Late February Snow, Kasprisin Ridge, near Langley.

The rain and cool weather has been repeating itself like Groundhog Day for most of these last couple of months here on Whidbey. I guess we just have to wait and hope that La Nina winds down and more normal weather prevails. On the positive side the snow pack in the Olympic Mountains was deemed 190 percent of normal late last week by the the Federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.

June 2010 – Good Cheer Garden

I was reading Cary Peterson’s Growing Groceries blog and found some information that I would like to pass along.

On May 14th, from 9 am – 12 noon, at the Good Cheer Garden, you can learn about:

What makes the warm weather crops happy –  tomatoes, beans, squash, basil and cucumbers
Making compost in your garden –  adding organic matter is key to healthy soil
Best veggies to plant in May
Irrigation – what are good strategies, and how to install a simple system.

Presenters: Janet Hall, WSU Waste Wise Coordinator

Cary Peterson, Growing Groceries Coordinator

Class fee is $15, scholarships available.

You can call the Whidbey Institute for information and registration (360) 341-1884.

The following is an excerpt from the Good Cheer Garden blog:

The only way we’re going to grow anything this cold spring is with the help of floating row covers, and lots of them! The starts we planted are growing, with kale, lettuce, bok choi, spinach and chard doing their best under the conditions.

For the complete story you can just click here.

Good Cheer and pray for some warmth for our crops!

Spring Fever Garden Sale

Saturday, March 26th

Garden tools, equipments and supplies in our Spring Garden Sale!

9 am – 2 pm

Good Cheer Garden

Do you have extra gardening equipment you aren’t using?

Donate it to the Good Cheer Garden, and we’ll sell it to other gardeners at the Spring Fever Garden Sale.

You’ll support the garden, while helping other gardeners!

Call 360-221-6046, or email garden@goodcheer.org if you have items to donate.

Together we can help each other with the tools we need to grow our food!

Here’s a list of some of what’s available. More coming!

Doors

Drip irrigation t-tape and fittings  tools

Electric fencing stakes

Fencing

Fertilizer

Hoses

Panes of glass for making cold frames

Pond liner

Pots of many different sizes

Rabbit protection cages

Recycling containers

Seed starting supplies & cell trays

Soil sifters

Soaker hoses

Hand spreaders

Storage containers

Tomato cages

Watering wands

Weed block fabric

Windows for making cold frames

Please join in for the Spring Fever Garden Sale!

Good Cheer!

We were thrilled to be awarded a $1250 grant from the Whidbey Island Garden Tour to build a retaining wall, and purchase supplies for growing seed starts, and tools for the garden. The Garden Tour’s grant to Good Cheer helped launch the garden in 2009 and we are so appreciative of their continuing support! Save the date of this year’s tour: Saturday, June 25th.

With this funding, Eagle Scout Tommy Mozingo is going to build a retaining wall to hold up the steep southeast slope of the garden. It will replace the temporary wall of plywood and pallets, and then extend to the fence line. He will be coordinating a work party of Boy Scouts, so the project combines building skills with leadership skills. Stay tuned, and thank you, Tommy!

To read the full article click here.

Good Cheer!

I continue to be amazed and very proud to be living in this community of ours. We as a community are making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Another example of this caring can be seen in the Gleeful Gleaners. In June of this year they formed a  partnership with Good Cheer to help reduce food insecurity. The group is looking to connect with people who are willing to share their extra non-sprayed fruit and bring it to  people in need.

Gleaning is the term for collecting food that would otherwise go to waste.

“I don’t like to waste our natural resources,” said Margaret Moore of Clinton. “When I drive around every fall, I see lots of fruit falling to the ground.”

“At a time when food is getting more expensive and Good Cheer’s donations are down, we wanted to find a way to capture that precious asset and have fun doing it.”

Good Cheer has tried in the past to respond to offers of donated fruit, but has had difficulty mustering the manpower to do the picking. We’re always grateful when community members have a good idea, and then do all the legwork, too! That’s exactly what they’ve done.

Healthy eating is our main focus and now we’ll have more fresh fruit to give to our clients. This is a wonderful complement to the Good Cheer Garden and another blessing from the people of this community.

