The next meeting is Monday, December 2, at 6:30 PM at the University District Building.
Yahoo group for UD Gardens: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UDGardens
Email: UDGardens@yahoogroups.com
Minutes from First Meeting of the UD Gardens Group - November 4
Donna Quimby, Chair of the UALR Health Sciences Human Fitness and Sports Management Department, convened the meeting to gauge interest in forming a University District Garden Association. The Growing Healthy Communities project, which has provided 87 raised bed gardens to University District residents, including in its project description an objective of organizing a garden association. This meeting was to determine interest and to chart a course for organizing the garden association if enough residents wanted to pursue the objective. Donna invited all of the recipients of the raised bed gardens.
Outcomes
The University District residents who attended expressed an interested launching a UD Garden Association. The specific vision, mission and scope will be determined at future meetings when more prospective members can attend. The group discussed several ideas for the garden association: communication about plants, planting, pests, etc.; cooperative plant sales; bulk buying of plants; including flowers as well as produce; hosting speakers to present on current garden topics; continuing the practice of awarding UD residents raised bed gardens each year and raising funds to finance the activity; cooperative purchase of gardening tools; approaching the Oak Forest Community Garden as a partner and member; maybe also including related gardening activities such as raising chickens and honey bees.
Next Steps
1. The next meeting was set for Monday, December 2 at 6:30 at the University District Building.
2. The six University District residents in attendance agreed to function as a start up steering committee.
3. Karen Walls agreed to take the list of raised bed gardens and add them to a Yahoo Group that she set up last year for communication between gardeners
4. Joe Busby agreed to draft bylaws and provide them to Karen for mail out to the group.
5. Donna Quimby agreed to work with the group until she retires in June, and perhaps beyond, as long as UD residents assumed leadership roles.
6. Beth Phelps agreed to meet with the group upon request and to continue to provide information and technical assistance about gardening.
7. The group could continue to meet at the University District Building.
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