Alliance Community Garden

Work Day, Saturday March 3

2012-03-02T10:50:00.001-08:00

Hello Gardeners,

I have glorious news: four beautiful dump trucks brought us compost/soil and mulch yesterday and this morning Lowe's brought our cinder blocks and work tools. Hooray!

All this means we can have a work day this Saturday, March 3, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The work will go like this: the front-end loader will help us level dirt for the beds, we will build the beds with the cinder blocks, and then we fill the beds with our fresh soil using the front-end loader, wheelbarrows and shovels. It will be a big job, but with plenty of volunteers, the work should go smoothly. We will have a volunteer on hand to document service hours, so send any Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or Honor Society students our way and we'll put them to work.

The soil amendments will arrive within a week, the seedling plants should arrive in a couple of weeks, and I have seeds and planting guides for anyone who wants to sow directly.

Here's what to bring:
1. Newspapers and cardboard to line the beds.
2. Work gloves.
3. Cap/hat, sunscreen, water bottle, snacks etc. for your personal convenience.
4. A happy heart.
5. HELPERS!

We'll have three wheelbarrows and some shovels, but if you want to bring your own supplies, feel free. Most of all, please be in prayer that this garden will be done in service and glory to God. Remember, one plants and one waters, but God provides the increase.

Cheers to all, and see you tomorrow in the garden!

Blessings,
Britta

Hooray for Troop 205!

2012-02-27T10:02:00.005-08:00

Hello Garden Gang!

Many thanks to Jack Webb and Boy Scout Troop 205 for hauling cinder blocks for us this weekend during their overnight campout in the garden. The troop neatened our new work area for us so we can prep for our Big Garden Build, hopefully for this Saturday, March 3rd. I've spoken with Katey Rudd, and it looks like our supplies should arrive this week. As soon as I get a green light (get it, green?) I'll holler. Actually, I'll email, but you get the idea.

As a reminder, I've got seeds and a seed planting guide from Marshall Grain for those of you who'd like to help grow seedlings. I've been in touch with Denise Cyr who will head up a seed-growing campaign with AUMC Preschool. Thanks, Denise.

Please keep praying for the garden. I read this passage last night as part of my Lent devotional, and I thought I'd share it with you:

Romans 6:5-8 "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."

That word "united" means to grow in union, or to plant in union. The word describes how two plants that have been planted together and are growing together, closely entwined or even united. (Nelson Study Bible.)

Have you ever seen two plants growing so closely together that they seem as one? What a beautiful image of our union with Christ, that we would be planted so closely to the source that we would actually grow entwined, closer and closer, to our Lord. This is my prayer for each of us, with this new mission field of the garden and in our personal journeys with Jesus.

Be blessed!
Britta

Garden Update: Plans and Prayers

2012-02-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Gardeners!

We've had some more good news for the garden!

Here's what's happening:

• Katey Rudd finished our garden plans and Jack and Kern are headed to the HOA meeting tonight for final approval. We have a contact on the board who thinks the garden is a good idea, but we appreciate prayers that all will go smoothly tonight.
• As many of you know, we've had wonderful donations from church members and area businesses, and we've been blessed with grants for supplies from TAFB and TCPH. We're expecting a shipment of building materials and tools, hopefully to arrive later this week—possibly February 23.
• Gardeners are stepping up with ideas and donations—we've got contacts for free mulch, a possible greenhouse, and two free tillers so far. Thank you, gardeners!
• Will and Ellen Neff attended a class and have thoughtfully shared their notes with us to help us in the garden. We'll hand out copies of this at our next garden party.
• We received packets of seeds for our seed-starting efforts. If you're interested in free seeds, please contact me. I'll have them through build-out days and beyond! (Cue Buzz Lightyear.)
• Kern contacted Dig Tess and they'll be marking our lines this week, so we don't cut off electricity or phone lines while we're tilling. I'm sure our AUMC office staff will be pleased with our efforts.
• Ben and David have been in contact with Al Shave who is generously allowing us to use his front-end loader to move dirt.

Here's what’s next:
• Cash donations for the garden are coming in nicely (many thanks to all who have given!), but we're still a ways off from the slab and shed we need to house all these new supplies.
• WORK DAY! Once we get confirmation that our supplies are arriving, we'll send word about a work day (possibly for this weekend.) Kern and I will be doing prep-work this week, starting this afternoon. Jack and the Boy Scouts are camping on the land this weekend, and will be able to continue with the prep work. Once we schedule the workday, we'll need all hands on deck. So once you hear the call, please grab your teenagers, your neighbors, and your work gloves and be ready to go.

