Leroy On The Farm

OH MY GOD!

Oh my God! I'm feeling so Awesome! (gulp! I didn't have anything farmy to say but I'm just so excited about being a part of this from the "ground floor" that I had to instantly flush the contents of my short term memory into the Awesome Farms archive).

Leroy, please feel free to delete this post. It was very doggish of me. But before you do delete this post, know that I think it is so AWESOME that you spell your name with only 1 "r".

First AF Plants

Our first seeds, 'Better Boy Hybrid Tomato,' were started on June 2:










I had just about given up on the little guys, when I noticed sprouting on June 12:












The next night, the sprouts had doubled in size:











I decided to put them in a temporary planter:












In the morning, they were all standing straight up, about an inch tall on average. I moved them near a window, and when I walked by about 20 minutes later they were already bending toward the light.

Feisty little fellers! I think they're going to be hearty plants.

Meet the Awesome Farms Team

Farming awesomely is not easy. It demands clear vision, sturdy aspirations, a steady heart and significant free time. That said, I'd like to introduce the team...

Parker: Proprietor, entertainer and all-around good guy.















Moonshiner: Renegade plotmaster with a gentle hand and a dangerous attitude.














Kitty: Seed whisperer, documentarian and garden decorator.















Together, we are the Awesome Farms team.

Seedsavers.org

My mother just hooked me up with a web site run by Heritage Farms that she and my sister visited in Iowa. They have tons of seeds in their seed bank that you can look at through this link plus this nice write up on Heirlooms:

What are Heirlooms?

SSE defines an heirloom as any garden plant that has a history of being passed down within a family, just like pieces of heirloom jewelry or furniture. Some companies have tried to create definitions based on date, such as anything older than 50 years.

The genetic diversity of the world's food crops is eroding at an unprecedented and accelerating rate. The vegetables and fruits currently being lost are the result of thousands of years of adaptation and selection in diverse ecological niches around the world. Each variety is genetically unique and has developed resistance's to the diseases and pests with which it evolved. Plant breeders use the old varieties to breed resistance into modern crops that are constantly being attacked by rapidly evolving diseases and pests. Without these infusions of genetic diversity, food production is at risk from epidemics and infestations.

Just how dangerous is genetic erosion? The late Jack Harlan, world renowned plant collector who wrote the classic Crops and Man while Professor of Plant Genetics at University of Illinois at Urbana, has written, “These resources stand between us and catastrophic starvation on a scale we cannot imagine. In a very real sense, the future of the human race rides on these materials. The line between abundance and disaster is becoming thinner and thinner, and the public is unaware and unconcerned. Must we wait for disaster to be real before we are heard? Will people listen only after it is too late.”

*As a historical note, Kent Whealy first used the term “heirloom” in relation to plants when giving a speech in Tucson in 1981. Kent had asked permission to use the term from John Withee, who had used “heirloom” on the cover of his Wanigan Associates bean catalog. John said sure, that he had stolen it too from Professor William Hepler at the University of New Hampshire, who first used the term “heirloom” to describer some local beans that people had given him back in the 1940s.
How to Save Seed

Both beginning and experienced gardeners can easily learn how to save all of their own seeds, resulting in substantial annual savings and ever increasing self-sufficiency.

Seed to Seed is widely acknowledged as the best guide available for home gardeners to learn effective ways to produce and store seeds on a small scale. Author Suzanne Ashworth has grown seed crops of every vegetable featured in the book, and has thoroughly researched and tested all of the techniques she recommends for the home garden. Seed to Seed is a comprehensive and invaluable reference book for all gardeners who are interesting in maintaining unique varieties and helping to conserve our vegetable heritage.

In 2002 SSE published the Second Edition of Seed to Seed, a complete seed-saving guide that describes specific techniques for saving the seeds of 160 different vegetables. The book contains detailed information about each vegetable, including its botanical classification, flower structure and means of pollination, required population size, isolation distance, techniques for caging or hand-pollination, and also the proper methods for harvesting, drying, cleaning and storing the seeds.

This updated and greatly expanded Second Edition includes additional information about how to start each vegetable from seed, which has turned the book into a complete growing guide. Local knowledge about seed starting techniques for each vegetable has been shared by expert gardeners from seven regions of the U.S. - Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast/Gulf Coast, Midwest, Southwest, Central West Coast, and Northwest.

