Nov 17 - Nov 23, 2014 CVG Progress and Upcoming Opportunities

This week's 165 lbs of harvest donations:
to the Collierville Food Pantry = 165 lbs
Total YTD harvest donation = 3097 lbs

Next Week's Organized Work Opportunities:

Monday Nov 24:  8:00 am - 10:30 am -- Harvest for Salvation Army*, clean out/weed beds in plot 4 and 5 and add available promix, maybe plant a little more of remaining garlic, plot/plan/"construct" cold frames using hay bales and donated window panes, apply BT to any remaining cabbages.

* Looking for any hotel sized toiletries, toothbrushes, kid's jackets, kid's size (new) underwear and socks (all sizes, gender). We'll send on anything we receive with our produce donation to the Salvation Army on an ongoing basis.... So clear your shelves/drawers/closets!

Wish List for the Garden/Opportunities easily done on your own time:
*  Yard bags of pine needles for the cinderblock walkways and yard bags of leaves for composting
*  Clean, sharpen, and oil the garden tools located in the shed in the compost area
*  Pick up Starbucks (on Poplar) coffee grounds a couple of times per week (mid morning after breakfast rush or early afternoon after lunch rush) for composting
*  Old bird feeders
*  Bat house / Robin nest platforms/Bird bath
*  Goldfinch nyjer seed sock/feeder, Meal worms for bluebirds

Garden Maintenance To Do List:

* Clear out weeds in empty plot 4 raised bed, add promix
* Set aside pine needle mulch on zinnia beds, fill with promix, and top back with the pine needles
* Continue pulling/disposing of spent plants-- plot 2, 4 (cinderblock) peppers, marigold
* Pull comfrey seedlings around beets in plot 1
* Split uprooted comfrey plants and maybe re-plant elsewhere
* Harvest seeds off of butterfly weed plants
* Seek out and destroy the pesky cabbage worms..... reapply BT on Monday
* Weed in cinderblock beds and wooden raised beds, plot 3 along fence line
* Empty, clean, and refill bird (seed) feeder/ add mealworms to bluebird feeder "tray"

101 lbs of "just right" turnips donated to the Collierville Food Pantry this week:

Some of the Savoy cabbage and mustard greens donated to the Collierville Food Pantry this week:

This week's Work Progress:

On Monday, Twila and Stephanie checked frost covers and added some frost protection to plot 3.

On Wednesday, Twila, Leah, Carl, Teresa, Stephanie removed all frostcovers. They moved promix into plot 4 northernmost raised bed and planted "Redneck Wild" garlic. They cleared the half of southernmost plot 4 raised bed, added promix, and planted "Chesnok Red" garlic. They moved promix into the central plot 2 cinderblock bed and planted Chesnok Red and Elephant garlic. They then refilled all the emptied large containers in the garden with the promix from the parking lot.

On Thursday, Carl, Patree, Twila, Stephanie, Teresa, and Kathy harvested 165 lbs of turnips, mustard greens, cabbage, radish, and loose leaf lettuce. Patree delivered to the Collierville Food Pantry. Teresa and Kathy added promix to the northwestern "corner" cinderblock bed and planted elephant and "unknown variety... but pretty" garlic. Twila and Stephanie prepared two rows in plot 6, ringed them with a thick layer of sand in an effort to redirect any runoff, and planted Kilarney Red garlic.  They covered all garlic plantings with a layer of straw/hay. Stephanie picked up 20 lbs of Starbucks grounds and added them to the barrel composters.

This week's Beauty in the Garden:

Nov 10 - Nov 16, 2014 CVG Progress and Upcoming Opportunities

Last week's 138 lbs of harvest donations:
to The Salvation Army = 55 lbs;
to the Collierville Food Pantry and Harris Cove = 83 lbs
Total YTD harvest donation = 2,932 lbs

This Week's Organized Work Opportunities:

Wednesday Nov 19:  8:30 am - 10:30 am -- Pull back frost covering/protection, prepare beds for garlic and begin planting
Thursday Nov 20:  8:00 am - 10:30 am -- Harvest and deliver to Collierville Food Pantry then continue work on "to do" list

Wish List for the Garden/Opportunities easily done on your own time:

*  Yard bags of pine needles for the cinderblock walkways
*  Clean, sharpen, and oil the garden tools located in the shed in the compost area
*  Pick up Starbucks (on Poplar) coffee grounds a couple of times per week (mid morning after breakfast rush or early afternoon after lunch rush) for composting
*  Old bird feeders
*  Bat house / Robin nest platforms/Bird bath
*  Goldfinch nyjer seed sock/feeder, Meal worms for bluebirds

Garden Maintenance To Do List:

