Plants are like Humans

Pictured Rock, WI, this tree is growing on a rock with no nutrients or attachment to land. There was a stone bridge that the roots had grown over but then they fell and roots remained.

I found out as I have been interning at the Bounty Garden that plants are just like humans. We have a lot of the same needs. We need a balance of water, sunlight, nutrients and a healthy environment. When all of these elements are in homeostasis, we thrive. We are able to grow without limits. We are happy and strong and can find a way to resist anything that comes in our way. When one individual is successful, the whole community is successful.

However, when one of these systems is under attack, we have to fight to stay alive. Fending off threats can sometimes make us weak. If the conditions are not fertile for our existence, we may have to clench what we can and pull through the rough spot.

But just like us, plants are resilient. If a seed is abandoned underneath pavement in a vacant lot and determined to live, it will force a hole in the impossibly solid pavement and push through. If the farmer forgets to tend to a plant and it nearly dies, but after a little watering it may yet have the potential to bounce back. Sometimes all we need is for someone to stop and pay attention to our needs and our life can be turned around.

Aside from the Bounty Garden, I am teaching a Teen Garden class at Advocates foster care agency. I have planted and maintained a garden with the young adults who have been in the foster care system. These youth have been born into a life of unfertile soil with little choice in their own lives. They are struggling to succeed in this rocky environment. They just need someone to care for them and to be a steady figure they can trust. Quite frankly, some of them may not ever have someone who is going to help them grow out of the foster care system. They may be forced to struggle to survive on their own with little resources. They will have to force a hole through the concrete like the plants to succeed.

My supervisor explained to me how successful plants are when they are planted on rich, nutritious and balanced soil. The plants keep off the pests and are not as prone to disease. I imagine what our world could be like if we all made each other’s lives rich like this soil, how much more beautiful our lives could be. We all need to stop and look at our brother, sister or stranger in the eyes and listen to their story, smile at them, or randomly do something to help them just for the sheer joy of it. Imagine the potential our community has to thrive all together.

2018 Bounty Garden Intern- Clarissa Skaleski

Prepping Field 10 for the Growing Season

(FROM JUNE 2018)

Today in the Bounty Garden it was too windy to grab our torches to burn old debris, so we opted for just our pitchforks to dig up sow thistle and Canada thistle in Field 10. The Spring Garden Management class worked together, alternating pitchforking and weed pulling duties to rid the field of the prolific intruders. Amanda explained the importance of our thistle-focused work, “The two thistles are such a pain because they have far-reaching lateral roots that can propagate new growth at any segment.” So, we waged war on the thistles and I tried my best to just ignore the curly dock mocking me in its bed of stolen soil (though I may have paused to pluck a few).

After removing the majority of the intruding thistle, it was time to haul the BCS Tractor in to finish the job of fluffing the soil and pulverizing the remaining weeds with the tiller attachment. Now we got our chance  to show the curly dock who was really the boss of this garden! The students switched off tilling rows with the BCS to practice their heavy equipment skills and it was funny to watch everyone fumble about learning the ropes of the machine; though, within just a few minutes we were tilling like pros. Well, pros with loose definitions of a “straight” line.

After the field was tilled, it was time to solarize the side that had been completely overgrown with grass to kill off the Pandora’s box of unwanted invaders that had likely crept in to nestle amongst its running roots. Solarizing the soil kills off the weeds, nematodes, insects, as well as any fungal and bacterial pathogens in the soil by capturing and amplifying the sun’s radiant energy under a simple layer of plastic draped over the soil. Though the plastic we brought over to the field unfolded into some oddly shaped dimensions, we managed to get the problem area mostly covered and used ground staples to secure it in place. The wind didn’t make it easy on us as we stretched it into position down the length of the field, but luckily none of our pieces flew away on us! The soil under the tarp can heat up to 140℉ in full sun and after 4-6 weeks we’ll be able to remove the plastic and plant in fresh, invader-free soil.

Sustainable Food and Ag Systems Student- Lindsey Klumpp

Gardening for kids.

 

What do you get when you cross a child with dirt? A MESS!! This deters a lot of parents of letting their children indulge. But what else do you get when you let a child explore the basics of nature? A lot of questions, a huge smile, and many other enjoyable benefits. For any parent with the summer blues and is searching for a quality, worthwhile project for their kid, listen up, I have the answer…let them grow something!!

