Franklin Matters: Community Garden Committee Annual Report For FY 2016

Friday, September 9, 2016

Community Garden Committee Annual Report For FY 2016

"The mission of the Community Garden is to provide Franklin residents with a place to meet, learn, and grow, by providing a healthy space in which we can share the joy of growing organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

In partnership with the Town of Franklin, the Recreation Department, and the nonprofit Friends of Franklin Community Gardens,

Your Community Garden Committee:

• Identifies appropriate locations
• Coordinates design and construction of new gardens
• Develops and enforces rules and regulations for the gardens
• Oversees the plot lottery, gardener registration and plot distribution

We pledge to continue:

• Supporting our community in growing local food
• Providing locally harvested food to those in need
• Promoting increased social interaction through gardening within our community
• Developing an educational garden for all ages

The King Street Community Garden continues to thrive in its fifth season! This year we have 52 beds available for planting, all of which are currently leased to community members and local non-profits, including St. Vincent De Paul, HMEA, and the Franklin Food Pantry. Our annual May plant sale was a success as always, and last October’s garlic planting demonstration was well-attended. The Community Garden welcomes interested gardeners of all skill levels.

Over the past fiscal year, the Community Garden Committee has focused on two areas in addition to our typical tasks. First of all, we undertook a review and rewrite of our bylaws, rules, and regulations, in order to incorporate the best practices and experience we have gained over the last five seasons at King Street. This updated “gardener’s handbook” has been made available to all gardeners electronically via Google Docs.

We have also made a concerted effort to recruit new gardeners and new members for the Committee. With the departure of former Chair, Christopher Clay, the Community Garden Committee is in great need of additional Committee members to help us efficiently run the King Street Garden and plan educational programming for the community. Our Chair, Bonnie Kaiden, sent a letter to all of our current gardeners seeking new Committee members, and we are awaiting responses. We have not yet succeeded in finding additional Committee members, but we are continuing our efforts in that direction and hope to have new members soon.

We look forward to many more harvests to come! If you would like to join us for the 2017 season, please visit the Franklin Recreation Department in person or online. For more information about the Community Garden, contact us at franklincommunitygardens@gmail.com or visit our website at www.franklincommunitygardens.com.

The Community Garden Committee meets the First Monday of the month at Town Hall. Check the Town of Franklin Meeting Calendar for details.

If you are interested in serving on the committee, please contact any committee member or visit the Town Clerk’s office."

Bonnie Kaiden, Chair
Kiernan Reed, Secretary
Amy Acevedo, Member
Rich Clauser, Member

Respectfully submitted,
Kiernan Reed Secretary

fresh growth at the Community Garden in August 2016

This was shared from the official Town of Franklin page
http://town.franklin.ma.us/Pages/FranklinMA_News/024A19CA-000F8513

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