My Urban Farm

The Season is over

2011-12-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

The season is officially over. We had our last day of work last Monday. We were able to harvest greens like Swiss chard and kale and also kohlrabi until the very last day. I went to the Morris Ave. site today to feed the worms in the wormbin and when I looked outside in the garden there were still healthy chard and kale leaves. If they survive the winter and are still there in the Spring it would not be a surprise. In the past we have had kale that survived the snow of Winter and the rain of early Spring that was still edible when I picked them. This year we planted oat as a cover crop at Morris Ave. and I planted spelt in late November that should be ready in the Spring. The spelt was about 2-3 inches tall on our last work day. I have purchased barley and wheat seeds that I am going to plant in the Spring at Morris Ave. Much garlic has been planted at both sites and are growing. We took a trip to the Central Park Zoo and were able to see some animals there. There has been talk of building a greenhouse for use in the Spring. That would be both useful and convenient. The plan is to meet in late February to start making plans for Season 2012. I will continue to feed and maintain both the work wormbin and my home wormbin during the Winter. Once again it was another successful season of gardening and I look forward to Season 2012.

- Rabbi Stacey

Trip toThe Battery Urban Farm

2011-11-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

(Rabbi Stacey, Johnny, Betty, Tara, Natalie)

(1 view of The Battery Urban Farm)

(Johnny & Tara looking at the collard greens)

(Another view of The Battery Urban Farm)

(Collards at The Battery Urban Farm)

(Another view of The Battery Urban Farm)

(The view across the water)

On Wednesday we visited The Battery Urban Farm in lower Manhattan. Here are some pictures.

Fall has come

2011-11-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

The temperature has dropped so the season is almost over. We continue to harvest but there was a snow storm recently and the gardens were covered with snow. I harvested the work wormbin for the 6th time. Some plants still remain in the ground but with the falling temperatures we will probably be putting the gardens to rest in the coming weeks. Here are some pictures.

(Garlic)

(Oregano)

(Growing figs)

(Fig tree)

(Marigold)

(Moon flower)

(?Fever few?)

(Gourd)

(Inside the wormbin before harvesting)

(E. 111 St. after the snow storm)

(Woodpecker)

                                           (Woodpecker)


                         - Rabbi Stacey

October 2011

2011-10-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

(Rabbi Stacey transplanting a hosta)

(John C. working on a lattice)

(Collards, kale & lettuce at E. 116)

(View of the garden from far away)

(Row of plants)

This past month we have done a lot of work. We assembled a rainwater harvesting barrel system on the W. 108 St. roof deck. We planted ivy outside the 108 St. office in the tree pit. We have begun to cut up dead/dying sunflowers, tomatoes and other plants for compost. We did some work at the Lexington Ave. Armory removing shrubs and plants. We transported these to E. 116- E. 117 St. where they will be planted. We continue to harvest collards, chard, tomatoes, kohlrabi, oregano, rosemary, parsley, kale, eggplant, basil and even mini pumpkins. There is still so much left in the Earth that we will be harvesting probably until the frost date. Finally, as we have done in the previous seasons we have planted garlic to harvest in the Spring. Goodbye.

The Fall season is coming

2011-09-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

As the Fall season is approaching, the time is coming for the growing season to end. We continue to harvest much from both sites. Some new vegetables that we have harvested are melons, kohlrabi, mustard greens, Roma tomatoes, squash and cabbage. The delivery of soil came to E. 116 St. so some time this month we will have some flowers and fall crops in the Earth. We have begun deadheading the sunflowers because flocks of birds have been eating the sunflower seeds. I was able to take a picture of one in the act of eating the sunflower seeds. We saved some tomato and melon seeds. Finally, our annual Harvest Festival is planned for the coming weeks. Goodbye.

(One view of the garden)

(Growing white beans)

(Growing kale)

(Melon)

(Thai basil)

(View from the top tier down)

(Bed of mustard greens)

(Chamomile)

(Two birds sitting on a sunflower)

(Bird sitting on a sunflower)

(Bird eating sunflower seeds)

(Kohlrabi)

(2 mustard green leaves, collard green leaf and 2 Swiss chard leaves)

(Roma tomato, cherry tomato, beefsteak tomato, pepper and basil)

-Rabbi Stacey

E 116 work pics

2011-08-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

(Tara adding water to the mix of peat moss & compost)

(Tara shoveling)

(Rabbi Stacey shoveling)

(Rabbi Stacey shoveling with Jose and Mark in the background)

(The bed full of "soil")

(Another view of the bed full of "soil")

Today we added a mixture of peat moss and compost to the brick raised bed. Mark from the Horticultural Society of New York came and worked with us. Here are some pics.

-Rabbi Stacey

Progress at E. 116 St.

2011-08-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

(Frame and lattice)

(Frame and lattice from another angle)

(Beginnings of a stone path)

(Window cut into the lattice)

(Raised bed built out of stones)

(Stone raised bed from another angle)

Here are some pictures of the work that we have been doing at E. 116 St. We are waiting for a delivery of topsoil to come and then we will do actual work in the planting areas. Hopefully we will have some cool weather crops and ornamental flowers in the Earth in time for the fall.

-Rabbi Stacey

August Farm Work

2011-08-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

(The days harvest)

(A collard green leaf)

(The day's harvest of cherry tomatoes)

(Kohlrabi)

(The day's harvest of beets and Swiss chard)

(Swiss chard leaves)

(Some of the day's harvest)

(3 headed mixed sunflower)

(Beet)

We continue to harvest the usual leafy greens, tomatoes and other plants we have had consistent success with the past few years. We planted ginger mint, lavender thyme and are looking for a place to plant an aloe vera plant that Natalie purchased from the Union Square Farmer's Market. Work also continues at the new site on E. 116 St. We have built and assembled most of the lattices and frames that will be affixed to the fence. In a tragedy, during the few days of 95+ degree weather the worms in Rabbi Stacey's wormbin melted and died. I had over 200 worms in there. So Rabbi Stacey has been taking worms from the work wormbin to repopulate his wormbin. Here are some pictures.

