Using Ollas (Old-Fashioned Drip Irrigation)

Not all of us can/want to water our gardens every day or every other day. In an attempt to find a watering solution I explored a few alternatives.

I am not a big fan of drip irrigation and soaker hoses because they require hours of operation to thoroughly soak the soil (plus it is difficult to use my captured rain water). Hand watering either with a watering can or hose is OK but can waste water and contribute to disease in our humid climate. Then I decided to further investigate a technique that I had heard about a few years ago...ollas.

Ollas, pronounced O-yah, are direct and efficient watering devices for the garden. The original ollas, thought to be brought from Spain to South America were unglazed clay earthenware urns which are still used today in the Southwest.

They are basically unglazed terracotta jars that are buried in the ground and filled with water. The water slowly seeps through the jar and waters the plant it is placed next to. Ollas can be rather expensive ($10-50/ea) and hard to find, so I started looking for local alternatives. I found some unglazed terracotta pots at Hobby Lobby that look like wine chillers (representative pic below):

I bought the 8 pots that they had on the floor and 8 terracotta saucers to cover them. The pots were $2.50/ea and the saucers were $0.50/each. I have already installed them in my plot and am waiting to see how they work...and if I am going to need more. Picture at the top is of my garden plot at the Alpharetta Community Garden with the ollas installed.

You could also install the ollas and setup a gravity-fed hybrid olla/drip irrigation system using captured rain water (planning on doing this eventually):

Here is a little more info on making ollas: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1434/

2009 Georgia Organics Conference

Held March 20-21, 2009 at Agnes Scott College, the 2009 12th annual conference saw two days of sustainable local farm tours, panel discussions, and in-depth workshops on subjects ranging from the science of composting with worms to food security, and culminated with the keynote speech of best-selling author Michael Pollan.

Here is that keynote:


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Alpharetta Community Garden in Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the newly created Alpharetta Community Garden:

Alpharetta Farmers Market

The Alpharetta Farmers Market opens this Saturday in conjunction with the city’s springtime celebration, Alpharetta Arts Streetfest. This year the Alpharetta Farmers Market - in its third season - is putting new emphasis on two words: “Georgia” and “organic.”

“We’re trying to go more green and more local,” said market manager Carol Anderson-Wood. “It’s going to take a little transition, but we’re working on it.”

Although a couple of returning vendors use conventional growing methods, new applicants must use natural farming techniques. “We’re also asking everybody to label things that are not from Georgia,” Anderson-Wood said. “We’re just moving in that direction.”

So is the nation. There are many sensible reasons to buy naturally grown, local produce - health and environment chief among them - but fans of farmers markets know the true reasons. Once you taste a radish or beet that has come out of the ground that morning, once you experience the joy of selecting carrots with the greens (and dirt) still attached and shake the hand that harvested them, once you reawaken in yourself the urge to connect, in a tangible way, with food we eat and the land we live on … once you do these things, you’ll never look back.

Alpharetta Farmers Market: 8 a.m. till noon Saturdays, Old Roswell Street, downtown Alpharetta.

AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS
Arugula, asparagus, beets, bok choy, cabbage, carrots, chard, dandelion, escarole, green garlic, green onions, greens, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, microgreens, radicchio, radishes, spinach, strawberries, tatsoi, turnips, brussels sprouts

AJC

Does Organic Equal Sustainable?

The short answer is no, organic products are not inherently sustainable.

Organic agriculture (especially industrial organic production) still involves massive amounts of oil and water to turn a vegetable seed into your dinner. Don’t get me wrong, buying organic products is still very important and does benefit the Earth versus conventional products; but organic needs to be viewed as a stepping stone toward a sustainable food system…not as the destination.

Modern agriculture (conventional and organic) has traded human and animal labor for oil. A sustainable food system will require a lot more labor, will produce food locally, will be more expensive, and will be healthier for you and the planet.

One way to help reduce the cost and labor involved with a sustainable food system is to start planting food forests now and working with nature through the use of biodynamic agriculture.

Food Forests Across America
Biodynamics

Alpharetta Farmers Market

Saturdays from April 18 to mid-October

8am - 12:30pm

The Alpharetta Farmers Market has taken root downtown in the Alpharetta Historic District. Bring the whole family to shop for local produce, herbs, honey and more. Have a relaxing morning by eating at local restaurants and shopping downtown.

Mission:

Provide fresh, local items directly from farmers and producers.

Dates and Hours:

Every Saturday from April 18 through October from 8am to 12:30pm.

Note: The market may be temporarily displaced Saturday, August 1 due to the 57^th Annual Old Soldiers Day Parade.

Location:

The market takes place on Old Roswell Street in Downtown Alpharetta. Take Highway 9 west on Old Milton Parkway (right if heading South on Hwy 9 or left if heading North on Hwy 9), right on Roswell Street and then right on Old Roswell Street. Free downtown parking on your left.

Weather:

We’re open rain or shine!

Want to join the market, or meet our vendors:

Go to www.alpharettafarmersmarket.com.