Eating and Growing Local to Sustain Wildlife

4/24/2015 // By Abby Barber

 

Farmers markets benefit local communities in a variety of ways, from boosting the local economy to supplying an array of fresh, oftentimes sustainably grown food to helping small farmers whose farms frequently serve as wildlife habitats. The number of farmers markets nationwide continues to rise each year, showing that folks are coming together more and more to support growing, buying and eating locally.

 

 

Farmers markets are, in themselves, like a community. Every Saturday from May to September, I enjoy going to the Historic Lewes Farmers Market in my home state of Delaware to see what delicious items are available and to catch up with the farmers who I now consider friends. Visitors and locals gather every Saturday morning to experience the wonderful, fresh bounty found at the market. The sense of community in the atmosphere is palpable and I appreciate being around such an environmentally friendly group of people.

 

Historic Lewes Farmers Market (HLFM) has a short parade to celebrate the first market of each year. This year’s parade will be on May 9, 2015. Photo by HLFM

 

The once small farmers market, this year celebrating its 10^th anniversary, has increased in size over the years and vendors are often vying to get included in the market. The HLFM’s success has inspired and influenced other farmers markets in Delaware, such as the Cool Springs Farmers Market and Milton Farmers Market, to engage effectively with the community.

One of my favorite parts of a farmers market is getting to interact with the farmers and vendors. Since agriculture is the biggest source of pollution of lakes and rivers, according to the EPA, I’m curious as to how farmers are working on reducing their environmental impacts. I’ve learned a lot about growing your own food and the ways small scale farming can more easily control and minimize their effects on wildlife compared to industrial farming. For instance, most farmers that I’ve spoken with recognize the importance of sustainable farming for the environment. Harriet Allen, owner of Hattie’s Garden, a small market garden in Lewes, Delaware states, “I believe farms can coexist with wildlife with a little forethought and creativity”.

 

Farms as Wildlife Habitats

Harriet Allen, owner of Hattie’s Garden, uses sustainable practices on her small farm. Photo by Abby Barber

 

Although her entire farm is less than an acre, Hattie’s Garden pays close attention to the farm’s effect on wildlife. A local farm can be a wildlife habitat by fulfilling the following five criteria for certifying any property: providing food, water, cover and places to raise young and practicing sustainable growing practices. Over 7,000 farms nationwide are currently Certified Wildlife Habitats.

By gardening organically, Hattie’s Garden does not spray any conventional pesticides or fungicides. All pollinators are encouraged, protected, and fed as much as possible. Herbs such as dill and cilantro are allowed to flower and stay in place to provide food and habitat for beneficial insects. Flowers are planted through the garden, and although there are many controls that are permitted under Organic Standards, Hattie’s Garden uses them very infrequently and carefully, and only for specific targeted problems and areas. In nearly all cases, a broad spectrum control is never used. Nothing is sprayed when pollinators are most active during the heat of the day, and, in addition to the natural pollinators, a honey bee hive is maintained on the grounds by a local bee keeper.

 

A honey bee hive on Hattie’s Garden’s property. Photo by Abby Barber

 

Snakes are also frequent visitors to Hattie’s Garden, so not all grass is mowed at one time in order to give the snakes a place to hide. Rabbits are also welcome in the garden, because there is normally plenty of food for them in the garden and very young plants they might destroy are protected until they get large enough to withstand the occasional nibbling. Hattie’s Garden exemplifies how well farmers and wildlife can live together as a community habitat.

Farmers like Hattie are aware of a farm’s connection with nature and understand the importance of sustainably growing crops while also maintaining a well-functioning wildlife habitat. Farms, like wildlife gardens and backyard habitats, are a great way to provide your own food, get outdoors, and help wildlife.

 

 

 

            Make a positive impact for yourself and your community by eating local and creating your own small farm or garden. If you do not have enough space in your yard, you can join or start a local community habitat.

 

            Have you already created your own space? Certify it as a wildlife habitat today!

 

http://blog.nwf.org/2015/04/eating-and-growing-local-to-sustain-wildlife/

 

 

 

 

A Florida Resource for local food and farms

 

 

At the greenplanet festival on February 28^th,  I picked up a copy of the Winter 2015 Florida Food and Farm magazine.  It’s a new magazine with the mission to connect Florida local food producers and providers with those who want to use and eat it!  I’m hoping this magazine is around for a long time!  You can read a copy at http://www.floridafoodandfarm.com/ .

