You can read the article at their blog:

http://oldworldgardenfarms.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/tell-us-your-story-meet-the-soulsbys/

If you would like to share your “farm” story – drop Jim and Mary an email at info@owgarden.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos

It reminds me of Pixar’s “Up” when they were able to convey so much emotion in the first ten minutes (when she was unable to have children) completely through nonverbal means. I’m not saying go to Chipotle’s (owned by McDonald’s) but I am saying what they made here is gold and will hopefully force change in the industrial agricultural factory farming community.

Baby steps, right?

Hang in the gardening friends! Soon it will all be green and overflowing with life, so enjoy the cold calmness of winter.

Next Blog: Starting Seeds Inside.

Here’s a list of 10 Reasons why you should Own Chickens

1. Fresh Eggs daily – Much better than store bought eggs. The egg white alone is about 33% more and it’s less expensive.
2. Chickens have great personalities – Our favorite pastime is sit in the back garden with a couple of cold beers and watch the chickens (they look like miniature robots).
3. Help out with the compost pile – Chicken poo is too hot (high in nitrogen to place directly onto growing plants) but it works wonder on your compost pile.
4. They are very low maintenance – Easier than a cat or dog to maintain. Just top of their food and water them, clean the cage once in a while and collect eggs.
5. You are One step closer to sustainable living – it feels good to have chickens, like you’re a real farmer
6. Household leftovers are food for chickens – These birds eat just about anything. When I peel cucumbers or carrots or chop of mushroom stems, I save it for the chickens (along with fruit rinds and skins) everything but potatoes and garlic. Unless you want your eggs to taste like garlic.
7. Save a chicken from factory life – Have you ever seen the crap-holes commercial chickens live in? Enough said.
8. Pest prevention – These hens cruise around and eat up a slew of bugs like; slugs, snails, leatherjackets and more.
9. When they get old and stop laying you can eat them – I haven’t done this yet and I’m not sure I can.
10. Be the best neighbor on the block – I thought my neighbors would complain about the chickens but in fact, it was just   the      opposite. They bring them veggie scraps and their grandchildren rush over to see the chickens upon every visit and…..wait for it…. They all get free eggs.

My wife hated all birds and not because of the classic Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds about a bunch of crazy birds attacking people in growing numbers. She was scared of birds cause she was chased by a Pelican when she was little. Poor thing. So, talking her into chickens was tough but she bore no responsibility so she really didn’t care. Besides, she liked fresh eggs.

I bought a book called “Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens” but you really don’t need it. It’s not hard. I mean this birds are the very definition of low-maintenance. Just go to your local feed shop (I always support local stores) or Tractor Supply and pick up the following (for a dozen or so hens):

• 3 Gallon Drinker
• 10lb Hanging Feeder
• 50lb Bag of Egg Layer Pellets
• 50lb Bag of Cracked Corn

and that’s about it. Find a local farm or look on Craigslist and pick up some hens. I love, love, love Golden Comets.

The Golden Comet Chicken is a sex linked cross breed created from a White Plymouth Rock hen and New Hampshire Red rooster. This breed has not been given recognition by the American Poultry Association.

They’re a great dual-purpose breed. Great egg layers and good for meat as well. Though I’ve never eaten one of mine.

Stay away from roosters! You don’t need them for hens to lay eggs, just to fertilize them. Roosters are mean and they sing, not just in the wee hours of the morning but day long. Hens are friendly little creatures that follow you around the yard eating unwanted bugs and fertilizing your yard at the same time.

Get some 12-18 month old chickens if you’re a beginner. They’re already laying and can adjust pretty quick and they’re pretty cheap (usually about $5ea.) If you’re transporting a dozen or so, you’ll most likely lose one because of the stress of travel.

I built a nest box out of some reclaimed or (repurposed wood) and a small area out of some old landscape timbers and a few rolls of wire fencing I found it the back of my barn. Chickens need a box to lay in and lay eggs in or else they’ll just lay them on the ground….then they’ll get broken then the other chickens will eat the eggs (since chickens are cannibals) and the last thing you want is chickens finding out what they produce is delicious. Then they’ll break them and eat them and you won’t have any eggs.

