Tryon Farm Homeowners Association

Harvest time is coming

Dear Fellow Gardeners,

I saw a bright orange waning moon rise over Tryon’s alfalfa field Monday night. It is getting near harvest. Tomatoes are turning red, beans are producing, and the garden is flourishing. So are the weeds. Some gardeners are diligent about keeping their boxes weeded and are also diligent enough to include the area and path surrounding their boxes. Others are not. Some gardeners prefer the easy way of weed management by using Roundup (see below). Did we all agree on a total organic garden? I think it is ASSUMED.

The community box stewards, basically me, Suzanne and Sally, try our best to keep up with weeds so everyone can share in the community harvest. It was expected that if anyone was to share in community harvest that they would lend a hand and pick some weeds from those boxes. I haven’t seen much help in that area. People were excited in Spring and we had tremendous volunteerism. As the season moved into summer, most of the focus became more singular.

At one point someone dragged out the large trash bin to throw in weeds and other people joined in, but no one dragged the bin back to the shed so Steve could empty it. It became full of rain and sprinkler water and wafted a rotten stench. Finally Colin heroically drained it and dragged it back to the shed.

Gardeners please note, there is no one to take care of the garden but us. There is no entitlement here. We have to be responsible for ourselves and have some oversight beyond our own “yards.” In other words, care about the overall look and how we manage it. Can you afford to pull some of the community box weeds, or your neighbors? Claudia has been managing the sprinklers for the majority of summer. She watches the garden grow everyday and managed to pull a few weeds in her passing. If everyone did that once a week there would be community weed management.

Another issue is the hoses. When hoses are used they get left strewn across the lawn or thrown in a tangled pile. We may need to figure out better hose management in the future, but please, if you use it take care of it better then you found it.

One of the sprinkler hoses got split by the mower and wasn’t discovered for more than a week which means parts of the garden didn’t get watered. Ray mended that hose and we switched out the hoses for the sprinklers. Perhaps we need someone to monitor hose conditions in the future. 

The bottom line is we need to come together on this. I have called meetings and volunteer actions. Few have shown up. With meetings, the Tryon Gardeners have an opportunity to pull together and learn from each other. The possibilities have been discussed of having Master Gardeners give talks. People are busy I know. I am busy too and have not a lot of time for the garden this summer but manage as volunteer steward to keep up best I can with three boxes and the large squash garden. Besides my music and art, I work pretty much full time at International Friendship Gardens on Route 12 just west of Tryon. It is 107 acres and run and managed 95% by volunteers. It amazes me the enthusiasm at those gardens and how with little resource they keep them beautiful for the public to enjoy.

I ask you to please look at the whole garden and help to manage it as if it was yours.

Pick signs will be posted when produce is ready. If you pick a fruit or vegetable from community boxes please pick some weeds too.

Thanks

The 08 Garden Rake

PS. Someone took/borrowed? my plant food feeder that was under the bench by the squash garden. I looked for it for over ½ an hour. I cannot feed the plants without it. Would that someone please return it ASAP!!!

NOTE on ROUNDUP. No one who claims to be an organic gardener would use Round Up or any Glyphosate produce. The USEPA Water Quality Division is finding glyphosate in the water we drink and wash in. Glyphosate is present in many soils. This article may be of some interest.

"MONSANTO IS POISONING US: HOW MANY STUDIES DOES IT TAKE? New research from France has confirmed previous studies that Monsanto's Roundup, the most commonly used herbicide in the world, is much more toxic that Monsanto admits. The study indicates that at levels 100 times lower than the recommended use in agriculture, Roundup herbicide causes reproductive damages and endocrine disruption. In other related news, the FDA Office of Plant and Dairy Foods has stated that half of the non-organic produce they have tested in grocery stores contains traceable residues of various pesticides, including Roundup. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/pregnancy060305.cfm"

____________________________

Debra Sawyer

51 Tryon Farm Lane

MI CITY, IN 46360

____________________________

Looking for Garden Watering Stewards

Hi Gardeners,
We need stewards to be at the garden early in the morning to turn on the sprinkler timers. Generally we have had people take two week commitments but if you can't do a full two weeks that's ok. Just let us know.

