Know Your Farms Tour

Microfarm is built on the idea that much of what we consume can be raised even on the most pint-sized residential properties. It’s fun and rewarding for the urban homesteader to cleverly position raised beds to capture every second of sunlight that filters through giant oak trees or spills over the neighbor’s garage. It takes some getting used the first few times new organic gardeners walk right past the spinach and arugula in the produce isle. Backyard coops are popular, and while there’s certainly no limit to the ingenuity and creativity that can be invested in an urban chicken coop, there is a limit on the number of chickens that a city dweller can own.  A couple of dwarf goats might fly under the radar in a larger suburban lot, but a herd of alpacas over in Eastover might raise some eyebrows.

Simply put, even if we do have the space, most of us don’t have the time and energy to raise everything we consume in our backyard. Some things are better left to farmers. Sure it’s easy to yield all the mesclun mix you could ever want from a 4’x6’ raised bed in your backyard, but it’ll be hard to match those giant onions, cabbages, and Brussels sprouts grown on an area farm. You’ll have plenty of volunteers to harvest organic eggs from the backyard coop for the family’s Sunday breakfast, but few takers on butchering birds for Sunday dinner.

It’s our area farms that raise much of the meat, grain and produce that we consume, and on Sept. 27^th and 28^th 2014, you’ll have a chance to see first-hand how they create these products that we enjoy every day.

For anyone who wants to see working farms up close, The Charlotte area Know Your Farms Tour is the perfect  way to visit with 11 local farmers in their element, and see how everything from sorghum to sheep to strawberries is produced.  This will be the tour’s seventh event, and they’ve refined an enriching experience that gives participants a special opportunity to connect with people and places that produce the items they consume every day. Participating farms offer family friendly activities ranging from hay rides, live bluegrass, and cooking demos. Most have products for sale and food & drink offerings, and some will even allow kids to pet the animals. knowyourfarmstour.com

Brassica oleracea (The Cabbage Family)

It’s hard to believe that the peppy Chihuaha, huggable laboradoodle, and the massive Great Dane are all direct ancestors of the wolf, and while the differences might not be quite as striking, the same might be said for the kohlrabi, Brussels Sprout, and cabbage plants, which are all member of the same Brassica oleracea family.

These cultivars along with Kale, broccoli, collard greens, and cauliflower were selected by humans over thousands of years from the wild cabbage plant that can still be found growing in coastal areas of England, France and Spain.  From there, cultivation and subsequent selections of wild cabbage spread into Europe, the middle east and Asia.

It was the Celts who cultivated cabbage varieties across Europe, and gave us many of the names we use today.  Celtic words ‘kal’ or ‘kol’ evolved into the English ‘kale’ , and ‘kap’ became ‘cabbage’ and kappes in the German language.

Broccoli
Long considered an Italian cultivar, broccoli may have in fact first been developed in Crete and Cyprus.  Whatever the origin, the cultivar had been dubbed the “Italian Asparagus’ by the 19^th Century, and the flower buds were continuously selected for flavor and density. The broccoli plant is purported to have been introduced to the United States by the family of noted James Bond film producer, Albert R. Broccoli.

Brussels Sprouts
First noted in Belgium in the mid 18^th century, later appearing in England and France at the beginning of the 18^th century, the Brussels sprout plant was selected for its tight forming lateral leaf buds.

Cabbage
Selected for the tight drum heads that they form, red and white cabbage varieties originated in Germany, while the more cold tolerant, crinkly, Savoy cabbage varieties are thought to have been cultivated in northern Italy.

Kale
The closest relative of the wild sea cabbage, kale is notably both cold and heat resistant, and was selected for abundant production of nutrient packed leaves.

Cauliflower
Like broccoli, cauliflower was selected to form a dense head, and while most varieties are white, pink and purple cultivars have also been developed.

Kohlrabi
Developed for the large, round stem that forms at the base of the plant, the harvested kohlrabi is sometimes confused with a root vegetable. 

Cultivation of Brassicas

While  Brassica oleracea varieties may look different, genetically they’re so similar that cultivation is about the same for all of them. Though they famously thrive in cooler weather, kale and collard greens are also heat tolerant and when planted at the right time can survive both scorching summer heat as well as sub zero winter nights. Brassica  family plants are heavy feeders, and will thrive in rich soil amended with plenty of organic compost and bone meal. 

Leafy varieties like kale and collards should have a minimum of 12” between plants while heading types like broccoli and cabbage will appreciate a little more breathing room – somewhere in the neighborhood of 16”-18” between plants.

Crop rotation will help control insect pests like the cabbage worm which can cause a tremendous amount of damage to brassica varieties. Beware the flittering white moths flying among your brassica crop as they'll soon lay eggs that will hatch into hordes of hungry caterpillars and worms. Their cycle can be broken up with regular applications of neem oil spray, or Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) :  a naturally occurring bacteria used as an organic pest control. ALWAYS follow the application instructions for any organic pest control product. Mixing neem oil spray stronger than the recommended rate, for example,  can damage your plants.

Cedar Compost System Joins Magnificent Urban Homestead

Anne Carter Smith’s property nestles alongside the fairway of Charlotte Country Club like a Southern Belle with a trackside view of the Kentucky Derby.

A massive hedgerow along the front of the property creates the impression of a dreamy, private wonderland, while out back, oak trees old enough to recall golfers stroll by in knickers, shade their home from hot afternoons.

To the right of the house, sits a delightful organic garden complete with pea gravel pathways, and  a painted wood fence. A tree laden with plump brown figs sits just outside one of the garden’s three ornamental gates, while one of the city's most magnificent chicken coops lies just a stone’s throw down a gravel pathway.

