Scituate Rotary Newsletter September 15, 2010: Jonathan Belber - "Scituate Community Garden"
Present: William Clark, Dietrich Bilger, Lois Brandes, Lambert Brandes, Jamie Gilmore, Lew Burridge, Maryann Cohan, Walter Heller, Michael Johnson, Joe Kelly, Bart Nuboer, Joan Powers, Bob Price, Judy Price, Jeannie O"Donoghue, Janet Schmitz, Ben Summers, Lisa Tompson, Bernie Westerveld, Richard Wainwright, Connie Mitchell
Guest: Jonathan Belber (speaker), Bob Werner (Kenmore Rotary, N.Y.) and daughter Karen Werner , Dan and Patty Schmelzer, (Missionary team from Kenya)
William Clark opened the meeting
President led the meeting with the pledge and Dan Schmelzer offered the invocation.
William welcomed guests
Announcement:
William: Padraig O'Malley Presentation on September 23rd, 6:15 pm at the South Shore Country Club, Hingham, MA , October 2nd foundation, Seminar at White's in Westport, MA, November 18th Foundation Dinner at Café Funchal, New Bedford, MA , Plymouth Rotary Patriots tickets raffle for Oct. 31st , The Plymouth Rotary Sunrise Club Golf Tournament on Oct. 19th at Plymouth Country Club Tournament, NSRWA's Harvest Moon Fest Sept. 20th Mill Wharf, Scituate.
Jamie: Has ten Pre membership kits, he gave out pamphlet "How to Propose a New Member"
Mike: announced the death of Ignatius Ikunza
Lisa: Trunk Sale-checking on dates for North Scituate
Ben: did reading from "A Century of Service, The Story of Rotary International" read about Paul Harris
Janet: reminded us about the fund raiser at the Lutheran Church on Saturday, September 25th for The Capstone Experience at South Shore Art Center.
William wants committee chairs to e-mail list on committee to Bernie and William
Happy Bucks: $190 ($95)
Queen of Hearts: Lois -King but no Queen
Mike introduced Jonathan Belber
Jonathan works at the non profit Holly Hill Farm, Cohasset. It is a 5th generation farm with the White family. The last 12 years they have been growing organic vegetables, herbs, flowers and plants. The farm sells produce and are at the Cohasset Farmers Mart on Thursdays selling their produce.
Jon was an elementary teacher for 11 years. He then started working at the farm. One of his tasks is to get people to come to the farm. He has work shops on how to grow vegetables, teachings students about gardening, educating the students and community on how the produce is planted, nurtured, keeping the plants healthy and then how to harvest and share them. Students come to the farm for field trips, see how to sow and grow crops. They learn how to make compose. They are getting hands on experience. They learn where food comes from, how it is grown and what it looks likes when harvest. Jon works with 15 schools with their own garden. At Jenkins School the chef had the kids pick the produce from their garden to make a soup.
There is a group call Sustainable Scituate. They took students to the beach to gather up kelp and seaweed to use as fertilizer. In 2009 they started a garden behind Gates School and the produce were given to the Scituate Food Pantry. They now have a garden on 3A and First Parish Rd. It is owned by the Conservation Commission. Their intent is to grow food for the Scituate Food Pantry. It gets people involved in raising food for the food pantry. They also rent out lots for people to grow their own gardens.
Jon hopes this will get more people to grow their own gardens.
Coming events:
Padraig O'Malley Presentation on September 23rd, 6:15 pm at the South Shore Country Club, Hingham
October 2nd foundation, Seminar at White's in Westport, MA
November 18th Foundation Dinner at Café Funchal, New Bedford, MA ,
Paul Harris Seminar Dinner Oct 22nd
United Nations Day: Nov. 6th
Next Meeting: September 22, 2010 Dan Schmelzer "Update on Program in Kisumu, Kena"
