Posts filed under 'Garden'
March 18th, 2010
Signs of spring are all around. The snow is gone, the robins and red-winged blackbirds have returned. The grass is greening, maples are blooming, and spring plants are peering out at the new season; testing the air and braving the weather. It’s only mid-March so we can still expect some cold rain and freezing temperatures but this is the perfect time to think about improving your vegetable garden.
We have tried various methods of vegetable gardening and so can compare the relative ease and productivity of several different types. We have traditional ground-level beds planted in rows, bermed raised beds with no containment structures, low raised beds made from untreated cedar, and substantial raised beds built with concrete retaining wall blocks. Our experience has shown far greater yields and ease of use from the raised beds.
A raised bed is an area of garden that is two to four feet wide (I recommend three feet unless you have very long arms) and anywhere from six inches above ground level to waist height. Soil in raised beds should be amended with humus and/or composted manure.
Because you don’t walk on and compact the soil, it’s easy to loosen in spring without a gas-guzzling roto-tiller. Because you don’t have to leave walking space, you can plant closer together; thereby shading the soil below, maintaining moisture, and reducing the germination of weeds. The weeds that do germinate pull out easily because the soil is so loose. And the wide, tall, sturdy sides of my stone beds are easy to sit on when working.
The soil in raised beds tends to drain better, warms earlier in spring, and can be planted earlier (plant cold-hardy varieties and cover young plants in case of hard freezes). Raised beds are accessible to those for whom stooping is difficult (great for a gardener in a wheelchair) and can render areas useable that might not otherwise be gardened (slopes, rooftops, poor soil, etc.). You can also minimize rodent damage to plants by laying metal hardware cloth (smallest holes possible) into the “floor” of your raised bed before filling it with soil.
Raised beds can be constructed out of nearly anything. You can merely dig a small ditch around the ground-level area you want to turn into a raised bed and pile the soil in the middle, creating a berm. You can use scrap lumber or other repurposed materials to create a frame that you then fill with soil (be sure the materials are not treated or coated with anything you would not want to eat – this includes toxins in pressure-treated lumber). Or, you can spend more time, effort, and money to build stacked stone or concrete block beds. Admittedly, this is not the easiest solution but it will last forever and is pleasant to work with once completed. You can also repurpose old skylights or other unbreakable (or tempered) glass panels by laying them across the edges of your raised bed walls to create mini greenhouses (called cold frames) to extend your growing season at both ends. In fact at our house, Kevin was able to hold spinach, kale, and beets under glass in one of our raised beds all winter. There was truly something special about eating fresh-from-the-garden spinach salad in late December!
Online and print resources abound on this popular gardening method so you should have no trouble finding ideas and inspiration. Although I don’t intend to build more raised beds this year, you can be sure that there are more in our garden’s future.
February 19th, 2010
This just in from the University of Illinois Extension-Winnebago County. A workshop on controlling weeds and pests sustainably and organically will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 11, at the extension office, 1925 S. Meridian Road, Rockford.
Presenter Bill Lindenmier will cover organic history, soil preparation (composting and mulching), weed/insect control and garden layout .
Cost is $15; register at 815-986-4357 or www.extension.uiuc.edu/winnebago.
February 9th, 2010
The 33rd annual Gardening for Food and Fun event is just a month away: Saturday, March 6, at the University of Illinois Extension–Winnebago County.
According to a news release, the day offers a diverse selection of 20 classes and workshops. The keynote speaker is Steven Apfelbaum, founder of Applied Ecological Services, who will talk about restoring the ecology of Stone Prairie Farm and the importance of connecting to the land.
Cost is $40 and includes your choice of three sessions and lunch.
Topics include organic vegetable gardening, herbs, container gardeing, native plants/landscaping, industry secrets for choosing the best plants and heirloom flowers.
Registration deadline is March 1; if not using the link, call 815-986-4357.
December 22nd, 2009
I’ve had a few readers ask about where they can join a community garden.
The University of Illinois Extension offices is working on a directory now. If you have a community garden or want to establish one, fill out this survey.
Master gardener Jeff White is leading this effort; last month, organizers met with Neighborhood Network and the Rockford Department of Human Services.
The extension hopes to provide technical assistance, educational workshops and training to make these gardens successful and increase donations to Plant a Row for the Hungry (which topped 18 tons of donations in 2009).
December 16th, 2009
Univeristy of Illinois Extension-Winnebago County has started a program to educate home gardeners on composting.
Ten master composters have completed training and are available for presentations to garden clubs. Call 815-986-4357.
November 19th, 2009
11/18/09
Community gardens, neighborhood gardens, Plant a Row for the Hungry gardens-all serve a similar purpose and maybe are just redundant names for the same thing. The common theme: a place-based effort to produce small fruits and vegetables for individuals, groups, or those less fortunate. The idea of sharing the labor, cost and tools for the sharing of the harvest is appealing to many who may not want to do the solitary garden thing in their backyards, but look instead to a social opportunity offered by a community garden.