In fact, the property had just about everything the family of homesteaders needed except a place to put all those garden trimmings, dry leaves, grass clippings, used coop bedding, coffee grinds, and apple cores.  Of course, composting in a backyard setting is really just a controlled version of the same decomposition process that happens naturally in any forest, and a simple pile of material in a corner of the garden could have done the job.

Anne Carter Smith's Cedar Compost System from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

But the magnificent landscape had set the bar very high, and the situation called for an elegant, sturdy compost system design that could process a large amount of material while enhancing the property's visual appeal at the same time.

Our two-bin cedar compost station fit the bill, and we placed it alongside a gravel pathway, just behind the family’s organic garden. This location will mean easy access with a wheelbarrow, and a short trip to and from the garden. The compost station measures 8’ long, 4’ wide, and 4’ high, and the system is divided evenly into two compartments so that compost piles can be staggered. This will create a more consistent supply of premium homemade compost for their garden.

A simple design of slats drop into grooves at the front of each bin, providing both a strong system of keeping heavy piles of material in place and an uncomplicated way to access finished compost. The 64 cubic feet of volume in each bin allows for a pile with enough mass to help accelerate the decomposition process, while still small enough to be turned with a hand tool.

Interested in a one, two, or three bin cedar compost system for your own urban homestead? CLICK HERE or write us at hello@microfarmgardens.com to get started!

Companion Planting, Mushroom Cultivation and Vertical Gardening Segments on Charlotte Today

Cultivating Gourmet Mushrooms from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

Companion Planting from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

Vertical Gardening from Microfarm Organic Gardens on Vimeo.

Threaded Fasteners for Outdoor Projects

Choosing the right fastener for your outdoor project can mean the difference between an attractive looking enhancement to your property and a rickety, rusty eyesore….or worse , a dangerous liability. While hand driven nails once reigned as the fastener of choice for outdoor structure, and the unmistakable pop of the pneumatic nail gun can still be heard on construction sites everywhere, the selection of premium quality threaded exterior bolts and screws available to the outdoor builder make it possible to not only build much stronger, but also more attractive structures.

While nails are fine for securing smaller pieces of wood to a structure, threaded fasteners offer much greater strength, are easy to install without damaging the wood surface and remove or adjust if needed.  Galvanized fasteners, which have been hot dipped in molten zinc, and stainless steel fasteners offer the most corrosion resistance from weather and the naturally alkaline chemicals present in rot resistant wood species like red cedar. While all metal exposed to the elements will eventually rust or corrode, investing in these premium grade fasteners will reduce the amount of streaking and staining of the wood over time. 

Lag Screws

These threaded fasteners are used along with a washer to join large structural pieces of lumber like a post to beam on a pergola, for example. Common sizes for outdoor projects are 5/16”, 3/8” and ½”, which represents the thickness of the shank, not the head. Pre-drill the hole with a bit one size smaller than the shank, and drive it in with a socket wrench.

Carriage  Bolt  

Like lag screws, carriage bolts are also used to create a strong face to face joint between structural lumber, like posts and rails on a fence. The design features a plain oval head that doesn’t require the use of a washer between the bolt's head and the wood. Carriage bolts have a square shoulder that digs into the wood when tightening, preventing slippage, and are fastened by a washer and nut secured to the threaded end that typically protrudes about an inch on the opposite side of the second structural piece.

Common shank sizes are 5/16”, 3’8”, and ½”, and a hole matching the size of the shank must first be drilled completely through the two pieces of lumber. Use a hammer to drive the bolt completely through both pieces of wood, sinking the square shoulder so that the oval head sits flush with the outer piece of wood. Place the washer and nut over the protruding portion of the bolt on the opposite side, then tighten the nut with a ratchet.

Timber Lok

These high strength steel fasteners claim to be stronger than a 3/8” lag screw, and while that's up up for debate, there’s no question that Timber Lok fasteners are really strong and easy to work with. While they’re designed to drive right into pressure treated landscape timbers, we’ve found that when working with red cedar, a pilot hole must first be drilled. The built in washer helps the screw create a very solid joint, and this is our go to fastener for making the 4x4 Cedar Timbers raised bed design, or in structural applications like securing a greenhouse wall to a timber base, for example.

Deck Screws

While they take a little longer to install than using a nail gun, exterior screws create a much stronger connection, and are easy to remove if a structure ever needs to be taken apart and moved, repaired, etc. 

Using exterior screws instead of nails to fasten boards to a structure also means there won’t be any marks left on the project by hammer blows, and the lightweight, battery powered drill & driver sets on the market make installation almost as fast as a hammer and nails. Polymer coated designs are made to drive in easy and resist corrosion even in cedar and redwood, while stainless steel is the pinnacle of rust resistant outdoor durability. 

Roofing Screws

Whether securing metal roof panels to a chicken coop, or polycarbonate glazing to a greenhouse, special wood screws that include a rubber washer are needed to create a watertight seal and prevent leaks. Typically the roofing or siding manufacturer will offer screws designed to be used along with their roofing and siding products.

Poultry Net Staples

Nothing like what’s in the stapler on your desk, these ¾” hot dip galvanized fasteners are ideal for securely fastening hardware cloth to chicken coops or wildlife barrier fencing. For most projects, space poultry net staples about 6-8” apart, and a simple 16oz hammer will do the job. Always remember to wear safety glasses when hammering poultry net staples, or hammering anything for that matter.