Here's what we need:
• Newspapers and cardboard for lining the bottom of new beds
• Vegetable and fruit scraps for compost
• Prayers for HOA meeting and new shed
• Donations for shed and other common areas
• Laborers for work days

Thank you all for your hands and your hearts as we work together to create this garden. Please continue to pray—God is moving and it's so much fun to be a part of the journey!

Cheers,
Britta Coleman

Making Dirt: Compost Do's and Don'ts

2012-01-30T11:58:00.000-08:00

Hello Gardeners,

We had a great meeting on January 22nd, and Colleen gave us an excellent overview of what we're including in our Community Garden Compost pile. We want your garbage! (Sort of.) Please read through the following guidelines that she shared with us, and join us in making dirt.

From Colleen's handout:

Compost provides numerous benefits to a garden. It adds nutrients to garden soil, encourages worm activity, provides mulch cover and reduces recyclable yard and raw kitchen waste that would otherwise end up in local landfills. Successful composting uses a '50/50 Rule': 50% Carbon (brown material) and 50% Nitrogen (green material). To ensure continued success, it is important to know which material can and cannot be included in the composting process.

COMPOST NO NO'S: These items should not go into a compost pile...

1. Meat products: these can attract unwanted visitors to a compost bin as well as cause the compost to develop a foul odor.
2. Dairy products: these will also attract visitors and encourage foul odors.
3. Animal feces: including bedding and litter. This poses a potential health risk. Cat litter may contain a pathogen that can carry taxoplasmosis. The exception to this rule is chicken and cow manure from farm animals, as these animal's diets are plant based.
4. Diseased plants: these will transfer fungal diseases to healthy garden plants.
5. Weeds: these will thrive in a compost bin rather than break down, resulting in weed seed transfer to the garden boxes.
6. Paper products: including household shredding, newspaper (contains additives and synthetic resins), cardboard, coffee filters, paper plates, etc. Unfortunately, many paper products contain man-made chemicals that can alter soil ph levels.
7. Walnut shells: these contain juglone, which are toxic to some plants (especially tomatoes and apple trees).
8. Sawdust: treated wood contains many harmful chemicals such as arsenic, carcinogens, insecticides and fungicides.
9. Cooking oil: this will alter the soil ph levels.
10. Rice: attracts unwanted visitors.
11. Cooked leftover table scraps: these can contain cooking oils, dairy or meat products. Can also attract rats.
12. Coal ashes: this can be toxic to plants.
13. Dryer lint: dryer sheets contain perfumes and chemicals that can alter soil ph levels.

COMPOST DO'S: The following items are beneficial additions to a compost pile...

1. Raw fruit and veggie scraps
2. Egg shells
3. Coffee grounds
4. Grass clippings: pesticide free, please.
5. Leaves and plant trimmings
6. Pine cones and needles
7. Hay, straw, alfalfa
8. Pet and human hair
9. Nuts and shells: except for walnuts (see Compost No No's above).
10. Tea leaves
11. Farm animal manure, such as that from chickens and cows.

For questions regarding any items that have not been included in this list, please feel free to contact us.

The information on this list was gathered from many helpful gardening sources such as www.motherearthnews.com, www.organicgardening.com, www.texasgardener.com, Reader's Digest 1001 Hints & Tips For Your Garden, Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Gardening, as well as personal gardening experience. Happy Gardening!

Garden Party This Sunday at 2:00 AUMC

2012-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Hello Gardeners!

Please join us for our first Alliance Community Garden Party this Sunday, January 22, at 2:00 in the Family Life Center at AUMC. This will a time of celebration and planning as we take the second-step in our journey with the community garden. If you like to garden, to pray, to build things, to create artwork, to plant seeds, or just like to eat--we want you! We'll share ideas, discuss design, and pray for the future of the garden. This will be your opportunity to reserve a bed for spring planting. We will have Katey Rudd, a Tarrant County Garden Coordinator, on hand for expert advice. We'll also have a taste of the garden!

Hope to see you there!

Cauliflower as Big as Your Head

2012-01-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Alliance Community Garden has continued to produce delicious vegetables, in spite of it being January. We recently harvested cauliflower and broccoli, and were able to offer it as an altar arrangement for Sunday Services. What a joy to share! The Archibalds and the Fitzpatricks each took home samples, and report that AUMC vegetables are awesome. (That's an official term, folks.)

We've set a Garden Party for January 22, at 2:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center of AUMC. Whether you like to garden, pray, build things, create artwork, or just like to eat--we'd love to have you join us and share your ideas. This will be a time to pray, brainstorm, and celebrate what God is doing in the garden.

We've spoken with the Keller Storehouse and we're setting up plans to donate a portion of our future harvest. So, the efforts of our gardening will be a blessing throughout our community and will help feed families and children in need, right here in our area. Who's excited?!