- Rabbi Stacey Van Rossum

The temperature is 90 plus degrees

2011-07-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

(E. 111 St. garden)

(Closer view)

(Even closer view)

(Another view)

(12 ft. sunflowers)

(View from the other side of the garden)

(6 ft. and 12 ft. sunflowers)

(Mostly greens and corn patch)

This week the temperatures have been over 90 degrees which is both good and bad for the gardens. Good, there is a lot of sunlight for the plants. Bad, we spend a day a week at 3 different sites and the soil dries out quickly so the plants need to be watered frequently. Either way both Morris Ave. and E. 111 St. are producing large quantities of produce weekly and we are working on a new site at E. 116 St. It is smaller than both gardens but when finished it will serve its purpose. We continue to plant and harvest. We have planted pumpkin, peanuts, Thai basil, French tarragon, cilantro, thyme and marjoram. We have harvested kale, collards, Swiss chard, basil, eggplant, snap peas, cherry tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, beets, wax beans and pineapple sage. We water each day at work and on off days. Our 2 peach trees are growing peaches and our fig tree is slowly growing. One day for lunch we sauteed a 2 1/2 ft. zucchini that we harvested, onions, garlic and spices and we baked kale chips marinaded in olive oil. They tasted very good. At the E. 116 St. site we have been cutting down large tree branches to let in more sunlight. John C. delivered 10 bags of peat moss and 10 bags of compost. We may get 1 more delivery. Finally, this week John C. delivered lattice and lumber so we began making frames and the lattice for the fence. Peace.

- Rabbi Stacey Van Rossum

Mid July pics

2011-07-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

(Days harvest of cucumbers)

(Seedlings bought at the Farmer's market)

(View from the top tier down)

(Tomatoes)

(Growing eggplant)

(Growing bell peppers)

(Rose bush)

(Part of a corn stalk)

(Row of sunflowers)

(Black eye susans)

Mid July pics

2011-07-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

(New site on E. 116 St.)

(The first cucumber of the season)

(Swiss chard)

(Mint)

(Bed of lettuce)

(Bed of collard greens)

(View from the second tier)

(Rabbi Stacey in front of the sunflowers)

(View of the 5 raised beds and more)

June Farm Pics

2011-06-28T05:19:00.000-07:00

(Growing corn patch)

(Rose bush in the front yard area)

(Seeds beginning to sprout)

(In between the corn patch)

(A day's harvest of kale)

(A day's harvest of basil)

June Farm Pics

2011-06-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

(Growing tomato)

(Growing bell pepper)

(Growing snap pea)

(Grapes are finally growing)

(A day's harvest of snap peas)

(Opening sunflower head)

(A day's harvest of mustard greens)

(A day's harvest of collard greens)

The Month of June

2011-06-28T04:59:00.000-07:00

Since the last blog entry we have harvested collards, lettuce, radish, spinach, arugula, kale, 3 colors of roses, parsley, mustard greens, swiss chard, snap peas and basil. During this time we planted cucumbers, watermelon, decorative gourds, cantaloupe, tomato, orange bell peppers, green beans, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, cosmos, beans, kale, basil, turnips, poppy, marigold, mustard greens and scallions. Three trellises were built for our cucumbers, squash and snap peas. We continue to weed and water regularly. Work was done at Iyana House to cut back many of the tree branches to give more space and sunlight to the back yard and also a dead butterfly bush was completely removed. Also, shrubs and tree branches were cut back in the front yard at Morris Avenue. Finally, we made horseradish with grated radishes, apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar. We ate this with 2 types of crackers. Good bye.

- Rabbi Stacey Van Rossum

Roof deck pics

2011-06-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

(Bed of sweet peppers and tomatoes)

(Rose bush)

(Growing snap peas)

(Fig leaves on a fig tree)

(Growing moonflower)

(Mostly growing greens at side of building)

(View of E. 111 St. from another angle)

(2 of my 5 parakeets)

Roof deck pics

2011-06-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

(Far away view of the roofdeck)

(E. 111 St. in full bloom)

(White/pink rose)

(Variegated dogwood)

(Growing peach)

Roof deck pics

2011-06-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

(Lavender & basil)

(Red rose)

(3 planter boxes of lemon balm)

(Passionate Rainbow Indian Feather, variegated dogwood & Coral bells harvest Burgundy)

(2 hostas surrounding an unknown shrub)

Roof deck pics

2011-06-05T10:50:00.001-07:00

(Trumpet vine flamenco)

(Coral bells harvest Burgundy & Cranesbill Crystal Rose)

(Peach tree)

(Hosta)

(Planter box with basil, oregano, lavender and pepper)

More planting and we visit the roof deck

2011-06-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

Work continues

2011-05-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

(Bed of sweet pepper and tomato seedlings)

Work continues

2011-05-11T19:36:00.001-07:00

(Bed of newly planted seedlings)

(Peach tree planted in memory of James Taylor)

(Group photo)

(Another group photo)

(Awaiting lunch)

Work continues

2011-05-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

(Goldman Sachs employees planting seedlings)

(Stacey watering)

(Making plans before beginning)

(A blooming rose)

(Bed of spinach and lettuce)

Work continues

2011-05-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

(Bed of spinach and lettuce)

(Growing spinach)

(Trellis that Tara built for the snap peas)

(Peach tree)

(Our new seedlings)

