We generally try not to put too many different topics in one email, but I beg your indulgance in this case as there are several changes and opportunities we want to share with you.

Schedule changes – this Tuesday is the last Tuesday night workday for 2024. Daylight savings time ends next Sunday and it will be too dark to garden in the evenings. (Heads up – we’ll also be starting at 9am instead of 8am on Saturdays in November!)

Broadfork demo – this past Saturday we began preparing our new asparagus bed using a double dig method and a borrowed broadfork (see video below). Asparagus is a perennial crop that has very deep roots – as much as 10-15 feet! As such it’s helpful to loosen the soil deeply when planting since we won’t get the chance to do it again until the bed becomes overcrowded and has to be divided many years down the road. We dug the top foot to foot and a half of top soil and laid it to the side and then used the broadfork to loosen and aerate the soil below. A generous gardener has offered to dig transplants from her grandmother’s asparagus patch when it becomes dormant this winter and we’ll get them installed in our new bed. It will be a year or two before we can harvest asparagus as it takes a while to establish.

Need volunteers to pick up WWCM produce scraps – One of the ways we increase the yield of our compost bins is to pick up produce scraps from grocery stores, coffee houses and food banks. The food banks often get produce from grocery stores that has very little shelf life left before it begins to go bad. We have 5 dedicated volunteers who each pick up these scraps on Tuesdays once a month from Western Wake Crisis Ministry at 1600 Olive Chapel Road in Apex. The scraps are stored in a bin outside the back door of the food bank accessible by a keycoded gate. They are transported in five gallon buckets with lids. Our volunteers dump the contents in our compost bins, top with leaves, rinse the buckets and return them to the food bank. Two other groups were picking up and can’t continue so we’d like to establish a Th/Fr rotation as well. We need 4 volunteers to pick up one Friday each month and one more volunteer to do fifth Fridays. Compost is the lifeblood of any garden, especially those who operate organically. This makes a huge difference in our ability to produce quality and quantity in our harvest.

Last but not least, this Saturday in the Art & Gift Market at Apex UMC supporting all missions including our garden. From 9am to 3pm local craft vendors and artisans will sell their wares. This is a great opportunity to shop for unique holiday gifts while supporting local artists and local, regional and international missions. It’s a win/win/win! There is also a silent auction (link here and QR code below) with lots of wonderful gifts you can bid on. Hope you can stop by and invite your friends and neighbors!