The past few weeks have been filled with projects. Besides the normal farm and home projects (which are progressing at their usual glacial pace) I've been asked to consult on several micro-farm projects other people are working on. Diana, Garden Master for the Providence Zen Center, asked about deer control, garden fertility, and garden planning issues. We have worked through some of the deer control options and are ready to take on fertility and planning. The Patio Farm is progressing. Most of it is down on paper. We will be discussing it this weekend, after which I should have something ready to post. Solving the fertility and protein issues have been the biggest challenge. My friends with the City Chickens have made lots of progress. They are planning on converting an existing shed into a coop and adding a yard for the chickens to get outside with plenty of space and plenty of safety. We will be exploring some mobile housing and fencing options for the summer when the hens are older (they are coming as day old chicks so we have some time) and the grass is greener. They are also exploring ways to move their garden from a few flowers and veggies to a micro-farm food production system. We have a ways to go on that one.
For all these projects I have had to hit the books. I have found my self going back to the same few books over and over again. One of them has really stood out, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in home food production. It is The Self-Sufficient Suburban Garden by Jeff Ball, and it is great. It is NOT filled with interesting new "techniques" like Spaghetti Gardening, or The Triangle Method, or Year-Round Growing. Instead it offers a step by step plan to move from beginning gardener with a back lawn all the way to self-sufficiency. The steps are small, logical, and anyone who follows his advice will have a high chance of success. The back of the book is filled with useful charts and tables covering things like plant spacing, successions, expected harvest, germination, canning, etc. I highly recommend it for anyone starting on the home grown food path.
Showing posts with label Patio Farm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Patio Farm. Show all posts
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
City Chickens
I've been running through ideas for the Patio Farm project in my "spare" time. Mostly I've been getting hung up on sustainable protein and fertility. It is such a small space. I want to do chickens, but I'm afraid they need too much room.
When I checked my email this morning I found this message from some other city friends.
T"
They have been flirting with the idea of chickens for a while, but had been held off by the zoning regulations and the shear newness of it. It is probably illegal to have chickens or other farm animals where they live so these will have to be stealth chickens. I've never raised that few chickens before, or had to deal with zoning or neighbor issues. I can cover most of the general management issues, but could use some suggestions on micro-scale chicken keeping. Any books, suggestions, tips, etc. would be appreciated. I did send them a link to McMurray Hatchery for this brilliant stealth house.
Hen Condo
When I checked my email this morning I found this message from some other city friends.
"Yes, thought we'd share the news- we are getting chickens! Feb 25th, six lucky young red star chicks will grace our presence.
HELP!!!!
They have been flirting with the idea of chickens for a while, but had been held off by the zoning regulations and the shear newness of it. It is probably illegal to have chickens or other farm animals where they live so these will have to be stealth chickens. I've never raised that few chickens before, or had to deal with zoning or neighbor issues. I can cover most of the general management issues, but could use some suggestions on micro-scale chicken keeping. Any books, suggestions, tips, etc. would be appreciated. I did send them a link to McMurray Hatchery for this brilliant stealth house.
Hen Condo
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Patio Farm - parameters
The Shibaguyz asked for more details on this Patio Farm challenge that I've been handed. So, here are the parameters.
The patio is located in a Midwestern city, borderline between zones 5 and 6. It is a second floor balcony. Dimensions are 8' x 14' (bigger than I first thought.) It faces southeast. It is a concrete floor with a 42" steel rail on two sides. It is accessed by a 5 foot sliding glass door in the north wall. The north and west walls are about 10 feet high. There is nothing overhanging the space.
For the time being we will ignore any structural (weight bearing) and zoning limitations.
My friends, well call them Dick and Jane, have basic gardening skills, and about an hour a day each to devote to maintaining this system. They would like to produce as much of their food as possible from this space. They are NOT vegetarian, and hope for some kind of animal protein from their farm. They would like it to produce year round.
For this to be a meaningful example of a sustainable way forward it would have to produce most of its own water, energy, fertility, and seeds going into the future.
Can It be done?
The patio is located in a Midwestern city, borderline between zones 5 and 6. It is a second floor balcony. Dimensions are 8' x 14' (bigger than I first thought.) It faces southeast. It is a concrete floor with a 42" steel rail on two sides. It is accessed by a 5 foot sliding glass door in the north wall. The north and west walls are about 10 feet high. There is nothing overhanging the space.
For the time being we will ignore any structural (weight bearing) and zoning limitations.
My friends, well call them Dick and Jane, have basic gardening skills, and about an hour a day each to devote to maintaining this system. They would like to produce as much of their food as possible from this space. They are NOT vegetarian, and hope for some kind of animal protein from their farm. They would like it to produce year round.
For this to be a meaningful example of a sustainable way forward it would have to produce most of its own water, energy, fertility, and seeds going into the future.
Can It be done?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Gauntlet has been thrown
I was chatting with a friend the other day about life, gardens, sustainability, micro-farming, etc. I rambled on a bit about sustainability, closing the resource loop, living locally, and the role small farms have to play in our future. If you've read much of my blog you know these are the usual topics with me. My friend, an apartment dwelling dentist, listened politely and then said it couldn't work where he lives because the land where micro-farms might be developed was too far away to reasonably close the resource loop. He would love to garden, on a limited basis, if he had the space and the time. Moving out of the city and having a yard with a garden and all the things I'd die without has no appeal for him. (being a dentist has no appeal for me, the idea of spending the day with my fingers in another person's mouth makes me ill, but... I'm glad there are people who do it, enjoy it, and make life a bit better for the rest of us.) Then he did it. He slapped me in the face with the hard steel gauntlet of truth and gently tossed it in my lap. He said, I'd love to have a farm like yours on my patio. That could take off in this city and make a real difference.
WOW! A patio farm. What an idea. Not just a pot of herbs on the sill and a potted tomato or two. A full scale food production system that provided a significant portion of a families daily intake in a sustainable ( closed resource loop for basic energy, water, food, etc. my usual rant). It would have to fit on his 8 by 10 concrete balcony. Could it be done?
So, here is my challenge. Can you design, build, and run for a year or more a food production system that would provide most of the food for two people in a self-sustaining way and fit it on an 8 foot by 10 foot concrete patio? I'm going to try it (on paper first). Is anyone else interested?
WOW! A patio farm. What an idea. Not just a pot of herbs on the sill and a potted tomato or two. A full scale food production system that provided a significant portion of a families daily intake in a sustainable ( closed resource loop for basic energy, water, food, etc. my usual rant). It would have to fit on his 8 by 10 concrete balcony. Could it be done?
So, here is my challenge. Can you design, build, and run for a year or more a food production system that would provide most of the food for two people in a self-sustaining way and fit it on an 8 foot by 10 foot concrete patio? I'm going to try it (on paper first). Is anyone else interested?
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