tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11804716906432340182024-03-12T20:05:57.026-07:00Neighborhood Farm InitiativeNeighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-4895907141957288302014-03-20T09:28:00.000-07:002014-03-20T09:37:54.205-07:00Ready…Set…GROW!Yes! I was so excited to be at my first NFI Winter Gardener class. I
had heard about their gardening classes ever since I first moved to
Washington, DC in 2011 and stumbled upon one of their community gardens.
It was a cold and snowy February evening, but everyone in the class was
in a cheery mood as visions of green things and fresh vegetables danced
in our heads. We went around the class introducing ourselves and
explaining what drove us to take this course.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" class="mce-wp-more mceItemNoResize" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" title="More..." /><br />
“I
work at a bilingual sustainable public charter school called Mundo
Verde” I explained, “as the Cooking and Gardening Instructor.
Sustainability and wellness are a core part of Mundo Verde’s curriculum,
and I get the awesome job of teaching our students all about their
food, where it comes from, and how to eat healthy!” I saw approving nods
go around the class – clearly I was talking to a crowd who saw the
value in teaching our children about their food. And with one-third of
America’s children obese, it’s hard not to. I added, “I’m really
looking forward to using what this course teaches me and applying it in
my classroom. And I’d like to feel like I can better manage our school
garden.”<br />
<br />
And with that, we dove in to our six-week course! By the
end of the night I knew I had my first assignment: our instructor, Joe,
warned that many people don’t think about gardening until it starts
feeling nice out, but actually the time to begin planning and prepping
was Now.<br />
<br />
The next day at Mundo Verde I began with one of my Second
grade classes. “Friends, today we start our garden!” I announced. The
kids cheered – after all the most gardening they had had in months was
to grow paperwhite bulbs in cups on the classroom windowsill.<br />
<br />
I showed them a planting calendar and asked them to tell me what the different colors meant.<br />
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<dl class="wp-caption alignnone" data-mce-style="width: 550px;" id="attachment_554" style="width: 550px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-mce-href="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DC-Planting-Schedule-11.jpg" href="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DC-Planting-Schedule-11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DC Planting Schedule-1(1)" class="size-large wp-image-554" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DC-Planting-Schedule-11-622x1024.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DC-Planting-Schedule-11-622x1024.jpg" height="320" width="194" /></a></td></tr>
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<dl class="wp-caption alignnone" data-mce-style="width: 550px;" id="attachment_554"><dd class="wp-caption-dd"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Students were shown an example planting calendar for guidance.</span></i></dd></dl>
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“Orange and yellow is when you can start seedlings indoors, ” Ethan offered.<br />
“Yes!”
I nodded. “And can anyone tell me what a seedling is?” No one raised
their hand. “A seedling is like a baby plant. It’s still very cold
outside, so before we start growing plants outdoors we can start them
inside where it’s warmer.”<br />
“So what do you think we should plant indoors today?” I asked. The students eagerly consulted the calendar.<br />
“Onions! Celery!” they cheered.<br />
<br />
That
week we did many things to get our garden (and our stomachs!) ready for
spring. The students made their own Planting-Transplanting-Harvesting
calendar, then planted onions in starter trays and put them under our
indoor grow lights. We learned how important it was to keep soil at this
early stage very moist.<br />
<br />
<img alt="photo 4" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-4.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-4.jpg" height="240" width="320" /><br />
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img alt="photo 2" class="size-full wp-image-550" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-2.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">Students crafted their very own planting calendar</dd></dl>
</div>
Finally,
to better understand what this “kale” was that we found on our Planting
calendar, I made a recipe with the students that I had learned through a
training with <a data-mce-href="http://cityblossoms.org/" href="http://cityblossoms.org/" target="_blank">City Blossoms</a>:
“Massaged” Kale Salad with avocado, shredded carrots, chick peas, and
lime. To massage the kale and make it easier to digest, students put all
the ingredients (plus a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt) in
plastic zip-lock bags and massage the bag until the kale looks darker
and juicier and the avocado is well and evenly spread over all
ingredients.<br />
<br />
<img alt="photo 3" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-551" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-3.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /><br />
<img alt="photo 5" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-553" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-5.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /><br />
<img alt="photo 1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-549" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-1.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /><br />
My
Second graders expectantly held up their forks, having speared a bit of
our finished kale salad. We did our ritual Cooking class cheer:
“One-Two-Three…Yummmmmmyyy!” and took our first bite of kale salad and
our first step toward spring together.<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-22.jpg" href="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-22.jpg"><img alt="photo 2" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-22.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-22.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><img alt="photo 3" class="size-full wp-image-595" data-mce-src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-32.jpg" src="http://client.levinedc.com/nfi/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/photo-32.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd">The kids loved their “Massaged” Kale Salad with avocado, shredded carrots, chick peas, and lime.</dd></dl>
</div>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-19038796419777169122014-01-15T12:42:00.004-08:002014-01-15T12:43:19.719-08:00Stories from the Garden: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Urban Agriculture<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2to80O3LwKw/Utbwo6LKQcI/AAAAAAAAIDw/q_z7Qi4m9lI/s1600/Tschuna+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2to80O3LwKw/Utbwo6LKQcI/AAAAAAAAIDw/q_z7Qi4m9lI/s1600/Tschuna+Pic.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Volunteer and guest post blogger, <span style="text-indent: 0.3in;">Tschuna Gibson</span></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just over a decade ago, organic farmer Michael
Ableman described urban agriculture as a quiet revolution stirring in our food
system, one that is providing an oasis for the human spirit where urban people
can gather, preserve something of their culture through native seeds and foods,
and teach their children about food and the earth.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Kristin/AppData/Local/Temp/Stories%20from%20the%20Garden.docx#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I recently spent a year researching
sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty in Austria, the number one organic
farming country in Europe. During my time abroad I learned much about the
transformative power of robust local food systems, but it wasn’t until I left the
Alps for my new home in DC that I found myself fascinated by the increasingly
popular practice of growing food in cities. I had just begun to comb through
literature on urban agriculture when I came across the above-cited essay by Michael
Ableman. I read and re-read select passages, fixated by one word: <i>revolution</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was intrigued by the metaphor. Does urban
agriculture truly have the potential to bring about radical change? Could it
serve as an engine for economic growth, a solution to public health and
environmental crises, or a vehicle for cultural preservation? Or is the recent
trend of increased interest in urban agriculture, as some critics contend,
nothing more than a passing fad? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In late August I began my graduate studies and
decided to embark upon an academic journey to find some answers. Opting for a
multi-method research approach, I set out to gauge the viability of the urban
agriculture movement by tackling a deceptively simple question: why do urban
growers do what they do? I figured that before we can determine what the
movement will achieve in the long-run, we must first understand what motivates
the people who drive it. I needed to find those people. I needed to hear some stories.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It wasn't long until I struck gold. The <a href="http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/programs/oralhistory-dc/" target="_blank">DCGardeners Oral History Project</a> proved to be an invaluable resource, providing
me with a treasure trove of unique, richly contextualized narratives. I
explored the NFI Oral History Biography Map and listened with admiration as DC
gardeners chronicled their agricultural adventures. I was inspired by Chekesha
Rashad and her resolve to grow healthy, wholesome food in her own front yard.
