Thursday, February 28, 2013

Workday 3rd March

We are having a group work day on Sunday 3rd March from 10am.  All are welcome! We will be cutting back the last (hopefully!) of the overgrown hedges, amonst other jobs.  We have also arranged a skip which will be inside the security fence.
Hope to see you there!

February Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Harris Road Allotment Society 21 February 2013


1 Present 
Asha Dube Chair, Ben Kentzer, Karen Bailey-Smith, Vicky Cooper, Jen Mick, John Guymer, Vikki McAuley, Peter Morton

Apologies
Pat Haismith, Ceri Ashton, Ann Toy, Cathy Davis, 

2 Minutes of previous meeting in January 
Agreed 

3 Matters arising
Council grant  (must be spent by 31/3/13)
As the council is unable to fund a skip for the workday on the 3 March it was agreed to rent a second skip as per the original grant bid.
Action Jen offered to organise the skip from Arthurs for up to £170.
Asha and Jen to laminate notice for the first gate to warn car owners of delivery on Friday 1 March.
All to assist with access to the site by leaving cars at the entrance overnight 28 Feb/1 March

6 RHS Yorkshire in Bloom 
Agreed to make a bid for between £5,000 and £10,000 by the deadline of March 15.
So far we have 
§ registered with RHS Yorkshire in Bloom
§ consulted Ceri and got her support on behalf of the council
§ contacted Marlcliffe school to see how we could work together on the bid.  Peter is meeting with the teacher in charge of the school garden next Wednesday.

Agreed to include
§ resubmit bid for the entrance £2000
§ drop kerb £1000
§ extend the grass grid surface to plot 10/11 junction; build large compost and wood chip bays; base and erection of shed £ to be costed
§ establish a community orchard on left hand side after the wood chip bay £ to be costed
§ build raised beds for learners, the waiting list and community to run training and starter sessions on plot 30  £ to be costed
§ enhance the school garden £ to be costed
§ provide regular community events to promote best environmental practice  and food growing £ to be costed
§ To run training events and practical horticulture sessions for children and local residents £ to be costed

Action
The Asha, Ben and Peter take responsibility to make the bid by the deadline.
Aiming for a bid of about £5.000.
Peter to meet the school and complete the bid form.
And to seek letters of support from 
§ Ceri for the council
§ Barbara Rose for the school
§ Children who use the school garden
§ Local residents
Seek input from
§Daniele Rinaudo of Abundance ref Yorkshire heritage trees
§Wortley Hall Farm


7 Society logo
The school is interested in running a competition for the children to design the logo for the society.
The school has asked the society to give the children a short brief.

We agreed a short brief for Peter to pass back to the school including 
§ health
§ food
§ community links
§ school and children 

8 Workday Sunday 3 March from 10.00
Tasks to include
§ Hedges adjacent to plots 13/14 and 11b/c/d
§ Woodchip bay
§ Erect noticeboard

9 AOB
The tree surgeon on Harris Road is unable to provide more wood chips.
Ben offered to contact local tree surgeons to see if they can provide material.
Peter to ask Steve from Vainor Road if he can supply chips.

10 Next meeting is on the 21 March at Hillsborough Pavilion

January Meeting Minutes

Apologies for the delay, here are the minutes of January's meeting:



1 Present
Jen Mickelborough, Vicky Cooper, Ben Kentzer, Pat Haismith, Stewart Bailey-Smith, Cathy Davis, Maggie Meeley, Andrew Kempton, Vicky McAuley, Peter Morton

Apologies
Asha Dube, Ceri Ashton, Ann Toy
In absence of the chair Jen Mickelborough chaired the meeting

3 Minutes of previous meeting in November
Agreed

4 Matters arising 
Bid for grant to improve the entrance
The Northern of England Horticultural Society has rejected our bid without any feedback.
They have allocated a total grant fund of £13,705.12 in varying amounts to 22 different community projects across the north of England.  Some projects have been partially funded and a small number of projects received their full grant request.
It was agreed that we would use this application as a basis for other grant bids.

Noted that the council is planning to close Community Assemblies from September 2013 so it is unlikely we will be able apply for grants from the council.

Fence Panels
Ben may be able to source fence panels from his father’s nursery later in the year.

Possible concrete shed for the society
Stewart reported that he had an offer to relocate a concrete shed to be used by the society.  Its about 5 foot square and requires a concrete base.
Pat offered the use of her horse box to move it.
Noted that the society is not insured for tools though we could seek additional premium.
Action points
Peter to ask Ceri if the society can erect the shed inside the entrance gate on a concrete base that we would construct.
If we get permission we can sort out the practical arrangements later - possible job for the next workday - see below.

Workday 17 November
Noted that the hedges on boundary of 23/4 and 13/14 were cut down and branches left for the arboriculturist to chip.  The chippings have been done and used on the spine path between 10 and 11.

Discount seed scheme
The order has gone to Dobies.
Its not known when the seeds will be delivered.


Newsletter
Edition 2 has been published and delivered.

Logo
Stewart to follow up with the school.

