Stoddart Avenue Community Garden

Local Matters to Host Free Urban Gardening Workshop Series in 2012

2012-01-10T09:48:00.003-05:00

Local Matters has put together a series of interesting FREE workshops that may interest community and other gardeners. Most of them are listed in the SACG calendar (on the right side of our website). All but one of them will be held at the Godman Guild on East Fifth Avenue in the Weinland Park Neighborhood. One of the seminars, ahem, conflicts with the SACG Opening Day , which is very sad because I would most definitely have been there otherwise.

All of the workshops are on Saturdays, except the two-day workshop which also takes up all day Sunday. Most of them involve free goodies and/or food.

To register for any of the workshops, email Trish Dehnbostel at trish@local-matters.org or calling her at 263-5662.

Art and Gardens. This workshop will be Saturday January 21 from noon to 2:00pm. This will be an opportunity to hear from artists Melissa Vogley-Woods and Elena Harvey Collins, and will enable artists and growers to connect with each other and plan some visions for creative garden design and growing. They will discuss planning, funding and shared visions. Lunch will also provided.

Growing Communities. February 11 and 12, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. This two-day workship will take place at the Grange Audubon Center, 505 W. Whittier St, 43215.

In this award-winning 2-day workshop designed by the American Community Gardening Association you’ll gain skills and strategies to work with the most important aspect of gardens—people. Attendees will learn proven strategies to build dynamic leaders and create strong gardening programs, using a participatory approach to community building. You must attend both days of the workshop (to get the most out of this opportunity).

The weekend will focus on valuable community building and leadership skills. You will be joined by many leaders connected to the local food movement as well as a variety of community members and representatives. The goal of this workshop is to equip you with the skills to ensure that your food production project has a sustainable future with vibrant leaders and strong community relationships. These skills can apply to a variety of projects from community gardens to urban farms, but are valuable in any type of community project.

At the end of the workshop you will receive a certificate of completion and a “Growing Communities” training manual; you will then be certified to facilitate these workshops yourself in the future.

Continental breakfast and delicious lunch provided.

Grow Year-Round: Hoop Houses, Low Tunnels & Cold Frames. FEBRUARY 25 — 9:00AM–12:00PM. Learn how to grow food and herbs year round! There are a wide range of ways that to extend the midwest growing seasons. This workshop will featuring a presentation from Hal Green with OSU Extension greenhouses. You'll leave the workshop with inspiration and building plans.

Planning and Seeding Your Garden. MARCH 3 — 9:00AM–1:00PM. Join Pam Bennet from OSU Extension for essential garden planning tips and learn how to grow your own seedlings. Growers can increase diverse, healthy plants in their gardens, adding more to our kitchens and plate. Learn about heirloom plants and gain successful growing tips for lush gardens. All attendees will also receive free seeds!

Fruits and Berries. MARCH 24 — 9:00AM–1:00PM. Mark Meckling and Mark Langifeld of OSU extension will lead this two-part workshop about fruit and berries, the most in-demand local crop. Learn the basics of fruit tree growing and care and, plus ways to include healthy, delicious berries in your meals. You’ll also learn about the best sources to purchase fruit trees and berries in Ohio. Includes a tasting of local fruits for all attendees.

Mushrooms! APRIL 14 — 10:00–12:00. Join the owners of Green Edge Gardens to learn how to grow your own mushrooms from start to finish. The workshop will conclude by sharing a delicious mushroom and local herb pizza!

Irrigating Urban Gardens. MAY 19 — 9:00–12:00. Dr. Larry Brown and Angelica Huerta from OSU will lead this hands-on workshop to learn how to build irrigation systems that will allow you to grow higher-yielding crops with less labor!

Water Harvesting: Methods, Care and Resources. JUNE 2 — 10:00–12:00. Local experts Rain Brothers and FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed) will talk about programs for discounted or free rain barrels, how to care for rain barrels and cisterns, winterization and other helpful tips. You’ll also receive free materials for planning and planting rain gardens to direct water for your individual garden needs.

Winter Squash Winter Recipes

2012-01-08T14:47:00.004-05:00

I am about to fall into a deep food coma from eating too much for lunch. (This is by way of explanation in case this article seems a little abrupt).

Faithful readers know that I like to grow or buy food cheap and preserve it to eat later. The last couple of weeks I’ve been putting my butternut squash to good use. (I bought it at Lynd’s in October for $1 per squash and it now sells at the grocery for $1/pound). I made vegetarian chili in November, squash soup just before Xmas and today I made squash and pepper quesadillas. Oh my.

Squash Soup
1. To chop your squash. Cut off the bottom so that it will be flat. Then take a serrated apple peeler/grater to scrape off the tough squash skin like you would peel a potato or apple. Scoop out the seeds and scrape out the stringy seed pod with a grapefruit spoon. Then chop up the orange squash flesh with a knife on the cutting board. The squash should be chopped into ½ inch pieces. There will be a lot of squash. You might want to save half of it for another recipe.
2. Cut up one onion and sauté it in the pot until it is soft. If you like ginger, add some grated ginger.
3. I generally roast the squash in the oven until it is soft, but you can also microwave it for about 9-10 minutes. (If you use the microwave, drain it the bowl before you move to the next step). You can also skip this step entirely and just spend more time at next step.
4. Mix the squash with a pint of chicken or vegetable stock on softened onions. I’ve even added the cooked pulp from one sweet potato. Simmer at medium heat until it’s very soft. You can even add a can of coconut milk to give it a tropical bounce.
5. When it is soft, you can puree it. I used to pour it into my blender, but one of my Xmas gifts to myself this year was a puree wand so that I can puree it in the pot. Excellent appliance.
6. Add herbs of your choice. I think thyme goes with everything.
7. Pour into a bowl and add a dollop of sour cream to serve.

Squash Quesadillas

I found a recipe in a 30-Minute Supper Magazine published by America’s Test Kitchen. I was a little dubious, but it the sweet squash compliments the spicy roasted peppers quite well.

1. To chop your squash. Cut off the bottom so that it will be flat. Then take a serrated apple peeler/grater to scrape off the tough squash skin like you would peel a potato or apple. Scoop out the seeds and scrape out the stringy seed pod with a grapefruit spoon. Then chop up the orange squash flesh with a knife on the cutting board. The squash should be chopped into ½ inch pieces. You only need one pound of chopped squash, which is one small or ½ large squash.
2. Microwave the squash in a covered bowl for 8 minutes. Drain. (I then threw this in the refrigerator and went to church and finished the recipe when I returned from the grocery store).
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (I used cast iron, but you could use a non-stick). After the oil is shimmering, pour in the squash and cover with the splatter guard. Cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash starts to brown.
4. Throw in 4 roasted poblano peppers that you’ve already seeded and chopped. If you had a bad pepper harvest this year like I did, you can substitute a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (which you’ve also chopped). My substitution was a spicier than the original recipe contemplated.
5. Throw in a ½ chopped cilantro and mix. You can season with salt and pepper if you’re in the mood.
6. Transfer the squash mixture back to the bowl you previously used to microwave the squash in and wipe the skillet with a paper towel.
7. Place a tortilla on a plate and sprinkle an equal mixture of pepper jack and feta cheese over the left half of the tortilla – being sure to leave a ½ border around the edge. Top with a couple large scoops of the squash mixture and then fold over the right half of tortilla and press firmly. Repeat.
8. Place the two folded and filled tortillas in the empty skillet and cook until golden and crisp. (Pay attention here because it will not take more than two minutes). Flip with a spatula when you notice the cheese has melted and try not to lose any of the filling in the process.
9. Remove from skillet and place them on your plate or a cutting board.
10. Top with sour cream when you serve them.
11. Curl up for nap.

As I mentioned, my version was very spicy and required lots of cold liquid refreshment.

Makes 8 half quesadillas.

Like many orange foods, winter squash is high in Vitamin A.

GCGC January 2012 Meeting

2012-01-07T09:12:00.008-05:00

On Thursday, GCGC again met at East Broad Presbyterian Church for a very well attended meeting which consisted mostly of new folks.

I was late and ended up sitting in the back with Bill and played Madam Defarge with knitting my seed stitch patchwork quilt square.

The new buzzword for the evening was “civic agriculture.” That is apparently now the preferred term du jour over community gardening and urban agriculture. It will also include packagers and distributors of food.

Strader Family Appreciation. The main focus of this evening was to thank the Strader Family from Strader’s Garden Centers for the thousands of seedlings and bulbs they donated in 2011. Garden after garden got up to thank Mrs. Strader and her daughter and explaining to what use they put the donated seedlings. Roger encouraged everyone to buy local to acknowledge that most of our donations come from local growers like Straders instead of big box stores.

One of our newcomers this evening was the American Addition Community Garden (which you may have seen on the Christmas show of ABC's Extreme Makeover which featured a Columbus family). She explained how it started with a community garden, expanded to a community center (which now has solar panels on its roof courtesy of EM), and now 20 new homes are being built in the neighborhood. Their fearless leader also went to the Columbus City Council meeting with Peggy to support an increase in the City's support for community gardening by explaining the difference a garden can make in a neighborhood.

Peggy had her Highland Youth Garden volunteers out in force and thanked them for all of their help. Dan stopped by, too, between advocating City Council to also do more to address the blight of abandonned homes and buildings in many of our neighborhoods.

MORPC Local Food Assessment. Michael Doody again brought another speaker. Brian Williams, the Agricultural Specialist at MORPC. MORPC has been examining on the growing and processing food within the twelve-county region to feed everyone in Central Ohio. The Central Ohio Local Food Assessment and Plan was developed in 2010. Copies of the summary plan were available for attendees. The Weinland Park Neighborhood Project aims to be a model for the entire region.

Announcements
* Tyrone Jackson from Four Seasons City Farm announced their first fundraiser of the year. On January 19 at 6:30 at Hal and Al’s Bar in the Southside on Parsons Avenue. There will be a silent auction. More details are available on the Four Seasons Facebook Page.

* Michael announced that Commissioner O'Grady is hoping to hold a half-day community gardening forum in March. They need volunteers to organize and structure it.

* There will be 36 student Master Gardeners at OSU in 2012. Each must complete 50 hours of volunteer service, in case you’re looking for knowledgeable volunteers.

* Bill Dawson had two announcements:

The Hub Gardens will be having an open garden tour sometime in 2012. He encouraged everyone to open their gardens for visitors on that day.

FPC is considering publishing a book of stories behind community gardens.

* Derek Lory from Helping Hands Community Garden in the University District announced that the theme of Earth Day 2012 will be Root Down. More details will be coming.

*Andrew wants to create a formal organization for GCGC and asked for volunteers. Peggy and Michael volunteered. They may seek tax-exempt status.

* Andrew also asked who wanted to get involved in starting a communal greenhouse. He got 7 volunteers.

February Meeting: The Hillcrest Baptist Church surprised us all by supplying refreshments for the evening and volunteered to host February’s meeting on Ground Hog Day, February2, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. 2480 West Broad Street in Columbus.

Ohio EPA and Community Garden Compost Bins

2011-12-23T18:29:00.004-05:00

It came to my attention this afternoon (and pleasant surprise) that the Ohio EPA has proposed to relax composting standards for community gardens and individuals. Many community gardens want to establish relationships with area restaurants, groceries, food wholesalers and individuals to turn their food waste into compost (i.e., black gold) to support the garden's soil and possibly sell as a way of financially sustaining their gardening program (without having to beg for government subsidies). Food waste is a particularly good source of nitrogen because there is generally not enough grass clippings and other "green" items to supplement "brown" fall leaves.

Composting is an EPA-regulated activity because of the potential to create a nuisance and contaminate, among other things, ground water and other waterways. Rumor has it that some private sector entities want to maintain a monopoly and high entrance costs to decrease competition. I did not write the following information, have not yet reviewed the old rule, the proposed rule or considered its impact on the SACG or other community gardens, if any, and cannot vouch for the accuracy of the following discussion, but I know there are a lot of people interested in this issue and thought that I would pass it along as I received it. (It looked on its face to be a reliable source, but you'll have to take my word for it:)

Conspicuous Legal Disclaimer: I am not advocating one way or another for action here. I am just passing it along because I know our faithful readers are interested in such topics and may form their own opinion. I should also note that these are just state rules and do not necessarily have an affect on local ordinances.

During the last year, Ohio EPA released draft revisions to the composting rules and received comments from a diverse group of stakeholders. Ohio EPA believes the comments received helped improve the rules in a manner that is protective of the environment while making easier for all citizens to compost and for new composting businesses to get started. Other changes should provide existing facilities with increased flexibility for achieving compliance and innovate with alternative materials.

A very significant improvement resulting from input from citizens and organizations involved in community gardening is the proposal for a size-based exemption that would allow community gardens, schools, and any organization or person to compost yard wastes, food scraps, animal wastes and bulking agents, regardless of where the waste materials were generated, in an area no larger than 300 square feet. An exempted facility will not be required to have a registration, license, financial assurance, or follow the requirements of that registration including, but not limited to: daily logs, annual reports, inspections, and testing of the finished compost. The compost may be used in any location, allowing community gardens and urban farms to share their compost.

Another significant improvement proposed is for facilities that are larger than 300 square feet and need to register as a Class II composting facility (taking food scraps) to not be required to set a financial assurance fund as long as the closure cost estimate is $3500 or less. This exemption should be beneficial for commercial facilities that are starting at a smaller scale by reducing their startup costs (the amount of the fund plus the cost of setting the fund).

Updated definitions, better explanation of composting methods, updated testing standards are other examples of improvements that should benefit the industry in general.

These changes were officially proposed to the Joint Agency on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) on September 2011 and a public hearing was held on October 25, 2011. Given that the Agency did not receive any objections to the changes, it was expected that JCARR will give consent for final approval at their November 4, 2011 hearing. However, due to some misinformation provided to some JCARR members that could have jeopardized the rules (and sent them into a one year waiting period), Ohio EPA decided to withdraw the rules and file again on November 11, 2011. Ohio EPA believes it has answered the questions and clarified the confusion. The current comment period ends on January 4, 2012 and the next JCARR hearing is on January 23rd.

For those that want to ensure that these changes to the rules are accepted and enforceable as soon as possible, it is encouraged that they take advantage of the stakeholder comment period and send comments supporting these changes to Ohio EPA. It is important that stakeholders explain the impact they will face if these rules are further delayed or not approved.

Written comments should be sent to the attention of Michelle Braun at the Division of Materials and Waste Management P.O. Box 1049, Columbus Ohio 43216-1049 or to michelle.braun@epa.state.oh.us. Also written comments and/or oral testimony may also be submitted to the Hearing Officer at the public hearing to be held on January 4, 2012. Written comments and or testimony may be also be
submitted at the JCARR hearing on January 23, 2012.

To see the rules, response to comments and information on the public hearing, please follow this link. http://www.epa.state.oh.us/Default.aspx?tabid=5005

I then pulled information from that site:

Composting Rules Filed with JCARR
The Division of Materials and Waste Management (DMWM), has withdrawn the previous rule filing and has filed new proposed composting regulations OAC Chapter 3745-560, and associated multi-program chapters 3745-500 (General Administration), 3745-501 (Licensing), and 3745-503 (Financial Assurance), with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR).
To view a copy of the rules, click here.
To view a copy of the public notice, click here.
To view the response to comments document, click here.
To view the compost rules page, click here.
Please submit your comments by January 4, 2012.
Please send your comments to:
Michelle Braun; Ohio EPA, DSIWM; PO Box 1049; Columbus, OH 43216-1049
Phone: (614) 728-5372; Fax: (614) 728-5315; Email: michelle.braun@epa.ohio.gov

To view the Interested Party Notification from December 2010, click here.

This is a lot to digest. Happy Reading

Block Watch and Morrison Hill Community Garden

2011-12-13T09:33:00.005-05:00

Continuing to describe the community gardening activities from the first week of this month . . . . . .

The Franklin Park Area Neighborhood Block Watch and next-door Morrison Hill Block Watch met on December 3 at the East Main Street Policing Center. In addition to Susan, Barb and Officer Kalous, we were joined by Officer John Marshall, Doug from U/C and members of the Morrison Hill Block Watch.

There was a consensus that loitering had decreased over the past few weeks and that Urban Connections volunteers and AEP had done a lot to improve the appearance of the alleys near Stoddart Avenue. A nearby garage had been cleaned up and there was some discussion about keeping it that way. There was some speculation that loitering had decreased due to the cold temperature and rain, but maybe not . . . Terry asked for input as to the next focus area and there was consensus about focusing on a couple of suspected drug houses and boot joints.

In addition, City Council Member Michelle Mills had scheduled a public hearing to discuss the Loitering in Aid of Drug Offenses Ordinance for Wednesday, December 14 at 5:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. City Attorney Rick Pfeiffer will be speaking, too. There was some concern that this was merely an effort to sneak the issue by the public. Members were encouraged to attend to show support the issue, which is of particular concern to Near East Side residents. The more people that show up, the more likely that something will be done to address this issue. The Council notice provides that Ms Mills:

will hold a public hearing to discuss and clarify important points regarding Columbus’ existing loitering law and explore additional ways to protect neighborhoods. The meeting will be broadcast live on CTV, Columbus’ channel 3 on local cable outlets. Speaker slips will be accepted until 5 pm per the general rules of Council.

It was announced that the Trolley Barn area Block Watch had been organized (in the area northwest of our area – to Broad Street). Good luck!

In discussing the upcoming grant deadline to support the purchase of additional security cameras, Barb pointed out that we should consider the ease of downloading the video on a disk or other format to provide the police. It can be difficult, depending on the program. Some of the Morrison Hill participants were interested in joining the grant application and the application has been amended accordingly. Officer Kalous also explained that it should be not be much trouble to pull crime statistics from the prior year to measure and compare the success of the new cameras.

The officers explained that their computer system has been highly unreliable. The entire system was changed in June, which makes some data searches virtually impossible. As it is, they have lost all of their saved email addresses and contact information. So, if you haven’t heard from Terry, you need to contact her and give her again your email and phone number so that she can get back in touch with you.

I passed out daffodil and tulip bulbs to the attendees which I had picked up from GCGC two days earlier. In doing so, I learned that the Morrison Hill Block Watch started their own community garden. I had heard about this garden from some neighbors in passing, but had never seen it. It is on an alley called Tiffin Street, near the intersection of Bryden Road and Berkeley Road.

I recently got a tour. It was started in the summer of 2010 and is well designed. They have two very well constructed compost bins and lots and lots of wood chips. They also have a seating/social area underneath a walnut tree and a very professional-looking sign that was constructed from an old pool table. Officer Kalous donated a split-rail fence from her own yard and this keeps people from parking in this formerly abandoned lot (while visiting a nearby boot joint). What they lack is good soil and reliable water. They only have two rain barrels. They had hoped to apply for a Scotts grant, but just missed the new deadline. I told them there would be another local grant opportunity in the Spring and encouraged them to sign up as an Earth Day work site for the chance to pick up some free (and desperately needed) compost. I also encouraged them to stop by the SACG in April to get some free seeds and to start attending the monthly GCGC meetings.

GCGC Ends 2011 with Hope for Greater County Support in 2012

2011-12-08T09:14:00.007-05:00

While the Hub Garden meeting closed out November, GCGC opened December with its monthly meeting at Planks Pizza (on Parson’s) on December 1.

Announcements

Kelly Lindsey is taking over for Noreen as GCGC's new Contacts Manager and will send out email reminders of the meetings if she has your email address.

Thanks to Michael Doody (Kossuth Street CG) for arranging for the place for GCGC's December meeting and the keynote speaker, Franklin County Commissioner, John O’Grady.

The GCGC received its first – or one of its first – contributions tonight. Pictured is Heidi Ballard presenting a check for $100 to Andrew Proud and Peggy Murphy to support GCGC's efforts to unite Central Ohio’s community gardens.

During Mr. O’Grady’s remarks, the owner of Planks came by to circulate a copy of Better Homes & Gardens which featured his residential garden. He also said he would pay GCGC for a GCGC medalian/logo to post on his walls.

Leslie Strader (from the City) mentioned that community gardeners could find information about community gardens at www.getgreencolumbus.org/ Select Key Initiatives on the left. Then select Resource Protection and Conservation. Then scroll down to Community Gardens and select “Garden policy explained.”

Keynote

Franklin County Commissioner John O'Grady shares the Mayor’s passion for community gardening. He introduced Kate Metheny, who is coordinating community gardens for the County and is the counterpart to Leslie Strader (who was also in attendance) for the City. Kate reported that 40 grants had been awarded in 2011 by a coalition of the County, City and Columbus Foundation. The County has identified additional CBDG funds which could support even more community garden grants and intends to apply for those funds.

Mr. O’Grady gardened as a child. Like most of us, he was forced to do so even when he did not appreciate it.

The local Somali community approached him in 2009 for land to start a community garden and he found some. As reported earlier in the Columbus Dispatch, they are in the process of forming a county land bank in the unincorporated areas of the county similar to the City’s land bank of condemned properties. (He gave a shout out to BREAD for advocating this approach, but wanted to emphasize that the County’s interest in taking over properties is to improve the overall tax base and economic develop, not to promote urban farming). The County found property on Gantz Road – where Franklin County Children’s Services used to be near Frank Road – and had it rezoned as a park to get a conservation easement. In 2011, the local Burmese community similarly approached him about setting aside land for their community to be used for community gardening. Mid-Ohio Food Bank and Life Care Alliance may also start raising food there as well to support their programs (if they can find volunteers to assist them). All of the non-profit organizations need grant money to get started. The County plowed 3-4 acres for these groups and this year bought a tractor. The County is also helping with a community garden in Whitehall.

Commissioner O’Grady visited his cousin recently in Cleveland to see its community gardening program. Next week, he planned to visit Detroit and would work in similar fact-finding visits to community gardens and urban farms to see what works up there.

He mentioned other gardens which the County operates, including the raised bed community garden at the former Juvenile Justice facility on West Mound. They are installing a rain catchement system off a nearby parking garage (which generates a lot of water). My heroes, Rain Brothers, also helped them install underground rain cisterns at the Gantz Road gardens. Apparently, the Somali gardening technique involves not only digging deep trenches, but also flooding their gardens. So, they run through a lot of water very quickly.

Commissioner O’Grady then graciously took a lot of questions and comments for suggestions to help out the local community gardening community:
1) It would be helpful that when the County demolishes buildings on its land bank properties that the foundations be dug out before turning them over to gardens. Otherwise, we spend a few years digging out concrete, bricks and other debris by hand (just like our forefathers dug out tree stumps and stones from our farmland). Mr. O’Grady seemed to be completely unaware of the condition in which these demolished properties are left and how much work the Burmese gardeners have faced in cleaning out the FCCS site on Gantz Road.
2) Although the grant program is very helpful, last year some gardens received too little funds to make any meaningful difference. Thus, it is a good idea to provide more funds to fewer gardens in order to make a greater impact. The sole exception would be that $500 grants would go a huge way to solving the water problem facing most gardens. The SACG received a 550 gallon rain tank/cistern in 2010 and it was a game changer. Every garden should have one. Rain barrels are nice, but can be drained in just a day or two with multiple gardeners. Moreover, Rain Brothers gets their tanks from a local manufacturer in Lancaster – which is a boost to our local economy.
3) Anything the County can do to help us with raising our own compost would be greatly appreciated. The Ohio EPA is against us forming partnerships with local businesses (like coffee shops and restaurants) to obtain coffee grounds and fruit/vegetable waste to add to our compost bins. Being able to grow our own compost (and possibly even selling some like Growing Power does to fund our other activities) would go a very long way to making community gardening sustainable. Another discussion ensued about the potential monopoly being given to Eartha Ltd to grow compost from area restaurant waste and then which is then sold and transported out of the county.
4) Encouragement was given to increasing the amount of funds allocated to community gardening by comparing the current local budget to that of the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Compost is expensive, as is fencing (to keep out critters and poachers), etc.
5) The community gardens with large tracts of land could benefit from use of the County’s new tractor. After all, they will only need it once or twice a year. Couldn’t they lend or lease it to GCGC every now and then each Spring and Fall?
6) Commissioner O’Grady suggested that a one-day conference be held to bring together garden leaders and community leaders to share information needs and resources.
7) Commissioner O’Grady also emphasized that all non-profits, including gardens, need to find other sources of income to sustain themselves because the government will not be able to support them as it has in the past. We need to have financial plans with alternative sources of income. (Again, letting us grow and sell compost would be helpful in this regard). Similarly, funding for hoop houses/high tunnels would help us raise funds by selling financially lucrative winter produce, like lettuce, tomatoes and kale, etc.

Goodies

Strader’s Garden Centers has again blessed us with bounty by generously donating thousands of tulip and daffodil bulbs to beautify our gardens and neighborhoods. As pictured, Peggy Murphy and Dan Downing brought in all these bulbs for us to help ourselves and distribute to our gardeners and neighborhoods. I took dozens of bulb bags, and passed them out to some SACG gardeners and at the Block Watch meeting on Saturday. (In fact, I think I've recruited another garden for the GCGC: Morrison Hill's new CG]. I still had a SACG neighbor contact me yesterday for more bulbs. Guess what? There are still lots of daffodil bulbs available. You can contact Kelly before Friday or after Monday or Peggy this weekend.

Celebration of 2011 Hub Garden Achievements and Challenges

2011-12-04T15:03:00.005-05:00

Although I have been absent from this site for a few weeks as I have tried to recuperate from closing the Garden and catching up with my life and housework, there is still much going on with community gardening – particularly in the last week.

On Wednesday, there was a Hub Garden meeting at the Caretaker’s Cottage at Franklin Park Conservatory (pictured). Bill served us Josie’s Pizza (from West Broad Street which his sister made for us).

Bill asked about which groups had received notice of receiving a Scotts Miracle-Gro Fund grant at the Columbus Foundation. Godman Guild and Franklinton Gardens reported that they had received good news.

Bill also reported that Franklin County was applying for a CDBG grant to support community gardening in 2012. The City thinks that they will have $25,000 again to contribute to community garden grants. Last year, the County, City and Foundation coalition awarded almost 200 small grants to support community gardening. However, in practice, small grants do not do much to help get a garden started and they have decided for 2012 to focus on fewer, but more significant grants in order to increase the effectiveness of the grant program. The City is also developing a program to give or loan large cisterns to gardens on City lots (like ours) to collect rain water because the City cannot give away water.

Bill then asked us to give a report about each of our gardens from 2011. He tried to videotape all of them, but you know that I almost never let my picture be taken:). I just took cryptic notes and hope people will let me know when I make a mistake so that I can quickly correct it.

New Harvest/Alma Vera Garden in New Linden. Tressa started off the reports and was a hard act to follow:

• This was their first year to participate in Earth Day. Nonetheless, they had the third largest site with 88 volunteers.
• They’re working with St. Stephens Community House and the Stem Academy to increase the number of youth volunteers.
• Engaged in neighborhood beautification projects with donations from Fishers, Oakland and Scotts.
• Helped with backyard gardens, like Ms. Beulah’s garden which recycles about everything and can be seen on youtube.
• They are working with the Dr. Dirt Garden on Westerville Road and an after-school program.
• They produced two plays and showed movies at their garden so that even non-gardeners in the neighborhood would feel comfortable stopping by. (They were having another production this weekend, which she was co-directing).
• They are starting an EEE program next year to focus on health and gardening education.
• They are working with OSU Extension and a dietician to start a 4-H program. (I am soooo jealous).
• They had four performing art productions
• They are exploring selling prepared foods through Urban Chef and to receive snap benefits.
• Their biggest challenge (as it is for all of our gardens) is improving the consistency of volunteer assistance.
• Nathanial – one of their youth gardeners – won the Youth Leadership Award from FPC this August. His is a senior in high school this year and plans to graduate. Kojo mentors a number of young men through the garden and funds it out of his own pocket.
• Next year, the Garden will focus on increasing the consistence of volunteers and funding.

This makes me tired just summarizing all of this. Tressa is a force of nature all by herself. She was recently accepted into OSU’s Master Garden program for 2012. She quit her job to focus on the garden. And I had to follow her.

Stoddart Avenue Community Garden. I gave a much briefer report. I started by reporting that we had done none of these things. We do not have a performing arts program, but we do have awesome volunteers who for the most part contribute significantly all season long and suffer much nagging from me about weeds.

