MES Orientation BBQ

On August 31, 2011, we invited incoming Master in Environmental Studies (MES) to attend a free BBQ at the Garden. In addition to enjoying roasted corn, portobello mushrooms and sausages, we roasted some potatoes that we harvested directly from the ground. This was a great opportunity for upper-year students to socialize with new students and share their experiences and food-related interests. I think I speak for everyone when I say this was a successful event! Since then, a number of students have returned to volunteer – THANK YOU!

Although Fall has arrived, there are still a number of chores to do around the Garden, and beets, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers and corn to harvest. Check your e-mail for more information about upcoming work days, or stop by our office in the Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies (HNES) building, room 136C.

Environmental Education @ Maloca Community Garden

This summer a number of groups have visited the Garden. Back in June, a group of volunteers from HSBC  descended upon the garden and pitched in with weeding, bindweed removal and digging up new beds. The event was a part of a larger initiative between the Bank, Black Creek Pioneer Village and York University. Despite the rain (torrential downpour!), everyone maintained positive attitudes as we hiked along a nature trail from the Black Creek Parkland, across a river, past the Hoover House on York University’s campus and up to the Garden.  The Associate Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, Leesa Fawcett, was particularly helpful in teaching the students and participants about the natural history of the area. Following that, a group of employees from North York Harvest toured the Garden in July, as a part of a City-wide community garden tour. However, the fun doesn’t stop there!

On July 29^TH, 2011, youth from a shelter called Eva’s Initiatives came to visit the Maloca Community Garden on York University’s Keel campus. At the organization’s main location, the residents tend to a garden that grows a range of vegetables and herbs, so the Director was enthusiastic about the opportunity to visit another urban agriculture site. Shortly after that, a Spanish-speaking group from the Jane/Finch community, El Centro Para Gente de Habla Hispana, visited with their summer camp students on August 2^ND, 2011. The Centre supports a unique project that use the tomato as a catalyst for conversations about urban agriculture, Latin American culture, sustainability and global issues such as climate change and migrant labour. You can learn more about it HERE.

The Eva’s Initiatives group helped us plant beet seeds and construct a wire barrier around the freshly-planted bed – to ward off hungry groundhogs who have been collecting their fill of organic produce all summer long (they really loved our beans and cabbage.)  The group also helped us ‘hill’ the potatoes, which is when you add more soil around the base of the plant to prevent any potatoes from being exposed to the sunlight (which can make them poisonous!) and to give them more room to grow. We also harvested beets, carrots and basil.  The group even took home some chocolate mint to transplant into their garden. Overall, it was a great visit – despite a brief downpour. Luckily we had the canopy set up!

The children from the summer camp were mesmerized by the fresh carrots, beets and potatoes we unearthed from the garden. It is always enjoyable to see the Garden from other peoples’ perspectives, especially children! Particular points of interest along the tour were the squash patch, the Three Sisters plot, our compost station, the successional planting experiment in the lettuce bed and our barrel ‘o potatoes, which grows potatoes vertically rather than spread out horizontally in a patch. Again, it was another great visit and Will won the kids over by spraying them with the hose on the really hot day.

P.S. Special thanks to Ben who takes so many wonderful photos of the Maloca Community Garden and posts them on our Facebook page.

A trip down memory lane…

When you join the Maloca Community Garden @ York University, you become a part of something that has been goin’ strong for 12 years. Here are some pictures we have uncovered that highlight Maloca from 2002 – 2009. Many of them come from previous blog entries, but some come from the depths of Maloca’s secret vault! What a trip down memory lane…ENJOY!

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What we’ve been up to…

Here’s a look at what’s happened @ the Maloca Community Garden since May 2011. With the ongoing dedication of members, volunteers, the Steering Committee and students pursuing an Individual Directed Study affiliated with the Garden, we have reclaimed land, given the fire pit a makeover, repainted the shed, hosted visitors and enjoyed fresh, organic produce – among other things!

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SPRING DIG IN!

Maloca’s beds are no longer bare! On Saturday, May 28TH members and volunteers added plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts etc. to the Garden. We also harvested Maloca’s first crops: radishes and salad greens. Stop by the site to see our new additions, and check out how many beds we have reclaimed!

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P.S. Check the EVENTS section for a schedule of when people will be in the garden in June! Also, check out our FACEBOOK PAGE and FLICKR for more Maloca photos!

Community Gardening 101

WHAT IS A COMMUNITY GARDEN?

Every community garden is as unique as the people that garden in them. Community gardens are gardens that are voluntarily maintained by community members. Community gardens bring together people of diverse backgrounds with a shared interest in gardening and the production of good food in an environmentally responsible way. Since 1999, York University affiliates and the surrounding community have been working together to create something positive and beautiful in one of the Keele campus’ best kept secrets. This year will be no exception!

WHAT IS ORGANIC GARDENING?

At the Maloca Community Garden site we believe in and practice organic gardening, but what exactly does that mean? The simple answer is that organic gardeners don’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their plants. However, gardening organically is much more than what you don’t do. Organic agriculture involves a set of growing practices that increase soil and ecosystem health and biodiversity. When you garden organically, you think of your plants as a part of a whole system within nature that starts in the soil and includes the water supply, people, wildlife and even insects. An organic gardener strives to work in harmony with natural systems.

HOW DO I CONTROL WEEDS WITHOUT HERBICIDES?

In a word, mulch! Blanket the ground around your plants with degradable material such as shredded leaves, straw, dry grass clippings, wood or bark chips. The layer of mulch will block light from reaching the weeds and stop or slow their growth. Mulch also conserves moisture and builds your soil as it decomposes. Weeding may seem like an endless battle when you first start your garden, but if you diligently remove the weeds from the roots your garden will be easier to maintain.

HOW DO I CONTROL INSECTS WITHOUT PESTICIDES?

We certainly understand that many gardeners become anxious when they see pests on their plants and are determined to react when they see their plants damaged. However, we must remind you of the central principle of organic gardening: growing plants in harmony with nature. Insects, even those that eat your plants, are a crucial part of the system. When you see insects in your garden, take some time to watch what they are doing. Are they actually destroying the plant, or just nibbling it a bit? Many plants can outgrow major damage. The best defense against insect attacks are preventative measures. Consider some of these tips:

• grow plants that are well-suited to the site and the climate, so they will be less stressed out and vulnerable
• encourage beneficial natural predators, such as ladybugs, birds and frogs, to hunt in your garden and control the pest insects by eating them
• barriers such as row covers or netting can be placed in your garden to protect crops from pests
• sticky traps are another way to minimize your pest problems without harming other living things
• essential oils, onions, garlic and/or hot pepper sprays also work well against many pests

If you have any additional questions, tips, comments, etc. – leave ‘em here!

P.S. On Saturday, April 30TH, 2011 approximately 25 volunteers came to Maloca’s Spring Clean-Up! Come on down to the garden to see how the space has been transformed! Visit out FACEBOOK page to check out the pictures.

MALOCA IS OFF TO A GREAT START!

GREETINGS FOLKS!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to post a quick update about what Maloca-related activities have been transpiring around the empty halls of York University. On Tuesday, April 12TH from 12:30 – 2:00 PM we transplanted some tomato seedlings in the HNES lounge, and now they’re soakin’ up some artificial sunshine in the Maloca office in some bigger pots. They have taken well to the move ’cause they’ve already sprouted taller. Come on by the HNES lounge and take a peek through Maloca’s office window, or stop in if the door’s open and give them some good intentions and positive feedback – they like the encouragement! You’ll notice that our office is much more organized now, so we can entertain visitors.

