ENCM: Growing Our Future

Inglewood Potluck Bedraising!

2011-10-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

What: Raise a bed and celebrate!
Where: Sunnymeade Neighborhood Garden, (1103 Sunnymeade Dr. Nashville, TN 37216, behind the house)
When: Saturday, October 22, Bedraising at 9:00, Potlucking at noon
Who: Everybody!

One of East Nashville Cooperative Ministry partner gardens would like to invite you to a potluck celebrating the new garden addition. This is a beautiful opportunity to enjoy another one of our garden spaces and good fellowship. We look forward to seeing you there!

Harvest Party!

2011-10-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

When: Saturday, Oct. 15, 4:30pm

Where: McCoy Garden at 807 Maint St.

What: A Harvest Party!

Who: All who love good food and fellowship

How much: FREE, but feel free to bring your favorite appetizer to share.

ENCM is once again firing up the wood-burning oven, opening our gates, and celebrating another great year of growing. Come join us as we enjoy the fruits of our labor. Rub shoulders with East Nashville neighbors and explore our garden space. We’ll have pumpkin painting for the whole family. We’ll start around 4:30 and hang out and enjoy good food until dusk. We hope to see you there.

(Photo taken by Amy Hobbs of Amy Hobbs Photography).

Workshop Update

2011-09-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

All,

The workshop scheduled for Sept 17th--canning/preserving--is being canceled due to scheduling conflicts.

Sorry for inconvenience.

We are still scheduled for the October workshop--bread baking--and look forward to seeing you there. Details to follow.

as always, if there are any questions or comments, please direct them to Justin in the space below.

thanks,

The Picture Of PEAS: A Mural Project

2011-09-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

All,

I wanted to inform you of another project that might be of interest. We are hosting a mural project at the garden. We’re calling it The Picture of Peas. We are trying to let this be as much a community art project as possible. Which means “the community” needs to drive this bus. That’s where you come in. No experience necessary.

You are invited to join us--ENCM, Alphachimp, and your neighbors--in any of the four open events we’ll be hosting. The first two (September 10th and 24th) will be “discovery sessions”. This will allow participants to express their ideas for what the mural will be and help us define the steps to make this happen. Then, on October 1st and 8th we start painting. We’ll paint the image we’ve collectively designed and have a big party (think pizzas from the oven, puppet shows, face painting, etc. It's really up to you).

Hard Details

When: September 10 @2:00-4:30. Herbal tea from the garden will be provided.

Where: ENCM (807 Main St. 37206)

What: Open discovery session

Why: Inform public of the project and its history; exercise, pool and synthesize our creativity as a community to begin the process of creating an art piece; identify next steps and delegate responsibility to community members.

Who: YOU!, ENCM staff and volunteers, Alphachimp Design Studio, (kid friendly)

When: September 24 @2:00-4:30 (or TBD). Herbal tea from the garden will be provided.

Where: ENCM (807 Main St. 37206)

What: Open discovery session

Why: Focus the creative energies from the first session and further define the final mural image; we also hope to define the next steps to begin painting on October 1 and 8.

Who: YOU!, ENCM staff and volunteers, Alphachimp Design Studio, (Kid friendly)

When: October 1st and 8th @ TBD

Where: ENCM (807 Main st. 37206)

What: Painting event

Why: Implement the mural design

Who: YOU!, ENCM Staff and volunteers, Alphachimp Design Studio, (kid friendly)

direct all comments and questions to justin in the comment space below.

thanks,

ENCM crew

Hands on Herbs Workshop w/ Liz Meeks

2011-08-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

what: herb workshop

when: August 27 @ 10:00am

where: McCoy Garden (807 main st 37206)

cost: free (but we'll pass the hat for our speaker)

This class will focus on identifying and using healing plants that grow naturally in our backyards, or are easily cultivated.

Liz Meeks, community herbalist and gardener, will attempt to dispel the myth that a 'medicinal herb' is something that must be purchased at a health food store or must be concocted by someone in a white lab coat. We will learn that many healing plants, aka 'weeds' offer themselves freely at our doorsteps, in the back alley, and voluntarily in our gardens. We will meet at the ENCM campus, which is home to Versatile Dandelion, Powerful Poke, Incredible Plantain, Iron-rich Yellow Dock, and the often overlooked Smartweed and Amaranth. The garden also offers Echinacea, Rosemary, Sage, Mint, Thyme, Lavender, and Parsley, all with healing properties beyond the kitchen. Let's see what else we can find!

We will go through all the steps of making a fresh plant tincture, or alcohol extract. We will also discuss extracting herbs into vinegar and honey for those who wish to avoid alcohol, or simply want to try something different.

We will touch on basic cultivation techniques for a few of my favorite herbs including Calendula, Comfrey, Holy Basil, St.John's Wort and Yarrow.

The world of herbs offers endless opportunities to explore, create, and connect with the natural world on a deeper level. Please join us for what is sure to be a fun workshop!

As always, sign up in comment space below and direct all questions to justin there.

*a special note for this workshop*

A very slight but very real possibility exist for this workshop to be rescheduled. Liz is scheduled to assist a birth that has yet to be. So it may be that liz becomes preoccupied during the workshop time because shes helping bring a person into the world. Stay tuned here for updates. And look for an email update if we have to reschedule. In advance, thank you for your understanding.

Veggie Tales!

2011-08-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Come and Learn about simple and enjoyable gardening, Thursday (8/11) at 5pm!

Join East Nashville Cooperative Ministry for a workshop about simple gardening this Thursday (August 11th) at 5 pm in the McCoy Memorial Garden on 807 Main St. Gardening-extraordinaire and long time East Nashville native Ms. Iola Avery will share her infinite wisdom about growing fresh fruits and vegetables. The veteran gardener will teach us about the growing season, including when to plant, what you can grow and how to tend fruits and vegetables. She will also teach us how to know when the produce is ready, what grows well in this climate, and much more.

Have limited space for growing? No problem! Ms. Iola will discuss how and what you can plant if you want to grow in an enclosed space. There are also garden plots available for community members in the McCoy Garden. At the end of the workshop, we will be starting seeds for fall vegetables!

Backyard Season Extension Workshop w/ John Dysinger

2011-08-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

WORKSHOP IS STILL ON. COME ON OUT.

What: Season Extension Workshop w/ John Dysigner

When: Sunday August 7th @ 11a.m--1p.m (notice this is a Sunday--maybe the garden is your cathedral this week?)

Where: ENCM (807 Main St. 37206)

Cost: Free. But we’ll “pass the hat” for our speaker

Limit: 35

This weeks forecast has temperatures reaching into the triple digits and believe it or not it’s time to think about the fall!

This installment of the Backyard Foodways workshop series is on extending the season. We welcome John Dysigner of Bountiful Blessings Farm, a beautiful family run farm in Middle Tennessee. You might know them for their strawberries, or as one of the first farms to offer a winter CSA; I mainly know them for their amazing carrots through winter! As mentees of Eliot Coleman, the Four Season Farmer of Main, the Dysigner’s utilize season extension techniques of low and high tunnels, greenhouses, and suitable crops to extend the harvest right through winter and into the next growing season--talk about “food security”! These people don’t stop farming.

For this hands on workshop we will build a “low-tunnel” and plant a fall/winter bed. We’ll discuss suitable fall and winter crops for your backyard, and management of low and high tunnels, greenhouses, and row covers. John will bring materials for low tunnel construction and winter gardening books for sale, so you can go home and construct your very own and start enjoying the bounty of a winter harvest.

There is a lot of wisdom in the Dysigner’s. It’s a real treat to have them on the East Side for this workshop experience.

RSVP/sign up in the comment space below. Direct any all questions to Justin in the comment space.

Backyard Foodways Herb Workshop update

2011-08-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Our presenter has changed for the Backyard Herb workshop on August 27 has changed to Liz Meeks. Bohdana Fasani, the originally scheduled presenter has moved and is no longer in Nashville. Stay tuned for more information about this workshop--it is shaping up very nicely.

thanks,

justin

ENCM Pizza Party

2011-07-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Cob Workshop #2

2011-07-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Cob Workshop #1

2011-07-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Building the cob oven in the McCoy Memorial Garden. Find the full album on facebook

Cob Building Workshop: Part Two

2011-06-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

What: Cob Building Workshop, Pt. Two
When: July 9, 10am
Where: McCoy Garden (807 Main St.)
Cost: Free (but we'll pass the hat for our presenter)
Lunch: We encourage you to bring a light snack/lunch

Last Saturday we weathered through the interspersed rain to participate in the first of two workshops led by Howard Switzer and Beau Bristow as part of our "Backyard Foodways" series. And it was so worth it! If you couldn't make it out on Saturday, don't worry-- we're doing it again on July 9th. We'll be laying another layer of cob as we continue the construction of our wood-burning oven. Howard Switzer, of EcoVille Architechs, and Beau Bristow, of the Old World Oven Co., will be returning as our guest practitioners. Pictures from last weekend will be up shortly. Come and join us as we learn how to use this unique method of backyard building. Please RSVP in the comment section below.

Hope to see you there.

Cob Building Workshop w/ Howard Switzer and Beau Bristow

2011-06-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

What: Cob Building Workshop
When: June 25, 10am
Where: ENCM (807 Main St. 37206)
Cost: Free (but we'll "pass the hat" for our presenter)

We're back at it! ENCM's Backyard Foodways now present a hands-on workshop on cob building with Howard Switzer and Beau Bristow. No, not the cobwebs in our heads from all this heat, but a method of building. If you are wondering what I mean by "cob", come join us. No experience is necessary. If you know what I'm talking about but haven't had the opportunity of getting your hands (and feet!) dirty, come on over. We'll be mixing cob and applying it to form the oven, more specifically the oven chamber for our garden oven--think pizza, bread, and pies. You should walk away with a clear understanding of what a cob project in your own backyard entails.

We have invited Howard Switzer to help teach us how to use this unique backyard construction material. Howard has been building ecologically sustainable homes with Ecoville ArchiTechs for the past 30 years and has designs utilizing both hay bales and cob. Beau Bristow of the Old World Oven Co. has been hard at work in our garden laying the foundation for our cob oven for a few weeks now. He will be joining Howard in the workshop on Saturday. Beau specializes in customized wood-burning brick and cob ovens.

Sign up and direct all questions to Justin in the comment space below. Please feel free to pass this along to any and all friends. Hope to see you there!

Stay tuned here for a rain update. If nothing is mentioned, we are a go!

Greens, Greens, Greens

2011-06-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Breaking Bread!

2011-06-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

WOW! The cob oven project has started.

2011-05-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Beau Bristow of the Old World Oven Co. is offering ENCM the gift of a cob oven in our McCoy Memorial Garden at 807 Main Street. "Cob" or "abobe," in Beau's words, "refer to clay used as a building material. Wood-fired ovens were originally built with clay and still are in many cultures. Though an adobe oven is simpler than a brick oven, it lacks nothing in it’s cooking ability. Adobe ovens are also a “greener” alternative to brick ovens because they use ingredients that can be found locally and don’t require energy-intensive mining, processing, and shipping. They can also be broken down and returned to the earth easier than bricks and concrete."

We're excited to for this great opportunity and the oven's educational potential and community gathering possibilities. Please follow along with us on this adventure on our facebook page and/or on our blog. Find Old World Oven Co. online here. [The images below are works of Old World Oven. The one currently being built at ENCM is a hybrid--brick foundation with a cob oven on top].