Winter Gardening--Yes, It's Possible!

2011-12-30T13:16:00.000-08:00

We just returned from checking on the garden, with good news to report. The cauliflower and broccoli are doing so well. We harvested our first batch of broccoli on Thanksgiving day, and it was so tender and delicious. We have yet to taste the cauliflower, but it looks good so far. The spinach was struggling in its current spot (hidden from sunshine behind the enormous broccoli and cauliflower plants), so we transplanted it closer to the Western side of the bed.

If you've seen the garden lately, we "winterized" it by adding thin pvc piping with a "planket" to cover for a freeze. So far we've only had to use it once, with excellent results. The pvc piping keeps the planket off the plants, because I'm told that if the cover freezes and sticks to the plants, the plants freeze, too. Who knew?

New seedlings for carrots and lettuce have come up, and we planted a few extra radishes today since they come in so quickly--22 days! We hope to have a batch available for the first garden party meeting, which is tentatively set for 2:00 on January 22 at AUMC. More details to come soon.

Look for a ministry moment from Britta about the garden at each of the Sunday services at Alliance UMC on January 8. See you then!

Recipes from the Garden: Radish Top Soup

2011-11-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

Radishes are one of the easiest things to grow in a garden, and we've had tremendous success with ours. Here's a picture of our first crop--pulled a little early because I was so excited. Isn't it a cute lil' radish? I let the other batches get bigger, and we enjoyed radishes all through the fall.

But what to do with a radish, other than slice it atop a salad? I found this delicious recipe for Radish Top Soup from one of my favorite sites, Allrecipes.com. This soup, submitted by Laura Nason, is peppery and smooth, and even our non-soup eater requested seconds. We found ourselves using the tops more often than the radishes themselves! Enjoy.

Radish Top Soup
Original Recipe Yield 6 servings
Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
2 medium potatoes, sliced
4 cups raw radish greens
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
5 radishes, sliced

Directions
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and saute until tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter.
Pour in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
2. Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well blended. Serve with radish slices.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 156 | Total Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 28mg

Here We Grow Again...

2011-11-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Colleen and Russ have built a second garden bed, and our friends in Arlington have donated enough blocks for us to build two more beds! I met with Katey Rudd this week, and plan to attend a Community Garden Leadership Training in December.

Colleen and Russ will work on building the compost beds this week--most likely Thursday morning. If you're interested in helping out, holler at me and I'll give you details. You can post on this blog, or find me (Britta Coleman) on Facebook.

Please keep the garden in prayer as we work on plans to develop our vision. Look for upcoming ministry moments at Alliance United Methodist Church for meeting updates. We hope to have a church-wide/community-wide information meeting in January. With a potluck, perhaps?

If you happen to walk by the garden, pause and take a look at what's growing. Our cauliflower and broccoli continue to dominate, and Dan's sunflower is looking perky. The pepper plant is going bananas (?), and we've got new seedlings of beets and carrots making their way into this world. Amazing! I have a special helper, Toly Damon, who's been watering the plants with me and we came back to the house and shared a radish plucked fresh from the garden. A lovely experience.

Didn't Colleen and Russ do a lovely job? I hope to have the guidelines for building a bed posted soon, in case any other gardeners want to jump start and build a winter bed. For the rest of the garden, we'll plan on a build out this spring.

Stay tuned for more information...

Star-Telegram Reports on Food Banks Delivering Fresh Produce To Needy

2011-10-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

I read this interesting article in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Love the innovation of using (donated) refrigerated trucks to take fresh produce to folks who need it, right where they are. Apparently, storing fresh and frozen produce is a problem, space and money-wise for most food banks, so the mobile pantries are a smart solution.

Also, I was reminded that so many people in our area are willing to stand in line for hours for fresh food for their families. That's something to think about. Right here, in our neighborhoods, in our schools, and in our churches, people are having to make tough choices like whether to pay the utility bill or buy food.

Please continue to pray for our communities, for God's continued blessings on our garden, and that we may be a true service and a ministry for those who are in need.

Happy Plants and Happy News

2011-10-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, Pastor Jim announced the joyful news of our garden in all three services at church, and several folks expressed interest in building beds and helping in various areas.

Viv has signed on to be our treasurer, and Kim will be our note taker. Colleen and Russell are pioneering a winter bed, and we have plans to build a compost bed with some donated pallets from our sister garden in Arlington. Thanks, Willie!

You can check here for the latest news, and I'll start putting information in the church newsletter and weekly bulletins. We'll also reach out to our neighborhood association and nearby communities to make this a true community garden.