• We had lots of volunteers to pick up neighborhood litter on Earth Day for about thirty minutes before it started raining cats and dogs.
• We had a gardening seminar in early June.
• Our biggest challenge has been the area crime. Our lawn mower had been stolen from our shed in September 2010. Then, more tools were stolen in May 2011. Two more attempts were made on our tool shed over the summer; neither were successful, but lock was broken and had to be replaced. We had two murders within six feet of the Garden in August 2010 and March 2011 and another a half-block away in September/October 2010. Accordingly, we have tried our best to support the re-establishment of the area block watch and are in the process of applying for a grant to purchase additional security cameras for the neighborhood.
• We raised more food than ever despite all of the rain this year. Unfortunately, all of the kids stopped tending their plots when it got hot in mid-June and one of our elderly gardeners got sick and had to drop out. So, I took over four plots in addition to my own and raised produce for area food pantries. Some guy even stopped by and finally identified colored greens for me (since I don’t eat them myself and had foolishly thought it was some sort of fancy cabbage). While we do not donate anywhere near the amount of produce that communal gardens (like Franklinton or Upper Arlington Lutheran), I’m pleased with our small contribution in relation to everything else we do.
• We created enough of our own compost to spread a very thin layer over the entire garden when we closed a few weeks ago.
• As is typical in the Fall, lots of people have expressed interest in joining next year. If they follow through and contact me in March, we may expand to adjoining lots (if agreeable to our neighbors). The Franklin Park Neighborhood Association has asked me to make a presentation about the garden in February.
• Next year, we will just have one communal plot for all of the neighborhood kids to share instead of giving them each a plot of their own.
• We raised $100 from plot fees, $110 from selling strawberry seedlings and $340 from raffling off the uber-chic garden cart we won as part of the Sustainability Award from the American Community Garden Association and Franklin Park Conservatory in August. Marge Telerski from the St. Vincent De Paul garden at the Bishop Griffin Center won it, which as you will later read, was extremely appropriate. Accordingly, we do not anticipate seeking additional grant funding next year. After all, we are a most ridiculously frugal community garden.
• We again shared our seed bounty with other community gardens (like Bexley and Growing Hearts and Hands) and the GCGC.
• Bill also pointed out that we do a great job of publicizing our work through this website. I shared that we get about 200 hits/day during the summer growing season. Less this time of year. Bill claims that he alone counts for 20 of those daily hits;)

Gantz Road. Sarah Kincaid from Franklin County talked about their extensive program and a companion program for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank:

• They have three separate garden areas at the old Franklin County Children Services site.
• They also experienced the normal community garden problem of some gardeners dropping out during the season and the overgrown/weedy plots that follow.
• The Somali garden was a great success, but they pretty much keep to themselves.
• Getting the Burmese Garden started has been slower because of all of the effort involved in digging out all of the construction debris that has been left behind so that they could till. The community had been extremely enthusiastic and the youth have worked extremely hard carrying away bricks and stones.
• The County installed some water spickets between the gardens which are shared by the various communities.
• MOFB wants to start using high tunnels to grow food year round.
• They are exploring adding a 4-H program next year. (Did I mention that I’m really jealous?)

St. Vincent De Paul/Bishop Griffin. Marge Telerski and Connie Ford reported:

• They were robbed at the beginning of the growing season and lost their lawn mower and garden cart. Good thing they won ours in the raffle!
• They raised a massive amount of melons (courtesy of the massive donation from Strader’s Garden Center).
• They had lots of volunteers from every Catholic High School in Franklin County.
• Watterson students started seedlings, some of which they gave to the food pantry clients so that they could grow food at their own homes and apartments. Dozens of Catholic Churches collected gallon planting containers which they then planted the seedlings to give to food pantry clients. They plan to expand this ministry next year.
• They have a new greenhouse which will let them grow food through three seasons (i.e., Spring, Summer and Fall). They are unhappy with its heat in the winter.
• They have established a program with the Women’s Group at the Cathedral. Although the Cathedral Chef will not let them grow food there, they supply the women’s group with lettuce for their lunches.
• A Girl Scout group came and planted rose bushes and hostas.
• A pre-school group planted Spring crops, but were hardly expert about it She plans to only let the children help adult gardeners next year.
• MOFB sent volunteers from other area food pantries to see how each pantry could also have its own gardening program to supplement the canned food donations.
• Their pantry fed 25,000 clients in 2011.
• Next year, they will focus on growing greater amounts of a fewer variety of crops so that they can consistently have certain produce available.
• They had trouble with consistent volunteer assistance because two of her core volunteers became very ill over the summer. I told her that I would send her Louise from the SACG (who live closer to them and attends church with them):)
• They were successful growing their own compost this year.

Evergreen Gardening Ministry. I hope that you’re sitting for this because the report of Suzanna Evans and Penny Upp exhausted me just hearing about it:

These two women – who each have a regular full-time job that does not involve running a community garden -- manage SIX different community gardens in THREE different counties:

1) Epworth Methodist Church
2) Nursery Garden (for toddlers)
3) Christian Assembly – the largest
4) A City lot on Cleveland Avenue
5) Buckeye Lake – in Licking County
6) A Delaware County potato farm.

• They are exploring getting a 4-H program (jealous again)
• They visit each of their gardens once a week. They visit two gardens every Saturday.
• They could use more volunteer help. NO KIDDING!!!!!
• They stopped blogging in July and now are only on Facebook:(
• A widow in Delaware County offered them several acres, but would only agree to growing potatoes. She supplies all of the seed potatoes for them. They grew 600 pounds of potatoes.

Franklinton. No surprises here; Patrick Kaufman always has lots of interesting things to report:

• They started their fifth and six gardening site. Altogether, they have a full acre now.
• This was their most productive season. They raised 2500 pounds last year and 7,000 pounds this year.
• Most of their produce goes to Gladden House’s pantry and Holy Family’s Soup Kitchin. They also began contributing to the Homeless Family Foundations day care center’s lunch program.
• This was the second year for their produce market. Last year, they had to set up a tent and equipment every day. This year, the Neighborhood Design Center designed a permanent structure (a percola and storage shed with a power and phone line to operate EBT equipment for food stamps) that is located in the parking lot of St. John’s Episcopal Church. This market grew out of the Local Matters Vegee Van program.
• They have branched out and are selling food to restaurants, like tomatoes, squash, greens and herbs. They are also supplying food to the Green Grocer at the North Market (which pays better than wholesale prices paid by restaurants). They made $2,000 from selling produce.
• They have established a relationship with CaJohn’s Fiery Foods (of which my father and hometown are big fans). They sold it 600 pounds of hot peppers and it is making a specialty sauce to highlight local produce. CaJohns will then donate a portion of the proceeds back to the Franklinton Gardens. A Watterson High School student designed the label for the new sauce. CaJohns has already placed an order of specialty peppers for 2012. (I related that none of my jolokia pepper plants produced anything this year)
• They have benefitted from regular work groups.
• They learned from visiting Will Allen’s Growing Power operation in Wisconsin last September 2010. They started their own unpaid internship program. They had four full-time volunteers (one of whom came from Boston) and two part-time interns. However, this meant that Patrick spent more time managing interns and less time growing/gardening.
• They have continued to expand on their relationship with ODJFS. The Work Experience Program pays unemployed clients to learn gardening and other works skills by working at Franklinton Garden. While a few didn’t work out, most were very hard-working and already knew a lot about growing food.
• Their compost program dwarfs the rest of us. I am not going to go into much detail, but they have built a six-foot fence around it. They turn it every three months, and it takes a bobcat or their volunteers from OSU’s Athletes in Action ministry. Jonathan Meier from Rain Brothers recently helped them out by turning it with his bobcat. Yea Jonathan!
• They are coordinating a Fresh Food marketing campaign with OSU, UWCO, and Local Matters. It is funded by Franklin County and the Department of Agriculture. They are focusing on putting fresh produce in three area corner markets. They will design the produce displays and signage for each market. He passed around some of materials, which were very impressive.
• Go Patrick!

Godman Guild. Yolanda was the unofficial photographer for our meeting. Now it was her turn:

• This was her first year as a full-time employee as the Wellness and Garden
Coordinator. She had worked previously at Local Matters.
• She is working with a large grant from HUD (through MORPC) to do an agrarian overlay in the Weinland Park neighborhood. They want to put a community garden within ¼ mile of each home. They are getting a logo for the Garden.
• She is still working with Local Matters to support the Garden. LM sends its Vegee Van, but now they are operating more as a CSA by giving each client a bag of pre-selected available vegetables instead of letting them select produce.
• They produce a Grub N Groove with PB& Jazz and Local Matters

• An industrial fire next door as the gardening season was beginning delayed opening the garden as they had to determine whether their soil had become contaminated. K.B. Jones arranged for freesoil testing by OSU students to allay those concerns.
• They are working on a Roofs and Root program with Campus Partners.
• They donate most of their produce to the Fruit of the Vine Pantry operated by the
Vineyard Church. She has no idea how much because she doesn’t have time to weigh it.
• TANF funds pay teens to work in the garden over the summer for six weeks and then get help developing their work resumes.
• She participated in the Will Allen visit in July (which was freakishly hot) and helped build a hoop house.
• After the GCGC program on the same topic, she worked with OSU Extension to provide GAP training to other area gardens. Thirty people attended. Go Yolanda!
• They had 60 volunteers show up for the UWCO’s Community Care Day. They couldn’t use all of these volunteers so she sent some to other neighborhood gardens. However, all this help enabled her to move their stage to make more room for raised beds (including some for disabled and elderly gardeners).
• The Make a Difference Day sponsored by the Columbus Foundation enabled them to put their garden to bed (with the help of Trish from Local Matters).
• She is also working at West High School developing an after –school gardening program.

Bill and FPC are getting ready to announce and promote the Hub Gardens for the 12 x 2012 program. He wanted help creating a brand/sign/logo for signs to be placed at each of our gardens. They want to hold an event at each of our gardens in 2012, probably starting with Earth Day. We are to consider an Open Garden tour where everyone in Columbus can visit our gardens (which will have to be staffed for the entire time of the tour) at their own pace on that day. Unlike past tours, there will not be a bus bringing tourists en masse. Mayb this could be a joint fundraiser?

He encouraged all of us to apply for the City’s Green Spot program so that we could have that logo on our signs as well.

He hopes to expand the number of Hub Gardens.

We finally left at 8:44 p.m. A long night. There will probably be another Hub Garden meeting scheduled in December so that we can receive reports from the rest of gardens and discuss more about launching the program.

SACG Volunteers Are Awesome

2011-11-13T09:06:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was our annual season-ending work day. As always, we had fabulous weather. It started out nippy at 10 a.m., but we had all shed our jackets well before we left at 2 p.m. As always, we got an amazing amount of work done because we have the hardest-working and dedicated volunteers in the world of community gardening.

Rayna was already there cleaning up her plot and harvesting her lima beans when I arrived. Three visiting young sisters then showed up to help us pick up litter, tear out sun flowers and harvest fall crops. Rayna worked with the sisters to cut down the sun flowers and cosmos from our flower beds. She then spent the rest of the day pruning our raspberry bushes.

Betty cleaned up her plot and Barbara's old plot. Mari and John cleaned out their plot and two pantry plots and then helped me harvest a trunk load of lettuce.

Charlie and Tom flipped the compost in the four bins. This was hard work. We harvested so much compost from our four bins that we had enough to spread some on each of the plots. Charlie also helped Frank take down the signs and pack up the gates and helped me pack up the shed when we were all done. Frank then helped spread the compost. Fred and Deb cleaned up their plot and then harvested mustard greens and spread the compost. Fred was the only person left when I left and he was mowing grass.

We missed Jeff's machete and cart to haul away bags of yard waste (i.e., thorny branches from the roses I pruned and raspberry bushes which Rayna pruned) and to cut down thick sunflower and other stalks which we removed.

Cookout Extraordinare. Tom brought a gigantic charcoal grill and grilled us all very large, juicy and tender chicken breasts and thighs as well as brauts. He also supplied grapes, coleslaw and potato salad. I brought fruit and brownies. We both brought apple cider. This was the best feast we have ever had in the history of the Garden. We were seriously hungry at noon.

Raffle Winner. Just before we began eating, Micayla pulled the winning raffle ticket for the Gardeners Supply Company garden cart we had been awarded from the American Community Garden Association for winning the Growing to Green Sustainability Award. The raffle winner is Marge Telerski (who manages the community garden supporting the St. Vincent DePaul pantry off Livingston Avenue). Congratulations Marge!

Volunteer Awards. When we finished eating, I made announcements. Before that date, we had donated 345 pounds of produce to area food pantries and shelters. I passed around a chart showing the percentages of produce donated, pantries receiving the produce and monthly distribution. We raised $340 from our raffle, $110 from selling strawberry plants and $100 from plot fees. We also discussed potential sites to expand the Garden if we grow next year.

I also recognized Charlie as Volunteer of the Year. Charlie recruited three gardeners this year and tilled the Garden in the Spring. He also provided transportation once or twice each week for another gardener who did not have a car. He also helped fill in by doing not only his chores, but chores of gardeners who dropped out. He attended every working event and was always one of the first to arrive and among the last to leave. I could go on and on.

I also created a new award. The Garden Rules mention the magic garden gnome who recognizes tidy gardeners. However, I didn't purchase a gnome until this Spring and couldn't decide what to do with it. It is now a traveling trophy for the year's tidiest gardener. Charlie also had the tidiest garden plot this year. He was also on top of the weeds and kept his plot almost fully planted all season long. So, Charlie will have the magic garden gnome to decorate his plot in 2012.

Other gardeners also received a collage of pictures from special events from this season.

Fall Harvest. We harvested over 38 pounds of produce from the Garden yesterday. It was mostly lettuce, which was time consuming to harvest. It also included turnips, beets, carrots, leeks, colored greens, mustard greens, kale, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, and bok choy. Virtually all of the lettuce, turnips, carrots, beets, bok choy and kale was planted near the end of August and in September. Ultimately, we harvested more produce in just two weeks in November than we did in for the entire month of either June or July.

We finished an hour later than planned (because, ahem, some people had not cleaned out their plots before we started). As a result, I did not have time to get the produce to Lutheran Social Services (which closes at 3 p.m.), which was Faith Mission's gain (because its kitchen takes produce until 5:30 p.m.)

Some gardeners elected to leave some Fall produce in their plots so that they can continue to stop by and get lettuce, etc. Some crops – like spinach – were left because it will be abundant when we come back in April.

Is It Really Almost Time to Call it a Year?

2011-11-09T16:47:00.002-05:00

You are all cordially invited to help us tidy up the Garden this Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., before we all go home and curl up with a good book or our knitting until next April.

We are again anticipating great weather and will be:

pulling and chopping dead flowers and plants from the pantry and common plots and flower bed;

● flipping and spreading compost;

planting asters in the front flower beds;

harvesting and sorting produce for our last pantry donation of the year;

emptying most of the rain tank and storing the last barrel;

tidying the shed; and

pruning roses.

As you can see from the pictures I took last Saturday, our roses are still quite cherry and our Fall crops have grown just swell, especially the turnips and lettuce.

At 11:00 a.m. we will also have our annual members meeting, review officer reports, elect new trustees, discuss upcoming goals and recognize stellar volunteers.

At noon, we will pull the winning raffle ticket for our uber-chic garden cart. Thanks and good luck to everyone who bought a ticket . . . . or two or threeJ

Finally, Tom is planning to BBQ chicken (so RSVP if you plan to attend and eat).

As always, refreshments will be served.

Be there or be square.

GCGC’s November Meeting

2011-11-06T08:45:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, I attended GCGC’s November meeting at the Broad Street Presbyterian Church on the Near East Side.

Andrew Proud opened the meeting by describing the topics and activities of the past twelve months with GCGC.

Trish Dehnbostal discussed the community gardens which she operates and which Local Matters supports. She explained that Local Matters will again be evaluating which community gardens it will be supporting in 2012 and encouraged interested gardens to contact her if they were interested. She passed around a couple of lists of national grants which support community gardens and are open for local community gardens to apply. She also provides educational opportunities with traveling gardening seminars. For instance, she worked with OSU’s Extension Service to provide GAP training at the Weinland Park/Godman Guild Community Garden on how to market and sell produce. She surveys the gardens she supports and then provides a seminar on extending the season, seed gathering, etc. She can be reached at Trish@Local-Matters.org.

Trish asked what our current needs were and the Kossuth Avenue Community Garden asked about heated greenhouse space for things like perennial tropical plants. Four Seasons City Farm has a greenhouse, but it is too cold to grow food in the winter. He thought hoop houses have the same impediment. Peggy explained that she sets up grow lights in her basement. Trish added that lots of plants, like kale, can survive in the winter in a hoop house or cold frame.

Peggy Murphy then discussed at length the upcoming deadline for the UWCO’s Neighborhood Partnership grant. She has been working with that grant program for over 16 years and used it once upon a time to build a $35,000 neighborhood playground. She discussed the areas available for grant funding and how community gardens could benefit. When she first began working with the program, it had lots of money to distribute, but now has to limit grants to no more than $10,000. In fact, last year, the program received applications for $800,000 in funding, but only had $200,000 to distribute. The UWCO has scheduled additional training/orientation sessions for November 9, 10 and 16, 2011. The deadline to apply is November 21, 2011.

Peggy also passed around a list assembled by Ms. Strader with the City. It described different legal issues -- like fences, signs, water and composting -- which is regulated by the City’s zoning and other ordinances.

The next GCGC meeting will be Thursday, December 1, 2011. However, we still need to have a place. We would like to have it at a restaurant, but Barley’s was already book for the month of December. The Kossuth guy suggested Plank’s in German Village, but we have to confirm its availability. If you can suggest someplace close to downtown (preferably on a bus line) that can give us a semi-private room, let me or Peggy know in case Planks does not work out. This will be a networking, story-telling gathering. It was suggested that everyone provide pictures of their garden that we can put on a powerpoint slide show.

There was no sharing of garden needs (as in past meetings), but we ended early at 7:40 p.m.

Vegetarian Chili with Chard

2011-11-03T20:24:00.002-04:00

Tonight at the GCGC meeting, as I was again talking endlessly about myself and what I had for dinner, I mentioned that I had made vegetarian chili on Sunday so that I could have it for lunch or dinner for the rest of the week. When I mentioned that it contained chard (one of a garden’s most prolific and nutritious vegetables), a few heads perked up and glazed-over eyes suddenly focused and asked me to go in more detail. No worries, I said, I’ll just put it on the website when I get home. So here it is:

This is modified from a recipe on the epicurious.com website, which borrowed it from
Bon Appetit.

Makes 8 bowels

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of EVOO
2-1/2 cups chopped onion
3 chopped garlic cloves
2-1/2 cups chopped butternut squash
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
6 cups black beans (pre-soaked or canned)
2 1-/2 cups vegetable (or turkey) stock
2 pints diced tomatoes with juice
3 cups packed coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (about 5 large leaves)

Directions

1. Pre-soak the beans the night before.
2. To chop your squash. Cut off the bottom so that it will be flat. Then take a serrated apple peeler/grater to scrape off the tough squash skin like you would peel a potato. Scoop out the seeds and scrape out the stringy seed pod with a grapefruit spoon. Then chop up the orange squash flesh with a knife on the cutting board. The squash should be chopped into ½ inch pieces. I still had a lot left over after I filled 2-1/2 cups and I saved the extra to make some pureed squash soup later.
3. Heat oil in heavy large pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium high heat
4. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until tender and golden.
5. Add squash and stir for 2 minutes.
6. Add chili powder, cumin, beans, vegetable stock and tomatoes (with juice).
7. Bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender.
9. Stir in chard and simmer for about five minutes.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Ladle into bowls and serve. You can spruce it up with sour cream, fresh cilantro, chopped red onions and grated cheddar cheese.

The beans make it very filling and satisfying.

GCGC Meeting This Thursday

2011-11-01T16:19:00.003-04:00

Greater Columbus Growing Coalition (GCGC)

Is Meeting Again After Its Summer Break
When: Thursday, November 3, 2011, 6-7:30PM
Where: Broad Street Presbyterian Church
760 E. Broad Street – Columbus, Ohio 43205

Agenda

6:00 - 6:10 Introductions

6:10- 6:20 Successes of GCGC!

6:20 – 7:00 Resources for Growing Food Next Season – grants, soil, etc.

Speakers –

Trish Dehnbostal – Program Manager of Growing Matters, Local Matters – Local Matters Growing Matters program helps individuals and groups produce more food close to home. Through collaborations with schools, neighbors, community gardens, and urban farms Local Matters delivers resources, workshops and support to food production sites in urban communities. Trish coordinates donations for Lowes to food production sites in our area. She will give us information about finding resources for creating productive gardens.

Peggy Murphy – Highland Children's Garden and God's Gardens – Peggy has been on the Neighborhood Partnership Grants committee for 16 years and has successfully resourced material and funds for community gardeners. She will give us valuable information and tips on applying for the upcoming Neighborhood Partnership grants.

7:00 – 7:15 Next steps

7:15-7:30 Socializing and networking

Minestrone: Season-Ending Scraps, Tips and Stems

2011-10-24T08:47:00.003-04:00

When not raking leaves, helping Betty feed the world, or doing laundry, I spent the weekend making minestrone soup with the diminishing remainder of my summer crops and other food that I had put up earlier in the season. Other than the cheese, meat and oil, all other ingredients are garden produce. There is a lot of stopping and starting with this recipe. You won’t spend a lot of time standing over the stove (and could probably use a slow cooker for parts of it), but this is a two-day event.

Ingredients
· ½ pound of dried white beans (such as Romano, great northern or cannelli)
· ½ pound pork (i.e., chopped ham, sliced and chopped bacon or panetta)
· 1/3 cup EVOO
· 1 chopped onion
· ¼ cup chopped carrot
· 1 chopped stalk of celery
· 3 cloves chopped garlic
· 3/4 cup shredded zucchini
· ¼ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces
· ½ pound potatoes, chopped into ¾ inch chunks
· 3 cups shredded cabbage
· ¼ pound chopped kale leaves
· 3 pints chopped tomatoes
· 2 pints chicken stock
· 1 cube pesto

Directions
1. Soak the beans in a large bowl overnight with enough water to cover them by at least three inches. The next day, drain the beans and then cover them again by at least two inches of water and simmer them uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, or until they are tender. Add a bit of salt and turn off the heat.
2. In your dutch oven, cook the meat in the oil over moderate heat. Stir every two minutes.
3. Chop the onion and add to the meat. Stir.
4. Chop up the carrot, garlic and celery and add to the pot. Stir.
5. Shred the zucchini, chop the green beans and potato and add to the mixture. Stir.
6. Chop the cabbage and kale and add to the mixture. Stir.
7. Add the tomatoes and stock. Stir and cover for 45-60 minutes.
8. Spoon half the beans into a food processor with a slotted spoon and puree them. Add the puree to the pot and stir.
9. Spoon the remaining beans with a slotted spoon into the pot. Stir.
10. If the soup is too thick, add some of the bean water. Otherwise, discard the water.
11. Take the cube of pesto and throw it in the pot and stir it slowly until it is completely dissolved.
12. Taste the soup. Add salt and pepper if you think it necessary.

Some people use pasta instead of potatoes. If you are one of those people, omit the potatoes and add ½ cup of pasta with the beans and a cup of the bean water.

Preserving Herbs the Quick and Easy Way

2011-10-13T14:23:00.007-04:00

In case you've been wondering what I have been up to lately, I've been very busy harvesting, drying, storing and labeling seeds, pushing raffle tickets and drying herbs. This caused me to think about brushing off an old post and updating it with tricks I have learned in the three years since I posted it.

One of the best things about a garden is the ability to grow and eat your own herbs – sometimes within hours or even minutes of harvesting them. Over the years, I’ve stayed with the basics and easiest to grow: basil, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, dill, parsley, fennel, oregano and sage. I once tried to grow some cumin, but it died within a few days of transplanting it. In days of yore, I harvested my basil as I ate it and then the rest in October, when I would freeze it. In 2008, however, I had way too much to freeze, and so I made and froze pesto from some of it and dried some of it (which I then grind and store in jars like you buy in the store). The pesto was outstanding (and I substituted easier-to-find and less expensive walnuts for pine nuts).

For myself, I store many of the dried and frozen herbs in regular zip-lock storage bags. However, dried herbs also make nice gifts during the holidays, so it’s a good idea to find some nice herb jars. I had trouble finding jars in 2009, but then happened upon some $2 herb jars at Crate & Barrel in June. (While they’re a little bigger and expensive than I’d like, they are very cute). World Market also reliably has inexpensive herb jars. Let’s face it, you can buy dried herbs for $1 at Big Lots, so how you packaged your dried herbs will matter if you want to create a thoughtful gift.

Basil. I used to think that the best way to preserve basil was to freeze the individual leaves and then throw it into the recipe (for pasta sauce or soup) at the end. This is certainly the least time consuming method and I still always store at least one quart freezer bag of basil this way every year. Pluck off the leaves, wash them, and then throw them in a salad spinner to dry them as well as possible. Then, you can put a layer on a cookie sheet and stick it in the freezer for about an hour before putting them in the freezer bag. If you're really rushed, just fill the bag, and then suck out all of ther air (with a straw) before sticking the bag in the freezer.

My new way (or to be precise -- Iced Tea Latee's way) to store basil is to take the washed and salad-spin dried basil, fill my food processor to the brim, and puree it with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) before then freezing cubes of this in an ice cube tray. Pull them out and stick them in a freezer bag to have basil all winter long.

The old, tried and true way is to make pesto. This involves taking 3 cups of washed and dried basil leaves, 2 tablespoons of pine nuts or walnuts, 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese, 5 chopped cloves of garlic and 3/4 cup of EVOO and then pureeing it all through the food processor before freezing them into tiny containers or ice cube trays. Pesto thaws quickly by putting the container in a bowl of warm water or even in the microwave. For a quick meal, I mix it alone with pasta or spread it over white fish (like tilapia) before putting it on the George Foreman grill for a few minutes. You can also use it in a pinch to make bruchetta for an impromptu cocktail party.

One nice thing about basil is that you can stick the stems in a glass or pitcher of water and, if you break the stems off only at the main joints, the stem will sprout new roots and live for weeks in a glass of water placed in direct sunlight. (I've even seen basil flower in the my kitchin and form seeds). Once you have enough roots, you can even repot it and then grow it for most of the winter under grow lights (although it will look rather sticky and unappetizing if you ask me).

When you have a bumper crop (like I have this year) and the food pantry looks at you as though you're insane for bringing them bags and bags of fresh basil, you can dry the rest. One way is to hang the washed branches upside down in a place shielded from direct sunlight where they will get lots of air circulation. I gather the braches into a small group, put a rubber band around the tip of the branches and then run a twist tie (like you find on bread packages) through the rubber band. I hook or twist the tie around the rod.

Another, quicker way to dry the leaves is to 1) pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees, 2) stip the branches, 3) wash the leaves, 4) run the leaves through the salad spinner until dry, 5) place the leaves in a thin layer on parchment or wax paper on a cookie sheet, 6) put the cookie sheet and leaves in the oven, 7) turn off the oven and 8) let them sit overnight or even until you get home from work the next day.

Once the leaves have dried, I run them through my herb mill into a cereal bowl until I have enough to fill a jar or bag.

In the meantime, you should have been prolonging your basil harvest by pinching the aspiring and actual flowers twice a week until mid-September. Then, let most of the plants go to seed and let the unsightly brown seed pods dry on the plant. If you harvest the seed pods, you will find a few (maybe 5-10) tiny black basil seeds inside each pod. I save those tiny in small coin envelopes for next year.

Parsley. Pretty much everything I’ve just written about basil applies equally to Parsley. (I’ve never made pesto from parsley, but I’m told you can). Parsley is best preserved by freezing and I dry the rest for grins & giggles and for gifts. I usually freeze two bags of Parsley by just filling the bags and freezing them. My parley comes back year after year even though it is supposedly an annual. However, the second- and third-year plants always go to seed way too early and so I recommend pulling the entire plant out of the ground in the Fall so that you can start over next Spring.

Cilantro. The only way to preserve it is to freeze it. Unlike basil, I don’t bother with freezing the leaves on a cookie sheet. I just wash it, shake it dry and then pluck the leaves and put them in a freezer bag. I freeze two or three bags in June so that I will have enough to make salsa in July, August and September.

For the seeds, I split them between seeds for next year’s cilantro crop and storing the rest to grind as coriander.

Finally, if you like Thai or Asian food, it is good to wash and freeze some of the roots and stalks to use to make, among other things, curry paste.

Dill. Until this year, I always had too much dill. It generally takes over my back yard and I weed it like crab grass. Before it goes to seed, I harvest a lot of it, wash and shake it and then hang it until it dries out. I then pull the dried leaves into the herb mill and process. To preserve dill seeds, I wait until the seeds turn brown on the plant and then bring them inside and dry them inside a paper bag (which will catch any falling seeds) like I described above.

Dried dill weed is great on white fish. Take the fish, top it with sour cream, dill weed and red onion and then bake. Dill seeds are great in making dill pickles.

