Community Garden News from Raising Richland and NECIC.
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Greetings Garden Friends,

Now that the garden season is winding down, we have time to reflect on the past season and look forward to next year.  This week’s garden news is packed with opportunities for you to share you ideas, get involved, and learn more for next year.

News from NECIC & Raising Richland
- What’s Happening at the Blust Avenue Teaching Garden?
- Thanks for the Great Farmers Market Season! Tell Us What You Thought
- Farewell Melissa Freeman
- Nov. 3: Seeking Your Input for 2016 Raising Richland Summit
- Save the Date - Nov. 17: Seed Swap & Cooking Demo

News from Our Friends
- Nov. 4: Webinar on Making and Using Compost Teas
- Nov. 7: Gingerbread House Workshop at Kingwood 

Links and Info for Your Garden
- VIDEO: How to Make a Row Cover Tunnel
- Turn Fall Leaves into Nutrient-Rich Compost

Enjoy the Fall Season!
~Jean
 
Jean Taddie
Community Garden/Local Foods Program Coordinator
North End Community Improvement Collaborative
199 N. Main Street
PO Box 954
Mansfield, OH  44901-0954
www.necic-ohio.org
(419) 525-3101
 
199 N. Main St.
P.O. Box 954
Mansfield, Ohio 44901

Tel. (419) 525-3101
Fax (567) 247-1594
info@necic-ohio.org
 
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NECIC & Raising Richland News

What’s Happening at the Blust Avenue Teaching Garden?

By: Candace Harrell, Teaching Garden Coordinator

We’ve had a lot of excitement during October at the Teaching Garden.  From finishing several major projects to our ribbon cutting and beyond, it’s been a month of accomplishments, creativity, and setting future goals.

In the hoop house, we’ve added worms to the soil, sown seeds for winter and early spring production, and tracked temperature readings.

In the garden, with much help from the students at Culliver Reading Center, we’ve sown oats as a cover crop in the raised beds and made plans for future growing areas.  

You can keep up with all the things happening at the garden by checking out the new blog at 
http://www.BlustAvenueTeachingGarden.blogspot.com.
 
We’ll keep a running commentary of things happening at the Teaching Garden – not just events and activities, but day to day planting and harvest logs with lots of pictures and notes.  Be sure to check it out, and feel free to leave comments, ask questions, and make requests!

Join us at the garden to tour, teach, learn, volunteer or explore.  Contact me at candace@necic-ohio.org or 419-525-3101 to get involved.


 

Thanks for the Great Farmers Market Season! Tell Us What You Thought


October 13th marked the end of this season’s North End Farmers Market.  A great big thank you to our loyal vendors, customers, and volunteers.

The last market was also customer appreciation day, which featured samples, treats and prizes from our vendors.  The lucky winners chose from a wonderful array of produce, beef, bakery, compost, jewelry, crafts and more!

After the market, NECIC hosted a pizza party for all of our vendors and volunteers. We celebrated the end of the season and also recognize four remarkable volunteers: Sarah Cayten, Bob Coon, Sherman Jones and Belinda Morgan.  They volunteered every week: putting up signs, helping set up, welcoming customers, harvesting and selling Teaching Garden produce, helping with SNAP and WIC, cleaning up the market, among others.  They were greatly appreciated by all of our vendors.  More about their stories is posted here: 
http://www.facebook.com/nefm2014
We also want to thank dozens of other community members who assisted our efforts.   All together, at least 350 hours were volunteered on behalf of the market!

We had a great 2015 season, but of course we want to make next year even better!  Please share your thoughts in our short and sweet 
CUSTOMER SURVEY: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N5F2HWZ

Thank you for your support!!

 

Farewell Melissa Freeman


If you came to the North End Farmers Market this summer, then you probably met Melissa Freeman, or perhaps you enjoyed her Facebook posts and Garden News articles.

Melissa joined us in May as our summer intern.  As the lead organizer of the North End Farmers Market for the 2015 season, she was responsible for promoting the market, coordinating vendors and volunteers, and ensuring smooth setup and operation of the market.  She was so effective at this, we extended her internship until the end of the market season in October.

Now that the market is over, Melissa is concentrating her time on her studies in Dietetics at Ashland University.  Melissa has a friendly yet professional communication style that is complimented by her bright smile, and we will miss her greatly!

Good luck and best wishes Melissa!  

If you would like to share your farewell greetings, you can still email Melissa at melissa@necic-ohio.org.


 

Nov. 3: Seeking Your Input for 2016 Raising Richland Summit


Did you know that March 10, 2016 will be the 6th annual Raising Richland Community Garden Summit?  

