Wednesday, July 13, 2011
food deserts, ideas for the food buying club, local fresh organic food sources,...
Long-term goals we're all working toward for the people of Hazelwood - quality food at good prices - lead to some next steps. Sources: local farmers; community gardens; personal gardens; the YMCA garden; food forests. Going to: Fishes and Loaves food buying club; our farmstand; a community grocery store (eventually); Meals on Wheels.
As a soil expert, I am mostly aware of a tight part in the production pipeline - our soil's fertility. Over the years I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that - similar to the saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child - it takes a whole community to produce and protect good soil. It must be understood that the living web of life in an area is central to a soil's productivity. As much as a part of me would like to go off somewhere where I don't have to deal with pollution and ignorance, I know by now that (no matter how much money I might have to e.g. buy a farm), I would always have ignorant and destructive neighbors. We're all downwind and downstream of each other, no matter where we are.
I suggest or remind that - now that the food buying club is started - we keep in mind gradually opening up our sources for food to include not just Wholey's but: local gardeners; local community gardens (in the entire Pittsburgh area, not just from HUGS gardens); local farmers.
Always on my agenda is re-organizing organic waste stream directions back to the soil from which the organic matter originally came. The level of recognition of the need to rapidly move to a much higher rate of biomass recycling is tiny compared to the need. Contribution of a relative few people of a few kitchen scraps and grass clippings to composting situations is great but is not going to make it either in terms of food security or other ecosystem services in this present context of rapid climate change. So I suggest that outreach activities begin to include both: learning recycling to the soil; and sharing that and other skills related to protecting and regenerating the web of life in our community.
As a soil expert, I am mostly aware of a tight part in the production pipeline - our soil's fertility. Over the years I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that - similar to the saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child - it takes a whole community to produce and protect good soil. It must be understood that the living web of life in an area is central to a soil's productivity. As much as a part of me would like to go off somewhere where I don't have to deal with pollution and ignorance, I know by now that (no matter how much money I might have to e.g. buy a farm), I would always have ignorant and destructive neighbors. We're all downwind and downstream of each other, no matter where we are.
I suggest or remind that - now that the food buying club is started - we keep in mind gradually opening up our sources for food to include not just Wholey's but: local gardeners; local community gardens (in the entire Pittsburgh area, not just from HUGS gardens); local farmers.
Always on my agenda is re-organizing organic waste stream directions back to the soil from which the organic matter originally came. The level of recognition of the need to rapidly move to a much higher rate of biomass recycling is tiny compared to the need. Contribution of a relative few people of a few kitchen scraps and grass clippings to composting situations is great but is not going to make it either in terms of food security or other ecosystem services in this present context of rapid climate change. So I suggest that outreach activities begin to include both: learning recycling to the soil; and sharing that and other skills related to protecting and regenerating the web of life in our community.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A simple home-made composter
Be a pro-sumer (consumer AND producer) - make yer own dang composter.
Every situation is unique...One design that interested me lately is...can't remember the name but it's something you can improvise - It's a container of whatever size and material you want with an open bottom which is set into the ground deep enough so that the larger critters like rats and woodchucks won't likely get attracted. The soil under and around the bottom of the composter serves to absorb the waste and the little critters like worms and molds and bacteria in the soil serve to distribute the nutrients to the garden area nearby. The top of this composter has a lid, so - unlike most composters which have openings on the sides to allow air to get in and smell to get out - this type is only open to the air when you open the lid. You could make one (or more for other parts of the garden) by just e.g. taking a wide piece of pipe (say at least half a foot diameter or whatever you have available) and just sticking it into the ground i'd say at least six inches.
If you want to fool with teas, the thing I'm interested in is exposing water with some nutrients (e.g. a little dirt or manure or compost) to sun and so encourage algae...Problem is mosquitoes lay eggs on the surface and within 5 days can go from larvae in the water to hatching out into the air. So either the water needs to be used before the mosquitoes hatch out or you need any kind of fish in the water that eats the eggs and larvae. An extremely simple ecosystem can be set up by having fish, snails, and anacharis (a fast growing submerged type plant). The water and muck from the bottom and any dead or live matter in the water ecosystem can both fertilize and water the garden - fertigation...And the variety of life helps to biodegrade any chemical pollutants that are in the water.
