07/20/2022 MASHPEE COMMUNITY GARDEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Minutes

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MASHPEE COMMUNITY GARDEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (MCGAC) ANNUAL MEETING MINUTES July 20, 2022 7:00 P.M. Popponessett Meeting Room PRESENT:Virginia Scharfenberg, Sheryl Carberry, Frank Gallello,John Carter, Lynn Harris, Mohamad Fand (partial) GUEST: Kirsten Nordstrom, gardener CALL TO ORDER Chairwoman Scharfenberg called the meeting to order at 7:04 pm. Meeting Minutes for June 15, 2022—Approved unanimously COMMUNICATIONS and CORRESPONDENCE—none to report REPORTS and RELATED DISCUSSION: • Virginia Scharfenberg reported that new garden with fencing was completed by contractors on July 12, 2022. New gardeners, as well as all those using 20 original beds, were sent an email invitation to attend a 10:30 AM Welcome Gathering on Saturday,July 161h at the garden. It was well attended by new gardeners. • Garden charts will be updated by Sheryl Carberry to reflect a newly vacated plot and replacement gardener. • The shed lock box that had broken was replaced by Rick Harris. The combination remains the same. • Discussion of gardeners' responsibility for own watering of their beds, including asking a fellow gardener to do so if they cannot be there on given days. • Discussion of two gardeners' inquiries about soil testing of the soil/compost brought from Mashpee transfer station for filling the new beds. They expressed concern about the possibility of PFAS presence since they had seen reference to a PFAS issue with a large composting facility in the state. --Virginia reported that the UMass Soil & Plant Tissue Testing Lab in Amherst does not test for PFAS, but that she will send a sample to the Lab this week requesting their standard test. --Virginia will check with APCC to confer with them about information they may have relating to PFAS soil testing,the purpose being that we would have something we could pass on if an individual requested more information. --The Board concluded that since the soil is Town generated and owned, it would be their call as to whether to do any kind of advanced testing such as this. • The Board discussed dividing up the list of new gardeners, and perhaps that of renewed gardeners,to call and personally review the Rules& Regulations. This should be done sooner rather than later to ensure that there is no confusion about expectations. --Virginia will draft talking points as needed to provide consistency in our review with individuals and call Board members with assignments, hopefully within the next week. --The Board was reminded that the Rules& Regulations need to be referenced when dealing with garden situations and all members need to understand the parameters. 1