Cool App for Planning Your Garden

For those that think gardening is a new idea and don't really know where to go for ideas or plans, I would recommend this neat little app.

Over at Mother Earth News, they developed a computer program called Vegetable Garden Planner that takes some of the guesswork out of planning your first garden. Here's the link. 

It has a pretty large database of popular plants so you can do your research on what you'd eventually like to grow. If you have your garden plot designed, it will help you with proper spacing of plants for optimal growth. It will tell you important dates based on your location (such as first frost free day).

It is not a free program, however. There is a yearly $25 cost, but there is a trial version you can get your hands on before you decide to buy it or not.
They also have an app for the iPad.

But, regardless of what tools you use or the research you want to begin, it is important to just get out there and get your hands dirty. Now amount of planning or expensive tools will do the work for you, so don't be afraid to start planting.

2012 Seed Catalogs

It's the time of year when you want to start looking at what types of fruits and veggies you want to grow. With proper planning, gardening can be more hobby than grunt-work. There are many things to look into, such as what size you want your garden to be, where you're going to plant, or what you're family likes to eat. However, in this blog post I'm going to focus on the many different seed companies you can choose from, because, YES! that can make a difference.


The big daddy that we use primarily is the Seed Saver Exchange. Based in Decorah, Iowa, the Seed Savers is one of the largest seed companies that focuses on protecting genetic diversity in their seeds. Organic is not just a catchphrase for them. They specialize in open pollinatied heirloom varieties, adhering to strict production standards that ensure that each seed maintains its uniqueness. Now, while you will be able to peruse the wide selection (online, in person, or in catalogs), you will have to pay a little more for that diversity.




If you want a beautifully depicted description of almost every plant known to man (slight exaggeration), then the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog, based in Mansfield, Missouri is the only seed catalog you'll ever need. They have fully described pictures of their seed varieties. They even have stories about the origin of the seed species, which adds to the knowledge base you'll walk away from after reading the catalog. They pride themselves on every seed being non GMO and with over 1,300 heirloom seeds available, they have the largest heirloom seed collection available. The catalog, itself, is a beautiful book. I have a copy on my coffee table. I would recommend picking up a copy.


If you are a beginner to gardening, I would recommend Johnny's Selected Seeds, out of Winslow, Maine. They have a section that points out fruits and veggies that beginner gardeners would most likely use. They branch away from strictly heirloom and organic seeds, but they would be the best place for rookies to start.






If you're looking to garden on a dime, I might recommend The Territorial Seeds Company from Cottage Grove, Oregon. They don't have the largest organic selection but you can save a lot of money by going through them. They have instructional videos on their site and have some good pointers on getting started.





There are, literally, hundreds of seed catalogs out there. Don't stop at these four. Do your own exploration and tell me what you find!

10 Ways to Shop Organic

Finding the time and money to eat healthy can be challenging. Here are a few ideas and resources to help you locate and prepare more local, fresh and chemical-free food. 

1) Buy from your local farmers' market. There are many great deals at farmers' markets. You can find local meats, cheeses, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and many other goodies in one place. The food is fresh and grown locally and you have direct access to the farmers, a great time to ask them how their raise their animals or grow their produce. Markets usually start in May but the best selection becomes available as the growing season gets into full swing. Farmers' markets usually last through September in this area. Plus, if you use EBT (SNAP/Food Stamps), many Markets will accept them. The Lakes Area Growers Market in Brainerd, the Pine River Market Square in Pine River, and the Onamia Area Farmers Market are great places to get started locally.

2) Buy into a CSA. A CSA is a community-supported agriculture program - participants buy a share of the farm's yield. Every week you will get a box of fresh produce (often delivered directly to your door!). CSA share boxes are a great way to experience a variety of produce items. Some CSA programs provide recipes and cookbooks with their produce in an effort to give the consumer fun ways to prepare their food. Some local CSAs are from The Farm on St. Mathias in Brainerd, the Farm of Plenty in Randall, and Island Lake Farm just east of Brainerd.