Last spring, the Register Star’s Jenny Pollock contacted me for a list of community gardens in the area. I didn’t have one, and determined that one did not exist. We are looking to change that and have begun a process to map community gardening in our area. A survey form has been developed and is available on Extension’s website http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/winnebago. Those without internet access can request a copy from the office by calling 815-986-4357. Because there is such interest in community gardening in its many forms, we plan to compile a listing which can be accessed to find places to garden, types of projects, and other information. Driving this project is our desire to provide technical expertise, educational opportunities, and other assistance to groups. U of I Extension staff, Master Gardeners, Master Composters and other volunteers will be involved and lending their expertise and know-how as needed.
A partnership between Extension, Neighborhood Network, and the Rockford Department of Human Services was recently formed, and together we will be supporting “Roots Rock Community Gardening Program.” Last week an informational meeting was held and the 30 or so in attendance got to meet U of I Master Gardener Jeff White, the energy behind this program. Jeff told the audience “we want to help you establish your new garden or make your existing garden better. We will provide you with a series of workshops covering planning and planting the garden, weed and pest control, and finally, harvesting and preserving the bounty of the garden using safe food preservation techniques.” Through this program, we hope to see more neighborhood groups establish gardens, more families involved in gardening, and of course, more produce donated to those in need through the Plant a Row for the Hungry program.
Correction: The movie “Fresh” will be shown on Thursday, December 10 at 7 p.m. at the movie theater in the Rockford Museum Park (former Storefront Cinema).
*******
Margaret Larson is the Director of the U of I Extension Offices in Winnebago andStephenson
Counties. She has been active in supporting the local food system in the region and most recently began working with the Illinois Department of Ag to form a statewide Farmers Market Association in
Illinois.
November 9th, 2009
To celebrate 60 years of gardening and its focus on nature, the Seedlings gardening club is extending an invitation to its private party at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at Octane, 124 N. Main, Rockford. Cost is $25 for the meal, prizes and program, which features this blog’s own contributor, Andrea Hazzard.
To make a reservation by Friday, send your check to Kathy Crandall, 7775 Eddie Road, Winnebago, IL 61088. Questions? Call Sue Lacerra at 815-243-0093.
Seedlings is part of the Council of Rockford Gardeners.
This is the local-foods menu:
· Appetizer/Salad – Roasted Beet Salad: Roasted beets with the flavors of citrus, mint, shallots, and peppered goat cheese
· Soup – Harvest Bisque: A blend of butternut and acorn squash, pumpkin, fresh herbs and pumpkin seed pesto
· Entree – Beef and Bison Meat Loaf: Traditional meat loaf with a twist—baked then grilled–served with a duo of roasted mashed Yukon and sweet potatoes and a vegetable side
· Dessert – Fall Apple and Cranberry Crumble: Apple and cranberry crumble with a cranberry wine reduction and fresh whipped cream
September 12th, 2009
The fall season is upon us, and it is a time to appreciate the growth that occurred in the summer months by rejoicing in the bounty of the harvest that is ahead of us. If there was any a time to eat local, this season would be the time begin!
If a garden coming into fall was the color to paint on a canvas, the artist would have a rainbow of colors to choose from. So many vegetables, and fruits, are ready to be harvested and enjoyed at this time, it is almost too much to enjoy all at once. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and zucchini are either at the peak of their harvest. Late sweet corn is still available for our last bite of sweetness, as are the last crop of green beans. The first crop of fall vegetables are not far away and the first crop of potatoes are ready to be dug. Did I mention the winter squash that is just coming to ripen? And those are just the veggies! What about the sun-ripened melons that we can enjoy, the first pint of ripe raspberries, or the early apples that are now ready to be plucked from the trees? With this many goodies, how can one not enjoy them by eating local?
I think this is the season that is the easiest to make delicious full course meals from. With everything coming to ripen at the same time, one could make a bruschetta for an appetizer, a lovely summer salad to start dinner, gazpacho for a soup if one would desire, a mouth-watering ratatouille for the main course, and either a berry cobbler, grilled melon, or an apple crisp for desert! Many of these recipes can be found in several different variations in cookbooks, or they are also a simple google search away from enjoyment.
Another great task to consider at this time of year is canning or freezing for the winter months. I think the greatest piece of enjoyment on a cold winter day, is heating up a lovely tomato bisque that was made in the heat of the Indian Summer. Or, enjoying the taste of fresh green beans in a pasta dish! That will really make the cold winter months melt away! At first, I always thought that both canning, and freezing were both very time consuming tasks. The first time is always an adventure because there are little tricks to the trade that make each time easier, but those can only be learned if you give it a try the first time. The University of Illinois Extension offers canning workshops, and guidance is just a phone call away.