Since the last blog entry we have done much. We have continued to sow seeds in seed starter kits and pots and also continued to direct sow seeds into the Earth. Some of the new plants that we have sowed in seed starter kits are shiso, beefsteak tomatoes, summer French thyme, English thyme, chives, and rosemary. We sowed cantaloupe seeds in a pot. The seeds that we have sowed into the Earth are mesclun lettuce, arugula, quinoa, kale, spinach, simpson lettuce, dill, cilantro, radish, snap peas, mustard greens, pole beans, black beans, sweet corn, yellow squash, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, Swiss chard, cucumbers, kohlrabi, zucchini and rhubarb chard.We have also been busy planting flowers. We have planted morning glory, sweet peas, marigold, nasturtiums, sunflowers, lavender and moonflower. As of 5/11 all of the plants are growing. Because of the poor soil in the front yard of the E. 111 St. site Stacey and Johnny added some of the topsoil from the back and planted a hummingbird mix there. Hopefully, they will grow. We have been weeding and watering regularly. One day we picked some arugula and baby lettuce from the garden, added some tomatoes and made a salad with vinaigrette dressing. We also sauteed kohlrabi, onions and spices. It tasted good.
On 5/11 some employees from Goldman Sachs came and helped us to plant some seedlings. We planted cabbage, rosemary, oregano, parsley, sweet pepper, eggplant, beefsteak tomato, cherry tomato and lettuce. We made seed bombs with the hummingbird mix. We planted a tree in memory of our fallen worker James Taylor. May he rest in peace. Finally we enjoyed a lunch of rice and beans, ratatouille, chicken and a berry and strawberry dessert. All in all a good day and a good beginning to the gardening season.

Morris Ave. front yard pics

2011-05-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

(Roberto walking & Natalie watering)

(Some flowers)

(Tree & shrubs)

Morris Ave. front yard pics

2011-05-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

(Tree & shrubs)

(Daffodils)

(Inside a tulip)

(Tulips and daffodils)

(Group of tulips)

Some pics

2011-04-11T15:12:00.001-07:00

(Closeup of magnolia bud)

(Magnolia tree)

(Johnny & Betty)

(Carolin & Natalie planting seeds)

(The Team making plans in front of the magnolia tree)

Some pics

2011-04-11T15:06:00.001-07:00

(Roberto)

(Carolin)

(Stacey)

(The Team planting seeds)

Some pics

2011-04-04T13:43:00.001-07:00

(Roberto)

(Natalie)

(1 of our compost bins)

(Fig tree)

(Rose bush)

Some pics

2011-04-04T13:38:00.001-07:00

(E 111 St. being prepared for planting)

(Our tools in our new tool shed)

(Tara and Natalie)

(Stacey)

(Tara and Natalie)

Ist Seedlings and 1st sowing at E. 111 St.

2011-04-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

(Expanded pellet after water has been added)

(Close-up of Spinach seed packet)

(3 Seed packets)

(Tara, Joyce and Natalie)

(72 pack seed starter kit before water is added)

We started Sugar Baby watermelons, Georgia southern collard greens, Vittoria eggplant, sweet pepper(green), Roma Italian tomato and Chadwick Cherry tomato as seedlings in a 72 pack seed starter kit. We started Genovese sweet basil, Sugar Baby watermelon and Georgia Southern collard greens in pots. We sowed Spinach(Lavewa), Arugula(Rocket Salad-Roquette), Lettuce(Mesclun Chef's Gourmet Spicy Mix) in the last bed near the fence in 9 rows of 3 each alternating {Spinach, Arugula, Lettuce}. We planted morning glory in a bucket near the fence with the hope that as it grows it will grow entangled in the fence. We made paths between the 6 raised beds.

The Beginning of Season-2011

2011-03-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

Work has begun. Stacey, Natalie, Roberto, Tara, Caroline, Joyce and Betty have met at both locations to discuss our plans for this season. We talked about which plants to plant again, (tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, swiss chard, collard greens, kale, etc.). Plants that have done well all 3 or 4 seasons that we have been gardening. We talked about which new plants to plant, (spinach, plum tomatoes and multiple varieties of both old and new plants). We talked about which herbs to plant, (basil, arugula, cilantro, rosemary, shiso, oregano, sage, etc.). We talked about what labor needed to be done at both sites. We discussed planting bulbs again. Last year we planted tulip narcissus bulbs(perennials) and they are regrowing now. We discussed planting lavender and a rose bush at Iyana House to fulfill the request of a staff member who asked for greenery in the back yard. I planted tulips there last year but I dont know if they are blooming now because of the cats at Iyana House and the poor soil in their back yard. Natalie informed us that one day this spring Goldman Sachs employees will plant some of our seedling with us. We discussed either purchasing a greenhouse or finding an available one in the Bronx or Manhattan that we can use. We harvested the garlic/scallions that we planted last season. We organized the closets and cabinets at Morris Ave. We moved our tools from the closet into our new toolshed at E. 111 St. Finally, we turned over the soil once at both sites as we await a delivery of fresh topsoil to the Morris Ave. site.

Season 2011

2011-02-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

With March approaching, spring also is approaching. Work will probably begin soon. We will be deciding what vegetables and herbs to plant for this season and will determine if we will plant anything new this year. I look forward to working in the gardens during the warm weather. I have looked at the soil at Morris Ave. when I go there weekly to maintain the wormbin since the snow has finally melted. Unfortunately, we were not able to plant a cover crop last season. We will continue our annual practice of adding much compost to the soil to improve the soil structure. Finally, I will harvest both the work wormbin and my home wormbin during the next few weeks.

More NYBG Holiday Train Show pics

2011-02-07T13:16:00.001-08:00

(Train driving by model trees and shrubs)

(A waterfall)

(A speeding train)

(A far away view)

(Train driving on a bridge)

Belated NYBG Holiday Train Show pics

2011-02-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

(Close-up of train going along train tracks)

(Train driving by a model of architecture in NYC)

(NYBG campus after a large snowfall)

Hello all. I had trouble downloading the pics from our trip to the NYBG Holiday Train Show but was finally able to download them today. So, here they are. I hope you enjoy them. Goodbye.

We are waiting for Spring

2011-01-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

The season is over. So far two major snow storms have hit the Tri-State area and our gardens are covered with 1-2 feet of snow. We kept busy in November and December. We cooked a few vegetarian dishes like baked kale chips, baked sweet potato fries, and vegetarian rolls with feta cheese. We did our annual good deed of making bird feeders for the various birds that rest in the branches of our magnolia trees and the other surrounding trees. We went to the Holiday train show at the New York Botanical Garden. The only work being done now is that Stacey goes to the Morris Ave. site weekly to feed and maintain the wormbin and Stacey also feeds and maintains his home wormbin. We await Spring 2011. Goodbye. Peace.