Several people have expressed interest in water monitoring so here are the following dates for sign up. Please reply your choices to TFGarden08@comcast.net. Since the garden is on her route to the guest house, Claudia has also graciously volunteered to be anyone's backup if they cannot make their schedule. Contact Claudia Geise, Tryon Farm Guest House, 219.879.3618, tfgh@sbcglobal.net.
Schedule:

June 16 through June 25 -Patrecia Lenore
June 26 - June 29 - Debra Sawyer
June 30 through July 13- Debra Sawyer
July 14 through July 27-- Dawn Heid dawn@HeidBeyerl.com
July 28 through August 10
August 11 through August 24
August 25 through September 7
September 8 through September 21
September 22 through October 6
October 7 through October 20

Garden Etiquette

Garden Etiquette and other news
compiled from last years notes and posts

Weeding -
Box owners and stewards of community boxes are responsible for keeping their boxes reasonably weeded so they don't go to seed and spread to neighboring boxes and paths. Please pull and dispose of weeds in the area immediately around your box. Straw is available in the garden to use as a weed mulch. Weeds are disposed in either the compost or garbage bins in the shed, not the paths. Weeds gone to seed should not be put in compost bins.

Picking Produce
Don’t let produce in your own boxes go to waste. ‘Pick me’ signs are available in the shed to use; community stewards will post ‘pick me’ signs when produce is ready.– please be considerate of everyone.

Garden refuse
Two bins in the garden shed are designated for plant containers, flats etc. and the other for weeds that have gone to seed and other plant material we don't want in the compost bins. There is an area to put plant containers for recycle. The containers can be taken down to the Farmer's market. Plant vendors readily accept them and sometimes give discounts.

Watering
Watering stewards sign up for two week stints. Please sign up.
Claudia has volunteered to do the first two weeks -Monday June 2 through Sunday June 15th.
Several people have expressed interest in water monitoring so here are the following dates for sign up. Please reply your choices to TFGarden08@comcast.net. Since the garden is on her route to the guest house, Claudia has also graciously volunteered to be anyone's backup if they cannot make their schedule. Contact Claudia Geise, Tryon Farm Guest House, 219.879.3618, tfgh@sbcglobal.net.
Schedule:
June 16 through June 29
June 30 through July 13
July 14 through July 27-- dawn@HeidBeyerl.com
July 28 through August 10
August 11 through August 24
August 25 through September 7
September 8 through September 21
September 22 through October 6
October 7 through October 20

Compost
Steve, our new land steward, will be supplying the compost bins with rotted manure. We have almost depleted the compost from last year in the first two bins on the right. New instructions will be posted regarding composting content. Also instructions for creating a worm compost bin of your own will be posted.

Looking Good!!! Thanks.
The Garden Rake

TF Garden 08 Notes

Garden Beautiful
Much has been accomplished in the last couple of weekends as the weather cooperates and the ground warms. The sprinkler system has been reinstalled for its second year by Eric, Ray and Debra, this time with a more experienced integration. Eric created some ingenious landscaping so the lawn mowers can edge but not disturb hoses and towers. Claudia has stated the success of last years garden was the consistent and timed watering (see Garden Committee Watering stewards.
Most gardeners have gotten their boxes readied and plants and/or seeds planted. The community boxes of tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, basil, annual and perennial herbs are fairly established (see updated garden map for color keyed locations), and the asparagus is reaching the end of its season.

Concord Grape Arbor: WOW!!
How lucky we are to have Susan Perdomo as grape arbor steward. She has been a University of Illinois Extension certified Master Gardener for the last 11 years. Here is her description of the beginning work and call for some volunteer help: "I basically weeded, pruned out several buckthorn shrubs/trees and trimmed back the dead wood on the vines. I only encountered one poison ivy plant and I understand other Tryon farrmers are to be congratulated for their past efforts in erradicating this nasty weed. Thankfully, the soil around the arbor is fairly sandy, so it shouldn't take me very long to edge. I could use some help digging compost from the pile and moving it over to the arbor next Saturday morning around 10:00 am - - before it gets too hot and assuming it isn't raining. I'd like to spread a 2" layer on the area that I cleared before laying out straw mulch. Any digging help I can get would be greatly appreciated."

