New College Farm Program

Crops of Truth and Food Fascism

2010-05-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Men have never been individually self-sufficient.

Reinhold Niebuhr

No one can whistle a symphony.

H.E. Luccock

The food and agriculture organization data tells us that we produce food for 12 billion people, but there are only 6.3 billion people living. Meanwhile, 800 million suffer from malnutrition and hunger, 1.7 billion suffer from obesity, and the rate of diabetes is growing exponentially along with cardiovascular diseases caused by malnutrition. Now, the logic in which consumption must be fast is taking us from a point of wasteful abundance to a terminal point. Every day we hear about water shortages, excessive use of chemical fertilizers and infertile soils, the loss of biodiversity, huge oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, storm flooding, global warming – the entire ecosystem threatened!

Successful forms of community based local agriculture have fed much of the world for thousands of years while conserving ecological integrity, and continue to do so today in many parts of the world. However, technological interventions sold by global corporations as panaceas for solving problems of “inefficiency in small-scale production”, and supposedly world hunger, have had exactly the opposite effect.

The small but enlightening book Manifestos on the Future of Food and Seed declares that food has become the place for fascism to act. This fascism is seen where the seed is patented and turned into the monopoly property of a handful of corporations. Ninety-five percent of GM seeds are controlled by one corporation, called Monsanto. Monsanto then uses the fictitious democracy that created the World Trade Organization and the financial conditionalities of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to force people everywhere to give up their seed freedom, give up biodiversity, and deny the richness of our natural resources.

See a map of the countries that have adopted the use of GM seeds: http://www.monsanto.com/biotech-gmo/asp/globalOutlook.asp

An article by Colin Tudge of the New Statesman looks at the realities of why our current conventional agricultural models and GM seeds are not oriented towards helping to solve the most important issues of food security in our communities. Read that article online.

It amazed me to learn that of the tens of thousands of food species nature offers humankind, we are relying on a dwindling few: a mere eight crops now supply three/quarters of the world’s food! India had 100,000 varieties of rice just 40 years ago. Today, with much difficulty, one may get seeds for 50 varieties.

If you check Monsanto's website, they will boast the supposedly 118 percent increase in profit for Indian farmers planting GM seeds over traditional seeds. They report a 64 percent increase in yield and a 25 percent reduction in pesticide costs. Yet, in the midst of all this success, over 150,000 farmers in India were driven to suicide. Behind each death there is a ghastly story of GM/hybrid seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, loans, and indebtedness.

Avian Flu Awareness Poster

We need to look deeply at the issue of food safety: take the avian flu for example. it is identified with wild birds and free range birds, but that is not where it started. These birds developed a disease that emerged from factory farms. Yet instead of addressing the breeding ground of the disease, we have people around the world in moon suits going out and grabbing chickens from women's backyards to kill them. That is another element of food fascism - the fear of the local, the small, the decentralized, the free. But Nutrition does not come from the factories of trans-national corporations; it comes from Mother Nature.

In India, there are plants called "Crops of truth". These plants, given by Nature, do not need any additional inputs to grow. One simply has to broadcast the seed and in time reap a nutritious harvest. In fact, crops of truth, or local crops, abound everywhere! These are hardy genes, evolved over centuries. It is important that these crops of truth are protected from the "GM buccaneers". The women of Zaheerabad have done just that because they are mothers. Women have taken over what used to be the male role of managing the household seed stock because “Men wanted to store fewer seeds and preferred to buy from the market, where as women want all sorts of seeds for all sorts of food that the family eats". They have a very simple contraption to store seeds. A basket, about two feet in diameter by eighteen inches deep, is plastered with cow dung. When it dries, seeds are placed in it, covered with grass and then with cow dung. This simple contraption protects all their seeds and hardly costs a few rupees.

Unless local communities work to preserve local seeds, especially indigenous seeds of crops that are highly nutritious and tasty and can be grown at low or no cost, and no energy input, we shall cease to exist as a viable society. Remember that low or no cost and no energy input implies that there will be minimal or no CO₂ emission from such farming activities.

The community is the most important entity that can help us ensure food and nutrition security and deal with common issues. It is important to realize that we can not separate human rights from right to seeds and food as well as right to grow food for our consumption. Most people in the west have forgotten that access to food is a basic human right; they have been misled to believe that that right can only be exercised in a supermarket run by Wal Mart or Tesco. We all can exercise this human right by refusing to purchase engineered and manufactured food and by claiming our right to grow any food that Nature gave us. It is important to inform our political representatives that the basic human right to food [and water, and air, and forests, and rivers, seeds, reproduction] is a fundamental right which no living entity, no corporation, and no state should be allowed to expropriate. And we have presumed to do just that all over the world.

The local economy is the only one that allows for the realization of what is becoming an oxymoron: sustainable development. If we want to bring about sustainable development, we must reinforce the elements of the local economy and recognize how much creativity there is in making this local economy. It is especially important for us, who live in the USA, to realize that the time is upon us when Community Rights will have to take primacy over the rights of the state, corporations and individuals. We can’t survive even for a day in post oil world without the help and support of our community. Therefore, legal instruments for giving primacy to community rights and local economies should be developed and legislated everywhere. We have all been misled that the corporate state cares for us and will use natural resources for our welfare: that has proved to be simply false. The market mechanism in its current form actually works against the interest of farmers and communities. The market responds to many irrational demands of the consumers, invariably driven by convenience, whereas an honest human being (and especially a farmer) has to balance the environmental costs that are not factored in by the market in its cost calculations.

Whilst community rights will tide over the crisis of survival and maybe extend our survival by a few centuries, it would require different constructs of morality and law, and a turnabout in consciousness with regards to responsibility. I'm not advocating we start another obnoxious revolution in opposition to someone or something or some abstract idea, and i'm not advocating we go about business as usual. I'm asking us to be discriminating, intelligent, heart-felt, co-producing participants in our local communities today, or else we lovelessly compromise what is in the best interest of all around the world.

A Leak You Don't Want To Fix

2010-05-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Now that summer heat seems to be creeping up on Tuscaloosa, bringing also the sun and its unforgiving though necessary glare, it's more important than ever to ensure that the plants in our garden receive an adequate amount of water. Natural rainfall, while our favorite method of watering with no outside inputs of water and human labor, can only carry our plants so far as days of rain can be quite sporadic, sometimes raining for days in a row and then not for weeks.

We must then bring water into the garden ourselves! Up until only a matter of days ago, we had been using a hose situated a few meters from the garden fence to water the plants, either directly or by first filling up a watering can and using that. This method of soil "flooding" can be very time consuming, as we would need to walk around through the beds watering each plant individually.

So in order to ensure maximum time and water efficiency, we have now installed a drip irrigation system in the garden! A drip irrigation system involves laying plastic tubing call "drip tape" along the length of the beds in a garden. This tubing has tiny holes in it, allowing the water that runs through to slowly "drip" out and apply water directly to plants at ground level. The tubing can be arranged to fit the layout of any garden; you should cut it to fit the length of the bed, and then connect the tapes in the beds together via drip tape "connectors." In this way, one end of the tape system can be attached to the water source, and when the water is turned on, every length of the tape will receive flow.

In selecting the drip method of irrigation, we were taking into account which watering method would result in the least amount of wasted water, or which method would be most water efficient. Andrew Kimbrell, in The Fatal Harvest Reader, reinforces what I have heard elsewhere that "Farmers have achieved the best efficiency with drip irrigation systems...(using) from 30 to 70 oercent less water than flooding and has been shown to increase crop yields by 20 to 90 percent over that typical for fields irrigated in other ways."

I first encountered drip tape irrigation at Jean and Carol's farm in Coker, Alabama. They have used it for years, as the ease of operation and efficiency of application are hard matched by another system. Some issues that have been encountered there are occasional holes in the tape, often caused by a stray garden tool. These holes can be mended fairly easily, but we will make a great effort to be mindful not to accidentally strike the tape when using garden tools.

Many Thanks

2010-05-04T23:40:00.001-07:00

So what is going to happen to the garden since summer is practically here? Students like Matthew Bush and Camille Perrett will be in Tuscaloosa to help take care of the garden. Students are discussing having one big potluck with all the delicious food we have growing. Let it be known, the food will not go to waste, but more importantly the garden will be taken care of even though there will not be as many students in town as during the school year.

There are all ready plans for what we will plant (crop rotation!) and do in the garden when we come back in the fall and I cannot wait until then. I hope next year we figure out a way to get the community and students more involved with the garden. It has been a tremendous success since it started a few years ago and each year a few more students become involved. It is important to try and get as many students involved if we want the garden to keep going. I hope we can also figure out a better way to advertise for the garden and the importance of it. Hopefully more students will gain an interest in gardening and sustainability.

Doing this independent study has been an eye-opening experience for me. I knew very little about gardening and sustainability before doing this study. I have learned many valuable things like why I start seeds in the greenhouse or which bugs are good for your garden and why. One small thing I learned is the importance of labeling your plants! Keep organized and realize which plants are which. I think one of the most fascinating things I have learned is about crop rotation and how certain plants restore nutrients in the ground that other plants take and vice versa. I have learned about the frost season and the dangers it can cause on plants, especially with this past winter.

From the readings I have learned more about the Slow Food Movement and the importance of knowing where my food comes from and what is in it. I have also learned new sustainable concepts and methods we could use in the garden.

I was glad we were also able to lead field trips at the garden. I was able to teach younger kids what I had just learned within the past few months! I was so excited to see them get to experience what I am learning from working in the garden.

Most importantly, I have gained a deeper respect, understanding, and concern for the environment. Before the study, I would say that I was all for “going green”, but did not know much about how I could do this or why it was so important. Plants are living organisms just like we are, and they deserve to be treated well. Without them, we would not be here.

Working in the garden this semester, I feel I have responsibility to take care of the it and make sure it is constantly being attended to. I plan on coming back in the Fall and helping with the garden and Students for Sustainability. I cannot wait to see what the garden has in store for the upcoming years!

Up, Up, Up They Go

2010-05-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Trellises are an architectural structure designed to help support plants. At the garden we are use trellises for our tomato plants. But not just any kind of trellises, bamboo trellises!

Students lucked out and received free bamboo from a Tuscaloosa resident who was throwing away all the bamboo he had. Bamboo is a great because it is strong and sturdy. It is also tall allowing our plants to grow up. Using bamboo is a creative and sustainable way to help our tomatoes grow.

Tomato plants need some type of trellis, whether bamboo or not, because the plants grow tall and need something to support them. They wrap around the bamboo and grow high allowing many tomatoes to bloom.

One morning out at the garden, Nicole, Camille, and I built multiple bamboo trellises. We had to make sure knots were tight when were tying the bamboo together, that way it would hold and not fall. We tried to learn a specific type of knot Matthew showed us, but we decided to stick to our own methods instead.

A Vision for UA

2010-05-04T22:13:00.001-07:00

What would the University be like if we had a hoop house? A hoop house is a greenhouse made with large hoops or bows, made of metal, plastic pipe or even wood, covered with a layer of heavy greenhouse plastic. It typically has no heaters or fans, but instead, is heated by the sun and cooled by the wind. With a hoop house seasons will be longer and warmer allowing the garden to produce more. Plants can be started a few weeks earlier than the regular start date causing the plant to bloom early.

Just like a green house, hoop houses also protect against harmful weather and predators that can eat plants.

Hoophouses are inexpensive and pretty simple to build. You can build one for a couple hundred dollars and get more from your garden. At least six more weeks of extra production in the spring and fall because of the warmth of the hoophouse

Specific plants that can grow well in a hoop house are tomatos, raspberries, strawberries, cut flowers, melons, eggplant, summer squash, and pepper.

Thinking about starting a hoop house on campus could be a great idea. Many students have wanted to get an on-campus garden started at UA and a hoop house could be a cheap and great way to start. Students could build the hoop house together once a location was found for it. I think it should be strongly considered because it could allow more students to be involved with gardening and the Arboretum. The University is a big school and not having an on campus garden, lessens the possibility of students finding out about groups like Students for Sustainability and Homegrown Alabama.

Good Bugs for Your Garden

2010-05-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've always heard you should try and keep bugs out of the garden. It is true that slugs and flea beetles are bad because they eat the leaves; however, there are numerous good bugs which help the garden and do not get enough recognition like they deserve. Here is a list of what bugs you want to keep in your garden.

Ladybugs are best known to feed on aphids(a small, plant eating insect). They can also eat chinch bugs, whiteflies, and mites, as well as many other soft-bodied insects and their eggs. Adult ladybugs may consume up to 5,000 aphids which can help save your plants from being eaten.

Parasitic wasps can kill intruding garden insects and help keep the garden organized.

Just like in The Bee Movie it is very important to have bees in the garden! They do not necessarily get rid of other bugs, but they do pollinate the flowers which we know from the movie, is needed for the plants to live.

Green lacewing larvae feed on aphids, whitefly, leafhoppers, mites, mealybugs, scale insects and some moths and caterpillars. They work very fast feeding on these bad bugs and their eggs

Centipedes are mean hunters and will feed on caterpillars, slugs and fly larvae, grubs, and pupae.

Spined Soldier Bug(stink bugs as I like to call them) prey on many types of beetles, webworms, armyworms and other garden pests.

Dragonflies are also beneficial to a garden because they feed on a large variety of insects. They feed on mosquitoes and other biting insects.

It is important to know which bug is good to have in a garden and why. If you have a certain insect problem like beetles, you might want to try and get the stink bug in your garden by going to the store and purchasing them. These good bugs listed above, are also attracted to certain plants, so considering growing these plants they like could be a good idea. Our bugs serve a purpose to our garden, and it is important to know which purpose they are serving!

Make Your Own Compost!

2010-05-04T20:00:00.001-07:00

Since compost is very important and beneficial to the land I decided it is important to know how to make a compost pile. There are different ways and can be very low cost, if not free. It can also be quite simple to do!

How to start:

Find an area that is convenient for you and sunny because compost builds up its own heat and likes it too. Make sure the area is well drained because too much moisture can be a problem for your pile.

Some people use a bin to contain the compost, but it is not necessary. We do not do this at the garden.

Ingredients for the compost will be materials that break down. Green materials are a good source of nitrogen and brown materials are a good source of carbon.

Brown materials can include: bark, leaves, ashes, peanut shells, shredded newspaper, sawdust, vegetable stalks, twigs, fruit waste, pine needles, and peat moss.

Green Materials can be: manures, seaweeds, food waste, clover, hay, alfalfa, coffee grounds, garden waste, hedge clippings, seaweed, and algae

Building a pile of these materials is how to start the compost! Some say one part green and two parts brown is the fastest way to make compost.

Compost heats well between 120 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It needs sunlight and heat because it helps “cook” the materials and break down faster.

Turning your compost is important for the process and should be done once a week. If you want to make the process faster, you can take your big piles of organic waste and put it in the pile as opposed to small amounts. Also cutting up large materials into smaller ones can also help speed up the process.

It is important to give your compost the correct amount of moisture. The moisture level should feel like a damp sponge. Check moisture level once a week because too little moisture will slow down the process.

Keeping the pile together, giving it food, making sure it has the proper amount of sunlight and moisture, and turning it are the correct ways to make organic compost that you can use for your garden.

America DOES Have an Eating Disorder

2010-05-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Michael Pollen, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, discusses in his introduction how America has an eating disorder. There are always the new fad diets like the Atkins diet, which limits bread intake. Americans follow these diets religiously, never questioning where the information comes from. We over think being trying to be healthy and instead end up with a huge problem. Pollen brings up the question of what are we eating for dinner and where does it come from? Why is it that America is the most obese country when other countries like France, eat “unhealthy” foods and are still healthier than us? These are all very important questions Pollen addresses in the book.

Pollen sets out to solve these questions by exploring the three food chains: industrial, organic, and hunter-gather. He finds that there are benefits and disadvantages from each chain.

