May 2023 Membership Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, May 17th

may-2023-member-meeting-agenda_minutesDownload

Introductions (Kerri and Dana)

• Welcome!

 Steering Committee for 2023 season

• Co-Presidents: Dana Skallman and Kerri Brewer
• Ops: Looking Peter Brown (currently no co-chair)
• Membership: Liz Wagoner (currently no co-chair)
• Treasurer: Helen Johnson
• Events: Alicia Berbenick (currently no co-chair)
• BQLT Rep: Anastasia Standrik
• BQLT alternate: Cristina Velez
  

Covid-19 and the Garden (Kerri and Dana)

• Hollenback will be open as usual in 2023; we will monitor any Covid-related developments and make changes to our open status accordingly.
• Gate stays open when members are in the garden.

Membership Committee (Liz): 

• Membership requirements for a plot or plot waitlist are: Dues & 3 Meetings/ 3 Workdays/ 4 Open Hour sessions
  • Memberships can be in pairs
• Non-plot membership requirements, i.e. to have a key, are 1 meeting/1 workday/2 open hours sessions each season. 
• Garden is open Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm; gardeners complete open hours during these blocks or during other blocks of time. Open hours get recorded in binder in the toilet.
• Please sign the bylaws by June 15. By signing, you agree to the Hollenback Garden community agreements. You can sign online or in-person. 
• Plant your plot by June 15th, or forfeit it
• New members and being an apprentice
  • Apprentices farm the Margaret Lamar community plot. 
  • If you would like to become a member, sign in and also email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com to let Membership know you’d like to become a member. Include your email address, phone number, name, and if you plan to share a membership your partner’s name and contact info.
  • If you aren’t on the listserv for new members yet, email to let us know. 
  • End date for new members to join this season is May 31.
• Plots
  • We will hold a drawing for the waitlist with apprentices  in July. The waitlist varies every year – about 6-8 people on it now. 
  • Plots are distributed each year in March in order of the waitlist. 

Operations Committee Update (Peter): 

• A big shout out to:  Dylan, Jeff, Gizella, Sandra, Taylor, Ricky, and Anastasia who jumped in to paint the shed!
• Seedlings: GrowNYC order delivered and planted! Shout out to Kerri for picking those up for us!
• Compost Committee
  • Eric & Moss committed to leading this year. Mulch appreciated!
  • A reminder to everyone – chop and sort your organics before placing them in the proper bin… the smaller the better to break down quicker.
  • If you put food scraps in the active compost bin, please cover with a handful of greens and browns. 
  • No meat, animal products or paper.
  • Please put thorny material and invasive weeds into the brown city compost containers for street pick up.
• Water Committee:
  • Christina & Shana committed to leading this year. Thank you for quenching the garden thirst!
• Trash Committee – We need some folks to lead this weekly effort.
  • There is a lot of debris in the garden that needs to make it to the curb in addition to our bags of trash, recycling and city compost. 
  • Let’s bundle and stage debris by the front gate for ease of getting to the curb on trash nights.
  • Trash pick up is M, W, F (take out night before Sun., T, Th–trash + recycling) 
  • Please take out if you see it full or or if you grill or add food.
• Plot maintenance (eg things overgrowing; surrounding pots)
  • Please be mindful of things overgrowing and blocking paths between plots.
  • The small bits of woody debris in the compost area make for good ground cover around the raised beds.
• There are three, assembled raised beds in the back of the garden ready for a home.
  • If your bed is beat or if you want a second level for ease of access let me know and I can help. 
  • We also have wire mesh that can be stapled to the bottom to deter rats.
  • If you make a double height bed, wood debris can be used as bulk backfill then covered with garden cloth, then soil and compost on top.
• We have a large delivery of compost coming from BIG Reuse on Saturday May 27th 2 PM. Please come by to help move it into the garden and distribute to your plot and common areas.
• An order was placed with Greenthumb for soil, mulch, woodchips and wood planks for bed repair. A delivery date has not been confirmed and it may be later in the summer. Volunteers will be needed to move everything into the garden.
• In the coming weeks, we will be moving our solar panel from Don’s roof to the fence behind our compost bins. Volunteers will be needed to help and we also need a long extension ladder if anyone has access to one?
• New Bench options for the back of the garden
  • Both use material on hand. Both can be moved around fairly easily for events.

• Option 1 – $240 budget and probably 2 days effort. 

• Option 2 – $115 budget and quick assembly.

Treasurer (Helen):

Treasury related questions/Paypal issues: hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com. Do not email Helen directly.

• Pay your dues, on a sliding scale from $10-50, by June 15th. Use paypal: @HCGBK, or use paypal.me/HCGBK. Venmo is not an option.
• Email garden related purchase requests directly to Dana and Kerri for approval (send to Hollenback email above) prior to making any purchases. Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement materials to Sasha.
• Items that exceed $250 require community vote.  Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement materials to Helen.

BQLT Updates (Anastasia and Cristina):

• What is BQLT? www.bqlt.org
  • Brooklyn Queens Land Trust: 35 community gardens as members
  • Liability insurance, nonprofit status, city water, maintenance support
  • Protected land
• Water is on!
• BQLT Point People: Domica Roberts (BQLT) and Alonso Cordoba (our “Ambassador”) 
• Emails full of info from BQLT to come!
• Key dates for BQLT – upcoming events
  • Next General Gardener Meeting: Saturday, May 6th 2023, Garden location [TBD]

Events Committee Update (Alicia)

• Open Garden event day is June 3rd. Please sign up for any 2-hour slot. There will be a scavenger hunt for families plus an art station to get creative. You’ll get workday credit! Other ways you can help:
  • Start propagating house plants. We will be giving them away during this event. 
  • Consider bringing a baked good for sale.
• May 20th, 11am-noon (before our workday), we will have Kwesi Joseph, an urban gardens specialist from Cornell, in person to lead discussion and answer any questions anyone has on gardening best practices and plot maintenance. We’ll have bagels, coffee and juice available.

Email Protocols (Dana and Kerri)

• Listserv purpose; Liz is the point person.
• Only use listserv email for announcements and events that relate to gardening; ex: BQLT updates, events happening w/ Green Thumb, educational opportunities with BBG, watering requests, sharing gathering info with garden. Please do not reply all.
• It’s NOT MODERATED so use sparingly.
• Proposals, ideas, concerns, questions–send directly to Kerri and Dana (send to Hollenback email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com) who will share with SC and respond accordingly. 

Season schedule: 

• Garden Meeting/Workday schedule:

1. Wed. 5/17 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
2. Sat. 5/20 at 11am. Workday
3. Sat. 6/17 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
4. Wed. 7/19 at 6:30pm. Meeting (In Garden)
5. Sat. 7/22 at 11am. Workday
6. Sat. 8/19 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
7. Wed. 9/20 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
8. Sat. 9/23 at 11am. Workday
9. Sat. 10/21 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
10. Sat. 11/18 at 11am. Closing Workday

Advertisement

April 2023 Membership Meeting Minutes

WELCOME
Kerri welcomed everyone to the first in-person meeting of the season. It was pointed out that it was Earth Day.

NEED PEOPLE TO SERVE ON STEERING COMMITTEE
Peter was introduced as the new person on the OPs committee. He was in the garden years ago and has now returned.

The Steering Committee needs co-chairs for the following committees:
-Membership
-Ops
-Events
Reminder that all members are required to serve on a committee at some point.

KEEPING THE GATE OPEN
It was stressed that we must keep the gate open when we are in the garden.

It is a community garden. That is not just for our members, but for the wider community as well to enjoy the space.

LISTSERVES
The listservs have been broken into wider community, members, and apprentices. Members were discouraged from using reply all.

MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
Kerri reviewed membership requirements on behalf of Liz who was not present.

The membership requirements are:

Pay dues by June 15 (sliding scale $10-50)
Read and sign the bylaws every year

Members with plots must plant them by June 15.
3 meetings
3 workdays
4 open hour sessions (2 hours each)Our posted open hours for the community are Saturdays and Sundays from 10-4 pm.

Posted open hours are required by the BQLT.

There is a signup sheet to make sure we have those hours covered.
If Saturdays and Sundays don’t work for a member to do open hours, they can also get an open hour credit on other days as available.

