TPC Minutes March 2015

Attending: Heidi, Ellen, Bex, Jenny, Sandi, Adrian, new people Chris Boys and Yvette Taylor

Apologies: Ally

Neighbourly neighbours day, applications for $200 towards street parties close 13^th March, need to be e-mailed to Albert Eden local board.  09 623 6091 (for more info).  They prefer that the event is held on 28^th 29^th March.  Adrian will apply for Rama Rd, Chris will apply for Johnson and Bangor.

Raising seeds for Old Homestead, if anyone is able to donate seedlings, brassicas, cabbage, savoy, kolrabi, kale contact Ellen.  Jenny has plenty of broccoli seeds, Chris has plenty of dwarf bean seedlings.

Ellen and Ally are going to the Tree crops association conference in Whangarei.  They have meetings at 970 Gt Nth Rd (the old horticulture center)every 4^th Tuesday of the month 7.15pm.  They have a great produce table where people bring unusual and interesting produce along.  High caliber speakers members range from tree guru’s to hobbiests.

Raw milk

Chris is part of a collective that gets raw milk, they would like more people to share in the group, so if you are interested in joining contact Chris Cfboys@me.com

Kelmarna

The land is secure for another  5 years, but as Framework has pulled out they need to replace that funding to keep Adrians job going.  His job is secure until June, so the Kelmarna trust is fund raising to enable him to keep working there as no “White Knight” has come along.

Life and Leisure article

Bex brought along the latest Life and Leisure mag with the article on transition towns that her Unitec students did as part of their course.  It was great to have a direct result of the article as Chris’s wife had seen it and suggested he might like to get involved.

Books for fundraising and promoting the community garden

“The Good Life” books are being donated to TPC by the publisher and due to be delivered in the next few weeks. Those who offered to store them Bex will be in touch for drop offs or pick up arrangements.  If anyone knows of future fundraising opportunites where we can sell books, pls get in touch with Bex rebecca@rebeccaswan.com

The cowpooling was discussed.  I can’t really remember what was said as I don’t eat meat so tuned out and didn’t write notes sorry.

Plan for the bowling club garden discussed

Ellen, Ally, Bex and Vonney did a draft plan for the layout of the garden.  It was suggested that we get a permaculture anyalysis done on it, possibly from Fin Macassy.  Heidi offered to ask Ruth at Eco store for some more blue barrels to be donated.  Nick the groundsman is going to put the guttering up which was reclaimed from Derek and Julies home that is being demolished.

A tap is needed for the water tank, Heidi might have one.  It was suggested doing a calculation of water needed for the area would be a worth while exercise which Heidi is willing to have a go at.  This would enable planning for water storage to be sufficient to sustain the garden.   Ideally we could expand the water collection from roof areas.

Approaching tank companies who take old tanks away was suggested.

Increasing the gardening group was discussed, possible strategies to get more people along.  A number of strategies have been tried over the years and whist people verbally express interest it’s proven difficult to get people along.  It has been a stable core group going for eight years.  Chris had some suggestions and I think any ideas of reaching out and getting people involved are to be encouraged.

Since last meeting there have been some well attended working bees.

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