I cannot say I have not tried eating less “unhealthy” food to try and lose weight. I have tried many diet tips and sometimes they may work, but not always. After reading this book I have been more concerned as to where my food is coming from and what is in it. Knowing this information can make a huge difference on whether the food is bad for me or not. For example, I would have never wanted to eat all-natural yogurt, which was not fat-free, a year ago. I wanted the Dannon eighty-calorie and one hundred percent fat-free yogurt. I was completely unaware of the chemicals like aspartame, which some believe to be a carcinogen, is contained in my fat-free yogurt. Now I’m starting to understand the importance of what is in the food because what I may think is healthy, could be harmful.

Most Americans have no idea where their food comes from and what is in it. They are completely unaware the cow they are eating was given antibiotics not meant for it, or the pesticide put in the soil of their produce can be harmful. Americans would not be the most obese country if they understood the importance of where their food comes from. If Americans would stop worrying about how many calories are in a bag of chips and instead start wondering what are in these chips?, things would be much different. Most do not even take the time to read the labels on a food can. For example, I picked up a can of BBQ Smoked Sausage and was startled when it said it contained chicken, pork, and beef. Isn’t sausage just supposed to come from pork?

It is important to know where your food comes from because it is important to take care of oneself. When one knows where food comes from and what has been done to it, they know exactly what is going into their body. We were not meant to be able to eat all the preservatives we consume when we eat McDonalds French fries. We are suppose to be able to eat plants that grow from the ground naturally and animals that eat plants which have not been sprayed with chemicals. Instead we are completely oblivious to what is in our food, and many Americans could care less. The irony in this is that Americans want to be “healthy” but are not recognizing the how to go about this.

Another point Pollen hits on is the art of food. Why should we demean food by not eating it because it is not “healthy”? Food is a beautiful and cultural aspect that we should respect. Just because a certain food might be high in fat, does not mean it is bad for you. Countries like France and Italy eat unhealthy food and are still healthier than us because they care more about the taste and quality as opposed to the calorie content.

If America wants to decrease the number of obese people in the country, it is going to need to realize that understanding where your food comes from and what is it in is more important than the percentage of fat in it. Industrial food is boring and not the best. Organic can have great results on ones health from eating it. Hunting and gathering food is supposed to come naturally for us, and when eating the correct food can also have tremendous benefits on our health. Food is a wonderful thing we have in our lives, and it should be respected at all levels.

Pro's of Eating Organic

2010-05-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

At the Arboretum we have an organic garden. There are numerous reasons why it is good to be organic and reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbra Kingsolver, has enlightened me on some of these reasons.

Many people do not know exactly what it means to be “organic” or why it is considered healthy. When a plant or garden is organic, it means no chemicals or herbicides have been added to the soil or plant. Everything is in its natural state and is able to decompose.

But what are the benefits of growing and eating organic? Organic produce gives more nutritional value then those that are “conventional”. These fruits and vegetables have to fight off predators themselves. They are not able to hide themselves when a rodent comes along because they have roots in the ground. Whatever a plant has to go through, it endures it on its own, with no help.

Plants also build up their own immunity to diseases and pest-fighting compounds when they have not been sprayed with chemicals. When plants are not sprayed with chemicals, they typically have higher levels of antioxidants. These antioxidants are not supposed to be for us, but for the plants. We like to take advantage of the fact they can produce this. Antioxidants can help prevent certain diseases, cell aging, and tumor growth.

Organic food is great in taste and I feel like I can tell the difference when I eat organic produce versus conventional. I typically have more energy and feel happier when I eat organic food. This could be because I am aware of eating it and know the benefits of eating it; however, I am happy to know that when I eat organic produce I putting good things in my body.

Even though it may be pricey to buy organic produce, it may be worth it in the end with the health benefits.

Weeding It Out

2010-05-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Every time I go out to the garden, the one thing I usually always do is weed. I sit in the rows and pull the weeds out of the beds. By the end of the hour, I will have a huge pile of weeds which I take and put in the compost pile.

Weeds compete with the crop one is growing by taking the water, nutrients, and sunlight. A weed is a plant and just like any plant, it needs water, sun, and nutrients to grow. They can lower crop quality and produce harmful chemicals like allelopathy. They can also increase the number of insects in the area they are growing.

We only use tools and our hands at the garden to remove weeds. Instruments we use are action hoes, and trovels.

There are some ways to prevent weeds. At the garden we use hay which is our mulch, to help prevent weeds. We also allow our friends, worms, to help cultivate for us.

Some farmers use herbicides to reduce weeds. In an article written in The New York Times, it discusses how herbicides, like Roundup, have created superweeds. Farmers are having to go back to pulling weeds and other labor-induced work to get rid of the weeds. Thankfully, we do not have to worry this, because we do not use herbicides.

When we pull weeds from out of the ground, we try not to take a lot of soil from the ground. Soil is usually stuck in the roots, so to try and save it, we shake the roots and the soil usually falls.

Different plants can attract different weeds so it is important to be able to identify them.

If They Come, You Will Build It

2010-05-03T18:35:00.000-07:00

I had never seen so many eager faces in our garden as the day of the Double-Digging Potluck event. In mid-April, we found that we had several tomato plants that were ready to be transplanted into the ground, but no space for them. So we made plans to create a few new nicely sized beds for them to go in. The way we go about creating new beds at the garden is a method called double-digging, which involves breaking up ground, shoveling it out, breaking up the ground beneath the foot-or-so that was shoveled out, and then filling the hole in with all the removed dirt mixed with compost. This method is thorough and provides the plants with lots of room to extend their roots through the now-loose soil, while also ensuring that the nutrient-rich compost is present at lower levels in the ground, too. Double-digging, however is also very labor-intensive!

So Nicole, Matthew, Ann and I, feeling like the four of us atetmpting to prepare more than one bed in this way over the span of just a few hours was, though surely possible, likely to leave us with a soreness that might last days, decided to extend an invitation for help! Through a Facebook event, we invited the Students for Sustainability group along with some of our friends to come out on a Saturday morning to help us double-dig out some beds, and encouraged for everyone to bring a dish or drinks to share for an afternoon picnic.

The response was great! There were about fifteen people who came out, and so for every person working hard, there was another ready to take over when things got too tiring. We worked for about three hours or so, and then enjoyed a delicious meal together. I figured out that Matthew's got a knack for guacamole, and Nicole makes a mean hummus. It was a very fun time, and to me, extremely encouraging to see all of those people ready to help out with the garden effort.

For some of the people who attended, they shared that it was their first time to ever come out to the garden, or even to the arboretum! It made me realize the importance of having events at the garden that extend out to the community. In the future, I expect to host several more group building and planting days, complete with good food and even better company such as this one. Anytime I see someone new in the garden, I get a really good feeling, and it seems to be something that we share.

Transplanting

2010-05-03T15:41:00.001-07:00

Reading from The New Organic Farmer, I was better able to understand the importance of transplanting. Transplanting is when one starts seedlings in one area and then moving them to another.

Transplanting can be very beneficial to a garden and there are many reasons why it is important and helpful. First from the reading I found that seedlings are better able to be under controlled temperatures in a green house. This is very important because different plants like a tropical tomato require different temperatures and in a greenhouse one can control the cultural conditions for a plant. The author recommends a thermostatically controlled bottom-heating propagation mat in the greenhouse. We use one of these in our greenhouse at the Arboretum.

He says that transplanting is typically used for crops that regrow roots easily like tomato, lettuce, celery, and onion.

When transplanting it is important to make sure the roots of the plants are lease disturbed as possible so they are not harmed. If mistreated, the plants could not grow properly or die. Transplanting is a value for crops that are less tolerant of root disturbance, so the transplanting must be done in the best way possible.

One most be considerate with the type of containers used for transplanting. Single pots may be difficult and awkward for a big group of plants. Large containers with trays may be problematic because of root circling. At the garden we use big trays with portable, single containers for the seeds.

Kick Off The Summer At The Homegrown Market

2010-05-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

If all this talk about the garden has got you thinking about muching on a delicious heirloom tomato, or maybe cooking up some savory greens, a trip to the market is essential!

Our friends at Homegrown Alabama have organized another season's worth of weekly markets, the first of which will be this week! The kick-off market will be Thursday, May 6th from 3-6 in the afternoon, on the lawn of the Canterbury Chapel. That's right on the corner of Hackberry and University, for those who aren't familiar.

Last year, my first year as a student here, I made an effort to come out to several of the markets, and was excited to find a wide array of vendors, selling everything from pickles and jellies to baked goods, and of course ample amounts of fresh veggies, fruits and flowers. Local food vendors and live music add to the excitment, making a trip to the Homegrown Market more like an event than a shopping run.

But besides being a whole lot of fun, the market allows local growers and the people of our community a chance to meet together in one place and exchange not only food and money, but also conversations, stories, and laughs. It's very meaningful and rare to be able to get to know the people who have made it possible, through hours of labor and awesome care, for us to have delicious and healthy food.

If you can't make it out on this coming Thursday, the market will be held all season, from May to October, same place, same day of the week, same time! A slightly different vendor line-up and selection of purchasables and music is to be had each time, though, so try not to miss a single one!

Hope to see you out there!

For more info, visit the Homegrown Alabama website at: http://www.homegrownalabama.org/index.html

also, add them on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=2208642872&ref=ts

Importance of Crop Rotation

2010-05-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

If one wants to have a successful garden filled with different vegetables and plants, it is important to learn about crop rotation. Reading from The New Organic Grower, crop rotation is defined as the “practice of changing the crop each year on the same piece of ground”(Hawken 50).

The main reason to do this is because certain plants restore nutrients back in the ground that other plants can use and vice versa. All plants respond to diverse fertilization patterns. For example, it is good to plant beans one season and then switch to corn the next. The reason for this is because beans give off a bunch of nitrogen in the soil which corn needs a lot.

“Two successive crops do not make the same demands on soil for nutrients, nor do they share disease or insect pests”(51).

Besides not needing the same nutrients, rotating crops can reduce the amount of weeds and insects in a garden. When a crop is grown in the same place, the insects and weeds attracted to the certain plant will start to grow and build up. Weeds and insects are attracted to certain plants, so rotating crops is a good way to stop this problem. A good example of this are rotating potatoes with winter squash.

The book also states rotations need the best of "organic soil amendments”(54).
Manure is incredibly important to the soil and it is important it is rotated as well. Some plants need new compost every year like squash, corn, peas, and beans. While others are better grown on a ground manured the previous year like tomatos, cabbages, and potatos.

Terms to Know

2010-05-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

When I first started going to the garden for my independent study I would hear words from Mary Jo and Nicole Ortega that I did not know. Some of these words were germinate, vermicompost, compost, transplant, tillage, and mulch. I would wonder what these words meant, and after going to the garden I would come back to my dorm and research them.

I figured I would enlighten others on the meanings of the words and why they are important to the garden.

Germinate is when the plant comes out of the seed or spore and begins to grow. I heard this term a lot in the Janurary and February because that is when we started seeding the plants in the green house. We had seeded spinach, lettuce, thyme, and many other plants which we were watching and waiting for them to “germinate”. We started tomatos in the first couple of weeks in March. When we first seeded plants we would keep them on the heating pad, and once we saw a little sprout of the plant we would move them off the heating pad and let them grow in the green house until it was time to transplant them in the garden. We had to schedule when we would plant the seeds because of the frost dates. For this region the last frost is in mid-April.

Compost is a word I had heard before starting the study and had a slight idea of what it was. It is decomposing plants and organic materials combined into rich soil. It provides great nutrients, soil structure, helps hold moisture in gardens, and fertilizes the soil. It is very beneficial to the land and is cost free. It also reduces the amount of wastes in landfills.

Heavy clay soils, like we have in the garden, become lighter with the addition of compost. Compost helps retain water in sandy soil and poor soils receive healthy nutrients when compost is added.

Compost is a major strong point we can take pride in with the garden. Without it, we would not have the successful growing and blooming of healthy plants.

Mulch is a protective covering we put over the soil and plants. It helps decrease weeds and erosion, retains moisture, and supplies nutrients as they decompose. There are many ways you can use mulch in your garden, organic or not. At the garden we use hay as our organic mulch. We could also use leave, shells, shredded bark, grass, or sawdust.

Vermicompost is one of the most fun and exciting things we do at the garden. We use worm poop to help create an organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. When I first found out about this, I was in shock. I had no idea you could use worm manure to help make compost.

Transplanting is when one starts seedlings in one place and then moving them to another. At the garden we start most of our plants in the greenhouse in small treys and containers. Once the plant starts growing bigger we move it into larger containers which are more suited for its size, like a tomato plant. When it is finally time, we carefully remove the plant from the container and put it in the ground of our garden.

Tillage is the preparation of the soil in agriculture. The most common used method for tillage is plowing. The importance of tillage is to lighten the soil, allow oxygen and organic materials in, and remove weeds. One always wants a non-compacted soil for their plants so it is important to make sure the soil is soft and loose. At the garden we do not till, but instead double-dig to loosen the soil and improves water drainage. A no-till garden is more sustainable than a tillage garden.

These specific terms and meanings are important and necessary to understand when working or wanting to start a garden.

Double-Digging Potluck

2010-04-29T13:34:00.001-07:00

On Saturday April 17, 2010 a group of students went to the garden to double-dig more beds and have a potluck after. Double-digging helps loosen the soil and provide structure. Many of the students were in the group Students for Sustainability but there were also students who came out from hearing about the event. We all worked together to start double digging beds in the area of the garden where there were not any. It was hard work because the ground was so solid and hard to turn. We tried to wet the soil to loosen it up, but even that did was not helpful enough for one bed. We had to use many instruments to double-dig and by the end we had made a more than a few new beds.

The process for double-digging can be tricky and hard to follow. To start the double digging, we would try and remove the weeds growing in the area we wanted the bed to be. Once we removed the weeds, we measured about a foot wide of the bed and removed the soil and put it in the wheelbarrow. Then we would dig beside that first foot, which was empty, and put the soil we were digging, in the first area we dug. We turned the soil and added compost to it. Then we would dig beside the area we had just dug and put that soil in the previous, empty area and turn the soil and put compost in. We did this until the entire bed had been completely dug up and formed.

In these new beds, we are planning on putting in more tomatoes, herbs, watermelons, and flowers.

Afterwards we all enjoyed delicious food like home-made hummus Nicole Ortega made, guacamole with half-cherry tomatoes made by Matthew Bush, a pasta dish from Camille Perret, and chips and drinks. It was a very hot afternoon, but having a group to work together really helped get more accomplished.

With this event we also found more students who wanted to be involved with the garden and join Students for Sustainability. Some of the new students did not know how to even get to the Arboretum and had never heard of Students for Sustainability. Having events like this, opens the door of opportunity for students to find out and get involved in the garden which is why it is important to have these events.
This is the bed that was the hardest to dig up because the soil was so clay-like. Even the addition of water did not help to loosen it up.

Learning Young

2010-04-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

Lydia Atkins, a former New College student brought her fifth grade class and one fourth-grader from Tuscaloosa Magnet Elementary School to the Arboretum for a field trip. The students were lead throughout the Arboretum and saw the greenhouses, garden, and the tree topology. Camille Perret and I lead one group of students around to the different stations. The children had actually been learning about gardening with Lydia, so they were excited to see the Arboretum.

We first started off in the greenhouses. Camille and I asked them questions like, why we would start our plants in a green house instead of in the garden? We had various answers from the students. For example, students said because you are able to control temperature in the house and that it is a good way to make sure bugs and rodents would not get into the plants. We also showed the vermicompost and explained the importance of worm poop for the soil. The kids really enjoyed seeing the worms and were impressed by the big container. We also showed them the peels of fruit we eat like cantolope in the vermicompost. We explained how this helps make compost which is good for the soil.

After the greenhouses, we went to the tables outside where there were numerous tomato, basil, and marigold plants. We told the children they were going to be planting one of these plants in the garden. Camille showed them the correct way to remove a plant from the container and place it in the ground.

After the demonstration we lead our group of children to the garden where they each planted one plant. We had to make sure the children did not step on the beds and compact the soil.