Caldwell EOS "Update" from May 1

2011-05-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

The team at Caldwell EOS are well suited for our big ambitions at Caldwell EOS. The garden is here captured in its "infant" stages and will be expanded in phases to include a butterfly garden, a rain garden, and many many raised beds.

Riverwood Community Garden

2011-05-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is where you will find updates and happenings on the Riverwood Community Garden. You can also follow along on the RCG Facebook pager here.

Trevecca Greenhouse Photo Update--Where All Our Growing Begins

2011-05-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

find whole album on facebook

Inglewood Community Garden Update, May 2011

2011-05-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Photo update of Farm East Gardens

2011-05-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

If you live near Rosebank or Porter Heights, come get involved. We need your help!

Earth Day Festivities...Thank you Events Team!

2011-05-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

McCoy Memorial Garden, April 2011...just beautiful

2011-04-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T22:05:00.001-07:00

When first hearing about how we had to work in a garden for our class this semester I honestly was not too excited about it. I have never really been knowledgeable on the techniques of gardening and never really thought it was an important skill to have. But that quickly changed once I reached ENCM. It was early in the morning on a Saturday, but once I felt awake it was nice to be outside. I couldn't complain about the weather and I was starting to be accepting of the fact I had to spend a couple hours in a garden. I have to agree with what Alison said that what surprised me the most was how much science and technique went into the garden and the things they are growing there. I felt naive thinking that there was no rhyme or reason to how or what they planted in the garden but that they just did whatever they wanted. That I found out was not the case. Everything being grown at the garden holds a purpose and is carefully thought out and executed. I was so impressed by all the knowledge that Justin had on gardening and most of it went way over my head. I'm glad that there are people like Justin and the people at ENCM who care about the gardens and are working to make the world a better place. And are also spreading all their great knowledge with everyone around them. Another thing I was surprised by was where the garden was located. In the middle of an urban city there was the most unexpected spot for a garden but I think that is part of the beauty of the garden; growing things where typically things cannot be grown.

During my time at ENCM I helped Stephanie and Marcus sift through soil which was tiring but not bad at all. We had fun and the time seemed to go quickly. We did a few other tasks, getting the earth ready for planting. It was really nice to do something that I typically would never do on my own and actually get my hands dirty. I think that if people took the time to grow their own food and see where it comes from, they would appreciate it so much more. Working in the garden gave me a new respect for the people who work there, having long and tiring days in the garden. I also have a new respect for people who grow their own food and it gave me the desire to be more involved with my own food in the future. Overall, it was a great day and I look forward to the next time I get to go back to the garden!

Bryanna Ellis

Sarah Hammond ENCM

2011-04-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

During my experience with ENCM I felt very enlightened about the importance of gardening and how it affects and creates community. Initially, I was not very concerned or interested in ENCM because of my lack of experience with gardening, therefore it came as a large surprise to me when I came to realize that the gardens are not only a source of food but inspiration as well. In being located in a little rough area of East Nashville, I thought the gardens would be in a rough state as well. Who knew pieces of flourishing land could exist in such a stripped urban area? Also it seemed evident the amount of work put into the gardens was not of one person's efforts but that of a large group bent on bettering East Nashville through healthy food and the creation of community. The Community of the garden seems vast because of the multitude of participants and their ability to foster relationships with eachother as well as the land. Although it was a slow day and most of the work was already completed, it was a genuine pleasure to be outdoors in a small escape from the stresses of life and to be one with nature. Furthermore, I was more than elated to see the sense of encouragement to create a sustainable means of food for those who can't afford it, and to be a part of this process was an even better feeling. I was pleasantly surprised by the effect ENCM had on me and look forward to future gardening experiences.

Sarah Hammond

Alison Junker- ENCM Blog

2011-04-07T22:34:00.001-07:00

Before arriving at ENCM, I had a few suspicions as what was going to happen. I have not really gardened before but I knew that it was usually very mundane and boring work. Once I arrived however, I began to understand that gardening is not necessarily mundane. While Justin was giving us a tour of the garden, I came to understand that not only did Justin love being in the garden, but he had the whole garden down to a science. This science is necessary for the garden to grow effectively. The tour of the garden opened my eyes to how much work is put into the garden everyday. Each day, there is something in the garden that is working towards the betterment of the community. The decomposing stack of leaves shows how easily we can use the resources around us to provide healthy foods. It was interesting to learn how much of an impact the garden has on these people's lives. The food that they are receiving from ENCM is not only healthy, but can be bountiful through the gardens. I loved that I was able to help in the betterment of the community there. It is crucial that we start giving back to the community through regulating the things that we are putting into our bodies. Through missions like ENCM, communities are making healthy foods available to everyone.

Alison Junker

We'll be at BOTH!

2011-04-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

Lauren Jenkins

2011-04-04T07:11:00.001-07:00

The idea of gardening is one that excites me. I immediately picture lots of blooming flowers and vegetables galore. I cannot imagine rigorous work including digging and raking. We all met at circle K at around 830 on saturday morning. I was very groggy and was not in the mood to do any gardening. As i typed the address into my GPS i told brian and sarah too just follow me over, which was a bad mistake. Apparently the address i had typed in was the wrong one, and we went on a half hour tour of nashville, everywhere but east. Finally, thanks to Allisons resources we were able to get on the interstate and make our way over.
Once we arrived i was shocked to see how small the building actually was. We had discussed in class that it looked a little rough, but the picture did not do it justice. There were piles of clothes and shoes left outside the front door. Ive learned over the years not to judge anything from first appearances, so I gave it a shot. As we walked down the small hill and turned to the garden, It was such a pleasant surprise! As Lauren gave us a tour, I couldn't help but keep thinking how much better this ended up than I thought it would. Even inside, I had no clue how large their pantry was, so I had no idea how many community members they could feed and clothe. It was awesome and Im very excited to go back next saturday :)

Backyard Chickens workshop w/ Ryan ...

2011-03-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

What: Backyard Chicken workshop

When: April 2 12 noon

Where: ENCM (807 Main St. 37206)

Cost: Free (but we’ll “pass the hat” for our presenter)

Here we go again! This time it’s Backyard Chickens with Ryan (last name kept anonymous).

The language we have to use around this workshop is “Chickens as pets”.

Ryan has been a backyard shepherd for some time now and has grown a strong flock (actual number kept anonymous) of heritage breeds. AS PETS, he admires their colors, personalities, and educational opportunities provided to his children. Ryan will have blueprints for his tractor coop that he designed to be cost and space efficient. If we are lucky we may build one. We will be comparing and contrasting classic practices, exposing misnomers and discussing breed recommendations.

Come out. Chickens as pets!

Stephanie Johnson

2011-03-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect when I learned that we were going to ENCM. I mean, I knew we were supposed to be working in a garden, but I had no idea if we were going to be planting, weeding, cleaning vegetables, anything. Little did I know, it was going to be one of the funnest Saturday mornings I've ever had.

To start it all off, it was freezing. And I happened to be the ONLY one who didn't bring a sweatshirt. Lucky me, right? Anyways, Justin gave us a tour of the garden and then put us right to work. I started off with sifting the fertilizer. At least I think that's what it was called. I wasn't too upset because I knew my arms were going to get a phenomenal workout. Who needs a shake-weight when you can sift?! Plus I had a great time getting to know Marcus and Bryanna. We decided that we're taking a trip to England, and then we're taking a road trip to Graceland.

While we were sifting, I was noticing how many people were walking around the garden. There were quite a few kids playing around, and adults going for walks. It made me feel great to be helping out this community and seeing my impact right in front of me.

Another thing that grabbed my attention was how many recyclable materials were being put to use. There was this giant pile of leaves that I thought was simply that; a pile of leaves. Justin later explained that when the leaves break down, there are a ton of nutrients that can be used for the soil. There was also the beginnings of a mud-house. How cool? A shed made from mud bricks? How more resourceful could one get?

In all honesty, this experience has been a blast. And I get to do it all again this weekend! I heard about the impact that ENCM is having on it's surrounding communities, but to see it in action and participate is far more rewarding than reading about it online. I can't wait to see what happens this weekend, and for the rest of ENCM's future!

Blog Prompts

2011-03-23T08:53:00.001-07:00

Attention, students in Dr. Gustke's class -

Respond to one or more of the following prompts with description and detail. Make me feel like I am there.

· What happened at ENCM? Describe your experience at the ENCM garden in terms of your reaction and emotions. Why might you have felt that way?

· How did you feel about the experience? At first? At the end?

· Did anything surprise you about ENCM?

· How did you model citizenship, as you understand it?

· How did you experience community at ENCM?

· What new knowledge do you now have that you didn't have before ENCM?

· What social problems did you encounter and what are possible solutions?

· Connect gardening with writing - how are they similar?

· How, if at all, was/is your gardening related to personal and political agency within the current food system? Is gardening a solution to the current problems of our food system? Why or why not?

· Why is it important to actually garden, instead of just learning about it?

The best blogs will select one part of your experience, and give me details. Remember this is an opportunity for you to be reflective, creative and personal, connecting and exchanging ideas with other community members. The writing of poetry, songs, and personal narrative is greatly encouraged, as are the inclusion of photos, drawings and video. You are required to create at least 4 blogs over the semester. This blog is intended to be a space in which you share your S-L experiences, as well as process, cultivate and exchange ideas for your final research project. Happy blogging!

Grow Some Love!

2011-03-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

What: An art show and fundraising event for East Nashville school garden projects.

When: Saturday March 26 from 5-10

Where: the Green Wagon

Join us Saturday, March 26 from 5 until 10 to show some love for east Nashville school garden projects! Come check out local student art, shop green, and have fun for a great cause! Warner and Caldwell Elementary 2nd graders are teaming up with ENCM and The Green Wagon to raise funds for community gardening. In addition to fabulous student art, Yazoo Beer and Aunt April’s baked goods will be around to show their support. Together, let’s show some love for our kids, their health, their education, and their community!

And this is what Nashville Metro school news had to say...

"Caldwell Enhanced Option Elementary students have spent much of the 2010-11 school year tending to their newly planted and quickly growing gardens. Now, to keep up with the fast growth, the school is looking for the perfect design to expand the garden. Saturday, March 26, winners of the Garden Design Challenge will be announced at a public fundraising event, which will be held at The Green Wagon in East Nashville. The art that inspired the garden design submissions - student artwork - will be on display and for sale. Funds raised will help Caldwell build the new garden design. This is project is being done in close partnership with East Nashville Cooperative Ministry."

Come join us!

Backyard Foodways

2011-03-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Check out our Backyard Foodways photo albums on Facebook.

Thanks to Tatum Stewart for his work with us on growing fruit.
Thanks to Dennis Limon for an extensive lesson on Biodynamics.

Backyard Bio-Dynamics Workshop w/ Dennis Limon

2011-02-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

What: Bio-Dynamic philosophy and seed starting workshop

When: March 5, 12 noon - 3 p.m

Where: ENCM (807 main st. 37206)

Cost: Free (donations to speaker accepted)

Limit: 35 people

The second installment of the Backyard Foodways workshop series welcomes Dennis Limon, bio-dynamics guru and educator. Dennis will be joining us in the garden to demonstrate seed-starting the bio-dynamic way, and discussing the philosophy surrounding this mysterious and spiritual gardening method.