* Level and Start planting garlic in empty plot 4 raised bed
* Add promix to empty plot 2 (south) cinderblock beds to ready for garlic planting
* Fill large plastic containers with pro-mix on the parking lot and move them into side walkways of the Garden for future use
* Set aside pine needle mulch on zinnia beds, fill with promix, and top back with the pine needles
* Spread last straw bale along "front" edge of plot 3 (this year's tomato/zinnia plot) on top of black plastic. (Assuming fire ants have "moved along".)
* Continue pulling/disposing of spent plants-- plot 2, 4 (cinderblock) peppers, marigold
* Pull comfrey seedlings around beets in plot 1
* Split uprooted comfrey plants and maybe re-plant elsewhere
* Harvest seeds off of butterfly weed plants
* Seek out and destroy the pesky cabbage worms..... reapply BT on Monday
* Apply homemade garlic spray/ Witch hazel spray to greens and cabbage
* Weed in cinderblock beds and wooden raised beds
* Empty, clean, and refill bird (seed) feeder/ add mealworms to bluebird feeder "tray"

The Salvation Army's 55 lb donation:

Collierville Food Pantry and Harris Cove Residents 83 lb donation:

Carl during last week's WKNO's The Family Plot: Gardening in the Mid-South episode.... confirming CVG garlic repels vampires:

Last week's Work Progress:

On Monday, Patree, Twila, Leah, Stephanie harvested 55 lbs for The Salvation Army. Patree delivered. Twila and Leah pulled zuke, zinnia and some pepper plants and disposed of them and pole bean vines. Stephanie sprayed BT on all cabbages. Val cleaned up the tomato cages and disposed of vines and stored the cages.

On Tuesday, Carl picked up and delivered the last 4 donated straw bales and moved more promix from the parking lot into the garden.

On Wednesday, Stephanie picked 4 lbs of peppers and covered plots 1 and 4 before the winter weather arrived.

On Thursday, Twila, Leah, Teresa, Kathy, Stephanie harvested another 79 lbs and delivered the Food Pantry. Carl picked up what wasn't distributed at the pantry and delivered to the residents of Harris Cove. Stephanie worked on the MAMG 2015 budget proposal for CVG. Carl, Twila, Teresa, Amy, Val, Jane, Stephanie attended the MAMG monthly meeting.

On Saturday, Stephanie pulled back the frost covers on plots 1, 4, and 6.

On Sunday, Stephanie and husband John replaced the frost covers in preparation for the winter weather over the next couple of days.

Last week's Beauty in the Garden:

Last of the peppers

Gorgeous radishes

Beautiful mustard greens

Snow in the Garden

Nov 3 - Nov 9, 2014 CVG Progress and Upcoming Opportunities

Last week's 137 lbs of harvest donations:
to The Salvation Army (multiple facilities) = 86 lbs;
to the Collierville Food Pantry = 51 lbs
Total YTD harvest donation = 2,794 lbs

This Week's Organized Work Opportunities:
Monday Nov 10: 8:00 am - 10:00 am -- Harvest for The Salvation Army (particularly mustard greens, lettuce, radish) then continue work on "to do" list
Wednesday Nov 12:  8:00 am - 9:30 am -- Any last minute frost covering/protection/garden readiness for freeze
Thursday Nov 13:  8:00 am - 10:30 am -- Harvest and deliver to Collierville Food Pantry then continue work on "to do" list

Wish List for the Garden/Opportunities easily done on your own time:

*  Yard bags of pine needles for the cinderblock walkways
*  Clean, sharpen, and oil the garden tools located in the shed in the compost area
*  Pick up Starbucks (on Poplar) coffee grounds a couple of times per week (mid morning after breakfast rush or early afternoon after lunch rush) for composting
*  Old bird feeders
*  Bat house / Robin nest platforms/Bird bath
*  Goldfinch nyjer seed sock/feeder, Meal worms for bluebirds

Garden Maintenance To Do List:

* Ready sensitive plantings for this week's freeze
* Start planting garlic in empty plot 4 raised bed
* Fill large plastic containers with pro-mix on the parking lot and move them into side walkways of the Garden for future use
* Set aside pine needle mulch on zinnia beds, fill with promix, and top back with the pine needles
* Move donated hay bales to ends of the side walkways for future use
* Spread last straw bale along "front" edge of plot 3 (this year's tomato/zinnia plot) on top of black plastic. (Assuming fire ants have "moved along".)
* Continue pulling/disposing of spent plants-- plot 3 tomatoes, zinnia, marigold; plot 2, 4 (cinderblock) peppers, marigold, eggplant??
* Split uprooted comfrey plants and maybe re-plant elsewhere
* Harvest seeds off of butterfly weed plants
* Seek out and destroy the pesky cabbage worms..... reapply BT on Monday
* Apply homemade garlic spray/ Witch hazel spray to greens and cabbage
* Weed in cinderblock beds and wooden raised beds
* Empty, clean, and refill bird (seed) feeder/ add mealworms to bluebird feeder "tray"

Monday's 65 lbs to The Salvation Army (Thank you Patree and Zoe for delivering!):

Thursday's 51 lbs of harvest to the Collierville Food Pantry:

This week's Work Progress:

On Monday, Jan, Patree, Teresa, and Stephanie harvested 65 pounds of mustard greens, turnips, peppers, and eggplant. Patree delivered to The Salvation Army. They pulled back the frost covering, put BT on all cabbages, pulled zinnias out of the front raised beds and disposed, and moved tires into the garden.

