HUNT ELEMENTARY GARDEN FIELD TRIP

Hunt Elementary School Garden
Field Trip October 1, 2009
Master Gardner Eileen Haden organized this wonderful field trip to the Hunt, TX. Elementary School Garden. Master Gardner Sandra Martin gave Brick Gibson and Trish Green representing the Boys and Girls Club in Bandera as well as Eileen, and Sidney and Debby Gibson representing The Bandera Community Garden, a tour and shared much information on their program which certifies fifty 4th and 5th graders as Junior Master Gardeners. This is a weekly class for these students, each having their own plot to care for. They have installed a 20,000 gallon water catchment system to water their garden and have a tall fence to keep the deer out.
Their raised beds are made of concrete blocks stacked 2 high with the lasagna method of soil in the beds providing the medium for their plants. The blocks create a bed no wider than four feet. Sandy recommend placing rebar and concrete inside the blocks to keep them in place. They can be as long as is desired.
The concrete block resource is: MG Building Materials in Kerrville
2202 Sidney Baker
830-257-2300
Another Source for Blocks is M&G in SA, Phone #210-995-0708
Double L Feed Store provides their Cotton Seed meal
They also use Row Cover, kept in galvanized garbage cans at the end of each row to have handy for any freezes. Sandy says it will protect the vegetables down to 5 degrees below zero.
They use cedar mulch between their beds, have a shed for storing their supplies, several wheel barrels, and a 14x16 foot green house that has recently been added.
The Method of Gardening used is called Lasagna Gardening
Here is HOW TO LAYER:
• Start by Overlapping and Stacking 20 sheets of wet newspaper
• Add 1 ½ inches of Turkey Mulch
• 3” of Barnyard litter
• 1 ½ inches of dry shredded newspaper-wet thoroughly after putting down
• Sprinkle Cotton Seed Meal over wet paper
• 3 inches of hardwood mulch
• 3 inches of soil mix
• Adding earthworms by digging down 6” every 4-6 feet will help aerate and fertilize soil

http://www.youtube.com/user/wileyemac#play/all/uploads-all/0/uTpddI98DAs

Great Poster Beca

Rebeca selling raffle tickets at Market Days in Bandera

Successful Raffle

Thank you to all who bought raffle tickets. Thank you Rebeca and Ginger for your great job selling tickets. We raised $241 this week end to go toward the Water Catchment Tank. Our two raffle's have raised a total of $453 for our tank.

The following fine folks won the following prizes:

Steve Boynton won the candle holder donated by Artifacts

Jean Kennedy won the garden book "Texas Gardening the Natural Way" donated by Betty Thomas

Tom Klepfer won the Water Barrel workshop donated by Warren Thigpen and the Bandera County Extension

Within just a couple of weeks Bandera County will have a location for a demonstration site for rain water catchment. All are welcome to come and learn and help install the 5,000 gallon tank that has just been ordered. Call Warren Thigpen with the county extension office for more information.

Raising Money for the Water Catchment System

Today we raised $150 in a rafle to go toward the Water Catchment Tank.  Gutters and downspouts are in around the courtyard.  Kids were bused in from the high school to help with the installation. Tomorrow Rebeca , Marley and I will go to the Medina Farmers market to sell more raffle tickets. Drawing will be done on Sunday.  The following is a list of items that are being auctioned off:

County Ag Ext. Rain Barrell Workshop, May 15  from 6-8, Come home with a barrell, Value $30

Donated by Warren Thigpen, County Extention

The book "Texas Gardening the Natural Way" by Howard Garrett, Value $30

Donated by Betty Thomas

Candle Holder from Artifacts, Value $30

Donated by Art Crawford

John Conley overseeing the work being done, and quite enjoying himself.