Meeting Minutes, 17 April 2008

Sheboygan Community Garden (SCG) Co-coordinator Mary Malischke opened the Sheboygan Garden Spring Meeting, at 7:00 pm, on 17 April 2008, at the Westside Madison Senior Center, on Sawyer Terrace, in Madison, Wisconsin, by greeting all gardeners and asking new gardeners to sign in at the information table. She introduced individual members of the Sheboygan Gardens Executive Committee, which meets monthly to discuss policies and procedures of the SCG and problems encountered.

SCG Co-coordinator Pat Soderholm spoke of the garden’s continual need to benefit from the talent and skills of its members. She distributed interest sheets on which gardeners could indicate their personal abilities, to explain what they can do, and whom SCG can call when we have questions.

As Education chair, Soderholm said that we’d like all new gardeners to have an orientation to SCG practices and procedures, saying that there was a sheet on the information table for gardeners to sign up for scheduled orientation sessions on the next two Saturdays, 19 and 26 April 2008, at 9-10 am. Also, Soderholm said that she herself will typically be at the garden for orientation on Wednesday evenings, from 5:00 pm to close. You can count your time at orientation as a volunteer workday hour.

Bill Brooks, the Grounds Committee member in charge of SCG rototilling, said that the service of rototilling is available to all gardeners. A sign-up sheet is on the information table, Brooks said; put your names, phone numbers, emails, and needs, and he will contact you. Although Brooks himself will be involved with teaching into the second week of May (6-7 May 2008), Ben Sommers, Brian Kuhn, and Nat Page are also available to rototill. Prepare your plot before requesting the rototilling, he said; wet clay will simply come out as clumps, which must be dealt with by hand; weeding is essential before rototilling, which would scatter weed seeds profusely. He recommended that gardeners not plan to rototill too early in the season, for the soil would just get hard. If you need a translator to help with your request, contact Marsha Park, at 236-9040.

Linda Page, chair of the Garden Preservation Committee, said that that committee was formed about 2 years ago when SCG gardeners learned that the land surrounding the garden site was to be rezoned and opened for development. According to the terms of rezoning plan finally passed, the State cannot turn a shovel until SCG gets a new site. The choice is pending. Over the past year, the Preservation Committee has met almost monthly with City of Madison planners, State of Wisconsin Department of Administration representatives, and the 11th District Alderman. This Ad Hoc Committee first determined certain requisites for SCG’s relocation and then focused on some 3 possible sites from among 11 possible community locations. The 3 sites still being considered include an area within the present Department of Transportation (DOT) site, separate areas within Rennebohm Park, and an unspecified area of the Van Hise-Hamilton schoolgrounds. We are working on multiple levels to find a new SCG site, Page said. It appears that, by April 2010, the SCG will have a new location, though no choice of location has yet been made. The SCG is looking for a viable, long-term home, Page said. We’re hoping for a flagship community garden in Madison. We will keep you posted.

Ben Sommers introduced himself as the Garden Technician from the Community Action Coalition (CAC), which works with SCG to support community gardens in Madison. With this connection, by the way, 10% of your garden fees go to City of Madison Garden Fund. CAC is a private, nonprofit poverty institution, Sommers said; that’s why we do gardening, for all people of different cultures and varied backgrounds come together to garden. CAC provides services for the garden. On Saturday, Sommers will deliver a pile of free hay for gardeners to use as mulch; there will be more hay later in the season. We have 2 compost piles at SCG, he said. The large pile, which is closest to tool shed and has been accumulated with years of gardening, is now usable; the other pile, which is across the path from the tool shed, is for depositing dead plant material. SCG is an organic garden, Sommers said; that is, no pesticides, no herbicides, and no fertilizers can be used. CAC Garden Technician Sommers will bring more information to post in the tool shed. “Contact me with questions and/or concerns,” he said.

Co-coordinator Pat Soderholm spoke on parking and parking permits. DOT office hours are 7:45-4:30, Monday-Friday, she said; you can get a parking ticket for parking in the DOT lot. SCG can, and will, get parking permits to put on car dashboards. Meanwhile, be careful during the week during office hours, Soderholm said. Hopefully SCG can fight it through until we get permits for the elderly and disabled.

In addition, Soderholm suggested that gardeners don’t hitch up the water hose during DOT office hours. The hose connection is across a DOT driveway, and SCG needed to replace the crossover hose 3 times last year. Water is available in the water barrels near your plots.