On South Whidbey, Moore was joined by Nancy Snow and A.T. Birmingham-Young of Langley, and Kathy Deveau of Freeland, and the four set about developing their concept.

People all over the world are creating projects to harvest and share extra fruit from backyard trees. The Gleeful Gleaners envision  a future in which all fruit trees are cared for and harvested and where fruit withering on the tree or rotting on the ground is a thing of the past. You can click here to read an article on gleaning in the New York Times.

The group is looking for worm-free fruit from non-sprayed trees, and will gladly accept donated harvested fruit to go along with what the volunteers pick. They actually scout the neighborhoods and knock on doors in support of their program.

I’m sure that the community will be willing to support their efforts and warm hearts!

Why Bother?

We’ll help get local, healthy food to the members of our community in need of it.

We’ll enjoy the pleasure of a convivial outing with a team of like-minded people.

We’ll reduce the sanitation and pest problems unharvested fruit can lead to.

We’ll use, rather than waste, a valuable resource. It just makes sense.

We’ll have some fun while doing some good!

What Can You Do?

Share fruit! If you have a tree with more fruit than you can use, let us know, and we’ll see if we can help you harvest it.

Volunteer as a tree donor.

Help harvest! They are also looking for people to harvest, transport, or process food for distribution or to give or lend fruit-picking equipment (ladders, fruit pickers, and bags).

Volunteer to help with the harvest.

You can learn more by visiting their site by clicking here.

Good Cheer!

Good Cheer is raffling off a custom built garden shed/greenhouse. The garden shed is on display in front of the Good Cheer Food Bank in Bayview. The proceeds from the raffle will be used to support the Good Cheer Garden. Last year the garden produced more than 5,800 pounds of produce for the Food Bank; a lot of good eats!

The shed was built and donated by Bob Bowling Rustics right here on Whidbey Island. Hanson’s Building Supply stepped in and helped to move the structure to Good Cheer just last week.

Bob Bowling Rustics creates a wide variety of unique structures that will enhance your yard and garden. Made from reclaimed and recycled materials, these functional art pieces are designed to invoke whimsy and a sense of playfulness to your outdoor living spaces.

Bob builds one of a kind playhouses, chicken coops, greenhouses, tool sheds, outhouses and garden chapels that are made to order. He will even incorporate your own treasured pieces into the design!

Tickets for the  for the 5 by 8 foot structure, valued at $6,500, are $5 apiece or five for $20 and are being sold at all Good Cheer Thrift Stores, the Food Bank office, and at Bob Bowling’s booth at the Bayview Farmer’s market. Tickets should be available at all the sites mentioned by the 4th of July weekend.  The drawing will be held at Good Cheer’s Harvest Party & Music Fest on Saturday, September 11 at 3 p.m. Winners need not be present to win.

If you don’t have a place for the garden shed; it would fit in nicely at the Good Cheer Garden:-) We can mark the piece with a copper nameplate for all to see!

The partnership of small businesses and non-profits or charities is not a new to Good Cheer; we have been blessed with strong business support from our community.

There are a number of reasons why businesses support  charities and non-profit endeavors in our community.

There is the opportunity to give back.  It allows the business to share and pass on some of its good fortune and success.

Being part of a community is vital for small business. In the days of the mega stores and the internet, it can be difficult to sustain a small business. One way to ensure that a business thrives in the community is to help build a thriving community.

When a business donates money, time, products or services; that enterprise gets instant recognition from the community.  People are more apt to support businesses they feel are part of their world. There is also the opportunity to support causes that the business believes in.

The opportunity to be involved in the local community is a great business strategy for many reasons. As you get to know others and work with others for a cause that you believe in, you will have fun and, you’ll become a part of the group. You will be involved and that can help you with marketing your business in many ways. You will know the needs of the community and be able to find ways to meet them.

All in all, supporting a charity or non-profit group can help a business grow, but most of all, it can be a great way to give back to your community and help support causes that need your help.

Our thanks goes out to Bob Bowling and the other businesses in our community that continue to support The Good Cheer Food Bank.

Good Cheer!

I wanted to show you some photos of the Good Cheer Garden. This is the time of year when we are able to bring fresh and healthy vegetables into the food bank.

