Local, seasonal, organic (part 2)

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day. What a wonderful holiday to celebrate family, friends, health and food. Thanksgiving is a day of sharing the abundance of food from all our hard work that will feed us through the winter. At least I think that is how it used to be. It is the poster holiday of local, seasonal, organic food.

When I was a child our garden provided many vegetables for us. We always grew onions, tomatoes, peppers and squash. In the field we grew corn, pumpkin and cantaloupe. My parents were not into canning but we would freeze some of our harvest. Most of the time we ate from the garden what was in season. These days you can get pretty much anything, anytime no matter what the season. These products of course have traveled hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles. This food that is not in season will never taste as good as something grown in your garden or a local small farm. The best quality of these vegetables is the ability to ship well. No amount of chemicals, wax or dyes will make it taste better though. That tomato you buy in January will not compare with one picked from your garden in June. That tomato is not in season in January.

At Off Texas Avenue Garden my goal is to change varieties as the seasons change. This past Saturday we had our first light frost and my tomato plants suffered some damage. I decided to remove green tomatoes from the larger varieties and try to ripen them inside. I removed all the plants from this bed and will prepare the soil for the next season. I will plant some other crop in this bed as part of my rotation plan. Crop rotation will lessen the risk of disease by not growing the same crop again. It was not easy pulling up these huge plants or to pick green tomatoes but tomato season is over. I may even sow some lettuce seed in this bed before spring crops and extend my fall season a few more weeks.

I believe that growing seasonal vegetables keeps us connected to nature and the earth. Another good way to stay connected with our food is by cooking these seasonal foods. Learning how to use all this food connects us to our family, our past and ourselves. Eating good food not only nourishes our body but can help us stay healthy. If you don't garden you can visit a farmers market and support small farms. Supporting these small farms means that seasonal foods can be available to everyone. These farmers can then grow more food, more varieties and help preserve a greater plant diversity for future generations. I believe eating good food is good for our family, good for our health, good for our soul. I believe everyone can contribute something positive to the environment. Farmers can grow a wide variety of organic food. Chefs can use the freshest, locally grown food. Schools can teach alternative methods of growing good food. Schools can also provide healthier meals to our children. Parents can set an example and insist that their children explore and try new foods. I will continue to grow good food for my family and I hope others will do the same.

Local, seasonal, organic (part 1)

Trattoria Italia

Trattoria Italia

Donnelly"s

W. Defee Place

West Coast Donut

In my pursuit to provide the freshest food for my family I plan to expand my garden this winter. I could visit the farmers markets in the surrounding area but how fresher can it get than from my own garden. But what about the rest of you?

My idea of eating locally grown food is to grow my own but if you don't grow your own then you should be able to go to a restaurant that uses locally grown, seasonal food. First we would need a business committed to using the best produce possible. Then we would need farmers committed to growing the best possible produce organically and sustainably. Then we would need to support those businesses and visit them often. I have read many success stories of farmers, chefs and farmers markets across this country. I believe we can have that in our community. It will take all of us working together.

Lately I have been reading about urban farming in other cities. We have so much property available in our city. In the surrounding neighborhood of Texas Avenue there are many vacant lots that would look great with a garden on them. Off Texas Avenue Garden is just a small example of that. Some lots I believe may even be owned by the city. What better way to help beautify the area than to plant a garden. This may also help gain support from the community for the revitalization of Texas Avenue. I can envision a downtown area filled with shoppers visiting local businesses, eating in restaurants that use locally sourced produce. Adventurous chefs featuring menus with seasonal dishes with the freshest produce available. A thriving farmers market with local growers providing many good things to eat, grown organically and harvested within hours of us buying them. A neighborhood with vibrant color from flowers and gardens instead of spray paint. The sound of a community in harmony.

I have found a few businesses with their own gardens. These gardens are small but a garden may be as small as a container of herbs or as big as a backyard garden. I would like to thank these business owners for becoming leaders in a huge movement of which we are just a small part of. I challenge other business owners to survey your property and perhaps plant some flowers or start a small garden. And I encourage everyone to support local businesses and eat local.

