Tallahassee Food Gardens

Man in Overalls Grows 150lbs of Food in Small Winter Garden

2012-01-23T19:55:00.001-05:00

For Immediate Release

Monday, January 23, 2012

Contact:

Nathan Ballentine

850.322.0749

maninoveralls@gmail.com

Man in Overalls Grows 150lbs of Food in Small Winter Garden

The yield was harvested in only three months during the height of winter.

How much money has your front yard grown this winter? Gardeners in one Frenchtown household harvested over 150 pounds of food--a $600 value--in the past three months. In three raised beds with a total area of 80 square feet--the size of a very small bedroom--Nathan Ballentine, aka the Man in Overalls and Mary Elizabeth Grant-Dooley grew broccoli, collards, cabbage, carrots, herbs, and a host of other plants to eat, sell, and donate.

"It's way easier to grow food than folks tend to think," explains Nathan, who has been gardening in Tallahassee since he was eight years old. "There's this idea that you have to have several acres and toil for hours in order to grow food for dinner. People also always think the only time to grow food is springtime. None of that is true." People can grow food anywhere there's at least four hours of direct sunlight; a garden can be a single container with one tomato plant, a compost-filled raised bed, or a large plot of land divided into rows. A garden the size of the one in Ballentine's front yard only required about 15 minutes a week of active gardening--watering, weeding, and harvesting--once the initial planting had been done.

For $30 spent on plants and seeds, they grew far more than enough vegetables to feed themselves through the winter. Interested to see just how much their small garden could produce, the pair systematically weighed and recorded everything they harvested. The final breakdown included 4 pounds of broccoli, 18 pounds of cabbage, 10 pounds of root vegetables (turnips, carrots, and beets), 27 pounds of salad greens, and 90 pounds of cooking greens (collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, and kale). They ate 75lbs, gave away 60lbs, sold 10lbs, and only about 5lbs were stolen. At Tallahassee prices for local, organic produce, this is approximately $600 worth of fresh, healthy food.

The spring planting season--the best time to grow tomatoes, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, and many other favorites--is right around the corner. Nathan Ballentine is known around town as The Man in Overalls, and is the founder of Tallahassee Food Gardens, a business that builds and plants raised-bed food gardens for people hoping to grow their own vegetables. He maintains a blog with gardening resources and stories from Tallahassee's food movement; it can be found at http://www.maninoveralls.blogspot.com/
(written by Lindsay Popper)

Looking Towards Spring - Topdressing

2012-01-03T16:06:00.001-05:00

Spring is around the corner. It'll be time to plant potatoes in February. Most of the charismatic vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, green beans, squash) go in, in mid March to Mid April. Come May, it'll be time for okra, sweet potatoes and the like. (Planting Guide here. Additional resources here.)

If you're gardening in raised beds, whether your garden currently looks like this...

this...

Or this...

...before you get around to spring planting, you'll want to fill or topdress your beds with an extra layer of compost. How much? My general rule is to add as much as it takes to re-fill the frame. Depending on how long it's been and how deep your raised beds are that measure can vary quite a lot.

But in general, how do you figure out how much compost you need? It's a simple length x width x height = quantity. The complexity is that you've got to get your units all on the same page for your math to work. Multiplying inches by feet by yards will produce a number that's of no use whatsoever.

Let's work an example: We're going to top-dress a 12ft x 4ft raised bed with 2inches of compost. First off, we need all the units (ft and in) to be the same; let's use feet because that will prove the most useful on down the road. The 2 inches is the weirdo, the non-feet measurement; thus, our question is how many feet is 2 inches? Well, clearly less than one foot, so we'll use that are our "Did we mess up badly?" check. What we've got to do is convert inches to feet like this:

(because there are 12in in 1 ft): 2in x 1ft/12in

(the inches cancel each other out): 2ft/12 =

1/6ft or .167ft

(Does it pass our "Did we mess up?" check? Yes, less than 1ft).

Okay, so now we can do length x width x height:

4ftx12x.167ft = 8cubic feet.

So, to top dress a 12ft x 4ft raised bed with 2 inches of compost-mix, it will take 8 cubic feet of material. But what's that mean?

Bagged soils tend to come in 1cubic ft bags, so you'd need 8 of them. In the store, mushroom compost typically runs $5-$7/bag, so $40 to $56. And, of course, you'd have some shopping and hauling to do.

Or, if you purchase bulk mushroom compost (from Local Sources), you'd have to purchase 1 cubic yard (i.e. 3ft x 3ft x 3 ft = 27 cubit feet), which you can pick up with a truck or have delivered. After topdressing your 12ftx4ft you'd have more than 2/3rds of your yard of compost leftover, which you could use for extra gardens or alkaline-loving shrubs. If you've got your own truck, this option is great. If not, the delivery charge (typically about $40) + the chore of shoveling compost will likely make you think: there's got to be an easier way to top dress my raised beds.

Voila: if you don't want to deal with calculations or hauling or shoveling compost, give me a shout, and we'll take care of it.

PS- For in-ground gardens, one or two inches of compost topdressing will mostly do the trick. Same length x width x height calculations. However, given our area's potassium-deficient soils, I'd also add 5-10pounds of green sand from Natural Matters per 100square feet.

Resources

2011-12-22T22:35:00.000-05:00

Below I've copied my Resources Page because I've grown aware that a lot of folks don't know I've got one and/or don't know where to turn for a go-to destination on the web related to food gardening and food movement resources. Take a quick (or long) look through. In the short or long-term future, you can come back and find them by clicking the "resources" link just over to the right under the google search box.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all that jazz...

Tallahassee Food Gardens Quick Reference Guides
What Can You Grow in a Square
- Square Foot Gardening (in raised beds), plant spacing, seasonal varieties
Food Gardening 101
- The Basics: local planting dates, how to prep beds, plant, water, etc
Cover Up that Soil
- Primer on the what, why, when, and best practices of growing cover crops
Types of Community Gardens
-Outlines the three major models of community gardens with local examples

Additional Quick References
Just Fruits and Exotics' Vegetable Planting Guide

- Planting dates, depths, yields, days to harvest, row spacing
Just Fruits and Exotics' "Just the Facts" about N FL Fruit Trees
- Locally adapted fruit trees, berries, grapes, kiwis and more
Native Nurseries' Pest Solutions

- A table that lists pests on one axis and available pest products on the other.

Just Fruits and Exotics' Beneficial Insect Guide
- Most insects are on your team. How to bring the good ones in.

Cornell's "Home Composting"
- Composting Essentials, How to compost yard waste, food scraps, etc

Community Garden Resources

Tallahassee's Local Community Gardens

"Starting a Community Garden" from UF IFAS

NC State's "How to Start a Community Garden" Guide

How to Start a Community Garden by the ACGA

ACGA's Best Practices Website

Local Sources (From which I secure 90% or more of my supplies)
Lumber/Hardware:
Capital City Lumber (2501 Lonnbladh Rd, (850) 385-0315)
J H Dowling (705 W. Madison Street, (850) 222-2616)
Capital Cash and Carry (1021 Railroad Avenue, (850) 224-2131)

Vegetable and herb plants, Seeds, and Soil Amendments:
Gramlings Seed Store (1010 S. Adams Street, (850) 222-4812)
Native Nurseries
Tallahassee Nurseries
Esposito
Heinz Nurseries
Natural Matters (local Fertrell -organic- Fertilizer distributor)

Fruit Trees, Berries and Grape Vines:
Just Fruits and Exotics

I Also occasionally Order Seeds, Tools, Extra Supplies, etc from
Bountiful Gardens
Seed Savers Exchange
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
A M Leonard

My Top Three "Go-To" Food Gardening Books
1)Down to Earth Gardening Down South (Tallahassee native, Lacy Bullard)
2)How to Grow More Vegetables (John Jevons)
3)Square Foot Gardening (Mel Bartholomew)

For Aspiring Community Food System (Food Movement) Facilitators
On Community Organizing and Facilitating:
The Long Haul (Myles Horton)
     - the best book I've read about building and sustaining social movements
Growing Communities Curriculum (from the ACGA)
    - "How to" on Community Garden Facilitation and Com. Organizing
Ripples from the Zambezi: Passion, Entrepreneurship...
     - Great stories about facilitating vs doing thing "for" others
Change by Design
    - use design-thinking in your efforts to grow a new food system

Understanding the Food Movement
"The Food Movement, Rising" (Michael Pollan)
"A Good Food Manifesto" (Will Allen)

Urban Agriculture
CFSC Urban Ag Primer
City Farmer (Urban Ag News Blog)
"Start an Urban Farm" (ATTRA/NCAT publication)
Beginning Farmer's Amazing resource of Urban Ag Links

To Understand the Current Industrialized Food System
Food, Inc. (movie)
King Corn (movie)
Fresh (the movie)

Addressing Privilege and Oppression amidst the movement
"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" (Peggy McIntosh)
History of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network
Growing Food and Justice for all Initiative on Race and the Food System

Organizations to Track and/or Join, which offer great conferences
American Community Gardening Association (ACGA)
Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC)
Growing Power
Seed Savers Exchange

Urban Ag; Micro Ag Educational Opportunities and Resources
Georgia Organics Urban Ag Training (Atlanta, GA)
Growing Growers (Kansas City)
Michigan State University Student Organic Farm
San Diego City College Urban Agriculture Certificate Program
SPIN (Small Plot INtensive) Farming
Grow Biointensive/ Ecology Action
Beginning Farmers Blog
"Start a Farm in the City" (joint effort between ATTRA and NCAT)
Also See SARE publications (below)

Additional Books and Resources on Sustainable Food Production
Weedless Gardening (Lee Reich)
The Organic Manual (Howard Garrett)
How to Grow World Record Tomatoes (Charles Wilber)
Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (Bradley, Ellis, and Phillips)

Permaculture: Principles and Pathways (David Holmgren)
Introduction to Permaculture (Bill Mollison)
Edible Forest Gardens (Dave Jacke and Eric Toensmeier)

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA)
Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE)

SARE Publications-- free to download
Building Soils for Better Crops (Magdoff and Vanes)
Managing Cover Crops Profitably
Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies
Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual
Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms...
How to Direct-Market Your Beef

Land and Power: Sustainable Agriculture and African Americans

Our Very Own Local Food Raising Experts
FAMU's CESTA (agricultural extension)
UF's IFAS (agricultural extension)
Farmer Pam at Backyard Farm in Monticello, FL
Damayan Garden Project
Front-Yard Farmer in Niceville, FL
FSU's Tallahassee Sustainability Group (a student organization)

And We Think We're Starting Something + another couple tidbits

2011-12-09T15:16:00.003-05:00

In partnership with a group of young folks in Frenchtown calling themselves iGrow, I'm increasingly exploring urban farm possibilities.

As we investigate possibilities, partnerships, land, business accounting, marketing, proposal pitching, and the works, we're manufacturing and selling iGrow Garden Buckets as a joint venture to raise seed money.

Amidst the conversation, we've been talking about "starting the first urban farm in Tallahassee." Well, goodness. What's that phrase? "There's nothing new under the sun." Something like that. The idea of "starting something" or "being the first at something" sounds so cool. It offers a legitimacy, a sense of "originalness" that's appealing, but too often in claiming such statuses, we-- whether intentionally or unintentionally--tread on those who came before us. Such was our mistake, my mistake, really.

It's silly, really, that'd I'd blunder with such language. There are, of course, the farmer/gardeners at the FAMU Community Garden who have been raising food for 35+ years. Since the beginning of my foray into the food movement-- indeed most of my life-- I've been aware of the FAMU growers. I also have friends with urban ag gigs on 6th ave, at Salvation Army on Jackson Bluff, and tucked away on Paul Russel near Richards high school. Why this didn't put a stop to my saying "first urban farm" with the iGrow youth, I'm not sure. But I'll tell you what did cause me to stand-corrected.

A few weeks back, Wendell, my co-worker and I were cutting through NW Frenchtown on the way to High Road north of Tharp. Tucked away, a turn here, a turn there, another turn, seemed like we were driving in circles; we happened upon two giant gardens-- urban farms if I ever saw them-- in the northern heart of greater Frenchtown.

After seeing the farms, I got to asking around. Mr Bellamy, president of the Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association and Ms Mitchell, Executive Director of the Frenchtown Revitalization Council -- both partners and mentors amidst the Tallahassee Food Network-- said "Ed Duffee. One of them's Ed Duffee." This past Tuesday, riding with Mr Bellamy, I got the privilege of meeting Mr Duffee who's been growing on the space for 20-30 years. He inherited his farm space from an uncle, about 1/2 acre, who had been farming it before that for who knows how long. (As an aside, you should know that Mr Duffee was Tallahassee's first black lawyer.)

He's got mustards and collards growing; his sugar cane-- though already harvested and pressed into syrup-- keeps trying to grow back up. Over the summer, he had tomatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, egg plant, and all manner of other stuff growing including potatoes in 5-gallon buckets because Mr Duffee says it makes harvest easier. He sold some stuff at the Frenchtown Farmers' Market this past summer, primarily tomatoes, which is the reason we were there: Mr Bellamy wanted to make early contact with Mr Duffee to make sure he'd be up for selling again next year. Mr Duffee told us that he gives most of his stuff away to seniors across the street at Miracle Hill a nursing home, but, yes, he's willing to come to the farmers' market again when it starts back in March.

(While I was there, Mr Bellamy and Mr Duffee got me thinking a lot about Food sovereignty: theirs is a story of a local grower, growing regional produce, selling at a neighborhood market to the adjacent community, a local market that was/is organized by indigenous leaders).

So, the upshot of it is that the iGrow Youth-- though still noteworthy that as high schoolers they're exploring urban farming from an entrepreneur angle-- will in no way start the "first" urban farm in Tallahassee (if they do indeed choose to pursue a market farm venture). Given Mr Duffee and his Uncle before him-- when you add on the Victory Gardens before that and the Liberty Gardens before that-- my best hunch is that farming and food production has been part of the mosaic of Tallahassee since it's founding in 1824, maintained as a living tradition by folks like Mr Duffee.

---

That same day, Mr Bellamy and I stopped in on Ms Washington who's got a gorgeous garden in her back yard on 7th Ave. Neither Mr Bellamy or I knew her.

Purple mustards (Mr Bellamy's new favorite), turnips, collards, cabbage, onions, grapefruit, tangerines, she pointed everything out. "I just like trying things she said." She's been gardening her whole life. Turns out she's the mother of my mother's co-worker. Small world. When I came around the side of the truck, she hollered from her front porch, "Have I seen you on the computer? My daughter's Gloria; she works with your momma at the hospital; you baked her cookies when you were just a young'in."

Food, bringing folks together.

--

Take a look. Couple cool things worth clicking at:
Grow Gainesville. A seed library in Gainesville gets started.
(Did I mention that both Mr Duffee and Ms Washington are seed savers?)

Urban Ag Policy Report from Georgia Organics. Profiles of urban ag policies from 16 top-of-their-game cities.

Fredando Jackson-- from Koinonea Farms, which is the community that gave rise to Habitat for Humanity-- has been in touch about spreading "my model" of food gardening education and support to Americus, GA. Was quite honored by the call; we're going to be working to develop a bare-bones approach to enable as many folks as possible (youth, churches, communities) to get into growing food.

Baltimore's Can-Do Approach to Food Justice (they're making awesome strides in terms of urban ag; inspiring article).

"Healthy Eating Starts at Firm's Garden" - Tallahassee Democrat Thurs., Nov 17th, 2011

2011-11-21T16:28:00.001-05:00

[Garden installed by Tallahassee Food Gardens featured in Democrat.]

By Elizabeth M. Mack
Democrat staff writer

Turnips, cabbage and radishes are all fall vegetables that can be found in any home or community garden.

But what about at work?

The employees at FBMC Benefits Management started an urban garden of their own in the spring, said Glenda Atkinson, FBMC wellness coordinator.

The garden is part of the company's many wellness programs, Atkinson said. FBMC has had a wellness program for than 20 years offering employees yoga classes, a workout area on site and cooking classes.

Wednesday afternoon the company received recognition from the American Heart Association as one of its Fit-Friendly Companies — an honor FBMC received for the third consecutive year. It also received the Workforce Innovation Award for implementing the garden in its wellness program.

"You guys have done a wonderful job," said Kellie Thigpen, American Heart Association regional director. "You're the only company in Tallahassee that is doing anything like this."

Atkinson said that she got the idea to do the garden after realizing how the concept had been picked up around the community. When it started, there were only four 4-by-4-foot plant beds. It has now doubled, with hopes of even more expansion, Atkinson added. The garden's upkeep — planting, watering and harvesting — is done entirely by employees.

"This garden has gotten a lot of love," she said. "Everyone helps out in taking care of it. And it allows us to get outside, be active, and it relaxes you."

FBMC, which manages health plans and other employee benefits for its various clients, has a staff of 130 in Tallahassee.

Once the spring vegetables were harvested, FBMC held a healthy cooking demonstration, using the vegetables from the garden. Some employees have even started their own gardens at home.

"Everyone has been really happy about it," she said. "It's been really worthwhile."

And now that the garden is nearing another harvest, the employees decided they wanted to "share the wealth."

On Saturday, a full plant bed of turnips will be donated to the "Man in Overalls" food bank, Atkinson added.

"So now, not only will they feel good health wise, but they can feel good knowing they are helping out others in the community," Akinson said.

"A Peace of Bread" - Documentary -- featuring MIO-- about young people around the Country working on hunger

2011-11-21T16:18:00.000-05:00

"A Peace of Bread" a new documentary by Diva Communications, is about young folks around the country who are working on food system change as a method of addressing hunger in their communities. Debra, Diva's director/producer got wind of my work here in Tallahassee because I am a Food Justice Fellow with the Presbyterian Hunger Program. She came through Tallahassee this past August to interview me and others amidst the Tallahassee Food Network. Take a look at their opening sequence:

A Peace of Bread - opening sequence from Diva Communications on Vimeo.

"Food Justice: Honoring our Roots, Growing the Movement" - 15th annual conf of the Community Food Security Coalition

2011-11-14T20:08:00.000-05:00

This past week I was in Oakland for the 15th annual conference of the Community Food Security Coalition. With the Oakland's rich history of food justice work rooted in the Black Panther's Free Breakfast for School Children Program (that gave rise to the nation-wide free and reduced lunch programs), the Occupy Oakland movement centered just around the corner, and a gathering of 1100 folks from across the country and world all working amidst the food movement, the stage was set for a dynamic conference.

But how do I tell the story of a movement meeting itself? Of 1100 workers in the food movement-- a microcosm of the global good-food system-- in the same place sharing stories, successes, challenges, models, and dreams? Can I capture the dynamic via lists and links of represented organizations?

If nothing else, I've got to discuss Food Sovereignty. It was an oft repeated phrase at the conference. As Malik Yakini from Detroit pointed out, "Food Security isn't enough... You can be food secure in jail.... The goal is not just to be a well fed slave but to control our food system." The issue is control. In spite of the best intentions of the industrial food system and those who control it, if our food system is controlled by an ever smaller pool of food conglomerates (as it currently is: 84% of pork processing is done by the top four companies, 70%+ of beef, and over 50% of corn is all controlled by the top four companies), a small change in the board room can result in hungry, malnourished or obese communities at the local level. Some even go as far as to say that the corporate food system is waging a "low intensity war" against local communities that is resulting in life-expectancies for children that are shorter than their parents due to chronic, diet-related diseases.

