Farmer's Market a Great Success!

A HUGE thank-you is in order for all of the wonderful volunteers and sponspors who helped make this event possible. As well, thank-you to everyone from Moose Jaw who came out and supported us. We raised about $400 more than last August's market which is a great success in my opinion!
I would like to take this time to bring attention to our sponsors for this year:
-Yara Belle Plaine
- McDonalds
- Co-Op Grocery
- Keons Garden Centre
- Cornell's Landscaping & Design
- Barrett Auto Service
- CIBC
- Conexus Credit Union
- Bright Side Electric
- Margaret Kupper
- Heather Berghdal
- Joey's Only
- Ellen's on Main
- Evan's Florist
- Canadian Tire
- Superstore
- Quiznos

If you missed our market in August, don't worry, we are having another one on September 10th on the 200 block of Home St. West from 8:30 - 12:00. There will also be a pancake breakfast from 8:30-10:00. Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Farmer's Market

(click to enlarge)

Hope to see you there!

Guest Speaker: Amy Jo Ehman

On Saturday, July 16, the Yara Community Gardens have the pleasure of hosting Amy Jo Ehman, author of Prairie Feast, at the gardens! She will be speaking at 4:00 about her book and I know this will be a wonderful time!

For those of you that do not know, Prairie Feast chronicles the adventures of Amy and her husband as they set out to only eat food from Saskatchewan for a year. I read this book a few months ago and couldn't believe how inspired I was after reading it. It made me so proud to be from Saskatchewan and realize what a bounty this great province has to offer.

So come on out to the community gardens on the 100 block of Home St. at 4:00 on July 16th, you won't be disappointed! See you there!

At the Garden

Hello fellow gardeners, friends and neighbors!
Here is a picture of planting the potatoes for Grow-A-Row. Sorry there are not more, but my computer is acting silly!

It was a great day for planting and we finished in record time!

We also had our first potluck supper of the season and we had a reasonable turnout. I would encourage all new gardeners to attend these events and meeting since it is a great way to meet your garden neighbors and find out what is happening at the community gardens.

We also have a wonderful new summer student working with us this season who just started on Monday. She has been hard at work clearing the grass out of the flower bed, putting up new plot markers, and researching the herb garden that we hope to plant. It's going to be a great season working with Savannah and I know that the gardens will greatly benefit from having her work there.

I am still looking for vounteers to be at the garden on the day of the Hunger in Moose Jaw Garden Tour on July 9th. So far I only have one person signed up for a time slot at each of the gardens and I have 2 time slots left for each of the gardens. If you are interested in helping out please let me know as soon as possible so I can write your name down :)

Well folks, it's been a great week at the gardens and now if we could just get some sunshine we would be doing great!



Grow-A-Row

Tomorrow is the day for planting and I can't wait! We have several wonderful sponsors this year who I would like to introduce:
  
     - The Yoga Loft
     - Urban Apeel
     - South Hill Community Association Inc.
     - Conexus Credit Union
     - Nit's Thai Food
     - Denis Johnson and Ron Bearman
     - Moose Jaw Elks Lodge #7

This is such a wonderful project and I am thrilled to be a part of it! For those of you who do not know what the Grow-A-Row promotion is, it is a sponsorship program where for a $200.00 donation we will plant a 20' row of potatoes in your or your company's name and will take care of it through the summer doing things such as planting, weeding, watering, pulling off those dreadful potato beetles, and then harvesting it in the Fall. When all of the potatoes are harvested they will be divided equally and disctributed to Moose Jaw's Food Bank as well as Riverside Mission. Last year over 400 lbs. of potatoes were harvested and this year I'm hoping for a bumper crop! It is going to be a wonderful season and THANK YOU to our wonderful sponsors who without their donation this project would not be possible!

Looking for Potatoes!

The community gardens are looking for certified seed potatoes to be donated to our grow-a-row promotion. If you or your business is interested in donating potatoes I would love to hear from you! A sign will be posted in your name at the site as well as recognition in our newsletters. Let's all work together to produce a bountiful harvest to donate to those in need here in Moose Jaw!

Speaking of our grow-a-row promotion, if you would like to sponsor a 20' row of potatoes I am accepting sponsors until May10th. For $200.00 a row of potatoes will be planted, cared for, and harvested in your name with all of the produce being donated evenly between the Food Bank and Riverside Mission. Your donation will be honored with a sign in your businesses name and logo as well being featured in our newsletters. You are also able to receive a charitable receipt for your donation. Any questions? Feel free to contanct me at 692-1916!