I rebuilt the roof of the coop this past summer with all reclaimed wood and shingles. What a chore and I did it on the hottest day of the summer fighting off a swarm of carpenter bees.

I let them out in the evenings to run around the garden and eat unwanted pests. At dusk, they just head back into the coop to roost and I close the gate. They like to sleep off the ground so I attached a small 2×2 to the spot in front of their nests. They feel safe up there.

So there it is. Go out and get some for your backyard. If you have any questions, just ask below in the comments and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Ohh and my wife…… she loves the chickens. She heads out there and feeds them and collects eggs and worries about them on cold winter nights.

Should I eat organic fruits and vegetables or what? What’s the deal? I see the USDA Organic label and I feel safe but if I purchase it, I feel like an idiot for paying 4x’s as much for the same product. Does it really matter? Is it so much better to invest so much more in a product? Are regular grown veggies that much more beneficial to my health? Let’s take a look at what the big dogs have found so far:

The Mayo Clinic is uncertain, that helps right? In their article “Nutrition and Healthy Eating” they say:

The answer isn’t yet clear. A recent study examined the past 50 years’ worth of scientific articles about the nutrient content of organic and conventional foods. The researchers concluded that organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs are comparable in their nutrient content. Research in this area is ongoing.

The USDA FDA says:

No conclusive evidence shows that organic food is more nutritious than is conventionally grown food. And the USDA — even though it certifies organic food — doesn’t claim that these products are safer or more nutritious.

How’s that make you feel? 50 years and no actual data? Are you kidding me? I could lobby congress for meal at a D.C. pub and a night at a sleazy strip club to have that turned in a week. What do these guys do? I mean really…. I’ll give you the big fancy government definition of this stuff, then I’ll break it down 7^th grade style, not cause I think you don’t get it but because they fill their information with so much pork, it’d take you way too long to read.

Organic: The US Department of Environmental Protection has a long winded explanation here.  Does it differ from our buddies at the USDA’s standards? Sort of… Why? Because big government got involved. It was supposed to be a three year writing program but once Frito Lays got involved, it took ten years! And what did we get out of it? A watered down version of what it should be thanks to big business. If you get bored one Sunday, Google Frito Lays and Organic and try and see what fat cat CEO’s did to your Organic standard.

Organic (in simplest terms) is growing plants with no synthetic fertilizers (just compost, green manure and animal manure) and not using synthetics to keep away pests.

Why isn’t every farm organic? Maybe it’s because the government likes to charge a butt-load to certify a farm “organic” cause the GOV needs to make money right?

From TLC:

In a study of certification costs across eleven certification agencies, initial costs averaged $579, $1,414, $3,623, and $33,276 for farms with incomes of $30,000, $200,000, $800,000, and $10,000,000, respectively. For small farms, costs ranged from $90 to $1,290. For medium farms, certification cost anywhere from $155 to $3,300. Large farms paid about $200 to $12,300. And super-farms paid $575 to $150,300 for organic certification.

Why would a small farm (who barely makes enough money to survive) spend a ton of money to have the government give them USDA Certification? Maybe cause of the money……

Prior to 1990 Organic Foods didn’t exist! (Even though organic principles started as far back as the 1940′s) U.S. sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to $26.7 billion in 2010. Sales in 2010 represented 7.7 percent growth over 2009 sales. Experiencing the highest growth in sales during 2010 were organic fruits and vegetables, up 11.8 percent over 2009 sales (Organic Trade Association)

Organics now represent about 2% of the U.S. retail dollars spent on produce. This may seem small, but it represents a phenomenal growth rate in the last 10 years; it is estimated that this percentage with climb to 10% within the next 10 years. It remains to be seen, however, whether organic food will ever become the norm. (Organicecology)

The American demand for year-round organic fruits and vegetables has incited a farming boom in the arid deserts of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. I’m talking about growing “organic” tomatoes in the desert…. Yes, the desert….Trucking in water then trucking the fruit 3,000 miles away so Whole Foods can put an Organic label on it and some soccer Mom from the suburbs can buy It and think she’s saving the world. But in effect, it’s against everything that organic principles are about. Organic, maybe… sustainable Absolutely No way. Here’s the article from the NY Times.