The little garden

There once was a little garden that was very lonely. Every spring when the grass began to grow, the little garden dreamed of flowers and vegetables growing instead of grass. One time the little garden heard through the grape vine growing along the fence of other gardens in the neighborhood. They were full of flowers and vegetables. Humans tended these gardens, watering and weeding and enjoying the good food. The little garden just dreamed. Humans just drove their cars on the little garden or walked across it as a short cut. Sometimes a dandelion would send it's bright, yellow flower up through the grass and the little garden would smile with joy. The little garden knew that it could do so much more if someone took care of it.

Then one day a farmer thought this would be a great location for a garden. So the farmer began by cleaning the little garden. There were trash and car parts and the grass was covering the side walk from years of no one keeping it in bounds. Then the farmer built some beds and removed the grass and the little garden took a deep breath. The farmer turned and tilled the soil and the little garden smiled. These beds were filled with soil and amended with good things to feed the soil. One day the little garden felt a tickle and it felt good. Earthworms were busy tunneling through the soil, making it easy for plant roots to grow in it. The farmer planted seeds and young plants so that all the people in town could see the little garden. The little garden was very happy. Each day the little garden would wake up and greet the new plants and it helped them grow larger every day.

By the end of spring, the little garden was full of flowers and the people in town were delighted to see all this color. They thanked the farmer for planting this garden and giving them this little treasure in the town. The farmer was very proud of the little garden.

By the end of summer the little garden was tired. It's a lot of work helping so many plants grow. But the farmer knew what to do. The farmer began by clearing the beds of any plants that had finished their show and again turned and tilled the soil. The farmer added more good things to the soil and then planted cool weather plants and seeds.

The little garden had many visitors including Monarch butterfly's on their annual migration to Mexico. Hummingbirds sipped sweet nectar from all the flowers in the little garden and more people visited. Some even asked if they could help take care of the little garden. The farmer showed them what to do and told them the story of how the little garden began.

One day the farmer thought of how he could thank the little garden for all it had given him and his family. The little garden had become a part of the community and the people in town enjoyed it's beauty.

So the farmer planned a celebration in honor of the little garden. All the people in town were invited. Parents brought their children and some people brought their pets. The farmer and his family were there along with many of their friends. The people that helped take care of the little garden were there. There was music and food and face painting for the children and all the people spent the day admiring the little garden. The farmer told all the visitors the story of how the little garden began and he thanked them for attending this great celebration. More people asked if they could help take care of the little garden. Some even said they knew of other little gardens that needed help. The farmer was excited that so many people were there and that the little garden could be an example of how other little gardens could look like.

At the end of the day the farmer looked at the little garden and smiled. The little garden was very happy that so many people had walked across it that day. The little garden looked brighter than ever. The grape vine that grows along the fence brought congratulations from the other gardens in the neighborhood. The little garden was lonely no more.

What do you want to eat?

Last week I harvested some yellow squash and okra fresh from the garden. As I admired these gifts from the garden, I felt very proud of myself. The garden looked very nice, lots of flowers, green tomatoes on the vine, butterflies all around and the sounds of the community. At that very moment, I had a great desire to share this food with people that I love.

My mother will say that she loves to cook for family and friends when they visit. I used to think that she felt that way because that is the way she was raised. It is a mexican custom for women to cook all meals and to learn how to cook at an early age. Men go to work and women stay home and do everything else. I do not believe in that custom. My"guelita" (grandmother), felt the same way. When you went to her house, after hugs, kisses and asking how you are doing, the next question was "what do you want to eat?". She asked that every time, to everyone who came in to her house. I now believe that she really did love to cook and that my mother also loves to cook. I know there are other things at work here but, in a very basic, primal kind of way, food is love. To share that with people that you love is very rewarding. My guelita had me at the hugs and kisses but, the food was great also. We could talk as she cooked or, she would explain how she was cooking the meal. My mother taught me how to cook at a young age. She would tell me that I had to learn how to take care of myself and not depend on someone else to take care of me. Maybe that is why I am not a "typical" mexican male.

