Urban Farm School

winter upon us

Gardening Gifts
It’s that time of year; the gift giving and actually taking the time to say “thank you/I love you/ I appreciate you” to all those people in your life. So what is it that you can give that gardener in your life that they’re really going to use.
Seeds: Give the gift of seeds. Think heirloom, think open-pollinated. Look at sources such as Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Books: Encyclopedia of Country Living, Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, Farmer Jane, For the Health of the Land, In Defense of Food, and the list goes on. Look at thrift stores (always an amazing source for gardening books), Amazon.com, and Powell’s books.
Tools: Build your own tool maintenance kit. A small bucket or old milking pail full of sand with a little oil mixed in to dunk dirty tools in to clean and oil the metal, a file for sharpening edges, mineral oil for handles, and rags to clean.
Gift Certificate: Give the gift of a consult with Urban Farm School. A one-hour consultation for the garden or a two-hour consultation for canning is the gift that gives forever. E-mail urbanfarmschool@gmail.com to discuss pricing and availability.

Winter Events
December is a funny month for gardeners in the Pacific Northwest so we have to get creative. Join Urban Farm School Friday, December 3, 5:30-7:00pm at Neighbor’s Market, 1707 Main Street, Vancouver for Uptown’s First Friday. We will be partnering with A Dinner Together providing 30 minute lectures and tastings 0f seasonal foods throughout the evening. Call 360-448-1620 or info@neighborsmarket.com for more information.

Join UFS Friday, December 10, 6-8pm at Vancouver Food Cooperative, 215 W. 4th Street, Vancouver for a Wreath-making class and community social with local, seasonal foods and beverages. Pre-registration and fee required, $20/members, $30/non-members. All materials provided. Contact 360-694-8094 or questions@vancouverfood.coop with questions and registration.

Happy Holidays
From Urban Farm School we wish you the happiest and safest of holidays. We look forward to seeing you in class or at a consultation in 2011. Please, note that Urban Farm School will be closed December 11 through January 18. If you have questions during this time please, contact urbanfarmschool@gmail.com with any questions and someone will respond as quickly as possible.

November 15 is here and with it Garlic Planting Day! Today is the day to brave the weather, break apart those wonderful seed cloves of garlic, dig the holes, and put next June’s harvest into the ground.

I love garlic all types, all sizes, all shapes. When I am out in the world, especially on holiday which often ends up at a farmer’s market, farm, or roaming through a foreign countryside, I always look for garlic. Garlic people are good people. They understand and can explain the nuances of one garlic from another, often a testament to their outlook on life, the singular differences, uniqueness, and specified uses for something that is seemingly the same. Garlic. In it’s paper-sheathed clove, the blunt root end and the pointed stalk end a hidden treasure of flavor and memory.

Don’t be shy about planting garlic, as an allium it has a wonderful stalk that lends interest to the garden, a scent that deters deer, moles, rabbits and other critters, and has an edible scape which is delicious sauteed with butter and spooned over rice early in the season. Garlic can be interplanted just about anywhere in the garden keeping in mind that it is harvested typically in June (weather permitting).

As we enter the rainy season in our region it is time to get that last mulch layer into place. Rain compaction is the secret thwarter of healthy soil systems so be sure to layer with leaves, compost, straw, or a late cover crop to prepare the soil for spring planting.

i know you know this but . . . there’s nothing like fresh food.  it’s been a dismal year granted but there have been little glimpses of fantastic food this year.  NW Organic Farm in Ridgefield being one of the highlights for me this year during their Heirloom Garlic and Tomato Festival.  Great food, music, and people.  Put it on your calendar for next year, it’s worth the drive, third Saturday in September. 

We’re coming into the autumn finally, crazy weather notwithstanding, it’s time to yank out the garden, get rid of pest and diseased plants, mulch, cover crop, compost, and feed the soil preparing it for next spring.  NOW is the time to prep your soil, avoiding the battle of weeds if you do nothing.  Protect your soil from rain compaction, save yourself time (and money) by taking care of your garden now.  I know your probably done with the garden but get out there and get it done, you won’t be sorry you did.

I hope to see you at an autumn class ~ Putting the Garden to Bed, Lawn to Food: Converting Grass to Growing Space, Raised Bed Basics, and Basic Composting all coming to you in October.  This is also a great time of year for a consult ~ start planning, dreaming, and prepping for the next step. 

UFS will be at the first Green Drinks supported “Check ‘Em Off Green” holiday bazaar event at Marshall Center Saturday, November 13.  It will be a great one for finding recycled, reused, reloved items at affordable prices for your friends and family.  What could be better?  Local crafters, recycled materials, affordable prices, convenient location!  Detailed info will be coming as the time draws near.

Don’t fret my friends.  All farmers, backyard or otherwise, have bad years.  Chalk it up to experience and start dreaming about next year.

Tomatoes at Last
It has been a strange growing season what with late June rains and cold weather, few days of high 90′s, and already a nip in the air the first week in September. I hate to say it my friends but I’d put my money on an early autumn, quick and cold.

