Molly
08-10-2009, 11:04 AM
This spring, many us spent long hours planting our gardens with crops to harvest later this summer or fall. Some thoughts to ponder from Brantford about local farming and gardening:
How does my garden grow?
By BARRY HILL Aug. 1, 2009
This spring, I put in two solid weeks planting crops, spending 12 hours a day in pursuit of an idea that we farmers get each year.
We think that we will be able to plant a crop in record time, that it will grow to record size and we will reap a record harvest.
And, just maybe, we'll make money this year. Then we will be able to continue in business, take care of our families and, in the process, provide food, fibre and other raw materials to our fellow man.
When it comes to marketing, many of us who produce grains and oil seeds must sell our products into a handling system that eventually channels these commodities into an industrial complex that either processes them into food for people or animals, or uses the raw product to produce another commodity that consumers want, such as biodegradable plastics and weed control for lawns.
Other farms that produce commodities that are more directly consumable by the public, such as fruits, vegetables and meats, can sell their produce directly to the consumer without the need for processing.
This second scenario is a win-win situation for both producer and consumer. The grower can sell direct and receive retail prices while the consumer has the benefit of access to fresh, locally produced foods that have not bounced their way across North America and are two weeks old.
The Brant County Federation of Agriculture has produced a map showing where in Brant County consumers can access local foods and engage in "farm-gate sales" with the person who actually grew that foodstuff. Among the items listed are vegetables, fruits, honey, and meat, primarily beef.
This is a wonderful idea and is part of a growing movement across all of Ontario. The map is available at tourism and community post offices in Brant.
The original idea for the map was based on the need to highlight to the community at large what happens in the countryside and why there were people interested in preserving farmland. If people don't understand what takes place outside the city limits, why would they not vote to just keep expanding the city?
Another "growing" movement this year is the interest people have in maintaining a home garden. I think this is a great idea. It not only provides the homeowner with fresh veggies, it gives a great learning opportunity for children.
I was asked to visit a local classroom to see corn plants that the class had planted in identical soil samples but had "watered" differently. One plant got tap water, one got salt water, one cola and one milk.
This gave us an excellent opportunity to talk about nutrition and how plants get their nutrients from the soil and convert them into a form we people can consume and thereby get our nutrients. Those items listed on a soil sample report, such a calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc are the same items listed on the nutrition panel on a food box label.
Home gardens are only possible, of course, if you have a backyard that you can dig up. What about those without a backyard? The answer is a community garden site and many of these exist in cities big and small across North
America. I have seen gardens in vacant lots in the "inner cities" of large metropolises; I have seen garden area set aside in suburban communities. I even observed garden plots on the edge of Frankfurt, Germany.
What about Brantford? Well, I say, what about Birkett's Lane? It would seem that the city and the GRCA have control of the lands between the flood control dikes in the southeast corner and the Grand River, in the area between Erie Avenue and Mohawk Street, on both sides of Birkett's Lane.
This is an area with wonderful soil. Years ago, several market garden and nursery operations existed there selling directly to the public. Now it has become a dumping site for unwanted fill and a motorcycle playground.
What a wonderful place for city dwellers to keep a garden. It would be accessible by bus, with a little walking and the results would please even the most inexperienced gardener.
As a farmer, am I worried that people will be growing their own food and not relying on me? No. Gardens are, after all, seasonal. Once the summer is over, no more output.
The next question, will there be any produce at all? I think it is a good lesson for all consumers to appreciate the challenges of producing any crop, the need for rain, the threat of pests and disease and frost.
A lot of gardeners just say, oh well, we had bad luck. Imagine the reality of growing that garden as your only source of income. What if there was no store to shop at as a backup?
So, happy gardening. Remember Mary, who, when asked how her garden grew, responded: "With special seeds, and very few weeds. And the amazing photosynthetic action of sunlight on chlorophyll."
How does my garden grow?
By BARRY HILL Aug. 1, 2009
This spring, I put in two solid weeks planting crops, spending 12 hours a day in pursuit of an idea that we farmers get each year.
We think that we will be able to plant a crop in record time, that it will grow to record size and we will reap a record harvest.
And, just maybe, we'll make money this year. Then we will be able to continue in business, take care of our families and, in the process, provide food, fibre and other raw materials to our fellow man.
When it comes to marketing, many of us who produce grains and oil seeds must sell our products into a handling system that eventually channels these commodities into an industrial complex that either processes them into food for people or animals, or uses the raw product to produce another commodity that consumers want, such as biodegradable plastics and weed control for lawns.
Other farms that produce commodities that are more directly consumable by the public, such as fruits, vegetables and meats, can sell their produce directly to the consumer without the need for processing.
This second scenario is a win-win situation for both producer and consumer. The grower can sell direct and receive retail prices while the consumer has the benefit of access to fresh, locally produced foods that have not bounced their way across North America and are two weeks old.
The Brant County Federation of Agriculture has produced a map showing where in Brant County consumers can access local foods and engage in "farm-gate sales" with the person who actually grew that foodstuff. Among the items listed are vegetables, fruits, honey, and meat, primarily beef.
This is a wonderful idea and is part of a growing movement across all of Ontario. The map is available at tourism and community post offices in Brant.
The original idea for the map was based on the need to highlight to the community at large what happens in the countryside and why there were people interested in preserving farmland. If people don't understand what takes place outside the city limits, why would they not vote to just keep expanding the city?
Another "growing" movement this year is the interest people have in maintaining a home garden. I think this is a great idea. It not only provides the homeowner with fresh veggies, it gives a great learning opportunity for children.
I was asked to visit a local classroom to see corn plants that the class had planted in identical soil samples but had "watered" differently. One plant got tap water, one got salt water, one cola and one milk.
This gave us an excellent opportunity to talk about nutrition and how plants get their nutrients from the soil and convert them into a form we people can consume and thereby get our nutrients. Those items listed on a soil sample report, such a calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc are the same items listed on the nutrition panel on a food box label.
Home gardens are only possible, of course, if you have a backyard that you can dig up. What about those without a backyard? The answer is a community garden site and many of these exist in cities big and small across North
America. I have seen gardens in vacant lots in the "inner cities" of large metropolises; I have seen garden area set aside in suburban communities. I even observed garden plots on the edge of Frankfurt, Germany.
What about Brantford? Well, I say, what about Birkett's Lane? It would seem that the city and the GRCA have control of the lands between the flood control dikes in the southeast corner and the Grand River, in the area between Erie Avenue and Mohawk Street, on both sides of Birkett's Lane.
This is an area with wonderful soil. Years ago, several market garden and nursery operations existed there selling directly to the public. Now it has become a dumping site for unwanted fill and a motorcycle playground.
What a wonderful place for city dwellers to keep a garden. It would be accessible by bus, with a little walking and the results would please even the most inexperienced gardener.
As a farmer, am I worried that people will be growing their own food and not relying on me? No. Gardens are, after all, seasonal. Once the summer is over, no more output.
The next question, will there be any produce at all? I think it is a good lesson for all consumers to appreciate the challenges of producing any crop, the need for rain, the threat of pests and disease and frost.
A lot of gardeners just say, oh well, we had bad luck. Imagine the reality of growing that garden as your only source of income. What if there was no store to shop at as a backup?
So, happy gardening. Remember Mary, who, when asked how her garden grew, responded: "With special seeds, and very few weeds. And the amazing photosynthetic action of sunlight on chlorophyll."