New Raised beds and Fences at Maloca

We have been busy building new structures in the last couple of weeks at Maloca Garden.  We started by putting up fences to protect the communal beds from animals. We are really close to the Black Creek Ravine, so a lot of animals come for a snack in the garden. Last year, we did have issues with deer eating the tops of our plants and they never really recovered. To prevent this from happening this summer, we are installing 4 feet high chicken wire fences around our beds. We do also have groundhogs as neighbours, so we dug a feet deep to install wire fences underground. We hope this will prevent animals to find their way in our beds from underneath our feet. Overground and underground protection are not completed yet, but hopefully we will be ready before we transplant our seedlings.

Our wood raised beds also needed some attention. Some new nails allowed us to restore existing beds. We also used some salvaged wood to build new raised beds, both for the communal and individual plots. This is also a work in progress. We dug around the exiting beds, put some stake corners and nailed in the contoured wood planks. To keep the weeds (especially grass) out of our beds, we put wood ships around the structure. We then put the soil back into place and turn it at the same time. They are ready to go!

 

Thanks to all who helped improving Maloca’s infrastructures. If you would like to get involved in building raised bed and fencing, you can join us on Wednesday May 8 between 11:30 and 2:00. We always need more helping hands 🙂

Raised-bed Building Workshop May 4 at 2pm

On May 4 at 2pm, we will have our raised-bed building workshop at Maloca Garden. We will work together to repair old raised-beds and learn how to build new ones.

 

Maloca does have some salvaged wood available, but if you have 2x4x8 that we could use, please bring them on Saturday!

We only have two hammers, so please bring one with you if have one.

We will use hand tools, but if you have battery power tools (especially a saw), work would go way faster!

We hope you join us on Saturday, we will provide snacks for all our volunteers!

Please RSVP at maloca.yorku@gmail.com and let us know what tools you might be bringing 🙂

 

See you in the garden!

The Maloca Garden Team

Earth Day at Maloca Garden

On April 22, 2013 Maloca Garden came alive once more. Gardeners of different backgrounds gathered to get the garden ready for the growing season. We did some spring cleaning and planting! Onions, beets, radishes, rutabagas, carrots, turnips, lettuce, arugula, peas, and beans are now in the ground and ready to sprout! We also pruned the raspberry bushes so we can have more productive plants. The compost was aerated to improve decomposition after the reduced activity during winter. The flower and herb gardens are now free from dead dried plants so we can have more space for more diversity. Finally, we started to protect the raised beds from animal pest. We installed some chicken wire fences, but not all the beds are fenced yet.

Thank you that all who came to help to put Maloca Garden in shape for the summer. Your participation is really appreciated!

Maloca Garden’s next event will be a raised-bed building workshop. We are going to restore the existing wood structures and build new ones. Hopefully, we will also continue to fence our raised-beds. If you are interested in joining us for that event, stay tuned for upcoming information or email us at maloca.yorku@gmail.com and we will add you to our mailing list.

2012 SPRING DIG-IN!

Next weekend we’ll be hosting our annual Spring dig-in! The weather has been gorgeous lately, so let’s hope for more sunny skies!

Join us next Saturday, June 2ND from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. We’ll be doing a lot of planting and celebrating the start of another season. As usual, this event will be a potluck. If you’d like to participate, please bring your own plate and cutlery because we would like to try to minimize waste. Also, please feel free to bring your family and friends, the more the merrier!

We hope to see everyone there!

P.S. Don’t forget a water bottle & some sunscreen, there’s very little shade down at the garden.

2012 Spring Dig-In Poster – CLICK ME!

Let’s Get Down to Business!

The upcoming workday on Tuesday, April 17TH from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM will focus on general garden maintenance and repair, including a potential focus on repairing the compost corrals; raised bed repair and building; general maintenance and cleaning; fruit tree and bush pruning; and a whole host of other possible activities.

We strongly encourage those friends and members with general building and carpentry skills to join us and lend a hand. If you live near by, and have access to hand tools or battery tools that might be useful, please bring them with you if possible. We will share what basic tools we have.

We also encourage ALL those interested to come out and enjoy an afternoon at Maloca. NO SPECIAL SKILLS REQUIRED.

Check out the pictures from our last workday!

2012 Inaugural Work Day!

Hello everyone!

It’s that time of the year again…

Join us in the garden on Thursday, March 29TH @ 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM! We’ll prepare for the upcoming growing season by cleaning up the site, mapping out the plots…and we’ll even get some seeds in the ground! This is a perfect opportunity for people who are considering joining to come and get acquainted with the space and some of the tasks involved. It’ll also be great to see some old faces! As with all of our events, absolutely no experience is necessary – there will be people down in the garden to show you the ropes!

If you would like be escorted down to the Maloca Community Garden, please meet in the Health, Nursing and Environmental Studies (HNES) building @ 1:00 PM. Otherwise, you can use this map and drop by at your convenience. We’re located in the southwest corner of campus.

We hope to see you there!

In the meantime, join our Facebook page!

