February 2015 Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes 2/12/15

Education - Kim Howell-Costion presented “Building Healthy Soils, with Emphasis on Lasagna Gardening”.

Kim spoke a little on "double dug lasagna" gardening technique, the importance of humus and Michael Melendrez' "soil secrets".   Kim is a popular gardening instructor and has developed 15 organic gardening classes for high desert gardening conditions in Northern Arizona. These classes have been offered at Coconino Community College and Northland Pioneer College. Kim also has produced a video on the Double Dug Lasagna gardening techniques that has proven effective for her time and again. She designed and operates a community supported agriculture plant seedling program for participants from her solar greenhouse located near Snowflake, Arizona and is co-owners of Ashokala Gardens.  

HANDOUT1 HANDOUT2 

Business Meeting – Jim Mast

MG Coordinator Happenings - Hattie Braun

·         Conference

o    The next meeting is March 11^th, 1:00pm at the Ext. OFF. 2304 3rd St.

·         Spring Class

• TH, 1-4:30pm. 2/5 - 5/14/2015, N. AZ Health Care 1000 N Humphreys.
• Jim Mast will be giving a class on vegetables in a couple of weeks.

·         Home Show

o    April 10, 11, and 12.  Set-up April 9^th, tear-down April 12 and 13.  Still need a chair for this project.  This year will be free admission.  We will occupy 8 booths to accommodate talks.  Will not be at the Dome; it will be held at NAU Fieldhouse, located at 1050 S. Knoles Dr.

HOMESHOW

·         Earth Day

o    Saturday, April 18^th at City Hall. – What we normally do for this is answer garden questions and give a garden talk.  Volunteer sign-up sheet available at the table.

Financial report – Sue Madden

·         PayPal balance is $188.20.  We should transfer $188 to bank account, $60 aprons, $190 dues, $61 raffle,$20 donations, $102 calendars.  Current balance $5229.29 plus the PayPal balance.

Vice President – Ed Skiba

·         Looking for someone with audio/visual expertise.

Committee Reports:

Volunteer Support – Crys Wells

·         Discounts at all nurseries for CMGA members remains the same as last year.  Cards will be available for distribution next meeting, but if you need your card right away please contact Crys.

·         For our current volunteer hours 28 individuals reported 339 hours (247.5 for 2014 and 91.5 for 2015)
2014 volunteer total - 4247
2014 education total - 694.5
2015 YTD volunteer - 91.5
2015 YTD education - 32.5

Fund Raising – Debbie James – I am looking for someone to head-up the fall clean-up this year.  Molly Larson will make herself available to talk about what she did last year to organize this. 

·         Aprons $15 each – Loni Shapiro

·         Current calendars half price $6 each -  James Kasennich

·         Garden Tours - Colleen Tucker – is looking for garden tour volunteers.

Continuing Education/Blog – Loni Shapiro

·         March – Nicole Gregory Seed Starting 

·         April – Ed Skiba – One hole at a time 

·         May -Jim Mast -  Small Community Garden - Vegetable Gardening

·         June - Hattie Braun – Garden Flowers for Flagstaff

·         July -  Resources for Extra Garden Produce (Art Babbott/Community Market- Foodlink/Terra Birds - Food Kitchen - Hermosa Vida -  Restaurant) - still working on this

·         August - Grasses - Kirsten Olmon, MNA and Susan Lamb Bean, author

·         October – open

·         November – Linda Guarino – GMO’s

Blog – Loni Shapiro

·         Market on the Move (flyer on the blog) – Elks Lodge 2/18, 3/18, 4/15, 5/20 - 60lbs of produce for $15.

MG Projects – Jackee Alston and Gili Thomas - The letter was reworked for 2015 and available on the blog.  We will start determining the number of grants CMGA can provide and how much money each grant will be.  Advertisements for requests will get started.
Community Markets – Andrea Guerrette – will focus efforts in the Spring.

Gardening Questions?

Can we start pruning trees and bushes.  Yes.Next meeting:                     March - Nicole Gregory about Seed Starting