So, what do we do? Do we but Organic or not? I guess that’s up to you. There’s a lot of links on this blog so take a look around and decide for yourself. There’s also a ton more information out there, this post barely scratches the surface of this debate. Please take a look around and post some of what you found on the comments below.

Here is this rant in a nutshell…..

• Buy veggies in season – don’t buy Asparagus in February in the Midwest, it’s most likely from Peru or Chili. Buy what grows when it grows…
• Just because a farm doesn’t pay the USDA $ to be certified “Organic” but obeys Organic principles, buy their food!
• Eat Vegetables raised from Heirloom Seeds
• Buy Local, all the time – make friends with a farmer today
• Organic (in my opinion) has got to be better since it’s not loaded up with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. I grow organically, I do so because; I love to be able to walk in my garden and pull out a veggie and eat it on the spot with no washing.
• There’s no data that states that Certified Organic Food is any better for you then conventional growing methods. So, don’t dump a ton of money into “Organic” labeled food.

Formecology is born from the idea of combining art and nature – bringing natural elements together with cultural art forms to create landscapes that are appropriate both to the built and natural environment. Formecology is a full service design, build and care firm focusing on environmentally beneficial & regionally inspired landscapes for residential & commercial settings located in Evansville, WI. Please visit their site at: www.formecology.com

What is Compost?
Composting is the biological decomposition of organic material into a humus-like substance called compost. The process occurs naturally, but can be accelerated and improved by controlling environmental factors.

Why Compost?
•Compost is good for plant health
•Preserving nutrients from plant or grass clippings, food scraps and leaves onsite is much better than land filling or allowing them to wash into lakes
•Enhancing texture & water holding ability and adds beneficial microorganisms
•Add slow release nutrients
•Composting can destroy weed seeds & pathogens
•Can be used for erosion control/stabilization too

Each year half of the root system dies and is composted in the soil – Nature working itself!

Where should I put a compost site?

•Have a landscape plan !
•Keep it in your garden (you’re more likely to use it if it’s close by)

•Site to avoid views/smells

•Consider screening from neighbor’s

•Proximity to a water source (rain barrel perhaps)

•Proximity to application area (gardens/lawn)

•Keep close to kitchen for kitchen scraps (or store in smaller container to bring out periodically)

•Have some storage space available for extra materials (leaves, straw, etc)

Choose a level area with :
•Access to rainfall
•Good drainage & airflow
•Indirect sunlight (full sun can dry the pile and some sun helps dry a wet pile)
•Shelter from drying winds

What size should a compost pile be?
•The perfect size for a compost pile is one that is at least 3′ x 3′ x 3′. It’s not only a manageable size to turn, but it’s ideal for retaining heat while still allowing air flow.
•Plan for 10 square feet or more

•Smaller compost piles will still decompose material, but they may not heat up as well, and decomposition is likely to take longer

To create good compost you need:

•Ingredients (carbon source, nitrogen source, oxygen, water)

•Microorganisms – bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, rotifers, protozoa

•Macro-organisms (worms, insects, etc) can help aerate, break down materials, etc.. (These both generally come on there own)

•Heat (generated by decomposition)

•A thermometer (20” compost or kitchen thermometer )
•Pitch fork or shovel

Components include proper ratio of:

•Nitrogen-rich items – Green/multi-colored, wet Lawn clippings, veggie scraps, etc

•Carbon-rich Items

• Brown in color, dry Leaves, straw, etc

•Water

•Oxygen
•Heat

•Soil and fertilizer/ inoculants (if desired)

Carbon & Nitrogen Ratio

•Ideal ratio is about 25 -30 parts Carbon to 1 part Nitrogen.

•If too much carbon, decomposition will be very slow.

•If too much nitrogen it will smell.

Do not include:

•Fats/oils. (meat, dairy, grease etc)

•Potential pathogens (pet droppings)

•Potential toxins / pesticide residue

•Ashes or other strongly acidic/ basic materials

• Large materials (branches, chunks of sod, etc)

• Plants that have been treated with pesticides and/or herbicides (weeds and lawn clippings) should be avoided.

Layers like lasagna

The Heat is On or The H is O

•Proper heat (135-160 degrees) is important to speed the process and kill weed seeds/ pathogens

•If temperatures get too high the beneficial microorganisms are killed.

