Random Photo Offerings part 2

Old Pallets For Compost Walls	Montezon Brothers Worm Condos	$85 Plus Delivery!
Mentor Bob Graf of Nonviolent Worms	Keep Things Moist In Garage Worm Condo	City Farms & Generational Collaborations
Ernie’s Copper Scupper Belongs at Community Site	Roadside Beauty	Andor Horvath Creates Structures for City Farming
First Ripe Cherry Tomatoe on Garage Roof Food Garden	Shorewood H.S. Teacher Ecology Pioneer Eric Gietzen	Michael Pettit’s Girst Green Bean Harvest
Pettit’s Sunflower	First Carrot	Big Carrotts!
Comment coming soon	Comment coming soon	Comment coming soon

Back to top

Invite to Harvest Every Other Carrot and Beat at Gods Hill City Farm

Dear All,

You are invited to harvest every other carrot and every other beat from that section of Gods Hill City Farm.

Those who harvest carrots and/or beats are also welcome to a meals worth of fresh, natural lettuce whose names I know not(I’m just an intern), but whose taste many will vouch for.

Here are some pictures:

http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Godshillcityfarm/HomePage

http://www.nonviolentworm.org/DiaryOfAWorm/20080731-Intense

Send an e-mail to Godsil.james@gmail.com if you are interested.

Rain Day August 2008
Milwaukee Wisconsin
Back to top

Peddling Urban Farming Products, Goods, and Services

We hope to offer you the tools you need to become an urban farmer, starting with a 5 year internship, 5 year apprenticeship, 5 year journeymon status, and then, if you’re any good at it, a master urban farmer.

Bob Graf, Andor Horvoth, and Nik Montezan are the first products to be featured.

We have a separate web platform for Erik Lindberg’s family farm on the roof of his Palmer St. Building, just to the south of the Outpost on Capital Dr. Erik, Josh Frandorf, and James Godsil are gearing up to team up as Community Growers over the years.

Introducing Bob Graf’s Non-violent Worm Offerings

Horvath Structures

Montezon Enterprise Worm Condos

Random Photo Offerings

Glorious lettuce with weeds next door	Wood chips for compost pile	Lovely flowers make better fences
Rain barrels for watering	Potatoes and historic terracotta	Front yard squash
Front Yard Cilantro	6ft Raspberry Bushes	Shanty Irish Greenhouse
Tomatoes and Horvath Structure	What’s Best Ground Cover Between Plants?	Tie Your Ladder to Gutter Strap!
Take Care re Weight Issue on Roof Gard’en	Small Pots w. Very Rich Soil	Front Yard Transplanted Carrots From Backyard Plot’
Backyard Square Foot City Farm	Garage Roof Veggie Garden	comments here

Back to top

Farm Beginnings Program of Land Stewardship Grows Farmers

http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/farmbeg.html

Launching the Next Generation of Farmers

Farm Beginnings is a farmer-led educational training and support program designed to help people who want to evaluate and plan their farm enterprise.

Participants engage in a mentorship experience and network with a variety of successful, innovative farmers; attend practical, high quality seminars, field days and conferences; and receive resource materials. They also create links with experienced farmers through farm partnerships, land and equipment use and/or rental.

Farm Beginnings Participants: People & cows in a field

• Tap the knowledge of some of the most innovative and skilled farmers operating in the Midwest.
• Develop lifelong friendships and networks with other beginning farmers.
• Learn critical farm management skills such as creative financing and innovative marketing strategies.
• Mentor with a farmer engaged in a similar enterprise.
• See sustainable farming practices being used on real farms under a variety of conditions.
• Learn to view a farm as an interconnected system and learn how goals determine farming practices.
• Craft a tailor-made farming/business plan.

New!For Beets, a Little More Respect, Please

Beets have been a hot topic on the Well blog this week as readers debate the merits of this improbable superfood.

Beets are loaded with nutrients and phytochemicals. Some readers love them, while others have said “yuck.’’ I confess that I have never cooked, shredded or otherwise prepared a beet in my home, but I now wonder if I’m missing out. I asked one of the country’s leading experts in beets, Irwin L. Goldman, professor of horticulture at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, why beets get no respect.

“They are sort of a huddled masses kind of food,’’ Dr. Goldman said. “They are thought of as peasant food and old fashioned…. I think people’s association with them is as a canned vegetable or maybe as something they had to eat as a kid.’’

But Dr. Goldman is a beet-believer. “They really are wonderful, and there are a lot of good things you can do with them,’’ he said.

To hear more about beets — their fascinating history, why they’re good for you and a simple but tantalizing beet recipe — listen to our conversation by clicking on the podcast link at the original story.

Click here for original story at the New York Times.
Back to top

New! Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
Published: July 22, 2008

I’m a big fan of uncooked tomato sauces for my summer pastas. This one is very popular in the Southern Italian region of Puglia, and in my house right now, because my cherry tomato plants are producing lots of ripe tomatoes every day. Arugula adds not only wonderful flavor (all the more if you can find peppery wild arugula), but also a nutritional leafy greens punch.