Arbor day Trees
Colin and Judith have made baby tree nursery space where they are building their new home in the Grove giving home to the variety of native saplings that we were gifted from International Friendship Garden's Arbor Day event.

JF New Boxes
Years ago (?) JF New had started a perennial and water garden boxes. They have not seen much care until Judith took on stewardship. Soon you will see some beautiful Iris and other flowers thanks to her diligence.

Community area for squash, pumpkin, et al.
Multiple volunteers put their back into tearing up the old landscaping cloth in this community space. It was harder than removing glued carpet with entrenched weeds and years of mulch on top. With the area cleared, Eric and Colin recently tilled the soil readying it for planting. There has been some suggestion to add corn to the squash garden possibly trying the Native American techniques of mixing corn, beans and squash (Three sisters). Any one interested in working on the technique this year contact the garden committee ( TFGarden08@comcast.net ).

Garden Committee Watering Stewards
Patti established a schedule last year where each volunteer monitor watering for a two week period on the calendar. That means turning on the timers in early morning which run for 3 hours before the heat of the sun. If the days are consecutively hot, dry and/or windy with no rain, then also turning timers on in the cool of early evening.
Claudia has volunteered to do the first two weeks -Monday June 2 through Sunday June 15th.
Several people have expressed interest in water monitoring so here are the following dates for sign up. Please reply your choices to TFGarden08@comcast.net. Since the garden is on her route to the guest house, Claudia has also graciously volunteered to be anyone's backup if they cannot make their schedule. Contact Claudia Geise, Tryon Farm Guest House, 219.879.3618, tfgh@sbcglobal.net.
Schedule:
June 16 through June 29
June 30 through July 13
July 14 through July 27
July 28 through August 10
August 11 through August 24
August 25 through September 7
September 8 through September 21
September 22 through October 6
October 7 through October 20

An early acknowledgement and thanks to our Community Garden Stewards, committee members and volunteers. Everyone will give thanks even more when all their their efforts come to harvest.ng>
Suzanne Kraus
Judith Tennant-Brown
Colin Tennant-Brown
Sally Swanson
Linda "Beechtrees"
Rebecca Overcash
Eric Overcash
Patti Messina
Susan Perdomo
and other visible and less visible help.
Let us not forget the earth worms.

Still seeking stewards for peppers and strawberries.

For any Contributions of Garden news, commentary or observed omissions or corrections to TF Garden 08 Notes, please reply TFGarden08@comcast.net

Next News: Good mulch: its importance, and some words about garden etiquette.

Thanks

TF 08 Garden Rake
Debra Sawyer
TFGarden08@comcast.net

Download TFGarden08Diagram.pdf

Warmer days for planting/Picking

Suzanne B. Kraus/Veteran Gardener/Community boxes rhubarb and tomatoes steward:

Currently in May I advise not to plant anything but cool weather crops until after Memorial Day.
We can have frost that will kill basil and tomatoes!! So, Plant at your own risk!
I plan to plant the tomato box Memorial day weekend with organic heirlooms. I hope that is OK with everyone. I will pick and distribute on a first come , first
serve basis. There will be rhubarb until the weather
turns really hot. Contact me, sbaldwin101@yahoo.com, for PIE RECEIPES

GARDENERS ALSO PLEASE NOTE:
ASPARAGUS IS READY FOR PICKING. SNAP THE ASPARAGUS AT GROUND LEVEL.
TREES ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTING.
VOLUNTEER WORK THIS SATURDAY WILL COMMENCE AT 10AM Cleaning community spaces and setting up equipment, possibly planting trees.
THANKS
The Garden Committee

