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Moving Day!

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 10:50 am

Actually I think its more like moving weeks….. Gardening Guy has to work in Lynchburg two days this week so we are going out there for a whole weekend and moving some stuff with us.

Today I am spending a lot of time packing while the back of my brain is busy with thoughts of chickens, and seedlings.

I went through the seed catalogs the other day and marked the varieties I wanted and made a garden budget. That is I figured out the cost of seeds and trellis materials, but now I have to go back through and figure estimated yields so I can make a prediction of how much money the garden will save us in the long run.

Hopefully this weekend we can go back out to the housesite and start marking the areas that will be vegetable garden, herb garden etc. That way I can start making plans of what goes where, what soil ammendments are needed and what the planting schedule should be.

Gardening in general ( and market gardening in particular) goes so much better with a well thought out plan.

For seeds I am going to Gurneys and Henry Fields, some trees will come from a local orchard while others will be ordered, probably from Stark Brothers.

You too should be looking at catalogs and planning your spring and summer work. Now is the time to be sure that compost or manure is spread on the beds so the winter rains can work it into the soil.

The Gardening Girl

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Join me at VICFA Day at the General Assembly!

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 2:14 pm

The Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association is meeting on Wednesday to address various members of the Virginia General Assembly with concerns about the ways that the government and big agriculture are making it difficult for consumers to have Freedom of Choice in their food supply.

Below are some of the things we will be bringing up (copied from an email sent by a VICFA member). We plan to meet at the Capital at 8:30 am on the 25th of January and spend all day.

Talking Points:

1. Freedom of food choice should be legal. Virginia consumers are denied raw milk, homemade pies and cakes, on-farm processed meat and poultry. The freedom to opt out of government-licensed food is certainly as important as the freedom to opt out of government-licensed education or government-licensed medicine.

2. Food safety is subjective and based on faith. Virginia encourages hunters to gut shoot deer on a 70 degree day, drag it a mile through the sticks, rocks and squirrel dung to display it prominently on the hood of a Blazer and parade it around town in the afternoon sun, then bring it home and string it up in a backyard bird-roosting tree to hang for a week before cutting it up to feed their children and friends. But jams, jellies, pies, canned items, beef, pork, poultry, rabbit and dairy products require government-approved processing facilities. Ultimately, the food safety issue comes down to trustworthiness: a local farmer or government agent.

3. Selling food does not make it harmful. So far, Virginia allows complete freedom for food items to be given away. If unregulated food were as inherently unsafe as bureaucrats and industrial foodists allege, then donated food should be prohibited as well. Clearly, these current regulations are contrived to destroy market access rather than protect the public welfare.

4. Freedom from licensure is granted to small components of other heavily regulated economic sectors: elder care (three), child care (three), farm use vehicles (within 40-mile radius), home education (religious exemption). Recognizing inherent accountability in relationship-based commerce and small-scale transactions enjoys both legal precedent and common sense. To deny one tablespoon of milk from a dairy farmer’s mother is simply tyrannical and nonsensical.

5. Government-licensed food has a questionable track record. Irradiation, pasteurization, genetically modified organisms, pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, gas-ripening, factory farming, MSG, rBGH, feeding chicken manure to cows: these are all government scientifically proven safe. Yeah, right.

6. Decentralized and locally-based food systems are less vulnerable to bioterrorism. Every government report on this topic agrees in the weaknesses of a centralized, long-transport, far-flung food system. Giving neighbors the freedom to interact in food commerce creates the ultimate food security.

7. Community-based food commerce stimulates local economies by keeping dollars circulating nearby, creating rural and agricultural value, and providing superior nutrition for the populace. This is true rural revitalization and farm preservation.

Hope to see you there! These are not just issues for Farmers, they effect us all.

The Gardening Girl

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The Gardening Girl is now a Gardening Couple!

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 9:45 am

Yup, I’ve gotten married and the Gardening Guy and I are moving out to Western Virginia to start a real market garden on twelve acres of forest land.

No buildings of any kind on the property so the first thing to do will be to build a cabin (we’ll rent a tiny and I mean TINY apartment for six months) and start clearing trees and hauling manure to make compost and garden beds.

There’s a good Farmer’s Market about twenty minutes away, very busy and if the farm legislation for on-farm sales goes through I’ll be VERY busy.

Of course I’ll be teaching classes again, and publishing a regular newsletter as well.

I’m so excited, having a real piece of land to work with has been a dream for a LONG time and I really look forward to Eco-farming it and raising a family etc.

The Gardening Girl

The Gardening Couple The gentleman with the beard is my father-in-law who is also quite a horticulturalist.