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if small, quartered if large

• 1 plump garlic clove, minced or put through a press (more to taste)

• Salt to taste (I like to use a very good coarse sea salt or fleur de sel for this)

• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

• 1 cup arugula leaves, coarsely chopped

• 1 tablespoon slivered or chopped fresh basil

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 3/4 pound fusille, farfalle, or orecchiette

• 1/4 cup freshly grated ricotta salata or Parmesan (more to taste)

1. Combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, balsamic vinegar, arugula, basil, and olive oil in a wide bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook al dente, until the pasta is firm to the bite. Drain, toss with the tomatoes, sprinkle on the cheese, and serve.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Advance preparation: You can make the tomato and arugula mixture a few hours ahead.
Click here for original story at the New York Times.
Back to top

Woodchips as Ground Cover Prevent Ground Nesting for Native Bees

James, one good reason not to put woodchips in the garden is so that native bees can access the ground to establish nests. Mulch has many benefits, but it does tend to prevent ground-nesting native bees/pollinators from establishing nests. These solitary bees are an important component of the ecosystem, and they provided most of the pollination to plants in this hemisphere prior to the introduction of European honey bees. Perhaps you can leave a section of the garden unmulched? Rex Dufour

In Wisconsin?

I am absolutely certain…If you’re doing urban farming, you should check out the ATTRA website (www.attra.org). ATTRA has tons of information you might find helpful about organic production. With respect to bees and other beneficial organisms, there are a couple pubs you might find interesting/useful:

Alternative Pollinators: Native Bees http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/nativebee.pdf

Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/PDF/farmscaping.pdf

Michigan State University also has a good publication about how to attract native bees and beneficial insects, and most of the plants they suggest are probably native to WI as well. The MSU pub can be found at:

http://nativeplants.msu.edu/pdf/E2973.pdf

Hope this information is helpful….
Rex Dufour
Back to top

Georgia Hoping To Pioneer Urban Composting of Food Wastes

From the Table to the Farm: Options for Diverting Food from Landfills

Food Waste Diversion
http://www.gaepd.org/Documents/fwd.html

Twelve percent – or more than 800,000 tons – of the waste sent to Georgia landfills each year is food waste, with approximately 48% of this coming from the greater Atlanta area, according to a statewide waste characterization study completed in 2005. This represents the largest single category of solid waste going into the state’s landfills.

To explore ideas for keeping food waste from entering our landfills, EPD convened a meeting of stakeholders in November 2006. This group identified barriers to diverting food waste in metro Atlanta, discussed how to overcome the barriers, and prioritized potential projects.

The projects include training local elected officials on composting and the permitting process and sponsoring a compost business investment forum.

Partners in the projects include: Georgia Recycling Coalition, Department of Community Affairs, Pollution Prevention Assistance Division, Army Installation Management Command, ERTH Products, Community Environmental Management, Atlanta Recycles, CWS, Emory University, University of Georgia Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department and The Coca-Cola Company.

The projects are being funded through a Resource Conservation Challenge grant awarded to EPD by US EPA in 2007.

=From the Table to the Farm: Options for Diverting Food from Landfills

=This day-long conference May 6, 2008 explored the many options available for reducing the amount of food sent to landfills, including source reduction, procurement changes, food rescue/donation and composting. The conference was sponsored by GA EPD, the Georgia Recycling Coalition, The Coca-Cola Company and US EPA Region 4. Press Release

Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions – Stephanie Busch, GA EPD
• Food Donation – Rob Johnson, Atlanta Community Food Bank
• Composting at Georgia’s Prisons – Boyd Leake, Community Environmental Management, Inc.
• Food Waste Composting – Tim Lesko, Greenco Environmental, LLC.
• Georgia Organics – Alice Rolls, Georgia Organics
• Closing the Loop – Deputy Commissioner Terry Coleman, GA Dept. of Agriculture
• Food Scraps Composting in the U.S. – Nora Goldstein, BioCycle
• Organics and Climate Change – Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• Biobased Packaging 101 – Brenda Platt, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• Next Steps – Stephanie Busch, GA EPD

Compost 101

The first workshop held in December 2007 covered composting basics. Sponsors included GA EPD, the North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (NCDPPEA), the Carolina Recycling Association and US EPA Region 4. Brian Rosa from NCDPPEA taught the course using the Yes You CAN*! (*Compost & Naturescape) manual.

Tools and Resources

US EPA’s Food Waste Management Calculator helps you estimate the cost of alternatives to food waste disposal, including source reduction, donation, composting, and recycling of fats, oils and grease. Using the calculator, you can develop an alternative food waste management scenario based on your waste profile, available diversion methods and preferences and then compare cost estimates for a disposal versus alternative scenario. The more you know about your current waste management costs, the more accurate the calculator’s estimate will be, but default values are provided for many variables.

US EPA’s Food Waste Management Calculator

Composting/Mulching Guidance

For more information about food diversion in Georgia and the activities of this initiative, contact Stephanie Busch at stephanie.busch@gaepd.org.