We will be starting "leaf" crops--lettuce, kale, collards, etc., etc.--because march 5 happens to be a wonderful time, according the bio-dynamic calendar, to plant these types of crops. Wonder why? Me too! So come find out! A selection of seed will be provided, along with pots, and a bio-dynamically prepared soil mix. However, feel free to bring your own "leaf" seed. You will walk home with a tray of assorted starts to take care of until planting in your personal garden. Also, bring a clean, chemical free container or glass jug to take home a biodynamically prepared compost tea to use on your garden.

Please RSVP in the comment space below. And also direct any and all questions to justin in the comment space below.

The event will be held as scheduled, rain or shine--we can just go inside!

Thanks All Seasons Gardening and Brewing Supply and Gardens of Babylon for donating a portion of supplies.

Open Call for School Garden Design Proposals!

2011-02-10T10:09:00.001-08:00

Follow this link to participate in an exciting school garden project in East Nashville.

The Caldwell EOS Garden has been an inspiring project thus far, and we are looking forward to being further inspired by the city of Nashville's response and participation in the project.

Stay tuned to the blog for project updates and picture updates throughout the duration of the challenge.

And we will take this time to invite you to the winners announcement and fundraising event which will be held at the Green Wagon on March 26 in conjunction with the EastArt Crawl.

Examples Caldwell EOS 2nd grade Garden Dreams

2011-02-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

2011-02-10T08:35:00.001-08:00

Johnny Shields and family are in town and are here to make it healthier! They're the new owners of The Green Wagon of East Nashville and are already proving their store is committed to supporting the health of our neighborhoods. TGW is beginning East Nashville Sustainable Community Days. They have chosen a local, charitable "green" organization to support each week per month. They will donate a percentage of their sales to ENCM every 3rd Wednesday. A big THANK YOU to Johnny Shields and fam for the partnership. Following is a word about TGW from the (temporary) website.

The Green Wagon houses a classic collection of general store merchandise, witeverything from cleaning supplies to clothing to shampoo to crib mattresses. The store features a "refilling station" where customers can refill their bottles with products like shampoo and household cleaners at a discounted price, instead of buying new containers. A large portion of the products in The Green Wagon inventory are made locally, therefore reducing the business' and customers' carbon footprint that would normally occur during the shipping process and supporting the local economy!

Dance party! Benefitting Plant the Seed garden education!

2011-02-06T14:20:00.000-08:00

Backyard Foodways: A Workshop Series by ENCM

2011-01-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

ENCM will present an 9 part, season-long (February-October), workshop series in an effort to develop the urban food-ways of backyards around Nashville. We believe true food security starts in the backyard, or terraces, or even in the indoor kitchen herb pot: where ever people decide to grow something edible and eat it.

Look for workshops each month beginning in February. Topics and speakers include:

February 19--Backyard Fruit Production w/ Tatum Stewart of Stewart Orchard in Ashland City, TN and man with the best peaches in town.
March 5--Backyard Bio-Dynamics w/ Dennis Limon, bio-dynamic guru and educator.
April 2--Backyard Chickens w/ Ryan Fasani, director of ENCM and backyard shepherd.
June 25--Cob Building w/ Howard Switzer of The Farm and Ecoville ArchiTechs, and long time alternative materials builder. (note the date change)
July 9--Cob Building w/ Howard Switzer (note the date change)
August 7--Season Extension and Cover Crops w/ John Dysigner of Bountiful Blessing Farm and offers one of the only winter CSA’s in Nashville. (note this is a Sunday)
August 27--Backyard Herbs for Tea w/ Bohdana Fasani, herbal enthusiast and radical homemaker.
September 17--Home Preservation w/ Alan Powell, wild-foods guru, local food artist, naturalist, and man of all things good about food.
October 15--Home Bread Baking w/ Justin Owings, garden manager of ENCM and long-time home baker.

These workshops are designed for novice backyard and urban growers. Home gardeners, community gardeners, and those thinking about starting a garden for the first time are all welcome. There is limited space, so RSVP promptly. Workshops are scheduled so that participants can immediately apply what they have learned--they are “seasonally appropriate”.

The workshops will be free. However, donations to those presenting would certainly be accepted.

The first workshop starts Saturday February 19 at 12 noon. It will be on backyard fruit with Tatum Stewart. Look to learn about suitable fruit for this region and varieties for your backyard, potential diseases and preventative measures, pruning techniques, and other basics of fruit production.

This will be followed on Saturday March 5 with backyard bio-dynamics with Dennis Limon, again at 12 noon. This will be a “leaf-day” according to the bio-dynamic calendar, so look to learn about said calendar, seed starting the bio-dynamic way, bio-dynamic preparations, and how it all can make a difference in your garden, your health, and the environment. You will go home with seedling starts for your backyard garden.

stay tuned for details regarding specific workshops as their respective date approaches.

all workshops will be at ENCM located at 807 Main st. 37206.

Backyard Fruit Workshop w/ Tatum Stewart

2011-01-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Workshop is now FULL. See you everyone Saturday! (signed 2-17)

Everyone in the Comment Space is officially RSVP'd.

What: Backyard Fruit Workshop

When: February 19 12 noon to 1:30

Where: ENCM (807 Main st 37206)

Cost: Free (donations to presenter is accepted)

Limit 35 people.

As part of Backyard Foodways: A Workshop Series by ENCM, Tatum Stewart of Stewart Orchards in Ashland City, TN, and man with the best peaches in town, will be presenting a workshop on fruit growing. Come learn about fruit varieties suitable for this region, maintenance and management, potential diseases, pruning techniques, and other basics of growing fruit in your backyard.

Please RSVP in comment space below. Please also direct any and all questions to justin in the comment space below.

Rain plan: the event will happen as scheduled rain or shine. we can go inside in the event of rain.

Receiving Grants

2011-01-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

The cycle of Community Food Advocated mini-grant program has to a close...and we have come out ahead!

Five projects ENCM either directly manages, or is part of in some capacity received grant monies from the Community Food Advocates mini-grant program: McCoy Memorial Garden, Plant the Seed, Inglewood Nazarene Garden, Edgefield Community Garden, and the Caldwell EOS garden. What an accomplishment! Total grant monies was over $1,000 for these project combined!

Here's to a good start to the 2011 season.

Exciting Opportunity!

2011-01-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Wanted: Farm/Garden Manager

Location: Old Hickory Boulevard in Bell’s Bend, Davidson County, about 15 minutes from downtown Nashville

Job Description: Expand and improve existing (1/3 acre) garden up to approximately 2 acres. Duties include all garden/farm work from planning to sales. Responsibilities will include the establishment of a low power irrigation solution with creek water, an annual supply of compost, and an annual marketing plan. Growing will preferably be done with zero use of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers (ie non-certified, organically grown). Duties also include maintenance of a 1400 sq ft. single level house, detached garage, in-ground swimming pool and grounds. Weekly grass mowing in summer is required. Light landscaping (flowers, etc.) is encouraged. The house and property should be maintained neat and orderly at ALL times.

Housing (on site): In exchange for detailed Spring production plan, Farm Manager is not expected to pay rent on 3-bedroom farm house until first market sales. After first market of first season, $230 rent will be due the first of each month. Second season, rent will increase to $460, and third season, to $700 (full rent). Utilities (including garbage collection, water, electricity) are the responsibility of the Farm Manager. Figures are negotiable.

Other Obligations: At least 10% of vegetables grown are to be donated to East Nashville Cooperative Ministry, 1 “share” of vegetables per week go to the owners, and all proceeds from sale of remaining vegetables above operating expenses for the house and garden go to the Farm/Garden Manager. There is a strong possibility of having one full-time, live-in intern per year to manage. Subleasing third room is negotiable. We are looking for a long-term commitment. Inquire for more details.

References: Please provide the names and contact information of three professional references.

Contact: Kevin Seale, sealekt@gmail.com

Relearning Roots: Musings from the Bells Bend Intern

2011-01-11T12:45:00.001-08:00

I remember the string beans hanging from my grandmother’s patio and her grin as she boasted of her fleshy tomatoes. She was a lady, but she snorted when she laughed. And I’m afraid that I take after her, snorting when I laugh and burning the green beans that I cook.

This year I spent a number of hours trellising beans that I had planted thinking they were bush beans. When they started to twist and turn, looking for a place to grow up, I realized I needed to get them some support. Trellising these beans was something of a milestone for me. I learned quickly that the wrong kind of trellis will not withstand the winds that blow through this holler. I learned about failure. And about picking up and trying again. And again. And maybe one more time. It may not sound like a difficult task, but my stubbornness and perfectionism often get in the way of making a task simple. And this is how I have spent much of the year, learning how to take on projects, learning how to screw them up and learning how to forgive mistakes and move forward.

As I clean up the garden from fall, I think of the ways that this space has changed since I first moved in. The garden has morphed each season. There were many fruitful crops, along with a fair share of failures.This six acre tract has also seen nearly 150 laying hens come and go, with the exception of one hen. One pretty awesome chick that I call Charlie. She squawks when I call her and sleeps on my back porch. She's a rather feisty independent hen that's up at the crack of dawn each morning, scratching and pecking. She's taught me a thing or two about the resilience of nature.

The seven months I've spent here have deepened my knowledge of nature and self, requiring me to grow outside my comfort. I had little gardening knowledge when I moved here. But, I recall the overwhelming sense of excitement as I had the challenge of learning a whole lot. I looked at this strange piece of land, not knowing how to tend it, yet feeling a huge sense of responsibility to it. I’d say it was then that I realized I was in over my head. But, perhaps, I already knew I was digging into a lifestyle that would require much more than I understood.

There is a reverence that comes when working with land and continually being present in nature. A reverence that I am not sure I have fully come into. There is the awe. The morning mist hitting my lip as I walk my way to the garden. And the birds that sing their way into the melody of the day. And there is the flesh of the ground, that which is forgiving to my step.

My journey to growing food started with a search for roots. I was wallowing in the quicksand of an existential crisis. I craved something beyond the life that media projects on us. I needed to tangibly experience my spirituality. Needed to grip and flesh, to grit and sink in the nature of existence. Simone Weil writes, “To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.” The are physical and emotional roots, ancestral and spiritual roots; I am in search of all.

Pa Bailey, my great-grandpa was a cowboy, a traveling salesman and when he settled down with his family, he was a sharecropper who played his fiddle at the local barn dances. Grandpa and Grandma Baker had a homestead in Franklin Co, and Grandpa was a farmer by vocation, but a mason by trade. And Great-Grandpa Clark grew up with his thirteen siblings on a 200 acre farm in Farris Chapel. My dad and his brother were cattle farmers early in their lives. And my Papa, their dad, said it was the best life there was. My family tended the land because it was a lifestyle, one they'd grown up with and one that sustained their lives. It was out of necessity that they relied on land.

A root is a telling sign of the health of the soil. The radishes that I tended this fall were not healthy. They split at the ends, looking as if they had legs, itching to run . Perhaps the human soul is the same. If her root hits some unexpected hardness, she will split, attempting to escape the hard ground of her confusion.

