of $ 1,218. That is = to about $18 a plot. When we filled up system this year we used 240 cu ft. (1 cubic foot of water = 7.48051 gal) or 1795.3224 gal. Usage from April 2 to May 2 was 1430 Cubic feet of water = 10,696.54 gal. That’s about $1,700 for the year. “Keep it in mind.“ Conserve as best you can.

Bees: Anyone in the garden who has a bee allergy, please contact Barbara Seipel who will share procedures. We do not keep an epi- pen in shed because of temperature control. We also hope to avoid misuse. The expectation is that gardeners with such a severe allergy will be responsible for selves. Bring own epi pen to the garden if you have this vulnerability.
A note: the reports that eating local honey can help with allergies based on one study done with small sample 30 years ago. A more recent study finds it helps with a very particular kind of birch honey. In short, research is inconclusive but you might test by eating honey and watching your own symptoms.

Pest Control:

• Suggestion of a buddy system, agreeing to keep an eye on each others plots for bugs, and even giving permission to remove a leaf or pull a plant out if something is a real problem. We can’t go into each others” plots without permission, but a buddy system could help us deal with infestations and act quickly.
• If you have a particular issue, contact Karyl who will try to problem solve about particular bugs or plants. Row captain will also be responsible for notifying members about bug issues.
• Some discussion of cut worms. Solution: surround a seedling with cardboard tubing fr/ TP or paper towels.

Flower committee:

• All members willing to serve as “gurus” about anything flower related.
• Fundraising idea: Sell some of our iris bulbs at next barbecue for 50 cents to $ 1. The lavender is a cultivar from 1594, and being sold for $11 in catalogues.
• Clean up tasks: Need to deadhead irises and prune the roses. Tip: Cut to the place that has 5 leaves. That can give it energy to bloom.
• Bindweed is an issue in the garden.
• Flower committee has used almost no water so far for the flower gardens.

Libbyfest: Wednesday, June 20th, summer solstice. Rain date: a week later, June 27th. Potluck with members.

Compost: There is a delay of about one month. Things didn’t go as planned over the winter.

Bees: Doing great. In middle of a strong nectar flow because of mild winter. But along with this goes swarming. Hive is crowded. The swarmers will leave the hive. It can be intimidatingly loud, but they are full of honey, heavy and sleepy and won’t hurt you. They will go a short distance and stay until a new home scouted. They have chosen large trees, gazebo in the past. If you see a swarm, watch it, then call Caroline or Don. They’ll try to capture it and create another hive.

Holly bushes will serve as a 6 foot hedge in front of the bee hives, creating a tall barrier for the bees to fly over. Also a good source of berries for birds.

Native and drought resistant plants: Check out resource about this in the shed.

Treasurer:
• Balance was $1,920.32 in April. We collected $110 in dues and came up with $2,030 before expenses.
• April expenses totaled $599. This included PA dept of state and registration $70; Irrigation system service $180; Peco for Feb and March $48; Bees $300.
• May working balance: 1,431.29 working balance. There is a grant balance of $2500. That grant is for activities.

Other announcements:
Washington Square gig: looking for someone to tend their flower gardens this season. There will be salary for this. Talk to Barbara McKenzie.

Phillies night for Queen Village: This will be on Thursday, July 24th. Tickets on sale Wed, May 16th at New Wave. Come watch the game, get discounted drinks, buy your tickets.

Clean up at 9am this Saturday, May 19th. Put any tasks on list in the shed.

Inspection: Need volunteers. Report will go from row captains to gardeners.

1. Intro – Cyndi

2. Approval of Minutes

3. Treasurer’s Report – Dierdre – The opening balance was $6,6–.94. Expenses include: electric bill ($??), bees ($150), bird seed ($55) and keys ($21). The current balance, including dues paid through April 8, is $6,400. Of the $6,400, $2,000 is allocated to the “Rainy Day Fund”, and $2,500 is grant money which is allocated strictly for educational programing. (*Note: the grant money requires the Garden have a budget.) In 2010, the Garden spent approximately $2,000 on “other” items, such as plants, mulch, etc.

4. Introduction of Row Captains- John V. reviewed the row captain’s (“RC”) duties and introduced the RCs as follows:

Row 1: Irene S.
Row 2, Ed M.
Row 3, Lisa Z.
Row 4, Pam B.
Row 5, Don S.
Row 6, Kathy D.
Row 7, Leslie B.

The Committee Chairs were introduced as follows:

Construction: Thom; Flower: Linda W; Orchard: John K; Compost Toilet: Anne H; Compost: Grand & Karyl; and City Harvest: Ed M & Janice C.
**The Fundraising Committee and Children’s Garden Committee are still in need of Committee Chairs.

