Posts Tagged ‘Soil’
Build a Mini PVC Pipe Garden House
For many years I had trouble with birds (and my own chickens) getting into the garden and eating tender vegetable plants as they emerged from the soil. And, in the colder months I wanted to extend the growing season and protect my crops from frost. I wanted to install a hoop house, the kind I’d seen in magazines or while driving back country roads, but they were too large for one person to manage and too expensive for my limited budget.
I wanted something lightweight, easy to move and something I could make myself with supplies I might already have on hand.
I looked around the farm to see what I could use and hoped that an idea would come to mind. Sure enough, it did. As I stared at my raised beds I thought of a mini greenhouse type structure that could be draped with bird netting in the growing season and float cloth or plastic to extend my plantings.
Here’s what I came up with:
A PVC frame that fits over my 4’x8’ raised beds and is held in place by “C” brackets screwed to the wooden vegetable bed frame. A 10’ piece of PVC runs the length of the uprights to keep the covering draped properly over the frame. At ground level it can be tacked to the wooden vegetable bed or covered with dirt or rocks to keep it from blowing off.
How I made it:
I cut 4 pieces of PVC pipe 2 feet long; two for the sides and two, half the width of the vegetable bed, to make the peaked top. This would be wide enough to reach across the bed and give good clearance for taller plants like lettuce, broccoli or tomatoes. I then assembled the greenhouse frame using 45 degree PVC pipe fittings (these were on hand, but 90 degree might work better on the legs). Once I tested the greenhouse, to see if it did what I thought it would, I glued all the pieces together. I made 3 frames for each 8’ bed.
To install my newly made mini-greenhouse, I screwed “C” brackets into the vegetable bed frame about 6-inches from each end and in the middle of the bed (about the 4’ mark), I then zip tied a 10’ piece of PVC pipe down the middle to keep the peaks upright and to keep any covering from falling in on the plants.
In less than an hour, using the supplies I had on hand, I made enough frames to cover four of my eight vegetable beds; protecting my crops from marauding chickens and scavenging birds.
The Storm Rolls In
The sky turns grey.
The wind blows hard.
The rain comes down.
The ground is quenched.
Seeds swell.
Roots push deep.
Plants grow tall.
Flowers bud.
Crops grow fat.
Harvest is plenty.
I pluck from the ground that which seed and soil and rain and sun hath made grow, and place it on my table to nourish and sustain my life.
Who could ever frown at such a circle? Or, wish it would never happen? Only an ignorant man would wish the rain to never come, the seasons to never change, the wind to never blow, and the dark to never fall, for these are the elements that turn life from quiet and shriveled and thirsting to vibrant and alive.
Welcome the rain and pray for more.
Shopping the Farmer’s Market
Farmer’s Markets are not new to many of us, but some find the whole thing a little daunting. So, as this season of shopping locally and from farmers who grow our food is in full swing we are sharing our best ideas and tips for making the most of your next farmer’s market excursion.
Go prepared.
If you’ve read this blog for long, you have a good idea that I am a menu planner, so before I head out to the market I always think ahead about what’s up for the dinners in the coming week. I consider what I can harvest from the garden and what has to be filled in from other sources, then I make a list. Once I’m at the market though I keep an eye out for anything that looks particularly good or interesting that I can build a meal around, whether it’s on my list or not. It’s simple enough to change a menu if I find something unexpected or a great deal.
Other things I bring include recycled plastic bags to hold veggies, a shopping bag and a nice sturdy roller cart. If it is especially hot on market day and I think I may be out for a while I sometimes bring an ice crest to hold heat-sensitive veggies so they don’t wilt on the way home. However, since I usually swing by the market on my way home from work the ice chest is a rare companion.
Talk to the farmers!
