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SAVE THE DATE
AUG 4, 2012
Plans are well underway for Grow Benzie's third
Extravaganza on August 4, 2012. The focus this year is on Music, Music, Fun, and Raising Money- we have already contracted with three different music groups so there will be enough variety to meet everyone's taste.
We're always looking for the new and unpredictable so you'll be in for a treat and surprise- The silent auction will be focused on fewer items, but more unusual, to insure something to delight everyone.
Dave Query again will be masterminding the menu with a different twist and theme supporting the local farmers and area enterprise. Just as before, You are in for a memorable evening.
The Live Auction will be "Off the Charts" with a couple of proven winners with some new things.
Put the Top Down and Hands Up!
. . . . more on this to come. So . . . . Save, Save, Save the Date Aug. 4th. We need you to be here! |
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Meet our Intern
John Everett
You'll be seeing a lot of this young man this summer. John will be helping in the gardens and greenhouses, along with helping us expand our Farmer's Market. We are looking forward to hearing him play on Monday nights at the new time, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Grow Benzie Farmer's Market as John is also a talented musician.
If you read the following that John submitted to us when applying for the internship, we think you'll understand why we are so excited to welcome him to Grow Benzie. "My mother is a violin teacher and performer from South Carolina and my father is a music theorist from New Jersey. They have had to work very hard to have those careers make them enough money to support a family and sustain themselves. They taught me about practice and patience. I attended Michigan State University right after graduating high school in Ann Arbor Michigan, but there were things I had to learn for myself before pursuing an education at such a high level. I knew I wanted to develop skills, but in what area? I moved back to Ann Arbor after one year at the University and spent another whole year working as a waiter and volunteer learning about responsibility and hard work. I want to learn how to make the communities I live in thrive and give meaning to everyone's lives who are a part of it. Through being involved with the people I have learned from, I have found that being of service is the only way I feel a useful part of this world, and it is important for me to feel useful and active. Since working at an organic restaurant in Ann Arbor for almost 2 years, my interest in small-scale community supported agriculture has grown and I have been looking for ways to get involved. I am happy to work hard on something that is useful, while I continue learning about the ways I will contribute to life."
-john
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| Sewing Update
Monday nights are still abuzz with nimble fingers working on various projects.
The above picture is a recent photo of
members listening to
Victoria Velting Luebke. The open
studio will continue
through June,Mondays
6-9 p.m. $10.00 charge per night and Grow Benzie provides materials. **Of special note, Mondays through the month of June, there is no charge if you help make items to be used as a fundraiser for Grow Benzie.
Come join the fun and comraderie as you learn, complete projects for yourselves and others, and enjoy the company of others.
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With all of this newsletter focused on spring and upcoming events, we thought the following article by Scott Hughey, District Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service for Benzie and Manistee Counties would be of interest to all of you. As we're all involved with nature and the interrelationships between the forests, birds, and agriculture, this is particularly pertinent.
Six tips to Better Forest Habitat for Fish & Wildlife
Just as croplands can produce crops yet yield habitat for wildlife, forestlands can be managed to produce wood products and at the same time benefit wildlife. Managing a forest with wildlife in mind is like shooting at a moving target. As the trees and other plants in a forest grow and change, the structure, size and species of trees and other plants changes. read more. . .
For more information, contact:
Scott Hughey
USDA_NRCS
Bear Lake, MI
231 889 9666
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Time to Get Gardening!
25 Garden plots are ready for the picking at Grow Benzie, beginning May 1, on a first come, first serve basis. (Please call Mary Ann to reserve your plot- 231 882 9292.). This year the price for a 100 square foot plot is $25, which includes 5, 5 gallon pails of soil amendments/compost which gardeners will receive to work into their plots. Another enhancement to the gardens this year are increased numbers of places to connect garden hoses.
Green house space is also available with a fee of $1 per flat where a gardener can provide his own soil and seed. A variety of plants are also available on site in two sizes: quart size soil blocks for $3.00 and 2" soil blocks for $.50 a piece. Plants that are available are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, basil, and beans.
Grow Benzie welcomes your help- we need your yard waste: leaves left over from last year, kitchen scraps (vegetable, fruit, coffee grounds, egg shells), and grass clippings. Please do not bring anything that has been sprayed with chemicals. Yard waste is to be deposited in the designated area by the lower driveway as you enter the Grow Benzie site.
We especially want to thank our green house crew- Ron, Bill, and Brian, and volunteers Stephanie and the trustess who have helped so much in preparing the gardens for this year. We also want to welcome our intern, John Everett, (see article at left) who will be with us this spring and summer.
The Garden Agreement and Garden rules are on our website, www.growbenzie.org The Garden Agreement can be downloaded. click here
For information on reserving a plot, greenhouse space, or where to leave yard waste, please contact Mary Ann, 231 882 9292 or email growbenzie@gmail.com.
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NEED INSPIRATION?
TAKE A LOOK AT THESE. . .
You don't have to tackle a big project right away- try something simple first!
 Use a tackle box to create an herb garden.
Or grow only one plant. After you've used the tops of green onions but the whites remain, submerge them in a glass of water and place on a sunny window. They will continue to grow and you can clip the green tops for use all season.
Don't have space-get creative:
Recycle plastic bottles for containers and hang
on a sunny wall.......
or hang gutters, slightly slanted for drainage.......
or repurpose a shoe bag and do the same. Need to understand composting?  Need to plant seeds?There are lots of ways to get started. And look at the return.
Grow Benzie will be offering canning classes.
Wow!
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5885 M 115, Frankfort Hwy
Benzonia MI 49616
231 882 9510
www.growbenzie.org
growbenzie@gmail.com
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