Spring Break
Fresh foods are not out of reach, just under foot
Elizabeth Ross
Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: WCC News
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Need a little help getting started? Many gardening sites on the Internet offer gardening tips, and several local stores offer gardening classes.
The Produce Station in Ann Arbor has offered gardening classes for about eight years. "They've become more popular," said Andrew Gorsuch, general manager.
If you want a garden but you don't have the space, consider buying a plot in a community garden.
Ypsilanti-based Project Grow has 12 gardens with more than 200 plots located in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. The price of a plot varies based on garden location. Project Grow says that it has at least 500 people participate each year, but they know it could be more.
"It's hard for us to know exact numbers because although we have applications, numerous people will often garden together in a plot," said Melissa Kesterson, executive director of Project Grow.
The locations of Project Grow gardens are chosen based on where suitable land is available and where people have requested one.
"We're always interested in people approaching us with ideas for where we can put new gardens; where there might be a need for a new garden and where there's a place for a new garden," Kesterson said.
Kesterson said the most popular vegetables grown in Project Grow gardens are tomatoes, squash, and zucchini.
"We're seeing more demand for the garden plots; we're seeing more applications come in," Kesterson said. "There's definitely just a general awareness of local food and people growing their own."
With watering, harvesting, and weed pulling, Kesterson estimates the time a person needs to dedicate to a Project Grow plot is two to three hours per week.
If both space and time are holding you back from choosing fresh foods, there are other options available.
The Ann Arbor area offers three farmers' markets. Historically, farmers' markets were used for farmers to sell their food directly to customers.
Farmers' markets aren't all about food and farmers though. On a recent Saturday morning, the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market showcased jewelry, cupcakes, flowers, bread and candles in addition to apples, duck eggs and beef. Potted herbs were also popular, with varieties like Italian parsley, red basil and Tuscan blue rosemary selling for $3.50 each or three for $10. Further offerings included red onions for $1 per tray and rhubarb for $6 per pot.
Joaquin Gracia, of Belleville, owns five greenhouses in the area. He started selling at the market because it's a family tradition.
"My mom and grandma have been selling here since the '60s," he said. "I've had my own stall since I was 12, and now I'm 56." He sells herbs and flowers in his stall. He also recently started selling a container with a combination of tomato and herb plants.
"That's new this year," he said. "Customers had been asking for something they could grow."
It's easy to grow tomatoes, he said, because they only require water every three days and fertilizer every two weeks.
Sarah Smith, Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' market manager, said her market has seen an increase in popularity.
"Sales and attendance had gone up dramatically in one year, from 2007 to 2008," she said. Smith attributes the increase to the market accepting food stamps, working with clinics in the area, and having partners who help promote the market.
In addition to farmers' markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs are also prevalent in the Ann Arbor area. With a CSA, farmers sell shares or memberships and people who buy them receive produce or dairy weekly or every other week. Each CSA is slightly different in design.
While CSAs can sound expensive (up to $1000 for one share), most offer half-shares and pricing on a sliding scale. CSA members think the cost is worth it.
"It's a terrific way for consumers to share in the risk and reward of the bounty," said Martha Hill, of Ann Arbor, who has owned a half of a share in the Community Farm of Ann Arbor for four years.
Some CSAs require that their members put in volunteer hours, said Sandy Wiener, of Ann Arbor, who's owned a share in the Community Farm for 13 years. Volunteer hours can consist of weeding, harvesting, or keeping deer away from the crops.
Wiener doesn't mind the volunteering he has to do. "I love spending time in the field," he said.
Options for picking up your share vary per CSA. Most have several options though, such as picking it up at a local farmers' market, a local store, or going to the farm yourself.
Whether you grow your own food at home or in a community garden, if you are a member of a CSA or simply buy from a local farmers' market, there's no time like the present to start.
It's spring in Michigan.
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HERB PAIRINGS
So you've grown some herbs, but now what do you do with them? Use this guide to find out which foods certain herbs go best with.
Basil - Tomatoes, rice, garlic
Cilantro - Chicken, peppers, tomatoes
Dill - Carrots, fish, eggplant
Parsley - Soups, salads, potatoes
Rosemary - Mushrooms, beef, turkey
Sage - Pork, pasta, beef
Thyme - Corn, carrots, chicken
If you have a gardening question, Master Gardeners in Washtenaw County are available to answer general gardening questions at (734) 997-1819, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Note: This service is only available April-October.
GROW YOUR OWN FOOD
Deciding what vegetables you want to grow can be difficult. Some vegetables that can thrive in smaller environments include onions, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant.
Tips for growing your own food in containers:
- Choose a container large enough for the plant at full size
- If you want to plant something too large for a container, look for "dwarf" versions of the plant
- Be sure to water it adequately, and make sure there are sufficient holes for water drainage in the container. Watering in the morning is best.
- If you're gardening on a balcony, put something under the container to grab excess water (unless you're trying to water your neighbor's plants, too)
- While plants need sunlight, try to keep them out of direct sunlight in the afternoon, when the sun's rays are hottest
- Don't forget to add fertilizer often
- Regularly remove dead plants
Source: The Produce Station, Ann Arbor
WHY COMPOST?
COMPOST IS rich, free fertilizer for plants. Making compost results in less trash at the curb. It is the ultimate form of recycling.
SOIL ACTS AS A STARTER for healthy bacteria and can be added in small amounts between layers of green and brown materials. The ideal ratio of brown to green is 4:1.
BROWN MATERIALS such as dried leaves, straw and dried cornstalks are carbon rich.
GREEN MATERIALS such as weeds, grass clippings, kitchen scraps and coffee grounds/ tea leaves are nitrogen rich.
TURN THE MATERIAL every other week to aerate it.
KEEP THE MATERIAL moist, but not soggy.
DO NOT ADD meat, dairy products, animal waste or oils.
WORMS CAN BE A VALUABLE contribution to compost, but they are not necessary to compost successfully.
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Ann Arbor-area farmers' markets
Ann Arbor Farmers' Market
315 Detroit St., Ann Arbor
(734) 794-6255
Web site: www.a2gov.org/market
Hours:
May-December:
Wednesdays & Saturdays, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
January-April:
Saturdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Downtown Ypsilanti Farmers' Market
301 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti
(734) 786-8401
Web site: http://www.growinghope.net/projects/farmersmarket.shtml
Hours:
May- October
Tuesdays, 2-6 p.m.
Westside Farmers' Market
2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor
(810) 333-8362
Web site: http://www.westsidefarmersmarket.com
Hours:
June-September
Thursdays, 3-7 p.m.
Ypsilanti Farmers' Market Depot Town
100 Rice St., Ypsilanti
(734) 439-8676
Web site: http://www.ydtfm.org
Hours:
May-October
Wednesdays, 3-7 p.m. & Saturdays 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
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