OVF NEWSApril - June, 2006

Karen Andersen, EditorPublished by Ocean View FarmsP.O. Box 66534 Los Angeles, CA 90066

11:30 AM - 12:00 PMOPEN HOUSE & GARDEN TOUROVF members are encouraged to be intheir plots during this time to greetour guests and will receive 1 hour ofcommunity credit. Sign in at theworkday before going to your plot.

12:00 - 1:00 PMOUTDOOR LUNCHEON

1:00 PM GENERAL MEETING & ANNIVERSARY CEREMONYFeatured Guest: Councilman BillRosendahl, City of LA, 11th District

All OVF members are encouraged tobring your friends and family to helpus celebrate our 30th year.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED• We expect a large turnout of bothgarden members and invited guests sothe preparation of any extra potluckfood or drinks would be greatly appre-ciated. A pot luck sign up sheet isposted in the large shed for your con-venience. • We hope that garden members willdonate flowers from their gardens forboth decorating the meeting area andas gifts for some of our invited guests.• We need people to help decorate themeeting area and assist with ourguests.

TO VOLUNTEERPlease contact President Frank Harriseither by e-mail: frank@oceanview-farms.net or leave a note in his box.

JOIN US APRIL 8TH TO CELEBRATE

30 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

Spring arrives on March 20th and withthe recent rainfalls, we are off to a

great start! The following veggies can beplanted now: Beans, beets, carrots, can-taloupes, corn, cucumbers, lettuce,spinach, radishes, Swiss chard, summersquash, and watermelon. However,you’ve probably discovered by now thatsome of your favorite seeds are no longeravailable. This is because huge interna-tional companies have bought most of thefamily owned seed companies and elimi-nated some of the seed varieties. A thirdof the worldwide seed market is now con-trolled by just 10 of these greedy seedbarons. Fortunately with the help ofambitious gardeners, small farmers andthe assistance of a few universities, effortshave been made behind the scenes toguarantee a diverse available seed supply.

This has opened a specialty market forsmall organic seed companies. To pro-mote the expansion of this valuable serv-ice to organic gardeners, please considerbuying only from regional organic seedcompanies. The following websites willsteer you down the organic pathway:h t t p : / / w w w . f e d c o s e e d s . c o m /h t t p : / / w w w. s e e d s o f c h a n g e . c o m /http://www.abundantlifeseeds.com/stores/

1/index.cfm http://www.highmowingseeds.com/ http://www.seedsavers.org/, http://seedal

liance.org/http://growseed.org/http://savingourseed.org/

We’ve got a lot going on this spring atOVF so take a peek inside and share yourenthusiasm for organic gardening by get-ting involved! Our anniversary party onApril 8th is the biggest event of the year,you won’t want to miss it!

See you in the garden.

––– Karen Andersen, editor

2 0 0 6 - c e l e b r at i n g 3 0 y e a r s o f c o m m u n i t y ga r d e n i n g

Frank Harris, OVF president and manager of the Grand View Parkway Project (see insert for details)joins other awardees on the steps of City Hall where they receive proclamations thanking them fortheir civic spirit in volunteering to help beautify Los Angeles neighborhoods.