In another interview, Ryan Shepard offers a compelling critique of industrial
agriculture, pointing to our dependence on 20,000 mile long supply chains and
indeterminately cheap oil. Shepard considers what it would mean to scale up
nonindustrial agriculture and highlights the importance of preserving
traditional farming knowledge. In yet another interview, Ken LePoer describes
the transformation of an unsightly impoundment lot into a safe space for
neighbors to gather and grow food, side by side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I spent most of the semester sifting through
the stories of seasoned DC gardeners, seeking insight into the key factors that
motivate urban residents to grow local food. At the same time, I sought to gain
some urban gardening experience myself. The NFI community was more than
welcoming, kindly showing me the ropes during Saturday morning volunteer
workdays at the Fort Totten Demonstration Garden. I weeded, planted, harvested,
and tended to compost while watching the urban farm site evolve. NFI Staff and
fellow volunteers graciously shared their own stories with me, and when the
season came to an end I spent time reflecting on all that I had learned. I
sorted through my notes and transcripts to identify recurring themes. DC urban
gardeners, I found, most often expressed interest in (1) building community,
(2) “reconnecting” with the earth, (3) improving health, and (4) caring for the
environment. Gardeners also commonly cited educational, economic, political,
and recreational factors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If one resounding conclusion can be drawn from
my study’s overall findings, it is that the growth of interest in urban
agriculture is not merely a passing fad. The movement seems to be driven by a
demographically diverse community of passionate individuals with deeply
personal yet intertwined agendas. <a href="http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/programs/oralhistory-dc/" target="_blank">The DC Gardeners Oral History Project</a> reveals
that city dwellers have been gardening since before it was “hip,” and all signs
suggest that younger generations will continue to build upon foundations that
have been laid, drawing inspiration from the past as they work to actualize
their hopes for the future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1" style="text-indent: .3in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A big thanks to the NFI community for
assisting me with my research and for sending me home, on more than one
occasion, with an armful of delicious fresh vegetables. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Normal1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Guest post by: Tschuna Gibson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Normal1">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Graduate Student of Ethics, Peace & Global Affairs at American
University’s School of International Service, concentrating in Global
Environmental Justice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/Kristin/AppData/Local/Temp/Stories%20from%20the%20Garden.docx#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
Michael Ableman,
Fatal Harvest (The Institute for Deep Ecology), quoted in “Urban Agriculture: A
Revolutionary Model for Economic Development” by Chris Lazarus, New Village:
Building Sustainable Cultures, Issue 2, 2000, p.64.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-32722504880946052582013-12-16T10:26:00.001-08:002013-12-16T10:26:28.386-08:0012 Days of NFI (before Christmas)<b>4th day of NFI Christmas: Is for the Fourth month of the year: April! </b><br />
<span class="userContent"> <br />
Why is April special? Historically April 23 is the Washington, DC's
area last frost date. This is the time we use to think about planning
our garden! Start planning your garden for next year by using the
calendar made by <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=110828012600&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/GIEIMaryland">Grow it Eat it</a> UMD's Extension program: <a href="http://bit.ly/1jbqOcy" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1jbqOcy</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent"><b>3rd day of NFI Christmas: Three-Sisters Garden! </b><br /> <br />
A Three-Sister Garden is a companion planting plant that uses three
main Native American staples: corn, squash, and beans. All plants do
their part to help one another. The corn provides str<span class="text_exposed_show">ucture
for the beans to climb, the squash provides shade and acts as a living
mulch for the beans and corn, and the beans provide nitrogen for both
the corn and squash. <br /> <br /> Plant your three-sister garden next summer!</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><b>2nd day of NFI Christmas: Two new great programs next year</b></span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"> <br /> TWO
new programs starting next year = Herbal Growing and Remedies through
the seasons & our new Neighbor-to-Neighbor Farming program, in
addition to our expanded Three Season Vegetable Growing Program. Check
out all of them on our website: <a href="http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/programs/gardening-education-program/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/programs/gardening-education-program/</a></span><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>1st day of NFI Christmas: One really awesome year!!</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent">Our 1st day of NFI Christmas countdown= ONE REALLY AWESOME YEAR! <br /> <br /> 1500 pounds of fresh, organic produce donated to <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=93773873872&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/dccentralkitchen">DC Central Kitchen</a>, <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=34511968373&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/BreadfortheCity">Bread for the City</a>, and<span class="text_exposed_show"> <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=29404423730&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/brainfoodDC">Brainfood</a><br /> <br /> 1790 hours put in by our fantastic volunteers. That's a lot of dirty hands!<br /> <br /> 22 participants enrolled in our Garden Education Program<br /> <br /> 34 Vegetable growers interviewed for our DC Gardener Oral History Project<br /> <br /> Thanks for helping us make this year awesome!</span></span></div>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-73572479905183611762013-12-02T12:34:00.000-08:002013-12-02T12:36:15.191-08:00Stories to shareI asked why our other volunteers and supporters give to NFI and here are their touching stories of what NFI means to them:<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Mirko</span></b></h3>
<div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3ffo9vR7OGc/Upzs9Jwh89I/AAAAAAAAIDI/AUh34jIrwds/s1600/20874_10151573993260797_1641758075_n(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3ffo9vR7OGc/Upzs9Jwh89I/AAAAAAAAIDI/AUh34jIrwds/s320/20874_10151573993260797_1641758075_n(1).jpg" width="240" /></a><i>I hope to one day learn how to grow my own food! </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>With the industrialized way that food is made these
days, all the chemicals that go into it, and climate change happening in
front of our eyes, for me it's every day more important to be able to
eat local, fresh and healthy food. Food production around the world
these days is unequal and unsustainable - and, in this fast changing
world, I believe the skill to grow your own food is invaluable.</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>I volunteer with NFI to learn and to be more
connected to the earth and the processes that bring us food. I believe
in bottom-up efforts like NFI which help more and more people become
involved in growing food. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #38761d;">
Bill:</span></h3>
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWWJgN0s-jw/UpzsmxVD9eI/AAAAAAAAIC4/XS-G1iIeHcY/s1600/IMAG0172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWWJgN0s-jw/UpzsmxVD9eI/AAAAAAAAIC4/XS-G1iIeHcY/s320/IMAG0172.jpg" width="320" /></a><i>The skills the Neighborhood Farm Initiative teaches help people get more
conscious of what they're eating, the work it takes to grow it and the
connection each meal has with the natural environment. In an urban
setting, it is entirely possible to only ever encounter produce in
cellophane packages or in a bin by the register. I value the experiences
I have with the other NFI-ers as we put our time and effort into the
hands-on cultivation of delicious vegetables and fruits (and the
occasional legume!). It is a wonderful and welcoming community that has
developed among folks interested in deepening and sharing this
knowledge, coming from a wider swath of D.C. than one typically is able
to find. I give to NFI so that more people might know the joy of
learning to grow their own food as part of such a fantastic community.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #351c75;">David</span></h3>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LPloFVde948/Upzs3HwrmPI/AAAAAAAAIDA/NJ45hNDgY_A/s1600/IMAG0170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LPloFVde948/Upzs3HwrmPI/AAAAAAAAIDA/NJ45hNDgY_A/s320/IMAG0170.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>When I
returned to DC three years ago, I wanted to dive into the world of urban
food-growing, and NFI was key in helping to make that happen. I took
their education course, got my own plot, and eventually joined their
board. I'm proud to now be part of DC's community of gardeners, and
through NFI I recently coordinated an entire oral history project
focused on this community. It's all been a labor of love to say the
least. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h4>
Want to be a part of our NFI community: </h4>
<a href="http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hands-on-urban-garden-education-dc/"><img alt="Give Now" src="https://dpqe0zkrjo0ak.cloudfront.net/img/buttons/give_now.gif" /></a>Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-10654646107290275792013-11-27T06:18:00.001-08:002013-11-27T06:20:56.594-08:00Happy GlobalGiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pzhb9bLdT90/UpX7adN_dqI/AAAAAAAAICM/vCmLiBQFmW8/s1600/IMAG0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pzhb9bLdT90/UpX7adN_dqI/AAAAAAAAICM/vCmLiBQFmW8/s320/IMAG0012.jpg" width="179" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ann Beman watering our seedlings</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we start the first week in the <span class="il"><a href="http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hands-on-urban-garden-education-dc/" target="_blank">GlobalGiving's</a></span> Open Challenge which we are participating in to secure a permanent spot on their website. To do this we need to raise $5,000 from 40 donors before <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_787035348" tabindex="0">December 31, 2013</span>!
Not only will this secure our spot, but this will also kick-start our
programs for 2014!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hands-on-urban-garden-education-dc/" target="blank"><img alt="Give Now" src="https://dpqe0zkrjo0ak.cloudfront.net/img/buttons/give_now.gif" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I asked our <a href="http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/about-us/board/" target="_blank">board members</a> the reason they volunteer their time (and money) to continue to keep NFI running smoothly. Our wonderful Vice Chair, Ann Beman, who is an avid gardener herself wrote in to say what NFI means to her: </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B5cw_Tp-DqM/UpX7pDIJkHI/AAAAAAAAICU/L8EWRgRALoo/s1600/IMAG0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B5cw_Tp-DqM/UpX7pDIJkHI/AAAAAAAAICU/L8EWRgRALoo/s320/IMAG0016.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">My family started growing some of our own food in 2009. As we've
learned and grow more, we make fewer and fewer trips to the market,
saving us time and money. The entire family (plus some of our neighbors)
have become enthusiastic about eating our home grown vegetables and
discovering new ways to prepare them. As a result, we also purchase (and
eat) a wider variety of vegetables than we did before we started
growing our own. Growing our own also adds a level of security in the
sense that, even when a bad storm blows by - knocking out powerlines and
emptying grocery store shelves - there are still fresh vegetables
growing just outside the kitchen door. The pride and the sense of
security I feel in harvesting something fresh for dinner, just outside
the kitchen door - is a satisfaction that is hard to articulate. These
benefits can be realized by anyone who wants to try - and that is why
NFI teaches people to grow their own food.</span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">As small-scale food production becomes more
wide-spread - with more and more people becoming involved in growing
food, the value for communities also grows. By growing food people gain a
sense of connectedness to the earth that sustains us and they reap the
health benefits of improved diet and the outdoor physical activity that
comes with tending a garden. Growing food close to home also reduces our
carbon footprint by eliminating so many food miles. By teaching people
to grow food we are cultivating that transformational movement that will
bring more resilience and sustainability to families and to
communities. </span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<i><span style="color: #990000; font-family: inherit;">- Ann Beman</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Help us secure our GlobalGiving spot and support our programs by contributing a tax-deductible <a href="http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hands-on-urban-garden-education-dc/?rf=ggWidget" target="_blank">donation</a> today. We couldn't do these programs without you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kristin Brower</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">NFI Director</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>- To see the reasons I give, check out our latest <a href="http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/593829/e9b8038590/282169091/0edb996475/" target="_blank">newsletter</a>.</i> </span></div>
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<script src="http://www.globalgiving.org/javascript/widget/widget.js" type="text/javascript"> { "projectids" : "15317", "ggtid" : "22D7210B3DB3D69EEB877105279805D0" } </script>
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Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-1171066469361780072013-09-22T10:37:00.002-07:002013-11-27T06:33:04.353-08:00Closing Out the Summer with GEPLast week temperatures dropped into the 50s early in the morning.