Winter Approaches

2010-11-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Since the last blog entry, our work continues. We are beginning to put the farms to rest for the winter by pulling out the dying plants and cutting them up to put in the various compost bins. We continue to save seeds and harvest. For example, on 10/1, we harvested:

Kale- 1lb. 5 oz.
Collards- 2 lbs. 4 oz.
Eggplant- 4 lbs. 2 oz.
Peppers- 4 oz.
Tomatoes- 3 lbs. 13 oz.

However, as of 11/15, most of the plants that are done producing have been pulled out of the ground. So both farms are almost bare. Both the work wormbin and Stacey's home wombin have been harvested. We took a trip to the New York Botanical Garden on 10/22 and had our 3rd annual Harvest Festival on 10/29. Finally, Natalie and Stacey have done 3 workshops on composting with the residents of the E. 111 St. residence and will do 3 workshops on composting with the residents of the Morris Ave. residence over the nest 3 weeks.

Harvest Festival

2010-10-31T09:48:00.001-07:00

(Stacey, Carolin, Roosevelt, Tara, Joyce, Roberto & Natalie)

(Stacey, Carolin, Pat, Tara, Joyce, Roberto & Natalie)

(Stacey, Carolin, Natalie, Tara, Joyce & Roberto)

Harvest Festival

2010-10-31T09:41:00.001-07:00

(Preserved seeds from this season)

(Close-up of picture in collage made by Pat C.)

(Scrapbook and collage made by Pat C.)

(Cheese puffs that Pat C. made)

(A set table)

Trip to the NYBG

2010-10-27T05:29:00.001-07:00

(Carved pumpkins on sticks)

(Assortment of flowers)

(Giant pumpkin on display)

(Another giant pumpkin on display)

(Group photo with giant pumpkin)

Trip to the NYBG

2010-10-27T05:23:00.001-07:00

(Some type of rock)

(Stacey, Tara, Johnny, Carolin, Joyce & Natalie)

(Large tree)

(Fallen leaves that are changing colors)

(Horticulture team walking into the NYBG)

October farm pics

2010-10-07T14:57:00.001-07:00

(2 of my 4 parakeets)

(Closeup of worms in wormbin)

October farm pics

2010-10-07T14:51:00.001-07:00

(Shredded newspaper used as bedding in wormbin)

(Closeup of worm compost)

(The wormbin)

(Kale sprouting on 3rd tier)

(View from the bottom tier up)

October farm pics

2010-10-07T14:46:00.001-07:00

(Kale beginning to sprout)

(Bell peppers)

(Second tier of tomatoes and basil)

(Collard greens)

(View from the top tier down)

October farm pics

2010-10-07T14:42:00.001-07:00

(Basil)

(An opening sunflower head)

(Inside the new rotating compost bin)

(The new rotating compost bin)

(Closeup of hummingbird mix)

October farm pics

2010-10-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

(Growing hummingbird mix)

(Dead/dying sunflower heads)

(Growing cherry tomatoes)

(Growing rhubarb chard & kale)

(Growing tomatoes)

October farm pics

2010-10-07T14:28:00.001-07:00

(Growing garlic)

(Growing eggplant)

(Growing bell peppers)

(Growing marigold/calendula)

(Morris the cat, who lives at the Morris Ave. site)

Fall is almost here

2010-09-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Since the last blog entry we have harvested collard greens, rhubarb chard, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes, hot pepper, eggplant, kale, blue corn, cucumbers, basil, zucchini, white squash, spaghetti squash, radishes, carrots, sage, oregano and parsley. We have decided to practice seed saving. So far, we have saved tomato, cucumber, radish, kale, blue corn, black-eyed peas, mustard green and sunflower seeds. An example of how much we harvest:
On 8/30/2010, at the Morris Ave. Farm, we harvested-
Collards- 1 lb. 1 oz.
Eggplant- 5 lbs. 6 oz.
Green Peppers- 1 lb. 7 oz.
Cherry Tomatoes- 1 lb. 1 oz.
Tomatoes- 2 lb. 8 oz.
We have done much staking and re-staking to bamboo sticks of tomato and eggplant plants that grew heavy and were leaning over. We have cut back many dead/dying/diseased leaves on the squash and sunflower plants. People from the Horticultural Society of NY visited and asked if we had any requests for next season. Natalie requested a portable greenhouse, an outdoor tool shed and maybe chickens. Natalie and some of the workers have been able to finally sell some of our produce at the La Familia Verde Farmers Market in the Bronx. Natalie says it was successful. Someone even requested green tomatoes, which we have a lot of. As late season crops we planted kale, red Russian kale, lettuce and squash. In terms of culinary activities, we made a vegetable soup with homemade garlic bread and Natalie stir fried kale with cherry tomatoes. Both were very good. We began preparing the wormbins to be harvested. Finally, we bought new compost bins. They are the kind that you rotate manually. We began putting organic matter in the one at Morris Ave. It has been another productive season at My Urban Farms.

More August farm pics

2010-08-03T09:04:00.001-07:00

(Closeup of bee enjoying the sunflower)

More August farm pics

2010-08-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

(Bolted cilantro)

(Growing top tier)

(Black eyed Susans)

(Sunflower with many stems)

(A bee enjoying the sunflower)

More August farm pics

2010-08-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

(Growing eggplants)

(A different variety of sunflower) (Beets peeking above ground)

(2 emerging zucchinis)

( A different view of the day's harvest)

More August farm pics

2010-08-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

(Some of the day's harvest)

(The tomato harvest)

(Growing basil)

(Growing row of basil)

(Bolted mustard greens)

More August farm pics

2010-08-03T08:45:00.001-07:00

(Mostly greens growing at the side of the building)

(Growing tomato)

(Tara holding two strawberries)

(Growing collard greens)

(Sunflower with many stems)

More August farm pics

2010-08-03T08:40:00.001-07:00

(Growing tomatoes)

