Media Green Exchange

The good news – we got a lot accomplished in about an hour. Many great ideas! Good things coming! Read on!

Media Green Exchange Minutes, Oct. 4, 2009, 7-8:15 pm

Next Meeting:
November 8, 2009, 7pm

Present:
Cate, Gerard, Marion, Amy, Meg, Shannon

1. Plant Swap Feedback:

• Consensus:
• unstructured informal swap (as opposed to negotiated 1-to-1 swap) is working well
• swapping plants, non-plant items as well as services (such as weeding, carpentry, etc.) is desirable
• an exact start time is best
• ? discussed need to bring something to swap; open swap to public? May they take something?
• agreement that we would like to attract non-gardeners and apartment dwellers to swap, thus, we shall emphasize that folks need not bring something to come to the swap

Action: Continue with informal swap. Participants may swap plants, non-plants (such as tools), as well as services, and even take something without an item to swap. Final swap will be last Saturday in October.

2. Plant Swap Publicity:

Actions:

• Get flyers out around town and to networks: Seven Stones, House, Selene, etc. Shannon will supply flyers by email.
• Reach out to local communities outside of Media.
• Article for Town Talk – Amy
• Connect with online communities – Shannon, Meg
• Spring 2010 possible actions:
• Create sign for the “pavilion” on the Plum Street Mall to invite passersby to the event
• ? Second Saturdays Swaps in Evenings?
• ? Dining Under the Stars Swaps?
• ? Collaborate with Selene, Birthmark and other retailers to put up a table and offer free samples?
• Offer demonstrations such as rain barrel construction, dividing perennials, seed bombs for guerrilla gardening

3. Plant Swap Committee:

• Gerard, Cate, Amy, Shannon. Each of us will commit to be present at each plant swap (one Saturday per month per person), there before 10am, welcoming folks, facilitating swapping, supplying signup sheet and flyers.

Action: Amy will do next week’s swap. The remainder of October will be decided over email by the committee.

4. Value Statement:

• We read the statement that we submitted to Media Borough and attached to our fall flyers:
• Media Green Exchange is a grassroots network of gardeners. We cultivate the sharing of resources, community through gardening, a sense of place, and good clean fun in the dirt.
• Discussion: don’t want to close door to folks who don’t consider themselves “gardeners”, exchange of resources most important, succinct statement is best
• Consensus: Rework statement with new emphasis beyond gardening.

Action: Brainstorm over email. Gerard, Cate, and Shannon will bring revised statement to next meeting for approval.

5. Upcoming Events/Transition Town Media

• Marion introduced Transition Town Media to the group. Discussed upcoming events, including Fresh: The Movie, Oct. 25, 2009 7pm, at  the Delaware County Institute of Science. Media Green Exchange is a co-sponsor with Greener Partners of this event.

Action: MGE will spread the word to our networks about Fresh: The Movie. Marion will provide flyers (via email?) for distribution.

6. MGE Ideas, Big and Small, a simple brainstorm:

• Media Garden Tour, and garden-in-progress tour
• More interactive website
• Work parties, home projects, learning opportunities
• Demonstrations at plant swap
• Field trips
• Plum Street Mall edible plantings
• Guerrilla plantings
• Community garden in boro
• Farmers’ market

Action: We will send out a separate email for your feedback about these ideas.
7. Next meeting items

• Value Statement
• Plant Swap wrap-up
• January Plant Swap
• Winter actions (choices from brainstorm)