Full Tax Moon

The full moon in April is known as the Egg Moon in England. Native Americans also called it the Pink Moon. It has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Seed Moon and Waking Moon.

Today is the last day to file 2013 taxes and it’s a full moon so I’m seeing it as the Tax Moon this year.

The concept of taxes includes sharing our individual bounty for the good of All.

The Center Avenue Community garden is all about sharing.

 

Would you be willing to share some of your tax refund to support the Center Avenue Community Garden project that offers so many benefits to our community? Or even pay a little extra to support a useful public creation where you can see the beauty of what your funding creates year round in partnership with Mother Nature?

                                   We want CACG to THRIVE

The Short Version

 

We need some funds to pay for our water at CACG.

We sub meter water from the Church.

From January to mid April we have paid out $77 for water.

For this same period we have received $40 in donations with a zero balance brought forward from last year.

We are reducing our 2014 planting area to save water usage until we receive enough donations to cover a full crop this season.

Please be assured that we are very careful with our water usage; even to the faucets.

Last year we spent $827 on water. This year we expect to pay less, perhaps $500 – 600.

If you can help to sponsor our water use at CACG, please contact me at 925-286-7225 (text OK) or email davidmudgegardens@yahoo.com.

Any amount is welcome.

Please help fund this project and make the statement “Yes I want this beautiful garden to thrive.”

The THRIVE hive at MPC

One of the magnificent CACG supporters in the photo above has advised me 'not to over think it' and yet I feel I need to explain a little more. So ....

The slightly longer version, but still readable I hope

 

What Should We Plant Now ?

At the Center Avenue Community Garden I am frequently asked “What should we plant now ?” It’s a reasonable question and technically now in mid-April there are a whole range of summer crops that are in season for planting. I find it more difficult to answer the “What to plant” question this year due to the lack of funds for the many, sometimes not so obvious, expenses.

 

Firstly, as of January 2014 Governor Jerry Brown declared a statewide emergency and made the drought in California official. This was confirmation of what we already knew but drew our attention to the need to conserve water. If rationing, or a penalty system, were to be applied then as a community we would want to bear our responsibility to reduce water consumption. The Contra Costa Water District has asked its customers to reduce consumption by 15% in 2014.

 

We sub meter water used by the garden from the First Baptist Church of Pacheco. The church owns the land that CACG occupies. We would wish to be respectful stewards, both in actuality and perception, regarding the public observation of water conservation on our host’s land.

 

The question of what to plant also meshes with the question “How much can we afford to water?” It would seem prudent not to plant more than we can irrigate when necessary. From May 2013 to January 2014 we reimbursed the Church $827 for water used.  At this point, we have no funds for water or any other project this year. To maintain a full and vibrant garden we will need more financial help than is expected, or possible from a handful of ardent families that have been paying bills for the garden as we have known it in previous years.

 

Finally the question of “How much planting can we tend to?” With just a handful of loyal garden supporters actively participating in the management of the garden on a regular basis, it is possible that we could waste resources by overplanting. The raised beds require the most attention. Last year their full potential was not realized through lack of hands weeding, thinning, transplanting and monitoring the water delivery.

 

I would also mention that it is disheartening to those who stretch themselves to contribute financially and gift their time to witness whole corn stalks and other valuable plants being removed to feed the goats. It can seem as though the community in general does not see the value of locally produced food. And yet many come through and harvest from the garden which demonstrates an awareness of its existence. I personally believe that locally produced food is very much the norm of the future and we are just on the tip of a large scale revolution in food production that reintroduces small scale farming practices.

 

At CACG every week someone makes a point of thanking us for creating the garden, tells us how beautiful it is and what a difference it has made in their lives.

 I hear “You are doing a great job” and I wish it could be “WE are doing a great job” Myself and others have heard statements such as “Why can’t the Church pay for this” and “Can’t you get anyone to help you?”  We so want this to be a community project.  We are 4 years into this evolution of the garden and would love to have our local community take ownership and responsibility for this amazing opportunity.

 

CACG will continue in some form regardless of the level of community support. Your financial assistance will allow it to evolve faster, providing a meeting place for sustainable lifestyle classes, children’s education of where their food comes from, local DVC permaculture lab classes, natural building projects, picnics, yoga classes, etc.

 

CACG has proven itself to be a great demonstration and inspiration with regard to practically applying Permaculture principles in Martinez. In the next post I would like to share in more detail some of the actual, and many potential, benefits of having such a wonderful piece of land being shared in the community.

OK that's enough!

Come and join us at CACG between 10am and 2pm on Saturdays.

We have our monthly Crop Swap at the garden on Wednesday April 23rd, 6:15 pm. Details in the right side column.

We also have our Movie Night on April 25th. Please see the "More Than Honey" segment in the right side column.

Enjoy the glorious full moon that defies labels.

David

925 286 7225

 

Cardboard and Chips Please

On April 5th a group of DVC students led by Permaculture teacher Bethallyn Black visited CACG to undertake a sheet mulching project. Here are some images from this glorious day in the spring sunshine.

Opening boxes, cleaning off tape.



You can find out more about Sheet Mulching at the Sustainable Contra Costa website. Go to Action Guides and click on Food and Garden

Some Sheet Mulching Images here will give an overview of the principal we are applying.

We also enjoyed the company of Little Bit and her week old chicks in the Chicken Tractor.
It's a dark image but the best I have to share with you. The shadow from the overhead netting makes it a challenge to get good photos even when inside the contraption. Hope you can see the chicks.

Little Bit and her 7 chicks

I find it difficult to get good chicken photos at any time because they move so quickly. Generally, as a species, they express little interest in modeling or photography and are not willing posers for the camera. My admiration and respect goes to those who have captured magnificent chicken images. For example in catalogues.

At 4 days old

Finally a suggestion endorsed by the Martinez Permaculture Center ...

Have a Magical April Day,

David