Sage. The best time to harvest sage is before it flowers, but you can harvest some without the flowers if you look. (There are not many leaves left on a branch after it flowers). I hang the sage upside down to dry and then process through the herb mill as described. Sage smells so good and has such a fluffy texture, I often think I am doing my recipient a disservice by processing it before putting the leaves in a jar. For myself, I save whole leaves and then crush them when I use them in cooking. I found an interesting recipe for taking fresh sage, spreading anchovy paste, between two leaves, draping it in egg and flower and then frying it in EVOO.

Thyme. I usually process this at the end of the season (like basil). Most of my thyme survives well into the winter and so I am judicious in my harvest. The leaves are freakishly small, but you can hang them to dry like other herbs and process through the herb mill. You can also dry them in the oven (as described above for basil).

Rosemary. Ditto for thyme.

Fennel. If you want leaves or stalks to cook with, you had best harvest them before the plant flowers. Afterwards, the stalks get narrower as the plant flowers. When the plant goes to seed, let the seeds dry on the plant and then bring them in as described above with dill.

SACG Raffles Beautiful Cart

2011-10-05T17:48:00.003-04:00

The SACG is raffling a medium garden cart from Gardner’s Supply Company.

We won it and we love it, but we just don't have room for it in our tiny shed.
Maybe your community garden could put it to good use.
Maybe you could at your own home.
Or your mother's home.
Or your mother-in-law.

$5.00 per ticket.
Contact the Garden Manager at gardenmgr@gmail.com if you'd like to buy a ticket or two or three.

What a Bargain For an Uber-Chic Garden Cart!
The cart’s big pneumatic wheels roll easily over rough terrain. High sides prevent loose loads like mulch and compost from bouncing out. The axle is positioned to distribute the weight and balance the load. The long handle lets you push or pull with equal ease and has a comfortable neoprene grip. The cart retails for $229 before tax and shipping.

Specifications at a Glance:

Rust-proof aluminum frame
Comfortable foam handle grip
Thick panels of 4-ply exterior plywood
Ball-bearing wheels with pneumatic tires
61-1/2" L x 31-1/2" W x 22" H overall
Cargo bed: 23-1/2" W x 40-1/4" L x 11" D
Sliding dump door with deep, welded tracks
Easy assembly
Hauls up to 400 pounds
All terrain wheels
Made in Vermont USA

The winning ticket will be pulled at noon on November 12, 2011 following the annual meeting of the members of the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden. You need not be present to win.

November 12 is also our season-ending work day, so if you come, we'll also put you to work:) Refreshments will be served.

FPAA and SACG Neighborhoods Uniting Against Crime

2011-10-02T12:04:00.011-04:00

On Tuesday, I attended the regular monthly meeting of the Franklin Park Area Association and yesterday I attended the monthly block watch meeting. Both meetings discussed ongoing initiatives to improve the safety in the SACG neighborhood and greater near east side.

As an aside, the FPAA will be having its annual pumpkin sale the weekend of October 22-23, 2011. [Editor's note: This has been moved UP a week to October 15-16] This is one of the major fundraisers of the year. Pumpkins cost about half of what is charged in grocery stores. FPAA will again be buying $500 worth of pumpkins (even though they sold out early last year) because they do not want to risk having extra pumpkins at the end of the sale. It was suggested that they also sell refreshments, but they will need other volunteers to staff that booth if they do so.

The main speaker at Tuesday’s meeting was Jonathan Beard from Columbus Compact Corporation on East Main Street. CCC is actively involved in commercial and residential development on the near East Side (several blocks west of the SACG neighborhood). After the City failed to help to address rampant crime on the near East Side, Beard spearheaded a private sector initiative which placed 80 surveillance cameras in the empowerment zone between Parsons and Wilson Avenues along Main Street. The cameras record a massive amount of drug trafficking and have lead to numerous arrests. With video evidence in hand, he has been very successful in obtaining the attention of local government officials to address this problem. The City’s Safety Director has supported aggressive policing to arrest individuals who are observed by the cameras dealing and possessing drugs. Unfortunately, they almost always immediately post bail and return to the streets within 24 -36 hours. Even when convicted, their sentences are usually only 12-18 months, with time off for good behavior, etc. Meanwhile, their co-conspirators, who act as lookouts and bodyguards, are virtually never arrested or searched for drugs. The situation has reached a crisis because these individuals have taken to shooting each other, as well as innocent bystanders (and their homes and businesses). Several of the individuals recently murdered had been arrested and/or convicted and were out on bail or early release at their time of death. In other words, they had been safer in jail than out on the streets. While their crimes have been serious, none of them warranted a death penalty.

Beard is particularly concerned because the crime has adversely affected his ability to improve the City’s near east side with residential and business development. He has been successful in rehabilitating a number of apartments on Main Street, for instance. However, as we know, like many homes in German Village and the Short North, there is no set back for these residential structures from the public sidewalk. In other words, the homes’ front door immediately leads to the public sidewalk. Many of these drug dealers unfortunately hang out on the sidewalk and in bus stops. The residents cannot do anything to keep these individuals from congregating on their front door step. Who wants to live somewhere when there are drug gangs leaning up against your house or apartment and the police won’t chase them away? These dealers have also become shooting targets for other gangs. So, the bullets start flying and hit these homes, sometimes narrowly missing -- or not -- the law-abiding resident inside. Many people living in these newly-rehabbed apartments have to spend their evenings exclusively on the second floor to avoid getting shot in a drive-by shooting. Is that any way to live?

Beard explained some of his frustrations. The City has a criminal ordinance prohibiting loitering in the aid of drug offenses, but it is not being enforced out of concern it that it is unconstitutionally vague (i.e., criminalizes legal behavior). For instance, it arguably criminalizes standing within 100 yards of a drug trafficker while holding a cell phone (which would include many law abiding citizens). The current Ordinance provides as follows:

2317.50 - Loitering in aid of drug offenses.
(A) No person, with purpose to commit or aid the commission of a drug abuse offense, shall loiter in any public place.
(B) For purposes of this section, the term "drug abuse offense" has the same meaning as found in Section 2925.01(H) of the Revised Code. The term
has the same meaning as "controlled substance" as found in Section 3719.01(D) of the Revised Code.
(C) For purposes of this section the term loiter means to resort to, remain, or wander about in an idle manner essentially in one place and shall include the concepts of spending time idly, or sitting, standing or walking about aimlessly.
(D) For purposes of this section, the term "public place" means an area of property, either publicly owned or to which the public has access, and includes but is not limited to streets, alleys, sidewalks, rights of way, bridges, plazas, parks, driveways, parking lots, transportation facilities, or other place open to the public, the doorways, entrances, porches, passageways, and roofs to any such building which fronts on any of the aforesaid places, or motor vehicles in or upon such places.
(E) In determining the purpose of an offender under this section, the Court shall consider all relevant surrounding circumstances, which may include but are not limited to the following factors:
(1) Repeatedly beckon, stop, attempt to stop, or engage passers-by or pedestrians in conversation; or
(2) Repeatedly stop or attempt to stop motor vehicles; or
(3) Repeatedly interfere with the free passage of other persons.
(4) That the person has been convicted or been found delinquent for a drug abuse offense.
(5) That the person is loitering and directing pedestrians or motorists through words, hailing, waving of arms, pointing, signaling or other bodily gestures to a person or premises where controlled substances are possessed or sold.
(6) That the person is loitering and has cordless telephone, cellular telephone, walkie-talkie, or beeper within 100 yards of a person or premises where controlled substances are possessed or sold.
(7) Any statement by the offender.

(G) No arrest shall be made for a violation of this section until the arresting officer first requests and affords such person an opportunity to explain such conduct. No
person shall be convicted if it appears that the explanation rendered is true and the surrounding circumstances disclosed a lawful purpose.
(H) Whoever violates this section is guilty of loitering in aid of drug offenses, a
misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of this section, loitering in aid of drug offenses is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.

Faced with the arguably vague ordinance, the police will only arrest the traffickers for unlawful possession and not for assisting the trafficker by acting as a lookout or bodyguard. When presented with video evidence of trafficking, the police have been successful in arresting individuals on East Main Street, taking them back to the police station and then using the video to support a search warrant to find drugs on the trafficker’s person (often stuck in an unsanitary body cavity).

Beard is advocating a several-pronged approach. First, the Loitering Ordinance should be updated to remedy the vagueness issue and make it more expensive for the co-conspirators to support drug trafficking. The General Assembly is currently considering increasing the penalties for drug trafficking. In any event, arresting the co-conspirators and requiring them to post bail and pay fines will at least make it more expensive for them to continue helping their drug trafficker friends. Without an extensive look-out network, the police will be better able to arrest the traffickers.

Last year, after a series of meetings and discussions, almost every City and County Official (including the City Attorney’s office, County Prosecutor’s office, judges and City Council President Ginther) had signed off on improving the Loitering Ordinance so that it could be enforced to benefit law abiding residents. Unfortunately, Councilperson Mills then took over the Safety Committee in January and no progress of any kind has been made since that time. While she has expressed polite concern with the issue, and has said that she and her staff are considering it, she felt that the loitering issue involved mostly “poor choices” and not criminal behavior and saw no urgency to update the Ordinance this year. To be fair, this Ordinance should be carefully drafted to criminalize behavior which is directly related to trafficking and not merely criminalizing being friends, blood relative or social acquaintance with a drug trafficker. Legal concerns and public comments should be invited in upgrading the Ordinance.

[Editor's Note: On October 18, 2011, the Dispatch ran an article about this situation. While the article mentions the unconstitionality of the current ordinance, there is no discussion about steps to amend the ordinance to make it lawful and effective. Council President Ginther is quoted saying that Council has not ignored the problem, and explaining that they simply do "not necessarily agree[] with your approach, recommendations or style." The article does not mention any steps which Council is taking to address the problem, although there was a lot of public fanfare last week about a proposal for the City to pay for graffitti remediation. There was no proposal to stop gangs from spending hours standing and wandering aimlessly in front of businesses and homes and getting themselves and innocent bystanders shot. There was no proposal to publicize a hotline where residents and business owners can call the police about drug traffic loittering with knowledge that the group will be disbanded or arrested by police within minutes of the call.]

Second, Beard advocates a pilot enforcement program that would encompass the area between Parsons Avenue and Alum Creek, Whittier/Frebis and Broad Streets.

Third, Beard would like to see COWIC dedicate at least 20 job training opportunities to individuals in the pilot target area to create economic opportunities for the traffickers other than selling drugs.

Fourth, consideration of aggressive sentencing for chronic and repeat offenders, with extended periods of probation, house arrests with ankle bracelets, no waiving of court costs and fines and stay away orders while on probation. Continuation of aggressive policing in the target enforcement area by better and improved coordination between vice, narcotics and gang units to disrupt open air markets, bootlegs, etc.

Fifth, exploring restorative justice work requirements for the City's Land Bank and civic and business associations affected by the criminal behavior.

Finally, expanding and enhancing the Main Street camera program.

In any event, efforts are underway to unite virtually every social, non-profit, block watch, religious and civic organization in the near east and south sides of Columbus to sign a letter to City Council and other government officials to take urgent and coordinated action to stop the drug trafficking and related violence which has turned a growing number of near-east side and south side neighborhoods into areas as dangerous as any third-world country.

Polite concern does not make it safe for parents to let their children walk down the street to a community garden, which is why I am so invested in this issue.

The FPAA also distributed a video showing the affects of these shootings and the bullet holes in area businesses. Some business operators have simply closed up because they do not feel safe. It is no wonder that there are droves of vacant homes as rational people flea to safer areas, including the suburbs. Unless this is eradicated soon, there will be no taxpayers left living in the near east side.

The FPAA has created a facebook page for all of the FPAA blockwatches (including ours, Morrison Hill and Fairwood). The FPAA also encourages anyway to review updated crime statistics at http://www.crimereports.com/.

To protect the investment in their homes from criminal activity (including illegal dumping in the alley between Stoddart and Morrison), the FPAA block watch has purchased two video cameras for the SACG neighborhood. They are currently operational. In the very near future, four signs will be installed (purchased without the benefit of any grant funds out of the personal finances of a SACG area resident) advising drivers that the Stoddart Avenue neighborhood is under 24 hour video surveillance. It still bothers me that we do not have any suspects for the murders which occurred next to the SACG in August last year and March of this year. With video cameras, we hopefully will be able to help the police identify suspects in any future shootings or other crimes. Anyone living near the SACG should notify the block watch if they experience criminal activity so that the block watch leaders can review the videos to find potential suspects.

We are also planning to seek additional grant funding to purchase three additional cameras for the Morrison, Stoddart and Fairwood neighborhoods. There have been a number of break-ins in the past few months and, again, no suspects or witnesses. Unfortunately, good cameras tend to cost about $1,000/each (not including installation and operational costs) and we do not have $80K, which is what CCC has spent on its effective video surveillance program in the neighborhoods west of the SACG.

Last weekend, someone broke into the "eyesore" buildings next to the SACG and busted a side door (which rendered the building accessible to anyone and everyone). Both Barb and I reported it promptly to the City Land Bank and the door was repaired within two days.

The FPAA will be meeting again on October 25 in the lower level of the Franklin Park Conservatory at 7:00 p.m. Police Liaison Officer Theresa Kalous will be the featured speaker and will discuss the local Healthy Communities Initiative.

Turning Lemons Into Lemonade When You’ve Only Got Green Tomatoes

2011-09-28T14:01:00.014-04:00

Let’s face it. This has been one freaky summer in Central Ohio. First, it was unbelievably wet and then it was ungodly hot and now it is unusually chilly. While I love our recent temperate weather for almost every activity, my tomatoes, peppers and okra do not share my enthusiasm. Tomatoes love it when it is 75 degrees. When it is too hot, they will not set fruit and will not turn green. Indeed, if it more than ten degrees warmer or ten degrees cooler, they get a little fussy about turning from green to red. Everyone I know has been disappointed with their tomato crop this year. Even OSU was grimacing about this in their last weekly Buckeye Yard and Garden report:

This "tomato time-out" is mainly due to the plant using most of its resources, like water and nutrients, in addition to its manufactured photosynthetic products, to simply survive temperature extremes. More resources maybe partitioned to produce more roots in an attempt to access more water which causes the plant to suddenly cease to grow. Remember, the plants are attempting sustain all of their physiological processes, like cool its leaf tissues, and continue to grow in order to produce new blooms and new foliage, and also ripen fruit, all at the same time! That requires a huge amount of plant resources and energy when environmental factors are perfect, so imagine what that is like when the plant is trying to cope with an environmental stress of…oh let's say 98F and dry, hot constant winds blowing!

Tomatoes do not like cooler temperatures either. In fact, temperatures lower than 50F will cause a type of chilling injury. It may take 2-3 days for tomatoes to return to their previous levels of photosynthetic activity, even after just a brief chill period. For this reason, the best way to preserve the color and flavor of vine ripened tomatoes is to keep them in a cool place out on the counter instead of inside the refrigerator! As the environmental conditions experienced by tomatoes and bell peppers this growing season were reviewed, everyone suddenly realized that just having green tomatoes...is really a good thing!

I've pinched every flower off every plant I have to force all the energy into ripening the fruit instead of creating new fruit. However, I am still facing an overabundance of green tomatoes and there is no Indian Summer in sight.

Determined to turn these green tomato lemons to lemonade, I have begun experimenting with green tomato recipes so that I can salvage some food from this dilemma. After all, there is more to life than fried green tomatoes.

Roasted Tomatoes

My new favorite thing is roasted tomatoes. I chop up tomatoes into inch chunks (i.e., halves, quarters or eighths), toss them in olive oil, spread them skin down on a cookie sheet and then bake them at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Yesterday, I made a sauce by cooking them at 350 degrees for two hours. This is awesome with red tomatoes and is surprisingly good with green tomatoes, too. With red tomatoes, I mix them with pasta, parley and cottage cheese or just puree them into a sauce (while adding basil, rosemary and/or thyme and roasted garlic). I ate all of the green ones before trying them on crackers with goat cheese.

Green Tomato Salsa

I experimented yesterday with a tomatillo salsa recipe from The Coyote Cafe and, guess what? It worked and looked pretty to boot.

• 2 pounds fresh green tomatoes
• 6 tablespoons of red onion
• 2 red Serrano chiles, finely chopped
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 bunch of chopped cilantro (or ¼ cup)

1. Drop the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute. The skins might slip off for tiny tomatoes, but no worries. We’re just looking to blanch them.
2. Puree tomatoes in a food processor. You might need to do this in batches.
3. Mix ingredients together and serve.

Makes 2 pints. I also canned this, which involved bringing the mixture to a boil for one minute before putting them into the jars.

I have just started my green tomato odyssey. I found a website with 25 green tomato recipes to try, so I’ll let you know if any of them work. In the meantime, keep in mind that green tomatoes are not as juicy as red (so you will not need to strain them) and are more acidic (which means that you'll need less vinegar or lemon juice for canning them).

In the meantime, I’m waiting for my first backyard beefstake tomato to turn red before the

squirrels get it . . . . You can see that it is close.

[Editor's Note: The tomato turned red after I brought it inside. However, four days after I posted this, someone decided to steal the four green ones pictured above it (after I spent the summer watering them every other day).]

GHHCG Art in the Garden Festival Was Well Attended and Organized

2011-09-19T14:59:00.017-04:00

On Saturday afternoon, I attended the Growing Hearts and Hands Community Garden Art in the Garden Festival. It ran from noon until five, was very well organized and extremely well attended. We posted a sign about the event on our front gate and two families showed up around noon at the SACG to attend, so I re-directed them to the GHHCG on Oak Street between Miller and Kelton after encouraging them to take some broccoli.

Ms. Joyce was there to check everyone in. Wisely, they collected everyone’s contact information (in order to contact them in the future about volunteering, gardening and fundraising) in exchange for two tickets for a free sandwich (i.e., grilled chicken or hamburger) and ice cream (sundae or float).

GHH uses exclusively raised beds to grow their food. They have 8-10 rain barrels, 4-6 are attached to a nearby garage and four are attached to a next-door house.

The Franklin Park Area Association had a table next to Ms. Joyce and four young volunteers to recruit new members. They passed out a number of fliers, including a listing of upcoming meetings (at 6:30 p.m.) on the last Tuesday of the month at the lower level of Franklin Park Conservatory. They are having a pumpkin patch sale on October 22 and 23, 2011. They invited the SACG and GHH to make a presentation at the February meeting in order to recruit volunteers and gardeners. They also passed out information about neighborhood block watches. The Morrison Hill Block Watch (which is the area due east from the Franklin Park Area Block Watch) meets immediately before us at noon on the first Saturday of the month at the East Main Street Police Station. The Fair Avenue Block Watch meets on the second Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Word Church on Wilson Avenue. The FPAA also handed out fliers about what to do about graffiti, carjacking, preparing your home for vacation, vacation security, gun safety, being a witness and ATM safety tips. All very useful and interesting information. One of the FPAA volunteers lives next to the SACG’s Jeff, so I droned on and on about his fabulous tomatoes and unique gardening style.

Ms. Pepper was there to organize the artistic events. She showed me the potato barrels (where they grow potatoes). The children painted them earlier in the event. There was a percussion jam session. Ms. Pepper also arranged for donated t-shirts (which she monogrammed with GHH) and the kids painted them with paint funded by GCAC. So many children attended, that they ran out of paint. The tshirts were left to dry on the compost bins. There was another lady there to help the children make beaded necklaces and bracelets.

Ms. Pepper also tried to talk me into growing more broomstalks to make brooms from. She showed me a raised bed at GHH where she was growing some and a field nearby where she was growing a lot.

Richard, the head honcho, told me about their future plans and how they were expanding onto a second lot nearby. They had lots of fall seedlings ready to be planted for their Fall crops. He assured me that they had more than enough water for their needs and was not interested in pursuing a tank. I told Richard that the crowd was pretty amazing and we didn’t have that level of community support at the SACG. He attributed it all to extensive advertising and free food. I doubt that:)

I had arrived to attend the publicized dehydration demonstration, but that apparently was cancelled. I missed the scheduled poetry slam.

As for crime, they had experienced very little until recently. The City had left a large no-trespassing sign on the property, which seemed to deter most thefts. However, it was unsightly and they recently covered it up. They are reconsidering that move after experiencing some produce thefts, and more distressing, the theft of the brass hardware off of their rain barrels. Luckily, the nearby fire department refilled the barrels for them after they were repaired.

It was a very nice event and reflected the dedication of a large number of volunteers to run each of the stations.

Earlier in the day, I continued my seasonal chore of pulling out cherry tomato plants (which are outgrowing my ability to keep up with them). I also attempted to stain our benches. We don't have the ability to strip them. However, I brushed and very lightly sanded them before staining the north bench. However, it clearly required more sanding to make an impression. Later, one of the new neighborhood girls came by to help me harvest tomatoes and beans for the weekly pantry donation. She insisted on wearing gardening gloves like me. However, I had to send her home (with some produce) when she kept tasting what we were harvesting:) Rayna came by to pick up some more tomatoes while she had some processing on her stove. Finally, some contractors came by to pick up the remaining brush from the eyesore next door.

FPAA Block Watch Makes Progress in Its First Few Months

2011-09-17T08:38:00.007-04:00

Earlier this month, the Franklin Park Area Association Block Watch met at the East Main Street Police Station to discuss issues and its progress over its first few months. FPN Block Watch meetings are held at 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month at the East Main Street Police Station. Susan strictly enforces the one-hour time limit on the meeting.

As earlier reported here, the Block Watch has licensed the lot across Stoddart Avenue from the SACG for a neighborhood beautification project. A large flower bed was created as a friendly gateway to the Stoddart Avenue neighborhood. An annonymous donor created a sign thanking the supporters of the FPAA Block Watch Beautification effort: Lowe's, Sutherlands, Ohio Mulch, City Land Bank and the SACG.

The first monthly neighborhood walk-though was conducted by officials and an attorney from the City’s Code Enforcement Division. As reflected by the success of NYC and Braddock, Pennsylvania, strict code enforcement is one of the best ways to reduce crime in a neighborhood. Who knows why? Is it because people tend to obey laws when they see even “minor” ones being enforced? Is it because they are less likely to commit crime when the area is attractive (i.e., no graffiti or overgrown weeds)?

Ownership of the two “eyesore” buildings between the SACG and East Main Street has been transferred to the City’s Land Bank. A no-trespassing sign has been posted on the buildings. Over the last ten days, contractors have been mowing grass and chopping down trees on the property (which now deprives our shed of shade, but will increase the amount of rain collected by the shed’s rain barrel). I have been unsuccessful in obtaining information from the City about its plans for the two buildings. Is demolition imminent? What will this mean for the SACG? And our shed and compost bins?

The Block Watch received a tiny (and I do mean tiny) federal grant, which funded the purchase of two security cameras for the neighborhood. The cameras have been installed and video is being recorded as part of a pilot project. We would like to install three more cameras along Cherry Street between Morrison and Fairwood since there has been some criminal activity in the area over the last few years. I will be working with BTBO, Urban Connections and Roy’s Body Shop to pursue additional grants (including through the United Way’s Neighborhood Partnership Grant program). Several of the neighbors have been funding Block Watch initiatives out of their own pocket.

There has been increased and aggressive police visibility in the neighborhood, especially in serving arrest warrants and deterring drug activity. Neighbors reported less loitering on the street (which had been blocking traffic).

Concern was expressed about continued dumping of construction debris in the alley between Stoddart and Morrison Avenues. Hopefully, the cameras will obtain at least license plate information about the illegal dumping.

After the meeting, I walked behind the police station to check out the community garden supported by First English Lutheran Church. As I approached, I observed a gentleman stop his SUV, get out and begin to harvest tomatoes. When I asked if he was a gardener, he reminded me that we had met previously and he was a Board member of Four Seasons City Farm, which licenses the lots upon which there are two community gardens. The first garden (which was pretty weed-ridden) was filled with orange tomato plants, which had all been donated in June by Strader’s Garden Centers. He explained that he had been at the carry-out around the corner and the carry-out owner explained that he lacked fresh tomatoes to sell. So, this gentleman was going to harvest a dozen or so for the carryout manager to sell to his patrons. Then, he showed me the First English community garden, where I admired the fence used to support their tomato plants. They also had herbs and pepper plants as well. My host explained that they admired our fence (around the garden) at the SACG, as well as our locked gates.

On my way back to my car, I passed an elderly gentleman who was picking up litter with one hand and supporting himself with a cane with the other hand. He was an inspiration.

Revisiting the Bexley Community Garden

2011-09-14T15:21:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I accepted an invitation to revisit the Bexley Community Garden, where I also used to garden a few years ago. It is much larger now and they have a large shed to store supplies. They seemed to have solved their soil fertility problem from 2009. Barb, Diane, Trae and Willie were there to share all of the low-down news and problems. It was surprising that the BCG is having more problems with produce thefts than we do (probably because we at least have locks on our gates). However, I encouraged them not to blame the significant number of sunflowers for giving shelter to thieves; they are such friendly flowers . . ..

Barb has done a fantastic job of creating a front flower bed between the street and the garden. I was jealous of the stone edging (which was donated by one of her neighbors who was replacing a sidewalk).

Diane, Barb and Trae will always have a soft place in my heart. After the first of our murders in August 2010, I didn’t think that anyone would still come to our evening gardening seminars (let alone join the SACG). However, Barb, Diana and Trae were each there the following week (and most of the following weeks as well). Barb even came to volunteer in April.

Trae has become a visible leader at the BCG. Her plots are not just functional, they are beautiful as well. She is not satisfied just growing food; she plans to do it with style and sets the tone for everyone else. A few other BCG gardeners also make an effort to dress up their plots with design. At the SACG, only Betty seems interested in putting some personality into her plot (by adding flags, etc.).

Yes, I’m a Bean Freak

2011-09-01T14:18:00.011-04:00

I am currently benefitting from our late July rain storm by harvesting an abundance of green beans. Otherwise, aside from being relatively bug free, this has been my worst harvest ever of green beans.

When I was but a wee gardener, my father used to compel me and my siblings to harvest a long row of beans on hot summer evenings while being attacked by horse flies and mosquitoes at my grandmother's. (We were not allowed to plant or weed, but we could harvest beans. I now realize this is because he realized that we could not damage the garden by harvesting beans; any fool can do itJ). It's a miracle I do not hate beans. . . . . Anyway, as an adult, I now value my bean harvest time as a way to tone up my buttocks and back thighs. The constant bending is great exercise. . . .

These days, I usually harvest a few quarts for myself and a few quarts for the food pantry, but this year, most of my plants wilted in the rainless July heat. This is unfortunate because I generally do not water my bean crop (which always takes 25% of my plot so that I can rotate my other crops through it eventually). Dr. Mitch used to give me a hard time about giving so much space to a food that is relatively cheap to buy at the grocery. However, beans improve the soil and I think it's important to devote at least 25% of your garden space to a legume each season.

Moreover, dried (or shelling) beans are a working girl's best friend because there is no guesswork involved in determining when to harvest them. You simply plant them and wait for the beans and plants to turn tan brown. It accomplishes its life's mission to produce seeds and then dies. You simply need to harvest them before the pods burst and the plant re-seeds itself.

This year, my dried bean crop (turtle, kidney, red peas, pinto, and Taylor) was only half of what it was the last two years (which will impact my soup making this Fall) and ripened three weeks earlier than usual. However, the pole beans I'm growing at home surprise me every day with a couple of handfuls. (The plant has been an explosion of leaves, has grown up my climbing rose bush and has almost reached the power lines 20 feet off the ground. I have to use my tree trimmer to pull the vines down and harvest beans). I've grown an assortment of Contender, Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder, Asparagus and Romano. My contender beans usually produce all summer long (albeit some of the beans in June and July get eaten by a few bugs). This year, the bugs have mostly avoided what few beans I've been able to harvest. I'm thankful for small favors. I planted a second crop of beans at the end of July and they look very promising. Last year, I also grew edamame, lima and garbanzo beans as well.

Asparagus beans (also called Chinese beans) are drought tolerant, will produce all summer long, will grow up a fence, and can grow to be several feet long. I use them in stir fries, but they are lovely by themselves (with soy sauce and grated ginger) or chopped up like regular beans. My friend, Gretchen the Chef, says she used to serve them collectively tied into a giant knot. I'd find something like that on my plate to be a bit intimidating . . . .

What green beans I don't eat myself during the week, I steam for about five minutes (which makes them turn an unnaturally bright green), plunge into ice water and then run through my salad spinner (to dry them off as much as possible) before putting them in freezer bags and sucking all of the air out of the bag (with a mere straw) and then labeling and throwing the bag into the freezer. I used to also can beans, but they lose a lot of color and flavor during the pressure canning process.