One of the great experiences of shopping at the farmer’s market is the ability to talk with people who grow our food, so chat away, folks! If you’re at a loss of what to talk about ask how to properly select a certain fruit or vegetable, their favorite way to cook a particular vegetable, when the ______ might be ready for harvest, or how the recent weather has impacted their crops. If you’re interested in organically grown but there’s no sign ask the farmer about his growing methods, how they boost the fertility of the soil or how they control damaging pests. This can be a touchy subject for some, so please tread lightly. You can be inquisitive, but don’t interrogate. Don’t be shy folks, building a bond with growers will enrich your market day, but remember you’re not the only shopper there, try not to monopolize the farmers time.
Also, remember that bringing this produce, meat, cheese, baked goods, flowers, etc. to your community has taken hours of time and hard labor. Even if the quality is not as pristine as you’d like to see please don’t make faces or snide comments, be respectful and remember…you don’t have to buy it.
At many markets I’ve visited, the price posted is the price, but in some areas haggling is accepted. If this for you, try asking if the price is firm rather than demanding a lower price because of some perceived flaw in the product. Better yet, if you’re a bargain hunter shop late in the day when farmers are more apt to slash the price rather than take produce home. And…for you seniors out there many market now have senior discounts or coupons, so check with your market management.
If you plan on shopping for large quantities of an item for a party or for canning make arrangements with the farmer ahead of time. Most are happy to bring lugs of a particular item rather than be bought out in one transaction. Many times, too, you can get a better price especially if you can use seconds, like for making sauce or chutney’s.
Devise a strategy.
I like to walk through the whole market, looking at everything and tasting before deciding which stalls to buy from. Others like to hunt and gather their way through, buying as they go, while still others have favorite vendors they buy certain items from week-after-week. Your shopping style really isn’t important, but if you’re new to farmer’s markets you may want to go with a plan.
Be a familiar face.
Being a “regular” at a farmers market is fun. You’ll gain a sense of belonging, get to know the farmers and other regular shoppers a little bit, and you’ll be known as a loyal customer. All nice things. Get to know the market organizers also. Our market has an information table manned by the market staff. Getting to know them makes it easier to bring up concerns, wished for products or make suggestions. And—if you are nice and helpful you may even see your comments or suggestions come alive at the market.
Talk it up.
Your local farmers market is part of your community, so talk it up! The more you and your neighbors go – and spend money! – the stronger and more diverse your market will become. If your town gets a reputation as a place that supports locally grown food, new farmers may be more willing to try farming in your community.
No matter if you’re a power shopper that wants to get in and get out of the farmers market, or a meanderer like me, who uses the market as a way to shake off the stresses of a long work day, a farmers market brings vitality and energy to the community and is well worth supporting.
Heart & Soil
What a great way to spend a summer evening. “Heart & Soil”, a sustainable agriculture documentary will take you on a journey into the lives of southwest farmers, energetic farmer’s market and vibrant school lunch programs. The farmers are an inspiration for us all to dig more, grow more or to support those who do.
To learn more about the mission of “Heart & Soil” and their desire to promote local agriculture check out their website at http://heartandsoilfilm.com/index.php
The Real Dirt on Farmer John
THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN follows Farmer John’s astonishing journey from farm boy to counter-culture rebel to the son who almost lost the family farm to a beacon of today’s booming organic farming movement and founder of one of the nation’s largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. The result is a tale that ebbs and flows with the fortunes of the soil and revealingly mirrors the changing American times.
Homemade Seed Tape
Some seeds are so small and hard to handle that you end up wasting more than you plant, or planting them so close that they need to be thinned heavily. But, it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. You can make you own homemade seed tape with toilet paper and a little bit of honey. The homemade version works just as well as the commercial ones for a lot less money.
Here’s how to make them.
1.) Start with a strip of toilet paper the length of the row you want to plant. If that is too long lengths of 12 to 18-inches is very workable and useable in a garden bed. Spread the toilet paper out flat being careful not to tear it then fold it in half length-wise. After you have creased the TP it can be unfolded to lay flat. Single or double-ply will work, but the single-ply works best because smaller seeds can root through the single layer, plus it decomposes faster. Also try to avoid scented and colored TP as it only adds chemicals to the soil.
