A Farm for the Future

Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family's farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key. With her father close to retirement, Rebecca returns to her family's wildlife-friendly farm in Devon, to become the next generation to farm the land. But last year's high fuel prices were a wake-up call for Rebecca. Realizing that all food production in the UK is completely dependent on abundant cheap fossil fuel, particularly oil, she sets out to discover just how secure this oil supply is. Alarmed by the answers, she explores ways of farming without using fossil fuel. With the help of pioneering farmers and growers, Rebecca learns that it is actually nature that holds the key to farming in a low-energy future.

Chicken Whisperer to Give Away 500 Baby Chicks in Roswell

Chicken Whisperer to Give Away 500 Baby Chicks in Atlanta

Andy G. Schneider, the national radio personality known as the Chicken Whisperer plans to give away 500 baby chicks on Saturday, April 11^th starting at 8:00 AM at the Greenwoods on Green Street restaurant in Roswell, Georgia, located at 1087 Green Street 30075. The Chicken Whisperer’s plan is to promote the keeping of backyard poultry and to get folks thinking about growing more of their own food with this “Chicken Stimulus Package.”

Schneider, host of the nationally broadcast radio show Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer, and his station manager at Radio Sandy Springs came up with the idea after the city of Roswell went after one of its citizens for keeping pet chickens in his backyard. According to Schneider, the big chicken give away has the support of citizens and former lawmakers alike.

All baby chicks have been donated by hatcheries across America. Only two chicks will be given away to each family and they will come with a starter bag of feed, care instructions, and a map to North Fulton Feed and Seed in Alpharetta where they can pick up additional supplies. “This is our very own small economic stimulus package for the people of Atlanta,” the Chicken Whisperer says. “In the middle of layoffs, foreclosures, and a poor economy we want to teach people how to become a little more self-sufficient, and keeping backyard pet poultry is a good start.”

The Alpharetta Community Garden

Alpharetta is about to have its first Community Garden! The Alpharetta Community Garden is a project of the Alpharetta Arboretum, Inc. With the Arboretum’s oversight and by special allocation of land at Wills Park from Alpharetta’s City Council, we hope to have the Garden up and running by April.

The American Community Gardening Association has been promoting community gardens since 1979, but there is a growing interest in them today, partly because of food provenance: we want to know where our food originates. The Community Garden is a great way to learn how to grow your own food as you interact with other people of all ages and backgrounds. Community Gardens are truly about community as well as growing your own herbs, fruits and vegetables.

The plots at the Alpharetta Community Garden will be 4’ X 10’ raised beds. The Alpharetta Arboretum plans to build a few “enabling beds” for the wheelchair bound or people with disabilities. All garden plots will be provided soil as well as 3 complimentary starter plants. The gardeners may add their own purchased plants, seed or plants started from seed at home. These plots may be leased for $50.00 for the season (April - October) to city of Alpharetta residents first and on a first come - first served basis. Some pre-registrants may be placed on a waiting list as space is limited.

To pre-register, please click the link here: alpharettagarden@bellsouth.net and be sure to give your name, email address and a phone number.

What's The Deal With Dandelion Greens?

Apartment Therapy The Kitchn | Produce Box Report: Dandelion Greens:


"Dandelions, seen as a noxious weed by some and a source of outdoor entertainment by others (who hasn't made a wish and blown on a puff of dandelion seeds?) are a tasty and healthful salad green packed with vitamins A &C, iron, and more calcium than spinach. They are commonly used as a salad green, but can also be braised, stewed, and sauteed.

When shopping for greens, look for firm, fresh green leaves. Prepare and wash them as you would any salad green - trim the ends off the stems, and rip them up in bite-sized pieces. Dandelion greens will keep for a few days in a crisper drawer. They have a slightly bitter taste that is quite pleasant."

I actually prefer to grow my own since I like using the leaves when they are young and tender, those you find in the grocery store (at least in my experience) tend to be old, tough, and bitter.

Johnny's Seed - Dandelion

Burpee's Money Garden

$10 of seeds produces over $650 worth of vegetables!

Major savings for people who grow their own vegetables! A well-planned garden will result in a 1 to 25 cost-savings ratio, meaning $50 in seeds and fertilizer can produce $1,250 worth of groceries purchased at a supermarket. And all you need is a small, sunny plot to enjoy these big savings.

In addition to cost savings the taste of homegrown vegetables is vastly superior to store-bought and their nutritional value far exceeds vegetables that line the shelves of supermarkets a week or more after being picked.

Each Money Garden contains packages of six easy-to-grow varieties capable of producing $650 worth of vegetables on a mere tenth of an acre. A $20 value for only $10.

Burpee's Money Garden

Small Farmers Share Their Experience

If you’re thinking about starting your own small farm and want to hear about some of the challenges and rewards, or even if you’re just interested in seeing what non-industrial agriculture looks like, I highly recommend checking these out.

NYBeginningFarmerns.org

Digging In…and Sharing Dirt with Friends

Spring has not yet officially begun (even though it will be 75 degrees today), but in my mind it is already spring. Several spring crops are either already in the ground or will be by this weekend and the summer crops are in seed trays basking in the glow from florescent grow lights.

This past Saturday, I made a trip down to Atlanta to pick up some grass-fed beef and pastured pork from Riverview Farms at the Morningside Farmers Market. While I was there I picked up two pounds of beautiful kale and one pound of Swiss chard from Crystal Organic Farm. My next stop was the Farmer D Organics store (more info at Sustainable Dunwoody) for a cubic yard of their raised bed mix. The raised bed mix is made from peat humus (locally harvested and rich in humic acid), composted bark fines and Farmer D’s biodynamic compost.

About a third of that raised bed mix went to my friend Emily, who has expressed an interest in gardening but just needed a little extra push. So, I made a raised bed and installed it for her. All I asked is that she takes care of the plants I will be bringing her in a few weeks and to join Georgia Organics (Facebook, Twitter) with the money she wanted to pay me back with.