With all of these beans, I've had to come up with new ways to prepare them and will share three recipes with you. I assume you already know how to make green bean casserole (which is how I use my canned beans).

Genovese Green Beans

This is modified from a recipe in Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy, which I obtained from the Bexley Library.

Ingredients

1 pound green beans with the tips removed

1 tbsp EVOO

1 tbsp butter

1 chopped garlic clove

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 small chopped anchovy fillets

Directions

Steam green beans for five minutes and then drop into a bowl of ice water. Strain them when they are cool and set aside.

Heat EVOO, butter, garlic, lemon juice and anchovies over medium heat in a cast iron or other heavy skillet. Let it sizzle until the anchovies melt into the oil.

Toss in the beans, toss them around a bit until they are all coated and hot (for about 2-3 minutes).

Serve immediately.

You can "fancy" up the beans up a bit by splitting the beans into two and trimming the ends after they come out of their ice water bath.

This sauce is also tasty for zucchini which is sautéed and sliced into inch-long strips.

Bacon & Beans with Shallots

I found this on the epicurious.com and served it for Christmas. It was fast and popular.

Ingredients

1 pound green beans, trimmed

2 bacon slices, thinly sliced crosswise

4 tsp butter

1/3 cup chopped shallots

Directions

Steam beans for about 5 minutes. Drop in ice water and then drain. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead, wrapped in paper towels and refrigerated in a plastic bag).

Cook bacon in cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Don't forget to use a splatter guard. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain.

Add butter to the skillet and melt. Add shallots and sauté about 3 minutes.

Add beans and sauté until heated through – about 5 minutes.

Add bacon back to the skillet and toss to blend.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve warm.

Roasted Green Beans

This is the best recipe if your beans are near the end of their edible life and only a few days from joining the Great Compost Bin. I also make this regularly on the grill during the summer and with frozen beans and a broiler during the colder months. This recipe was modified from an old Cook's magazine which my friend Vicki gave me a few years ago. The first time I made it was great and I inhaled a quart in one sitting. The second time – which I made for Vicki – I burned them. That didn't stop us from eating them.

Ingredients

1 pound green beans (fresh or frozen)

4 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

Sauce

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 chopped garlic cloves

1 tsp honey

1 tsp thyme

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450 degree oven. Have rack placed in the middle.

2. Toss beans in ½ tsp salt and 2 tbsp olive oil.

3. Spread aluminum foil on cookie or baking sheet. Spread beans evenly over sheet.

4. Sprinkle with salt. Put in oven for 10 minutes.

5. Make Sauce in a medium bowl. Take beans out of oven and scoop up beans with tongs and shake in the bowl with the sauce. Return beans to cookie/baking sheet and return to oven for another 10 minutes. (If using frozen beans, turn on broiler).

Beans should have black spots on them and shrivel up.

Plan on 1 quart per person per serving. I inhaled a quart in just two servings and wanted more.

I do not recommend using canned beans because the color is not consistent. With fresh beans or barely blanched frozen beans the difference in color will not be noticeable.

Be careful not to overcook them. They should still be green when you remove them with black spots where it is beginning to carmelize. However, do not panic if you over-cook them because they will still be tasty. I once left them in for five minutes too long and they all came out black (and some even crunchy). They were still edible (although they were not inhaled in one sitting like correctly roasted beans) and the blackness disguised the color differences between the frozen and canned beans.

In the summer, I use romano beans and put them in the grill on foil and cook them on the upper grate (while a steak is grilled below it on the lower grate). You just toss them once and put them on foil and on the grill. Even better if you add melted butter to the marinade. Just turn them a bit when you turn the steak.

SACG Wins 2011 Sustainability Award from Growing To Green and ACGA

2011-08-26T13:00:00.022-04:00

Last night was the tenth annual Growing to Green Awards & Harvest Celebration recognizing the efforts of community gardening in Central Ohio. This is always an inspirational event and a nice time to touch base with other community gardeners. It doesn’t hurt that it is catered by yummy City BBQ (which grills the chicken on site) and is supplemented by a potluck of dishes made with fresh garden produce.

Like last year, it was held in a large tent on the new community garden campus of the Franklin Park Conservatory. Although the invitation indicated that the event goes from 6-9, it generally runs from 6:30 – 8 p.m. The event is organized and executed by the detail-oriented Women’s Board of Franklin Park Conservatory. There was a very good turnout of approximately 150, especially considering that Leadership Columbus was having a big event downtown and the Homeless Families Foundation was having a big event in Franklinton.

The weather could not have been more perfect for the GTG celebration and it was nice to see lots of familiar faces, including Kojo, Ms. Pepper, Marge Telerski, Patrick Kaufman, Barb, Diane and Trae from the Bexley Community Garden, Carla Cefaratti (from the Women’s Board), Wendy Finch McCusker, Susanna Evans and Penny Upp. Then, of course, there's Bill Dawson making sure that he personally hugs everyone in attendance; this is really his night. SACG gardeners attended the event in significant numbers. We took 1-1/2 tables this year. We would have had even more people if Beth and Fred had read their emails earlier. :) Kelly from Godman Guild also joined us at our table.

Su Lok, Director of Corporate & Community Partnerships at the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company was the keynote speaker for the evening and was followed by FPC Executive Director, Bruce Harkney. Bruce cited the overwhelming community support for the community garden campus as one of the reasons the American Community Garden Association relocated its national headquarters from New York City to FPC here in Columbus.

Neighborhood Improvement Project of the Year was sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. This $250 award goes to the park, gateway, streetscape, school or other community beautification project that does the most to beautify the surrounding community. It went to Highland West Community Garden, which attacked blighted areas of their neighborhood, tore down two dilapidated barns and installed a community garden on two abandoned lots. The garden was fully subscribed within one day (which is impressive in any neighborhood). The improvement to the appearance of the neighborhood was recognized by area landlords who began mowing more frequently and the planting of flowers up and down the streets. Upon accepting the award, their leader just stepped forward and said “thank you.” Short and to the point.

Education Garden of the Year is presented and sponsored by the Hinson Family Trust. This $500 award is given to a school or other organization that utilizes garden projects for educational purposes. It was given to the Imagine Garden of Riverside Elementary School in Dublin which commenced in April 2011. The students and parents were asked to select which vegetables should be raised to share and donate to food pantries. Their leader thanked Bill Dawson from Growing to Green for all of his help.

Paul B. Redman Youth Leadership Award is presented by the Franklin Park Conservatory's Women's Board and provides $250 to the youth (under the age of 18) for use for his/her community garden or his/her education in gardening. Last year, the award went to the SACG’s own Nykkel. This year, the award was given to Nathanial Applewaite from the New Harvest Garden in Linden. Nathanial chose the garden for his court-ordered 60 hours of community service and says that the decision has probably saved his life. He has learned personal responsibility and the importance of contributing to the health of the community.

This was the first year for the Sustainability Award, which is sponsored and presented by the American Community Garden Association through its Executive Director, Beth Urban. This $250 award recognizes the garden that is utilizing sustainable community gardening practices, including community building activities, sustainable garden design, and green practices (such as rain barrels, etc.) that have proven sustainable over the long term. It also comes with a garden cart (valued at $250) donated by the Gardener Supply Company. It was awarded to the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden!!!! (Of course, we greatly benefitted in our in our initial planning in 2009 from the abundance of information and tips on the ACGA website). In addition to our harvesting, utilizing and storing 800 gallons of water through rain barrels and tanks, repurposing and recycling materials to benefit the garden, and keeping the cost down through fundraising, grants and strict frugality, the SACG also works to establish connections with the neighbors by encouraging youth gardening, providing seeds and seedlings to our neighbors, donating food, and making food available to the neighbors.

I did a little jig and tried to get all of our gardeners up on the stage (but Betty and Joe remained demurely at the table). After nagging and cajoling the gardeners all summer about doing their chores and keeping ahead of the weeds, it’s great to be able to celebrate and provide them with some well-deserved recognition. The SACG crew is extremely hardworking and dedicated to the success of the SACG. They come from all over southeastern Columbus and Bexley. They do not come for the crime or to try and save the world, but to grow an amazing amount of food on a very tight budget. We are very focused gardeners and healthy eaters. Everything else flows from that. I bored the crowd with stories about how hard it is to keep digging out construction debris by hand, how hard the gardeners work and the challenges presented by the neighborhood crime. However, we are dedicated to maintaining the garden going forward and to improving lives.

Each gardener on the stage and their efforts were recognized: Rayna Alexander (gardener extraordinaire and SACG Board member), Jeff LaRue (SACG Board member and former gardener), Charlie Kall (SACG Board member and all-hands-on-deck guy), Mari and John Sunami (gardeners who keep us connected to everything and show up to most everything), Joe and Betty Weaver (gardeners who helped with initial fundraising and going door-to-door in 2009 to personally invite all of the neighbors to join us), Louise Thompson (new gardener who tells us how to do everything), and Milgra “Jeannie” King (former gardener who hasn’t met a seed she can’t make bloom and whose prayers have sustained the SACG for several years). Unfortunately, Barb and Frank had to work and could not be on the stage. The ceremony proceeded after the microphone was pried from my hands. . . .

Community Gardener of the Year. This $250 award for the community gardening project (sponsored by GreenScapes Landscape Co.) was to be awarded on account of a person who is exceptionally dedicated to his/her neighborhood garden and/or the movement of community gardening in central Ohio. If you read this blog regularly, you would know that this was the least suspenseful announcement of the evening. There was really only one person whose efforts and contributions to community gardening in Central Ohio stands heads and shoulders over all of us little gardeners: Peggy Murphy. In fact, I feel that 2011 is the year that I have served as Peggy’s press agent;) Peggy is a Master Gardener, and is one of the leaders of the Hilltop Highland Youth Garden, which won outstanding garden of the year in 2009. I met Peggy in April at the Greater Columbus Growing Coalition meeting in Franklinton. Peggy is one of the leaders of the GCGC. This group meets monthly to foster collaboration among the 250 community gardens in Franklin County and generally tries to center each meeting on an educational component. I grabbed a seat in the back next to Kelly. (You can always find Kelly and me in the back of any gathering;) Peggy was sitting with her granddaughter across the table. Some women carry pictures of their grandchildren; Peggy carries pictures of her community garden. (And some people think I’m obsessed;) I had no idea that she was a GCGC leader or even a leader at the Highland Garden; she is that unassuming. She was extremely friendly and immediately set upon trying to convert me to joining the God’s Gardeners group. Speaking of, she is also a leader in that initiative – to start 200 new church-supported community gardens in Columbus during the City’s bicentennial in 2013. She also helped Richard Harris get the Growing Hearts and Hands Community on Garden on Oak Street off the ground in 2009 and is the patron saint of a number of other fledgling community gardens. Finally, she has been the point person to distribute thousands upon thousands of seedlings generously donated this summer by Strader’s Garden Centers. The SACG and pretty much every community garden in Central Ohio has benefitted from the blessings which have come Peggy’s way. If you can’t tell, I am a big fan of Peggy Murphy.

Community Garden of the Year. This $500 award (sponsored by The Scotts-Miracle Gro Company) was to be awarded to the top neighborhood gardening project for beautification and/or food production. It went to the Gantz Road Community Garden operated by Franklin County in the southwest section of the county. Gantz Road currently consists of 2 gardens and provides plots to 151 families. All of the plots had been taken by April 1 this year. Many of the families are Somali immigrants and garden in an uniquely African style (i.e., with moats around their plots to conserve water). A third garden is being added for Burmese immigrants. The garden is the brainchild of Commissioner Jim O’Grady and has been improved by a water catchment system which was installed.

It was a lovely evening. Kelly showed Mari, John and I her plot at the FPC and then Mari, John and I strolled around a bit more. I finally strolled around even more with Miss Jeannie and drove her back to Stoddart Avenue. While there, I ran into a group of our youth gardeners and showed them our new trophy. They wished they had been there and promised to come and help me plant more Fall crops on Saturday morning. Then, I went home, poured myself a glass of cava and then dropped the check off with SACG Treasurer, Beth.

Some Other Interesting Gardening Websites

2011-08-25T17:20:00.007-04:00

Occasionally, I happen upon or am referred an interesting or inspirational website with useful or just fascinating information about gardening. I’ve added a few to this site in case you get bored, but want to keep reading.

Wizard’s Harvest to Table. Earlier this week, my friend Mary recommended a website by a California master gardener who has parlayed his gardening into useful tips and even a book. She thought of me because he had recently blogged about how a hot summer (like the one we just had) would delay the ripening of tomatoes (and even delay the setting of fruit) because tomatoes won’t ripen at temperatures above 85 degrees or below 55 degrees. My harvest is at least three weeks behind because of our July heat wave (on top of BER and cracked tomatoes). His website has lots of useful tips and is particularly well organized. So, check out Wizard’s Harvest to Table. Unfortunately, he does not include pictures with his posts, but that probably makes it easier to read from your cell phone.

The BBC. The British pretty much mastered all things gardening ages and ages ago. The BBC website understandably has a load of information. It was fascinating to read about “allotments.” This is basically the British version of community gardening. It has been legally required for each community to “allot” land for cultivation by the masses since 1908. Nonetheless, two-thirds of communities had a waiting list of 57 people for every 100 plots, although there was some concern that some people remained on a waiting list after getting a plot somewhere else or had their names on multiple lists.

Another fascinating article had to do with essentially creating an underground pond beneath your vegetable garden or hoop house that will collect rain water from your property so that you never have to water again. It was called a self-watering polytunnel. It reminded me of moats and tunnels I’ve seen. My brother-in-law was born and raised in Cameroon and surrounded his plot in Dublin with a moat which he dug himself. It looked like a lot of work to me, but he said his father always did it and he believed that it prevented flooding and helped conserve water. Last year, Jeff dug deep trenches between his rows of tomatoes and his tomatoes were large and beautiful. Again, it looked like a lot of work to me. I plant on flat earth and spread straw everywhere in between my rows to keep the weeds at bay.

Wilmington College’s Grow Food Grow Hope. I went home to God’s Country a few weeks ago for a family reunion to celebrate my grandfather’s 96th birthday. My Uncle Marshall is a serious gardener, my Aunt Brenda puts up a serious amount of food each summer and their grandson, Tyler (making him my second cousin or first cousin once removed), will be graduating in December from nearby Wilmington College with an agriculture degree. (I should mention that he is also a rodeo champion and has competed in national high school events. His aunt (my cousin) Rhonda is also a champion barrel rider). This summer he is interning on the college farm and I was fascinated. He says they harvest 300 pounds of produce each day. Half goes to the college cafeterias and the other half is donated to area food pantries. That’s a lot of food. We commiserated about tomato horn worms and he looked at me like I was from outer space when I suggested planting basil between each tomato plant (because they have over 300 plants). He recently helped to build a hoop house and was telling me how financially lucrative it is to grow winter tomatoes. He observed a farm where easily half of their income comes from growing cherry tomatoes in a hoop house. The plant is still planted in the ground, but the vines are trained up twine, which is suspended from the ceiling. As the tomatoes are harvested, the spent part of the vine is coiled on the ground and the newly grown vine continues to grow up the twine. This way, they can grow the same tomato plant for six months or more. Isn’t that riveting?

Anyway, Wilmington College also has a community garden program which provides plots to members of the community to grow their own food. Clinton County has been particularly economically distressed since the closing of the Airborne facility and this is one way that the college is helping out. I think it’s sweet and I’m proud to be from the area. (For that matter, a church is my hometown is cultivating eight acres for the to grow fresh food for area food pantries. Be sure to check out the video. They don't measure their harvest in pounds, but in bushels). My only complaint is that WC does not sell their nifty GFGH t-shirts online.

These are presented for your reading pleasure and edification.

Community Garden Does Not Mean Free-for-All Harvest

2011-08-19T09:10:00.011-04:00

[Editor's Note: Within eight days of posting this article, the SACG experienced a massive produce robbery of only expensive produce, like Nappa Cabbage, colored greens, ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, and Tuscan Kale. This was not the work of deparate folks, but someone who selectively took certain produce and left nothing behind to continue growing.]

Today, the Columbus Dispatch ran an article and the NBC and Fox affiliates all ran stories about the rampant thefts of produce from community gardens. When confronted by us or our good neighbors, the thieves either run or protest that it is a community garden, therefore, the community is allowed to help themselves. We have to explain that it is a community garden in the sense that the community can sign up for a plot where they then can plant, weed, water and harvest themselves. It is not a place for somone else to literally steal the fruits of the gardeners' labor. I then invite them to join us in the garden the following year, but they virtually always shake their head and leave.

We know that the thieves at the SACG know this already. Most of them come at night. Because the SACG is surrounded by a fence and has locks on the gates (only once we start noticing the disappearance of produce), people come in with bags by knocking down the fence or jumping the gates. We do not have a problem with trespassing where the fence has strong metal stakes or is covered with raspberry bushes. Our fence is not strong enough for people to climb, although people have clearly tried (as evidenced by the broken prongs on brand new fence).

Other gardens have put up No Trespassing signs (which are not terribly attractive) and we are all considering security cameras so that the thieves can be prosecuted. The Fox story noted that locked gates and security cameras were not enough to protect the FPC garden plots from pilfering. A Joyce Avenue community garden has since put up a fence, but the gardeners were apparently so discouraged after last year that only two of them returned this year.

When we first began having a problem two years ago, I put an article in our neighborhood newsletter explaining the "miscommunication" and threatening to move the garden if it did not stop. As far as we can tell this year, the theives are not from the immediate neighborhood (at least no one says they have recognized any of the individuals). A few of the individuals who have shown up at the garden seemed to be legitimately confused about their right to help themselves to a free supermarket.

All this being said, some of my suburbanite friends think I am being stingy by begruding the theft of food in this anemic economy. (A certain General Counsel joked earlier this week that vegetarians are a pretty shady crew:) However, the problem is that we have plots outside the fence along the alley where anyone can help themselves to tomatoes, peppers, brocoli, colored greens, turnips, cucumbers, etc. We also always give food upon request to anyone who asks (rather than simply takes). We also donate over 200 pounds each year to food pantries. Finally, these people are not taking just a few tomatoes. Most of them bring bags in order to take a week's worth of food (or more) at a time. You cannot imagine the disappointment to the gardener who has been tending the plot carefully each week -- in the extreme heat and mud -- only to find that the peppers and tomatoes were taken the day before s/he was planning to harvest.

We have been resigned to a certain level of shrinkage and I always encourage gardeners to grow a little extra every year to make up for some losses. However, we already work so hard when it is hot or extra rainy (and, thus, extra weedy) that several of my gardeners have already told me that they want smaller plots next year, not more work . . . . .

Anyway, here is the Dispatch article:

Community gardens plagued by thefts

Despite signs, people are helping themselves to crops at harvest time.

By Courtney Hergesheimer Dispatch

Val White of the East Side weeds her plot in the community garden at the Franklin Park Conservatory, accompanied by her dog Mo. Thefts of crops at another local community garden got so bad that gardeners now plant extra vegetables, anticipating such losses.

When Bill Dawson returned to the community garden at the Franklin Park Conservatory on Tuesday, he saw someone who was busy reaping what others had sown.

Dawson parked his car and walked up to the woman who was wandering through the 40 garden beds, filling a trash bag with plump green tomatoes.

“I had to explain the system and that these vegetables were not hers to take,” said Dawson, community-garden coordinator for the conservatory.

While most gardeners expect rabbits, birds and squirrels to feed on their fruits and vegetables, many are learning that human bandits are lurking among the carrots, peppers and squash.

"’Tis the season,” Dawson said. “It’s harvest time — everyone wants to come home with a bright red tomato.”

The American Addition Garden on Joyce Avenue, one of about 250 community gardens in the Columbus area, is experiencing the same. “We put up signs telling them not to take the vegetables, but no one listens,” said Marie Mooreland, a garden volunteer. “We started planting extra (vegetables) to make up for the difference.”

Mooreland said that so much is taken from the 10 plots there that the gardeners looked into installing a security camera.

“It’s such a problem because the plot is on the main thoroughfare,” she said. “We have to educate them.”

Lori Kingston, spokeswoman for the Franklin Park Conservatory, said people misunderstand the word community. “They don’t understand it means people gardening together in a community,” Kingston said.

The conservatory asks all plot owners to donate a portion of their harvest to a food pantry of their choice.

Beth Urban, executive director of the American Community Gardening Association, which is based in Columbus, said people can take precautions.

“Some people put raspberry or blackberry bushes in front of their gardens because they are thorny and deter people from entering,” Urban said.

She added that others put up fences or hang signs asking visitors not to sample the fruits of their labors.

Although these vegetable bandits can be a nuisance, Dawson said he tries to convert them to the craft.

“I tell them, ‘Weed a little, take a little,’” Dawson said. “We want to educate them and encourage them to take part.”

astuckey@dispatch.com

Curse of the Cracked Tomato

2011-08-09T16:21:00.008-04:00

About three weeks ago, the SACG received five inches of rain within 36 hours. It was greatly needed and revived quite a few plants that were steadily drooping their way to The Great Compost Bin and saved me from a week’s worth of lugging my watering cans. However, there was an unfortunate side affect. Our tomatoes had already set fruit and July’s dry spell had caused the skins on the fruit to thicken. Then a sudden burst of rain caused the tomatoes to start swelling again. This, faithful readers, causes cracked tomatoes -- a curse that affects most tomatoes every other year or so. If left exposed to the elements with such cracks, bugs and mold can find their way into the tomato. Of course, it is mostly a cosmetic flaw that makes no difference to canning or most recipes which call for removing the cracked skin.

Fortunately, cracking is not caused by bugs or viruses and is not contagious, but there is very little you can do to prevent Mother Nature from releasing a gusher. Keeping tomatoes too damp can inhibit the uptake of calcium (leading to blossom end rot). There are some tomato varieties that are more resistant to cracking than others, but popular beefstake tomatoes are notorious crackers.

Of course, not every agrees on the causes of cracking. The University of Illinois Extension Office blames severe pruning: “Cracking varies with the variety. Many of the newer varieties are resistant to cracking. Severe pruning increases cracking. Keep soil moisture uniform as the tomatoes develop and plant resistant varieties to minimize this problem.”

But I like the explanation of Texas A&M:

Cracking is a physiological disorder caused by soil moisture fluctuations. When the tomato reaches the mature green stage and the water supply to the plant is reduced or cut off, the tomato will begin to ripen. At this time a cellophane-like wrapper round the outer surface of the tomato becomes thicker and more rigid to protect the tomato during and after harvest. If the water supply is restored after ripening begins, the plant will resume translocation of nutrients and moisture into the fruit. This will cause the fruit to enlarge; which in turn splits the wrapper around the fruit and results in cracking. The single best control for cracking is a constant and regular water supply. Apply a layer of organic mulch to the base of the plant. This serves as a buffer and prevents soil moisture fluctuation. Water plants thoroughly every week. This is especially important when the fruits are maturing. Some varieties are resistant to cracking, but their skin is tougher.

Iowa State agrees:

Fruit cracking is a common problem on tomatoes. Cracks usually appear at the top or stem end of the fruit. Cracks radiate out from the stem (radial cracks) or circle the fruit in concentric rings (concentric cracks). Fruit cracking is associated with wide fluctuations in soil moisture levels. A heavy rain or deep watering after a long, dry period results in rapid water uptake by the plant. The sudden uptake of water results in cracking of ripening fruit. Generally, fruit cracking is most common on the large, beefsteak-type tomatoes.

Fruit cracking can be prevented by supplying the tomato plants with a consistent supply of moisture during the summer months. During dry periods, a thorough soaking once every seven days should be adequate for most tomato plants. Conserve soil moisture by mulching the area around tomato plants with dried grass clippings, straw, shredded leaves or other materials. Also, plant tomato varieties that possess good crack resistance. Tomato varieties that possess good to excellent crack resistance include Jetstar, Mountain Spring and Mountain Fresh.

Montana State University takes a hybrid approach:

Tomato harvest is a highly anticipated event in our gardens. But after tending to these plants for an entire season, it's sure disappointing to find the fruit cracked and rotted. Or fruit that doesn't ripen at all. There are two kinds of fruit cracking in tomato - radial and concentric.

Radial cracks are the more common, start near the fruit stem, and develop down the sides of the fruit wall. Concentric cracking appears as several circular cracks around the stem end of the fruit. So is there anything you can do to prevent tomato fruit cracking?

Cracking of tomatoes is most common during hot, rainy periods when temperatures are in the 90s, and particularly following long dry spells. It is most severe on fruit that is ripening in full sun. The high light intensity and warm summer temperatures in our area make the situation worse. Here's what you can do:

Mulch the soil around your plants to keep it consistently moist. Use drip irrigation instead of overhead impact sprinklers. Fertilize your plants judiciously and encourage good foliage cover. Plants that have been heavily pruned, or those that have lost their foliage to insects, disease or weather issues will have their fruit exposed to the bright sunlight. These ripening fruits will heat up and most likely crack. If this has been a problem for you, next year, keep in mind that there are tomato cultivars that are resistant to cracking. "Beafsteak-type" tomatoes are known for cracking. Cultivars like 'Early Girl', 'Daybreak' and 'Valley Girl' resist cracking. And just as there are some cultivars resistant to cracking, there are others that have the tendency to crack, like 'Sungold' and 'Sun cherry' cherry tomatoes.

In any event, generously water your tomatoes at least once a week when it is hot and dry or you risk a gusher rain storm blowing up your tomatoes when you least expect it.

An Abundance of Cucumbers

2011-08-07T13:32:00.004-04:00

While the extraordinary heat at the SACG has affected the timing of our tomato crop and adversely affected our beans and lettuce, our cucumbers have been growing out the whazzoo. I’ve never had so many cucumbers at the SACG or at home. Beth has been similarly challenged. What is a girl to do with all of these cucumbers after you have chopped a few up for salads and already made pickles and overwhelmed your neighbors with your productivity? How much gazpacho can you make? Cucumber sandwiches? A few slices in chilled water when you want to pretend that you live in a spa?

Well, this weekend, I decided to try Tsatsiki (which is a Greek cucumber salad) and I highly commend it to you for something easy, quick and nutritious. You can eat it by itself or in pita sandwiches or on top of spiced roasted meat (like lamb or chicken). It takes all of five minutes to make (the way I cook); you can find more complicated and time consuming recipes on other websites if you are interested. Best of all, it's a one dish meal that you can make and eat out of the same dish. :-)

Tsatsiki (one serving)
• 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (preferably plain, but honey or vanilla will do)
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 1/8 cup EVOO (but you can decrease this a bit if you are not a fan like I am).
• 1/2 tsp chopped dill weed
• 3/4 cup chopped cucumber

1. Mix the garlic, yogurt, oil and dill together well.
2. Add the cucumbers and stir.
3. Serve and enjoy.

Picking Cucumbers Before They Turn Yellow

2011-08-05T16:06:00.003-04:00

This is the first year that I have been able to grow cucumbers in any quantity. I’ve already canned 3 pints of kosher dill pickles and eaten a few just for grins and giggles. It has not always been so, and thus, I rarely have any words of wisdom for gardeners with struggling cucumbers. In our first year at the SACG, Mitch had some interesting looking yellow cucumbers growing up a trellis. We could not decide if it was a special variety or if it had just rotted on the vine. Knowing him; either was likely. This Wednesday, I belatedly discovered some yellow cucumbers in the food pantry patch which I had apparently overlooked when harvesting the prior Saturday. This caused me to research the age-old question:

Are yellow cucumbers edible?

The answer: No (unless you are growing round, lemon cucumbers – which I am not).

So, faithful readers, be careful looking under your large green leaves for those sneaky green cucumbers because in this heat, they will turn yellow before you visit your garden patch again and you won’t be able to eat it.

Kale: I hardly knew ya

2011-08-01T18:56:00.006-04:00

Every year I try to grow something new. In 2008, it was chamomile and, well, almost everything I grew. In 2009, it was regular and black garbanzo beans. Last year, it was chard, new varieties of tomatoes and several types of shelling beans. This year, I am growing Chinese Cabbage and Kale for the first time (and a few other things that I’m still evaluating). I also tried growing some Quinoa this year, but it never germinated.

I’ve never been a big fan of kale – or any greens for that matter, although my mother (as a farm girl) loves kale over all other kinds of greens. She would make kale occasionally for us as children and it was always either soggy and vinegary or stiff to me. Yuck.