3) Join a food Co-op. From the outside, many co-ops look like other grocery stores, since a co-op provides products and services like their conventional counterparts. It's what goes on behind the scenes that makes the difference. A co-op exists to serve its members. Unlike conventional grocery stores, co-op members are also the owners. So, in addition to getting the products and services you need, you also have a say in the buisness decisions your co-op makes. Additionally, co-ops frequently source local products, employ knowledgeable staff and offer products that may be tough to locate at a mainstream grocery. There are several good local co-ops. Crow Wing County Food Co-op in Brainerd, Harmony Co-op in Bemidji, and Good Earth Food Co-op in St. Cloud will be good places to get started.

4) Buy in bulk from local farmers. What do I mean buy "in-bulk?" For grass fed beef, you can buy a quarter side of beef, which equals about 1/4 of a cow. From this quarter side, you can get approximately 40-50 pounds of ground beef, 6-7 T-bones, 5-6 porterhouses, 10-15 roasts, ribs, soup bones, if you want them; round steaks, sirloins, and ribeyes. Ask around, to get the best price with the raising practices you want. Prices range from $2.25-$5.00 a pound. Buying chickens locally can also save you money. If you look in grocery stores, organic chicken can cost up to $10.00 a pound, buying directly from the farmer could save you half that cost per pound. If you want to see where you can buy local, check out the Minnesota Grown website.

5) Shop in Season. Organic produce can vary significantly in price depending on when you buy it. For example, organic strawberries in the spring are relatively cheap at $3.50 a pound when compared to almost $8.00 a pound in the winter. By shopping in season, you can save a lot of money. Like I said, the local farmers markets get started in May, but the bulk of the produce becomes available as the growing season gets warmer. For instance, vegetables that are available early in the season are the leafy crops, such as kale, radishes, and lettuce. Common late season produce are gourds and apples. Plan accordingly! Also - look to pick-your-own locations for berries, apples, pumpkins and more.



 6) Always Comparison Shop. While this idea isn't exclusive to shopping organic, it's a great way to stretch your food budget. In my area, I can get a 3 pound bag of organic potatoes for $7.99 and just down the street about 4 miles I can get the same bag of potatoes for just $3.99, It is important to comparison shop to get the best deals.

7) Create your Meal Plan Around the most Affordable Produce, Meats, and Sale Items. Organic does go on sale, especially when it's in season. Some delicious meals can be made with a few ingredients. Let your tastebuds have an adventure and try new things - like fresh herbs!

 

8) Grow your own Organic Food. I have my own little garden that produces much of my families produce. You can grow a lot of produce with just a little time and a very little space. When growing your own food, you control how you fertilize, deal with pests and which seeds you choose. By growing your own organic (chemical free) food, you can save money! It is really rewarding to bring your own food from garden to table. Last season, I grew baby red potatoes in my front flower bed! This year I'm trying tomatoes.



9) Preserve your Food - When it is Season. Preserving food when in season is a great way to trim the grocery budget. Did you know that peppers, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and many other foods can be frozen whole, sliced, or chopped? You can also learn how to can, dry and pickle your own food. It may take a little time up front, but it will save you money down the road. We've got some tips on how to start preserving your own produce.

10) Transition Gradually to Organic Food. It takes time to make permanent changes in life. You are much more likely to succeed if you slowly make this transition. Start with foods that have the highest amounts of pesticide residue, like apples. Here is a list of the "dirty dozen" and "clean fifteen" - great information on chemicals on your food. http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

Seven Pines Farm Tour

On November 29, 2011, garden crew staff from the Happy Dancing Turtle visited Kent and Linda Solberg for a tour of Seven Pines Farm, north of Verndale MN. Seven Pines farm is an eighty acre grassed based livestock farm raising dairy cattle, pigs, and laying hens.

Above are the laying hens in their winter coop. The hoop house structure is layered with deep straw and the sided buried with snow when available. Waterers are pulled at dumped and removed at night to prevent freezing. The chickens are fed free choice organic layer mash. An average of one bird per four square feet is optimum stocking. Too many birds and issues arise with crowding and fighting. Not enough and the bedding pack and body heat from the birds doesn't provide enough heat during cold winter nights. No supplemental heat is added.

