Saturday, October 27, 2012

Garlic

I have a friend in Athens that works diligently on a nearby organic farm. Even though she is taking five graduate level classes and working regularly in the evenings with local watershed groups, she manages to make time for organic gardening, a passion of hers. She makes trips to the Farmacy (a local natural/organic grocery store- located on W. Stimson Avenue) to deliver the tomatoes her farm grows. It was through conversations with her that I came across fall garlic planting- and the delicious food the Farmacy has to offer! 

For those who hate to see the decay of winter take over their garden, I can offer you one last opportunity to keep you garden at work this winter: plant garlic! 

Garlic can be planted now (early autumn) and be ready for harvesting in June! I have never planted garlic before. All of my information has come from this very helpful source: Growing Garlic. I would also recommend that you search the web for information and how-to videos- there are plenty available! 

1. Crack the bulbs up into individual cloves- this will be a fairly easy process. After you should have individual bulbs (somewhat tear drop shaped); 

2. Dig holes in the soil about 8 inches apart and 4-6 inches deep; 

3. Place garlic bulbs into the holes, cover with soil; 

4. Cover the beds (as if you were going to winterize) but be sure to not till the soil after you plant the garlic; keep beds covered with natural debris (decaying matter: leaves, bark, grasses, compost); 

From my own reading about garlic planting, it seems as thought retaining moisture is key to a good harvest. Heavy mulching (but not too compact) will allow autumn rains and snow-melt to keep the garlic moist. A nice layer of decaying matter will protect the bed from sun exposure and erosion. 

If you have experience with autumn garlic planting, please share your procedure! If you attempt this project, let us know about your failures and successes! Good luck gardeners! 

I plan on growing some garlic at the Ecohouse- I will post updates on how it works out! 

Monday, October 15, 2012

Native Plants

This blog post is dedicated to Drs. Eileen and Seamus Metress- my mentors and friends in Toledo- the people who inspired me, taught me and continue to motivate me in my personal and academic life. 

If someone showed us a picture of a rose, weeping willow or some mums, it is very likely that a majority of us would identify these with no problem. If not by name then at least by recognition from daily life. Could you identify butterfly weed, cardinal flower, or blue lobelia? Essential native plants are disappearing all over the United States - having devastating consequences for our environment. Not only are do we not realize that this is a growing problem, but also that we have the power to do something about it!

What is a native plant? Essentially, these are plant (flowers, trees, grasses) species that thrived here before the appearance of humans in the region. These plants have adapted to our soils and our climates. Many prairie plants are well suited for longer periods of drought and do not require the attention and labor we typically associate with gardening.

Native plants have extremely deep roots. This feature allows them to be more self-sustaining and self-reliant- giving the gardener peace of mind on those hot summer days. When you first plant native species you should water them. They need to establish these root systems; however, the second or third growing season, you will find yourself watering them less and less. Their deep roots help soak up water deep in the ground and reserve it. A depiction of these extensive root systems can be found here. This feature of native plants contributes to water conservation and erosion prevention.

Why should it matter that a plant be native or not? It doesn't matter to wildlife, right? Pollen is pollen and leaves are leaves. We are taught to believe this at a young age: all flowers are beneficial and the wildlife love them because they are tasty and pretty! Not exactly... 
  
Black Swallowtail caterpillar in my native garden
The truth is, native wildlife co-evolved with the native flora. Many native species do not have an interest in exotic fauna. This leaves their growth unchecked and as result they are able to out-compete the native flora. Butterflies have very specific host plants required to lay their eggs. They will only leave their eggs on their designated host plants. This provides a unique and specialized food source for the young caterpillars when they emerge.

Many caterpillars are attracted to dill, fennel and parsley plants. If you want to keep caterpillars out of your vegetable garden but attract butterflies to your flowering garden, try adding a bit of parsley or dill around your flowers. Give them their own supply near the flowers so will be more inclined to stick around- and spare your vegetables.

Apart from the widespread development of urban and residential spaces, exotic and invasive plant species have displaced natives. We are losing native land cover at an alarming rate. In Michigan, less than 1 percent of original prairie and savanna are left standing (from the book Prairies and Savannas in Michigan: Rediscovering Our Natural Heritage).

My love and passion for native prairie plants began in my undergraduate career at the University of Toledo. I was studying anthropology, which has a variety of fields and opportunities. I did not have a clear idea of where I wanted to go in my studies: cultural, business, archaeology, forensics? The list goes on! 

One day I went to a presentation by the wife of my professor, a woman that would soon become a very dear friend and mentor to me. She spoke of something I had never heard of before: native plants. I was immediately captivated by the story she told. For weeks I could not stop thinking about this topic.