2012 Annual Seeding Workshop

MARCH 8TH – SEEDING WORKSHOP in conjunction with the Faculty of Environmental Studies ECO ART & MEDIA FESTIVAL

Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli – oh my! Join us in the Faculty of Environmental Studies lounge on the main floor of the HNES building on Thursday, March 8TH from 1-4 PM. We’ll be planting the seeds that will eventually become the seedlings we will transfer to the Garden in May and we need your help. Come and lend a hand and learn about heirloom seeds, gardening 101 and urban agriculture!

(CLICK HERE FOR YORKU CAMPUS MAP)

2012 Spring Elections

In addition to looking for people who are interested in volunteering with the Garden on a one-time or an ongoing basis, we’re also looking for people to join Maloca’s Steering Committee. We’ll be hosting elections in the Spring, so keep these positions in mind (or pass e’m along to a friend!). Please be advised that joining the Steering Committee is a year-long commitment, but responsibilities will vary throughout the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter season, with March – September being the busiest times. Students from outside of the Faculty of Environmental Studies are also encouraged to apply!

A Garden Coordinator is expected to provide leadership and be available throughout the Spring and Summer on (at least!) a weekly basis. However, a position like the Communications Coordinator is more flexible, and could be done at a distance from York University. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the positions, please leave a comment or contact us via e-mail.

A. Role and Responsibilities of the Garden Coordinators (2)

1.  The Coordinators shall ensure that the Garden follows the rules and regulations outlined in the Presidential Regulations and other University policies and procedures.
2.  The Coordinators must organize all Steering Committee meetings.
3.  The Coordinators must coordinate each member’s role so the Garden functions smoothly and accomplishes its short-, medium-, and long-term objectives.
4.  The Coordinators will have access to the funds of the Garden, but the Treasurer must approve all of his or her actions.
5.  The Coordinators must manage the e-mail listserv, keep all members informed about upcoming workdays or other such special events and respond to any inquiries.
6.  The Coordinators have signing authority along with the Treasurer.

B. Role and Responsibilities of the Treasurer

1.  The Treasurer must balance the Garden’s funds.
2.  The Treasurer is the only officer allowed to allocate money to pay Garden debts or expenses.
3.  The Treasurer is responsible for the collection of fees.
4.  The Treasurer is responsible for the submission and follow-through on all fund requests.
5.  The Treasurer is responsible for keeping accurate and timely records of all transactions.
6.  The Treasurer has signing authority along with the Coordinators.

C. Role and Responsibilities of the Community and Student Engagement Officer (Communications Officer)

1.  The Community and Student Engagement Officer will be responsible for updating the WordPress blog and Facebook page and managing other on-campus promotion and advertising in order to invite participation.
2.  The Community and Student Engagement Officer will coordinate work-related and social events.
3.  The Community and Student Engagement Officer must assist the Garden Coordinators with managing the e-mail listserv and responding to any inquiries.
4.  The Community and Student Engagement Officer will keep an eye out for additional publicity opportunities (i.e. York’s alumni magazines and newspapers, website, YorkFest, FES orientation events, departmental listserv).

D. Role and Responsibilities of the University Relations Representative

1.  The University Relations Representative will communicate regularly with University offices in order to address any issues, make requests and maintain a positive relationship.
2.  The University Relations Representative will generally act towards maintaining the Garden’s reputation with those who maintain the Keele Campus grounds and affect our ability to garden.
3.  The University Relations Representative will also liaise with off campus bodies such as FoodShare’s Good Food Markets, Toronto Community Gardening Network (TCGN), North York Harvest Food Bank, Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre and nearby schools for possible co-initiatives that may be of interest to the Garden.

E. Role and Responsibilities of the Secretary

1.  The Secretary is responsible for taking minutes at all Steering Committee meetings and distributing them via e-mail.
2.  The Secretary is responsible for taking minutes at all Annual General Meetings and distributing them via e-mail.
3.  The Secretary is responsible for creating and updating a Garden directory.

We also appoint a Community Representative. This position is reserved for a Maloca gardener who resides in the community. This individual acts as a liaison between Maloca’s gardeners and the Steering Committee and provides some stability as the Steering Committee changes from year-to-year.

Maloca’s 2012 Growing Season

It’s already time to start thinking about the upcoming growing season! Join us Thursday, February 2ND @ 2:30 – 3:30 in HNES 105 or Wednesday, February 8TH @ 1:00 – 2:00 in HNES 105 to find out how you can become involved in the Maloca Community Garden. We’ll also be discussing everything from what we would like to plant, how we would like to organize the layout, what kind of activities we should plan and opportunities for community engagement and partnerships.

Right now all of the plots are dormant and covered in mulch. Damian, a Master in Environmental Studies student and Production Manager @ Fresh City Farms even helped us plant some winter rye in the Fall to provide ground cover for the Winter. Speaking of Damian, he’s facilitating a panel called World Crops, Local Food? Diasporas and the Food Justice Movement – check out more information on the Faculty of Environmental Studies website!

Some Environmental Studies students enrolled in ENVS 1200 Taking Action: Engaging People and the Environment stopped by in October to help us put the Garden to bed! Although the process was somewhat tedious – weeding  all of the beds, turning the soil, covering the soil with newspaper and cardboard and then adding a final layer of leaves and wood chips – it’ll ensure that this Spring the beds will be ready to go with minimal preparation!

Maloca Community Garden – WINTER 2012 UPCOMING EVENTS

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.