We also hosted a drop-in sprouting workshop. Patti graciously stopped by and demonstrated how to grow your own edible sprouts @ home using a glass jar. I was hesitant because I didn’t think my dim basement apartment would provide good enough growing conditions, but they did great – see below! I have been eating my assorted sprouts by the handfuls and tossing them in salads. Patti also suggested that you could use them in smoothies. All I had to do was soak the initial seeds overnight, and then continue to rinse them with water 2 times a day. After 3 days of sitting in my cupboard (Patti told me seeds like to germinate in the dark – makes sense!), I put them on a bench in some indirect sunlight to “green them up” – which means I let ‘em work their magic and make chlorophyll. It only took 5 days total for them to grow to an edible size! I highly recommend this project, and a quick Google search reveals some good online resources and tutorials. Let me know if you have any questions, I may be able to help you. The Maloca team really likes their sprouts. Will has experience growing his own sprouts and our Community Representative Ian is a reformed sprout-aholic.

Maloca has many more workshops planned for the season – so keep an eye out here, on Facebook or join our listserv by e-mailing maloca.yorku@gmail.com. On Saturday, April 30TH we are hosting a major garden clean-up. The garden could use some serious landscaping! There will also be a BBQ and outdoor games following all of our hard work, so stop by and lend a hand! If you are interested in volunteering please RSVP using the e-mail address above.

view from their perch

 

Maloca Community Garden 2011 Leadership!

We would like to congratulate the following members who will be getting things going for Maloca Garden in the Summer!

Maloca Community Garden Coordinators: Will Hill and Ellen Kaross

Social and Community Engagement Representative: Alexa Macaulay

Finance and Administration Representative: Melanie Jarcraig

We can’t wait to move forward with an established leadership team for Maloca, but we also want to stress that these positions were only created in order to provide some stability for the coordination of the garden. Everyone who is part of the garden has an equal voice and we want all Maloca members and volunteers to be part of making Maloca a success.

Any ideas that you would like to share on how you would like Maloca Garden to succeed we want to hear about it, and we want to know how to best get you all involved!

Please e-mail us instead at maloca.yorku@gmail.com if you have any questions, comments, ideas, or concerns!

Maloca General Meeting and Elections!!!

The following amazing individuals will be running for new leadership positions in the Maloca Community Garden for the upcoming season! Please come to the Maloca Election Meeting on Tuesday, March 15th @ 12:30pm – 2:00pm at HNES 142 to hear what these wonderful folks have to say about themselves and their visions for Maloca!

Will Hill – Maloca Community Garden Coordinator

As the coordinator, I can bring a number of years of farming and gardening experience to the position. Most recently, I spent the winter of 2009/10 working at an environmental education centre in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I worked in the organic gardens there, and ran environmental education workshops to visiting groups. Last summer, I did a CRAFT organic farm internship near Creemore, Ontario with The New Farm. In addition to our farmers’ market and CSA, we worked with The STOP, organizing fundraisers to supply our vegetables to their food bank and community kitchen programs. From these experiences I’ve gained a solid base in organic farming, environmental education, event planning and community engagement. In addition to gardening, I want to focus on creating greater student involvement through independent directed study, work and volunteer experience, that combines academics with action. For me, environmental concerns are never divorced from social justice. Being a community garden, I want to help ensure that the garden is open to the surrounding communities as much as possible. I’m interested in the potential to engage neighbouring community members, whether through garden visits, education days, parties and events, collaborations, and donations to shelters and food banks.

Ellen Kaross – Maloca Community Garden Coordinator

I would be a successful Maloca Community Garden Coordinator because I am organized, goal-oriented, committed to social justice, anti-oppression and equity, and an attentive leader. I possess demonstrated experience preparing schedules, recruiting volunteers, facilitating orientation sessions, compiling reports and working collaboratively on a team. My M.E.S. work predominantly explores the ways in which food can be used as an educational tool and a catalyst for social change, as well as the relationship between food and culture.  Throughout my Undergraduate experience, I was thoroughly engaged with York University in social, academic, peer mentorship and volunteer capacities. Therefore, this role, which complements my academic and personal interests, is a natural extension of my previous community involvement and leadership. Finally, I possess an intermediate knowledge of gardening and the principles of organic agriculture, which I have acquired from personal experience and throughout my ongoing 2-year volunteer stint at The Stop Community Food Centre. Above all, I am enthusiastic, positive and passionate. If you would like to learn more about what I envision for the Maloca Community Garden don’t hesitate to approach me or send an e-mail to ekaross@yorku.ca. I appreciate your consideration. I will see you out in the garden!

Ana Luisa Santo – Maloca Community Garden Coordinator

My name is Ana and I am a graduate student at York, currently finishing my Masters degree in music, but I also love being outside and getting my hands dirty!  I grew up watching my family growing their own vegetables wherever they could, and I have absorbed a lot of information in my three years with Maloca, although I am always eager to learn more.  Living on campus makes it easy for me to visit Maloca regularly, and I have always found that my best skills seem to be in organizing and planning, so I feel up for the challenge of helping co-ordinate the garden.

Alexa Macaulay – Community and Student Engagement Representative

As a self-described summer-time farmer, Alexa MacAulay has been WWOOFing and interning on farms since she was sixteen. From the Okanagan valley in British Columbia, to rural New York, to Ganonaque, Ontario, and in the Pyrénée mountains in France, Alexa has pruned, transplanted, harvested and weeded a rainbow of fruits and vegetables with a curious hand. In her third year undergrad in Environmental studies and Community Arts, Alexa is currently trying to mend her divide of farmer/artist and is hoping to stay in Toronto for part of the summer. Alexa would love to make it easier for students to get involved with Maloca, and to help keep Maloca going as a successful and bountiful student club. Let the growing begin!

Fall Harvest Potluck

Fall Harvest Potluck

Wednesday, October 1^st, 2008*

4pm until dark

Maloca Community Garden, York University

Come celebrate the season and the Maloca harvest with us. Carve pumpkins, enjoy a taste of organic veggies from the garden, and learn more about gardening at York.

See map section above for directions.                 

*Rain date: Thursday, October 2^nd

Fall Event Postponed; Workday

Hello Gardeners,

      Since the forecast calls for rain and wind, we will postpone the potluck until next week. We’ll have it either Tuesday or Wednesday, and earlier in the afternoon if it is the latter day because of Yom Kippur. More info to come soon.
      Also, if it is not raining tomorrow afternoon from 4pm on, I will be in the garden working. So, please come by if you can.

cheers,
eric

Saturday’s Workday

Hi Everyone,

     I will be at the garden earlier than our normal time and than I said.  I have an appointment at 10am, and so I will be at the garden after that, say from 11am until 1pm or so. I’ll leave a new and revised list of priorities for anyone who shows up later in the afternoon. So, come by at some point tomorrow if you can.

cheers,
eric

long outstanding pictures, harvest party

these are from a while ago (note the sunshine and shirtlessness) but I still thought they should go up. I can’t wait until the harvest party I am sure that most of the pictures will include not only shirts, but scarves and gloves, and it will be fun nonetheless. I will be in the garden on Wednesday around 1ish to  decorate/set up and probably succumb to some last-minute gardening, leaving me muddy in time for the party.