(Tara hiding in the blue corn patch)

(A kale leaf)

(A rhubarb chard leaf)

(Rhubarb chard and kale growing together)

August pics of the farms

2010-08-03T08:35:00.001-07:00

(Joyce with 2 eggplants)

(Growing cucumbers)

(Growing blue corn patch)

(Black-eyed Susans)

(Bolted broccoli)

Whats happening at the Farms

2010-08-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

(Spaghetti Squash)

(Many headed sunflower)

(Another many headed sunflower)

(Growing green pepper)

(Yellow Squash)

Since the last blog much has happened at the farms. We have harvested red lettuce, mesclun lettuce, collards, cucumbers, zucchini, white squash, arugula, basil, chamomile, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes, peppers, tatsoi, kale, beets, mint, parsley, yellow squash, spaghetti squash, eggplant, mustard greens, garlic, swiss chard, rhubarb chard, hot peppers and radishes. We have planted hummingbird mix, agrostmma, quinoa, chicory and sweet pepper. We pulled up bolted collards, arugula and kale and began drying and saving the seeds. Tara has been drying seeds from tomatoes and peppers for later use. We have had to stake and re-stake tomatoes as they grow and get larger and heavier. Some of the leaves on our squash plants became dry or diseased so we had to cut them off. Our 6 foot sunflowers began to lean as they grew larger so we had to tie them against the fence. I went to the Garden at St. Vincent's Hospital to pick up a large amount of lavender from Chris since we decided to either use them to make soap or to sell them at the Farmer's Market. In preparation for the Farmer's Market we have been weighing our produce to keep track of how much we yield at each harvest. For example, on 7/30 we harvested:
3 lbs. 9 oz. of collards
8 oz. of rhubarb chard
4 lbs. 6 oz. of tomatoes
4 lbs. 1 oz. of cherry tomatoes
6 lbs. 12 oz. of cucumbers
3 lbs. 4 oz. of eggplant
1 lb. 4 oz. of spaghetti squash
5 lbs. 11 oz. of kale
15 oz. of white squash
2 oz. of hot peppers
1 lb. of yellow squash
One day, we harvested more than 20 lbs. of cucumbers from one location and on another day over 20 lbs. of tomatoes from another location. The numbers are amazing if you take into consideration that we are in two backyards of the largest metropolitan city in the world and not in a rural, country environment. Finally, in terms of culinary activities, Natalie made a grated beet salad and sauteed zucchini with spices while Roberto made a salad with tomatoes, basil, mozarella cheese and balsamic vinegar. They were very good.

More pics of both gardens

2010-06-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

(Growing parsley)

(2 sunflowers)

(Growing squash plant)

(Growing fig tree)

(Growing tomatoes)

Here are more pics of both gardens.

More pics of both gardens

2010-06-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

(Blue corn between Roberto & Natalie)

(Close-up of mostly growing greens at the side of the building)

(Growing greens at the side of the building)

(Blue corn)

(Head of broccoli)

Here are more pics of both gardens.

More pics of both gardens

2010-06-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

(Blooming rose bush)

(Growing green pepper)

(Growing Morris Ave. garden)

(Close-up of ladybugs)

(Pack of ladybugs)

Here are more pics of both gardens.

Pics of both gardens

2010-06-24T05:37:00.000-07:00

(Bamboo sticks used for staking tomatoes)

(First two compartments of compost bin)

(Growing squash plant)

(4 growing beds)

(Opening sunflower head)

Here are more pics of both gardens.

The Garden Grows

2010-06-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

(Growing bed)

(View from the top tier)

(Third tier of tomatoes)

(Strawberries)

(Thyme, lavender, and ?feverfew?)

We have begun harvesting plants. So far we have harvested collards, lettuce, broccoli, mustard greens, kale, rhubarb chard, swiss chard, arugula and sage. This year we are weighing our produce to keep records of the lbs. of food that we grow. Natalie bought ladybugs to release into the garden since they eat the harmful insects like aphids. Here are some pictures of both gardens.

More pics of Morris Ave.

2010-06-08T05:29:00.000-07:00

(View of the main planting area)

(View from the Pit)

(Another view from the Pit)

(View from the second tier)

Here are more pics of Morris Ave.

Progress at both gardens

2010-06-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

(View from the top tier)

(Impatiens surrounding a Black-Eyed Susan)

(Thyme, lavender & tomatoes)

(Chamomile & mint)

(View of all 4 beds)

We have planted all of the seedlings that were delivered. Slowly, the plants are growing. Thus far we have harvested arugula from both locations since they were beginning to bolt. With the increasing heat, the necessity to water increases so we water twice a day on work days and various members of the team come on off days and weekends. Here are some pictures of Morris Ave. :

More final pics of the mural

2010-05-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

(The last 3 panels)

(The spring panel)

(The first 3 panels)

(The last 4 panels)

(The fall panel)

Our delivery arrives and finishing the mural

2010-05-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

(Eggplant and sunflower)

(Spring panel)

(Panel of male and female about to greet under the night sky)

(Spring, summer, fall panels)

(Far away view of mural)

Our delivery of 40 flats of plants finally arrived so we have been busy planting at both Morris Ave. and E. 111 St. We planted jasmine, kale, collards, zucchini, squash, sunflowers, cucumbers, eggplant, hot peppers, bell peppers, Black-eyed Susan, basil, tomatoes, impatiens and day lilies. In both locations nearly every inch of soil is blooming with plant growth. We also decided that it would be a nice gesture to donate a few plants to a community garden near the E. 111 St. site that we visited last season. Finally, we had to do additional work on the 6th St. mural and here are some final pictures. We decided to replace the smiling faces with a brown color symbolic of the color of the earth/dirt/dust. Enjoy.