Many of Lydias students had not visited the Arboretum before and did not know it existed. I talked with Lydia and Sarah Massey after the field trip and they said the children loved the Arboretum. They wondered why school could not be taught out there instead of inside. They both said the children were surprised to learn you can different types of plants in the green house like tropical and non-native plants. They said probably their favorite part of the trip was seeing the worms.

I think it is wonderful that children are getting involved and learning about gardening at a young age. I never had an experience like a field trip to the arboretum but I’m glad teachers are trying to incorporate and show the importance of growing plants. Growing plants are important because they help keep us alive. I’m glad these students were able to have a hands-on experience with the garden and I hope they understand the importance of growing plants.

SSAWG

2010-04-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

On January 20 I attended the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The conference lasted three days and each day there were different seminars on how to promote sustainable agriculture in the south. Each meeting was about an hour and a half long and everyone in my group would attend a meeting they thought might be beneficial to University’s Garden. The students who attended the conference were: Nicole Ortega, Sarah Masterson, Matthew Bush, Matthew Smith, Lizzie Beale, Andrea Mabry, and myself. Not only did we listen to speakers discuss different techniques they use, but we also talked to others who attended the conference and asked about their involvement with sustainability in agriculture.

I attended one seminar called “Plasticulture for Vegetables and Flower Production.” Grace Summers from North Carolina spoke about using plasitcultre. She said the use of place in agriculture can help diminish extreme temperatures for horticultural crops.
One typically uses a drip irrigation to help plasticulture. The advantages of using a drip irrigation for plasticulture are using less water and disease and weeds are reduced. The disadvantages of using a drip irrigation are a higher level of management required, potential to stress plants is greater, and can be damaged by insects and rodents. After setting up the drip irrigation and raising the bed, one can finally put the plastic on the ground.

I found out in this seminar this is used on big farms and would not help with our small, but valuable garden. Instead we are using tomato mulch which should help.

I also attended another seminar about biodiversity which was taught by the “Barefoot Farmer.” Everyone in our group attended this meeting because he was well known and his discussion was supposed to be very interesting.

He said how he reads books from a hundred years ago on how to farm because he does not want to replace good farming techniques. He discussed the importance of compost which is one of our strong points at the garden. He also said how microorganisms are important in the soil because they help the soil and the plants live.

One interesting technique that he uses is that he does not irrigate. He uses only compost and that is all he needs.

What I gained from his talk, was that there are millions of organisms and nutrients and they all contribute to our planet and how we live and work in agriculture.

SSAWG was a good introduction to starting the independent study. I knew very little about sustainability and agriculture, but by talking to those in my group and attending the conference, I was able to gain more knowledge on the subject.

High Tunnel Production Workshop

2010-04-27T00:06:00.000-07:00

On Monday, April 26, Matthew Bush and I carpooled to Clanton, Alabama to participate in a high tunnel production workshop offered through a collaboration between SSAWG (Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group) and ASAN (Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network).

Paul and Allison Wiediger of Au Naturel Farm were the presenters, but Paul presented alone on Monday because Allison went home to respond to a sudden and unexpected death in the family. May Allison's father rest in peace and may her family feel healing.
The day was split into two main sessions with a lunch break in between; first from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM, then from 1:00 PM -4:00 PM. This was an excellent opportunity for many farmers who have just begun or are considering extending their seasons by growing in a hoop-house. Very few farmers that participated in the workshop were currently producing in a hoop-house. Mr. Wiediger's thorough and engaging presentation examined practically every aspect of hoop-house production, such as the construction and mechanics of building a hoop-house, Irrigation within the structure, necessary tools, pest and disease management, harvesting and post harvest handling, growth planning, pros vs. cons of hoop-houses, and the economics and market factors involved! Mr. Wiediger offered an excellent balance of technical knowledge and instruction as well as surprising and specific stories to illustrate lessons he has learned as a farmer for over 30 years.

Besides all of the information we absorbed psychophysically and can retain as knowledge, we did not go home empty handed. We acquired two copies of a CD produced by SSAWG called "Organic Vegetable Production & Marketing in the South", which is supposed to provide fabulous information and advise to farmers specific to our location. A group of long-time organic food producers collaborated to make this information available, and it features Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm. We were also given a CD containing a copy of the Wiediger's powerpoint presentation and several worksheets and spreadsheets. But that is not all! The Wiedigers gave us each a copy of their book "Walking to Spring", a guide to using high tunnels to grow produce 52 weeks out of the year.

Snow's Bend Farm

2010-04-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

Homegrown Alabama is performing their farm inspections now in preparation for their first Farmer's Market of the season on May 6th (3-6 PM) on the Canterbury Church Lawn, on Hackberry Lane. Farm Inspections are an important element of a successful farmer's market because they ensure that the farmer's are actually producing everything they bring to market on their own land. There will be a follow-up inspection towards the end of the growing season as well. Students working with the community organic garden took advantage of this opportunity to participate and meet local farmers face to face on the land they work. The first farm we visited was Snow's Bend in Tuscaloosa. Margaret Ann will be hiring 8 interns this summer to help her and her partner, David, run their 150-member CSA and prepare the naturally-grown harvests for the market!

Margaret Ann shows us her tomato field. She uses metal stakes and 6 in. checkerboard wire as trellis to support the plants, and black plastic to mulch, which suppresses weed growth and keeps the soil warm, which the tomato plants prefer. The plastic mulch is thinner than a plastic bag, and is effective is eliminating all weeds except nutgrass, which will occasionally poke a hole right through the plastic and keep growing!

These white floating row covers are placed over melon seedlings to protect from insects and drops in temperature.
Many varieties of greens, which are delivered to locals through CSA subscriptions, grow in these lush fields, which are irrigated with a drip-tape system. The drip tape allocates water directly to the roots of the plants, thus minimizing waste and conserving water usage. Snow's Bend currently uses both well water and river water.
Although Snow's Bend is only raising pigs for the purpose of selling them at this time, they are interested in developing a system that integrates the pigs with the farm production in more ways. For example, it is possible to use pigs as part of a functioning composting system. Some sustainable farmers "Pigerate" - meaning they let their pigs dig in and till/turn the land and compost with their busy snouts as the pigs look for corn to munch on.

A high-tunnel (a.k.a. hoop-house) extends a farmer's growing season, which is very important for a professional farmer, because it gives farmers a "cutting edge" that makes them competitive producers in a market. This method of growing "in doors" allows farmers to sell early tomatoes when few other farmers have fresh vine-ripe tomatoes. Snow's Bend is growing two varieties of tomatoes in this hoophouse, using landscape fabric as mulch. Margaret Ann said she would rather use landscape fabric instead of plasticulture, but it is more expensive so she just uses it in the high tunnels.

New College graduate Lydia Atkins sniffs the aromatic tomato plants in a Snow's Bend high tunnel.

Farming With No Soil

2010-04-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

Most of us were taught in grade school that plants need sunlight, water, and soil to grow. For those of you who still hold tightly to this assumption, be prepared for a shocking shift in your world-view, comparable to the discovery that Pluto is not a planet.

Indeed, some farmers grow crops with out soil!

John Bruce of "Miss Emily's Tomatoes" uses soil-less growing methods, such as hydroponics and coir-filled pots, under the cover of a greenhouse. My jaw dropped (some drool might have escaped out of the corner of my mouth as well) when we arrived and my eyes feasted on over 30 foot long tomato vines, with green tomatoes the size of grapefruits hanging in clumps. Apparently, John harvests the fruit of this dutch tomato variety from the end of October to the beginning of July - practically all year round!

John plants his tomatos in bags of coir. Coir is ground up coconut fibers. It is not nutritionally valuable to plants by itself, but is an excellent absorbent for water and nutrients, which makes it very useful for plant roots. John's green fingers show us how fluffy the coir is:

John has to tap the tomato plants about every other day so that the leaves and flowers are vibrated and pollinate themselves.

John purchased this water nutrient system from HydroGardens. The device measures the humidity and temperature in the air and waters the plants acording to how muh water they need at any given time. Thus John invests very little time, energy and attention to concern over watering his plants. This is avery different method of farming than that practiced at many farms, such as Snow's Bend, where natural river water or well water is chaneled through drip tape into open fields of vegetables.
These trays each have many little cells, in each of which is placed one little lettuce seed. One the seed germinates, the plant in given nutrients in a hydroponic pool and grows into a big head of lettuce.

Lydia admiring the root ball of the lettuce grown without soil. There is no evident bug damage to the lettuce because it is grown indoors where there are more barriers to the natural elements that can damage outdoor crops.
John has been selling out of tomatoes every day for the past several weeks, and he has not even had to leave his home! People come to his farm to pick up tomatoes and other seasonal produce, like asparagus, strawberries, or (soon to come!) blackberries. He participates in the Homegrown Alabama Farmers Market near the UA campus because he wants to.
John shows us how this filtration system made of rocks and cement and gravel purifies his well water of excess iron before it is fed to the strawberry fields.

The Farm Inspection Team, with farmer John Bruce.

Shitake Mushroom Cultivation

2010-04-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

The Farm's Ecovillage Training Center in Tennessee (and its partner programs abroad) are oriented towards making the best of the post-petroleum energy transition. The Farm offers an array of courses and workshops in permaculture and sustainable living technology, outlined on the web calendar here.

On February 20, I traveled with a few Tuscaloosa residents to participate in a shitake mushroom cultivating workshop at The Farm. Albert Bates and Frank Michael were the main instructors for the day's event, having extensive experiential knowledge about growing all kinds of mushrooms sustainably and commercially. The course examined medicinal properties of several mushroom varieties, and went over all the steps of cultivating mushrooms (particularly shitake), from selection and cutting of logs, to preparation, inoculation, spawn run, fruiting, and how to continue maintenance of mushroom production.

Select trees and cut logs for mushroom cultivation sometime between when the leaves turn brown in the Fall to a few weeks before leaf-bud in the Spring. Oaks work exceptionally well (except for blackjack), but you can get good yields from hornbeam, ironwood, hard maple, and sweet gum trees as well. Other trees yield less mushrooms, and softwoods yield none because their aromatic resins are fungicidal. The bark should be medium-thick, healthy and intact as much as possible; this creates a good barrier to other fungi. You do not want to use rotten logs. A good size for logs is 2" - 6" in diameter and 40" long.

Inoculate your logs with spawn within three weeks of cutting. Delays can result in lower yields becuse the logs dehydrate and are colonized with other microorganisms. If you cannot inoculate your logs right away, first make sure the bark is dry, and dead-stack them like firewood over two horizontal logs off the ground in a shady spot, and lightly cover them with plastic to keep off the rain, but you want to maintain air circulation.

You'll need
-a hot plate
-an old pot
-half a sponge cut lengthwise to apply the melted cheese wax
-A high-speed drill makes life easier for runs of over 100 logs. (Use a 5/16" diam. bit for plug spawn, or 7/16" diam. for sawdust spawn, with a drill stop set at 1" depth for plugs, 3/4" for sawdust)
-an inoculating tool (keeps your fingers from wearing out)
-aluminum tags and some 1" roofing nails to label your logs with the date/variety

-logs
-and mushroom spawn

Once you inoculate every log with the mushroom spawn, you want to make sure you label the logs correctly with details such as type of wood, type of mushroom, date of cutting/date of inoculation, etc...

Shitake is suggested for beginning mushroom growers because it is one of the most forgiving growers. It is also noted for its health-boosting properties - it is a friend to your immune system. Shitake reverses T-cell suppression caused by tumors, making it a valuable anti-cancer food. Shitake's spores and mycelia are antiviral, inhibiting cell-division of viruses. Albert Bates informed us that one shitkae mushroom, eaten with a tablespoon of butter, actually reduces serum cholesterol. In Japan, it is used to regulate high and low blood pressure, and improves stomach ulcers, constipation, and heorroids as an anti-inflammatory. Shiitake also diminishes fatigue, generates stamina and improves the complexion.

Got Green?

2010-04-25T17:31:00.000-07:00

Spinach, cilantro, and chives make for a savory delicious green smoothie. Today I also tried baby beet greens in a green smoothie and they were full of a mild spinach-like flavor! Nothing like what you get in a supermarket.

The Boutenko family embarked on an entirely raw foods diet in 1994 because they were seriously ill. Victoria had arrhythmia and edema, depression, and was obese. Igor suffered from painful rheumatoid arthritis and had severe hyperthyroid. Sergei was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes and was supposed to go on insulin. Valya had asthma. After switching to raw foods, all of their health concerns were healed. The Boutenko's Raw Family website offers free articles, recipes, and viewpoints on the ins and outs of eating more raw foods.

One defining characteristic of a living (and sustainable) system is its ability to repair itself, or regenerate itself. The Boutenko family has observed that the extraordinary ability of all living organisms to repair themselves is the only power that can heal any illness. All healing methods and techniques developed by people are successful and sustainable only if they reinforce the body’s own natural ability to regulate itself. A human body can heal a disease only when all bodily substances and systems are maintained within particular optimal functioning. Homeostasis is arguably the most important process in the body because it is what keeps all systems and substances in the body at balanced and functioning levels. If we are increasing our body's ability to maintain homeostasis, we are taking the best possible care of our health.
In order for the process of homeostasis to occur, our bodies need supplies of all nutrients, including vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, minerals and all trace elements. Greens match all of these purposes better than any other food! Particularly when blended, the nutrients in greens are absorbed more efficiently and provide many times more nutrients than other foods and even regular salads. By drinking green smoothies we support our homeostatic balance in the most optimal way! In my own experiments, I have found green smoothies a great and SIMPLE pleasure to make.

In the fall of my senior year, after staying up late studying for an exam, I woke up and made a big batch of fresh green smoothie for my roommates and I, with nothing but handfuls of leafy greens and some fruit (such as banana and apple, maybe lemon juice). While walking to take the test, my stomach fell when I realized that I had to go buy a test booklet before class, which started in just a few minutes. I RAN to the Ferguson center Supe store to purchase a test booklet, and immediately felt as though a switch turned on: my body had immediate access to boundless energy from the raw foods I had consumed for breakfast! It was a surprise to feel the abundant energy flowing through my body after consuming such a simple meal. Many people usually feel tired or overburdened physically after eating a meal, and I learned that eating green smoothies increased my energy both immediately and over long-term, instead of depleting my energy in difficult digestion. I also saw a significant reduction in acne and skin problems after incorporating green smoothies into my diet!

As soon as you feel the benefits of green drinks, you will want to drink them every day! A local community organic garden can save you a lot of money on greens and provide therapeutic recreation simultaneously. I have never opened a bag of spinach from the supermarket that even came close to competing with the vibrant, chlorophyll-rich, sweet spinach that I pick in our garden. You can taste the gratitude in anything that comes out of this community garden!

GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE
made with local organic greens from the community garden at the UA Arboretum.
Ingredients:
couple handfuls of spinach
handful of cilantro
a few chive leaves
1 banana
1 apple
optional fresh squeezed lemon juice
plenty of water
SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND ENJOY!

Future Farmers of Alabama

2010-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, over 250 third grade students explored the Community Organic Garden at the arboretum that UA New College students are coordinating as part of an independent study this semester. Austin Creel, New College student and employee of the arboretum, organizes community events at the arboretum and activities for children.

Camille Perrett and I guide this class through the gardens, and demonstrate how to tell the time with your shadow, by standing in the correction orientation to the sunstones, depending on the month of the year.
Watch out! Not only birds like to live in the treehouses, but wasps take a visit in there occasionally. The kids are inspired to make bird houses and bird feeders at their own homes. One little girl pulls my sleeve and exclaims "I wish I lived with you! Then I could come out here every day!" I tell her that the arbroetum is open every day and that if she asks her parents, she probably can come visit again soon.
In the photo above, Aleisha and Blanca smell the flowers on the way to the vegetable garden.
Below, Camille Perrett demonstrates to 3rd graders how to install a tomato cage around young tomatoes. The kids got to see the bee hives where honey is produced, and the strawberry beds that are already producing sweet red berries. Even if the kids do not grow up to be farmers themselves, at least they realize that it is possible to have a very close relationship with your food and how it is grown.