Does anyone have any Maloca flyers hanging about? in case new people show up we should have some info handy.

Fall Harvest Potluck, Rain or Shine!!!

We will have the Fall Harvest Potluck tomorrow (Wednesday, October 8), rain or shine. We may have to harvest in the rain, but if it starts raining before 3pm, we’ll be inside the HNES BUILDING (between Osgoode Hall Law School and the Ross building/Scott Library) in the Faculty of Environmental Studies Lounge (at the back of the building from the main entrance).  Maria and I will be at the garden from 1pm, so if you can come by earlier, please do. We will plan to start around 3:30, but feel free to come by whenever you can. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

eric

Fall Harvest Potluck

We had a great Fall Harvest potluck on Wednesday in the FES lounge. More pics will follow soon, as will more events in case you missed it.

Upcoming Workdays

I will be at the garden today, probably between 3 and 4, and TOMORROW morning between 10 and 12. There is still lots to harvest and lots to do over the next couple of weeks.  If you can’t come until later on Saturday, then tasks are posted on the inside of the door, as always.  Also, we’ll have workdays Wednesday and Thursday of next week, starting from 3pm or so. Please come out and enjoy the fall with us!

hope to see you soon,

eric

Workdays; Missing Produce; GMM/Elections

Hello Gardeners!

      I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! Several important items from me
today.

     1.)  Apparently, between Friday, Oct. 3 and Tuesday, Oct. 7 more than a dozen
butternut squash were stolen from our community plots.  Also, another two
butternut squash were stolen from an individual’s plot, and about a dozen
onions were stolen from another individual plot. We would like to be able to
narrow the time frame of when this happened and to see if anyone has seen
anything out of the ordinary. I am aware that other members have complained of
items being removed from their plots. Some of the smaller items could have well
been eaten by deer, but for sure, the deer did not remove the onions and winter
squash.  If you have any information that might be useful regarding this
matter, please send it to me off-list at epayseur AT yorku DOT ca. (If you are one of
the persons who has informed me of missing items from your plot, there’s no
need to tell me again unless something else happened.)

      2.) If someone on campus could water everything still producing today
(tuesday), that would be great since it has been dry and warm lately and will
be again tomorrow.  I’ll be there Wednesday from 2:30 to 4:30, and Maria will
be there Thursday afternoon (around 5pm, I think).

     3.)  Next week, we will have a very important General Membership Meeting and
elections to  determine a new Steering Committee.  This is a great opportunity
to build your CV! Remember, oftentimes you get a job because of the skills you
build with this type of experience. I can’t believe how much I have learned
this past year as coordinator. Please consider volunteering for one of the
following: Coordinator, Work Coordinator, Treasurer, Secretary/Archivist,
Social/Events Coordinator, University Relations Representative, and Campus
Communications Coordinator. More on these positions and the date and time of
the meeting to come.

hope to see you at the garden Wed. or Thurs.

Eric

Wednesday at the Garden

Claire and I planted more garlic and were joined by another Claire, a visitor dropping off compost, and thanks to the two Claire’s, we have two plots absolutely filled with garlic for next year.  Ana came and joined us and we continued clearing pumpkin and winter squash vines from the back of the garden. We also took down trellises and pulled up dead tomato plants, weeded the empty plots, and we started adding compost  from  the pile in the field. I’ll announce the time I’ll be there on Saturday, probably in the afternoon but depending on the weather…

e.

The post of many things…

Here are some pictures from the harvest party last wednesday (sorry that some won’t load… I don’t understand it at all.)

Today at the garden myself, Kristin, and a helpful bloke named Tristan cleared out a couple of sad tomato plots (harvesting the green and yellow tomatos within) and added compost to them, and also added compost to the plots in the back that had the squash and potatoes in them. There was a class tour that came in and they seemed like they really appreciated the garden… maybe some will come out to work one day?

I found a plastic-covered basket and covered a rosemary plant, and bundled up a few pepper plants with row cover… there are pepper plants still trying to finish producing so if anyone has a free minute to blankey them up, they’d probably thank you by growing more peppers. Any large plastic jugs that anyone has that can be cut up to make mini-greenhouses would be awesome to cover up the remaining tomato plants, pepper plants, rosemary, etc… also, if anyone has old windows or can access free ones from something like craigs-list, we could use them on our raised beds to keep the veggies happy for at least another month or so.

My plot is the one to the south of the compost pile in the middle of the garden, with all the mint in it. There is lots of mint in it. Please take as much mint as you can possibly use… otherwise the plot will be all mint, only mint, forever. (feel free to dig up a few pieces for your own potted growing).

happy garden clean up season!

-Maria

Tomorrow from 3pm

I’ll be at the garden tomorrow from at least 3 to 5. Please come out if you can; there’s still plenty to harvest.

Hope to see many of you there!

e.

Saturday’s Workday

Claire harvesting arugula.

Joe, Hongman, Claire, Tabassum, Sija, Ian, Bikrum and I enjoyed the beautiful weather yesterday and we got lots done at the garden. We weeded and filled the back plots with compost from the pile (although this still needs to be spread), cleared plot 22 and planted several varieties of garlic for next year (see pic below). If you’re on campus and the forecast changes to call for frost BEFORE Wednesday’s workday, then please go out, pick all remaining tomatoes, place them in a bucket, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, put the bucket in the shed (see below).   ALSO, we need to have a very important GMM on Wednesday, probably between 4:30 and 5pm (however, I will confirm this with another post).   We harvested lots of food after all the hard work everyone put in (see pic below). 

Slowly but surely, we are moving the last of the compost into the garden, thanks to hardworkers like Bikrum, Hongman, Ian, and Joe.

 

 

Planting garlic for next year.

 

Just a small part of the nice harvest we all brought home. The carrots ar Danvers Half-long, so they are supposed to be short!

Hope to (NEED TO!) see you Wednesday,

e.

COLLECT TOMATOES TODAY; GMM TOMORROW

THis is very important. COuld someone on campus go and collect the remaining tomatoes on the plants and place the bucket INSIDE the shed? Otherwise, we lose them. (We have already collected most of them, but there are still a good many remaining.) For the cherry (small) ones, you could just break off the whole branch and place in the shed until someone else can take them off tomorrow at the workday.

Also, we have a workday tomorrow from 2pm until 4:15, when we’ll go over to the FES lounge for our GMM meeting. Remember, the FES lounge is at the back of the HNES Building, which is between Scott Library and OSgoode Hall buildings.

see you tomorrow,

e.

Workday This Afternoon!

Since the forecast is for heavy rain all day tomorrow, Maria and I will be at the garden today from 1pm or so. Hope to see you there!

e.

Workday Today and Tomorrow

Maria will be at the garden today after 1:30 or so, and I’ll be there tomorrow around 3. We have a few more important things to finish and harvest, then we’ll be closing down the garden for the season–probably next week or weekend.

