Helping out the farm

<p>The Petaluma Service Alliance recently spent a day lending a hand to Petaluma Bounty.</p><p>The Petaluma Service Alliance, consisting of members from the Petaluma 7-11 Lions Club, Petaluma Kiwanis, Petaluma Valley Rotary, Elks Lodge No. 901, Petaluma Sunrise Rotary, Petaluma Host Lions and Petaluma Rotary, is a community outreach committee dedicated to defining needs in the community and working to meet those needs.</p><p>The Petaluma Bounty Farm, a nonprofit educational farm growing healthy food for the community, approached the PSA to ask for help. The farm has been operating under minimal amenities, with volunteers working without shelter from the elements. </p><p>No sooner did the PSA schedule to help the organization, when Petaluma Bounty called to tell them that a rototiller tractor had been stolen, and that they needed to install a 16-foot security gate right away. That weekend, several members from Host Lions showed up with the gate and had it installed within several hours.</p><p>On Oct. 29, a team from Sunrise Rotary brought in a load of lumber to build a new farm stand roof and windows. Volunteers from each of the service clubs arrived with tools in hand to work on the first task, which was to clear everything out of the vegetable prep room and reconfigure it for a more efficient operation. Host Lions, 7-11 Lions and Elks Lodge members dug in and undergrounded a new water line, and a new drain line for the grey water system. </p><p>The farm volunteers had been working on a dirt floor, so members from Kiwanis, Elks Lodge and 7-11 Lions brought in new soil and building blocks to level the floor and lay a crushed granite surface. </p><p>Windows were installed in the prep room and the market stand shelter by Sunrise Rotary members to give the volunteers shelter from the elements.</p><p>While all this activity was going on, a large tractor driven by a member of Petaluma Rotary arrived, in answer to a good-natured between clubs challenge that “they (Rotarians) didn't know how to dig a ditch,” and proceeded to dig a 60-foot-drainage trench for the grey water system to reach the beds.</p><p>Sunrise Rotary layed out, designed and installed a roof to protect the produce in the market stand and to shelter the volunteers.</p><p>An 8-foot new plastic cutting board and backsplash was installed for prepping produce. </p><p>Two new professional stainless steel rinse racks are being designed by a member from Host Lions and will be installed in two weeks.</p><p>Also lending a hand were Boy Scout Troop No. 74, sponsored by 7-11 Lions Club, the Kiwanis Club's Key Clubbers, the young members club, and an exchange student from Sweden, sponsored by Sunrise Rotary. All of them spent the morning working in the garden beds to help meet the fall planting schedule.</p><p>A member of Petaluma Valley Rotary treated the hard working group to a barbecue.</p><p>The Petaluma Bounty Farm project received financial support from service club members and the community. Petaluma Valley Rotary and Petaluma Rotary Clubs applied for and received a District 5130 grant for educational supplies, project materials and greenhouse supplies.</p>