5 Treasurers report 
Ben reported that
   Approximately £225 is left from the grant from the Community Assembly and it has to be spent by March 31.
   £60 has been raised from plant sales.
   19 paid up members
   Approximately £150 we have raised ourselves.
   Public liability insurance premium of £63.60 for calendar year 2013 has been paid.

6 Options for spending the grant from the council which must be spent by 31/3/13
After discussion it was agreed
Priorities
1 Posts for the new noticeboard, met posts and other timber for the compost and wood chip bins £40
2 Tool library, kelly kettle (£40) and gloves for workdays.
3 Plot numbers

Possibles
1 Concrete for shed base if Ceri gives permission.
2 Dog excrement bin at entrance to the site - should be free from the council.
Action point Peter to follow up contact from Ben to procure bin.

Decided not to pursue
              tool safe or van vault - assume we are able to erect the shed.
              rotovator - insurance and liability on the society to great a risk.
              incinerator - noted that tenants should acquire their own or borrow from another tenants as there are several on site.
              cold frame

7 Group Order for Fruit at Wholesale Prices
Jen took orders of over £50.
Noted that we will raise again in September 2013 to see if another order could be made next winter.


8 Workday
Agreed to hold next workday on Sunday 3 March from 10.00
Action point Peter to seek skip from Ceri.
Tasks
 
   Cutting the remaining high hedges near plots 11 and 13/14.
   Erecting the noticeboard.
   Building the wood chip and compost bins at the entrance.
   Erecting the shed subject to agreement from Ceri.


9 Arrangements for the AGM
Agreed to hold second AGM on April 18

Action Points
   Ask Ceri for upstairs room in the hope of a full house - Peter
   Invite Ceri and Jo Buck - Peter
   Advertisements - the constitution requires adverts in 5 places at least 14 days before the AGM which were identified as
   on line - Jen
   noticeboard - Peter
   school - TBA
   newsagent - Ben
   library - Peter

Items for the agenda
•Treasurers report including recommendations for the membership fee
•Election of officers and committee
•Establish a new role for a Coordinator for fundraising and grant bids

Action points in addition to above
Peter to circulate copy of the constitution electronically to all members.
And ask Ceri to notify all tenants and waiting list that aren’t on the society’s data base of the AGM nearer the time.

10 Secretaries report
The council has felled the trees on plot 11 and it is being broken in to 4 separate plots.
We have new tenants on 23a and 23b
24 is on offer - Peter to show prospective tenant the site on 21 January and explore a swap with 11b.
11 a/b/c/d are about to be offered by the council

11 Correspondence
email received from  Kitchen Garden magazine.
They are planning a relaunch later in the year and are arranging focus groups of readers and potential readers to ensure it meets needs.
In return participants get a goody bag.
They would run the workshop locally to suit us.
Jen, Vicky, Vik, Ben and Peter expressed interest.
Action point
Peter to liaise with Kitchen Garden to make arrangements.


Allotment competition
Noted that the council will be holding the annual allotment competition in July.
For the last two years Harris Road has won the best new allotment for the whole city!

11 Future meetings 
The Hillsborough pavilion has ben booked on the third Thursday at 7.00 i.e.

21 Feb
21 March
18 April
16 May 
20 June 
18 July

Items for the next meeting 21 February
   Draft budget and membership fee proposal to take to AGM - Ben
   School jumble sale - Stewart to check if and when there is one for society to run a plant stall.

12 AOB
Vicky alerted us to free workshops run by Hillside Harvest
16 February – Open Day with Composting (introductory and for more experienced) workshops

16 March – Open Day with Plot Planning (introductory and for more experienced) workshops

Extract from their website

We are a cooperative running a well established community garden of 6 allotment plots (“Lotti” - on Hagg Hill, Rivelin Valley), growing food to share amongst our members.

Hillside Harvest will be welcoming visitors to Lotti on 16 February and 16 March 2013 and offering FREE practical food growing workshops on Composting and Plot Planning, led by experienced trainers, during the days.

16 February – 10.30 to 4.00.  Composting Workshops: 11.00 (introductory – how you can turn a wide range of food waste from the home into great compost for your plants? What can go into a compost heap? Different systems to try) and 13.30 (How to maximise your composting speed?  Green manure. Making best use of your weeds.). Workshops will be led by Darrell Maryon, Head Gardener at Wortley Hall Walled Garden.

16 March– 10.30 to 4.00.  Plot/garden Planning Workshops: 11.00 (What time of year vegetables crop at. Planning a planting calendar) and  13.30 (What families veg fit into. Planning a crop rotation. Extending the seasons).   

Workshops will be led by Ruth Hepworth, freelance sustainable food work and Community Growers Project Leader at Grow Sheffield.  Participants will leave with their own garden planning calendar.

Prior booking for these workshops is essential as numbers will be limited.

Come down any time on these days to see what we are growing, learn some practical food growing skills, lend a hand as we prepare for the coming growing year and find out about how you could get involved. 

We can provide lifts to Lotti  to help visitors find it and visitors can join us for our regular bring and share lunch (including some warming vegetable stew/soup) at around 12.30.

For more details visit our website or Facebook page.  To sign up for a lift /workshop email us on info@hillsideharvest.org.uk or phone Nick/Eleanor on 0114 2301 406 or

Gareth on 07940 533 603.