Last year roughly 160 youth and adults attended, and we would like to see this year be even bigger and better!  Send a request or join our planning team and help make it happen!

Our first planning meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3rd at 4pm in the Longview Center (1495 W. Longview Ave, Mansfield).  

Even if you can’t join the planning team, we would love to hear your requests for garden speakers for adults and/or garden activities for kids.

Of course we’ll also need plenty of volunteers on March 10 as well.

Contact jean@necic-ohio.org or call 419-525-3101 if you’d like to get involved or if you have a recommendation for a great speaker or topic you’d like to hear.

Check out last year’s Summit speakers and youth programs.
Videos posted at: 
https://www.youtube.com/user/necic1
Photos:  
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.940373289327294.1073741857.177988645565766&type=3 


 

Save the Date - Nov. 17: Seed Swap & Cooking Demo


Swap seeds with others and make a homegrown trail mix. 

Join us for a Seed Swap & Cooking Demo at NECIC (199 N. Main St.) at 6pm on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Bring extra vegetable and flower seeds you can share, so you can swap with other gardeners and take home something different.  

Then, we’ll teach you how to turn raw pumpkins and giant sunflowers into roasted treats.  Rochelle Jones and Candace Harrell will be demonstrating how to harvest and roast the sunflower seeds from our Teaching Garden and locally raised pumpkins.  

The event is free and open to the public.  Invite your friends:
http://www.facebook.com/events/1510144789284031/

 

News From Our Friends

Nov. 4: Webinar on Making and Using Compost Teas

Source: eXtension.org

Join eOrganic for a webinar on making and using compost tea, by Lynne Carpenter-Boggs and CeCe Crosby of Washington State University. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at 2PM Eastern Time (1PM Central, 12PM Mountain, 11AM Pacific Time). The event is free and open to the public, and advance registration is required.

This webinar is aimed at a general audience, gardeners, farmers, and ag professionals. Viewers will learn how to make consistent and safe compost teas for gardening and agricultural use. We will discuss how compost teas are viewed and regulated by the National Organic Program and Environmental Protection Agency. Viewers will leave with an improved understanding of compost teas and how they can be beneficially used. The webinar lasts 45 minutes with 30 minutes in which audience members can type in questions for the speakers.

For all other upcoming and archived eOrganic webinars, see 
http://www.extension.org/pages/25242

REGISTER now for the Compost Tea webinar at: 
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2358601245177662466


 

Nov. 7: Gingerbread House Workshop at Kingwood 

Source: Kingwood Center Gardens
 
Registration is open for a gingerbread house workshop to be held in the Kingwood Hall Service Room on Saturday, November 7th.  The class will be held from 1 to 3 p.m., with the cost being $25, or $22 for Kingwood Members and Volunteers.  Registration and fee payment must be made in advance by calling 419-522-0211 Ext. 107. 

Ginny Miller, a very talented Kingwood Volunteer, will share her skills and tips on creating a delightful gingerbread house.  Each participant will create their own design to take home or to enter in the Kingwood Gingerbread House Competition.  Different candies, cookies and royal icing will be used to make the perfect creation.       

This class is intended for adults only.  For additional information about these classes, or other events at Kingwood Center Gardens, call 419-522-0211 or visit us at http://www.kingwoodcenter.org.


 

Links & Info For Your Garden

VIDEO: How to Make a Row Cover Tunnel

Source: Mother Earth News

Row covers can be expensive to buy but don't require a lot of materials or time to make your own and the benefits are well worth the effort.

In this short video we show you how to make a simple hooped row cover to protect your plants, extend your harvests and get even more from your garden:
https://youtu.be/Oc70X2Jn1gk

 

Turn Fall Leaves into Nutrient-Rich Compost

Source: Mother Earth News

Leaves can be a great benefit to gardens and landscapes because they hold a number of nutrients that can be released back into the soil for plant use, thus reducing the need for added fertilizers. According to Compost Guide, “the leaves of one large shade tree can be worth as much as $50 of fertilizers and humus. Pound for pound, the leaves of most trees contain twice as many minerals as manure.”

Using the leaves as mulch or compost not only adds the additional nutrients to the soil for use by plants, they also help to keep the soil warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, helps the soil to retain moisture so you don’t have to water as often, and shades the ground preventing many weeds from growing. If you happen to be using needles from pines (or the leaves from oaks), you can get the added benefit of adding a little acidity to the soil for plantings that struggle with the High Desert’s alkaline soil.

Read the full story at:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/leaves-into-nutrient-rich-compost-zbcz1510.aspx


 
Copyright © 2015 North End Community Improvement Collaborative, Inc. (NECIC), All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 954
199 N. Main St.
Mansfield, Ohio 44901

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