The food sovereignty conversation took on a different dynamic when addressed by those from the global south, like the MST of Brazil, (global) La Via Campesia, Frente Nacional de Resistencia Popular (Honduras), (Kenya-based) G-BIACK and the Movimiento Campesino a Campesino (in Mexico). The stories held a common strand: indigenous communities who had farmed and fed their families for generations, centuries. Amidst nationalistic efforts to "develop," "modernize," and "liberalize" their countries and economies, national leaders created laws requiring private-property deeds for all land, nation-wide. Unaware of such laws, the peasant farmers of the world continued to farm and feed their families; meanwhile those privy to the bureaucratic loop (chiefly transnational corporations and the wealthiest of, for instance, Honduran families) hired deed writers and lawyers. In the shadows of legality, deeds were created and sold to those who could pay, sometimes resulting in 2,3,4, 8 or more deeds for the same piece of land. Those with access to money and lawyers won the resulting court cases. With the endorsement of law and the aid of public (sometimes private) police and military, subsistance farmers became landless farmers. Sadly, such economic indicators such as GDP grew via speculative sales of property thus misrepresenting the state of general welfare. In such situations, food sovereignty is directly tied to the dispossession and speculative buying and selling of land, to the means and methods of supplying one's communities with food. --

A growing response is that of the MST who "organizes non-violent occupations of unproductive lands in order to [secure land for] the rural poor." They argue, our fundamental right to feed ourselves supersedes an absentee-landlord's right to private property. The rules are not working-- to the detriment of the vast majority-- so they're re-writing the rules. Food Sovereignty. Powerful stuff.
How about a few anecdotes: La Via Campesina which is a peasant farmer organization boasting 300 million members worldwide and their principles of Food Sovereignty; There's a 14-acre Urban Farm Coop in South Central LA that is in a struggle with the city to get their land back after their farm was bulldozed several years ago to build a warehouse. (Cool fact: their urban community farm lead to a 78% reduction in crime in the area. After they raised property values via crime-reduction, the city attempted to sell the land out from under them.) Check out: YouthFoodBillofRights.org. And the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, Windy City Harvest, the Sustainable Prisons Project, or Youth Grow are also awesome. If the Occupy Movements have caught your eye recently, then perhaps you'd be interested in the MST of Brazil (i.e., the Movimiento Dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) which has occupied something on the order of 300,000 acres in order that poor, landless farmers (landless primarily because their indigenous land was swindled from under them) can provide for their families.

I met so many dynamic folks doing amazing work. Below are the materials I brought home, and below that is a list of amazing organizations.

I met folks from the Americorps-like Food Corps, (Youth-led) Philadelphia based Urban Nutrition Initiative, Oakland's Planting Justice, the US Food Sovereignty Alliance, Ag-Missions, an Iowan soybean farmer featured in Fresh the Movie, the Farmworkers Association of Florida, Tucson Community Food Bank that has made farmers' markets and community gardens part of its food security focus, the Food Justice Club of Cal Poly Pomona, Live Real Food Challenge, poets, Black Urban Farmers and Gardeners Conference, Milwaukee's Growing Power, The Food Project in Boston, the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, Green for All, a to-be Brooklyn NY urban farmer whose email sports her last name "Farmer Brown," the US Family Farm Defenders, G-BIACK, an ecological farmer training center for women in Kenya, and Louisville's Fresh Stop church-sponsored CSA program.

What a conference! a sharing! an exchange! The question I carry with me is this: What does food sovereignty look like in Tallahassee?

From Food Day to Food Sovereignty

2011-11-12T18:29:00.000-05:00

Food Day festivities were a whirlwind of Tallahassee's food movement. From the New Leaf Farm tour to video screenings, garden open houses, the community gardens tour, the Youth Symposium on Hunger and Food, Food-O-Rama at Kleman Plaza, the Sustainable You conference, and the "Florida Grown School Lunch Week Kick Off" at the capital, Food Day revealed many of the organizations and efforts amidst the food movement that largely go unseen, especially the Tallahassee Food Network.

On Food Day proper, Oct 24th, I exhibited in the capital courtyard with the aid of my "truck farm," which was picked up by WCTV. (As an aside, I'm working with a team of Frenchtown Youth to manufacture and sell the garden buckets you can see in the below picture, which are improvised earth boxes (which retail $60, empty). We'll be selling ours, filled and planted for $25-$30.)

The same day, I taught a workshop at Sustainable You called "Food and Community Gardening 101." Also the same day (at the conference) Ms Miaisha Mitchell (of the Frenchtown Revitalization Council) and I received proclamations--as Co-Founders of the Tallahassee Food Network-- from the City and County establishing Oct 24th as Food Day. I'll have to post the eloquent language in a future post.

So where do we go post Food Day?

Alas, before I could sufficiently pursue answering that question amidst the Tallahassee Food Network, two things required my more immediate attention. #1: Business at hand and #2: An educational trip to California.

Immediately following Food Day, I took a trip to Tampa to build and plant a couple raised beds for my cousin.

Fortunately, I ordered too much compost, so in finding a way to "get rid of it," I got the opportunity to visit Seminole Heights Community Garden in Tampa where my cousin is a working member.

Back in Tallahassee, just before my departure for California, Wendell (my co-worker) and I installed a micro irrigation system for the food garden at The Space at Feather Oaks. (look for the white raisers in the middle of the beds):

I also promised mention of my trip to California and the conversation of Food Sovereignty at the Community Food Security Coalition Conference, but given the length of this post, I'll have to do that in a follow-up.

Food Day Activities (Week Two) - Don't forget

2011-10-18T23:34:00.001-04:00

The Tallahassee Food Network is really pulling together a great slew of events. I will be at the Food Trucks Thursday evening; I'm coordinating the Community Garden Tour this Saturday; I'll attend the Food-O-Rama event at Kleman Plaza on Sunday, 1-6pm. Amidst that window, I'll most certainly be in attendance from 3-5pm at Tallahassee Food Network's Youth Symposium on Food and Hunger, organized by my friend Qasimah Boston with Project F.O.O.D (at Kleman Plaza in TCC conference center). Monday, Oct 23rd, will be a juggling act from exhibiting my truck which I'll have planted full of veggies at the Florida Grown School Lunch Week Kick-Off at the Capital 10am-1pm and presenting at the Sustainable You Conference on "Food and Community Gardening 101" at 3pm. See you around town. Happy Food Day. (Details below)

Food Day seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. We will work with people around the country to create thousands of events in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals. (from FoodDay.org)

Locally, Food Day is a over-arching banner, a common rallying-call to celebrate and further the many events, efforts and initiatives already going on amidst our local food movement. As you'll see by checking the brief schedule (below), in our area, Food Day would more aptly be named "Food Week" or "Food Month" as the multitude of events expands far outside the bounds of a single day, much as the work of the food movement exists far beyond our efforts immediately tied to Food Day.

Food Day Tallahassee

Events At-A-Glance
More Details Here


Pro bono Tallahassee-area Food Day PR Sponsor

Taking Notes

2011-10-18T23:20:00.001-04:00

Had to get a kitchen scale at Panhandlers Kitchen Supply today because my lettuce is ready for the eating and I want to document my harvest.

Bought a kitchen scale today. For the past two+ years I've been in business, folks have asked me, "But how much can I expect to grow in such-and-such a garden?" I've answered with my own experiences, with rough estimates of numbers of heads of lettuce, harvests of collard greens, ranges of anticipated production rates of tomato plants. Finally, I'm going to document what I grow in my own garden, pound by pound, ounce by ounce. I've got the space equivalent of (5) 4x4 raised beds, so I'll have five replicates to share and some averages for the cool season come March/April. Then I'll document spring season.

Meanwhile, the work of the food movement to develop resilient community-based food systems is all the more important: Received the note below from Second Harvest of the Big Bend mentioning that they are to receive 10s of 1000s of pounds less food from the USDA each month that was historically distributed to shelters, church food pantries and the like. What this means is more empty bellies and food-preoccupied minds at work, in school, walking the street, and laying in bed at night.

USDA REDUCTION - OUR NEW REALITY
This summer, we saw a drastic cut in USDA Commodities; government surplus food provided by the Florida Department of Agriculture. This program accounted for 2 million pounds (36%) of our annual distribution last year with an average of 173,000 distributed each month. In July and August of 2011, we distributed an average of 96,000 pounds a month of Commodities, a decrease of 55 percent. The decline of Commodities will continue and all indications are that the Commodity program will see cuts in federal funding in 2012, further reducing the amount of food received through this program. The bottom line, the amount of USDA food available will not get better - this is our new reality.

To augment the sudden reduction in USDA food, we are working aggressively to secure food from national and local sources. Immediately, you will see an increase in the amount of purchase product. Our staff will continue to seek additional sources for donated items through the network and various other sources. It is important to note that this USDA reduction is being felt across the nation and has strained the food supply nationally.

We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve, as best we can, the current food shortage. It will not be an overnight fix. There are no easy solutions. Together we have weathered storms like this before and this storm too shall pass.

- - -

On an entirely different note, food service company Bon Appetit has developed a comprehensive food-service-compatible college garden road map. Cool.

Also worthy of note: "Restaurant Farms a Boon to New Farmers" - post in CivilEats.com - Cool Concept. I think I'm going to have to pitch the idea to some local restaurants.

Mary Ann Lindley: Food Day takes to the streets (and gardens), TD, Oct 9, 2011

2011-10-12T19:18:00.000-04:00

Graciously, Mary Ann Lindley at the Tallahassee Democrat agreed to write her op-ed piece on Tallahassee-area Food Day activities being coordinated by countless spokes of the Tallahassee Food Network.

Mary Ann Lindley: "Food Day takes to the streets (and gardens)"
Sunday, Oct 9, 2011
Tallahassee Democrat

Beautiful Picture by Inga Finch

A few years ago, ice cream moved to my short list of wicked foods. It's kind of a joke at our house, where I'm learning to make frozen yogurt, thanks to the cheerfully entertaining kind of wedding present you get when you are middle-aged.

In addition to the emotional appeal of ice cream, it's Exhibit A — maybe B, if you count a nice glass of wine — of items that we tell ourselves we "deserve."

Long day, hot day, too much going on, exhausted, annoyed, heartbroken, depressed: Ice cream with all the trimmings comes to the rescue.

Still, very little can be said for it nutritionally, not even if you're looking at it as a calcium supplement. Likewise, not much can be said for the great gobs of food that pop up on the TV screen glistening with butter (a couple of hours before bedtime), successfully tempting Americans to savor the joy of their journey to obesity. At which time they wonder how they got there, and how to make the return trip to a more livable weight.

If you're trying to lose, or even maintain your poundage, think about these encouraging mottoes: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" and "All things in moderation."

The first was the comment that got supermodel Kate Moss in trouble for inadvertently encouraging teenage girls to become anorexic, but it's got some truth in it.

The other one I thought was my Mom's firmly held position on between-meal snacks, but it turns out it was Aristotle's idea. And it didn't have much to do with food, but rather finding the middle ground between excess and deficiency in all things.

Meanwhile, as millions of Americans wrestle with obesity, at the other end of the guilt trip is hunger.

According to the World Hunger Education Service, one in seven households in the U.S. is "food insecure." The organization, which has been monitoring hunger since 1976, defines food insecurity: "At times during the year, the food intake of household members was reduced and their normal eating patterns were disrupted because the household lacked money and other resources for food."

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projected that more than one in eight Americans — about 43.3 million people — would have participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly called food stamps) through the end of this year.

Obesity and hunger are not necessarily the opposites that you might at first think, however.

They are linked, and both are part of the mission of Food Day, which is a grassroots movement that's swept the country, and which has some committed participants here in North Florida.

You might not expect, for example, to find both Brogan Museum Executive Director Chucha Barber and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Adam Putnam at work on the same cause.

But on Food Day, which is Oct. 24, Putnam will preside over the Florida Grown School Lunch Week kickoff in the Capitol courtyard (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.). It's saluting school lunch programs that use locally grown foods, which is a meaningful boon to Florida farmers as well as student health.

Leading up to that, the Brogan will throw open its doors onto Kleman Plaza on Oct. 23 for a free concert, with several food trucks and activities for children. If you go, bring some canned food to donate to Second Harvest of the Big Bend, our local hunger-fighting agency.

That Sunday afternoon, inside the Brogan, the case for community gardens as part of the sustainable food movement will include presentations from various youth groups, including St. John's Missionary Baptist Church, the Youth Empowerment Leadership Development Academy, Florida Youth Against Hunger and Tallahassee Sustainability Group.

Who knew so many young people were involved in this movement? Yet it is their future.

And many of the food-day activities at the Brogan should be quite entertaining — the museum's bee colony and hive, which was set up in 2008 on National Pollinator Day, continues to be a popular but not-quite hands-on exhibit.

Nathan Ballentine, whose Tallahassee Food Gardens enterprise builds individual and community raised-bed gardens, combines his devotion to food security, the relationship between food choices and obesity, and the sustainability economy, which includes raising some of your own food and supporting locally grown produce.

Ballentine, who wears blue denim overalls like my dad used to wear decades ago, said there are between 40 and 45 community gardens in Tallahassee. That includes the oldest one, FAMU's Community Garden, which was started in 1974, and new ones he's working on in SouthWood and at Kate Sullivan School on Miccosukee Road. A Saturday morning tour of many community gardens will be Oct. 22.

Those shared gardens are really where it all comes together, both as an antidote to food shortages and an incentive to food choices that help prevent childhood obesity and all its side effects, which plague overweight adults and the entire health-care industry.

This Food Day effort, unfolding during our perfect fall season, which in our region is very good for gardening, could gently change habits, tastes and lives.

Both Kate Moss and Aristotle would like the idea.

Of Interest

2011-10-10T11:42:00.000-04:00

A few links and pictures of interest:

Tallahassee Food Network
     A Growing Hub of Tallahassee's food movement
     & the site to visit for all the details on Tallahassee-area Food Day Activities
Tallahassee Community Gardening Program
     Get your neighbors together, start a community garden on city land
Grow to Learn NYC
     Awesome NYC-based school garden program
Grow the Planet
Super cool crowd-sourcing garden how-to resource
Urban Agriculture Training
     Georgia Organics is offering an awesome 10 month training in ATL
Urban Farming Guys
     Group of Guys in Kansas City who offer great DIY home-growing videos
My Farm
     A "Farmville-isk" experiment in crowd-sourcing farm management
Tallahassee Edible Garden Club
     Edible Garden Tours plus monthly peer-to-peer edible garden info exchange
Ample Harvest
     A Food Gardener to Food Pantry connector site

And a few pictures:


My new pyramid raised bed.

Bill's sugar snaps climbing their trellis

Community Garden Tour, 9-11:30am, Sat, Oct 22nd

2011-09-30T07:42:00.000-04:00

Community Garden Tour

Saturday, Oct 22^nd, 2011

9-11:30am (Registration, gathering at 8:45am)

Questions?

Contact Nathan Ballentine, maninoveralls@gmail.com, (850) 322-0749

Gather at Second Harvest. Carpooling encouraged in order to encourage exchange and collaboration amongst community gardeners and activists. We hope to provide transportation to the first 25 people for the same reason.

Second Harvest Youth Food Garden 9am-9:30

Located 110 Four Points Way just off S. Adams street. Raised bed vegetable gardens built and maintained by the YELDA, Youth Empowerment Leadership Development Academy. Food distributed via food bank.

FAMU Community Garden, St John’s Missionary Church’s plot 9:45 – 10:15am

Located on Orange Ave between Adams and Wanish Way. The FAMU community garden is the oldest community garden in the Tallahassee area, founded in 1974. St. John’s plot—consisting of 15 4x8’ raised beds— is the newest church garden in the area.

Fort Braden Community Garden – 11-11:30am

Fort Braden Community Garden is located west of Tallahassee off Highway 20 behind the Fort Braden Library. This community garden is on an old farm site that is owned by Leon County. The county generously provided the fencing and water spigots to each site. The garden contains 40 plots for lease on an annual basis. The garden also has a fruit orchard, bee hives, blue bird and purple martin and bat houses. Gardeners meet monthly for workdays on the garden common areas and to learn and share with each other. Some of the excess produce is donated to area organizations. See the website for additional information: http://www.fortbradengarden.com/

'Tis the Season

2011-09-17T14:24:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year: Folks ask me what I've been up to, and my consistent response is: "Gardens, gardens, gardens." Whether building and planting raised beds for folks who purchased Future Garden Coupons or top-dressing and replanting with repeat customers, it's a wonderful whirlwind of business and plant growth. Here's a couple few pictures from the past week:

Wendell, Nathan, and Bill - Piney Z farm boys

Claudia and Tina after replanting their three raised beds.

Accenting Kathy's existing garden with a couple raised beds down the middle.
Going back Monday to spruce up and plant.

Friday morning I stopped by FBMC Benefits Management where-- this past spring-- I installed their company wellness garden. They started with four 4x4s, and now have requested I double their bed space by adding four more 4x4s, which they plan to plant, tend and harvest in order to donate to a food pantry through AmpleHarvest.org. Below are the flags plotting out their new beds going in Tuesday before our Wednesday Fall Planting Workshop.

During my visit, Glenda in Marketing, who coordinates their Wellness Program, showed me their snazzy new Wellness Program video that highlights their garden:

Signing off to go water my seedlings.

The story of last Friday

2011-09-13T19:14:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I oversaw a September 11th memorial service project building, filling, and planting garden buckets for shut-in seniors-- so even those who can't bend too well, don't have much space, etc can grow a few vegetables to improve their diet. Volunteer Leon coordinated the entirety of the event that involved a memorial service plus two other service projects: emergency preparedness buckets and "Wow" care packages for troops in Iraq.

Mention in Natural Awakenings August 2011

2011-09-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

"More Community Gardens for our Community"
Natural Awakenings, August 2011

Coming Fall 2011, SouthWood will have a Community Garden ready for planting. The idea, originally spearheaded by Brian Ramos, SW Cub Scout leader in collaboration with Nathan Ballentine, the Man in Overalls of Tallahassee Food Gardens, has grown to include many Southwood neighbors combining their talents and ideas to make it a reality. The effort is rooted in a desire to enrich the community, teach kids where their food comes from, and provide families with healthy, fresh produce year-round.

The Southwood Community Garden (SWCG); will also be a beautiful destination point for the neighborhood with 52 all-organic raised-bed gardens, butterfly garden, white picket fence, grape arbor, picnic benches and more. Residents and visitors would be welcome to stroll through the garden.

Along with providing a space for people to grow their own produce and flowers, the SWCG will host a few learning seminars with Nathan Ballentine. For those new to gardening... (read the rest on Natural Awakenings Online, scroll to page 6.)

"Kate Sullivan Garden Moves to Phase Two" - Tallahassee Democrat Chronicle, 9/1/2011

2011-09-03T16:30:00.000-04:00

"Kate Sullivan Garden Moves to Phase Two"
Kelley Des Marais (special to the Chronicle)

After months of planning by teachers, parents, school board members, Kate Sullivan Elementary School Garden Committee proudly announces the completion of phase one of the Community School Garden, completed on Aug. 19th.

The finished garden is approximately 150 square feet including a spigot and three raised garden beds. The garden eventually will include compost and vermiculture bins, bench seating and enough raised beds for each grade level to create its own garden. The garden will be fore students as well as the community and is accessible to people with disabilities. This space will serve as an outdoor classroom with curriculum-based activities that meet Florida state-wide learning benchmarks in most categories including math, sciennce, language and art. Along with the Department of Education, the garden committee developed a comprehensive guide for teachers based on Gardening for Grades, written by Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. In addition, our Nathan Ballentine with Tallahassee Food Gardens helped guide the garden committee in the creation of a living educational space. It is hoped that community-based projects like this one will provide an inspiration for other schools and show teachers how their work can provide students with hands-on learning while experiencing the fun of the outdoors. Betton Hills Neighborhood Association, Kate Sullivan PTA, Mad Dog Construction, Gramlings, Turkey Hill Farm, and Native Nurseries generously provided funding for this project.

If you are interested in becoming a part of this exciting new project, please contact the garden coordinator, Kelley Des Marais at katesullivangarden@gmail.com.

Words of Praise from Turkey Hill Farm (Louise Divine)

2011-08-25T18:01:00.000-04:00

Hey Everybody!

Really busy this week, getting beds ready and planting for the fall. Lots to do in the greenhouse as well. We sent some plants into town with Kelly Des Maris, to the new garden at Kate Sullivan Elementary School. They are off to a rousing start, even have a website. If you want to get a garden going at your child's school I am sure they will be happy to hook you up with the resources they have used.

I had the pleasure of sharing information about the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance this week with the Tallahassee Food Network. I shared with them the mission of the Small Farm Alliance and did a little show and tell about our Online Market. If you want to connect with other groups and people working to support the Tallahassee and regional food systems this is the crucible. There is a group working to make a celebration for National Food Day in October, a group working to coordinate and connect our community gardens; a group working on a plan for educational outreach; and a group working to build a comprehensive directory of local farms, gardens, businesses, and agencies that are involved in our local food system. Priscilla Hudson and Alexa Warwick representing The Small Farm Alliance and Qasima Boston DrPh(candidate) with Project Food are coordinating and constructing the directory. This loosely knit organization of organizations is set to make a real difference. If you are interested in pitching in with this enterprising and dedicated group, contact Nathan Ballantine, Tallahassee's Man in Overalls. They meet monthly.

