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.

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.

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!

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.

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 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!

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!

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!