Wagner Farm Community Garden: Calling all volunteers

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Calling all volunteers

We have a few volunteer opportunities coming up at the farm -- check them out!

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Help Needed at the Annual Dairy Breakfast
The Dairy Breakfast is almost here and we REALLY need your help to make the day a success. We’re especially looking for volunteers to help with admissions, take tickets, and help with kids games and activities. There are two shifts, 7:30-10:30AM and 10:30AM-1:30PM. If you are able to give a little time to the best breakfast event in town, please contact Christine Shiel at Christine.Shiel@glenviewparks.org for more information.

Become a Historic Farmhouse Docent
Wagner Farm is actively seeking Historic Farmhouse Docent Volunteers for the 2014 season. Docents dress in period costume and give tours of the farmhouse to visitors. If you love history, and enjoy working with kids and families, this is the volunteer experience for you! Docents work two weekend shifts a month during June, July and August. Please contact Christine for more information.

On Wednesday June 11th, at 6 p.m., we will be having a training session for volunteers interested in working as docents in our historic farm house. No special knowledge required…just a love of sharing history with others!

Garden Interpreter Training
We will be having a training session for all those interested in volunteering in the community garden. No special gardening knowledge is needed…just some enthusiasm for learning and sharing more about gardening! Contact Christine for more information.

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The last opportunity is in our own garden -- I held a training on June 1 to be a Garden Interpreter, and one of our gardeners joined us, so keep a look-out for Steve Crews, SC2, manning the Demo Plot on occasional afternoons. I'm holding a second training, time TBD, for some volunteers who couldn't make it on Sunday.

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What's This?

FieldWatch is a nonprofit organization that is intended to help pesticide applicators and specialty crop growers communicate more effectively. The site registers certified organic gardens and their beehives. This information is provided to crop dusting (pesticide) applicators to let them know the location of organic gardens. They use this information to plan their routes accordingly. Our sign alerts them to keep pesticides away! The Wagner Farm Community Garden and our Wagner beehives are registered as organic sites through FieldWatch.

Q&A

Q: Are cocoa shells allowed as mulch in the community garden?

A: YES! Cocoa shell mulch (also called cocoa bean mulch) is great for gardens. These shells have a sweet smell and look very neat in your garden bed. When cocoa beans are roasted, their shells separate. Roasting the beans sterilizes the shells. Therefore, the shells are weed free and organic. If you are interested in using them in your plot, ask for them at your favorite garden center.

Negatives-When cocoa mulch gets too wet and does not have time to dry between waterings or rainfalls, it can attract pests. Also, in hot, humid weather, the cocoa shells can develop a harmless mold. You can use a mixture of 25% water and 75% vinegar as a spray to get rid of the mold.

*CAUTION- Do not use cocoa bean mulch at home if you have dogs. This sweet mulch can be toxic to dogs if eaten.

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

Biggest Gardening Mistakes:

1. Planting too soon-The weather forecast shows nighttime temperatures below 50º through next weekend. You are taking a risk if you plant your warm weather crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, basil, zucchini, etc.

2. Not hardening off your plants-Plants that have been grown in your house or in a greenhouse need to be “hardened off”. This means they need to gradually get use to the outdoor temperature, sun, and wind before being planted outside. Ask if your plants have been hardened off at your favorite garden store. Check online to see how to harden off your plants.

3. Improper Spacing-Your seedlings look so small and cute right now, but they will be huge! Read plant tags and seed packages for recommendations on plant spacing. Proper spacing will ensure better air circulation which leads to healthier plants and better production. Planting things too close together will make your plants more susceptible to disease. It will also make it difficult to harvest your veggies.

4. Not staking plants-It is important to stake your plants. This will promote proper air circulation and will help prevent disease. Staking is especially important because we have overhead sprinklers.

5. Not weeding-Weeds compete with your veggies for valuable nutrients and space. Some weeds even send out growth inhibitors that stunt the growth of your plants. You will get a weed warning in the Community Garden if you decide not to weed.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Calling all volunteers

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