Hope to see you there!

eric

beautiful weather

Yesterday I made it out for about an hour to move compost until the fierce winds and snow drove me inside. But today Eric, Kristin, myself and Joe enjoyed beautiful weather while we moved compost, watered, and harvested wonderful vegetables. There is still tonnes of arugula, cabbage, endive, rasberries, leeks, peas, spinach, and herbs. We missed you! come out tomorrow or Saturday if you can, and make the most of the warm weather before its gone. (and take some mint seed off my plot if you feel like growing your own at home over the winter; its awesome in hot chocolate.)

Workday Tomorrow

I will be at the garden tomorrow by 4pm (maybe by 3:30) We’re getting close to finishing up the season, but we need some help the last several workdays. I’ll post on the blog about yesterday’s workday later this evening.

hope to see you tomorrow,

eric

gorgeous weather at the garden :)

Hey everyone,

Eric will be in the garden this afternoon, and we will both be there tomorrow (I should be there around 2pm). Come on out! it will be gorgeous outside and we can get alot done in terms of really cleaning up the beds for next year, clearing paths, sorting through all our recycled material, turning that compost pile…. yes it sounds like work. BUT you will have lots of fun and you can take home whatever harvest is available.

hope to see you there in your work-clothes!!

-Maria

Election Results; Workday Today!

Hello Gardeners,

      First, the election. No, not that one. The new Maloca Steering Committee Members for 2008/2009 are:

      Coordinator–Maria
      Work Coordinator–Bikrum
      Treasurer–Kristin
      Campus Communications Coordinator–Helena and Ana
      University Relations Coordinator–Jim
      Secretary/Archivist–Eric
      Social/Events Coordintor–Sabrina

      The minutes for the last GMM will be posted on the blog by this weekend.
      Finally, as Maria mentioned, I will be at the garden on this beautiful day from around 1 to 3 or so, and she will be there from around 2. Please come out and enjoy the weather, and for those graduate students, this is the perfect opportunity to release some of the stress building over the possible strike and before the union meeting.
hope to see you today!
eric

its a cardoon!

Everytime a new person comes to the garden they see this plant, scratch their heads, and ask what it is. When Helena, Najat and I went to Foodshare’s plant-grab event, we picked it up mainly because it looked funky, and when we asked about 4 gardeners what it was, we were told it was an artichoke, or a cardoon (and my limited botanical research on Google has positively identified it as a cardoon.) I have decided to do a post about the wonders of this strange (and edible!) plant, so that the daring might grow it themselves or try it from us. None of us have tried it yet but I have been doing some research and the following facts are fairly agreed upon:

Cardoon facts: It’s related to the artichoke and supposedly tastes mildy like artichoke hearts. To render it suitable for eating (and not horribly bitter) one would tie up the stems and blanch it by earthing up around the plant, and leaving it this way for 2-3 weeks. Only the stems are normally eaten, after being peeled (to remove fibers and leaves), and can be boiled or fried (there are some recipes online). It is also fairly invasive so if it decides to flower we can promptly behead it, seeing as it takes up considerable space for limited edibility. Sources are indecisive about its hardiness; some say zone 6 while others say it needs winter protection; ours is thriving despite the cold and snow, so it seems to be fairly hardy.

hope this relieves everyone who was previously confused!

-Maria

Tomorrow and Nov. 1 and 5

Kang Kang and Tong Tong after clearing a plot.

Maria and I will be at the garden tomorrow between 1 and 3pm. We are almost finished clearing the remaining plots and putting compost in them, but we need your help to finish up the season.  So, please grab your coats and gloves and come out and help us, before it REALLY starts snowing. Hope to see you there.

Saturday, Nov. 1 thanks to Hongman and CLaire, Grace, Ms. Su, and especially Tong TOng, Kang Kang, Grace and Coco, we had a really fun adn productive workday.  We cleeared many plots and added lots of compost to the garden.  Wednesday Nov. 5, Kristin, Maria, Iftikhar, and I continued to finish up these important tasks. Both days we harvested a lot of food; yes, we still have food to harvest.

Also, I’ll be heading to the

Are you chilly?

It’s ok! bring some mittens and a hat, and come out to our Wednesday shed-cleanup. I predict something like a treasure hunt, where we find alot of things we forgot we had, and desperately need. I also want to take inventory of all of our seeds so that we know what to buy in the spring. I will be there at around 1pm this Wednesday (if it isn’t raining or snowing too badly) with some garbage bags and a hug for you if you get too cold.

If you can’t make it, email me at     sergiom @yorku.ca   with any hopes/dreams you might have about the garden this year, eg. what events you would like to have, what plants you would like to grow, any garden materials we were lacking, etc.

I don’t want to freeze alone, so come on out!

-Maria

We Didn’t Let the Snow Stop Us!

Well, as I told Maria yesterday, she has already brought a record level of dedication to Maloca. I don’t think the garden has ever had a workday during a snowstorm!  I would love to show you pictures so you all would believe that we were there, but we were too busy working to stop and besides it was snowing so hard that the picture would have probably been just a bunch of white dots/streaks. Regardless, she and Sabrina and I took care of the very important items remaining to close out the garden.  Most importantly, I was able to unfreeze 

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and is pining for spring like I am

I found these handy charts and thought they would benefit everyone trying to plan a garden or personal plot this year… take out your seed packets and check the “start indoors” dates- you probably have to count backwards from the last frost date (in Toronto that’s around May 9th)

http://www.almanac.com/garden/vege/startseed.php 

http://www.almanac.com/garden/vege/growingveg.php

www.almanac.com also has other handy  advice and charts for anyone (like me!) who needs a bit of guidance on these things.

We’ll keep you posted on this year’s upcoming events both on the Maloca listserve and on the blog!

ps. if anyone hasn’t filled out the MALOCA GARDEN SURVEY 2009, please do so! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=lUsMD3wMr8wTZZG4t7dN0A_3d_3d  (the password is December30)

Keep dreaming ’bout that harvest!!!

Surprise Victory!

So I just saw an updated map of York University and the garden is FINALLY on it! how? who? We’ve been trying for quite a while so I would just like to thank whoever was responsible for finally representing our garden on the campus map.

One  problem; the printed map I saw was correct, but the online version seems to be misspelled….?!?!?!

Better misspelled than not present at all I suppose.  We are in the bottom left corner of the map.

http://www.yorku.ca/yorkweb/maps/KeeleMap-Sept2008.pdf

Anyways, we have been working hard on the event planning for the year, and we will be having a seed starting workshop to bring in the planting season.  Mark your calenders for March 18th, 2-4:30 pm in the FES lounge; we will be having a seed-planting workshop to get your garden juices flowing!

Seeds/Spring

Hey everyone,

Maloca is getting ready to Dig In to the new season! We hope that everyone else who is dreaming about spring is considering coming out to the garden again this year. While it’s still chilly outside, there’s alot you can do to help us get started.

We are going to be tabling February 18th in Vari Hall! come see us, learn about the garden, ask any questions you have and sign up to be a member this year!

We are also having a Seed Starting Workshop in the FES lounge on March 18th   (2-4). Come start some seedlings with us to take home and for the garden!

More Event Postings will follow when details are confirmed.

We need to know if anyone saved seeds from last year (of what and how many). This will help us not only lessen our seed budget, but it’s an important step to becoming a more self-sufficient garden. Please email us at maloca@yorku.ca with what you have.
Also, if anyone has any plastic egg cartons/yogurt cups/etc. that we can use for our Seed Starting Workshop, Please Bring Them!!!

