The Greenhouse Mentoring Program at St Vincent Mission

Todd Howard with students Chasity, Cody, Jason, Chris and Matt

 Today was a great day in David, KY. Today was the first day of the Greenhouse Mentoring Project-a collaboration between St. Vincent Mission’s Grow Appalachia Program, The David School and Todd Howard of HF Farm & Garden.

It all started when Diantha Daniels, The David School’s principal, and I were brainstorming one evening about ways we could encourage her students to become gardeners. I mentioned that I had a line item in my Grow Appalachia grant called “Youth Assistants” that was earmarked for students who could help out in the gardens of some of our participants who do not have the physical strength that some gardening tasks need but are a treasure trove of gardening wisdom and knowledge.

A few days later, Todd came in to my office to visit and asked if I knew anyone who could use a part time job helping him out at the greenhouse. He has to maintain a ‘real job” until his farming venture solidifies and had been working until two in the morning in the greenhouse and didn’t think he could keep it up too much longer. Todd is one of the people here in Floyd County that mourns the loss of agricultural programs in our public schools so when I suggested mentoring the David students, he was game.

Diantha, Todd and I had a few meetings to settle things like release and permission forms, duties and responsibilities of the students as well as the adults and what each of our roles would be in this venture. We decided that the initial program would go until May 31^st, the end of the greenhouse season for Todd. Diantha announced the project to the entire student body at the David School and culled the applicants to five student she believed would be consistent in attendance and be willing to work. She had each of them write a letter to Todd stating why they wanted to be a part of the program and I was pleased to note that while the money was a motivator, it was not the primary reason the kids wanted to be on the team. They were looking at the bigger picture of the experience they would gain because of their involvement-both in work experience and as an opportunity to hone their job searching skills.

Cody and Chris take lunch

Yesterday, after school, the students and parents met with us to finalize the deal. They were told what we expected of them and what they could expect of us. The parents were very supportive of their kids being a part of this project and we all left excited. This morning at a little before nine o’clock all five kids were dressed appropriately and ready to work. It was great. I am really excited about these kids and this opportunity and am deeply grateful to John Paul DeJorio’s vision for Appalachia through the Grow Appalachia program that gives me the opportunity to support projects like this one.

Chris putting out cabbages

Here are some more pictures of the team: Cody Carroll, Jason Rife, Matthew Dingus, Christopher Dingus and Chasity Mullins along with Todd Howard.

Cody learns how to wated seed trays

Chasity putting away peppers starts

Jason uses tweezers to place seeds because
"we aren't good enough to use the vibrating
thing yet"



Matt works on tomato transplants

Talking Dirt ~ Pine Mountain, Maggie Ashmore

It is time to begin getting dirty, and turning over new ground. I plowed the first Grow Appalachia gardens yesterday and have been turning over the wetter beds at PMSS with a shovel. It feels great to be out the gardens, with dirt all over my arms, and sunburn. Almost every Grow Appalachia participant has dropped by with a bag of soil for me to take to the Harlan County Extension Service for testing, and we have received quite a few of these back. I am thrilled to see that these participants are holding up their end of the bargain (I have held seeds hostage until I see soil)...

Now, I am woefully undereducated, about soil. I love touching it, smelling it, working with it, but I don’t really understand how it works. And I don’t completely understand soil tests, especially in regards to organic production systems, since organic does not just strive to replace petroleum based products with more natural external inputs, but to change the way we work within the system to build healthy soil. That said, I need to find out. This post does not claim to illuminate soil testing, but will reflect my struggle with understanding how to interpret my soil test results. I welcome any knowledge you all would like to share with me through a comment on the blog or an email to mashmore@pinemountainsettlementschool.com

When you receive the recommendations for fertilizer application on your soil test result sheet it does not mean that by adding the amendments this growing season your soil will be fixed. UK (who conducted our Grow Appalachia program’s soil tests) states that the rates of nutrient application recommended are for when a crop is grown each year, and it assumes that it will take four years to greatly increase the amount of Potassium (K) and Phosphorus (P) present in the soil.  During these years, using cover crops, green manures and compost will also help improve your soil quality (nutrient availability, organic matter content, and texture).

How to interpret the fertilizer recommendations on your soil test

The numbers on a bag of fertilizer let you know what percentage (by weight) of each nutrient is present in the bag. Technically, it represents the percentage of N, P₂O₂ and K₂O that is available, but for our purposes, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium will do. 

For example, a 50lb bag of 10-10-10 is made up of 10% N, 10% P, 10% K and 70% filler. This means that the 50 lb bag of fertilizer contains 5lbs of N, 5lbs of P, and 5lbs of K, making your total nutrient weight 15lbs per bag. The remaining 35lbs in the bag is made up of fillers to help the nutrients spread from the bag. Without any filler we would over apply in some areas of the garden and under apply in others; the filler allows for an even application.  When using synthetic fertilizers this helps to prevent us from burning our plants with too much fertilizer. This filler material is usually composed of sand and limestone. In organic fertilizer the filler material is usually made from trace minerals which help supply the nutrients that a typical N-P-K fertilizer does not.