This summer I am interning at Bounty Garden as part of my program at NWTC. I am also the mother of a very active 6-year-old boy, Liam. I am unemployed, being a full-time student, which means Liam is with me all summer instead of finding childcare we can’t afford. Luckily, Amanda the manager of Bounty Garden is a mother herself and understands the hardships that come along and not only lets Liam tag along to work with me, but she actually encourages it!! Amanda is the Mother of two young boys and a baby girl that sometimes tag along with her. We also have another mother volunteer, Jessica, who always has her 3 young children in tow. On any given day, if you were to visit the garden there might be 1 to 7 kids running wild…and it’s beautiful.

So, what really happens when you let a child grow something of their own? Well, it starts with a lot of questions. Every parent knows this is a kid’s expertise, but these aren’t the annoying repetitive questions kids ask when they are bored. These are well thought, meaningful questions that help them gain lifelong knowledge of nature around them. Questions like, “why are you cutting that off?” (pruning) or “what are all the holes in the leaf?” (pest damage). These little questions become a learning experience and really give the adults in the garden a chance to explain the delicacies and life cycles of a plant with the child’s full attention and wonder.

The next great benefit I have noticed while working the garden is my picky eater wants to eat everything and anything. There is plenty of wild mint and strawberries for the kids to forage while we are working and trust me they take advantage. I can’t get Liam to try anything new at home but at Bounty Garden it is the total opposite, he is always running up to me asking, “can I eat this!?” which is a small miracle. Some of the other kids enjoy trying various edible flowers we have and one of the little girls is obsessed with our herb garden. We may have to get “ask before you eat signs” before we don’t have any harvest left.

Another great value a child gains by growing something is a sense of responsibility and pride. I’ve noticed as I quietly go along doing my daily chores in the garden, I usually end up with a little shadow asking me, “can I help you with that?” My answer is always yes, no matter what task I’m completing I can always find something for little hands to do. Jessica’s oldest daughter is usually my biggest helper tagging along in whatever we do and the sense of accomplishment and the smile she gets when we finish

something is incomparable to an adult. Being able to help plant a seed, then watch it grow, and finally harvest a plant is a big achievement in their little world and being a part of helping these kids navigate their way through nature is one of the most fulfilling things I can think of.

So, if you are having trouble getting your bored, restless kids outside and involved in something worthwhile, go grab some dirt, a pot, and a plant and let the fun begin!!

By Kristen Delmarcelle, Bounty Garden Intern

 

 

Bio What???

Bounty Garden Manager, Amana Chu is spraying the plants with sugar water as instructor David Wright is releasing ladybugs on the plants.

Countries around the world are creating laws to ban the use of toxic and dangerous pesticides and fertilizers that have devastating effects on the environment. With this new awareness of the damage they cause and continue to do, people are searching for natural ways to protect their gardens and crops from hungry pest and spreading fungal diseases. So one may ask, how did our great, great, great, grandparents cultivate food without the use of synthetic chemicals?

The answer, biological control or biocontrol. Biocontrol is a method of controlling and eliminating pest and fungal disease using other organisms, like predatory insects and companion planting .

In the greenhouse at NWTC, Instructor David Wright, who teaches Botany, gave a demonstration on how to utilize predatory insects. He released three different types of insects onto the plants; cryptolaemus montrouzieri, phytoseiulus persimilis, and ladybugs. Beneficial use of each insect: ● Ladybugs – prey on aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs, and the eggs of european corn borer and the colorado potato beetle. ● Cryptolaemus montrouzieri – preys on mealybugs. ● Phytoseiulus persimilis – is a voracious predator that preys on spiders mite pest. https://www.planetnatural.com › Beneficial Insects 101

Not only can gardeners and farmers use insects as a form of pest control. Planting certain herbs and plants together known as companion planting can help keep annoying pests away and keep your soil healthy by replacing nutrients that other plants use.

Happy Gardening and have a great summer!

From a fellow future farmer, Shauna Mendolla

A New Gardener

At some point or another, every gardener has been in the exact same position I am in right now – “I want to be a gardener, and it shouldn’t be that difficult to learn.” You set your goals, probably Pintrest ideas, find your land, get the seemingly correct products to help with success, and then you start. How exciting gardening will be this year! Dreams of tomatoes, fresh spinach, kale, squash, cucumbers, oh my! Then… it’s not turning out the way you thought. Why are my plants yellowing like this? Did I over-water them? It seems that this plant is fighting this plant and my squash is killing my cucumber what do I do! This is too much, I can’t do it. I failed.