Garden Update

2010-04-25T07:59:00.000-07:00

As the semester comes to a close and I begin to take stock of what I have learned and of all the work that we've put into the garden, I realize that the work has only begun! Spring is finally upon us and the tenuous period of nurturing seedlings in the greenhouse through a ridiculously wet winter is over. Now we have begun to harvest some exceptionally spicy radishes ad the odd, succulent strawberry or two; and this is only a hint of the bountiful summer to come.

Along with our soil amendments of potash, green sand, micro-nutrients and others that we ordered through the mail, we also received some coconut fiber hanging baskets. We plan to hang these on the fence surrounding the garden and fill them with a panoply of flowers both beautiful and functional, such as marigolds, which have a certain insect repellent quality about them.

Although we have managed to give some of our tomato plants to students hoping to grow their own at home, we will still have an overabundance of tomatoes this summer. So in order to maximize space, we utilized some local bamboo that was going to be discarded to the local landfill to build some ladders and trellises for added strength and support for the tomatoes, whose productivity is maximized with a high amount of vertical growth.

(Here is a close-up of a freshly planted glacier tomato seedling next to one of our bamboo trellises, which have been left open to later modification to suit each tomato's growing needs.)

Last week, we continued the expansion of the second half of the vegetable garden with a double-digging picnic/garden party. All the help was deeply appreciated and highly productive; as the saying goes: "many hands make light work." These photos show independent studier Nicole Ortega preparing a freshly dug bed for the planting of okra, jalapeno pepper and sweet bell pepper seedlings, and the placement of the plants on rows in the bed to maximize water retention. The okra were all placed on the lower row to prevent later shading out of the pepper plants.

(Some of the remaining members of our tomato seedling forest, in need of a hearty meal. These plants were treating with a healthy dose of worm compost tea before being planted or given to students at Earthapalooza.)

"Eat Your Greens"

2010-04-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

A trip away from the garden down to Montgomery brought me to the "EcoMax Sustainable Living Exhibition at Hampstead Farms." Founded as an educational initiative by a local credit union to inform the River Region about sustainable living solutions, the event featured seminars and demonstrations advancing the ideas of urban farming, healthy and local food sourcing, and walkable communities. The city of Montgomery Tree Committee, Clean City Commission, and Alabama Clean Water Partnership were on hand as well to showcase the implementation of more “green” policies for the city as well as exciting plans for a cypress park connecting to the Alabama River downtown. Before the event was rained out today I was able to attend several thought provoking presentations.

First, Rand Merijanian from Dancing Bee Honey was on-site to talk about the fact that no garden is successful without honeybees to provide pollination services. Through an intricate and effortful process, bees are able to produce the only substance produced by insects that is fit for human consumption all the while functioning as a necessary link in the life cycles of many plants that we consume. I was able to learn about the schematics of a beehive and the rigors of beekeeping all while contemplating how bees spend their lives (around 28 days) working so that we may thankfully enjoy the wonderful fruits and side effects of their labor. Second, Robert Cope from Montgomery’s Cypress Pond Park Project enlightened me as to the tremendous ecological diversity that will be preserved in a 260-acre educational and recreational opportunity serving the River region’s citizens and guests. This park will serve to promote the conservation and preservation of natural resources while supporting the economic revitalization of downtown Montgomery.

(The proposed plan for the cypress park connects to the existing Amphitheater via a boardwalk and will highlight the vitality and natural beauty of a natural cypress swamp.)

(Janet Johnson and her assistant from the Alabama Cooperative Extension give instruction regarding the preservation of food and its advantages over buying out of season.)

(A copy of "Food Preservation in Alabama," a guide for safely preparing food for lengthy storage and later consumption.)

Finally, Janet Johnson from the Alabama Cooperative Extension Program presented a seminar entitled “Back to Basics: Learn How to Preserve the Food You Grow. As a means of both avoiding low quality, high-priced grocery store produce that has traveled thousands of miles and supporting the fresh fruits and veggies produced by local farmers, canning and preserving produce is a skill many often lack. I learned all about the tools and techniques required for canning, as well as the proper methods for dehydrating; all of which can be found in the extension’s book: Food Preservation in Alabama.

(Some delicious dried strawberries were available for sampling.)

(A view of a portion of Hampstead Farms, with its raised beds in the foreground.)

Earthapalooza!

2010-04-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday April 22nd, members from UA Students for Sustainability and the SGA Department of Environmental Concerns were given the opportunity to present a table at Earthapalooza, which was graciously hosted by Bryant High School in Cottondale. Students from Woodland Forest Elementary among others, were able to attend and enjoy a beautiful day in the sunshine while learning about sustainability and other environmental issues. Tables that included tie-dying and a dunking booth were popular attractions, as was a cannon that shot recyclables into blue bins that were designated as targets downrange on the running track. The Earth Nerds at Bryant High were on hand to provide guidance and instruction to the younger students, as well as unfortunate subjects for the dunking booth. Their organization, which includes teachers and students, is comprised of over 150 active members who seek to promote environmental awareness in their school and community. Earthapalooza was a culminating event for the group, who earlier this school year received a $1,000.00 grant from the Weyerhaeuser Company to broaden the school’s recycling efforts.

Our table included a vermiculture diorama with examples from each stage of the decomposition process, from the initial introduction of shredded paper and vegetable scraps, to the final product: highly nutritious, sifted worm castings. Several students were delighted to find that the process of worm composting was such a simple way to turn what was once considered trash into a product that is pivotal for a healthy, bountiful garden. The versatility of worm compost was demonstrated with a Pespsi bottle full of worm tea, which can be diluted and applied to the soil of any plant in need of a hearty meal. We also brought along over twenty of our surplus tomato seedlings to share with the students. Varieties included sweetie, tropical, glacier and San Marzano tomatoes. For the cut-rate price of two or four 50-cent tickets, each student was able to take home a seedling with instructions provided by Nicole Ortega. Later on this summer, the students will be able to participate in a tomato-growing contest with the winner from each variety being recognized at one of the upcoming Homegrown Alabama Farmer’s Markets. Overall, Earthapalooza proved to be an excellent opportunity to interface with younger students and help begin building the foundation for a future that is environmentally conscientious.

"I can't believe this is school!"

2010-04-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Plants do not grow in sterile isolation magically; they grow in relationship with the sun and the entire ecological community.Children do not grow in sterile isolation magically; they grow in relationship with human community and ecology. This understanding must inform a teacher’s disposition, our entire school system, and community altogether. There is no indoor substitute for learning and playing outside!

Twenty children from the Tuscaloosa Magnet School studying Alabama Food Culture in a class called "Growing Wild" dug their trowels into a bed of dark compost and clay when planting tomatoes, basil, and marigolds in the Community Organic Garden. New College graduates and students (Lydia Atkins, Lindsey Mullen, Andrea Mabry, Sarah Massey, Lucy Bennett, and Matthew Smith) lead this hands-on field trip with Students for Sustainability officers and Independent Studiers Camille Perrett and Ann Hataway.

It was a day of pleasure and delightful surprises for the kids. Walking through the greenhouses gave them the understanding that plants require certain temperatures and conditions to survive. The kids were amazed that greenhouse structures make it possible for tropical plants to grow in Alabama that would not be able to grow here otherwise because the local climate and weather patterns do not match the plant’s needs. The children developed a deeper appreciation for the native plants of Alabama – such as the fields of wildflowers sprouting at this time of year. The worm bin revealed how food scraps and old materials are naturally recycled, making new soil in the process of travelling through a worm's gut!

Each child was given a tomato, basil, or marigold plant to carry to the garden, where Camille taught about the wonder of companion planting; the students found it interesting that marigold plants repel harmful bugs that would otherwise be attracted to tomato plants. Kids tasted, scratched and sniffed herbs in the garden, and learned about the medicinal properties of local trees. They absolutely loved the pond and hanging on tree limbs.

Field trip organizers said it was important to strike the balance between structured and unstructured time, which is totally different than in a classroom, where time is typically completely structured and accounted for. The “free” time allotted for the kids to explore nature and absorb their surroundings gave curiosity the opportunity to emerge – so many questions arose! What kinds of trees are these? Do deer come through here? Do bears live here? What is this plant called?

Of the twenty kids, only five had been to the Arboretum before. They were so excited to discover that the arboretum is open every day and that they can come out here any time they want if they ask their parents. It was a great opportunity for them to know that the arboretum is a part of their town.

"I can't believe this is school!" -5th grade boy

Lydia Atkins describes her students’ wonder at the opportunity of being outside during school hours, and contemplates that we are all thirsty for a different learning environment. We want to be outside more, surrounded by smells, sounds, different ecosystems, something entirely stimulating.

It takes just a planting in a garden, a walk through some greenhouses, a peek into a worm bin, a hike up to the treetops, to inspire a child's awareness of nature and life as relationship, as a mysterious but inherently participatory adventure. After the field trip, the children reviewed lessons on symbiotic relationships in class. No doubt that their experience learning about companion plants in the garden reinforced this lesson and provided a meaningful foundation for educational engagement.

“Hands-on experience at the critical time, not systematic knowledge, is what counts in the making of a naturalist. Better to be an untutored savage for a while, not to know the names or anatomical detail. Better to spend long stretches of time just searching and dreaming.” — E.O. Wilson, The Naturalist

(photographs taken by Andrea Mabry)

Coconuts in an Alabama Garden!

2010-04-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, you'll be hard-pressed to find a coconut tree anywhere near the Arboretum, but coconuts have a role of their own here nonetheless!
Working in the garden over the course of the semester, I have encountered more coconut-derived products than I could have ever anticipated. Coconut fiber has emerged as a commonly used garden material, due to its sustainable production, inexpensiveness, and reliability!

At the arboretum, I have seen the fiber, which is called coir, used as a border for beds, a mat for tomato plants, and a lining for large window planters.

Coir can be roped together and laid around the outer edge of a flower or herb bed as a border, like around our greenhouses above. It looks beautiful, as here by the arboretum greenhouses, while keeping the beds defined to prevent feet from treading on delicate plants.

When pressed into a mat, coconut fiber can be placed at the base of larger, upward growing plants (like our baby tomatoes) to act as a powerful mulch. The mat effectively keeps weeds down, while trapping moisture and nutrients for the plants to use later.

The planters that we ordered came with a coir lining already in place, which will as well serve many purposes other than just acting as a holder for the soil; the fiber will retain water and nutrients for our container plants too.

Although not currently underway at the arboretum, coconut fiber is increasingly being used as a substrate to start seeds and also as a soil ammendment, often in place of peat, which, although unquestionably useful anf beneficial for growing, is typically harvested by open-pit mining in peat bogs, which proves highly environmentally unfriendly.

Besides the already mentioned benefits that coconut fiber can offer to plants, a primary reason that we at the garden have opted to use it is due to its sustainable qualities. Coir is an inedible part of the coconut plant, so is otherwise treated as a waste product. The trees grow abundantly and quickly in the tropical regions of the planet where coir is usually produced, so it is a highly renewable resource, unlike peat, which forms in bogs over a matter of thousands of years, eventually to become coal. Coconut fiber is also compostable after use, so will benefit our garden long after its original use!

Worms Eat Our Waste

2010-04-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Most everybody who's stepped into a garden at some point in their lifetime had been made aware of the endless benefits that worms can lend to soil. They wiggle through, breaking up compacted soil as they dig. They also feed on dead, organic matter that exists in the soil, leaving behind nutrient-rich "castings", or poop, in its place! Even more beneficial to soil than compost created by decomposing a pile of organic matter alone, these worm castings, or worm compost, can be generated in any home and then applied to planting soil for a super-boost.

How can one go about producing worm compost on a usable scale, you ask?
It's much easier than seems at first.

In one of the arboretum's three greenhouses, Mary Jo keeps a massive four-tiered bin, complete with a mechanism for drainage of "worm tea!" These purchasable worm bins can cost up from a hundred or so dollars, so I explored different methods to build one of my own.

You will need:
a large plastic or wooden container
a drill
shredded office or newspaper(can be found in academic buildings, ask around!)
veggie scraps (cut into small bits)
and of course, worms.

First, drill plenty of holes in the bottom and sides of the container (I used a two-tiered plastic set of drawers). You'll want to space them about 2 inches apart from one another. If yours is multi-layer, like, mine and Mary Jo's, drill holes in the bottom of every layer.

Below the bottom layer, you'll want to lay down a tray to catch and liquid that might drain out. This liquid is called "worm tea," and is even more nutritous to plants than the castings. Dilute it with water, transfer to a spray bottle, and dampen your soil with it!

Next, dampen a good amount of the shredded paper to use for the worm bedding. Add it to your bin.

Give your worms a fair amount of scraps to munch on when they are introduced to the bin. See below for a list of foods to add and to avoid.

Finally, you are ready to add your worms. I ordered mine from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm in LA for a very reasonable price. You can find several online vendors selling Red Wigglers, the worm variety that will generate compost.

The bin should be kept in moderate temperatures, and receive little to no sunlight (if the bin is opaque, the worms shouldn't mind too much if it's placed in a lit area.)

Kitchen Scraps (Worm Food)

Add

Uneaten Veggie or Fruit Parts (Peels, Tops, Flesh, etc.)

Coffee Grounds and Filters

Used Tea Bags

Breads in Moderation

Egg Shells

Avoid

Citrus

Meat

Fatty Foods (Dairy, etc.)

Preaching What We Practice

2010-04-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

(Independent Studier Camille Perrett poses with a few of the Arboretum's field trippers.)

Today at the Arboretum, Camille Perrett, and myself were able to share our work at the vegetable garden with a group of about 60 second-graders. Though the main purpose of the field trip was a herpetology demonstration by University of Alabama graduate students, we were nonetheless able to spend about 40 minutes with the groups talking, teaching and sharing what we ourselves have learned. Beginning with a tour of each greenhouse, we took time to examine the process of raising plants from seed. Students were able to take in the aroma of basil seedlings while contemplating their growth from seed in potting soil on a heating pad all the way to a ready to plant, delicious herb. From there, it was on to the vermiculture bin where many girls and boys gasped at the sight of so may wriggling blood worms. A few could hardly believe that these oligochaetes could have such an appetite for an old, brown banana peel. Of course what trip through the greenhouses could be completed without exploring the tropical greenhouse, alive with the aromatic scent of so many heat loving flowers and plants, and the examination of Venus fly traps that, were they big enough, could be "man-eaters." Hiking down to the garden, counting varieties of wildflowers as we passed, some astute followers pointed out that the honeybees (whose hive we were later able to examine from a distance) were out in force, and that they must be getting ready for honey production. Once at the vegetable garden, we were able to discuss at length the necessity of careful preparation and maintenance of vegetable beds and the pivotal support of tomatoes provided by our bamboo trellises. Nicole Ortega was able to bring many inquisitive minds to bear on the emerging strawberries, flowering blueberry bushes and hearty oregano. A few were even able to pluck ripe radishes right out of the ground, hopefully cementing that integral relationship between the producer and the consumer. Ultimately, all this hiking and talk of delicious fruits and veggies instigated what would become the most frequently asked, and possibly most pertinent question of the day: "What's for lunch?"

Neemseed Oil Insecticide

2010-04-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Not only is Neem (a tropical Indian tree) extract known in Ayurvedic medicine to treat scabies, hives, eczema, psoriasis and many types of skin rashes, it is also a natural antibacterial and antifungal commonly used to treat athlete’s foot, toe fungi, and ringworm. For the purposes of the organic community garden, an exciting discovery was made in Diana Anthony's book The Ornamental Vegetable Garden; neem oil is the only botanical systemic organic pesticide yet available. It is known for its efficiency in controlling plant-eating and sucking pests such as whitefly, scale, mealybug, thrips and nematodes. It is a benign and environmentally friendly method of controlling pests used by horticulturalists, farmers, home gardeners, and landscapers. The main ingredient in neemseed oil, Azadirachtin, is harmless to beneficial insects and predators. It has been used for centuries in India as a means for preventing insects from eating stores of grain.