So what to plant now? Well, not saying you should do as we do, but this is what we have done lately:
seeded asian greens, carrots, kale, collards, fennel, basil, parsley, lettuce, arugula, onions and leeks.
Prepared beds, irrigated beds, mowed, tied up eggplants and peppers, side dressed eggplants and peppers with organic granular fertilizer, harvested field corn and put it up to dry, weeded ginger and turmeric, plowed in cover crops, worked on repairing big green tractor, mowed, ate pears and grapes and mangoes. The sun is tracking fast to the south and the Autumn Equinox will be here in a blink.
Next thing you know leaves will fall.

With the FARM BILL coming up for a vote in 2012 it is a good idea to learn more about how the farm bill affects all our lives. King Corn is a great and entertaining introduction to the world of commodity subsidies. The new movie on the block is FARMAGEDDON. It will be an opportunity for farmers and friends to gather and get a view of what we know but don't see. Bring a friend who hasn't even seen Food Inc. See the Calendar* below.

Thanks for your support,
Miss Louise and Farmer Herman
(Turkey Hill Farm on Local Harvest)

*September 16 6-10PM- the movie FARMAGEDDON hosted by Red Hills Graziers. The film explores the policies that favor agribusiness and factory farms over small family operated farms that sell fresh foods to strengthen our communities health and local economies.
Meet Your Local Farmers from 6-7 the movie starts at 7:15. Bump elbows and hobnob till 10:00. Movie will be shown at FSU in building HCB 101, east of the Mendenhall Parking lot. Parking available in Mendenhall Parking Lot A.
There is no charge for the movie, donations will be accepted to pay for movie rental and further the cause. As per campus rules food and drink are not allowed in academic spaces.Hope to see you there, BRING A FRIEND OR TWO.

The Life!

2011-08-05T11:34:00.001-04:00

Some days we get to live the life we imagined.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of presenting on Community Gardening at the Second Harvest of the Big Bend Annual Agency Conference. Of the 150 or so agency partners (largely food pantry coordinators and volunteers), 35 folks attended my workshop. For starters, to demonstrate the inseparable link in my world-view between gardening and food security, I shared stories about my 93-year-old grandmother who shaped my childhood with stories of surviving the Great Depression via her family's garden, milk cow, and chickens. Next, we walked through Food Gardening Basics like sunlight, water, garden bed preparation, how deep to plant seeds, etc. Then, after a quick overview of the three major types of community gardens (Allotment or Subscription, Educational, Donation), we brainstormed, "What Does it Take to Start a Community Garden?" which brought to light the need for people, commitment, communication skills, and other human elements beyond the basic garden supplies of seeds, soil, amendments, and water. In terms of building a community garden team, we discussed the "Four W's and R," wisdom, weight, work, wealth, and representation. Let me elaborate.

In gathering a team to successfully develop a community garden, it's essential that you've got folks with wisdom. Gardening know-how is essential, but that's far from the extent of the knowledge you need at the table; group process, communication, how to make fliers, how to talk to one's neighbors, how to manage teams of youth, and how to approach potential funders or sponsors are just a few of the pieces of wisdom that could aid the effort. Weight, or community credibility, or community influence is also critical. Who are the folks in the community to whom others listen, respect, follow? It's good to have these folks on your team-- even if only in an advisory fashion. Then, of course, you need folks that are actually going to show up to work: dig, plant, sweat, and harvest. A room of folks who think a community garden is a "good idea" only makes a good team if a dedicated core intend to garden personally. It is also beneficial, of course, to have some money or wealth on (or within reach of) the team. Lastly, if one is organizing a garden team, it's essential that you organize the leadership from the community in which the garden will be; i.e., representation is essential. The question is: who do you want to be involved eventually, and how can you work with them from the beginning? This is where it's essential that leadership reflect community demographics (gender, race, income, age, etc).

Finally, we wrapped up the session with pictures of various community gardens from the area: Havana, Fort Braden, Southwood, Faith Presbyterian, St John's Missionary Baptist's plot at the FAMU gardens, the 4th Avenue Garden, Ruediger's school garden, FBMC Benefits Management's garden, and the 2x2 in the park at 9th and Terrace.

When I told the Second Harvest conference coordinator that I was honored to present, what I meant was: I started my food garden gig in hopes that I would, some day, some how, contribute to efforts that would aid hungry and malnourished folks in town. Yesterday was indication that, perhaps, I am walking in the right direction.

Staying Busy Amidst the Heat

2011-08-03T00:44:00.000-04:00

In spite of the heat, folks are eager to get planting. Below are a couple raised beds we built for folks aiming to plant their own gardens.

(2) 4x4 raised beds installed in pre-existing mulched bed.

FYI: It's not too late to throw in some last minute summer veggies like green beans, basil, okra, peppers, maybe some cucumbers, (if you've got lots of sun) sweet potatoes, and you just might be able to squeeze in a second season of plum or cheery tomatoes.

"r" shaped bed, custom built to fit the contour of the deck and Roberta's distaste for "too many straight lines."

Then again, Fall planting is just around the corner: cooking greens (chard, kale, cabbage, collards), salad greens (lettuce, spinach, arugula), roots (other than potatoes: carrots, turnips, rutabagas, radishes), the onion/garlic family (including chives, shallots, scallions), and the cool-weather-preferring herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill, fennel). September, October, November are your primary fall/winter planting windows. Get ready. Let me know if I can be of help.

Southwood Grows in the Grass

2011-07-24T01:05:00.001-04:00

Saturday morning, the Southwood Community Garden Leadership Team joined hands for its first mini-workday of the installation. In addition to measuring and marking the perimeter with stakes & strings, the team spray painted the future outline of the first 20 (of approx. 50) 4x8 raised bed plots.

Amidst the other work, I conducted a mini lady's workshop on power tools and raised bed construction in order to facilitate the construction of the garden's first raised bed frame. We also took at look at and talked through the ingredients of my "magic compost mix" with which we will fill all 50+ beds.

For the past ten months, I've been working with the Southwood Community Garden Leadership Team to facilitate their garden development. The project has mean a constant blend of community organizing, food-garden recommendations and education, communication and group coordination, leadership development, guidance through legal loops & hoops, and linkages to Tallahassee's emerging Community Garden Program. Through it all, though, what it's meant more than anything else has been this: working with a wonderful group of soon-to-be community gardeners.

Church Garden in the Shadows of the Golden Arches

2011-07-15T17:55:00.001-04:00

Over the July 4th holiday, I made it to Asheville to visit a friend from college. While in town, I snuck by Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church where I used to serve as a youth adviser. Rumor had it, they'd started an amazing garden smack-dab in the middle of their front lawn. Rumor was true.

They have ten 5ft beds that reach 60 to 100ft. In other words, they've got a 4000sq.ft. food garden in their front yard.

They're right along Merimon Ave, a major thoroughfare in Asheville. (Notice the golden arches.)

The rumor also mentioned a team of volunteers who maintain the garden, who grow the food to give it away. According to the grapevine, they grew and gave away 500 pound of broccoli last year. The story was confirmed by their website. And from the looks of it, they've got more broccoli on the way.

While we're exploring what's going on in Asheville, I'll go ahead and point you in the direction of the Apalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, affectionately known as ASAP (A-Sap)-- based in Asheville. They've got one of the best local food guides that I know of in the country. Yearly, they publish a magazine with every local farm, farmers' market, restaurant that serves local options, processors, etc in their region. It's also online. Super impressive.

Some folks amidst the Tallahassee Food Network have taken the initial steps to create such a guide. For the time being, it'd in excel format, available here.
---
Back in Tallahassee, with support and guidance from All Pro, the HOA, and me, the Man in Overalls, the Southwood Community Garden leadership team is on track to launch their garden this fall. The first workday will be August 13th. The "Grand Planting" will be Sept 10th. Save the dates. It's going to be an epic garden.

Re-Planting

2011-06-30T20:49:00.000-04:00

So lets say that by this time, your tomatoes have succumbed to the early season blight. Or, perhaps you left a portion of your garden un-planted this spring. However it came to be: there's an empty spot--or entire bed-- in your food garden. You want to grow something that will produce but not something that's going to interfere with your fall garden in September/October. Below is a quick 5-step guide on how to chose a few varieties for replanting.

(Just so you know, I'm assuming for the entirety of this post that your garden space gets at least 4-5 to 8 to 12 hours of sun. Some afternoon shade is definitely okay. 4pm to 6:30pm are tough in July and August, even for the heat tolerant crops.)

1)First off, you need to measure your empty spot. Is it 1ft x 5ft, i.e., 5 square feet? Or 4'x10', i.e. 40 square feet? With a sense of your space in mind...

2)You need to get a sense of what grows this time of year and how much space it requires. Tallahassee Food Gardens' What Can You Grow in a Square is your quick reference. On page one, vegetable varieties are arranged by their space requirements (in terms of Square Food Gardening spacing for raised beds). On page two (under the planning grid), all the veggies are organized by the season in which they grow well. (This time of year, look for "hot season.") With this info in the back of your mind...

3)You need to evaluate possible varieties by how long they'll take to reach harvest. Just Fruits and Exotics' Vegetable Planting Guide is your go-to for this. For example, though it may be possible (as my neighbor has recently informed me) to grow a second season of cheery and plum tomatoes, at 90-110 days to harvest, they won't be ready until November which is past our prime fall planting window. For our purposes, we want something that can be planted and will produce by or before mid October. Cucumbers, for instance, or green (bush) beans take approx. 60 days, and thus will be ready by late August/early September.

4)Now you get to select based on your dietary preferences as it fits the season, space, and time-til-harvest. Though both cucumbers and beans will both work (along with at least 5 or 6 other things), perhaps cucumbers make you sick because there was this one time when.... who knows. Your choice! What tastes good?

5)Prep your bed, plant, water, and watch for the harvest. If you want the basics outlined, here's another quick reference: Tallahassee Food Gardens Food Gardening 101.

Grow Your Own Food and Share It.

PS- If you're ever in need of a quick Q&A, feel free to ask your questions on FB-- usually the answers are better than I could offer by email because multiple folks amidst the gardening "cloud of witnesses" will chime in.

Apalachicola Community Garden

2011-06-01T13:26:00.001-04:00

This past weekend, I made it down to Apalachicola. My true destination was the beach, but I'm a community garden junkie. What can I say? Sunday afternoon Mary Elizabeth and I swung by their City Square Community Garden. It's gorgeous. Take a look. (PS, this amazing lady offered us cucumbers and zucchini from her plot.) Kudos to Apalachicola.

A Shout Out for Good Work

2011-05-10T20:36:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I feel like a broken record. Nonetheless, I'm going to say it again: there is SO much good work being done locally as it relates to the food movement, as it relates to building a resilient community-based food system*. When I consider highlighting great work and to whom to offer thanks, I am often at a loss because I don't know where to start.

Allow me to chronicle the list by memory and dates as I've encountered the food movement recently.

April 13th, I met with Betsy Henderson at her Dunn Street property (currently a vacant lot); she dreams of a thriving French Town Community Garden that involves both young and old, hosts community food workshops, provides space to local churches to raise food for the hungry, and hosts periodic cook outs where neighbors can meet neighbors.

April 14th, via the coordination of Ms Miaisha Mitchell of the Frenchtown Revitilization Council and Harriette Hudson with Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, I conducted a workshop at TMH with Health Ministry leaders from area churches interested in investigating the potential of starting church gardens.

That weekend, Esposito Garden Center hosted me for a Food Gardening 101 workshop. Later in the day, I attended Damayan's Shakespeare Garden celebration at Lichgate. Later that evening, I attended the Red Hills Small Farms Alliance Kick Off at Turkey Hill Farm where they announced the launch of the Red Hills Online Farmers Market, which greatly facilitates the purchase and sale of local food-- likely to take our local food distribution system to the next level.

April 23rd, 47 folks joined at the Havana Community Gardens for the 2nd Annual Community Garden Gathering of the Big Bend where folks heard how the Havana gardens got started, shared ideas, stories and lunch. Additionally, Damon Miller, coordinator of the FAMU Community Garden reported on their 79 plots on Orange Ave, and invited everyone out for the FAMU C.G. Open House on May 28th. Thanks to Jennifer Taylor of the FAMU Small Farms program, Miaisha Mitchell with the Frenchtown Revitalization Council and the Havana community gardeners for co-organizing this event with me. Here's a couple pictures:

The last week in April, FBMC launched (to my knowledge) the first company food garden in town. I hear the Florida Commerce Credit Union is also discussing the possibility.

Over the course of late April and Early May, Working Well, Crawfordville Elementary, and New St Johns AME church hosted me for gardening workshops. Can I mention that at Crawfordville, little miss Madison- known as the "class priss"- helped me out with my presentation by walking around with worms in her hands to accentuate my discussion about soil micro organisms? Can I also mention that all 285 kids that cycled through my workshop space got their hands in the compost, planted a green bean seed, and pretended to make it rain by snapping, clapping, stomping and "thundering"? And later, that they pretended to eat a giant bowl of vegetables like "Vegetable Monsters" akin to the Cookie Monster? Here's a few pictures.

Did I mention that the Crawfordville Elementary workshops took place immediately adjacent to their beautiful school garden? There's one 4'x16' raised bed for each grade level. Just wonderful:

Sat, May 7th, Fort Braden Community Garden hosted visitors for their Open House. Their garden is awesome! With (40) 15'x15' plots, their entire garden is 100'x200'. From the community feel to the deer fence, the information kiosk to the tidy pathways between all their beds, the Fort Braden Community Garden is a sight to see. Sarah Smith and Dave Watkins, gardeners, shared, "Our meetings always turn into idea sharing sessions where we report our our different experiments and teach each other about things like how to avoid using chemicals." This simple story in itself is enough to cause me to sing Fort Braden's praises. What a learning space! Here are a few pictures:

I love these refurb'ed chairs.

Ms Dorothy insisted that we take an American Gothic picture. What a hoot! Fun lady.

Saturday, May 14th, SouthWood will break ground on their Community Garden, approved for Town Center, across from Early's. Take a look at their snazzy flier:

To wrap up, again I'll say: "There's a lot going on." What I've reported hardly comes close to giving a full picture of the Tallahassee-area food movement. Just Saturday at Fort Braden, I met a man named George with aspirations to start an agricultural rehab center. There's talk of--and a proposed design for-- a Frenchtown-based urban agriculture job-training/re-entry program for women incarcerated at FCI Women's Prison who will soon re-join the community. I hear there are new gardens getting started at Killarn Lakes Elementary and Kate Sullivan; a group of high schoolers in Frenchtown will soon start a food gardening entrepreneurship program; the Social Work grad students at FAMU are starting a youth gardening program; folks in Indianhead Acres are brainstorming with Hartsfield Elementary about how neighbors might could supplement the cafeteria fare with homegrown produce. The examples are endless. The local food movement is rising.

*Resilient Community Based Food Systems: community and church gardens, a local food industry of thriving local farms and busy farmers' markets, retailers that emphasize healthy and local options, CSAs, cooperatively organized local growers, school gardens, company gardens, countless home gardening workshops and classes, city farms, innovative urban agricultural demonstrations, food security efforts that address quality, backyard and industrial scaled compost operations, seed saving, food prep education, etc. You know the list.

New Company Garden at FBMC

2011-05-07T15:52:00.003-04:00

In late March, I reported on the Nemours Clinic Community Garden in Jacksonville. Less than a month later, I presented to Working Well, a "community-wide initiative...dedicated to creating a healthy workforce in Leon County." Though the presentation was lively, and folks were joking and laughing, the real excitement began a few days before the presentation. Glenda Atkinson with FBMC Benefits Management contacted me by email to see if I would assist FBMC's Wellness Team in developing a company employ garden.

"Definitely."

The day after the Working Well presentation (details available here), I visited with Glenda at FBMC to explore their space, sunlight, and discuss food garden design possibilities.

She asked that I put together something-- including a garden layout-- that she could take to her administration for approval. I drafted a proposal that night.

Then, three to four days later, after securing admin approval, we set up a time for the Wellness Team and I to get the food garden in the ground. We decided that I'd start the process in the AM by constructing and installing the raised bed frames. Second, I'd stage a giant pile of compost adjacent to the beds so gardening employees could do the shoveling.

That same afternoon, at 3pm, Glenda, I and 10-12 other FBMC employees joined together in the conference room.

After a brief conversation about seasonally appropriate vegetable varieties and a review of our garden map, the real work began:

Once we filled the beds with compost mix, I conducted a food garden planting workshop. We discussed (and demonstrated) how deep to plant tomatoes, how far apart to space peppers, how to plant green bean seeds, how many sunflowers to put in each hole, how much to water, etc. Everyone got to get their hands dirty!

We concluded the garden work party with a Q & A session:

What a fun project! What cool folks! There are not too many people that a)will shovel compost in their heels or b)bring a pair of work clothes with them to the office for a garden workshop. Kudos to FBMC on their new company garden!

And the best part: I get to go back every month over the summer to check on the garden's progress. May 18th, I return for a mini-workshop on vertical growing and pest management.

Why Being a Foodie Isn’t ‘Elitist’ - By Eric Schlosser, April 29, Washington Post

2011-05-07T14:24:00.000-04:00

A friend shared this article on my FB page a couple days ago. It is the most articulate and emcompassing article I've read about the food movement's benefits-- as well as a rebuttal against the centralized food system's attempts to hedge in our community garden, health, small-scale/sustainable agriculture, community-based food systems, nutrition, farmers' market... (i.e. food movement) work. It's worth the read. If you're looking for an article to pass to friends and family to demonstrate the extent of the food movement and the corresponding need for us to recreate resilient community based food systems, this is a worthy candidate.

(If you'd prefer to read it on the Washington Post's website, click here.)

Why being a foodie isn’t ‘elitist’
- By Eric Schlosser, April 29, Washington Post

At the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting this year, Bob Stallman, the group’s president, lashed out at “self-appointed food elitists” who are “hell-bent on misleading consumers.” His target was the growing movement that calls for sustainable farming practices and questions the basic tenets of large-scale industrial agriculture in America.

The “elitist” epithet is a familiar line of attack. In the decade since my book “Fast Food Nation” was published, I’ve been called not only an elitist, but also a socialist, a communist and un-American. In 2009, the documentary “Food, Inc.,” directed by Robby Kenner, was described as “elitist foodie propaganda” by a prominent corporate lobbyist. Nutritionist Marion Nestle has been called a “food fascist,” while an attempt was recently made to cancel a university appearance by Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” who was accused of being an “anti-agricultural” elitist by a wealthy donor.

This name-calling is a form of misdirection, an attempt to evade a serious debate about U.S. agricultural policies. And it gets the elitism charge precisely backward. America’s current system of food production — overly centralized and industrialized, overly controlled by a handful of companies, overly reliant on monocultures, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, chemical additives, genetically modified organisms, factory farms, government subsidies and fossil fuels — is profoundly undemocratic. It is one more sign of how the few now rule the many. And it’s inflicting tremendous harm on American farmers, workers and consumers.

During the past 40 years, our food system has changed more than in the previous 40,000 years. Genetically modified corn and soybeans, cloned animals, McNuggets — none of these technological marvels existed in 1970. The concentrated economic power now prevalent in U.S. agriculture didn’t exist, either. For example, in 1970 the four largest meatpacking companies slaughtered about 21 percent of America’s cattle; today the four largest companies slaughter about 85 percent. The beef industry is more concentrated now than it was in 1906, when Upton Sinclair published “The Jungle” and criticized the unchecked power of the “Beef Trust.” The markets for pork, poultry, grain, farm chemicals and seeds have also become highly concentrated.

America’s ranchers and farmers are suffering from this lack of competition for their goods. In 1970, farmers received about 32 cents for every consumer dollar spent on food; today they get about 16 cents. The average farm household now earns about 87 percent of its income from non-farm sources.

While small farmers and their families have been forced to take second jobs just to stay on their land, wealthy farmers have received substantial help from the federal government. Between 1995 and 2009, about $250 billion in federal subsidies was given directly to American farmers — and about three-quarters of that money was given to the wealthiest 10 percent. Those are the farmers whom the Farm Bureau represents, the ones attacking “big government” and calling the sustainability movement elitist.

