Thursday

July 6, 2017
3:15 – 4:00 p.m.
Bradfield Community Center

Notes: Community Garden – bradfield community center

Goal: Increase access to fruits and vegetables

Welcome Introductions
Attending: Bliss Hairston, Shelly Miller (Allen County Public Health)
Review garden activities
Garden Progress:
Garden progress is going smoothly. Watering and weeding are taking place. The seeds are growing great and they received some tomato plants from the Oakwood Correctional garden program. Bliss has built more garden supports for the “viney” beds and will put up some fencing in the near future. The garden has been designated community garden through LACNIP (Lima-Allen County Neighborhoods in Partnership). Mona Lisa Hoffman from OSU Extension has also been offering a SNAP-ED program (Cooking Matters) on a weekly basis.
Garden Forum Attendance:
Bliss has been attending the garden forums regularly.
Evaluation
Interviews/Surveys:
  • Bliss will develop a kid-friendly questionnaire for the kids that assisted with the garden build. The afterschool program provided the opportunity for kids to help build the garden. All but 5 of those kids are gone for the summer. A new program will start in September. For those in the program when the produce comes on, Bliss will conduct taste tests to get feedback from the kids. Bliss and Mr. Jimmy are the only ones currently working in the garden – watering and weeding. She anticipates more staff will participate once the produce needs harvested. A survey will be provided toward the end of the year for the staff to complete.
Produce log/participation tracking
  • Tracking forms were provided at the last meeting which Bliss still had. She has been logging her hours for watering and for the garden build. When staff participate more, she will use one of the participation tracking forms provided.
  • Sample produce logs were provided at the last meeting and Bliss will use them once the produce comes on.
  • A garden scale was provided to help record weight of produce harvested.
Procedure for produce donation and distribution
  • Most of the produce that is harvested will be used to feed the kids participating in programming.
  • Any produce that isn’t used for meals and snacks at the center will go to the food pantry that takes place at the center on a regular basis. This produce will be tracked as well.
Future goals for garden
  • Bliss hopes to keep the garden going as late into the year as possible. She plans to plant winter greens in October.
  • There are still seeds left from this year that Bliss plans to plant next year.
  • Autumn Swanson, City of Lima Neighborhood Specialist is now on the Board at the Bradfield Center. There are grant opportunities that the center can tap in to from the City of Lima that can assist with garden expansion next year. Being a designated LACNIP Community Garden will also provide them with resources and opportunities for expansion.

Media
Shelly will put a news release out to the media in July. Bliss will provide some photos for the article.
Next meeting: TBD
Shelly will meet with Bliss as needed.