Planting the seeds of a low tunnel revolution

Last month, a group of volunteers helped to set-up a pilot low tunnel for the Gardening for Good project at Troy Community Gardens. Gardening for Good is a supported gardening project that hosts regular activities and special events to bring gardening to people with developmental disabilities. To learn more about Gardening for Good, go here.

I had a tremendous amount of fun sharing what I had learned after just two years of winter growing with unheated low tunnels. The summer gardening season is starting to wind down and I hope to have a little more time this winter to share some stories and ideas about extending the season in Wisconsin.

Blizzard-Tough Low Tunnels

Finally, this year, Wisconsin weather lives up to its reputation. I was hoping to test the snow and wind strength of the low tunnels last year but the winter was unseasonably mild with hardly any snowfall. This December, just in time for the holidays, Madison was walloped with a sixteen inch plus snow storm with winds in excess of 20 mph.

I've included some photos of the first of three low tunnel clean-ups. After some of the snow melted in January, I was able to harvest some celeriac that I'd been holding over since this summer.

The Fedco Seeds Catalog Is Here!

Last week, an early Christmas present arrived- the Fedco seeds catalog. If you're not familiar with Fedco, it's a small seed cooperative in Maine. They have amazing variety selections with low prices. I know this sounds like an advertisement but I don't know what I would do without Fedco. The catalog itself is a work of art with lots of timely, thought-provoking quotes and illustrations. The variety descriptions written by the company's founder C.R. Lawn are often funny and always interesting. The variety offerings range from those best suited for home gardeners to market gardening.

For those of us from Northern climes, the catalog emphasizes cold-hardiness with a large proportion of varieties that perform well with a short growing season.

Here is a link to a downloadable copy of their current catalog. In addition, here is a link to their online store.

Good Food Read: "Folks, this ain't normal" by Joel Salatin

At past PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture)conferences, I've heard Joel Salatin speak on a variety of agricultural topics. It is about time that I read one of his books. This is a review of his most recent work "Folks, this ain't normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World."

Joel Salatin and his family own and operate Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, a diversified animal operation. Salatin is considered a pioneer in rotational grazing. This book is not a guide to his farming system but an intellectual exploration of range of farming and food issues. I may not agree with all of Salatin's politics but I enjoy reading what he has to say and thinking about it.

This is a book for contemplation. A great winter read after a long season of farming or gardening.

New York Times Features Community Gardens

Here are links to a recent series of articles from the New York Times on Community Gardens:

"The Seeds They Carried"

"Chickens Threaten to Divide Brooklyn Community"

"Growing Everything but Gardeners"

Recipe: Lemon Pepper Brussel Sprouts

Every Thanksgiving dinner, I use this recipe. The version I've written below is modified from Jack Bishop's "Vegetables Every Day" cookbook. This is the only recipe I use for brussel sprouts.

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Ingredients:

brussel sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, and cut in half

fresh lemon juice

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

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Recipe:

Add the brussel sprouts to a pot of boiling water and cook for five minutes.

Drain immediately and sprinkle with lemon juice. The acid from the lemons will soften the harsh cabbage flavors. Typically, I use the juice from half of a lemon for a pound of brussel sprouts.

Toss with olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve IMMEDIATELY. The lemon juice will discolor the sprouts if left sitting for too long.

Good Food Read: "Growing Older" by Joan Dye Gussow

Several years ago, I had read "This Organic Life: the Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader" by Joan Dye Gussow and absolutely loved reading it. A local organic farming conference stocked her newest book, "Growing Older", at their book sale. Being a frugal fanny, I jotted down the title and checked it out from my local library.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the author's description of coping with grief, or lack thereof, after the death of a loved one. It is fascinating to follow her thought process through her feelings of guilt because she isn't devastated by the loss of her husband.

The book is divided into four sections: The End of My Marriage, What Next?, Some of the Other Species, and Growing Older. My favorite chapters were "Muskrats, Dahlias, and an Italian", "Watery Lessons", and "Zucchini(Warning: Contains Recipes)." There is also a chapter discussing bees, pollinators, and colony collapse disorder.

Favorite quote included by the author:

"As long as one has a garden, one has a future. As long as one has a future, one is alive."

--Frances Hodgson Burnet, from "In the Garden"

Both books are available on Amazon and published by Chelsea Green Publishing in Vermont.