Seed Saver Agenda 3/24/20
Attendance in online meeting: Stephen, Helen, Pam, Caroline, Joe, Priscilla, and Sharon
- ASK FOR email response that you attended so we can put it in the record. Send it to stephengreene51@gmail.com. Titled: TODAYS SVSS MTG.
- THIS MEETING WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
- NEGEF emergency grant towards local food security
Purpose of the grant application read aloud.
Grant is for $1,000 – We can use it to meet needs of the community building on previous efforts. Provide the seed bank. Expand participation. ( We can use as needed)
- Seed Library (outdoors) Discussion regarding the best way to make the seed library available. Under a canopy, with a wooden cap on it. At the Town hall or Library. It can be locked. We might leave it until June? Is there a concern about contamination by handling. Wear gloves to package the bulk seeds. Run it past the selectboard and Micah Hayre.
Clarify the directions on appropriate use of the seeds. Let people choose what they want. Wipe down your hands before and after use.
- Seedlings for Stamford
Start flats of seedling for donations. Make them available to participants for Green Up Day. in 5 weeks. We need people to host some flats at home. Caroline will take on a few. We can make lights available. Church Bazaar.
We are preparing for a possible food crisis. Grow and distribute what we are able. Buying bulk food and preparing it is a new process for us. Perhaps we should stick with what we already do well. (Gardens)
- Distributed Garden Beds
FIgure out the cost of one raised bed and bring garden beds to interested households, built, filled with soil and plant starts; they pay if able or donated if not able to pay. People could sponsor beds. People could use the beds for food to give to the community.
The town is in the process of setting up a community phone tree which we might be able to tap (that’s a Vermont pun). Perhaps we could reach out through the school etc.
- Community Garden Space
Pam has offered garden space for a community food garden. Dan Potvin has a tractor mounted tiller and he is talking about growing grains. We have the school garden that can be used to grow food, As well. We will need to do some networking to find the people who are interested in helping.
Existing beds should be top priority. What types of vegetables. We need to avoid to spreading ourselves to thin. Joseph suggests perennial vegetables. Asparagus, nut trees, fruit trees at Pams?
Helen could contact families that participated in the garden camp last year. We could post PSA’, etc..
- Community Food Service
We would need to secure more help.
There is a lot of land that is not being used as wisely as possible.
This grant is for an immediate response to the Corona Virus crisis. It is about meeting whatever needs we identify. We should be doing a needs assessment.
What about setting up the school i.e. cold frames. The opportunity to come together as a community and work towards a common goal will be valuable. We should be building on what we have. We should also be looking towards a diversity of agricultural projects.
- New Business
- Gift certificate for $100 from wild flower people by way of Caroline $100
We still have a gift cert for $100 for wildflowers.https://www.americanmeadows.com/
Caroline can share the website. Encourage people to grow perennial crops. Should we be thinking about perennial crops.
- Public distribution of food.
We will continue to meet this way on Tuesdays at 6:00 for the foreseeable future.
Go to stamfordvtseedsavers.org for notification of future activities.
Stamford VT Seed Savers 