Sunday recap (8/21)

We had a group of helpers from New Albany United Methodist come over to help, and we were able to get a lot done. We picked our largest harvest yet, including: two types of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and several types of beans. We also weeded and fertilized, and the garden is looking better than it has in weeks. The volunteers had just returned from a mission trip to Jamaica where for part of the time they worked on an organic farm. The farm trains people in organic methods and hopes to send several to school to become inspectors for other organic farms. I'm sure there is much we could learn from them and NAUMC hops to have one of the people from the organization visit in the near future.

This harvest will be shared as part of the Back-to-School Kick-off to be held at the Westerville Estates Clubhouse this Tuesday night beginning at 5pm. More info here.

What needs done this week

Or if you are unfamiliar with the parlance of middle Ohio: What needs to be done this week.

Really, the biggest thing right now is mulching. Since no on has donated any straw, I think newspapers are our best bet. There is a small bag of them in the blue plastic bin by the front door of the church. If you can bring your own, even better. You can just tuck the pages in under the drip tape and weed barrier. My might want to avoid the row of beans that has not been mulched since I added some seeds that might not have come up yet.. Otherwise, the tomatoes and peppers, even though they already have straw, could use some newspaper to cover up the edges and in between plants.

There will be a work night Thursday. I'll be at church but will be inside if anyone has any questions.

Sunday will be more mulching, weeding, finishing the deer fence, and putting up the trellis for the tomatoes and beans.

How does our garden grow?

Our garden is funded by Church of the Saviour, Harlem Road, and New Albany United Methodist churches, but we rely on help from a variety of individuals and groups. If you would like to make a cash contribution, you can make a check out to Church of the Saviour - United Methodist and note that you would like the money to be deposited in the 3 Sisters fund.

We are also interested in donations of materials. Here is a list of things we need for the upcoming year:

• 3' x 50' opaque plastic tarps (usually used for landscaping) as well as several bales of straw for weed control
• Compost, mulch, or other soil amendments for clay soil
• Seedlings: tomatoes, in particular, but we are opening to other plants as well
• Garden tools and a container for holding them (currently they have to be left out in the open)
• 8' metal fence posts, 6'+ tall bamboo stakes, and wire for trellising pole beans

We appreciate the help we have received in the past and look forward to making this our best year yet. You can contact me through the link on the homepage of this website if you have any questions.

Peas and lettuce in the ground

While I've been working behind the scenes to get the new pump for the water system, a couple of our great volunteers have started a patch of peas and lettuce. The patch is planted in an area that was heavily composted last year to see how soil improvements would affect the plants. They have also added black plastic to stop the weeds, more compost, and some protection from the deer. We've been fortunate in avoiding problems the last two years, but some deer tracks were seen while they were planting. Can't wait to see how it goes.

What still needs to be done

We got a lot of great work done during our short notice work night. The tomatoes were trellised, most of the beans were weeded, and two rows of corn and sunflowers were planted.

We are still in need of volunteers to water the garden once in a while and there is still more weeded to be done. The rest of the beans need to be weeded and the tomatoes and peppers are getting crowded again, too. I don't think we'll have an organized work night this coming week, but people are welcome to come out and help when they have time.

By the way, here is some proof that anyone can participate in gardening. This is my wife with our 4-month-old son who was doing a little weeding out in our plot.

Waterers needed

We have been unable to find a timer system that is compatible with the low water pressure our tank produces. (It uses only gravity. Next year, we will install a pump and move the tank over to the church to collect rainwater, eliminating this problem.)

So, we need to get some volunteers who are willing to water the garden. Watering takes between 45 minutes to an hour and consists of turning on the spigot at the tank, waiting 20 to 30 minutes, turning the spigot off, attaching the other hose, and repeating the process. Besides turning the spigot on and off and connecting/disconnect the hoses, there is no work required.