2.) Mix about a teaspoon of honey with several drops of warm water to thin it out. The number of seed strips you are making will determine how much honey you will need. Using a small spoon, popsicle stick or paint brush gently spread a thin layer of the honey mixture down the middle of one of the folded sides of TP. Be careful not to press too hard or you will tear the TP.
3.) Before the honey dries, sprinkle an evenly spaced row of seeds down the line of honey. Check each seed packet for the recommended seed spacing. If shaking seeds out of the packet proves too difficult simply pour them into your hand or into a small bowl and place them one at a time onto the TP.
4.) Now fold the unseeded edge of the tape onto the seeded side and gently press so the honey can “glue” the two sides together. The long continuous line of honey will help keep the seeds from slipping out of place.
5.) Using a fine pen gently write the seed name, plant height, row spacing and date seed tape was made onto one edge of the seed tape. Be careful not to tear the tape. Including the plant height and row spacing will help when laying out your garden bed.
6.) After preparing the garden bed lay seed tape in desired location. Cover tape with a light peat moss mixture to the depth recommended on the seed packet. Water and keep moist as with direct sown seeds, especially after seeds have sprouted. The toilet paper tape will protect seeds from birds and small animals and from being blown away by the wind or washed away by rain or sprinklers.
The toilet paper quickly and easily decomposes never to be seen again and what remains is a perfectly laid out garden bed.
photo credit: Minneapolis.Metblogs
DIRT! The Movie
“Floods, drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt.”
DIRT! The Movie–directed and produced by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow–takes you inside the wonders of the soil. It tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility–from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.
The opening scenes of the film dive into the wonderment of the soil. Made from the same elements as the stars, plants and animals, and us, “dirt is very much alive.” Though, in modern industrial pursuits and clamor for both profit and natural resources, our human connection to and respect for soil has been disrupted. “Drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt.”
DIRT! the Movie–narrated by Jaime Lee Curtis–brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that the soil has. It shares the stories of experts from all over the world who study and are able to harness the beauty and power of a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with soil.
DIRT! the Movie is simply a movie about dirt. The real change lies in our notion of what dirt is. The movie teaches us: “When humans arrived 2 million years ago, everything changed for dirt. And from that moment on, the fate of dirt and humans has been intimately linked.” But more than the film and the lessons that it teaches, DIRT the Movie is a call to action.
“The only remedy for disconnecting people from the natural world is connecting them to it again.”
What we’ve destroyed, we can heal.
Church Grows More Than Faith
… One foggy Maryland morning last spring, I was among more than 400 people who donned jeans and boots, packed shovels and hoes, and headed to…church. After months of hoarding leaves from suburban yards and gathering manure from local farmers, parishioners at Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville were ready to spend a Sunday transforming hard clay into dark, rich humus.
Creating a farm might seem an unlikely mission for a congregation of urban dwellers and suburbanites. For Cedar Ridge, the idea had grown out of a year of prayerful reflection about how to use our 63 acres in a way that would cherish the earth and its inhabitants. We also hoped that working the soil and giving organic food to our neighbors in need would help us to grow spiritually.
Click Here to read how a small Maryland congregation came together to build a church garden; cherishing the earth and feeding a community in need.
Make Your Own Garden Trellis
Hint & Tip
Make your own garden trellis
Before you chop up grape cane or berry vine pruning’s for the compost, consider saving them to make your own garden trellises.
Simply pull off any leaves and scrap off the thorns and you have the perfect material for making trellises that can be used for vining peas, beans or even small cucumbers.
Before the canes dry completely, take several sturdy straight pieces for the uprights, then twine the remainder around the uprights in the diameter you want. Leave room at the bottom so the trellis can be pushed into the soil.
Once finished, tie the intersections to hold the trellis together. Vine trellises will last a few seasons and can then be chopped up and composted. You’ll save money on buying premade- trellises and your garden will have a fine country feel with natural made trellises.
(if you don’t have grapes or berries on your suburban homestead you can also use small diameter saplings)
Recent comments
Aenean nonummy hendrerit mauris. Phasellus porta.