So where does that leave our lovely tomatoes? Those wonderful orbs of GREEN that just don’t seem to want to ripen. There are a few tricks to get the most out of our late tomato harvest.
* Keep tomatoes consistently warm and watered. They do not like shocks to the system, so keeping them at an average temperature, day and night, of 70+ degrees helps them ripen. Keeping them watered deeply and slowly allows them to draw on the water and produce full, unblemished fruit, that is full-bodied and flavorful.
* Keep an eye on the forecast. We’re seeing forecasted night temperatures in the 40s already so make sure your tomatoes are covered or protected to get the most out of them.
* Get out your green tomato recipes. Green tomato salsas, sauces, chutneys, and relishes are delicious and are an easy way to use those under-ripe tomatoes.
* If frost is in the forecast pull or protect your tomatoes beforehand. Frost hit tomatoes are no longer suitable for canning nor fresh eating. If you do have frost hit tomatoes you can still freeze them for use in soups and sauces but they must be preserved as soon as possible after frost hit.
* Once the temperature drops you can pull the entire plant out, roots and all, and hang it upside down in a basement, garage, or shed that stays a moderate temperature, preferably dark. The tomatoes will slowly ripen, generally through Thanksgiving. Cherry tomatoes do not work well for this method. You can also wrap individual tomatoes in newspaper and store them in boxes in an area with good air circulation and cool temperatures.

Planning for Autumn
September is that great month of transition, from warm to cool weather, layed back to school schedules, and from summer to autumn seasons. It is also a great time in the garden. A time to reflect, plan, and question whether you like something, need to move or remove something, and start dreaming of what to add during the autumn planting season. In the PacNW especially, our garden season starts in September/October. This is when the majority of your garden and soil prep should be done to ready it for winter rains and spring planting. Need a little help? Plan a consultation or better yet invite your friends and family over for a hands on “Put the Garden to Bed” or “Lasagana Gardening” garden party.

Autumn is just around the corner friends and now is the time to get your October and November vegetables into the ground. Start looking for broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower starts. Get your lettuce, greens, and spinach seeds ready to go. Plan space in the garden for kale, garlic, and a cold-frame if you are looking to extend the season into the winter hours.
As you begin to remove spent and finished items out of the garden keep in mind that the soil benefits from a mulch of some kind. If you will not replant the space be sure to mulch the soil with three inches of leaves, compost, or another mulch of your choice.
If replanting the area remember to dedicate space that is easy to get to and convenient for maintaining and harvesting. As the autumn season begins our gardening urge tends to wane and the crops that are left for the late autumn days tend to suffer. Plan ahead for ease of maintenance, usefulness, and liklihood that you will use the crop promptly so that it will not rot in the garden and create pest and disease issues the following season.

Vancouver Food Cooperative
There is a long and tumultuous history with the VFC and after many years, a change of board members, and the implementation of several business men as a “store implementation” committee, the VFC has announced September 1 as the opening date of the storefront located at 215 W. 4th Street, Vancouver. The beginnings will be an on-line catalog as well as produce provided by several local vendors available on-line as well as in the storefront on pick up days. Open to Members as well as the general public it is a breath of fresh air to see the VFC taking steps forward as well as providing a storefront in the downtown Vancouver area where groceries are had at convenience stores or are a bus ride away. The website is in flux through August but check out the goings on at www.vancouverfood.org.

Portland has had a chicken coop tour for several years now and thanks to Hough Neighborhood, Vancouver finally has one of their own.

The Coop Du Jour will take place Saturday, July 17, Noon to 4pm in the Carter Park, Arnada, Hough, and Shumway Neighborhoods.

This is your chance to talk to chicken owners about their coop preferences, the realities of urban chickens, see different coop designs and best of all hang out with like-minded people. These are everyday people that have volunteered to open their yards and coops to the public. This is a great event and all proceeds benefit the Hough Foundation. $10 a ticket for a family or group of four is a steal! Tickets are available at:

Mint Tea, 2014 Main Street, Vancouver
Arnada Naturals, 1705 Broadway

For more information check out the Coop Du Jour website at: www.coopdujour.com

We’ll see you out there!

We have admittedly had a dismal spring and early summer with above average precipitation and below average temperatures. It has definitely been difficult to get those summer seeds and starts into the garden and once in, to thrive. If you haven’t already done so now is the time to get any starts and seeds in the ground for tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, winter and summer squashes, and the like if you hope to see a yield before the frosts set in this fall.

Yes, it has been a difficult year, and yes, our planting window has been shortened to the extreme but get out there and get planting! We are lucky in the Pacific Northwest to revel in relatively moderate and growable autumn weather so take advantage of it.

It is also time to transition into your summer lettuces, Bibb and Romaines as well as lettuces marked as “bolt-resistant” and “heat tolerant” do nicely during the summer months. Be sure to plant them behind natural shade such as behind tomatoes, corn, or vegetables that are growing on a trellis.

As much as we’d like to think we can control all the aspects of our gardens – heirloom varieties, organic seeds, natural pest control, cold frames, etc, we can not control the weather. It has been a long, cold spring and the garden is reflecting its struggle in the lack of output. Although frustration is high on many garden fronts this year, don’t fret. The garden always seems to rebound when we least expect it.

