Carl Schulz Uncategorized

SEASON OPENING DAY!!!

Hi everyone!

We are so excited to welcome everyone back to the garden for another great season! A special welcome to new community members!

We are planning our season opening and first garden gathering – details:

  • Opening Day: Saturday April 6th, Rain Date April 7th
  • Coffee and morning snacks will be provided
  • Introductions and opening remarks
  • Work Session – we plan to clean up the perimeter of the garden and clear weeds that are growing into pathways. Please make sure to bring gloves, pruners and loppers (if you have them) and be prepared to put in an hour or so to help us do some spring cleaning!
  • Roto-Tilling – we will offer free roto-tilling for gardeners again this year. This is a fantastic way to get a jump start on the season and get ahead of the weeds from the beginning! A specific follow-up email will be sent shortly regarding roto-tilling.

GARDEN OPERATING DETAILS

  1. Payment Policy:
    1. Payments are due, IN FULL, by May 1st. 
    2. After May 1st, you have 15 more days to pay and retain your spot, but there will be a $10 late fee.
    3. If we do not receive payment by the 15th, your plot will be reassigned to someone on our waiting list ON May 16th.
    4. The fee remains the same: $35 for one plot, $70 for two plots, $105 for three plots.
    5. Make Check payable to: Wareham Community Garden
    6. Send Check to: PO Box 185, Wareham MA 02571
  2. Website:Yes, we have a website! A huge thanks to fellow community member, Carl Schulz, for contributing the website and its administration to us! With your annual enrollment to the community garden, you will receive periodic updates about the garden from the website. Please check it out. If you have comments, questions, or content you would like added, let us know!!! https://warehamcommunitygarden.org/ 
  3. Resources we provide for you:
    1. water – we pay for this, so please be careful to not leave spigots on. Report any leaky spigots to us immediately!
    2. mulching hay: this is old hay that has been aged in a very hot hayloft for 2 years – any hay seeds present will be dead. This makes an excellent mulch for
      1. weed suppression
      2. moisture conservation in the soil
    3. composted cow manure: aged and well composted cow manure – please add this to your garden to give your plants an extra boost! We will get more throughout the season as needed.
    4. composting bins: We will have a fully renovated and updated composting station. Helpful signs will be posted so you know what you can and can’t add – thanks to community member Lisa Guyot for the huge effort to make composting such a success!
  4. Rototilling: We are pleased to be able to offer roto-tilling for gardeners again this year. Please remember this is a volunteer effort. We have some new guidelines we will ask gardeners to follow if you wish to have your plot roto tilled. We will be sending a separate, and more detailed, email about roto tilling very soon. Please know that you will be required to be present and have your plots completely clear of debris before tilling will take place.

MAP Please see the attached map to find your plot number and bed location. Some plots have been combined but they retain separate numbers. This is depicted on the map this year. We will get numbered stakes on the beds sometime this month! If you are new to the garden and unsure how to read the map, please contact us and make arrangements for someone to meet you there to show you.

Gate Lock Code There will be a combination lock on the Walk-In gate to the garden. The code is: 0185 (which is our PO box number with a Zero in front of it!). PLEASE, if no one else is at the garden when you leave, LOCK the gate behind you.

UNTENDED PLOTS 

Part A: Gardeners have until June 1st to show signs of planting their gardens. Such gardeners will be contacted by the Steering Committee to see if help is needed. If, by June 15th, the garden remains untouched or BARELY touched, the plot will be reclaimed by the Steering Committee and assigned to someone on our waiting list. Refunds of your annual fee will not be given.

Part B: We will have a much lower tolerance for untended, excessively weedy, and overgrown plots this year. We will be monitoring plots throughout the season and contacting gardeners who let their plots get too far out of control. If effort is not put into maintaining plots, they will be reclaimed and reassigned to new gardeners next year.

Part C: Excessive unharvested produce: We are starting a gleaning campaign this year. If you are having trouble keeping up with harvest, or if we notice that your garden is not being harvested and fruits are consistently being left to rot, we will contact you and ask for permission to glean produce and send it to Damien’s Food Pantry.