Also, we have happy news from the TAFB Garden Coordinator, that Tarrant County Public Health is interested in funding a portion of our project. So, please add that to your prayers, that the funding would go through and that we'd see continued support and leadership throughout the process.

Yesterday, I walked our dogs up to church to water the garden. I was able to water the plants with our new, ginormous hoses, and the dogs enjoyed playing in the sunshine. I even saw a dragonfly enjoying our marigolds! I tried to catch a picture, but the dragonfly sort of blends. I promise, he's there.

Also, this week's happy plant award goes to Cauliflower. Doesn't it look pleased to be part of our new garden? (The plant isn't actually upside down, that's just more of my spectacular photography skills.)

The Test Bed is Born!

2011-10-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Today we built the first test bed for the Alliance Community Garden. We met at the church at 8:15 a.m. and had the planter built, full of soil, planted and seeded by 12:00 p.m. Way to go, teamwork!

For supplies, we used:

*52 cinder blocks from Home Depot
*3 yards of premium soil from Silver Creek
*5 bags of concrete-grade sand from Home Depot
*2 bags of mulch from Home Depot

We built the beds in a rectangular formation (4 blocks wide, 9 blocks long, 2 blocks high), lined the bottom with newspaper (free--the Colemans are proud Star-Telegram subscribers) and added a layer of sand to help thwart the weeds. We had additional bags of sand available in case we needed help for leveling the first row of blocks. Thankfully, the patch of land we picked was fairly level, so our sand use was minimal.

For plants, we brought several starters we had planted at home and transplanted them into our new garden. Though we're a bit late in the season to start, we wanted to see how far we could go with radishes, beans, okra, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach. To help ward off unhelpful bugs, we planted a row of marigolds to surround the bed. For fun, Dan added a few sunflower seeds to the very edges: that boy has grown sunflowers since he was itty bitty.

For irrigation, we attached two super-hoses to our existing waterline, and have plans to build a water-saving rain barrel soon.

Many thanks to David and Beth Fitzpatrick (and helpful pooch Romo), Kern and Dan Coleman. We hope this test bed will be "a sign unto us" and an encouragement to those who would like to join us for spring planting. We'll have details on how you can reserve your spot in the garden soon.

And for those attending the AUMC Lord's Acre Festival on October 29th (you're all invited!), we'll have special opportunities for future gardeners.

Again, if you'd like to participate in the garden, please let me know!

Cheers and Blessings,
Britta

Alliance Community Garden...Coming Soon!

2011-09-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Alliance Community Garden blog. This will be a place where you can find information about the garden and get updates on new garden events.

The AUMC church council met last night and gave approval for a community garden to be built outside of the family life center. The idea behind the garden originated years ago, when Kern and I first joined AUMC. The lot next to the church seemed like such an ideal place for gardening: full sun, lots of space and room to grow. Wouldn't it be wonderful, we thought, to have a big space to grow fresh fruit and vegetables that we could harvest for our family, our church, and to share with area food banks?

The idea, like so many, was pushed to the backburner until this fall.

This fall, Jim's series on Breaking Free has helped me to step forward with the idea for the garden and seriously investigate the possibility for our church. The story Jim shared about Moses and his excuses hit particularly close to home. (Thanks, Jim.) Through faith, I decided to "step into the water" and follow where God seems to be leading. I've been in prayer about this garden for a long time, and I would ask that you would join me in that effort. What I've found, when I started researching, is that our plot and our neighborhood could be an extremely useful place to grow a community garden. Community gardens are blooming throughout Tarrant County, and volunteer gardeners, just like us, are helping to provide area food banks with hundreds of pounds of fresh produce.

So far, I've spoken with the trustees, the mission committee, and Katey Rudd, a Tarrant Area Food Bank community garden organizer. Katey has been extremely helpful and she'll be on board as we make the steps toward building the garden. I've contacted another successful community garden at Arlington First Christian Church and am amazed at all they've accomplished in less than a year. All of the steps so far have seemed spirit-led, and last night's council approval was the "green light" we needed to move forward.

We have plans to begin a fall test garden to work on our irrigation issues and planting structures. Our hope is to have several additional plots built in the spring, which we can lease to church members and members of our community. We'd like the space to be one of true community: to invite neighbor schools to have educational opportunities, to invite area apartment complexes to have space to grow food, to increase our missional giving to feed folks who need some extra help. Imagine concerts in the garden, picnics, and just good fellowship as we dig and play and grow.

If you'd like to be involved, or are interested in leasing a plot for your family or community group, let me know. If you've got a green thumb, have ideas for the garden, or just want to share your expertise, I'd love to hear from you. We'll have an informational meeting soon to discuss the garden, and you're invited. I'll post details soon.