From the Editor’s Desk

RECYCLE PROGRAM I am pleased to report that the recy-cling of “CRV” aluminum cans, plastic bottles and glassbottles has been a huge success! We took 5 bags of CRVrecycles items to the Recycle Center on February 21st andreceived $44. This money will be put into the General Fundand maybe we will buy some new tools and repair some ofthe old ones that need handles. Please keep bringing yourCRV recycling items (as described above) and if the bluewooden box is full, place the bag beside the box. PIPE Please look around your plots for old metal pipes thatyou have no use for, and bring them to the lumber cage nextto the tool shed. We use this salvage pipe to repair gardenwalls. When building raised beds you can use plastic PVCpipe to support them since there isn’t much pressure on theboards and they will not deteriorate. It is also easy to cutPVC with a hack saw. If you know of anyone that has oldsalvage pipe, please let me know.FIREWOOD is available at the top of Phase 2 near the dump-ster and most of it is cut to fireplace length. There are also afew pieces of tree trunks there that make natural seats ordecorations in your plots or your home landscaping area.Take all you want.GOPHERS Gholam Fatemi has been very successful in catch-ing gophers all over the garden and I want to thank him forhis efforts. You may leave a note in his mailbox if you arehaving gopher problems. Be specific with your note andindicate your name, telephone #, phase and plot informa-tion. Fatemi’s mailbox is in Phase 2, Upper, Plot F39.Fatemi has agreed to teach anyone to catch gophers in theirown plots if they wish. Put your request into his mailbox.SPRING PLANTING This is the time of year that gardenersusually enjoy the most so get busy planting your springcrops! New members may want to check the planting guidesposted on the bulletin board in the tool shed. The guides arefor Southern California and list the vegetables and flowersfor the season. Tomatoes are popular but they are very sus-ceptible to early blight here at OVF. It is best to wait untilthe soil is warmer or locate a variety that can handle cooldamp nights. I recommend that you attend the Tomato-Bration seminar at OVF on Saturday, April 1, at 10:00 a.m.I have found a radish that grows to the size of an apple andremains firm and crisp. It’s called “Crimson Giant”, by OldsSeed Company. Plant your lima beans on March 15th, andwait for the soil to warm for your corn. String beans andzucchini can be planted now.

I hope you all have fun here at OVF! Ed Mosman, GardenMaster

GardenMaster’s Report

Saturday, April 8Community Workday 9:00

Potluck 12:00 • General Meeting 1:00

OVF welcomes Zinnia Alani Weybright (Alani means Tree of Heaven/Orange Tree in Hawaiian).She was born at 5:49 PM on January 4, 2006––yep, theday the Trojans lost to the Longhorns, which Daddy was

very happy about––8 lbs. 6 oz., 21.5 inches long. Mommy and Daddy, Mary and Teague Weybright

are gardeners in Phase I, Plot D-12.

New Arrival

Zinnia Alani Weybright

Organic gardening 101Saturday, March 18, 1:00-4:00 pm

OVF Master Gardener Nina Rumely’s popular class willbe held once again this year on March 18, from 1:00-4:00p.m. under the Big Pine Tree. Whether you’re a veterangardener or a newbie, there’s always something new tolearn at this informational, fun seminar. Don’t miss it!

tomato-bration!

save the date!

Saturday, april 110:00 am

A SPECTACULAR TOMATO SALE & LECTUREfeaturing esteemed tomato grower,

Barbara Spencer, owner of Windrose Farms, Paso Robles

Grand View Parkway ProjectSlated to Get Underway Soon

by Nadine Gallegos

Hooray! Mar Vista has received a grant from theCity of Los Angeles to beautify our dusty, weedystrip on Grand View, near the crest of Mar Vistahill.

LOCAL TREASUREYou may not know of this local treasure, nowdubbed “Grand View Parkway.” It is a 1,000foot stretch of sidewalk, which runs along theeast edge of the North Venice Little League fields.It affords a vast sky view towards the PacificOcean two miles away.

MAR VISTANS TAKE ACTIONThe plants which presently thrive there (somecall them weeds) grow tall, get leggy, turn brownand unattractive and worse, dust ensues. Thanksto some residents who thought we deserved bet-ter, the city has given us a beautification grant of$10,000. Kent Alves, a longtime Hilltop residenthas long had dialogue with Joan Reitzel from theDepartment of Recreation and Parks. Reitzel, inJuly 2005, asked the city Bureau of Engineering(BOE) to prepare a detailed recommendation forthe enhancement of the parkway strip. With theParkway Landscape Recommendations in hand,an alliance was formed to apply for a $10,000grant from the Office of Beautification (OCB).

WHO IS GVPPThe Grand View Parkway Partners consist of:■ Hilltop Neighborhood Association president,Cathy Bekian, Grand View Field Subcommittee,Kent Alves. ■ Ocean View Farms president, Frank Harris(OVF). ■ North Venice Little League president, PaulLieske (NVLL).

PUTTING TOGETHER THE FINANCINGTogether the GVPP prepared a grant proposal,which included $20,615 of matching contribu-tions, both cash and volunteer labor. This$30,615 project estimate is far less than the city’sestimate of $114,503.