I saw a problem in our society that every citizen could take part in resolving: restoration through native landscaping. My own campus was overrun with invasives, but it never occurred to me to mind or even ask what kind of trees had been planted. I approached my anthropology club with the idea of creating a native plant garden- the idea was greatly accepted and with the help of Drs. Eileen and Seamus Metress we created a native plant garden on our campus. Although the other students had lost the enthusiasm for maintaining the garden as the days went on, I never did. In the semester to come the space functioned as a living classroom for a variety of courses. 


If I had not gone to that presentation I do not know who I would be today, but I probably would not be pursuing a master's degree in Environmental Studies. I thank them for giving my life direction and meaning.



Thursday, October 11, 2012

Food Security


Community food security is a condition in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice.
–Mike Hamm and Anne Bellows

We can talk about how gardens are good for your physical health, emotional well-being, and the natural environment forever- but what makes gardening truly crucial to our sustainability? How does a garden play into our economy or our society?

Community gardens provide a network of community members one can rely on- for information, advice, friendship, and assistance with the physical labor. When you grow your own food (or food for others) it is important to recognize your new level of food security.

If I asked you where your food comes from would your answer entail more than just the "grocery store"? Hopefully, yes- but understanding our food system is no easy task! It is very difficult to obtain intimate details about how and where food was grown, processed, packaged and eventually made available to the public.

Food security speaks to our survival and sustainability. It allows community members to acquire food that will help satisfy their basic nutritional needs and simultaneous lessens our dependence on larger institutions and businesses to supply us with good year round.

According to the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC Website) there are six basic principles of community food security:


  1. Low Income Needs- reducing hunger and improving the health of local individuals/communities;
  1. Broad Goals- focus on local rural and urban degradation of land, water, air and overall health (i.e. urban sprawl, pollution, lack of family owned farms and poverty);
  1. Community Focus- reinforce community resources via community efforts; 
  1. Self-Reliance/Empowerment- creating capable individuals; build up community assets; 
  1. Local Agriculture- create stronger ties and relationships between consumers and farmers, as well as farmers and markets; 
  1. Systems-Oriented- holistic, interdisciplinary collaborations on projects and evaluations of communities 
OU Ecohouse Community Garden (photo by: Markie Miller)

For a direct link to these six basic principles, please click here.

A small backyard garden could be a powerful tool that helps us move to a more sustainable lifestyle. Whether it is a community garden or not, it can be utilized in building networks and relationships within a community or given area. I would like to share a story about my garden at home, back in Toledo. A few years ago my father was starting up his own vegetable garden. Newly retired, he had found an activity that not only provided for his family, but kept him physically active and happy. We had harvested more cucumbers than our family of 4 could consume. My parents spent their entire weekend slicing cucumbers and making refrigerator pickles. Our freezer was now overloaded with zucchini bread (which is never a bad thing!) and the fridge had been invaded with jar after jar of cucumbers and banana peppers! Overwhelmed with the amount of produce we had stocked up on in only a short weekend we decided to send a few jars across the street to our elderly new neighbors. We did not know much about them, but those jars had opened the doors. A few days later, we received a beautiful hand written thank you letter. Not only did the woman that lived there want to thank us for sharing our personal harvest; she also wanted to thank us for reminding her of her childhood when her mother and her grandmother would spend many summer nights canning cucumbers to make (what seemed like) an endless supply of refrigerator pickles! She was overwhelmed with memories- just be seeing a jar of homemade pickles!

This was a touching experience that has stayed with me every year when I'm preparing to plant something. It humanized these strangers that we lived next to. They went from being strangers to family friends practically over night- without even speaking to us face-to-face. Every year she makes a plate of Christmas cookies for her grandchildren, and saves a plate for us as well!

Since the start of his vegetable garden, my father now shares gardening tips and produce with other neighbors. He has been able to communicate with neighbors that live two or three blocks away who share a common interest. Not only do we now have fresh, organic produce readily available, but also a network of neighbors to rely on when we need help.

If you are a student, like me, you might not have a yard or space provided to grow your own food. Luckily, OU provides one for you! The Ecohouse has beds available over the summer to those who want them. You can contact me for more information! The Athens Farmers Market provides community members with locally grown products and a network of farmers and entrepreneurs who are excited to not only share their knowledge, but also learn from their environment.


Community Food Initiative (CFI) has a donation station (can be found at the farmers market) which allows individuals to donate cash or produce that they bought on site at the Farmers Market. I am excited to learn more about local opportunities and organizations similar to CFI! They have a very impressive and interesting organization. I encourage Athens residents to check out their website here!

I have provided here a VERY brief view of overview of food security. There is a vast amount of literature on this topic and many organizations and grassroots initiatives that work to promote this idea. I encourage you not only as residents of Athens, Ohio, but as ecological citizens to familiarize yourself with this concept (among others relating to sustainability).