Hope to hear from you soon!

New Coordinator this Summer!

This summer we have a new project coordinator here at the Community Gardens!

I am going on maternity leave for the year and Lauren Stennett will be taking over in my place. Lauren is from Birch Hills, Saskatchewan, and currently lives with her husband in Caronport. She has worked with people and plants before and is excited to get to know and work together with our membership.

I am looking forward to this new addition to our family and appreciate all your encouragement and support. I will miss the community gardens program while I am away, but I do promise to visit!

May the summer be long and your harvest be plentiful!

- Sarah Varey

New Gardener Orientation

Are you a new member at our community gardens? If so, you need to attend one of the upcoming orientation sessions held at the Moose Jaw Public Library. We'll be going over the history of our gardens program, highlighting some vital policies and procedures and answering any questions you may have. Plus, you get to meet other new gardeners!

Wednesday, April 20th or Thursday, April 28th

7:30 pm
Moose Jaw Public Library

If you are a returning gardeners and want a refresher or are just plain interested in our garden program, please feel free to stop in. Everyone is welcome!

First Garden Membership Meeting

As many of you have heard, the first garden membership meeting is next week! Lauren, our new gardens coordinator, has been calling and emailing all our current community gardeners to update our membership and notify new gardeners about new plot availability.

The first Membership Meeting is on April 14th at 7pm at Zion United Church. Please come prepared to fill out your membership form, pay plot fees and go over some changes in the 2011 Policies and Procedures.

If you have haven't spoken personally with Lauren yet, call Hunger in Moose Jaw (692-1916) right away to confirm your plot. If you are interested in a garden plot, we still have a few left, so call today!

Get Ready for Another Gardening Season!

Around Moose Jaw you can feel Spring in the air. The weather has started to warm up, the snow has begun to melt and icy puddles gather in the streets. April is just around the corner and with it, another gardening season.

Have you reserved your garden plot at the Yara Community Gardens? If you have been thinking about joining our group, call right away to find out more information and sign up. The plots are going fast and if you wait till May (or even next week), we may not have any plots left!

Will you be a returning gardener this year? Remember -your plot from 2010 is reserved for you this season already. We'll be calling in early April to confirm with you and discuss the details of the first membership meeting.

After such a long winter, I can't wait to dig into the garden again!

Free Compost Workshops in our Community

Coming in March, the City of Moose Jaw's MACE Committee will be hosting three unique workshops about composting!

The topics covered are: Introduction to Backyard Composting, Advanced Backyard Composting and Worms ate my Lunch: Vermicomposting 101.


Introduction to Backyard Composting:
Saturday, March 5th at 2pm;
Thursday, March 10th at 7:30pm;
Saturday, April 2nd at 2pm

Advanced Backyard Composting:
Saturday, March 19th at 2pm.

Worms ate my Lunch: Vermicomposting 101:
Thursday, March 24th at 7:30pm.

All workshops will be held at the Moose Jaw Public Library. Lots of resources offered and even door prizes! Hope to see you there!

(Contact Sarah Varey at 631-8552 for more information.)

Seed Starting: A Handy Chart for Knowing when to Plant

This arrived in my inbox this morning and I thought I would pass it along to all of you. With our particularly short growing season and with (what seems like) everlasting winter, seed starting indoors might be the answer to growing those new varieties and beat the winter blues. Is anyone growing unique heirloom varieties this season? What are your tips to beginner seed starters?
________________________

Timing is everything. To start your seeds on time, you need to know when in relation to the frost-free date in spring to plant them. If you need help determining your spring frost-free date, call your county extension agent who can tell you for certain.

Creating Your Seed-Starting Plan

• Print the seed starting chart below.
• Write your frost-free date in the blank space at the top of the chart.
• Get a calendar and add or subtract the number of weeks in the "Safe to Set Out Time" column. This is the "Setting Out Date" when you can safely plant the crop to the garden. Write it in the last column.
• Take each date from Column 5 ("Setting Out Date"), subtract the number of weeks shown for that crop in column 3 ("Weeks from Sowing") and record that date in column 2 ("When to Start Inside").
• For our Moose Jaw region, I filled in the dates according to the last frost date: May 20th.

