Gardening With Friends and Neighbors

CSA Farming

I was watching a cooking show on the TV today and it mentioned something called CSA Farming. A farmer does all the work while the local people buy shares into the farm and get baskets of food for a very nominal price. Some have it set up that local residents can help with the farming too.

Community Supported Agriculture can be a big boon to the local economic crisis. People are losing jobs and many cannot even drive long distances they need to get to the grocery stores. With all the hullabaloo of e-coli and other poisonings going on from crops grown and shipped in from over seas this concept could very well be the new future of fresh farming and locally grown produce. While local residents purchase home grown foods they also learn how to farm themselves and what goes into it. This way it is more healthy then going to the grocery store where you really don't know what is in or on your food.

Farmshare LTD, based out of CT says this is how their Farm Share works: Farm Share Ltd. works with local family farms to bring freshly harvested organic crops to your table. Our Farm Share^tm delivery service means you can participate in a CSA and support local farms without having to drive to a pick-up location. You can now enjoy weekly (in spring/summer/fall) or monthly (in winter) deliveries of organic and naturally grown produce from a small local farm directly to your door.

How My CSA worked in the 80's

I remember doing something similar to this back in my early 20's in the neighborhood that I lived in. It worked slightly different then the way that it is done using the CSA method. People rented out a plot of land that was offered by a local farmer or rented out empty house lots. I have heard of it being done on the tops of city apartment buildings to empty city lots that once were dirty and dangerous.

What the farmer did in our area was put many raised gardens in the space of the lot or farmers plot. These filled, raised garden were 3 feet high by about 8 - 12 feet long and 4 feet wide. It was a very workable space for anyone. We plowed/hoed, planted and tended our own gardens. Water, mulch and organic fertilizer were available for the most part and everyone had access to them. There was a monthly fee for the plot and I assume a fee for the use of mulch, and fertilizer and water use. At the time I thought it was exorbitant, but now many years later, it is a drop in the bucket.

Great Teen Activities

If you are looking for a good teen activities, this would be it. Teens usually get into this kind of thing. They have the freedom of creativity and taking ownership in what they produce. Most will even try eating these different vegetables. Aside from the creativity they also learn things like taking care of the earth and the healthy eating and lifestyle. Most teens learn by "hands on". Math, Spelling, Communication and all kinds of things they learn on paper would be more readily learned in this type of activity. Special Needs and Mentally Challenged Children and Adults would also do good with this type of activity.

Learn More About CSA and Small Farm Legislature

• Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund
  The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization made up of farmers and consumers joining together and pooling resources to: • Protect the constitutional right of the nation’s family farms to provide processed and
• Community Supported Agriculture
  Community Supported Agriculture from the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
• Community Supported Agriculture - LocalHarvest

Our Future  

The future of this nation depends on the farming of such. Farmers are having a difficult time keeping their lands and farms. The more we do this the more we loose valuable resources and keep us open to more economic downfall and the risk to our own health. 

I think we will be doing more of this in the coming years.  People are getting leery of what may be recalled because of e-coli and salmonella which comes from the supermarket.  Do we really know how  genetically engineered food will affect our bodies some years down the road?  Ask your local farmers market where they get their own produce they are selling. The reason why I say this is because one of our local farmer's market does not sell from the local area. He buys it from many states away.  I didn't know this until I asked.  I assumed because he had a local fruit and vegetable stand that he was a local farmer selling local produce.  I stopped buying from him.

We do have a pick your own farm, but the real treat is growing your own and the learning process that it includes.  Many do not have such a place to pick their own produce.  There is just something about working in a garden to release the stresses of the day.  You can grow things like Purple Tomatoes and Peppers and learn and grow Heirloom vegetables.  The creativity is amazing.

More Helpful Information

• American Community Gardening Association
  How to start a community garden.
• How To Make Compost
  Compost is an excellent soil nutrient, as well as a fabulous mulch. It is what is left of food scraps, grass cuttings, leaves, hair, and other things you would normally throw away, after these things are...
• Cash Crops for Small Farms: Rabbit Manure
  Family farmers, homesteaders, and even suburbanites can earn extra money with packaged rabbit manure. Rabbit manure is considered to be one of the best manures for gardens. Unlike many other animal manures,...