Food industry workers are also bearing the brunt of the system’s recent changes. During the 1970s, meatpackers were among America’s highest-paid industrial workers; today they are among the lowest paid. Thanks to the growth of fast-food chains, the wages of restaurant workers have fallen, too. The restaurant industry has long been the largest employer of minimum-wage workers. Since 1968, thanks in part to the industry’s lobbying efforts, the real value of the minimum wage has dropped by 29 percent.

Migrant farmworkers have been hit especially hard. They pick the fresh fruits and vegetables considered the foundation of a healthy diet, but they are hardly well-rewarded for their back-breaking labor. The wages of some migrants, adjusted for inflation, have dropped by more than 50 percent since the late 1970s. Many grape-pickers in California now earn less than their counterparts did a generation ago, when misery in the fields inspired Cesar Chavez to start the United Farm Workers Union.

While workers are earning less, consumers are paying for this industrial food system with their health. Young children, the poor and people of color are being harmed the most. During the past 40 years, the obesity rate among American preschoolers has doubled. Among children ages 6 to 11, it has tripled. Obesity has been linked to asthma, cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among other ailments. Two-thirds of American adults are obese or overweight, and economists from Cornell and Lehigh universities have estimated that obesity is now responsible for 17 percent of the nation’s annual medical costs, or roughly $168 billion.

African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites, and more likely to be poor. As upper-middle-class consumers increasingly seek out healthier foods, fast-food chains are targeting low-income minority communities — much like tobacco companies did when wealthy and well-educated people began to quit smoking.

Some aspects of today’s food movement do smack of elitism, and if left unchecked they could sideline the movement or make it irrelevant. Consider the expensive meals and obscure ingredients favored by a number of celebrity chefs, the snobbery that often oozes from restaurant connoisseurs, and the obsessive interest in exotic cooking techniques among a certain type of gourmand.

Those things may be irritating. But they generally don’t sicken or kill people. And our current industrial food system does.

Children under age 4 are the most vulnerable to food-borne pathogens and to pesticide residues in food. According to a report by Georgetown University and the Pew Charitable Trusts, the annual cost of food-borne illness in the United States is about $152 billion. That figure does not include the cost of the roughly 20,000 annual deaths from antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

One of the goals of the Farm Bureau Federation is to influence public opinion. In addition to denying the threat of global warming and attacking the legitimacy of federal environmental laws, the Farm Bureau recently created an entity called the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance to “enhance public trust in our food supply.” Backed by a long list of powerful trade groups, the alliance also plans to “serve as a resource to food companies” seeking to defend current agricultural practices.

But despite their talk of openness and trust, the giants of the food industry rarely engage in public debate with their critics. Instead they rely on well-paid surrogates — or they file lawsuits. In 1990, McDonald’s sued a small group called London Greenpeace for criticizing the chain’s food, starting a legal battle that lasted 15 years. In 1996, Texas cattlemen sued Oprah Winfrey for her assertion that mad cow disease might have come to the United States, and kept her in court for six years. Thirteen states passed “veggie libel laws” during the 1990s to facilitate similar lawsuits. Although the laws are unconstitutional, they remain on the books and serve their real purpose: to intimidate critics of industrial food.

In the same spirit of limiting public awareness, companies such as Monsanto and Dow Chemical have blocked the labeling of genetically modified foods, while the meatpacking industry has prevented the labeling of milk and meat from cloned animals. If genetic modification and cloning are such wonderful things, why aren’t companies eager to advertise the use of these revolutionary techniques?

The answer is that they don’t want people to think about what they’re eating. The survival of the current food system depends upon widespread ignorance of how it really operates. A Florida state senator recently introduced a bill making it a first-degree felony to take a photograph of any farm or processing plant — even from a public road — without the owner’s permission. Similar bills have been introduced in Minnesota and Iowa, with support from Monsanto.

The cheapness of today’s industrial food is an illusion, and the real cost is too high to pay. While the Farm Bureau Federation clings to an outdated mind-set, companies such as Wal-Mart, Danone, Kellogg’s, General Mills and Compass have invested in organic, sustainable production. Insurance companies such as Kaiser Permanente are opening farmers markets in low-income communities. Whole Foods is demanding fair labor practices, while Chipotle promotes the humane treatment of farm animals. Urban farms are being planted by visionaries such as Milwaukee’s Will Allen; the Coalition of Immokalee Workers is defending the rights of poor migrants; Restaurant Opportunities Centers United is fighting to improve the lives of food-service workers; and Alice Waters, Jamie Oliver and first lady Michelle Obama are pushing for healthier food in schools.

Calling these efforts elitist renders the word meaningless. The wealthy will always eat well. It is the poor and working people who need a new, sustainable food system more than anyone else. They live in the most polluted neighborhoods. They are exposed to the worst toxic chemicals on the job. They are sold the unhealthiest foods and can least afford the medical problems that result.

A food system based on poverty and exploitation will never be sustainable.

Eric Schlosser is the author of “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” and a co-producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Food, Inc.”

Blurring the Lines

2011-04-26T11:50:00.000-04:00

Blurring the Lines
by Lindsay Popper
Owl and Spade
(publication of Warren Wilson College)

It's like one of those running jokes that you can drop back into without explanation, except that we're serious about it: as we drive around in Nathan's clunky, faithful truck--the one which only recently acquired turn signals and a hatch that opens--we'll pass wide-open sunny patches of grass and say, simply, there. After just a few months growing food in Tallahassee, I'm beginning to see possible gardens everywhere.

I had grown approximately two things--a cup of grass seed in kingergarten and a kohlrabi in 3rd grade--before I moved down to Florida with just a backpack and a small suitcase to join Nathan Ballentine with his business of "helping people grow their own food and share it."

Within 12 hours of getting off the bus, I'd sown rows of turnips, beets, carrots, and rutabagas, and within 24 hours I was helping 3-12 year olds at Nathan's church plant a garden of vegetables to give away at the food pantry. Within a week I had learned how to build the raised-bed gardens that serve as the moneymaking center of "Tallahassee Food Gardens," and gotten a good handle on what you can grow in the fall. After two weeks, I had found the first two churches whose community gardens I would be helping to start or expand, learned how to install microirrigation, and helped lead two more workshops (one for patrons of the food pantry, another for teens with developmental disabilities). I was learning.

***

Nathan graduated three years ago with an Integrative Studies degree in Community Organizing, and came back to Tallahassee--where he's lived his whole life--with the thought of re-rooting himself in the community. When I ask him how his current business got started, he launches into half an hour of vaguely-connected stories with the take-away point being, "well, I really don't know." (He did, though, jump-start publicity for his business by spending a week standing by the side of the road in overalls with a pitchfork--a la "American Gothic"-- holding signs saying "Grow your own food and share it",

Article continues on page 16 below:

April in Pictures & Anecdotes

2011-04-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

Sat., April 16th I taught a "Is it Too Late to Plant? Not Yet" food garden workshop at Esposito Garden Center. Ralph, Esposito's owner graciously offered me a demonstration spot to showcase one of my 4x4 economy gardens. Coming this fall, I plan to take him up on his offer.


MIO demonstrating how to plant tomatoes.

Below, in the Park at 9th and Terrace, you can see the city's smallest community garden. Back in November, I joined the Midtown Neighborhood Association and friends to install and plan for the development of this garden. The kale, arugula and oregano are thriving. If you live in the area and would like to help in take this garden to the next level, send me an email-- I'll put you in touch with the right folks.

Two years ago my friend Daniel Sherman (a student at FAMU at the time called me up): "Nathan, I've got a project in mind. I wonder: would you be willing to help me get a garden started for the seniors at Bethel Towers?" "Absolutely," I responded. Daniel has since left town--moved back to the Orlando near his family-- and launched a growing marketing firm. Before he left, he ensured that I'd carry the torch. Accordingly, Ms Bessie (who calls me "her son") and I (and of late: Lindsay; sometimes youth from my church, and others here and there) top-dress, plant and maintain the garden. Ms Bessie a Bethel Tower's resident is always available to direct us, tell stories about Tallahassee's old Farmers or "Curb" market, how to shell peas and can blackberries.

A couple weeks back, I stopped in for a chat with Mark Mahoney, a Florida High parent who coordinates their garden club, a project of their PTSA. Looking good: about 20'x40'. There's is a well maintained prototype for other area school gardens.

The following pictures chronicle a visit to the Havana Community Gardens that I made with the leadership team of the SouthWood Community Garden. Seeking to learn the ins and outs of what makes a community garden "tick" the SouthWood folks headed to Havana with questions such as: How do you handle watering? Who is your treasurer? Who is your fiscal agent? What tools do you-- as a garden-- have on hand for gardeners that want to stop by to tend their plots on their way home from work? How do you communicate with your member gardeners? How did you raise funds? How did you recruit gardeners? amongst other questions.

April 10th, I joined the Tallahassee Edible Garden Club for their monthly Edible Garden Tour, this month to the home of Libby and John Penrod. Below are pictures of their gorgeous gardens including their bountiful mushroom logs. (In case you were wondering: The answer is yes: I'm able and ready to install a similar food garden at your home.)

Amidst the largest projects on my docket these days is the SouthWood Community Garden. Back in the fall, Brian Ramos, SW Cub Pack Leader and Chief Brand Strategist with Think Creative recruited me to assist SouthWood in the development of a community garden. Over the months, the team of neighbors and partners has grown. On Thurs., April 14th, the garden leadership team secured landuse approval from the Community Development District. In partnership with All Pro Landscaping, the SouthWood Community Garden already has a professional design (below). Other partners include: the YMCA, ACE Hardware, and Crossbridge Church. Mark your calendars: the ground breaking will be May 14th.

Lastly, to keep you in the loop: a growing network of folks (including myself) are increasingly exploring the possibility of starting an urban farm in Tallahassee, possibly along the Lafayette corridor, possibly in Frenchtown or on Tallahassee's southside. I foresee that such a venture could morph into a social enterprise modeled after Portland's Your Backyard Farmer or City Farm Boy in Vancouver. Would you be willing to purchase vegetables from such a urban farming enterprise?

2nd Annual Community Garden Gathering of the Big Bend: 12-2pm., Sat., 4/23 at the Havana Community Gardens

2011-04-07T01:15:00.000-04:00

2^nd Annual

Community Gardening

Gathering

(of the Big Bend)

Pot luck, 12-2pm, Sat., April 23rd

@ the Havana Community Gardens

on US 27 N. of Tallahassee, on the Right just before you reach Havana (map)

Click here to register

It is time to join again to support one another, to learn, strategize, and chat about community gardens’ contribution to healthy, affordable and good-tasting food in the Big Bend.

Come hear the story of Havana’s Community Gardens; learn and share with fellow community gardeners, garden educators and activists; and explore how we can encourage and further the community gardening movement in our area. Already have or or aspire to start a church, school, after school, organizational, donation or business garden? Hope to see you there.

Please bring stories of garden successes and a challenge or question you are currently facing, and if it works, bring a covered dish to share. Drinks will be provided. Meet near the trees. Bring a chair. We look forward to meeting and learning from fellow community gardeners.

Please RSVP ASAP to Nathan Ballentine, aka Man in Overalls by following this link, by email maninoveralls "at" gmail "dot" com, or phone 322-0749.

Thanks go to the other co-organizers: Jennifer Taylor with FAMU’s Small Farm Program (famu.register@gmail.com, 412-5260), Miaisha Mitchell, Director of the Frenchtown Rivitalization Council (Mmiaisha@aol.com, 224-8404), and, of course, the Havana Community Gardeners (havanacg.org).

Just Finished

2011-03-31T00:51:00.001-04:00

Amy (to whom this garden belongs) took the crew and I to dinner at Red Elephant after we'd finished. (A first for sure!) What a kind lady! Amy's been gardening since she was a child and this year sought to out-do the potato vine that has (for years) over-taken her in-ground food garden. With a preliminary tilling, a double layer of cardboard in the bottom of the beds, plus landscape fabric and mulch all around, we've certainly given the potato vine a run for its money. PS-- Did you notice that the beds are constructed out of recycled plastic material? (Amy said she wanted them to last "forever.")

Around the edges of building beds, shoveling compost, and planting seeds, I've been in conversation about, I've been exploring the idea of a Tallahassee Center for Urban Agriculture with my local community co-workers. Here's the concept idea that I drafted this afternoon:

The Tallahassee Center for Urban Agriculture will serve as a hub of Tallahassee’s food movement, an incubator, a food “movement halfway house.” Akin to Milwaukee’s Growing Power, Birmingham’s Jones Valley Urban Farm, and Detroit area’s Growing Hope, on surface level, the Center will simply be a functioning urban farm: a farm in the heart of the city. If you take a second look, however, you’d see a institution funded via earned-income that will offer and coordinate an urban ag job training program for the unemployed, "Youth Grow" (i.e., GED ed + urban farming/food gardening training), a community workshop garden, community garden leadership development, school & church garden incubation workshops, cooking classes, community nutrition initiatives, and roundtable discussions to explore policies that would magnify local efforts working to create community based food systems. The Center will be engaged in and engaging its host community. The Center could serve as a centralized farmers’ market location and a staging ground for a local food gardening business. Lastly, the Center will seek to partner with and facilitate the food movement dreams of other organizations, institutions and individuals.

Thoughts? Got a piece of land in mind that could host such a center?

Jacksonville Community Garden Expo

2011-03-23T11:40:00.001-04:00

Saturday, I attended the Jacksonville Community Garden Expo with my girlfriend, Mary Elizabeth (a native and resident of Jacksonville) and my niece. (Mary Elizabeth coordinates the garden at the Sanctuary on 8th Street, an after school program in Jacksonville's Springfield neighborhood.) The event was hosted by the Garden at Jackson Square Community Garden, coordinated by the Sulzbacher Center.

From fellow food gardeners to community gardeners to nurseries to the UF extension all manner of garden projects, resources, and initiatives were exhibiting. I connected most with Pam Kleinsasser who works at Nemours Clinic and coordinates their community garden. Having just read this article in Organic Gardening about corporate gardens, I was enthralled by Pam's story.

"If you want to know how it really started...," she started. "It really started with assembling a team." Pam, it turns out, is quite the "troop-rallyer"or community organizer. A few years back she grew uncomfortable with the magnitude of recyclable waste that was being thrown away, especially paper. She assembled a team that volunteered to coordinate the extra work. Then, in 2009, while continuing the paper recycling project-- significantly aided by paperretriever.com-- Pam got a new idea: a company community garden. She re-approached the administration selling the idea with words like "team building," "wellness," "publicity." With admin approval in-hand, Pam sent out an email to staff saying, in effect, "We're starting a community garden in the grassy patch adjacent to the building. Email back if you're interested in participating." The first year, if I remember correctly, 30 folks signed up. This year there are 50 participating (out of 400 staff).

Each year, the gardeners divide the 1300 square feet into equivalent plots. There is also a common herb bed (which folks share) and a strawberry bed for the children who come to the clinic. Nemours provides water and yearly compost. The rest (plants, seeds, etc) is the responsibility of the individual gardeners. Due to being in the health care profession and due to their location on the St John's River, they use organic practices.

The Nemours Community Garden is a great model from which to develop a garden with your co-workers. Pam has volunteered to share stories and otherwise assist others in the process of starting community gardens at their work places. If you'd like to get in touch with her, send me an email with subject line "Pam at Nemours," and I'll put you in touch.

A feast from a church garden's leftovers

2011-03-17T12:48:00.003-04:00

Guest post by Lindsay, who's still in Tallahassee, still growing food

About 5 months ago, I took a bus down to Tallahassee just in time to plant a fall garden with the kids from Nathan's church. I learned how to plant collards, mustards, turnips, lettuce, and shallots, and then turned right around and taught kids--from preschoolers who were barely speaking right up to sweet, awkward 5th graders--how to do the same. We planted five 4'x10' raised beds; a year before, the beds had been built and the students decided that they wanted the food they grew in "God's Giving Garden" to get donated to the food pantry that their church (Faith Presbyterian) ran along with other Meridian Rd. churches.

Since then, any month when there's produce ready to be harvested, some students and other volunteers pick the vegetables, wash them, and walk the across the parking lot where they get added to the bags of food. In addition to the canned and boxed staples, folks get to take home healthy produce that's fresher than anything you can get at the store.

The turnips and lettuce we planted in September have long since been picked, the collards and mustards have gone to seed, and the shallots have grown tall and thick. It's time for warm-weather crops: tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, watermelons, zucchini, green beans. And so tonight we found ourselves, once again, in a flurry of children ready to try their hand at gardening.

Of course, before any of those new plants could go in, we needed to clear out the old. Some kids pulled up the greens, and others got to do the treasure-hunt for shallots bulbing under the soil. We set what they pulled aside and started explaining how deep to plant green beans and how much space a watermelon plant needs.

When we were cleaning up, though, we realized just how much food we had: 4 paper grocery bags full of greens and two armloads of shallots. We didn't set out tonight to harvest; we were just cleaning up. And still, we ended up with more food than we could cook ourselves.

The collards will be passed out at the weekend's "Manna on Meridian" food pantry; we took the mustards and some of the shallots to Haven of Rest men's shelter; tomorrow we'll drop off another armload of shallots at Grace Mission Episcopal Church for use in their regular free meals. On our way back home, we stopped in at New Leaf Market to see how much green onions were going for ($2 for a bundle of 6). A little bit of quick math told us that we'd harvested $100 worth of shallots which cost $5 to plant; the greens easily would have cost the same.

Not too bad of a return, especially considering it's just what needed to be pulled out to make room for a fresh planting.

Here's a few extra photos of Nathan, seeds and young hands:

Will Allen Workshop

2011-03-08T20:38:00.002-05:00

What a workshop!

Man in Overalls standing in the shadow of Will Allen

Will Allen, pre-eminent urban agriculture leader, MacArthur Genius presented, Sunday, Mar. 6th, on the work of his Milwaukee-based non-profit, Growing Power. Additionally, he led a workshop on how to develop a compost-producing/food-raising initiative to address the ills of urban decay-- including a hands-on composting and worm composting segment that involved over 75 participants.

Here are a few notes:
-Every year Growing Power diverts 22 million pounds of food (waste) residue from landfills and uses it to grow compost for their Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago sites.
-Vegetables today are 50% less nutritious than those of the 1950's due to agricultural soil degradation and depletion. Thus, the need to grow healthy soil (i.e. compost).
-Growing Power started as a youth empowerment organization: when they found that the kids in their Youth Corps struggled in school, they implemented a reading/writing program wherein participants began reading and writing about the subject area they were engaged in, for example: seed-starting, soil micro-biology, worm life-cycles, plant/pest relations, etc.
-Their budget is $4.1 million a year; half is earned-income. In the beginning "No one would give us any money, so we had to make it through providing goods and services." They continue the tradition by earning revenue through sales of micro-greens, sprouts, vegetables, fish, goats, chickens, honey, worm castings, compost, consultation services, workshops, tours, publications, educational programing, and more. Twenty revenue streams in total. Social entrepreneurship for sure.
-Each year they earn $5 per square foot from field production; $50 per square foot from their green houses.
-"We need 50 million additional growers to fundamentally change this [food] system."

After the close of the official workshop, per our request, Will met with the 20 of us young folks so we could a)meet each other, b)exchange contact info, and c)share stories about current projects we're involved with and/or dreams that we hold for Tallahassee's future food system. There was energy in the air about a cooperative compost operation. Folks were also strategizing to bring together area teacher-gardeners with students from FAMU, TCC, and FSU for an idea and story sharing session to explore the successes and challenges of local school gardening efforts. There's already a FB Group.

A Few Recent Jobs

2011-03-08T18:37:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy spring already, and we're just running into March. Below you'll find a sampling of work that my team and I have been up to. First off, take a look at the slide show of Tina and Claudia's raised-beds constructed of concrete block, thee blocks high. Their wish was for their beds to last "forever." Though you may not be able to see it, these beds are equipped with micro-irrigation complete with an automatic timer.

Next, view Suzee's 4.5'x35' raised beds-- also out of concrete block. The "fence" is a permanent tomato/cucumber/pole bean trellis. Suzee's beds are also complete with micro irrigation.

