Sharing Gardens Receives $1,000 Grant!

The Sharing Gardens has received a thousand dollar grant from the OSU Folk Club Thrift Shop (LINK) We are very grateful for this donation and it's a funny story how we came to apply for it. Chris and I were on our way to a luncheon put on by the South Benton Nutrition Program - the twice weekly lunch program for Seniors at the Monroe Legion Hall. This luncheon was meant as a "thank you" to several people and agencies that help make their program possible (the Sharing Gardens, Mike Gibson from the Linn-Benton Food Share - LINK, Arlene Moody - free blood-pressure checks and Kathleen Nickerson from Hands On - a group that connects volunteers with organizations that need help. LINK

SBNP - "Thank-you Luncheon". The Sharing Gardens provide fresh vegies weekly, through the growing season.

As we were walking up to the door, Christy Warden, 4-H group leader, met us with a big hug and an application form for the OSU Thrift Store grant. "It's the last day you can apply and the proposal is due in Corvallis by 4:00," she said. "There's a good chance you'll receive what you ask for as they've always been very generous with the 4-H group."

Chris and I talked it over at lunch. If we received the grant, a drive to Corvallis would be well worth it but we hated the idea of burning gas without other reasons to make the 40-mile round-trip drive. It was at that point that Kathleen Nickerson (Hands On), who was sharing our table piped up, "I couldn't help hearing your conversation and, it just so happens that I have to make a stop at the Thrift Store this afternoon anyway. I'd be happy to deliver your application!"

So, we quickly filled it in and gave it to her. We promptly forgot all about it as it was so uneventful and easy to apply. What a great treat, and surprise it was, a few months later, to receive this generous donation. We'd like to encourage all our local readers to be sure and shop at their store at 144 NW 2nd Street in
Corvallis. Supporting them supports us, and many other worthy causes.

Doreen and Merlin in the new Monroe greenhouse, re-potting tomatoes.

We have some new wish-list items. Here's a list of them followed by a link to our full list. Please bring all donations to the Monroe site. Click here for map/directions.

Here are the highest priority items:

Ken makes tomato cages with field-fencing

• Field fencing: the stiff kind, so we can build tomato cages with them.
• Picnic table: With or without awning. Benches or chairs would be nice too. Maybe someone would like to build one for us? We're setting up a really nice, shaded place within the garden fence where visitors can sit and enjoy the scene and help us with projects that don't require being in the field.
• A T-post puller
• T-posts or old well-pipe - We need to put up a few more trellises to support tomato cages and beans. Eight to ten feet tall would be ideal but we can make the shorter ones work. Slightly bent OK.
• Strong wire - also for trellis building. Each row is approximately 70 feet long. 
• Cedar fence boards - we use them to build bird houses and compost bins (among other things).
• Lawn clippings: We have lots of lawn/leaf bags for you to re-use. Just come by when we're there and we'll give you some. Please don't tie bags too tight (makes it hard to re-use them).
  
• Riding lawn mower with bagger: Or someone who could come mow a section of the grass, outside the fence, where we can put in a bunch more squash mounds.
• Spoiled hay or straw - we already received a ton and a half of straw from Mark Frystak and the Soggy Bottom Farms. That will probably carry us for another month but when we start to plant tomatoes and squash we'll be in need of another delivery of a couple more tons. Remember, we can give you a tax receipt if you need it.
• Metal watering can
• Four 16" tires for our farm truck
• Cash donations are also very much appreciated

Jiminy, our 1968 GMC truck - we couldn't do the Gardens without him!

To see our full wish list, follow this link.