Last year, as faithful readers may recall, I attended an impromptu cookout at Jay and Cozy’s house. Jay made some kale in a cast iron skillet over an open fire pit in their back yard from some extra kale donated by their neighbors, who participate in a CSA. Although everything he served that night was very, very good, the kale was great. I became obsessed and they became confused. I conducted some research on the internet and discovered that kale is one of the superfoods. It is related to colored greens, cabbage and broccoli. One cup has 200% of the recommended requirement of Vitamin C, 180% of Vitamin A, 1,020% of Vitamin K (that is not a typo), and 15% of calcium and Vitamin B6. Whew. It’s a multivitamin tablet by itself. That being said, it interferes with the absorption of calcium, so there is no point of eating it with milk or cheese.

When we received our free seeds this year from Botanical Interests through Christ Lutheran Church, I pulled some Tuscan Kale aside. I planted some in both my back yard and at the SACG. Both grew with wild abandon with virtually no assistance from me. That’s a plus in my book. It’s pretty, too. I could grow it in flower beds in the future even if I never cook it.

Last week, I finally harvested some of my kale and tried out a recipe (as well as trying Jay’s vague directions for what he created last year). I highly recommend both and will be making both regularly for until Christmas (since I’m starting my second kale crop and can grow it throughout the winter in my backyard with the assistance of a hoop house).

Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw (modified from Bon Appetit magazine July 2011)

Ingredients (for one serving)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 4-8 anchovy fillets, packed in oil and drained
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup EVOO
• 1/8 cup finely grated Parmesan
• Dashes of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
• 2 cups Tuscan (or black) kale, thinly sliced and large stalks removed. (Yes, you can serve and eat it raw).

Directions
• In a blender, combine lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard and EVOO. Pour into a bowl and add half of the parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill. Can be made two days ahead.
• Chop the egg into tiny, tiny pieces. Chill. Can be made 6 hours ahead.
• Wash and cut the kale. Put it into a large bowl. Toss it with the dressing. Then top with the chopped egg and remaining parmesan.

Serve and enjoy.

Jay’s Yummy Cast Iron Kale

Ingredients (for one serving)
• 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
• ¼ cup sliced onions
• 1 slice bacon, sliced longways and then chopped into quarter inch pieces. I cheated and had two slices
• Two cups of kale (including stalks) sliced into inch-wide strips.
• 1-2 tsp of red wine vinegar

Directions
• Cook bacon in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until it shrivels up to the shape of bacon bits (but before it turns black). Cover it with a splatter guard (to protect the rest of your kitchen).
• Tilt the skillet to distribute the bacon grease evenly. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for five minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and replace the splatter guard.
• Add the kale (and keep the splatter guard over the skillet). Cook until the kale wilts, but before it is soggy. About 3 minutes.
• Splash the vinegar over the kale. Stir.

Serve hot and enjoy.

Life is good.

By The Time You See This Black Spot, It is Too Late to Fix This Year

2011-07-29T17:40:00.006-04:00

Guess what? I am not the world's best gardener. Even your hardworking Garden Manager sometimes fails to take proactive measures to protect the fruits of my considerable labor. And even though I generally try to be Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm on this site, this article relates the dirty secret of my tomato crop this year: Blossom End Rot (the notorious BER which surfaces just as you've gotten excited about harvesting the pefect red fruit). I've been asked about it before by friends, family and SACG Gardener for years, but have never suffered from it myself except when growing roma tomatoes in clay pots on the south side of my house. This year, I've noticed BER on quite a few of my plants at the SACG and at home and so feel the need to share my pain with the world.

As most of you know, BER is caused by calcium deficiency. By the time you see the tell-tale black spots on the bottom of your tomatoes, however, it is too late to save them by throwing egg shells or bone meal at the plant roots. Foliar sprays I am reliably informed will not help, either. You can only work to improve the conditions going forward (generally next year). On the positive side, it is not a virus and is not contagious. Just because your determinate tomatoes may be lost, does not mean that it will spread to your indeterminate tomatoes if you timely address the adverse conditions.

It is important to note that you cannot always blame your compost for not containing enough egg shells. Sometimes, the plants cannot take up calcium because the pH is too high. After doing some research, I found the explanation for my problem this year on the Gardener's Supply Company website. Does this sound familiar to you?

Blossom-end rot is most common when the growing season starts out wet and then
becomes dry when fruit is setting. Damage first appears when fruits are approximately half their full size. The water-soaked areas enlarge and turn dark
brown and leathery. These areas will eventually begin to rot, so the fruit should be picked and discarded. Several factors can limit a plant's ability to absorb enough calcium for proper development. These include: fluctuations in soil moisture (too wet or too dry), an excess of nitrogen in the soil, root damage due to cultivation, soil pH that's either too high or too low, cold soil and soil high in salts.

The only way to avoid BER is to take steps before it appears. Add Epsom salts or bone meal to the soil when planting and avoid adding excess nitrogen or excess moisture. Aim for soil pH of 6.5 (which means not adding lime where your pH is above this level like it is at the SACG). Control moisture fluctuations with mulch (like straw).

At the SACG, we have a sufficient amount of calcium in our soil, but not in surplus amounts. We also have an abundance of nitrogen and most of us mulch our tomato plants with straw. However, like everyone else, we had a freakish amount of rain in the early growing season and then the rain stopped unexpectedly in July while the tomatoes were setting fruit. These are the classic conditions for BER. I water my tomatoes generously once or twice each week. However, with our extreme heat this month, I apparently was not watering all of my plants enough. Sigh.

Ohio State's Extension's site has the ultimate scientific article about BER, if you want to read something with a little more gravitas that I ever impart here.

In the meantime, if you find BER on your tomatoes, be prepared to toss them (somewhere other than the compost pile if you want to avoid volunteer tomatoes next year). I generally toss tomatoes as soon as I see BER on green tomatoes so that the plant can put its energy into ripening and enlarging the good tomatoes left on the plant. However, I'm not proud. I often just cut out the spot (even if it has ruined the bottom half of the tomato) and eat the rest. The good half of the tomato is quite edible. I'm crossing my fingers that I have some tomatoes to harvest tomorrow because I would like to start canning sometime this summer . . . .

Our Soil Is Getting Better All the Time

2011-07-25T08:01:00.004-04:00

As faithful readers may recall, we highly recommend soil testing at the SACG. We tested our soil when we started in 2009, in no small part to avoid lead and other toxic pollutants from finding their way into our produce from the soil. (Rumor has it that lead can get into the soil when buildings with old lead paint are demolished on the site and the construction debris is left behind – like it was at the SACG). Soil testing also determines whether the soil has the correct pH to grow vegetables and fruits. Since we started in 2009, we have greatly improved our soil with approximately 4 inches of compost and soil acidifier (i.e., peat moss and aluminum sulfate). This time, we had our soil tested for $15 by CLC Labs in Westerville (which, unlike the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, does not test for lead for the same low price).

By way of comparison, in 2009, our soil was very alkaline (i.e., 7.7 pH). In 2011, we now have a neutral pH of 7.0 from adding lots of compost (from Kurtz Brothers and Com-Til Plus), peat moss and soil acidifier. Ideally, I’m aiming for a pH of 6.8.

Our soil still is over-the-top in nutrients. We are in surplus for Phosphorus, Potassium and Magnesium. We had 200+ pounds per acre (PPA) for Phosphorus, 939 PPA for Potassium and 969 PPA for Magnesium. We are "high" for the Base Saturation Percentage for Potassium (6.6) and Magnesium (22). We are “medium” for Calcium (5156) and for the Base Saturation Percentage for Calcium (71). Finally, we were rated “high” for fertilizer maintenance level with nitrogen rates of 3.0 to 4.0. In other words, if we feel the need to add any more fertilizer, it should just be something rated 4-0-0. If you’ve seen our garden, however, you know that we are not hurting for nitrogen.

The SACG has greatly benefitted from great soil, a great location for sun exposure (i.e., no buildings to our immediate east or west) and a slight incline (for good drainage). Of course, we have at least a ten-foot barrier between the garden and any pavement to prevent run-off into the stormwater sewers which empty into Alum Creek.

It’s All About the Soil

2011-07-18T11:53:00.005-04:00

On Friday, urban farming legend Will Allen visited Franklin Park Conservatory to support a fundraiser for Ameena Salahuddin, who is starting the Stiletto Gardener, the latest of the sixteen Regional Outreach Training Centers of Growing Power. The evening started with a small reception in the Palm House. I was able to attend the reception courtesy of Seeds of Significance (after promising to blog about the event). There were light appetizers (with particularly memorable corn salsa) and the conversation centered on the content of the biodegradable plates. I was delighted to run into Trae from the Bexley Community Garden; Trae has attended a number of seminars at the SACG and has also benefitted from the generosity and assistance of Seeds of Significance in her own gardening endeavors. We also ran into Kojo from the New Harvest Community Garden in the New Linden neighborhood. The Local Matters folks were also out in force. Later, Peggy from HHCG asked for help to subsidize the admission of another community gardener, but again, Seeds of Significance stepped in and paid for her ticket. The Stiletto Gardener wore her trademark stiletto heels and Allen wore his trademark cutoff sweatshirt.

I have included a picture of Bill Dawson with Mr. Allen. Their day began extra early with appearances and interviews throughout the WTTE Good Morning Columbus show on Fox 28. Their weekend continued working at the Stiletto Gardener building hoop houses, compost bins and aquaponic systems on Saturday and Sunday.

Allen narrated a program of over 650 slides over the next 90 minutes. Growing up on a farm in Virginia, he swore that he would never return to farming. Instead, he played basketball for the Miami Hurricanes and later in Europe. While working for Proctor & Gamble in Wisconsin, he bought in 1993 the last working farm in Milwaukee near an old Army base. This then became the center of his life.

It's all about the soil. To break even in agriculture, the farm needed to produce an enormous amount of food in a small space. The only way to do that is with great soil. Because much of the soil in urban areas is polluted and filled with construction debris, it is necessary to create your own. Therefore, early on Allen began composting everything and anything, particularly unused and unsold produce from wholesalers and grocery stores, as well as the byproducts of beer producers, leaves and wood chips. As Growing Power expanded to support gardening projects at schools, nursing homes, companies, rooftops, urban neighborhoods, etc. and to build more than 22 new greenhouses, he bypassed the time consuming task of digging out construction debris (like we did at the SACG) and destroying dilapidated parking lots. Instead, he delivers thousands of pounds of compost and builds the garden from the ground up. He showed slides of creating extensive gardening space on top of parking lots by simply putting down six inches of compost on top of the concrete.

It takes 3-8 months to create compost from waste (depending on whether and how often the compost is turned during the decomposition process). At some GP facilities, the compost is grown in small 4x4 bins, but in others it is created from dumping mountains of food (still in the cardboard boxes) and other waste and letting them decompose slowly. For instance, GP now has a four-acre composting site at the nearby sewage plant in a suburb which has mountains and mountains of compost being grown. GP even collects food waste from Wal-Mart to support its efforts. All told, GP composts 180,000 pounds of food waste each week (or 10M pounds/year).

Allen said that he figured that he needed to sell $5 of produce per square foot from his farm (or $200,000/acre). GP does this by selling food to public schools and through Sysco Systems and through its own retail outlets. They use all available space. In dark places, they grow mushrooms where other plants will not grow. They deliver food to stores within 36 hours of harvest, instead of the two weeks which is common in the industry. Fresh food tastes better.

Vermicompost. Growing Power is also famous for promoting vermicomposting, i.e., fertilizer made from worm poop. He loves his tens of thousands of worms, which he claims can live for 20 years. He picks up hundreds of them with his bare hands. The worms are active year long by living in the warm compost piles. GP sells worm fertilizer for $4/pound retail.

Acquaponics. Growing Power is also famous for growing fish, particularly tilapia and perch, which he can sell in restaurants, stores and markets. He started with a three-barrel system: He would grow 50 pounds of fish in one barrel, use one barrel as a filtration device and the other barrel had weeds (which would feed the fish). His system is much more sophisticated now and has evolved into a vertical system in order to conserve space. The fish waste feed the plants and the plants feed the fish and the water is purified by running through soil. The whole greenhouse system is heated year round with solar energy and with the heated water which raises the tilapia.

Another one of his common systems is to take a field; dig two trenches (one for perch and one for tilapia) and put a hoop house over it. He then piles compost around the outsides of the hoop house (which keeps the wind out) and in each of the corners. The heat from the compost keeps the temperature inside the hoop house warm enough to grow fish and greens. Each of these types of hoop houses cost $5,000 to build and raise 20,000 fish/year.

Like the SACG, GP does its best to capture all storm water runoff. The water used to raise the fish and run the greenhouses is captured off the roofs of GP's buildings.

Education. Growing Power also has an extensive youth education system. After spending a morning with hand-on gardening tasks, the kids then practice their writing composition skills by writing essays and stories about their experience. GP also teaches them how to preserve food (i.e., canning) and how to cook nutritious dinners.

Other Agriculture. GP also works with Heifer International and raises alpine goats and chickens. He also raises bees and collects 100 pounds of honey/hive each year, which is sold to support their program.

GP has supported gardening projects in Chicago, Kenya, Ukraine and London.

Sustainability. All staff salaries are paid through earned income (from selling honey, compost, food, etc.). Approximately half of its budget is derived from earned income, not grants.

GP has established relationships with all kinds of entities. For instance, with Kohl's, GP installed urban gardeners at the company HQ. GP also collects the food waste from their cafeterias to support the composting operations and feeds the kids in the Kohl's company daycare program with fresh produce. In turn, Kohl's employees volunteer at GP.

Allen extorted attendees to run non-profits more like businesses in order to sustain them for the long-term.

He was also quite complimentary of the Mayor of Cleveland for aiming to create a sustainable agricultural system in the City of Cleveland by 2019. Too few cities can feed their population in this day and age.

The whole experience was quite fascinating for a geek like me. The next day, Betty and I discussed the feasibility of creating a hoop house at the SACG to grown food year round. Betty is all for it, but we had to laugh at the thought of trumping through several feet of snow to get to the hoop house and harvest kaleJ When I spoke later with Beth about this idea, we both agreed that we needed a vacation each winter. . . . . . I might try this in my backyard first before investing in a hoop house for the SACG . . . . .

Good luck Ameenah.

July Recap of FPC Hub Garden Meeting

2011-07-11T16:44:00.009-04:00

Last December, I received an email that Franklin Park Conservatory's Growing to Green Program was planning to maximize its resources by focusing on helping twelve community gardens in Central Ohio. These were referred to as "hub gardens," which would serve as hubs to help nearby community gardens with resources and training, etc. There was some thought that the program would be formalized in 2012 and FPC referred to this as the 12 x 2012 initiative. I missed the first meeting in December, so have been unclear about a lot of the details. In selecting these hub gardens, FPC looked both geographically and at how the hub gardens are addressing these five key mission areas: (i) Celebration of culture; (ii) Youth participation and education; (iii) Job training; (iv) Food production and feeding the hungry; and (v) Nutrition programming. It is clear that the SACG is in very good company because many of the other gardens have won "community garden of the year" sometime in the past. They include Four Seasons City Farms, Franklinton Community Garden, Highland-Hilltop Community Garden, Ganz Road Community Garden, St. Vincent de Paul Pantry Garden (on Livingston Avenue), Epworth Methodist Church Community Garden (on Karl Road), Weinland Park Garden (run by the Godman Guild), Upper Arlington Lutheran Church Community Garden (on Mill Run), Franklin County Juvenile Court Garden, New Harvest Café/Alma Vera Garden in Linden and the Native American Indian Center Community Garden.

Last Thursday, representatives from ten of the hub gardens met at the Caretaker's Cottage at FPC. Bill, Barb and their squeaky new Intern had a number of announcements for us:

We need to select which of the five mission areas best describes us. We may be involved in several or all of the mission areas, but we need to describe which one is our primary focus. The intern handed out forms for us to complete and fax back to her.

The current edition of Edible Columbus has two feature articles on community gardening. One focused on Patrick Kaufman and the Franklinton Community Garden and the other discussed the Somali immigrant group gardening on Ganz Road. Bill has been asked to submit articles and ideas for future editions and hopes to gain similar attention for our community gardens.

Will Allen is coming the weekend of July 15-17, 2011. FPC is attempting to help Stilletto Gardener defray some of the cost of bringing Mr. Allen to Columbus by organizing a hasty fundraiser at the FPC. Due to the short amount of advance notice, it has been difficult to sufficiently publicize the event and Bill asked us each to help. Stiletto Gardener will be the local affiliate for Growing Power. Mr. Allen will be coming back to help Stiletto Gardener and hopefully we can have more lead time to plan an event.

Barb was looking for feedback on the gardening seminars she held at some of the gardens. She made Patrick admit that he had learned somethingJ Many folks in Franklinton do not have internet access and so were not particularly interested in lists of good gardening websites, but we at the SACG find this information useful. I encouraged FPC to hold more scavenger hunts for kids like we had last year.

Barb announced the pilot jobs program that FPC will be holding with COWIC and passed out postcards advertising the program.

Bill encouraged us to contact neighborhood associations to get on any local home and garden tours as a way of promoting ourselves within a community.

Nomination forms will soon be available for the annual Growing to Green Awards. Gardens may nominate themselves. There will be a new award category this year for sustainability. The nomination forms will be due July 29, 2011 – which is much earlier than in years past. The Growing to Green awards ceremony will be on August 25, 2011 on the lawn in the community garden campus at FPC.

In connection with the FPC's next exhibit, "Hungry Planet: Local Food/Local View," FPC will be holding three farm market days on the following Sunday afternoons from noon until 4:00 p.m.: August 28, September 25 and October 23, 2011. Hub gardens may have a free booth at the Farm Market – along side regular farmers -- in order to sell produce to raise money for their community gardens. Gardens need not participate in all three market days. We need to complete a form and return it to FPC if we want to participate.

The FPC Women's Board will be holding its annual gardening tour in a few weeks. Growing Hearts and Hands Community Garden will again be on their agenda as will Franklinton Community Garden.

The Scotts Miracle-Gro community garden application deadline has been moved up a few months to July 15, 2011. With any luck, there will be a grant application available every six months. This lead to a discussion about how the city-county-foundation grant process worked out the last year. Apparently, there was a lot of miscommunication about who was being awarded what and why. One community garden received a letter indicating that they would be receiving a cash award and then a month later was told that this had been a mistake and they would only be receiving product instead.

Beth Urban, the new Executive Director of the American Community Garden Association, stopped by to introduce herself.

Bill then finally let us break to have some pizza from Anthony's in Bexley (which had been delivered before the meeting startedJ) .

There were a few other announcements from various gardens:

Weinland Park has arranged for the OSU Extension Office at the Wooster Campus to come to its garden on July 23 to provide Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Going to Market Training advocated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. My notes seem to indicate something else on July 19, but my notes are far too cryptic on this point.

Peggy wanted everyone to know that the UWCO Neighborhood Partnership grant applications would be due in October. Contact Sharon Ware at UWCO for more information.

Franklinton Gardens is having an Art Mural Project with live music and food vendors on July 16 and 23 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

Someone passed out cards for Leslie Strader, the City's Assistant Environmental Steward (i.e., the Mayor's point person for community gardens). She can be reached at 90 West Broad Street, 2nd Floor and at 645-7673 and at lrstrader@columbus.gov.

Epworth Methodist Church asked for information about someone who could volunteer to plow an extra field they have near their church. They could double their food production for food pantries if only someone would plow the field. Marge suggested that they check Craig's List.

Our substantive presentation for the evening was by Todd Marti from the Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. This Garden was started by Kelly Hern in 2009 and raised and donated approximately 1700 pounds of produce that year. Members from the UA Lutheran Church volunteer to plant, weed, water and harvest the produce. They are motivated by the Gospel's admonition to feed the hungry and to make the most of their talents and resources. Last year, they raised and donated approximately 8,000 pounds. Todd explained that each harvester is responsible for weighing the produce (at a convenient scale located at the garden), driving the produce to the recipient organization reporting back to the leaders, who track the information by type of vegetable, weight, date and recipient. By tracking this information on an Excel worksheet, they can create charts which show the percentage of donations to Lutheran Social Services food pantry, Faith Mission, the UALC Hilltop Ministry and the UALC summer lunch program. It helps with grant applications and to recruit volunteers to quantify the amount of produce donated and to determine which crops are more efficient and productive to raise. Having a good scale (i.e., weighing more than 10 pounds at a time) in a safe location is important. It also requires a lot of discipline. The information is shared informally with the congregation.

One of the gardeners mentioned a funny anecdote, which sent me to my reference books when I got home. Apparently, a group of what we'll call gypsies stopped by their garden and volunteered to do weeding -- a thankless task even without our recent spate of oppressive heat. All they wanted in return was to keep a pile of weed: common purslane. Apparently, it is the known to contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. there is a non-weed variety that is actually popular in Europe and eaten as a salad green. Who knew?! (There is some growing in my back yard . . . . . )

It’s Not Too Late to Start Growing Vegetables

2011-07-10T17:56:00.006-04:00

It's mid-July and my bush beans are looking the worse for wear and my lettuce won't last more than a couple more hours in this heat. This brought me back to our FPC workshop last August on extending the growing season. It's not too late to start beans or carrots. In a few weeks, we can start a second crop of turnips, spinach, lettuce, bok choy, chard and maybe cilantro. Some crops actually grow better in the fall than in the Spring.

While researching this, I found a couple of good articles on seed company websites: Johnny's and Seeds of Change. However, one of the bests sites is a publication published by the Iowa Extension office which shows the time to plant, let grow and harvest vegetables between March and November.

I also ran over to the SACG (in this oppressive heat) to see what seeds we had left in the shed. I separated the flowers from the vegetables. We have lots of lettuce seeds left. I also found some bok choy and tom thumb lettuce (both of which I've been bumming off Charlie for the last month. About time I grew my own). Over the last two days, I have discovered that the big box stores have stopped selling seeds, but not the local nurseries, like DeMonye's, Oakland Nursery and Dill's. (They are 40% off at DeMonye's, which also has some seedlings (particularly greens and tomatoes) for 50% off). So, I picked up some turnip, winter squash and okra.

The graphic is from The Dispatch. Click on it to enlarge it to make it more readable).

Some tips:

Plant fall seeds a little deeper than you do in the Spring. The soil is cooler the deeper you plant and some seeds prefer slightly cooler soil temperatures.

Think about watering the ground where you will be planting the night before.

Water the row thoroughly after planting since the ground will dry out quickly in this heat and you need moisture to germinate the seeds. (For that matter, some seeds will benefit from soaking them in water overnight before you plant them).

For carrots, consider putting a board over where you have planted and check it every day or so. This will help keep the soil damp and deter weeds. Remove the board when the seedlings begin to emerge.

If we built some cold frames or hoop houses, we could extend our growing season until Christmas. As it is, we usually have food growing in the SACG until at least Thanksgiving.

Will Allen Will Be In Columbus July 15-17, 2011

2011-07-09T08:58:00.002-04:00

When it comes to the urban agriculture movement, few individuals are as important or as influential as Will Allen, the founder and president of the Growing Power non-profit in Milwaukee and Chicago. Last year, Time magazine named him as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. He won a $500,000 McArthur Foundation genius grant and a $400,000 job-creation grant from the Kellogg Foundation in 2008, won a $100,000 from the Ford Foundation in 2005, is a member of Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative and is an advisor to First Lady Michelle Obama.

Allen was not always famous. His parents were sharecroppers in South Carolina and he grew up on a small farm in Maryland. However, he then became a professional basketball player in Florida and Europe and then as a district manager for KFC and sales executive with Proctor & Gamble. However, while playing basketball and working in the corporate world, he always had a small plot to grow food. Then, in 1993 he suddenly bought a tiny farm and greenhouse in Milwaukee to teach urban kids how to grow food and the rest, they say, is history. A few years later, he partnered with Heifer International to create sustainable agricultural systems in urban centers like Heifer has created in third-world countries. Allen and 40 farmhands now grow 160 different crops in solar-powered greenhouses and a 40-acre farm. As reported by the The New York Times three years ago:

His Growing Power organization has six greenhouses and eight hoop houses for
greens, herbs and vegetables; pens for goats, ducks and turkeys; a chicken coop and beehives; and a system for raising tilapia and perch. There’s an advanced composting operation — a virtual worm farm — and a lab that is working on ways to turn food waste into fertilizer and methane gas for energy.

With a staff of about three dozen full-time workers and 2,000 residents pitching in as
volunteers, his operation raises about $500,000 worth of affordable produce, meat and fish for one of what he calls the “food deserts” of American cities, where the only access to food is corner grocery stories filled with beer, cigarettes and processed foods.

Allen sells food both in the inner cities and to upscale restaurants and sells to landscapers and suburbanites the massive amounts of compost he generates from wood chips and food waste donated by groceries and restaurants. He promotes creating good soil from food and fish waste and vermicasting – i.e., worm poop.

Allen also holds workshops in Milwaukee and at affiliates throughout the United States to spread the gospel of sustainable urban agriculture. This is what brings him to Columbus next weekend. Stiletto Gardener is the latest affiliate of Allen’s Growing Power and has paid to bring him to Columbus next weekend and to visit at least annually for the next five years. To help defray the cost of Stiletto Gardener bringing Mr. Allen to Columbus, Franklin Park Conservatory has arranged for a private reception, keynote address and two-day hands-on workshop.

On Friday, July 15, there will be a keynote address by Allen (who I am reliably informed can talk for hours and hours if left to his own devices) about urban agriculture at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and are available to the public. Before the address, a reception will be held at the FPC at 5:00 p.m.. Limited to 50 people, the tickets are $50 each and include the cost of the keynote address.

From 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, Allen will lead a two-day hands-on workshop on building a hoop house, aquaponics (raising food in water), composting, vermicomposting (with worms) and year-round food production. You will learn by actually helping to do all of these things. The cost will be $170 and will include breakfast and lunch each day and admission to the keynote address.

This event is being sponsored by FPC, Mid-Ohio Food Bank, Local Matters, Edible Columbus, Hounds in the Kitchen, Slow Food Columbus and OEFFA. Tickets can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/174498. For more information, contact info@stilettogardener.com or 614-859-4105.

Franklin County Pilot Green Corps Jobs Program is Now Seeking Applicants

2011-07-08T11:45:00.000-04:00

WANTED: YOUNG ADULTS SEEKING PAID TRAINING FOR GREEN JOBS

Are you dissatisfied with your career opportunities in this economy? Are you short on cash? Do you like working outside? Do you like working with your hands? Then maybe a career in the green economy (i.e., in the environmental, horticultural, landscaping and agricultural industry) is for you.

Franklin County is partnering with COWIC’s Youth Department and Franklin Park Conservatory to offer a pilot (i.e., test) program to train disadvantaged young adults (18-21 years old) to obtain certification in a green job. If you successfully complete the program, you will receive Ohio Department of Agriculture Commercial Applicator and First Aid Certifications to use in any future job or to start your own business. The Program also hopes to place in a paying job each participant who successfully completes the program.

Green Corps participants will be paid for 40 weeks to attend training for 3 hours per day (from 9 a.m. until noon)/5 days per week (i.e., 15 hours each week) from Franklin Park Conservatory in a number of areas, including:
• Landscape and Garden Maintenance;
• Greenhouse Production
• Interior Plant Care
• Community Gardening
• Composting
• Plant Identification
• Business Ownership
• Constructing Garden Hardscapes
• Seed propogation and cutting
• Tree pruning

In order to qualify for the Green Corps Jobs Program, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Have an interest in the green industry, horticulture or landscaping;
• Must meet certain income requirements (i.e., qualify for WIA, TANF or similar program); and
• Live in Franklin County.

The Program will begin as soon as 10-12 candidates are signed up. This could happen anytime. If you are interested or have any questions, call COWIC Youth Career Consultant Lawrence Jackson at 614-559-5075 as soon as possible.

Plant a Row to Feed the Hungry By Donating Garden Produce to Food Pantries

2011-07-07T11:07:00.012-04:00

As you have read here in 2009 and 2010, there are a number of food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Columbus which accept fresh garden produce to feed their clients. In fact, it is healthier for their clients to receive fresh produce because canned food has a lot of salt and other preservatives. In addition, you can receive a tax deduction for your donation – which will be handy next April. A recent national report showed that 1/4 American families went hungry for at least one meal in 2010 and that Columbus ranked 31st in the nation.

Lutheran Social Services Food Pantry. They suggest that you go to the front door of 1460 South Champion Avenue to drop off the produce. (There’s also a dock at the side of the building where there will be less chance that you’ll be confused as a client and asked to wait in line by the constantly revolving volunteers who staff the pantry. I always go in the side door). They have refrigerators available to store any excess.
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays 1-3pm. I also do not recommend stopping by during the lunch hour because the paid staff may be gone and you will be told to wait until they return or to come back later for a receipt.
Will take anything.
Sorting: Preferably sorted, but is not required. Is a good idea to weigh the produce beforehand if you want a receipt.
Provides tax receipts. Please have it weighed and have the donor’s name and address available in writing. If they run out of receipts (which has not happened yet this year), you can have them sign your own. In that case, it's quicker if you bring two copies of your pre-prepared receipt so that they can keep one and you can take one. However, they have a copier there. They also like you to sign their donation book.
For more information: Call Manager Dave Drom or Assistant Manager Wayne at 443-5130. [Editor's Note: NBC4 recently reported that this pantry served approximately 8000 families in July 2011].