5. President’s Report – Cyndi made the following announcements and reminders:
A) Cyndi reminded everyone to lock the gates when arriving and leaving, lock the shed and remember to close the door of the compost toilet so the cats don’t get trapped inside.
B) Water Barrels- check your barrel and if it is leaning on the waterstem, empty the barrel and reposition it so it’s level.
C) Mulch Chips – They are coming. Tom asked everyone to be careful when spreading chips not to obscure the green water system access points in the pathway.
D) QVNA House Tours – This event is on May 19th from noon to 4pm. If the Garden wants to participate, we need several volunteers. Several members volunteered.
E) Activities Grant – The grant is for $2,500 and must be used to provide workshops and/or other educational purposes. It is time to apply for this grant for 2012. Cyndi asked for a volunteer to write the grant.
F) April clean-up – John V. will lead the clean-up and it will start at 10 am.
G) There is a task list for clean-ups posted in the shed. Please add suggestions for clean-up tasks.
H) Libby Fest – Linda W would like to make this even an annual tradition and a potluck.

6. Committee Reports

A) Flower Committee – Linda reported that the FC will meet soon to discuss responsibilities. She wants to use corn gluten meal along the pathways to inhibit weeds.

B) Bees – Carolyn reported that the honey house is now a certified by the PA Dept of Ag as a extraction facility. This means our honey can be sold wholesale (for example at Essene, farmer’s markets or Java Co.). The bees are in the midst of a nectar flow and are very healthy.

C) Community Service Committee – John reported that this committee is in its infancy and anyone interested should contact John or Barbara M. The purpose will be to volunteer to assist when school groups visit the Garden by offering tours etc.

D) City Harvest – Ed reported that to date 136.75 lbs of produce have been donated to Riverview in 2012. This season, pink flags will be used to designate donations. Plants are available after the meeting for gardeners to plant in their plots for CH. CH meets at 9am on Mondays to harvest for the week. If you‘d like to select the produce you’d like to donate, please leave it in the gazebo Sunday evening.

E) Finance & Dues – Cyndi reported that the Dues Committee (“DC”) drafted suggested bylaws changes which were presented to and discussed with the Garden Council. Revisions will be made based on that discussion and the proposed changes will be present to the membership at the May meeting.

Deirdre reported that dues are not covering basic costs (“BC”). BC have been defined as water, mosquito dunks and screens and electricity. BC for 2012 are projected to be $2,750. The biggest issue is the increasing water bill. Based on past bills the DC projects an expense of $1,500 for 2012. The dues collected for 2012 are $840 which is less than the anticipated water expense. The DC recommends increasing dues to cover BC.

A moratorium on all spending has been imposed. This means the Garden will not reimburse purchases of birdseed, mulch, plants or other items until we get a handle on spending. Fundraising and grants can be sought to cover other spending needs. (**Note – there is presently no fundraising chair). Also, capital projects are done for now.

The budget should be centered around the “bucket” plan/concept. The buckets are: beautification, maintenance, community service, fundraising, administration. The committee’s nest within the buckets. The committees then decide what they want to spend money on and what fundraising must be done to cover the expenses.

In order for dues to cover the BC one way to divide the BC equally amongst each of the 61 dues paying plots. This would result in a per plot cost of $45. This is just one way to calculate dues allocation and is not necessarily the DC proposal.

Deirdre reminded everyone that each year the Garden has spent between $1,500 and $2,500 to cover other costs that make the garden function such as mulch, birdseed, etc. It was suggested that the costs of mulch be included in BC. This would increase the due per plot to roughly $52 based on an even split of the BC between all dues paying plots.

It was noted that the Garden may be able to challenge the City charging water at all. Also cheaper mulch options should be investigated. Concerns were expressed about affordability for members who may not be able to pay the increased dues. Cyndi assured all current members that those current members who can not afford the dues, will be taken care of.

F) Fundraising Committee – John reported that 3 members signed up for the committee but none can serve as chairperson. We need more volunteers to join the committee and we need a chairperson. The purpose is not to be tasked with the fundraising, but to foster ideas and keep the process moving forward. Past successful efforts included the plant sale, flea market , BBQ and grants. Members can just work on a specific project if they want .

G) Water – The Garden Council discussed water conservation suggestions and listened to a presentation by Thom, Anne H and Anne S, and Suzanne S. The highlights of that presentation are that we have a general environmental and social responsibility to reduce our water consumption and the financial incentive is an added incentive. The committee offered 3 suggestions:

(1) soaker hoses are only to be used by the appropriate committees. If not in use by a committee (i.e. Flower Committee) they are shut off. The orchard is the only exception.
(2) Don’t fill select barrels. Let the weekly watering folks fill all the barrels each day. Anne S. is in charge of making sure that watering duties are handled smoothly and consistently this year so please contact her with concerns. Her phone number is posted in the shed.
(3) Begin a recurring educational series. Possibly at monthly clean-ups or meetings. More info to come.

FInally, the weekly watering schedule is on the website and will be posted in the shed as well. It’s important to mulch the plots (using salt hay, licorice root or your other mulch of preference to help the soil retain moisture).

Weekly watering responsibilities include: filling the barrels each day, picking up trash along the fence on on the sidewalk, and putting out the trash and recycling on Thursday evenings after 7pm.