My Horticulture Experience

2010-05-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've been working in Horticulture for 1 year, and I find it to be a calming and rewarding experience. One of the best things in Horticulture is the fact that what we're growing don't talk back like my experience in Retail. I learned not to knock things if you don't try it. I learned to eat healthier, and appreciate nature. On my first day there was a discussion about manuer, and I said to myself that saying this is a more sophisticated way of saying what it really is SHIT. I learned the worms are good for the soil and also about compost. I am more open minded and very good at what I do. Horticulture has it's rewards both physically and mentally. A real farmer keeps track of the weather. I enjoy being in this field of work. Carolyn Reeves

More 6th St. and mural pics

2010-05-10T18:39:00.001-07:00

(Stacey in front of our work of art)

(Tara admiring the mural)

(The first 3 panels)

(Hydrangea in front of the mural)

(Tara's idea of smiling faces beneath the mural)

More 6th St. and mural pics

2010-05-10T18:27:00.001-07:00

(Close-up of the moon and stars in the night sky)

(Figure of a male and female about to greet under the night sky)

(Close-up of orange, green pepper and swiss chard)

(Close-up of banana, cucumber and tangerine)

(Close-up of grapes, lemon, apple and strawberry)

More 6th St. and mural pics

2010-05-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

(Close-up of carrot, corn and sunflower)

(2 dogs in front of a mountain landscape)

(The fall panel)

(The summer panel)

(The spring panel)

More 6th St. and mural pics

2010-05-10T18:05:00.000-07:00

(3 panels of the mural)

(1st panel)

(Mural from far away)

(Tara resting during a hard days work)

(Another far away view)

Work on the 6th St. mural

2010-05-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

(Growing hosta and hydrangea in front of the mural)

(Hosta planted last year [perennial])

(Another hosta planted last year [perennial])

(4 panels of the mural)

(Tara standing in front of our work of art)

Today Stacey and Tara worked on the mural and finished most of the mural. We may work on it next week and add some finishing touches to it. Hope you enjoy it. Here are some pics.

More pics from E. 111 St.

2010-05-08T19:10:00.001-07:00

(Our Horticulture team)[Tara, Joyce, Natalie, Stacey, Carolin and Roberto]

(Stacey and Roberto)

(Green Onion[scallion] seeds)

(Lady Tara)

More pics from E. 111 St.

2010-05-08T18:58:00.001-07:00

(Growing bed # 1)

(Growing Kale and Rhubarb Chard)

(Growing tomato plant)

(Growing tomato, eggplant & basil)

(Growing broccoli)

Here are more pics.

Friday at E. 111 St.

2010-05-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

(Joyce hard at work)

(A rose bud trying to bloom)

(A grape vine)

(A peach tree)

(Tara watering)

Today Pat Callahan came to see the progress made at E. 111 St. We watered there and planted the 3 sisters(Corn, Squash and Beans) in adjacent beds. We also planted basil, thyme, pumpkin, swiss chard, snap peas and scallions as direct seed. We planted muskmelon, pumpkin on a stick, cucumber, sweet pepper, cherry tomato, tomatillo, chile, eggplant and leek seeds in pots and planter boxes. Finally, we thinned out plants that were growing too near each other and transplanted them to other areas of the garden. So far everything that we have either direct seeded or started as seedlings has shown life and grown so it looks like another productive season in the garden. MAN lives, beast lives and the plant lives. Pat C. also gave me the funds to purchase the paint to paint the 6th St. mural so in a week or 2 the mural will be completed.

More Pics from Morris Ave.

2010-05-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

(Worms from the wormbin)

(The view inside the wormbin)

(The 3 compartment compost bin John C. built)

(Bolted Kale that we are saving for seed)

(Lettuce from last season that survived the snow of winter and the rains of March)

Here are more pics from Morris Ave.

The Sun is shining

2010-05-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

(Strawberry plant)

(Lady Natalie)

(Roberto)

(Carolin)

(Stacey)

At our two main sites we planted giant 12 foot sunflowers, lettuce, mesclun lettuce, snap peas, snapdragons, yellow tomato, cucumber, broccoli, eggplant, radishes, 2 concord grape vines, a peach tree, watermelon, calendula, Italian parsley, bell pepper, cherry tomato, Early girl tomato, Red Chadwick cherry tomato, Jet star tomato, basil, kale, carrots, beets ,mustard greens, tatsoi, rhubarb chard, chamomile, alyssum & daisies. We continue to seed start indoors and await the delivery of 20 flats of seedlings(800 plants). We began work on the mural for E. 6th St. by first applying primer to the cinder block wall and drawing the outline for 4 of the 6 panels. On Monday we will buy the paint and will finish drawing and painting in 1 or 2 weeks. Cynthia, Tara and Stacey worked on the mural project. It looks nice so far and will look even better when painted. We planted tulip narcissus bulbs at Iyana House so hopefully their back yard will look nicer in the future as these are perennials. We also harvested the work wormbin for the 5th time and I harvested my home wormbin for he 4th time and have added the worm compost to the soil around the blooming plants. With the shining power of the sun increasing day by day we water both on work days and various members of our team come on our off days to both sites to water to make sure the plants receive sufficient water. Goodbye.

More Pics from E 111 St.

2010-04-21T19:24:00.001-07:00

Here are more pics:

(Tara)

(Carolin)

(Carolin & Stacey)

(Worker and Stacey shoveling)

More Pics from E 111 St.

2010-04-21T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here are more pics:

(Stacey with the shovel)

(Stacey)

(3 Ladies hard at work)

(Joyce and a wheelbarrow)

(Strawberry plant)

More Pics from E 111 St.

2010-04-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here are more pics:

(Seedlings)

(Caroline)

(Chris at work)

(Tara with one of the tools of the trade)

(Chris hammering away)

Work begins at E 111 St.

2010-04-21T18:36:00.000-07:00

(Joyce & Natalie)

(John C. hammering away)

(The difference between the old soil and the new soil)

(Joyce)

(Natalie)

The topsoil was delivered to E.111 St. today so we added it to the existing soil and now have a very fertile garden that is almost ready to be planted. We planted some potato pieces with eyes directly into the soil and hopefully will have a potato crop this season. Here are some pictures:

Beginning to Work

2010-04-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

(Growing strawberry plant)

(Growing Potato ?Roots?)