•Measure temperature at center of pile using a thermometer (20“ composting thermometer or just a turkey thermometer)

•When the temperature reaches 155°F, turn pile to mix & aerate

•Turn again in a day or two when pile reaches 155°F again

•Plan on turning the pile every day or two when it reaches 155° to keep temperatures in appropriate range

•After the first week to 10 days temperatures will moderate & pile should be turned less than 1x per week.

•After 15-20 weeks the compost will be done.

•The center of the pile will be slightly warm and original ingredients will be indistinguishable.

Compost Tips:

•Shredding materials provides more surface area and encourages faster decomposition.

•Mixing/Aerating the pile with a pitchfork or using a tumbling system ensures adequate oxygen.

•Adequate moisture is important- you should be able to squeeze a small amt. of moisture out but it shouldn’t be wet.

•Let the microorganisms & macrorganisms do the work
•Worms love coffee grounds!
•Compost piles should remain damp but not too wet. As you build your compost pile, make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. The surface should also remain damp (think of a wrung out sponge), especially during the summer months.
•Soak finished compost in water to “brew” compost “tea,” a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used for foliar feeding or for watering plants in your garden, backyard, or houseplants.
•For faster results, use a compost turner every two weeks to aerate your pile.

Thanks again:

May might you want to think twice before buying Organic tomatoes at Whole Foods in winter time. Buy local please! Though they may be considered organic, it’s against all the principles that organic is founded upon.

Organic Agriculture May Be Outgrowing Its Ideals

American demand for year-round organic fruits and vegetables has incited a farming boom in the arid deserts of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/science/earth/questions-about-organic-produce-and-sustainability.html?_r=2&hp

I will be presenting a lecture next month, Please join me!

Summit County – Master Gardeners of Summit County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization affiliated with the Ohio State University Extension, Summit County, announce their annual Design & Beyond 2012 symposium on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Zwisler Hall – St. Sebastian’s Church, 348 Elmdale Ave, Akron, OH 44320 from 8:30 am until 2:30 pm. Cost for the day, including continental breakfast, lunch and materials is $40 for all participants, and is open to the public.

Presenters will be:

Dan Soulsby – Local resident, Dan Soulsby is a passionate and avid organic gardener. On his small farm in Hudson, with the help of friends and relatives, over an acre of vegetables and herbs are hand planted. Soulsby’s passion for gardening began during time living in the cramped city Los Angeles where he worked at Disney Studios dreaming of his own little farm. He read almost every book he could get his hands on to educate himself on the principles and benefits of organic gardening. Soulbsy will discuss what he grows, how he grows it, the benefits of organic gardening, and his passion for sharing this information with fellow gardeners. This year he started a garden blog about farm life including witty humor, pictures, and how-to advice throughout the growing season. Recent posts include making tomato sauce, dill pickles, and catching fruit flies that come in with the harvest. Dan, and wife Mindy, created an organization called Project Garden Share. PGS is a non-profit organization linking those in need of food with individuals who own land and will allow others some space to cultivate fresh vegetables and herbs. This will be a great interactive program for all of us who love veggie and herb gardening!

Dan Soulsby will be presenting “Small Scale Organic Gardening and Farm Blogging.”

Bob Jones Jr.  – Grew up on his family’s vegetable farm in Huron near the shores of Lake Erie in a family that was born and bred with the love of farming. Hard times and fortunate “accidents” have defined and shaped their purpose and mission: “to grow vegetables slowly and gently in full accord with nature. ®” The Chef’s Garden has dedicated itself to working in concert with outstanding chefs all over America.  After graduating from The Ohio State University in 1989 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, majoring in Horticulture, he worked in sales/purchasing at Farmer Jones Farms – the predecessor to The Chef’s Garden – for three years, before moving into field and greenhouse production in 1995. Bob, known to most on the farm as Bobby, currently works with a team of 12 growers at The Chef’s Garden to produce more than 600 Heirloom varieties of Vegetables, Herbs, and Micro greens for the world’s top chefs.           He has served on the board of directors of The Ohio Vegetable and Potato Growers Association for almost a decade; he also served for six years on the Board of the Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association, as well as on The Ohio Food Safety Roundtable. He is currently serving on the Board of the OFA, and association of Horticultural Professionals as well as the Ohio Vegetable and Small Fruit Research and Development Program and chairs the Advisory Board of the “Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement” which is a food safety specific marketing agreement.

