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Fall is Fast Approaching at Valley View

After a long hot summer with lots of families toiling away in our Community Garden the winds are starting to blow a little cooler and the Fall colors are not far behind. Come out for a hike and explore the natural environment that is yours to enjoy at Valley View.

Membership Campaign Underway

It's time to renew or become a member of Valley View. We want to reconnect with our original supporters and share much needed updates regarding our successes and future plans. In addition, we hope to find new families and individuals that have yet to discover the Valley View property and all that it has to offer.

All membership levels include:

• Free Admission to the Fall Feast ($45 value)
• Private guided hikes/hay rides
• Reduced charges or free admission to other scheduled events and programs
• Quarterly newsletter
• E-mail notification of upcoming events/early
• Registration/early bird discounts
• Camping privileges (upon request)

GRASSROOTS PATRON
• Individual - $25
• Pair - $45
• Family -$65

WETLANDS PATRON - $100
Includes all benefits above and free family admission to the Spooky Bottoms event ($30 value)

PRAIRIE PATRON - $250
Includes all benefits above and free admission to all 2009 events

WOODLAND PATRON - $500
Includes all benefits above plus a private hayride for 20 people

RIPARIAN PATRON - $1,000
Includes all benefits above and a trail marker with your name on a donor sign

Pink Flower

Join the Community Garden

The Valley View property was farmed for more than 150 years. So it only seems a natural fit for us to create a community garden for those interested in testing or showing off their green thumbs. Gardening together gives families and neighbors the opportunity to share a project, expand their food choices, and increase a sense of self-reliance.

Plowing

Our garden is located just north of the tree line adjacent to the soccer field behind Pattison Elementary School off South Milford Road. It is only a short walk from the school parking lot to the garden. We began tilling the garden plots last year and installed a deer fence and automated irrigation. This summer we had over 40 gardeners planting a wide variety of produce and vegetables. Cub Scouts from Pack 140 in Mt. Lookout took responsibility for the unused plots and planted lots of pumpkins, squash, beans, melons, corn, peppers and herbs that they sold at the Mt. Lookout Farmer's Market. We are working on plans for a small shelter and expansion of the garden to provide more plots in 2011.

You won't be alone in your efforts. We have had formal gardeners meetings/parties. But our gardeners also lend each other a hand and share ideas andresources. We all learn and grow together. Whiel several gardeners are from teh Milford area, many come from much further away including Hyde Park and Clifton areas. Valley View is just a 15 minute drive from Mt. Lookout Square.

Plot sizes are approximately 5'x20' for a total of 100 square feet of garden. The cost will be $100 for 2011 for those who sign up before the end of 2010. Cost will be going up in 2011 so sign up now. All proceeds benefit Valley View Foundation.

If you are interested in gardening, learning and eating great food with us, reserve your plot today. Spaces are limited and plots will be reserved in the order we receive reservations and payment. To reserve a plot and pay online, click here, or you can download and print the Community Garden Form and mail it in.

Questions? Contact Vanessa Hannah or call 218-1098

Historic Dairy Barn Saved from Ruin

In the Fall of 2009 a group of volunteers and a local barn contractor performed a small miracle on the Dairy Barn at Valley View. As you can see in the following pictures they literally raised the barn from the dead. Years of neglect, weather and insects left the old structure dangerously close to falling down. But with lots of patience and careful use of jacks, pulleys and cables, we were able to bringthe roof line back to level, replace the rotted columns, repair broken timbers, repair holes in the roof and add new siding and a gutter to divert rainwater away from the foundation.

Dairy Barn Before

Dairy Barn on 10-18-2009

Dairy Barn After

Diary Barn on 11-23-2009

Now that the barn has been salvaged, we are in the process of completing additional improvements to it that will include bringing in electric, rebuilding doors and interior stair and replacing damaged siding and painting the roof for years of protection. As we complete this work we are evaluating various uses for the barn which will likely include educational activities and possibly the use of the barn as a stage for outdoor concerts with bluegrass and other musical delights. The exact age fo the barn is currently unknown but it is believed to have been built in the mid 1800s. Its massive hand hewn mortise and tenon beams and trees that still have bark on them used for joists and rafters are a site to see. This work would not have been possible without the generous gifts of several individuals and private foundations in the area that exceeded $20,000.

We're Seeking Committee Members and Volunteers

Are you or someone you know feeling the need to give back to your community? If you're looking for a great opportunity to volunteer in a small organization where you can have a big impact, consider the current opportunities at Valley View. Now is a very exciting time for us as we transition to a new era in our organization. Since 2002, we have spent much of our energy obtaining grants and holding fundraisers to secure over $2 million that was needed to buy this land. Now that we have overcome that hurdle, it's time to start having some fun with the land and realizing the dream many held years ago.

We have a fifteen-member Board of Directors with four vacancies. We are particularly interested in adding at least one person with a communications and marketing capability and one person with a finance and accounting capability. But many other talents and skills are needed and welcome.

Our three standing committees - Outreach, Land Management and Finance - provide great opportunities to meet great people and roll up your sleeves. These committees are working on several projects we will be undertaking in 2009. These will be exciting times as we continue to restore our historic barns, develop educational programs and restore habitat on the property. These committees include several of the original founders of the organization who want new ideas and new energy to take them to the next level.

If you have an interest in becoming a committee member or volunteer, please contact Vanessa Hannah at vhannah@valleyviewcampus.org or call Vanessa at (513) 218-1098.

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Send us your Valley View Photos

We regularly designing and updating our website and newsletters and presentations to local schools and community organizations. If you have digital media (photos, video or audio) from Valley View that you would liek to share, please send an e-mail to Vanessa Hannah vhannah@valleyviewcampus.org. If the files are too large for our e-mail to handle, we'll make arrangements to transfer by CD-ROM or thumb drive.

HawkTree