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Volume 26 Issue 10 OCTOBER 2020
The Tollgate Farm News
MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteer General Meeting on Zoom
Thursday, October 15, 7:00 PM
Bat Basics & Benefits Join garden volunteers in the Zoom-iverse for safe distance learning on Thursday, September 17. President and founder of Night Nature Alliance, Amanda Felk will talk about the traits that all bats share, compare microbats and megabats, and discuss the diets of unique bat species. Her presentation will also include how bats worldwide help humanity and how we can help bats in return.
“Bringing you out of the dark about creatures of the night,” Night Nature Alliance, http://www.nightnature.org/, was founded in 2016 by dedicated conservationists. The organization’s mission is to prevent cruelty to nocturnal animals through education and the support of scientific research and wildlife rehabilitation.
6 TGAC Meeting-Zoom 7:00 pm Thursdays Curb-side Farm Store 3 PM-6:30 PM
15 Tollgate Volunteer Meeting-Zoom 7:00 PM Fridays Curb-side Farm Store Noon-4 PM
Saturdays Curb-side Farm Store 10 AM - 2 PM
12 TGAC Meeting-Zoom 7:00 PM
9am-noon 17th - 21st Holiday Drive Through Times TBD
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Greetings all,
September has followed August into history. In this most unusual year, the farm continues to be closed to the public. Not quiet, exactly, but a dif-ferent kind of activity pervades Tollgate. Life seems to be a series of Zoom meetings. In the absence of traditional programming, Tollgate staff are busy planning a few special events in the next few months. Throughout the month of October, Tollgate is hosting a Farm Store fea-turing products from Tollgate and local farms. Clay Ottoni will also be on the farm selling his most tasty honey. Check out the Farm Store tab on the Tollgate website for hours of operation.
Another event that is still in the planning stages is a winter drive-through light show. Hard as it may be to believe with our current gorgeous fall weather, winter will be here soon. We are work-ing to create a route on the property where visi-tors can stay safely in their cars and enjoy a beautiful lights, decorated trees and other sea-sonal treats. Another new adventure in this most unusual year.
The leaves of the pumpkin patch have all died away revealing lots and lots of pumpkins! Truth-fully, I couldn’t be prouder. Pumpkins range in size from little pie sized cute-as-a-button pump-kins to really great Jack-O-Lantern sized pump-kins ready for carving. We are selling them at Tollgate’s October Farm Store, to other local merchants, and wherever else we can think of. The pumpkin patch is great. It’s fun when things work out just how you envisioned it. I try to sa-vor these moments, as they don’t come along that often.
I truly appreciate the hard work that many of our volunteers have expended keeping the weeds under control in the gardens. Even without our Saturday workdays, most of the gardens look pretty good thanks to the efforts of many dedi-cated garden volunteers. I am really looking for-ward to getting on the other side of Covid. I hope and trust that you are all well.
Thanks for all that you do and have done for the farm,
Roy
Roy Prentice
FROM THE TOLLGATE
FARM MANAGER
GREETINGS
Photos provided by Roy Prentice
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Greetings Tollgate Volunteers,
As summer has moved on we continue to
have some dedicated garden volunteers hard at work on the site. I would like to thank the Nursery team on their plant sale
effort and PAR team for their continued harvest effort-Both with great success.
Through September we have progressed in our clean-up efforts in the Office, Chil-dren’s, Heritage and Rain gardens. Our fo-
cus has been on beating back the weeds, reclaiming areas overrun and mulching af-
ter our work. The renovation of the Chil-dren’s garden pond area was completed with Roy’s help. Plant material had over-
grown, and debris had built up which made the use of our current filtering sys-tem totally useless. A new external filter
system is planned for next season and the waterlilies, iris and marsh marigolds will be
returned to give new life to a favorite Chil-dren’s Garden feature.
Notes from the President Renee Cottrell
“Autumn is a second spring when every
leaf is a flower” -Albert Camus
Children’s Pond Lily Children’s Pond Cleared for Renovation
Divided water lily ready to return to pond
Water lily divisions will be able to be removed and divided more easily in the future
Photos provided by Renee Cottrell Notes from the President, continued on next page
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It has been a very challenging year for all
as we work through the pandemic re-strictions and precautions as well as a very unusual gardening year. I hope all of
you are doing well with keeping your fami-ly safe and attitudes positive. We all look forward to the other side of this pandemic
when we can meet and work side by side and enjoy the company of our gardening
friends.
Garden Care Plans-This season I have been working on garden Care plan notes
that will eventually be found in the gar-den binder for each garden area. This is
an expansion of the plant listings that includes pictures, clean up instructions such as common weeds, pruning times
etc.. I would appreciate help from the AGLs in contributing time for this re-search and input on current plant lists
and plans already in place. Feel free to contact me and I can send you the draft
if I have one for your area for you to re-vise and update.
Please Note - As a reminder to all: The
October 15, 2020 meeting is 7pm Zoom presentation of the monthly speaker. Hope to see many of you virtually partici-
pating!
Your elected TGAC members are dedicat-
ed to making your Tollgate experience rewarding and only with honest feedback can we continue to grow. E-mail me your
thoughts and comments [email protected].
Notes from the President (Continued)
Wishing everyone a wonderful October and a Happy Halloween!
Forms will be available at the next Tollgate Volunteer General meeting and attached to this newsletter.
Thank-you!
Angie Carter
Vote Now-October is the month to vote on all elected positions for TGAC. Though the field of nominees is very
limited we ask that you participate in the voting process, write in votes are
welcome! Please submit your ballot for officer positions by email or US mail by the membership meeting on Oct. 15th.