Hope to see everyone very soon!

-Maria

Seedy Saturday!

upcoming event!

workshop!

For unknown reasons, I can’t upload the poster for our other event, but just to remind everyone, on Wednesday March 18th from 2-4 we will be having a seed starting workshop in the FES lounge area. Please come out and enjoy getting dirty in preparation for spring!

Hey’all,

I know that the weather is persnickety, but spring really is coming!

After receiving permission from Josephine Campanelli (Director of the Office of Student Affairs) at the Faculty for Environmental Studies, me and Kristin started some seedlings in the window of the FES lounge! they were all plants which can be started indoors and planted outside relatively early (I will post the varieties later) such as cauliflower and kale and some have already sprouted! we will be erecting a shelf and some better signage for our seedlings prior to the Seed Worskshop, so that everyone can stop by and take a look at what’s growing.

There are an incredible amount of methods you can use to save money when gardening, but my favourite so far are the multitudes of plant containers you can re-purpose or make yourself. The seedlings we planted are currently in egg cartons which I thoroughly cleaned and cut drainage holes in, and as they are clear plastic they are perfect to keep the soil moist and the light strong- other ideas I have come across are toilet rolls (folded in to make a cup), yogurt containers, and this one made from newspapers, which just goes to show you that creativity is more valuable than money. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW4t_6dTAvA 

Basically anything you are about to throw away, can be used for a gardening item. Just as Nature would want it

Just to remind you once more, Our Movie Event is TOMORROW, and the workshop is WEDNESDAY so we hope to see you all there!

-Maria

Looking for volunteers!

Hey everyone,

The Maloca Garden needs a couple of people who are willing to poster around campus this Monday in preparation for our seed workshop and the spring season. If anyone is interested please email me at sergiom@yorku.ca and I will let you know when/where to pick up the posters.

thanks!
Maria

SEED WORKSHOP TODAY AT 2 PM!

I can’t wait to be harvesting and eating good food like this again! Come join us for our seed workshop and see where this all begins! We’ll be at the Faculty of Environmental Studies Lounge in the Health, Nursing, Environmental Studies Building (HNES) between Osgoode Hall and Ross. The fun starts at 2pm. We’ll plant seeds and you can take some home, and we’ll have all the info about gardening with Maloca this year, so hope to see you there.

cheers,

Eric (2009 Secretary/Archivist for Maloca)

Seed Workshop and Workdays (week of 30 March)

Hello Gardeners!

Thanks to all of you who came out to the seed workshop.  Now, it’s time to get outside and work in the garden. Maria and I will be tabling in Vari Hall Monday (30 March) until 2pm. Stop by and see us.  After 2pm, we’ll head to the garden for a workday. I’ll also lead a workday on Wednesday (1 April) after 2:30pm.

As you can see, there is lots of work to be done to prepare the garden.  So, come join us Monday or Wednesday this week. We hope to see you there!

Eric

GMM and Workdays

Hey everyone,

We are going to be planning our GMM soon, and we are looking for important topics which should be on the agenda. Please email me at sergiom@yorku.ca with any suggestions you have for discussion.

Also, we are looking for experienced volunteers to run workdays for the year. If we have a variety of time slots, people can come out and not feel that their schedule keeps them from gardening, and rain will not impact our workdays as much. If you are a member of the steering committee or feel comfortable working on a certain project, please email me with your availability and we can make a schedule (one day a week or biweekly is fine). I will be doing Fridays from 12-4 (whenever it is not raining).

 As we are looking to increase security for the garden, only members of the steering committee and those running a workday will have keys to the shed; if you need to access the shed on a not workday, just email me and I will find someone to provide you with a key.

cheers,
Maria
(Maloca Coordinator)

gardening happiness

we did a huge garden cleanup!

we had lots of help!!

the seedlings in the office are looking great!

things are sprouting!!

 

Thank you to everyone that has been coming out to the office and the garden!!!

-Maria

Past Workdays: Wednesday and Monday

Monday, Ana and I put lids for two of the cold frames together, and now they are functional. Wednesday, Sabrina, Ivan, Sydney, Madeleine and I accomplished even more with raised beds, cold frames, and cold frame lids. We built up one raised bed, put together lids for the the third cold frame, and built lids for two raised beds. We planted snow peas in raised bed 46, and spinach in CF-1.  The other CFs are ready to be planted, as is the small raised bed (shortest) closest to the shed. It was an amazingly beautiful day to be outside in the garden. Sorry that many of you missed it! Stay tuned for announcements of the next workdays. Maria will be there Friday, if the rain leaves in time like it did Wednesday. A more regular schedule is coming soon…

today!

Please don’t go to the garden today- it is raining and mushy.

-Maria

Workdays This Week: Not Wednesday, But Friday

Hello Gardeners!

Due to the snow and rain today, and temperatures today, tomorrow and Wednesday, the garden will not get a chance to dry out enough for a workday until late Thursday. Therefore, we will not have a workday on Wednesday, but for sure we will be there Friday and have lots to do.  Maria will be there from 12 to 4. Please come out and help make up for the missed day. Hope to see you there!  –E.

today’s workday

plot number painting!

Ross loves gardening

family time in the garden!

weeds!

Hey everyone,
we had a really good workday today! Ana, Helena, Alysha(?), Ross, Bikrum (and family) all came out and helped me get alot done (Eric, better get your charts out!)

 We seeded chard in the small cold frame, brocolli and cabbage seedlings in plot 11 with some seed kale, cauliflower seedlings in plot 19, onion seedlings in plot 16, spinach and buttercrunch lettuce seedlings and selway lettuce seeds in plot 22, peas in plot 3, arugula seeds in plot 24, and parsley seeds in plot 21. We weeded the strawberry beds, harvested the remaining leeks, and added some compost so that the strawberries do really well this year.

We also managed to cut and paint plot number stakes from 1-25! now everyone will know which plots we are referring to without holding the map up to the garden

keep checking your email to keep up with the workdays, and we will have the new schedule posted shortly.

cheers!
-Maria

Workdays THIS WEEK: APRIL 15,16, and 17

Hello Gardeners!
We’ll be in the garden from 4pm to 7pm tomorrow (Wednesday, April 15) and Thursday (April 16) at the same time. Friday, we will be there from at least 2pm to 6pm. The weather is supposed to be more beautiful and warmer each day this week, so please come out and enjoy it with us. We have a lot to do over the next several weeks, and we’ll need everyone’s help. Also, if you haven’t officially joined yet, you can do this when you come out for a workday: see me, Maria, or Kristin (who will also be there Friday).
We are finalizing the workday calendar and it should be posted to the blog later this week.

see you there,
eric

WHAT A PRODUCTIVE WEEK!

Wednesday and Thursday we cut the wood for raised beds and prepared everything for Friday’s big workday.

Friday, we had a great workday thanks to: Natasha, Chris, Susan, MAry Beth, Joe, Enzo, Kristin, Raja, Tristan, Alix, Elley, Maria, and Jacquie. We continued clean-up around the garden, put four raised beds together (see below), planted radishes, watered all the planted crops, transplanted strawberries so that we could build a raised bed, and pushed back the limbs and leaves from around the shed. We missed all of you who could not make it, but there are many more opportunities to come out. Alix will be there today (Saturday, April 18) from 1pm to 4, and the next workday will be Tuesday (April 21) from 5:30, with Sabrina. I’ll be there the following day (Wednesday April 22) from 2pm until 6. Hope to see you there. Exciting things are happening and all sorts of things are growing at Maloca! –eric

Last Couple of Workdays and Workdays this Week

Two more raised beds built.