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Help for a Wet Garden (Clay Soil)

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 10:20 am

One reader posted this question recently:

Just a bit curious why the back one third of my garden always struggles. My garden from front to back is about 100 feet long.The back 30 feet or so struggles every year.I have about the same compost mixture in the whole garden and the percentage of sunlight is about the same in the whole garden.The only difference is the back of the garden tends to stay soggy for a long time.The back is prone to standing water.I have a clay based soil so the water tends to puddle on top and it takes forever to dry.I have a good mixture of compost so the soil is organic.The plants in the front and middle of the garden are full and green whereas the back one third the plants are short and yellowish green.The plants in the back are hardly growing.I can wear shoes in the front and middle of the garden.It is moist but not really muddy.The back one third I need boots because I tend to sink in the mud.It seems like as soon as it starts getting muddy is where the plants start struggling mightily.Do you think the oversaturated clay soil is the entire problem? Because other then being soggy there is really no other difference in the way I planted or in the percentage of sunlight.The back one third of the garden does look like the ground is a bit lower also. This is the same problem year after year. Maybe I could heep up where I plant each bed and that might help. Thanks.

It sounds like you are doing all of the right things but that back third of your garden needs some extra help. Oversaturation of the clay is undoubtedly the culprit and is causing two related but different problems.

First: when soil is too wet it compacts and becomes hard. Clay soil is especially notorius for this. In addition to being to hard for roots to spread through easily, compacted soil has little or no air in it. Roots need to be able to take in nutrients out of the soil and when air spaces are missing there is no way for nutrients to gather in those little spaces.

Solution: I would till or dig into your soil a large amount of dry organic matter such as straw, woods chips etc. What you want to do is mix in enough other material that the clay particles are kept apart from one another. Covercropping can also help with this problem.

Second: Your second problem is that the soil is losing its nutrients because of the moisture leaching them away. Yellow plants almost always need nitrogen in some form and your soil doesn’t have enough.

Solution: As part of your adding of dry material to the garden add lots of grass clippings, manure (rabbit and chicken are both high in nitrogen, and rabbit doesn’t smell much). This fall (if your growing season allows) plant a cover crop of some legume (vetch, clover, a bean crop) and spray it with the innoculant that is recommended to help it fix nitrogen in the soil. Till this crop in the spring as soon as you can work the soil. You can also mow the covercrop quite short and “Lasagna Garden” over it for a couple of seasons.

Happy Gardening!

sofa beds for narrowboats uk

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Proposed Legislation will Help Virginia Farmers and Consumers

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 2:21 pm

HB124

No rule or regulation shall prohibit or restrict any person from selling food or food products grown or processed on his farm to any customer provided that: (i) the food or food products are sold on the farm on which they are produced; (ii) the food or food products are sold to the customer for personal consumption and shall not be sold for reuse, including restaurant sales; and (iii) the food or food products are marked with the following: “Not for Resale, Produced Without State Inspection.” Any customer who resells food or food products bought at the farm under this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.

I’ve just copied the text from the Legislative website here for reference.

Here are the questions we need to ask (IMHO):

No rule or regulation shall prohibit or restrict any person from selling food or food products grown or processed on his farm to any customer provided that:

1. What is the definition of a ” food product” Does this include raw milk and raw milk products?

2. What is the definition of processed? Can I sell jelly that I made (for instance) even though I did not grow or produce all of the ingredients?

3. Can I sell another farmer fruit which they combine with their own fruit and sell on their farm?

the food or food products are sold to the customer for personal consumption and shall not be sold for reuse, including restaurant sales;

4. Am I AT ALL responsible for enforcing “no resale”? If someone buys 50 cases of something am I AT ALL required to report them as probably planning to resell my product?

the food or food products are marked with the following: “Not for Resale, Produced Without State Inspection.”

5. Is this the only labelling I have to use or do I have to list ingredients on the label as well?

I think this law is a good start. We would probably be wise to support it especially if the answers to Questions 1-3 are yes, Question 4 is no and Question 5 is yes.

I would like to see this combined with some kind of limited liability law covering both people visiting a farm and the products bought on a farm.

It would be nice if we could sell off farm too but that I think is a second level of legislation which it will be easier to pass if this one passes first and the public is educated to support easier sales of better food/farm products.

What we really want is for the PUBLIC to demand a change in law to better support the small farmer and this bill will help us to get there by making it easier for the PUBLIC to be reached and educated in the importance of supporting small farmers for the PUBLIC’s own better health etc.

Kyndra

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Whatever Happened to Quality?

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 11:21 am

The other day I was reading about some of the ways that animals are raised for the market. Did you know that you can see a cloud of manure dust over the feedlot? The animals breathe in this dust and often fall ill which causes them to need antibiotics and to be generally less healthy than their grass fed counterparts.