I am still searching for a grandmother’s wisdom to wash me clean from the dirt of ignorance. But, my grandmothers have passed. And I cannot pry into my grandmother's rich stories of life without wishing I could hear her laugh. And this is why I went seeking Mother Nature. She has allowed me to wallow in her flesh, in the dirt of my existence. She has pushed me from the edge of reality and planted me.

-lb

"There is no enlightenment outside of daily life."

Thich Nhat Hanh

Chickens? Fresh Eggs? In the City?

2011-01-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

Three eggs, three "farms".

Top: Whole Foods, free-range organic.
Left: Organic, friends chickens from rural Joelton.
Right: Down the street, urban backyard.

Stay tuned for our schedule of urban gardening workshops; come learn how to raise your own chickens; save $4.50/dozen and have healthier eggs than Whole Foods.

It's Winter, but Spring's just around the corner!

19 1/2 second graders long

2010-12-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

Students at Caldwell EOS participated in an unusual activity last week. they measured how many second graders, end to end, it took to measure the length of their existing garden space--19 and 1/2 was their findings.

19 and 1/2 second graders translates to 65 and 1/2 feet X 65 and 1/2 feet. they are measuring the garden space for a garden expansion design challenge to be announced sometime in january.

This comes at the end of a week in which all second graders participated in drawing their perfects gardens in their art class. the drawings are being used to gather important information from these second graders regarding what they want their school garden to be, look like, and include. they drew amazing pictures of butterflies and bees, fruit trees and flowers, outdoor kitchens and classrooms, their friends, teachers, and families. One even drew a scene in the garden of people giving homeless folks food grown in the garden. their drawings will become the criterion by which the expansion design challenge will be judged.

pictures coming soon.

Historic Edgefield Garden

2010-12-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Historic Edgefield Neighborhood Assc, Sky Blue Cafe, Warner Elementary, ENCM, CFA, concerned neighbors, and Edgefield Baptist Church are coming together to plan and implement a multi-purpose garden at 7th and Fatherland. Follow along with the progress here, labeled appropriately: "Edgefield".

Caldwell EOS Expansion!

2010-12-12T12:53:00.002-08:00

Follow us (that is, Caldwell students, teachers, community members, ENCM, and many others) as we work together to expand our garden. Check back often to get updates and news blast concerning the Caldwell Garden. All the posts concerning the garden will be labeled "Caldwell EOS"

Caldwell EOS Expansion

2010-12-12T12:53:00.001-08:00

Belmont University Partnership

2010-12-09T14:52:00.000-08:00

Follow our growing and very rewarding educational partnerships with Belmont University. As of now our partnerships with Dr. Darlene Panvini's Environmental Science courses, Dr. Charmion Guske's Writing course, and Micah Weedman's Service Year are all thriving. Join the journey of these students as they are inspired through our "whole system" approach to food justice work, spending much of their time with our Garden Manager in the cultivating the soil and with our Operations Manager allocating the yield. Check back soon for the reflections and insights of these students.

Cooking Education

2010-12-09T11:23:00.001-08:00

Follow along ENCM's adventures in cooking education. This blog will serve as a journal of our development of cooking education programs. It will also be a way for us to track our successes. Check back soon for updates.

Backyard Gardener Workshop Series!

2010-12-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Come join us this Spring and Summer to learn more about growing and raising food in urban spaces. Check back soon as we post our workshop Series topics and calendar. See you in the garden!

New Program!

2010-12-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

Follow along here for developments of our exciting new, garden-based education program, Plant the Seed.

Cob Tool Shed: Post 2

2010-10-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

Update on the Cob building project.

We've put in lots of man hours in digging out the foundation ditch--a 9 foot diameter circle 1.5-2 feet deep and about 1 foot wide. This was not easy. And then, just the other day, I talked with Howard. Calmly, in that stoic kind of assurance that comes with experience, and the knowing you have that experience he said, simply, "It needs to be wider."

Wider! Good greif!

We are shooting for 18 inches. My untrained eyes thought we were close. Thankfully, we are in good directive hands with Howard.

Back at the dig this week.

In other news since the last post, I have learned that Howard is running for Governor here in Tennessee. Check it out. And good luck to Howard in his campaign.

Cob tool shed: post 1

2010-08-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

After a meeting with a Belmont professor who is committing a group of about 10 every Saturday throughout the fall semester i decided the best project for the fall was to build a cob tool shed.

Cob is a building medium of mixed clay, sand, straw, and water. According to Howard Switzer of The Farm cob building is one of the oldest of all building methods, and last a great deal longer than most other building methods.

After making this decision I found myself talking about the idea to the folks at (n)habit, an environmental design and supply store in the 12th S. neighborhood. Rachel had Howard's card and gave me so that i might get in touch with him. I called Howard the next day and he agreed to help out on this project. He said he was coming town within the next few days and would stop by to give me some advice to get me started. He said I need to dig the foundation to a depth below the frost line, which is going to be about a foot and half, and then fill it with gravel.

So, that's were we are. The area is mostly cleared and cleaned, and I am now thinking about the necessary tools to dig this trench foundation.

2010-05-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

NOTICE!!!NOTICE!!!NOTICE!!!

Pastors, lay leaders, and others: Now that the waters have subsided (a bit), ENCM is in a unique place to connect people-power with need. If your church is in need of hard workers the rest of the week, please email me (ryan@encm.org) the following or reply to our appropriate Facebook page post

church name and location and
day and time you need people.

We'll help make the connection!

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR CHURCH LEADERSHIP!

An Experiment in Community

2010-04-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

From its conception, the Belmont Garden has had as it’s primary mission the strengthening of the Belmont community as well as endeavoring to pursue an improved connection to our surrounding neighborhood. So, while the garden is, in many ways, an experiment in growing food it is perhaps more significantly an experiment in community.

While we do seek to take part in the larger movement towards Nashville’s food security through our partnership with East Nashville Cooperative, we recognize that the Garden will, from a production standpoint, do little to nothing to further sustainability or supply significant amounts of food to the community. But the Garden has huge potential as a symbol of something greater and as an avenue of common work and common space. To those involved, the Garden is about being a part of something greater than yourself. It’s about seeing growth and change both through the care of plants and, in a parallel sense, through the growth of relationships personified in common work and shared success or failure. The healing power of nurturing and caring for a fragile, growing plant should not be underestimated. The shared experience of watching plants grow and the resulting sharing of the produce with one another can do much to form bonds of friendship and further our connection to the beauties of nature. The educational and metaphorical properties that the Garden supplies are seemingly endless.

Last year, the garden was divided into eight small plots. These plots were assigned to individual students who were responsible for the care of their plot, and their plot alone. It made sense. The workload would be light for each student and each student could plant what he or she wanted and invest as much or as little time as they desired. As the weeks went by, some of the plots were attended with much care and resulted in beautiful vegetables. But some plots were not regularly attended and became overgrown with weeds. What little fruit was produced on these plots was not harvested and was left to rot. The students who put in the time and effort got good results those who did not invest the time did not. So, was this a success?

How beautifully this represents the way we are taught to think about success.

In contrast, the concept of having a single common garden as opposed to many individual “personal” plots, is rooted in the essential nature of community. The garden can be seen, if you wish, as a metaphorical representation of communion. In a society so focused on the “self-made” individual and the unrelenting call to be independent and self-sufficient, the communal Garden calls us to pause and reflect on upon the beauty of unified action. If self-interest and self-sufficiency are the ultimate lessons to be drawn from a garden comprised of individual personal plots, interdependence and community responsibility are the lessons to be drawn from a communal Garden. This is a beautiful symbol of the process of learning how to need and be needed.

How will the results differ when we all share responsibility for each other’s success? That is the experiment.

"We can all just share it."

2010-03-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

"...wherever there is stillness there is a still small voice, God speaking from the whirlwind, nature's old song and dance, the show we drove from our town." –Annie Dillard

Every time I drive out to Bells Bend I feel like I’m driving into another world. In a matter of minutes, the scenery changes from buildings and highway to pastures and twisting oak trees. Miles and miles of open space and open air. You could get lost in it just by looking for too long if you're not careful.
As we drove down the winding road with the windows rolled down passing farms, houses, streams and hills I couldn’t help feel that cliché sense of peace begin to fill me up. It may be quaint, but it’s the truth. We pulled into the driveway of Kevin and Molly’s property around 1:00. I still do not know their last name, just that they’re good people who are allowing Fletcher to live in the small house to raise chickens and grow vegetables on the property. On this particular day, a small group of folks from around the city were gathering to build a fence for a new garden. Now when I say garden, I don’t mean a small square piece of soil in a backyard and when I say fence, I don’t mean one of the white picket variety. This garden was about a half of an acre in size and the fence was going on twelve feet high. “A bit excessive!” you might say. Perhaps, but unfortunately deer like fresh produce just as much as we do and unfortunately they can jump quite a bit higher than we can. I like to think that the objective of the fence wasn’t so much to keep the deer out of the garden, but rather to help direct them to the other wonderful feasting opportunities held within the remaining thousand plus acres that surrounded us.

As we drove fencing posts, bolted them together, stretched long strips of fencing and otherwise had a grand ol’ time, a mother and her two daughters who lived in the neighboring house walked by. They had met Fletcher (who had just recently moved in) and came by to see what was going on. As I continued to methodically fasten the fencing to the posts, I listened to them chat about the garden and eventually the conversation moved to dogs. Fletcher has two huge, white, furry, friendly farm dogs that love to be included in conversations. As the two little girls played with the dogs, the mother mentioned that she had found them out of the yard earlier in the week and had brought them back. Fletcher apologized for the dogs (though it was evidently not a big deal). As the chatting continued about neighboring dogs, gardening and property, one of the girls (who looked to be about six) spoke up:

“This not our land or your land. We can all use it. We can all just share it.”

I had to stop what I was doing and just process that for a moment. I had to smile at the pure simplicity of the statement. Wisdom so often comes from those who you’d never expect to be so wise. In the eyes of this little girl, notions of property, land ownership and corrupted self-interest did not exist. “We can all just share it”. That was it. No need for property lines or fences. Why not? We all live next to each other and we all want to run around on it or play in the dirt. Why wouldn’t we share it?

Kids blow my mind.

-Austin

Planting Potatoes

2010-03-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I planted potatoes at the Bells Bend Community Farm. The resulting experience was not something I was expecting. After the planting I felt a heightened connection to my food.

Connecting to my food is a venture I have been on for some time now, and in fact, the pursuit of this connection is ultimately what led me to ENCM to work as the garden manager. No doubt, my connection to food has deepened with every seed panted and every leaf, fruit, root, or flower eaten. But, this past weekend I planting potatoes.

The scene is this:

After an eleven-hour workday of planting at the Inglewood community garden (greens, beets, flowers) and constructing a fence at Kevin and Molly Seale's newly purchased farm in Bells Bend, I called Eric Wooldridge to ask if he was still planting. After a few rings he answered, “Thank God it’s you!”. A short conversation ended with me saying I was on my way to help.

I arrived and parked at the bottom of the newly plowed field. As the field tucked between a row of wind breaking trees, a hedge of brambles, and open cow pasture came into view I saw Eric on the tractor. A handful of folks with baskets of ready-to-plant-potatoes hanging from their hips were moving barefoot in Tennessee’s iconic red soils under Eric’s direction. In no time I had a basket at my hip and was standing in the middle of a fresh furrow.

