Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Window Farms


This system can churn-out a salad per week, but it is definitely not the place to start if you are a beginner. The window farm described in this How-To is a reservoir system. A water pump on a timer periodically pumps water and liquid nutrients from the bottom reservoir to the top reservoir. There are small holes drilled into the underside of the top reservoir. Small drip emitters with valves let out a constant drip of water and nutrients into a column of plants. Each plant sits in a grow medium in a net cup (a perforated plastic cup commonly used in hydroponics), within an inverted plastic water bottle. The cap of each water bottle has a hole in it so that the water and nutrients can drip from one bottle to the next, from the top to the bottom of the column of plants. The bottom-most bottles are connected to tubing that takes the water and nutrients into the bottom reservoir, where it sits until the pump turns on again.

Read more.....

April News for Community Gardeners

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

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In this issue:
April News for Community Gardeners
First Time Food Gardeners!
Live Webcam Q & A with Geoff Lawton April 17

April News for Community Gardeners

Garden Show This Weekend! April 10 and 11 at Spruce Meadows

A weekend packed with things to see, do, learn, smell and grow! This
annual event brings together gardening and outdoor living enthusiasts
complete with vendors, speakers from across Canada, local gardening
experts, hands-on activities, how to clinic demonstrations and more!

PLEASE BE ADVISED: due to budget constraints we will not be able to offer
a shuttle service from the nearest LRT station. We are sorry for any
inconvenience. There is NO CHARGE for parking at Spruce Meadows.

Directions: SPRUCE MEADOWS West Bound HWY 22X-Spruce Meadows Trail to Tournament Lane,
Parking in Lots 7 and 8.

For details about the Garden Show visit:http://www.calhort.org/events/gardenshow.aspx


First Time Food Gardeners!

April 25 Encore of "Growing Food for the First Time" with Elaine Rude

Due to popular demand master gardener and market gardener Elaine Rude will be presenting her introduction to organic vegetable growing Sunday afternoon April 25 at the Unitarian Church of Calgary. Register now at:
http://growfoodcalgary.eventbrite.com/

Find out about vegetable varieties that thrive locally and how to take the best care of the soil and how to amend it.

A suggested donation of $5 (proceeds to cover costs of event)
Refreshments will be provided.
Parking available on street and at Balmoral School.


Live Webcam Q & A with Geoff Lawton April 17

Permaculture Calgaryhttp://www.permaculturecalgary.org/ is pleased to
present ...

'An Evening of Permaculture with Geoff Lawton'* onSaturday April
17, 2010 starting at 6pm.

Geoff Lawton, Director of the renowned Permaculture Research Institute of
Australia
(www.permaculture.org.au) wil join us in a *live webcam Q & A
session following a screening of his 'Introduction to Permaculture' DVD.

This is a unique opportunity to learn more about permaculture and its
applications for local food security. Permaculture design empowers
individuals and communities to apply simple designs steps to grow food
locally with a minimum of effort and resources.

Saturday April 17, 2010
John Dutton Theatre (616 MacLeod Trail SE - Central Library)
6-10 pm, Saturday April 17 2010
$10 at the door
Registration: RSVP to
calgarypermaculture@gmail.com

See you there!
Adrian Buckley, Permaculture Designer, B. of Community Design
www.bigskypermaculture.ca


April 9 Film Screening of "Renewal"

A documentary film celebrating Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Muslim environmental activists who are becoming caretakers of the Earth by combating global warming, promoting food security, recycling, land preservation and respect for life on earth.

Friday April 9
6:30 pm pizza, veggies, beverages. Donations appreciated.

7:00 to 8:30 pm film screening

8:30 Potluck dessert & discussion

Families welcome!

Wickenden Hall, Unitarian Church of Calgry 1703 - 1st Street NW
403-276-2436

Breaking news!
We just received confirmation today thet Rev. Bill Phipps will join us this
Friday Evening for our Film & Pizza event. Rev. Bill is formerly Moderator
of the United Church of Canada and now a leading advocate of dealing
sensibly and positively with Climate Change. He will lead the discussion
of this timely film "RENEWAL" and will be joined by
Prof. Mishka Lysack of the University of Calgary, another leading
spokesperson on Climate Change issues.

Lots of free parking on-street and at Balmoral School parking lot.

Gorham Hussey, Co-chair
Green Sanctuary Committee & Community Garden,
Unitarian Church of Calgary


Employment Opportunity

Eco-friendly landscaper looking for staff for the season (mid-May to
early November) or part of it. We do installation - lots of digging,
hauling and planting. If you love the outdoors, working with a great
group of people, are responsible and willing to work hard, contact
Laureen Rama at Eco-yards. $03-969-1176. Check out www.eco-yards.com


Share Some Seedlings with Montgomery!

Montgomery Community Garden is a shared garden space and they need some
plant material to be successful in the 2010 growing season. If you can
donate any of the following please send a message to
montgomerycommunitygarden@gmail.com

Seedlings:

  • Rhubarb (strawberry/red variety) - 5 plants
  • Broccoli - 10 plants
  • Brussel Sprouts - 8-10 plants
  • Curly Kale - 10 plants
  • Green Sweet Peppers - 6-8 plants
  • Petunias (bush type) - White, non-wave or cascading
  • Basil (4-6), Stevia (1 or 2), Chives (2) Rosemary (1 or 2)
  • Raspberry canes

Seeds:

  • Borage (3-4 seeds)
  • Ground Cherry ( Molly or Cassock variety - 15 seeds of each or 30 of one
    variety)
  • Organic Buckwheat (2 pounds)

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www.calhort.org

208 - 50 Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2S 2S1
403-287-3469

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Urban farmers want your land

If you've got a backyard to plant but don't have the green thumb to do it, a pair of Calgary entrepreneurs might have a proposition for you.

Rod Olson and Chad Kile borrow small plots of urban land, grow vegetables on it, sell the produce to markets and restaurants and share the bounty with the landowners.

"There's a lot of interest," said Olson, who co-owns Leaf and Lyre Urban Farms with Kile. "People really love the idea. Now we're just trying to turn a little bit of that moral support into acreage."

Their business is modelled on the concept of small-plot intensive farming, or "SPIN farming", which began in Saskatoon but has caught on in Vancouver and in parts of the U.S., Olson said.