The difference in quality can even be seen in eggs. I buy eggs from two old ladies at the Farmer’s market in Richmond and they have deep orange-yellow yolks, clear whites and firm shells. The taste of these eggs is also superior to those that I occasionally buy at the grocery.

Of course the ladies that I buy eggs from work very hard for not much profit. Too often the consumer finds it too much “trouble” to visit a Farmer’s Market (even one that is downtown like Richmond’s). Buying Local is a great concept but most people find it much more convenient to run to the grocery and buy confinement raised, innoculated, irradiated foods with less flavor and nutrition than to support the small farmer who raises crops with respect for creation.

Sadly this attitude of convenience may eventually be responsible for the demise of the American Family Farm. Think about this the next time you “run to the grocery” .

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Still Canning…..

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 1:08 pm

Last week OH stopped by our favorite orchard and bought several bushels of apples…

This weekend we started canning them….

Now I know that some of you will think that it would be much easier for me to buy spiced apple rings and applesauce at the grocery store – and you would be right.

The difference is that I know that the nutritional value of the foods I make is much higher when I make them than when they are processed and preserved in a large factory. Then too the flavor of the things I make is better – and its the flavor I want- not just a bunch of sugar to cover up the fact that the apples used had the flavor and consistency of styrofoam!

The apples we used for apple rings (actually we made slices cause it’s a bit easier) were avintage variety called Shockly. Small very firm fruits with a sharp tart taste that make excellent firm spiced and canned apple slices. We did 28 pints last night and another 7 pints of apple pickles. I’m not kidding there really is such a thing and I’ll post the recipe in a couple of days.

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Winter Squash

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 11:20 am

One of my favorite sights of fall is pumpkins and squashes piled up at the farm stands. I often buy a number of squashes and then have to figure out what to do with them!

Fortunately they will keep for several weeks (or even months) if stored in a cool dry place. I stack them in my back bedroom (which I keep closed off to save on heating bills) and check on them occasionally to make sure they are still good.

From time to time I will try a new recipe out and thought I would post a couple of those in case you also are afflicted with an attraction to winter squash!

Roasted Winter Squash

This works well for almost any winter squash but I particularly like to use Acorn and Butternut….

Cut the squash into halves or quarters lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Lightly prick the flesh with a fork and sprinkle with pepper. Place the pieces flesh side down in a pan with about a 1/4 inch of water and bake at 350 until the flesh is soft (20-30 minutes).

Serve with butter.

Chicken and Squash:

Butternut Squash
Medium Onion
Chicken leg quarters
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced black olives

This is an easy one dish recipe that takes about 15 minutes to prepare.

Slice a butternut squash about 1/2 thick and place in the bottom of a baking pan. You should have one layer of squash in the pan. Next slice an onion and layer it over the squash. Then place Chicken leg quarters on top of the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with mushrooms and black olives.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until juices run clear.

Serves 1-8 depending on the size of the pan and number of pieces of chicken used.

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An Interesting Pest

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 9:47 am

I have a bug sitting on my desk…..one of the other teachers brought it in for indentification…. It’s about 1.5 inches long, light brown with wings folded to the body and two digging claws. Rather an impressive looking bug really.

Southern Mole Crickets are particularly destructive to lawns in the South. Most of the destruction is caused by their tunneling after other insects, unlike some of their cousins they are mostly carnivorous.

Control methods include: introducing benificial insects such as wasps which hunt the crickets, applying grub controlling products in the spring, and regular feeding and mowing of lawns.

In rural areas the insects may also be controlled by allowing hens to roam the yard as the southern mole cricket spends a significant amount of its time on the surface.

As with most pests regular inspection and treatment of problem areas is the best form of control.

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Fall Farmer’s Markets

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 11:22 am

I stopped at the local farmer’s market the other day and was amazed by the variety of fall vegetables available……I’ve been trying to make my eating habits reflect the kinds of foods that are available locally and was able to get the following fresh vegetables:

Winter squash: three different kinds of acorn type squashes, pumpkins, and butternut squash

Sweet potatoes: a particulary good variety called Hernadez which I will cure and store for the winter

Onions: yellow ones which again I will store for the winter

Beets: Not everyone’s favorite food but with cold weather I’ll make a pot of Borsht and eat off it all week…..

Turnips: which I use like potatoes and also in a number of Irish dishes….

There were also lots of greens which I didn’t get as I have about 40 pounds of frozen kale in storage at the moment!

Eating seasonally makes my diet interesting as I have to develop/learn new recipes to use those foods which I’m not familiar with.

Of course as I recently got a copy of the Rodale Natural Foods Cookbook at a sale I’m sure I’ll have lots of recipes to try!

