October 2011

The Library Food Garden program evaluation is part of our commitment for the grant funds we received last year. One area in which we haven’t done very well is contributions to the BVEE food pantry. Not on our list was the library as a point for distribution. People have brought in squash, and cucumbers, and tomatoes, and peppers, and beans - and various patrons have reaped the benefits. If we had room we could consider expanding our book sale to ever so much more. 


The August Community Garden program, Preparing Fresh Vegetables was presented by Dianne May from the Delaware OSU Extension Office. She discussed the values of a rainbow of fruits and vegetables and fixed a zucchini casserole which was shared with those attending. Participants brought some produce and vegetable dishes to share. Handouts on the purchase, care, and use of fresh produce; ChooseMyPlate.gov; and seasoning vegetables were provided. There will be a garden clean-up meeting to review this year and plan for next year sometime in October. Enjoy the Fair !

August 2011

The Library Community Garden will have a program on fresh food preparation with Diane Mays from the Delaware County Extension Service on Saturday August 20 at 2:00. People are invited to bring their recipes to share.

The Canning and Freezing program with Joyce Fittro had fourteen attendees with the focus on freezing. Handouts on safe, updated procedures for both canning and freezing are available. Produce from the community garden plot was shared.

The Brownie Scouts have planted pumpkins in one community garden area. This is a fund raising project for them. The Delaware Episcopal Church has planted the other area for produce for their free community dinners and for distribution.

Canning & Freezing Basics presented by Joyce Fittro, USDA certified specialist from the Delaware County OSU Extension Office.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

2:00 p.m.

Wornstaff Memorial Public Library

2011 Garden Season

Garden plots available 201 South Street, Ashley, OH contact the library 740-747-2085

Garden tools available for loan at the library.  Shovel, garden rake, sod lifter, and hoe.

April Events

The Library Food Garden Workshop on Saturday April 16 at 2:00 will be led by the Backyard Master Gardener Susan Leichty. She will talk on using herbs with homegrown vegetables. Growing and cooking ideas will be shared in a round table discussion. Susan Leichty and Connie Zuga helped the Brownies start seeds for starter garden plants to be given away at the May meeting. The Saturday March 19 meeting competed with summery weather but five attendees constructed and planted the straw bale cold frame in front of the library. Thanks to Bill and Shirley Thurston for donating the straw bales.

Gardening Workshop Feb. 19

The Library Food Garden workshop will be held on February 19 at 2:00. The Backyard Master Gardeners will present a program on garden planning with ideas on what, when, and where to plant. Seed and plant options, bed preparation, and container gardening will be discussed. Find out how you, too, can grow vegetables for your family. Save money, enjoy the outdoors, and benefit from really fresh tasty results.

2010 Season

Growing Community Grant: Purchased 8 seed starting flats plus miscellaneous seeds. Purchased 1 shovel, 1 hoe, 1 rake. Purchased 1 seed starting heat mat and 1 sod lifter. Contacted master gardeners who came for a tour of South Street property and attended a community meeting along with Brownie, 4-H, and boy scout leaders plus Susan and Liz. The purpose of the meeting was to share ideas for the community garden project. Talked with Ashley Village which is interested in having a garden at the Ashley Pool Complex. They will set up the garden space and it will be planted and maintained by some 4-H or scout group?

Talked with Debbie Fox at Ashley Manor in regards to garden areas there. Her husband built planters over 17 planters, and mounted them on the ramp. Talked with Dave Thurston at Ashley Villa about possible garden site and participation there. There may be space for fruit or nut trees and he maintains a small garden there but other land is reserved for the car show. Five Delaware County Master Gardeners presented a program on seed starting in March They demonstrated wetting soil and filling and planting segmented containers. An instruction sheet was passed out. Potting soil was donated by Scotts and the flat used was one we had purchased.

The master gardeners donated a large number of seed packets and gardening and cooking books. The books have been added to the collection either temporarily or permanently (except for older or more pamphlet style materials which were put in the book sale). Persons at the seed starting program expressed interest in a pruning program and arrangements were made for Jon Kerr to present one on Saturday April 10 at 1:00 at 201 South Street where actual demonstrations could be given. Jon Kerr, Ann Bentley, and Liz were there but there were no attendees. They did prune two pear trees and a red bud tree.