Stop by if ever you've time and are near Hazelwood for a little tour of our gardening efforts.
Every situation is unique...One design that interested me lately is...can't remember the name but it's something you can improvise - It's a container of whatever size and material you want with an open bottom which is set into the ground deep enough so that the larger critters like rats and woodchucks won't likely get attracted. The soil under and around the bottom of the composter serves to absorb the waste and the little critters like worms and molds and bacteria in the soil serve to distribute the nutrients to the garden area nearby. The top of this composter has a lid, so - unlike most composters which have openings on the sides to allow air to get in and smell to get out - this type is only open to the air when you open the lid. You could make one (or more for other parts of the garden) by just e.g. taking a wide piece of pipe (say at least half a foot diameter or whatever you have available) and just sticking it into the ground i'd say at least six inches.
If you want to fool with teas, the thing I'm interested in is exposing water with some nutrients (e.g. a little dirt or manure or compost) to sun and so encourage algae...Problem is mosquitoes lay eggs on the surface and within 5 days can go from larvae in the water to hatching out into the air. So either the water needs to be used before the mosquitoes hatch out or you need any kind of fish in the water that eats the eggs and larvae. An extremely simple ecosystem can be set up by having fish, snails, and anacharis (a fast growing submerged type plant). The water and muck from the bottom and any dead or live matter in the water ecosystem can both fertilize and water the garden - fertigation...And the variety of life helps to biodegrade any chemical pollutants that are in the water.
Stop by if ever you've time and are near Hazelwood for a little tour of our gardening efforts.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Looking forward to a new year and a new harvest
Thanks for St. Jim the Composter and Ace Garden Steward for setting up this Blog.
We are currently ramping up plans for this year's garden activities. Our most important task is to recruit more volunteers from the community of Hazelwood. We heard so many good words about the gardens and how they looked last year. I am hoping that this year more residents of Hazelwood will step up to participate in the project.
On the other hand the list of volunteers, who are students and interns from local universities have been calling in to participate. This is very exciting and we look forward to expanding our gardens this year.
We are currently ramping up plans for this year's garden activities. Our most important task is to recruit more volunteers from the community of Hazelwood. We heard so many good words about the gardens and how they looked last year. I am hoping that this year more residents of Hazelwood will step up to participate in the project.
On the other hand the list of volunteers, who are students and interns from local universities have been calling in to participate. This is very exciting and we look forward to expanding our gardens this year.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Our second garden
Hazelwood Urban Gardens (formerly Hazelwood Harvest) has established another garden, located at W. Elizabeth and Lytle. Come see. With the help of numerous adults and children, we have roses and other flowers, garlic, onion, lettuce, potatoes, French sorrel, Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes), squash, cucumber, brussels sprouts, peppermint, strawberry, a spruce tree, edible nasturtium (don't eat it, it's our only one), carrot, cilantro, parsley, tomatoes, cabbage, chives, peppers, beans,...
Our first, Ladora Way Urban Farm (also in the Riverside - "Below-the-Tracks" - neighborhood), has raised beds available free to residents without land of their own who wish to grow food. Get hold of me (Jim McCue) at appropriatebiotech@yahoo.com or
412/421-6496.
A third community food garden, for which (as with the others) we welcome volunteers, is on Flowers Avenue and is well begun. Email me at appropriatebiotech@yahoo.com to coordinate helping at that site also.
Our first, Ladora Way Urban Farm (also in the Riverside - "Below-the-Tracks" - neighborhood), has raised beds available free to residents without land of their own who wish to grow food. Get hold of me (Jim McCue) at appropriatebiotech@yahoo.com or
412/421-6496.
A third community food garden, for which (as with the others) we welcome volunteers, is on Flowers Avenue and is well begun. Email me at appropriatebiotech@yahoo.com to coordinate helping at that site also.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Vision
======
Hazelwood Urban Gardens
HUGS
"All great achievements require time."