As a new gardener, I figured that gardening wouldn’t be that difficult. I was wrong. I almost wanted to give up and I’d never see what “green thumb” I could have. I struggled to understand how something that I’ve seen my grandparents, friends, and family do could cause so much frustration. I thought it would be easier, and I didn’t take into account the hard work that goes into gardening. Now, that’s not to say I’m naive about how hard gardening can be; I just never took the time to understand that there are so many factors, and so much you need to learn before you can be really good at it. I just wanted my love and interest in gardening to be enough. To a point, that is enough to maintain a healthy garden, but there is so much more that you need to plan for and learn. But after some time of wanting to give up, I am learning hands on what it really takes to be a gardener.

Not learning about your products before you start gardening might be one of the biggest mistakes I made. It seemed easy enough, and when you really want to be good at something, sometimes your eagerness gets in the way of trying to be smart about it. I have now started to learn the different types of families of plants, when to sow or transplant, what pests could harm them, what weeds are sprouting near them, and basic traits of the plants. It’s still all very overwhelming to me- the new gardener- but I want so badly to be good at it. I want to feed myself with great ingredients, and I want to teach others about the importance of growing your own food or even just eating locally grown food. If anything, gardening is a great stress reliever and will help foot some of the grocery bill when you can finally harvest all your beautiful produce.

My advice to anyone who is a new gardener, just keep at it! It’s scary, and it might take some time to get the hang of it. There are so many different factors that play into a great season, and even people who have been gardening for years get it wrong sometimes! The joy you will receive from watching your little plant babies grow and turn into beautiful produce will be so worth the long hours and efforts put in throughout the season. This new gardener is excited to see what I will learn and what joys I will receive this season!

Happy Gardening!

Karli Norton, Spring Garden Management student

Twined in Tilth

As a seed you chose me

With care you mixed the soil

With your hands you planted me

You tending me into a seedling, till time to plant me in just the right spot

Feed the soil, my micro kingdom flourishes for my well being

As a start and others sown

Through the season you watered me my dear Intern

Prune back, steak up, trellis or cage

Fertilize, thin out, stir up, and weed all for this one seed

All to see what something so small can achieve

Can you believe I know you are there?

 
The ones who for moments cast shadows as you work here and there

But you always bring gifts of water, and make sure the sun could reach me.

I grow my fruit, some have vegis or leaf or savory stem

You lightin the load of my efforts

Keep away decay, and shoo off pests of all sorts

Rescue me from being a host, even worse a meal

Will you talk to me and say how colorful and wonderful my smells and flavors are to you?

 

When I’m done and  the weather makes me wither,

I wish to be composted as to not truly end

We will re-begin again next year

 

Will you remember our time?

Will you plan and dream under white blanketed roofs to meet my descendants as you did me?

The soil will let them know I was here

And how great you made my time at Bounty Garden

 

No spoken words

…and even being unlike species…

Yet symbiosis

We did share moments in time

We nurtured each other

And others with the will of life

So goodbye and thank you

We both agree it was a great season of learning many wonderful things

 

A poem by Mandisa Martinez – Bounty Garden intern 2017

Applying the Philosophy of Yoga to your Garden to Help it Grow!

By Simi Rodgers

Adapted from 100 Best Yoga and Pilates by Parragon Inc.

Whether you are planning your garden for next season, already working in a garden, or even considering taking up gardening as a new hobby, you should set clear intentions of what you would like to accomplish. When most people think of yoga, the first thing that may come to mind is postures, or poses. While practicing these postures may help relieve the body of a hard-working gardener, one should be aware that yoga is much more than postures. Yoga is a way of life. There are eight limbs of yoga that act as guidelines for living a purposeful and meaningful life. Now you may be wondering how do the eight limbs of yoga relate to my garden? The answer is simple. Both the body and a garden are like sacred temples that should be treated with respect, care, and love! Here is how you can apply the philosophy of yoga to your garden to attain a bountiful harvest:

• Yama: the first limb of yoga, which relates to personal ethics and the sense of integrity that guide us in our daily lives. As an organic gardener, having integrity is crucial to the success of your garden. Organic farmers are held to a high standard of farming protocols, such as only using organic and non-GMO seeds and providing access to pasture for your livestock. Practicing the yamas means you only provide your customers the highest quality products and that you are honest about the practices you used to maintain your luscious garden.

