New York Mills, MN

– Submitted by Emily Blomberg, Adam Creek & Asante Creek.

12 NYM Youth Council members worked a combined 770 minutes on Fridays in June and July picking up trash in our community.

“Our city is pretty clean but the amount of cigarette butts was disturbing. We also found an overdue library book – which we returned, four shoes, and a lighter,” Emily Blomberg.

We did our litter pickup on 3 days instead of four for 40-45 minutes a day because we were rained out two of the four Fridays in June. We raised $220 dollars for the Youth Council Fund. We will use these and other funds that we raise for youth activities in NYM. 

We want to thank the following individuals and businesses for providing their support for our Pick Up for Pledges campaign: Al and Jana Berube, Ed Buerkle, Victoria Creek, Jean Lillis, Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Cenex Co-Op, Dean’s Country Market, New York Mills Horizons Volunteer & Leadership Squad and Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Council. 

Thank you for your support!  The New York Mills Youth Council

May 7, 2008Dear community group members,

I am writing to ask if you would like to be part of our Farmers’ market as a fundraiser for your group.  One Group will be selected for each week of the market.  During that week they will be able to rent a canopy for 8 dollars, where they will be able to sell their products.

What products could your group sell? Some ideas we have are:

Cold lemonade, cider, caramel apples

Ice cream cones (maybe homemade)

BBQ turkey or chicken sandwiches

Fresh baked breads

Grilled brats and beans

Pancake breakfast

home baked pies, fresh donuts, cookies

Pumpkins that you have grown as a group

Other veggies or fruits you have grown as a group

Anything unusual, special, and homemade foods that the customers would enjoy munching on while strolling through the market.

If you haven’t already heard the latest buzz about the New York Mills Farmers’ Market, let me catch you up to speed.  The New York Mills Farmers’ Market started on Saturday May 31.  It will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9AM to 1PM.  We have many interested farmers who will be setting up 10X10′ stalls to sell their fresh fruits, veggies, meats and homemade foodstuffs.  There is a great deal of excitement about the Market from the people of the New York Mills area! Since the Market is located at the New York Mills Sculpture Park, we have excellent access to Highway 10 traffic, so we anticipate a large volume of customers.

Take these ideas and discuss them with your group.  Then call us to let us know what date your group can be our fundraising guest.  The dates will fill up very fast, so call Pat Fredley soon.   Her number is 385-2187.

Heather Cassidy

Farmers’ Market Committee

385-2229

Horthelper@lakesplus.com

Submitted by Lynn Kasma
 
It’s no wonder so many historians believe weather is a far greater influence on the actions of humans than humans want to acknowledge.  Working to get the Community Garden underway utilizing a grant from State Farm Insurance, as part of Global Youth Service Days, has proven quite the challenge. Case in point was the Mills IMPACT Teams inability to kick off Global Youth Service Days on the weekend designated nationwide, because of a late season snow storm that dropped 16 inches of the white stuff on us prompting a no travel advisory for the entire county. 
 
Rescheduling also posed a problem with Friday afternoon on May 9 proceeding without a hitch and then Saturday May 10 cancelled due to rain.  Luckily May 12, although windy and cold, brought out a dozen plus high school students to help plant trees in the Sculpture Park which is the future site of the Horizons program sponsored Farmers Market.  Another day will be scheduled once the Community Garden is plowed and ready for plot sectioning and planting. 
 
It would be fun to say we cooperate with the weather however the truth is we are mere pawns in its whims and ways and react as best we can to accomplish what needs to be done with the fair weather provided.  Thanks to many peoples efforts the Community Garden and Farmers Market are underway and will open as scheduled.  A special thanks to Dan and Bonnie Welter for moving the new shed onto the garden site and to Heather Cassidy, Tammy Detloff and the high school crew for planting the trees in the Sculpture part making the site more attractive for the Farmers Market. 