YOUR SEED-STARTING PLAN
The Spring Frost-Free Date in My Garden is: May 20 (Moose Jaw)
CROP	WHEN TO START INSIDE	WEEKS FROM SOWING	SAFE TO SET OUT TIME (RELATIVE TO FROST-FREE DATE)	SETTING OUT DATE
Basil	Apr 15	6	1 week after	May 27
Beets*	March 25-Apr 8	4-6	2 weeks before	May 6
Broccoli	March 25-Apr 8	4-6	2 weeks before	May 6
Cabbage	March 11-March 25	4-6	4 weeks before	April 22
Cauliflower	March 25-Apr 8	4-6	2 weeks before	May 6
Collards	March 11-March 25	4-6	4 weeks before	April 22
Corn*	Btwn Apr 22 - May 20	2-4	0 to 2 weeks after	May 20-June 3
Cucumber	Btwn Apr 29-May 13	3-4	1 to 2 weeks after	May 27-June 3
Eggplant	Btwn March 25-Apr 15	8-10	2 to 3 weeks after	June 3-June 10
Kale	March 11-March 25	4-6	4 weeks before	April 22
Kohlrabi*	March 11-March 25	4-6	4 weeks before	April 22
Lettuce	Btwn March 18-Apr 1	4-5	3 to 4 weeks before	Apr 22-Apr 29
Melons	May 6-May 13	3-4	2 weeks after	June 3
Mustard*	March 11-March 25	4-6	4 weeks before	April 22
Okra*	Btwn Apr 22-May 13	4-6	2 to 4 weeks after	June 3-June 10
Onions	Feb 25-March 11	6-8	4 weeks before	April 22
Parsley	Btwn Feb 18- March 4	9-10	2 to 3 weeks before	Apr 29-May 6
Peas*	Btwn Feb 25-March 18	3-4	6 to 8 weeks before	March 25-Apr 8
Peppers	Feb 25-Apr 22	6-14	2 weeks after	June 3
Pumpkins	May 6-May 13	3-4	2 weeks after	June 3
Spinach	Btwn Feb 25-Apr 1	4-6	3 to 6 weeks before	Apr 8-Apr 29
Squash	May 6-May 13	3-4	2 weeks after	June 3
Swiss chard	March 25-Apr 8	4-6	2 weeks before	May 6
Tomatoes	Btwn Apr 1-Apr 22	6-8	1 to 2 weeks after	May 27-June 3
* These crops are usually direct-seeded outdoors, but they can be started inside.

Source: Organic Gardening: Seed Starting Chart

Grey Avenue Gardens: Planning a place for Recreation and Rest

This time of year, we reflect on our mistakes or mishaps of last season, anxiously wait as the seed catalogues arrive by mail, and plan out the spring planting of our garden patch. Really, winter is the perfect time to plan for the season ahead.

Here at the Yara Community Gardens, we've been busy planning the 2011 gardening year. We've been talking to neighbours, gardeners and community partners and have come up with an exciting idea to start this spring. Let me tell you about it:

Over at our newest community gardens, the 1000 block of Grey Ave, we have a beautiful greenspace loaded with trees, grass and shrubs. Because of the trees (and the shade they produce), we'll never till the land for garden space. Furthermore, the shade is a welcome retreat on those hot Saskatchewan summer days. Coupled with our forty new garden plots, this greenspace will be designed particularly for rest and recreation. This will be achieved by installing a beautiful patio and seating area and a interactive children's play area.

For tired gardeners and visiting guests, we will create an accessible and attractive space to relax. We will install a beautiful entrance way (including pathways, flower beds and crafted sign), build a covered patio space and have ample chairs, picnic tables and benches for all. This space will make the gardens more accessible, more organized and more conducive to socializing and meeting together. Plus, this space will be used by volunteers and school groups.

For our youngest gardeners and neighbours, we will create an interactive space to play and imagine. Working with volunteers, we will install a playground area, complete with swings, a slide and a place to climb. And don't worry Mom and Dad - the playspace will be within sight of your garden and there will be lots of nearby benches for you to sit and watch your kids play. This space will have educational features, focus on nature and seek to provide space for even the youngest to get active, imagine and learn. By creating a kid-centered recreation space within our gardens, we seek to teach our children that a healthy lifestyle is holistic, engaging our physical, nutritional and mental health.

As we discuss and plan these new developments on Grey Avenue, we would love to hear your ideas and comments. Is there anything that you would like to see in the play area or around the garden site? Let us know!