 

One of my favorite articles from this issue was concerning the grass-fed cattle at Arrowhead Beef.  To get lean and tender beef, they raise a unique breed of cow know as le Parthenais.  I love the quote from Tom Pellizzetti, co-owner of Arrowhead Beef – “We believe that great beef comes from great cows and great cows must have a sustainable, humane life for their entirety.” 

 

Arrowhead Beef is available at a number of butcher shops, retail stores and green markets throughout the state or can be ordered directly from the company online – arrowheadbeef.com.  Some retailers that carry their meat are – Marando Farms, Fort Lauderdale; The Butcher Shopper, Stuart; Nature’s Garden, Naples; and Living Green Fresh Market, Oakland Park.  I haven’t had any yet but plan on trying it soon!

 

For more on local food go to - http://www.floridafoodandfarm.com/

 

 

 

For South Florida Summer Vegetable Gardens

Summer Edibles

By Donna Torrey, owner of The Garden Gate, located at Citi Centre in Pompano Beach

Gardening during the South Florida summer is quite different than anywhere else in the continental US.  Our summer climate is much more like the Caribbean in nature:  hot humid days AND nights, which is the tipping point for some plants, making them unable to sustain themselves.  To survive a South Florida summer, a plant must be able to withstand both the humid days and the hot humid nights, without much temperature variation. 

By drawing our plant palette from the Caribbean and other hot, humid lowland habitats, we can grow an interesting array of material that is both edible and beautiful.  The following are lists of some of those plants which I consider to be especially noteworthy.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, “try everything, keep what works” is a good gardening philosophy in general, but is especially key during the summer months.

PAPAYA- Really a vegetable/herb, and shouldn’t be overlooked in the home garden. It’s easy to grow and produces literally pounds of delicious and nutritious fruit, which can either be eaten green or ripe.  Buy one in the grocery store and plant the seeds.

CALABAZA- You can find this squash in the grocery aisle as well; it’s the bright orange one cut into pieces with the seeds intact; a gift to you, the astute gardener! Plant them now for an amazing, delicious and nutritious harvest this fall.  Give them plenty of room to grow and a good organic fertilizer such as Black Hen.  Other hard shelled squashes can be planted as well, such as pumpkin, Luffa, and others.

BANANAS/PLANTAINS- Again, mostly thought of as a fruit, but is actually an herb. These plants relish the heat and humidity, so don’t neglect to have some of these.  They can multiply quickly, so you will always have plenty to give to friends.  Nothing can compare to the taste of home grown bananas; they are so superior!

PINEAPPLES-  Another freebie from the grocery store.  Buy one, eat the fruit and plant the top.  If you keep doing this, year after year, you will have your very own pineapple grove!  The tops take more than a year to fruit the first time, but less time after that.

BEANS/PEAS- One of the easiest vegetables to grow and loves the summer heat.  Pigeon Peas are a Caribbean staple and that is because they make a sturdy 5 foot bush that produces year round and can last up to 5 years of production.  Plant them during the heat of summer.  Need a quick hedge?  They’re your edible solution.  Pole beans are another good grower; they are delicious and being a vertical crop, save space.  Got a chain link fence? They’re another edible solution. Jicama is another lesser known legume grown for its starchy tuber, which tastes similar to a water chestnut.

AMARANTHUS- This is a South American crop that produces either greens or seeds.  It is one of the few vegetable greens that grow during the summer season.  It’s hearty and delicious, also known as Calalloo.  Other lesser known tropical greens to check out:  Katuk, Moringa,  Okinawa Spinach and Malabar Spinach.

PURSLANE- Known for its beautiful flowers, it is also a delicious green eaten either raw or cooked. One of the few vegetable sources of Omega 3 fatty acids.

OKRA- There are several seed varieties to choose from; all do well during the summer in full sun and an enriched nematode free soil.

SWEET POTATOES- These can be sprouted whole and the growths, called “slips” planted.  They make a great ground cover.

CHAYOTE SQUASH- This squash can be purchased for less than a dollar at the grocery and planted whole.  It will become a beautiful edible vine perfect for a pergola or other large trellised area.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (Helianthus tuberosus) - Actually native to North America and used by the American Indians, this Sunflower relative is grown for its tubers which look like knobby potatoes.  It is dug up and planted each year, similar to potatoes.  Its tubers are rich in inulin which doesn’t raise blood sugar. 