The Five Yamas:

1. Ahimsa: Non-violence. It is easy to see pests as something we should conquer, but try to remember that they are messengers of a bigger problem. Having a pest problem may be a sign that you are lacking a particular nutrient. Instead of adding harsh chemicals to your garden that may damage the integrity of your soil, consider taking a natural approach. Do a soil test, find out what nutrients you are lacking, and amend your soil with a natural source of the nutrient that your soil is lacking to address the real cause of the problem.
2. Satya: Commitment to Truthfulness. Be honest with yourself and your fellow gardeners about how much time you have to commit to your garden. If you make a mistake, such as accidentally nicking an irrigation line, be truthful with yourself and your co-workers. Take the time to go back and fix your errors to prevent further issues down the line.
3. Asteya: Non-stealing. If you are working in someone else’s garden, this particular yama is crucial. Make sure to ask permission before borrowing a tool or harvesting crops for your own dinner. Never make it a habit to take without asking. Respect for others helps build trust and a strong team.
4. Brahmacharya: Sense control. This yama relates to abstaining from things that restrict you from reaching your goals. While in yoga this usually means channeling your sexual energy rather than acting on impulses, in the garden this may mean moderating the things that prevent you from doing the best job you can do. Whether it be limiting yourself to one cup of coffee a day or working towards dropping your cigarette habit, it is important to not let our vices slow us down. Just as you only want to put the utmost love and care into your garden, you should also do the same with your body. A happy gardener cultivates a happy garden!
5. Aparigraha: Non-covetousness.  It is very important to acknowledge how far you have come with your own personal gardening journey. Do not covet your neighbor’s gorgeous garden boxes. Accept the fact that it takes time to make something grow and revel in the process it takes to make a seed grow from start to finish. Do not compare your garden to the gardens of others; rather view them as inspiration for your own garden!

• Niyama: the second limb of yoga, which deals with personal observances. These are intimate attitudes that may be adopted for more soulful living. In organic gardening, every component, from soil to crops to livestock to the farmer, is part of a system. There are certain attitudes pertaining to organic farming that parallel the niyamas very nicely.

The Five Niyamas:

1. Sauca: Purity. Having only the purest inputs is pertinent for achieving the desired organic output. This means only using seeds, livestock feed, and soil amendments that are marked with the USDA Organic seal of approval. If you receive a plant or animal from a friend, verify the source they got from before adding it to your already organic system. Only providing your garden with pure love and care will help you rest easier at night.
2. Santosa: Contentment. Be happy with what you have. As my father always says, “From small acorns grow large trees.” Enjoy the process of watching everything grow rather than waiting in anticipation for harvest day. It is a beautiful thing when one has such a strong connection to nature that they become a self-titled caretaker of the earth! If you love what you do, your garden will not a be your place of work, rather a place to relax and forget about your worries.
3. Tapas: Burning enthusiasm. In yoga, this refers to using your enthusiasm to channel your energy into bettering yourself. This may include paying attention to your eating habits, body posture, and breathing patterns. In the garden, this means prioritizing tasks and understanding what needs to be done right away, such as laying irrigation, and what can wait a little longer, such as weeding around the garlic patch. Doing something you are passionate about sometimes requires doing the nitty-gritty jobs first, so you can do the fun stuff later.
4. Svadhyaya: Self study. To improve your postures in your daily practice, one must study the way each posture makes their body feel. Studying oneself creates understanding of one’s abilities and limitations. This is also true in the garden. Pay attention to how much time you are devoting to your garden and determine if you need to modify the amount of time you set aside. Walk your garden each day before you begin working in it to observe what is growing well and what needs some extra TLC. Also, study your own emotions and recognize when problems in your personal life may hamper your ability to do the best job you can do in the garden. It is okay to take a day off and recharge if that’s what your body is telling you to do. Don’t worry, the garden will still be there tomorrow!
5. Isvara Pranidhana: Celebration of the Spiritual. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, hopefully we can all agree that some great energy force that cannot be seen, only felt, is allowing your garden to thrive! Appreciate the opportunity that you have been given to grow food that will sustain others. Surrender to the spirit of your garden and have faith that everything will grow in due time.

• Asanas: Body Postures. If you do not already practice yoga poses, you might consider starting to ease some aches and pains you may experience while gardening. There are a variety of postures that are geared towards relieving tension in different parts of the body. Whether you believe yourself to flexible or not, it is worth giving yoga a try. Trust me, your body will thank you later. In gardening especially, you may find yourself frequently bending in awkward positions or using hand tools that strain your muscles. It is important to recognize when you are in pain, take a moment to breath, and find a new position that is comfortable for your individual body. Stretching before a day in the garden makes a world of difference!