Bobby Jones will be presenting “Farming for Flavor and Sustainability”

Hanna Rhoades –  of Bedford, OH is the owner of Gardening Know How (www.gardeningknowhow.com), one of the leading gardening advice sites on the web which was visited by over 7 million visitors last year.  GardeningKnowHow.com aim is to help gardeners at all levels answer their gardening questions. She also blogs about her own gardening experiences on her blog ThisGardenIsIllegal.com, and has a large following who appreciate her candid and amusing reviews of tomato varieties and gardening in general. She has been a presenter at RIPE at the Cleveland Botanical Garden the past two years on Heirloom Tomatoes. Rhodes enjoys using vertical gardening methods to maximize her gardening space, and we will enjoy a step by step Power Point presentation using her own yard as a demo. Vertical gardening has been gaining popularity in recent years as the interest in home food production has increased.                                                                                                                                                      Vertical gardening is a gardening technique that utilizes various resources to allow plants to extend upward rather than grow along the surface of the garden.

Hanna will present “Vertical Gardening – Growing UP in the Garden”

Registration must be postmarked on or before January 7, 2012.  Late registration will be accepted until January 14, 2012 at the fee of $45. Registrations are transferable. No refunds after December 31, 2011

To receive a registration form: E-mail: Sherry Beam at: summitmgsnbeam@yahoo.com, or: mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Sherry Beam, 2633 Hudson-Aurora Rd., Hudson, Ohio 44236-2325

If you have any questions, please contact, Sherry Beam, facilitator – 330-342-0969

18 Direct Links to Vegetable & Herb Seed Catalogs

Burpee – http://www.burpee.com/about/catalogrequest.jsp
Jonny’s Seeds – http://www.johnnyseeds.com/Catalog.aspx
Gurney;s – http://gurneys.com/catalog_request_qas.asp
Park Seed – http://parkseed.com/default.aspx
Jung Seed – http://www.jungseed.com/RequestCatalog.asp
Territorial Seeds – http://www.territorialseed.com/catalog_request
Park Seed – http://parkseed.com/
Baker Creek – http://rareseeds.com/requestcatalog/
Harris Seeds – http://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/PGCatalogRequest.aspx
Redwood City Seeds – http://www.lovepeppers.com/catalog.welcome.html
Richter’s – http://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=./requst2.html&cart_id=1309532.10523
Seeds of Change – http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/catalog_request.aspx
Cook’s Garden – http://www.cooksgarden.com/about/catalogrequest.jsp
Bountiful Gardens – https://www.bountifulgardens.org/inforequest.asp
Seed Savers – http://www.seedsavers.org/CatalogRequest.aspx
Stokes – http://www.stokeseeds.com/catalog_order.aspx
Harry Field’s – http://www.henryfields.com/catalog_request
RH Shumway – http://www.rhshumway.com/RequestCatalog.asp

My favorite place for seeds is Main Street Seeds. They have the best prices and are located nearby in the state up north from us. I like to buy seeds raised close to us cause they’re most likely to work well in our type of soil. Buying seeds from Arizona doesn’t make much sense to me. I have no scientific research to back this claim up it’s just a hunch. Check them out: http://www.mainstreetseedandsupply.com/default.asp

I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had a chance to prepare the garden for next year! I’ve got a lot of work to do before the snow hits. I have to remove trellis’ and posts, dig up the onions and carrots (who are still sleeping tight underground), take in all the hoses and irrigation lines, cut down the skeletal remains of the veggie plants and compost them and turn the ground over. Ugghhhh…. Here’s what dire shape the garden is in now.

Coming up in our next blog; How to save your seeds for planting next year and Preparing your garden for planting in the fall (autumn) and winter.

Thank you all for making us the best small farm flog on the web.

Fall pictures on the farm. No a lot of writing needed. We got our first frost the other day and I snapped some pictures early morning. I also found a big ‘ol groundhog out back. He turned to face me and charged. I jumped onto the tractor to protect myself but he ended up not really charging me just running into the barn. Ohh and check out the wooley bear I found. Have a great Halloween!