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Plan Your Fall Garden Now

Filed under: Articles, General — Kyndra @ 7:00 pm

You want me to do what? It’s 95 degrees Fahrenheit today and you want me to think about what I’m going to plant in September?

No, I want you to think about what you will plant in the next few weeks for harvest in September and the fall months.

Fall Gardening is a wonderful way to extend your growing season and yields its own rewards. Coming into the kitchen with chilled fingers after harvesting a fresh salad at Thanksgiving reminds us how much we depend on Mother Nature for our survival.

This article is the first in a series of three. Tomorrow I will write about Fall Gardening and extending the growing season in northern climates and on Tuesday I will address the same topic for gardeners in the South who face their own set of challenges.

Today I want to look at the basic idea of a Fall Garden.

Simply put a Fall Garden is a garden whose harvest is designed specifically for Fall harvest. It usually planted in Mid July and contains both those plants that will be harvested up to and through the first frosts and those (like garlic) that will be overwintered in the garden and harvested the following spring.

Fall garden plants often include the following:

Root Crops: Carrots, Turnips, Beets, Rutabega’s and similar crops are very popular for the fall garden. In most southern states (Zones 7 and south) they can be left in the ground and covered with straw throughout the winter. Gardeners in zones 6 and points north will find it better to dig these plants around the first frost and store them in a root cellar or basement.

Greens: Head Lettuce, Leaf Lettuce (Romaine, Paris Cos), Spinach etc. These greens cannot be grown in hot climates in the summer so this second harvest can be very welcome. In fact many gardeners grow these plants through all but the coldest weather, sheltering them from frost with tunnnels or plastic.

Beans and Squash: Pumpkins should be started in July for harvest at All Hallows and the long storage varieties of squash are also good to grow in the fall. Additionally beans and English peas should be planted (preferably in the space where you grew your corn) as they will replenish the soil as well as give you a second harvest.

Cover Crops: Cover crops are actually a whole topic to themselves, but should mentioned here as they should be planted wherever you will not be planting fall crops in order to replenish the soil and prevent perniceous weeds such as crabgrass and dock from taking over fallow ground.

As you can see Fall Gardening is much more than chrysanthemums and asters and can yield a continuing bounty from the earth!

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6 Things to Consider Before Planting

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 6:07 pm

A vegetable garden can yield all kinds of benefits in better tasting, healthier
food, but taking the first steps can be daunting. If you’ve always wanted
to plant a garden but don’t know where to start here are a few things
to consider:

Where is the best spot in your yard for a vegetable or herb garden?

The answer to this question really depends on what you want to grow, but here are
a few things to keep in mind.

Most vegetables and herbs prefer full sun to shade.
Plants that like cool weather (lettuce, spinach etc.) will benefit from some
shade during hot summer months.

Afternoon sun is hotter than morning sun and heat reflecting
off of buildings or walls can burn plants. Make sure that planting beds are
at least a foot from any structure to allow air to circulate and keep your
produce from being cooked!

Soil should be light and easy to work and should not
compact when dry or stay muddy for more than a couple of days after a rain.

Large trees can compete with your garden for water and nutrients.
If you have to plant under trees consider using raised beds that will allow
you to feed your garden with less competition from its neighbors.

How big should the garden be?

A vegetable garden can be as small as a few plants or big enough to feed a family
of seven year round. The important thing to remember is that the size of your
garden will determine the amount of work involved in keeping it weed free and
healthy. For beginning gardeners a 6′x6′& or 6′x8′ garden
is probably plenty of space. You’ll be able to have a good variety of
plants without being overwhelmed by the upkeep or by the produce.

What plants should you grow?

A small garden can easily contain the following plants. These are all fairly
easy to grow and resistant to pests and drought.

Tomatoes: 1 cherry tomato, 2 Italian tomatoes and 2 beefsteak tomatoes

Squash: 2 zucchini and 3 summer squash plants will be plenty

Peppers: 4 Sweet peppers and 2 hot peppers

Lettuce: 20 Lettuce plants

Broccoli: 12 broccoli plants

Green beans: 6 plants on a trellis to save space

Cucumber: 4 plants on a trellis

Around the edges of the garden you can plant:

Basil – 6 plants

Sage- 2 plants

Parsley- 2 plants

These should all bear well and compliment each other nicely in recipes.

Should you start plants from seed or buy seedlings?

Starting plants from seed can be difficult and time consuming. Except in the case
of beans, which don’t transplant well all of the plants for the beginner
vegetable garden mentioned above can be purchased as seedlings.Just remember
to water them well when transplanting and they should do fine in their
new home.

Organic vs. Pesticide Gardening?