• Pranayama: Breath. Consciously being able to control your breathing is so important, not only in times of stress but also when you are working out in the sun. Focusing on your breath can help you get through some of the toughest poses with ease and concentration. Similarly, when you are working in the sun on hot day and stuck in the same position for a long time, remember to breathe deeply into your diaphragm and do not lock your knees. Locking your knees can cause you to become dizzy or faint. If you start to feel weak, focus on your breathing until you make it to your water bottle. As you face challenges, whether it be in your daily life or in the garden, just keep breathing. Always remember to breathe life into your garden, by simply taking the time to just be in your garden.

• Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the Senses. The fifth limb of yoga is all about turning your intentions inward. Rather than becoming distracted by the sound of construction down the road, focus on the task at hand. As you sucker your tomato plants, remember that you are doing it for plant health and giving the plant more room to grow. We must not simply do, but we must be aware of why we do what we do to cultivate a more meaningful garden.

• Dharana: Concentration. It is so easy to get distracted when you took a break from your garden for a few days and many duties piled up. In yoga, concentrating on a focal point that is not moving is crucial for holding those tough balance poses. In the garden, we must concentrate on one task at a time in an effort to not overwhelm ourselves. Rather than focusing on the things you cannot change, such as weather pattern and pesky deer, focus on the task at hand. In order to make a meaningful impact on your garden, you must concentrate on being present and doing things in an efficient, but thoughtful manner to avoid errors.

• Dhyana: Meditation. The seventh limb of yoga deals with focusing the mind on a single subject of your choosing. This may include inhaling peace and exhaling frustration. Most people who take on gardening by choice already consider the garden a meditative place. If that is not true for you yet, designate some time (either before, during, or after gardening) to meditate in your garden. This may involve sitting in a comfortable seated position, with your hands resting on your knees facing upwards, and closing your eyes.  Taking some time out of your day to meditate will help you refocus your intentions and reconnect with the environment that surrounds you. We should always remember that gardening is an honor, for those who tend to the earth are the first to reap its bounties.

• Samadhi: Bliss State. The last limb of yoga requires the highest level of experience and is the ultimate goal. Connecting with your inner purity and sense of identity help you feel a sense of oneness, as you master your mind and put your thoughts to rest in a trance-like state. As in yoga, achieving bliss in the garden may take years of practice. It may be when you finally get your organic certification after years of transitioning to organic. Or, it may be when you have finally gotten rid of all the Japanese beetles that have plagued your fruit trees. Whatever your bliss may be, it will be personal and you will know it when you feel it!

Wow! That was a lot of information to take in and you should be proud if you made it this far. I hope you found this passage helpful and make an effort to apply the philosophy of yoga to your garden. Not only will it help your garden grow, but it will cultivate inner peace, which is essential for the gardener and the garden!

Vertical Trellis

Hello Gardeners and Farmers,

This season we decided to invest in Johnny’s Selected Seeds Trellinet.  It’s a strong polypropylene plastic trellis that can support various climbing vegetables.  There are many options available depending on your needs.  It has produced great results in the hoop house, our gourd trellis, and even as an addition to our deer fencing.  Here are some examples.

Cucumbers in the hoop house

Gourd Trellis

Melons

Here is the link to Johnny’s:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

Happy farming everyone!

Your NWTC Bounty Garden Intern,

Alissa Lick

 

Mulch. Mulching. Mulches.

 

Harvesting cut mulch, cut before seed heads developed.

Applying mulch around the squash and pumpkins.

The whole field.

Hello Fellow Farmers and Gardeners, 

Today we will be discussing the benefits of using mulch in your garden, how we have utilized mulch in the Bounty Garden, and different types of mulch. Mulch is a surface covering intended to improve soil texture and provide nutrients. A few key components of good organic mulch include (but are not limited to):

• Protecting soil integrity
• Decreasing erosion
• Improving drainage
• Subduing weed growth
• Providing aeration
• Using mulch that does not contain weed seeds or fungal pathogens

As a plant positive practice that gives each plant room to grow, mulch is one of the best resources for an organic farmer to incorporate in their vegetable garden!

Straw v. Hay

It is a common misconception that the words “straw” and “hay” can be used interchangeably, despite the fact that they have distinctly different purposes. To clarify, straw typically derives from cereal grain plants, such as wheat, barley, and oats. Straw is the dry plant matter that remains after the seeds (or grains) have been harvested. Hay, on the other hand, is grown intentionally for animal feed; it is chopped before the plant goes to seed, dried, and stored. Some examples of high protein grasses used for hay include alfalfa, timothy, and sudangrass.