Members must keep the gate open during open hours and must sign in the book (kept in the compost toilet) to get credit.

Up to two members (or member pairs) can claim the same time slot for open hours.

Kerri explained a member pair, which means that membership can be shared between two people. They can divide up their hours between them (for instance, one goes to one meeting and the other goes to the two others) but they cannot multiply (i.e. the pair do not get two credits for the same workday if both attend).

There is also a non-plot holding membership level. Requirements for this level are dues, bylaws, 1 meeting, 1 workday, and 2 open hour sessions.
New members become new members by showing up and expressing their desire to become new members.

New members should email hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com to make sure they are noted as having joined and so the garden has their contact info.

New members and non-plot holding members garden together in the Margaret Lamar Cooperative Farm.

New members can arrange to receive their key after paying dues and attending 2 meetings and 1 workday.

BYLAWS

We went around and read the first half of the bylaws aloud, a paragraph each, also introducing our names, the year we joined the garden, and one thing we want to grow this year.

The second half of the bylaws covers the responsibilities of the Steering Committee. These were also read aloud, by Kerri, at Alisha’s request.

ALISHA’S ADDRESS TO MEMBERSHIP REGARDING HER PLOT

The April 22 meeting agenda had been sent the membership on April 21, with the following note about an open plot:“We have one potentially open plot to distribute and one sabbatical plot (Barak’s). These will go to the next members on the waitlist, in order. We’ll distribute these after the meeting.”

The potentially open plot belonged to Alisha. At this point in the meeting, Kerri announced that Alisha had asked to address members, and Alisha was given the floor.

Alisha handed around a sheet of paper including her documentation of her credits last season and dates and her summaries of her communications with the Steering Committee about those credits.

Alisha read an address to the group. Her documentation and her address to the group are attached.

apetro_hollenback_disputestatement_042223Download

apetro_hollenback_worklog_2022Download

Alisha’s address stated that she was asking wider membership for grace because she had missed the rule that only one BQLT meeting or workshop can be used for a garden credit.

She attended only BQLT meetings last year, one of which took place at Hollenback. She had mistakenly believed that she could use these credits for her meeting credits. Alisha said that she now understands the rule that only one “outside credit” is allowed.” Having earned 19 credits in
total (some disputed by SC), she was coming to the community to request a warning instead of losing her plot.

Alisha also presented concerns with the tone and timing of SC communications regarding her plot. She found it relevant that the membership coordinator took about a month to respond to her email attempting to claim credit for the BQLT meetings she had attended. During that month passed the final Hollenback meeting, which Alisha could have attended if she had gotten back the SC’s answer in time.

A discussion occurred, with regular garden members speaking as well as members of the current and outgoing SC. Some people felt that Alisha had signed that she had read the bylaws and needed to be held to them; that with space at a premium, exceptions should not be made. Others questioned whether there was harm in offering forgiveness or grace in this situation.

Alisha pointed out that the bylaws require the SC to respond within a week to member emails.

Mark felt that pointing out SC failings on the bylaws was a red herring meant to distract from Alisha’s failure to meet bylaw requirements. He wanted those enforced and for SC bylaw issues to be discussed separately. Rose pointed out that the BQLT requires more open hours to be posted than we currently have posted.

Rose stated that as a former membership coordinator she had had to take people’s plots who didn’t do their hours even if they were upset about it, but that the membership rules are meant to encourage engagement, and that she probably would have found a way to work with someone who had as many credits as Alisha did.

Helen said that she didn’t feel the extra credits were relevant and that everyone has to abide by the same rules. She also expressed displeasure that Alisha had filmed SC at the plottery.

Rose noted that the bylaws require the plottery to happen at a meeting and wondered if the plottery happening on a different day was intentional on the part of the SC. Kerri said that was not intentionally done to prevent members from observing.

Some other members spoke up in favor of the rules as the rules.

Other people spoke up in favor of granting Alisha’s request.

Kerri said that there really isn’t anything that the SC could do, and that Alisha wasn’t the only long time member who had been informed at the end of last season that they were losing their plots after not earning enough credits.

Rose asked why Alisha was allowed to address membership if membership was not going to be allowed to weigh in on the SC’s decision.

A vote was called on whether to vote to overturn SC’s decision not to work with Alisha instead of taking her plot this year.

Mark pointed out that SC members are allowed to vote.

A vote was taken by raised hands. A quorum was not taken.

The vote on whether to vote failed, with 9 voting to vote and 11 voting not to vote.

Rose noted that she had resigned from the 2021 SC over concerns about democracy and transparency.

OPS UPDATE

Peter gave updates on various Ops concerns.

The first was the Rainwater harvester.

Our neighbor, Don, had attended the meeting. During the introductions he had stated that he was attending the meeting in hopes of improving his communications with our garden.

Peter updated members that the caterpillar will no longer be a rainwater harvester, as we would be removing the rain collecting apparatus from Don’s roof at his request, along with the solar panels on his roof that had previously powered the compost toilet fan.

Mark suggested filling the barrel up with water from the hose and that it might be possible to phase out some of the pickle barrels as he believes them to be a mosquito concern.

Rose mentioned that screens on the pickle barrels might need repaired, but Ernesto showed that they had already been repaired.

Shana felt that the weeds are a bigger mosquito problem than the pickle barrels, and expressed concern that there would be a long line for can filling at the caterpillar if some pickle barrels were eliminated.

Mosquitos and the long term plan for the caterpillar were suggested for a topic next meeting.

Members were encouraged to weed the paths.

Other ops topics from Peter included:
– Bed replacement needed
– Deadlines to order soil and mulch from GreenThumb etc were missed, communications ongoing but might need to spend garden funds on this
– When soil and mulch arrive, extra workdays will be announced
– Water damage to shed would require painting and fixing doors, would schedule a workday for this soon
– Lots of garbage, old wood, scrap etc needs to be disposed of and pickup options are under discussion

SUB COMMITTEES
Trash
SC mentioned that trash goes out Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights, with recycling going out also on Thursdays.
Rose mentioned the new city trash rules that loose bags cannot go out until 8 pm.
She wondered if we would be putting the trash out in a container instead, which would need to be replaced in the garden the following morning after collection.
She mentioned that the trash committee is basically Bob at this point and wondered if he could get some credit for that and if the trash committee could be more formalized and have more members on it.

Shana mentioned additional brown bins from the city. Members were reminded to dispose of weeds and thorns in the brown bins instead of the compost.

Members were reminded to pack out their food garbage rather than leaving it in our can.

Compost
Volunteers were solicited for the compost committee. [Who?]

Water Committee
Shana and Cristina volunteered for water committee (filling pickle barrels). Mosquito dunks for the barrels were mentioned as the water committee’s responsibility.

SEEDLINGS
It was announced that assorted seedlings will be delivered on various dates for member use.

TREASURER REPORT
Helen gave the treasurer report, going over dues and reimbursement as outlined in the meeting agenda. She was asked for the total in the bank. She said it was around $4,000 and that she’d get back with the exact total.

BQLT
Anastasia and Cristina explained a bit of their roles as the BQLT reps / community liaisons as outlined in the meeting agenda.

April 2023 Member Meeting Agenda

Introductions (Kerri and Dana)

• Welcome to the Hollenback Garden 2023 Season!

Steering Committee for 2023 season

• Co-Presidents: Dana Skallman and Kerri Brewer
• Ops: Looking Peter Brown (currently no co-chair)
• Membership: Liz Wagoner (currently no co-chair)
• Treasurer: Helen Johnson
• Events: Alicia Berbenick (currently no co-chair)
• BQLT Rep: Anastasia Standrik
• BQLT alternate: Cristina Velez
  
  

Covid-19 and the Garden (Kerri and Dana)

• Hollenback will be open as usual in 2023; we will monitor any Covid-related developments and make changes to our open status accordingly.
• Gate stays open when members are in the garden.