© Debra K. Allen a.k.a Lady Guinevere

I researched and wrote this article. Please do not copy and paste any part of this article, picture included for your own use. I will find you and report you for stealing.  It is my right to change any information therein at any time and/or change the location of my article. 

Gardening Throughout The Year 1

I found an old gardening calendar that has things that you can do every month of the year. In this article I will tell you what you can do each week of the month in the year so that you can be the best gardener you can and have many crops in one planting season. You will want to know when to lime and fertilize, plant what seeds when, take care of your strawberries, prune fruit trees and vines, make a high tunnel and much more.

For the convenience of reading and remembering I will break this down into three months each.  This part of the article is January through March.

January

January is a pretty cold month, you would think, but there are many things that you can do in the house that is garden related.  

Houseplants need care and this month you will need to increase humidity for them in your house. There is a simple way of doing this. Just get a large tray or plant saucers that are two sizes too big and fill it up with pea gravel.  Then fill that up to the top with water.  As the water evaporates it will humidify your plants. Also set your poinsettias in a sunny location.

Draw you plans for this year's garden. Review what has been done last year and make revisions if necessary. Rotating crops is good for the soil as it doesn't deplete all the same nutrients in the one location. This also stops erosion.

As far as outdoors, you will need to watch where you put that salt and chemicals. Make sure that it stays where you need it and not run off into the areas that you have your lovely plants. Salt and chemicals will damage any plant that it comes in contact with.

You will want to make sure all your gardening and power equipment is serviced and ready to go come planting time.  

If you haven't done so already you will need to order your lime and fertilizer for your lawn and gardens.

Did you know that lime kills fleas too! Spread it throughout the areas your pets are in. Please make sure they do not step on it until it has been washed into the soil or it will burn their pads on their paws.

February

One more month towards Spring!

This month there is a lot more to do in your lawn and preparations for your gardens.

The first week you will want to lime and fertilize your gardens. Mix the lime and the 10-10-10 fertilizer together and spread in all the areas you are planting or have grass. The snow and rain will soak it into the ground for you. One less thing you have to do come spring!

Order your fruit trees for planting when they come. Remember that Garden Plan you worked on last month, here is where you start putting into effect.. When the trees come you know where you are planting them, right. You will want to make sure because you will need to plant them as soon as they arrive.

Around the second week go ahead and order you High Tunnel. You can also make one of steel poles, plastic pipe or anything the bends. Just cover this with clear plastic and you are ready to go. You can make it as big as you want. Don't worry about the ends, you can either let the plastic hang there or make it into a door. Either way you will need to be able to open it when it gets really hot. This keeps the humidity inside so your plants will not dry up as much. You can also put tables in there with many different plants in them and use a drip watering system. This high tunnel can be moved around and taken down during the months it is not in use.

Grow some Herbs on your windowsills, seed Head Lettuce, Celery, Cauliflower indoors before Valentines day. After Valentines Day you seed Broccoli and Cabbage indoors, Seed Peas outside and start Onions and Greens in a cold frame.

Prune your Grapes, Deciduous trees, Shrubs and Blueberries around Mid-month. Apply dormant spray to your fruit trees at the end of the month.

March  

There is more to do this month and it is finally Spring at the end of the month! Are you getting anxious to plant stuff yet! I know I am.

Okay the first week you will need to seed you Kholrabi indoors, plant Onion sets, order your Strawberries, plant your broad leaf evergreens and prune Raspberries and your fruit trees. Now you can build your high tunnel!

2nd and 3rd weeks of March you will want to seed indoors: Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, Peppers, Swiss Chard, Eggplant and Turnips.

Also plant non flowering trees, shrubs and roses.

The last two weeks of March you will need to plant Peas, set out your Head Lettuce, Asparagus, Turnips, Radishes, Strawberry plants and Rhubarb.

Remember to fertilize your spring flowering bulbs, your Rhubarb and Asparagus beds.

Use row covers to help prevent freezing of your tender plants.

Now you can start controlling your dogwood with anthracnose at the end of the month.

Vegetable Gardening in Compact Spaces

This Garden was on our apartment terrace.
In the poll we had Brussel sprouts an many other vegetables. 