A handy formula: % nutrient on bag * lbs in bag = lbs nutrient present in bag

Example: In a 50lb bag of 10-10-10 the lbs N present is 0.10*50 = 5lbs

   In a 40lb bag of Harmony 5-4-3 the lbs N is 0.05*40 = 2lbs

Soil Test Results for the Pine Mountain Community Garden 

Example: Making sure Maggie uses the correct amount of fertilizer (referencing the above image):

Maggie’s soil test calls for 2-3lbs N and 3-5lbs K. Her P level is Very High.

As I understand it, most soil tests do not test for N, but make recommendations for N based on what they deem necessary for plant growth during a season. It says right on the results sheet that were heavy application of manure or compost has been used not to apply N fertilizer. So Maggie may not need to apply too much N since she is using some compost (although not what I would call a heavy application so I am going to go with the recommendation) 

Using Harmony 5-4-3 in a 40lb bag (which is what the Grow Appalachia program is ordering for all sites)

N = 0.05*40 = 2lbs

P= 0.04*40 = 1.6lbs

K = 0.03*40 = 1.2 lbs

So Maggie can apply one 40lb bag to her garden space (assuming it is 1000ft²). She will be short some of the needed K if she does this, but her P is Very High and she does not need more than 3lbs N applied. Maggie can probably get along without using more Harmony 5-4-3, but might try adding some greensand (7% potash) or kelp meal (5% potash) to the soil if she can get ahold of some. Maggie may also be alright with her K levels if she adds all of her compost to the garden.

Alternative to using an all purpose fertilizer: Maggie may also be able to add her compost, some wood ashes (%7 or more potash), kelp or greensand (for K), and some blood meal (15% N) instead of using the Harmony 5-4-3.

*Note on using wood ashes – Do not let them stand in the rain, as the potash would leach away. Wood ashes can be mixed with other fertilizing agents, side dressed around growing plants or used as mulch. Avoid contact between freshly spread ashes and germinating seeds or new plant roots by keeping ashes a few inches away from plants. Wood ashes are alkaline.

Notes on soil fertility

When applying soil amendments to the soil we should be looking at our garden as a whole system. We should be “feeding the soil” not just “feeding the plant”. We don’t want to just apply fertilizer in order to get a crop this year; we want to build our soil health so that we will have crops for years to come. So think about maintaining your optimal soil fertility – adding the amount of nutrients you soil test recommends in the form of slow release organic fertilizers, starting a compost pile, rotating your crops, planting cover crops, etc! Look at your soil texture, look at your plant roots in the summer to make sure they look healthy, read up on how soil works as a living thing... 

Soil testing is a good way to start on the path toward soil health, but it mostly takes the chemical aspect  into account. We also need to look at the physical condition of our soil and the biological properties (earthworms, microbes, fungi, etc.)

CEC: Cation Exchange Capacity. What does this mean?

If you would like to learn about the Cation Exchange Capacity of your soil, shown on you soil test as CEC, or what the Buffer pH means please read this article. It explains in simple terms what these terms mean and what they mean for you as a gardener.

http://www.spectrumanalytic.com/support/library/ff/CEC_BpH_and_percent_sat.htm

Explains how to take a soil sample: http://ces.ca.uky.edu/livingston-files/agr16.pdf

2012-2013 Soil Nutrient recommendations and some insight on how to read a soil test:  

http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/agr/agr1/agr1.pdf

Intepreting WV Soil tests. This document has some useful information for other state tests as well. http://anr.ext.wvu.edu/forage/soil_test_report

More Onions and Taters: BDVP

 I must say that this first week of spring felt a bit like the first week of summer.  With temperatures in the mid-eighties all week, we had ourselves a mid-March heat wave!  Nonetheless, we persevered and very much enjoyed the sunshine.  This week we were able to plant over a  bushel of onion sets and nearly 150 pounds of seed potatoes at our shelter.  Our peas, beets, turnips, and lettuce mix are popping up and we have heaps of transplants to get in the ground next week. We have been munching on overwintered carrots and beets lately and it is so nice to have that early spring garden snack! Spring is certainly rocking out here!
                                                                             On top of our vegetable production, we have been preparing this week for our native tree planting.  All of our trees have been delivered and we will be
hosting a volunteer event this weekend to plant our micro-forest.   We are really looking forward to this event and will be posting pictures and updates on our BDVP website soon.  Next week we will continue to plow new ground, till and plant.  We have cabbage, cilantro, lettuces, broccoli, greens, and cauliflower to get in the ground.  I am certainly wondering how this heat will affect these cool season plants and if we will still have some cool, spring weather.  Hard tellin', not knowin'.