Membership Committee (Liz):

• Membership requirements for a plot or plot waitlist are: Dues & 3 Meetings/ 3 Workdays/ 4 Open Hour sessions
  • Memberships can be in pairs
• Non-plot membership requirements, i.e. to have a key, are 1 meeting/1 workday/2 open hours sessions each season.
• Garden is open Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm; gardeners complete open hours during these blocks or during other blocks of time. Open hours get recorded in binder in the toilet.
  • Expect an email for more details about open hour signup

• Please sign the bylaws. By signing, you agree to the Hollenback Garden community agreements. You can sign online or in-person.
• Plant your plot by June 15th, or forfeit it
• New members and being an apprentice
  • Apprentices farm the Margaret Lamar community plot.
  • If you would like to become a member, sign in and also email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com to let Membership know you’d like to become a member. Include your email address, phone number, name, and if you plan to share a membership your partner’s name and contact info.
• Plots
  • We have one potentially open plot to distribute and one sabbatical plot (Barak’s). These will go to the next members on the waitlist, in order. We’ll distribute these after the meeting.
  • Plots are distributed each year in March in order of seniority. Those who do not have a plot this year, but remain members in good standing, will receive a plot next year in order of seniority with the garden.
  • We will hold a drawing for the waitlist with apprentices in July. The waitlist varies every year – there are currently 6 people who joined in 2022 who are still on the waitlist for a plot in 2024.
  • Bylaws explain how this works.

• Listserv
  • There are three listservs: (1) Riseup listserv (full members only); (2) Apprentice listserv – hollenback-apprentices@googlegroups.com (for 2023 apprentices) and (3) a community listserv for former members and others interested in hearing about events at Hollenback.

Operations Committee Update (Peter):

• Early season goals include:
  • cleaning up from winter
  • spring city water hookup (complete!)
  • detaching rainwater harvester from neighbors building
  • relocating solar panel from neighbor’s roof to garden
  • replacing beds
  • replenishing soil & wood chips
  • repairs & repaint shed
  • Repair, rebuild, repaint benches
  • Completing beehive platform and fence.
• Compost Committee
  • Has to be turned. Need to find interested folks to coordinate. Let Peter know if interested!
• Water Committee:
  • Simple — keep water barrels filled and put mosquito things in there. Let Peter know if interested!
• Trash–M, W, F (take out Sun., T, Th–trash + recycling)
  • Take out one night before – note: new take out time is 8 pm.
  • Please take out if you see it full or fill it or if you grill or add food
• Plot maintenance (eg things overgrowing; surrounding pots)
  • Please be mindful of things overgrowing and blocking walking ways and access to others’ plots.
• Compost! Ours doesn’t get to heat that city compost used to so please no meat or animal products or paper. Please review the plaque above the compost and cover with a handful of greens and browns. Primarily, cover up the food to keep critters at bay.
• Seedlings: GrowNYC order to come! We’ll send an email when they arrive. Also an order coming from GreenThumb.

Treasurer (Helen):

Treasury related questions/Paypal issues: hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com. Do not email Helen directly.

• Pay your dues, on a sliding scale from $10-50, by June 15th. Use paypal: @HCGBK, or use paypal.me/HCGBK. Venmo is not an option.
• Email garden related purchase requests directly to Dana and Kerri for approval (send to Hollenback email above) prior to making any purchases. Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement materials to Helen.
• Items that exceed $250 require community vote. Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement materials to Helen.

BQLT Updates (Anastasia and Cristina):

• What is BQLT? www.bqlt.org
  • Brooklyn Queens Land Trust: 35 community gardens as members
  • Liability insurance, nonprofit status, city water, maintenance support
  • Protected land

• Water is on!
• BQLT Point People: Domica Roberts (BQLT) and Alonso Cordoba (our “Ambassador”)
• Emails full of info from BQLT to come!

• FYI starting April 1, there’s a new time restriction of 8 PM for bagged garbage: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/collection-setout-time
• Key dates for BQLT – upcoming events
  • Next General Gardener Meeting: Saturday, May 6th 2023, Garden location [TBD]

Events Committee Update (Alicia)

• Open Garden event day is June 3rd. Please start propagating house plants! We will be giving them away during this event. Also consider bringing a baked good for sale. There will be a scavenger hunt for families. And if anyone would be willing to lead garden tours, please let us know! Formal Email to come with a sign-up sheet for the event.

• May 20th, 11am-noon, we will have Kwesi Joseph, an urban gardens specialist from Cornell, in person to lead discussion and answer any questions anyone has on gardening best practices and plot maintenance.
• Any news and events you’d like to be included for May’s newsletter please send to Hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com, Attn: Alicia in the subject line.
• On social media – tag @hollenbackcommunitygarden for any pics you would like featured. We’ll do our best to stay on top of reposting!

Email Protocols (Dana and Kerri)

• Listserv purpose; Liz is the point person.
• Only use listserv email for announcements and events that relate to gardening; ex: BQLT updates, events happening w/ Green Thumb, educational opportunities with BBG, watering requests, sharing gathering info with garden. Please do not reply all.
• It’s NOT MODERATED so use sparingly.
• Proposals, ideas, concerns, questions–send directly to Kerri and Dana (send to Hollenback email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com) who will share with SC and respond accordingly.

Bylaws

• We’ll read out loud. You can sign them online or in person at the meeting.

Season schedule:

1. Sat. 4/22 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
2. Wed. 5/17 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
3. Sat. 5/20 at 11am. Workday
4. Sat. 6/17 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
5. Wed. 7/19 at 6:30pm. Meeting (In Garden)
6. Sat. 7/22 at 11am. Workday
7. Sat. 8/19 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
8. Wed. 9/20 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
9. Sat. 9/23 at 11am. Workday
10. Sat. 10/21 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
11. Sat. 11/18 at 11am. Closing Workday

March 2023 Membership Meeting Minutes

We have some voting to do. Claire is stepping down, so we need a co-chair. Kerri is applying. We need volunteers for Ops, one for membership, and perhaps events co-chair. Dana proposes we vote if we have quorum for any of these positions. We don’t so we need to do this virtually. Only 46 members are present and we need 2/3rds. Dana asks volunteers to email us if you want to volunteer and then we’ll hold an e-vote in the coming week. We need to do Ops very soon for planning the first workday. (Sat. 5/11) Liz mentioned splitting membership into two, one person to handle tallies, one person to handle apprentice plot and sub-committees. Discussion with Audrey if she would like to take over the Apprentice plot this year as co-chair on membership committee, but she declined. This is an open opportunity for anyone who wants to help get the apprentice plot up and going throughout the season.  

Reminder to leave the gate open while you’re there and close when you’re not. 

Liz discusses bylaws, requirements and steering committee information, that all are within the bylaws. She discusses where to sign in in the compost toilet to ensure everyone gets credit. She also reviews open plots and additional opportunities to take part (children’s garden, watering committee, etc.). Reminder and review about plot distribution this upcoming Saturday. 

Claire takes this on, reminding everyone that they can sign up for these opportunities. Water and compost committee members get extra credit for meetings (two of these sub committee meetings count as one meeting). In terms of the plants coming in, please leave some seedlings for apprentices to plant, too. Helen and Claire discuss a bit more about how to break down compost earlier in the process to help our compost break down easily. 

Helen runs through the above. No questions. 

Anastasia runs through the above. If anyone wants to attend BQLT membership meetings, they are held around BK. Christina points out that our garden will eventually host the BQLT meeting at one point and discusses what happens during those. 

Events is focused on just the June open garden day and the harvest fest as our two biggest events. Anything else will happen organically. Kerri runs through the above. 

Claire and Dana go through the protocols for using the email distro, encouraging to be mindful of not clogging peoples’ inboxes. Then we review the full season schedule, noting that Wednesdays and Saturdays are the two big days for meetings. 

Helen proposes a sign for taking out trash and recycling. Claire mentions that it should be there, the info is also on the stickers on the cans themselves.

March 2023 Membership Meeting Agenda

March 2023 Membership Meeting

Wednesday, March 15th – Virtual

Introductions (Claire and Dana)

• Welcome to the Hollenback Garden 2023 Season!
• Ice breaker: Your name, a little about you and (1) thing you’d like to grow this year.

