Treasurer's Report

The OTCG has 33 6x10 (60 square feet) individual garden plots. The annual fee for each plot is $10. If a gardener decides to "adopt" more than one plot, the annual fee drops to $5 for each additional plot. If all plots are adopted, we hope to net approximately $300 annually.

No firm decisions have been made on how the money will be used. The money may be used to purchase supplies (e.g. seeds, plants, hoes, rakes, shears, etc.) that could be shared amongst the gardeners. Some of the money may be used to purchase educational supplies to aid gardeners in learning more about gardening. Another option is to use some of this money to cover the fees for those individuals who are less fortunate. As soon as a decision is made, we'll post an update on the Blog.

We hope the garden will provide a positive environment for experienced and inexperienced gardeners to work together, build community spirit, and provide fresh produce for those who are less fortunate. Since this is the Old Town community Garden's first year, we are still trying to determine what is needed and the direction we want to take the garden. We welcome all those who wish to participate in gardening or help the garden "grow." If you would like to join in the fun, contact the CCA or any of the Old Town Community Garden Executive Committee members for an application.

~Jeff Jekel
Treasurer, Old Town Community Garden

A Warm Thought on a Cool Day

A Parking Lot Becomes A Garden: 02

Alan Kirchhoff and Gary Janke skilled gardeners at work preparing the soil for Spring planting.

A Parking Lot Becomes A Garden: 01

A photo journal of the transformation of a parking lot into a garden!





Check back often for more photo updates!

Garden Update

The Site and Soil Planning Committee is hard at work developing the Garden. Important target dates are:

March 9: Tilling to be completed

March 10: Start building Plots and Walkways

March 10: Eagle Scout to build Compose Bin

March 12: Irrigation begins

March 31: Garden will be ready to plant

Each Garden plot is 6 ft. X 10 ft. for a total of 60 sq. ft. The rental period is from April to December. The annual rental fee for a plot is $10; a secondary plot is $5.

The Community Garden is open to everyone in Southern Denton County and plots will be rented on a first-come, first-served basis.

Executive Committee Established

At a recent Community Garden meeting, the following executive committee was established:

• Chairperson: Lori Taylor
• Secretary: Kelly Barber
• Treasurer: Jeff Jekel
• Historian: Beverly Michelson
• Site Planning & Soil Coordinators: Alan Kirchhoff and Gary Janke
• Garden Coordinator: Jessica Trent
• Communication Coordinator: Alva Logsdon

There is a high level of enthusiasm for the development of the Community Garden and many volunteers are joining committees and assisting in the planning. It's exciting to see it all coming together!

Bookmark this blogsite and checked back often. If you have any suggestions, simply post them in the COMMENTS link; if you need someone to contact you, include your email address (it will not be published).

The Birth of a Community Garden

"I'm really getting excited about one of our newest projects at CCA--a Community Garden! For several months, we have been working hard in the field just East of our Mill Street campus to get a good-sized plot of land ready for what we believe will be the first community garden in the Lewisville/Flower Mound area," says Scott Orr, CCA President. "Local gardeners interested in the project will be allowed to "adopt" a small plot in which they will be able to grow whatever plants, flowers and vegetables they choose. All we ask is that a portion of the produce each gardener grows be donated to our food pantry to provide much needed fresh vegetables for our families in need."

For a website describing this concept, check out this link at:
http://www.communitygarden.org/

"I'm thrilled about having a community garden of our own for several reasons," says Orr. "One is obviously the good food for our families who use our pantry. But even more than that, I'm excited about the idea of a place that will bring together garden lovers throughout our community. Where else but in a garden can you have people working side by side from all demographics--race, socio-economic level, age or religion--with one common purpose: A love of the soil and the miracle of growing plants that God has so generously given us."

Watch our website, www.ccahelps.org, and the local papers for more information about this exciting concept. We will be holding community meetings beginning in January to help organize the governing structure of the garden. We truly want this to be a project that the community "owns." The ground is ready (it's been tilled, weeded and nourished and it is beautiful!), the irrigation will be installed soon and we plan to put in our first crops in March. If you love growing things, but for some reason have never had the space or ability to have your own garden, we hope you'll join our team.

If you're interested, please contact Maureen Cummings at programs@ccahelps.org and she'll be sure to put you on our mailing list, so you don't miss any of the details.