Merchant Park Community Garden

Nice message from the UofI Master Gardeners today: We’re 8 weeks out from the frost free date (5/15), so start those broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seeds NOW! For a nice list of seed starting times, please see: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/tog/transplants.cfm

MPCGers,

Does anyone have a pick up truck or know someone with a truck that we can use to pick up wood chips on April 20th and April 27th? If so, we’ll waive your plot fee!! (If you’ve already paid, we’ll refund your fee).

To buy wood chips would cost us $900. So use of a borrowed truck to pick up the FREE wood chips from the Dept of Forestry…[Read more]

Tomorrow is the deadline for getting plot RENEWAL fees in. Online is a great way to fill out your application and pay. Please do so by end of day tomorrow or drop off a check with Veronica. See the application on the home page of the website for more info.

Just a reminder to pay your plot fee for the 2013 season. The deadline for renewals is March 15th! You can pay online or follow the directions in the application to pay with check (both available from the homepage of the website).

The next garden meeting is Monday, Feb 18th at 8pm at All Saints Church, 4129 W. Newport.

I will bring blank 2013 Plot Applications to this meeting.

Renewal fee is $50
Renewal fee + compost top off is $75

As always, if the price is too steep for you, reach out to Veronica Harrigan (hithere60647@yahoo.com) to make arrangements to pay a reduced…[Read more]

Some cool things happening in our neighborhood:

December 18th
Holiday Bonfire at Jefferson Park 4822 N Long 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Jefferson Park Chamber coloring contest winners awarded. December 1st

December 18th
Sing Along with ‘Mighty Mo’ Schurz High School 3601 N Milwaukee 6:30pm
Listen and sing along with “Mighty Mo” our beloved…[Read more]

Here’s the agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting:

Merchant Park Community Garden
Agenda: 11/19 All Gardeners Meeting

1. Financial report
2. Update on land transfership of Merchant Park from the City of Chicago to Neighborspace
3. Vote on new conflict resolution by-laws
4. Committee updates

Merchant Park Gardeners and supporters: Just received word that Merchant Park is being recognized at GreenNet’s Community Garden of the Year / Annual Harvest Potluck. See attached flyer. Come out, meet new gardeners and represent MPCG!

http://greennetchicago.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/GreenNetPotluckFlyer-2012.jpg

Merchant Park Community Garden Members,

Here is the online ballot for MPCG yearly elections. Please cast your vote!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q5CQWWV

We have 2 open committee chairs: Fundraising & Maintenance.

Click on the following link to a write-in ballot for these positions (the link also provides descriptions of the position). This…[Read more]

Reminder — All Gardeners BBQ & Meeting this Saturday, Sept. 22nd, 4:30pm. We will be handing out nomination forms for positions on the board that day!

Quick update from the City of Chicago Project Manager moving the land transfer of Merchant Park:

“The land transfer passed Community Development Commission and is on the September 20th agenda for the Chicago Plan Commission. We will move the project forward to City Council after the required 30-day public notice process (starting this…[Read more]

The first step in transfering ownership of Merchant Park from the City to Neighborspace will happen next week at a Community Development Commission meeting. At this meeting, the City will ask for the authority to enter into this deal. The meeting is open to the public. It starts at 1pm but Merchant Park is the last case on the docket. This is a…[Read more]

MPCGers,

A couple of quick updates:

#1. Fellow gardeners Tres & Susan O’Neill are moving from Chicago to Virginia and will no longer be gardening with us. Please join me in wishing them well on their new adventure! Their plot is planted and the produce from it will be going to the WIC program.

#2. Take a look at the southeast corner of the…[Read more]

Neighborspace Update + Request for Signature:

Almost two years ago, we put in an application to become a Neighborspace garden. Neighborspace is a joint effort between the City of Chicago Planning Dept and Openlands, a land conservation organization. When a garden or piece of land becomes part of Neighborspace, ownership is transferred from the…[Read more]