The instruction for actually planting the potatoes was not totally foreign to me; drop the potato in the furrow eye’s up, and step them into the ground--this is a traditional method of planting. This is what I, and the others, did--dropped the potato and walked it into the dirt; skin to skin.

The act of feeling the potato, the food item I will eat in 100 days, physically touching my foot, the cool soil pressing between my toes connected me to the food, the ground, the future of the food, the future of the ground, and all the familiar faces around me. The word cosmic keeps coming to mind, for this new, deeper, and overwhelming connection to all these thing around me was expected, exhilarating, refreshing, and healing.

Planting the humble potato helped heal me to the Earth we have all become broken to.

I need to further explain why this was a "new" experience, because as i have said i have had many profound openings to food. Why would this experience be any different?

Potatoes are different because of the actual connection to my feet. All other forms of connecting, or re-connectiing, to food is above the waist. When we taste fresh local strawberries for the first it is with our mouth. When I make a connection between local, sustainably grown food and hunger relief, poverty, religion, global economies, the environmental movement, or politics, it is with intellect, or my head. When I am placing a seed in a soil-block at the greenhouse it is with my hand. We rarely consider our feet, or other parts of our bodies, as mediums to connect with food. But when I was planting potatoes and felt them sink into the ground under my bare feet, I instantly felt the connection to the aforementioned ideas. I had beautiful landscape around me; a tucked away field secluded from all society, a hill in the distance between the bare early-spring tress, and a creek just below our field. I had beauty. I had potatoes, the idea of potatoes, and hope.

Connection, healing, and beauty is not something we often truly experience in our daily lives. I encourage all readers of this post to please plant potatoes somewhere--and take your shoes off!

Reflections on Biodynamics

2010-03-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Biodynamics. It seems this word evokes an interesting emotional response when said and talked about among growers, and those new to growing. For me, I meet the word with hesitation and interest. I am hesitant because so much about the philosophy is unknown to me. The mystery surrounding this practice could be intentional as far as I can surmise. I am interested because I’ve seem the amount of food grown on biodynamic fields.

The philosophy, and it is important to consider this a philosophy just like “organic” (when either of these ideas morphs from philosophy to a marketing gimmick, as in organics, the purity of the practice is corrupted) was first described to me as “beyond organics”. And in a sort of weird joke biodynamics was described as “organics on steroids”. “Steroids” is just used to elude to biodynamics being equivalent to organics pumped up, or taken to an extreme. Organic on steroids would just be the industrial food system.

So, my interest finally got the best of me and I have been following a biodynamic planting calendar since early February. The calendar is the only biodynamic practice I am following, I have not yet delved into the world of biodynamic preparations--bull horns, etc. But, following this calendar has proven to warrant public reflection (I am not trying keep biodynamics shroud in mystery!). I would like to express some thoughts on the subject for those who may have never heard of the concept, or are like me with feelings of hesitation and interest but have been scared to try practicing biodynamics.

The calendar is based astrological phases--not very strange since all calendars are basically based on this. But, the calendar is also based on knowing when certain planets will be in a particular alignment with the Earth, moon, sun, and other planets. For example, a biodynamic experiment demonstrated that a particular planet influenced the flower color of certain plants. When these seeds were planted during the period Mars was influencing the earth, the flowers were red. When planted with venus, yellow; with Pluto, blue. This sounds really crazy, and sort of exciting, but as far as I know every farmer, and maybe everyone, in ancient societies knew this type of information. We are all still told in grade school how ancient cultures, the Myans, Egyptians, etc planted by constellations and when they were visible in a particular part of the night sky. It is also well known of how explorers used the stars for navigating. What I am trying to say is that these are not new ideas, and are in fact really old. We have simply forgotten them. In true Puritan/American fashion we decided we would do without ancient knowledge--we would find our own way.

What I feel has been the most positive aspect of using this calendar is its power to organize. The calendar breaks up plant types into four categories--leaf, root, fruit, and flower. Everyday corresponds to one of these categories. So, when I go into the greenhouse to start seeds in early February I can go in knowing exactly what I am going to plant that day. This has brought clarity and focus to my thoughts while planting. If I know it is a leaf day, my mind is consumed with thoughts of lettuce, spinach, kale, collards and other leafy plants. I can focus on those specific plants. I am not distracted by thoughts of tomatoes, or beets, or anything. If nothing else, I think the intentionality that this calendar brings to my interactions with seeds is the most influential result. I am ok with saying that the seeds can detect my energy, and will either feed on or reject that energy. By being as intentional as I can with the seeds, the greater chance I have that they will respond positively to me. And, as a grower, I have a vested interest in how the plants respond to me. The idea of intentionality has opened me up to a prayer I say when sowing seeds. It is an Indian prayer that Indian farmers say during planting. They say, “May this seed be exhaustless.”

I have also found myself feeling personally connected to other farmers following this calendar, and the moon. I’m not sure if this has any real affect on my plants and such, but I can imagine feeling more connected to people and natural elements is positive. When I plant tomatoes and then notice an almost full moon the next night, I feel the moon and I are working together to grow those tomatoes. The same is true with feeling connected to other farmers. I feel supported by them when I know we are all planting the same type of plant on the same days.

There are more scientific explanations of the benefits of biodynamics. It is said that when the moon is closer to the earth or full, it causes the seed to swell from the water in the seed. This makes since considering the moons affect on ocean tides.

I actually haven’t found any negative aspects to working with the calendar. However, I would not recommend relying totally on the biodynamic methods. You still have to be knowledgeable of gardening and farming. You still have to keep an eye on the weather. You still have to build your soil. You still have to cover crop. You still have to listen to your plants needs. And you still have to watch for pests.

The South!

2010-03-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

I've recently delved into Literary Nashville, a collection of fiction and non-fiction writings about Nashville or written by authors who have been influenced by Nashville. One of the inclusions is titled "I'll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition" and is an excerpt from an Agrarian symposium published in 1930. The work was created by twelve noted Southerners with professions ranging from psychologist to poet to political economist. The symposium is a "refutation... of the mechanistic and materialistic values of industrial urbanism" (19). Sound familiar?

It is made abundantly clear that this is a battle: Southern agrarian tradition and modern industrialism cannot coexist. It must be "Agrarian versus Industrial" (20). There is no possible mingling of the two, for they represent opposing cultural ideals.

Even that early on in industrialism - for it had not been a great amount of time since Ford's assembly line that led to revolutionizing factory work - it was apparent that industrialism did not have the consumer's best interest in mind. The symposium notes the curious circumstance that people had become "enamored of industrialism," despite the fact that it is "a system that has so little regard for individual wants." This little regard includes the successful attempts of "the producers, disguised as the pure idealists of the progress [to] coerce and wheedle the public into being loyal and steady consumers, in order to keep the machines running."

Despite noting that industrialism is a harmful system, these authors were far from accepting its inevitability. Instead, they had high hopes for the agrarian lifestyle being regained:

"An agrarian regime will be secured readily enough where the superfluous industries are not allowed to rise against it. The theory of agrarianism is that the culture of the soil is the best and most sensitive of vocations, and that therefore it should have the economic preference and enlist the maximum number of workers."

We can heartily agree with these gentlemen in their well-stated conclusion, as relevant today as it was 80 years ago:

"For, in conclusion, this much is clear: If a community, or a section, or a race, or an age, is groaning under industrialism, and well aware that it is an evil dispensation, it must find a way to throw it off. To think that this cannot be done is pusillanimous. And if the whole community, section, race, or age thinks it cannot be done, then it has simply lost its political genius and doomed itself to impotence."

This is just skimming the surface of this interesting document - I'll be checking the entire thing out at the library, so there is more come.

The Life and Times of R.W. Kale (pt. 3: Adolescence)

2010-03-01T08:28:00.000-08:00

“Just toss ‘em in the water! They’ll learn how to swim quick enough.”

Praise God that’s not how my parents taught me to swim, but the method seems to have been a popular one back in the day. What exact day that was I’m not quite sure, but I know that every person who has advocated for the “sink or swim” aquatic training program has had more wrinkles than an elephant and has also done a lot of walking up hill both ways in bare feet. That’s not to say that these old folks didn’t turn out to be great swimmers or that all that hill walking didn’t build some mighty fine character, but if I am going to be honest (and I am), I am glad that I had my inflatable floaties for my first solo swim. I’m not too fond of the drowning sensation.

Spring is coming quickly but the chill winter air still wants to linger for a bit longer. As Justin and I walk into the greenhouse the warm air still feels like a wave of comfort. Spring is in sight, but it’s being painfully slow in its approach. Looking around it becomes apparent that despite the weather outside, everything is rapidly growing with the protection of thick glass walls and a heating unit. The greenhouse is saturated with so many shades of (oddly enough) green. Trays upon trays of quickly growing leafy plants cover the shelves. The sheer quantity of sprouting life fascinates me and for a moment I simply stand in proud awe and joy at what I’ve helped to nurture.

“Alright, so first we need to take all of the trays outside.” My joy and fascination quickly float away as Justin’s words are processed in my brain. What was I just saying? Oh yeah, something about “sheer quantity” and “joy and awe”. Well great. What I am hearing is that I have to carry every bit of that “sheer quantity” outside only to carry it right back inside after a few hours. This does not make sense to me. Justin tells me that this is called “hardening off” the plants. “We do this to get the plants used to the weather.” This still does not make sense to me. Why can’t we just keep them in the greenhouse until spring gets a bit closer and then stick ‘em in the ground? Justin tells me that if the plants are not hardened off, the shock of being permanently planted in the chill ground after being in the sheltered warmth of the greenhouse could cause them to wilt or potentially die. “They might do alright, but it would be an added risk.”

In my head I’m saying, “Just stick ‘em in the ground! They’ll learn to grow quick enough.” I think I might have more in common with those wrinkled old timers than I thought. But I suppose patience and risk aversion make for good parenting.

I guess I’ll air up the floaties.

The Life and Times of R.W. Kale (pt. 2: Infancy)

2010-02-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

26 degrees. That’s what the thermometer was telling me and I believed it. In the short walk from the car to the greenhouse my toes felt more like odd-shaped icebergs than active members of my body. My hands were stuffed in my coat pockets and my hood was flung awkwardly over my head but I still felt the frigid winter air cut through me like a machete cuts through Jell-O (not that that would ever happen). I don’t care how cute Nat King Cole makes him sound, right about then I felt like punching Jack Frost in the face for nipping at my nose.

As I opened the greenhouse door and stepped inside, I was hit by an oh-so-welcome wave of warm air. There was something comforting and hopeful about entering this place that was full of growth and life while the rest of the world was still frozen and waiting impatiently for spring. But as nice as this felt, an odd thought entered my head: Were we cheating nature? Was this allowed? With this thought still in my head I walked over to the tray of Red Winter Kale that I had started just a week ago.

As I peered closely at each of the many small kale sprouts, I noticed something new. These sprouts were little more than an inch tall, but in between each pair of ordinary looking leaves there was a single, new leaf forming. Justin tells me these are called “true leaves”. They had rough, pointed edges and tiny bright red veins. Last week, I could not tell these sprouts apart from any of the other seedlings in the greenhouse, but today with the formation of the third “true leaf”, these infantile plants proclaimed their unique identity as Red Winter Kale. As I continued to stare at these tiny plants, I thought back to the frigid air outside.