Steering Committee for 2023 season

• Co-Presidents: Dana (vote for replacement for Claire)
• Ops: Looking for 2 people to for this committee
• Membership: Liz Wagoner (currently no co-chair)
• Treasurer: Helen Johnson
• Events: Alicia Berbenick and Kerri Brewer
• BQLT Rep: Anastasia Standrik
• BQLT alternate: Cristina Velez
  
  

Covid-19 and the Garden (Claire and Dana)

• Hollenback will be open as usual in 2023; we will monitor any Covid-related developments and make changes to our open status accordingly.
• Gate stays open when members are in the garden.

Membership Committee (Liz):

• Membership requirements are: Dues & 3 Meetings/ 3 Workdays/ 4 Open Hour sessions
  • Memberships can be in pairs

• Membership will pass out bylaws to be signed at second meeting (April); by signing, you agree to abide by Hollenback Garden regulations
• Garden is open Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm; gardeners complete open hours during these blocks or during other blocks of time. Open hours get recorded in binder in the toilet.
  • Expect an email for more details about open hour signup

• There are additional opportunities to earn credits through workshops and sharing – there are details about how to do this in bylaws
• Plant your plot by June 15th, or forfeit it
• New members and being an apprentice
  • Shared herb garden
  • Children’s garden
  • If you’re new, email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com with your email address, phone number, name, and if you plan to share a membership your partner’s name and contact info.

• We tentatively expect to have eight plots to distribute on Saturday, March 18 at 11:00 a.m. Please come that morning if you are on the waitlist or if you have a plot and want to switch!
• Those who do not receive a plot this year will retain their number on the waitlist for next year, and will have priority over 2023 apprentices for plot distribution in 2024.

Operations Committee Update (Adrienne and Ernesto):

• Email Hollenback email with project ideas
• Early season goals include: cleaning up from winter, spring city water hookup, hooking up rainwater harvester, replacing beds
• Compost Committee
  • Has to be turned. Need to find interested folks to coordinate. Let Ernesto know if interested!
• Water Committee:
  • Simple — keep water barrels filled and put mosquito things in there. Let Ernesto or Yoni know if interested!
• Trash–M, W, F (take out Sun., T, Th–trash + recycling)
  • Take out on night before
  • Please take out if you see it full or fill it or if you grill or add food
• Plot maintenance (eg things overgrowing; surrounding pots)
  • Please be mindful of things overgrowing and blocking walking ways and access to others’ plots.
• Compost! Ours doesn’t get to heat that city compost used to so please no meat or animal products or paper. Please review the plaque above the compost and cover with a handful of greens and browns. Primarily, cover up the food to keep critters at bay.
• Seedlings: GrowNYC order to come! We’ll send an email when they arrive. Also an order coming from GreenThumb.

Treasurer (Helen):

Treasury related questions/Paypal issues: hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com. Do not email Helen directly.

• Pay your dues, on a sliding scale from $10-50, by June 15th. Use paypal: @HCGBK, or use paypal.me/HCGBK. Venmo is not an option.
• Email garden related purchase requests directly to Dana and Claire for approval (send to Hollenback email above) prior to making any purchases. Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement materials to Sasha.
• Items that exceed $250 require community vote. Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement materials to Helen.

BQLT Updates (Anastasia and Cristina):

• What is BQLT? www.bqlt.org
  • Brooklyn Queens Land Trust: 35 community gardens as members
  • Liability insurance, nonprofit status, city water, maintenance support
  • Protected land

• Water will be turned on during last week of March/early April (likely by first week in April)
• Save the Date for the BQLT Annual Membership Meeting: Saturday April 15th –all are invited to vote on Board Members!
• BQLT Point People: Domica Roberts (BQLT) and Alonso Cordoba (our “Ambassador”)
• Emails full of info from BQLT to come!
• Key dates for BQLT – upcoming events
  • 3/25 Seed Sowing Workshop with Brooklyn Grange Farm–Sunset Park
  • 3/31 Virtual DOH Rat Academy for Gardeners
  • 4/1 GreenThumb’s 39th Annual GrowTogether Conference
  • Next General Gardener Meeting: Saturday, May 6th 2023, Garden location [TBD]

Events Committee Update (Alicia and Kerri)

• Fundraising Ideas: Plant Giveaway/Sale (grow our own seedlings and/or purchase from Go NYC plant sale), Sidewalk Sale during Workdays, DIY Workshop Ideas
• Please start propagating house plants! People love them!!! 😀
• Our first newsletter will start going out in April. Any news and events you’d like to be included for this month or any in the future, please send to Hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com, Attn: Alicia in the subject line.
• On social media – tag @hollenbackcommunitygarden for any pics you would like featured. We’ll do our best to stay on top of reposting!

Email Protocols (Dana and Claire)

• Listserv purpose; Liz is the point person.
• Only use listserv email for announcements and events that relate to gardening; ex: BQLT updates, events happening w/ Green Thumb, educational opportunities with BBG, watering requests, sharing gathering info with garden. Please do not reply all.
• It’s NOT MODERATED so use sparingly.
• Proposals, ideas, concerns, questions–send directly to Claire and Dana (send to Hollenback email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com) who will share with SC and respond accordingly.

Season schedule:

1. Garden Meeting/Workday schedule:
   1. Wed. 3/15 at 6:30pm. Meeting (Virtual)
   2. Sat. 4/22 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
   3. Wed. 5/17 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
   4. Sat. 5/20 at 11am. Workday
   5. Sat. 6/17 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
   6. Wed. 7/19 at 6:30pm. Meeting (In Garden)
   7. Sat. 7/22 at 11am. Workday
   8. Sat. 8/19 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
   9. Wed. 9/20 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
   10. Sat. 9/23 at 11am. Workday
   11. Sat. 10/21 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
   12. Sat. 11/18 at 11am. Closing Workday

April 2022 Membership Meeting : Minutes

Garden Contact for inquiries: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com    33 people in attendance

Saturday, April 23rd, 11am

Introductions (Dana)

• Welcome to the Hollenback Garden 2022 Season! 
• Shoutouts: Ernesto et al. for rebuilding beds! Pat, Sandra, Moss, Eric K et al. for turning the compost!  We are in great shape for compost production this year because of their efforts!

 Steering Committee for 2022 season

• Co-Presidents: Claire Henry and Dana Skallman
• Ops: Ernesto Leon and vacant (Y Ris not returning this year)
• Membership: Liz Wagoner and vacant (Emily Sommer is stepping down)
• Treasurer: Vacant (Mark Lewin acting as interim Treasurer) 
• Events: Kerri Brewer and vacant (Allison Lichter needed to step down)
• BQLT Rep: Anastasia Standrik
• BQLT alternate: vacant
• VOTE: for Alicia Berbenick for Events NOTES: If there is quorum we would vote, but need to do online
• SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR 
  • TREASURER ROLE: Sasha Malchik, who was voted in last year, is not able to take on the role. Mark, the 2020-2021 treasurer, graciously offered to stay on as acting treasurer until we vote in a new incumbent.
  • OPS ROLE: Is vacant so we need a volunteer to partner with Ernesto
  • MEMBERSHIP ROLE: Emily has to step down, so we’re looking for another person to work with Liz
  • BQLT Alternate ROLE: Looking for someone to partner with Anastasia

Votes for these positions to likely occur electronically in order to get folks in the positions ASAP. Remember, the bylaws stipulate that all members in good standing should serve on the Steering Committee in a capacity at some point.

Covid-19 and the Garden (Dana)

• Hollenback will be open as usual in 2022; we will monitor any Covid-related developments and make changes to our open status accordingly.
• Gate stays open when members are in the garden.

Membership Committee (Liz): 

• SIGN BYLAWS
• Membership requirements are: Dues & 3 Meetings/ 3 Workdays/ 4 Open Hour sessions 
  1. Memberships can be in pairs
• Please sign bylaws on paper or online. 
• Garden is open Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm; gardeners complete open hours during these blocks or during other blocks of time. Open hours get recorded in binder in the toilet.
  1. Expect an email for more details about open hour signup
• There are additional opportunities to earn credits through workshops and sharing NOTES: We will help you make up any workday credits
• Plant your plot by June 15th, or forfeit it
• New members and being an apprentice
  1. Shared herb garden
  2. Children’s garden
  3. If you’re new, email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com  with your email address, phone number, name, and if you plan to share a membership your partner’s name and contact info. 
• The plottery/waitlist drawing was conducted on March 15. The results are recorded in the membership tally and those who have indicated they want a plot in 2022 are named below. 
• We  have seven fully-available plots and two sabbatical (one year) plots to be shared.
• Members may switch plots in order of seniority before plots are distributed to those without plots. 
• Those who do not get a full plot assignment will retain their number on the waitlist for next year, and will have priority over 2022 apprentices for plot distribution in 2023. 