That love of cooking good food for friends and family are now a part of my life. I have so much to learn but, I believe that if you begin with fresh ingredients, the cooking part will better. This garden represents this belief and is a symbol of my dedication to provide the best organic, locally grown produce for my family. As my cooking skills improve, I will use seasonal vegetables to create my meals. I want to learn how to cook with my senses and not rely on recipes. My passion to grow good food will make me a better cook. Visit your farmers market to find fresh , locally grown produce. Or better yet, start a garden of your own. Support small farms that are committed to protecting the environment by growing organically. Learn to cook good food and, take time to teach children.

That day I grilled pork chops and, served fresh squash and okra for supper to my family. It was a good meal and, I loved sharing it with people that I love. So if you visit our house, don't be surprised if after a hug and asking how you are doing, I ask, what do you want to eat?

Attention to detail

I hope y'all have done a better job taking care of your garden than I have. In spite of the lack of rain or, the lack of attention to detail on my part, the garden still looks nice. With the nice, cool weather it is easy to forget that it has not rained for several days. Plants still need adequate moisture, even a short dry spell can stress young plants to the point of no recovery. Older plants that have survived the hot summer and are now rebounding with vigor may suffer. It would be a shame to lose these plants that you have cared for through the summer in hope of harvesting fresh food for lack of moisture in the home stretch.

There is still time to plant a few things in the garden. Cool season crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and all kinds of greens are good choices. You may still find transplants at some nurseries but, select your plants carefully. Some plants may have been in 4 inch pots or, 6 packs for a long time and have become root bound. Check the roots before you buy, it's ok to pull plants out of their containers slightly to examine the roots. Remember, it's your money and, you don't want to waste it on plants that will never produce anything edible. It is also a good time to plant herbs, lettuce and wild flower seed. Wild flowers will germinate in the fall, grow slow through the winter and reward you with beautiful flowers in the spring. You can purchase bulbs when available but, wait to plant them for a few more weeks when we have more consistent cool weather. I have stored bulbs in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator for up to a month with good results.

Now is a great time to start a compost pile. There is an endless supply of materials and many times people will rake and bag leaves for you then place those bags out by the street for you to pick up. Now is a good time to add finished compost to your beds as well. Remember to cover any soil that has nothing growing in it. Bare soil leads to erosion, moisture loss and is an invitation for weeds to germinate. You could use mulch, leaves or plant a cover crop. Any of these materials can later be tilled in before planting. Don't plant immediately, allow 2 to 3 weeks for this cover to break down before planting in this soil.

So get out and enjoy the great outdoors. This is my favorite time to be outside and garden. Although the days are getting shorter, the cooler weather makes it very nice. There is less pressure on plants from pests and given the proper care plants will perform their best. There is nothing better than sitting in your garden after a few hours of weed pulling, enjoying the sunset with a cool beverage and listening to the daytime world go to sleep. I love it.

Pay attention to the small details and your garden will be the envy of all your neighbors. Small details like water, weeds, pests, a loved ones birthday, someones name will all make life easier and, more rewarding.

La Canicula ( the dog days of summer )...

When I was a child I loved summer. It was very hot in south central Texas where I grew up, but it also meant no school, fishing all day, Bar-B-Que on the weekends, and my birthday in August. I was born in the hottest part of summer refered to as La Canicula, or the " dog days of summer".

Back then, I thought La Canicula was like some huge spiritual being that dictated how hot it was going to be. And if you pissed her off, the hotter it would be. It was blamed for many things, from illness to bad weather, and crop failures. My maternal grandmother blamed it for hurricanes. She did not like hurricanes, or severe thunder storms for that matter. I remember listening to the older people make predictions when La Canicula would end. When no one had air conditioning in their homes, the weather was a hot topic. La Canicula begins mid July, and ends in mid to late August. Now I know it is weather related, and its severity depends on the position of the jet stream. El Nino, and La Nina can also disrupt the jet stream, and make La Canicula more severe.

In the garden, this means that not much is going on. Garden work is done early in the morning , or late in the afternoon. Most spring planted vegetables are barely hanging on, not producing any fruit, or have completed their life cycle. This time of year is for clearing the garden, and preparing for the fall. It is difficult to keep any plants alive without watering frequently, at times daily. Sometimes it is better to pull everything up than to waste water. Remove any diseased plants from the garden, and throw away. Don't compost these as this may harbor the disease, and then may spread to the rest of the garden. Till your garden, and amend your soil with compost. This is also a good time to send a soil sample, then amend your soil according to the results.

