Urban Gardening

There’s been a lot of discussion lately in the news about urban gardening (Trash is a big proponent of it as well as a beginning practitioner) and I see more and more discussion about it in blogs and other types of media. (In fact, click here and you’ll go to some Google results for Urban Farming)

It’s hard to find a shorter trip to your consumer than to growing food in the neighborhood it will be consumed in. Along that line the NY Times has a slide show of different community gardens in NY and Detroit that have taken formerly vacant space and turned it into productive land. They are putting teenagers to work, selling fresh produce to people who might not have had it available before, generating some cash and making land that was formerly an eyesore into land that is useful and attractive to the neighborhood.

Along those lines, Time had an article recently discussing urban farming. They discussed both standard gardens and also skyscraper gardens, which could be the farms of the future. (My tongue is securely in my cheek at this point) Within the article they discussed a farmer in Milwaukee who raises chickens, tilapia and produce on a 2 acre plot in the city. (You can read more about him here) It’s amazing what people are doing with some ingenuity and creativity.

Maybe I’m off base, but I think just about every city in our country probably has at least a few empty lots that would be good options to turn into community gardens. Can you think of a few around you that might work? If so maybe you can become an urban gardener.

With the fall coming in short time and our wonderful weather here at the 'stead viable alternatives have got to be created and implemented in order to survive the coming "depression"..

under the weather.. but its was almost 90 here

bfast- leftover chili refired beans and melted cheese, coffee
lunch- leftover pasta with nacho sauce and melted cheese. water bottle
dinner- pulled chicken sandies, kool-aid
a rather light day as I was feeling under the weather ( a small cold and a little congestion) I believe its cause is from swimming on Friday in the underheated pool. Anyhow hung out at the stead, watered the veggies a bit, clipped som dead stems and then the big thrill of the day.
I dropped the wife and kid off at the Wallimart to do the monthly front door grocery shopping. I hate front door stores. And I had been telling the wife for months how much easier it would be if I just dropped them off and picked them up later. After dropping them off I came back to the stead and setup the new printer we picked up from a dumpie a few weeks ago. It needed print cartridges. Which I was luck enough to find from a buddy who ridded himself of his old printer. It worked perfectly.
Today feel better and will prob get off my butt here in a few and go check out some dumpies. Knowing that this is the last weekend of the month many moves are taking place and who knows what we will find.

the week thus far

bfast-leftover pizza coffee
lunch- pb and J burritos, fuit, water bottle
dinner-chicke tenders, green beans, mashes taters, soda ( I dont drink soda very often as it irritates Trashs tummy)

It has been a dumpie finders glutony this last few days Lots of garden things(pots, planters, yard art), landscape stuff and the piece de resistence (an antique white wrought iron cafe set) all have been recycled for use on the 'stead. Have also set up a few more beds that I hope to be able to get some greens and carrots in for the late fall harvest. Cleaning out the garage and trying to increase the real estate out there is a goalof mine. More room for food storage and necessities, less room for accumulated finds.

quote of the day

"We are not only headed for a Depression, but a violent Depression that will be far worse than 1929. Some experts believe the United States will fall into the chaos, bedlam and anarchy that tore apart Yugoslovia. I am not going that far, but I know our morals and ethics are not the same as they were in 1929. Moreover, we are a far more violent society and totally dependent upon a well oiled system for delivery of food and basic services." Mike Morgan


At least 3 banks a week are failling and closing down. The big 3 automakers are asking the Feds for bail out. Home in the neighborhoods are being foreclosed on because people cant make the mortgage. Yet our friendly politicians are having big ole parties (this week Denver, next in MN) while the country blows up. Why are they celebrating?

I think I will hit the dumpsters. I am depressed now....

Tuesday morning

Bfast- jalapeno and cheddar baquette (dumpie find), coffee
lunch-- fruit cup(also dumpie found) and water bottle
dinner-- nachos and lemonade

started working around the 'stead . putting some collectibles and finds up out of the way. cleaned the garage some. made a minor repair to the garage entry door. (Apparently the yungins have been a little rough on the hinges so i replaced with intensified wood gate hinges.. Look ugly but sold reinforcement for now. Got several more projects to work on this week. Been using the bike for alot of the trips.. It is holding up up well and the baskets I put on are solid.
Yesterday it held a 12 pack of pop, a gallon of milk, can of coffee, a bag of assorted hardware and bungie corded on top was a 20 lb bag of catfood.
Not a problem. Then this morning I decided I needed a long ride so went out to see the caravan of delegat busses at the Ramada on 120th and Grant. Lots of security even 20 miles from downtown..Kept on riding. All told about 15 miles this morning. A tad rough on the old bones but alas it was a good ride.

Glad I am staying close to the homestead this week.

MOnday morning on Staycation

'The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he’s a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold."

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
This is an old fable that warrants a revisit given our current social situation.


bfast- a fresh tomato, celery w/ peanut butter dip (both dumpie found), coffee and a water bottle
lunch- leftover chili w/melted cheese. dumpied mini carrots, water bottle
dinner a SONIC treat for the whole family paid for with CL profits.

Saturday musings

Bfast- hot cereal-orange- coffee
midmorning snack--donuts, chunk of cheese, peanuts, more coffee
Lunch-- chili-mac (home-made), chips and a flavored water bottle
Dinner- BBQ chicken tenders, caulflower and creamed corn, water

Well the week is over and Stay-cation begins this morning. haha ROFL. Lots to do in this 10 days around the stead. Besides dumpieing, gathering and foraging, I gotta get the stead ready for the onslaught of the winter months. What with the coolness of the mornings and the rising of the dewpoint I think we may be in for an early one this year. So I got some work to do.

As many of you who know me personally occasionally I go off on tangents regarding people to whom I look up to and call an icon. Scott Nearing, Edward Abbey, HST, Albert Camus, Hemingway are amongst the top list. Milton Saier was amongst the newer icons to join my list and now I add Malcolm Wells.

Malcolm is an architect by trade and has brought forth over the last 20 plus years the concepts of living within the soil of nature and not building against it. Whilst I am not in favor of living in a cave, I do believe his designs and his attitudes on life warrants his addition. It is Trash's personal belief that to live simply and in harmony with the natural elements and then to pass that wisdom down to the next generation by example is the greatest gift you can give to the planet.