WAVERLY COMMUNITY SHARING GARDEN..FEED THE HUNGRY

WAVERLY COMMUNITY SHARING GARDEN..FEED THE HUNGRY

LEARN, GROW, SELL: YOUTH PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

PARTNERS PROVIDING FOOD FOR AREA HUNGRY STARTED IN 2011 ON FLOOD DAMAGED LOTS DONATED BY THE CITY OF WAVERLY..MANY PARTNERS WORKING COOPERATIVELY CITY OF WAVERLY LUTHERAN SYNOD OFFICE SIX AREA CHURCH GROUPS WAVERLY GARDEN CLUB ISU BREMER MASTER GARDENERS ISU BREMER COUNTY EXTENSION NORTHEAST IOWA FOOD BANK DEDICATED LOCAL VOLUNTEERS FOUR HOUSE LOTS (136 X136 ) THIS IS AFTER..SPRING 2012

THIS IS BEFORE --2008 CEDAR RIVER FLOOD OF 2008 (A 500- YEAR EVENT) DEVISTATED THE CEDAR VALLEY AND WAVERLY FEMA BUYOUT ON 93 PROPERTIES NO MORE PERMANENT STRUCTURES REV. MARK ANDERSON, ASST. TO BISHOP, LEARNED OF COMMUNITY GARDENS CONCEPT ON A TRIP OUT EAST..APPROACHED CITY AND GOT THE BALL ROLLING. COMMITTEE FORMED EARLY 2011 WITH NO FUNDING DID GET $2,500 LATER FROM LUTHERAN FEED THE HUNGRY GRANT

FOCUS PRIORITIES FOOD----PROVIDE HEALTHY, NUTRICIOUS, LOCALLY GROWN VEGETABLES FOR HUNGRY FAMILIES IN THE CEDAR VALLEY AREA VIA WAVERLY MEALSITE (CONSORTIUM OF FIVE LOCAL CHURCHES), PLUS NORTHEAST IOWA FOOD BANK---17 COUNTIES--ANNUALLY SERVES NEARLY 50,000 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, OF WHICH 40% ARE CHILDREN AND 10% ARE SENIORS (BARBARA PRATHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) EDUCATE LOCAL FAMILIES ON NUTRITIONAL IDEAS..EVEN WITH LOW COUNTY 4% UNEMPLOYMENT, THERE ARE HUGRY, NEEDY PEOPLE. MAKE 2008 FLOOD LOTS PRODUCTIVE AND A BENEFIT TO THE WAVERLY COMMUNITY PROMOTE VOLUNTEERISM

COMMUNITY RALLIED AND DONATIONS HELPED CITY OF WAVERLY PROVIDED THE PLOT, MULCH (GRANT PAID FOR TREES REMOVED, AND THEY WERE RECYCLED INTO WALKWAYS), COMPOST, WATER WAGONS AND WATER FOR OUR ORCHARD),..EVEN A PORTA POTTY! GUERNSEY FOUNDATION GRANT HY-VEE PROVIDED $250 IN PLANTS SEED SAVERS PROVIDED SEEDS ISU EXTENSION PROVIDED CLASSES AND LABOR PARTNERS ON VISTA STUDENT WITH WARTBURG COLLEGE- COORDINATOR LUTHERAN CHURCH GRANT PROVIDE HOSES AND EQUIPMENT.AND MANY, MANY HOURS OF VOLUNTEER HELP!

PROGRESSION: YEAR ONE CLEARED LOT (136 X136 ) IN 5/11 USED ONLY THE SOUTHERN HALF INSTALLED WATER MAINS AND OUTLETS GUERNSEY FOUNDATION GRANT 5/28/11 ALLOWED PLANTING AND EQUIPMENT PLANTED LATE (6/4/11) SOIL QUALITY CHALLENGED (FOUNDATIONS AND COMPACTED SOIL). ISU SOIL TESTS CONDUCTED, AND COMMERCIAL 10-10-10 FERTILIZER WAS APPLIED ACCORDING TO NEED LEVELS BY ISU EXTENSION WHAT DID WE PRODUCE THE FIRST YEAR? 428 TOMATOES AND 4 FULL TUBS;274 CUCUMBERS;214 PEPPERS;125 SQUASH;22 CHARD BUNDLES;80 LETTUCE BUNDLES;6 GROCERY BAGS OF CARROTS;252 RADISHES;29 EGGPLANTS;8 BUNDLES OF GREEN BEANS; AND 4 BAGS OF VARIOUS HERBS.PLUS FEEDING A FEW RABBITS.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE FIRST YEAR HIRE A GARDEN SITE COORDINATOR (VISTA WITH WARTBURG) TO OVERSEE SINGLE CROP PER PLOT AREA MAKES IT EASIER FOR VOLUNTEERS AND HARVESTING COORDINATION FOR GETTING HARVEST TO THE RIGHT LOCATION LOCAL FOLKS WANT TO DO THEIR OWN GARDENS ON EXTRA LAND THE 90/10 RULE NETWORKING HELPS GROW THE PROJECT HAVE COORDINATOR DO ROUTINE NEWS ARTICLES--WEBSITE BUY PLANTS AND COMMUNICATE WITH FARMERS MARKET VENDORS VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART ERECT SIGNAGE/TOUR REGULAR WORK HOURS (T/SAT)

2012 SECOND YEAR NEXT ACTION STEPS/NEW CITY OF WAVERLY EXPANDED PROJECT TO PORTIONS OF THREE BLOCKS CITY PLEASED ON 2011 REMAINING GRANT $ ALLOWED US TO PUT IN A NEW APPLE ORCHARD ON 7 th AVE PLOT WITH CITY TREE NURSERY PRIVATE GROUPS WANTED OWN PLOTS---24 ON TWO BLOCKS HOW MUCH WATER THESE GARDENS REQUIRE-2012 DROUGHT CHALLENGES JAPANESE BEETLES-*%#$%%%!! ENLARGED OUR SPACE BY 50% AND DEEP TILLED-COMPACTED WORD OF PROJECT SPREAD AND MORE VOLUNTEERS APPEAR 18 RAISED BEDS ON FOUNDATIONS INTENSIFIED FOOD OUTPUT.

OBSERVATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS RAISED BEDS ARE VERY SPACE EFFICIENT AND BEST PLACED OVER OLD FOUNDATIONS (POOR SOIL) THEY MAKE GREAT EDUCATIONAL DEMOS FOR SMALL CITY PLOTS AND BACKYARD GARDENERS. GRANTS FOR THESE WERE INCLUDED IN APPLICATIONS SEE IF AMERICORPS GROUPS ARE AVAILABLE IN SPRING AND FALL USE PLENTY OF MULCH FOR REDUCING WEEDS SOIL TEST---YOU CAN GARDEN OVER FLOODED AREAS SAFELY FENCING KEEPS THE CRITTERS TO A MINIMUM MISSING PRODUCE NOT A PROBLEM IF PLOT IS IDENTIFIED THE PRODUCE IS TRULY APPRECIATED!

YOUTH EMPHASIS o o o o o o o WHERE DOES MY FOOD COME FROM? TRY EATING VEGETABLES FRESH FROM THE GARDEN THEY TASTE DIFFERENT HOW FAR DOES YOUR FOOD TRAVEL?? CHECK GROCERY CART HOW MUCH WORK GOES INTO GROWING OUR FOOD RETURNING TO OUR ROOTS BRINGING FAMILIES CLOSER SHORT ATTENTION SPANS, BUT REMEMBER THEY RE KIDS MAKE IT FUN

EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION CHURCH GROUP FROM WAVERLY AND THEIR VISITORS FROM HOLY FAITH CHURCH IN CHICAGO LEARNING FROM MICHELLE STEWART, OUR SUMMER COORDINATOR. INTERESTING QUESTIONS OVERHEARD WHAT S THAT? (A CABBAGE PLANT-JUST BEHIND THEM).YOU MEAN THAT S WHAT THEY USE TO MAKE SAUERKRAUT THAT I PUT ON MY HOT DOG (CUBS FAN!)?...WHY DO THE POTATOES HAVE DIRT ON THEM?? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GROW A JALAPENO?...ARE THE RED OR GREEN ONES HOTTER??? THIS IS WHERE A PEA COMES FROM??? WHY DO THEY HAVE TO GROW IN THIS SHUCK?

OUR MAJOR FOCUS IS ON MAXIMIZING VEGETABLE PRODUCTION FOR THE HUNGRY OF NE IOWA EMPHASIZE THOSE CROPS THAT YIELD THE MOST PRODUCE TOMATOES CUCUMBERS PEPPERS MELONS SWEET CORN EGGPLANTS POTATOES

OUR BIGGEST GARDEN CHALLENGES IN 2012 FROM MOTHER NATURE JAPANESE BEETLES WERE AMONG OUR WORST BARRIER TO MAXIMIZING VEGETABLE PRODUCTION.EATING THE SILKS OFF THE SWEET CORN AND FEEDING HEAVILY ON THE OTHER PLANTS. THE 2012 DROUGHT REQUIRED CONSIDERABLE HOURS OF HOSE WATERING..BUT HOT DRY WEATHER ACTUALLY BENEFITS TOMATOES AND MANY VINE CROPS (NO FUNGAL PROBLEMS AND, IF PROPERLY WATERED, ACTS LIKE THE HEAVY VEGETABLE PRODUCING AREAS OF CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS. )

EDUCATIONAL CLASSES CONTAINER GARDENING CLASS FOR HIS HANDS FOOD PANTRY AT ORAN BY ISU EXTENSION AT FOOD DISTRIBUTION NIGHTS DEMOS ON HOW TO GROW THEIR OWN IN A 5-GALLON PAIL OR LARGE POTS KIDS HAD A BALL DOING THEIRS ON ISU PICKUP ENDGATE ISU GROWING IN THE GARDEN 18 RAISED BED GARDENS FOR AREA GARDEN CLUB AND VISITORS TO VIEW AND LEARN TECHNIQUES REMOVING TOMATO SUCKERS VIDEO FOR OUR WEBSITE CREATE WEBSITE, BLOG, AND ARTICLES IN WAVERLY NEWSPAPER HOSTING GARDEN TOURS RECIPES AND PRESERVATION IDEAS EX: HOW TO FREEZE SWEET CORN

3427 POUNDS GROWN AND DONATED WAVERLY AREA CHURCH MEAL SITES (1648#) AND THE NORTHEAST IOWA FOOD BANK (1779#) SHARED OUR PRODUCE WITH THEIR HUNGRY CLIENTS AND FRIENDS FAR SURPASSED ANY OF OUR EXPECTATIONS AT OUR FORMATION MEETINGS STARTING IN 2011. FUTURE PLANS TO CONTINUE GROWING MORE HEALTHY, LOCALLY GROWN VEGETABLES FOR OUR AREA HUNGRY..PLUS IN 3-5 YEARS, OUR NEW APPLE ORCHARD SHOULD BE STARTING TO PRODUCE FRESH FRUIT WE ARE ADDING MORE FRUIT TREES IN 2013 LIKE A FAMOUS SONG FROM THE PAST, WE VE ONLY JUST BEGUN! JUST REMEMBER--- THE HUNGRY WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US

THANKS WAVERLY VOLUNTEERS SEE YOU AGAIN IN 2013