Keep at it!

Take the time now while the harvest is lean to prepare for the busy season. Erradicate weeds and pests by spending 5 minutes a day in the garden. Get your canning kitchen together by sorting chipped jars, bent/rusted rings out of the mix. Dedicate a shelf or a rolling cart to all the supplies you will need for preservation – undate your pectin supply, vinegars, dried herbs and chile peppers, lemon juice, and recipes. Purchase new canning lids, marking pens, and check your freezer container supply. Clean out the freezer and resort your canning pantry to evaluate what you will need to can more of this year. Check for any jars that have spoiled and dispose of them properly. Thoroughly clean all shelving, your canners, jars, rings, and canning utensils.

The garden will catch up and being prepared for it when it does will enable you to better preserve your bounty. Share your time and harvest with friends by planning a jam, pie filling, or pickling party! One of the greatest things about gardens is their ability to bring gardeners together around a table of delicious food.

The latest Dirty Dozen List has been released and there are some new surprises on it this time ’round, in that there are two items that haven’t been on the list before. The Dirty List are those foods sold commercially that after processing, washing and preparing at home still have large amounts of trace pesticides within the skin and flesh. These are the fruits and vegetables that you want to purchase organic or substiture for something else. As we enter the seasons of bounty in our region keep in mind the dirty list. Below are the the top 12 from most pesticide residue to least of the worst:

#1 Celery
#2 Peaches
#3 Strawberries (especially foreign)
#4 Apples
#5 Blueberries (NEW to the list)
#6 Nectarines
#7 Bell Peppers
#8 Spinach (NEW on the list)
#9 Kale
#10 Cherries
#11 Potatoes
#12 Grapes (especially foreign)

Notice that most of the items listed are things that can be grown in your own backyard or those that are available regionally. When planning your annual trip to the berry patch or your weekly jaunt to the farmstand or farmer’s market keep the dirty list in mind and ask questions. One of the most valuable pieces of local farmers is the ability to have a converstation with them and letting them know what you want.

The 15 rated lowest in pesticide residue (although not petroleum-based fertilizers) in order of least pesticide residue are:
onions, avacado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomato, and sweet potato.

This is the time of year that all the local plant sales appear. Listed below are a few of the area plant sales in the coming weeks. Keep your eyes out for plant sales in your area, neighbors, garden clubs, elementary schools, and churches often hold plant sales through May.

Columbia River High School Plant Sale
Herbs, Veg, Annuals, Perennials, and more
May 7, 9am to 4pm and May 8, 10am to 3pm

Ridgefield Highschool Plant Sale
Annuals, Perennials, Baskets, and more
May 7, 9am to 5pm and May 8, 9am to 3pm

Camas Mother’s Day Sale
Plant, Garden, and Informational Vendors
May 8, 9am to 4pm, Downtown Camas

Master Gardener’s Plant Sale
Perennials, Trees, Shrubs, Annuals, Veg
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR BEFORE YOU GO
May 8, 9am to 4pm and May 9, 10am to 3pm
1919 NE 78th Street, Vancouver (the old poor farm)

It’s been 40 years since the first earth day and there are events aplenty to celebrate the hallmark. Marshall Community Center is hosting their annual Earth Day Celebration Saturday, April 17, 10am to 2pm and the theme this year is Urban Farming! This is a family-friendly event and will feature four themed areas for the public – planting, tending, harvesting, and preserving with activities, informational and vendor booths in each area. Plants, local food, community garden organizations, small animal husbandry, free lunch, and an afternoon of information at your fingertips.

We are in transition in the garden right now. it’s the annual battle of patience between last years crops finishing, the variable weather, and the planting itch. those glorious 60 degree days lull us into a sense of hope and planting bravado and then the reality that it is still WINTER sets in with low snow levels and wind.

If you have already planted seed and/or transplants make sure you’re protecting them from wind and cold evening temperatures. a simple cloche made from a milk jug or even a nursery pot turned over on cold nights will work. cover your seedlings with floating row covers, a burlap sack, or a sheet – something to protect it from those frigid nights. don’t be disheartened by slow germination, give those seeds some time to adjust and keep an eye out for slugs and snails who are ready for the delicate leaves of lettuce, spinach, and mustard greens.

looking for a little more guidance in the garden? try our FarmHand Checklist E-mail subscription. It is a weekly “checklist” of things that can be done that week in the Pacific Northwest garden. the annual subscription rate of $35 gets you a checklist the beginning of each week, through October 31 that includes what can be done in the garden, a weekly tip, and a weekly event or place to visit. Subscription is activated upon receipt of payment mailed to: Urban Farm School, PO Box 393, Ridgefield, WA 98642. Please, include “farmhand checklist” in the note section and include your E-mail address.

Need some hands on help along with your checklist? Try our Your FarmHand service. We work in the garden with you once a month on any vegetable gardening project for an hour. We can help you plan, plant, maximize your space, create and construct pest deterrants and all sorts of other fun things. Learn in your own space, at your own pace, on your own projects with Your FarmHand! E-mail urbanfarmschool@gmail.com for scheduling and pricing.