Neemseed oil and water, mixed at a ratio of 1:200 and sprayed onto all parts of the affected plants, repels leaf eating bugs by suppressing pests' appetite and influencing their bowel activity. This spray can interrupt the development of eggs, larvae, and pupae, and disrupts the metamorphosis process.
Although the label reads "Worm Compost Tea", this bottle is actually filled with lukewarm water and Neem oil at a ratio of 200:1. When making this organic insecticide at home, it is best to use the entire batch while it is fresh instead of storing it for a long time. The entire surface area of our okra leaves and stems were washed with this spray as an aphid treatment and preventative. We will see how it works!

Out with the Old, In with the New!

2010-04-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

Death and life pour into each other continuously in a garden! Many plants that you see in a garden are annuals, which means that they germinate and flower or bear fruit just once before going to seed and dying. The seed-to-seed life cycle of an annual can be as long as a year or as short as five weeks depending on the plant and growing conditions. Some annuals growing in the community garden at this time are corn, pea, lettuce, watermelon, marigold, bean, and zinnia. This week, university and elementary students will transplant tomato and basil plants into the bed where bolted broccoli was recently removed.

Bolting does not mean that plants run away; it is a gardener's term to describe a particular survival mechanism in plants. When the weather warms up quickly, a "switch" turns on in some plants that tells them to produce flowers and seeds as soon as possible. Our Broccoli looked like it was going to produce some heads of broccoli, but instead just produced masses of green leaves and then bolted very fast after the weather warmed up. These leafy greens were great to make green smoothies with!

The broccoli (tall green bushy plants, in the back row) bolted in response to the sudden increase in temperature.

When clearing the garden bed of broccoli, we sawed the plants at the root base and left the underground roots to break down in the soil. The leafy masses of greens were composted. Fresh compost was added to the bed, along with greensand (source of potassium) and phosphate rock. These materials were well integrated into the soil with a pitch fork, and then mulched over with hay.
Broccoli roots were left in the soil to decompose and add organic matter, while the soil was amended with organic nutrients and installed with bamboo ladders to support the next round of vegetable life - tomatoes and basil!

Camille Perrett and Matthew Bush, two UA students participating in an independent study at the Community Garden, guided a class of second graders through the garden this morning. The children took turns smelling and feeling fresh radishes as the birds sang over head. Nicole Ortega showed the class how the Native Americans grew the "three sisters" - corn, squash, and beans - for hundreds of years before the founding of the United States of America. This year, students are growing native Alabamian squash and blue corn with handed-down seeds from Kenny Robinson, an employee of the UA Arboretum.

Ants!

2010-04-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

The ingredient list in commercial insecticides that are specified for ant control, contains a scary list of poisons, toxins and possible carcinogens that no one would want in their home much less near their vegetables. This spring and summer, as ants begin their march into our newly turned vegetable beds (disturbed soil provided an inviting home for nesting ants), we plan to try more organic remedies that are effective and safe, for humans at least. By using harmless ingredients, we are able to ensure that we remain true to an ideal of avoiding synthetic, chemical inputs, keeping our gardeners and visitors safe and staying friendly to other creatures that we’d like to have around. The following are a few possibilities that we have already attempted or plan to experiment with in the future:

• Our very first attempt at organic ant control involved the sprinkling of diatomaceous earth over freshly disturbed ant nests. Diatomaceous earth is made up primarily of the ground silica shells of diatoms. This lightweight material feels like what one would assume ground pumice feels like, and has the same abrasive effects on ants.
• Placing a fragrant bag of mint tea in areas where ants are most active. If mint tea isn’t available, crushed mint leaves or even cloves can help ward off the pests.
• Rubbing Alcohol: Combining two-parts alcohol with two-parts water and one-part dish soap is a general-purpose ant control remedy, able to eliminate many different varieties of ants. In most cases the ants perish the instant they come into contact with the solution. This mixture also helps to mask the chemical trail ants leave behind so no other pests will follow that path into your home.
• Plants: One way to keep the ants out in the first place is to surround the garden with organic pest control plants like spearmint. Catnip (pictured below), pennyroyal, peppermint, sage, and tansy are all effective at warding off different species of ants.

"Now that is a bed I'd sleep in."

2010-04-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

When we began preparing previously undisturbed, grassy areas conversion to new raised beds, we found that a “hula hoe” is best for easily undercutting the weeds and simultaneously loosening the soil. This helps create an ideal seedbed with minimum effort. Grasses and weeds are excised with minimal soil removal, and can then be added to the compost pile.

Today we found that one if the most important things to be aware of with double digging is that walking on the beds compacts the soil and undoes much of the good work. Fellow gardeners and visitors should be reminded to stay out of beds which have been prepared with double digging, and when planning the layout of the garden, we should make sure that garden paths are wide enough for people, carts and wheelbarrows to pass freely between the beds. It's also important to avoid placing heavy objects in a double dug bed; bags of soil amendments such as lime should be placed in a garden path while they are in use so that they do not compress the soil in a double dug bed. Ultimately, Good soil management creates a favorable environment for healthy root growth. Double digging reverses combats high soil strength that can inhibit the penetration of roots, resulting in poor plant growth. Excess soil strength can occur as a result of repeated exposure to foot and wheel traffic or naturally as soil with high clay or low organic matter hardens in droughty conditions, a process called ‘age-hardening’ or ‘hard-setting.’

(Corn roots in compacted (left) and non-compacted (right) heavy
clay soil from an experiment in Australia. Roots were not able to penetrate
the compacted layer so growth was stunted.)

"Dig! Dig! Dig! And your muscles will grow big."

2010-04-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

Cultivating vegetables organically and sustainably begins with a respect for, and the maintenance of, soil. A healthy, living soil is the foundation of a successful garden. Efforts to control weeds, pests, and irrigate may be rendered ineffectual without it. The quality of a soil is usually determined by examining its fertility and texture. Fertility is an assessment of an intricate combination of essential nutrients, proper pH and the presence a diverse array of symbiotic fungi and microorganisms. In regards to nutrients, three primary elements that plants require are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. (In general terms, nitrogen for the healthy growth of leaf and stem, phosphorous for root growth and potassium for overall growth and health.) Trace minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, molybdenum and zinc are also required for proper health. The second principle component, texture, is made up of particle content (ratio of sand, silt and clay), the size of the particles and how cohesive they are, or friability and tilth. A proper balance of sand, silt and clay allows for adequate circulation of air and water. With all this in place, roots can grow and provide tremendous support and lift, or tilth to the soil.

Cultivation by definition is human intervention in the natural growth of plants with the intention to improve and reap benefits from that improvement. One way of of initiating this improvement whilst maintaining diversity and encouraging the health of the soil is double digging. Double digging is different from the traditional way of digging over the ground in that, as the name suggests, you dig twice as deeply as normal. In traditional vegetable growing you normally dig to about a spades depth and turn over the soil. In Double digging you will be digging over the ground to a depth of about two spades deep. Although it is labor intensive, it is a means of providing lasting improvement to a garden.

Some advantages of double digging include:

Much higher yields for the same amount of space
Soil is aerated and allows better moisture retention
Higher earthworm activity
The soil is very loose and makes adding Organic matter much simpler
Helps to find and eliminate deep rooting woods for a clearer bed

Once you have Double Dug a plot the soil will be so loose to such a great depth that you will be able to just quickly fork it over each year in a few minutes. There are many online resources going into great detail on how to double dig , but there are a few simple guidelines to follow:

1. Mark out the area you wish to use

2. Dig it one Spade deep and throw the soil to the side

3. Start at one end using a fork and dig over the trench a forks depth deep, turning it, breaking up the soil and evening out as you go

4. DO NOT stand on ANYTHING you have forked over (more on this later)

5. Hop out of the trench

6. Add a good layer of Compost or Organic matter to the trench

7. Fill in the trench with approx one spade of good organic material to every three spades of the soil you have dug out

8. Job done!

Living for Food

2010-04-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, an account of writer Barbara Kingsolver’s attempt to attain true food security for herself and her family, is an enlightening and joyful read. Although I was already somewhat cognizant of the industrialized, fossil fuel dependent state that our food system has metastasized into, this account of an actual break from that cycle is a breath of fresh air. Obviously as a college student, my level of influence, particularly considering purchasing power, is fairly limited. However, as Kingsolver pointed out, there are always steps that can be taken, or improvements that can be made, no matter how small or seemingly ineffectual. Our attitudes and actions regarding food must change. We must become respectful of the process and maintain a high regard for the planet and its other inhabitants, whether animal or vegetable, that have so fortuitously allowed for the success of our species. Those of use who are already at least dimly aware of the environmental, ecological and agricultural challenges that humanity faces have the responsibility to continue to educate ourselves, educate others and endeavor to be instigators of proactive change. To “think locally, act neighborly” clearly elucidates the sentiment expressed by this book. How we produce food and in what manner we eat it quite literally determines how the whole world is used. One of the most salient quotes that I found in the book was actually in an aside written by Camille Kingsolver, Barbara Kingsolver’s daughter. It states simply that my generation must act as a force to retain our food security and foster not only the preservation of a robust agricultural system, but also a healthy planet:

“My generation, I know, has the reputation of sticking iPods in our ears and declining to care about what might happen in ten years, or even next week. We can’t yet afford hybrid vehicles or solar homes. But we do care about a lot of things, including what we eat. Food is something real. Living on the land that has grown my food gives me a sense of security I’m lucky to have. Feeling safe isn’t so easy for people my age, who face odious threats like global warming, overpopulation, and chemical warfare in our future. But even as the world runs out of fuel ad the ice caps melt, I will know the real sources of my sustenance. My college education may or may not land me a good job down the road, but my farm education will serve me. The choices I make now about my food will influence the rest of my life. If a lot of us felt this way, and started thinking carefully about our consumption habits just one meal at a time, we could affect the future of our planet. No matter how grave the predictions I hear about the future, for my peers and me, that’s a fact that gives me hope.”

Brief Weed Guide

2010-04-05T17:04:00.001-07:00

Shall I not rejoice also at the abundance of the weeds

whose seeds are the granary of the birds?

quote by Henry David Thoreau

In the garden, you have to know the difference between your baby veggies and the plants that you do not necessarily want there - also known as weeds. Weeds are widely misunderstood plants. Some people approach weeds with the same disposition as they would a cancer in their body, an alien, or an Auburn fan.Many weeds actually do not harm your plants and have beneficial properties. It is worth looking into weed identification to gain a deeper appreciation of your garden's ecosystem.

chickweed - entire plant is used for medicinal, nutrition, and culinary purposes. Can be eaten in salads or blended into a healthful green drink.

purple nettle - some people harvest this to include in flower arrangements. Edible and medicinal, the leaves and upper plants are cooked or added to salads. The plant is very nutritious, high in iron, vitamins and fiber. The whole plant is used as an astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, purgative, styptic and tonic. Purple nettle seed oil has high antioxidant activities, and might be used as a future food-additive. Some midwives consider Nettles a primary fertility promoter. Nettle is a rich plant source of folic acid, which enriches breast milk and is vital for fetal health.

goosegrass - valuable seed source for song birds. A warm season annual, develops in leafy tufts. A prolific seeder, in most cases, has three to seven fingerlike racemes on a single stem. Often, 15 to 20 stems are produced by a mature plant and as many as 50,000 seed can be produced by a single plant.

dandelion - this "weed" has been used for centuries as a nutritious and medicinal plant. It has a deep, fleshy taproot - we pulled some out of the garden that were over a foot long and thicker than my pointer finger. Snows Bend Farm intentionally grows these plants to sell. The root and leaves have been used to treat heartburn, flatulence, bruises, chronic rheumatism, gout, and skin problems.

red clover - contains nutrients such as calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. It is rich in isoflavones (chemicals that act like estrogens and are found in many plants) and has been used in traditional medicine to treat tumors, whooping cough, respiratory problems, and skin inflammations such as psoriasis and eczema. Red clover was thought to "purify" the blood by acting as a diuretic (helping the body get rid of excess fluid) and expectorant (helping clear lungs of mucous), improving circulation, and helping cleanse the liver.

Slugging it Out

2010-04-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

This time of year, plantings are in full swing and seedlings that have been aching to get out of the greenhouse finally get their chance. Some of our early plantings, such as spinach and lettuce have been in the ground for some time now, having survived the initial shock of transplanting. But as many gardeners know, they aren’t home free yet. No matter whether it’s vegetables that are being cultivated or planted flowers for decoration, one of the biggest pests is probably garden slugs. Slugs look like snails without the shells. They slime their way along either in the early morning or in the evening when everything is covered with dew. They also come out after a rain to look for plants to feed on. If slugs are let into the garden, they'll soon take over. Before that happens, there are a few easy to use remedies that will help curb the invasion of these voracious eaters. First, table salt is a slug's worst enemy Salt spells an end to slugs just as slugs make up the demise of out tasty veggies. Simply sprinkling a little table salt on the bodies of the garden slugs will "melt" them right before your eyes. Just be careful not to get any salt on your plants, or this could cause them to become dangerously dessicated.. Second, apparently recycled eggshells can act as a deterrent. This may be a fairly labor intensive solution that many may not have time for, but often slugs won’t cross over certain rough materials, such as eggshells. Eggshells can be recycled for the garden to get rid of bothersome garden slugs. The shells must be broken up so they're in small pieces and then placed around vegetable or flower plants that are to be protected. A third solution, household ammonia, can serve a dual purpose in the garden. Filling a spray with 50% tap water and 50% household ammonia and spraying it directly on the slugs will eradicate them. In addition to slug removal, the ammonia will help fertilize the plants. Lastly, the remedy that we have implemented is beer. This is a simple, inexpensive solution that does not require both gardener and slug to be present at the same time. We used small saucers and a slug trap, each filled with about a half-inch of beer found left out at the Arboretum. The slugs will be attracted to the beer, climb in and become trapped once inside. But, once inside, they'll be trapped! After you've trapped a number of slugs, the beer can be dumped and replaced with a fresh brew.

Know thy Vegetable

2010-03-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

One thing that we independent studiers have discovered during our foray into the vegetable world is the importance of labeling. . Unfortunately, I have, on previous occasions, fallen victim to “Oh I’ll remember what they are after I seed them” only to promptly forget what they are or find them moved to a different space. Seeding five different varieties of tomatoes and mixing up flower seedlings with our own special variety of “nasturtium” okra has led to a fair amount of confusion and headache, as we failed to label consistently during the seeding process. With multiple folks working and watering in the greenhouse it should be a priority to delineate which plants are which.

(note the carefully labeled seedlings, including starting date and general plant name.)

Aside from identification, the labels in the garden and greenhouse give us a regular reminder of what the plants are so we can plan plantings and transplantings appropriately. Out in the garden, they also serve as markers for when the plant goes dormant. And lastly, they help guests to the Arboretum identify plants without having to ask about each one. When labeling plants, the common name may not be all that is necessary; you might would like to include the Latin botanical name for educational purposes. It may also be helpful to include other information, such as the date that you planted in order to assist with the planning of planting and harvesting dates. It should also be noted that a more long-term or permanent marker for a tree or shrub will have to be made of more weather-proof material than a vegetable marker that only needs to last one summer. In the interest of frugality and efficiency, many of the most cost-effective labeling systems require hand writing the information on the marker. If your handwriting mostly resembles chicken scratch, you might consider one of the computer or label maker alternatives. There are many commercial labeling systems available to the gardener, but you can save money by making your own using a waterproof marker and materials you might already have laying around. Here are some ideas for inexpensive labels:

Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors
Cut up old window blinds
Cut up plastic containers from yogurt or other foods
Large rocks
Copper flashing (available at most hardware stores)
Dowel sticks
Painted yardsticks or rulers
Wooden paint stirrers

Rabbit Proof Fence

2010-03-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

In the early 1900s, the Australian government endeavored to construct a pest-exclusion fence across the Outback in order to prevent rabbits and other animals that were deemed to be agricultural pests out of the country's pastoral regions in the west. The fence was completed in 1907 and stretched for over 2000 miles. The fence posts were placed 12 feet apart and held three wires of 12½ gauge placed at 4 inches, 20 inches and 3 feet above ground with barbed wire being added later for protection against dingos. A netting of wire was placed over this and buried to a depth of at least six inches below ground. Unfortunately, the fence became less of a priority after the Australian government introduced a virus prevalent in rabbits elsewhere to cull the population. Since death from myxomatosis can take up to fourteen days, this seems a cruel and inefficient solution, because surviving rabbits carry a resistance to the virus.

