“I believe that the community – in the fullest sense: a place and all its creatures – is the smallest unit of health and that to speak of the health of an isolated individual is a contradiction in terms.  – Wendell Berry, The art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays

What Volunteers Are Doing in the Garden:

Potato Planting Now Underway – Students and faculty from Iowa State University and Dowling Catholic High School started planting potatoes on Saturday morning. We hope to have the potatoes all planted by the end of April.

CITY OF WDM ENFORCEMENT ACTION: GOOD BYE HIGH TUNNEL!

Our high tunnel has been  fixture in the garden for the past five years. We use the high tunnel to start plants in the spring and to extend the growing season in the fall. The City fire code views the high tunnel as a tent (sort of like those grocery store garden centers that pop up in the spring) which must be taken down during the off season). We realized once the high tunnel was first erected that it could not come down without impairing its structural integrity (the ability to withstand high winds). So after many discussions the high tunnel is coming down by June 30.

Hello Greenhouse – We are how considering the addition of a greenhouse as a permanent structure to the garden. While more expensive than our high tunnel it can provide many additional benefits including City approval.

BE A GARDEN VOLUNTEER!

HERE’S HOW:
Students Wishing to Earn Service Hours by volunteering in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/gUJ9V1

Everyone else wishing to volunteer in the Garden, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/WGsJLt

Why register? It allows us to advise you of last minute cancellations due to weather, etc.
We’re using SignUp.com to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link on the left to see our SignUp on SignUp.com

2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
4) Remember to click the green  SAVE button after you have selected your sign ups.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

On Friday, May 5 come celebrate all things Latino with a potluck picnic starting at 6pm followed by gardening at 7pm.

On June 3 from 4pm until dark we will be celebrating the diversity of our natural world and humankind.

Through the lens of garden activities we will bring people of diverse backgrounds together to see how nature thrives on diversity through the interaction of soil, plants and people.

There will be activities for people of all ages followed by a potluck supper and brief program. Bring your family and friends.

Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 – timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-998-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com

Hello Gardeners:

Saturday looks like it will be our first volunteer day in the garden – sunny and warm (for March). A great day for spreading mulch! We will be in he garden from 10:30am-Noon on Saturday.

Use the volunteer sign-up here: https://www.growthefood.org/volunteer-today/

See you in the garden!

Tim

PS: Our young ones are growing a lot stronger after replacing some of the fluorescent bulbs:

Annual Hope for the Hungry Conference Focuses Fighting Local Hunger

Hope for the Hungry
9am – 4pm
Saturday, March 4
Grace Lutheran Church
3010 52nd St DSM

This is a wonderful opportunity to network with other gardeners and to about learn anti-hunger initiatives from a spectrum of local  experts. Download this Flyer for Registration Information

BIZARRE WEATHER

Garlic planted last fall is already up and 3 inches. Usually we do not see garlic shoots like this until April. Picture taken earlier today.

FREE SWEET POTATO STARTS

Each year the Faith & Grace Garden buys 500 extra sweet potato starts to share with local donation gardens (school, faith or community) at no cost. If you would like to reserve some starts for your garden, please reply to this message. Let us know how many you need and we will let you know when they will be ready for pick-up which will be later this spring.

BE A GARDEN VOLUNTEER!

HERE’S HOW:

Students Wishing to Earn Service Hours by volunteering in the Garden in March, Register Here:

http://signup.com/go/2VLV64
Everyone else wishing to volunteer in the Garden in March, Register Here:
http://signup.com/go/a5U4C5

Why register? It allows us to advise you of last minute cancellations due to weather, etc.

We’re using SignUp.com to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link on the left to see our SignUp on SignUp.com
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Supercharge Your Soil for Spring! Here’s How- Soil link
Starting your garden plants from seed? Try soil blocking – Here’s How Soil blocking

Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 – timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-998-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com

It’s Green Tomato Time!

As the first succession of tomato plants dwindles, many green tomatoes are still juicy and “ripe” for picking. Green tomatoes make for incredible eating. In addition to the beloved fried green tomatoes, you can use their rich, tangy flavor in a wide range of stews and sautes and roasts. Find some recipes here and here.

Harvest Celebration – Truly a Joyous Occasion…So just how do you tag a Monarch???

Many thanks to the Whole Foods WDM Store for their support of this event and especially employees Amanda and Nicole for volunteering their time and energy at the celebration!!

Wonderful weather combined with good friends, good food and fun activities to make the Harvest Celebration on Saturday a wonderful event. We dedicated our new pollinator garden, tagged monarchs, and ate some great food.