Also by proxy via phone call/ message to Roy for the same deadline. Look for
the ballot in this issue.
In an effort to continue with Tollgate Garden Volunteer business we will
hold the October election of officers via e-mail, US mail or to Roy via phone message proxy if necessary. 248-347-
3860 ext 251.
Please take a moment NOW to partici-
pate so we have sufficient ballot re-turns for a valid election process. You may still do a write in for yourself or
another candidate who is willing to ful-fil the position.
Thank you in advance for being a member and the support you have giv-en to this organization
Renee Cottrell, President
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As this most unusual summer is coming to a close, we are reflecting on the accomplish-ments of 2020, despite the challenges that COVID placed in our way: After regaining ac-cess in June, we reclaimed the Nursery from a huge overgrowth of weeds both in and around the pots. We worked - social distanc-ing with a maximum of 3 workers in the nurse-ry at a time - to fertilize, water, weed and di-vide our plants to keep them healthy and thriv-ing. Were-dug and leveled the pot areas and paths in the Shade house to regain the intend-ed pot capacity and increase walking safety. We potted up new divisions donated by Toll-gate Volunteers as well as some from other gardens on the property. The format for a “socially distanced” Fall Plant Sale (by ap-pointment only) was developed and held on 2 Saturdays in September, bringing in over $1,700 of much needed funding for the Toll-gate Gardens.
October’s focus is on closing the nursery for the season…. we have completed the first step of taking a final fall inventory. This process helps us to identify new varieties that may need a new “plant tag” created over the winter for the spring sale. The final inventory is also used to calculate how many and what varieties of plants we will request as dona-tions next spring. We also use this infor-mation to determine which pots need special winter protection and develop our overwinter-ing plan. Only after we have moved these pots to their winter locations can we cut back all the foliage, group pots closely together and mulch around the pots to provide some extra insulation from the freeze/thaw cycle of a Michigan winter. The pots that were moved to receive extra winter protection will also be covered by a row cover, or spend the winter stored in the Nursery shed. Both methods
protect from winter snow melt and rain, as well as a provide more insulation from the typ-ical freeze/thaw cycle than the standard treat-ment.
Working in the NURSERY is a unique gar-dening experience that provides an oppor-tunity to learn about lots of different types of plants, as well as the challenges of maintain-ing healthy perennials in a pot. We are look-ing forward to 2021 and hoping for a return to a more typical year, but aware that we may also need to brainstorm creative ways to con-tinue the successful operation of the nursery. Please contact me if you would like to learn more about the many opportunities of working in the Nursery and joining our team - [email protected].
VOLUNTEERS TOGETHER DIVIDING GROWING SHARING
NURSERY NOTES Peg Palmer
NURSERY NOTES
Take a Tollgate Picture
Now that we have permission to resume
volunteer activities at Tollgate, consider taking some pictures for the Tollgate calendar. The preferred format is jpeg,
landscape files.
Send photo files at full or actual size in separate emails if necessary. Please
email your files to Larry Bolam at [email protected].
Fall is a beautiful time at Tollgate, think about capturing that beauty in a photo
for the Tollgate calendar.
Picture provided by Roy Prentice
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AR
OU
ND
TH
E F
AR
M
Pictures provided by Roy Prentice
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Volunteer Activity Day and Meetings Information
248-347-3860 ext. 400
● The next Tollgate Gardens Advisory Council
meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 6th
at 7:00 pm. All Tollgate Gardens Volunteer
members are welcome to attend.
● Listings to contact individual Council Members
and Area Garden Leaders are available at all
general meetings and in the Volunteer
Communication Center.
● Tollgate Volunteer Membership is renewed
annually. The 2020 Tollgate Garden Volunteers
membership is from January 1, 2021 to
December 31, 2021.
Farm Manager Roy Prentice - 248 347-3860 ext. 251 email - [email protected]
President .......................... Renee Cottrell
Vice President… ............... Marilyn Alimpich
Secretary… ....................... Dave Komraus
Treasurer .......................... Sue Janczarek
Membership ...................... Angie Carter
PR ...................................... TBD
Programs .......................... Jackie Stengel
Hospitality ........................ Teresa LaRosa
Farm News Editor ............. Jennifer Roberts
For membership questions or to update your current membership information send email to:
MSU Tollgate Gardens Volunteers For general information and questions Contact Roy Prentice or See Website:
http://tollgate.msu.edu/volunteering/
Activity Days Until further notice group work activity days are on hold. Volunteers may work individually at Tollgate following the guidelines established by MSU Extension. You may contact Roy at [email protected] to be re-ferred to the appropriate Area Garden Leader/ or Renee to be assigned work activities. Watch your e-mails for updates as available. We strongly recommend you bring your own tools for your garden activi-
ties during the pandemic crisis. All tools borrowed from the toolshed
must be sanitized with a 10% bleach solution prior to returning to the
shed after use
If you aren’t getting
The Tollgate Farm News
email, Check your
SPAM folder
• Trowel
• Pruners
• Loppers
• Garden Scissors
• Your Favorite Weeding Implement
• Hand Saw
• Plant Division Forks
• Shrub Rake
• Sun Screen
• Garden Gloves
• Knee Pads
• Insect Repellant
List of Suggested Gardening Implements to Bring
from Home as Needed
• Spades
• Garden Rakes
• Brooms
• Wheelbarrows
• Weed Buckets
• Leaf Rakes
• Garden Hoe
• Long Handled
Garden Forks
Garden Tools Available for Use at Tollgate
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