NOTES: SC has instituted a change in the way we operate the Plottery so that it is more in line with the bylaws. Now your place in line will be preserved. They ask members to add the year you joined to your name on the Membership spreadsheet

1. eric k / matthew e
2. alicia b
3. moss l / rachel w
4. anastasia s
5. constance f / rob s
6. annie m / isaac g
7. chelsea f / dylan d
8. jamie h
9. stacey j / linsay a
10. stephanie k / sarah n
11. helen j
12. amanda s
13. sandra w

Operations Committee Update (Ernesto/Dana): 

• Coordinate physical projects that need to happen. Can email Hollenback email with project ideas.
• Rebuild raised beds–this is underway, THANKS ERNESTO
  1. Let us know if your bed needs rebuilding NOTES: Adrian wants to volunteer to be 2nd Ops officer
• Early season goals include: clean up from winter, spring city water hookup, hook up rainwater harvester, replace beds
• Compost Committee
  1. Has to be turned. Need to find interested folks to coordinate. Let Ernesto/Claire/Dana know if you are interested! So far we have: Moss, Pat, Sandra, Eric K.
  2. Water Committee: Simple — keep water barrels filled and put mosquito things in there. Let Ernesto/Claire/Dana know if you are interested.  So far Peter R. has committed; we need 2 or 3 more folks!
• Trash–M, W, F (take out Sun., T, Th–trash + recycling)
  1. Take out on night before
  2. Please take out if you see it full or fill it or if you grill or add food
• Plot maintenance (e.g. things overgrowing; surrounding pots)
  1. Please be mindful of things overgrowing and blocking walking ways and access to others’ plots. NO pots around beds smaller than 10” to ensure clear walkways.
• Compost! Our food scrap dropoff has been paused since June 2021 due to the previous rat situation.  The bins have now all been lined with rat-proof hardware cloth and have had covers made. We are resuming making compost from garden-generated materials (e.g. weeds, cuttings, leaves, etc.).
• VOTE: to resume food scrap drop off in our compost production.  This will only be for members, not for the general public.
• Native Plant areas sub-committee: Shana and Andrea Parker=need other volunteers. This group will steward the native shade (under the Stewartia tree) and native sun gardens (Jane’s old plot), PLUS make a plan for the new rear seating bed with native plants.  They will need to make a design and source/cost new plants.  Then we bring it to the garden to vote on the expenditure.  This is a super fun opportunity to get involved with something that will impact the living structure of the garden for years to come!

NOTES: Shana says let’s try one test brown bin to see if the City is picking it up per her calls

Treasurer (Mark (interim)):

• Treasury related questions/PayPal issues: hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com. Please do not email Mark directly. NOTES: We need a new Treasurer candidate for the Members to vote on.
• Dues and PayPal
  • Dues are $50 to $10, on a sliding scale, and are due by June 15th, via PayPal. NOTES: Mark asks all members to pay $50 unless it constitutes a financial strain. DO NOT USE THE GARDEN GMAIL ADDRESS TO PAY DUES; IT DOES NOT CONNECT TO ANYTHING.
  • The garden’s PayPal username is @HCGBK, or you can use this link: https://paypal.me/HCGBK. 
  • If your PayPal account isn’t in your name, put your name in the payment “message”.
  • Please select the “Friends and Family” payment type, not “Goods and Services”. 
  • Please do not use hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com in PayPal to pay dues.
  • Unfortunately, we can’t accept dues via Venmo or Zelle.
• Reimbursements for pre-approved garden-related purchases
  • BEFORE making any purchases, they need to be pre-approved. Email purchase requests to Dana and Claire at hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com for pre-approval.
  • Note that items that exceed $200 require approval via community vote.
  • Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement requests including receipts to hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com.
  • Reimbursements are paid via PayPal.

NOTES: Mark says there is about $3K in our HOllenback bank account

BQLT Updates (Anastasia): NOTES: We need a second BQLT Rep this year

• What is BQLT?
  • Brooklyn Queens Land Trust: 35 community gardens as members
  • Liability insurance, nonprofit status, city water, maintenance support
  • Protected land
• Water will be turned on at the end of April
• BQLT Point People: Domica Roberts (BQLT) and Alonso Cordoba (our “Ambassador”) 
• Emails full of info from BQLT to come!
• Next BQLT Operations & Gardeners in person meeting is on May 7
• BQLT Arbor Day Event, May 7th, see the email Anastasia forwarded to participate

Events Committee Update (Kerri and Vacant) NOTES: Alicia volunteers to be 2nd Events Chair, if voted

• Fundraising Ideas: Plant Giveaway/Sale (grow our own seedlings and/or purchase from Go NYC plant sale), Sidewalk Sale during Workdays, DIY Workshop Ideas. 
• Start propagating house plants! 

NOTES: Events wants to do an event once a monthly for the community. They also want to use social media presence to promote a garden newsletter they plan to create. They also want to connect with the Community Fridge on Myrtle to give any excess produce. Pat Mohr said he works the fridge and needs food but mostly volunteers. 

• NOTES: Tara would like to have the Harvest Fest this year in tandem with the Block Party
• Also, Tara requests Ops or another subcommittee make a map of the land, clearly denoting what has been planted there (tree, flowering bushes, annuals) so that members don’t mow or weed it out. Andrea volunteers to help with this. 

Email Protocols (Dana)

• Listserv purpose; YR is the point person, Emily will help.
• Only use listserv email for announcements and events that relate to gardening; ex: BQLT updates, events happening w/ Green Thumb, educational opportunities with BBG, watering requests, sharing gathering info with garden. Please do not reply all.
• It’s NOT MODERATED so use sparingly.
• Proposals, ideas, concerns, questions–send directly to Claire and Dana (send to Hollenback email: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com) who will share with SC and respond accordingly. 

Fun Stuff

• We have our new peach tree in place:  thanks to Shana and all the volunteers who assisted with that effort!
• Seedlings: GrowNYC order to come! We’ll send an email when they arrive
• Seedlings: Also an order coming from GreenThumb on Saturday, May 7.
  • 2 flats of veggies/flowers/herbs mix sourced from Rise & Root Farm 
  • 2 flats of native plants mix provided by Greenbelt Native Plant Center 
• Bees! Tara is spearheading the effort to bring a hive to Hollenback. More updates soon!

NOTES: We read the bylaws aloud, and must remember to change the new member plant date to June 15.

**Conversation about plots vis-a-vis email from Steering Committee of 4/19

Garden Meeting/Workday schedule 2022

1. Sat. 4/23 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
2. Wed. 5/18 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
3. Sat. 5/21 at 11am. Workday
4. Sat. 6/18 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
5. Wed. 7/20 at 6:30pm. Meeting (In Garden)
6. Sat. 7/23 at 11am. Workday
7. Sat. 8/20 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
8. Wed. 9/14 at 6:30pm. Meeting (in Garden)
9. Sat. 9/17 at 11am. Workday
10. Sat. 10/15 at 11am. Meeting and Workday
11. Sat. 11/19 at 11am. Closing Workday

NOTES:Tara wants to investigate the community funds being used for a paid teen internship/mentorship. Mark cautions about spending money we dont have. Financial resources could be linked to a specific event to pay for that thing.

Rachel S. talked about plot reconfiguration and how much it her her. No vote to member in good standing, but her physical mobility issues make her new plot hard to access. Asks for support to remediate accessibility of plot, to level ground, widen path more than a foot, and wants higher sides like Baraks. Also to remove the bricks and fill the new plot with soil, bc she can’t do heavy labor. She also asks future reconfiguration plans to be made public ahead of time.
Six people volunteer to help her. Barak offers his bed and she accepts, but wants it in her original space. So we separate his bed and trade it with hers, and people help her configure the path and bricks how she likes them, with new bricks donated by Dana.