You can grow lots of vegetables in a apartment. All it takes is some ingenuity and imagination. Garden Centers and Seed Catalogs now have many fruits and vegetables geared to patios and small spaces where you can grow anything from Citrus and fruit trees to patio tomatoes and much more. Got a sunny window? Put a pot in it and plant some herbs. I have added some ideas that I used when I loved in an apartment for you. Even if you don't have access to land or that you live on land but can't plant anything on it you can use these ideas.

I had a patio that faced the southern sky. I bought me a child's wading pool and filled it with garden soil and planted all kinds of things in it. I had things like Tomatoes, Lettuce, Peppers, and even some Brussels Sprouts. Believe me if you get one the is deeper than 12 inches you can grow root crops like carrots, spring onions and things like that. If you don't have lots of sun get some Grow Lights and put them in all your lamps and light fixtures. It will make a difference. You can get them at any garden center. They are a bit expensive but they last long. Use your imagination.

LOL, My husband called our apartment "The Jungle" because I had plants all over the place.

What To Plant In Containers

Some plants don't need a lot of room to grow. Here is a list of vegetables and what they can be grown in:

These vegetables can be planted in 1 gallon or less pots:

1 Pint: Beets, Carrots, Mustard Greens, Radishes, and Spinach

1 Gallon: Chinese Cabbage, Lettuce, Onions and Standard Tomatoes.

These can be planted in 2 - 4 gallon containers:

Chives, The come back every year.

2 Gallon: Bush Beans, New Zealand Spinach. and Peppers

3 1/2 gallon: Swiss Chard

4 Gallon: Pole Beans

These can be planted in 5 gallon containers:

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Kale, Summer Squash and Zucchini, Tomatoes (dwarf and Patio) and Turnips

These need 10 gallon containers:

Corn

Use things like old bath tubs,
sinks or anything with drainage

A large tub that you can get at any hardware store filled with dirt and a shelving board inserted into the middle of it and wire mesh put around the board will grow a salad garden. A large bag of garden soil will hold plants as well. All you need to do it cut crosses where you plant your plants. No need to empty it into anything. I use my Kitty Litter buckets (they don't sell them now) to grow my tomatoes and peppers in now.

What To Grow Where

Old Wheelbarrows can be good containers
for tomatoes or any vine type vegetables

Windowsills: Carrots, Cress, Lettuce, Mustard, Radishes, Spinach, Tomatoes and Zucchini

Balconies, Rooftops, or Window Boxes: Any of the above plus: Beans, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Corn, Cucumbers, Peppers, Potatoes, Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips and other root vegetables.

Indoor under Grow and or Fluorescent Lights: Beets, Carrots, Chinese Cabbage, Cucumbers, Endive, Onions, Radishes and Watercress.

Strawberry Jars are very pretty and can grow more than just strawberries in them. Us it for an herb garden in a sunny spot in your living room or kitchen.

There is absolutely no excuse why you can't have your own fresh grown vegetables in an apartment.

Buy Seeds On-Line

• Johnny's Selected Seeds Superior Seeds & Gardening Tools
  Johnny's is committed to helping growers and gardeners succeed with superior seeds, tools and service. Quality vegetable, herb and flower seeds including a large selection of certified organic seed.
• 2011 Exotic Plant and Garden Seed Catalog
  Thousands of Exotic and Unusual Plant Seeds from around the World in retail packets for the home gardener, all items listed in stock and satisfaction guaranteed.
• Park Seed: Seeds and plants for vegetable, flower, annual and perennial gardening.
  Seeds and plants for every gardener in every area of the US. We sell the largest selection of vegetables, flowers, annuals, and perennials.
• Burpee Seeds and Plants - Vegetable, Flower, Home Gardening Supplies, Herb, Fruit, Heirloom,Organic
  Seeds, plants and gardening supplies for home gardens - Large, exclusive selection: Heirloom and organic seeds and plants. Vegetable, flower, herb, fruit, perennials, annuals - Burpee.com.
• www.eldoradoheirloomseeds.com
• http://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/default.aspx
• Seeds, Fruits, Vegetables, Trees, Plants and More - Gurney's Seed & Nursery