This is really a matter of personal choice. In many cases pesticides and chemical fertilizers
are unnecessary if you have prepared the garden space properly.If you do find
that particular pests or diseases are a problem look at your choices for treatment,
and look at who will be exposed to them.As a general rule I don’t use
pesticides in a garden where children may accidentally eat something that has
been sprayed or treated. Little ones may not always remember to wash produce
before eating it.

How much should you expect to water?

At the peak of the growing season watering should be done once or twice a week for
30-40 minutes in each section of the garden. The soil should be moist under the surface
but should not stay muddy.Too much water can kill a plant as quickly as too
little so take the time to look at your plants and get to know their individual
watering needs.

Sprinklers are best avoided as they do not provide enough moisture to penetrate the ground and the effects of
watering will quickly be lost.

One of my favorite watering methods is to bury the top half of a plastic milk
jug next to each of the larger plants and put two or three of them among the
lettuce and other greens. Simply cut the top 4 inches off of the jug; remove
the cap and place cap down in a hole next to your plants.Fill the empty jug
with gravel. Water by running a hose to each jug and filling to overflowing
with water. The water will filter through the gravel to the roots of the plant,
providing a very efficient drink.

Most of all enjoy your garden! You are starting this whole project to enjoy
the outdoors. Don’t stress too much if some of your plants don’t do too well.
Take some notes for next year and sit back with a glass of iced tea. Breathe
the warm summer air and relax in the beauty of your own back yard.

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Growing and Using Herbs Successfully

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 9:16 pm

This book has been one of my herb growing standards for about ten years. It is geared towards both beginning and experienced growers with chapters on basic gardening practice, and additional steps necessary to grow herbs commercially.

I have used Ms. Jacobs’ book as a guide when growing herbs and plants to sell and also for preserving and cooking with herbs.

There are only a few gardening books that I use every year. This is one that comes out several times a season to remind me of facts specific to certain plants or of the best ways for commercializing a small herb garden. I heartily recommend it for first time and experienced gardeners and will often include it in gifts baskets or as a house-warming present.

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Organic Gardening FAQ

Filed under: Articles, General — Kyndra @ 9:12 pm

What exactly is organic gardening? How does one garden organically? And why
bother?These are all questions that many gardeners have asked themselves.
Some say that organic gardening is an imperative. They claim that the excessive
use of chemicals is killing us and our environment. Others say that chemicals
are part of our future and that without them we could not sustain enough
agriculture to feed ourselves. What is the answer?

The answer is really that there is no answer. the choice to use
chemicals or to eat genetically modified foods is a personal one. I don’t
generally use chemicals because I find I don’t need to. True my fruits
and vegetables are not as “perfect” as the ones in the grocery
store, but then I don’t think that “perfect” is something
that I need to worry about.

I am more interested in knowing that the food I eat is healthy for
me. I wonder if we really know all of the side effects of giving our cattle
hormones or treating our vegetables so that they will transport for miles
before sitting on grocery store shelves. I look for a balance I can live
with between growing foods myself and buying what I cannot grow.

I buy organic produce and eggs when I can, but they are often more
expensive than conventional products and I can’t always afford them.
In future articles I will try to explain the various viewpoints on organic
gardening, the methods used to garden organically, and some of the reasons
behind the movement.

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Eating Creatures!

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 6:13 am

A quick visit to the garden yesterday showed that the “eating creature” had been hard at work. He (or she) has a particular fondness for bean plants when they have just reached the stage of having a couple of true leaves. Squash plants too appear to be a delicacy.

We applied blood and bone meal everywhere and sprayed the plants with a mixture of biodegradeable dish soap and ginger in hopes that the smell of the bloodmeal would frighten an herbivore and the taste of soap and ginger would further serve as a deterent.

The next step is for me to get the mower running so that we can reduce the groundhog’s “cover” around the garden.

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Backyard Composting: an FAQ

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 11:04 pm

Backyard composting is the most economical way to reduce organic materials
going into the landfill while preserving natural resources. Anything growing
in your yard is potential compost material.

Compost is nature’s way of recycling by returning vital nutrients
to the soil. Compost is the end product of decomposed organic material like
food scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and wood and brush chips. The key to
a healthy compost pile is to keep it simple.

Landscape trimmings can be reduced through simple changes in maintenance
procedures. Use a mulching blade on your mower and leave grass clippings on
the lawn after mowing. This helps fertilize your lawn and reduces waste.Major
changes, like choosing native or well-adapted plants, can also reduce waste.

Yard trimmings and food scraps can be composted at home for reuse
in landscapes and gardens. Many yard trimmings can be used as mulch to protect
the soil, suppress weeds and conserve water.