Mary Malischke and Pat Soderholm have worked on a Sheboygan Community Garden Handbook, but didn’t get it done by today’s opening meeting. Hopefully it will be done by Saturday, placed in the SCG toolshed, and available for distribution, one copy per plot. Please read the rules, Malischke said; we’ve never been strict on hours and/or weeds, but this year we’re going to be strict, for we are under scrutiny.

The first SCG workday, for Spring garden clean-up, is Saturday, 19 May 2008. Laura Anderton is SCG webmaster, and she will post all information on the website

Three Executive Committee members are now leaving, Malischke said: Nancy Stroud, Sue Brown, and Tyrone Bell. Malischke asked that SCG gardeners publicly thank these people for their contributions, to which gardeners responded with applause.

Marie Vander Zanden was nominated to assume the duties of SCG Treasurer, that is, keeping the checkbook and writing checks. The motion was seconded and approved by vote.

Many people will be looking at the present garden, Malischke said, so please keep it even tidier than last year. There’s no place for trash at the garden, she said, so gardeners will have to take it home. Please be sure close the toolshed, Malischke said: close the latch at the top and kick on the bottom to close.

Last year the old toolshed was dismantled and replaced. The old shed is at CAC, which has learned that the Burr Oaks Community Garden (16 families) needs a toolshed. It was moved, and seconded, that SCG donate the old, little shed to Burr Oaks garden. The motion carried.

By the way, Malischke said, row covers, which can act as little greenhouses in your garden, will not be generally available for sale to gardeners this year. There are only 8 row covers, which Malischke has for sale at $2 apiece.

The assembled gardeners then reviewed possible changes to the Sheboygan Community Garden By-laws by going through proposed amendments presented in a 02/24/08 draft of the Bylaws. Co-coordinator Malischke led the discussion.

Relative to proposed additions, deletions, or modifications to official bylaws, it was proposed that “A vote is held at a general meeting of the garden (at the Spring Potluck). One vote is allowed per plot” be changed to “A vote is held at a general meeting of the garden (the Spring Potluck or Fall General membership meeting). One vote is allowed per plot.” Second, it was proposed that, under “I. Executive Board: Committee Chairs/Members: Each committee designates one committee member to attend the executive meeting” be changed to “Committee Chairs/Members: Each committee designates one member as chair who then represents their committee at the meeting. If the chair cannot attend, then another member is designated to attend the executive meeting.” Further, also under Executive Committee, it was proposed that “Members-at-Large: To increase diversity of viewpoints, the garden coordinator may select two members-at-large for a one-year term” be changed to “Members-at-Large: To increase diversity of viewpoints, the garden board may select up to three members-at-large for a one-year term.” It was moved that the Sheboygan Community Garden accept all the proposed changes to the bylaws. The motion was seconded and agreed upon by vote.

It was proposed that “Non-voting guests: The Garden Coordinator may invite individuals to attend the executive meeting. Guests may participate in discussions but may not vote” be changed to “Non-voting Guests: These Board meetings are open to everyone. Guests may participate in discussions but may not vote. Meeting dates are posted in the garden handbook calendar.” It was so moved, seconded, and passed.

It was proposed that the following be added to “IV. Committee Structure: … In the event that one of the positions opens during the year, the position will be filled by the Board.” It was so moved, seconded, and passed.

It was proposed that under “V. Committee Descriptions,” the Plot Allocation Committee be its own committee and not a subcommittee of the registration committee: “Plot Allocation:  Prepare draft of the garden plots for the upcoming season using information from the Plot Evaluation Committee and following the Plot Allocation Guidelines (see pp. 3-4) of this document.” It was so moved, seconded, and approved.

Under “IV., Plot Allocation Guidelines,” it was proposed that “New gardeners are given ½ plots. If they follow garden rules, keep plot weeded, and work required work hours, their plot may be increased the following year to one full plot, if available.” It was so moved, seconded, and passed.

Under “V. Standards for Gardeners,” it was proposed that the following be added to “Annual Garden Fees”: “Gardeners may not start to plant until the registration form, the Participant Information Sheet, and all fees are paid.” It was so moved, seconded, and approved. Further, it was proposed that “Pesticide Use” read as follows: “The Sheboygan Garden is an organic garden. Use of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides or fungicides, chemicals that kill bugs and weeds) is prohibited. Only products approved by CAC may be used.” It was so moved, seconded, and approved.

The Plot Allocation Committee chairperson stated that the committee could not make any promises and that a plot map would be posted on the garden bulletin board after the week of April 27; that the map would reflect gardeners who have paid their fees and submitted the requisite forms.

The Spring Meeting of the Sheboygan Community Garden closed at 8:00 pm..