Chard Your Yard returns to Longfellow

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Story and photos by MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN

Chard Your Yard, a gardening initiative of the neighborhood group Transition Longfellow (TL), took place this year on Sat., May 14. A well-bundled group of volunteers turned up for breakfast at the home of Chard Your Yard creators Bruce Gregg and Aggie Hoeger, with temperatures hovering around freezing.

Chard your Yard 29Photo left: According to Leslie Mackenzie, one of Transition Longfellow’s core group organizers, “There are about 135 officially recognized Transition neighborhood groups across the country, and many more unofficial ones.” She continued, “The philosophy of TL is to offer practical ways for people to make lifestyle changes. We’re not a non-profit or an official entity. We’re a group of neighbors trying to move in a positive direction.” For more information, visit www.transitionlongfellow.org.

Chard your Yard 31Photo right: Mackenzie  said, “If people are excited to be part of the local food culture—if they want to try growing their own food, then Chard Your Yard is a great way to get started. TL asks, ‘How can we help make this as easy as possible for you?’” Each volunteer team delivered and assembled six beds in six different locations. For their efforts, volunteers were served breakfast and lunch—and had a chance to work and talk with other pro-active neighbors.

Chard your Yard 19Photo left: The beds were delivered partially assembled. The sides were connected on-site, and the finished beds put in place by volunteers. Homeowners met with a TL organizer the week before to determine the best location for their garden bed. This site visit is included in the cost of the garden bed and is a chance for homeowners to ask questions about gardening. Anyone in zip code 55406 is eligible to apply.

Chard your Yard 05Photo left: Chard Your Yard is one of the gardening initiatives that does just that. Twenty-four raised beds were installed in yards across Longfellow this year. All installations were done in a single day with 18-20 volunteers. Jobs included shoveling a soil/compost mix, which came either from The Mulch Store. Each household received one 3’ x 5’ treated pine raised garden bed, and all the dirt needed to fill it. The sign-up period begins each year in early April and continues until full. Scholarships (courtesy of the LCC) are available for low-income gardeners or those living with disabilities. This was the fourth year of Chard Your Yard.

Chard your Yard 38Photo right: Gardeners can receive support in many ways both before and after the soil has settled. A series of free classes called Veggie Basics was offered every Saturday in April this year at Gandhi Mahal Restaurant. TL hopes to sponsor the series again next year, but Mackenzie  said, “Everything we do is completely dependent on our volunteers. We have an annual operating budget of less than $1,000. If you like what you see, come and join us.” 

Chard your Yard 37Photo left: Bruce Gregg has the distinction of having named the Chard Your Yard event. This garden initiative is one of the many ways TL is at work in the Longfellow neighborhood. The broad issues addressed by the group are climate change, dependence on fossil fuel, and navigating the economic changes ahead in the transition to renewable energy.

Tomato on the Vine #2 by Calvin deRuyterTransition Longfellow was able to offer a Skills Share Program last year, where members could share their skills with others at no cost. Mackenzie   recapped some of the practical suggestions from the session she taught on how to grow better tomatoes:

• If space allows, rotate tomato plants in the garden each year. The blight which tomatoes often develop can overwinter in the soil.

• Put a mulch of fresh straw under each plant. This prevents water from splashing onto the undersides of lower leaves, which is another way disease spreads.

• Prune the lower branches of each plant. If plants are growing a lot of leaves and not much fruit, consider lowering the amount of nitrogen in your soil or fertilizer.

 

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