Gardening Guidelines : Please take a moment to look at the attached gardening guidelines and refresh your memories on our guidelines.

  1. NOTE about DOGS: Dogs are permitted in the garden ONLY if on a leash.
  2. Garden Cleanliness – please read the section about garden cleanliness closely. Gardeners are required to maintain their plots and prepare them properly for winter at the end of the year.

TRASH Removal: We do NOT provide trash removal. Please do your part to keep our garden clean and tidy and carry out what you carry in.

WAIVER If you are new to the garden, please print the attached waiver, sign it and return to us. 

Those are enough details for now, welcome to the 2024 season at the Wareham Community Garden! We are looking forward to another stellar year gardening with you all!

in kindness,

your humble community garden steering committee– 

Lisa Guyot

Anne Kirschmann

Carl Schulz

Ann Shor

Sandy Slavin

Ayres Souza

Hannah Traggis
Steering Committee of the Wareham Community Garden

PO Box 185 Wareham, MA 02571

https://warehamcommunitygarden.org/
Facebook Community Page: Wareham Community Garden

Carl Schulz News & Activity, Uncategorized

State Public Health Officials Confirm Season’s First West Nile Virus-Positive Mosquito Sample

Residents urged to use bug spray when outdoors

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced yesterday that West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected in mosquitoes in Massachusetts for the first time this year. The presence of WNV was confirmed today by the Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory in a mosquito sample collected on June 29 in the town of Medford in Middlesex County. No human or animal cases of WNV or Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) have been detected so far this year.  There is no elevated risk level or risk-level change associated with this finding. 

“The first WNV infected mosquito of the season is always a signal that it is time to start taking steps to avoid mosquito bites,” said DPH Acting Commissioner Margret Cooke. “WNV is part of summer in Massachusetts and as we head into this long holiday weekend, it is important to remember that while WNV can cause serious illness, there are simple things that you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones.”

WNV is usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. There were 8 human cases of WNV in 2020. In 2018, there were 49 human cases of WNV infection acquired in Massachusetts – the greatest number of cases the Commonwealth has ever had in a single year. While WNV can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe disease. Most people infected with WNV will have no symptoms. When present, WNV symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness. In rare cases, more severe illness can occur.

“These simple actions can help protect you from mosquito bites and the diseases they can cause,” said Dr. Catherine M. Brown, State Epidemiologist. “The tools for prevention include using a mosquito repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient according to the directions on the label, wearing clothing to reduce exposed skin when weather permits, draining standing water to prevent mosquito breeding, and repairing window screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home,” she said.

More information, including all WNV and EEE positive results, can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at Mosquito-borne Diseases | Mass.gov, which is updated daily, or by calling the DPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800.

To Avoid Mosquito Bites

Apply Insect Repellent When Outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient (DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535) according to the product label instructions. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning in areas of high risk.

Wear Appropriate Clothing to Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty unused flowerpots and wading pools and change the water in birdbaths frequently.

Install or Repair Screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all windows and doors.

Protect Your Animals

Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding habitats and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddock areas. Horse owners should keep horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Owners should also speak with their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent WNV and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). If an animal is suspected of having WNV or EEE, owners are required to report this to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795, and to the Department of Public Health by calling 617-983-6800.

Release link.

Is Your Horse Protected?

WNV and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) are spread by mosquitos and can cause fatal neurologic disease in horses, other animals, and people. Routine vaccination can prevent these diseases in horses.


**Can’t afford this life-saving vaccine?** MDAR is partnering with local veterinarians to offer discounted or free EEE and WNV vaccination for equine owners with financial need. Ask your veterinarian for more information. www.mass.gov/service-details/wnv-and-eee-in-animals

MDAR’s mission is to ensure the long-term viability of agriculture in Massachusetts. Through its four divisions – Agricultural Conservation & Technical Assistance, Agricultural Markets, Animal Health, and Crop and Pest Services – MDAR strives to support, regulate and enhance the rich diversity of the Commonwealth’s agricultural community to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures, and fulfill agriculture’s role in energy conservation and production. For more information, visit MDAR’s website at www.mass.gov/agr.