(Blooming Magnolia Trees)

(Growing garlic)

(Kale that was planted last season that somehow survived the winter snow and the March rains)

With the coming of sunshine we have begun to work outdoors. Continuing the tradition that began last year, students from Cornell University came and helped us to remove the red rocks from the E. 111 St. site which significantly increased the size of the garden there. We have turned over the entire soil at the Morris Ave. site. We have made beginning plans on the two maps and have estimated where we will plant nearly all of our seeds and seedlings. We are almost finished laying out the bricks for our paths which are between the beds. Finally, we have planted beets, lettuce, arugula, squash, swiss chard, zucchini, collards, black-eyed peas, a tri-color sage seedling, a feverfew seedling, 2 strawberry plants and summer squash and black zucchini in planter boxes.

Our Off Season Activities and the Coming of Spring

2010-03-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

During the Winter Off Season we remained very busy by learning skills that will benefit us wherever we find ourselves in the future.
Crafts:
1. Once again we made glycerin based soap mixed with dried herbs, like lavender and calendula , and essential oils, like Peppermint, Bergamot and Rose.
2. We made paper out of colored and black & white paper.
Social:
1. We went to the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
2. We went to a NYCNEN General Meeting on Urban Farming in NYC.
3. We went to the annual Horticultural Society of New York Conference.
Cooking:
1. We cooked a vegetable quiche.
2. We cooked a vegetable stir-fry over bulgar wheat with roasted pine nuts.
3. We cooked an egg, onion, potato fritatta.
4. We cooked banana, apple muffins.

With the coming of the warm weather we have begun making plans for this season. We have bought supplies, ordered seeds, made maps/plans for Morris Ave. and E. 111 St.. We turned over most of the soil at Morris Ave. We planted potato seedlings indoors which are sprouting so we will have a potato crop this season. Finally, we will plant tulip narcissus bulbs, which are perennials, at the Morris Ave. site and the E. 111 St. site. Welcome Spring, Welcome garden.

The farm is at rest

2010-01-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

The season is over. Snow covers the ground and the ground is frozen. See you in the spring. Goodbye.

December Comes

2009-12-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

We came to work today and the ground is frozen and the remaining plants are also frozen. The season is officially over because this is a frost date. We are preparing to rip out every remaining plant, cut them into small pieces, sow the cut up parts into the soil and sow winter wheat seeds as a cover crop. Over the past weeks we had another successful annual harvest festival. We continue to save seeds to cut costs for next season and are seeing numerous garlic plants already growing as another winter cover crop. Once again we made bird feeders and we also made Christmas ornaments and wreaths using balsam branches and lip balm using beeswax, sweet orange oil and lavender oil.

The End of the Season

2009-11-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

(An Arrangement of Mums at the Bronx Botanical Garden)

(Flowers at the Bronx Botanical Garden)

(An Herb Garden at the Bronx Botanical Garden)

(Stacey)

(Pat, Tara and Caroline)

In preparation for the end of the season we have been planting garlic as a cover crop at Morris Ave., E. 111 St. and W. 108 St. We also added more green at E. 6 St. by planting 4 more hostas and 1 hydrangea there. We are also beginning to save various seeds from plants that bolted and regular plants like sunflowers to reduce some of the cost for seed next year and also to learn about different seed-saving techniques. We visited the Bronx Botanical Garden, walked around the grounds, visited the gift shop and were able to view an exhibit of Japanese Chrysanthemums. Finally, we have come up with two possible sketches for a mural that we will be painting on a wall in the backyard at E. 6 St. It will be nature/horticulture related and will add to the beauty of the backyard.

-Stacey Van Rossum

Final Photos of E. 111 St. & Morris Ave.

2009-10-14T13:17:00.001-07:00

(Newly constructed tiers that are planted with 3 varieties of lettuce)

(Growing Bed #1)

(Bed # 2 & Bed # 3)

(Growing marigold/calendula)

(The view of the 3 upper tiers from The Pit)

Final Photos of E. 111 St. & Morris Ave.

2009-10-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

(Growing tomatoes and broccoli)

(Tara hard at work)

(The Garden at E. 111 St.)

Summer departs and Fall arrives

2009-10-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

(A woodpecker in the tree)

(Growing kale)

(Stacey with some wild sunflowers)

(A wild rose)

(Two growing baby watermelons)

The season is coming to an end. Many plants are still in the ground at our two main sites at Morris Ave. and E. 111 St. Over the past month we have continued to harvest and also sow some late season seeds. This year we had the same success with our leafy greens like collard greens and swiss chard. Tomatoes were also successful as was the Chinese cabbage (bok choy). The pictures that are posted show the variety of plants that we were able to grow and I will post one final photo of both sites to show how once again our garden went from plain soil, to which we added compost, seeds and hard work, to a lush and fruitful garden. We also harvested the wormbin for the 4th time and added the worm compost to areas where we recently planted new plants.

-StaceyCarrie Van Rossum

Mid Season pics from E. 111 St. Farm

2009-08-17T05:24:00.001-07:00

(The growing garden)

(A bee in the garden)

(Growing peppers)

(Growing peppers)

(Emerging head of broccoli)

Mid-season pics from Morris Ave.

2009-08-12T15:58:00.001-07:00

(Black Beans)

(Growing second tier)

(Audrey-Stacey in front of many headed sunflower)

(Chamomile)

(Cucumber)

A Trip to Highline

2009-07-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

(The view across the river)

(The view from the Highline)

(Joyce, Caroline, Stacey and Tara)

(Natalie, Tara, Caroline and Joyce)

(One of the plants amidst the former train tracks)

On Friday July, 10 2009 we went on a trip to Highline which is an elevated walking area in downtown Manhattan filled with various plants. We had lunch, walked through and ended up on the west side near the Hudson River. Here are some pictures.