~Maya Angelou
Our mission is to transform littered, vandalized vacant lots into robust and sustainable urban gardens.
Develop Hazelwood Community support,
Develop support external to Hazelwood Community,
Develop an urban garden where volunteers will work on leased lots,
Supervised gardening by the HUGS gardening committee,
Grow produce to be distributed to residents of Hazelwood,
Grow fresh produce for Hazelwood's residents,
Foster a sense of belonging and pride in the gardens,
Create a positive healthy outdoor gathering space in Hazelwood,
Create an opportunity for Hazelwood residents - young and old - to learn gardening, nutrition, and environmental stewardship skills.
The growth of urban gardens in Hazelwood will help reduce litter,
reduce graffiti and crime while growing pride in the community.
Volunteering with Hazelwood Urban Gardens is easy, fun and educational as well as gaining energy sharing the outdoors and sunshine with your neighbors. We are only asking that you make a commitment of a couple of hours each month during the growing season. Donations are also accepted.
Send name, address, phone, email, interests to
Hazelwood Urban Gardens
4800 Second Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15207
hazelwoodurbangardens4all@gmail.com
Interests:
Garden Steward
Gardening/Planting
Watering
Building/Maintenance
Administration
Fundraising
Education
Ways to Participate:
Community Supporters
Garden Volunteers
Volunteer Garden Managers
Financial Supporters
Fundraisers
Good Will Advocates
======
Hazelwood Urban Gardens
HUGS
"All great achievements require time."
~Maya Angelou
Our mission is to transform littered, vandalized vacant lots into robust and sustainable urban gardens.
Develop Hazelwood Community support,
Develop support external to Hazelwood Community,
Develop an urban garden where volunteers will work on leased lots,
Supervised gardening by the HUGS gardening committee,
Grow produce to be distributed to residents of Hazelwood,
Grow fresh produce for Hazelwood's residents,
Foster a sense of belonging and pride in the gardens,
Create a positive healthy outdoor gathering space in Hazelwood,
Create an opportunity for Hazelwood residents - young and old - to learn gardening, nutrition, and environmental stewardship skills.
The growth of urban gardens in Hazelwood will help reduce litter,
reduce graffiti and crime while growing pride in the community.
Volunteering with Hazelwood Urban Gardens is easy, fun and educational as well as gaining energy sharing the outdoors and sunshine with your neighbors. We are only asking that you make a commitment of a couple of hours each month during the growing season. Donations are also accepted.
Send name, address, phone, email, interests to
Hazelwood Urban Gardens
4800 Second Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15207
hazelwoodurbangardens4all@gmail.com
Interests:
Garden Steward
Gardening/Planting
Watering
Building/Maintenance
Administration
Fundraising
Education
Ways to Participate:
Community Supporters
Garden Volunteers
Volunteer Garden Managers
Financial Supporters
Fundraisers
Good Will Advocates
======
Monday, March 1, 2010
regenerating the life and food web
Hazelwood Urban Gardens was created to facilitate an increase in the amount of local food grown cooperatively in this Pittsburgh neighborhood. It is a part of continuing work to regenerate the local ecosystem so damaged by Pittsburgh's role in the Industrial Revolution. Some aspects of our history must be returned to, such as that almost all food used to be grown locally, prepared/processed locally, and consumed locally. And organic waste material was returned to the Earth. The present troubles the planet finds itself in make clear we have to return to this aspect of our past.
Hazelwood now has a farmstand. We are working toward a community grocery/food co-op. By fits and starts we have been struggling toward a farmers market. This spring we will have a permaculture planting by the newly formed Pittsburgh Food Forests. And Hazelwood Urban Gardens is working to organize cooperatively run gardens to grow healthy food to distribute locally.
Hazelwood now has a farmstand. We are working toward a community grocery/food co-op. By fits and starts we have been struggling toward a farmers market. This spring we will have a permaculture planting by the newly formed Pittsburgh Food Forests. And Hazelwood Urban Gardens is working to organize cooperatively run gardens to grow healthy food to distribute locally.
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