Many recent have been cooler, reminding me that today is the first
day of fall.<br />
<br />
At the last official “content” Gardening Education Project
class earlier this month, we talked about what to expect in the
garden as a result of these cooler days. Joe, our instructor, told us
that while the fruits will still ripen on the vine, we shouldn't
expect our plants to produce additional tomatoes, squash, eggplants,
peppers or basil.<br />
<br />
Also of note, Joe shared that the sweet potato vines (which have
provided me and my gardening partner seemingly-endless bags of <a href="http://www.thebittenword.com/thebittenword/2010/10/saut%C3%A9ed-sweet-potato-greens.html">greens
to saute</a>) would start to die back, so the time to dig them up and
see what lay underground was approaching.<br />
<br />
Because I will soon be travelling for several weeks, I decided to
dig up the sweet potato vines last week. Loosening the soil and
digging with my hands to search for potatoes felt like a treasure
hunt! One plant transplanted later in the season never really took
root, and there were no potatoes from it. One plant produced two huge
potatoes, and the other plant produced a couple medium sized potatoes
and two handfuls of fingerling potatoes. It was so much fun to both
harvest tasty, vitamin-rich greens and e to hunt for potatoes whose
size and number were unknown.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MGImC1_q7VA/Uj8quMQJ4JI/AAAAAAAAHkc/OT_oMJPuciQ/s1600/CommonVetch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MGImC1_q7VA/Uj8quMQJ4JI/AAAAAAAAHkc/OT_oMJPuciQ/s320/CommonVetch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vetch. A cover crop that grows well in this area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Joe also shared in class about nitrogen-fixing cover crops. He
admitted he'd recently become a “convert” to this “green
manure” after seeing how easy and effective it could be. My first
encounter with cover crop was on my first day of class this summer –
our plots had been sown with vetch and I noticed how simple it was to
uproot and turn it under in the soil. Cover crops are easy to sow,
prevent erosion, promote helpful microorganisms, retain moisture, and
can serve as a mulch. It was very helpful to learn more about them as
they seem like a win all around!<br />
<br />
We briefly talked about seed saving, too. Its a topic I have a lot
of interest in and hope to get into more once I have a little more
confidence and experience in basic gardening. It did feel excited to
be able to harvest some bush bean and marigold seeds this year which
I can use for next year's plot.<br />
<br />
These topics were appropriate for closing out the summer's GEP
classes, as they got us thinking about preparing for future
gardening. It has truly been a wonderful summer gardening with the
Neighborhood Farm Initiative. Getting to know classmates, volunteers,
and others who work with NFI has been an immense pleasure. The
discussion-based and hands-on approach of our classes made the
content truly memorable, and I now have the confidence to garden on
my own and share what I've learned with others. Thank you, NFI, for a
truly life-changing summer!
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Jenn Svetlik has been immensely grateful to be a 2013 GEP class
participant, and this is the last post about her experience as a
novice gardener throughout the summer.</i>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-36838036118607465732013-09-08T20:53:00.004-07:002013-09-08T20:56:13.591-07:00Beyond GEP: creating a home gardenI joined NFI's Gardening Education Project this summer for many reasons, but one of them is that I would be able to learn a lot about gardening while having guaranteed space in a great community garden. I'd had bad luck gardening at my house and had only been on waitlists for community garden space.<br />
<br />
However, when the opportunity arose to move out closer to the community garden, in the Ft. Totten area, into a house with a large yard that the landlady didn't mind being converted into garden space, I eagerly seized the opportunity.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure I would've done so with such little hesitation if it hadn't been for the GEP giving me the confidence to know I would be able to create a productive garden from the ground up.<br />
In getting started transforming a part of the lawn into garden space, I knew what to do. I knew where to go <a href="http://soiltest.umass.edu/" target="_blank">to get the soil tested</a> and how to create a good sample. <br />
<br />
When we began to dig into the lawn, I knew how to double dig and why its so good for the soil to do so. When the soil turned up very sandy, I knew (in part from the soil test results), what sort of amendments would need to be done in order to make the land productive.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pb9Craw59VM/Ui1E4mddbRI/AAAAAAAAHkA/dhCX6VxeY3s/s1600/1236752_161696047357951_1343013114_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pb9Craw59VM/Ui1E4mddbRI/AAAAAAAAHkA/dhCX6VxeY3s/s320/1236752_161696047357951_1343013114_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Thankfully, some friends who are part of the <a href="http://www.franciscanaction.org/earthcorps" target="_blank">Franciscan Earth Corps</a> offered to come over and help dig and have a time of reflection together on what being connected to nature and sustainable living mean for us in this time and place. It was a beautiful way to break ground at the new home!<br />
<br />
In the beds in which we were able to add amendments, we planted spinach, kale, and chard for fall and winter crops. For the rest of the ground which we hope to plant in the spring, I feel better prepared to improve it -- I know more about composting, have <a href="http://neighborhoodfarm.blogspot.com/2013/08/worms-worms-worms.html" target="_blank">learned how to vermicompost</a> (not without some initial challenges, but the worms seem well now!), and know how to plant a cover crop for the winter which will should contribute to improving the soil too. <br />
<br />
All in all, I have NFI to thank not only for a delicious, productive summer harvest (which is still producing much fruit!) but also the ability to take gardening to my new home, and hopefully begin a lifelong practice of gardening.<br />
<br />
<i>Jenn Svetlik is very grateful to be a 2013 GEP class participant, and has been blogging about her experience as a novice gardener throughout the summer. </i>Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-77916408079740453522013-08-28T06:05:00.000-07:002013-08-28T06:05:17.076-07:00GEP Guest Post: Najwa on Gardening as an Experience<!--[if !mso]>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Gardening
is an experience unlike any other experience.</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">It
is one that re<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>quires patience so
that one can reap the nutrients of earth. There is nothing like it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">So
in a nutshell, gardening with the Neighborhood Farm Initiative (NFI) has been
excellent! NFI has provided an experimental medium for growing gardens—equipped
with gardening tools, amendments, and the love and care of gardening neighbors
and gardening leaders. The nurturing environment of NFI gets you going and
keeps you engaged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Gardening
for the summer 2013 has been something I purposefully involved my family in. My husband, my 5 year old daughter, my 9 year old son and I have all
collectively begun this journey with the same amount of vigor. We always
emphasize the importance of eating veggies, but never the importance of growing
your own veggies. So needless to say, from the START…we were ready! This was an
awesome process to be involved in.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">In a
total of four beds, we set out in hopes of growing:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Swiss
chard</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Lettuce</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Bell
Pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Green
Beans</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Cucumber</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Cantaloupe
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Beets</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Carrots</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Sweet
Potato</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Basil,
Sage, Parsley, Thyme</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Jalapeno
and Banana Pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Cherry
Tomato</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Slicing
Tomato</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Egg
Plant </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Okra</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ep_bDj-TTnw/Uhdb3BM-X9I/AAAAAAAAHjQ/zdltz1ADYMw/s1600/family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ep_bDj-TTnw/Uhdb3BM-X9I/AAAAAAAAHjQ/zdltz1ADYMw/s320/family.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas Family effort</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">I’ll
start with some of the unsuccessful stories:</span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">The lettuce never came
through—I believe it was too hot when they were sowed</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">The Swiss Chard didn’t
do so well, with only a few of the bunches sprouting</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Something ate a great
amount of holes into the leaves of our eggplant</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">We over watered the
garden one day—leaving a mushy mess</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">The beets weren’t
properly thinned out so I think they competed horribly for nutrients—the
harvest produced very small radicchio beets.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">A cucumber loving bug
began to enjoy my cucumber plant in August—but I was still able to reap
cucumbers</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Success
stories—the pictures below speak for themselves.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eaex1T0MmrE/UhdcBu6SvnI/AAAAAAAAHjY/UB83AGgm9qw/s1600/spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eaex1T0MmrE/UhdcBu6SvnI/AAAAAAAAHjY/UB83AGgm9qw/s320/spider.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Spider + egg sack mixed in
the compost!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9eKLRXNDOo/UhdcHmQoA1I/AAAAAAAAHjg/DmByWcIlXAI/s1600/progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9eKLRXNDOo/UhdcHmQoA1I/AAAAAAAAHjg/DmByWcIlXAI/s320/progress.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Progress!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FldAoJDKdTE/UhdcPVqHu8I/AAAAAAAAHjo/chid-Z-dbqw/s1600/peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FldAoJDKdTE/UhdcPVqHu8I/AAAAAAAAHjo/chid-Z-dbqw/s320/peppers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Banana, Cayenne, Jalapeno Pepper, Okra</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Igosv5ftfmc/UhdcXl35qOI/AAAAAAAAHjw/MiZ4NgJa6uU/s1600/harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Igosv5ftfmc/UhdcXl35qOI/AAAAAAAAHjw/MiZ4NgJa6uU/s320/harvest.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Mas Amor!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Overall,
I loved this experience with NFI. I hope to keep myself and my family engaged
in the wonders of gardening. For the winter, I’ll be reading and researching
and figuring out some ways to continue with my love for gardening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Century Gothic","sans-serif";">Thank
you NFI!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-Najwa Thomas, 2013 Garden Education Program class member</span></div>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-80508378918596171232013-08-22T06:04:00.001-07:002013-08-22T06:06:37.544-07:00Worms, worms, worms!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I can confidently say that NFI's Garden Education Program has changed my life in many ways. I've become more grateful for farmers and farmworkers, more attentive to the global food system and a more a believer that widespread small-plot farming would make a significant contribution in addressing its problems. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Over the course of the summer, I've also had the opportunity to move into a home with a big lawn, and through GEP I've developed the confidence to know how to get started transforming that lawn into a space that will grow food for my housemates and myself. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
But the change that has taken place in me most rapidly through my GEP experience was my conversion to vericomposting after last Saturday's class. I've been a "lazy composter" for several years -- collecting food scraps in a large bin and scrounging up leaves to mix with them. The stuff would decompose slowly and it would often smell like a feedlot. I knew worms could help address the situation... but I had always felt nervous. Would I be able to keep them alive? Might they escape into my kitchen?</div>