Earlier in the day, Justin and I had discussed whether there was a difference between a greenhouse and a nursery. While I'm not sure what the definition of a 'nursery' is in terms of gardening, when I hear the word 'nursery' I think of a place where toddlers and newborn babies are held and talked to and read stories. I imagine a place of safety, a place of warmth, a place where infants are protected from the dangers of the outside world. For a short time, these infants are entirely dependent on the care of others. A nursery is a place of excitement, joy and growth but at the same time it is a place of urgency, responsibility and attentiveness on the part of the caretakers.

We didn’t come to an official conclusion, but as far as I'm concerned, I think the word 'nursery' describes this place pretty well.

-Austin

The Life and Times of R.W. Kale (pt. 1: Birth)

2010-02-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

"Huh. What do ya know. They look like little magic 8-balls."

I wondered if this thought ran through all great gardeners’ minds when they opened their first seed pack. Had to be. The label said RED WINTER KALE but I was skeptical. Kale is green. This seed is... definitely black. As I plucked a seed out of the package, I paused for a moment and peered closely at the small, round piece of nature that almost disappeared in the crease of my palm. It was staggering to comprehend the amount of mystery that this tiny black seed afforded my mind. Where did this seed come from? Was I truly supposed to believe that this little speck was going to grow into the lush, green salad that I saw in the produce section of the grocery store? That is what I am told.

As I dropped a single seed into each of the one-inch square soil blocks in greenhouse tray, my mind continued to swirl. These seeds had lived together inside a little paper package for close to a year with no change in appearance, no growth, no activity. But by simply being in contact with a small piece of soil, this tiny round seed is supposed to blossom into life. That is what I am told. I am supposed to suspend my reason for the moment and simply trust in a process of which I have no understanding. That is what I am told.

So for now I wait.

…and wait.

I don’t understand it. What was it about the soil and the sunlight that caused such a dramatic change? A few short days ago, I held a tight-knit crowd of dry, round spheres in my palm. Now, in the place of each of those seemingly lifeless specks I see two bright green leaves bursting forth from the soil. I do not understand how this happened, but this is what I see. How did this soil, created from the death of so many other plants prompt this new life to come up? I’m sure there is a comprehensive scientific explanation for this phenomenon but, at this moment in time, I am content to be mystified.

If there are any spiritual or personal analogies to be drawn from this process, I leave that to you. As for me, I know that I will never see a leaf of Kale the same again.

Peace, love and compost,

-Austin

The Insatiable Idea of Spring, or Spring, Here we Come!

2010-01-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

The central question I want to ask is: Why is the idea of Spring so powerful?

It’s been above 50 degrees almost everyday for the past two weeks. My winter thoughts have gone from seed catalogs and garden layouts to greenhouses and planting dates. In January these thoughts would normally be ridiculous and/or impossible if were not for the past two weeks (global warming?...just kidding). However, the thoughts would normally be entering my head sometime in February, which is still ridiculous. I assume the thought of Spring at such a ridiculous time has something to do with power of the idea of Spring.

When thinking of this power of Spring it is easy to jump to Sunday-school-esc answers. “Spring is about birth”, for example. Of course, new birth is a core concept to Spring. I don’t want to negate the importance of connecting birth and spring. The idea certainly goes deep. Spring coalesces with the re-birth of Jesus. This, of course, after the time of Lent.

And Lent, of course, is the period at the end of February and all of March, and is a time of fasting, or giving-up. Typically, something like chocolate for folks today. But, this timing in February and March is actually an interesting one when practically considering the availability of food in subsistence agriculture.

To share something personal right now, I have no food. It has been a few weeks since I ate anything I grew myself--without the supper market I would have starved to death by now. Even if I had planned for this winter by canning, storing, or preserving food I had grow, by now I would start to see a dent in the stock and I’d be getting a little worried. Barbara Kingsolver in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle about her year eating only what she grew says the real problem with subsistence production is not the winter, as most suspect, but is actually early spring. By early spring most food that had been put up in summer and fall is almost gone, and things are only just beginning to be planted outside--which means it’s going to be another two months before any harvest. Enter Lent; the time of fasting. Lent becomes obviously practical within a subsistence agriculture framework, like the one that existed up till the industrial revolution, and one someone like Jesus and the folks of the early church would have been very familiar with.

Interestingly, as we have become more and more disconnected from food and food production, Lent is now touted as a time to do something you normally don’t--not to fast, or give-up in other words. We have turned the season of fasting into a season that one could potential consume more of something. Work out more, or eat more healthy fruits and vegetables, for example. Lenten promises have sort of become like new year’s resolutions. In becoming disconnected from food and food production we have also become disconnected from the very religious traditions we cling to as part of our identities.

I want to go deeper, or peel back a few layers to this story. In trying to go a little deeper with the concept of Spring I came to the word potential. I need not explain the idea of potential within the resurrection of Christ celebrated in Spring.

So, potential in what? And for what? Honestly, I am not sure exactly. For me, it’s one of those tip of the tongue, can’t quite put my finger on it, can only know it when I see it kind of things. (potentially a metaphor for my personal identity?)

But, to speak simply, in Spring I see the potential of a beautiful crop. I see a lush garden bursting with fruit and leaf and wildlife. I see dinner--kale pizza is almost here! I see people and groups moving throughout the garden, admiring some particular plant, picking a leaf or tomato to eat. This foresight ultimately sees the potential of a healthy soil, healthy bodies, and the commitment to tend a garden.

I should also not forget the importance remembering has in this idea of potential; a healthy mind if you will. For the potential is there in those beds for us gardeners to correct last years mistakes, if we remember them. The cruelty of gardening is that gardeners only get one chance each year to do their job right, and if it goes wrong we have to wait till the following Spring to try again. Spring becomes the time act on our promises to the garden: I’ve promised to take better care of the basil this year, for example.

For what? This is where I am not so sure. The general optimism for the future maybe? Though, I just gone explaining the reflectiveness Spring entices. For something to happen? Like some spiritual awaking in myself? To find a true identity? Or the process of getting to know folks in the neighborhood via the garden? Something really shallow and selfish like job security? I am not sure what for. Maybe there isn’t much there to begin with.

Either way, today, marks the official beginning of my season. I planted collard greens, kale, leeks and onions in the greenhouse. Tomorrow is mustard greens, and more collard greens. I used a mixture of one part garden compost that I made, one part potting mix, and one part sand for the leeks. Then mad soil blocks with potting mix for everything else. These starts will all be transplanted in the garden in a about 6 to 8 weeks and will be harvested sometime in the middle of May. Then they will be dinner.

[I’ll also mention that there is a swimming pool at the farm. Just sayin’, that’s a pretty insatiable idea of Spring right now too!]

-justin, garden manager

Spring

2010-01-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

I'm working through what I learned from The End of Food, but for now here's a simple list of educational spring objectives:

1. Visit farms, mostly in the mid Tennessee area. I'd like to hear the stories of the different farmers in our area. I know some were born into a farming heritage (like the Delvins, who have three generations contributing) and some followed a passion that led to striking out into unknown territory.

Delvin Farms (produce)
Hatcher Dairy
Peaceful Pastures (grass-fed meat)
Mamushi Nature Farms
Cloverbell Farm (Dexter cattle breeders)
Arugula Star
Noble Springs (goat dairy)
The Farm (in Summerville)

2. Continue with book-learning. This covers anything from the practical to the theoretical to the personal. Here are a few on my list.

Food Politics
Wendell Berry (so so so so SO excited to finally get into his writing)
Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep and Cows
Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life
Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean and Fair
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Just Food: How Locavores Are Endangering the Future of Food and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly - This book is against the main beliefs I've grown into, but I want to read it for that reason, to understand the other side of the argument.
Slow Food Revolution

3. Learn/research more about:

Urban homesteads
Micro-farms
Urban farming (Chicago, Detroit)
Food Cooperatives
Beekeeping
Cheese making
Canning/preserving
Raising poultry, particularly chickens

Dexter: the cow, not the serial killer

2010-01-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

On a note unrelated to the ENCM garden, this breed of cattle is pretty darn great. Dexter cattle are naturally small; they were not bred to be miniature, that's just how they are. In the spring I'll be visiting a Tennessee farm that breeds these sweet critters.

More breed information here:

American Dexter Cattle Association

Someday, if I own a couple acres outside the city, I'd like a milk cow. If that ever happens, Dexters are my breed of choice (unless one bites me when I visit Clover Bell...).

The cold, hard facts

2010-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

I'm knee-deep in The End of Food and, while from what I can tell the very end is going to offer some hope, it is a difficult read because of the subject matter. Every aspect of our food system is so, so broken. None of it is sustainable. We are severely depleting natural resources and there are no viable solutions to keep things running the way they are. When we run out of water to produce grain, what is the alternative to that?

I was looking at these agricultural statistics for Tennessee and can see how our state is being affected by our food system. All these statistics cover changes over a 10 year period, between 1997 and 2007.

The world's meat consumption is steadily rising, a trend that is far from sustainable. Meat, particularly beef, is a highly inefficient use of calories: it takes 20 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of beef. In Tennessee, between 1997 and 2007, the number of acres used to grow crops decreased by 1.4 million, while the number of acres used for pasture (i.e. to grow meat) increased by 1.4 million. No surprise, the #1 agricultural commodity is cattle. Meat is becoming a priority.

Globally we are chipping into our non-farming acres, as all immediately arable land is already in use. In Brazil, 8,000 square miles of rainforest are depleted for the sake of farming (typically for poultry or beef production). In America, soil-fragile acres are being put to use, acres that the gov't has paid farmers NOT to use because of the risk of destroying the soil completely. In Tennessee, the number of acres conserved dropped by over 100,000 acres, a 25% decrease.

The good news in all this? Most Tennessee farms are NOT mega farms, which are known for their high costs on the environment due to higher use of pesticides and fertilizers. Tennessee's average farm size is 138 acres. A farm that size can be ecologically sustainable with a "small farm" vibe - our local Delvin Farms is almost 100 acres and is a family enterprise that remains in touch with its customers and the environment, growing quality organic produce.

Is there hope for change? Yes. The average age of a Tennessee farmer is 54, something that will change as folks from our generation (ages 20-30ish) develop a passion for the land. We need to glean knowledge from these farmers who have been working the land since the 50s or 60s. There is a huge gender discrepancy: there are almost 83,000 male farmers, but only 8,500 females. Let's rise up, ladies and young folks of Tennessee!

http://www.ers.usda.gov/stateFacts/TN.HTM

Begin at the beginning

2009-12-30T21:50:00.001-08:00

I've been trudging through The End of Food by Paul Roberts as the starting point for the literary side of my garden education. The End of Food takes a look at the national and international food system, delving into its history and outlining its current weaknesses and failings. It's rough going - the book is confirming facts I already suspected/knew about the food industry/system, but does so through VERY. THOROUGH. reporting. Not the easiest read.

The End of Food did, however, get me thinking about my passion for just food. My path began at the beginning. Food has always, always been important to my family. My mother is an excellent daily cook, with tried and true recipes for everyday life. My father is an excellent gourmet cook, with recipes for weekends and special occasions. We don't just eat food, we EAT FOOD. We love it. When I was growing up, we hardly had any processed foods in our house. We rarely went out to eat and rarely had tv-dinner nights. A love for food was instilled into my brothers, my sister and me.

