Lori Garton's
Garden Philosophy
"I believe that a garden will flourish if stewarded sustainably. As responsible land care-takers we should be growing our soil -- not depleting it. That means not using any synthetic substances, including pesticides and fertilizers. It also means adding to the soil.
Composting is a key component to our Good Food Project garden. The more biodiverse an ecosystem is the healthier it is. That's why we grow as many different species as possible, including worms, chickens and bees. The more things that we have growing ... the more natural nutrient cycling and weed, insect and disease control there will be (and the less we have to do!).
This type of growing takes patience -- Mother Nature does take her time. So take a deep breath, take one step at a time, and let's grow together!"
-- Lori Garton, Director
Good Food Project
Good FoGGod Project |
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Top 3 Questions
Lori Garton Gets
About GFP Garden
Q. What are the pecans for?
A. If you've been to the garden you'll notice there are lots of pecans on the ground at the entrance. There's no reason that they're there other than I thought they would look nice. I wanted to lay down a path material that was a different color than the main walkway, and a two-ton donation of old pecans from Inglewood Farms provides a natural, free, pretty ground cover.
Q. Where do you get seeds?
A. I order most of the seeds from Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply in California, which has a wide variety of organic gardening and farming resources. The company website is http://groworganic.com.
Q. What do you do about insects in an organic garden?
A. There are many answers. First, I grow many different plants -- things that flower and have diverse shapes and sizes, root depth, and chemical properties. These attributes attract beneficial organisms to the garden, such as birds, bats, toads, snakes, spiders and insects that prey on plant-eating pesky bugs.
Second, I companion plant. This means planting different types of plants together that have beneficial relationships with each other. Some plants repel "bad" bugs, and others attract "good" bugs.
Third, I use IPM, integrated pest management. This is a sustainable practice to control pests. It's main focus is to monitor the bug population. Are there enough bugs to really cause harm, or are they just visiting and not doing much damage to your plants? Identification is key. What kind of bug is on the plant? Is it a plant eater or a predator? Only after you've identified a large enough number of bad bugs should you take action.
Fourth, take action by manually picking bad bugs off the plants or by spraying with a homemade insect repellant. There are many organic things you can spray. Ginger, garlic and peppermint are just a few. These need to be diluted in water, and they usually are specific to a certain type of insect. Do your research to determine which spray works best.
There are also certified organic natural insecticides, but these are usually more powerful than homemade remedies, and they cost a lot more. Some are neem oil, pyrethrum and dichotomous earth. These, too, are specific for certain insects, so you need to identify the bug first.
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-- Thank You --
The Good Food Project earnestly thanks the following businesses and individuals for their support in providing plants, supplies or services for the community garden.
Lowe's of Alexandria
Petrus Feed & Seed
Inglewood Farm
Burford Trees
Southern Loggers Co-op
Richard "Ricky" Melder |
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What Our Garden Needs
The following items are needed to enhance our community garden.
Manure
Cinder Blocks
Bricks
Plant Growing Containers
Leaves (non-waxy)
Wood Chips
Please contact Lori Garton at goodfoodproject@fbcenla.org
or 445-2773 if you are able to donate any of these items.
Thank You! |
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Sprout
Good Food Project Garden News
January 2012 |
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Thank you for your interest in the Good Food Project, which is operated under the direction of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana in partnership with the Central Louisiana Community Foundation and funded through the generous support of Keller Enterprises.
Our Sprout newsletter will keep you current with the Good Food Project and provide useful information about growing your own healthy food and enjoying the lifelong benefits of gardening.
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Starting January 28
First 6 Garden
Classes Scheduled
A series of garden-related education classes ranging from sustainable soil to cooking what you grow will start this month. The first class -- which will deal with composting and various garden "teas" -- will be held Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. at the Food Bank of Central Louisiana warehouse at 3223 Baldwin Ave. in Alexandria.
Lori Garton, Good Food Project director, will teach the classes. Instructors also will include local experts.
"The classes will reflect our organic approach to gardening," said Garton. "They will be practical and fun, and all of the information will be relevant to what home gardeners can accomplish year-round in their own backyards."
Garton said the first class will cover the definition and advantages of composting, garden site selection, how to build a low-cost compost bin, what materials are best for composting, and the use of compost tea. Students also will learn general concepts of soil nutrition and how to maintain soil health.
-- Class Schedule --
Compost & Compost Tea
January 28, 10 a.m.
Cover Crops
February 10, 3 p.m.
Vermiculture (worm composting)
February 17, 3 p.m.
Sheet Mulching
February 25, 10 a.m.
Spring Planting
March 3, 10 a.m.
Homemade & Organic Fertilizers
March 16, 3 p.m.