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Joe's vermicomposting class put my fears at ease. He talked about how easy it is to feed and care for them, and how they survived even while he was out of town for two weeks. But the thing that sold me most quickly was being able to see and feel the "worm dirt" they produce. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zhE3lZg7HPE/UhYG84rvORI/AAAAAAAAHjA/5MGL-9a2rF4/s1600/1174957_10151835056570797_347049257_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zhE3lZg7HPE/UhYG84rvORI/AAAAAAAAHjA/5MGL-9a2rF4/s320/1174957_10151835056570797_347049257_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GEP instructor Joe shows off the worms feeding off scraps under a layer of coffee filter. </td></tr>
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My somewhat smelly, often chunky "lazy compost" was absolutely no comparison to the fine, odorless worm dirt! When Joe told us how much more nutrient-rich worm castings were than regular compost, and how they release the nutrients in a slow, balanced way, I was totally sold.<br />
<br />
I went home that same day and began to research red wigglers, the most common type of worm used for vermicomposting. I purchased two pounds of them on a "Summer Sale" at nearly half price, and they arrived in my home last night. I was so excited to put them in their new home of peat moss bedding, and I can't wait to start feeding them food scraps.<br />
<br />
The worms can eat up to half their body weight in a day, which means that my household should be feeding them a pound of scraps per day. In two or three months, I should have some castings to add to the new garden. And in three months, the worms should double their population, meaning I can start new bins or give some away to friends!<br />
<br />
So, my advice to those of you who are interested in vermicomposting... hesitate no longer! Do a little reading, get a bin, some peat moss, and some worms, and get started. Your veggies or flowers will thank you!<br />
<br />
<i>Jenn Svetlik is a member of NFI's Garden Education Program for the
2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience throughout the
summer.</i> Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-47666530323017953942013-08-16T08:36:00.004-07:002013-08-16T08:36:58.707-07:00A Ride on the Green Roads Express: Reflecting on Journeys in Agriculture, Gardening and Growing FoodsA few interviews in and I’m still amazed at how a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes of rich, gardening histories and experiences, over a span of 60 years or so, can open your mind to a world unlike your own and teach you more about plants and their relationship with people.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n4_s30I6z7Y/Ug5GmID2wdI/AAAAAAAAHig/OQOEtLnIPq8/s1600/henry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n4_s30I6z7Y/Ug5GmID2wdI/AAAAAAAAHig/OQOEtLnIPq8/s320/henry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Henry Womack</i></td></tr>
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<br />
In my first interview with Henry Womack, he gently takes me back 50 years to a warm, yet unfamiliar time in Northeast DC - an area I have come to know very well since I moved here. A place I have only known to attribute (most of) its hustle and bustle to McDonald’s and a number of carry-outs and restaurants, small retail shops, large chain grocery stores, and new and developing luxury condo apartments - used to be a place where families and locals could come to pick, weigh and buy vegetable and flower seeds for 5 cents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lvpuTeLRGw/Ug5GmFS1cAI/AAAAAAAAHic/3YCrXhhdhq8/s1600/fannie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_lvpuTeLRGw/Ug5GmFS1cAI/AAAAAAAAHic/3YCrXhhdhq8/s320/fannie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fannie Hamilton</td></tr>
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In another interview, Fannie Hamilton gives me glimpses of DC in the Spring of 1976, where after putting in rows for her garden, ongoing rains caused an unknown, nearby stream to swell, therefore destroying all her rows, seedlings and plants. That incident of nature allowed the opportunity to experiment with raised beds, then eventually to an immaculate, tiered container garden laden with many herbs and vegetables – all nestled among fruit trees, near where the passing stream (which flowed from Rock Creek Park to Blair Road) is no more. <br />
<br />
Packed with so much history and information, gardening facts, tips, and demographic scenes of how this city once was, these interviews afforded me a ticket on what I would call “Green Roads Express” – a personalized, agricultural history ride back in time. So far, after each ride I’ve learned that as time changed, the land changed… and so did the food. I saw how heirloom seeds gave way to hybrid seeds. How life-flowing waters dried up and gave way to streets and homes with manicured lawns. How eating from home and community gardens gave way to processed and canned foods, which became a form of status. However, by the end of these verbal travels, I realized these “special kind of people” (gardeners) continued to keep their connections with plants and growing food alive. They’ve still held a constant connection to nature even in inconstant circumstances of change. Their memories still hold insights of sustainable ways of living - ways that the world is again recognizing.<br />
<br />
Reflecting on these first interviews, I’ve captured a number of gardening experiences and memories that reach all across the globe and stop here – in my own back yard. These diverse recounts and knowledge have ultimately helped sketch the large picture of DC’s Gardening History - a gardening history as diverse as the people that inhabit it. All in all, it’s been a knowledgeable and surprisingly exciting ride to take with such gracious gardeners. Through these interviews (and the future ones), I hope to receive more insight to this place I call home and about the helpers and friends we call plants. It has already proven to be a worthwhile discovery!<br />
<br />
Until We Meet On the Next Green Road,<br />
<br />
Mia Hawkins<br />
<br />
<i>Oral History Project Interviewer</i><br />
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Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-26104463739789391332013-08-15T06:16:00.004-07:002013-08-15T06:17:27.266-07:00GEP blog guest post: TovaThere are only a few classes left in the 2013 Garden Education Program with NFI at the Mamie D. Lee community garden, and the plots of many of my classmates and I are in the peak of harvest. Its hard to believe that our formal, instructional time together will be over in just a few weeks! <br />
<br />
In posts in the coming weeks, I hope to feature reflections from some of the other members of the class. This week's reflection and comes from Tova Handelman:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VqDuNFEFa6k/UgQPhdhZ1KI/AAAAAAAAHh4/Z4NfsKISkaA/s1600/IMG_1754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VqDuNFEFa6k/UgQPhdhZ1KI/AAAAAAAAHh4/Z4NfsKISkaA/s320/IMG_1754.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tova and her friend, Mike who has been helping in the garden some weekends, high five-ing in between the crop rows
because they are so pumped up that things are growing.</td></tr>
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<br />
<i>My experience so far has been wonderful. I love the
vibe at NFI; everyone is so kind and genuinely excited for another
person when his or her crops are doing well.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i>
<i>Joe has been an excellent
teacher and has provided us with the perfect amount of hands-on guidance
as well as a laid back approach to allow us to do some work and
investigations ourselves.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HhpGnFFa2gk/UgQPilUGbII/AAAAAAAAHiA/uXtxzt5Oqzw/s1600/IMG_1758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HhpGnFFa2gk/UgQPilUGbII/AAAAAAAAHiA/uXtxzt5Oqzw/s320/IMG_1758.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tova and Mike with instructor Joe, the "all-knowing and wonderful," as Tova says. </td></tr>
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<i>One thing that has been surprising to me is
that there are so many factors -- weather, water, pests, disease, soil,
space, etc. -- that can cause trouble in a garden. It is astonishing
to me that anything makes it out alive at all!</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i></i>
<i>Growing my own food this
summer and experiencing the hard labor, waiting, time, effort, and more
that goes into just a tiny 12x12 ft plot gives me a whole new
appreciation for farmers.</i><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuueCQG3zAc/UgQPjCwSlNI/AAAAAAAAHiE/JinjHdVb250/s1600/IMG_1780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nuueCQG3zAc/UgQPjCwSlNI/AAAAAAAAHiE/JinjHdVb250/s320/IMG_1780.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bountiful harvest Tova brought home one weekend. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<i>Jenn Svetlik is a member of NFI's Garden Education Program for the
2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience throughout the
summer.</i> <br />
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Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-34800505979266324512013-08-08T14:30:00.001-07:002013-08-08T14:30:19.385-07:00Life & loss in the garden <div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My experience over the past three months as a member of the NFI Garden Education Program has been overwhelmingly positive. The same can be said of having a class-based plot in the Mamie D. Lee Community Garden. However, despite my exuberant picture below, I don't want to give the impression that its all been easy or abundant. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf1HzJgERTg/UgGCR9lbRBI/AAAAAAAAHhg/7V5OFjeuy-U/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sf1HzJgERTg/UgGCR9lbRBI/AAAAAAAAHhg/7V5OFjeuy-U/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Indeed, not everything I have planted has
produced fruit: </div>
<ul>
<li>a sage plant withered away soon after transplanting; </li>
<li>the strawberry plant I purchased on a whim in mid-June never flowered (planted
too late in the season I think); </li>
<li>half the arugula never came up, and the other half is struggling; </li>
<li>pests have dotted my cabbage leaves with holes;</li>
<li>and I'm not optimistic about the eggplants, which as I mentioned in a previous post were ravaged by flea beatles early in the season, and still haven't flowered. </li>
</ul>
But still, the
harvest time has begun for some things I've planted, which is so exciting. And I've learned a lot about how different
plants grow.<br />
<br />
In addition to a class on pests I mentioned in a previous post, another recent class on the risks of "loss" in the garden was on fungus and disease. While I have painstakingly pulled pests off my eggplant, green beans, and tomato plants, thankfully I haven't yet had to deal with any fungus issues.<br />
<br />
After learning about the potential for pests and disease, I recognized that
these little plants are up against a lot. In an earlier class this season, one idea particularly caught my attention – the fact that weeds were genetically superior to
vegetable plants and would grow much more easily and abundantly.<br />
In addition to
giving me a heads up about the frequent weeding needed, it also made me pause
to realize what an (ordinary) miracle growing food is.<br />
<br />
And thankfully we’ve been learning a lot about how to
prevent and address pests and disease:<br />
<ul>
<li>We were taught early on in the season to keep our tools and hands clean
and move mulching straw away from touching the plant directly; </li>
<li>We have been instructed to remove
damaged leaves from plants, where disease may more easily enter, as well as
removing dead leaves and debris from the garden which can harbor disease or
pests;</li>
<li>Weeding also removes food sources and hiding places for pests;</li>
<li>And companion plants can attract beneficial insects like
ladybugs and wasps. They can do the pest removal work for you! </li>
</ul>
So while there is certainly potential for loss in the garden, which my plot has already experienced to some degree, I am grateful to be learning what can be done to reduce those risks. <br />
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<i>Jenn Svetlik is a member of NFI's Garden Education Program for the 2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience throughout the summer.</i>Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-11233643938571667392013-08-02T18:07:00.004-07:002013-08-02T18:18:05.487-07:00Oh how the garden grows! <div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For most of July I was
out of town for work, which not only explains why my posting on the
NFI blog has slowed down, but also means that I didn't have the
opportunity to visit my garden plot for a month!