Step 1….Catch a Monarch. This is hard to do. They can fly really fast and high!! We were fortunate and caught 4 Monarchs on Saturday.
Step 2. Record information about the Monarch. We were fortunate to have Erika Schoenberg of Polk County Conservation help us record information and then tag the monarchs.

Neighborhood Beekeeper

Jacob (wearing green shirt) is a neighbor who lives close-by to the Faith & Grace Garden. He has been beekeeping for about a year. Jacob started with one hive and now has six! Jacob talked to us at the Celebration about his experiences as a beekeeper and answered our questions. To order some honey from Jacob and his Sweet Tree Garden contact: wdmhoney@gmail.com

2016 Growing Season by the Numbers

Regular Garden Volunteer Hours

Mon–Wed–Fri: 6:30pm–8:30pm | Sat: 10:30am-Noon

The Faith & Grace Garden is using Signup.com (formerly VolunteerSpot) to organize our upcoming Volunteer Sign-ups.Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our Sign-Up:http://vols.pt/kWyw79
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on Signup.com.
Note: Signup.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 – timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-998-5381 – wdmmarshall@msn.com

Greetings from Meutia Hakim!

Meutia, a Valley High School foreign exchange student four years ago, sent a message last week to say how much she loved her time as a volunteer  in the Faith & Grace Garden. She said her time in the garden and experience as a Wallace Foundation Real Soil, Real Food, A Real Difference summer camp Scholarship Winner are fond memories that are still shaping her future.

Meutia is now back home in Indonesia majoring in Food Technology at Surya University. Meatia would like to return for visit to the garden and possibly pursue graduate studies in the US.

Harvest Celebration Help Wanted!
Harvest Celebration: Monarch tagging and dinner
Saturday, September 17 starting at 4:30 pm
Covenant Presbyterian Church
Corner of 28th Street & Ashworth Rd, West Des Moines

Join us on Sat., Sept. 17, for a wonderful late afternoon get-together starting with a dedication of the pollinator beds at the Faith and Grace Garden followed by a demonstration of Monarch Butterfly tagging by the Polk County Conservation Commission.  Then join us for dinner featuring fresh produce from Whole Foods and the Faith & Grace Garden.  Choose from two unique homemade lasagnas, a delicious compliment of fresh-grown sides, and your choice of dessert!  Butterfly Tagging: 4:30-5:30pm; Harvest Dinner: 5:30-7:00pm, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, corner of 28th Street & Ashworth Rd, West Des Moines.

Can you help us make this event a success? We need help with preparations, cooking and cleaning up. This is a great opportunity for students wanting the earn service hours. For details see: http://signup.com/go/49v5NV

Soil Society of America

The Soil Science Society of America created a blog, Soils Matter, to help the public understand this precious natural resource. The blog can be found here .

Recent topics included tips about soil testing, and whether synthetic or natural fertilizers are the best plant nutrients. Regular Soils Matter contributor Clay Robinson says, “Naturally, soil scientists find soils interesting, but we want to help people understand that soils are so much more than dirt. The air people breathe, food they eat, water they drink, clothes they wear, and places they live, all depend on the soil. Soil scientists can help people learn how to use soil wisely, balancing conservation and productivity, so future generations can benefit from the soil as we do.”

In addition, SSSA has public information about soils on their website, under the tab “Discover Soils.”

Congratulations to Nathan Dickerson, Eagle Scout!
A call to more scouts interested in Eagle projects

Nathan was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in a ceremony on September 5. Nathan’s Eagle project was building shelving in the garden high tunnel.

If your church or community organization is affiliated with a scout troop, please let them know that the Faith & Grace Garden is a great source for Eagle projects. Contact Tim Goldman for details.

Are you interested in sustainability?

The goal of Urban Ambassadors  is to grow our green network in Des Moines.
To learn more and become involved attend their upcoming FriendRaiser. http://www.urbanambassadors.org/friendraiser/
Find them on Facebook for more details. https://www.facebook.com/events/937763712947037

Regular Garden Volunteer Hours

Mon–Wed–Fri: 6:30pm–8:30pm | Sat: 10:30am-Noon

The Faith & Grace Garden is using Signup.com (formerly VolunteerSpot) to organize our upcoming Volunteer Sign-ups.Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our Sign-Up:http://vols.pt/kWyw79
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on Signup.com.
Note: Signup.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Tim Goldman 515-745-9842 –timothyjgoldman@gmail.com
Mark Marshall 515-998-5381 –wdmmarshall@msn.com