Posts filed under 'Garden'
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).
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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.
July 1st, 2009
The local foods movement…There are varied reasons why people are getting involved in locavorism. There are probably many people out there who have no idea what I’m talking about and an equal number who do. Buying and eating local foods — including vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairy — and the reasons for doing so are oftentimes personal. If you search “local foods,” information, markets, reasons why to be a locavore are all over the Internet, airwaves, and in print.
This effort extends well beyond a local topic. I’ve taken a cue from the calls and questions that bombard the U of I Extension office where I work — there is a lot of local interest in this topic and at its most basic level I’m seeing a resurgence in the interest in vegetable gardening. People out there want to know how to get started, when to get started, and where to get started. U of I Extension Master Gardeners are happy to help you get started. You can reach them Mondays through Fridays at (815) 986.4357.
I myself, a lifelong tomato grower, am expanding my gardening repertoire to include a broad variety of savories. As a person of science, I’m approaching this year’s garden season as an experiment. I’m using containers and a traditional garden plot with a twist: this year I’m incorporating permaculture techniques. In educating myself about local foods, I’ve become inspired to approach gardening in a more sustainable manner — a manner that is in line with and in the spirit of the local foods movement. I’m minimizing my footprint, so to speak.
If you’re curious, find trustworthy sources and read about, research and ask questions about local foods. Embrace local foods concepts and embrace the varied reasons for being a locavore, celebrate the return of the small farm, and embrace sustainability. In doing so you will support efforts to build a more responsible community. You can learn more about permaculture at an upcoming class to be held at theWinnebago County Uof I Extension on July 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information or to register, go to www.extension.uiuc.edu/winnebago.
June 24th, 2009
In April, I wrote about Choices Natural Market and the Rockford Rescue Mission hoping to work on a community garden near Mulford Road and Riverside Boulevard in Rockford.
I got an email from Karen King last week: The mission is the same, but the location is different. It was too difficult to transport the 60 or so folks, so the garden will be next to the mission on West State Street.
“This way they can work ont he garden daily instead of only a couple hours per week. This will also beautify the West State Street corridor… and ultimately help us better accomplish our mission: teaching these people and helping the mission become self-sufficient,” she wrote.
The building and planting of the garden beds will start at 9 a.m. Saturday. The effort has drawn support from John Logli of First Hand Harvest, William Charles, Home Depot, Schmeling Lumber, Stetson Building Products, Wind Ridge Herb Farm and dozens of volunteers.
If you can help, call Karen at 815-282-1861 or karen@choicesnaturalmarket.com.
March 9th, 2009
Looking out at the various gardens, it appears the work is done and the garden and gardeners are static. The flurry of fall preparation has left the beds in great shape to over-winter productively and begin growth at the optimum moment.
The strawberry beds were composted after the last fruits were harvested. Weeds were pulled as the whim struck and the berry plants were put to bed under a 6-8 inch layer of straw. The straw is lifted off the plants and placed between the rows in April to become the walking path in the raised beds.
All summer, after the harvest, we “bonked” Japanese beetles into soapy water, trying to keep ahead of their destructive eating. Next year? Chickens. We’re hoping to let some hens in to feast on the bugs in the spent berry plants, the spring-bearing ones. Our plan for the chickens is to let them out during the daytime and cage them from the coyotes at night. Does anyone know if this will work or if a particular variety of chicken is a Japanese beetle connoisseur?
The asparagus is weeded, composted, and half is under straw. I need to know if a layer of straw protection will increase the harvest or result in an earlier first harvest. Every garden is unique and every year provides it unique challenges. Gardening is one big continuous experiment. It’s my science background that demands a continuous search for a better way of doing things.
The garlic was planted in September from the best cloves from the last crop. Spinach, Swiss chard, kale, onion seeds, arugula, and some lettuce varieties were seeded out in October. All of this is under straw for winter protection. Hopefully, at first thaw and a little heat from the spring sun, most of these seeds will germinate and poke through. Not all will be successful, but that first spring surge makes the planting efforts the past fall worthwhile. It’s empowering to actually see the first new growth…lettuce? garlic? chard? kale?
Gardening must be a continual soil building and soil maintenance process. Two of the four gardens have been spread with 4-6 inches of leaves from the fall garden clean up of 3 landscapers. It’s a win-win situation for the landscapers (no bagging), the garden (worm food and the addition of ‘tilth’), and the environment (carbon locked up in the soil instead of burned off increasing atmospheric CO2).
For a successful organic and biodynamic garden, there’s more than just “adding nothing bad” to the soil or crops. We need to be very conscious of maintaining soil fertility. For every crop removed, there needs to be a plan to replace the removed nutrients by choosing a follow-up crop from a different family, compost, cover crops, or suitable soil enhancements. I like feeding the worms and soil organisms with leaves and compost, because they produce their own manures. So while we sit inside by the warmth of the fireplace, the garden is maintaining and enhancing it’s own fertility.
