Critter on the Loose

I'm not sure who the culprit is, but when Simon and I went out tonight to pick tomatoes, I found this.

There were five tomatoes like this, all near the bottoms of the vines. Otherwise beautiful and perfect, until we turned it over and found half of it eaten. Why do critters only eat half of things??? I remember during our first year of gardening, we were absolutely taunted to insanity by a gang of chipmunks that would take tomatoes from the vines, take a few tiny bites, and then leave the tomato carcasses all over the yard and driveway. I was endlessly frustrated, and may have even yelled out loud one day, "Just eat the whole darn thing!" I don't know if the chipmunks have returned; the neighbors' outdoor cats have been so good about patrolling the area and keeping critters away. Perhaps it's time to meet with the cats and discuss a payraise? Two happy calls of praise instead of one per day?

I threw the 5 half eaten tomatoes into the compost, and felt a renewed appreciation for these particular tomato plants, which have produced like mad all summer long. I didn't feel so terrible about losing a few, when we've been harvesting so, so many. I have been so happy with Baker Creek's Amish Paste tomatoes; I'll be saving seed this year, and I have some left from my original purchase. Plenty to share if you are interested in having some!

Simon and I set to work filling up our bowl, and as you will see in these pics, our tomato plants have become very heavy. Cages leaning, plants sprawled on the ground...I've got to take note that next spring we'll need stronger tomato support. I've got plenty of ideas (some of which I've posted here on the blog), but cages are just so easy. It's not until halfway through the summer, when the tomato plants are ginormous, that I always realize why those flimsy cages just don't cut it.

Alien tomato! A worm or caterpillar had eaten right through to create 'eyes', and a crease on the tomato looked like a creepy smile. Spooky! I'll spare you the grisly details of Simon's decision to kill the alien. Shudder.

A mess! Cages bent over and the plant on the end is completely on its side. I'm letting them go so I don't damage anything. I've been tying them up all summer long; now they can go crazy until summer's end.

Just hang on a little while longer! There are about 6 big green tomatoes on this plant our neighbor gave us (still a mystery on the type. I'll post a pic soon).

Beefsteaks; Not Just for Slicing!

This summer, I have mostly focused on our Amish Paste roma tomatoes, but I don't want anyone to think they are the king of the garden. Though they make great sauce because they contain few seeds and juice--mostly meat--that doesn't mean you have to disregard your other tomatoes when you are preserving your harvest.

Beefsteaks are known for their wonderful flavor and the way their copious juice dribble down your chin as you eat them, slice by slice. But how many beefsteaks can you really eat before they so bad?

We WILL Have Peas!

We have never had very good luck with peas. Sadly, our much-anticipated straw-bale project has failed; the pea plants are dried and shriveled and it's not looking good at all. The beauty of learning to grow things is that a small failure is just a speed bump. The kids and I can learn a lot more than we expected when we go about our garden projects: trying again after a disappointment is the key to a great life and a great garden!

Sad looking pea plants in our straw bale planter

We had half a packet of peas left and decided to give it one more go, hoping for a small fall crop. Our whiskey barrel planter in the back yard seemed like as good a place as any to throw the seeds in and try it.

Ella and Noah helped sow the seeds, and we've been watering them each day. We want some fresh peas, and we won't give up until we have them!

Let's Deal with the Tomatoes--14 Plants, 2 Weeks

Well, I said I wanted tomatoes this year. I certainly got my wish! They've been coming in by the bucket-full. Not too shabby for the tiny little space they are growing in. Pictured above is the harvest from one morning! Here are our overgrown, gangly, but beautiful tomato kids:

9 plants here (Amish Paste, heirloom)

5 plants here (from left to right behind Rylee--1 early girl hybrid, 2 beefsteak hybrid, 2 mystery plants from neighbor)

Local Spotlight: Young Urban Homesteaders

I really admire how young these two food-growers are!  People in my city are becoming more and more interested in learning how to grow produce in their yards, or are seeking out food that has been grown organically within the city. It is so wonderful watching this growth and enthusiasm as it takes off!

Young Urban Homesteaders create ecosystem in their backyard in the Wells Street Corridor near downtown Fort Wayne

More…

Urban gardeners sell goods at Fort Wayne area markets

By Jaclyn Goldsborough of The News-Sentinel

Friday, August 16, 2013 - 8:18 am

For 24-year-old Philippe Carroll and 23-year-old Samantha Arney, growing a large urban garden next to their home on their double lot in the Wells Street Corridor near downtown Fort Wayne is more than just a way to make extra money, it's a way of life. It's a way of feeling connected to the Earth and to their community.

Carroll and Arney are the owners of Young Urban Homesteaders and part of a growing trend of the farm-to-fork food movement and the grow-food-not-lawns agricultural movement. Status, titles and trends are not important to this young couple, however.

What is important is building a sustainable ecosystem and selling the best product to Fort Wayne market shoppers.

The Homesteaders offer everything from chard and kale to okra and kahlrabi. They also sell handmade herbal teas with herbs from the garden.

