Our Third Season FINALLY Starts

Photo by Rebecca Olson
for The Whidbey Examiner

Thanks to the The Whidbey Examiner for the great article, "Community Garden Kicks Off Third Season" about our garden in the May 18, 2011 issue and online.

Master Gardeners Plant Sale

WSU Island County Master Gardeners Plant Sale

Saturday, May 7

10:00 - 2:00

Greenbank Farm

Looks like Spring is finally starting!  Here's another chance to buy plant starts for your community garden plot. For information call 360-240-5527.

Coupeville Garden Club Plant Sale

Coupeville Garden Club Plant Sale
April 23, 10:00 - 4:00
April 24, 10:00 - 2:00 pm (or until sold out)

Coupeville Rec Hall

It's a great place to get your herbs, veggies, and annuals starts for your community garden plot. Get there early to buy plants and support our very own Coupeville Garden Club.

Whidbey Gardening Workshop 2011

Snow may be covering our community garden but a hint of Spring and Summer await at the 2011 Whidbey Gardening Workshop presented by the WSU Island County Extension Master Gardeners.  Click here for more information. 

Garden Closing for the Season

The Coupeville Community Garden will close for the season on November 1.  All gardeners are asked to have your gardens cleaned up by October 31 in preparation for the winter. 

Happy Winter and see you in the Spring. 

Vegetable Field Day

Gardeners and farmers are invited to join Organic Seed Alliance on November 1 for a vegetable field day that includes tastings.  Participants will learn about the Northern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative (NOVIC) – an exciting project that joins researchers and organic farmers in northern states to address seed and plant breeding needs – and evaluate carrot and beet variety trials at Nash’s Organic Produce, a participating farm.

The field day is free and open to the public and runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 1 at Nash’s Organic Produce, 1865 East Anderson Road in Sequim, WA.   Participants are encouraged to bring raincoats and boots. 

Please register by contacting Cathleen McCluskey at (360) 385-7192 or cathleen@seedalliance.org.

For more information, visit http://www.seedalliance.org/.

Readying Your Garden for Next Year



Source:  Growing Groceries

Getting Your Garden Ready for Next Season
Saturday, October 9
9:00 - 11:00 am

Growing Groceries will host this final class of the season, focusing on building healthy soil and sharing tips about what worked and what didn't work in gardens this season.  For more information click here.

Seed Saving Workshop

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 (9:00 - 3:00)

Greenbank Farm, Whidbey Island

Learn to grow seed, steward heirlooms and create new varieties at this class for Pacific Northwest gardeners and farmers. Whether you have saved seeds before or are a complete beginner, this is a great chance to learn about seed and connect with other seed savers in your region. We will cover basic seed concepts including timing of planting, ideal population sizes, preventing cross-pollination, selecting for improved varieties, seed maturation and harvest, and seed cleaning techniques.

Registration fee - $100.00.  Course cost includes fresh organic farm lunch.  To register call 360-385-7192 or email cathleen@seedalliance.org.  Registration deadline is Monday September 20, 2010 and space is limited.

For more information:  Organic Seed Alliance

More recipes using our garden bounty

Our neighbors to the South at the South Whidbey Good Cheer Garden share some great recipes using the fresh summer ingredients.  Here's the link for some tasty, fresh meals using the bounty we're growing here in our community garden.  Enjoy!

August Growing Groceries Class

photo: So Whidbey Good Cheer Garden

Interested in canning, freezing or dehydrating some of your Summer bounty to eat from your garden year round? Or, want to learn about seed saving?

Check out the August Growing Groceries class on August 14, 9:00 - noon.

The class will also touch on the best veggies to plant in August for an extended harvest into Fall.

The Colors of Our Garden

And who said growing veg was just for food?  Spotted a lot of beautiful veggies and flowers in our garden last week. 

Recipes for our Newly-Harvested Veggies

Finally summer is here and we're actually beginning to harvest from our community garden! 

Here's a great recipe via Puget Sound Fresh from The Northwest Vegetarian Cookbook by Debra Daniels-Zeller:

Grilled Zucchini with Lemon-Garlic Butter

• 8 medium zucchini (about 8 inches long), ends removed and cut in half lengthwise. You can also use any variety of summer squash for this recipe.
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Preheat a grill. Score the zucchini halves with a sharp knife, making diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep at 1-inch intervals all the way down.