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When I did finally make
it up there, I was in awe! Even as I was parking my bike outside the
fence, I noticed so much change. There had been no hibiscus blooming
when I left. Now the bush is covered in blooms that are as big as my
face! One fellow gardener's patch of corn has shot up to over seven
feet tall!
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When I walked over to
my plot, I was shocked to see how big the zucchini and bush beans had
gotten, and how the tomato plants had really shot up. The cabbage
family plants were ready for their final thinning, too.<br />
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I spoke to the gardener
with the tall corn, which he was watering. I complimented him on how
great it looked, but he told me that the birds and other pests were
preventing it from bearing good fruit. “<span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="es"><span class="hps">¿Qué se puede</span> <span class="hps">hacer usted?</span></span>” I
asked him. “No más que seguir cuidandolo,” he replied. <i>I can't do
anything except to continue caring for it</i>.
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This approach to
gardening seems similar that of Joe, our GEP instructor, who says that he
tends to let certain pests “run their course,” trusting that the
plants will survive in spite of them. I've taken that approach to my
little plot as well. Early in the season, flea beatles had all but
completely destroyed the leaves of my eggplants, but now that the
season has passed, new growth has emerged on the plant and they look
much healthier.
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The cabbage leaves have
a number of holes, but still taste great, and I've done my best to
remove the insects from the green beans and corn.
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Pests was a recent
topic in the GEP Saturday classes. In order to prepare for class Joe
sent out some videos produced by the University of Maryland. I
thought they were informative and entertaining; maybe you will too:
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GqjJg6KGOe4" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1rJeen4huv4" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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So far, the harvest
from my plot has included about 20 green beans, a handful of cherry
tomatoes, quite a bit of basil and thyme, jalapenos and banana
peppers, and tender cabbage and endive leaves (I ate the plants that
I thinned out from the row). I can't wait to see what else emerges...
hopefully zucchini will be next!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Jenn
Svetlik is grateful to be a member of NFI's Garden Education Program
for the 2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience
throughout the summer.</i></span></span></div>
</div>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-58812701076069931472013-07-10T10:00:00.000-07:002013-07-11T16:42:10.290-07:00Companion Planting: Good for every one<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In an earlier post, I
mentioned that I'd write more in the future on companion planting. Given that in the not-too-distant-past the Neighborhood Farm Initiative planted their "Three Sisters" garden, I thought it was a good time to revisit the idea. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I joined the Garden Education Program (GEP) this summer, companion planting was one of the topics in which I was most interested. The idea that certain plants are mutually beneficial and grow better simply by being together was an intriguing one, and I wanted to know more about that -- both for the practical reason of being able to maximize the amount of food that it was possible to grow in our 12'x12' plots, but also because I have an entry-level curiosity about botany. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The GEP class offers a very helpful handbook to accompany the materials that Joe covers in class. It was very interesting to read about planting families based on the work of horticulturist Sally Jean Cunningham. She writes about various plant families which can guide how to group plants. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Botanical families - </b>(such as eggplant, peppers & tomatoes, all in the "nightshade" family) because they are genetically related, they have similar needs & pest issues </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Feeding families -</b> Plants grouped by their similar soil nutrient needs (onions, carrots & greens to together well this way)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pest-fighting families - </b>One member repels pests that harm another member (like potatoes and beans together) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Performance families</b> - Plants that help one another grow better. The "three sisters" of corn, pole beans and squash are an example. The beans help to fix nitrogen and thereby enrich the soil, and they can grow up the stalks of the corn, which is a heavy feeding crop. The squash leaves which grow low can shade the ground and block weeds from growing. </span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ddFZcG7W4n0/UcpQ5sPbJZI/AAAAAAAAHgY/SbbuxMG4Dt0/s1600/three+sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ddFZcG7W4n0/UcpQ5sPbJZI/AAAAAAAAHgY/SbbuxMG4Dt0/s320/three+sisters.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Volunteers planting the
Three Sisters garden within the Mamie D. Lee Community Garden. In a couple of months it
will be a fun corn, squash, and bean maze to wander through. (photo from the NFI Facebook page)</i></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was fun to think through how to plant crops in my plot that would be mutually beneficial. This season, I chose to plant the "nightshade" family near one another, alongside the basil to create a "pizza garden." I also put the carrots and onions together. Seeing the various combinations of companion families in NFI's demonstration garden was very helpful in thinking this through. I'll be curious to see how the plant arrangement I chose affects how the plants grow this season!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--j0r6w2VsGs/UcpS-6wWv9I/AAAAAAAAHgo/k28X2AxHfKg/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--j0r6w2VsGs/UcpS-6wWv9I/AAAAAAAAHgo/k28X2AxHfKg/s320/flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Flowers - an excellent companion to any garden, for their beauty and ability to attract crucial pollinators! </span></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Jenn
Svetlik is grateful to be a member of NFI's Garden Education Program
for the 2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience
throughout the summer.</i></span></span></div>
</div>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-15202235499417161812013-07-02T11:55:00.000-07:002013-07-02T11:55:04.185-07:00DC Gardeners Oral History Project<strong>DC Gardeners Oral History Project</strong><br /><br />In June 2013,
the Neighborhood Farm Initiative received a grant from the DC Humanities
Council to gather oral history interviews with DC resident gardeners to
tell the story of growing food in our city. During the summer and early
autumn of 2013, members of the NFI community will record at least 25
interviews documenting the history of growing food in Washington, DC.
Help us to preserve this history by connecting us with the DC gardener
in your life.<br /><br /><b>Who are we looking for?</b><br />We are looking for
people who can tell a significant story about growing food in DC,
someone who has lived a good portion of his or her life in this city and
has experience growing food here. Though we are looking for a core of
interviewees with a level of seniority in the District and substantial
experience as a gardener, this person will not have a specific age or
number of years gardening. It might be the 65-year-old man who has lived
in DC his whole life and helps to manage the community garden in your
neighborhood, but it might also be the 30-year-old woman on your block
who grows tomatoes the way that her Washingtonian grandparents taught
her. You'll know this person when you see her and she has a story to
tell about growing food in Washington, DC.<br /><br />If you know someone who should be interviewed or if you are willing to be interviewed yourself, please contact David Quick at stories@neighborhoodfarminitiative.org. Also contact David if you would like to contribute as a recruiter,
interviewer, note-taker, or some other way! This is rich history, and
you can help to cultivate it.Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-15756857718135097672013-06-25T19:13:00.001-07:002013-06-25T19:14:27.632-07:00Gardening Surprises<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In class last week,
Joe, the instructor for NFI's summer 2013 Gardening Education
Program, asked us each to share something that has surprised us most
about gardening so far. Its been nearly two months since the program
began, and we've met for class five times. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-by0RYGPRH3Y/UcpMyCshkDI/AAAAAAAAHf4/G6MX3dWw-UI/s1600/staking-class.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-by0RYGPRH3Y/UcpMyCshkDI/AAAAAAAAHf4/G6MX3dWw-UI/s320/staking-class.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was fun to hear the
variety of responses from classmates, which included:
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The heartbreak of
plants dying</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How much one
classmate thinks about gardening throughout the day</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Having standing
water in one's plot after the heavy rains, which has since drained
away</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How fast the weeds
grow</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How much work is
required to grow just a few vegetables
</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How quickly plants
from the “cucumber family” grow</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That its possible
to make a drip irrigation system from a <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Drip-Irrigator-from-a-Plastic-Bottle" target="_blank">2-liter plastic bottle</a></span></span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How well mulching
works to keep weeds away</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The balance of
mental and physical energy used when gardening i.e “I get my
squats in, and I think about my seedlings all the time!”
