Urban Farm School

Sometimes all you need to hear is that it can be done.

Maggie started coming to UFS classes in early 2008; a quiet student, intense, and focused. After a few classes we found that Maggie was also a long-time educator in the public school system and a gardener in her own right. Following is a brief walk through her garden this year after taking our classes and the transformation that took place from backyard garden to food garden with aesthetic wow-power. In sharing these images, it is our hope that you can find the motivation this time of year to take care of your garden so that it can be healthier and happier next year.

You can do it. With a little knowledge, a goal, and a desire to grow healthy food for your family your backyard, front yard, parking strip, or patio can transform just as Maggie’s did. Thank you Maggie for taking the time to share your garden with us all.

It is the end of summer, the depths of harvesting, tomatoes in our region are just hitting their stride with the abundance that accompanies them: salsa, plum and stewed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, and soups. It is easy to get burned out this time of year, throw your hands up and declare a truce with the garden bounty. YOU WILL PREVAIL! Many this time of year are starting to take the garden down, preparing for autumn and winter. If you have preserved, donated, and shared all you want start preparing your garden for it’s winter’s slumber.

This is a critical time of year in any garden when it is easy to let things fall by the wayside. It is critical to nip disease and pest issues in the bud NOW instead of letting them overwinter and appear in force once again in the spring. Taking the time to prepare your soil now will save you many headaches next year.

Although early autumn is a busy time of year for us all ~ school, autumn sports, last vacations, remember your garden in your priority list as well. We are offering a bevy of seasonally appropriate classes to help you on your way to a healthier and happier garden.

A few pointers to get you started:
* if it is diseased or infested with pests, out it goes
* pick up and dispose of fallen/rotting fruit and veg
* mulch or cover crop your beds to keep the microorganisms happy and healthy through the winter

Hope to see you at an upcoming class! Check out Upcoming Events for full details and locations.
Basic Seed Saving, Thursday, September 10, 6pm
Family Bat Night, Friday, September 11, 6:30pm
Lawn to Food: Converting Lawn to Growing Space,
Thursday, September 17, 6pm
Basic Composting, Thursday, September 24, 6:30pm
Putting the Garden to Bed, Thursday, October 1, 6pm
Planning Next Year’s Garden, Thursday, October 8, 6:30pm

We are also offering in-home Canning Consultations for those that need a little help or just want to walk through the steps with a Certified Master Food Preserver. Check out the Consultations page for more details.

Please, visit Toree’s Garden Journal this month for her farewell letter; the link is under Blogroll on the sidebar. It is a lovely, bittersweet letter that fully encompasses the passion that Toree holds for all things in life.