Importantly, the Mar Vista Community Councilhas committed $5,000, Ocean View Farms$1,000 and individuals donated a total of$1,165. The Little League will provide equip-ment and the irrigation system and water. OceanView Farms will take the lead on planting andplant maintenance as well as lending the use oftheir tractor. Volunteers will add value by theirwork.

SCOPE OF WORK■ Weed eradication ■ Irrigation system ■ Planting of low maintenance, low water plants. ■ Installation of decomposed granite. ■ Six-year maintenance plan with specific tasksand schedule to ensure that the beautificationendures.

TIMELINEThe project timeline is approximately Februarythrough November 2006, but some efficienciesmay result in an earlier completion.

STAY TUNED by visiting the parkway and thewebsite. Write to us with your comments andideas. And, of course, to volunteer.

WRITE TO: gvpp@oceanviewfarms.net <Emailto:gvpp@oceanviewfarms.net>

WEBSITE: www.oceanviewfarms.net/gvpp.html<http://www.oceanviewfarms.net/gvpp.html>

Above: Schematic drawing of vegetation planned for proposed project.Left: Overhead view of the project and adjacent streets. Area to be beautified curves along 1,000 feet on the west edge of Grand View Blvd.

Banner from the city of Los Angeles inaugurating the GVPP project.

Got one? No worries.

Call OVF’s GopherBusters.OVF’s new, crack Gopher ERADTeam is standing by to aidsqueamish gardeners in trappingthese ubiquitous pests. Leave anote in the GardenMaster's boxwith your plot number and perti-nent information and relax...GopherBusters will do the rest!

THE FASCINATING SAGA

OF OCEAN VIEW FARMS

How a windswept hillside overlooking

the sea became Los Angeles’ largest

community garden.

About 30 years ago, Mayor Bradley encouraged the development ofcommunity gardens with the CETA program (ComprehensiveEmployment Training Act). A young man named George Dodds

turned on his radio and began listening to an interview on KPFK with thedirector of the community gardens program. A few weeks later, there was ameeting in his neighborhood at the Mormon temple on Centinela. They wereinterested in forming a community garden and owned some of the land atOVF. The DWP later bought some of the plots from them.

The next meeting took place at the parking lot at the Little League fieldsin early 1976, where about a dozen young people gathered to develop thetwo acre garden site owned by the DWP. The director from the City’s com-munity gardens office gave an inspirational pep talk about the glorious gar-den that they were about to receive. Keep in mind that at this time the soil atOVF resembled a large sand dune where soybeans used to grow.Nevertheless, George and the rest of the work crew arrived a week later withtheir overalls and began digging irrigation ditches. Subsequent delays ensuedwith many calls to the City to resolve the water connection issues. It wasfinally agreed that the irrigation would funnel from the south side of theLittle League field area. Some of the Little League fathers helped onSaturdays with the plumbing work, however, the ground there was very hardto work with compared to the sandy soil at OVF. After all of these trencheswere dug for Phase I, plots were established and separated by crude path-ways.

The Mormons insisted on controlling the garden’s affairs which resultedin a lot of intense politicking. At a general garden meeting before plots wereassigned, a member was defined as a “natural person.” George laterexplained this concept to the Mormon members, which resulted in a very bit-ter aftermath because they wanted a large part of the garden to be used underthe Elder’s direction. George wisely reserved some of the plots for theMormon membership and after a couple months, he was advised that theMormons had released the rest of the plots back to the public.

Gardeners were anxious to start planting but there were more delays whilethe City obtained liability insurance. Plots continued to be assigned quicklyand horse manure was brought over from the Mandeville Canyon stables to

help improve the sandy soil. A substantialorchard with fruit trees was planted and themembers shared the harvest. A few of thosepioneers who worked hard to establish OVFearly on included George Dodds (Chair), LouJones (Treasurer) Mim Thayer (MembershipSecretary), Larry Kosberg (NewsletterEditor), Gwen Haydon, Joe Evelyn andMaury Levine (Plumbing). In the early days,there were no fences to define OVF becausethey were too expensive. Weekends were apopular time for the public, who would comefor scenic walks to enjoy the ocean view andvisit with each other.