Benefits of Composting

Saves money on fertilizer and yard supplies.

Lowers your water bill. Soil mixed with compost retains water better
than regular soil.

Improves soil structure and promotes healthy plant growth.

What Can I Compost?

Landscape trimmings and other organic materials are popular for composting.

Use the following table as a guide for your compost pile:

YES	NO
Grass Clippings	Meat, Fish and Poultry (including bones)
Yard Trimmings (old plants, wilted flowers,small prunings)	Food Sauces
Leaves	Fats, Grease, and Oils
Vegetable & Fruit Scraps	Dairy Products
Coffee Grounds and Tea Leaves	Pet Feces
Wood Chips	Treated Wood (or any materials containing strong preservatives or toxins)
Shredded Paper (Low grade paper not acceptable for recycling)	Non-organics (plastic, metal, glass, etc…)

How Does Composting Work?
Composting provides soil organisms with food, water and air.

Biodegraders - These organisms – bacteria, fungi, molds,earthworms,
insects, and other soil organisms – eat the organic materialyou place inyour
compost pile.

Organic Material - Organic material high in nitrogen (green)
and carbon (brown) materials – feed the organisms living in your compostpile.

Air - The organisms in your pile need air in order to break
down the organic material. By turning your pile with a fork or hoe, you build
air passages for your pile to breathe.

Moisture – The pile should be damp like a wrung out sponge
- not wet. As the pile heats up, the moisture will evaporate, so let rain
replace it, or add water during dry spells. Covering your pile helps retain
moisture during hot weather.

Time and Temperature – The hotter the pile, the faster the
composting. A properly composted pile reaches a temperature of 130 to 160
degrees and will kill weed seeds at that heat level.

Compost Recipes

Slow and Easy Compost
Ingredients: Mixed yard trimmings and water.
Directions:Put mixed yard trimmings in bin or pile.
Add water as needed. Mix in food scraps and other materials as generated.
Let sit for 12-16 months.
Prepare forUse: After alloted time, most of the material at the bottom of
the pile willbe dark, rich sweet smelling soil. Sift or sort out large undecomposed
materials for use in your next pile.The rich soil is ready to serve toyour
yard and garden.

Faster Compost
With a bit more effort, turn the pile at least once a month, alternating
brownand green material. Shred materials when possible. The pile should reach
a temperature of 130 to 160 degrees.

For more about how to compost read Let it Rot! : The Gardener\’s Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey\’s Down-to-Earth Guides) or contact us for information on our gardening and sustainable living classes!

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Three Quick, Inexpensive Meals for Busy Nights..

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 6:20 am

OK I confess – I love to cook. When I moved into the house that
I share with a couple of other girls, they were amazed by the number and variety
of pots and pans that I brought. They were pleased too because like
most people who love to cook I love to watch family and friends enjoy what
I’ve prepared.

Weekends are the best time to be around my kitchen. I revel in the time available
for preparing satisfying and well-balanced meals. Weekdays can be a problem
though – I don’t get home until after six and my housemate’s schedules
are pretty erratic. Add one housemate’s vegetarianism and a tight grocery
budget to the mix and easy to prepare healthy meals can be quite a challenge!

With a bit of thought I’ve developed a repertoire that we all can enjoy
and that only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Here are three of those recipes for you to try next time you have a late
nightand don’t want to eat frozen pizza!

Vegetable and Rice Stovetop Casserole
Approximate Cost: $5.00
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2-
Serve with: Green Salad

1 package Cheddar Broccoli Rice Mix
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 12-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
pepper, oregano, and paprika to taste

Prepare Rice according to package directions. Ten minutes before it is finished
cooking, add remaining ingredients to pot. When ten minutes are up, remove
lid and stir contents of pot, continue to cook on medium-low heat until nearly
all of the liquid from the tomatoes has been absorbed. Season to taste
and serve immediately.

This recipe can also be prepared using leftover rice. Simply combine
the ingredients and bake in a 350 F oven for 20 – 30 minutes. Meat eaters
can add strips ofchicken breast or frozen or fresh scallops to the dish as
well.

Cream of Potato Soup
Approximate Cost: $4.50
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-3

Serve With: Bread or Muffins

3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 T of olive oil
3 T butter
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of flour
pepper, salt, oregano, thyme to taste

Lightly saute onions and potatoes in olive oil in a large pot until onions
are slightly browned. Add enough water to cover them and boil for about 15
minutes or until potatoes are nearly soft. In a small saucepan over low heat,
melt the butter and whisk in the flour until all of the butter is absorbed.
Then whisk in milk by the quarter cupful until you have a thick paste. Pour
this paste into the soup pot and stir. Add seasonings to taste. Let
the soup simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve.

