VISTA Matters is the weekly community newsletter for garden members. Included are key dates and communications necessary for all members to know and be involved. 
VISTA Gardens News - April 13, 2017
Compost Quiz and Key Updates

Question 1: When is compost the most like concrete?

Answer: When it has wet, shredded paper in it! This is something the compost committee has learned the hard way, and it is back breaking work. Please refrain from bringing shredded paper to the garden as it is simply too difficult for the committee to manage. 

Question 2: What happens when you add fruits and vegetables to the pile and leave them uncovered? 

Answer: Flies, lots and lots of flies! When you add your much valued fruits and veggies to the compost pile please take a quick moment to cover them with leaves. Leaves are in bags right next to the compost bin. This critical step minimizes the pests and also makes the air less malordorous.

Thank you for reading and continuing to bring in your compostables!
Pictured from left: Chloe, Elise and Lea with their parents Gina and Fred
Welcome to VISTA!

Please join us in welcoming our newest family to VISTA Gardens. 

The Tort family soon will be growing their favorite vegetables in Parsnip 6-8. 

Be sure to stop and introduce yourself when you see them at the garden!


Growing A Global Family

In the past several months VISTA has had the good fortune to welcome a tremendous team of USF student volunteers on two occasions. These talented individuals came to USF from across the globe and we are honored they chose to spend their limited free time at the garden. During the most recent visit, they helped Marty prep the area for the ten new beds.

The students have been invited to join us for the Earth Day Celebration on April 22 and we hope they will come (have you RSVP'd? Hint. Hint). Please join us in thanking them for their hard work if you see them at the event. 

Here is a list our new global friends, they are quite a smart team! (pictured below)
Olga, Brazil, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Thiago, Brazil, Finance
Najha, Bahamas, Chemistry
Awa, Sengal-West Africa, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Manal, USA (Morocco), Chemical Engineering
Odinaka, Nigeria-West Africa, Electrical Engineering
Anh, Vietnam, Mass Communications
Claudia, Haiti, Environmental Biology
USF International Volunteers, Marty Klein and Bill West (or is that Santa?!)
Ongoing Activities

Saturday Work Parties
Fulfill your community volunteer requirement by joining fellow gardeners on Saturday mornings to tackle the maintenance needs of the garden at large. It's a fun time and you get some exercise and the garden stays looking great. Keeping the garden regularly maintained prevents us from major intermittent workload.  The party starts at 9 a.m. every weekend, weather permitting. 

Compost Thursdays
Committee members meet at the garden Thursday's at 8 a.m. to turn the compost. Please join the team if you would like to learn more about composting.

Compost Materials Needed 
General reminder: To produce high quality compost the community needs to provide a steady supply of material. Please bring your garden or vegetable waste to the garden, don't let it go to the landfill!

Keep in touch with VISTA
We are working hard to streamline communications to ensure you receive the right content in the right place when you need it.
1. Facebook: Like "VISTA Gardens" to receive updates on key activities throughout the week
If you do NOT use Facebook please reply to this email and you will be added to a separate email distribution list. The team will do its best to email any time sensitive updates requiring community attention to this list when a post is made to Facebook.
2. Tuesday email: Summarizes key activity and news for the upcoming week
3. Monthly newsletter: More detail into topics of interest and education (see link above!)
4. Web site: Our address is vistagardentampa.org (note: no 's' in garden). A repository of membership information, detailed education, links to articles on shared topics of interest. Plus much, much more. 
VISTA Gardens | [email protected] | vistagardentampa.org
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