State of the Garden-2016

Good afternoon-the meeting is called to order.

The agenda is:

  • Report to membership on the State of the Garden
  • Approve By-Law Revisions
  • Present Budget for 2016-2017
  • Elect the board of directors for 2016
  • Questions and Comments from the membership
  • Draw for a free year for your plot
  • Dinner

First, I want to thank all the members who have volunteered their time this year to make the garden beautiful and productive. Particularly are those who maintain a charity bed as well as their own:

  • Dan Joyce
  • Jim and Laura Hines
  • Ann Bone
  • Tielke Baker
  • Liudmyla Zaphliak
  • Jennifer Walker

Other Volunteers: Jeff Sellers, Bud Henderson, Marjorie Parker, and Susan McAllister

Second our Harvest Team: Harvested 2300 lbs in last 12 mmonths and donated the produce to Malachi’s Food Pantry at St.Patricks Church

  • Sheila Wilder
  • Tielke Baker
  • Jim Askew
  • Laura Hines
  • Ann DoVanQuy
  • Sylvia Worsnop
  • Brenda Nascheck

Thirdly, I want to recognize the Master Gardeners who maintain the orchard, kiwis and the perennial gardens:

  • Mike Fillon- Site Leader
  • Sheila Wilder
  • Ann Bone
  • Alex Maria Alejandra Francisco Dos Santos
  • Richard Osterholtz- new co-site leader
  • Janis Sims
  • Betty and David Alspaugh (Intern)
  • Tielke Baker-(Intern)

And coming in fourth Place, I’d like to thank our 2016 board members for their guidance and governance of the garden:

  • Teresa Hennessee, Vice Chairman & Secretary
  • Bill Grossman, Finance and Membership chairman
  • Nancy Vieira- Social Chairman
  • Jeff Leech, Main Garden Manager
  • Sean Spalding- Greenhouse Manager
  • Stasia Wood- Public Relations
  • Jhansi Pailla-Web Master
  • Ann Bone-MG Liaison

The garden in 2016:

For the most part, it has been a great year, however we:

  • Lost Stephen Fry, a senior at Ga Tech with a passion for gardening
  • Had all the fruit taken from the orchard by unknown persons/furry creatures
  • Experienced some theft of produce from individual plots

The garden continues to improve every year for our 7 year history:

  • We have 92 family plots- all leased thru 2016 with a waiting list.
  • We added more fruit trees and kiwi plants
  • We renumbered the plots- for expansion and logic.
  • Milo Hines, son of Jim Hines and Laura Freeman, has kept the grass mowed and the weeds trimmed under the direction of Jeff Leech, who also cuts the grass, pulls weeds, and trim .

Financially, the garden is in excellent shape with approximately $12,000 in our bank accounts. We earned about $8000 in the Plant sale, the rest is from member dues and donations.

EDUCATION:

The Master Gardeners, headed by Richard Osterholtz, presented a monthly education gardening class for the members and the public. These classes have been excellent and well attended. Plan are to continue next year.

Significant activities for the year:

  1. The spring plant sale. We grew over thirty varieties of heirloom tomatoes and many other vegetables and flowers, plus some plants were donated. The joint Fine Art exhibit/sale with the Wine &Cheese event was enjoyed by all who attended. We grossed over $10000. We are planning a smaller cool weather plant sale in late September.
  2. Eagle Scout Projects:
  • One project built 4 new deep raised beds at the greenhouse.
  • One planted 500 milkweed seeds for Monarchs Butterfly’s
  1. Other:
  • Jeff Sellers and Tielke Baker rebuilt three raised beds at the greenhouse.
  • We grew vegetables in the greenhouse for three other smaller community gardens in the area:Temple Emanu-el near Dunwoody, DeKalb Senior Housing in Brookhaven and St Patrick’s. Also donated vegetables to the Bumese refugees in Clarkston.
  • We donated plants to Village Mill for their Strawberry Festival
  • We donated plants to raise money for a Wounded Veteran’s group.
  • Sean continued advising local elementary schools on gardening
  • Students from Warren Technical school volunteered every week during school at the greenhouse. Katie Gordon may join this group this school year.
  • Refugees from Burma began volunteering at the garden and greenhouse one day a week.

Current/Future:

  • We will join with Mercer University students in a joint education program
  • We will grow plants for the Dunwoody’s Women club for a annual country wide meeting

NEW BUSINESS:

Review and Approve By-Law Changes

Review the Budget-Previously approved by the board

Election of the Board of Directors:

The proposed Board of Directors for 2016 (Aug 2016-Aug 2017) are:

Chairman- Teresa Hennessee

Vice Chairman – Sean Spalding

Finance and Membership-Bill Grossman

Secretary/PR /Community Outreach– Stasia Kelly

Greenhouse- Art Simon

Main Garden- Jeff Leech

Website- Jhansi Pailla

At Large- Scott Witte

MG Liaison-Ann Bone

Do I hear a motion to elect the slate as proposed? A second?

New slate approved.

This portion of the meeting is now complete.

We will now open the floor for Q & A. After Q&A

We will now have the drawing for a free plot and plants for 2016.

The meeting is now concluded.

The Dinner Bell is ringing. Teresa, the new DCGO chairperson, will explain the arrangements.

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