Fast-forward to April of 2009. I was sunk deep in the misery of post-high-school-graduation food habits, despite the fact that I had graduated high school 6 years earlier. My freezer was packed with delicacies such as chicken nuggets, corn dogs and fries. These were supplemented with excellent culinary choices including Kraft mac n' cheese, Pop Tarts and Hamburger Helper. It was easy, I wasn't visibly unhealthy, why not?

Then, on a day in April, I picked up a copy of The Local Table, a Nashville publication about Middle TN agriculture. I settled in with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate at Ugly Mugs and opened the magazine. I read about young farmers in the Middle Tennessee area. These people were no different than me - they came from non-farming backgrounds, yet discovered a passion for good food and good agricultural practices and dived in headfirst.

That magazine sparked something wonderful. Over the spring and across the summer, I walked down a new path. I started to experiment with cooking. I became a regular at the East Nashville farmers market, every Wednesday from 3-6. I watched Food, Inc. and learned about the corruption that makes up the food industry. I gradually eased into vegetarianism, at first attempting to hold on to my favorite meat addiction by being a Chick-fil-a-tarian then finally embracing the new mindset that came with that dietary choice. I visited a small local farm and began to buy a CSA (community supported agriculture) share from that farm. I bought less processed food, buying organic-only and mainly from local grocery stores. I not only ate food, but I thought about food. I not only thought about food, I thought about those whose blood, sweat and tears went into its creation.

And I talked talked talked about what I was learning, the new things I was seeing. In doing so I discovered that so many people I knew had similar desires to see our food system change, similar fascination with the natural things we have so fallen out of touch with. Things are changing in a very exciting way. I'm not the only one, there are people before and after me on this path that I am so blessed to be on.

It is not a coincidence that I picked up that magazine so unsuspectingly. It is not a coincidence that this passion for just food has been sparked. This seed was planted with as much thought and care as the seeds we will bury in the garden this spring. All I can do is give thanks and reap the rewards that are already pouring into my life in such abundance.

This new way of looking at life is a blessing I do not take for granted. It is part of the gospel of the Lord's goodness, of His careful crafting of the world for our benefit, of His nourishment of our bodies and souls - it is this gospel I want to communicate to those whose lives touch my own.

We got rats! = We got cats!

2009-12-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

So while turning the compost piles, we came across a nest of rats. Ew. The obvious solution was cats. This is Chamomile, the newest addition to the garden.

With any luck, this little lady will earn her keep and catch those pesky rodents or at least scare them away. We're crossing our fingers and hoping that she'll stick around - there's no way to force her to stay if she doesn't feel like it, but she has a cozy nook with rugs and old shirts to snuggle down in.

God made dirt and dirt don't hurt

2009-12-16T12:58:00.001-08:00

...but it sure does stink.

This month I've had my first couple experiences turning compost. I'm the new intern-ish person at the garden and I'll be honest, a smelly compost pile is not exactly what I had in mind when I signed up to learn how to grow things. When Justin, Kern and I turned the piles a few weeks ago, they were full of rotting pumpkins, onions and coffee grounds. Since compost can heat up to 180 degrees, the heat produced delicate odors of hot coffee, sauteed onions, and human feces. It should probably be patented into an air freshener scent.

Despite the odiferousness of these piles, they are the perfect place for my garden education to begin. My knowledge is literally growing from the ground up. Soil is the most important component to a successful garden and I'm learning how it is made. We help the process along by putting in the right stuff - veggie and fruit scraps, eggshells, leaves, sticks - and turning the piles to shift things around and help aerate, but most of the work is done by the critters that live in these piles - worms, roly polys, beetles, ants and little microscopic thingies.

This seems to be what gardening is all about - helping along the natural process of growth and development. Our role is not to create, but to cultivate.

Death, December, and the Nature of Urban Gardening

2009-12-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Gardening is teaching me the unavoidable truth of death. Society seems to tell us living longer is better, or that being younger is more desirable; essentially that death is to be feared and avoided. But the garden tells us otherwise. And I will go further and say the layer of “urban” to garden reinforces the theme of unavoidable death. I apologize for getting gloomy here, but it’s December and it gets dark too early.

I will start with the more intuitive understanding of death in the garden.

We have to understand that death is part the natural cycle of the garden: simply one small transformation with the context of a large transformation, namely birth, sprout, growth, death, and re-birth, or the life cycle. Plants must die in order to set seed and live again, and truly so that we can live. This is the nature of December and this time of year.

I could go on to talk of the death and life of the soil. In death soil becomes alive. For composting I put dead and decaying plant and vegetable matter mixed with dead leaves or chopped up trees. At the moment of the mixing life begins. Tiny bacteria and fungi grow and live. Then larger insects and grubs, like worms, are attracted. The soil almost vibrates with life; all from death.

I want to add something a little less conventional when talking about the garden, and something that is a little more real for me right now.

Last week (Thursday December 10, 2009) Carl, a homeless guy who came into the coop regularly and was quit the character, was found frozen to death just two or three blocks away. I don’t really have any insights into this matter, just that death seems to surround us, and most of the time we can ignore it or try to avoid it until death is too close to be ignored. I must have been doing a good job of ignoring death because Carl’s death shocked me. It has really confused me. His death seems senseless. I mean, how can a man freeze to death? Why and how do we let that happen? Could i have done anything?

But I have to comfortable with death, though sometimes senseless like with Carl, in such a way that I don’t hide from it. The nature of this urban garden, and I’m sure others, is that Carl will not be the only homeless guy I know that dies while I am here.

Inside in December

2009-12-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

It's cold!

This time a year I am finding myself inside more than out. Being inside, I have begun thinking more about gardening inside. I found this video on inside plants (winter is the time for research, reading, dreaming, and seed catalogs).

I don't have any of those plants. But, I have been growing a spider plant (chlorophytum comosum) and two peace lilies (Spathiphyllum). Spider plants absorb carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, and filters mold spore allergens and other harmful toxins. They don't look beautiful, but good enough, and they are functional. They are easy to propagate because they actually grow new plants at the end of their leaves. All you do is cut the new plant off and put it in a new pot of dirt.

Peace lilies are known for their work in filtering mold spores too. Try placing them in the bathroom because they may reduce mold build up in showers and shower curtains, and can filter air of chemicals often used in the bathroom (hair spray, etc).

NASA studied and named many house plants and their benefits.

Pests/Diseases: Cabbage Loppers

2009-11-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Currently there is a bed of the garden planted in turnip greens, radishes, soybeans, and finally collard green. The bed was planted for the fall, and the soybeans are left over from a late summer planting.

The collard greens and the radishes closest to the soybeans are being attacked by a group of cabbage loppers. Cabbage loppers are small green caterpillars that, according to Rodale’s Vegetable Garden Problem Solver, “Feed on cabbage family crops (collard greens), lettuce, spinach-family crops, peas, tomatoes, and other crops.” A quick google search found that “other crops” include soybeans. Seems I’ve created a good habitat for these caterpillars.

The damage is mostly to the collard greens. The caterpillars have eaten young leaves to their ribs.

Peas lie in the next bed over and I have seen no damage. There is also collard greens planted in another part of the garden—a part removed from proximity to soybeans—that has no damage.

Rodale’s Vegetable Garden Problem Solver suggests attracting beneficial insects to the garden (natural predators of the cabbage lopper) to control the pest problem. The clearest predator of cabbage loppers listed in the Problem Solver book is the Spined Soldier Bug. It also suggests row covers, which I see would have been beneficial in my case, handpicking them, which I’ve been doing for the past three days, and a spray of garlic or hot pepper.

What I am also going to try is 1) leaving the soybeans alone as long as I can. If the caterpillars are attracted to soybeans, I’d rather they eat them than the collards. 2) Dressing the collards and radishes with compost and mulching with leaves, which should make it a little more difficult for the caterpillars to move from plant to plant.

The importance of Herbs in the Garden

2009-11-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

It's flue season, and that means it’s time to talk about natural medicine.

In the garden I have planted a few types of herbs: thyme, parsley, lemon balm, chamomile, oregano, sweet marjoram, mint, cilantro, borage, and basil. Mostly, the use of herbs in the garden was for the purpose of attracting beneficial insects and repelling pests. But, many of these herbs hold many healing properties.

I was dealing with an illness for a few days and found myself researching the healing properties of these herbs. Most everything comes from reading the book 20,000 Secrets of Tea.

For example, thyme is an amazing plant with regards to healing properties. According to the book, thyme is also known as the “knockout infection fighter”. It is antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, and others. I don’t really know what some of the means, but I have been making tea with it, and letting it steam in a pot to cleanse the air. I think a bath with would be beneficial too.

Lemon balm is another good herb to have around this time a season. Lemon balm used to be known as the “cure-all”. Lemon balm has antidepressant, antihistamine, antibacterial, antiviral, eases tension, and other properties. I’ve been blending lemon balm with parsley to make tea.

Parsley’s reputation is wide. My reference book says it, “is a winner when it comes to wholesome brews and healing virtues.” The book goes on to say, “It carries a hearty share of disease-fighting nutrition, including plenty of vitamins A and C antioxidants, protein, B-complex, chlorophyll for the cell….” I gave it to my roommate at the first sign of him getting sick.

Those are just few herbs I have growing. I am also waiting on rosemary and sage to mature. I’ll be planting lots of lavender next spring. And I am praying that the chamomile that self-seeded this summer, and is beginning to sprout wildly will make it over winter. So, to any new gardeners out there, I encourage you to plant some herbs with your vegetables. They will help with pest management and help you fight off the flue and other infections.

To Start Stepping on Toes: Addressing AN Elephant in the Church

2009-11-04T13:11:00.000-08:00

Here is where I am coming from:

The work in the garden is a prayer. The fruit is the result of that work—mine and natures and God’s. That fruit is the most nutritional, and healthy—for consumers and growers. I believe food (and I mean food in the truest sense of that word and nothing of fuel or filling) grown using sustainable methods and consumed within a local context is what God would intend for us. I truly believe—in that religious sense—in what I am doing.

I am also imperfect. My relationship with the food I consume is so far away from I want it to be I feel hypocritical when talking of the subject, and I am perceived as the novel authority of food consumption simply because I’ve grown some vegetables for myself and have read a few books. I am going to stand on these following words though.

If it’s not obvious by now and by previous entries, I am someone with a certain belief in something much bigger than we can conceive. When I attend church or church related functions “food” is sometimes involved. When this happens there are often words like “fellowship” and “thankfulness” and “blessed” and “praying for those who are hungry”. Often it is displayed on long plastic tables, and at white churches, consists of processed meats, sweets, cut vegetable platters with those “baby carrots”, broccoli, and tomatoes with ranch dip. There is often processed crackers and processed cheese. Sometimes there are doughnuts. I think you are getting the point.

I think these displays are desecrations of the church, and I think of the story of Jesus turning over the tables of the money chargers. In my mind the tables of the money charges are the same as the tables of food.

But hear me, this does not make the church unsacred. In his poem “How To Be A Poet”, Wendell Berry says, “There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.” We are desecrating a sacred place—the church is still sacred. I am not trying to discount the truly amazing things that happen around tables at churches. I merely address what is on the table.