</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I appreciated the
reflections that my classmates had on how gardening engages the whole
self – bodies, minds, heart, and soul. While there is a lot of
watching involved, gardening is no “spectator sport,” but rather
requires various types of energy. Upon further reflection, that idea
may be what surprises me the most too.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The fruits and
vegetables that we planted from seed have sprung up into little
seedlings, and so many folks have begun to thin out their plants.
Those who had spaces where seeds didn't come up gladly took the extra
thinned seedlings for their own plots, so that all the space is well
used to grow more food.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Its been so rainy that
we haven't had to use the drip irrigation tape much, but we turned it
on during the last class and got to see how it works. We worked
together to smooth out any kinks in the system and the water was able
to moisten the soil around our new seedlings – now their roots can
streeetch out to get access to it, and gain a more stable foundation
in the process. <br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NS7G53_zecg/UcpOIpUr62I/AAAAAAAAHgI/0WudnHS_AdU/s1600/IMG_20130622_094004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NS7G53_zecg/UcpOIpUr62I/AAAAAAAAHgI/0WudnHS_AdU/s320/IMG_20130622_094004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The weather has been
much hotter this week. Like other classmates who think about their
seedlings throughout the day, I'm eager to get up to the garden soon
to see how the plants are weathering the heat and how I can support
their continued growth.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Jenn
Svetlik is grateful to be a member of NFI's Garden Education Program
for the 2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience
throughout the summer.</i></span></span></div>
</div>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-1106660311904459182013-06-20T05:24:00.003-07:002013-06-20T05:27:23.670-07:00Thinking about Green Space Differently<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The headline of an article in the <i>New York Times</i> caught my attention this week – an op-ed titled <i><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/opinion/greedy-gardeners.html?_r=0">Greedy
Gardeners</a></i>. Before actually reading the piece, I felt a little offended,
and told my gardening companion so as we biked up to the Mamie D. Lee Community
Garden last Saturday morning to check on the seedlings in my plot. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My companion encouraged me to actually read the piece, of course, and
after doing so, I felt differently. The author comments on a utilitarian view of
nature and how often people focus on the direct and obvious benefits that nature can provide to
humans (such as food). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She highlights the value of wildflowers and native plant
species which attract pollinating bees and provide habitats for other wildlife
which are part of the same ecosystems as plants which provide food for humans.
The article encouraged me to think about green space differently – both to see
the value of native flowers and trees – but also to think about nature’s
inherent value beyond the utilitarian. Plants feed insects and birds, too, but
also nurture “our heads and hearts,” the author says. In response, I took the concrete step of buying a couple flowers to plant along the edges of my plot last Saturday. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While the community garden at which the Neighborhood Farm Initiative
offers its Garden Education Program classes this summer is intentionally
dedicated as a space to learn about and grow food for human consumption, I am
happy to also see flowers in and around the garden. The bees which provide essential
pollination for the plants to produce fruit can also be fed by other plants nearby.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPWHMhkoZa8/UcL0SJR92nI/AAAAAAAAHe4/mWYLIiEu5Uk/s1600/flower_planters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mPWHMhkoZa8/UcL0SJR92nI/AAAAAAAAHe4/mWYLIiEu5Uk/s320/flower_planters.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Photo taken from <a href="http://mamiedleegarden.blogspot.com/">mamiedleegarden.blogspot.com</a> -
<br />featuring the workday in which the planters outside the garden were built by volunteers. </span> </span></i></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is also a treat that the garden is close to some wooded
areas, so that going there feels a little more integrated into nature, even
while the metro line is a few hundred meters away. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In future classes, we will be talking more about insect life
– pollinators and pests – and I’m eager to think more about how an ecosystem
works together to thrive. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Jenn
Svetlik is grateful to be a member of NFI's Garden Education Program for the
2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience throughout the summer.</i></span></span></div>
Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-35000734996937708132013-06-10T18:24:00.000-07:002013-06-10T18:25:03.336-07:00The Three W's of Gardening <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The 2013 Garden Education Program
classes have been going on for over four weeks now, and it shows. Our
garden plots, which started out as a field of crop-cover divided by
strings and stakes, are really starting to come together. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t_3JKHv8v8U/UbZ6zdWToTI/AAAAAAAAHeI/fHFzHwMfZZk/s1600/IMG_20130608_095134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t_3JKHv8v8U/UbZ6zdWToTI/AAAAAAAAHeI/fHFzHwMfZZk/s320/IMG_20130608_095134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most students have their beds planted
with an assortment of seedlings and seeds – multiple varieties of
tomatoes, basil, eggplant and peppers (grouped together by many
students after learning about companion planting), along with sweet
potatoes, melons, cucumbers, squash, green beans, peas, carrots,
chicory, lettuces, greens, okra and probably a number of other plants
I'm forgetting!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It is fun to hear from different classmates
about why they choose certain plants for their plots – a favorite food, a
childhood memory, to try a new vegetable or new variety, or to have a
challenge to learn from. Each plot reflects something of a student's
preferences and story.
</span></span></div>
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</span></span>
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</div>
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</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last Saturday, Joe shared with us during the "classroom" portion of our morning that
much of gardening is “<b>weeding</b>, <b>watering</b>, and <b>watching</b>.” We're
beginning to learn how to do all three well. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--m1Bxx-rnjY/UbZ7Dqu9m7I/AAAAAAAAHeQ/YX_lHoh_q0Y/s1600/IMG_20130608_101229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--m1Bxx-rnjY/UbZ7Dqu9m7I/AAAAAAAAHeQ/YX_lHoh_q0Y/s320/IMG_20130608_101229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We've laid woodchips between our row
down to prevent weeds, and laid straw down around our seedings as a
mulch. Joe stressed the difference between hay and straw (with all of
the grass seeds in hay, it wouldn't make for a good weed-inhibiting
mulch!). </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yASi7ETgrEA/UbZ7NPHlrgI/AAAAAAAAHeY/dpQsd0VoDkc/s1600/IMG_20130608_095106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yASi7ETgrEA/UbZ7NPHlrgI/AAAAAAAAHeY/dpQsd0VoDkc/s320/IMG_20130608_095106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Volunteers graciously set up the drip
irrigation in our gardens on Saturday, too, but with the amount of
rain we've been getting this week, I don't know if we'll need to turn
it on quite yet (I'm more worried that our seeds may get washed
away!). We learned about how much water different plants need, and
how to water such that the roots grow deeply and improve their
resistance to drought.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vwGoqCjnxk/UbZ7Wz1NQHI/AAAAAAAAHeg/q0EtrKaOnlw/s1600/IMG_20130608_095159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7vwGoqCjnxk/UbZ7Wz1NQHI/AAAAAAAAHeg/q0EtrKaOnlw/s320/IMG_20130608_095159.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Watching” is the activity that
intrigues me the most. I'm eager to watch how the seeds and seedlings
respond to their environments and to what their companions the
gardeners offer to them. Do certain plants prefer certain spots in
the garden, and which neighbors do they prefer? </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">By watching my plants
and those of my classmates, along with the interpretation of our
teacher and classmates with more experience, we'll be able to
learn a lot from nature.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will share about some of the fruits
of our <b>weeding</b>, <b>watering</b>, and <b>watching</b> in future posts.
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On another note, Saturday was also
NFI's Open House. Once again, I was reminded of how meaningful it is
to be learning about gardening in the context of a community, as
volunteers simultaneously worked in the NFI demonstration garden, set
up tents for serving the food, and prepared for the workshops that
would be offered. We are all working together to create something
bigger than ourselves which can be shared. Kristin posted <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151686992420797.1073741838.123463445796&type=1">pictures
of the Open House on Facebook</a> – it looks like a wonderful time
was had by all.