Why We Use Straw For Mulch

In the Bounty Garden, we have utilized straw mulch from grass clippings that we mowed in the field and let dry for a few days. The mulch was carefully placed in a “donut hole” shape around each plant in field 4, which is pictured below.

Straw is a wonderful mulch because it keeps the soil warm and protects the plants from weeds and potential infections. If you want to buy straw for your organic garden, make sure you purchase it from a reputable source, if you do not decide to make your own. This is crucial for ensuring that the straw does not contain any remaining weeds seeds and has not been contaminated with harsh chemicals. Straw not only strengthens the immune system of your garden, but it also makes it look aesthetically pleasing!

Additional Sources of Mulch

Aside from straw, there are many different types of organic matter that may be used to improve the overall quality of your soil. Other types of mulch may include, but are not limited to:

• Pine needles
• Farmyard manure
• Cardboard
• Peat
• Garden compost
• Wood chips

There are few other considerations to take into account when applying mulch. Keep layers of mulch no more than 1 inch thick to allow the diffusion of organic matter in the soil. Restrict contact between damp, decaying mulch and your plants to prevent rot. Give mulched areas a good soaking before cold weather to permit heat transfer from soil to air to avoid air frost. If the mulch source is quite high in carbon, the microorganisms will absorb nitrogen to balance the ration of nutrients, which may cause nitrogen depletion. Fear not! Alternative sources of nitrogen, such as compost tea, worm castings, comfrey tea, and seaweed extract, may serve as excellent top dressings to balance nutrient availability. Mulch is typically first applied in autumn, removed in the spring before sowing seeds, and reapplied when the plants begin to mature.
Well farmers, I know that was a lot of information to take in, but I hope it was helpful! Feel free to experiment with different types of mulch until you find the one that best suits the needs of your garden. Mulching is only one of the many organic practices that I have learned about while interning in the Bounty Garden over the last few months. I look forward to sharing my new-found insights with you, as the garden continues to share its bounties with us throughout the season. Enjoy every precious moment you have to reconnect with the earth! Happy mulching 🙂

Your Bounty Garden Intern, Simi Rodgers

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Sources:

http://knowledgenuts.com/2013/12/11/the-difference-between-straw-and-hay/

http://www.the-organic-gardener.com/organic-mulch.html

http://www.usaforage.org/products/straw-vs-hay/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/cereal-grains

New Field. Field 10.

In today’s blog, I would like to feature a new plot we started this season. It’s called Field 10. The spring management class started working on this plot as soon as we could. Starting in April, we used our BCS tiller for the primary tillage and continued to work the ground as the weather permitted. It took lots of hands to remove rocks, weeds, and rotate the soil to prep. Our goals were to have it measured and planted for early season crops.

It is located on the northwest side of the garden with a southern slope.   Partial shade covers the plants in the morning but afternoon sun is strong and keeps us growing.

The width is 65 feet and the length around 30 feet. We have six rows that measure 30 inches each, with a 12-inch space in between. Then a 3-foot barrier next to the fence line was added for easy access and lined with thick landscape fabric. The fence is a four-foot-high chicken wire that was dug into a trench for stabilization and to keep critters from digging underneath. Once it was measured out it really started to take shape.

• 1st row planted consists of Asparagus, which will come up every year.
• Then we started with planting the other end of field with Kale, that was covered with paper mulch that we cut with holes for our crop. Down that same row we planted more Kale and Kohlrabi.
• 3rd row has flowering broccoli and cauliflower.
• 4th row has red and green cabbage.
• 5th row started a second planting of Kale then more red cabbage.
• The last and closest row to the asparagus was planted with Napa Cabbage, Kohlrabi, and Fennel.

So far, we have had some pest damage from deer and the cabbage looper. We will be using VHS tape around the fence to make noise to scare our deer. There will also be an additional trellis on the fence to try to keep them out.   Some deterrents for the looper can include botanical and citrus oils, sprinkle leaves with cornmeal or rye flour, or purchase resistant varieties. They can also be handpicked most will hide on the underside of the leaves along the leaf veins. Make sure to crush any yellow bullet shaped eggs found on the leaves. As always try organic methods and be proactive with diagnostics.

Happy farming and don’t forget to take the time to enjoy your space.

By Alissa Lick-  2017 NWTC Bounty Garden Intern