Garden Council Meeting Minutes

June 2, 2010 – 10:00 – 12:00

Highland CDC

In attendance: Jerry Miller, Piedmont Avenue School; Barbara Petterson, Claremont Middle School garden committee co-chair; Gordon Piper, North Hills Landscape Committee; Patrick Safinya-Davies, UCCE; Jesus Rodriguez, OCO; Lauren Heumann, community member; Michelle Oppen, OUSD; Nancy Deming, Sowing Seeds, Green Action Alliance; Justin Watkins, UCCE; Joy Moore, garden teacher at Claremont Middle School; Rita Cecaci, garden committee member fromUPA; Nori Grossman, ACPH; Joyce Peters, network dietician, OUSD Nutrition Services; Colette Rowe, Stopwaste.org; Kirsten Graves ACPH intern; Anne Valva, OUSD Garden-based Nutrition Education

Michelle Oppen, Program Manager for Consolidated School Health gave a short presentation on the wellness programs in the district and the initiatives at many of the school sites.

Garden Educator Open House – Consensusof the group was that the meeting was a very successful event but that we need to publicize it better for a larger turn out. People were very happy with the Castlemont students’ participation and of course the chickens!

Discussion on plans for next year:

  • Have an Open House for Garden Educators in the fall, and a celebration in the spring.

Also, some big projects mentioned to focus on for next year:

  • District demonstration garden/farm to support efforts of Nutrition Services and Oakland Eats Garden Fresh Project
  • District-wide planting of a fruit tree (persimmon, or dwarf citrus) to support Oakland Eats Garden Fresh Project.
  • Create a team that travels around the district on a regular basis to help construct and maintain gardens and existing landscaping. This group can be made up of community volunteers from organizations listed below and would need to be coordinated and schools would need to sign up for weekend work parties.

Reminder: All volunteers on school campuses when children are present must be screened properly: fingerprints, TB testing, etc.

Suggested Volunteer organizations:

Probation department: WeekendTrainingAcademy

Kreske Foundation Healthy Environment Grants

Oakland Rotary Club

Nishi Brothers Nursery

Urban ReLeaf and West Oakland Reforestation Project

Coming of Age Organization

  • Joy Moore suggested that the garden program be highlighted at Back to School Nights district wide.
  • Jerry Miller also mentioned that he has connections at Merritt College Horticulture Dept and thinks there are possibilities for support from the department.

Also, Buildings and Grounds has begun spraying Round Up again on weeds as the organic, safer product was not as effective as they would have liked. Nancy Deming is following up on this as part of her work with the Green Action Committee.

Next meeting is scheduled for September 1, 2010, location TBD. I will be out of the office from June 18th to August 25th. As of June 18th, only my email will be accurate: . My office is moving and it is unknown when I will have an office telephone number.

Have a bountiful summer, Anne Valva