Lastly, size-up Paula's 4x10 raised beds. If you'd like an economy garden raised bed (or beds) just like this, follow the link to my Economy Garden page. Under step #2, select "4x10." Voila. Simple as pie.

Man in Overalls Quick Update: Launching $105 Economy Gardens

2011-03-01T23:23:00.000-05:00

Happy March (Pinch and a punch for the first of the month:)

Three things:
1)Want to be on my email update list? Please send me an email with subject line: "Count me in." At most, I'll "update" once a month. As I dislike excess emails myself, I'm making my list an opt-in affair.

2)Will Allen, Founder of Milwaukee's Growing Power, Pre-eminent Urban Ag Leader, MacArthur Genius, who was amongst Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2010 will be in town on Sun., Mar. 6th at the FAMU Viticulture Center to present on his 3-acre urban farm in Milwaukee that raises sufficient food for 10,000 people and conduct a workshop on soil building via composting and vermi(worm)composting. Will Allen is one of my heroes. Here's the MacArthur Genius video:

Click here for more info on Will and his visit. Email Jennifer Taylor with FAMU's Small Farms Program to register (pay at the door). If you're willing to sponsor a student or low-income individual, please email me.

3)Starting March 7th, I'm offering a trial run of 20 4x4 Raised Bed Economy Gardens. For $105, you get a 4x4 raised bed, installed, filled with nutrient-rich compost mix (Ready to plant); additionally, you'll receive a packet of Tallahassee-specific info-sheets to demystify food gardening for beginners including "What Can You Grow in a Square," (which provides a garden planning map, covers seasonality and plant spacing) and "Food Gardening 101" (which covers subjects like selecting your site, how to plant, watering, growing vertically, etc). To learn more, click here.

The air is warming. The days are lengthening. The cabbages are swelling. Tomatoes are just around the corner.
Grow your own food and share it--

Remember: Send me an email with subject line: "Count me in" to be included in future updates.
--
Nathan Ballentine (aka The Man in Overalls)
Tallahassee Food Gardens
850.322.0749
maninoveralls a t gmail dot com
Man in Overalls on Facebook

Edible Garden Tour

2011-02-22T21:34:00.002-05:00

First, a few calendar events:

"Stories of the Food Movement: where we are and where we want to go" -- 6:30pm, Mon., Feb 28th at the Main Library. Nathan Ballentine, Man in Overalls with Tallahassee Food Gardens will co-present with Mark Tancig from Damayan & Tallahassee Food Policy Council and TJ Shaffer from Tallahassee Sustainability Group. Click HERE for more info.

Will Allen, MacArthur Genius, Farmer, Founder CEO of Milwaukee's Growing Power will be conducting a workshop, 12-6:30pm, Sun., Mar., 6th at the FAMU Viticulture Center out Mahan Dr. Click HERE for more info. He is a nationally and internationally recognized figurehead of the food movement.

Now for a report from the Edible Garden Tour to the Man in Overalls' Food Garden:

(I'll keep the words few and the pictures plenty-- Thanks to Mike for the images.) Over forty folks from the Tallahassee Edible Garden Club, Indianhead Acres and beyond came by for a tour. We started with introductions with our adjacent neighbors by sharing names and "What's the first memory you have of growing or raising food-- even if just a bean in paper cup at school?" and "What would you do if you didn't have enough food."

The tour commenced with Michael, a neighbor bee keeper, opening up our bee hive to show off the bees, talk about how to ID larvae, worker bees, drones, etc. More than anything, he demonstrated that we need not be terrified of honey bees--especially on warm, sunny days when most of the bees are out gathering pollen and nectar. A single hive can produce between one and five gallons of honey each year. Whoa!

Next we heard from Patty about a "Neighborly Community Garden" located in her front yard:

To read more about a similar neighborly community garden, click here. Following Patty's chat we took a walk around the yard.

Winter cabbages, collards with oats cover crop in the background.


Rain Barrel

Pummelo (or Pomelo) depending on who you ask. A giant grapefruit without the sourness. Yum!

Chicken Coop.

Chickens! With seven chickens we get between three and seven eggs a day. According to City laws, city residents are allowed to keep as many laying hens as they want.

Notice the oats (cover crop) in the foreground.

At this point in the tour, surrounded by waist high oats-- in sight of three different composting methods--we did a mini-workshop on cover crops and composting as methods to enrich soil and enable lazy (yet productive!) gardening practices. (Free SARE resource on Cover Crops.) After that, the walking/pointing/looking continued:

Cabbages, Mustards, Collards, Root Crops, Oats, Apple Trees.

Octagonal Herb Garden.

Vertically Integrated Growing: Raised Bed and Grape Vines adjacent Sidewalk.

Lastly, we heard from Qasimah Boston with Project Food who will soon be heading to Ghana as part of her PhD research through FAMU's Institute of Public Health to investigate household food insecurity and how women are developing solutions to feed their families in spite of inadequate food availability:

I encourage you to become a follower of Qasimah's Project Food Blog. And if you'd like to support her trip and work in Ghana, please send me an email. Ms. Miaisha Mitchell (in the background with Qasimah), Director of the Frenchtown Revitalization Council also said a few words about her work with youth at the Second Harvest Food Bank garden.

If you'd like to be included in future announcements for the Tallahassee Edible Garden Club, email Elizabeth. If you'd like to receive future announcements for the Edible Garden Tours, email Carol.

Thanks go to Michael, Patty, Qasimah, and Ms Mitchell for their mini-presentations and to Mike for the pictures.

Living in the Midst of a Renaissance

2011-02-04T00:09:00.000-05:00

(A late-night email to a local co-worker in the Food Movement)

Wow,

It's roll-time. I am amazed every day by this blossoming movement of which we are part. This morning I met with the campus chaplain--visiting-- from my Alma mater. She tells me that her aspiration (at 44) is to go back to school or apprentice under a food activist because she wants to be integral to feeding people; she tells me the words "feed my sheep" keep echoing through her life. Then, I depart, run into Red Eye Coffee where I exchange emails with four customers who I'm going to visit with on Tuesday to discuss projects. Promptly, I jet over to TCC to fill out my paperwork so I can teach a "Community Garden Start-Up" short course through Workforce Development, starting on Feb 24th. While I'm on campus, I track down a Ms Menzel to which Ms Mitchell referred me. Turns out, she's the Special Projects Coordinator for the new Pres, and he intends to prioritize sustainability; thus, we're going to be in touch. After TCC, I head to catch the tail end of the Thursday's WIll Allen working-group meeting. On the way, I check my messages: Jake, one of the FSU sustainability/urban-ag boys says that he's interested in trying to link with the breadth of Leon County teachers who are doing school gardens in some form or fashion, to bring them together, to network them to further their efforts. When I show up at the Purple House, HQ of the Frenchtown Revitalization Council, Ms Mitchell, Lindsay and Tabatha (a Social Work grad student at FAMU) tell me they've planned a "Fresh Dinner"-- a combo cooking demo + tapas + a screening of Fresh, the Movie.

Ms Mitchell and I also talk about linking Vince McHenry (who's been participating in the Will Allen Group) and Jake to co-lead the teacher-gardener networking projects so that part-and-parcel, embodied in the coordinators is a team that bridges the race and school divides (Jakes's at FSU; white, Vince is at TCC; black). After the Purple House, I swing up to my church, Faith Presbyterian to meet Wendell, Ms Mitchell's son at the church garden to talk raised-bed installation work. I'm looking to assemble a team of willing/able workers that I can call in a rotating fashion if/when I've got too much raised-bed business to handle personally-- especially since I'm looking to launch an "economy gardens" line consisting of 4x4 raised beds ready to plant-- complete with Food Garening 101 resources-- installed for $100. Post that, I run home to print agendas and head to a community garden interest/organizational meeting out in Southwood. In a single day. That's not because I'm good; it's because there's that much going on in this town. It's like we're living in the midst of the renaissance.

Thanks to Ro-Mac: Letter to the Editor

2011-01-20T21:21:00.001-05:00

Tallahassee Democrat
Thursday 20th, 2011
Dear Editor-

On a routine trip to Ro-Mac Lumber and Supply [map] last week, I saw a handwritten door sign: "All Sales Final: Going Out of Business." With disappointment, I shook my head. Not Ro-Mac.

Two years ago, I started Tallahassee Food Gardens with $300 and a pickup. My mission was to enable "wannabe" food gardeners, network local food and community garden activists, and, generally, support the food movement.

From the beginning, Ro-Mac was my supplier for raised-bed lumber, hardware and tools. By my third visit, they greeted me by name. Unlike the big boxes, the folks in Ro-Mac knew things. Frequently, they cut my boards to size; occasionally, they charged me. Ro-Mac was and remains a great local business that's far more than a store. It's a storehouse of great people, trade wisdom and incredible service.

Ro-Mac opened in 1946. It closes shop in March. The guys at the front desk jokingly told me, "You didn't build enough raised beds."

Ro-Mac's closing saddens me.

I propose that we, the Tallahassee community, thank and honor Ro-Mac for its 65 years of exemplary service by purchasing its shelves clean.

Nathan Ballentine
aka the Man in Overalls
Tallahassee Food Gardens
850.322.0749
maninoveralls at gmail dot com
maninoveralls.blogspot.com
Man in Overalls on Facebook

Nutritional Tidbits: A Few Words on Herbs

2011-01-13T11:14:00.002-05:00

A Few Words on Herbs: Rosemary, Garlic, and Tumeric
by Jorge Lopez

Jorge Lopez cooking- more info on Jorge down below.

Sometimes I find that the ordinary and everyday becomes dull and unexciting. Unlike a child’s world view of adventure and discovery, as I get older I have found ways to light my passion for the simple. I find often that to ignite the beauty in the everyday I have to set out and rediscover! For example every herb, flower, fruit, vegetable and tuber has more than one story. Cooking with herbs for flavor and aroma to create the perfect dish is one story. How those wonderful herbs help us to heal can be another. Rosemary, Garlic, and curcuma (Tumeric), are among the many herbs used every day to enhance flavor. Lets look at how they benefit our health.

One the most pleasantly pungent and bitter herbs I often use is rosemary. Rosemary is one of those herbs you don’t want to overdo when cooking because of its incredible strong taste. Rosemary is known to be an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiseptic just to name a few. However rosemary is better known for its effect on blood vessels. Carnosic Acid is phytochemical that helps to dilate blood vessels and its antioxidant activity also helps to protect against free radicals. Although rosemary greatly benefits the cardiovascular system it has a great affinity for the brain increasing blood flow and antioxidant activity. Brain power!!

Oh Garlic! Garlic is by far my favorite herb. I would almost put it on icecream. Aside from its incredible taste garlic is another beneficial herb for health. Garlic helps to reduce cholesterol; it’s also anti-clotting, antimicrobial, antifungal and atiprotozoal. From mouth to exit garlic shifts the natural bacterial flora to a more beneficial variety (mostly Lactobacillus and other bifidobacterium). In addition garlic contains sulfoxide, which, in the body, is converted to n-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC helps with detoxification, acts as antioxidant and helps the gut maintain a healthy mucosa. The other major phytochemical is Allicin. Allicin is a well studied molecule that comes in many varieties some of which help with its antimicrobial and anti-clotting components.

Tumeric is a wonderful herb that Naturopaths sometimes use to reduce or in some cases reverse dementia and alzheimer’s. Like most herbs turmeric has more than one benefit. Other properties include; anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-clotting, hepatoprtective (protects the liver) and much more. I love to sneak this herb in my dishes as often as possible. If added in low amount it doesn’t really alter the taste of your dish at all. (I will mention that it can change the color, but what’s a little color change with so many benefits.) Turmeric can aggravate the stomach if you have an ulcer, so pay attention to your body and if it bothers you don’t use it.

These are only a few of the many herbs that we use daily and we can see how a few herbs benefit our health greatly. Isn’t it exciting to talk about herbs and rediscover their inner wisdom? No, well maybe it’s just me. Ha! Not to mention herbs are easy to grow, and nothing beats using fresh herbs out of your own food garden.

Jorge and I attended Warren Wilson College together, where he studied biology with a focus on plants. Prior to "Wilson," he earned his AA at the University of Florida, served for four years in the US Marine Corps. He's worked as an EMT for three years in New York City and for three years as an ER tech. He also worked for a year in a health food store. Currently, Jorge's attending the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ. A couple months back Jorge and I communicated via facebook about the possibility that he could guest-post on my blog to provide nutritional tidbits that link food gardening with healthy eating and health, in general. This is the second of such posts. (The first is here.) Thanks Jorge.

Will Allen's Coming to Town: 12-6:30pm, Sun., Mar. 6th

2010-12-22T01:59:00.011-05:00

Registration Info Here.

"2011 Thriving, Beyond Sustainability Workshop"
Featuring Growing Powers’ Will Allen
DATE:   March 06, 2011
HOURS:    Noon- 6:30pm
LOCATION:   FAMU Center of Viticulture and Small Fruit
6505 East Mayhan Drive (Hwy 90)
Tallahassee.

FAMU StateWide Small Farm Programs, local small farmers, and a coalition of sustainable food advocates including Tallahassee Sustainability Group, Man in Overalls with Tallahassee Food Gardens, Greater FrenchTown Revitalization Council, Damayan Garden Project, Project Food, and Sowing Seeds Sewing Comfort Ministry, have worked together to provide a wonderful opportunity for the community to come out and learn from innovative urban farmer, Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power, Inc.

Will Allen, "Farmer, Founder, CEO of Growing Power" will be in Tallahassee for sometime in March for an all-day workshop to discuss the work and success of Growing Power's Community Food Center as well as lead a hands-on soil-building workshop focused on composting and vermicomposting. Additionally, Will's presence will serve as a gathering force to network the many spokes of the Tallahassee, north Florida, and regional food movements for collaborative strategizing. Mark your calendars. Additional Info here (re: registration, etc). Email Jennifer Taylor with registration questions.

The cost is $60 with a healthy (organic?) lunch provided. (That's less than the cost of a ticket to the UF v. FSU game). As Louise from Turkey Hill Farm wrote: "WELL worth the price of admission. If you are interested in community food systems, urban agriculture, aquaponics, sprouts, composting, organic agriculture, livestock, healthy affordable food.... then Will Allen is the man to see." Click to register.

Growing Power's work is truly remarkable. On three acres in the heart of Milwaukee's northside they've got six green houses, two or three 10,000 gallon aquaponic (fish + hydroponic plants) systems, 20,000 plants, micro-greens, goats, turkeys, chickens, bees, and one of the best vermi (worm) composting operations in the nation. Will Allen is quite remarkable himself: MacArthur Genius Award recipient, among Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2010, State Dinner guest at the White House per his contribution to Michele's Let's Move Campaign to address childhood obesity, founding member of the Community Food Security Coalition's Urban Agriculture Committee. And it all started with his parent's share-cropping background, a stunt in pro basketball, and a handful of kids in Milwaukee's northside that wanted to learn how to grow food.

Take a few minutes to brush up on Will Allen. The videos below can be an entry point, but don't stop there. The work he's done, coordinated, and inspired across the country is remarkable. Movements tend to adopt heroes, and Will has certainly earned the right to shoulder such a title amidst the food movement, or the "Good Food Revolution" as he likes to call it. At 6'7", he's also got a hero-worthy stature.

A Good Sampling from Youtube.
"2008 MacArthur Fellow: Will Allen"
"Growing Power - Will Allen"
"1 MILLION pounds of Food on 3 acres. 10,000 fish 500 yards compost"
"Good Food Revolution - Urban Farmer Gets Attention of White House

If you're still up for reading/learning more, I recommend Will Allen's "A Good Food Manifesto for America."
While you're at it, if you're wondering who's carry the torch here in the big bend area, take a look at these posts.

And just in case you're interested: the cool back-story is that Will Allen's visit is serving to link an amorphous network of educators, organizers, growers, and "Good Food Revolution" supporters in common cause. Last week, responding to the call of Jennifer Taylor with FAMU's Small Farm's Program (who is actually coordinating the logistics of Mr Allen's visit) representatives from the Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council, the Damayan Garden Project, Project Food, Cultural Arts Natural Design International, Tallahassee Sustainability Group (an FSU Student Org.), Native Nurseries and I met to develop POA's for fundraising, communication/recruitment, logistics, and programing. Yesterday, we met again, and this time we were joined by a long-time friend of Will Allen (who lives in Tallahassee), two Jackson County farmers of color, as well as folks from Amen Ra's Bookshop, Gallery, and Cultural Center. Also in the periphery of support is the UF IFAS extension, Second Harvest Food Bank, the Tallahassee Edible Garden Club, and others too many to count.

If, by the way, you're willing to sponsor one or two students or low-income folks to attend Will Allen's workshop, would you please send me an email. Thanks.

Just Fruits and Exotics, Orchard Pond Organics, Damayan, Stacy Rasky with TallyLife and a couple other folks have already taken up the cause by pledging scholarship money. Thanks a bundle.

PS- Let's invite our elected officials to learn about Will Allen's success and vision of economic development via a vibrant "local food industry." Here's a few links to aid your attempt to solicit their presence at Will's workshop: Tallahassee City Commission, Leon County Board of County Commissioners, Leon County Sheriff, State Representatives Vasilinda, Williams, and Coley, State Senators Dean and Montford.

We might just have a movement on our hands amidst all the great folks doing fantastic work. How exciting!

Oakland's Food Justice

2010-12-08T00:03:00.004-05:00

Last June, I got an email from Marcy Rosner, a native of Tallahassee that had been-- for a handful of years-- living in Oakland. She was back home for the month and hoped to find some volunteer opportunities with community gardens or some other volunteer urban ag project in Tallahassee. Eventually she linked up with Shelby Stec, an awesome FSU student that coordinates a garden at the Salvation Army on Jackson Bluff.

Last week, the day before catching a plane for the Bay area (for a visit to see my sister, Kelley), I sent Marcy my own email. I'd been hearing reports about all kinds of food movement work in Oakland like this YES! Magazine article featuring the work of Urban Tilth. I'd also heard stories about People's Grocery from Marcy, and, via Farm City, a book by Novella Carpenter, I'd heard about City Slicker Farms. I hoped to see a bit of what's going on in Oakland with reference to the food movement and to catch a few stories.

Marcy invited me over to prepare and eat a meal with her roommate, Raquel, and her "Food Justice Homie, Marcelo." We started by heading for the farmers' market in Berkeley, which they said was "the most expensive market around" because of its proximity to the "foodie ghetto" where restaurants like Alice Water's Chez Panisse are located in great plenty. The prices, however-- for local, organic produce-- was about half that of Tallahassee's equivalent. It felt like paradise. The resulting meal-- Yum!-- was to die for. Oven roasted root vegetable medley seasoned with fresh garlic and dill (beets, purple carrots, turnips, onion). Fresh kale with garlic in orzo. Winter squash baked with Thyme and olive oil. Fresh arugula-spinach salad with ripe persimmons, red onions with homemade balsamic/garlic/lime dressing. And what else? Fresh bread and local olive oil for dipping.

At the close of the meal, I confessed, "You know one of my favorite things about the food movement?" My fellow eaters played along, "What's that?" "That right there," I pointed to the table, "eating a meal like that is a direct action, a means of participating in the movement. I love that!"

- - -

In addition to eating, I learned a lot about the "Food Justice Movement" in Oakland via Marcelo's stories. A graduate-- like Marcy-- from the Ethnic Studies Dept at UC Berkeley, he is now pursuing his PhD looking at the ways in which WWII industry-induced migration changed the racial-ethnic composition of Oakland. In years past, he was employed by People's Grocery. Though no longer on the payroll, he continues to volunteer while also serving on the board of Planting Justice, another Oakland Food Justice organization that emphasizes Permaculture.

On Sunday, we took a look around Oakland. Though it was raining, we were able to visit People's Grocery's non profit head quarters; the People's Grocery's California Hotel Urban Farm; DeFremery Park (one of the locations where People's Grocery distributes their Grub Boxes. Interestingly, DeFremery park is also one of the historic sites whereat the Black Panther Party once served breakfast to hungry kids every morning, free of charge, which roots Oakland's current work in previous efforts); Mandela Foods Co-Op (which is currently, according to Marcelo, the only grocery store in Oakland's city limits. I.e., Oakland is a food desert.); lastly, we visited a new City Slicker Farms location within an Oakland city park.