Faith Mission. Donations can be made at two locations.
1) 599 East 8th Avenue near the fairgrounds. Go to the front door.
2) The Shelter at Long and Sixth Streets downtown. Turn left at the Lafayette Alley. If the kitchen dock is not open (which is where there is usually someone washing something who can take your produce right from your idling car), knock on the first door on the left.
Hours: Monday – Sunday 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Will take anything except pumpkins.
Sorting: Preferably sorted, but need not be bagged. Is a good idea to weigh the produce beforehand if you want a receipt.
Provides tax receipts. Please have it weighed and have the donor’s name and address available in writing. They have their own forms that they will want to fill out while you wait. They sometimes (i.e., usually) run out of receipt forms, so it’s a good idea to bring your own to have them sign.
For more information: Ask for Todd Sawyer or any cook in the kitchen. Phone: 774-7726 or the front desk at 224-6617. If you get an answering machine, it may tell you to contact Glen Kemp, but he has gone to live with the Lord.

Salvation Army. 966 East Main Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205. This is the closest food pantry to the SACG that I know of. You should park on the side and go to the front door. The pantry is just to the right of the front door. It is very, large, sparkling clean, and relatively empty.
Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Will take anything.
Sorting: They prefer the items to be sorted/bagged by type.
Provides tax receipts upon request at the front desk.
For more information, call Euri at 358-2626.

Bishop Griffin Center---St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, 2875 E. Livingston Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43209 -- one block west of James Rd. at the corner of Wellesley Rd. and Livingston. There is parking along Wellesley Road. This pantry is very, very small.
Hours: 9 a.m until noon on Wednesdays and 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Fridays
Will take anything
Sorting: Does not have to be sorting or bagged.
Provides tax receipts upon request.
For more information, contact Marge at rtelerski3318@wowway.com.

Community Kitchen. This is the first soup kitchen in Columbus. Donations can be made at the rear of the building at 640 South Ohio Street.
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Will take anything except eggplant, unusual herbs, peas, chard, and turnips. They prefer bulk amounts so that they can make a whole dish out of it. Smith Farms regularly donates food here.
Sorting: Preferably sorted, but need not be bagged.
Provides tax receipts.
For more information: Ask for Marilyn Oberting at 252-6428. Check out their website at http://www.thecommunitykitchen.org/.

Holy Name Soup Kitchen. Donations can be made at 57 South Grubb Street (off West Broad Street). Go to the front door. There is a blue cart by the door.
Hours: Monday – Friday 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. You may need to pound on the door after 12:30 because that’s when the doors are locked.
Will take anything.
Sorting: Not necessary.
Provides tax receipts. Can be provided if you wait or it will be mailed to you (if you provide names and addresses).
For more information: Phone: 461-9444. Holy Name is currently serving approximately 1200 lunches each day.

Mid-Ohio Food Bank. Donations can be made at its new location at 3960 Brookham Drive in Grove City. Take I-71 South to the Stringtown Road/Exit 100 and turn right. Take the very first right onto Marlanne Drive. You will pass Brookham Drive to the left and then turn left past the large Agency sign. Pull up to the four garage doors and go into the regular/entry door to the left of those doors to tell them that you have a produce donation. They will help you unload your car, weigh your produce and give you a receipt.
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Will take anything.
Sorting: Not necessary, but they prefer that the food be delivered in banana boxes (which you can get from your friendly local grocer) or empty copy paper boxes.
Provides tax receipts. MOFB will weigh your donation on the spot and give you a receipt.
For more information: Call Lori Coleman at 274-7770.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Center. This is a food pantry at 441 Industry Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43204. This is a little tricky because there is no street sign. It is located in the Valley View Commerce Park of office buildings. It is a one-story, long white building across the street from the ODFJS West Opportunity Center.
Hours: Wednesday– Thursday 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Will take anything.
Sorting: Preferably sorted and bagged separately.
Provides tax receipts. You’ll have to fill out the receipt yourself, so it would be a good idea to weigh your produce before dropping it off.
For more information or to schedule a drop-off: Call Alma Santos at 340-7061. The population served by the Center is mostly Latino and Hispanic. They are also accepting donations of clothing (particularly children’s clothes) and household items.

LifeCare Alliance a/k/a Meals on Wheels a/k/a Groceries To Go a/k/a Cancer Clinic a/k/a Project Open Hand. Life Care Alliance has recently consolidated the food pantry operations of the Cancer Clinic and Project Open Hand (which serves the HIV community). It also runs Congregational Dining Centers and Carrie’s Café for ambulatory senior citizens (who do not yet need meals on wheels). Donations can be made 670 Harmon Avenue. Use the pantry entrance between the two handicapped parking spaces. It’s best to call ahead.
Hours: Monday, Wednesday – Friday 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. (There are staff there on Tuesdays, but they are usually stocking shelves and unloading trucks).
Will take anything.
Sorting: Not necessary, but helpful and they prefer that it be washed
Provides tax receipts. Will mail receipts. At drop off, donations should be identified by donor's name and address, product being donated and weight of each product.
For more information: Contact Maurice Elder or Chuck Walters at 670 Harmon Avenue, Columbus, OH 43223 or 614-298-8334.

South Side Settlement House. 310 Innis Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43207
Hours: Monday – Thursday 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Will take anything, except lettuce, pumpkins, chard and radishes
Sorting: Preferably sorted, bagged and washed, but is not required.
Provides tax receipts. Please have donors names available and receipts will be provided upon request on the spot.
For more information: Call Vivian Crowder at 444-9868. http://www.ssshouse.org/

NNEMAP Food Pantry. 1064 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio. (In the Short North. In an abandoned Church at the corner of High and Third. It is in the basement of the same building of Directions for Youth. When coming from the parking lot (which is on the north side of the building), you can take a door to the basement on the east side of the building which does not have a number or butterfly on it. There is a white bell on this door on the east side of the building which you can ring for assistance, but you should come down to the basement on the west side of the building).
Hours: Monthly 1st-19th: M-W-F 8:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Monthly 20th-31st: M-F 8:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Will Take: anything.
Sorted: Not necessary, but it would be nice to have it bagged and sorted.
Provides tax receipts: Upon request. Please have value ready to be inserted.
For more information: Call Roy Clark (an old friend) at 297-0533.

Broad Street Presbyterian Food Pantry, 760 East Broad Street (at the corner of Broad and Garfield -- about 2 blocks east of I-71. There is parking in the back).
Hours: 9- noon Monday through Friday (but arrangements can be made to open at 8 a.m.) and on Saturdays from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Will take: anything, especially greens and tomatoes
Sorted: not necessary
Provides tax receipts upon request
For more information: call Cathy at 203-2544. The pantry serves approximately 100 families/week.

Neighborhood Services, Inc. 1950 North Fourth Street (at the corner of 18th Avenue).
Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Will take: anything
Sorted: not necessary
Provides tax receipt: by mail 10-14 days later upon request
For more information: Call Cheryl at 297-0592 or email at ccarter@neighborhoodservicesinc.org. This pantry serves about 25 families each day.

This list is not exhaustive and will be updated as additional information is provided. Feel free to let me know if you have information about other organizations which take garden produce and I will add them.

Will Allen Is Coming To Columbus in Two Weeks

2011-07-01T11:23:00.005-04:00

Urban Gardening Guru, Will Allen, is coming to Columbus for a reception and two-day workshop in just two weeks.

In 2008, the MacArthur Foundation called Milwaukee’s Will Allen a genius for the work that he has done in developing urban food gardens in poor neighborhoods. In 2010, Time Magazine called him a hero and declared him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

FPC is honored, therefore, to be able to work with Mr. Allen’s new Columbus affiliate, Stiletto Gardener; Franklin Park Conservatory’s Growing to Green program; and other leaders of the Columbus progressive food movement to introduce Columbus to Mr. Allen and his work.

Mr. Allen will begin his visit on Friday, July 15, with a small reception at the Conservatory (1777 East Broad Street, Columbus). The reception will be followed by a keynote address at FPC describing his organization, Growing Power, its philosophy, its methods, and its accomplishments.

On Saturday and Sunday, the 16th and 17th, Mr. Allen will lead two hands-on workshops, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., on the details of urban food gardens, with subjects ranging from how to build a hoop-house to vermiculture to urban aquaponics. See location of workshops at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/174498

Tickets for the keynote address alone are priced at $35; reception and workshop tickets (limited availability) are $50 and $170, respectively, and include free admission to the keynote address. Tickets and more information can be obtained at the following URL: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/174498

Bexley Farmer’s Market Moves Time and Place

2011-06-24T09:13:00.005-04:00

Last night, I rolled my bike over to the new Bexley Farmer’s Market, which is now on Thursdays from 4 until 7 p.m. in the roomy parking lot where Parkview dead-ends into Main Street. (It used to be on Saturday mornings on cramped sidewalks in front of City Hall). This is just ¾ miles south east of the SACG.

To start, G Michaels was offering sautéed ocean scallops over a ragout of applewood smoked bacon, corn and peppers. FOR FREE. It was advertised as a cooking demonstration, but we all got samples. The restaurant owners/chefs live in Bexley and wanted to support the Farmer’s Market with a popular incentive. They don’t come every week, but rumor has it that other restaurants have offered similar incentives in the past. The picture shows where the restaurant stand was – after he tore down the cooking table (because I forgot my camera on my first trip). Next week, the Broad Street Presbyterian Church will be promoting its food pantry.

We were all blessed with our first dry Thursday in a while. A volunteer also handed out cloth tote bags (with the new hours and location of the Farmer’s Market prominently displayed). The bags were paid for by a sponsor (listed on the other side of the bag) and no tax dollars were used:) There were also free copies of edible Columbus, with recipes and stories about local farmer’s markets and even the Franklinton Community Garden.

Brent Rhoads from the Rhoads family farm south of Circleville was there with their family farm stand. There was an article about their family farm in edible Columbus. The family has farmed for 40 years, supports 4 families and 25 seasonal workers. We chatted for a few minutes. They had bok choy ($2/bunch), zucchini and lettuce and red raspberries for sale this week and will add corn, blueberries and blackberries next week. We talked about the SACG’s black raspberries and he warned me to keep them away from red raspberry bushes because they tend to infect each other with viruses. I assured him that I keep my red raspberry bushes in my backyard.

There were two other produce sellers (with slightly different offerings). The cookie lady was sold out by the time I got there at 6 p.m. The bread bakers were almost sold out. The cheese folks had at least 10 different kinds of cheeses to sample (at $6/block). Unfortunately, the most popular – chive and onion – was sold out – as were a few other popular blends. There was a butcher there. I sampled chicken sausage for the first time ($6/pound – four links). There was also a flower farm represented. There was also a jam lady with strawberry champagne, strawberry pepper and a few other flavors I should try sometime.

Of course, it was at the Bexley Farmer’s Market that I discovered the peaches from Legend Hills Orchard. But there was no one there last night from LHO. I was surprised not to see any strawberries.

There were lots of kids, bikes and dogs – Bexley staples. I passed a few lemonade stands on my way there. Perhaps they would have been better placed at the Market . . . . . There was not, however, a compost bin to collect paper plates or half-eaten produce for the Bexley Community Garden . . . .

What Goes Around Comes Around

2011-06-21T15:26:00.007-04:00

The SACG has been extremely blessed this year in making new friends. Gentle readers this year have learned about the Columbus Growing Coalition and God's Gardeners. Peggy Murphy is active in both organizations and has been a blessing to the SACG, as she has been to the Highland Hilltop Community Garden where she spends most of her time.

During the first week of June, Peggy emailed me about a massive donation of seedlings made to the HHCG by Strader's. That evening, I took a flat of cabbage seedlings for the SACG. A couple of weeks ago, Peggy called again to report that Strader's Garden Center was making a second massive donation of seedlings to the HHCG and there was enough to share with their neighbors and other community gardens. I rushed over with my little Jetta and brought back for the SACG flats of marigolds, begonias, impatients, salvia, baby's breath, and some purple flowers as well as a few habanero peppers and seed potatoes. While there, Peggy gave me a tour of the massive HHCG and its amazing new drip irrigation system. Volunteers were busy planting peppers that morning. She showed me their hoop house (which allows them to start seedlings and extend the growing season), where the new children's area (which Home Depot volunteers was building for them) will be and where the new shed that Lowe's is donating will go. The walk-ways were decorated with stones which neighborhood children had painted. It was amazing.

Peggy also showed me some great three-foot flower containers which they would either sell as a fundraiser or use for a children's art project. They had been donated by the community garden operated by Christ the King Catholic Church, about a half-mile southeast of my house on Livingston Avenue. I contacted Marge to see if she had any other containers to donate. She did. I wanted to put a large container at the corner of our lot at Cherry and Stoddart as a memorial to the boy who died there in March. Marge pointed out that we could grow potatoes in them, too. This brought to mind the fact that Barb had planted potatoes in Treva's plot, which Treva then removed and Barb was very sad. I took another pot to plant potatoes for Barb.

The Christ the King community garden primarily grows food for the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry down the street on Livingston Avenue. The garden is right next to the food pantry. There is a picnic table under a large shade tree in the garden where clients and their children can wait. While there, they often tour the garden and ask questions about the food. When I arrived, there was a long line of families waiting. Marge explained that one of the pantry's former clients started a car repair business recently. When he arrived at the garage he had rented, he found several pallets of these large gardening containers and asked Marge if she could put them to good use. He even delivered them. She has used them as an art project for neighborhood children. They have painted them and then planted in them. Marge also showed me their new greenhouse, where they hope to start seedlings next year to give to client families to grow some of their own food at home. She said they had been blessed for many years from donations by Dill's Greenhouse.

Treva made our first food pantry donation run this week. I told her that she could pick any pantry she wanted. She chose to donate her lettuce at St. Vincent de Paul on Livingston Avenue because it is the closest to her apartment.

This morning, Peggy called again. Strader's Garden Center again made a massive and unexpected third donation of seedlings and she needed help distributing them. I emailed the God's Gardener Group, Roger from the First English Lutheran Church Garden, Growing Hearts and Hands CG, and the Bexley Community Garden. I then hopped in my new little Jetta and picked up flats of petunias, tomatoes, lettuce, watermelon and muskmelon and a few cayenne peppers for the SACG, Build the Bridge and Urban Connections. I think we'll try to grow melons in the old pumpkin patch while we starve out the squash bugs this year. I'm hoping that our gardeners will donate their mature lettuce this week and replace them with the new lettuce seedlings. Of course, other community gardens and non-profits were very excited, too. I met Dan from Four Season's City Garden there, who hoped to raise money for their 18 community gardens by selling some flowers in their near-east neighborhoods. I also received an email from Habitat for Humanity, who was similarly excited and eager to put the seedlings to good use.

While telling Cathy at Urban Connections about the seedlings which they can use at their ministry house (and encouraging her to take the kids up to help themselves to our ripe black raspberries), she mentioned that they had volunteers for the next few weeks and might be able to spare a few some evening to help us weed and plant at the SACG. (She also expressed doubts about the tastiness of black raspberries, but I'm still in denial that anyone could find them less than perfect;)

What goes around comes around.

Passionate Learning about Companion Planting

2011-06-09T18:54:00.007-04:00

It’s hardly a newsflash that it is seriously hot outside. It was at least 89 degrees at 6:30 p.m. last night. You have to be seriously passionate about gardening to attend an outdoor workshop on Companion Planting, but 10 hearty folks did yesterday at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden. Franklin Park Conservatory’s own Barb Arnold visited the SACG to educate us about the benefits of companion planting and answered a host of other questions as well. The workshop was well attended, especially considering the heat. I brought water, popsicles and frozen juice bars for everyone.

Barb gave each of us a chart showing plant friends (which you should plant together) and frenemies (which you should not plant together). Some plants attract good bugs (like lady bugs) to eat pesky aphids, while others lure aphids away (like nasturtium). Basil is good for a lot of plants because its aroma repeals bad bugs (like tomato worms). Planting pole beans next to corn puts nitrogen in the soil (which benefits the greedy corn). Then planting zucchini near the beans and corns creates a large barrier (with its prickly stems) to varmints.

For bug control, you can try:
• Sprinkling cat nip tea on eggplant and potatoes to deter flea beetles (which had infested the potatoes in the Hawkins family plot).
• Beans protect eggplant from the Colorado potato beetle
• Basil repels aphids, flies, mosquitoes and mites.
• Garlic, chives and leeks repel aphids, weevils, carrot flies, moles, red spiders, BUT is not good to be near beans or peas
• Cilantro repels aphids
• Geranimums (particularly white ones) repel cabbage worms and Japanese beetles.
• Marigolds deter Mexican bean beetles and nematodes.
• Mustard greens are a trap crop which attack numerous insects and can be removed and destroyed before the other crops are harmed.
• Nasturtium repel cucumber beetles, whiteflies and squash bugs. They attract aphids and should be removed and discarded when they are covered with ants or aphids.
• Radishes deter cucumber beetles, but radishes planted this time of year will be extra spicy.
• Thyme deters flea beetles, cabbage worm, etc.

Barb also discussed how important it was to plant at the proper time of year. Soil temperature has a huge affect on the germination of seeds. It will be a good time to plant melons in another week. You can find out the current soil temperature by googling OARDC weather. This Ohio State University program tests soil temperature every five minutes at 2 and four inches in Columbus.

She also discouraged us from planting zucchini, pumpkins or summer squash before mid-June in order to avoid the first egg-laying cycle of squash bugs.

The workshop was well attended with Barb and Diane from the Bexley Community Garden, Richard, Annie (the unpictured photographer) and baby from Growing Hands and Hearts Community Garden on Oak Street and Louise, Betty, Charlie, Fred and me from the SACG. Rayna came as we were ending (to get a flier and water her plot). After everyone cleared out, Barbara came by to weed and thin her plot and brought 5 of her 15 grandchildren with her. We had fun picking strawberries and carrots.

On another note, the GHH garden is planning an arts in the garden program for area children beginning July 19 (if they get funding).

God’s Gardeners Meet to Prepare for August 20 Kick Off Event

2011-06-09T10:42:00.008-04:00

[Editor's Note: The Gala has been moved from August 20 to September 10, 2011]

On Tuesday, a group of about 24 God’s Gardeners met at Christ Lutheran Church in Bexley to discuss efforts to create and support 200 new church-supported community gardens in Central Ohio for the 2012 bicentennial of Columbus next year. I floated between this meeting and my monthly Knitwits group and so have incomplete information to report. Peggy provided fresh fruit and a chocolate ice cream cake from the Bexley Graeters and I supplied 1.5 quarts of fresh strawberries I picked on Friday.

Bill Dawson, Coordinator of Franklin Park Conservatory’s Growing to Green Program, attended to explain what he, the twelve FPC hub gardens and FPC could do to support new and existing community gardens. He discussed the Chase Garden Academy which offers workshops to help community garden leaders. He needs every community garden to complete a survey of needs so that he can match them up with available resources as they become available. He is also available to consult. FPC is establishing twelve hub gardens in Central Ohio to also act as a mentoring resource for Central Ohio community gardens. The hub gardens can share ideas, resources and training. Representatives from four hub gardens were present:

Marge Telerski *Christ the King Catholic Church *rtelerski3318@wowway.com *(614) 237-0720
Peggy Murphy *Highland Garden / Church Collaboration *psmurphy@wowway.com *(614) 260-5767
Susannah Evans *Epworth United Methodist Church *susannahevans@hotmail.com *(614) 578-0171
Moi *Christ Lutheran Church / Stoddart Avenue *gardenmgr@gmail.com *http://stoddartgarden.blogspot.com/

Bill also announced that FPC is working on putting together an educational event on July 15 featuring Will Allen from Growing Power. Details to follow. The annual Growing to Green Awards ceremony will be on August 25 at the community garden campus at FPC. The ceremony follows a community potluck tent dinner. Gardens may nominate themselves for the awards (which come with financial prizes). Then Bill had to flee to the airport to fly off to another exotic location, undoubtedly to assist them with starting another community garden.

Attendees took turns reporting the activities of their community gardens or desires to start one. Attendees could discuss ideas and offer tangible and emotional support.

Peggy Murphy had a great story about Highland-Hilltop Garden. She reported that they had sought a $4K grant from the City this year to establish a drip irrigation system. They only received $600, but then a check for $2,100 suddenly appeared from a Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania and they were able to install their new irrigation system. Their garden is collaboration of a number of different churches. The Presbyterian Church in Louisville provided the substantial amount of grant funding. The Garden is located on land owned by the Baptist Church. The Lutheran Church acts as their 501(c)(3) fiscal agent (to administer grants) and the Methodist Church supplies their water.

Peggy also reported that Stader’s Nursery AGAIN is donating more flats of flowers and vegetables. They may be picked up before 1 p.m. TODAY from Highland-Hilltop garden.

Advent United Church of Christ on North Cassady Avenue is having a fish fry this Saturday. Dr. Larkins from Dayton will be making a presentation on building a community through community gardens.

Another church was gathering 30 nearby churches on Saturday to work on building a community garden program.

Wendy Finch McCusker related plans for the giant God’s Gardener’s kick off gala for August 20 at Highland-Hilltop community garden. It sounds very entertaining.

The next meeting of God’s Gardeners will be on Tuesday July 19th 6:30pm to 8:30pm Christian Assembly 4099 Karl Road 43224 Entrance B.

If you want more information about God’s Gardners, please contact Wendy Finch McCusker at wfinchmc@columbus.rr.com or Peggy Murphy.

The Joys of Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

2011-06-04T11:47:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I went to Hann Farms and picked 13 pounds of strawberries (at $1.50/pound). I then canned 4 pints of strawberry jam (which for the first time in my life, jelled perfectly the first time). I also froze 3.5 quarts to later use in smoothies and cocktails. And I put aside 1.5 quarts for the God's Gardener's group which is meeting at Christ Lutheran Church on Tuesday, June 8, 2011 at 6:30. And I put aside 1 quart to make strawberry shortcake for myself. But I still had 2 quarts left and I got the hankering to pull my ice cream maker out of mothballs and see if it would really be that much trouble to make my own ice cream.

A few days ago, I saw an article online comparing the cost of homemade ice cream to store bought. They were comparable if you factored in the cost of the ice cream maker. Since I already own one, there's no real comparison. So, then I went to the handy-dandy epicurious.com site to search for ice cream recipes. I was dreading making my own custard from scratch (because I did not want to heat up my kitchen any more than I already do in making and canning jam). However, the highest rated recipe did not require any eggs or cooking. I modified it as suggested by several of the prior readers. It was easy as pie and tasted fabuloso this morning. I'm now going to try it with a variety of different fruits. I wonder if it will work as well with chocolate (the Achilles heel of my weight-loss goals). . . . . . .

Hard-To Mess Up Strawberry Ice Cream

Yields 1.5 quarts.

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries
½ cup sugar (but you can use ¾ cup or less or, I'm told, substitute maple syrup)
3 or 4 large squirts of lemon juice. I probably used ¼ cup
A few shakes of salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup half-n-half (or, I'm told whole milk, more whipping cream, etc.)

Directions:

Wash, core and mash the strawberries. Mix with sugar, juice and salt.

Put strawberry mixture in blender. Pour the cream and/or milk on into the blender. Puree.

Pour strawberry contents in a container. Chill it. (I put it in a deep freezer for 30 minutes or you could put it in the refrigerator for a few hours).

Set up your ice cream maker. Mine is electric and holds 4 quarts of ice cream. I put it in the utility tub in the basement, so that I could easily drain it later without much mess. Pour 7 pounds of ice and 1.5 cups of rock salt around the tub in alternating layers.

Pour chilled strawberry mixture into the ice cream container of the maker. Put in the stirring device and start your machine. Let it process for about 40 minutes. It should look like pink whipped mashed potatoes when it's ready.

You can freeze the ice cream in your tub, but I took it out and spooned it back into the container and put it in the freezer. Give it at least between 4-6 hours before eating.

Yumm. Yumm. Yumm.

Remember that it will not have the same consistency as store-bought ice cream because it does not have those special chemicals. There will be some ice crystals unless you put plastic wrap over the ice cream in the container before putting it in the freezer. Don't forget to leave at least an inch at the top of the container for the ice cream to expand as it freezes.

[Editor's Note: After posting this recipe, Jeni Bauer -- from Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream -- released her new cookbook -- Jeni's Splendic Ice Cream at Home -- on making ice cream and other frozen treats at home. She also had written an article for Food and Wine magazine with a few recipes. She addresses the the consistency issue with homemade ice cream like this:

Boil the cream/sugar mixture first.

Mix a 1.3 tablespoons corn starch with two tablespoons of milk, add to the cream.sugar mixture and bring to a boil again.

Add a couple of tablespoons of whipped cream cheese

Put a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the ice cream before putting it in the freezer (to keep ice crystals from forming on top)

I tried some of these tips yesterdays (I heated the cream and sugar mixture first and then brought it to a boil only after adding the corn starch). I pureed the cream cheese with the strawberries and added the hot cream mixture to the strawberries before chilling. I also used berries I had frozen and then defrosted from my first trip to Hann's without any loss of flavor. Still Yumm Yumm Yumm].

Rumor has it that it will last a few weeks in the freezer. I'll let you knowJ It's never lasted that long at my house:)

Columbus Growing Coalition Breaks For Summer

2011-06-03T08:37:00.006-04:00

Last night, the Greater Columbus Growing Coalition met at the Florentine Restaurant on the near West Side for its last meeting for the summer.

Highland Youth Community Garden. When I arrived, Peggy Murphy was giving a presentation about the Highland Youth Garden in the Hilltop on the near West Side. She discussed in detail their recent experience with installing a drip irrigation water system and what's involved in hooking up to City water. They do not know how much it will cost for the season, but the Weinland Park Community Garden folks suggested that it could run from $350 to $900 for the season (depending on the weather). Ms. Strader from the City's Public Utilities Department was present to answer questions about other water options and tentative plans by the City Health Department to lease 550-gallon water tanks (like the one at the SACG) to City Land Bank Community Gardens so that they could harvest rain water or perhaps purchase water from the City Service Department (that could be delivered by street cleaning trucks). However, this idea is very tentative. We also discussed the need to also purchase a deduct meter (so that the garden is not charged for sewage in addition to water) and the cost involved in turning on and turning off the city tap at the beginning and end of each season. It was surprisingly expensive.

Peggy also announced that Strader's Nursery had been extremely generous and donated 300 flats of tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, etc. to the Highland Hilltop Garden yesterday. Hundreds of neighbors descended on the garden to share in the good fortune. The ever-so-helpful Patrick Kaufman from the Franklinton Community Garden loaded up the back of his yellow pickup truck with flats of tomatoes and cabbage for the rest of us to share. I brought back a flat of cabbage seedlings for the SACG. (When I arrived at the SACG, I found Charlie, Louise and Fred there finishing up the cultivation of our last two plots. We are now fully cultivated for the season and will not have room for more gardeners unless people drop out. Frank had also installed our wonderful gates. Louise wasted no time in putting cabbage into the ground).

Group Discussion. The Coalition then engaged in a discussion of what we would like to accomplish as a group. Some people felt that improvement was needed in publicizing the existence of the group and time/place of the meetings. There was discussion about creating a Facebook page (which won't help me because I am not on Facebook and do not plan to join in the foreseeable future). The group liked sharing resources (such as the seeds that were shared in our last meeting) and the seedlings in this meeting. Trish thought that we should do a better job of setting out alternatives for community gardens based on our level of resources. Some gardens have no money and need leads for free or shared resources. Others have grant funds and can adopt more elaborate options (like backflow watering systems). Patrick would like to have a list of experts on various topics (like pruning fruit trees) so that he would know who to call on a particular topic.

Announcements.

There will be a FREE gardening workshop at the SACG on Wednesday, June 8 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss companion planting. Barb Arnold from the Franklin Park Conservatory will be leading the discussion. It would be a good idea to bring a folding chair.

Derrick announced that http://www.columbusartmobile.com/ had free art for community gardens. The art is created by local youths. Contact columbusartmobile@gmail.com

Growing Hearts and Hands Community Garden on Oak Street is having a workshop on preserving produce through dehydration on July 19 at 1:00 p.m.

There will be No GCGC Meeting in July and August because we are all so busy with our gardens. If you want to get on the GCGC email list, contact Noreen Warnock at Local Matters (because she is having trouble reading everyone's handwriting from the sign-in list): nwarnock@local-matters.org.