MERRY MONTH OF MAY

Dear Tryon Gardners 08,
Last weekend we had a wonderful turnout of volunteer gardeners to help with construction and placement of new boxes and weeding of community boxes. THANK YOU ALL so much for that contribution (BIG THANKS to Colin for getting the wood and being the engineer). Volunteer gardening is ongoing. We still are seeking volunteers this Mothers Day weekend Saturday 10 am to continue with Community weeding, turning of soil, mulching and checking, testing equipment. Of course, there is time to do your own garden prep too.
NEW. The Community squash garden currently has a load (3-400) of bare root trees contributed by Jasper State Forest/International Friendship Gardens Arbor Day. We are looking for takers who might possibly nurse the baby trees by their units until they are ready to place. Most are forest trees. We may possibly plant them in open garden space temporarily until we find a nursery space. TFI is working on placing a number of them. This all is to be determined, but if you want to help, it will be appreciated.
1) VOLUNTEER TASKS this weekend is to set up water system and check equipment, assess any other community needs, and finish weeding and soil turning.
2) BOX ASSIGNMENTS & NUMBERING: All new gardeners have been assigned boxes. I know the numbering is crazy. As soon as we know everyone has their box location cued in their minds, we will create a logical numbering system. If I missed someone in assignment, I am sure I will hear from you.
4) CALL FOR IDEAS AND COMMUNITY STEWARDS.
Community box #38 is open for planting suggestions and for a steward to lead the charge.
Sally Swanson, Steward for Community herb boxes is calling for favorite Annual herb suggestions. Community herbs eventually will have labels as will community boxes with harvest timing. Seeking a steward for Strawberries.
5) CALL FOR WATERING STEWARDS. We will plan a watering schedule and discuss what conditions call for more or less watering.
6) GARDEN ETIQUETTE TO BE POSTED: A document in process and open to comment that outlines garden guidelines created last year by super gardener Patty Messina and garden committee.
7) THIS WEEKEND AND THE NEXT IS THE PRIME TIME TO PLANT. Please join us. Do your own thing and throw in a community hand if you can.

Debra #51
TFGarden08@comcast.net

UPDATED BOX ASSIGNMENT LIST ATTACHED PDF
Download garden_08_box_assignments_may.pdf

UPDATED DIAGRAM ATTACHED PDF
Download TFGarden08Diagram.pdf

Some Tryon Farm Garden History

SOME TRYON FARM GARDEN HISTORY
Contributed by Rebecca Overcash, Farmstead #24, Apr 3 2008

When we purchased our home back in 2000 one of the features Ed talked of was a community space in the farmstead property that included a place for folks to gather and to share some activity that would help to build community. There was an existing space that had been the old farmstead's garden directly across from where the compost piles are now and near the farm fence. The problem with this space was the number of weeds that had taken hold and how few individuals there were to manage the plot.

The first garden boxes were built a year later (2002 ish) according to homeowner interest and at a small expense to the homeowner. The second and third iteration of boxes were built in the following two years (2003-4 ish) out of the emerging homeowner budget for the Garden Committee rather than individual contributions. A large pile of dirt was dumped near where the boxes were built and most of the dirt was moved into boxes. This is the large square patch that has been planted with squash and sunflowers for the past 2 years. This soil is also more "dirt than sand" and available to be planted in.

So there are really 3 places where gardening happens on the farmstead space. The original garden space is still very soil rich - Farmer Warner kept his pigs in this place for many years. We would probably want to check back with Ed but he has always been receptive to our gardening in this plot. The second is the boxes that define a homeowners "plot" and the third is the space by the boxes.

As a side note that some of you may not know, the Saturday evening get together started about 5 years ago when a glut of tomatoes in our original boxes lead us to set up a "Salsa Fest" eat and drink event. A few picnic tables got added to the space and folks started to collect there to do more than gardening. The next year a few of us were celebrating something at a picnic table by the garden compliments of Cathy and Carl Dennis's "Bucket" and decided to repeat the event the next week with someone else filling the bucket. Well, other folks got naturally invited and suddenly the Saturday night "Bring the Bucket" event was born. Point being it was the garden that made it all possible.

This is still Ed and Eve's land but they have always been open to discussing how we use it so long as it is for the garden / community building purpose.

