Snow: Winter's Gift to the Garden

January 30, 2011: the Learning Garden under cover

With a handful of major snow falls already under its belt, New England is expecting yet another storm this week, possibly dropping as much as one to two feet of powder in some regions! While these snowy conditions have some people wishing they were living on the Equator, this classic New England winter wonderland provides several benefits to the garden, including insulation from extreme cold and wind, additional soil moisture, and the deposition of atmospheric nitrogen in crop beds.

Get your boots and shovels ready for another day in the snow globe that is Massachusetts!

Rebekah

Your Trash is My Treasure

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, up to 26% of solid waste (about 68 million tons!) dumped into American landfills each year is made up of food scraps and yard trimmings that could otherwise be used towards soil building and improved food production. Lucky for the home gardener on a budget, compost is one of the best and least expensive ways to help your garden thrive during the growing season while also reducing your solid waste contribution to municipal landfills.

Compost is a combination of carbon and nitrogen-rich plant matter that has decomposed into a dark, earthy-smelling, soil-like result known as humus, Latin for "earth" and "ground". Humus provides garden beds with plant-loving nutrients while it also improves soil structure, providing better air-circulation and moisture-retention. Decomposition of plant material into humus relies on elements such as air and water in addition to the work of many tiny creatures like insects, worms, and microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi; as these creatures chow down on our food and yard scraps, they produce the necessary heat and castings that turn our waste into humus. Humans can also help the process by providing the proper environment for pile decomposition, as discussed below. Gardeners can buy a composting bin, build their own using materials such as wood and wire, or simply make a big, free-standing heap! Getting started is as easy as adding the following waste items to your pile:

Carbon or "Brown" Matter:

• Fruit peels and pieces
• Newspaper and cardboard
• Fireplace ashes
• Wood chips and shavings (untreated!)
• Leaves and pine needles
• Twigs and sticks
  
• Straw
• Nut shells and corn stalks
  

Nitrogen or "Green" Matter:

• Vegetable peels and pieces
• Food waste
  
• Grass and hay
• Eggs shells
  
• Coffee grounds and tea bags
  
• Seaweed
• Weeds (decrease risk of spreading weeds by completely drying out all weeds prior to composting and leaving out particularly invasive varieties)
• Leguminous crops (alfalfa, clover)
• Manure
  

Home gardeners should NOT compost the following:

• Meat and dairy foods (get too stinky and attract larger animals)
  
• Coal ashes
• Color-printed paper and cardboard
• Diseased plants
• Invasive weeds
• Pet waste
• Synthetic chemicals
  

The saying goes "compost happens," but for those with less patience and nutrient-depleted soil, it doesn't seem to happen soon enough! However, there are several composting techniques available to gardeners and farmers alike, including:

Cold or slow composting, a maintenance-free way to compost; as simple as adding organic matter to your pile and waiting for nature to run its course,
Hot composting, a more intensive technique relying on a higher pile temperature for quicker decomposition, and
Vermicomposting, a form of composting utilizing the decomposition powers of worms

Looks like too much carbon and too little moisture!
Fall 2010

While it can take several months to a year for adequate decomposition to have taken place, you will be more than happy to see the effect this natural fertilizer has on your harvest once applied to your garden beds. Use the following suggestions to help quicken the decomposition process:

• Cut up matter into smaller pieces that microorganisms can decompose more quickly
• Try to maintain a good carbon:nitrogen balance (the EPA suggests 1 part "brown" matter to 1 part "green" matter, though other sources recommend a larger amount of carbon-rich matter); add extra "green" matter to increase pile heat or extra "brown" matter if the pile starts to stink
  
• Turn (mix) your pile to aerate it
• Try to maintain a good moisture balance; too little water can kill bacteria and stop decomposition while too much water can make a pile slimy and stinky and halt the action of aerobic (requiring oxygen) microorganisms
  
• For faster compost, try to maintain a pile temperature between 120-160 degrees F during warm seasons; positioning your pile in a sunny area and adding matter in large bunches (as opposed to small amounts) helps maintain high temperatures

Composting during the Winter

During our cold and snowy New England winter, most if not all outdoor decomposition comes to a halt unless the pile is kept warm enough for microorganisms to continue their work. Unless you already have a large, established pile or a well-insulated bin, you should start your own compost after winter conditions have passed. However, many local farms and composting facilities are happy and willing to let you dump your compost-approved waste onto their mammoth piles during the winter months. Be sure to first discuss your desire to provide food and yard waste with farm and facility staff PRIOR to dumping anything, as every organization has its own set of rules and stipulations that should be respected!

We will further explore these different forms of composting this spring and summer in the Learning Garden and on our blog, but for now, save your scraps and stay toasty!

Rebekah

Composting suggestions based on data provided by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the University of Missouri Extension, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Images by Rebekah Carter (2011).

The Hidden Hustle and Bustle of Winter

Things are fairly quiet outside on the farm these days as the fields rest under a thick blanket of snow that just keeps coming down. However, I would like to dispel the myth that there is nothing to do on a farm in the winter because inside our warm offices there is still plenty of work to be done!

