October 2011

                                                  (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

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)

                                          (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

                                          (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.

                                          (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

                                          (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

                                          (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

                                          (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)