I sometimes add grated cheese to this just before serving. You could also
sprinkle with bacon bits, chopped chives, or whatever suits your tastes!

Spinach Broccoli Pasta
Approximate Cost: $4.00
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2-3
Serve With: canned or fresh fruit.

1 8-ounce bag of egg noodles
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach
1 cup of frozen chopped broccoli
Grated cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. When it is half cooked add the
spinach and broccoli to the pot. When pasta has reached the desired softness,
drain into a colander. Place pasta vegetable mixture in a bowl and toss with
the grated cheese of your choice. You could also add – pieces of leftover
chicken, pre-cooked shrimp or additional vegetables.

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Turning a Goat Pasture into a 7200 Square Foot Garden

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 6:11 am

Maybe its a bit extreme for two people but this garden just keeps growing and growing! It all started with a casual conversation with a friend of mine at the Richmond Farmer’s Market.

Mary sells goat milk soap which she makes by hand. She has a little piece of Wild Heaven about twenty minutes from the city and raises goats there. We got talking this spring and I mentioned that since my yard in the city was too shady for anything by way of a vegetable garden that I was looking for a little piece of land to rent.

“How big?” she asked.

“Oh 20′x50′ would be about right.”

“I have this goat paddock I’m not using, you should take a look.”

Long story short I did look and discovered that this paddock was nearly knee deep in very well rotted manure and straw. It was much larger than I needed but I can always put in some more plants. We came to an agreement and a good friend and I started planting.

Its an interesting and challenging garden spot. The soil is wonderful, in addition to it being a goat pasture for several years it also used to be a creek bed. For the first time in my gardening career I have topsoil!

Of course the property also used to belong to some real old-timers… You know the kind who basically open a window and toss their trash into the yard! We’ve found all kinds of things while tilling and digging- lots of odd bits of metal and glass, a couple of bathroom scales, bumpers for vintage trucks etc. We just keep hauling it out a little at a time.

Then too its a bit hard to predict what will go well where as there are a number of trees in a semi-living state (goats will do that!). I had planned for this nice neat garden with clearly marked beds, but have had to settle for putting things in where they will have the best possible conditions.

Still after several weeks of hard digging and tilling, and several more of mulching between beds with newspaper and spoiled hay, we are not doing so badly. In addition to the manure naturally occuring in the space there is also a large pile which has been forked onto the beds and tilled in.

The corn is as high as my shoulder and should be in tassel in a couple of weeks, the potatoes have bloomed, and the tomatoes (about thirty plants mostly heirlooms) and squashes (also about thirty plants (I must be crazy)) have really taken hold.

The only serious problem I’m having at the moment is with a very hungry groundhog, but I’m hoping that an application of bloodmeal and the addition of some tin pie plates and old cd’s will help to discourage him.
All in all this has been one of my most pleasant gardening experiences. The space is pretty to look at and even on hot days there is usually a breeze.

Although the garden is probably much too big for two people I expect to be eating the produce all winter long.

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Five Essential Gardening Tools

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 7:05 am

Although it is possible to garden with an old spoon and a measuring cup, gardening is much more pleasant when you have the right tools!

Here are five garden tools that I consider essential. These gardening tools are useful for anyone with a good sized yard or even a small farm.

Shovel

On the top of the list is a good shovel. A shovel has a slightly rounded blade and can be bought with a long or short handle. I find that the long handle gives me more leverage when dealing with compacted soil and is also less wearing on my back since I don’t have to bend to dig.

A good shovel should be slightly bent along the top edge. This bend provides you with a place to put your foot when you need to shove the shovel blade deep into the ground.

Digging is often the first step to a beautiful garden so make sure you include a shovel that you like in your gardening tools.

Hoe

There are many different styles of hoe, but they all have the same essential function. A hoe is used to break up clumps of dirt to make a smooth seed bed and to pull weeds out of the ground. My personal favorite is a hoe with a triangular blade.

The point of the blade can be used to dig out weeds. The corners are useful for smoothing beds or for pulling away dirt to make a row for planting.

Rake

You should probably include two rakes in your gardening tool collection.

One should be a standard leak rake which can be used to collect grass clippings and leaves as well as smoothing garden beds with light soil.

The second rake should be a heavy duty landscaping or “iron” rake. This rake is square and has short thick teeth. It can be used to smooth beds with heavy soil or to spread gravel or other landscaping materials.

Fork

A pitchfork or potato fork is very important to the organic gardener or anyone who composts. The difference between the two is found in the length of the handle and the shape and length of the tines.

The pitchfork has a long handle and the tines are slightly curved and thinner than those of the potato fork. The pitchfork is best used for turning a compost pile that is mostly composed of grass clippings and leaves.