Second Soil Session

The first turning of the soil included all of the roots and green being removed for composting. I added peat moss and compost which only replaced the volume removed. That brings the bed back to ground level, which is good, however the soil will take longer to warm up in the spring. The more I think about the long term strategy, it seems best to get the soil above ground level to keep the roots systems warm and happy. This should lengthen our growing season too.

Lessons learned. The second patch is now turned without the roots being removed-they can compost down below as we build the soil on top of their remains. Except for the first couple of rows, I was able to bury the old roots that was once on top about a spades length down in the ground. I added compost and peat moss so now the surface of the bed is above ground level by three or four inches. There is still the intention to add some top soil, however this second bed needs a boarder to keep the soil from running off. I'm now thinking it would be fun to have one bed with a stone border. I do love stone. Chris was also talking about doing a wood border too. So we can work this into our plan as we pick out our vegetables.

There is one more swatch to turn and then we will have our 130 square feet turned completely.

6.5' x 20': Getting Started

The plan is to have 130 square feet of vegetable garden goodness and we are well under way. We've got 49 square feet of soil turned and roots removed. All I used to turn the soil was a spade and pitchfork. Since all that grass was removed the remaining soil has been cut with compost and I also added Canadian Sphagnum peat moss. The old grass and roots will be composted for next season. I met many fat worms plus I destroyed a thriving ant community while turning over the first row and these are the thoughts I had while the little ants started attacking me: you have to destroy life to sustain life even when you go vegetarian – it's a bummer yet that's just the way it is being mammal - plants are pretty special in that all they need is the sun and some nutrients in the earth to sustain and make new living cells.

Here is the place I read about 'turning soil' and 'adding humus':

Soil Preparation

Another of the key factors in successfully growing vegetables is proper soil preparation. To your existing soil add generous amounts of organic humus. Compost, peat moss, well rotted manure or processed manure (the bagged stuff) are all good forms of organic humus. I would suggest avoiding the use of fresh manure, unless it is applied in the fall, as some tend to burn and the gases of a few can actually stunt crops. Mix the organic humus thoroughly with your existing soil. Then you are almost ready to begin planting. By the way, if you bring in topsoil to enrich or add to the existing soil, be certain to add organic humus to it too.

Now that we have a small patch to plant, the next big question is what to put into our new rich mix of soil. Here is a starter I've been thinking about to match plants with good companions:

VEGETABLE GARDENING in June - with companions

It’s said that vegetables are like people, they thrive on companionship. It is believed that vegetables will yield up to twice as much when they are surrounded with companion plants. So in this article we will discuss…vegetables and their best friends (see link above to read all 12, below are the 6 that we have talked about).

Corn – Pumpkins, peas, beans, cucumbers and potatoes are nice companion plants, Keep the tomatoes away.
Beans – they like celery and cucumbers but dislike onions and fennel.
Peppers – (I haven't seen who they like or dislike yet)
Tomatoes – Carrots, onions and parsley are good companion plants. Keep the cabbage and cauliflower away from them.
Squash – Icicle radishes, cucumbers and corn are among their friends.
Pumpkins – (still need to find out about who these guys like too)

Sometimes plant friendships are one-sided. Carrots are said to help beans, but beans don’t reciprocate. Though beans will help nearby cucumbers.

Other plants have bad companions and you’ll be doing them a favor to keep them apart. Beans and onions are natural enemies so keep them at opposite sides of the garden.

If you have a patio you might try mint to repel ants, and basil to keep the flies and mosquitoes away. Both herbs have pretty flowers and are fragrant too. Besides, they’re nice to harvest and use in the kitchen. In her book, “Carrots Love Tomatoes” Louise Riotte, says getting to know good and bad companions can double the bounty of your garden. The only required work is to plan your garden planting properly.

And here is another item to consider while designing a layout:

Organic Gardening - natural insecticides

Learn about and encourage healthy bugs like ladybugs, lacewings, and other predatory insects to come into your garden and feed on your pests. You can do this by planting fennel (great for ladybugs), dill, allyssum, ammi majus, and cumin.

Awesome Farms is live!

Welcome to the first day of the rest of Awesome Farms' life.

This is a guide from Portland Spaces on treating backyard dirt to make good planting soil:
http://www.portlandspaces.net/handbook/garden-edible/2008/1/
down-to-earth-how-to-grow-better-vegetables

Current farm status as of June 2:
Ground breaking
First seeds started

Photos coming soon...