All member meeting minutes Oct 16 2021

Thanks to Andrea & Maria for a great Harvest Fest! We raised $477! Thanks Eric K for so much rat duty!

Reminder about leadership changes: 

• DS was elected co-president
• We’ll send an e-vote for the current open positions:
  • AS for BQLT rep
  • EL to extend his role in Ops for the 2022 season to help cover YR’s sabbatical
  • LW for membership
  • AL & KB for events
  • SM for treasurer
  • SW might be up for BQLT alt depending on her schedule

E will resend requirements tally. Please get your requirements done by Nov 20 (last workday).

Our balance is $4,200. In good shape.

M, D, C will do a prospective this winter of what we’ll need to spend next spring so that we’re well prepared.

Events: We’ll do a Halloween event on Sunday, have a table out front with candy, charcoal roast some marshmallows. Will send an email for volunteers (could this count as any missing credit — workday, meeting, open hours shift?).

Ops: today we’ll clean out leaves out front, make covers for the compost bins (take down the chicken coop and reuse the wood), weed edges of the paths. FYI: the toilet fan works again (with solar! After being broken for 7 years). 

Rats: haven’t seen many so switching to weekly rat duty. Please sign up in the spreadsheet, sign in, and put the tally in the spreadsheet.

Compost: all in favor of tabling until next spring (unanimous).

One more workday on Nov 20th!

08/21 Meeting notes

Gratitude:

• Folks who’ve helped with and signed up to help with rats
• A for new walking group
• S & E for emptying the dirt behind the compost
• E for the new platform outside the compost toilet

Announcements:

• DB is stepping down because she needs to attend to her career more this year.
• DS volunteered to step into the co-president role and will be on the ballot.
• If anyone else is interested in being co-president next year, please let the Steering Committee know!
• We’ll hold an electronic vote after the September meeting.
• This is R’s 2nd year as the membership co-coordinator, and she’s stepping down now. E will remain. We’ll hold elections to replace R, along with other Steering Committee seats in October.
• E volunteered to do a 3rd year on the Ops committee, so he’ll be on the ballot for that in October.
• Y (also on Ops) will be away until May (out of NY). P and C will be supporting with this work until he returns.

Rats:

• The exterminator came and set 6 bait boxes: toilet, compost, rainwater harvester, along the back fence, along the fence shared with Don, and at the front of the garden.
• E put up signs warning folks to keep dogs on leashes and be careful with children.
• The exterminator will return the first Friday of each month to refill boxes.
• There’s a sign-up sheet for rat duty (disposing of dead or dying rats), and it counts as Open Hour credit.
• Tools for disposing of rats are in the white bin near the trash and city compost bin, labeled as such. There’s bleach, gloves, and bags in the compost toilet for rat duty.

Activities for today’s workday: lining the compost bins with chicken wire, spreading mulch around, pruning the shade garden, take down the dying tree, clean the front fence (roses, vine).

(Discussion about rats & disposal)

• A: We have the budget. We could pay an exterminator to come dispose of dead rats.
• D: We’re getting help through BQLT for the exterminator.
• W: People have already signed up for rat duty and don’t mind. It’s okay.
• Several people: We’ve seen a decrease in number.
• M: As long as we mark on the sheet when we spot new burrows.
• D: Maybe next workday we can address burrows.
• W: Once we kill them they’ll stay dead.
• E: Rats like loose soil. Planting cover crops during winter will help them not come back.
• D: Winter rye.
• E: What do burrows look like?
• Several people: A hole.
• D: See Christina’s plot.

** Bonfires are illegal. Please refrain.**

Also don’t plant things in pots that aren’t yours. Ask first.

Membership:

• Open hours Sat & Sun 10-4
• Membership requirements: 3 workdays, 3 meetings, 4 open hours shifts
• Sign up for open hours via spreadsheet
• Garbage committee still needs members!
• B: I am the garbage committee.
• M: In the tally spreadsheet colors will indicate whether your requirements have been met. Look and see if you still have stuff you need to do.

Treasury:

• At the end of the season M will put out a report of what we spent.
• Over the winter M and the presidents will make a small budget.
• Generally in good shape.

Events:

• Harvest Fest is Sept 25. Want to gauge interest and comfort with events given rise of Delta variant. Concerns?
• W & A: Is S across the street doing her block party? We should coordinate with her so that the whole street gets blocked off.
• M: Lot of people. Outdoors. We don’t know people’s vaccination status. Require masks? No ability to regulate once we open the gate. Less concerned for us than about creating a dangerous space.
• S: Many businesses are requiring vaccinations. We could ask.
• M: We could put signage up front.
• A: It’s reasonable to require.
• E: Have folks wear a mask if not vaccinated.
• A: Can we require a vaccination?
• W: We can’t mandate or enforce.
• D: We could ask BQLT. There are venues checking cards.
• A: We should have the right. Not safe.
• E: We would have to require it for ourselves first.
• A: Have folks self select, like bands who are doing shows.
• E: NY Welcome concerts required vaccinations.
• M: 1st — we’re comfortable with holding an event. We’ll still have to figure out where we stand on masks and vaccines. I’ll get in touch with S.
• M: We’ll be holding an evening potluck on Wednesday August 25th (this coming Wednesday) from 6-9. Just casual, social. All are welcome. If the weather is bad, we’ll postpone a week. Trying to build more community.

Ops:

• Hole in the shed has been fixed / covered. We’ll talk to M about maintenance.
• M: Fixing path, raised beds, inventory for what’s next.
• A: for the pathway, make it wheelchair accessible, maybe get a grant.
• E: also get rid of stinging nettles.

BQLT:

• In their August meeting they announced that they received a $40K grant that they’re using for a tree committee. It’s in the early stages, but the idea is to work with gardens that are having tree issues and even offer classes on tree pruning. They’re asking gardens about problems they’re having.
• A: did you ask about ours?
• E: yep.
• W: email Peter R and Sahas. They do a lot with our trees and might want to take the class.
• S: reminder: keep an eye out for spotted lantern flies. They’re a year-round problem and they look different throughout their stages of development. Several whole towns are under quarantine for them.
• E: Apple tree has disease, a circle with legs on the leaves, some kind of rust.
• W: we only get apples every other year.
• A: put garlic on everything
• W: mulch your tomatoes at the beginning and cut bottom leaves to prevent disease and mold from spreading up from the soil.
• E: Some clarifying info about the Greenthumb update that I send: Not everyone knows what Greenthumb is versus BQLT. Greenthumb is a part of NYC Parks Dept. BQLT (Brooklyn Queens Land Trust) is an affiliate of Greenthumb. We’re part of BQLT. Some gardens are also a part of Greenthumb. They have separate bylaws. Greenthumb gardens have requirements that we don’t have to worry about. I send Greenthumb emails because they have interesting programs. We also receive some stuff from Greenthumb.
• D: Next meeting is on Yom Kippur. Maybe move the meeting to Saturday instead?
• A: Walking is totally open, not garden specific. Meet at 6:30pm at the gate Mon – Thurs. Email me or just show up.
• D: remember to sign in. Thank you!

July 17, 2021 Meeting Minutes

 

Thanks to A for the amazing job weeding the main path, and to W for doing her weed talk today.

Membership reminds people that when we are in the garden, the gate needs to be wide open (not just a few inches) and that we need to welcome people in as they may be hovering by the gate. We’re not a private garden and the space is for the whole community to enjoy.

We need garbage committee volunteers; will send out in an email request.

Hose info: please remember to coil and *turn off* the hose when you leave, and also to drain it after you turn it off so that the water isn’t 1000 degrees when the next person turns it on. The “extra” water can be used to hose off the hose itself, which gets dirty, or to fill one of the standing barrels.

It was brought up that the hose still leaks; E will get gaskets.

Treasurer info: M said that we have about $3,900 in the bank.
Reimbursement info was shared, which is to email garden related purchases directly to Dand C for approval in advance (hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com) and to email hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com for M to process your reimbursement (through paypal).
M is looking at making an end of season report to make a budget at the opening of the season possible next year.

Events committee asked people if they have ideas for talks–like We’s weed talk–that happen at meetings & workdays. Is there a topic you’d like to see some education about? A talk you can give yourself? Reach out to the hollenback email if so.

