COMMONWEALTH Gardens Update

As 2009 comes to a close, we’d would like to take this opportunity to report on what has been accomplished at the garden site to date: Fencing around the entire 8-acre garden site,drilling and development of a solar well, an 8 x 10 ft. pumphouse (will also serve as tool storage shed), orchard planted (over 50 fruit and nut trees in addition to several types ofberries), and cover crop seed planted (the day before the first good rainfall).

A heartfelt thank you goes to Brian and Ellen Bartholomew who donated the seed to cover the 3+ acre vegetable planting area, and to John Ford and Brian Shuster who allowed us to use the seeder (John.s) and tractor (Brian.s).  Many thanks go to those for their kind donations: Sanhedrin Nursery, Cold CreekCompost, Sparetime Supply, Kathryn Green, Keith Johnson, John Schadeck, Roy Branson, Chamberlain CreekWork Crew, those who continue to send in monetary doantions, and to the many volunteers who gave of their time planting and watering the orchard.

Where to from here? Next season we.ll focus on building more garden infrastructure (irrigation system, greenhouse, pathways, gazebo), as well as continue to build soil fertility by continuing to plant additional cover crops.

If you would like to volunteer materials, time, etc., to COMMONWEALTH Gardens, you can reach Ananda Johnson at 707 459-2777. It is always deeply appreciated and very much needed.