As for the garden, we opted out of biological warfare and have begun to install a netting of galvanized chicken wire on the pre-existing fence surrounding the garden. We use chicken wire that is 36" wide, which can be purchased for around $1.60 per foot from any home improvement or hardware store. This height ensures ample room to bury part of the fence around the perimeter of the garden while retaining enough material to cover spaces to the top rung of the wooden fence. It is recommended that a trench be dug about 6" deep and 8" deep. This 6" buffer will prevent the rabbits from tunneling their way under the fencing and into the garden-an integral part of wild rabbit control. After the trench was dug and the wire placed, we back-filled the trench back in with plenty of soil (especially around the posts to retain stability), The wire can then be stapled, nailed or tied to the existing posts and fencing.

Feeding the Seedlings and the Soil

2010-03-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

On the week of March 26, students planted 16 marigold,16 painted paisy, 32 kaleidoscope, 16 alyssum, 16 celosia, 16 peruvian yellow zinna, 16 bright lights orange cosmos, and 16 memories of mona cosmos. Seeds were planted in trays with organic seed-starting mix, and placed on a heating pad set to about 70 degrees F.

Many of our vegetable seedlings, such as the cayenne peppers, jalapeno peppers, sweet peppers, and okra, have sprouted their first "real" leaves, after their first set of leaves from seed. At this stage, they need to be fed nutrients in order to grow, because there are no nutrients available in a sterile seed-starting mix. Students brewed compost tea with a biodynamic compost for the first week of feeding, and will use a diluted mixture of about 2 gallons of water with one cup of worm casting liquid for further feeding. Worm casting (poop) liquid is collected on-site at the arboretum with worms kept and fed in a bin, and is used as a concentrated premium 100% organic fertilizer. It is proven to enhance growth, provide trace minerals, and significantly increase microbial life in the soil, which plants need for development of healthy roots. Vegetable seedlings were given a "top-dressing" of sifted compost (smaller particle sizes make controlled application much easier). Top-dressing vegetables means sprinkling a layer of compost over the surface of the container, so when plants are waters, nutrients from the compost leach organic matter down to the roots. Even a little bit of compost can go a long way to inoculate the soil with microbial life that helps prevent diseases in plants.

nutrient deficiency for tomato seedlings:

Following up on a comment from Mary Jo about the red/purple hue that some of our tomato seedlings have developed, several sources on-line point to a nutrient deficiency. A lot of people notice that tomatoes do better in warmer temperatures. One possible reason for this is because when it is 60 degrees or less on a regular basis, tomatoes cannot absorb potassium properly and develop purple stems and leaf undersides. The Colorado State University extension has a useful website for spotting and diagnosing tomato problems which suggests that red tomato leaves and stems (in the early season) with cool weather and no bug problems indicates a phosphorus deficiency. However, after looking at some color photos of mineral deficiencies in tomatoes, this points us in the direction of a Nitrogen deficiency because our tomato seedlings are not dwarfed or stunted in their growth, and do not have curled or crinkled leaves like the photo examples of potassium and phosphorus deficiencies do.

When double-digging the new beds for the spring garden, students will amend the soil with greensand, a natural material that formed and was deposited in marine environments during various stages of the earth's history. It is used in organic gardening to add potassium to the soil that is available to plants.

In any case, we noticed today that the roots are beginning to peak-a-boo out from the water holes on the bottom of their containers, so we re-potted them into bigger pots. Using a framed sieve, we sifted a bucket-full of compost and used the finer particle sizes as a filler soil for the new pots. Sifted compost has demonstrated significant advantages for seedlings as they germinate and develop roots. The compost has excellent water drainage, and when used in the garden with a mulch of hay, also retains essential moisture in the ground. Mary jo refers to this compost as "jet fuel" because her home garden plants respond so dramatically to its application. We will keep a record of how the tomatoes respond to this increase in organic matter.

UA to use compostable bioplastics

2010-03-04T10:50:00.001-08:00

Students were watering and inspecting the cabbage, beet, pepper, tomato, eggplant, chive, lettuce, basil, and cilantro seedlings in the greenhouse at the UA arboretum, when suddenly Kenny, arboretum systems manager and friendly garden collaborator, comes in with a grin across his face "I gotta show you guys something!" Leading us into the office, Kenny explained that he had spent a few hours speaking with a representative from Nviroplast, a company that has spent the past 9 years researching and developing a 100% compostable and biodegradeable alternative to petroleum based plastics.
Nviroplast (n-vi-ro-plazt) adj. 1. A natural, biodegradable, compostable, eco- friendly packaging alternative. link
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa is the first, and only (so far) university in Alabama to take this on, thanks to the folks at Bama Dining. Not only that, but the plan is for the company to soon have headquarters in Alabama! Kenny said they are looking to set up shop in a city with low employment opportunities. Students poked and pulled on the large trash bags, grocery bags, napkins, cups, and plates to test how they bend and break. The material is stronger than plastic, and in 180 days will break down with natural enzymes in the ground or a compost pile, unlike petroleum plastics that are toxic and take years, and years, and years... to decompose. Kenny started a trial run with the products this week, so we will see if the material actually does what they say it will do. Since Bama Dining is already giving their pre-consumed kitchen scraps to the arboretum for composting, these materials will potentially provide inputs for local compost instead of waste products for landfills. only the "waste" products of the corn are used to produce these materials, so no corn is diverted from animal or human feed. It seems like a more efficient use of a material that would be destined for the waste bucket anyway (in the current system of agricultural production). Yet, if it is based on the unsustainable farming of corn in the USA, we should be wary. Regardless, this provides an alternative to petroleum based plastics that does not contribute as much to environmental catastrophe, sounds great! Thank you UA for getting on board with this project.

Austin Creel models the cutting edge, compostable cup with the Alabama letter design on it. Made from corn starch. 100% non-petroleum based.

Students are wondering if this company is planning on making ground cover out of this material to use as an alternative mulch to plasticulture. If this were layed over a vegetable patch, weed suppression would still be effective, and after the season is through, a farmer could work it back into the soil or let it decompose gradually, adding organic matter back into the soil. Another possibility for farming with this material is to make little seed-starting containers that you can directly place in the ground when transplanting without removing the plant from the container - however it would probably take too long for the plastic to decompose this way.

Learn something new from a soil analysis

2010-02-22T11:03:00.000-08:00

Because students are working to expand the community organic garden to take up most of the space within the fenced area at the arboretum, we mailed off soil samples to the Timberleaf Soil people in California. The test called for a general application of colloidal rock phosphate to build the phosphorous reserve, along with various specific quantities of alfalfa meal depending on what crop we intend to plant. For example, 4.1 lbs. of alfalfa meal per 100 sq. feet is recommended for cabbage plants, but only 3.4 lbs/100 sq. feet for kale and 1.8 lbs/100 sq. feet for spinach. Alfalfa meal supplies nitrogen to the soil for plant uptake, but not all plants require the same levels of nitrogen in the soil. According to the Timberleaf soil analysis, nitrogen mineral recommendations are the most challenging due to the high degree of variability in soil types, climate, time of the year, soil moisture, biological activity, type of organic matter applied and the plant varieties. The best course of action is to keep records of the type and amount of nitrogen applied, the crop we plant, weather conditions, and the time of year applied. That way, you can compare results from various growing seasons over time and judge for yourself what your average nitrogen requirements are.
We are low in trace minerals zinc, manganese, iron, copper, and boron. In order to remedy this, the analysis recommends applying, per 100 sq. feet, 1.5 oz. of 36% zinc sulfate, 4.7 oz. of manganese sulfate, 12.9 oz. of iron sulfate, .7 oz. of copper sulfate, and 1 oz. 14.9% boron. Because boron can be toxic in larger quantities, it is important to pay attention to the measurements and split applications several months apart. Further ammendments include 7 oz. of potassium sulfate per 100 sq. feet and 2.5 oz. of 90-95% sulfur.

It will take an estimated 3-4 years to reach balanced soil fertility.
The organic matter content of the red clay under the grassy patch is only 2.1%. The desired organic matter content is 5-6%, so we will apply a healthy measure of compost prior to planting. The soil is acidic, with a pH of 5.5 and a buffer pH of 6.8

The soil test taught students about Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). Cations, which include calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, are all positively charged, or basic minerals. The CEC tells us the quantity of cation nutrients the soil can hold. Good soil structure, or "tilth", means exceptional capactiy to hold, store, and release nutrients in a biologically available way. Good soil acts like a sponge for air, water, and nutrients!
So, soil contains many clay and organic particles in it. These soil particles have many negatively charged sites on their surfaces, which attract the positively charged mineral cations, holding them loosely to the surface of the particles. The roots of plants can exchange hydrogen ions in return for these cations. The CEC tells us the sum total of negatively charged sites in the soil particles and express it as a number - so in theory, a 20 CEC soil can hold twice the nutrients of a 10 CEC soil. We have a CEC of 4.2, so the way to increase that is by adding compost, thereby integrating more organic material into the soil.

Potatoes and Peas!

2010-02-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

There were some beautiful organic little potatoes from California on sale in Publix about a month ago, so I bought two bags. I put one bag in my cupboard and forgot about it. Upon discovering the potatoes in my kitchen a week or two later, the tubers had already sprouted little "eyes", or buds. So I put a few on a kabob skewer and elevated them in cups of water. You can use any container for this, but recycled yogurt cups work quite nicely. A week or two later this is what you have! Students met at the arboretum this morning and we planted 16 potato tubers into a large, well composted bed that we prepared at the end of last semester.

Camille and Lizzy dug two trenches about 8 inches deep and 2 feet apart. They spaced each potato about 2 feet in the trench and alternated them with the potatoes in the other trench so that they are not exactly parallel in the rows. This saves space. Lastly, cover the tubers with compost and straw to prevent soil erosion and increase water moisture retention in the bed. These potatoes will not require much maintenance until the plants come up and start to bloom. This is the first time students have planted potatoes in this community garden, so we are all excited to see how they will like their new, temporary home.
Meanwhile, Matthew and Chelsea worked to complete installing the wire fence around the wooden fence. This serves multiple purposes. The wire fence will prevent rabbits and other critters from jumping into the garden and will provide trellis support for the peas and other vineing veggies. This activity works up a sweat!

Along the opposite corner of the fence, students already installed the wire trellis, so today we direct-seeded climbing sugar snap peas a few inches away from the fence so they can latch on to the fence when they are ready. After the row of peas, we inter-cropped a row of carrots with radishes. Carrots and radishes are good companion plants because while they can grow in the same space, they grow at different rates, so you can harvest the radishes just in time before the carrots begin to thicken up and need the extra space. In the 4x4 square-foot garden plots, our bush peas have finally made an appearance. The recent snow and cold weather made them delay in sprouting, but they have pulled through. The thick straw mulching might have been a help to them. The strawberries are still dormant, and we will soon say goodbye to the last few kohlrabi as we prepare that bed for the spring garden.

Students are experimenting with the effectiveness of double-digging. Along one side of the fence, the bed was double-dug and compost was integrated. Along the other side of the fence, the soil was not double dug, just turned over with a pitchfork and amended with compost. We planted the same vegetables along both sides, so we will see which do better, also taking into consideration any variation in sunlight exposure between the sides. The next beds we prepare will be double-dug and amended with colloidal phosphate and possibly greensand, and recommended in the results of our soil analysis done by Timberleaf Soil Testing.

In the greenhouse, the tomato plants are doing fantastic. The spinach, however, were very dry and clearly suffering because no one watered them on Saturday, so students soaked them for an hour in a warm shallow tub. This perked them up a good deal. This was a reminder that seedlings need to be watched every day, and we all need to help keep each other accountable for coming out when we say we will. If something comes up and we cannot make it to the garden, that is fine, we just need to call and let others know so that someone can go check that the seedlings have enough moisture.

This is am image of what you don't want your seedlings to look like. These spinach babies are lacking water, but a good soaking in a shallow warm tub zaps them back to life. Constant communication helps keep students accountable for staying organized and checking on the seedlings every day..yes even saturdays :)

It has been decided that we will no longer use peat pots because they dry out very easily and do not decompose in the soil very quickly.

The empty tray has marjoram seeds in it but they have not sprouted yet. The cabbage, lettuce and beet are all doing well, and we have started gradually exposing them to the outdoors by setting them in a shady spot for a few hours at a time. This will help acclimate the plants to the sunlight and wind before it is time to transplant into the garden.
Today, students planted 24 eggplant, 24 sweet red pepper, and 20 cayenne long hot pepper seeds in the greenhouse. The trays are on the heating pad because these nightshades germinate at an optimal temperature of about 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. They will be ready to transplant into the garden after the last frost of the season, which we are estimating at April 15.

complications in the greenhouse - live and learn

2010-02-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

The UA Arboretum greenhouses are full of life and fresh air. A greenhouse prevents sudden temperature change, providing seeds a head-start in their development and prolonging the growing season for a farmer, increasing the potential crop yield.

On Sunday, a group of students entered the Arboretum greenhouse to discover that a mouse had maneuvered his way into a tray of unsuspecting beets and eaten every last seedling! So, students reseeded that tray and secured it with two plexiglass sheets on top so that mice and rats cannot lift off the covers to feast on the tender shoots. The garden was too wet to do anything with the soil, but students harvested handfuls of salad greens and kohlrabi. When the ground is soaking wet, it is not wise to garden because soil compacts tightly when wet. Soil compaction means that the little air bubbles that occur naturally in good soil structure are destroyed. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for plant roots to penetrate compacted soil in order to receive the nutrients, air and water they need. Plants grow best in a well composted, spongy-like soil with adequate moisture, sunlight and air.

It rained early this morning, but students carpooled to the Arboretum at 9:30 am.
Another discovery in the greehouse. A tray of lettuce greens got “damp off” – which is a fungus that rots the base of the plant at the root, causing the little seedlings to simply keel over and die, even though the stems and leaves look perfectly healthy. Damp off will live in warm, still, and dark spaces, so the way to minimize risk is to allow plenty of air circulation, expose the seedlings to sunlight, and take them off of the heating pad immediately after germination to allow them to cool off in the greenhouse. Students left the seedlings on the heating pad with a protective cover on them for longer than necessary, resulting in “leggy” plants that look as though they are reaching for sunlight and cool air. It is important to monitor germinating seeds every day in order to be sensitive to their growth process and responsive to their needs.
As an extra precaution against mouse visitations, Mary Joe Modica, Director of the Arboretum, placed a mouse cage with peanut butter in it by the germinating table. We’ll see if it lures in any seed snatchers.

Matthew Bush, Natural Resources Management major, weighs down the seed tray cover with a glass sheet, preventing rodents from lifting off the cover to eat seeds.

As a safe but effective precaution against ants, students spread a thin layer of diatomaceous earth around the germination trays. Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring sedimentary rock that can be crushed up into a white powder. It’s structure is rough and abrasive, so ants avoid climbing on it, as it will cut them and hurt them.
As a safe but effective precaution against damp off, students milled some long fiber sphagnum moss to sprinkle over the germinating trays. This moss has an acidifying effect in its surroundings by taking up cations and releasing hydrogen ions. Damp off, the fungal infection, does not take well to these acidic conditions. We will also prevent damp off simply by removing the trays from the heat as soon as they germinate, giving them adequate air circulation, and taking care not to over-water (roots grow into air pockets in the soil, but when there is excessive moisture in the soil, it takes up all of the air pockets and the roots have no where to grow, resulting in root rot).