HERBS - Some herbs resent the heat of our summers, but many of them actually thrive.  Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Lemon Grass and Culantro actually prefer the summer weather, and grow prolifically.  Just be sure to keep them moist during dry spells.

For more great information about growing some of the lesser known veggies that do especially well in South Florida, check out the website below from The University of Florida

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_hs_minor_vegetables

http://donnasgardengate.com/donnasgardengate.com/Journal/Entries/2013/6/21_Summer_Edibles.html

For more information on The Garden Gate, go to: http://www.donnasgardengate.com/donnasgardengate.com/Roots.html

Don't Move Firewood: Use Local Firewood When Camping

If you're going camping, don't bring firewood with you. Tree-killing insects and diseases can lurk in firewood. These insects and diseases can't move far on their own, but when people move firewood they can jump hundreds of miles.
New infestations of invasive species destroy our forests, property values, and cost huge sums of money to control.
You can help save the forests by taking these simple steps:

• Buy firewood near where you will burn it—that means the wood was cut within 50 miles of where you'll have your fire. 10 miles or closer is better. 
• Always leave it at home, even if you think the firewood looks fine. Wood that looks clean and healthy can still have tiny insect eggs, or microscopic fungi spores, that will start a new and deadly infestation.
• Aged or seasoned wood is still not safe. Just because it is dry doesn't mean that bugs can't crawl onto it.
• Tell your friends not to bring wood with them—everyone needs to know that they should not move firewood.

Learn more about the problem and how to stop it.

12 things you can do in your yard that will reduce your footprint on the planet

From the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club website (www.flgc.org):

12 things you can do in your yard that will reduce your footprint on the planet
1. Buy Slow Release Fertilizers and do not Fertilizer within 15 feet of the canals.

They might appear more costly - but you use less and they last longer.  Florida's sandy soil does not hold water. It passes rapidly through the ground and into our water table.  Slow release fertilizers give off diluted chemicals over a longer period of time and the amount is consumed and filtered by the time water reaches well depth.


2. Reduce Garbage and Compost

Save 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year. Compost is the best gift you can get for your plants.   Using your yard clippings means fewer trips the city has to make to the dump and greater savings for all.

3. Plant a Tree

Plant trees local to your area that will reduce carbon dioxide and create clean air to breathe. One tree can suck up 2,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year.

4. Let Mother Nature help out - Get a Rain Barrel - Get another!

You can capture rainfall from your roof and use it to water your plants.  They are easy to make and highly efficient.  Plus rainwater is free from fluorides and chloride chemicals so your plants do better!  If we get a 1/2 rainfall, one downspout can capture 55 gallons of water.  MAKE YOUR OWN RAIN BARREL   http://www.moringagardencircle.org/rain-barrels/RainBarrelHandout-11-6.pdf

5. Buy Products and Plants Locally

Buy locally and reduce the amount of energy required to drive your products to your store.
6. Use a Push or Electric Mower

Use your muscles instead of fossil fuels and get some exercise. Save 80 lbs of carbon dioxide and x $ per year.  Or try an electric mower.

7. NatureScape - Plant Native Plants

Native Plants like it here and they survive In spite of our weather.  Natives also supply food and shelter for our native wildlife.  Bring butterflies and birds back into your yard!8. Buy or Raise Organic Food

The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce. Besides It is better tasting and better for your health.  Remember how good a homegrown tomato tastes?

9. MULCH - use environmentally friendly Eucalyptus or Melaleuca

Save the Cypress and the Pine trees from being ground up and choose eucalyptus mulch that does not harbor Insects and decomposes in the soil. Put it around your plants leaving at least 1 Inch of free space near the stems so they will not rot and apply the mulch 3 Inches thick.

10. Water efficiently

Established plants do not need to be watered daily - In fact it weakens them and they establish surface roots.  Give your plants 1 inch of water twice a week during the growing season and once a week during the winter.  It is deep roots that help them survive!

11. Get a birdbath

The water shortage effects wildlife that depends on fresh water in puddles and ponds to survive. Share what you have with the other members of our plant.

12. Share your knowledge and encourage your neighbors to do these things. Then, compliment them when you see them making a difference.

Remember --- It takes a village!   We are not in this alone.

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Other yard tips can be found in the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Handbook which you can view online http://hort.ufl.edu/fyn/handbook.pdf