</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Jenn
Svetlik is grateful to be a member of NFI's Garden
Education Program for the 2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the
experience throughout the summer.</i></span>Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-81191281115580930562013-06-06T18:18:00.002-07:002013-06-06T18:20:56.408-07:00Growing food: a radical act <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Joe, instructor for the 2013 Garden Education Program, shared something in this summer's first class that really made an impression on me. He highlighted that the act of growing our own food means that we are doing something beyond just ourselves. We are participating in and helping to build a local food system. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having worked previously for an organization promoting policies to ensure food sovereignty for hungry people, I felt connected to what Joe said. Drafting policy position papers, however, is altogether different than putting one's spade into the ground, hoping that through your efforts, something will grow that can nourish you and your family. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I began to think more about some of the "macro" implications of the "micro" process of working in a garden plot. A couple quotes I found seemed to get at the heart of the matter: </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[54].:0:1:1:comment10103127537162330_26611124.:0.:1.:0.:1.:0.:0.:0:2" style="font-size: small;"><span id=".reactRoot[54].:0:1:1:comment10103127537162330_26611124.:0.:1.:0.:1.:0.:0.:0:2.:0"><span id=".reactRoot[54].:0:1:1:comment10103127537162330_26611124.:0.:1.:0.:1.:0.:0.:0:2.:0.:0">"The
greatest change we need to make is from <i>consumption</i> to <i>production</i>,
even on a small scale, in our own gardens. If only 10% of us do this,
there is enough for everyone." - Bill Mollison, "father of permaculture"</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and </span></span><br />
<img class="CSS_LIGHTBOX_SCALED_IMAGE_IMG" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04mTCn_rnIepZDedkKw8MNJwc5ur1zDrvGSFHxzdAox_7VGvdEasZC3Xi2uQLqXg4TVeu-wbgefY30I9S3Il2cVi6nIPDoIerENR7HxsnnmtkiEkyYyEbEYYzsm1QcoCeLJuAA5xybAw/s1600/tumblr_ly2064iwNB1qj6htj.jpg" style="height: 548px; width: 358px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> (Jules Dervaes and his family live on an urban farm in Pasadena, CA and promote self-sufficiency in urban settings) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Through the seemingly-small act of tending one's plot, a person takes a counter-cultural stance in light of pervasive consumerism and also helps to contribute to food security in her community. Growing one's own food provides an alternative vision to that of agribusiness and monocropping. And perhaps most important, as Dervaes highlights, gardening brings us in harmony with nature and can transform us. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I already find myself paying more attention to the weather and its rhythms. I can anticipate learning a good deal about patience as I observe the slow, steady work of a plant producing more leaves, flowers, and fruits. I hope to learn each plant's signs indicating what it may need from the grower to support its work--a new form of attentiveness. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope that this post hasn't become too philosophical. The work we've been doing in class is quite practical -- weeding, mixing compost into soil, spreading woodchips along the path, more weeding, planning how to best use the space in our plots, planting seedlings and seeds, watering, and more weeding. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll leave you with a few pictures of my plot's progress... and the promise of a less abstract reflection in a future post!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[54].:0:1:1:comment10103127537162330_26611124.:0.:1.:0.:1.:0.:0.:0:2" style="font-size: small;"><span id=".reactRoot[54].:0:1:1:comment10103127537162330_26611124.:0.:1.:0.:1.:0.:0.:0:2.:0"><span id=".reactRoot[54].:0:1:1:comment10103127537162330_26611124.:0.:1.:0.:1.:0.:0.:0:2.:0.:0"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jLRkcbZA0uc/UbB5BmSjSQI/AAAAAAAAHdk/FCDaDlY6aPc/s320/IMG_0462.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Looking at a plant with fellow classmate Dani </i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Jenn
Svetlik is grateful to be a member of NFI's Garden
Education Program for the 2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the
experience throughout the summer.</i></span>Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-38011082874923696662013-05-31T17:15:00.001-07:002013-05-31T17:15:43.412-07:00Community gardening: collective wisdom<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growing up in Houston, Texas, my mom kept a garden nearly year-round.
As a little girl my mom would poke holes into the ground at the appropriate
width and distance and have me carefully place bean or cantaloupe seeds inside.
Those early years made an impression on me, but I never took the initiative to ask
questions about what she planted where and why, or how she improved the soil or
avoided damage from pests. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I moved to DC 15 years later, I began
to take an interest in growing my own food. Two seasons of attempting to grow tomatoes and peppers in
front of my rowhouse--which suffered from lack of full
sun and rodents--both discouraged me and motivated me to seek
out a communal garden space. I knew I could benefit both from the space
set apart in full sunlight as well as the collective wisdom that emerges from
growing in a shared space. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqBAtPuxzs8/UakM2mEDTVI/AAAAAAAAHKI/DmyofGD7ivs/s1600/photo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqBAtPuxzs8/UakM2mEDTVI/AAAAAAAAHKI/DmyofGD7ivs/s320/photo2.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For that reason, I was really excited to discover that I had
been accepted into the Neighborhood Farm Initiative's </span><a href="http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/programs/gardening-education-program/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adult
Education Program</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for the summer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was rainy our first class day, but that didn’t stop most
participants from coming out to learn about the most fundamental aspect to
gardening – soil quality. Joe, our instructor, is a teacher in his 'other life'
& offers clear and engaging presentations of information.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Classmates were encouraged to get to know each other and share where we're from, as a way of 'locating' the knowledge each of us might have about weather. I was struck by the variety in ages and of gardening-related experiences, as well as the hospitable environment which welcomed classmate's to bring loved ones alongside them to help in their 12'x12' plots throughout the week. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It has also been wonderful to feel like our class is part of a larger growing community with much wisdom to soak up. Each Saturday volunteers have been working in the demonstration garden, and are eager to give tours and show how they've grouped plants together based on their botanical families, companion families (more on this in a future post), or in groups that help fight pests from each other. It appears that both the plants and the gardeners are interested in working together for mutual benefit!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We've only begun our summer of growing & learning from one another, and I'm eager to see what it holds. I'll be reflecting each week on the collective wisdom that emerges from this summer's class -- I hope you'll check in frequently to read what we're learning about!</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zNYvJt975Uo/UakM4aq5TWI/AAAAAAAAHKQ/FPB9W-LIH2Y/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zNYvJt975Uo/UakM4aq5TWI/AAAAAAAAHKQ/FPB9W-LIH2Y/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Jenn Svetlik has, for nearly all of her five years so far living in DC, sought out garden space, and is grateful to be a member of NFI's Adult Education Program for the 2013 season. She'll be reflecting on the experience throughout the summer.</span> </em></span></div>
<br />Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-87344043979514201722013-04-23T09:28:00.001-07:002013-04-25T08:42:20.713-07:00NFI's Seedling Sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buy your seedlings from a local store and support a local non-profit! NFI will be selling seedlings at <a href="http://www.communityforklift.com/" target="_blank">Community Forklift</a> every Saturday from April 27 - May 25 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. Support local communities! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.communityforklift.com/" target="_blank">Community Forklift</a> is located at <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;">4671 Tanglewood Dr Edmonston, MD 20781</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;">Do you have a community garden that would like to put in a large order? We can deliver for a small fee. Contact us at info@neighborhoodfarminitiative.org for more information about scheduling an order. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">See varieties below! </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0Clobm0Ilw/UXa0pUV4qPI/AAAAAAAAHEY/x9dxJnOa4Yo/s1600/Publication1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u0Clobm0Ilw/UXa0pUV4qPI/AAAAAAAAHEY/x9dxJnOa4Yo/s1600/Publication1.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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<b>Kale ($2.00)</b></div>
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Red Russian Kale</div>
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<b>Tomatoes ($3.50)</b> </div>
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Grape Red (cherry tomato)</div>
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Sungold (cherry tomato)</div>
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Yellow Pear (cherry tomato)</div>
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Better boy </div>
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Amana Orange </div>
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Bush Early Girl </div>
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Patio Princess </div>
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<b>Eggplant ($3.50)</b></div>
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Millionaire Eggplant </div>
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Santana Eggplant</div>
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<b>Peppers ($2.50)</b></div>
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Sweet Banana (hot!)</div>
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Cayenne Thin (hot!)</div>
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Jalapeno (sweet)</div>
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Golden Bell/Yellow Bell (sweet)</div>
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<b>Herbs ($1.50)</b></div>
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Genovese Basil </div>
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Dark Opal Basil </div>
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Sweet Thai Basil</div>
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<b>Herbs ($2.00)</b></div>
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Garden Sage </div>
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Summer Thyme </div>
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<b>Strawberries ($3.00)</b></div>
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<b>Sweet Potato Slips (arriving in early May) 50 cents/slip or 10 for $4.00</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Want some free seedlings? Volunteer at one of our Seedling Sales. Email Millie (mknowlton8@gmail.com) for more details. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
Our seedlings were grown from <a href="http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/" target="_blank">NFI</a>, <a href="http://threepartharmonyfarm.org/" target="_blank">Three Part Harmony Farms</a>, and <a href="http://www.sharpfarm.com/" target="_blank">Sharp's at Waterford Farm</a></div>
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<br />Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-11418999610474150462013-04-15T07:40:00.002-07:002013-04-15T07:40:35.675-07:00Delicious & Decorative Edible GardensThere's no better way to celebrate <a href="http://www.nationalgardenmonth.org/">National Garden Month</a> than planting your very own edible garden. But just because it's edible doesn't mean it can't be aesthetically appealing or must be monochromatic green. This spring, become the caretaker of your personal garden for a spiritually stimulating way to reconnect with nature.<br />
<h3>
Mulching</h3>
For your edible garden to bring you visual and gustatory delight, you'll need to care for it properly. One of the best ways to sustain life in your garden is to use the proper mulch. If you have a lawn, you already own all the mulch you'll ever need. Gardeners can use lawn <a href="http://www.husqvarna.com/us/products/lawn-mowers/husqvarna-lawn-mowers-for-homeowners">mowers</a> to create the ideal mulch to enhance soil and inhibit weeds. Freshly cut and dry grass clippings can be applied in thin layers over the your garden, according to GrowVeg.com. Clippings are rich with nitrogen and potassium for sufficient fertilization.<br />
<h3>
Edible & Ornamental Plants</h3>
<strong>Basil</strong> – Basil is an annual herb, best grown in well-drained soil and under full sun, according to Better Homes and Gardens. If you desire an edible plant of a different color, certain basil cultivars such as “Purple Ruffles” and “Round Midnight” grow purple leaves. Use basil leaves to create your very own pesto sauce for Italian dishes.<br />
<strong>Strawberries</strong> – Sunset.com asserts that strawberries are the <a href="http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/best-vegetables-fruit-herbs-to-plant-00400000062826/">ideal fruit to grow</a>, rather than buying pesticide-<br />
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packed commercial varieties. They recommend “Quinault,” “Seascape” and “Sequoia” cultivars. Find out your location's hardiness zone to grow the best strawberries.<br />
<strong>Artichoke</strong> – Globe artichokes are decorative, delicious and a must-have edible plant for any garden. Their spiny violet-green hearts and blooming purple filaments add visual appeal. These bulbous vegetables are best used in salads or the always delicious spinach-artichoke dip.<br />
<strong>Cilantro</strong> – Grow this annual tap-rooted plant in low, wide pots. Cilantro grows and flowers rapidly—once it reaches a height of about eight inches, cut off the outer leaves, according to Sunset.com. Sprinkle cilantro in your favorite Mexican cuisines, from gazpacho to guacamole.<br />
<strong>Snow Peas</strong> – This podded pea is a cool-season plant that can be grown in all hardiness zones. The cultivar “Oregon Giant” grows not on a vine but a bush, and produces extra large pods. Ensure that you pick the sweet, crunchy pods when they reach harvest size — otherwise the seeds will ripen and the plant will halt production, according to Sunset.<br />
<strong>Peppers</strong> – To <a href="http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/edible-plants/">add warm colors to your edible garden</a>, plant red, orange and yellow Mariachi peppers. The plant produces elongated peppers that are mildly spicy. Mariachi peppers can thrive in all hardiness zones and grow best when bathing in the sun.<br />
<strong>Mint</strong> – Mint is a warm season herb that's best grown in a bowl to isolate the herb from overtaking your garden. Spearmint produces vivid green leaves ideal for adding to jellies, mojitos or a glass of cold lemonade.<br />
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Written by, Bridgette SmithNeighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-69342695231416287952013-03-28T17:06:00.002-07:002013-03-28T17:07:39.742-07:00For Love of Okra<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">By the time I was
nine years old, okra had assumed the dubious honor of being the only vegetable
I disliked. This held true for years, and I didn’t try very hard to identify
any of the plant’s redeeming qualities. I loathed its slimy texture and strange
anatomy, and that was that. But as I discovered last summer while enrolled in
<a href="http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/" target="_blank">NFI’s Gardening Education Program</a>, cultivating vegetables can do quite a bit to
ease prejudices of taste. What we grow, we love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Unaware of my
long-held bias, two hearty okra plants thrived in my first garden as though
that 12-by-12 plot was the happiest home they’d ever had. (I’d thrown in a few
seeds on the edge of the plot as an experiment—or maybe a challenge.) Tall,
leafy, and strong, they were prolific, and produced yellow flowers that
belonged in a florist’s shop. It seemed clear that okra liked my garden. A lot.