One event that is being considered is an evening potluck, as food brings people together. We should also start thinking ahead to Harvest Fest, when we have a fun low-key contest tasting produce we grew and prepared. So put down your pickles! 9/25 is a possible date.

W mentioned for Harvest Fest that there are a lot of vendors who have supported us in the past for our raffle at the event, who could well be approached especially as we didn’t have the event last year.

We realized that one of our September meetings fell on Yom Kippur, so that will be rescheduled; stay tuned for that update.

S took a class through Greenethumb about multi-grafted fruit trees: and we will be getting a multi-grafted fruit tree! Greenethumb will come to confirm the best location, but possibly where the butterfly bush was (we need to take out the stump) or behind the white shed on the schoolside of the garden could be spots. Depending on her schedule, she might need a volunteer to attend an orientation for this project. So stay tuned for that request (will get a credit for going).

R reminded that for people who can’t make it to our scheduled meetings, there are opportunities for credits by attending BQLT or Greenethumb meetings or workshops. Membership sends opportunities out from time to time in an email, but if there is a meeting or workshop you’d like to attend for a credit, do reach out through the Hollenback email to get it approved and tallied.

Speaking of fruit, P mentioned that now that our apple tree is so healthfully full of fruit, it’s actually important to strategically remove some of the unripe fruit so that the branches do not become too heavy. He would do this at the workday. W said the green apples could be made into chutney.

Speaking of apples, it was pointed out that removing the fallen apples from the ground around the tree on a regular basis is important for our rat situation, so if we could all help out with that!

Next we talked about the rats and received a few updates.

The vote will go out electronically very soon. Options are

1. No Kill: Cleaning garden making it less hospitable
2. No Poison Kill: Cleaning from Option 1 plus burrow destruction and non-poison traps
3. Poison Kill: Cleaning from Option 1 plus burrow destruction and poison baits

After the meeting that we had about rats on zoom, SC wanted to make it clear that, for all the pros and cons of each option, these do proceed 1, 2, 3 in terms of effectiveness at getting rid of rats, with 1 the least effective and 3 the most effective.

C still hasn’t heard back from the school after attempting several different communication approaches; she will walk over there in person and see if that helps. (Recap: we want to acknowledge the problem together, we want to know if they’re baiting, what plans are for summer school and the food distribution project, and how long the construction goes.)

Traps research is ongoing (for the trapping but not poisoning option) but the consensus is that many different types of traps should be used as the rats figure one type out and avoid it.

We are still working on connecting with BQLT for support and advice re: physical signs should we use poison bait.

Reminder that BQLT will pay for extermination but only the exterminator who will only offer poison baits, so the middle road where we use traps but not rat poison will be paid for by us.

People power to remove carcasses and/or dying rats will be ESSENTIAL to our ability to implement option 2 or 3, whether we go with a smaller committee of 7 or so people or a daily signup sheet for everyone who can stomach taking a shift. (It was asked at some point if an outside service could be hired; the Rat-Be-Gone service–of Eric Adams fame–was contacted but is quite expensive at $250 a month.) Since neighbors on the block are putting out poison bait, we are already dealing with the need to dispatch/remove poisoned rats.

Dry ice is readily available for $1.40 a pound as long as you get ten pounds (less is $2 a pound) from Brooklyn dry ice, if we want to try that out should we vote for burrow destruction. This method, which means the rats go to sleep underground, was discussed at the rat meeting. Brooklyn Dry Ice is in Midwood so a member with access to a car would be very helpful if we go with that technique–would receive a credit.

Attendance at the meeting was a little shy so rather than hold a vote we went with a general consensus to leave the temporary scraps pause up to SC. Claire announced that we will pause for at least one more month as that area is still being evaluated for possible burrows and as it has taken us this long to even decide on our extermination voting options.

As the SC mentioned in an email they sent out, the recent raised-hand in-person vote made some people feel pressured. In the interests of making it widely accessible for everyone to vote, we are going to send out the vote electronically. This will not be as 100% blind as paper slips in person, since the SC will need to tally the votes, but how each member votes will be kept confidential. When that vote goes out, please do respond, and promptly.

JUNE 19, 2021 HB Membership Meeting NOTES

Garden Contact for inquiries: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com

Listserv for educational opportunities, updates, etc.: hollenback_garden@lists.riseup.net

Hollenback Community Garden – Meeting Agenda June 19th, 2021 at 11am

Welcome!

NOTES: 35 people attend, icebreaker what’s your favorite fruit?

• Gratitude to Y, Mark, Shana, Josh, and Sandra for being available for the GreenThumb lumber and soil delivery on May 23rd!
• Gratitude to Winnie for cleaning out the toilet!!

Questions and Open Dialogue (Claire and Deema):

• Chickens:
  • Due to some challenges with timing and community relations, we will not be able to proceed with the chicken coop in the garden. We understand that this is disappointing on a number of levels.  Nonetheless, it is necessary to proceed in this way at this time.
  • NOTES: Claire and Deema discuss that they went to BQLT for mediation but they could not get back to us in a constructive manner. Apprentice asks: Curious are we asking for forgiveness and not permission. Deema said they were confronted with a conflict and didn’t feel like it was a smart idea to proceed. We didn’t get the help we needed from BQLT, we didn’t want to bulldoze ahead and proceed given the heat.
• Bees:
  • We will still be moving ahead with having a hive at the garden, however it is too late in the season to split a hive and set up one at Hollenback. Rest assured that bees will happen next spring!
  • NOTES:  Claire: we will have a hive. We voted on it last meeting, will rewalk the space for the optimal positioning. Will split a hive of bees and put half the bees here, next year in the spring.  Robert Moskel asks Do neighbors know about the bees? Joyce questions not telling neighbors, asks how other gardens with hives deal with the community. Mark says Telling them isn’t the same thing as asking permission. Shana says we need to tell the school. Claire says we’ll put it where they can fly straight up. Winnie aks what are we doing with the lumber. Ernesto says We have other priorities but we’ll get to it. Rose says where the coop was, was the original bee location.
• Rats:
  • See email from June 13th: New guidelines for garden cleanliness
  • Rats a city-wide problem and not specific to Hollenback
  • BQLT will send an exterminator in the coming days (Thanks to Eric for spearheading!)
  • NOTES: Claire said everyone needs to pick up their BBQ food scraps from the ground. Take the trash can to the front only, no cans in the back. Look into a more secure trash container purchase. Remind people that rats are bad since Covid bc of closed restaurants, construction next door, school food trash, and rats moved from restaurants to our compost. It’s only been a problem in the last year, it’s not that we are bad stewards of the space. BQLT will send an exterminator this week. Eric asks about problems w chemical baits. Shana says watch for cats eating dead rats. Ernesto wants to find out metrics exterminator works under. Apprentice says at the other garden she was at Clifton Garden by Meckelburgs, they put down poison then they had dead rats, also new live rats, plus poison. Shana says rats will eat veggies, roots and even moss if no scraps. She found burrows and says stuff them w old cat litter. Claire says we’ll scout for them today, empty compost bins and look for burrows by school and by Don’s fence, line compost bin with chicken wire, look for holes and clean behind it. Rose says Ick factor, dead rats worse than live. Apprentice asks will it get rat junk in our crops. Christina said read on BBG they can spread diseases. Joyce says they DO spread diseases.

• Misc:

Membership Committee (Rose and Emily): 

• Garden Open Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-4pm
• Bylaws signing
• Garden Guidelines
• New members & Apprentices to gather after meeting
  NOTES: After meeting, apprentices meet up on bluestone patio where Emily will run an apprentice orientation. Rose says that the New Member cutoff date is actually May 31, not June 15. Reminder that Open Hours folks must keep the gate open for everyone to enjoy. Reminder to people to reach out to Rose if they are having problems meeting requirements; they will help you make up credits. Update: don’t cover the woodpile in the back with the tarp anymore. Firewood for fires to be stored under the wooden table at the bluestone patio to keep dry.