Marcelo spoke repeatedly of Oakland's "movement culture,"its "shared movement spaces," and about Oakland's "Food Justice Movement." The dynamism alive in Oakland is more than a handful of innovative urban agriculture, (healthy) "food-security," and sustainability focused "food resilience" efforts that happen to be taking place in the same city. Instead, the many (MANY!) organizations and efforts complement one another. For instance, OBUGs (Oakland Based Urban Gardens), as Marcelo shared, has a great relationship with the school system, so if someone comes along hoping to work with grade students, folks send them to OBUG's. Additionally, the many projects are interconnected and mutually supportive. Marcelo himself is exemplary: former employee of People's Grocery, board member of Planting Justice, co-op member at Mandela Foods, friends with staff at City Slicker Farms, mentoree of an Urban Ag professor at Berkeley, linked with leaders at Urban Tilth, part of a "New Narratives" Bay Localize! Working Group, etc.

If you do a little clicking around on these Oakland based organization and business websites that I heard reference to and/or saw, you'll get an idea of the networked nature of the Oakland Food Justice Movement:

Oakland Food Policy Council
Oakland Based Urban Gardens
Oakland Food Connection
Planting Justice
Phat Beets Produce
Urban Food
Mandela Marketplace
Mo' Better Foods
People's Grocery
City Slicker Farms
All Edibles
Planting Justice
Bay Localize
Kitchen Gardeners International

As People's Grocery's slogan captures, Oakland is engaged in a dynamic movement to ensure "Healthy food for all."

Lest we lose ourselve thinking about Oakland's example, it's good to keep in mind that we are well on our way here in Tallahassee. Though most organizations and associations are not registered nonprofits, we have our own networked hub of urban ag/healthy food/food justice/food-security/community food resilience here at home:

(in no particular order)
Seven Tallahassee-area subscription community gardens
Over 25 Tallahassee-area school gardens
Tallahassee Community Gardens Institute (currently functioning as a network)
Project Food (an initiative of Qasimah Boston)
Second Harvest of the Big Bend's food security garden
Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council
HEAT, Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee
FAMU's CESTA (Ag Extension)
FSU's Tallahassee Sustainability Group (student organization)
UF's IFAS (Ag Extension)
Damayan Garden Project
Tallahassee Edible Garden Club and Tours
Indianhead Acres Community and front/back yard gardeners
Red Hills Small Farms Alliance (email)
Apalachee Bee Keepers
New Leaf Market (Cooperative) + their amazing Farm Tour
Bread and Roses Food Cooperative
Tallahassee Food Policy Council
Slow Food Tallahassee
New North Florida Cooperative Assn. (Farm to School Prg.)
Not to mention the 1000's of individual folks with home gardens amongst whom are the true heros: gardeners that reap a bounty and share with their family, neighbors, friends, church members, and our area's under and un-fed folks.

We have quite a movement on our hands. How do you hope to contribute? What would you like to learn?

Nutritional Tidbits (from Jorge Lopez): Eat Your Veggies

2010-12-02T17:07:00.000-05:00

Meet my buddy, Jorge Lopez.

He and I attended Warren Wilson College together, where he studied biology with a focus on plants. Prior to "Wilson," he earned his AA at the University of Florida, served for four years in the US Marine Corps. He's worked as an EMT for three years in New York City and for three years as an ER tech. He also worked for a year in a health food store. Currently, Jorge's attending the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ. It also so happens that he's an amazing cook.

A couple months back Jorge and I communicated via facebook about the possibility that he could guest-post on my blog to provide nutritional tidbits that link food gardening with healthy eating and health, in general.

This is the first of such posts. Thanks go to Jorge.

"Eat Your Veggies"
- by Jorge Lopez-

When I was a child I remember my mom telling me, “Eat your veggies they're good for you." I would often ignore my mom’s plea and go for the sweets. As I grew older and rediscovered the magic of growing and eating veggies I also felt a surge in my vitality. In a world of over processed food where our basic nutrients have to be reintroduced into food packages, the body forgets how good it is to eat fresh, nutrient rich, homegrown veggies. The benefits of eating veggies affect our bodies, minds and soul. One of the many organs in our bodies that a diet full of vegetables can benefit is the heart.

The leading cause of death in the US and other developed countries is heart disease. You would be surprised how a plate of veggies a day can change that statistic. Vegetables are of full vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals that are very beneficial for the heart and overall health. Let’s start with one of the most important benefits of veggies, fiber.

A significant amount of plant matter is composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses and other fibers. Fiber cannot be broken down by the body and passes through our digestive system. As fiber passes through the intestines it picks up cholesterol which is then excreted. Lowering cholesterol is very beneficial, but it’s not the whole picture.

A diet consisting of primarily vegetables is low in simple sugars. Foods containing simple carbohydrates like candy, bread, and pasta, just to name a few, increase the amount of sugar in the blood which can be converted to AGE’s (advanced glycosilated end products) which cause damage to the blood vessels. When the body uses cholesterol to repair this damage, a consequence is the formation of plaques on the walls called Atherosclerosis.

Another contributing aspect of veggies are vitamins like B5 (Pantothenic acid), folate, and E (tocopherols) that help maintain cardiovascular health. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) helps with the production of HDL’s (good cholesterol) that help to reduce LDL’s (Bad cholesterols) and reduce the occurrence of plaque formation. Folate along with methylcobalmine (B12) reduces homocysteine a very reactive amino acid that causes damage to the cardiovascular system. Vitamin E (Tocopherols) helps reduce platelet aggregation, lowers cholesterol and is also a strong antioxidant. Finally Phytoesterols are phytochemicals that reduce the amount of cholesterol by competing with fats in the gut.

These are only a few of the many benefits of eating fresh veggies, but they are significant in that they help maintain and care for your heart which in return will take care of you. The best part of eating right is the boost of energy and vitality you will feel. Always remember that optimum health is achieved through balance and that is maintained through eating a variety of foods rich in all nutrients.

"Wowww, Look at Our Garden!"

2010-11-30T15:42:00.001-05:00

Amazing images courtesy Inga Finch Photography

"Wowww! Look at Our Garden!"

So said teenage Christine when she came around the side of the house in view of our workshop garden this past Saturday. For four saturdays, once a month, for four months (skipping December), I'm leading an introductory food garden class with a friends' group of nine special needs teens at the home of Kelly Hetherington, one of the teen's mothers.

Back in July/August, Kelly, Annie's mother got in touch with me: "I want my daughter to learn how to grow vegetables, and I wonder whether you'd be willing to do a workshop with her and her friends." Turned out, she also wanted her own food garden, so we developed a workshop + double raised bed install plan: one for her uses and the other for the workshop.

In mid October, the teens and I (with ample support from parents and a few of my friends) launched the food garden workshop series by filling a raised bed frame with compost, tacking in nails and running string to make the Square Foot Gardening grid. After that, each of us planned and planted a 2x2ft (or 4 square feet) space with two kinds of cooking greens (collards, chard, mustards and/or kale), one cool season herb (fennel, dill, cilantro or parsley), and a square foot of lettue (romaine).

This past Saturday, each teen harvested the two lettuce plants they'd put in as plugs. We thinned the lettuce seedlings from the seeds planted in October, and replanted more seeds. We also took turns sharing our herbs with one another to touch, smell and taste.

What awesome kids.


Amazing pictures courtesy Inga Finch Photography

To view more of Inga Finch's quality work, see her website or visit her blog.

The Space at Feather Oaks Food Garden Workshop: Sat., Nov 20th, 9:30-11:30

2010-11-19T23:06:00.001-05:00

Here's a few images from the workshop:

Square Foot Gardening: vidalia onions

Man in Overalls answering food gardening questions

Notice the square foot grid for ease of plant spacing

Beautiful garden design created by Meghan Mick with Design from the Ground Up.

Good Food Schools

2010-11-17T18:33:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard-tell of the citizenship schools of the 50s and 60s? (Click here for a mini-history from the perspective of the Highlander Folks School in eastern Tennessee.)

On the surface level, the citizenship schools were simply a place where black folks taught other black folks how to read and write, the point being to pass the literacy exams and register to vote. But since the focus was voter registration, there was an emphasis on empowerment, on learning how to be good citizens, and, more immediately, on how to participate in the civil rights movement. The schools also functioned as hubs of community, economic, and political activity. Folks didn't learn how to read Pooh Bear, they began reading by learning the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Once they'd learned to read about their rights, they began raising questions like, "Why don't we enjoy these rights?" And from there, "Once we register to vote, what and who are we going to vote for? And how are we going to work towards securing our rights?"

Anyway, as you may have noticed, the citizenship schools had a double, or dual purpose: they imparted a practical skill (learning to read and write) and they organized and empowered the community to make a difference. The brilliance of the schools was that folks turned out because they wanted to learn a skill that would prove useful in their lives. Folks wanted to learn to read the letters from their children and the fine print on contracts; they wanted to write Christmas cards and business invoices. They also wanted the racial scene to change. The citizenship schools provided a way to "get involved" that was also personally edifying, thus satisfying both needs.

And it was a simple model: get students in the same room with a teacher and start with the interests of the students: What do you want to learn to read? What do you want to learn to write? From there, after ten weeks or so, students could (and did) become teachers. The idea self-perpetuated across the south. Although no one knows the exact count, it's estimated that citizenship schools enabled more that 100,000 people to register to vote.

The point in sharing this with you is that I feel we're in need of "new fangled" citizenship schools focused on food. Maybe we'll call them the "Good Food Schools."* Maybe they'll look like a educational community garden whereat folks can tend a plot all their own and and also participate in, say, monthly garden workshops. Perhaps in early spring there will be a class taught on garden bed preparation followed by one on seed starting and transplanting. Maybe as the spring progresses, there will be a workshop on mulching, another on pest and weed management, and another on composting. On towards summer, perhaps someone else that is good with pots and pans can teach classes on cooking with garden fresh produce. And, just maybe, once we're all sitting down together eating the food that we grew and prepared, having learned a practical skill, we'll get talking about the current industrial food system: about the Farm Bill; mono-cropping; chemical residues on produce; CAFOs; the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, top soil loss, food deserts; GMOs; and about about local, sustainable alternatives: about community gardens; community food security; CSAs; farmers markets; urban agriculture; vermicomposting; and our grandmother's recipes. Maybe we'll ask questions like "Why is corn syrup subsidized? Why is the rate of childhood obesity so high, and what's that got to do with corn subsides?" And: "Why is it (often) illegal to sell yard-eggs and raw milk from grass-fed cows?" Then, before we drown in the the pleasant euphoria of good food and healthy conversation, we'll make plans and find teachers so we can learn to raise chickens, goats, and turkeys; harvest our own honey; and make our own cheese.

And just maybe, if we keep it simple enough, garden novices will become garden instructors, microwavers will become cooking instructors, kids will become community garden catalysts, and participants will start their own Good Food Schools down the road, across town, and on the far side of the world.

My question for you is: What happens when a dream is shared? And: where do we go from here?

*Props go to Will Allen for coining the phrase "Good Food Revolution."

A garden Story Though Pictures

2010-11-12T23:44:00.002-05:00

The past two days I was working out at the Ferrel's garden on the east side of town with my buddy, Lindsay. With a busy schedule and a sore back, Kathy Ferrel's garden had grown-over. Here's the story through pictures.

"Lotsa" weeds.

Weeds All Gone!

Garden Planted

Closer up, the before/after is more exciting.

Voila!

As you can tell from the images, Kathy's garden was in-ground. My friend, Lindsay and I working together, we cleared the brush; raked up; transplanted irises, day lilies, agapanthuses, and garlic chives; top dressed the area with greensand (a good remedy for N. Florida soils that tend to be potassium deficient) and compost; shaped the beds; and lastly put seeds and plants in the ground.

In the picture above, you can see the Rosemary in the bottom left-hand corner surrounded by johnny jump-ups (which you can eat). Back behind the rosemary, there's a bed of kale and chard and broccoli. To the left, there's a bed with kale seeds waiting to germinate. Along the far fence there are two short rows of spinach seeds. In the top right-hand corner, we planted an spiral of chard seeds. (I'm so excited about this!) All along the right-hand side of the garden there are root crops planted: turnips, beets, vidalia onions (which you can see), and a row of bunching onions (seeds). Out of sight, behind the camera are a bunch of herbs (parsley, sage, oregano, dill, fennel, and sorrel), mesclun mixes (that's a fancy word for baby-greens like you can buy in a bag at Publix from EarthFare Organics or somebody similar), in addition to more root crops. The whole garden is 10x36, just in case you're wondering.

And FYI, the most critical step following a garden planting is watering. New seeds need water every day until at least a week after they're up. And new plants set into fresh garden: approx 1 week of daily water from the time of planting. After that, unless it's super hot and dry out, you can get away with every other or every third day (taking breaks, of course, if it's raining). Or, an easier way to remember is to simply water every day post-planting for 3 weeks. After that, change to 2-3 times a week. How much and methods for avoiding (just about) all watering altogether will have to wait for another post.

PS- I was loosely following the direction of the BioIntensive Gardening in Kathy's garden. It's worth learning about.

What a garden! Thanks to Kathy for allowing us to create in her space. May there be lots of good eating in the weeks and months to come.

Finally Caught Her on Film

2010-11-12T23:36:00.001-05:00

Last spring up visiting Warren Wilson, my Alma Mater I touched base with my buddy, Lindsay Popper, poet extraordinaire, college-mama/grand-ma, admissions guru, plumber and all around amazing person. I asked, "So, say, Lindsay, where are you going to be come next September?" She was on the threshold of graduation, and, rather than hem and haw, she quick-responded, "Where do you think I should be?" "How about," I offered, "you come to Tallahassee and help me out with gardening work?" She told me she liked that idea. "Can I make it my 'Plan B'?" Absolutely.

Lindsay planting lettuce. In three weeks time, this lettuce was ready to harvest. I just forgot the camera when I went back.

Well Plan A didn't end up fitting the schedule of the summer camp she's worked at for four years running--and she wasn't about to give that up-- so she came on down. Lindsay's been here since the end of September; she's helped me out with workshops, worked alongside me putting in gardens and micro-irrigation systems. She's read loads of books, met the neighbors, memorized a couple poems and even wrote one or two. A few weeks back, we traveled to Wisconsin, etc (to attend our friends' wedding and to tour urban ag of the north). Without much of any experience growing food in her past, she's a quick study. Truth be told, she's got fall gardening in Florida down like the back of her hand.

Here's two more tidbits about Lindsay. She hates posed-pictures. Can't stand them. Truth is, she doesn't much like cameras to capture her image at all-- at least so I can tell. I only sneaked this one because I uploaded a few garden images from her camera that we took this afternoon-- and found this one a few pictures back. Ha. The second tidbit is that Lindsay's super interested in the possibility and potential that churches could take an active (leadership?) role in the food movement, perhaps via hosting community gardens, perhaps by providing a neutral space infused with the Spirit that can get us working across neighborhoods and backgrounds, perhaps by sourcing food pantries with fresh produce. Who knows. She's big on Jesus, and is up for chatting with church folk that want to talk gardens. (Already she's been chatting with folks and helping out at three different churches around Tally with their existing and envisioned gardens. Are you dreaming about a garden at your church?)

So, Lindsay says that she's definitely here through December. As one of my mentors used to say, "But she's staying longer than that; she just might no know it yet." Perhaps the "visitor" tag at the bottom of this post will prove obsolete.

Sweet Potatoes Lindsay dug from two raised beds (in the front yard) when we were cleaning up a couple weeks back to replant with turnips and carrots.

A Note on Organizing or the Way I've been looking at things recently

2010-11-11T22:05:00.001-05:00

Over the past year, I've received a good-handful of emails from well-meaning folks that want to contribute to Tallahassee's food movement. The messages go something like this: "I'm a young person excited about growing my own food and am looking for a way to give back. I'm thinking that I'd like to start a community garden for a ________ [insert: poor, Southside, Frenchtown or other lower dollar/power area]. What do you recommend? How should I get started?"

I never know quite how to respond. On the one hand, I recognize that folks are sincerely interested in offering their time and energy to a) improve Tallahassee's food security b)increase the access to fresh food in Food Desert areas of Tallahassee, c) take on a sustainable project that reduces food miles, and d) to get to know folks outside their typical networks. All that I admire and respect. I also acknowledge that volunteers are critical for the food movement, and deserve appreciation and opportunities for stimulating engagement.

As an organizer, however, the word for always makes me pause. ("I'd like to start a community garden for..."). What such a word suggests is that folks who might be the "recipients" of such "service" can't put in a community garden themselves. They don't know how to garden, they don't have any local garden experts to turn for advice, they don't have a truck or tools, they can't round-up the necessary money, etc. Or, perhaps, the community members are "ignorant" about the value of community gardens, and so need someone who is "informed" to "educate" them by demonstration. Then, as the thought-process goes, because a garden is built, people will get involved ("build it and they will come"). There are lots of dangerous underlying assumptions in there, the most critical of which is that certain communities are deficient, i.e., they're unable to do things themselves and need someone else to do it for them (this is often referred to as "helping people").

Let's just address the idea that poor communities can't grow their own food without outside help. In my own experience here in Tallahassee, I've found that amongst poorer neighborhoods there is a high concentration of folks that grew up on farms (this is not exclusive to poor neighborhoods, it just also happens to be true in poor neighborhoods). Most of the elders that don't have direct farm experience nonetheless grew up tending and eating from their family garden. Moreover, folks farmed and gardened to feed their families. A productive farm or garden meant no one need go hungry that year. Let me say here that although I run a food gardening business, I've been gardening since eight, and am the "Man in Overalls" I have never relied on my gardening efforts to ensure my family from hunger. Thus, for me--or anyone else-- to show up un-invited to a community to start a garden for a population that has such storehouses of knowledge is presumptuous to say the least. Or, in another light it's just kind of silly.

Imagine someone starting a garden in your neighborhood for you because you don't know enough to appreciate fresh food or because they consider you incapable.

Before I bore you with platitudes, I'll share a story.

A few weeks back visiting Amanda Edmonds, Executive Director of Growing Hope in Ypsilanti, MI she took a friend and I to visit a community garden on the lawn at a high-rise housing project. (Amanda and I met back in August at the ACGA, American Community Gardening Association annual conference.) PS- take a look at Growing Hope's youtube video if you'd like to first:

Anyway, Amanda showed us the garden. There were some garden plots in the ground. Some were raised-beds. There were even a couple wheel-chair accessible beds (like these) for elderly residents. While looking around at collards and kale and onions, etc, Amanda told us the story about how the garden got started.

Seven years back, after volunteering at another community garden for one-and-a-half years, a garden that she'd helped found, the administration of the public housing project (behind us) got in touch with her. They told her, "Hey, we've got some money left over in our landscape budget, so," the asked, "Would you design and build us a community garden?"

She said, "No. I won't.... But I will facilitate an interest meeting." Continuing the story, she shared, "So I printed some fliers and asked a couple folks I already knew in the building to put them up. At the meeting about 25-30 showed up; we did some asset mapping, talked about what kind of garden they wanted, how it ought to be designed, what our next steps were, and it went from there." Not feeling confident about what "asset-mapping" was I asked for clarification. "Well, for instance, we found that there were folks that had gardened in the room before, folks that had gardened their whole lives-long, folks that had grown up on farms. They had all the skills they needed in the room."

And the best part of the story came when I asked Amanda, "So who is the coordinator now?" She looked at me quizzically. "You know, the garden leader? Who calls the shots? Organizes the other gardeners?" "Oh," she said, "No idea. One of the gardeners I suppose. Who knows. I haven't been involved since we had the first couple meetings."

Later on, in a book Amanda gave me entitled Building Communities Curriculum (published by the ACGA) I looked up Asset-Mapping. It says, "The Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) premise is that neighborhood [projects] can be achieved by locating all of the available local assets [individual gifts, associations, institutions, land and buildings, and local economies] within a community and connecting them with one another in ways that multiply their effect." The book further recommended the ABCD Institute.

So, in conclusion, for those of us trying to further the food movement-- that is, for those of us inspired to support community gardens, delve into urban agriculture, share the truth that we can raise tons of food within steps of our kitchens-- we can learn a lot from Amanda, an extremely effective food movement organizer. For starters, she did her homework; she volunteered for a year-and-a-half first. She was invited by someone within the housing project to get involved. She resisted the temptation of doing things for someone, instead worked with the community. She played a role, and then stepped out of the center because the point wasn't Amanda, the point was the community garden.