FAMILYFARMED.ORG PUBLISHES WHOLESALE SUCCESS MANUAL

for Urban Farmers and Future Urban Farmers

FamilyFarmed.org is pleased to announce the completion of its publication, Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Post Harvest Handling, and Packing Produce. FamilyFarmed.org staff plus 9 authors and a 27-member steering committee consisting of leading regional farmers, retailers, distributors, academics, and NGO leaders produced this 174-page manual.

The goal of Wholesale Success is to build the capacity of midwest farmers to meet the burgeoning demand for local food. It includes comprehensive sections on issues such as Building Relationships with Buyers, Food Safety, and Calculating Return in Investment. It also includes 63 crop profiles that give specific harvesting, cooling, storage, and packing information on most of the fruits and vegetables grown in the Midwest. FamilyFarmed.org is now working with farmer organizations such as the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Michigan Integrated Food and Farming Systems, and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture to distribute the manual and develop trainings for producers.

The publication has been well received by farmers and other targeted readers. “As an advisory board member of the Wholesale Success, I am pleased with the comprehensiveness of the final product,” says Richard deWilde owner of Harmony Valley Farms in Wisconsin. “It is a very valuable publication for farmers selling onto wholesale markets. It will also be a good tool to recruit producers who are currently selling direct.” Contributors to this Midwest Edition are from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio giving it a true regional focus. They have helped shape the development of the guide and training program and give it strong credibility and acceptance with stakeholders. We are grateful to everyone who played a role in its development!
Back to top

Newsweek Article on Front Yard Food Gardens

Check out this week’s Newsweek (7–21–08) with the prayerful Obama on the cover. There’s an article on p. 61 called “How to Grow It Alone” about growing your own vegetables. Like you, this couple preferred the front yard which meant it had to be a very neat and tidy garden plot. The fence is also good-looking and has some nice flowering vines on it. I can see where it might be a challenge to fit into a suburban setting.

I enjoyed reading about your trials and tribs. Nothing is ever simple or easy!

Janet

Urban Farming Intern Happy With Milwaukee’s Department of Neighborhood Services Ruling re Ground Cover the Garage Roof Victory Garden

I just received notice that orders pertaining to my square foot urban farming experiment at 325 E. Euclid that boil down to deviations from perfection on my part which I completely acknowledge and will happily do my best to rectify.*

The city responded to a complaint in a manner consistent with Milwaukee’s ambition to become the greenest city in the U.S.A. and our history of professional and impartial public service by our elected officials and government staff.

I hope my complaining neighbor now will appreciate my front yard food garden.

It makes it easier to pay my taxes when I receive such outstanding governmental service.

Thank you Milwaukee!

Godsil
http://www.milwaukeerenaissance.com/Godshillcityfarm/HomePage

• Upon receiving a complaint about my front yard “landscaping,” which was my front yard food garden, my “victory garden,” in the making, the Department of Neighborhood Service sent two inspectors, who correctly sited me for:

• buckets, cardboard, and other debris around the property
• an improper fence in the front yard
• lack of adequate ground cover, e.g. bare earth where plants were to be planted
• a tarp instead of a garage main alley door
• debris along the side of my garage
• chipping garage, backyard structure, and house paint
• containers on the garage roof(the empty ones don’t belong there!)

The order inspired me to vastly improve upon the appearance and coherence of my urban farm experiment. My daughter Bridie and her friend Sara spent 7 labor power hours carefully spreading wood chips on the soil between the plants in my front yard. It looks great and will probably improve the soil’s fertility. I broke down and hired Michael Pettit to make a gate and fence for my side yard dog run for Megan and Ok’s and Bridie and Sarah’s dogs. I stored my many 5 gallon plastic pails in the garage and became obsessive about finding a proper place for every object on the property.

Alderman Zielinski said my garage roof top garden was great and the inspectors ok’d it. Inspector Wendt was very informative, professional, and thoughtful in my conversations with her about the orders.

I still have some painting to do but, God willing, will have no problem complying with that order.

Blueberry Pancake Moment Friend Response to City’s Actions

This is awesome.

I participate in a lot of neighborhood walks, and I have to say I am bothered by the compulsion by some to object to anything other than perfectly manicured and watered green grass! The pretty wild flowers get slandered as weeds, and I pray no one ever gets written up for growing food! Someone has started a large front yard vegetable garden around S 14th and Washington and it made me smile.

Complying With Appropriate City Codes

Ground Cover

I met with a city inspector this morning and agreed to fill in the spaces between my front yard plants with wood chips, to control against erosion. Makes sense to me. I will be seeking a meeting of city inspectors with myself and my alderman Tony Zielinski at “the farm.”

Inspirational Stories

The Dallas Dirt Doctor Helping Texas Go Green

This story was sent by Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms@gmail.com> through his

• Dirt Doctor Weekly Newsletter

http://www.dallasobserver.com/2008-07-17/news/the-dirt-doctor/

Conversations Inspired by Gods Hill City Farm