The potato fork has a short handle and thick straight tines. It can be used to dig and is very useful for turning compost piles that contain large amounts of dirt or manure.

Wheelbarrow

The final useful tool for a gardener is a wheelbarrow. These may be purchased in several sizes and are usually made of plastic or metal. I personally prefer a plastic wheelbarrow as it will not rust. Metal barrows will need to be painted on a regular basis to protect them from the corrosive effects of water and manure (if used by an organic gardener).

As you can see a good gardening tool collection makes it much easier to develop a beautiful yard and bountiful garden. Take the time to choose your gardening tools with care and you will always enjoy…

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Attracting Birds to Your Backyard and Garden

Filed under: Articles — Kyndra @ 9:10 am

Attracting Birds to Your Backyard and Garden

Birds are an important part of any gardener�s experience. They can be a both a useful source of natural pest control and a bit of a pest themselves. All in all they add color, life and pizzazz to your yard, garden, or balcony.

Birds will often return year after year to the same spot to nest, raise their young and feed. With a little care in choosing your plants, you can provide multiple species of birds with a safe place to live.

The first step to a beautiful bird friendly garden is to identify the most common species in your area. Buy a good birdbook (I personally prefer a Roger Tory Peterson guide) and spend some time watching birds in your yard.

Note the types of birds and their favorite places to feed, nest and play. Note too if there are any animals in the neighborhood that might harm them (cats spring to mind). Draw a small sketch map of your yard and make notations on it. It will be invaluable when planning additional ways to welcome your feathered friends!

Once the sketch map is in hand, check to see what kinds of food and shelter you provide in your yard. Do you have finches and other seed eating birds? Or is your population mainly bug and worm eaters? Do you have bushes that have low branches to provide shelter for ground nesting birds? Trees with solid branches for larger birds to build nests on? What about water? Do you have a birdbath or pond?

In many cases your yard probably already provides a number of atractive places for birds to nest and feed. To be sure to attract the exact species you want consider planting some of the following trees and shrubs:

Bayberry (Myrica heterophylla)
Attracts: Flickers, Carolina Wrens, Bluebirds, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrashers, Carolina Chickadees, Catbirds, , Mockingbirds, Mottled Ducks, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, American Robins, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Titmouses, Tree Swallows, Towhees, Yellow-rumped Warbler and many other species,

Blackberry (Rubus spp)
Attracts: Blue Jays, Bluebirds, Brown Thrashers, Cardinals, Catbirds, Flycatchers, Kingbirds, meadowlarks, Mockingbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, summer tanagers, Titmouses, Towhees, Wood Thrushes, Woodpeckers,

Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
Attracts : Bluebirds, Catbirds, Flickers, Flycatchers, Jays, Kingbirds, Orioles, Sparrows, Thrashers, Thrushes, Titmouses, Towhees,

Both of these will also provide fruit for you to enjoy!

Crabapple (Malus angustifolia)
Attracts: Blue Jays, Bluebirds, Mockingbirds, Titmouses, Woodpeckers, American Robins, Pine Grosbeaks, Crossbills, Siskins, Cedar Waxwings,

Fir (Abies spp.)
Attracts: Blue Jays, Brown Creepers, Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings, Flycatchers, Finches, Junco, Kinglet, Mourning Dove, Nuthatches, Robin,

Firs are especially important as shelter for species that over winter in your yard.

Flowering DogWood (Cornus spp.)
Attracts: over 80 species including catbird, Robins, Thrashers, Bluebirds, Towhees,

Holly (Ilex spp.)
Attracts: Blue Jays, Bluebirds, Brown Thrashers, Cardinals, Catbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Mockingbirds, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, American Robins, Sapsuckers, Sparrows, Thrushes, Towhees,

Hollies provide food and shelter in the winter.

Pine (Pinus spp.)
Attracts: American Goldfinches, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings, Finches, Flickers, Grosbeaks, Junco, Mourning Dove, Nuthatches, Pine Siskin, Sparrows, Titmouses, Thrashers, Towhee, Warblers, Woodpecker,

Plum (Prunus spp.)
Attracts: American Goldfinches, Bluebirds, Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings, Finches, Flickers, Grosbeaks, Orioles, Robins, Sparrows, Thrush, Thrashers, Towhee, Vireo, Woodpeckers,

Wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
Attracts: Bluebirds, Bobwhites, Brown Thrashers, Catbirds, Carolina Chickadees, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-eyed Vireos, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Tree Swallows,

These are just a few of the plants that will help you attract and keep birds year after year! There are many more, including a number of flowers that are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. Experiment with various types of plants until you find just the right look and feel for you and your feathered friends!

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