Organic Gardening Info from Peaceful Valley

From the Sacramento Bee:

“In the pilot project, the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers will be eliminated and weed-pulling and mulching will be used instead. In addition, grass will be allowed to grow higher before mowing so that weeds are choked out.”

Read the story on their website here.

Question from a customer:

Hi There,

Regarding curing garlic, is it OK to cut off the roots and/or the tops right after you dig it and then cure it on screens in the shade? Is it OK (will it continue to gain flavor) to cut off the roots and braid the soft neck varieties a day or so after it is dug? I want to gain as much flavor as possible but would like to get it ready as soon as possible after being dug.

Answer:

I don’t think it matters much if you cut the roots off after digging, but it is probably best to keep the tops (or most of the top) attached while you cure the garlic. Most growers think that the garlic head absorbs more nutrient from the top as it cures. If you are going to braid the garlic, you certainly don”t want to cut off the tops anyway. Usually, the garlic is cured for several days before you braid them and once braided you need to make sure there is good air circulation around the garlic, as it finishes curing. The curing process is probably 2-4 weeks, depending on temps and humidity.

Hi,

Can you suggest a ground cover for the summer for my five raised beds? I want to enrich weak soil and give the beds a rest for the rest of the year.

In the past I’ve used green manure for the winter for the soil on the ground. Is there anything like that for raised beds?

Thank You!

I had the opportunity to represent Peaceful Valley at the 2009 PlacerGrown Conference (Feb. 7 in Lincoln, CA). It was a great event attended by the “who’s who” of small scale agriculture in Placer and Nevada Counties. There were many workshops focused on the following “Strands”, or topics: Community, Getting Started in Farming, Miscellaneous (included workshops on honeybees, producing firewood, and carbon sequestration in agriculture), Farming & Ranching as a Business, Marketing, Interns, and Livestock. Workshop facilitators included Dan Macon, Roger Ingram, Keith Crabtree, Cindy Fake, and Carol Arnold, all very reputable and knowledgeable people involved in agriculture.

Jim Gates (”Meat Jim”), High Sierra Grass Fed Beef

I was especially excited by the Keynote speaker, Micheal Dimock of “Roots of Change” (ROC), a collaborative of people intent on establishing a sustainable food system in California by the year 2030. ROC has a strategy to get critical people and groups working together to establish political momentum, informational links, cohesive vision, and needed grant money. His talk was both intellectual and inspiring; I walked out with a larger view of the complexities involved but hope of the real possibility of a sustainable food system. Check out the website http://www.rocfund.org/, and be sure to endorse the “Declaration For Healthy Food and Agriculture”.

I’d encourage anyone in the Placer/Nevada County area interested in local agriculture to attend next years’ conference!

Twenty years ago, walking or biking to courses at Humboldt State University, I passed a local donut store and inevitably, if it was between 10 and 11 A.M., the dairy farmers were stretched out inside escaping the fog. Unlike myself, my future husband has a fondness for donuts, so I began to find myself on occasion actually inside this donut haven at the same hour as my farming neighbors. Both Mike and I came to enjoy the snippets of local color and conversation much more than the donuts.

As a recent hire to Peaceful Valley, there was something very familiar about the 10 to 11 A.M. hour in the retail store. It didn’t take long to realize, these foothill farmers may not be working dairy cows or escaping the coastal fog, but the morning conversation after what has probably already been a long morning is undoubtedly universal. Farmers are not like fishermen, who protect that secret hole, special bait and times of day they find productive. Farmers do not “compete” – they readily share their wealth of knowledge and are the first to acknowledge what confounds them. They have access to the internet and professional journals, but are old-fashioned enough (be they “young” or “old” in actual years) to value human dialog and how it might just bring about an interesting option worth considering.

From 10 to 11 A.M. most days at PVFS store is my favorite time of day. At first it made me feel nostalgic. Now it keeps me centered, trying to overhear snippets of conversation from our local farmers who seem to find this the best hour to pick up their orders or grab some cover crop before going on their way.

Perhaps we can open an “organic” donut store on the premises? Remember, I don’t like donuts myself, but I could sure use more time with some of these local farmers.)

What is the safest and best way to keep bugs from eating my tender young green beans plants?

We are down at Sierra College taking part in their festivities there. It is nice to see the whole community around here rallying around the simple idea of making a positive change. We’re real proud to be a part of it. Come by and see us! We’re giving away free quarts of compost tea and having a raffle for a compost tea brewer! It runs from 11am-6pm today. Click here for directions.

Nice too that today we received our award for being the 2008 Nevada County Recycles “Champion”. It’s a small step, and there is so much we can do. It’s good that not only kitties enjoy our recycled packaging!

I belong to a CSA, which means every week I get a box of the freshest veggies possible… from just down the road. Every year I find myself subconsciously competing with my CSA farmer… and I must admit I always lose. He always has tomatoes and peppers sooner, his lettuce and cabbage heads up better than mine, in short his thumb is just plain greener. And this year I’ve decided to be alright with that, I’ve decided to grow all the other things I like to eat that I never get from my CSA. Now this idea may seem elementary, but to me it’s a revelation.

For those of you who are not hip to CSA membership here’s a quick overview; A farmer near you grows a diverse yet practical variety of veggies, usually on a small amount of acreage (1-5 acres). You join the CSA (community supported agriculture) and pay for a box of veggies a week. It’s kind of a subscription to fresh local food. Usually $15-$40 a week paid in advance or in two or three payments. The idea is that by paying in advance you give the farmers the money they need to get off to a good start. In return you not only get the freshest veggies possible, you also get to”know your grower” which is a rare thing these days. For a more detailed explanation of CSA here is what Wikipedia has to say.

So this year I will grow some unusual greens; Double Purple Orach, Purslane, Miners Lettuce, Italienischer and Regal Spinach. Most of which I have no idea what they will taste like. Even though my CSA has tons of tomatoes, I’m still going to grow my own, mostly sauce tomatoes for canning, you can never have too many tomatoes in my opinion. The same goes for onions and garlic, in my house we eat so much of these it’s a surprise our friends can stand our breath. In addition I plan to grow pickling cucumbers, some specialty squashes like flying saucer and portofino. I also acquired a few giant pumpkin seeds from a winning giant pumpkin (800+ lbs) and I can’t wait to see what comes of that! Herbs are still on the plan this year, dill (for the pickles), cilantro, basil and parsley, and thyme. Shelling peas will be a new addition to my garden and so will the beautiful scarlet runner beans I picked up at a seed swap. Also in the plan this year are berries of the straw, blue and rasp varieties. The blueberries will be the only new item on the menu and even though I just put them in the ground yesterday… my mouth waters already.

My garden plan for this year started out as a supplement to my CSA, giving me the veggies I would not see in my weekly box. It quickly became more about exploring new kinds of vegetables. And while I realize that my garden this year will barely scratch the surface of the vast realm of vegetable variety… I’ve got to start somewhere… and my garden seems like the right place.

What’s in your garden this year?