PPS-
Did you hear this neat piece about vacant lots in northern cities and a 60-acre urban farm in Cleveland?

Quick Update from the Road

2010-10-27T02:07:00.000-04:00

What a whirlwind. Whoa.

Last Tuesday morning, I left on a road trip with a friend to attend another friend's wedding--in middle-of-nowhere western Wisconsin. The wedding was this past Saturday. With that many miles to travel, we chose to extend a bit on both ends to visit friends, family, and make an urban-agriculture tour of it.

Starting pre-wedding, last Wednesday, we visited Growing Power in Milwaukee. Imagine greenhouses growing food all winter in Wisconsin. Not only that: imagine that underneath two shelves of greens, in the middle of the greenhouse they're raising 10,000 tilapia in a single tank-- made out of simple materials like 4x4s, plywood and plastic liner. It's brilliant: with a single pump, they're able to fertilize the plants with fish waste and purify the fish water via the plants. Closed-loop.

After the wedding-- in rural farm country-- we headed back for the city. In Chicago, we swung by a Chicago Growing Power site in downtown Grant Park, picked a few veggies (kale, mustards, sorrel, and chard), and then headed over to peek through the fence at Growing Home. I posted a youtube video of theirs a couple weeks back on my facebook, but it never made the blog:

They're involving homeless folks in urban ag through a job training program if I understand things right. Unfortunately, with 450 miles to drive before we reached Chicago, we didn't make it before closing. Oh, actually, it was Sunday. Wouldn't have mattered.

Next, we made the trip from Chicago to Detroit. There we visited D-Town Farm, a project of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network. Better than anything else, it's their History Page, that articulates what and why they're doing what they're doing. I admire their work greatly. Later in the day, we spent nearly an hour with an Americorps intern named Kaitlyn who works with the Greening of Detroit. Especially interesting was information about the Garden Resource Program (GRP). ("The Greening" is a partner of the GRP). The GRP supports 1200 gardens in the city, about 2/3 of those home gardens, the other 1/3 are community and school gardens. For $10 a year plus willingness to volunteer on a work day or offer other support to the program, gardeners get free seeds, compost, reduced garden workshop prices, etc. Lastly, we visited Earthworks a program of a Catholic Soup Kitchen. As Brother Bob told Lindsay and I, Earthworks grew out of a child asking one of the monks (who was writing up a grocery list) "What gas station are you going to get your groceries at?" In such a question, they recognized great potential to educate young folks that food comes-- not from gas stations-- but from the earth.

This morning, in Ypsilanti, just down the road from Detroit, we toured the city with Amanda Edmonds, Executive Director of Growing Hope, who I met in Atlanta at the American Community Gardening Assn annual conference back in August. (Click here for that blog post.) In seven years, they've supported 50 community and school garden projects. They host a weekly farmers' market; have partnered with 80 low-income families in their community to install gardens at their homes in the past two years; host community garden leadership training once a year; grow and educate twelve months a year using "season extension" greenhouses; bake pizzas in a cob oven that will shortly be protected with a living-roof; sell raised-bed kits; tour 2000+ people yearly through their urban farm; and more. An amazing organization. And the reason I admire their work: they're very intentional about partnering, facilitating, and supporting. They avoid creating dependencies by doing things "for" people. Instead, they build community capacity so folks can do for themselves: community development at its finest.

Okay, so that wasn't quick. Oh well. I learned so much this past week, and it's such exciting stuff I can't hardly keep it to myself. Roll on food movement. Tallahassee, the wave is approaching. Get ready for a heck of a good-eating, local-growing, everybody-learning ride.

I'm nearly home.

Last Spring I Used to Wonder...

2010-10-15T09:13:00.000-04:00

Eight months back when this social enterprise of mine was still in its infancy, I used to wonder why-- when I visited the blogs of incredible food gardening nonprofits and social enterprises like that of Growing Power, they posted so infrequently. Why? When so many folks looked to them for stories of the emerging food movement, when their CEO, Will Allen is featured on the cover of Time magazine with a heaping handful of red worms and he's invited to a White House state dinner, etc-- why aren't their more posts of their work and Will Allen's adventures? For instance, right now, their last post is from August 19th where they share this video about a Growing Food and Justice Conference that was hosted by Growing Power in Milwaukee:

I'm beginning to understand. Take a look at this picture of my truck. It's been looking like this a lot lately:

After loading with lumber, compost, strawberry plants (for a 4x10 strawberry garden)-- in addition to shovels, rakes, power-tool bag, wheelbarrow, and supplies for a micro-irrigation system at Christ Presbyterian Church, I stopped in at Native Nurseries to purchase some pine straw. Upon loading it on top, I was beside myself wanting to take a picture. (Just look at it: notice how the truck sags under the weight. Even the tires are struggling. Made me laugh. And scared me for fear of breaking my truck.) Having no camera, I ran back inside and Jodi happily obliged my whim for a picture.

Although I have no picture of the strawberry bed, below you'll find a picture of the lettuce bed, installed for the same guy.

Fall is certainly a bountiful and pleasant time of year to food garden. If you're looking for ideas about what to plant, check out my googledocs "What Can You Grow in a Square."

Thanks for reading. May your gardens grow like the weeds and the weeds like that plant you wish... oh how you wish it would grow.

Workshops, Workshops, Read All About it

2010-10-04T02:26:00.002-04:00

Exhibited and Presented at Senior Center, Thur 9/30

Amidst installing raised food gardens, visiting school gardens (School for Arts and Sciences, Cornerstone, and Roberts Elementary), walking alongside Midtown and Walkerford neighborhoods as they work to create community gardens in their adjacent city parks, I've also been getting ready for a few workshops. While on the subject, I might as well introduce my new workshops page. This is where I'll post info regarding food garden workshops on an ongoing basis.

This Wednesday, Oct 6th at 10:30-11:30am
I'll be at Jake Gaither Community Center for Southside Senior Day to teach "Fall Vegetable Gardening."

Saturday, Oct 16th at 9am
I'll be leading a "Fall Food Garden Workshop" at Manna on Meridian food pantry for food recipients and church members just behind Faith Presbyterian Church (in the childrens' "God's Giving Garden") on N. Meridian Rd at John Knox. "Save money – Eat Well – Improve your children’s health – Enjoy your own collard greens – Turn small spaces or containers into productive gardens."

Sunday, Oct 17th at 2pm
I'll be hosting a "Fall Food Garden Basics" in my personal garden to offer individualized attention to those who hope to start raising a portion of their own food, but don't know how to get started. For more info or to sign up, click here. Registration is $15. ($5 cash back with the Tallahassee Democrat ad that's running the week of Sun, Oct. 3rd through Wed, Oct. 6th.)

Table-Top Herb Garden + links & links

2010-09-13T01:11:00.002-04:00

This is a quick post to share a picture of my most recent project in addition to some links to stories, a conference, programs, organizations, resources, a magazine, etc that all relate to the urban ag/food security/community garden food movement.

First, a picture of one (of two) table-top herb garden's I completed on Friday for Mary Louise:

Next, a series of links:

From NYT Magazine: "Field Report: A Michigan Teen Farms Her Backyard"
Youth Build -- From their website: "In YouthBuild programs, low-income young people ages 16-24 work toward their GEDs or high school diplomas, learn job skills and serve their communities by building affordable housing, and transform their own lives and roles in society."
(Put these together and imagine "Youth Grow.")

Urban Farm Magazine

Detroit Black Community Food Security Coalition Recognizing that 85% of Detroit's citizens are African American and the majority of the food movement leadership in the city was euro-american, this group has undertaken to develop black leaders to educate a largely black population in urban farming, community gardening, food security, etc.

Community Garden Start-Up Guides from the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA)

Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC) "Food Culture Justice: 14th annual conference in NOLA. Or find the pdf brochure here. These folks are at the forefront of local, state, and national efforts to work on food security policy and in using urban agriculture as a means to achieve food access amidst food deserts. As a matter of fact, they wrote the primer on urban agriculture back in 2002 before it was a buzz-phrase.

The Garden Project is a community and home gardening program of the Greater Lansing (MI) Food Bank. Ample Harvest is a website-tool to connect home food gardeners with extra produce to food banks and pantries that will distribute the food to folks who will eat it.

Science Daily article: "Organic Farms have Better Fruit and Soil, Lower Environmental Impact, Study Finds"

Growing Hope in Ypslanti, MI has provided me with inspiration aplenty in recent weeks. I attended a workshop entiltled "What can grow in a 4x4 square?" in Atlanta at the ACGA anual conference presented by Amanda Edmonds, their executive director.

"Many Faces of Hunger" an NPR story about a photo documentary of hungry folks in the states.

Farm Together Now, a book project. From their website: "Farm Together Now meets with people across the country who are challenging the conventions of industrialized farming and exclusive green economies. This part-travelogue, part-oral history, part-creative exploration of food politics will introduce readers to twenty groups working in agriculture and sustainable food production in the U.S. Throughout 2009 the authors visited twenty farms from coast to coast, talking to farmers about their engagement in sustainable food production, public policy and community organizing efforts."

Urban Agriculture Training at Michigan State University
We could have something like this here in Tallahassee, no? Perhaps through TCC's Workforce Development or another venue? A possible KCCI catylization? How about join the organic ag training with a leadership development institute for community, school, church and neighborhood gardens? Lastly, add on an entrepreneurial program for youth-- called "youth grow"-- and you'd have Tallahassee's very own Center for Urban Agriculture.

Fall Is In the Air

2010-09-03T11:27:00.003-04:00

The past two nights, I've slept with my windows open. Pleasant temperatures are creeping in, and soon will be here to stay, which means: It's time to begin fall planting.

September and October are the primo months to plant fall/over-wintering gardens in Tallahassee. If you're just getting started, you should also know that fall gardens are far easier than spring gardens. Less heat, fewer bugs, more on-going produce.

Fall/Winter gardens are filled with green leafy vegetables, alums (that's the onion family), and root vegetables (just not of the potato variety). Let me spell that out: green-leafy vegetables = collards, mustards, kale, cabbage, arugula, lettuces, spinach, and chard. Garlic, onions, chives, garlic chives, green onions, and shallots are all in the alum family. Fall root vegetables include radishes, turnips, rutabagas, beets, carrots, and parsnips. Three categories: green leafy vegetables, alum, and root veggies other than potatoes.

A few extras for the fall garden are: cauliflower, broccoli, celery, and cilantro. The first two-- in the brassica family-- are related to collards, cabbage, mustards, and kale. Celery and cilantro are in the Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) family that also includes parsley, dill and fennel (all three of which can also be planted in the cooler temperatures of September through May). Carrots and parsnips are part of the same family.

So, if you want to get technical about it, there are five vegetable families/species that work well in fall/over-wintering gardens: 1)Brassicas (collards, kale, cabbage, mustards, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, turnips, rutabagas, brussel sprouts and others), 2) Alums (onions, garlic, chives, shallots), 3) Umbelliferae (also known as the carrot family includes: carrots, parsnips, celery, dill, fennel, cilantro), 4) Asteraceae/Compositae (lettuce and chickory), and 5) Amarantheceae (chard, beets and spinach).

But that's confusing as all get-out. So, my recommendation is to stick with three categories: 1)green-leafy vegetables, 2) Onion-smelling alums, 3) root vegetables other than potatoes. And just know that there are a few stray things that don't fit into our non-scientific categories.

Last night I dug summer sweet potatoes, munched on fresh okra, smelled the basil, tested a hot banana pepper-- all while prepping a garden bed with compost to prepare for a patch of green-leafy vegetables and carrots. I'll be planting seeds this evening.

Whew, hot!

2010-08-25T15:51:00.001-04:00

It's been an exciting week.

Last Friday morning, I visited Astoria Park. Guided by the leadership of Merlin John Baptiste, new director of Astoria's afterschool program, they're organizing a school garden. My role was to present-- along with Ms Miaisha Mitchell, who's done extensive childhood obesity and diabetes work-- on the values (health, academic, behaviorial, etc) of gardens. By the end of the presentation two more teachers had volunteered to help make it happen.

Saturday, I took a trip to the UF Ag Extention in Quincy for an "Edible Landscape" workshop hosted by The Gardening Friends of the Big Bend, Inc.

Later that afternoon, I visited the FAMU Grape Harvest Festival with two students involved with Tallahassee Sustainability Group, an official Florida State student group. While walking the vineyards, we discussed how to find FAMU students talking/working on urban agriculture and community gardens in order that students from both FSU and FAMU might coordinate or eventually partner on common endeavors. How to network with FAM folks? But duh! We were walking on FAMU property.

Inside the research building we met Ms Harriet Paul, Dean of International Ag who has been involved with urban gardening for decades. (Next year her department will be starting an urban gardening program at four area high schools in four different counties. The students involved with the best garden will qualify to apply for a trip to visit South Africa's urban gardens.) Ms Paul also referred us to Dr Ray Mobley, FAMU Extension Agent responsible for community gardening and to Mr Damon Miller, who oversees the Orange Ave (FAMU) Community Garden.

Sunday, my friends, I took a day off.

Monday, bright and early, the first time in a while, I returned to the roadside.

Standing beside the road is just too much fun. From the rolled eyes, to the honks, to the questions ("What are you growing this fall?"), to the double-takes, to the lady saying, "I wish I could vote for you," to waves, congratulations, head nods, and looks of utter confusion; I love it all. Even the sweat at 12-noon in the middle of Apalachee Parkway. Every day since Monday, I've been out on the roadside at rush times and will be through Thursday afternoon. In between roadsiding...

Monday mid morning, I met with Marc Dick with TCC's Workforce Development. He offered me the opportunity to teach food gardening classes within the Workforce Development "Green Academy." I'm excited to see how this might develop.

Later Monday morning, I swung by to meet briefly with folks in the City of Tallahassee's Environmental Policy and Energy Resources Office to discuss the possibility of creating a sanctioned process for the establishment of community gardens on public land (e.g., vacant lots, city parks).

At noon on Monday, I joined the rest of the Tallahassee Food Policy Council (FPC) at Second Harvest Food Bank's new facility on Four Points Way to update one another on conferences (Small Farms conference in S. Florida, the American Community Gardening Association annual conference, and others), to talk about a "Local Food Guide" in development by members of the FPC, and to discuss how to link interested parties with already existing community garden and small farm space.

Tuesday, I joined up with students leaders in the Tallahassee Sustainability Group again-- this time at Ghazvini Learning Center's school garden and green house. Our task was to pull weeds and summer crops to prep the garden for fall planting. The Ghazvini teachers Gale Albritton and Shannon Gooden and the FSU students should get an award for their good work. In addition to overseeing the planting eight or ten raised beds by students, they also coordinate seedling and propagation activities in their green house-- plus have a demonstration hydroponic system they're looking to turn into an Aquaponic system complete with Tilapia.

For lunch on Tuesday, I met up with Mike Herrin, Goodwood Museum's Director of Horticulture. There's talk of hosting a Leon County horticultural afterschool program at Goodwood if a grant comes through. So we dreamed about possibilities.

Wednesday morning, I met with Tracy Haley, science teacher at Cobb Middle School. She dreams of having a school garden wherein every four kids could have their own 4x4 raised beds to maintain in order to observe, compare, experiment, etc.

And today, lunch, I met with Edward Accoff, representative to CONA, Council of Neighborhood Associations to plan for an upcoming presentation on Sept 13th regarding the Tallahassee Delegation's attendance to the American Community Gardening Association in early August.

Thing are moving forward y'all. It's hot. I'm sweating doing what I love. Garden Consultations Thursday Friday. Next week I'll be putting in my first fall garden. Get ready for fall.

A Growing Movement

2010-08-17T20:34:00.001-04:00

Back home from the American Community Gardening Association annual conference in Atlanta, GA.

Below you can see our Tallahassee Delegation (left to right): Qasima P. Boston, Robbie Estevez, Nathan Ballentine, Joyce Brown (to see Joyce's reflections on the trip, here's her blog), Thomas Lynch (below), Mark Tancig (above), and Merlin John Baptiste. After a day and a half of the conference-- where we joined over 250 other community garden leaders from 38 states and five countries--folks began responding to my introduction ("Nathan, from Tallahassee) by saying, "You're another person from there. How many of you are there?!" Aside from New York-- which brought a bus of 40 people-- we were one of the larger groups.

The conference was tremendous, both in terms of the quality of the people, the presentations/workshops and the tours around Atlanta. Here's a partial list of links to organizations/ farmers/ programs that presented or were referenced: Growing Hope in Ypsilanti, MI; GRuB (Garden Raised Bounty) in Olympia, WA; Farmer D Organics in Atlanta, GA; Johnathan Tescher with Georgia Organic's Urban Agricultural Training Program also in Atlanta, GA; Truly Living Well farm in Atlanta, GA; Austin, Texas' Sustainable Food Center; Portland, Oregon's Parks and Recreation Community Garden Program; and Sankofa Vision in Shreveport, LA.

Although the conference offerings were exciting, the piece that caused me the most enthusiasm was bonding and strategizing with our Tallahassee Group. (Below is a picture of us at the "Taste of the South" party Friday evening at one of Atlanta's Urban Farms.)

At the close of every day, we gathered for "report backs," at which we would update each other on the various workshops we'd attended, people and ideas we'd encountered and/or the local community gardens we visited separately. By splitting up, we were able to cover more ground, seeping up as much information and inspiration as possible.

On Sunday, just after the close of the conference, we gathered again; this time the conversation was focused on hopes and dreams for Tallahassee. We each filled out an index card with two prompts (#1 Inspired by the conference, what do you want to work on upon your return to Tallahassee? And #2 What is a challenge or question that you anticipate that you'll encounter as you strive for your dream?) and then presented our ideas to the delegation. I'd like to record here the dreams and challenges that we shared with one another.

Qasima wants to start a Youth Food Leadership Institute that will train young people to be community garden, healthy eating and living, and urban agricultural leaders; she hopes to involve and inspire them through the arts. She anticipates difficulties fundraising for such a project.

Mark wants to help "further promote community gardens in Tallahassee by getting more people involved. He anticipates there will be challenges associated with "finding out what people want and relating it to gardening."

Merlin John Baptiste wants to champion the founding of a school garden at Astoria Park Elementary. She also wants to create an agricultural "extention" program whereby Astoria Park students could travel to the Virgin Islands to learn at the many sustainable farms which Merlin knows about. Funding is an anticipated challenge.

Robbie would like to see the core group (our delegation to the conference) of "like-minded" community garden activists expanded. He also wants to establish regular meetings to solidify current and future relationships with other food garden/ community garden leaders. His question was: "Are you with me? and When's the next time we can meet?" A man of action.

Joyce wants "to create a product that will enable us to engage the community in community gardens" possibly employing the arts as a medium through which to approach/involve people. She anticipates it will be difficult to recruit stakeholders who have enough time to contribute meaningfully.

Thomas Lynch wants to champion a Farm to School Program for Leon County Schools. He anticipates challenges with "politics."

My dream is this: "I want to help develop and facilitate a series of workshops in Tallahassee that will network, inspire and equip emerging community garden leaders (specifically targeting teachers, religious communities, neighborhoods, youth centers and companies interested in starting community gardens)." My question is: "How do I make sure the groups I recruit represent a cross section of neighborhoods, race and income categories so as to ensure a dynamic process?"

- - -

Thanks to all who supported our trip by purchase of Food Garden Consultation Certificates. It was a huge help. All told, the certificates covered the cost of three registrations. That's huge. Thanks.

Community Garden Conference

2010-08-02T17:31:00.001-04:00

This coming weekend, I'll be leading a Tallahassee delegation to the American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) annual conference in Atlanta, GA. (Conference website for more details). Mark Tancig and Robbie Estevez, representing the Damayan Garden Project, Qasima P Boston (Project Food) and Joyce Brown (CANDI), both with ties to the Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council, Merlin JnBaptiste, teacher at Astoria Park, and Thomas Lynch, a teacher at Riley Elementary will all be going. The objective is a) for us to return inspired and equipped to be stronger community garden leaders and b) to build an inter organizational/institutional team to further the food movement here in Tallahassee.