So I, in turn, began to like okra. It was especially good, I discovered,
pan-fried in a hot skillet with a liberal dash of kosher salt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">The Gardening
Education Program promises a growing-season of instruction; seeds and
seedlings; and free use of tools. So I envisioned as many different veggies as
my plot could hold: Zucchini, tomatoes, pattypan squash, green beans, fennel,
chard, watermelon radishes, peppers, carrots, beets, spinach, basil, parsley,
and dill, along with zinnias, sunflowers, and cosmos. And, of course,
okra. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Not all of my seeds
sprouted. I was a newbie, after all, and no doubt my early and overzealous
weeding hastened the demise of a few young plants. As the summer unfolded,
though, my classmates and I learned how to care for those that did emerge. We
watered, mulched, weeded, and—when our plants had matured--harvested. Terms
like “vermicomposting” and “soil enhancement” became part of our vocabulary.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6-0DV0e2s5g/UVTZ0uOztCI/AAAAAAAAHDg/uSBstsTS1RQ/s1600/IMG_0436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6-0DV0e2s5g/UVTZ0uOztCI/AAAAAAAAHDg/uSBstsTS1RQ/s1600/IMG_0436.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Our teacher, Nora,
took care to explain that as some plants grow, they need extra help. A few
varieties of green beans, for instance, do best when they have a trellis on
which to climb. By mid-July, my bean plants had gotten quite robust. They
looked restless. So one hot Saturday I went to the garden to construct a
trellis. Using string and plastic stakes, I pieced together a makeshift
contraption and threaded the beans’ spindly vines and heart-shaped leaves
through it. Then I bolted for the air-conditioning, and from afar willed my
green beans to grow fast and happy in their new vertical home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">By the following
weekend, the trellis was dotted with purple blossoms. This was unexpected. I
didn’t know bean plants produced purple flowers. And where were the actual
beans? Nora took one look at my setup and laughed. “Those morning glories
really like the trellis you made for them,” she said with a smile. So I spent
the next hour dismantling the thing and detangling the impostors from their accidental
home. On the ground, I cleared space for the bean plants—<i>bush</i> beans, as I now knew. The uprooted morning glories, meanwhile,
found a new home in the compost pile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">The trellis
incident was nature’s way of reminding me that I had a lot to learn. But I
appreciated how the garden adapted again and again to my lack of precision and
rookie mistakes. More than anything, though, I valued its tranquility. I loved
wandering the wood-chip paths and watching other people’s gardens take shape.
During the work week, my mind would often drift several miles across town to my
own small plot. I’d picture the robins perched atop the bamboo rods to which
I’d staked my tomato plants, and the bright goldfinches I often spotted in the
cornstalks nearby. Thinking about the garden, it turned out, was almost as
lovely as being there.
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">By October, class
was over and the growing season nearly done. I decided to pull up what plants
remained. A few stray sungold tomatoes, some leaf lettuce, and young Red
Russian kale just a few inches in length—that was it. Feeling sad as I placed
the final harvest in my bag, I looked around and remembered what had thrived in
this patch of earth. The carrots and fennel, admittedly, never made it. Nor did
the beets. But I had conquered a lifelong suspicion of okra, grown a towering
sunflower with a head the size of a pie plate, and learned how to squish
beetles between my thumb and index finger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">The garden had fed
and inspired me all summer. Fittingly, it was a salad that emerged from that
last visit. Tossed in olive oil and lemon juice and seasoned with a sprinkle of
kosher salt, that bowl of baby kale, leaf lettuce and tomatoes was the very
taste of my late-season garden. It was the best salad I’ve ever had.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua";">Libby Sander was a member of NFI’s 2012
Gardening Education Program. She is on the waiting list for a plot in the Mamie
Lee Community Garden. </span></i><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-15009505252081820832013-03-06T11:17:00.000-08:002013-03-06T11:17:02.841-08:00NFI Seedling Updates<span style="color: #4c1130;">Check out what's growing in the greenhouse and what to expect to plant when you volunteer with NFI! </span><br />
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Planting on February 22:<br />
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Phlox<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Beauty Mix<br />
Everlasting Straw<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Borage<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Purple Echincea<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Dill -<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mammoth<br />
Sage-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Broadleaf<br />
Lavendar-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>True<br />
Onion-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Red Wing<br />
Leek- <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>American Flag<br />
Brussels Sprouts-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Long Improved<br />
Cabbage-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Red Express<br />
Lettuce-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Red Planet Salad Mix<br />
Fennel-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Florence<br />
Lettuce-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Red Salad Bowl<br />
Mustard-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Florida Broad Leaf<br />
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Collards-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Georgia Southern<br />
Kohlrabi-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Early White<br />
Pok Choy-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>White Stem<br />
Kale-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Vate Drawf Blue<br />
Kale-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ragged Jack Red Russian<br />
Arugula-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Astro</div>
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Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1180471690643234018.post-78512273383619713532012-08-30T13:45:00.002-07:002012-08-30T13:45:22.975-07:00Salsa Party<br />
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Notes from our volunteer team leader, Neil Zimmerman. Thanks again, Neil for your leadership and enthusiasm! </div>
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<b>Today was a good day for two reasons:</b></div>
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<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">We
had a bigger harvest than I’ve ever seen from NFI before.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">The
salsa party afterwards was filled with great fun, good community, and delicious
food.</span></li>
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<b>Harvest: Our total haul for the day included:</b>
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Tomatoes: 28 pounds Kale:
1 pound Peppers: 2
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Eggplant: 5 pounds Squash:
10 pounds Zucchinis: 17
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Spinach: 3 pounds Basil:
3 pounds<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unlike many other days, the harvest was so bountiful that we
had three-four volunteers working fulltime just on harvest – people really
enjoyed seeing the fruits of our labor.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i>[l to r, standing] Roger with a pony of tomatoes and a bag
of cherry tomatoes, Wes with a basket of zucc’s and squash, Jenna with spinach,
Phil with eggplant and squash, Kelsey with heirloom tomatoes and kale;
[kneeling] Danielle with basil, Kim with peppers and more tomatoes.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Afterwards, two of us brought most of the harvest to the DC
Central Kitchen [we are hoping to arrange a visit there for the NFI at some
point].</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R7ubM5YJ2DM/UD_QZgT9zxI/AAAAAAAAGrI/tcYfFf8lv7o/s1600/harvest2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R7ubM5YJ2DM/UD_QZgT9zxI/AAAAAAAAGrI/tcYfFf8lv7o/s320/harvest2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Salsa party: After the workday and cleanup, seven of us
gathered to make and eat salsa. Phil ran
home to get an onion and garlic, while others of us kept chopping. The conversation was rewarding, touching on salsa,
how to grow garlic, homos, which salsa got garlic and which did not.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is so joyful to work hard in the rows, harvest
ingredients, and then work as a team to make delicious food and eat in
communally.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Neighborhood Farm Initiativehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10954804115949602533noreply@blogger.com0