The garden is taking shape, and if you haven’t been out to work yet, you’ve got to come see how things are progressing. Come out and join us this Wednesday or Friday (April 29 and May 1). Sabrina will be there Wednesday from 1pm and I will be there around 2 until 6 and Maria will be at the garden on Friday from noon.  Thanks to all of you who’ve been coming out.

Last Saturday, Alix and Raja continued working on preparing the raised beds for planting and we especially thank them for cleaning up the fencing and space beside the shed.

This past Friday, Maria, Lori, Ivan, Kristin, Tristan, Helena and I started preparing the NW section of the garden for the upcoming 3-sisters

workshop. See our events section for more info on this and other upcoming events at the garden.    Also, we built two more raised beds, planted carrots and arugula, watered all the crops planted thus far, and trimmed the herbs in the herb bed to promote good, healthy growth. We were also happy to meet Mike and Claudia from Regenesis and hope that they and others from the club come out and join us in the garden regularly. There was even a break to observe Maria’s snake-handling skills!

Wednesday’s Fruit Tree Planting

Maria, Lori, Sabrina and I planted apple trees on Wed. (April 29).

There are still some pear trees to plant, which should be planted Friday. How exciting that in several years Maloca will have organic apples and pears! Remember that we have our Spring Dig In on Monday, May 4. Please tell everyone you know and come out to join us beginning at 2pm.

hope to see you then,

eric

friday’s workday

Hey everyone,

we finished planting the pear trees, weeded the berries and added compost, cleaned up the area for the three sisters’ area, built a trellis for the peas in plot #3, and weeded around the rhubarb. thank you to Raja, Shishir, Jacquie, Enzo, Josh, Alix, and Adam for coming out and doing tons of work! we harvested some rhubarb and welsh onions and chives for the busy workers and the campus food bank- we have tons of chives! the rhubarb will also soon be more abundant since we are forcing it a bit more… as Mary Beth’s aunt told me, “you put a bucket on it for a while, and it just goes Whoosh!”

Spring Dig In Monday and Wednesday’s Workday

The Sping Dig In last Monday (4 May) was a great success! There was so many people and so much going on that we lost track of all the details. Thanks to all of you who came out and helped us. It was great to meet all the new people and to see people from last year!  Some of the many things we did: built huge boxes and triangles to protect the fruit trees from deer; planted potatoes; started putting newspaper and cardboard down on the footpaths and then we spread woodchips on top; and started painting a new sign.  There’s lots I am leaving out, but others can chime in with what else happened in the comments section.

Oh, yea, we brought out and planted into cold frames, the many seedlings from the office.

We missed those of you who couldn’t make it Monday because of class or other reasons.

Wednesday, May 6: Lori and I prepared a bed for tiger lilies and hosta and Ian and I covered the outside noteboard with plastic so it would be somewhat protected from the rain.

There’s a workday Saturday (May 9) from 12-4 and Sunday (May 10) from 12-3.

Hope to see many of you next Wednesday from 2pm,

eric

Hey’all

It’s been a while since I posted, and its been busy! We had our three sisters workshop with participants from the Jane Finch boys and girls club, and  Not Far From the Tree! The corn they planted grew insanely fast so we had to plant it outside- seems to be doing ok so far, so by the end of the summer we should have some delicious Black Aztec corn and popping corn!

The tomatos and basil managed to survive in the cold frames over the chilly weekend; we also have more seedlings coming from the office and the Stop’s Green Barn, so there will be no shortage of delicious vegetables throughout the season.

Lately alot of people have been wandering through the garden at odd times- we welcome you! if you want to help out and you are unsure what to do, we ALWAYS need someone to weed and water. Check the planted beds to see if they are dry, and help yourself to the hose (it should reach most of the garden! just make sure to turn off the tank before you leave)  Also,  we are in constant war with bindweed, dandelions, garlic mustard, and other misplaced botanicals. Feel free to pull up what you can recognize!

Our calender of workdays is here on the blog, so take a look and see when you can join us. We welcome you, your friends, your kids, etc.

hope to see you soon!

-Maria

maloca personal plots!

Maloca Garden Personal Plots 2009 (current)                                       (West^)

Marugala	Lori	Debby
helena	Sija	Ian and Tim	Joe
Ivan	Eric	Ross	Sabrina

radishes!

Myself, Cat, and Sija got to harvest a few very pretty radishes today! It was only the three of us this afternoon- quite a shame because it was beautiful outside.

Tristan helped me pick up a delivery of seedlings from the Stop’s Green Barn- they very kindly gave away seedlings to a bunch of registered community gardens so we can plant those out during the next workdays.

hope to see you out in the garden soon!

-Maria

An exciting workday! – Sunday, May 24

Hey everyone,

Here is an update from the Sunday workday. We have Brian and dog drop by to say hi at the beginning of the workday. Then Ian B came over for about an hour and help get all the tomatoes that would fit into plot 19 planted! Yay! Thanks Ian. (And Ian, you were right that was not plot 17, turns out that was 19. My fault, ops!)

Joe detoured into the garden and hung out at the garden for maybe half the workday. Besides helping me to stay hydrated. Thanks Joe! (I forgot to factor in the extended workday and bring more drinkable water.) He watered stuff and planted the green and Red Sails lettuce seeds from Madeleine H. Thanks Madeleine!

(And yes Ian, right again. I guess the other stuff needed water too.)

He also brought news that the Toronto Police was looking for someone in the Black Creek on Sunday afternoon. That was the reason he had to detour and drop by the garden actually.

Besides helicopters in the sky, we actually had a police cruiser drive right up pass the garden and sit in front of the trail / path Southeast of the garden. I popped out to say hi earlier when I saw the cruiser, but it didn’t connect that the officer were looking for someone.

Tom C and friend (Shannon I think?) dropped by at about 9 pm-ish.

Planted: Seedlings from The Stop. Including the Cheyenne bush squash, some tomatoes, peppers, 2 oregano and eggplants, 4 little lettuce, intercropped fennel, dill, parsley, chives, Brussels sprouts, and a nasturtium,

Some tomatoes were tagged with “Ually Give Tomato”, but I looked it up and can’t find any info on this variety. Window boxed some Irish Eyes and something else, if they ever get IDed, do let me know. I’m curious.

FOUND: A dead and decaying snake on the South end of plot 8 in the grass. I wonder what killed it.

Harvested: Joe and I harvested a mix of stuff from the garden. Ian was in a rush and will be back the next day or day after.

Update: The hostas from Cherie A are looking rather burned on the tips and the tiger lilies look like they will take a while to get used to the transplanting. Gave them a deep watering and crossed my fingers. Think they will recover. The seedlings from Jennifer M are still under lights in the office. Thanks Maria for getting them under lights ASAP. You rock! And yay Roma tomatoes, think Bikrum is going to look forward to those.