TF Garden 08

April 16, 2008

Greetings and happy Spring, My name is Debra Sawyer, I live full time in the TF Woods Settlement #51with Mea, the black Labrador. Most recently, Patti Messina #80, chair of the successful 2007 TF garden passed me the “garden rake” to “chair” the Tryon Farm garden this year. Rebecca Overcash,#24, has graciously volunteered to Co-chair. The purpose of this email is to find out WHO our 2008 box and community gardeners will be. Of course those who just want to watch the beauty of growth unfolding at summer cocktail parties need not reply.

Many garden boxes are in disrepair and we hope to utilize community effort to fix them. The community boxes and gardens are planted by the garden committee and have official stewards who maintain them. These community boxes/gardens that include the grape arbor are open to all participating gardeners for picking and are planted with flowers, vegetables, fruits and herbs.

To open the season officially we will need volunteers to do cleanup, repair, and assessment of equipment. There will be a call for volunteers soon and a new gardener orientation. We TF gardeners welcome new residents who want to join us in the joy of growing things. All garden orientation, information and communication for 2008 will be posted to the official weblog . However, please reply directly to me, <TFGarden08@comcast.net>, if you --

--Are planning to keep your box(es);
--would like a box of your own; or
--would prefer casual gardening by working with community gardens and/or the grape arbor;
--would like to be on the garden committee

Below is the current list of boxes that include repair notice, current community stewards and **people who have already laid claim to their boxes**. Attached also is a garden diagram pdf doc:

Download TFGarden08_Diagram.pdf

1. **Tennant-Brown, Judith
2. OPEN
3.COMMUNITY / Rhubarb and ?/ Suzanne Kraus steward
4.**Ebbert, Ebbie / REPAIR
5.**Overcash, Eric & Rebecca
6. COMMUNITY / Plant Strawberries?/ Steward?
7.**Slotnick, Joan
8. Geise, Claudia/Haller, Meg-- A
9. Loudon, Jen
10. OPEN / REPAIR
11. COMMUNITY / Asparagus / Overcash & Sawyer, Stewards
12. **Zimski, Ted / REPAIR
13. Waugh
14. Pompei, Judy
15. OPEN / REPAIR
16. OPEN / REPAIR
17. Papa, Dominque, Patrice
18. Kraus, Suzanne-- A / REPAIR
19. Reeg -- A / REPAIR
20. **Buczyna, Sawyer
21. Kraus, Suzanne -- B
22. COMMUNITY / Herbs
23. Dennis
24. Buczyna B
25. Messina -- A
26. COMMUNITY / Asparagus / Overcash & Sawyer, Stewards
27. Reeg -- B
28. Dupree/Flory
29. Meiser, Margaret
30. Greg & ?
31. Geise/Haller --B
32. OPEN
33. Messina --B
34. Ginsberg
35. Messina --C
36. COMMUNITY / Basil / Tiger Sally, Steward
37. COMMUNITY / new crop beans & peppers / steward ?
38. COMMUNITY / tomatoes
39. COMMUNITY / Squash / Sawyer, steward

Please note:

ALL TF GARDENERS MUST RECLAIM THEIR GARDEN BOXES BY MAY 1st.

Please reply to TFGarden08@comcast.net. If your box is under repair, you can claim a new box labeled OPEN on the list. This year all Boxes will be labeled clearly so people, deer, rabbits and moles are not confused. For people who are interested in community gardens there will be more info to come, but please let me know of your interest. Thanks, your quick replies will be appreciated.

Debra Sawyer

Lawn and Gardening Features

Last Frost for LaPorte County As Late as May 6th

Of critical importance to gardeners is the occurrence of both the first frost of the year and the last frost. The climatologists deal in probabilities.

There is a 10% probability that the last frost of 2008 will be about April 5th; a 50% chance on about April 21st; and a 90% chance we're through with frosty nights by May 6th.

For those of you planning ahead, the prognosticators give these estimates for the first frost of 2008: October 12th (10%); October 25th (50%); and November 6th (90%).

You pays your money and you takes your choice.