Depending on where you garden, it may be time to plant certain vegetables now in order to harvest before the first frost. I planted tomato, and jalapeno plants last week. I may have planted a week or two too late, but I am hoping to have a few tomatoes before the first frost. I cut back my okra plants, as these were not producing much fruit because I was not watering enough. They still looked good, and should regrow with plenty of moisture. I also seeded two flats of leaf lettuce, and mesclun mix. In the next couple of weeks I will plant broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, radish, onion, and garlic. Also greens like mustard, turnip, and spinach. I like to try new things in my garden, so this fall I will try leeks, and sugar peas. I have never grown either of these. Herbs are another great choice to start in the fall, as are wild flowers like our state flower, the bluebonnet.

As we say adios to La Canicula for another year, I wonder if she , along with her siblings El Nino, and La Nina are just children of The Gods, and we are just their ant farm.

The war against weeds

Weeds, what are weeds? Weeds are plants without a home, plants without some nice name, useless. I believe weeds have a purpose in our lives, and in the environment. Weeds are adaptable. They will inhabit a plot of soil when it is not used and keep it covered from the elements. This may go on for years, without anyone noticing them. It's not until someone wants to grow flowers, vegetables, or a manicured yard that they get any attention. Of course there is only one outcome, weeds die. We will pull, dig, and spray harmful chemicals to eradicate them. We will spend hours clearing this small plot of soil so that we may plant something that is more useful to us. In the case of a lawn, we will spend many more hours trying to keep it looking green, mowed, healthy, and alive. Not to mention the money spent to keep it that way.

Growing up, I pulled many weeds in our garden. I even chopped weeds in the fields a little bit. My mom would load us up during summer break and head to the fields. We would get there early enough that our pant legs would get wet from the dew on the leaves. The air was cool, and heavy with the smell of the soil. You could smell the freshness of the plants, and even the weeds that we were chopping with our hoes. Kind of like fresh mowed grass, only better. Earth has a different smell in the morning after she has rested for the night. No matter where you live, mornings will smell better than later in the day.

My dad would wage war with Johnson Grass in the corn field, and still does. Johnson Grass is a very persistent weed, and if you turn your back on it long enough it will come back. If allowed to go to seed, it will produce thousands of seeds that will all germinate. My mom waged war against common Bermuda Grass in her flower beds.

Our front yard was lush, green, and withstood a lot of foot traffic. My parents did not water the lawn, fertilize, or use harsh chemicals. We did spread cotton bur occasionally, and mowed frequently, but that was it. My parents were organic gardeners before organic was cool.

As an adult, I have waged my own war against weeds. I have used chemicals, but have learned that weeds will always come back. I have also let some weeds grow right along side my vegetables. I have used some weeds as a living mulch of sorts. Like purslane grown under tomatoes. Purslane grows to a nice mulch, covering the soil under the tomatoes, never growing more than six inches tall. It retains moisture with less watering, and keeps other weeds from growing. Which meant less competition for the tomatoes. The tomatoes did not seem to mind the purslane, and performed nicely.

I am now committed to an organic approach, and will only use vinegar sparingly as a last resort. Hand pulling is my preferred method. Last week as I looked at my weed filled garden, I had thoughts of Roundup. Don't worry, I did not follow through. A few days later, I spent two hours pulling weeds, and I'm glad I did. I actually enjoy pulling weeds. It is a very relaxing, and calming task for me. When I get in a rhythm, I can easily pull weeds for a couple of hours non stop. It is a good way to clear my mind, and not think of anything. The key to pulling weeds is to be gentle, and forceful at the same time. It's almost like coaxing them out of the ground, force them too much, and they snap off, leaving the roots in the ground. If the soil is moist enough, I can feel the roots release their grip on the soil. And after all that is our goal, pull weeds, roots, and all.

I could have saved myself a lot of work by staying ahead of the weeds, which I did not do. It is usually easier to pull weeds when they are smaller, and have not developed a good root system. You can also use a hoe at this stage, and simply cut them off at, or just below ground level. Now that I have clean beds again, I hope I can stay ahead of the weeds.