After approval was granted by the City inearly 1978, the garden expanded into PhaseII. With the benefit of a variety of their earli-er experiences, the garden plots were con-structed much faster than for Phase I.Additional plots were assigned and trees wereplanted along the parkway in front of PhaseII. An irrigation system was installed alongthis parkway and many trees were planted.Phase III was added in November, 1978.Later, 56 more plots were then added forPhase IV in November of 1982. We now gar-den on 6.5 acres of land instead of the 2 acresthat we began with back in 1976. Our pres-ent membership includes over 300 gardenerswho farm 500 plots, with many in line on ourwaiting list.

Most of our members wish to simply farmtheir individual plots and enjoy their harvests,while others have volunteered countlesshours of their time and labor to benefit OVF.Volunteers continue to assist with a variety ofactivities. I wish I could salute them all!Imagine what OVF would be like without tal-ented individuals who have contributed with:shredding, composting, mechanics, orchardcare, plumbing, water hose repairs, carpentry,tool repairs/maintenance, weed whackers,manure hauling, gopher busters, arbitration,feline care, phase rep supervision, independ-ent project coordination, education, member-ship, beautification, website design, newslet-ter, potluck preparation, workday chores,grant proposals, recycling, gate closers andcommunity outreach!

We believe that with diligent care, ourseeds will produce a harvest of beauty, joy,and abundance. Our gardens bless us with thetranquil sounds of nature, a breezy view ofthe Pacific, the warmth of sunshine, and avariety of pleasant tastes and aromas. In themidst of a chaotic world, we know that 30dazzling candles still shine in the darkness.Happy Anniversary Ocean View Farms!

Karen Andersen, Editor

NIFTY TIPS & TRICKS FOR SPRING PLANTING

• Plant cucumber and squash seeds on end, point up. Whenthe shell breaks open they pop straight up, don’t have to fightthe dirt, and will grow faster.• Plant beans eye (hollow) side down so the roots are head-ing in the right direction. • When buying onion sets in bulk, choose the smallest, notbiggest ones, preferably not over 1/2 inch in diameter. • Plant potatoes by taking plugs the size of melon balls fromold, sprouting potatoes, break off the sprouts and discard.Let plugs air dry for a day before planting. When cultivatingpotatoes, pile on the mulch or hay, the more the better.• When planting tomato seedlings lay them horizontally inthe hole with just the top 2-4 leaves showing to ensure astronger root system. Roots will sprout along the buried stem.• Plant fast germinating radishes with slow-to-sprout carrotsso you won’t “lose the row” of carrots and pull them up lateras weeds. By the time you’ve eaten your radishes, the carrotstops will be peeking up.• “Magic Pickles” in a bottle will astonish your kids andgrandkids. When your cucumbers are just starting to develop,take a small bottle with an opening about the size of a dime.Gently poke a tiny cuke attached to its vine inside. Lay thebottle on its side under some cucumber leaves to it won’toverheat. Wait a month, and voila! The cuke will grow to fillthe bottle. You’ll have everybody wondering how you did it.

Join the Beautification Committee

We’re looking for a select group of volunteers to joina newly created group at Ocean View Farms. Amongthe tasks to be performed are:

• mulching paths • weeding• trash collection • planting flowers

WHAT’S NEW? These jobs can be done on yourown time schedule, not just on workdays, making iteasier for you to fulfill your community hours.

Sign up today! Leave a note for Frank Harris in theChair mailbox in the wheelbarrow shed or go onlinefor more information or to sign up electronically.oceanviewfarms.net/beautification.html.

Future OVF Rosarians take notes asMaster Gardener Nina Rumely unveilsthe secrets of rose pruning and plantculture during her workshop January16th. This popular, annual workshop isone of the many educational talksoffered seasonally to OVF members.

NINA TALKSROSES

Garden SmartsOVF Elections

to be held April 8thThe following OVF Board positions will be open forelection in April. All OVF members interested instanding for election are invited to contact JohnKennedy, Phase 1, Upper F-23. Please put a note inJohn’s mailbox and he will add your name to theelection slate.

PRESIDENT

TREASURER

RECORDING SECRETARY

EDUCATION CHAIR

PHASE REPRESENTATIVESOne MiddleOne LowerTwo Lower

Three LowerFour Lower

Mosquitoes are not

our palsand still pose a health threat inWest Los Angeles. Eliminate allpossible breeding grounds in andnear your plot, including emptypots and watering cans, or neglected area where water ormoisture has collected.