2. Combine the butter with the lemon juice, zest, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Brush the zucchini halves with the mixture, and then grill them until the sides become charred, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Sprinkle the zucchini with the Parmesan cheese if desired, close the lid of the barbecue, and heat until the cheese softens, about 1 minute.

Serves 6 to 8

Any fresh veg recipes you'd like to share with fellow gardeners?

Crop Sharing

Crop Sharing Program
Tuesday, July 13
5:30-6:30 pm
Oak Harbor City Hall

Do you have a glut of garden produce?  Are you wondering what you’re going to do with it all?  Cary Peterson, community gardener and coordinator of Bayview’s Good Cheer Food Bank Community Garden, will make a presentation on growing food for the hungry.  She’ll note efforts all over Whidbey Island where schools, churches and private gardens are contributing fresh produce to those in need.

Learn how you can contribute, what types of produce are best and where you can take them.  Join Cary and other community gardeners at Oak Harbor City Hall, Tuesday, 5:30 - 6:30 pm on July 13.

Inspiration

As we're out there weeding, weeding, weeding after the late May showers, just remember - our bounty is on the way.  Happy gardening everyone. 

Ask a Farmer CANCELLED

June 1, 5:30 - 6:30 pm  Instead, check with our farmers each Saturday at the Coupeville Farmers Market - they're happy to answer questions and share advice. 

Thanks so much to Rosehip Farm & Garden and the Smith-Case Farm for sharing advice all Spring at the garden's "Ask a Farmer" evenings.  We appreciate your advice and on-site plant sales.  You helped us all get our gardens off to a great start.

 

May 4 Compost Workshop

Compost Bin Workshop & Construction
May 4, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Local farmer Janet Hall will teach this workshop on composting and will lead volunteers in construction of our garden's compost bin.

Also, local farmers from Rosehip Farm & Garden and the Smith-Case Farm will be at the garden to answer your gardening questions. Plus, they'll have veggie starts for sale right at the garden.

And... wondering if it's too soon to plant tomatoes?  Growing Groceries' next class is "May - is it warm enough yet? " on Saturday, May 8, 9 - noon at Bayview School.  Click here for more information. 

Happy planting & composting.

Coupeville Garden Club Plant Sale

Coupeville Garden Club Plant Sale

April 24, 10:00 - 4:00

April 25, 10:00 - 2:00 pm (or until sold out)

Coupeville Rec Hall

It's a great place to get your herbs, veggies, and annuals starts for your community garden plot.  Get there early to buy plants and support our very own Coupeville Garden Club.

Ask a Farmer & Plant Sale

Today at the Garden unless it's raining

Ask a Farmer & On-Site Plant Sale
April 20, 5:30 - 6:30 pm

Farmers from Rosehip Farm & Garden and the Smith-Case Farm will be at the garden to answer your questions, provide planting advice and sell veggie starts.  Please note:  event will be cancelled if it's raining but you can visit both farmers at the Coupeville Farmer's Market on Saturday.

Organic Gardening Resources

The Coupeville Community Garden is all organic.  All pest and disease management must be done with only organic methods and compounds.  Here are some resources to help:

Articles and booklets:

• Introduction to Organic Gardening [pdf], compiled by Ray Schutte
• Organic Gardening Resources and Tips [pdf] from Seattle P-Patch Community Gardening Program

A few books on the topic:

• WSU Island County Cooperative Extension Service publications
• Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades:  A Complete Guide to Natural Gardening by Steve Soloman Maritime Northwest Garden Guide - order from Seattle Tilth Association
• Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening:  The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener

Found a resource you really like?  Share it by posting a comment here.

Garden Party Heralds our Season Opening

Garden Opening
April 1, 5:30 pm

The Coupeville Community Garden will officially open on Thursday, April 1 with a small ceremony and refreshments at 5:30 pm. 

Come celebrate the new gardening season and pick up a few plant starts which will be available for purchase from local farmers.

A reminder that there are still plots available on a first come first served basis while they last.  For more information on how to apply click here.