Wagner Farm Community Garden

Friday, February 23, 2018

Dear Gardeners,

If you would like to sign up to enter the lottery for the Wagner Farm Community Garden, resident sign up is February 22-March 4. Non-resident sign up begins on March 5. Please follow the steps below.

-go to www.glenviewparks.org

-drag the menu down under facilities and parks and go to Wagner Farm

-click on the word programs which is in the brown box on the left

-scroll down to Community Garden Plot ( section #309318-A)

- You will need a household number to sign up. If you do not have a household number, you can call The Park Center at (847)724-5670.
-or sign up in person at The Park Center.

Good luck everyone!

Alyssa Tadelman
Community Garden Plot Coordinator
Historic Wagner Farm

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Dear Gardeners,

I wanted to let you know about a few important Community Garden dates.

-February 17- Spring catalogue delivered

-February 22- 1st Day of Resident Sign up

-March 5- Lottery is spun/ Non-Resident Sign up

-April 3- Organizational Meeting- 7:00 p.m.

-April 7- Organizational Meeting- 9:00 a.m.

Happy New Year Gardeners! Hope to see you all in the spring!

Alyssa

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Gardening at Wagner Farm is a favorite hobby for many Glenview residents. Gardening is fun and rewarding but it’s a lot of hard work too. Does all of the hard work pay off? This year, experienced gardeners, Fran and Barry Gustafson proved that it is.

Fran and Barry have been gardening at Wagner Farm for the past 7 years. They garden 2 garden plots: one for themselves and one with Barry’s mother, Rose Fiedler. They have had garden plots in the Community Garden for 5 years and in the original Heirloom Garden for 2 years. They cannot have a vegetable garden at home since they have too many deer and rabbits coming through their yard. Although they have no formal garden training, Barry shared that he has farmers in his extended family. They get most of their gardening knowledge from reading, trying new things, and from listening to other experienced gardeners in the Community Garden.

This past 2017 gardening season, the Gustafsons decided to keep track of their harvest. This is what they harvested for the year:

Radishes 118

Lettuce 13 bags

Carrots 71

Hot Peppers 265

Cabbage 15

Zuccinni/Squash 105

Onions 110

Green peppers 71

Beets 10

Butternut squash 7

Green beans 1300

Tomatoes 148

Cherry tomatoes 125

Cucumbers (very small) 10

What an amazing bounty of vegetables! When you visit the Community Garden, you will always notice that their plots are beautifully, well laid out, and meticulously kept. The Gustafsons recommend the following tips for a successful garden:

-When you plant seeds, keep them moist until the plants emerge and get started.

-Weed your plot continually!

-Use your space efficiently and replant as spaces become available.

Thank you Fran, Barry, and Rose for sharing your gardening success story with us!

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Dear Gardeners,

It has been another amazing season in the Community Garden! I am always sad to see the season end. The closing date for the 2017-2018 season will be Saturday, October 21. Please have your plot cleaned out by October 22. You will find the information about the closing procedures below. IF YOU FAIL TO CLEAN OUT YOUR PLOT, YOU WILL BE ASKED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LOTTERY NEXT YEAR.

This year, I am also looking for volunteers to help do a final clean-up in the garden on Saturday, October 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (weather permitting). We will be collecting any remaining produce to donate to the pantry, collecting remaining non-organic materials, and removing remaining plant material. Please RSVP to this e-mail if you are available to join me. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Happy Gardening! Have a great week!

Alyssa Tadelman

Community Garden Plot Coordinator

Historic Wagner Farm

Wagner Farm Community Garden Closing Procedures
1. TOMATOES- Plants and fruit should be removed and put in a TRASH can.
2. CORN and SUNFLOWERS- Remove entire stalks and pile them next to one of the compost bins.
3. WEEDS- If your weeds are 8 inches or taller, please remove them and put them in one of the COMPOST bins.
4. ALL OTHER PLANTS- Remove plants and put them in one of the COMPOST bins. If all the compost bins are full, please pile them in the middle of your plot.

All other NON-ORGANIC MATERIAL should be removed from your plot. This includes plant tags, strings, stakes, tomato cages, and tomato ties. Put these in a garbage can, dumpster, or take them home.
Please send me an e-mail when you are finished cleaning out your plot.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Dear Gardeners,

I am so proud of the big tomatoes I picked this week. Check out the picture to the right of this article. It is a photograph of me with one of my favorite varieties of tomatoes, Chef's Choice Pink. This tomato is a hybrid tomato with the taste of an heirloom. It has a potato-shaped leaf and grows very large fruit. I voted this variety my favorite last year, so I grew it again. I can't wait to taste these beauties on a BLT sandwich.

This Week in the Garden:

-END OF THE SEASON REMINDERS- If you are finished with your plot for the season, please remove EVERYTHING from your plot. All non-organic materials must be taken home or put in the trash. All tomato plants should be put in the trash as well. All sunflowers should be pulled and piled up next to the compost bins. ALL OTHER PLANTS should be pulled and put into the compost bins. Please let me know as soon as you are done cleaning out your plot.

-HARVEST, HARVEST, HARVEST- Don't forget to come and harvest your veggies! Take advantage of your hard work! Yum!

-WEED, WEED, WEED!- Please be a good community garden member and remember to weed your plot!

-FOOD PANTRY DONATIONS- Please bring any pantry donations to the information booth at the farmer's market Saturday between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m.

-MILK FUNGICIDE- Please bring your own spray bottle for milk fungicide. I will be out of town this weekend, so if the milk is not out at the garden, please ask for it at the front desk of the Heritage Center.

Please check out some of the special opportunities coming up at the farm:

*Craftsmanship Series- Are you interested in woodcarving by hand, basic basket weaving, or beginning broom making?

*Harvest Supper- Our harvest supper will be a night to remember. Dining under the stars, on the farm, true farm to table cuisine. Our friend and chef Natezore Cooks is already preparing the meal by checking out the ingredients being grown and checking on the progress with the farmers. For more information and to purchase tickets:

http://www.glenviewparks.org/events/historic-wagner-farms-harvest-supper/

Happy Gardening! Have a great weekend!

Alyssa Tadelman

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.