West Nile Virus Alert!!!

Dump all standing water.

march11 Sat 9:30 Board Mtg. 18 Sat 1:00 Organic

Gardening 10126 Sun 1-4 Workday

APRIL1 Sat 10 Tomato-bration8 Sat 9-12 Workday

12 Potluck1 Gen. Mtg. & 30thAnniversary Gala

30 Sun 1-4 Workday

MAY13 Sat 9-12 Workday20 Sat 9:30 Board Mtg.28 Sun 1-4 Workday

june10 Sat 9-12 Workday

12 Potluck1 Gen. Mtg.

25 Sun 1-4 Workday

WorkdaySchedule

2 0 0 5

WORKDAYS: Community workdays are announced on the bulletin boards and are usu-ally held on the second Saturday and last Sunday of each month. Members must signin and out on workdays in order to receive credit for community hours. Should a mem-ber sign in and does not perform assigned workday duties, but then returns to signout, membership can be terminated

Know Your Rules & Regs

GATE CLOSERS EnsureMake sure all OVF gates are locked atsundown. A few shifts are still available.Shifts start on Sunday and end the fol-lowing Saturday. See the sign-up sheetsin the large shed for weeks available orcontact Elizabeth by leaving a note inthe Gate Monitor slot in the small shed.

Have you noticed how many childrenhave become addicted to their interac-tion with electronic gadgets? I often

wonder what effect all of these frequencies arehaving on their development or the structure

of their DNA. I’ve alwaysthought a shovel was moreimportant than turning ourchildren into future robots.Perhaps if we can interestsmall inquisitive children tothe pleasures of gardeningbefore their attentions aredistracted with technology,that’s a good place to start.Mother taught me to plantseeds when I was about two

years old. Apparently it made a lasting impression. Why not designate one particular area of

your plot for your child to enjoy. It could beshaped like a tic tac toe board (square footgardening), a rainbow or aspiral racetrack! There is noend to a child’s vivid imagi-nation and a garden is a per-fect setting for this to tran-spire. Perhaps your childloves dancing butterflies, andplants or accessories couldbe chosen with that theme inmind. Cosmos, lantana, purple coneflowerand black-eyed Susans are just a few examplesof plants that butterflies enjoy. Add a fragrantplant like lavender or jasmine to keep yourchild’s olfactory senses entranced. Colorfulflowers will provide an avalanche of sensory

cues that chil-dren will findf a s c i n a t i n g .From edible pan-sies and fragrantsweet peas, to

soaring pompous sunflowers, there is no limitto nature’s unique variety of brilliance. A gar-den will appeal to all of their senses so encour-age all of them to participate!

A rainy afternoon is a good time to head for

the garage when Dad’s watching “The Game”,and paint plant identification signs, smoothrocks, or clay pots withyour child. Once the rain-bow appears in the sky, atrip to the farmers marketwill provide ideas to helpthem selecting plants.Strawberries, pumpkins, corn and tomatoes

are popular choices that childrenenjoy. Before planting bulbs,your child will enjoy digging theholes for the placement of eachbulb. When planting seeds,select large seeds that will beeasier for your child to graspand place in the soil. Developtheir math skills as they counteach seed that falls to theground. Don’t worry if their

rows of seeds produce unexpected shapes;that’s part of their creative process.

Encourage your child to dig in the dirt anddiscover worms and various kinds of creepy,crawly beetles and other magnificent insects.This can then lead into a dis-cussion of which ones are ben-eficial for pollination andwhich ones provide a trail ofdestruction behind them.Purchase a small watering canwith your child’s name on it so

they can enjoywatering theirseeds. Smallchildren can-not be expected to tend every-thing in their area so adultswill need to deal with pestcontrol, weeding and othernecessary chores. The rewards

will come later once your child experiences thethrill of accomplishment and that alone isworth waiting for

––– Karen Andersen, editor

WANTED

ARBITRATORS OVF seeks volunteers to serve on theArbitration Advisory Committee. Thisimportant group may only meet once ortwice a year, but the service is invalu-able. A minimum of four communityhours will be awarded for each hearing.To serve on this committee, please leavea note in the Chair mailbox

A Child’s Garden