An Abundance of Seed Catalogs

Our farmers are busy finalizing their crop plan; working out schedules and interviewing candidates for seasonal staff; ordering compost, supplies and other amendments; sifting through piles of seed catalogs to pick the right varieties for the upcoming season; and much, much more. This is also the time for confirming and setting dates for proposed programs, having strategic planning discussions, and attempting to get to all of the projects on our lists before the really-busy season gets into full swing.

This is also an incredibly exciting time of year! If you are a gardener (and perhaps even if you are not), you know the thrill of receiving a seed catalog in the mail in the middle of winter and poring over the colorful pictures of tomatoes, peppers, radishes, etc. that make your mouth water and yearn for the bountiful days of July and August.

The future is bursting with potential and we are working hard to make sure that potential turns into another great season full of tasty produce; fabulous conversations with members, volunteers, and program participants about food and farming; children playing (and learning) outside in our Learning Garden; and the satisfaction of providing mental and physical nourishment to our community.

Happy Winter!

Jericho

Stay Tuned

Left over radishes from fall

With frozen ground and blustery winds, mother nature has made her point: the cold, dark days of winter are upon us!

Quiet on the farm these days...

While most New England crops don't like this season too much, it is a critical period of reflection and planning for farmers and home gardeners alike. So even though the Learning Garden may look quite barren, much thought and energy is already going into its crop plan for the 2011 growing season!

Continue to check out our blog in 2011 for weekly posts featuring healthy recipes, garden plans, information on programs and workshops, and more.

Media (text and images) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.

Preserving the Flavors of Fall: Making Pear-Cranberry Jam with Bonnie Shershow

This past Tuesday evening, a group of locals enthusiastic about eating and preserving farm-fresh food gathered at Waltham Fields Community Farm to take part in our holiday jam workshop. Bonnie Shershow of Bonnie's Jams explained her process for making delicious jams using only fresh fruit, water, and much less sugar than many commercial jams on the market. With supplies on hand, Bonnie showed participants her step-by-step jam making process and sent them home with the fruits of their labor: a lovely jar of pear-cranberry jam! The following the recipe was used during our workshop. Make it at home for family and friends!

Bonnie's Jams
www.bonniesjams.com

Pear-Cranberry Jam
Makes approx. 12-13 8 oz. jars

The Ingredients:

• 5 lbs of pears (approx. 14 pears), peeled and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 6 cups of water
• 2 lbs of whole fresh cranberries
• 4 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (approx. 8 lemons)

How to Make it:
In a large pan, place cut pears and water over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Add the cranberries and sugar; continue to cook for 30 minutes. Mash any pears that are still in chunks and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cook another 5 minutes. Fill clean jars and cap with new lids. The temperature of the jam should be 210 degrees F when placed in the jars.

Vegetarian Borscht

Borscht is popular soup of Eastern and Central Europe. Served both hot and cold, the term "borscht" is used for several varieties of beet-based soups; most traditional recipes include ingredients such as cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and/or beef, in addition to beets. The recipe below is a vegetarian* take on this classic soup. We recommend serving it with a dark bread such as rye or pumpernickel and a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt.

*Make this dish vegan by replacing the butter with olive oil and omitting the sour cream/yogurt garnish.

The Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp butter
• 3 medium onions, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed & minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp dried fenugreek, chopped
  
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 large carrots, one diced, one sliced into rounds
• 2-3 cups beets, small or medium sized, peeled & sliced
• 1 cup potato, sliced or diced
• 1 cup turnips, peeled & sliced
  
• 1 small cabbage, sliced into ribbons
• 6 cups of vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
  
• 4 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  
• Salt, according to taste (at least 1 tsp)

How to Make it:

Prepare all produce and ingredients as instructed. In a large pot over medium heat, melt your butter and add your onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, fenugreek, celery, diced carrots, and a sprinkle of salt; saute this mixture for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Next, add your beets, potato, carrot slices, turnips, and another sprinkle of salt; saute this mixture for 20-25 minutes or until the root vegetables are slightly soft. Add your vegetable stock and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and add your vinegar, dill, cabbage, and salt to taste and simmer for 20-25 minutes. You can enjoy this soup immediately but the flavor really develops a day or so after its original preparation! Consume within a week.


Media (text and images) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.

Thanks for another great season!

Another season of Children's Learning Garden programs at Waltham Fields Community Farm has come to an end... but don't despair! We will continue to post recipes, farm news and more throughout the coming months, and we hope that you will continue to visit our blog to stay connected over the winter season!

Here is the recipe for "Compost Granola" from last week's CLG program:

Compost Granola*
*Many ingredients can either be excluded or replaced depending on allergies or preferences

"Carbon" Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats

"Nitrogen" Ingredients:
1 cup dried fruits

"Soil Organism" Ingredients:
3/4 cup sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup chopped nuts

"Moisture":
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup honey

"Heat":
Oven/toaster oven at 350 degrees F

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the oats on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Mix the oil and honey in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until thoroughly mixed and "liquidy" (thinned-out). Mix the toasted oats, honey/oil mixture, and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Spread this oat mixture on a greased baking or roasting pan and bake for 30-60 minutes or until browned and crunchy. Break it into pieces and enjoy!

Singin' our Compost Song

Don't forget to join us for the Harvest Potluck this Saturday if you can (see post below for details)!