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Garden Food of the Month
Cabbage
The tradition that calls for consumption of cabbage on Jan. 1 to ensure a wealthy new year (along with blackeyed peas for good health) is a long-standing one. It seems though, that cabbage is far better suited for health than a bulging bank account.
Cabbage, which is cultivated from the leafy wild mustard plant native to the Mediterranean region, is an excellent source of Vitamin C. It also contains significant glutamine, an amino acid with anti-inflammatory properties.
Cabbage yields indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that promotes DNA repair in cells, and there are indications that the vegetable has anti-cancer properties. However, boiling drastically reduces the anti-cancer effectiveness of cabbage, so it should be eaten raw or steamed for maximum benefits.
Steaming also releases fiber-related components in cabbage that bind with bile acids to naturally lower cholesterol. Cabbage is a fine diet food with few calories.
Cabbage is enjoyed raw, cooked or preserved.
The top three cabbage-producing countries are China, India and Russia.
Cabbage is described as a herbaceous, biennial, dicotyledonos flowering plant. Its scientific name is Brassica oleracea, and its cultivar group members are white cabbage, red cabbage and savoy cabbage. Cabbage belongs in the same genus as turnip. |
FREE
Garden Tilling Available
People who need plots tilled for gardens established through the Good Food Project may request free tilling services by contacting goodfoodproject@fbcenla.org or 445-2773.
Richard "Ricky" Melder, a retired farmer and member of the Rapides Soil & Water Conservation District board of supervisors, has generously offered to provide his tractor-tiller to make land ready for planting on appropriate sites.
Garden plots must be big enough to allow access and space for the tractor to turn around. |
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January
Garden To-Do List
We're fortunate in Central Louisiana to be able to plant (and harvest) vegetables each month of the year.
According to the LSU AgCenter, the following varieties can be planted this month.
Beets
Broccoli (seeds)*
Carrots
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Cabbage
Chinese Cabbage
Eggplant (seeds)*
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Leek (sets)
English Peas
Hot Pepper (seeds)*
Bell Pepper (seeds)*
Irish Potatoes
Radishes
Tomatoes (seed)*
* Seeds to be germinated indoors or in protected area from frost or freezing temperatures.
Other garden activities include mulching with leaves, straw, compost, manure and worm castings. The winter rain will perculate the nutrients into the soil.
Pruning can be done early in the month before new growth appears. Trees and shrubs also can be planted before mid month. They add biodiversity to the garden, provide habitat for wildlife, and attract beneficial pollinator and predator insects.
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GFP Harvest Distributed
To Food Bank Clients
More than 150 pounds of freshly picked produce from the Good Food Project community garden have been given to Food Bank of Central Louisiana clients.
The harvest includes turnip greens, Swiss chard, several varieties of lettuce, broccoli, radishes, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower greens and green onions.
The harvest is coordinated with the busiest food allocation days. The produce often has been picked and washed only minutes before it's distributed.
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Garden Volunteers Needed
Volunteers - no experience is necessary - are sought for a variety of Good Food Project community garden projects.
Lori Garton, GFP director, said volunteers of all ages and skill levels are welcome and appreciated for garden upkeep activities. Volunteers could be involved in planting, harvesting, soil preparation, weeding, pruning, watering, landscaping and other garden chores.
"We do our best to make the tasks undertaken by volunteers educational and fun," said Garton. "Volunteers already have had a noticeable impact on our garden, and we will need more help as we proceed through our year-long garden development program."
The GFP demonstration garden is located adjacent to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana at 3223 Baldwin Ave. in Alexandria.
People who want to volunteer should contact the Good Food Project at goodfoodproject@fbcenla.org or call 445-2772 to get additional information or to schedule a work time.
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Sustainable Garden
* Tip of the Month *
Harvesting rain water is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make your garden more sustainable. When you harvest rain water you will prevent your plants and soil microbiology from being doused with chlorine, save money, and protect the water table from being unnecessarily depleted.
Rain water also can be used for toilet flushing, laundry, swimming pool replenishment, and livestock and animals. Just put a large bucket or trash can under a spout or area of your roof that channels a lot of water. You can get a little more high tech with a specially built rain barrel that has a filtering system and drainage spigot. You'll catch lots of rain that's beneficial to your garden.
"Rain water is formed by evaporation of oceans and inland bodies of water. When the moisture condenses it collects sulfur, which is essential for the formation of plant amino acids. Rainwater is high in nitrogen, a key constituent in chlorophyll, the greening ingredient essential to the production of carbohydrates through photosynthesis.
"When lightning strikes during a rainstorm it causes nitrogen in the atmosphere to combine with hydrogen, creating an important fertilizer for plants that is carried by the rain into the soil. Rain water captures dust carried on air currents and delivers it to the soil. This dust contains important minerals and microorganisms that contribute to the breakdown of organic compounds into plant nutrients."
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