Peggy announced that the God's Gardeners will be meeting on Tuesday, June 7 at 6:30 at Christ Lutheran Church in Bexley to discuss plans to start 200 new church-supported community gardens in Columbus in 2012. (I will be strawberry picking this morning and will bring some to the meeting as an inducement -- if they are still edible:).

Finally, I am sad to report that the Franklinton Garden did not win $50K from the Pepsi Refresh project competition. Patrick said it was a good experience and they gained some new volunteers and contacts from the attempt. :(

Strawberry Season is Upon Us

2011-06-01T13:57:00.005-04:00

For the last few years, the SACG gardeners have taken a road trip to pick strawberries at local U-Pick farms in Central Ohio. We grow our own strawberries at the SACG, but the neighborhood kids are pretty good at scavenging them for snacks throughout the week and we cannot harvest enough to make jam or pies. As usual, I've called around to get the most recent price for picking your own strawberries (which are usually on sale for $2.50/pound at your local Krogers).

a. Hann Farms 4600 Lockbourne Road has u-pick strawberries $1.50/pound (a penny increase over last year). This is the closest u-pick farm to Bexley, but the trip there is a little tricky (through an industrial district in Obetz, etc.). Beth and I picked strawberries there a few years ago and it was depressing to see how many of the berries were rotting in the field. Beth made a strawberry pie with them. You can pick 10-6 Monday through Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday. I was warned that the fields are very wet this year. You must pay with cash or check. Call 491-0812 for more information. [Editor's Note: It's not too wet. It took a while to pick 13 pounds of ripe strawberries, but there were very few rotten ones. Today is the perfect day to pick because it's cool and not too sunny. On the downside, I drove around for a while trying to find this place.]

b. Schact Farms, 5950 Shannon Road in Canal Winchester, $1.99/pound (nine cents more than last year). This is the next closest to Bexley. This is where we went the last two years. They also have an extensive pumpkin patch. They accept cash, credit cards and WIC. Because of the anticipated heat wave, they are opening extra early so that we do not roast in the fields. Starting tomorrow, you can begin picking at 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. However, be forewarned that the Pickerington High School graduation is this Saturday morning and will be across the street. Call 833-1932 for more information.

c. Jacquenmin Farm, (between Plain City and Dublin), $1.9/pound (a 5% increase over last year). I visited here three years ago with my nieces and it is very quaint and very close to Dublin and Sports Ohio. They have a nice system of having you leave a flag where you left off so that the next person knows where to start picking. They've just opened for the season. They are opened 8-5. Call 873-5725 for more information.

d. Doran Farms, 5462 Babbitt Rd. New Albany, $1.69/pound (same price as last year). I've never been there, but have heard good things about it. They are opening tomorrow. They will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day until the strawberries are gone. Call 855-3885 for more information.

e. Circle S Farm, 9015 London-Groveport Rd west of Grove City. They will not be opening for u-pick for another few days (at least). I went here a few years ago with my niece and it's a nice, large farm, but is way, way out in the country.

Last year, strawberry season lasted until Mid-June.

Companion Planting Workshop Planned at SACG

2011-05-27T08:32:00.001-04:00

You -- and your friends and co-gardeners -- are cordially invited to a FREE workshop being held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden by Franklin Park Conservatory on companion planting. FPC Educational Coordinator, Barb Arnold, will be discussing the what and how-to's of companion planting. Learn about attractors, distracters and shared space usage. In other words, what plants should you plant next to each other to deter bad bugs and attract good bugs. For instance, basil is good to plant next to tomatoes, dill is good next to cabbage, but you should not plant beans and onions or garlic together, etc.

Barb will have handouts, etc.

The Stoddart Avenue Community Garden is located at 445 Stoddart Avenue (1/4 block north of East Main Street and 3/4 blocks south of Bryden) between Fairwood and Kelton Avenues.

Although we have a couple of benches, you might want to bring a folding chair.

Refreshments will be served. RSVPs are appreciated, but not necessary.

As an aside, the SACG strawberries are beginning to ripen and lots of children stopped by on Wednesday to begin harvesting themJ

Interesting Gardening Classes this Weekend at Franklin Park Conservatory

2011-05-15T09:03:00.002-04:00

Of course, the day I had set aside to plant my tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, Franklin Park Conservatory would offer three classes which I would really, really like to take. Perhaps you feel the same way. Here they are:

Companion Plants Learn the what and how-to’s of companion planting. Learn about attractors, distracters and shared space usage.
Saturday, May 21, 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members
________________________________________
IPM – Integrated Pest Management Looking for a more environmentally sound approach to controlling pests in the garden? Learn how to beat the bad bugs and how to promote good bugs while caring for your plants.
Saturday, May 21, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members, $15 for Ohio Farm Bureau Members
________________________________________
Pollinator Garden Design Learn the how-to’s and why’s of creating a pollinators’ (butterflies, bees and birds) garden. Learn how plants use flower shapes, fragrance and color to attract specific pollinators. Tips on keeping the plants and pollinators happy will be shared.
Saturday, May 21, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members
________________________________________
For additional information or to register, please call the registrar at 614.645.5923 or DOWNLOAD A REGISTRATION FORM HERE

FPN Block Watch Begins Beautification Project Across from the SACG

2011-05-14T14:11:00.004-04:00

While we at the SACG wait for the evening temperatures to reliably stay above 50 degrees so that we can plant our peppers, tomatoes and other summer seedlings, the Franklin Park Neighborhood Block Watch (FPNBW) began a beautification project across the street on Stoddart Avenue. The FPANBW has sponsored a couple of litter pick-ups along Stoddart Avenue in the last month, including this morning. Co-Chair Susan mowed grass along the median. They also licensed the lot across the street from the SACG from the City of Columbus for a beautification project. They broke ground this morning for a small bed of perennial flowers.

Watching them break the sod up with nothing but sweat and shovels, I offered them the use of the SACG roto-tiller, which had been donated to us last year by the Cougar Group. Frank went to pick it up. As pictured, Rick made good use of it to break up the sod for the new flower bed (with Co-Chair Barb waiting with a watering can and the SACG in the background).

Luckily, the tiller was available for them because I had earlier promised it for the new community garden sponsored by First English Lutheran Church further down Main Street. The First English garden is directly behind the East Main Street Police Station, along the alley. However, it because difficult for them to schedule a pick up time and they ended up passing on it just this morning. This was good news for the Block Watch.

Of course, Barb and I could not help but agree that it would be great to have a bench near those trees to have a shady place to sit when we've been working in the hot sun at the SACG. (If you've never been there, we have no shade at the SACG; it's all sun all the time).

Greater Columbus Growing Coalition: Pas Deux

2011-05-06T08:52:00.007-04:00

Last evening was the fourth meeting of the Greater Columbus Growing Coalition at Barley's Smokehouse on Dublin Road in Grandview. There were about 30 people there, even though it was Cinqo de Mayo and we all had somewhere else to be.

Franklinton Gardens. The meeting began with a show and tell presentation by Patrick Kaufman, co-Director of the Franklinton Gardens. Franklinton current has four sites and is planning on doubling in size this summer. The first site started in 2007 as a family plot garden with plots costing $5/plot and including seeds, tutoring and tools. The next three sites are food production lots, which donates food to area pantries and shelters. With the overwhelming success of the Local Matters Vege Van, Franklinton opened its own produce market, which is staffed by volunteers six days/week and accepts food stamps. Like the Growing Power program in Milwaukee, they collect 10K pounds in food waste from area restaurants and yard waste from the City of Grandview to create their own compost. They are in the process of rehabbing a vacant property in their neighborhood which will house their unpaid interns over the summer. They also participate with Franklin County Job and Family Services as an approved worksite where recipients of government cash assistance can work between 20-35 hours/week as a condition of government assistance to develop work skills. A few generous donors have also made it possible to hire unemployed neighbors as day labors to work in the food production gardens in order to provide them with a legal source of income. Important: They are a competing in the Pepsi Refresh project. The top 10 vote-getters will receive $50K. Everyone reading this blog must vote for Franklinton Gardens once each day until the end of May. You can vote at www.refresheverything.com/franklintongardens or text 106216 to Pepsi (73774). So far, out of 400 gardens competing, they are ranked 50^th.

Next Coalition Meeting. First Thursday of June; June 2 at the Florentine Restaurant at 907 West Broad Street.

Food Safety. Shari Plimpton, Ph.Ds from the Center for Innovative Food Technologies then spoke for about an hour about growing, harvesting and serving food safely. She works for a non-profit in the Toledo area which counsels farms about food safety to reduce outbreaks of salmonella and e coli, etc. From the perspective of the SACG and other urban community gardens, the primary concern Dr. Plimpton identified was a risk of salmonella from our rain barrels. Salmonella comes from bird waste. Typically, we think chickens. However, there is bird poop on the roofs and gutters of the BTBO office and that is where our rain water comes from that fills our rain barrels and rain tank. All of that poop is washed into the barrels and tank. So, we should not use that water to wash our hands, or our food. We should also be careful not to spread that water on our fruit of our plants. She suggested that we sanitize the water with chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. (2 tablespoons per 5 gallons of water). She also was not a big fan of manure, but she had a hostile audience on that pointJ She also recommended that anyone operating a produce stand take the free Serve Safe class from the Department of Health. Her employer also has a federal grant to offer free food safety training and site/GAP assessments until the end of June – so sign up if you're interested. She can be reached at shari.plimpton@eisc.org.

Announcements.

We're trying to create a logo for the Coalition. We discussed some expectations. Interested artists should contact Steering Committee members: Roger Beck, Dana Messmer, Peggy Murphy, Noreen Warmock, and Andrew Proud.

Trish from the Animals Garden at Hudson and 4^th says volunteers can help every Sunday between 11 and 2ish. She'll be there even this Sunday (i.e., Mother's Day) without her kids.

Kojo is holding a workshop with some folks from Dayton.

God's Gardens is still trying to coordinate 200 church supported community gardens in time for the 200^th birthday of the City of Columbus by next February 2012. Their last meeting was at Epworth United Methodist Church. Their next meeting is the First Tuesday of the month (June 7) and is tentatively being held at Christ Lutheran Church, 2314 East Main Street in Bexley (along COTA #2 line) at 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Contact Peggy Murphy for details at psmurphy@wowway.com .

Seeds. I brought two half-paper grocery bags full of Botanical Interests seeds to share with the community gardens at the Coalition. However, the ladies from Epworth Methodist Church brought four giant plastic containers filled with Livingston seeds to share with everyone. Andrew also brought some seedlings to share with everyone.

We ran late tonight and had to postpone part of the agenda. Besides, I had to run home to make a margarita.

The Few and the Mighty

2011-05-01T14:01:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden had its first dry Saturday in a month. We put the time to good use, even though only a few of our hardy volunteers showed up. Wright's Tree Service donated and delivered (as it has for the last three years) about 20 cubic yards of wood chips. Then, Beth, Mike, Charlie and I used shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows to spread them along the paths, around the fence lines and around the raised beds until there were no more chips left. This is hard work. Luckily, the weather was very pleasant and not too hot.

Afterwards, Charlie and Tom tilted the shed so that the gutter would drain better into the rain barrel. Then we created a tent area between compost bin to make a dry place to store our tomato stakes. (Bless Build a Bridge of Ohio, Org. for dumping grass clippings in our compost bin!). Finally, Tom and I picked up and delivered our last rain barrel from my house to the west side of BTBO.

Lynda from Growing Hands & Hearts Community Garden on Oak Street stopped by for some seeds. We also had some visitors stop by asking for spinach and tomatoes (even though nothing is growing quite yet).

Meanwhile, we have sold all but seven strawberry pots. So, it's not too late to get an extra pot if you want one . . . . . J

Strawberries for Stoddart

2011-04-24T13:51:00.007-04:00

From its inception, the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden has had a strawberry patch. Last year, we added a second patch in a large raised bed along Cherry Street. Nothing brings kids to a Garden like the chance to pick a ripe, red strawberry. Some of our strawberry plants were donated last year by Oakland Nursery. Of course, if you know anything about strawberries, you know that they have lots of children themselves and will quadruple their number in a very short period.

Our abundance is now your gain because on our first work day of 2011, several of our gardeners (Treva, Rayna, Nykkel, Beth and Betty) thinned our strawberry patches, captured the ones that had spread into our flower beds and saved them just for you. I separated them out and planted 5-8 sets of crowns/roots into pots and these 26 pots have sat in my flower garden for the last two weeks. They've lived this long, so I think they are hardy enough to make it to your garden.

We have a mix of June-bearing and ever-bearing. I cannot tell them apart until the berries ripen (which will not be for at least another month). So, you will have to bear with me that I can't tell you what kind of berry you're getting.

A pot can be yours for the suggested donation of $3. The pots are just black and not the pretty strawberry pot pictured (although you can purchase this, too, for $10). I will warn you in advance that when I used to grow berries in my backyard, the mice usually got to them before I did. However, it also made a great place for my cats to lie in wait for the mice to venture from the garage so that they could pounce on them. . . .

Plants will be sold first come first served. Barb already got two and Cozy just ordered 6, so you do the math. . . . You can email me at GardenMgr@gmail.com to reserve your order. You can pick them up directly from me or after the 11:00 a.m. service at Christ Lutheran Church in Bexley on May 1, 2011.

Caring for strawberries is relatively easy. Here are some tips for the OSU Plant Line on strawberries:

Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet -- Horticulture and Crop Science

Strawberries are well suited for planting in the home garden since they produce
fruits very quickly, and require a relatively small amount of space. Each plant
may produce up to one quart of fruit when grown in a matted row during the first
fruiting year. Twenty-five plants will normally produce enough strawberries for an average sized family. Production usually declines during the second and third
years of fruiting; therefore a new planting should be established after
strawberry plants produce fruits for more than 3 to 4 years for maximum production.

Planting Site Requirements for Strawberry Plants

Strawberry plants require full sun for the maximum yield and the best quality. They will grow and produce crops in several different types of soil. However, best results are obtained when the plants are grown in loose, fertile soils containing large quantities of organic matter. The soil should be slightly acidic, having a pH of 5.8 to 6.5. If the extent of soil acidity or fertility is unknown, it is suggested that the soil be sampled and tested.

The strawberry plant is sensitive to excessive soil moisture. Strawberries should be planted in raised beds or on ridges if drainage is a problem. Also, avoid planting strawberry plants in areas where potatoes, tomatoes, or sod were grown recently. Insect and disease problems may result in serious plant damage in such areas.

Planting and Spacing

Early spring is the best time to plant strawberry plants as long as soil is not too wet. Fall planting is not recommended because plants can be injured by soil heaving (alternate freezing and thawing). Strawberry plants have roots, a crown, and leaves (Figure 3). The crown is a short stem between the roots and leaves.

When planting, make sure to cover the roots and only half of the crown with soil. Make a trench deep enough to set the roots vertically. Do not bend roots horizontally.

June-bearing plants are spaced 12 to 24 inches apart. On close-spaced plants, runners are controlled by removing unwanted runners during the first season. In August, rows should be 18 to 24 inches wide with plants 6 to 8 inches apart in the row. Generally rows are 36 to 40 inches apart. A circular terrace can be used if one has limited space.

For day-neutral strawberries, plants are set 8 to 12 inches apart in the row with 30 to 36 inches between rows. Remove runners throughout the first season and remove flowers for the first 6 weeks after planting. Mulch the planting with 3 to 4 inches of straw or wood chips to conserve moisture.

Additional information is available from the OSU Extension website.

SACG Celebrates Earth Day by Picking Up Litter and Dodging Rain Drops

2011-04-16T13:09:00.002-04:00

This morning, a hardy band of volunteers from the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden dodged rain drops and picked up at least 20 garbage bags of litter from Stoddart Avenue before having to call it a day in the face of inclement weather. We had help from SACG Gardeners Jeff (who picked up the supplies from Keep Columbus Beautiful), Barb (Franklin Park Neighborhood Block Watch Co-Chair), Mari (not pictured), Dave, Treva, Charlie (who tilled our garden for us yesterday), me and Tom . We also had help from neighbor, Dante. We would have gotten more done if an intense thunder cell hadn’t trapped us a mere 90 seconds after this picture was taken.

When it stopped raining, we disposed of the garbage bags and helped ourselves to seeds, brownies and mango juice.

When the ground dries out a bit, I’ll mark the plots and grab some help to fill our neighbor plot.

SACG to Celebrate Earth Day

2011-04-15T07:24:00.009-04:00

The Stoddart Avenue Community Garden will be celebrating Earth Day on Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. with two projects:

Oakland Nursery has again generously donated a flat of cold weather crops (i.e., broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, greens, etc.) to plant in the neighborhood plots along Cherry Street. If the wood chips are delivered today, we will then be spreading wood chips on the paths, along the fence line and around the raised beds. If our human tiller and motor tiller can find each other and dry ground this afternoon, we will begin planting in our plots.

We will be supporting the Franklin Park Neighborhood Block Watch inaugural event by assisting with a litter clean up of Stoddart Avenue and the alley between Stoddart Avenue and Morrison. Jeff picked up litter clean-up supplies (i.e., trash bags, and litter grabbers) from Keep Columbus Beautiful to help us in this effort. This is a particularly important endeavor because someone broke into our shed on Wednesday night, completely broke off the latch and disposed of the lock and then took our hand tiller/cultivator and garden rake. They apparently also took one of our blueberry bushes. Sigh:( The cultivator and rake have our intials -- SACG -- written onto them, so please keep your eyes out for them.

Then, weather permitting, we may have a cookout or head over to the Growing Hearts and Hands Community Garden on Oak Street between Miller and Kelton for their cookout on their Community Garden's Opening Work Day.

There will be free seeds and other goodies for volunteers.

Many hands make light work . . . .. The more the merrier. . . . . . You get the picture.

Be there or be square!

Enter: Columbus Growing Coalition

2011-04-13T20:49:00.010-04:00

About 10 days ago, I received a call from Richard Harris, who is one of the founders and managers of the Growing Hearts and Hands Community Garden on Oak Street between Miller and Kelton. He had read about our recent troubles and called to chat about our respective gardens. They started about the same time as the SACG three years ago. I had actually looked at that site before settling on Stoddart. Unlike the SACG, their garden is exclusively raised beds. Their opening day for the season is this Saturday, from 9-3 and they have invited all of us over for their luncheon cookout (while probably hoping that we’ll stay and help them build more raised beds). Ms. Pepper (remember her from last year) is going to be holding a children’s art program there and will, among other things, teach kids how to make dyes from food. All Stoddart neighborhood children are invited to attend. He also said that they would be hosting a National Night Out Block Party on August 2 and invited us to participate.

Near the end of our conversation, he mentioned that there would be a meeting of the new Columbus Coalition of Community Garden’s at St. John’s church on West Town Street on Thursday. He would be speaking about his garden and invited me to attend. Their fiscal agent is Four Season’s City Garden. They’ve been challenged by a water shortage because they do not have our rain storage capacity or a nearby roof from which to harvest rain.

The Columbus Growing Coalition is being formed and supported by Local Matters. There is even a paid staff member assigned to assist us, but no budget. There were roughly 30 people at the meeting.

When I arrived, I sat next to a woman from the Godman Guild’s garden and across from Peggy Murphy, who was one of the founders of the Highland Hilltop garden and helped Richard start his garden. She immediately set about trying to recruit me to join God’s Gardeners, a local movement to start 200 more church-supported gardens in Columbus in honor of our city’s bicentennial. Their second meeting was last night (and was listed on our Calendar of Events on this site) at East Baptist Church on East Broad Street. She reported that the Presbyterian Church has been instrumental with financial support in starting community gardens. For more information, contact Peggy at psmurphy@wowway.com.

You will find yourself a partner In the Glory of the Garden. Oh,
Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener's
work is done upon his knees, So when your work is finished, you can wash your
hands and pray For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away!

-- Kipling

Andrew Proud explained that this was but the third meeting of the coalition. The first meeting was at Barley’s on Dublin Road in Grandview. We’ll be meeting at Barley’s again on May 5. Richard spoke about his garden and explained that they were putting in a back flow water system with soaker hoses. He did not have a cost estimate yet.

Soil Testing. The main event – and well worth an evening away from my television -- was a presentation by Dr. Dahler from CLC Labs at 325 Venture Drive in Westerville. He can be reached at 888-1663. Many of the gardens in attendance had submitted samples of their soil to his lab to be tested. Dr. Dahler provided them each with detailed reports of the nutrients in their soil and then discussed some of them in great detail (with a powerpoint presentation for the rest of us). I learned that:

overwatering is bad for plants because it fills prevents the roots from taking up oxygen from the gaps in the soil. Who knew?

Worthington Oak trees are dying from a lack of iron.

He discussed improving the nitrogen content of soil with Ammonium sulfate (which is a great acidifier and does best if first dissolved in water and spread evenly over the garden).

Calcium is also good for raising pH. Corn, squash and peppers need lots of nitrogen, but tomatoes do not.

Turf seed starter fertilizer is a good source of phosphorus, which is otherwise pretty expensive and can also be obtained from bone meal (from marine animals).

Potassium can be obtained from sunflower seed ash and wood ashes (which are otherwise mostly made of calcium).

Magnesium is necessary for the manufacture of chlorophyll and can be obtained from regular Epsom salt.

Dr. Dahler directed us to the organic garden bible, a website sponsored by the organic materials review institute at http://www.omri.org/. This is where you can learn about what products are approved for organic gardening. The information is free.

This, of course, is just a taste of all of the truly fascinating information he provided during his 45 minute presentation.

Announcements. Michael Doody (595-3826) is with a garden at 17th and Kossuth on land owned by the Salvation Army. Sadly, the Army wants to sell it and they are desperate to raise funds to purchase it after all of the time and effort they’ve spent over the years improving the soil. If you can help, call Michael asap.

Dan Downing – from Highland Youth Garden in the Hilltop – surveyed the group for gardens large enough and on non-urban lots which need a tractor to till their land. He suggested that they pool their resources to collectively rent a tractor and share it. They would get a discount that way. I, of course, volunteered our new tiller.

Yolanda – from Weinland Park – reminded everyone about the Lighten Up Earth Day events (which the SACG is also part of). On April 30, the Weinland Garden will be hosting a Grub and Groove at the stage in their garden. (A stage??!!). Transit Arts will be participating, as well as PBG & Jazz for kids. There will be food demonstrations, too.

August 21 is the Highland Hilltop Garden celebration. All are invited.

The City of Columbus has budgeted $60K to support community gardens this year (compared to $500K in Cleveland and in other major cities). The City will be announcing the grant recipients at the April 23 Earth Day festival at Franklin Park Conservatory.

Trish – from Local Matters – introduced herself as our garden angel to fill gaps that Bill Dawson (by himself) cannot fill. She is trying to fill a void and will in the near term be focusing on solving our water issues. They are working on getting farms to donate manure and then how to get it distributed to all of the community gardens to compost. They are looking for someone to donate a truck . . . . .

So that is how I spent last Thursday evening. The next meeting is May 5 at Barley’s on Dublin Road in Grandview. The presentation will be by the Franklinton Gardens. Be there or be square.

Sometimes You’re the Bat; Sometimes the Ball

2011-04-10T09:53:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was the opening day for our third growing season at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden. As in years past, we had great weather (i.e., dry). We also had great volunteers.

When Beth and I arrived with the supplies at 9, Rayna was already there pruning and transplanting raspberry bushes. She continued with that task for quite a while. As a result, we were able to plant raspberry bushes along the west fence this year and to give a few to Master Gardener Barb from the Bexley Community Garden (who came to volunteer).

New Gardeners Dave and Treva as well as Charter Gardener Betty picked up several bags of litter around the SACG lot.

New Gardener Tom flipped our three compost bins. As you can see from the picture, he was very gung-ho about this and squashed the partially decomposed stalks and vines (like grapes in a wine press) to compact it. He decided that this would be his primary assignment for the remainder of the season. You go Tom!

Treva, Nykell, Barb and Beth spent most of the morning harvesting, thinning and potting strawberry plants from our two plots and from where they had spread in the flower bed. Rayna then jumped in to move perennial flowers in the flower bed.

I reattached the rain barrels and mowed grass (when I wasn't directing traffic and answering questions).

Charlie, Dave and I replaced the fence in the southwest corner and replaced some aging cedar fence stakes with new steel ones.

Charlie started attaching a gutter to the shed (to support a rain barrel) and this project was finished by Frank.

Dave spread peat moss and compost in the raised beds, then Charlie and Dave spread peat moss in the plots.

Mrs. D loaned us her grill and her son got the charcoal going and cooked our hotdogs. We took a short break for lunch (hot dogs, bananas, brownies, iced tea, cookies the size of a large plate) and a group picture (minus Betty who ran away when we started lunch). While taking the group picture, a car suddenly pulled over and a father and baby jumped out to join the picture. Go figure.

We had big plans, but sometimes things just don't work out as you planned. Our big task was to spread the wood chips on the paths, around the fence and around the raised beds. However, the chips were not delivered as scheduled, so that task will have to wait until next weekend. We had planned to thin and pot strawberry plants next weekend (to celebrate Earth Day), but we did that this weekend instead. (The plan is to sell pots of 6-8 strawberry plants for $3/pot as a fundraiser for the SACG).

We had also planned to till the garden, mark the plots and start planting today. However, we injured the tiller and could not figure out how to repair it. New guy Bill aka Fred came by, joined the garden and volunteered his tiller, but it was too big to lift into Frank's truck.

Frank and Barb will reinstall the gates and signs sometime this week.

After half the volunteers had left (at the designated 1:30 p.m. quitting time), I finally remembered the seeds in my car. The remaining volunteers picked some seeds and I'll bring them back for our Earth Day celebration. We finally all packed up and moved on at 2:30 p.m.

We got a lot done, but still have a lot to get done on Saturday. Everyone is welcome to come and help on April 16. We will be spreading wood chips and picking up litter along Stoddart Avenue with the FPNBW. We have five plots left if there are other gardeners out there who would like to join us.

The Most Important Day of the Year

2011-04-07T21:02:00.004-04:00

I have just returned from the third meeting of the Columbus Growing Coalition Meeting (which I'll blog about next week with all the nitty gritty details). So, I'm very jazzed that the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden will be breaking ground in two days -- Saturday, April 9, 2011 – beginning at 9:00 a.m (until 1:30 or 2:00 p.m.) for our third fantastic year of growing vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. This is the single most important day of the year at the SACG and sets the tone for the rest of the year. Luckily, we have a core group of seriously hardworking and dedicated gardeners who make all of this possible. If you read this blog regularly, you would think that all of this comes together effortlessly, but it is really the result of a lot of great volunteers.

On Saturday, we will be doing the following (as time and weather permits):

Pick up litter -- and there is a lot of itL

Spread Mulch (which Wright's Tree Service will be delivering this week). Please bring a garden rake, shovel, gloves and wheelbarrow/cart if you have one.

Hook up a gutter and downspout to the shed;

Hook up rain barrels

Hook up gates

Put signs back up

Spread peat moss on plots to raise the pH

Replace fence in southwest corner (with wire fence and steel fence posts)

Flip the compost bins

Mow grass

Plant blueberry bush

Paint shed (weather and time permitting)

Weed flower and other beds

Till the garden (if the soil is workable; otherwise we'll do that on Sunday afternoon or next week). This will be the first chance we've had to use the new rototiller that the Cougar Group gave us last year and I can't wait. Charlie has volunteered to till the garden, but knowing the men, they'll all want to take turns using this giant power tool. As long as I don't have to do it . . . . .

Mark plots

Thin strawberries (and pot them to sell as a fundraiser)

Grab Botanical Interest seeds from the bags which Linda gave me on Tuesday.

Start planting:) I have lots of seeds and seed potatoes

We still have 8 plots available if there are readers out there who want to join us gardening this year. Ms. D is generously providing us with the use of her grill so that we can have hot dogs for lunch (instead of cold cuts like the last two years).

Last Saturday, I spent the day starting seeds. Some of them had already sprouted by this morning and I'll share some at the end of May. When they get bigger, I'll put them in the portable greenhouse (pictured) which my mother gave me in 2009 for Xmas. (Nice investment for $35).

I also have pictures of fun from the Opening Day of the last two years so that you can have some idea of what to expect. If it rains, all of this will take place on Saturday, April 16.

Be there or be square!

Seeds, Seeds and More Seeds

2011-04-05T22:02:00.005-04:00

On Sunday, Linda from the Knitwits group at Christ Lutheran Church, made my day by telling me that the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden would again be benefitting from a boatload of seeds from Botanical Interests. Remember last year? This permitted us to grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers in 2010 and now we can look forward to a similar bounty in 2011. After we finish working on Saturday, the SACG gardeners and volunteers will get to select their own seeds for their own plots. Then, I'll bring the seeds back for our Earth Day work on April 16, our gardeners and volunteers will get a second chance to get seeds for their own plots.