Cary Peterson, Good Cheer Garden Coordinator, picking fresh broccoli in the garden.

Americorp volunteer Molly Zeigler; this is fresh!

Straight from our garden to You:)

Summer Squash

Chard and Bright Lights Chard

Kale

Lettuce

Leeks, Lettuce and Summer Squash

Broccoli and Chard

Peas

Beets

Two varieties of Kale

Peas on the Vine

Chard

Strawberries

What else is growing in the garden?

Basil, Beans, Blueberries, Bok Choi, Carrots, Cauliflower, Chives, Collards, Cilantro, Cucumbers, Herbs, Onions, Parsley, Parsnips, Pears, Plums, Pumpkins, Radishes, Respberries, Spinach, Tomatoes, Tulips and Zucchini!

Good Cheer or perhaps I should say Good Eats!

The Good Cheer Food Bank has been hit by a double whammy; a 48-percent drop in donations and a huge increase in the number of customers. I suppose I should mention that we have had some unanticipated expenses. A  $3000 repair bill for the food bank’s delivery truck would have bought a  lot of groceries.

The past couple of years, people have been aware of the recession and have wanted to help. Now it seems as though the recession is getting to be just a part of life, and every month we’re getting further behind. We have been adding new events like the Mother of all Talent Shows and we will continue to make adjustments to better serve the community.

This blog is a very useful tool for getting the word out to our wonderful supporters. Perhaps you can spread the word of need to your friends by emailing a link (how to create a link in an email) to this post or to the Good Cheer Blogspot.

We have had to cap the number of points large households receive, plus increase points for some food items. The point price for several items have increased, especially for certain processed foods such as Hamburger Helper. In addition, volunteers and staff are implementing ways to provide greater structure to our check-in program.

The Good Cheer garden provides some good news in the face of these price hikes. Because of the increasing bounty from Good Cheer’s garden, now in its second season, the prices on fresh fruits and vegetables are low; sometimes free. We’re trying not to raise the price on things that are good for our clients.

Part of Good Cheer’s fundraising strategy is to find ways for the thrift stores to generate more money. We will be putting collectible items, that haven’t sold in our stores, on Ebay. This is because, they are collectibles, and those who collect those types of items haven’t walked through our doors.  This will give us more exposure.

John Ball was recently hired to take on the job of  Distribution Center Associate; to help Good Cheer become more efficient in our pursuit of raising more money from the items that you are donating to us.

John has experience with E-Bay as he had an on-line book business for years. John will be responsible for  managing the new Good Cheer E-Bay account. This should increase our sales and gives us a good on-line presence.

John was recently honored by the South Whidbey Rotary Club for his more than 21 years of volunteer work at Good Cheer. Having previously owned the Mad Hatter’s Old Books store that operated in Langley, he knows the fair market value of many of the items, and if not, knows how to research how they should be priced.

He once received an 1862 Sharp Pepperbox revolver donated to Good Cheer. “I knew it was very valuable, but I wasn’t exactly sure about the dollar amount. So I researched and found a gun expert in California who sold it for us through an auction house for $900.” More recently, some U.S. Cavalry saddlebags popped up at Good Cheer and were valued at $135. John found a reference to them in a history book.

Before his bookstore, John played professional soccer, worked at the old Rainier Brewery in Seattle, fought forest fires, and tended bar at The Dog House in Langley.

We will be extending our Bayview facility donation hours Tuesdays through Fridays until 7 p.m. This should allow us to receive more donations for sale in our thrift stores as well as  making it more convenient for people to volunteer at Good Cheer after work.  To learn more about volunteering at Good Cheer click here.

It is our hope that the longer hours of operation at the Distribution Center will be a convenience for the people who donate items to Good Cheer. Many out-of-area charities are soliciting for furniture and clothing donations on South Whidbey. Good Cheer’s major funding source is from the sales proceeds from its Thrift Stores, and we rely upon our hometown area for item donations. Community donations help our community.

We are fortunate to have a marvelous team of volunteers performing vital functions – but what we need right now are monetary donations to keep our Food Bank shelves stocked.

If you can contribute, please use the remit envelope in Good Cheer’s last newsletter, contribute online by clicking here, or mail in a donation to Good Cheer, PO Box 144, Langley, WA 98260.

