Our volunteers and gardeners have been busy, busy, busy preparing the garden for spring plantings. A major accomplishment is the work on our beautiful new fence.
Our February workday brought out the muscles and the welding equipment. The team work resulted in a gorgeous new fence that will serve as a trellis for grapes and other vines! Thank you to everyone for this wonderful new addition to our garden!
Onto each winter garden, some snow must fall. Even in Austin. Thanks to Farah Rivera for these great shots of the February 4 snowfall, including the awesome self portrait…
With temperatures reaching the upper 70s, the last weekend of January found gardeners and volunteers soaking in the vitamin D while tending their plots, planning our first anniversary/grand opening event, and making improvements to our garden structures.
Of course, it wouldn’t be winter in Austin without a hard freeze or two, and we’re due another one this week. Joy Ruth shared an excellent article on helping plants survive the cold in Travis County: Frosts and Freezes by Skip Richter
Our garden was photographed this morning for an article in the Austin American-Statesman.
“City Council is considering new rules, outlined at Thursday’s council meeting, that would make it easier for groups of gardeners to start new community gardens and would reduce the water rates and wastewater fees that some established gardens currently pay. And to facilitate community gardens, the city is looking at hiring a conservation program coordinator, with a salary of $81,753 .
The effort is part of a wider city goal to promote access to locally sourced food.”
Read the full article on Statesman.com: City may cut water fees for community gardens
Update: City Council passed all three ordinances in support of community gardens and urban agriculture! Our garden was featured in this news story on Austin’s YNN. Watch it here: Urban gardens may get a chance to blossom
Come to our monthly workday this Saturday, January 8th from 9.m. to noon. We will be focusing on preparing the orchard for the tree planting later this month. We will clear Bermuda grass from the orchard area and spread compost and granite. We will also put up more fence posts. Bring your kids or your neighbor’s kids! We’ll have some kid-friendly fun and educational activities about trees between 9 and 11 am!
MYSTERY VEGGIES:
Where can this beautiful new bok choy and cauliflower be found in our garden?
We celebrated friendship and the Fall season, while sharing the bounty of our garden at the Fall Potluck on December 4.
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On December 4, the Urban Farm Bicycle Tour brought nearly 100 two-wheeled visitors to our garden, our biggest community event yet!
The bright sunshine and gorgeous 70-degree-weather had everyone in great spirits. Folks who had participated in last year’s tour, prior to our new garden being officially open, marveled about the great progress our gardeners have made.
Members of our garden conducted educational sessions and demonstrations on organic gardening, winter gardening and composting. Cyclists toured garden plots while sipping hot coffee kindly donated by Texas Coffee Traders and lavender lemonade provided by Hot Mama’s Cafe.
The event was organized by The Bicycle Sport Shop as part of Edible Austin’s Eat Local Week.
View the full slideshow!
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Thanks to everyone who came out to our last workday! Check the workbook in the shed if you need to make up hours.