Wednesday and Friday workdays

The workday theme has been Squish all Weeds. Thank you to Evan, Eric and Lori who laid out plywood around the edges of the garden on Wednesday. On Friday- thank you to Rebecca, Sija, Kristin, Eric (and his friend whose name I forgot), Joe, Marugua, Helena, Evan, Tristan, and anyone I forgot! Tristan weedwhacked some jungle-like growth in the garden, and me, Evan, and Sija untangled the gooseberry and currant bushes, and mulched them quite nicely. We laid out more plywood and tarps to kill more weedy spots, and watered and weeded the planted areas. Kristin and Helena did an amazing job cleaning the shed, and now we can find things!

Unexpected discovered goodies: quite a bit more row cover, weed suppressing cloth, and  lots of string! We found a mysterious bag of natural lawn fertilizer- not sure if we are going to need it since our problem has been fighting back the grasses!

I’m still putting together that shopping list- email me at mariathecrow@ gmail.com  if you have any suggestions.

hope to see you in the garden!

-Maria

Wednesday’s Workday

Kristen, Itai, and I continued to put newspaper and cardboard down on the footpaths and cover with wood chips. We harvested lots of strawberries, spinach, lettuce, beet leaves, rhubarb, and cilantro. We could use some cardboard from the recycling bins at Passy Crescent, so try to remember to grab some on your way down to the garden.

After I left, Debra joined Kristen and I belive Kristen watered everything.

Next time I will be in the garden, I’ll be celebrating St. Jean Baptiste Day. Hope to see you then!

eric

Personal Plots Update

Maloca Garden Personal Plots 2009

 

Marugala	Lori	Debby	Sija
helena	Itai	Ian and Tim	Joe
Ivan	Eric	Ross	Sabrina

Happy July!

Hey everyone,

Sorry for the lack of updates! things have been busy around the garden- we’ve purchased some new materials for the shed and are looking into planning a cob shed workshop!

Since it has been hard for many people to commit to running a weekly workday, there will only be one schedualed community workday a week (until someone is able to volunteer more committed time)

Fridays from 4-9 pm (WORKDAYS + potlucks!!!)

That means that anyone who would like to drop by, personal plotters, newbies, etc. are all welcome to come during that time and help take care of our community garden. There is alot of work to do, and we need as many people as possible to help maintain the garden so that the weeds do not take over, and that all the delicious food we planted in the spring can be shared and eaten. Bring friends and food!

Hope to see you there,

Maria

harvest is always awesome.

yesterday in the garden!

Huge thank you to Joe, Nao, Helena, Ian, Josh, Itai, and everyone else who stopped by to the garden last night! the focus of the day was Construction- we managed to finish arranging the barbarically heavy benches  and start work on the rocket stove.

garlic time!

The garlic in plots 14 and 17 looked horrendously ill with what I believed was basal rot, but the rest of the garlic (as you can see) is looking quite awesome. There are still two plots to be harvested and hung up for drying, which we can finish on Friday.

To harvest garlic:

(When I googled this, I got a few mixed results. One website suggested that there is only a 3-7 day window in which you can harvest your garlic properly- NO idea if this is true, but in any case…)

When the lower leaves are yellowing, just check if it’s ready! take a pitchfork and sink it about half a foot away from the stem, and lift the entire clod of dirt up (while gripping the garlic). If you have clay soil like ours, you will have to take off heavy clumps of soil- if the bulb is swollen, firm, has a protective skin and looks happy, you can braid it or hang it in bundles up to dry. Apparently garlic gets sunburnt so don’t leave it outside. Also, if you scrape or damage the garlic, it probably won’t store well… just eat it!

Cheers,

Maria

delicious herbs

Just some of the herbs from the garden- everyone should snip some to keep in their kitchens. They are delicious.

Friday’s Workday

We had another productive and bountiful workday at the garden last Friday. Thanks to everyone who came out and especially to all the little ones who were a big help and kept us laughing or smiling! Hope you can make it this afternoon with Ian and Tim, or again on Friday afternoon and evening.

There’s lots to harvest, so come out and help! Hope to see you there!

eric

Some Garden Colour

Much apologies for the lack of recent updates!

We’ve been having workdays every Friday and Tuesday afternoons as you know, and they have been wonderful. Lots of harvesting/ weeding/ planting/ cleaning up and fixing has occurred, and just last Friday, an impromptu art project was initiated by 4 local ambitious children (you know who you are!) while the adults worked in the garden. Here is the product of their youthful energy, as well as the sign that Helena finished and some harvest photos!

Construction weekend

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to do backbreaking work in exhausting heat- it was spectacular. Thank you to Craig, Helena, Sabrina, Sija, Amie, Casey, Josh, Eric, Ian, Merry, all the kids, Maruga, Meagan,  and Tim Haagsma for all their help contributing to the aesthetic and function of the Maloca Community Garden (Sorry if I forgot anyone!)

Here are some pictures of the old parking kiosk getting trucked over.  

They look amazed at the delivery!

Craig cleaned it up quite nicely and now it just needs a coat of paint- hope you can make it out for that!

Workday Schedule

Hey everyone,
 
As you know, we are organizing the 10th anniversary party for September 12th, 2009 (12-5pm). I will be in the garden on the following dates in August to organize some long-needed garden work- we got so much done this weekend, so I hope you can come by during one of these sessions and help out.
 
Friday August 21, 2-7
Saturday, August 22, 4-9
Sunday, August 23, 11-5
Monday, August 24, 4-9
Friday, August 28, 2-8
Saturday, August 29, 4-9
Sunday, August 30, 11-5 CANCELLED
Monday, August 31, 4-9
 
Hope to see you there!
-Maria

10th anniversary!

Hey everyone,

Here is the schedule for the 10th anniversary- hope to see you then, and bring friends!!

Friday September 11-
3-4ish Harvest food for HiFy
5: Beehive Collective Presentation
 
Saturday September 12-
12-1 Meet & Greet, Food (HiFy), Background music (Nikki)
1pm: Welcome (Maria) and History of Maloca (Eric)
2pm: Garden Tour and Herb Cutting
3pm: Sustainable Building (Craig)
4pm: Kids Activities: Face Painting+ arts and crafts
5pm: Chocosol desert and Music (Nikki)

10th anniversary!

WOW!

What an amazing time we had. Take a look at these pictures from Friday when the Beehive Collective came to do a workshop! I didn’ t have my camera the next day, but here’s Ian’s page where you can take a look at all the Saturday fun.  He has an awesome picture of the gnome we made.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/geographer700/sets/72157622351813626/

GMM and ELECTION

Hey everyone,

VERY IMPORTANT.

The general membership meeting will be held Next Friday (September 25th, 5pm) in the HNES lounge (main floor near offices). This meeting is mandatory for all members and highly important for any new faces. We need to elect a new steering committee for the garden- these people have to be students but can share responsibility with non-students (because many hands make light work).

 

If anyone would like to volunteer to take minutes, please email me. Also, any previous steering committee members should either print information/documentation/advice for the new electees, or forward it in an email to them after the election results are posted.

 

THANK YOU.

-Maria

 

ps. Feel free to bring snacks.

Annual GMM – Election results!

So the votes are in and I know the anticipation is getting to some of you so here it is, the results of our elections:

Campus Communications Coordinator – Lori Dagenais
Social/Events Coordinator – Nikki Satira
Secretary/Archivist – Onur Yilmaz (AKA Rusty)
Treasurer – Itai Chikowore
Work Coordinator – Ian Bowls
Coordinator – Alix Jolicoeur

The meeting was actually quite brief but we did head out to the garden after and roast marshmallows and some vegetables! Yippee for our new fireplace!