I wanted to share some thoughts from Rita Burns, your Good Cheer Operations Manager, who was recently quoted in an article from the South Whidbey Record.

“The economy may slowly be improving, but you wouldn’t know it by the number of people coming to the Food Bank.  Many people have finally exhausted their savings after losing jobs or experiencing a drop in business, and must now turn to Good Cheer for help in feeding their families. Some days our waiting room is quite full as only six shopping carts can fit inside the grocery area at a time.”

“What really touches my heart are the young children with their mothers. Did you know that last year Good Cheer provided supplemental food for 1,665 children on South Whidbey?”

“Thank God we live in a place where neighbors care about neighbors and believe that creating and sustaining a hunger-free community matters.”

Good Cheer!

This  is a call for Art Entries for Good Cheer’s Harvest Party & Music Fest 2010 Poster.

Local artists are encouraged to submit entries for poster artwork for Good Cheer Food Bank’s second annual Harvest Party & Music Fest to be held September 11.

The winning design (as selected by the festival steering committee) will be reproduced on the event’s promotional poster, website, blog, ads, and other materials distributed throughout the area. The chosen artist will receive a $250 check and will be an honored guest at the festival. The artwork will become the property of Good Cheer.

Last years winning entry from Kathy Marshall.

The framed original artwork will be auctioned off at the event, and posters will be for sale as a fundraiser for Good Cheer’s on-site garden. In addition, all submitted artwork will be on display during the day of the festival. Last year the event drew more than 300 people to our Bayview facility.

Our theme this year is “Cultivate Community” which is appropriate since all funds raised during the Harvest Party & Music Fest will go to supporting Good Cheer’s garden. Last year our garden produced more than 5,800 pounds of fresh vegetables for our Food Bank clients. This is an opportunity for artists to use their talents to help create a hunger-free community!

Specifications for artwork and an entry form can be found on Good Cheer’s website or by clicking here. Deadline for submissions is June 11.

I have created a slideshow of last years event so that you can get a  feel for the atmosphere and perhaps assist you in developing a winning poster. Just click on the above photo to see the slideshow. For full screen viewing just click on the icon for full screen viewing in the lower right hand corner.

Everyone involved in this project is a winner; even though a selection must be made.

Thanks for your participation!

Good cheer!

I’m sure that most of you are aware of the Good Cheer Food Garden. The point that strikes me is the depth of what is being done and the variety of the volunteers that we find working at the garden site. This last month we saw the first harvest of the year and the planting of some of the first seeds for later harvesting.

The starts were donated by Molly Peterson and they were planted in the greenhouse in mid-February; they’ve been growing and should be moved outside under protection around mid-March.

Here is a photo of our volunteers harvesting the kale and collards. You can read more about the harvesting and the planting of starts by clicking here.

Molly Zeiger, as you may know, is our Americorp volunteer. She began her tour with Good Cheer and the garden last September and we are lucky to have her around through this July.

“While I am here, I hope to help implement a sustainable and efficient system to turn healthy harvest from the garden into appreciated meals on the table. So far it has been a humbling learning experience.” Molly is a great role model for our younger volunteers and adds an energy that is certainly welcome at Good Cheer.

Last year local chefs Kristian Bentsen, V Smiley and Damien Cortez shared some delicious and easy recipes for garden veggies in their summer series of cooking classes in the Good Cheer Garden. They used produce from the Good Cheer Garden to create tasty and nutritious meals that are simple to prepare. Hopefully, we can do this again!

Last year we had the help of a number of youth organizations from our communities here on Whidbey Island.  You can read more be clicking on this link to the garden blog.

This is what the site looked like in January of 2009. There are so many people to thank and so many organizations who have been involved. Their time and efforts are very much appreciated.

The Langley Middle School garden came into being in 2007 and in their first harvest year they donated over 250 pounds of produce to the Good Cheer Food Bank. This is a wonderful story and a way of  building a great tradition at the school. Each year they have new classes, new kids,  and new crops to go along with all of the shared memories that they have created.

You can see what they are doing at the LMS Community Garden by clicking here.

Even the White House is getting it’s own vegetable garden!

Good Cheer!