We are looking for people who might be willing to water on a regular basis (Wednesday is already covered) and on an intermittent basis. If you are available and interested, please let me know. We really need your help. Thanks

Upcoming needs

-60 tomato cages (lots more tomatoes than last year)

-several large plastic bins (to collect and transport the harvest)

-1 and 2 gallon plastic bags (to bag up the vegetables)

-spare garden tools

Please share this with others. Donations can be dropped off at Church of the Saviour during office hours (see the website for details).

First Look: New Watering System

The folks from Rain Brothers came out today and set up our new water tank.


This 550-gallon tank is made in Ohio and will be filled up for us by the Harlem Township Fire Department.


They also got a start on laying down the soaker tape, but they'll have to finish up later in the week. Since the tank is slightly uphill from the garden, the water system will work on gravity alone.


Once it is set up, we'll be able to test it out. When everything is ready to go, we'll open up planting to our individual planters.

In the long term, we'll hook up the tank to the gutters on the church to collect the rain water. With a small pump we'll be able to move the water to the entire garden--a big improvement over last year. Water was a major limitation for us last year. With the new system we'll be able to plant the entire plot this year, greatly increasing our harvest over our first year.

Water tank fundraiser: Moving towards a sustainable water system

We're very excited to announce that we are working with Rain Brothers, a local company specializing in rainwater harvesting and sustainable irrigation, to install a new water system in the garden. We'll be installing a 550-gallon tank and several rows of soaker tape that will water the garden as needed using only gravity. Last year, hand watering the garden several times a week using a bird's nest of hoses severely limited our output. With the new system, the watering will be done by gravity, meaning we can plant much more square footage.



Along with the increased output, we will be reducing the amount of water we use since the soaker tape will allow us to water more effectively. We'll also be saving money in the long run since we won't be using water from the line. Instead, we'll be getting it from the pond that catches the excess rainwater from the surrounding area.

But how will the water get from the pond to the tank? The Harlem Township Fire Department fills their trucks from our pond. When we need the tank to be filled, they will drive over and fill the tank for us. So with the exception of the gas needed to drive the fire trucks out to the church (which they are currently doing anyway), we won't need any extra energy to pump or distribute the water.

Most of the cost will be covered the by the budget for the garden provided by the three churches. But we need to raise an extra $300 to cover the rest. We've already had a few donations and the end is in sight. Please consider making a donation. All amounts are appreciated. Checks can be made out to Church of the Saviour - UM with a note that it is for the 3 Sisters Water Tank.

The extra produce from the garden will be a huge help to the Friends Who Share Food Pantry and people all over the Big Walnut area. We are thankful for the help of Rain Brothers who have been able to get us a deal on some of the supplies and have been a big help in planning the system. We also appreciate the willingness of the Harlem Township Fire Department to help in this project.

Personal/Family Plots Now Available

This year we are excited to offer personal/family plots to our neighbors. There is no fee for the plot but growers must agree to donate 10% of their produce to the Friends Who Share Food Pantry. A donation to help cover water costs is helpful, but not required. The complete rules are available here.

Plots will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Feel free to send along any questions to me via the comments section or at nickposs@gmail.com.

What's new for 2010?

This year we're back to build on the success of our first year. So what's different?

• Publicly available garden plots for individuals or families

We're happy to offer the opportunity for neighbors to have their own garden plots, free of charge. Plots will be between 10'x20' and 20'x20'. Water is available as is limited help in setting up the plots. While there is no cost for the plot, we do ask that people donate 10% of their harvest to the Friends Who Share Food Pantry.

• Expanded opportunities for youth outreach

Last year we we're able to work with the summer youth program at Church of the Saviour to help out in the garden. This year, we are expanding that to the youth programs at the other churches that meet during the school year. Members of these groups have already started seeds to plant in the garden and will be active in garden maintenance. We also plan to have more lessons about organic gardening and cooking with vegetables.

• New watering options

We are currently looking for new ways to water our garden. One possibility is to install a large water trough. The Harlem Township Fire Department has already agreed to fill it up for us with their excess water. Also, we are looking in to putting the water line from the church underground to eliminate problems with the multiple water hoses.

Overall, we plan to increase the number of volunteers and our produce output. We'll be announcing meetings soon to discuss the details of the garden, so keep your eye on this space.