While prices vary for each different market item, the Homesteaders also offer a unique pricing system: prices are a suggested donation.

“We want to make it available to anyone,” Carroll said. “If you are used to paying for more your food at certian places then you are more than welcome to pay more and pay what you are used to. If you are used to paying less you are welcome to pay less to have access to food. But we also need to stay afloat,” he said.

When they first moved to their home in November, they noticed two apple trees and a peach tree. Carroll said they began to build their farm around the existing fruit trees.

In their garden, everything is connected and strategically placed. The sunflowers are planted above the lettuce to maximize space and protect each other from the elements to provide the ideal growing condition. The young two farmers have a wealth of knowledge. From planting to ways to reuse waste, most everything is considered.

The Homesteaders also develop their own black gold fertilizer, creating their own compost and even cultivating their own worms.

Everything that comes out of the soil or the beds goes back into it one way or another.

Arney said while they have only been selling for a few months, so far they are getting a lot of support from the community.

“Just for people to be able to see that we can grow food in a small place and actually get it to people - it's inspiring to people. It's a way to do what we love and make a living off of it. It's also a way to show other people that this is possible. We have neighborhood kids that started coming around and they have taken to it and they love it,” Arney said.

Georgina Balestra, Carroll's grandmother, grew up on a farm in Cuba. She said she is proud of what he is doing.

She said she was wondering about how much he could really grow in such a small area, but she said she is extremely impressed.

"He has always been interested in nature. I'm learning a lot from him," she said. "It's the satisfaction of not only doing something for yourself, but doing something for others."

Carroll said he is on a mission to live with less impact in a high density environment.

“When it came down to it I was thinking, 'What do I want to do with my day? What do I want to do with my daily energy?' There's something I really enjoy about putting my daily energy - I get my exercise - into growing food which then sustains me and it sustains my community,” Carroll said.

The Young Urban Homesteaders set up a stand at the Fort Wayne Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays at One Summit Square. They also appear at the West Main Street Farmers Market from 3 to 8 p.m. on Friday's at 1938 West Main St. They accept credit and debit card.

For more information on the Young Urban Homesteaders, the Fort Wayne Farmer's Market and the Historic West Main Street Farmers Market visit their Facebook page.

Fast Friday Tip: Tomatoes on Newspaper

When you are collecting tomatoes every day, they start taking up a lot of counter space. As they wait for their end (eaten fresh, juice dripping down your chin? sauced? roasted?), set them out on a layer of newspaper. Make sure each tomato has its own little space (try not to stack them), and the newspaper will help with airflow so the tomatoes continue to ripen, not rot.

If you have a silly tomato with a nose, by all means, dress it up and hide it among the others. The reaction from passersby is awesome.

These tomatoes are waiting to become sauce! Stay tuned!

Straw Bale Planting

Not too long ago I mentioned this straw bale that sits next to the garden, and that it was destined for a special purpose. Well, it has met it's destiny—as a self-contained planter!

I only recently learned that you can directly grow plants in straw bales, with just a small layer of soil on top. The straw that begins to decay inside the bale becomes a great environment for the roots of your plants. Some people have whole gardens made of straw bales. If you take a minute and google for images of 'straw bale gardens', you'll be totally amazed . This idea is especially nice if you have access to cheap or free straw.

I thought this was the perfect way to put our straw bale to use. I love to use straw as mulch around the garden plants, but a little bit goes a long way when you have small growing space like we do; the rest of the straw bale just sits there, slowly disintegrating. Last year, late in the fall, I ended up stuffing the whole thing in my compost ball, since the compost needed carbon anyway. Early this summer, after mulching, the bale sat again, and though I know it will end up in the compost in the late fall, I thought I'd give it a purpose in the meantime. (Note: the compost ball is becoming way too small for us. Knowing that the straw bale itself will fill that thing, plans are in the works for a new compost site, using cheap--or free--materials. Stay tuned!)

We planted peas in mid July. Is that a bit late to plant anything? Maybe. Don't forget, I'm a newbie who likes to experiment. Perhaps we will get a fall harvest of delicious peas—they do like cooler weather. Using some leftover bagged potting soil, we made a nice little bed, and in went the peas. The kids LOVED doing this. But then, what kid doesn't get a thrill when you tell them to grab some dirt with their bare hands?!

The pictures below tell the story. About a week after the initial seed sowing, we replanted in the areas where nothing came up, and pushed bamboo stakes down into the straw (so easy) for supports. If needed, we can thread some thick string around the stakes and give these peas a happy growing space.

Once all the peas have been harvested and we head into winter, we can put the spent plants, soil, and straw, all together, in our compost!  

Handfuls of dirt-awesome!

Even the littlest helper gets into the dirt-piling

We may have been mashing that dirt down a little too hard!

Oh yeah. That's what I like to see..

Muddy, dirty...

little hands-- working hard!

Carefully placing peas

Water break!

The straw, newly planted, sitting nicely by the garden!

Several days later..we have green!:

Filling in where no sprouts seem to want to show up

Keeping the peas misted and happy!

Looking GOOD!

Healthier Sloppy Joes