More Gardens = More Work

2009-07-05T16:47:00.000-07:00

We met at site # 2 at E. 111 St. and uprooted the stumps in the small space in the front and planted foxglove, wildflowers and coleus in their place. Hopefully they will grow because the soil is very poor quality there with little sunlight. We filled in the path around the sun with small red rocks and planted lettuce around the tomatoes and broccoli. We also cut back branches and leaves in the front and back to allow more sunlight to shine in the garden.
At site #3 at E. 6 St. we met up with Mark from the Horticultural Society. There we cut back some dead limbs and branches from the lone tree there and we planted 2 plants that he provided in the limited space in their backyard garden. We will return later with more plants and fill the space with more plants.
At Morris Ave. we continue to do most of our work. We continue to plant, weed and water. We also cleaned up the trash in the back yard at Sheridan Ave. and we also weeded there. We cut back parts of the arugula and radishes that bolted. We also harvested arugula, Swiss chard, collard greens, bok choy, romaine lettuce and lettuce. We also began staking the tomatoes. We did our old method from last year with the metal circular frames and I also followed John C.'s advice and used a few bamboo sticks intertwined at the top and bottom between a row of 5 tomato plants. Both the cherry and beefsteak tomatoes are showing noticeable growth and are about 1-2 feet high.

-Lloyd Stacey Van Rossum

More pictures from E 111 St.

2009-06-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

(Growing Buttercup Squash)

(Rose Bush)

(Bench, Shrubs and Trees)

Pictures of E. 111 Garden

2009-06-20T04:32:00.000-07:00

(Garden at E. 111 St.)

(Leaf and flower of tree at E. 111 St.)

(Growing Buttercup Squash)

(Growing Sweet White Pepper)

(Garden at E. 111 St)

Hello to all. We continue to sow seeds and harvest from what is ready to be harvested. We recently harvested more bok choy, collard greens and salad greens. I made a salad with olives and the salad greens and it tasted good. This weekend I will saute the bok choy and collard greens and eat it with dahl and wild rice. It will taste good. We planted more radishes, marigold and 6 rose bushes at E 111 St. We also cut back the trees and shrubs in the front yard at Morris Ave. which were growing wild and taking up unnecessary space in the garden.

-Lloyd Stacey Van Rossum

Replanting the Roof Deck & Maintaining E. 111 St.

2009-06-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

(One of the climbers planted on the roof deck)

(Growing Beans)

(Another climber planted on the roof deck)

(Primitive map of the sun pattern of the E.111 St. Garden. Yellow areas are the paths, Green areas are the different plants)

The herbs that we planted on the roof deck did not grow so I went again to replant them. Hopefully they grow this time. I replanted shiso, summer french thyme, basil and rosemary. I also went to the new garden at E. 111 St. and maintained it. I cultivated the soil around each new plant, continued to fill in the rock outline of the paths and lightly watered the entire garden including the trees & shrubs.

-LLoyd Stacey Van Rossum

The First Harvest

2009-06-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past few workdays we have accomplished alot. We went to the roof deck at W 108 St. and planted roses, climbing hydrangea, honeysuckle and wisteria. The purpose of which is to have them climb attached to the lattice work near the fence and entwined around the wooden furniture. I brought in compost from my worm bin in my apartment and added it to some of the most recent plants that we planted. We planted black beans & pumpkin. We went over to E 111 St. and added soil mixed with compost to the area where we removed the rocks, stones and construction debris. We began to harvest crops that are starting to sprout. So far we have harvested collard greens, radishes, arugula, lavender, bok choy and mint. Natalie made ice tea with the mint for us to drink. We have not yet made a decision as to whether we will sell our produce at a farmer's market or to the food Co-Op that I recently joined, so each worker has been taking the harvested plants for our own use.

- Lloyd Stacey Van Rossum

Work at a new site

2009-05-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

(John C. & Natalie)

(Tara using the shovel)

(Stace hauling away debris)

(Juan hauling away debris)

(Johnny watering the shrubs and trees)

We began work on a new site. We began to remove gravel, large stones and buried construction debris from a back yard on East 111 Street. With help from John C. and the Green Team we will turn the back yard into a garden.

- Stace Van Rossum

More pictures

2009-05-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

(Seed packets of seeds to be planted in the herb garden on the roof deck)

(Stace holding cucumber seeds)

(Natalie and Joyce hard at work)

(Joyce, Johnny, Tara & Natalie)

(Our tools)

Planting & we get blueberry bushes

2009-05-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

(Our hose)

(Tara inspecting a plant)

(The hills in bed # 3)

(The cucumber trellis)

(Growing red cabbage, spinach and green cabbage)

On Friday we planted yellow beefsteak tomatoes, pepper seedlings, marigold, cucumbers, Swiss chard, yellow squash, black zucchini and bell peppers. We also started tomatoes, eggplant and bell peppers as seedlings. I volunteered at a Bronx Green Up event on Saturday at Franklin Memorial Garden at 1062 Cauldwell Ave. in the Bronx. They distributed various native plants to the volunteers and I was able to get two low bush blueberry bushes that we will plant near our magnolia tree and two lavender plants.

-Stace Van Rossum

And the work continues

2009-05-01T04:29:00.001-07:00

We continue to sow seeds. So far we have planted collard greens, lettuce, spinach, red cabbage, green cabbage, radishes, chives, pole beans, sugar snap peas, beets, carrots, arugula, tomatoes, basil and chamomile. We began watermelon, broccoli and cantaloupe in trays to become seedlings. We made a trellis for cucumbers. I harvested the wormbin for the third time. The 2 previous times it took me 6 hours to harvest the wormbin but this time it only took 2-3 hours and I was able to maintain the majority of the worm population with few casualties. On Friday the work continues...

-Stacey Van Rossum

Preparing for the Spring

2009-04-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

We have done much in preparation for the upcoming season. We made bird feeders out of pine cones, vegetable shortening, peanut butter and bird seed. We also did this at the end of last season. Recently, John C. came to the roof deck at 248 West 108 Street to help us prepare the planter boxes and also to help us map and plan our herb garden. While on the roof deck we turned over the soil, added compost to the soil, and cut back the dead branches of trees that look unproductive.

-Stace Van Rossum