As Jesus is overturning tables he says, “My house is to be made a house of prayer and you have made it a den of thieves” (Mark 11:15-19, Matthew 21:12-17, Luke 19: 45-48, and John 2:12-25). The food on display represents a type of thievery. That food has robbed the soil of nutrients. That food has robbed migrant workers of dignified work. That food, robbed of taste, robs the consumer of enjoyment of taste. And it’s the cooperation’s behind all that processing that robs everyone—from field worker to factory worker to consumer—of freedom.

I recently had the urge to overturn the tables at the last church function. If the church is to stand on what it says, those “food” displays need to be abolished. Instead, I urge churches to buy locally, seasonally, and sustainably; to support those local prayers. I urge churches to plant a garden and eat the fruit of their prayer—live that prayer. I urge churches to stop making the house of God a den of thieves. I urge the church to make the church and its surrounding community wholly sacred and beautiful.

In someways my work is addressing this problem. I have started a garden at a church (and we have a prospect of another garden at another church). I have said my work is my prayer, and that means i have praying a lot. I've praying for help though. I need to be meet somewhere in the middle; it doesnt have to be half-way, just somewhere. I will come as far as you let me.

something...

2009-09-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

here is something...

"I live," Eustace said, "in nature, where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular, and so is its passage around the sun. The course of water over the earth is circular, coming down from the sky and circulating through the world to spread life and then evaporating up again. I live in a circular teepee and I build my fire in a circle, and when my loved ones visit me, we sit in a circle and talk. The life cycles of plants and animals are circular. I live outside where I can see this. The ancient people understood that our world is a circle, but we modern people have lost sight of that. I don't live inside buildings, because buildings are dead places where nothing grows, where water doesn't flow, and where life stops. I don't want to live in a dead place. People say that I don't live in the real world, but it's modern Americans who live in a fake world, because they've stepped outside the natural circle of life.

"I saw the circle of life most clearly when I was riding my horse across America and I came across the body of a coyote that had recently died. The animal was mummified from the desert heat, but all around it, in a lush circle, was a small band of fresh green grass. The earth was borrowing the nutrients from the animal and regenerating itself. This wasn't about death, I realized; this was about eternal life. I took the teeth from that coyote and made myself this necklace right here, which always circles my neck, so I'd never forget that lesson.

"Do people live in circles today? No. They live in boxes. They wake up every morning in the box of their bedroom because a box next to them started making beeping noises to tell them it was time to get up. They eat their breakfast out of a box and then they throw that box away into another box. Then they leave the box where they live and get into a box with wheels and drive to work, which is just another big box broken up into lots of little cubicle boxes where a bunch of people spend their days sitting and staring at the computer boxes in front of them. When the day is over, everyone gets into the box with wheels again and goes home to their house boxes and spends the evening staring at the television boxes for entertainment. They get their music from a box, they get their food from a box, they keep their clothing in a box, they live their lives in a box! Does that sound like anybody you know?"

By now the kids were laughing and applauding.

"Break out of the box!" Eustace said. "You don't have to live like this because people tell you it's the only way. You're not handcuffed to your culture! This is not the way humanity lived for thousands and thousands of years, and it is not the only way you can live today!"

from The Last American Man by Elizabeth Gilbert found in chapter 1

advisory counsil meeting--"Garden & Farm"

2009-09-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Notes from the advisory meeting held September 13, 2009.

I facilitated the “Garden & Farm” breakout group. We had three questions: 1. What are some suggestions to get the community involved in our gardens? 2. If East Nashville food security is out goal (availability of, access to, healthy use of whole foods), then how should we most effectively use the Antioch Farm? And 3. Who should we be collaborating with to better out impact and improve our effectiveness?

For question one the group of five (not including myself) offered ideas on how to partner with churches, schools, and people needing community service. They also included ideas of employing folks. Perhaps the overarching theme around this question was the need for community member ownership over a garden space.

The second question was addressed with an equal amount of insight. We discussed Antioch being used for field trips by those we are working with/consulting in our east Nashville neighborhood—a hub for further consultation of those in the neighborhood and also the broader Nashville growing community.

It was stressed that Antioch be a place of dignified work. Meaning Antioch could be a place for micro enterprises, like canning or cheese making.

Further, diversification of distribution was discussed. The produce could go to supporting a mobile subsidized market, a traditional farmers market, donated to the co-op, and consumed by the growers.

The conversation on the first two questions ran long, and the third question went unaddressed. However, Jason Atkins offered a list he generated during the debriefing segment. The list is compiled of mainly larger entities (international, national, and some large local organizations like universities).

(please post comments on these questions. the conversation does not have to end at the conclusion of the meeting!)

First attempt at answering "What is a garden?"--9 month mark

2009-09-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

After 9 months and the closing of a season approaching I feel like I am finally starting to learn what I’ve most wanted to learn—the answers to the questions “What is a garden?” “What is this McCoy Garden?” “Why does it exist?” The answers are finally budding.

Maybe I’m writing in this budding stage of understanding because budding flowers and fruits excite me most. Spring has the “fever” association for a reason. Then again, maybe I just tend to speak to soon.

Of course there is the strictly utilitarian reason for the existence of a garden. The garden I tend produces sustainably grown food for the purpose of providing access of such food (traditionally only available to the elite) to economically depressed areas (in my case 37206—a specific location).

Ostensibly, the garden addresses a core fallacy with emergency food relief in the twenty-first century. Statistics show us hunger looks different now. Why do “Western diseases” affect the poor more than someone like me? Therefore, the produce grown in the McCoy garden addresses a nutrient deficiency, not simply a calorie deficiency.

But, there is something deeper to the space. Abstractly, it’s an idea.

Ever since February, folks coming to the co-op have peaked over the fence to yell at me—me in the garden, they above on the street. The “conversation” starts with, “Where are the tomatoes?”, then, “Are those the greens?”, then, “What’s that there?”. I of course answer. But, then the really amazing part happens.

There’s always a story of remembering. “I remember my mother had a garden and we ate fresh tomatoes all summer.” Or, “I grew up on a farm, ya know?” For them to peak over that fence, see a garden that is vaguely familiar in looks, and remember a time of fresh tomatoes is, like the commercial, priceless.

Remembering is more than abstract though. Remembering a garden, a farm, the taste of that fresh produce, that tomato, is, in a very real way, the beginnings of an American food culture. Crossing my fingers, a food culture based on local, seasonal, culturally appropriate food and preparation methods.

And more, the element of youth has to be considered. Hosting youth groups from the neighborhood is equally important to this idea of remembering and starting an American food culture.

I don’t think I hold an unhealthy idealist mentality of getting kids to tend the garden by them selves, taking full ownership. If for nothing else, kids are busy these days. But, if a youth group comes to the garden for a short-term service day (possibly forced upon them by school) they will hold that memory. Then, maybe its years down the line, but then maybe they see a garden in whatever city they are in, or notice the garden that’s always been down the street, and in that moment remember the garden that they worked and sweat in that one-day in the past. Maybe they’ll peak through that gardens fence and tell a story of remembering that work. And depending on where they are in life, maybe they’ll help pull weeds.

Working in this garden is also something personal to me.

I grew up Catholic—Catholic grade school, and Catholic high school with a shirt and tie everyday. But, also grew up not knowing what that really meant to me. In some ways I rejected the tradition. I mean why has it been so dominated by men? Why is it still oppressive to women? Does the Vatican really not thing homosexuals are equals? Maybe, “rejecting”, by which I mean not actively participating in, is just a result of our broader culture of not going to church (or mass).

However, this growing season the garden forces me to unpack the influence of my history in the Catholic school system, in a dominantly Catholic city (Louisville, KY), and then attending a Christian identified university (Belmont University).

In some ways this unpacking has been like taking a soil test. I’ve dug up the part that will be tested—the role of faith in my life. I’ve examined what’s there, seeing layers. Then formally test the “soil” by way of intellectual reflection and study of the Catholic tradition, and the Christian tradition (the Bible and spiritual thinkers). By the end, at the end of these nine months I’m looking at the results and saying, “Oh, that’s in there? Hmm...”.

All in all the most astonishing result is this: the garden is a prayer. To me, a prayer of thanks, and a prayer that I may be made better and point to something larger. I work this plot to give thanks for what is provided here on earth. I give thanks that in the garden heaven is spilling over its gates, and that I may catch a glimpse. I pray that in this garden I work to be a better man. I pray to be humbled. I pray to learn what my daily bread is. I work and I pray.

ENCM: Growing Our Future

Inglewood Potluck Bedraising!

Harvest Party!

Workshop Update

The Picture Of PEAS: A Mural Project

Hands on Herbs Workshop w/ Liz Meeks

Veggie Tales!

Backyard Season Extension Workshop w/ John Dysinger

Backyard Foodways Herb Workshop update

ENCM Pizza Party

Cob Workshop #2

Cob Workshop #1

Cob Building Workshop: Part Two

Cob Building Workshop w/ Howard Switzer and Beau Bristow

Greens, Greens, Greens

Breaking Bread!

WOW! The cob oven project has started.

Caldwell EOS "Update" from May 1

Riverwood Community Garden

Trevecca Greenhouse Photo Update--Where All Our Growing Begins

Inglewood Community Garden Update, May 2011

Photo update of Farm East Gardens

Earth Day Festivities...Thank you Events Team!

McCoy Memorial Garden, April 2011...just beautiful

Sarah Hammond ENCM

Alison Junker- ENCM Blog

We'll be at BOTH!

Lauren Jenkins

Backyard Chickens workshop w/ Ryan ...

Stephanie Johnson

Blog Prompts

Grow Some Love!

Backyard Foodways

Backyard Bio-Dynamics Workshop w/ Dennis Limon

Open Call for School Garden Design Proposals!

Examples Caldwell EOS 2nd grade Garden Dreams

Dance party! Benefitting Plant the Seed garden education!

Backyard Foodways: A Workshop Series by ENCM

Backyard Fruit Workshop w/ Tatum Stewart

Receiving Grants

Exciting Opportunity!

Relearning Roots: Musings from the Bells Bend Intern

Chickens? Fresh Eggs? In the City?

19 1/2 second graders long

Historic Edgefield Garden

Caldwell EOS Expansion!

Caldwell EOS Expansion

Belmont University Partnership

Cooking Education

Backyard Gardener Workshop Series!

New Program!

Cob Tool Shed: Post 2

Cob tool shed: post 1

Pastors, lay leaders, and others: Now that the waters have subsided (a bit), ENCM is in a unique place to connect people-power with need. If your church is in need of hard workers the rest of the week, please email me (ryan@encm.org) the following or reply to our appropriate Facebook page post

church name and location and

day and time you need people.

We'll help make the connection!

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR CHURCH LEADERSHIP!

An Experiment in Community

"We can all just share it."

Planting Potatoes

Reflections on Biodynamics

The South!

The Life and Times of R.W. Kale (pt. 3: Adolescence)

The Life and Times of R.W. Kale (pt. 2: Infancy)

The Life and Times of R.W. Kale (pt. 1: Birth)

The Insatiable Idea of Spring, or Spring, Here we Come!

Spring

Dexter: the cow, not the serial killer

The cold, hard facts

Begin at the beginning

We got rats! = We got cats!

God made dirt and dirt don't hurt

Death, December, and the Nature of Urban Gardening

Inside in December

Pests/Diseases: Cabbage Loppers

The importance of Herbs in the Garden

To Start Stepping on Toes: Addressing AN Elephant in the Church

something...

advisory counsil meeting--"Garden & Farm"