The community is invited to take part in the annual park cleanup night May 5 at 4 p.m. in Smith Park. Bring tools and work gloves for raking and general cleanup. Adults, children, and organizations are all encouraged to take part in this community pride activity.

The first meeting of the NYM Area Youth Council will be on Thursday May 1, 5:00-6:15p at Otter Tail Wadena Community Action Council in the conference room.  A meal will be served.  RSVP horizonsteam@gmail.com. 

This meeting will be to get to know each other.  All youth ages 8-18 who want a voice in area happenings for, by and about youth are welcome to be a part of this NYM youth in action movement!  Parents and other concerned adults welcome to observe! 

Contact Victoria 218/371-8653 for additional information. 

Thanks to Heather Cassidy for submitting this information.

Our next Farmer’s Market meeting will be on Thursday April 17th.

We will meet at the Sculpture park to sketch out a layout for the best traffic flow and customer comfort at 9:45 AM, if the snow is mostly gone.

Then we will head over to the Creamery at 10 AM to blaze through an exciting agenda that will get us closer to our opening date of Memorial day weekend!

If you know a youth group, church group, or farmer that should get in on the action, please tell them!

If you can’t make the meetings, email Heather Cassidy at horthelper@lakesplus.com. I can keep you “in the know”.

There is a great deal of interest in our Farmers Market. It is exciting to know the community is behind this project 100%!

Thanks to Kevin Cederstrom for submitting this information.

The Community Garden project continues to move forward. The City Council approved the land-use request on Tuesday, giving the go-ahead to proceed with the project. With the approval the group now needs to produce a waiver form get a rider on the city’s insurance.

If and when the snow clears and digging begins, we will find out exactly what kind of soil we are dealing with. The plan is to till up a 100-foot by 50-foot area. Depending on what we find when we break ground black dirt will be hauled in to establish a good working soil.

A water delivery system will need to be established and possibly install a fence to keep the critters out.

In addition, the plan calls for a shared tomato and squash plot, children’s garden, herb garden and small storage shed. There will be no cost to individuals for the plot, seed or starter plants, as long as they are within a pre-determined seed list.

We’ll get word out soon to find interested growers and get them signed up for 10-foot by 10-foot individual plots. Signed agreements will be required committing to shared maintenance, involvement in classes, rules and regulations and initial garden preparation.

I want to thank everyone who came to our Round Table discussion last week.  I think we had about 20 participants to discuss leadership, volunteerism, and youth involvement.  It was a great discussion with the ultimate goal of deciding on an action item for the Volunteer and Leadership Future Squads to work on.  We needed something tangible (like a Community Garden or Farmer’s Market).  After some awesome brainstorming, it was decided to form a youth council.  I don’t have all of the specifics (Victoria gathered all of the sheets from that night and I’m sure will be adding an entry here soon) but the Youth Council will plan activities for kids to participate in.

 Again, thanks to everyone who participated in the Round Table discussion.  It was a very energizing night!

Please join us for a Round Table Discussion focusing on these topics:

Leadership ~ Volunteerism ~ Youth Involvement

Thursday, April 3 – 6:30 to 8:30 pm @ the NYM City Hall Ballroom

Everyone is invited!   Please RSVP horizonsteam@gmail.com.

Sponsored by the Horizons Team Volunteerism & Leadership Future Squads

If you have questions, please call 385-2436 or email jadams@newyorkmills.lib.mn.us.

We want YOU to join us for a Round Table Discussion focusing on these topics: 

Volunteers–how do we get them and keep them? 

Leaders—how does a leader become a leader? 

Youth—how do we get them involved? 

We want to hear from you on what works and what doesn’t.  We want you to share with others your ideas on how we continue to make our community strong. 

When: Thursday, April 3 – 6:30 to 8:30 pm 

Where: NYM City Hall Ballroom 

Snacks & refreshments will be provided

Free childcare available provided by certified babysitters 

Spread the word–everyone is invited!