Cora French-Robinson from the Fairfield County extension office gave a program on food preservation on Tuesday July 20 at 6:30. She presented a 1 ½ hour program focusing on canning with some comments about making jams and jellies. She will have three types of canners (weight and gauge pressure and open kettle) but will not do any actual demonstrations.

Dianne May at the Delaware extension office will do a program on nutrition and the preparation of fresh foods. We discussed an alternative presented by a master gardener but this was not approved by the extension service as a “certified” person must present food preparation. The original plans were re-instated. The extension office sent e-mails to all the master gardeners and there were 17 attendees.

Food from the community garden has been donated to the BVEE food pantry on a regular basis-

mostly cucumbers and squash, a few beans, some okra. There should be peppers and winter squash and tomatoes are beginning. Community gardens have had limited success. Two families planted the east section but work and weather have limited their care of the plot. One person has a small garden plot with a few tomato plants, peppers, and squash. Another family planted materials from the starter garden plus corn but again maintenance has been spotty. Three plots were planted with tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, squash and some miscellaneous items. These have been moderately productive.

The Brownies planted the “house garden” and have come once a week to weed, etc. The library gardens have been interesting. Better watering and some fertilizer would probably have helped. Tomatoes, cucumbers, okra and beans have done well. Broccoli has not headed. The garden in a bag was least successful probably for the above cited reasons.Squash did well until attacked by a borer.

Timing and planning have been problematic. Ashley Manor was more or les left to its own devices aside from providing them with bagged topsoil and compost which Mike Fox put in the planters. Seeds and plants (starter garden and donated seeds) were supplied plus two flats of flowers but no follow-up has been made. Similar results have been had with the SACC garden. A community service volunteer reworked the strawberry bed with “square foot garden formula soil” and did an excellent job, but it has not been replanted. Plants and seeds from the starter garden were supplied, plus two starter garden baskets with gloves and hand tools. Three sets of Shovel, garden rake, lawn rake, and hoe were purchased and donated. No one has checked out the library tool rental : shovels, hoes, garden rakes, and sod lifter those these were used in the preparation of the library garden and some at the community garden area.

Timing: starting seeds should be done in early April and this actually worked well though not in relation to the grant time parameters. Master gardeners helped and the Brownies did a nice job. When seed sprouted they were moved to the South Street porch area and then inside under lights when it got too cold. Watering once every two weeks obviously is not sufficient and better arrangements should be made for their care. This portion of the program actually went petty well.

Cold rainy weather wasn’t conducive to much gardening until the plowing effect was lessened. Better tilling arrangements, more promotion and probably more active help for novice gardeners might help. Maybe people just need to get used to the idea. With free seeds, potting soil and help from master gardeners this segment had practically minimal cost and we now have the seed starting flats. The food pantry donations have apparently been appreciated. One additional aspect might be to provide vegetables for attendees at the local free meals.

We had budgeted for a significant amount of building materials and all materials and labor were donated, also the garden tilling. One scout master built a beautiful Square foot garden frame and Ashley Manor did all their own. More organized help with the community garden would be good. An enabling garden (bench seating) might be something to think about in front of the library - maybe an eagle scout project.

Ordering books, DVDs and magazines was delayed partially because it seemed like a good filler/variable depending upon other expenses. Probably the biggest error was in providing for the planting of fruits, berries, and nut trees, etc. Spring would have been a better time. Coordinating with the various locales in regards to approval and actual purchases, getting bids for planting, and actually following through during summer reading preparation did not go well. Are there other excuses?? We do hope to have that successfully completed and plan to see to their care for the three years.

A cooking program for children was among our interests and we were unable to schedule that partially because of problems with food preparation. Two Delaware County Health Department educators recently visited and this was one suggestion for them - maybe with teens.

Many of the donated books were put out with brief records and those will be evaluated at the end of the gardening season. High circulating ones (non-duplicates) will probably be added and the remainder placed in the book sale as has been done previously. This has made a large number of gardening and cooking books available to the community without overwhelming our collection.