So despite the cold and dreary weather lately there should still be a few more weeks of gardening and harvesting, so I hope to see you all there.

Cheers, Alix

Spring Gardening!

Hey Gardeners!

We have had an extremely productive spring already!

One of the biggest projects thus far has been the replacement of the shed roof. The roof on the old shed has been removed and replaced, and a wasp colony was smoked out of the shed in the process. Hopefully pictures will follow!

The painted Maloca sign has been affixed to the end of the new shed (parking structure) and the broken windows have been closed in (since all of our windows were broken over the winter). The grapevines have also been moved next to the new shed so they can climb up and get tons of sun!

Lots of weeding has been happening throughout the garden clearing away weeds from the rhubarb, the green onions and the garlic. As well as weeding of the empty beds to get them ready for planting! There has also been some planting done, spinach from the office has been put out into one of the small square raised beds and some broccoli and other early vegetables have been planted.

There are TONS of tomatoes growing in the office, as well as some jalapeno peppers, california peppers, basil, lemon basil, okra, cauliflower and eggplant. Most of these vegetables should be going out in the garden during the May long weekend which is going to be the weekend for our big spring dig in. Details on the exact date and time should follow soon!

Cheers

Alix

Spring Dig-In – Saturday, May 22

Hey Gardeners!

I’m excited to share the details of the Maloca gardens Spring Dig-In!

The Spring Dig-In marks our biggest planting day of the year! The tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other plants that have been growing in the office will be moving into the garden. There will also be direct sowing of seeds for other plants such as zucchini, cucumber squash, beans and much, much more!

The Spring Dig-In will be on Saturday, May 22^nd from 2pm-7pm                                                                               Come when you can and be prepared to dig right in!                                                                                                                                  Any questions can be e-mailed to maloca@yorku.ca

Should the weather happen to be against us the rain date will be Sunday, May 23^rd from 2-7pm 

Cheers,

Alix

Spring Dig-In News

Hey Gardeners!

I hope everyone had a lovely long weekend.

The Spring Dig-In on Saturday went well. The weather held out and we got quite a bit of work done. There are now several plots of tomatoes, a whole plot of eggplants, and several pepper plants (jalapeno and California). We also planted some more delicious leafy greens generously given to us by the green barn. Before we could do all this planting we had to do a whole lot of weeding too!

Ian has posted pictures from the Spring Dig-In event at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/geographer700/sets/72157623995174419/

If you didn’t get a chance to come out to the Spring Dig-In there is still lots to be done and Ian will be out at the garden on Thursday!

Cheers,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Alix

Back to Classes Garden Update

Hey Gardeners!

I hope everyone has had a fun and fruitful summer!

The garden is looking good, a little weedy but very green! A Great big thanks to all of the garden members here throughout the summer water, weeding and keeping the gadren fresh and lively. There are currently lots of things ripe or ripening in the garden, including squash of all kinds, tomatoes, beans, peppers, jalapenos and some fall raspberries (mmmm!). So I hope everyone is getting a chance to make it out to the garden and do both some weeding and some harvesting.
Now that we’re all back from wherever the summer has taken us I would like to
have a meeting. We need to discuss our plans for the garden, catch up and Elect A New Steering Committee!

So the MANDATORY meeting will be on Sunday October 3rd at 5pm at the garden weather permitting. If the weather does no cooperate we will have our meeting in Health Nursing and Environmental Studies building first floor lounge. I will be sending out more details regarding the positions on the steering committee and a reminder closer to the meeting date.

Between now and then I would like to have an extreme weeding day on Saturday September 25th, starting around 2pm. We have TONS of weeding to do so everybody come on out and we’ll get things all weeded up!

I hope to see you all at both of these events.

Cheers,
Alix

Two Coming Meetings!

The Maloca Community Garden invites YOU to come for a potluck

Friday November 12^th at 4pm in the HNES Lounge (main floor).

All students and staff are welcome. Bring whatever you can (please label food)

 

—————————

 

The Maloca Community Garden @ York

needs a new Steering Committee!

 

Are you interested in taking a leadership role for your school and community?

Would you like to learn more about community gardening?

Do you want something amazing for your resume?

Do you want access to fresh, local, organic food for the summer?

 

We need to fill the following positions for the 2010-2011 season:

 

Coordinator

Treasurer

Work Coordinator

Campus Communications Coordinator

University Relations Coordinator

Secretary/Archivist

Social Events Coordinator

 

 

Come meet with us Monday, November 15 at 4pm in the

HNES lounge (main floor) to learn more

and help plan the upcoming elections

 

Maloca Election!

The following amazing individuals are will currently be running for various leadership positions in Maloca Garden for the upcoming season! Please come to the Maloca Election on Tuesday, March 15th @ 12:30pm – 2:00pm to hear what these folks have to say about themselves and their visions for Maloca!

Ana Luis Santos – Maloca Community Garden Coordinator

My name is Ana and I am a graduate student at York, currently finishing my Masters degree in music, but I also love being outside and getting my hands dirty!  I grew up watching my family growing their own vegetables wherever they could, and I have absorbed a lot of information in my three years with Maloca, although I am always eager to learn more.  Living on campus makes it easy for me to visit Maloca regularly, and I have always found that my best skills seem to be in organizing and planning, so I feel up for the challenge of helping co-ordinate the garden.

Ellen Kaross – Maloca Community Garden Coordinator

I would be a successful Maloca Community Garden Coordinator because I am organized, goal-oriented, committed to social justice, anti-oppression and equity, and an attentive leader. I possess demonstrated experience preparing schedules, recruiting volunteers, facilitating orientation sessions, compiling reports and working collaboratively on a team. My M.E.S. work predominantly explores the ways in which food can be used as an educational tool and a catalyst for social change, as well as the relationship between food and culture.  Throughout my Undergraduate experience, I was thoroughly engaged with York University in social, academic, peer mentorship and volunteer capacities. Therefore, this role, which complements my academic and personal interests, is a natural extension of my previous community involvement and leadership. Finally, I possess an intermediate knowledge of gardening and the principles of organic agriculture, which I have acquired from personal experience and throughout my ongoing 2-year volunteer stint at The Stop Community Food Centre. Above all, I am enthusiastic, positive and passionate. If you would like to learn more about what I envision for the Maloca Community Garden don’t hesitate to approach me or send an e-mail to ekaross@yorku.ca. I appreciate your consideration. I will see you out in the garden!

Alexa Macaulay – Community and Student Engagement

As a self-described summer-time farmer, Alexa MacAulay has been WWOOFing and interning on farms since she was sixteen. From the Okanagan valley in British Columbia, to rural New York, to Ganonaque, Ontario, and in the Pyrénée mountains in France, Alexa has pruned, transplanted, harvested and weeded a rainbow of fruits and vegetables with a curious hand. In her third year undergrad in Environmental studies and Community Arts, Alexa is currently trying to mend her divide of farmer/artist and is hoping to stay in Toronto for part of the summer. Alexa would love to make it easier for students to get involved with Maloca, and to help keep Maloca going as a successful and bountiful student club. Let the growing begin!