Operations Committee Update (Ernesto and Y): 

• Workday plans
• Compost: read the rules, cover your food!
• NOTES: Claire asks, should we stop composting? Rose says there are rat feces in the compost if we don’t discard the existing compost. Joyce has plot next to compost, suggests we get rid of all of it, don’t use the compost for 30 days, have to make it hard for rats. Start fresh, reset the compost and do education. Mark agrees w that, says first priority is the health of the garden, compost is not improved with drop-offs, let’s just use only clean browns/greens of garden waste, and deal with core issues first. Shana says rats poop everywhere, not just in compost. If we get rid of the compost, they’ll eat our plots. We’ll still have rats until we tackle where the rats are coming from. Compost stop is a band-aid on the problem. Find out when the school is finished with construction. Rose: if we decide to pause the compost it’s a good time to do it bc everyone’s planted already. Suggests creating a hinged compost cover with screening, because hopefully we can kill them but the are not going away forever. Sarah says we should keep the compost and use it as a source to trap them, that way we will know whether it’s the source. Throw away contaminated batch, use a different technique like Bokashi. Eric: I think the compost is attracting them bc it’s warm. I’m on the side of resetting, bc I’m not comfortable touching the compost. Christina says we should pause and restart with a thoughtful approach. Educate people, and don’t shame people for eating in the garden. Shana says let’s also get rid of the pile of rotten wood next to the browns and greens, that it’s a ‘rat condo.’ She seconds Sarah’s suggestion of Bokashi compost with a long explanation of the Japanese composting method that you do at home with fermented sweet barley settled in home bins for one month so there’s no bugs or mice. Eric says the food from the school cafeteria is another source bc rats don’t choose to eat vegetables unless there’s nothing rotten to eat. We must turn compost more often and seal the bins, I am happy to do that. Robert asks if pest control guy will answer questions, says we need a ‘rat expert.’ Barak says let’s use the workday to take compost bins apart and rebuild them. Says it’s important to have compost as part of organic gardening. We could buy or craft a big tumbler instead. He says being able to get together and do grilling is an integral part of social garden life, but we need the infrastructure to support it. A thorough cleanup today will go a long way. Helen says we need solid construction, at her last garden they had big plastic bins with lids and no rat problem. Andrea says a rat’s nest was found at her last garden, they lined the bins w fine wire and make a lid, an no rats came again. Sarah said there should be a laminated checklist, which Claire and Deema already made as part of this agenda. Bob said let’s just dump the food scraps bin out. An apprentice said we need to have mesh so it can breathe, and tether the lid closed with bricks. Claire said rats can chew through plastic, reminds people they love meat especially. If we take the rats out, new rats will come in. Deema said let’s vote to remove the compost, line the bins, pause collection of scraps for 30 days. Throw away scraps, make a lid, get exterminator in here. Eric says what about the two bins of ‘dirt’ (breaking down compost, actually)? Can we keep them. Barak said let’s check the greens and browns and throw it away if it’s bad. Let’s leave the empty bins exposed and dismantled for the exterminator to bait, maybe it will give us time to think up a new system. Ernesto said last time they turned the compost there were no rats in there. Joyce gets mad and leaves, (Ernesto follows to talk to her, says he told her that he was not against her suggestion, just that he wanted facts and solutions, not just another person to say ‘I saw rats,’ bc we all saw rats.) Shana said we should do all our votes online. Rose said to dismantle the compost bins is a bad idea, her proposal is to ditch the food scraps and line the bins w chicken wire, then get into long-term plans later. Mark said he’d prefer not to have the commitment to restart, but few support that. Winnie suggests we vote instead to ditch all the compost scraps and pause drop-offs for 30 days, but not dismantle or rebuild compost until exterminator examines it and advises. Rose calls that proposal up for a vote, the vote is 27 in favor. Claire said today we will clean it out and throw it all away, look for burrows, turn the other piles and look for infestations, and move all the donated dirt into the way back.
  Claire suggests also discussing no longer allowing people to have food in the garden. It’s important to keep up with the trash, especially meat. Let’s get new bins. Winnie suggests we table this lengthy discussion for next meeting, people agree and we move on.

Treasurer (Mark):

• Contact Mark at hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com if you have any dues or PayPal issues or questions. 
• Email garden related purchase requests directly to Deema and Claire for approval (send to Hollenback email above) prior to making any purchases. Once approved and purchased, send reimbursement materials to Mark at hcgbk.treasurer@gmail.com. Reimbursements are paid out via PayPal.
  NOTES: It’s our responsibility to follow the garden benchmarks we’re supposed to meet, as custodians of the space. Let’s not take advantage of infinite good will of our neighbors. Don’t be here after the 9 pm curfew. Abiding by the bylaws are the responsibility if all members of the garden. He reminds people that dues were due a couple of days ago, send them $10-50 sliding scale at PayPal at @HCGBK. NO MORE GMAIL. Check the Master Document rose will resend this week and see if you paid. If you truly can’t afford it, email Mark privately. 80% members paid.
  
  

Events Committee Update (Andrea and Maria):

• Gauge interest and solicit volunteers for Next Plant Give-Away, potentially 6/27, 12pm-2pm
• Solicit volunteers for giving Educational Talk before next workday (7/17)
  NOTES: June 27 from 12-2 is a plant giveaway, Amanda, Marc, Alicia new and Audrey volunteer. Please bring houseplants to share and put them on the propagation table next to Don’s fence. There will be a plant talk by Winnie on Edible/Non-Edible Weeds 11 a.m. at the July workday.

Garden Guidelines

Open Hours

We keep the garden open to the public from 10 am – 4 pm on Saturdays & Sundays throughout the growing season. 

Please sign up in advance for the Open Hours that you intend to staff and remember to sign in when you arrive in the Blue Membership Binder in the Compost Toilet so we can record your hard work. When staffing open hours, we ask that members welcome members of the community, tell them a little about the garden, and answer any questions they have, directing them to our website (hollenbackgarden.wordpress.com) or the Hollenback steering committee email (below) for more information.

Enjoying the Shared Space

• The garden and our tools are shared resources! Remember to clean off and put away any tools after you’re done using them.
• The garden is open to the community when a member is present—keep the gates OPEN when you come to water, tend your plot, or have a BBQ, and kindly welcome visitors if they wander in. 
• The garden closes at 9pm. Please clean up and be out of the garden by 9 pm.
• When using the fire pit, please make sure it’s out before you leave, clean out the ash into the ash can, and invert the pit so it doesn’t collect water.
• If you’re going to grill or use the fire pit: there are no reservations, but please inform folks via the listserv if you are planning a group gathering and be inclusive—all are welcome. Additionally, please pack out your food trash to help avoid attracting rats. Be sure to pick up any food that may have dropped to the ground during your event. Be sure to scrub the grill to remove all meat residue.
• If it’s a trash night, please bag and take out the trash to the curb!  Sun., Tue., and Thurs. evenings (+ Recycling on Thursdays).

Composting

Our compost doesn’t get as hot as commercial compost like NYC’s, so please DO NOT add:

• Animal products (meat, fats, fish, bones)
• Paper, wrappers
• Oily or cooked foods, including bread
• “Compostable” plastics or wrappers
• Large pits (e.g. avocados, peaches, nectarines)
• Pernicious weeds (we use the compost in our plots and these will regrow there: e.g. bindweed, Japanese knotweed, Virginia creeper)
• Thorns (we turn it with our hands and these hurt)

Appropriate things to put in the compost include raw fruit, vegetable and plant scraps.

After adding your compostable material to the first bin on the left, please turn it and cover it with a handful of greens and a handful of browns from the bins behind you. We do not accept compost contributions from non-members.

Contact the Garden

Questions, concerns, proposals, ideas, just want to chat? Email the steering committee at: hollenbackcommunitygarden@gmail.com

Please only email the shared listserv with garden events (no non-garden business) and refrain from replying all, as it goes to a large audience.

Season schedule:

A.              Garden Meeting/Workday schedule:

1.     Sat. 6/19 at 11am. Meeting and Workday

2.     Wed. 7/14 at 6pm. Meeting

3.     Sat. 7/17 at 11am. Workday

4.     Sat. 8/21 at 11am. Meeting and Workday

5.     Wed. 9/15 at 6pm. Meeting

6.     Sat. 9/18 at 11am. Workday

7.     Sat. 10/16 at 11am. Meeting and Workday

8.      Sat. 11/20 at 11am. Closing Workday

`