After that, we'll be delighted to share the remaining seeds with any other community garden or Stoddart Avenue neighbors. Just send me an email and let me know when you want to select your seeds.

Here is a list of the seeds which filled one garbage bag and two grocery bags. Linda and her parents sorted all of the seeds, banded like kinds and organized them in bags alphabetically. It's like Christmas in April!

Amaranth

Arugula

Beets (and my childhood friend Susan sent up a bunch of different variety of beets, too).

Beans (Kentucky Wonder Pole, Royal Burgundy, Trionfo Violetto, Pole Runner Scarlet Emperor)

Bok Choy (Tatso Rosette, White Stem)

Broccoli, Broccoli Raab

Brussels Spouts

Cabbage (Copenhagen Market, Chinese, Red Acre)

Carrots (Danvers, Cosmic Purple)

Corn

Cucumbers (Straight Eight, Armenian Burpless, Space Master, Japanese Soyu Burples, Homemade Pickles, Lemon)

Edamame (I grew these last year for the first time. The plants don't look like regular beans, but there were a ton of them).

Eggplant (Black Beauty, Long-Purple Japanese/Chinese)

Endive

Escarole

Greens (Georgia Southern Collard, Southern Giant Curled, Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens, Mizuna mustard, Red Gian Mustard)

Kale Nero Toscana

Kohlrabi (Purple & White Vienna Blend)

Leeks

Lettuce (Red Sails, Black Seeded Simpson, Mesclun, Tom Thumb Butterhead, Micro Greens, Romaine Little Gem, Romaine Freckles, Butterhead Buttercrunch, Butterhead Marvel of Four Seasons, Leaf Redina, Romaine Parris Island Cos, & Farmer's Market Blend) and Mache Corn Salad)

Muskmelon/Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melon and Charentais Melon

Onions

Parsnip

Peas (Wando, Green Arrow, Super Sugar Snap, Oregon Sugar Pod)

Peppers (Serrano, Purple Beauty, Canary Bell, California Wonder Orange, Early Jalpeno, Yolo Wonder, California Wonder, Cayenne, Ancho/Poblano, Habanero)

Pumpkins Jarrahdale

Radish (French Breakfast, Daikon Miyashige White)

Radicchio

Spinach Lavewa,

Squash (Waltham Butternut, Early Yellow Crookneck, Summer, Summer Scallop, Winter Delicata Honey Boat, Black Beauty Zucchini, Baby Round Zucchini, Summer Clarinette Lebanese & Pink Banana Winter)

Swiss Chard

Tomatoes (Roma, Cherry Sun Gold, Grape, Rainbow Blend Cherry, Brandywine Red & Yellow, Red Siberian, Silvery Fir Tree, Beefstake)

Tomatillo

Turnips

Watermelon (several varieties)

Wheatgrass

Herbs

Basil

Parsley

Oregano

Catnip

Sage

Chamomile

Dill

Chives

Rosemary

Thyme

Flowers

Alyssum

Shasta Daisy

Echinacea

French Marigolds, Calendula

Datura

Butterfly Flower

Flax Blue

Bells of Ireland

Sunflowers (Evening Sun, Autumn Beauty, Mexican Torch, Peach Passion, Sunspot, Mammoth Russian, Mammoth Grey Stripe, Moulin Rouge, Vanilla Ice,

California Poppy

Coneflower

Candytuft

Pansies

Chinese Lantern

Lov-Lies-Bleeding

Black Eyed Susan Vine

Butterfly Flower

Cosmos

Datura

Gaillardia

Sweet Pea

Impatiens

Hyacinth Bean

Stock

Snapdragon

Hollyhock

Bachelor Button

Larkspur

Lavendar

Lobelia

Lupine

Forget Me Not

Hyssop

Moonflower

Nasturtium

Penstemon

Delphinium

Portulaca

Painted Daisey

Nicotiana

Rudbeckia

Verbena

Zinnias

Broom Corn

Being a Good Neighbor; Watching Out for Our Neighbors

2011-04-02T15:28:00.005-04:00

There are only two rules at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden. The first one is: Be a Good Neighbor. Principally, this means do not make a nuisance of yourself, keep things pretty and clean, and make people glad to see you. Lately, it has taken on a new meaning. Since August, two people have been murdered within feet of and/or on the Garden lawn. The most recent was less than a week ago on Monday. It is simply unacceptable that people cannot feel safe at or near a community garden. Being a good neighbor has become more important than simply keeping a tidy garden.

Today was the first meeting in a few years for the Franklin Park Neighborhood Block Watch (FPNBW). For the foreseeable future, it will be meeting the first Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the East Main Street Policing Center at 950 East Main Street. The Co-chairs are Susan Wilson-Brooks and the SACG’s own Barb Carter and is assisted by the area community resource officer, Theresa Kalous. They have applied for grant funding to support a security camera for the Stoddart Avenue neighborhood and to support the reinvigoration of the FPNBW. The FPNBW covers the neighborhoods between Nelson Road and Morrison Avenue and East Main Street and Broad Street.

They are looking for volunteers to organize the residents of each street in the neighborhood so that we all know who are neighbors are and who to call if trouble arises. Barb is the captain for Stoddart Avenue and the SACG’s Mari Sunami is the current captain for Fairwood, but would like a co-captain. Susan would also like a co-captain for Bryden.

We are also organizing social events to take back our streets from common thugs. The First Event will be a neighborhood clean up to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. It will consist of picking up the considerable amount of litter on Stoddart Avenue and in the alley between Stoddart and Morrison. Volunteers should meet at the SACG to pick up supplies and refreshments.

Future events will include a neighborhood beautification effort to pick up more litter and plant flowers donated by Children’s Hospital. Keep Columbus Beautiful will also help us with graffiti remediation projects (so start making a list of the houses and buildings in the neighborhood we should start with). National Night Out will likely be July 5, 2011. [Editor's Note: I've heard from someone else that it is August 2]. We’ll also help with a block party.

Handouts were distributed. You can get more information about Olde Towne East block watches in the 12th Precinct at http://www.oteblockwatches.org/. Select 12th Precinct Block Watch Groups and scroll down to Franklin Park Block Watch. However, note that we are meeting on the first Saturday of the month at 1:00 and not the fourth Tuesday at 7.

For more information, email Barb or Officer Kalous at: tkalous@columbuspolice.org or call 614.645.1412.

Now Accepting Gardeners for 2011

2011-03-12T16:18:00.002-05:00

We are now accepting applications/registrations for the 2011 gardening season. If you would like a garden plot to grow your own fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs, WE’D LIKE YOU TO JOIN US. Plots are only $10 each (and scholarships are available). You will, however, have to plant your own seeds, sometimes supply your own water and fertilizer, pull your own weeds, and harvest your own produce. (We have several barrels and a 550-gallon tank to collect rain which you can use until they run dry). You will also need to volunteer some time to care for the Garden.

You should review the SACG Garden Rules and then sign and return the Garden Agreement.

We encourage all gardeners to donate a portion of their produce to a local food pantry – like the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, the Lutheran Social Services Food Pantry on Champion Avenue or Faith Mission Homeless Shelter. Last year, eleven of our gardeners collectively donated 260 pounds of produce.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Garden Manager at 231-8571 or GardenMgr@gmail.com.

Garden plots will be assigned space permitting on a first-come-first serve basis – with preference given to gardeners from the prior season who also participated in two work days in April and November. The application deadline is April 5, 2011, and we need volunteers on April 9, 2011. If we run out of plots, we will create a wait list with preference given to people who volunteer on April 9, 2011.

Groups and clubs are welcome to share a plot.

Even if you do not want to garden with us this year, please don’t be a stranger. Stop by and say hello when you see us sweating, bending and grunting down the street. Misery loves company.

Upcoming Gardening Classes at FPC

2011-02-12T13:04:00.003-05:00

Franklin Park Conservatory has uncharacteristically posted its educational offerings sufficiently in advance that you might be able to work them into your schedule if you try really hard. This is what's coming up:

For additional information or to register, please call the registrar at 614.645.5923 or Download a registration form here

Food Safety for the Garden
Food safety expert Shari Plimpton, Ph.D., Director, Industry Outreach, CIFT, will discuss the funda-mentals of proper food handling and good agriculture practices for community gardeners, urban growers and those involved in farmers’ markets. Registration required; space limited. Sponsored by Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT), Ohio Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Program and the Conservatory’s Growing to Green Program.
Wednesday, March 2, 6 - 8 pm
Free with Conservatory admission

Fundamentals of Gardening Series
This three-class series will prepare you for the upcoming growing season. Sign up for all three and save.
$40 Members; $45 Non-members (for series)

Garden Backbone
Learn about soils, drainage, garden prep, compost, mulch and simple plant characteristics.
Saturday, February 19, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Garden Schedule
Learn how to use the garden calendar, how and when to best sow seeds and transplant, and how to get the garden ready for the growing season.
Saturday, February 26, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Garden Shed
Learn how to use the right tools for your garden chores and how to care for and sharpen them. Class includes proper watering and fertilizing tips.
Saturday, March 5, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Botany
This four-class series teaches the basics of plant biology. Plant ID and Botanical Families, Plant Physiology, Plant Structure, and Plant Ecology.
Wednesdays, February 2, 9, 16, and 23; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
$25 Members; $30 Non-members (for four-week series)

Basic Floral Design
Learn the basics of floral design and see how flowers and containers combine to create the feel of the arrangement. Create a simple vase arrangement to take home.
Saturday, February 19, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
$20 Members; $25 Non-members

For additional information or to register, please call the registrar at 614.645.5923 or Download a registration form here

Growing and Caring for Fruit Trees and Shrubs
Learn to select fruit trees and shrubs for Central Ohio and what they need to grow. Pollination needs, pruning techniques for productivity, and other maintenance needs will be discussed.
Saturday, February 26, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Plant Identification – Flowering Shrubs
Learn the science behind plants and techniques used to properly identify each group. This class will include classroom and field study time.
Saturday, March 5, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Garden Safety
When we think of garden safety we generally think tools -- but there is much more: soil composition, path widths, and plant safety- is it an irritant? Learn how to keep safe with water, snacks and tools.
Saturday, March 12, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Garden Leadership
Learn from community panel leaders about different styles of leadership, gain insight on best practices when leading or starting a community project, and find out how each panelist manages funding.
Saturday, March 19, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Composting 101
This hands-on workshop guides you through the different types of compost bins, specific tools needed and what can and can’t go into your compost. Vermicomposting (with worms) and heap composting information will be provided.
Saturday, March 12, 1 - 3 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

Fun Crops for Kids
Encourage kids to grow their own plants, starting with seeds all the way to harvest. These kid-friendly crops not only include vegetables and fruit but sensory plants with fragrance and touch.
Saturday, March 26, 1:30 - 3 p.m.
$15 Members; $20 Non-members

101 Grant Writing – An Overview
Being successful at grant writing requires some fundamental basic steps. Learn about grant research, planning and idea clarification along with strategies to align you organizational goals and needs with grant opportunities. This class is collaboration between Franklin Park Conservatory and the United Way Training Academy.
2 sessions March 31 & April 7 - 6-8 p.m.
35$ (no member discount)

For additional information or to register, please call the registrar at 614.645.5923 or Download a registration form here

Road Trip: Louisville 15K Farmers Seed Swap

2011-01-16T21:09:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, I took a rare road trip and drove three hours each way to visit my friend Mary in Louisville and participate in the seed exchange of Fifteen Thousand Farmers in Louisville, Kentucky. Fifteen Thousand Farmers ("FTF") is an initiative to turn Louisville citizens into backyard farmers. They started small and last year had signed up 1250 new backyard farmers for events. They hold a gardening event on the 15^th of each month. Mary briefs me almost every month. This month, it held a seminar by Ivor Chodkowski, a local farmer and entrepreneur, on "Planning your Spring Garden." After the seminar, they had a potluck (filled with garden produce), cooking demonstrations (with spaghetti squash) and a seed exchange. It was extremely well attended (even without cocktails as a draw) and there were at least 200 people there. Johnny's Seed Catalogs were handed out to everyone (until they ran out of catalogs). There were even door prizes, but neither Mary nor I won one.

After answering questions about gardening, Ivor spoke to the audience about grasshoppers distribution, a Community Supported Agriculture organization, and related issues. Sadly, there are virtually no places in Louisville to butcher meat for small farmers or individuals. This makes me sad because my family (i.e., my father and uncle) would buy a cow every year at the county fair and have it butchered to supply our annual meat needs. Although I now certainly could not eat a whole side of beef by myself each year, I could probably eat a quarter if other people wanted to go in with me. My friend Iced Tea Latte butchers a pig every year and a side of been (and graciously shares with me). It's a great way to buy local. However, all meat processors now seem to focus only on factory farms these days. . . . .

My favorite tip from Ivor was to buy seeds which advertise "prolific" fruits. Good sign.

Of course, I really came for the seed exchange. I've never attended one before. I thought that I should contribute something slightly exotic so that I would add value (being from out of town and all). The promotional materials recommended bringing seeds in a jar, so I filled a jam jar with black chick pea seeds. I suspected (correctly) that no one else would bring such seeds. Most people put seeds in plastic baggies (which is much more efficient). I thought that we would walk around with our jars of seeds, meet people, chat, and exchange seeds (for which I had brought small coin envelopes). However, instead, they set up long row of tables (organized by food groups) and people would leave their labeled bags of seeds. Some people just dropped off store-bought seed packets, but most people brought their own seeds. Then, you would just help yourself from each envelope that spanked your fancy. From the seed exchange, I got the following: OT Heimi Vietamese mecum peppers, loofah gourd seeds, sugar pie pumpkins (for Beth and Mike), San Martin Peppers, Thai Basil, Thomas Jefferson Marigold, Arkansas Cow Peas, California Poppies/Orange cosmos, and Okra. Mary gave me heirloom underground railroad tomatoes and jolokia peppers -- but holy jolokia! – I lost the peppers!!! You have no idea how much nashing of teeth and searching of luggage there was this afternoon when I could not find them. My father wanted CaJohn's Holy Jalokia sauce for Xmas and I was seriously looking forward to growing my own hot peppers and making my own sauce. Now, I will have to search them out and buy them.

Life goes on. The event was catered by Heine coffee and I met Gary Heine – who is one of the organizers of 15K Farmers. I'm not even a coffee drinker and I had coffee (with lots of milk and sugar). It also has a new home – the Dismas Charities St. Ann's site site, which is a re-entry program housed in a former Catholic church school. 15k Farmers is associated with Growing Power, which you've read about here before.

It was a nice way to spend a few hours on Saturday afternoon. Then I let Mary spoil me for the rest of my trip.

SACG Fall Work Day Gets It Done

2010-11-14T08:09:00.005-05:00

I don't know why I ever worry about whether we will get it all done. Earlier this week, I worried about the weather, which called for wet and chilly. Yesterday morning, I woke up stressed about whether anyone would show up and how long the volunteers would stay. I needn't have bothered. The weather was beautiful; like last year it started off cool, but warmed up to t-shirt temperatures by lunch-time.

As soon as I went out to my garage to begin loading my car with the utility wagon, water thermos, refreshments and gardening tools, Beth came right over to get my wheelbarrow (to load in the back of her station wagon) and to help me load the wagon into the back seat of my car. Frank and Barb already took down the garden gates earlier in the week.

When I arrived at the Garden at 9:30, Charlie was already there pulling weeds and dead tomato vines. I told him that I was certain there were sweet potatoes on the north side of Nykkel's abandoned plot if he cleaned it out. That was enough incentive for him. Sure enough, there were 3-4 large sweet potatoes and a few smaller ones. We put them aside (along with an onion and few other vegetables we found while cleaning up) in case anyone stopped by asking for food. When no one did, we distributed the booty among the hard-working voluunteers.

Beth, Rayna, Betty and Mari then came. Betty cleaned out the plot tended by Brianna and Priest as well as pruning back the front perennial flower bed. Mari and Beth helped me pull pole bean and tomato vines. Rayna concentrated on raking/picking up the rotting/rotten tomatoes in Dwain and Maxcine's plots. Jeff came and pulled vines out of Maxcine's plots and volunteered to take all of our non-compostable vegetative waste down to Kurtz Brothers on the back of his trailer. His machete came in handy cutting down our row of sunflowers. Then, we were delighted that Mike Watkins (from the Cougar Group) came and helped us pull vines, etc.
I cleaned out two of the community plots.

Once the vines and weeds were pulled, we turned to distributing compost throughout the Garden (although the distribution became more generous as we progressed). The City of Columbus donated 5 cubic yards of Com-Til Plus to the Garden (and all other community gardens in Columbus who think to ask and arrange for its delivery). Shane Yokum picked it up and delivered it to us this week at a discount price (which was paid for courtesy of the grant we received from the Scotts Miracle-Gro Fund at the Columbus Foundation). Without the neighborhood boys (who moved away following all of the neighborhood crime wave this summer) to shovel the compost for us, I had to pitch in and shovel compost for the first time with help from Charlie, Jeff, and Mike. Mari, Beth and Rayna spread the compost in each plot as it was distributed.

We then broke for 10 minutes to hold our first annual meeting. Mari, Mike Mattes and I incorporated the SACG in July and elected our first three trustees (Beth, Rayna and Frank) shortly thereafter to 15 month terms. Yesterday, we elected our next three trustees to a 2-year term: Jeff, Mike and Charlie. I gave a brief report about our financial status and discussed needs and priorities for the garden in the upcoming year. Then, a group picture and back to work.

We emptied the rain barrels and tank and stowed the barrels. We then emptied the shed. Barb and Frank came to finish off everything: organize and pack up the shed, take down the signs and plant the daffodil bulbs I picked up last weekend. They were the only people left at 1:04 p.m. Frank indicated that he was also going to reinforce the garden latch.

Something I probably should have photographed: the ridiculous height of our three compost bins. The bins are 3x3x3, but we have them stacked at least six feet high.

See you all next year!

SACG Fall Work Day Welcomes You

2010-11-07T13:37:00.003-05:00

One of the things I love most about the SACG is the enthusiasm of our core group of gardeners for hard work and our work days. Between you, me and the fence post, I could survive on one work day in the year – in April. Everything after that is just gravy. However, the SACG gardeners believe if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. So, we put the garden to bed in mid-November. We pull errant plants and weeds, spread donated compost, plant bulbs, prop up the fence to survive winter storms, empty and stow rain barrels, pick up and dispose of litter, and dis-assemble the gates and sign. This year we will also have the joy of organizing our new shed. If we have enough volunteers and energy, we should also try to flip the compost bins.

Of course, no army works well unless it is well fed – so there will be goodies to keep your blood sugar up.

Last year, we started in sweatshirts and ended up in t-shirts as the temperatures rose during the day.

Volunteers should bring gardening gloves and a rake. Wheelbarrows and wagons would be great, too, but they are hard to transport.

Like us, the Bexley Community Garden has had trouble with gardeners losing the gardening passion over the summer and abandoning their plots to weeds and rotting produce. They have a lot more space to clean up than we do. So, in lieu of a Fall Garden Clean Up day, they are researching the possibility of renting goats to eat up the weeds and tomatoe vines. Maybe we'll borrow them when they are done:) Check this out in the Columbus Dispatch.

The SACG festivities begin at 10 a.m., but feel free to come early and get a jump on the work if the spirit moves you. We will be done by 1:30 or earlier if it starts to rainJ

Be there or be square!!

Garden Experiment Pays Off with Sweet Potato Harvest

2010-10-31T13:11:00.003-04:00

Although much of my experience at the SACG has been one experiment after another, I have also experimented in other ways. Sometimes, I try planting something way outside my comfort level (i.e., seedlings purchased at a nursery or seeds purchased through a catalog with lots of handy directions). Generally, the most adventurous I've been in the garden is to plant a new variety of bean, tomato or flower. However, this year, I tried something really wild. I planted sweet potatoes.

Last year, Jeannie and Beth both asked me for help planting sweet potatoes. I'd never planted them before and was already getting crazy by planting regular potatoes for the first time. I'd never considered planting sweet potatoes and didn't know where to get the seed potatoes or anything.

Over the winter, I started reading blogs and other information on the internet and learned that sweet potatoes grow differently than regular potatoes. For one, they don't grow off seed potatoes. You can buy things called "slips" at some nurseries. Second, they are a tropical plant and are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures. Third, the potato is a root and not something growing off the roots, like regular potatoes.

One blog said that I could start a slip simply by buying a regular sweet potato at the grocery, but gardening sites advised against this. I chose to experiment anyway. Beth lacked my faith, and asked me to buy her a slip at a reputable nursery.

Beth harvested lots of sweet potatoes from two slips I purchased at DeMonye's Nursery near the airport. I harvested the sweet potatoes you can see in the picture. My way was less expensive.

According to the blog I read, you can do the following to grow sweet potatoes.

Put a sweet potato in a mason jar filled 1/3 with water in your kitchen window or other reliable light source. Although it will take a while, the potato will form roots which will take over the jar.
Leaves will begin to sprout from the sweet potato after a few weeks. When the leaves get big enough to form a stem and a couple of companion leaves off the same stem, snap it off at the base and put the base in some water. (I used a shot glass in my kitchen window).
When the stem forms its own roots after just a couple of days, plant it in potting soil and put in a sunnier (or better lit) location that is protected from cold drafts. Sweet potatoes grow quickly, so don't skimp too much on the size of the container.
When the plant gets at least six inches long, and the outdoor temperature is reliably above 50, plant in the ground. Mounding is recommended, but I did not do it this year. Our ground at the SACG is well tilled.
Rumor has it that they need six months to grow. However, I planted mine around Memorial Day weekend and harvested them this weekend. I did ok.

I recommend putting a marker of some sort where you plant so that you know where to aim when you water. The roots grow underneath and the vines spread, so it can be difficult to know where to focus your efforts.

I planted mine with zucchini and squash, so they did not get much sun until the squash bugs killed all of my squash plants by the end of July. Unlike regular potatoes which grow vertically, the sweet potato vines spread along the ground. If the weather cooperates (with rain), they will form roots at various locations along the vine (and form additional sweet potatoes). I only planted two slips in my plot this year and harvested all of the potatoes in the picture (and one more which is not pictured). I found this to be fabulous considering how little sun and rain they received until August and how little rain we've received since August (i.e., 2 inches).

My single root potato was the source of many slips and I finally just pitched it into my compost bin (where it continued to grow like crazy). I started 2 slips for my SACG plot and at least one slip each for Nykkel, Priest, Martha, Jeannie and my backyard. Each planted slip yielded at least 3 sweet potatoes if planted earlier enough and received enough sun.

This was an easy and fun gardening experiment. I've read it will work in most climates. One of the visitors to the SACG this year recommended starting slips off clippings from our garden, but my clipping has not rooted even though it's been in water for over a week.

SACG Harvest Celebration Brings Tidings for Next Year

2010-10-18T20:39:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden held its first (hopefully annual) harvest celebration in the early afternoon. Jeff and Mari organized the event, which brought several regular gardeners, some new neighborhood children and some potential new gardeners. Mari's husband John helped her set up. We had donuts, punch, carrots, freshly harvested cherry tomatoes and dips. Betty used the opportunity to do some weeding in her plot (as did I). Rayna has started harvesting and drying gourds. Jeff brought his daughter and some new neighborhood kids stopped by for refreshments (which is good because every single youth who helped us in April has already moved away). We were joined by a neighbor from Seymour Avenue who wants to garden with us next year. Frank and Barb missed the event because of a feline emergency, but stopped by afterwards. Beth and Mike were kept away at the last minute by a fender bender on I-71 (those pesky drivers on their cell phone who failed to maintain assured clear distance behind Beth can be thanked for that). Another neighbor stopped by afterward to inquire about joining us next year (now that we've shown we have a freakishly productive garden for the last two years).

We swapped gardening stories and how we found our individual way to the SACG. At the end, Jeff and Mari presented me with a plaque. Wasn't that sweet?!

Afterwards, I began pulling tomato vines out of my own plot (because it will be too cool for tomatoes to properly ripen), eggplant vines harvested a crate of peppers (all of which are very small because of our drought).

Mark your calendars. We'll be cleaning out the garden and spreading compost on Saturday, November 13 beginning at 10 a.m. There will be refreshments and we'll be done by 1 or 2.

SACG Harvest Reception: Be There or Be Square

2010-10-15T06:51:00.002-04:00

What are you doing this Saturday between 2 and 3? Why not stop by the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden for vittles, gardening stories, free produce and light-hearted ribbing? Jeff and Mari have organized a get-together for the greater Stoddart Avenue neighborhood at the SACG. This is, by no means, be a vegetarian gathering. We will have donuts and cider. I promise not to put anyone to work (but I'm not going to stop anyone from pulling weeds.J

2010-09-25T19:25:00.002-04:00

On September 15, Franklin Park Conservatory held its fourth and final (for this season) gardening workshop at the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden. We focused on extending the gardening season after frost and putting the garden to bed. First, we discussed composting our garden waste. Then, we talked about bringing some plants indoors to continue them into the winter. Leslie explained that we could pinch off part of a basil plant, put it in potting soil and it would develop roots and continue to grow inside our warm homes after the chilly nights have finished off our regular plants. We then each got to plant a clipping of basil into a pot she brought for us. She also encouraged us to bring in small pepper plants.

Charlie brought his neighbor Louise who explained to us that sweet potatoes take six months to mature and we could start plants for next year by cutting off clippings, putting them in dirt (in a large container) and keeping them well lit inside.

Jenni's Ice Cream donated empty ice cream containers to be used to pot cuttings and to bring pots indoors. I put some extra in the shed.

We also got to taste a variety of raw and roasted vegetables.

SACG to Eat Healthier After FPC Workshop

2010-09-08T20:56:00.003-04:00

On this wonderfully beautiful and temperate evening, a small group of gardeners gathered at the SACG to learn about the nutritional value of fresh produce from Jenna, an intern from the Franklin Park Conservatory. Jenna reviewed the new food pyramid by each type of food group and gave us each a color chart to show the proportion of each food group which we should try to incorporate into our daily diet. She also gave us a color chart showing how food portion sizes compare to regular household items, like batteries, baseballs, playing cards, computer mice.

Jenna also gave us a chart of what vitamins and minerals are in types of garden produce and how those vitamins and minerals help our bodies function. For instance, Vitamin A helps our eyes and protects against infection and can be found in melons, carrots, tomatoes, etc. Potassium is necessary for heart health and to lower blood pressurre, and can be found in sqaush, leafy vegetables, yams, etc.

Then, Jenna -- as always -- put a lot of preparation time into preparing for our workshop and had assembled samples of food for us to try. Everyone complimented the roasted and grilled vegetables she had brought to the last two workshops. This week, she brough fresh, frozen and canned samples of various food (like corn, beans, etc.) for us to compare. She also brought some homemade hummus (made from chickpeas) and gave us each a typed recipe. She also brought some vegetables grown at FPC's community garden (like peppers, turnips, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, etc.) which we could dip in the hummus.

Finally, we discussed the relative benefits of buying organic foods and locally grown foods.

Next week, our last FPC workshop will cover how to preserve food beyond the growing season (and tricks for bringing some of our food plants inside) as well as tips for cleaning up the garden. Yes, we will be talking about cleaning and gleaning. It starts at 6:30 p.m. at the SACG on Wednesday.

FPC Scavenger Hunt Brought Much Fun and Food

2010-09-01T20:36:00.003-04:00

Tonight, Leslie and Jenna from Franklin Park Conservatory came back to the Stoddart Avenue Community Garden to hold a scavenger hunt for neighborhood children and gardeners. They hid items which did NOT belong in the SACG (like cereal boxes, French fry boxes, pickle jars, jelly jars, etc.) in the Garden for the kids to find. They explained to the kids that foods can be processed (with parts of natural food in them) or whole (like fruits and vegetables). Some processed food still have food grown in our garden. Cereal has corn; pickles come from cucumbers, jelly comes from strawberries, etc. They were given a questionnaire with hints about what was hidden in the SACG plots. Afterwards, the kids and the adults were able to taste raw and cooked fruits and vegetables. There was corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, peppers, sweet potatoes, etc. There was also salsa (with a combination of the foregoing and cilantro) as well as roasted vegetables for the kids to try. They loved all of the food and went back for seconds and thirds.

Bexley Barb came with her grandson and husband as did Diane, Ms. Jeannie, Betty, Lance, Priest, Shay-Shay, Nay-Nay, Nykkel, Daniel, and Jaden.

We also saw that the radishes we planted last week had already sprouted.