The many local farmer’s markets, pick-your-own farms, and CSA farms have many, if not all, of these products to offer. Please check out the local foods directory provided by the Illinois Extension Service to find sources for all of these delectable products!
August 27th, 2009
The Illinois Food Farms & Jobs Bill was passed on August 18, 2009.
This law creates the Illinois Local Food, Farms and Jobs Council, which will work with state agencies, Illinois businesses, organizations, and citizens to build a fully functioning local farm and food system in Illinois. It will open new avenues of entrepreneurship, and we are grateful for the opportunities. This legislation will begin a long overdue transformation of our communities. There are plenty of business opportunities to go around.
Believe it or not, an estimated $46 billion of our money flows out of our state for food each year. Even if the number is off a bit, that’s no small potatoes. Currently, Illinois produces approximately 4% of the food we consume. The goal is to increase that to 10% by 2020 and 20% by 2030. The greatest natural resource in Illinois is our soil. It’s among the best in the world, and is absolutely irreplaceable.
People are needed to grow specialty crops, and workers will be needed to harvest and process the products. Engineers are needed to design and build equipment for those specialty crops. There will be an endless need for modern, reasonably priced, small scale equipment, and people to weld, paint, repair, and sell it.
Distribution hubs are also desperately needed. These will have to be built, furnished, and staffed. Other needs include farm co-ops that meet the needs of diversified growers; specialty crop advisors; and Illinois-specific seed and plant production, plus plant breeding work.
Value-added product development for the local food industry will offer quite a bit of work, including labeling, packaging, publicizing, and marketing these products. Suppliers of soil amendments will find an up tick in work. This could even be the start of diverting some of the organic material that ends up in our landfills, back to farms.
Financial advisors specializing in the local foods industry will be needed. And don’t forget all those farmers who will need to add infrastructure like buildings, storage, and equipment to their farms in order to diversify their cropping systems.
Different industries are specifically mentioned in the legislation, including agri-tourisim, which is already popular in some parts of America and abroad. People want to visit farms to connect with the source of their food. One area farmer, David Cleverdon of Kinnickinnick Farm, is already trying to do this.
The cosmetic/healthcare industry is on the list, along with dairy products and eggs. The fiber industry could see innovations in sustainable fabrics, dye, design, and production. Fish and forestry products include Christmas trees, wood, syrup, mushrooms, and nuts. Fifteen different grains are listed, plus herbs, honey, meat, ornamental plants, recreation, and renewable energy. How about some beer made with local grain?
To read the legislation, visit www.foodfarmsjobs.org. I think this may be the road back to the land of milk and honey, bread and roses.
August 6th, 2009
I’ve spent several Tuesday evenings this summer attending the Master Food Preserver training being offered by the Stephenson County Extension. I enjoy growing my own veggies and am interested in eating more local foods year-round, so this course seemed like just the thing for me. As I have no experience whatsoever with any kind of food preserving (other than memories of my mother freezing homemade applesauce when I was a kid), I’ve been soaking up loads of interesting information during the classroom and practicum parts of the class.
It seems that food preserving is a skill that waned in popularity, but is now making a comeback, just like knitting, sewing, baking, and veggie gardening. For those of you who are curious about getting started, I’d like to share some things I’ve learned. This might be of interest even for more experienced folks, as new discoveries are constantly being made at the University of Georgia, the national hub for research on food preserving. Guidelines for safe food preserving change as new discoveries are made. Indeed, researchers have found that means of food preserving that were once considered safe, are in fact not so. When it comes to the well being of one’s family, I feel it’s better safe than sorry.
There are only two safe ways of canning, depending on the type of food being preserved: the boiling water canner method and the pressure canner method. The former is used for high-acid foods like fruits and tomatoes, as well as jams, jellies, and pickles, while the latter is the only safe way to can other vegetables, meats, and poultry. The bacteria that causes botulism can be killed only at temperatures above 240°, a temperature that can be reached only in a pressure canner.
The open-kettle method, which was common in the past, is now considered unsafe. Foods were heated in a pan, then poured into jars. A lid was placed on the jar, but there was no further processing in a canner. Spoilage was common because bacteria, yeast, and mold were not killed by processing. There is a real risk of botulism with this type of canning.
Steam canners are also no longer considered safe, because the steam does not heat the jars in the same way that submersion in boiling water would. Canning in a microwave oven, standard oven, slow cooker, crock pot, and in the sun are all viewed as extremely dangerous.
Even though you may have a canning recipe that has been passed down in your family, you should be careful because some old recipes call for processing that is now considered unsafe. Cookbooks that are safe to rely on include the Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving and So Easy to Preserve (published by University of Georgia Extension, and available through your local county Extension office). They’re chock full of great recipes and are the safest source of guidelines on the most up-to-date canning, freezing, and dehydrating methods.
Previous Posts