The new garden plan will include a 4 foot wide pathway making an “x” cross The new garden plan will include a 4 foot wide pathway making an “x” cross design through the middle of the garden for easy bed access and optimal space utility.

compost

2009-12-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

The UA organic garden has received numerous compliments on the effectiveness of its compost in creating and maintaining a healthy soil structure with good tilth and proper nutrients. A good compost is a great tool in sustainability - it suppresses plant disease, increases pest resistance, and contributes to the overall health of the soil and the crops. The basic elements that make up compost are food, air, and water. Carbon and nitrogen are key elements in composts, specifically because nitrogen gas is not useful to plants, and must be converted into a useable form. The amount of nitrogen in the soil and the bacteria population are directly related. That is, the more nitrogen that exists in the soil, the more bacteria there is to consume organic matter. When the bacteria die and/or create microbe manure, the nutrients are released and become available for plants.

Compost piles will eat almost any kind of organic matter (legumes, leaves, plant residues, hay, MANURE, etc). When deciding a location for a compost pile, keep in mind the amount of sunlight it receives – you don’t want it to dry out. Aeration is an important factor in compost as well. Too much aeration can lead to drying out before it decomposes, but on the other hand, poorly aerated compost gives off a foul odor and decreases the quality. The proper amount of water and air is also necessary in maintaining healthy compost. Moisture is required for microbial activity, and although microbial activity will continue without adequate oxygen levels, the end product is not ideal.

Autumn Greens

2009-12-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

We gradually bid farewell to our summer garden over the course of the semester, uprooting the basil plants in August and the tomatoes in early October. The thai hot peppers lasted until November, but we had to uproot them to make room for our fall garden. (There were still TONS of peppers left on the vine, and after we took bundles home with us, we still had to throw some in the compost pile. I dried half of the ones I hoarded, and made pepper vinegar with the rest.) On our last visit to the garden, we had a little salad taste test of all the garden greens. We concocted a mixture of equal proportion broccoli leaves, mustard greens, kohlrabi, chives, and turnips, and had breakfast in the garden as we weeded. YUM!

2009-12-09T16:35:00.001-08:00

Industrial agriculture has grown increasingly paradoxical, replacing natural processes with synthetic practices and treating farms as factories. Consequently, food has become a marketing entity rather than a necessity to sustain life. The American perception of food has evolved into a paradox as well, placing emphasis on health foods and fad diets, but ultimately harboring ignorance and apathy for what we put into our body. In response to the corruption of modern agriculture, there has been a recent emphasis on sustainability, organic farming, eating locally, and the Slow Food movement. Ironically, the effort to counter industrial agriculture emphasizes simplicity and entails the return to a more basic way of life.

I arrived at the University of Alabama in August, possessing a general awareness of the controversial issue from what I learned in a high school environmental science course, but not expecting to harbor a passion for sustainable agriculture. During the first week of school I stumbled upon an opportunity to visit the student organic garden (about a ten minute drive from campus), and desiring a new hobby, but mostly a way of meeting new people, I decided to go. Little did I know at the time, that seemingly insignificant one-hour visit to the garden would result in a four month independent study, a passion for food, involvement in the student organization Homegrown Alabama, inquiry into the philosophical and technical aspects of organic farming, and ultimately an increased awareness of my role in culture and perception of myself. During my first semester of college, the garden not only served as a place to meet new people, learn about plant growth and ecology, and eat fresh veggies, but also acted as a grounding force of simplicity. I expect to continue my involvement in the garden next semester, and plan to find work on an organic farm this summer. Needless to say, that one visit has inspired a passion and hobby, not to mention the assurance that no matter what lies in my financial future, I will have the security of being able to grow my own food.

With that said, I believe that more students should have the opportunity to extract personal growth from gardens. The arboretum, owned by the University, has a great atmosphere, but is inaccessible to most students who don’t have cars, don’t have the time to make the trip, or aren’t aware that it exists. Every year, college campuses around the country are establishing on-campus gardens to double as a classroom and a way in which to incorporate fresh, organic produce into dining halls and community farmers markets. This movement is an attempt to counter the previously mentioned agricultural practices, teach students the technical skills of gardening, create a sense of self-sufficiency, improve campus aesthetics, and act as a gathering place for the community. Also, evident in the growing population, climate change, and depletion of natural resources, there is a growing need to reevaluate our relationship with the natural world, and an on-campus garden would be paramount in teaching youth the value of sustainability.

Another, and perhaps more obvious benefit of instituting an on-campus garden is the food it would produce. Our perception of food is distorted; we have become so accustomed to seeing tomatoes on the grocery store shelves in December, that we have lost touch with the knowledge that tomatoes are in fact a summer crop. There are no seasons anymore. Industrial agriculture has de-emphasized the value of food, and growing up in a society where food was always accessible, I, the token American, evaluated the difference between frozen fish sticks and fresh broccoli based solely on taste. After reading Michael Pollan’s food narratives and becoming more aware of the philosophy of food, I am not only convinced that the hackneyed term “you are what you eat” is valid, but believe that food can be a lens into our culture and ourselves. Food is one of the most tangible connections to where we live, and knowing where our food comes from provides us with a sense of place in the community and in culture. A garden would allow for students to perhaps regain a trace of basic agricultural knowledge and reevaluate their relationship with food.

An on-campus garden would harbor a sense of self-sufficiency, and raise awareness about current environmental problems. The University argues that available land needs to be reserved for the potential of new classrooms in the future, and a garden would be secondary, but I view this as invalid and even contradictory reasoning. Evident in my own experience during the past four months, a garden is not just an aesthetically pleasing space, but a classroom in itself, where students would be able to make connections to their relationship to the natural world and gain insight into their own values and origins. It would be ultimately student-run, which would encourage leadership, something that exceeds what is taught in a classroom. It would encourage a more hands-on approach to learning, and transform the tangible skills into broader aspects of the students’ life. While money is needed for initial costs, the goal would be for the garden to eventually become self-sustaining and possibly turn a profit at local farmers markets. Ultimately, instituting a garden on campus would inspire creativity, community, and personal growth.

2009-12-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

In his “In Defense of Food”, Michael Pollen posits, “most of what we’re consuming today is no longer, strictly speaking, food at all” (7). American culture has an eating disorder. Not only have obesity and chronic heart become epidemics in the past decade, but we consciously compromise food for synthetic nutrients, health for mass distribution, land for mass production, and community for a quick bite that often leaves us feeling unsatisfied. Worst of all, most of us cannot talk about where our food comes from. But as a nation struggling with eating, a movement is on the rise. Consumers want chemical-free produce. They want to know where their food was produced and if other were exploited in the process. They want real, ethical, healthy food. And as a University on the forefront of education and a beacon for the common good, we have an inherent responsibility to address these concerns in the context of the classroom. We should be teaching more students about what they are eating, raising awareness about devastating industrial agricultural practices, and asking critical environmental and ethical questions about food production. While we have taken some necessary steps in this direction, bringing an organic garden on campus is essential to meeting these demands and making the University a global leader in agricultural sustainability.

An increasingly popular attitude of consumers in response to the rising anxiety towards mass food production and chemical treatment is “Eat Local. Eat Organic”. As a result, many Universities have started organic gardens to provide a classroom that creates a direct relationship between students and farming, including the University of New Hampshire, Harvard, Stony Brook University, Furman University, and the University of Florida. Not only do students learn about and participate in agricultural practices, but some of these colleges, such as Furman, incorporate the food into campus dining halls, thereby allowing students to experience the beauty of eating locally grown, organic food. Additionally, professors use these gardens as a research sites. According to the Furman’s organic garden mission statement, “People are hungry for not just for fresh, healthy and fair food, but for knowledge and experience of participating in solutions.”

Students and faculty at our University hunger for this knowledge, experience, and available organic food as well. In the fall of 2008, several students established the UA Organic Community Garden Initiative to establish such a garden on campus with the desire to bring more local food into the dining halls and educate students about organic agriculture. Though they obtained support from multiple campus facets and even obtained funding for a water connection, the University denied the project because of aesthetic and managerial concerns. Yet, hope and passion for the initiative remained. Students subsequently started an on-campus garden at the University’s arboretum as a pilot project and compromise. Having been very involved in this effort for the past year, I have witnessed over fifty students work in the garden and discover the inherent joy that resides in harvesting food that one has planted and nurtured. I have also seen how this experiential learning inspires and engages students. Moreover, I have realized within this last semester that this setup can only be a temporary solution to a dire campus need and am forced to ask: If other Universities have successfully established gardens on their campuses, gardens that provide food for the campus, educational spaces, and academic opportunities, why can’t we overcome our issues and take advantage of such a valuable and easy endeavor?

This past fall I performed an independent study on organic gardening to fulfill a New College requirement. While I had had experience working on the garden, I did not fully comprehend the implications of the initiative until I started applying classroom concepts to our actions at the student garden. One of these concepts is soil health. As all farmers and gardeners know, soil health is necessary for abundant crop production. However, what many do not recognize is that creating and maintaining a good soil is a holistic process, one that considers how texture, structure, richness of certain nutrients, and presence of beneficial microorganisms collectively influence the soil. When fertilizers and pesticides are applied, two practices that are popular in industrial agriculture, they oftentimes kill the beneficial microorganisms that decompose organic material into the nutrients that feed plants, and the subsequent deficiency of these microorganisms can last for years in affected soils. This is why organic and holistically-minded methods such as crop rotation are much better solutions for agricultural problems. Rather than trying to identify and fix a single issue, their consequences acknowledge the natural balances that are crucial to food production and provide long-term solutions. According to author Wendell Berry, “A good solution improves the balances, symmetries, or harmonies within a pattern –it is a qualitative solution – rather than enlarging or complicating some part of a pattern at the expense or in neglect of the rest.” (272). Hence, we need to have a garden on campus so that students can apply these solutions, witness the results, and understand the value of approaching any issue from a holistic perspective.

Another reason that the University needs to allow the garden to greet campus soil is because of the arboretum’s distance campus. While only fifteen minutes away, having one or two students drive out there daily to perform necessary maintenance is unsustainable, and biking to the arboretum is practically infeasible–especially on days when students must return to campus and go to class. Many students voiced concern this semester about not having the time to travel to and from the arboretum as a reason for not fully committing to the project. Having the garden at the arboretum also creates difficulties for newcomers, who are usually unfamiliar with the arboretum and do not feel comfortable with going out there alone. If the University is genuinely passionate about using the garden as a teaching tool and educating the most students possible about agricultural issues, it will have to move the garden on campus.

When I started working on the garden initiative, I knew little about industrial agriculture and organic farming, and my main concern was creating another beautiful place of leisure on campus. I continue to believe that having an on-campus garden will make great aesthetic and social contributions to the University. But my work on the student garden and my classroom learning have taught me priceless lessons about agricultural practices, such as how the implementation of organic methods is crucial to the health of our environment and the survival of our species. Our University is currently behind in becoming a true environmental steward. This can and will change, though, when we fully recognize the benefits of projects like an on-campus garden and commit our time, energy, and resources in order to realize such initiatives. And if we are as concerned about being leaders of change and social responsibility as we advertise, then we must turn our promises into actions.

Thoughts for the Spring

2009-12-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

Students visited the garden today to wrap up their project for the semester. Since every crop is ready for harvesting except for the brocolli, they uprooted some of the dead plants (sunflowers, winter squash, and pumpkins) and took them to the compost pile nearby. They also added onto the rabbit fence and began discussing how to redesign the beds for next semester. The new plan will not only consider how to make garden upkeep easier but will help improve the soil, since students have decided to turn the beds. Because it is too late to plant a cover crop in all of the current beds, compost will be placed on the tops of each and straw will cover the compost so that it will be less vulnerable to erosion.

Now that we're entering an "off season", what can you be doing to prepare for the next growing season? Start a compost pile! Compost is essential to organic gardening because it adds nutrients to the soil, creates better tilth, and feeds the microorganisms that are essential to plant survival. Here are some instructions for starting your own pile:

1. Think Carbon and Nitrogen. You want a pile that includes natural sources of both. Green garden debris contains high amounts of Nitrogen and brown Carbon.

2. You are looking for the best balance of both elements. Many argue what that balance is and how to achieve it. When looking for the "best" recipe, consider how much time you have before you'll need to be using your compost.

3. Toss in some soil or compost to help jumpstart your pile.

4. Moniture moisture levels. You don't want your pile to be too wet or too dry. It should be damp , but when you squeeze it, water should not drip out. If it's too dry, add water to help achieve this dampness.

5. Turn your pile in order to move material from the outside in and vice versa. If the temperature of the middle of the pile reaches 160 F, you need to turn your pile. Once the pile stops heating up after turning, you'll be done!

2009-12-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

With the semester winding down and students eager to go home for the break, Students for Sustainability is discussing what it will do with the garden for the next several months. Currently, one of our officers is studying crop rotation and trying to identify what would be best to plant in the spring. Crop rotation basically means figuring out what to plant in which beds based on what plant came before it, since plant families have different influences on the soil. For example, some crops take up large amounts of Nitrogen from the soil during their life cycles. Instead of using synthetic chemical Nitrogen (found in fertilizers), which can be hazardous to soil structure and not even necessarily be in a form for plant uptake, the gardener should plant something that naturally puts Nitrogen back into the soil in a form that other plant can easily uptake -this specific process is known as Nitrogen fixation, and legumes are the plant family that perform it. Taking advantage of this natural process not only naturally restores vital nutrients to the soil, but helps create better tilth -which is more resistant to soil erosion, fights off plant disease cycles, and keeps pest problems at bay.

Students are also considering planting a live mulch for the spring and summer garden. As mentioned in a previous blog, mulch is laid down in between crops and rows to suppress weeds, prevent soil erosion, retain moisture, and maintain temperature. While some typical mulches are plastic, newspaper, straw, and grass clippings, living mulch is a plant that is interspersed between crops. Crimson clover is one example of a living mulch and can be used with a crop like corn, since corn is taller than the mulch. Advantages of living mulches include those of regular mulches, but they can also encourage beneficial insects to live near the crops and deter soil splashing, which occurs when rain hits the soil and causes it to splash on the plant. If the soil is carrying a disease, the splashing is very dangerous to the plant's vitality.

Nature provides us with the tools to build and maintain a healthy garden that can last for years if we do our research and understand plant/ soil relationships holistically. Trying to develop synthetic methods for gardening ignores these relationships and assumes that reducing a garden to individual problems will give achive the "ultimate" goal: large crop production. However, providing solutions to for one problem does not recognize how that solution will affect this large and clearly very intricate natural system, and though one season of fertilizing may bring big yields, the gardener will have more problems to deal with in the future and find his goal much more difficult (and expensive) to achieve. When we choose to use organic methods, we are not only taking advantage of what the Earth has provided us, but we are investing in future years of fertile, rich soil, good tilth, abundant biodiversity, and ultimately, healthy crops.

Thanksgiving Delight

2009-11-29T07:51:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday, November 24, I got the chance to head out to the arboretum before leaving town for Thanksgiving festivities. When I arrived, I realized that the lettuce, mixed greens, mustard greens, chives, and kolrabi were all ready for harvesting, so I grabbed some and hit the road. My family was excited to see what I had brought home. The lettuce and mixed greens were thrown together to make a luscious salad for our big Thanksgiving dinner, and we added chives to the traditional mashed potato dish for flavoring. My family couldn't believe how good the food looked, and more importantly , how great everything tasted. As we finished up our big meal of the night, my mom told me that we will have to have our own garden next spring and summer.

When someone asks me why I believe we should try to eat local and organic, I usually start spewing off tons of reasons, such as we don't usually know where out food comes from, what fertilizers and pesticides were used, whether or not the seeds planted were genetically modified, and if people were exploited during the growing process. What I often forget, though , is to talk about the most important potential consequence of eating local and organic: the bonds it creates between people. Unlike past Thanksgivings, I felt that I was more connected to the food because I had helped grow it, and my family's appreciation of that made us all more aware of what we were eating and how we were all able to enjoy it together. I can't wait to have a garden with my family next summer.

If you, too, want to start your own garden for the spring/ summer, go ahead and start preparing now. Here's a little bit about soil composition to help you out:

Figure out your soil composition: Is it mostly sand, silt, or clay? Ideally, you will have a balance mixture of three, known as loam. Loam is best because it retains moisture and nutrients but doesn’t stay soggy.