On Tuesday, Carl delivered 2 hay bales and some shingles. He pulled remaining zinnia stubs out of the raised beds and disposed of them, picked up trash that the weather blew in.

On Wednesday, Carl was a guest on PBS WKNO's "The Family Plot: Gardening in the Midsouth" and talked about garlic! Please check out the show (maybe this Thursday at 8 pm!)!

On Thursday, Arlene, Teresa, Kathy, and Stephanie harvested 51 lbs of mustard greens, turnips, radishes, peppers, and eggplant. Stephanie delivered it to the Collierville Food Pantry then started pulling the spent zinnia and marigold plants out of plot 3. Lauryce harvested an additional 21 lbs and delivered to a TSA Rehab Center on Kirby Whitten.

Arlene harvesting the plot 1 mustard:

Teresa harvesting the plot 3 mustard:

On Friday, Lauryce weeded in plot 1.

On Friday/Saturday, Carl delivered another 6 donated bales of straw to the garden and cleaned off all the trellises.

This week's Beauty in the Garden:

Maybe the last of the eggplants, peppers:

Purple top turnips:

Bonnie Hybrid Cabbages and Mustard Greens in plot 3:

Oct 27 - Nov 2, 2014 CVG Progress and Upcoming Opportunities

 This week's 124 lbs of harvest donations:
to The Salvation Army = 64 lbs;
to the Collierville Food Pantry = 60 lbs

Total YTD harvest donation = 2,657 lbs

Monday's 64 lbs to The Salvation Army (Thank you Patree for delivering!):

Next Week's Organized Work Opportunities:

Monday Nov 3: 8:30 am - 10:30 am -- Harvest for The Salvation Army then work on "to do" list
Thursday Nov 6:  8:00 am - 10:30 am -- Harvest and deliver to Collierville Food Pantry then work on "to do" list

Wish List for the Garden/Opportunities to work on your own time:

*  Yard bags of pine needles for the cinderblock walkways
*  Clean, sharpen, and oil the garden tools located in the shed in the compost area
*  Pick up Starbucks (on Poplar) coffee grounds a couple of times per week (mid morning after breakfast rush or early afternoon after lunch rush) for composting
*  Old bird feeders
*  Bat house / Robin nest platforms/Bird bath
*  Goldfinch nyjer seed sock/feeder

Garden Maintenance To Do List this week:

* Start planting garlic in empty plot 4 raised bed
* Fill large plastic containers with pro-mix on the parking lot and move them into side walkways of the Garden for future use
* Pull/Prune back to ground level the raised bed zinnias and dispose....
* Set aside pine needle mulch on zinnia beds, fill with promix, and top back with the pine needles
* Spread last straw bale along "front" edge of plot 3 (this year's tomato/zinnia plot) on top of black plastic. (Assuming fire ants have "moved along".)
* Split uprooted comfrey plants and maybe re-plant elsewhere
* Harvest seeds off of butterfly weed plants
* Seek out and destroy the pesky cabbage worms..... reapply BT on Monday
* Apply homemade garlic spray/ Witch hazel spray to greens and cabbage
* Weed in cinderblock beds and wooden raised beds
* Empty, clean, and refill bird (seed) feeder/ add mealworms to bluebird feeder "tray"
* Move tires to ends of side walkways

This week's Work Progress:

On Monday, Twila, Patree, and Stephanie harvested 64 lbs of turnips, mustard and salad greens, peppers, green tomatoes. Patree delivered to The Salvation Army. Carl moved yards of promix into the garden. Teresa and Stephanie continued the clearing and disposing of the zinnias and helped Jim load the Plants 4 Habitat plants into his trailer for transport to the new Habitat for Humanity houses.

On Tuesday, Carl delivered 20+ lbs of Starbuck's coffee grounds and tires for future planters and moved more containers into the garden for temporary pro-mix storage. Teresa, Twila, Barbara, and Stephanie landscaped two Habitat for Humanity houses with FedEx volunteers and witnessed the dedication of the houses.

On Thursday, Patree, Twila, Teresa, and Stephanie harvested 60 lbs of turnips, mustard, eggplant, peppers, red romaine and green tomatoes. Patree delivered to the Collierville Food Pantry.  Jan, Twila, and Stephanie then attended an MAMG budget planning meeting.

On Friday, Jan, Twila, and Stephanie applied frostcover to most of plots 1 and 4 and the eggplants/peppers in plot 5.

This week's Beauty in the Garden:

photo courtesy of Chuck Lajeunesse:

 Frost on the red and Bonnie Hybrid cabbages:

 Bonnie Hybrid Cabbage patch:

Savoy (and red) cabbage patch:

"Just Right" Turnips coming along, well, just right: