Hi all,

It has been a while and it has been good to be more in the garden than on the computer !-) but first and foremost let me wish you a very Happy New Year full of gardening achievements and discoveries as well as great community time.

We have harvested almsot 12 kg of potatoes, a lot of kale and there is a lot of beans, a few tomatillos and possibly cucumber and melons to come.
We have also received (but not picked up) a composter from Wollongong Council. 
A few of us more involved (through the management committee) have less time but more ideas !-) and one of them is to make the garden much more shared accessible to the rest of the community, members or not members in deed.

Please put down the following dates of working bees and the AGM (coupled with a shared Mexican locally cooked and eaten lunch). Also, please note that we will try to get our local seed savers and permaculturalists to give us a few talks/tours to help us improve yields in the garden and in our backyards.
On the community side of things, the Council has promised to consider upgrading the fences and the playground, but it may take a while.

• Sunday 18 January, 4.30pm - 6pm, working bee: grass cutting, kale removing, beans planting....
• Sunday 2 February, 4.30pm - 6pm, working bee + Garden your with Narelle Harp from 'A Garden for life' Permaculture and garden design.
• Sunday 16 February, 4.30pm - 6pm, working bee
• Sunday 23 February, 12pm to 4pm: AGM (rsvp here) and MEXICAN FIESTA (you want to be part of the organisation, please email us now here)
• Sunday 9 March 4.30pm - 6pm, working bee
• Sunday 23 March 4.30pm - 6pm, working bee

At the AGM we will decide of the future of the Community and Garden Association and about how to best manage it so we have a great outcome for the community and it's feasible with our busy schedules. We believe a community garden in a place like Otford is a wonderful way to learn, produce and share together and to bolster this great area. It's in Otford but it's opened to people from Stanwell Tops, Stanwell Park, Helensburgh, Coalcliff, Darkes forest...

See you very soon.