Do you have worms? The presence of worms indicates that your soil is very healthy and nutritious.

Make sure you have an adequate water supply: The student organic garden uses a drip irrigation system, which I've read is best because it decreases erosion and mineral loss.

What is the PH? The degree to which a soil is acidic or basic plays an essential role in garden production. This will be tested in the soil test. Lime is usually added if the soil is too acidic.

Perform a soil test: Some of the elements that a test looks at are Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium. It will tell you the levels of each and what organic material you need to add to make your soil more fertile.

Don't forget compost: "Compost is a soil conditioner, fertilizer, and mulch all wrapped into one". It will help with your soil's water retention and drainage issues and add organic matter to your garden.

2009 Food Summit

2009-11-27T12:52:00.000-08:00

November 12-14 was the 2009 Alabama Food Summit in Birmingham. About eight New College students made the drive to meet organic farmers from all over the south and learn about the technical and philosophical aspects of sustainable agriculture as well as the marketing side of having a farm. We were able to make relationships with the farmers and learn from their stories of failure and success.

Some of the workshops included:

Cover crops
Health and nutrition
Food advocacy
Cooperative marketing
Future of seeds
Biodynamics
Permaculture

One of the farmers that stood out the most was Jeff Poppen from Red Boiling Springs, TN. Living up to his title as the “barefoot farmer,” Jeff rocked a long, dreaded beard and possessed an aura of simplicity. His appreciation for the Earth was contagious as he delved into the advantages of biodynamic farming and shared personal stories of life on his farm. He was extremely generous with his farming tips, sharing compost recipes and handing out the organic sweet potatoes from his farm. Jeff talked about the benefits of urban gardens, which are essentially a product of a nearby “mother” farm.

He gave us an apparently magical fertilizer recipe:

25 gallons of cow manure
2000 grams of egg shells
1000 grams of basalt
mix with shovel for 1 hour (Jeff has “stirring” parties with his friends), and put in a wooden, bottomless barrel buried in the ground.
One cup of this stuff mixed with 3 gallons of water (stir for 20 minutes) is enough for one acre of land, sprinkled during the evening as the dew falls.

In true Jeff fashion, he wanted to distribute the awesomeness of this fertilizer, so I took on the task of getting my hands dirty and bagging it for everyone.

Jeff also went on a tangent about the moon cycle and it's effect on crops. He swears that the moon can be used a device in determining the best time to plant, weed, and harvest crops.

Overall, the Food Summit was a success, and students left with a packet of information, a more extensive knowledge about farming, and the knowledge that we will always have a welcoming home in Boiling Springs, TN with Jeff the barefoot farmer.

Pesky Pests

2009-11-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

Pests are problematic, but it seems contradictory to douse plants with poisonous substances – because ultimately, our goal is to eat them. If the chemicals kill pests, what are the long-term health effects on us? Ideally, one should manage pests before they even arrive in the garden. That is, use sustainable techniques like crop rotation, soil structure, and pH management in order to increase a crop's resistance to pests.

Fire ants have been a concern in the garden recently, but we don't want use harsh pesticides to control them. We are trying to find a sustainable method to get rid of the ants, so we applied cornstarch to the beds, which, according to the ever-dependable internet, expands in their bodies and kills them. Apparently, this is a myth. We tried it, only to learn that the cornstarch was ineffective.

(above) Beth applying cornstarch to the oregano

Also, the copious amounts of rain we've had in the past month hasn't really been ideal for the plants, but it did at least wipe out a giant ant bed that was once plopped in the middle of the chives.

The use of pesticides reflects our cultural mindset: we prefer quick, easy solutions and don't look too far into the future to see the consequences of our actions. Sustainable pest control is about long-term solutions that take into consideration all of the factors. Most of the time, the best solution is to kill the pests, but to build an immunity in the crops with sustainable methods like crop rotation and fostering healthy soil.

Eat 'em up!

2009-11-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, November 12, Students for Sustainability took some of their harvest to the NEW 100 Intro to Interdisciplinary Studies class. The class had been studying Barbara Kingsolver's novel Animal, Vegetable, Miracle -a read that definitely belongs at the top of your list, and members of the student group realized how relevant bringing fresh greens from the student garden would be to classroom discussion. Consequently, a couple of students drove out to the arboretum before class and harvested the two delicious foods that are ready for eatin': mustard greens and chives.

Not sure how many of you have enjoyed mustard greens before, but the student group's are extra spicy. So, not necessarily the ideal way to introduce people to the beauty of eating local and organic food. Even the classmates that expressed a love for spicy foods had a look of surprise and coughed a little when they bit in. Despite the reactions, the class generally seemed intrigued by the garden project (and enjoyed the chives, where are much more tame for the pallette) , and Students for Sustainability gained about six more student volunteers for the spring garden!

In other news, the very generous Dr. Joe Brown, who teaches organic farming in New College and owns his own farm, donated a hundred strawberry plants to the student group. Students gladly added the strawberry plants to back two garden beds, where just recently they had uprooted the withering peppering plants and spread new compost. They look forward to April, when the strawberry fruit will hopefully appear. It will certainly be motivation to get the rest of the spring garden in motion!

And last, but certainly far from least, group leaders are working with faculty to design an independent study that will involve experiential learning through the student organic garden. If you're interested, please join the facebook group and/or email Beth.Hataway@gmail.com for more details. And please, please, please, come eat some mustard greens and chives. We have plenty for everyone!

Sunny Skies

2009-11-08T10:28:00.000-08:00

Finally, a week free from rain! Students took advantage of the beautiful weather and visited the arboretum almost everyday last week.Thanks to the arboretum staff, students used straw from the arboretum's Halloween event to mulch all of the beds. Mulching will really help the garden by keeping weeds down -weeds are less exposed to sunlight -and help moderate soil temperatures so the plants aren't as stressed by drastic day to night changes. Students also uprooted old plants and prepared empty beds for strawberry plants. They also noticed that some of the pumpkin plants are turning gray and plan to investigate what the odd coloration is.

Who wants a mustard green? Despite the heavy rain, these guys are thriving. Students are thinking about different ways to make sure that the excess is no wasted. One of these options includes taking some of the produce to freshman classes so that they can get a glimpse of what
participating in an organic garden will give them.

The pepper plants have been very good to the student group throughout the spring and summer, but it's time to go. They'll be back next spring.

Lizzie Beale helps uproot the last of the pepper plants.

If you look closely, you can see the straw covering the beds. The mulch will really help with garden maintenance.

Halloween at the arboretum

2009-10-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

The rain is keeping us out of the garden, but I'd like to tell you about this upcoming event for Saturday, October 31 at the arboretum.

Tuscaloosa's own "Ultra-Runner", Nick Sella, will run 50 miles to support the wonderful UA Arboretum.

Come and join the festivities - FUN for EVERYONE!!!
-Children's Activities from 4 - 6 pm
-Trick or Treat!
-Children's Costume Contest @ 5 pm
-Adult's Activities from 6 - 10 pm
- Costume Contest @ 7 pm
-Bands!
-Food!

Costume Contest Categories:
1. Best Botanical (without using Kudzu!)
2. Best costume using white toilet paper
3. Best Costume using recycled materials

Admission: $10/person*, Children under 12 get in FREE.
*Free to members of the Friends of the Arboretum, you can sign up for membership at the event!
-Recieve a T-Shirt with a $50 Donation to the UA Arboretum
-Make a Pledge for every mile that Nick runs! All Funds Raised go directly to the Arboretum! (no amount is too big or too small)

Please check it out! Hopefully, the rain will stay away. Don't forget your costume!

Alabama DIRT camp ~ Summer 09

2009-10-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

Hola, friends! This past summer Stephen Spikes, Hunter Rayfield and I put together a week-long camp (with the help of Mary Jo and Kristina Hopkins-Jones) for girls aged 12-15. This was part of the summer compost project that Stephen and Hunter primarily worked on, while I focused on developing the community outreach portion.

If you haven't heard about the compost project at the Arboretum, then let me tell you about it. Bama Dining has worked incredibly hard at becoming a "greener" establishment; with the help of Ms. Hopkins-Jones, Bama Dining began donating their pre-consumer food waste & coffee grounds to the Arboretum for composting. In addition to leaf litter and constant upkeep, the result is several tons of beautiful compost out on the old golf course parking lot. The project has been an incredible success and hopefully will be permanently ongoing!

If I ever figure out how to post photos on this blog, I will post (unfortunately very old) pictures from the camp and describe what we did each day. It was an exceedingly rewarding experience for all parties involved, and in my case, I reconsidered the type of impact I wish to make in the world. Enjoy!

Another Week of Rain

2009-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Once again, we had a long week of rain that kept students from their daily garden visits. Fortunately, I managed to take a solo trip out to the arboretum at 8 am on Thursday, an hour before Tuscaloosans found themsevles donning their rain gear for the fourth time that week.
The results: Most of what we planted is growing, and there doesn't appear to be any signs of disease or fungus on anything. The fire ants looks like they have taken a toll, which is something to be pleased with despite the dismal weather. And, as to be expected, weeds are springing up everywhere.

Students for Sustainability continues to be active even though students can't be out in the garden as much as they would like. Instead, the student group is meeting every other Wednesday at 8 pm (the next will be the 28th) to discuss plans for expansion, what to do for the garden now, and recruitment. We are currently focusing on the ant problem, and though we used organic mint spray last year, we will try cornmeal this year since we can obtain it quicker and it's cheaper. I'll make sure to write later about how effective the cornmeal is. The student group also continues to go out to the garden every Sunday at 1 pm, when weather allows. Weeding and making sure that nothing has gone awry are our top goals when we visit the garden. If you don't know anything about gardening, please don't be afraid to come! Each Sunday we talk to students about gardening basics so they can listen, learn, and apply the knowledge immediately. We usually go out for lunch afterwards, too, which is always a nice way to really meet everyone.

Bees, Bees, BEES!!

2009-10-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (October 1), Students for Sustainability took a field trip out to Bill Hewett's bee keeping farm. Bill has approximately 75 hives and makes pure honey...yum! Bill was generous enough to not only let students see his hang-out, but taught them the in's and out's of bee keeping and even let them sample some! Needless to say, most left with at least a jar of his pure honey in hand. Below are pictures of Bill and students.

Meet Bill Hewett, Beekeeping expert.

Bill stands amongst the bees, pointing at them as they work away. Students meet the honey-producers face to face. I was too scared to get close.

Inside his honey extracting factory, students look at honeycomb remains as Bill explains the process.

Did I mention that he had delicious treats for us?

Above, Bill has has some honeycomb for us to try. Chelsea Smith, Students for Sustainability V.P. , enjoys a piece along with the rest of the group. I quickly realized after trying some that you're supposed to suck the honey out of the comb, not eat the entire thing.

Now, students hear a summary of how honey is extracted from wooden frames that are in the beehives.

Bees store their honey in these frames. Beekeepers then take these frames out of the hive
to extract the honey.

This is an uncapping knife. It slices off the cappings from the honeycomb.

Next, Bill takes the sheets and puts them in the honey extractor.

And now, we have pure honey!

Bill explains the difference between raw
and pure honey as students watch honey slowly
pour out from the extractor. Pure honey
is put through a filter so that honeycomb
chunks and whatever else the bees put in the wooden frames is left out of the final product.

To the left, Nicole Ortega, Students for Sustainability President, pours warm honey from the extractor into a jar to take home. Most students purchased some honey.

Students thanked Bill for letting them check out his place. If you missed this trip, don't worry. I'm sure we'll visit again in the spring. Keep checking the facebook group and watching for messages about other fun field trips!

Slash Pine Press and Creative Campus Present: "Into the Woods" at the UA Arboretum

2009-09-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Due to the all of the rain this past week, students found few opportune times to visit or really work in the garden. Though they were finally able to go out yesterday -Thursday, September 23- their actions were limited to weeding and looking at the damage done by the rain. The results: fallen over tomato plants, bursted, rotten tomatoes (which occurs because of excess water), and an abundance of weeds. However, the baby pants are getting bigger and look like they've enjoyed all of the water.

No pictures today, folks. Instead, I wanted to talk about the upcoming Into the Woods event, a day of hiking and poetry, that will be hosted on October 3rd at the UA arboretum.

Imagine hiking with others in silence when suddenly, someone stops you. A person then appears in front of the group and begins reading poetry. When she is done, the group turns and continues to walk quietly, continuing to stop and listen to readers until they reach the end of the trail and enjoy delicious refreshments. This is what "Into the Woods" will be like - a relaxing, reflective, and unique spiritual experience that allows one to experience art, human creation, in the presence of the natural environment.

You can check out the official press release below:

Slash Pine Press and Creative Campus To Present "Into the Woods"

An Interactive Combination of Hiking, Poetry and Prose

Tuscaloosa, AL-September 22, 2009- Slash Pine Press, in collaboration with UA Creative Campus, will present "Into the Woods" Saturday, October 3rd from 9:30AM-12:00PM at University of Alabama Arboretum and cross country trails.

The traditional poetry reading, which typically consists of poets reading to an indoor room of a sitting audience followed by light conversation over a glass of champagne afterward, takes on a new wardrobe. Bug spray & trailheads merge together to lure young and old into the woods and appreciate a morning of hiking and contemporary writing.

The event will consist of four hiking groups made up of 15-20 participants. These groups will start on the 3.5 to 4 mile trail in fifteen minute intervals. Each tour group will listen to the work of two different writers.

As the participants walk through the arboretum, readers positioned along the trail will emerge from specific locations to recite a portion of a writer's work. After the completion of a section of story or poem, the group will continue in mostly silence until the next reader is reached.

The featured writer of each hike will be the final reader who will finish reading his or her piece to the group. The featured writers include: Patti White & Steve Kowalski at 9:45 AM, Wendy Rawlings & Juan Reyes at 10 AM, Nathan Parker & BJ Hollars at 10:15 AM, and Amy Monticello & Ryan Browne at 10:30 AM.

Those interested in attending are required to reserve a place on the tour by emailing slashpinepress@gmail.com. They should indicate which tour group they are interested in joining. Space is limited to eighty participants to protect against trail erosion and provide a meditative experience for all those involved.

pep...pep...peppers!

2009-09-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Our garden is full of peppers! These are Thai Hot Peppers, and are good as a spice in dishes, but don't eat them on their own! (I speak from experience)

Lizzie and Beth enjoy the delights of organically grown peppers.

The Ornamental Peppers are smaller and less abundant than the Thai Hots.

There's a huge fire ant bed in the oregano! We're working on getting some organic pest control in order to sustainably manage the ant problem in the garden. And finally, ahhhh a butterfly.

rain, rain, go away

2009-09-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

It's been raining for almost a week straight, and the consequences are evident. The tomato plants received the most damage: one whole plant topped over, while all of the ripe tomatoes burst from an abundance of water.

Some survived, however, but we may have to pick them early if the warm weather doesn't continue. Mmmm... fried green tomatoes!

Today we mostly picked the dead leaves off the tomato plants and weeded. Here's a pile of dead leaves that we tossed in the compost pile (which will eventually be added back to the soil)

There was a sunflower here to greet us after the rain!

Working Away

2009-09-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, we have had a very rainy week here in Tuscaloosa, causing students to spend less time in the garden since wet soil has a higher potential for compaction. However, students continued to do minimal weeding and saw problems that they will start trying to solve once the soil is drier, such as the fire ants that have made their homes in the garden beds.

Students have recently discovered fire ants in the beds. They will have to order an organic spray to rid the garden of the ants.

Students continue to monitor the tomatoes.

Babies Everywhere! Students are excited to see little plants sprouting up after planting two weeks ago.

Please mark your calendars for October 3rd! The Slash Pine Press will be presenting "Into the Woods Hike & Experiments in Reading " at the arboretum and UA Golf Course. This is gauranteed to be a unique experience that connects poetry with the natural environment. You don't want to miss out! If you are interested, arrive at the golf course by 930 am.