Benton
Park Garden Committee
Meeting Agenda and Notes
January 30, 2008
Notes
meeting notes English cave community
garden committee meeting
1960 Arsenal storefront Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:30 pm
Present: Marian Amies; Nancy Galvin; Bill Kranz, Bob LaRouche; Chris
Rowley; Carol Brandon
Fundraising and Frazer’s event.
Those members present discussed the appearance that the Soulard
fundraising event at Frazer’s was advertised as proceeds going to
the whole neighborhood organization and not set aside for the garden
funding. After discussion of this, Marian agreed to pull together
the meeting notes since the inception of the garden where the
committee had discussed the Frazer’s events be earmarked for the
garden and she would provide the board with the notes so they would
have a history of discussions and decisions made by the garden
committee on fundraising matters. Members of the current board
attended garden meetings where this was discussed and the notes
would document this.
Bob suggested a model boat regatta
event with lemonade and cookies for sale as an additional
fundraising activity in Benton Park itself. He had seen this done in
Columbia and thought it was a great neighborhood event that we could
do fairly easily.
Garden development 2008 plans.
Gardeners who maintained successful plots last year will have the
first choice of spaces for the next season. The group discussed the
shed needed for the garden for tools and accessibility by
volunteers. Carol suggested that the group might get one donated on
Craig’s list and she would check this and get back to the group.
Marian reminded the group that Jason Erfling has donated a mower for
use by the garden and this needs to be secured on the garden lot.
Carol and Chris Rowley said they would like to have a raised bed to
cut down on weeds and the group decided that it would up to
individual gardeners to make their own arrangements for the framing
if they choose to make their garden bed raised. Carol reported that
she uses recycled plastic structure for the raised beds in her own
home garden and this does not tot as natural wood does. Carol also
said she would have extra peppers and tomatoes to donate to the
community garden and other gardeners.
The group discussed landscaping for
the compost area. One suggestion was the Illinois alley side of the
garden be landscaped so that a 3 sided fenced area would contain the
mulch and compost when delivered, another was that a workday be
scheduled for the delivery and the group be responsible for
relocating the compost to the southeast corner of the lot that was
originally designated as the compost area, it would also make sense
for gardeners working on the delivered compost relocation to deliver
the compost to their own gardens as they relocate the compost when
it is dumped by the city.
English Cave correspondence update
Bill planned to talk with Todd Brandt about his progress on
correspondence with the family of Ezra English over English Cave
preservation. Bill also asked questions about the mound on south I55
for preservation.
Gateway Greening.
The group needs clarification from Gateway
Greening what the volunteer commitment is for the upcoming 2008/2009
year. Also, the committee will be prepared to submit another grant
proposal for the RFP in November 2008. Bill said he would check into
this.
Follow-Up
Last updated:
Friday, November 14, 2008