In the summer the layers are kept in egg mobiles built on movable trailers. Polywire net fencing is strung in a large circle around the trailers. The hens are allowed to free range on pasture during the day and locked in the egg mobiles at night to protect from predators. Badgers have been one of their biggest predators, killing as many as 90 birds in one night.

Above is the winter finishing hut for butcher hogs. The pigs in this hut are slated for their "bad" day within the next couple of weeks. After these are gone the young piglets on pasture will be move into the hut for the winter to finish. The sows will be breed back in mid December for April farrowing and are housed outdoors with a deep straw bedded hut. The sows farrow on pasture in the metal "port-a-huts". One more hut is needed than the number of sows farrowing.

Sows and piglets on pasture. Notice metal "port-a-huts".

Happy Cows! Intensive rotational grazing increases grass production and reduces disease in the herd. If you can see the cows eyes when they are grazing the grass is too long. If you can see their nose it is too short.

Loafing shed for butcher steers. Feed whole corn and hay, the bedding pack is built up throughout the winter. Corn, missed by the steers is scattered throughout the bedding. In early spring the bred sows are brought in to scavenge for the corn, mixing the bedding pack for faster decomposition. The bedding is then removed and composted further before applying to the fields.

Swedish style milking parlor. Milks 8 cows at a time. The only time the cows are inside is when they are being milked. No bending over to hook up milking machine. Total cost under $30,000.

Kent Solberg in milk house.

Kent rotates the cows through seven paddocks. Above is a winter manure pack area where cows are concentrated and fed round bales(notice the distinct line where manure stops). This area will be disked in the spring and planted to drought tolerant millet. This will be grazed twice then in August worked and seeded to triticale and field turnips undersown to a pasture mix of alfalfa, chicory and misc grasses. The cold hardy tritcale and turnips are fall grazed into Oct or Nov. After this the paddock is used as a winter feeding area to build manure pack. The following spring the established pasture mix that was undersown comes up through the manure pack. The paddock is left in pasture for 4 to 5 years before rotating back to millet.

Though hard to see this shows the 1-3" manure pack. Biologically active soils are needed for the microbes to break down this manure pack and incorporate it into the soil. This is especially important on light sandy soils like those on the Seven Pines farm.

Jumping for joy

We're pretty excited about the upcoming Back to Basics event taking place on January 28th in Pine River, so excited that we made a video about it.

All Things Prepared...(Collage of Sustainability)

With the big day approaching rapidly, we've been very busy putting the final touches on everything that needed doing. And, with over 100 people expected to attend, we didn't want to disappoint.

We've set up two rooms for breakout sessions.

The sound equipment has been set up and tested. We are proud to report that feedback will not be an issue!

Ryan and Dan fine tuned the solar shade and even cut the fabric to allow for open windows.

Jim E. cleared and smoothed the field in the center of campus to accommodate all of the cars expected. We will also be providing a van that will bring people from their cars to the front doors, if they wish.

The shop is even getting some last minute cleaning. Here you can see that Wayne follows the mantra, "Always keep your tools clean."

Ellen and Sonja have there hands full with preparing and packing over 150 sack lunches for the visitors.

Here you can see exactly how many sandwiches that is!

For more information, please drop by www.happydancingturtle.org for a brochure of the breakout sessions and a full list of speakers. We hope to see you there!

The Great Annual Honey Harvest

After producing for most of the summer, the beehives on campus were ready to be harvested. Jim E. and Sonja took to the hives with confidence and calm, but also with the proper protective gear.

Jim assured us that this hive had already swarmed earlier in the summer and was likely to be more docile. But, he also made sure to have the smoker up and ready before beginning, though.

Here you can see the sticky red glue called propolis, which is used to help the bees build their hive walls. Jim and Sonja had to scrape off the propolis before being able to free the comb frames. Clean combs were swapped for those with honey.

The girls were calm enough to be gently brushed off the frame.

Jim was even able to find the hives queen bee.

In the end, over 14 quarts of fresh honey were produced. Jim assured me that, while honey can keep for thousands of years, the honey collected here wouldn't last the winter at this house. Someone loves his honey, it seems.