We are also presently working to get a handle on our healing garden, where we have a number of culinary and medicinal herbs, native plants, wildflowers, berries, and a butterfly garden.  It is really beginning to fill in this year and we want to get it weeded, mulched, and thinned out as early as we can.  This is such an exciting time!  It is so fun to watch all the perennial flowers and herbs begin to present themselves again after hiding all winter. So beautiful! I have to say that things are really looking great so far and we are excited to be able to do this good earth work at our facility

To Everything…turn, turn, turn….there is a Season: Karen Dial---Red Bird Mission

                                                                         

         

   

  Sadly, I have to say that the first time I heard or read this quote from the Bible was when The Byrds (yes, the Byrds) sang it in the 60s.  Later I learned it came out of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.  It actually says “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven” (The Book, Tyndale House)  How appropriate that is for this time of year.

     We have, finally, had a dry spell to plow the earth and consider planting seeds.  Chad and Karen have been brainstorming about what seeds to start and where to put them.  Our greenhouse on the Queendale Campus of Red Bird Mission is getting some use this year as we try to start some transplants to lay in the prepared soil.

     We are looking forward to getting the sets and seeds distributed to our participants and getting out to visit everyone this year.  Soil samples are on the way, with more to come.  Trainings are being organized and data is being collected.  Karen is looking for appropriate shoes to wear (heels and flip-flops won’t cut it).  Supplies are being collected and purchased.  Yep, we’re about ready to roll.  Can’t wait to start getting our sites ready to lay the seed and watch those little green shoots come up. 

Rainy Days

We are supposed to start plowing and tilling gardens this week, but the rain has delayed us. It is supposed to rain all week except for Wednesday and Thursday, and the ground won't be dry enough for us to work with. Once the rain stops and we get the gardens plowed and tilled we can start planting. We are beginning to prep the greenhouse so that we can start planting it in this week. Our participants are very excited to get started.
The first workshop for our participants will be a seed saving workshop this Sunday. It will cover selecting what seeds to save, what seeds to avoid, what neighboring plants are, what seedlings and plants to save, tips of starting good seedlings and record keeping. We are looking for several of our participants and members of the community to attend, it should be very exciting!

Onions & Potatoes!!

Seeds have been ordered, they should be here soon. The onions and one kind of potatoes were ordered from a local Southern States, so we have all of the onions and Yukon potatoes for the participants and are being distributed as the participants request them.  We’ve started site visits with our beginning gardeners and have hired a plow to start in the gardens next week. The first garden is scheduled to be plowed March 22^nd. We have not received the results of the participants soil samples, but it is not unusual for the results to take a month or longer to come in especially during this busy time of year when several people are starting to prepare their gardens for planting. As soon as we get the gardens plowed, we’ll be ready to start planting and as soon as our seeds come in we’ll start the plants for participants in the greenhouse.

Delicious Perennials-- Pine Mountain, Kathleen Powers

The past several weeks I have been busy dealing with the aftermath of my February seed frenzy, sorting seeds, organizing orders, writing thank you notes to companies that donated seeds, etc. After double and then triple checking each order, weighing corn, placing online orders, and oh so much more I finally got to see a little bit of the excitement that all this work will bring when  we had our March Grow Appalachia meeting, during which we distributed seed to our participants. Everyone was so excited to see the bounty of things they can plant this year, and the beautiful weather has us all ready to get our hands dirty!

Several of our participating families have been requesting rhubarb and asparagus plants for the past several years, so this spring we decided to make that happen and allowed our participants who have been in the program for at least 1 year to order them. Because rhubarb and asparagus are both perennials we wanted to make sure we had gardeners who are committed to the care and upkeep of their gardens from one year to the next and who would make good use of these plants. However we did make the mistake of neglecting to tell these people that rhubarb cannot be harvested until its second growing season and asparagus needs a full three seasons before it can be harvested, so it seems we disappointed those who had visions of pounds of asparagus on the table this June, whoops…. Please wait it out, I guarantee it will be worth it in the end!

Asparagus grows into large fern-like plants

For any of you who are interested here is a bit of general information to get you started: 
     Because rhubarb and asparagus are perennials it is best to plant them somewhere out of the way, near one end of the garden or in a separate plot that you won’t be tilling up and planting each spring. They also do well with full sun, good drainage, and nutrient dense soil. Both plants require good healthy soil but rhubarb is an especially “heavy feeder” and will benefit from several applications of compost/manure/fertilizer during the season. Both rhubarb and asparagus should be planted in early spring while they are still dormant. As I mentioned before you cannot harvest rhubarb or asparagus fully for several years so patience is key, but with proper care you should have productive plants that will take minimal care once they reach full maturity.

25 mature asparagus plants will produce about
10 lbs of food per year!

Rhubarb is not a commonly grown plant because it isn’t very appealing to eat fresh, but there are many things you can do with a good crop of rhubarb including making delicious pies, cakes, jams, jellies, syrups, and more!

Asparagus is best eaten fresh, I enjoy it sautéed or roasted with a bit of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, but it can also be incorporated into pasta, omelets, and used to top pizza, etc.

If you would like more detailed information on planting and care email me and I will send you a copy of the guide that we gave our participants: k_powersvista@pinemountainsettlementschool.com

This is the farm that we ordered our plants from: daisyfarms.net