The conference will cover a cross section of community garden topics (including one especially interesting workshop to me: Making More Gardens: Cooperation/Collaboration In Challenging Times: How typical non-profits, governments, businesses and congregations can find common ground to grow food, improve diets and support healthy neighborhoods-- hosted by a Portland, OR ecumenical group). In addition to workshops, the conference will include tours to a select few of Atlanta's 250+ community gardens. I hear three to four hundred practicing and aspiring community garden activists from across the country are registered.

I attended the ACGA's train-the-trainer event back in January, and I continue to draw on the folks I met, stories I heard, and information acquired. I can only see great things fruiting in terms of our attendance to the ACGA annual conference, especially with the discussion of community gardens, urban farms, and other means of improving the Tallahassee food environment popping up ever more frequently around town.

Would you help support our trip? I've paid for four of our six registrations, and anticipate footing a significant portion of our travel expenses as well. If I were organized as a nonprofit, I would solicit donations, but that's not my business structure. So here's what I wonder: Would you be willing to purchase a $50 Food Garden Consultation Certificate for yourself or a friend to help fund our trip? In so doing, you'll support the development of Tallahassee community garden leaders.

Here's how it works.
1) Using the Paypal button above, you purchase a Food Garden Consultation.
2) I send you a certificate.
3) We arrange a time for the consultation, and I stop in for an hour to advise and answer questions you may have about soils, sunlight, food garden placement and design, seasonally appropriate vegetables, regionally appropriate fruit trees, composting, etc.

My hope is to raise $500 through Food Garden Consultations. That's ten certificates. Please pass word if it's something you deem worthy of your endorsement.

I love Summer

2010-06-18T11:14:00.000-04:00

Two weeks away and I come back to...

Well, let's be honest: the first thing I noticed was the 90+ degree oven-breath that greeted me outside the airport. Whew. Florida in the summertime.

That's not all that greeted me upon my return from North Carolina and Philadelphia, however. This morning I rose to wakefulness by strolling through the garden to nibble and harvest: 10+ pounds of tomatoes, a zucchini the size of my left leg, three cantaloupe-sized pumpkins, green beans, dry-soup beans, banana peppers, cayenne peppers, basil, 3-5 pounds of fresh apples, cucumbers, a spaghetti squash, a handful of blueberries and one remaining super-late strawberry. Not a bad way to start a summer day. (I'll get some pictures up when I relocate the camera.)

By the way, Wednesday up in Philadelphia, I visited Mill Creek Urban Farm located in West Philadelphia. I went there with a handful of young people from my church to volunteer-- all part of a week-long summer service-trip. Surrounded by poverty, corner-stores, unemployment, urban decay and some great neighbors, Mill Creek Urban Farm plays as a host site for school groups to learn about healthy eating, sustainable practices like cob-construction and green roofs, urban agriculture and bee keeping. It also provides healthy, fresh food to a neighborhood (through sales and food pantry donations) that is otherwise quite the "food desert." Mill Creek Urban Farm, adjacent Mill Creek Community Garden, and Aspen Farms Community Garden, right around the corner, are amongst the only means neighbors have to procure fresh food within several miles of row houses and closed-down industry.

Due to a church emergency, I had to return unexpectedly on a flight yesterday afternoon. Some of the church folks remaining will work with City Harvest, another urban farming/community gardening endeavor in Philadelphia. Super cool: it's a partnership between the Philly Horticultural Society, their prison system, a local farm and coop, Philly's major food bank and others. Among other things City Harvest coordinates a seedling operation at the prison; afterwhich the baby plants are distributed to community gardens throughout the Philadelphia area. Also, City Havest coordinates the distribution of community garden surplus to food cupboards throughout the city.

School Garden here, School Gardens there

2010-05-25T13:47:00.003-04:00

There is more food movement work going on here in Tallahassee than anyone-- including myself-- knows. Take for instance the number and quality of school gardens here in the Tallahassee area.

Here is a list of the schools at which I know there are school gardens: Hartsfield Elementary, Astoria Park Pre-K, Cornerstone Learning Community, Richards High, Fairview Middle, Nims Middle, Ghazvini Learning Center, SAIL High, Apalachee Elementary, Magnolia Elementary and Middle, School for Arts and Sciences, Grassroots School, Kate Sullivan Elementary, FAMU High, PACE and Roberts Elementary. Additionally, there are gardens in the works and/or planned at Riley Elementary, Leon High School, Fort Braden, and another garden being dreamed at Astoria Park for the 4th graders. In no way do I believe this list to be all inclusive; these are just the schools I know and am currently remembering. *(PS- It should be noted that the Damayan Garden Project has helped start and continues to periodically support several--Nancy George, Damayan Director says "over half,"-- of the gardens in the above list.)* (If you know of other teachers or schools doing food gardening with their kids, please let me know).

***More School Food Gardens that folks clued me in on via the Man in Overalls Facebook page: Gadsden Head Start, Florida High, Raa Middle, Holy Comforter, Oakridge Elementary, and Trinity Catholic.***

In terms of quality, last week I met with Shannon Gooden, a teacher at Ghazvini Learning Center who will be entirely responsible for the Ghazvini raised-beds and impressive greenhouse. She shared with me her dream of a "community within the school system of school gardeners" i.e., a network of gardener-teachers designed as a forum in which to collaborate, share ideas and resources, learn from each other, etc; a mutual-aid network of teacher-gardeners. In attempts to support her vision, I've been touching base with folks here and there that I know (or have heard) are doing school gardens.

Last week, I met with Nims' Mr Williams, who along with Principal Collins, Ms Jones, and Mr Powell is heading up the Nims garden. I also spoke with Mr Landrum at Hartsfield who in partnership with Ms Elsaka are leading their gardening and agricultural education program that's part of their Hawks after school Program. Today, I met Mr Brown who is the sponsor of the Phoenix environmental club at Leon. He plans to start a raised-bed garden with his kids this coming fall.

Twenty minutes after leaving Leon, I met Ms Dennis, an ESE/EDS teacher at Kate Sullivan. She's got several raised beds with herbs and flowers. Her students are growing peppers and tomatoes in old (big) soup cans. Her visually impaired students are maintaining container gardens with various herbs and other plants. It's quite the set-up between portables and board-walks. She was full of stories and great quotes. As she toured me around her beds, she said, "I can't teach without getting my kids' hands in the dirt." Around the corner at her prized rosemary plant she told me about the day when one of her "tough, ganster kids" came in and dropped a little baggie on her desk with something suspicious in it. She said, "I was thinking, 'Oh, what is this?' I was worried wondering what I was going to have to deal with...." Things turned out well though: "It was collard seeds. He wanted to grow greens like his grand-dad."

The point is that there are lots of great folks doing good work. The extra-exciting part is that we're beginning to discover each other. It is as though there has been mass-movement of wild-flower seeds planted, we've sprouted, begun to grow and are now beginning to recognize that we're all part of a larger meadow. Welcome to the food movement.

(If you know of other teachers or schools doing food gardening with their kids, please let me know).

Crop Mob

2010-05-24T11:59:00.000-04:00

Who's up for organizing a Tallahassee Crop Mob?

USA Today, by Judy Keen

The mob descended on Chris Wimmer's farm on a rainy Saturday bearing pitchforks and shovels. They went to work quickly, relocating a compost pile, digging weeds and hauling fencing.

The Jefferson County Crop Mob, a group of mostly urban volunteers, spends one Saturday a month sweating for small-scale farmers such as Wimmer. In return, they learn about the food they consume and tips about organic and sustainable farming.

"It's like farming 101," says Derek Bryant... Click here for more.

Of Interest

2010-05-20T13:34:00.001-04:00

Folks for whom I put in food gardens have been kind enough to send me updated pictures and/or invited me back to take pictures of their crops in full swing. They clearly are holding up their end of the bargain. Wow. The first is Carol's garden:

Next is a picture of Ted, Andreas, and Sandra's garden:

The following photo I took of Mr. Orbien and Ms. Ingram:

This pictures shows Faith and Derry's garden:

The last photo, taken by photographer Inga Finch shows her young tomato, eggplant and squash plants a few weeks back:

Also of interest are the following links and resources related to Community Gardens:

-How to Start a Community Garden (from the American Community Gardening Association
-Start up guides, How to manuals, Sample Forms (also from the ACGA)
-Greater Lansing Food Bank's "Garden Project" administers, facilitates, and supports over 25 community gardens in their area. They also offer at-home garden consultations and assistance to low-income residents

Plus a magazine and resource related to Urban Agriculture:
-New Magazine: Urban Farm
-Community Food Security's Primer on Urban Agriculture

"Who loves being a farmer?"

2010-05-15T19:19:00.000-04:00

Over the course of this spring, I've had the awesome pleasure of gardening with two different sets of young people-- aged two to eleven. I.E., I hosted two groups of kids' workshops in my front yard.

Back in February/March, we met to build, fill and plant raised beds complete with shallots, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, and squash. In April when we gathered again for our monthly workshop, we tended the garden: identified and pulled weeds, staked tomatoes, etc. Finally, we're meeting in May to do some early spring harvesting. Our main crops are potatoes, shallots, and green beans. Although a few banana peppers are ready, the tomatoes are not. Give it another couple weeks. In addition, every week, we checked in on the bees in my backyard--managed by Heather Gamper, my neighbor and beekeeper extraordinaire. Lastly, the workshops visited with my family's new chicken flock-- acquired just two weeks before the first set of workshops. The kids have nearly seen the chickens grow from "bitties" to "layers."

Today, I had my final session with one of the groups-- that happens to be a self-organized group of homes-choolers that contacted me about doing a series for them. We picked green beans, washed, and canned them with garlic, dill and vinegar to make "dilly beans" or pickled green beans. Then, we made a fresh salad out of mustard greens and kale (growing elsewhere in my garden) with some of our shallots, olive oil and a little red-wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Some of my favorite quotes and moments from the day include:

+Anna-eight-saying, "Who loves being a farmer with Mr Nathan? ... I do."

+When we washed the green beans (held in a bowl) with the hose, each and every child asked repeatedly to help rinse them. They wanted to hold the hose, to be at the center of the action: "Can I?" "Can I rinse them?" "May I hold the hose?" "Can't I?" And then, after everyone had the opportunity to hold it solo, five sets of hands invited each other to "help" and they rinsed the beans collectively again and again while all holding the hose together.

+Anna speaking about she and her three-year-old sister, "We're the gardening sister-pair. We like to garden."

+After all the children left, my father informed me that Anna attempted to leave her phone number with him so he could call her when the chickens started laying. She held all of them-- even our rooster "hen" whose new head-pieces have given his (!) identity away.

+Silas, Kai, Anna and Macy relaxing on my front porch tasting green beans and mustard/kale salad with occasional grunts of, "Ummmm, this is good. Can I have some more?" while Stephen kept his distance from the raw food saying, "I like green beans more when they're cooked."

+Kai saying, "Mr Nathan, could we do another recipe? Oh... okay. Well... could you give us another one so we could do it at home?"

It's been a blessing, indeed, to garden with such wonderful young people. Get ready: a new generation of food movement ambassadors is on the scene and they are themselves eating and growing. I anticipate amazing things.

Below are a few pictures to enjoy.

Food Movement! Food Movement! Read all about it!

2010-05-07T20:31:00.000-04:00

Every time I turn around, I learn about some new piece of the food movement. It's abuzz like nothing I've ever been apart of before.

A few weeks ago, my mother brought home and showed me a box of triscuit crackers. On the back, there were three pictures.

One picture showed a few people in a vegetable garden, and the other two depicted a single person tending container herb gardens in their window seal. Under the pictures, the box read: "Join The Home Farming Movement." The small print is worth quoting at length:

Everyone should have the chance to experience the simple joy of growing your own herbs and vegetables, no matter where you live. Whether it's in your own backyard, on your windowsill, or in a plot you share with your neighbors, that's what home farming is all about. Triscuit is working with Urban Farming to create over 50 community-based home farms across the country. To find tips and to connect with other home farmers, visit triscuit.com/homefarming.

What were talking about is a product line of Nabisco--owned by Kraft Foods, the largest industrial food processor in the United States-- endorsing a movement that, long term, could prove counter to their bottom line. Fascinating.

The website they put together is worth exploring. Urban Farming, a non profit based out of Detroit did their homework, and together with Triscuit, they put together some great short-video resources on raised beds, container gardening, soil preparation, plant spacing, seeding, etc.

. . .

Below are some other pieces of the food movement:

*Washington Post: "D.C. Council launching campaign against childhood obesity" by Tim Craig

*From "A Good Food Manifesto" by Will Allen, CEO of Milwaukee's Growing Power:

I am a farmer.

While I find that this has come to mean many other things to other people – that I have become also a trainer and teacher, and to some a sort of food philosopher – I do like nothing better than to get my hands into good rich soil and sow the seeds of hope.

So, spring always enlivens me and gives me the energy to make haste, to feel confidence, to take full advantage of another all-too-short Wisconsin summer.

This spring, however, much more so than in past springs, I feel my hope and confidence mixed with a sense of greater urgency. This spring, I know that my work will be all the more important, for the simple but profound reason that more people are hungry. The manifesto continues on the Growing Power Blog.

*"Seattle City Council Announces '2010: the Year of Urban Farming'"

*A pair of young guys in San Fran earning their living like me: TheUrbanFarmers.org/

*New York Daily News: "Bronx students, volunteers plant seeds for Hunts Point urban farm" by Daniel Beekman.

*Video about the NYC "Green Markets" (Farmer's Markets):

A list of some of their locations: http://www.grownyc.org/ourmarkets
And a map displaying all of them around the whole city.

Hartsfield's HAWKS visit the Garden

2010-05-07T18:58:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday this past week, Hartsfield Elementary's Hawks, one of Hartsfield's after-school groups came for a visit to my garden. We chatted about everything from legumes fixing nitrogen to pollinators to varieties of corn to seasonally available produce to bees and chickens. They were especially interested in the methodology of grafting fruit trees. Meanwhile, we tasted snap beans, fennel, sorrel, horse-radish greens, basil, and smelled rosemary and thyme. What a great afternoon!

The Hawk's visit was part of a larger program they're doing to investigate healthy food options via research on local and organic vs. conventional agricultural practices and by maintaining the Hartsfield school garden. The culmination of their project will be to plan, prepare and serve a healthy meal to their parents that integrates local and organic produce.

They were shepherded by their incredible teachers Mr. Landrum, Ms. Elsaka, and Ms Olivia. If you know these folks--or someone else that's working with school gardens-- give them a high-five of congratulations the next time you see them. They're doing fantastic work.

Food Gardening-- The Age Defying Workout

2010-05-05T18:54:00.001-04:00

Grand Opening:

Tallahassee
ABSolute Food Garden Gym

Regular cardio exercises can help keep you fit, but food gardening is an essential, age-defying activity that should be a consistent part of your weekly routine. Food gardening not only will help chisel your body into a bathing-suit-worthy physique — it will make other activities like holding your kids, climbing stairs and carrying your groceries much easier down the line.

"Food gardening should be one of the central components of your entire existence," says the Man in Overalls, a personal trainer at the Tallahassee ABSolute Food Gardening Gym. "When you food garden, your whole life is going to be easier. It will even make everyday activities more fun."

Food gardening also improves cognitive functioning and helps prevent bone and muscle weakening — not to mention that it will give you a confidence-boosting midsection that looks good in (and out of) your clothes.

Food Garden with the Man in Overalls
Just click to send an email with your:
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TRY IT NOW!

. . .

Yeah, so I've been working with Paul Peacock the last few days at his house. Today we shoveled six cubic yards of compost and dug trench line for a micro irrigation system. We keep laughing about how I should start a side-line revenue stream charging people to "workout" with me in gardens all over town. "Gold's Gym," he joked pretending to speak for me, "charges $20 a month. You can work out with me for $10. Half price. See me jump onto this shovel-- that's agility training, aerobics. We're not digging; that's a trap strengthen regimen."

Any takers?

Frame Construction, i.e., forearm strengthening.

Hauling Compost, i.e., quad and bicep development

Bed Preparation, i.e., pectoral and deltoid training.

Planting Seeds, i.e., tuning fine-motor technique

CIW Freedom March - Food Justice

2010-05-02T01:35:00.000-04:00

Two weekends ago, I marched with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (ciw-online.org) in overalls. They were marching to hold Publix accountable for the supply chain from which they purchase their tomatoes.

Centered in the town of Immokalee, FL, the tomato fields of Florida are home to some of the more blatant injustices of our day. Folks-- folks I have been getting to know over the past year-- must pick 2.5 tons of tomatoes to earn $50. In the worst cases-- cases that have been tried and led to prison sentences--farmworkers have been forced to work without pay; they were chained at night to prevent escape.

The thought that keeps returning to me as I consider my weekend marching with farmworkers, students and church allies is this: "How absurd is it that folks who handle thousands of pounds of food a day go hungry on a regular basis?!"

The reason I started Tallahassee Food Gardens was to highlight and work towards a food resilient community, one in which whatever might happen-- we all get to eat-- and eat well at that.

Then, I learned about the tomato supply chain in Florida, about the meager wages paid, the abuses... and other details. For example, I learned this past weekend that workers in Immokalee pay between $150-$350 a week for housing. Don't be mistaken as I was: this is not for a house, apartment or even a room. This is the cost for a space in a house, a house that is woefully overcrowded with 8 to 12 people. Add it up: $50 x 5 or 6 days a week = $250-$300. In order to pay for rent, one must pick 2.5 tons of tomatoes everyday for five or six days a week. What about clothes? Shoes? Food?

The sick irony of Florida's tomato fields is that due to top-down mass purchasing by companies like Publix, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Subway and WalMart, folks who handle our food can hardly purchase any food for themselves.

And so I marched with the Coaltion of Immokalee Workers. The Coaltion requests Publix sits down with them and the Florida Tomato Growers to form a three-way agreement that will insure farmworkers are paid one more penny per pound. Not so much to ask, eh?

Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Whole Foods, Bon Apetit, and Aramark have already formed agreements with the CIW.

The Coalition of Immokalee was born in 1995 the night after a young, fifteen-year-old kid had returned from a tomato field brutally beaten. Nearly dead, a bloodly pulp, the story emerged. Amidst the hot mid-day sun, he'd asked his crew boss for a break from picking to get some water. The crew boss retaliated by beating the boy with a stick to within an inch of his life. That night, the community came together-500 strong. They marched to the crew-leader's house where they said, "A golpear a ono es golpear a todos." An injury against one is an injury against all. The next day, not one worker in the town of Immokalee went to the farm of the offending crew boss. Though some farmworkers had been attempting to organize the coalition before this brutal incident, it was the community's overwhelming response that birthed the spirit of the CIW that lives on today.

If you want to read up more on the CIW's Freedom March, take a look at any of the following articles:

"Activists target Publix's tomatoes," Orlando Sentinel, 4/21/10
"Farm Workers Fight for an Extra Cent," Inter Press Service News Agency, 4/20/10
"Pickers want Fla. chain to pay more for tomatoes," AP story in ABC News, 4/16/10
"Protesters Pressure Publix to Sign Deal," Lakeland Ledger, 4/19/10
VIDEO: "Farmworker Freedom March rallies at Publix Headquarters in Lakeland," Tampa CBS affiliate, 4/18/10
"Farmworker Freedom March: PUBLIX! Listen to the workers!," Huffington Post, 4/18/10
"Farmworker march ends but fight continues," In These Times, 4/19/10
"Farmworkers March Across Florida for Freedom, Fair Wages," In These Times, 4/19/10
"Coalition of Immokalee Workers to march at Publix headquarters," Ft. Myers News-Press, 4/16/10
"Hundreds show up in Tampa to support tomato workers in Publix battle," St. Petersburg Times, 4/17/10
"Farmworkers march for a penny," Tampa Bay Tribune, 4/17/10

Lastly, here's a video of the CIW Women's Group and children in the April 16-18th Farmworker Freedom March:

God Bless Melissa Angel

2010-04-30T23:32:00.000-04:00

Melissa Angel got in touch with me a few weeks back about a project for her photo journalism class. Would it be alright, she wondered, to do her class project on my work around food gardening here in Tallahassee? Indeed. I was honored to be profiled. Upon viewing the final product, I am super-impressed with her work. Thanks Melissa. Anytime you need a reference, just let me know.

Take a look: