Fresh Greens in January!

Today, with its mild weather, gray sky, soggy soil, and dewy day, you could've told me it was the first day of Spring and I would've believed you!  The air was so fresh and clean smelling.  And the rains that came later in the day- OH! -how I wished I had just transplanting something that was getting its first thirst quenching in its new place of settlement.  This kind of day is very rewarding to spend in the Greenhouse, as well, because things are so very happy happy in there- growing along without a frost to have touched their suptle leaves.  I did some cleaning out- pulled out all the celery- big big stalks, and most of the chard.  A beautiful and bright heirloom golden chard, and silverado chard.  It is inspiring to see the extent to which you can eat fresh greens all year around.  Of course, it helps with this warming weather!  Nonetheless, simple techniques of working with Mother Nature to harness the power of the Sun, surely goes a long way!
These greens got cooked right up for dinner, and the celery, I chopped up and put into a potato salad with pickles, tumeric & hard-boiled eggs from our hens.  Dinners up!

Best Deals at the Farmer's Market

Most bang for your buck at the farmer's market are surely:

1. Local Organic & Pastured Oil that you can use for cooking, frying, & baking.  And that oil comes from Leaf Lard that is easily rendered.

2. The Apple Seconds.  For about $5 you get a huge canvas bag full of apples for baking, eating, and cooking!  We've been eating apples in everything lately: fresh apple sauce, apples in our oatmeal, apples with pork hash.  Local fruit for a cheap cheap price.

That's my word of advice when at the market to not forget these two big money savers!

mushroom fruit!

blue oyster mushroom party! These are the first flushes of my two straw bags I've got growing in my den currently.  They sit on the windowsill on the East side of the house (that our neighbor's house has white siding that reflects brightly in).  I have been keeping a loose plastic produce bag over both bags (you can see it on the one pictured right), because the forced air heating dries out the mushrooms quick quick quick!  So, this little plastic bag aid still allows the mushrooms to find the air to "fruit" but doesn't let them get dried out.  I also drip some water on the straw grow bags so that there is some base moisture for the loose produce bad to retain.
Yum yum yum!  The second bag (harvested a couple days ago) was bigger than both my hands combined- and almost as big as my head!  Wow!  What genes!


If you'd like to learn more about mushroom growing, stay posted for some spore & mycelium growing workshops coming up in March!  More info can be found by "liking" Kultured Mushroom's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kultured-Mushrooms/407063829360261?ref=hl

Worm Bin Check-in

What better thing to do on a cold, dark & wintry night, but to harvest some worm castings!

This being my first time harvesting worm castings with the bucket system I have here- I wasn't sure exactly if I'd be able to tell what is what.  So, I pulled out a tarp, a rubber glove, and got my nose ready!

This all comes after the bucket spilling a couple days ago- you can see an earlier post- and the bucket's been waiting in the basement.  I have to wait till night to do such an endeavor, because with baby Rosemary toddling around, it is very hard to keep a messy job from becoming a messy baby and an even messier everything else!  Not to mention, Rosemary's first instinct when she sees the worms is to pick one out and stick it in her mouth!

So, nonetheless, I geared up.  I took the 5 gallon bucket and dumped it on the tarp in the basement with a light shining on above it (this helps keep the worms buried because they don't like the light).  I left them like that for several hours till I had a chance to get back to them.  When I found the next moment, I got to digging around with my hand, evaluating the situation.

Here's what I found:

-lots of eggshells.  Though, many were filled with castings, they obviously take a long time to breakdown.  So I am considering if I want to put so much of them in the next round...

-lots of little cherry tomatoes.  They must not like the acidic taste.  So, tomatoes I will now put in the compost bin instead (of course, unless they're still good- and in that case, I'll give to the chickens).

-much of the newspaper bedding still in tact- very water logged, clumpy, but still identifiable as newspaper.  Much of that I either composted (if it seemed more newspaper than castings) or put into the casting harvest bucket.  I will pay attention in the future if it seems they like to eat some bedding materials more than others....

-lots and lots of worms!  Who knows how many are wriggling around now in an orgy of activity.  But they seem pretty happy, so that is good.

-The worm casting harvest ended up almost filling up a 30 lb (30 clay litter) kitty litter bucket.  I'll hold onto them till Spring, sprinkle it out on the garden.  Or sprinkle some onto indoor plants, depending on who needs it.

Reflections:
-will put less eggshells in, no more tomatoes, and I am considering if I want to continue putting coffee grounds in or not.  Of course, the worms like the coffee - so there's ton of food in that way that won't have to be added to the compost-potentially making it more acidic than I want.  However, when it comes to harvest time it becomes very difficult to tell what is what- since worm castings look similar except that they don't smell like coffee and they are a bit more sticky.

That's the general gist of it.  How I replace the bedding is an experiment in progress.

But enough of all that now!  It's time for bed!

To dream of worms making love and soil expanding!

Goodnight!

Has anyone noticed the sunsets recently?

Day after day this week (maybe more than a week now)
and the sunsets only seem to get more and more glorious!

that last fire orange, passion passion in the skies!
the pink and the purple and the orangina.

this gloriously warm weather brings gloriously bright and spectacular sunsets.
(sure do hope we aren't going down in flames!)

Crocus sighting

Wind wind wind.
changes blowing in the wind.

the wind chimes don't seem to stop chiming these days.

and I saw white crocuses hanging there pretty heads today as I walked down a street in Cleveland Heights!

Crocuses in January!

Geese?

Driving along MLK Blvd, by the pond near the cultural gardens, there was a flock of geese milling about on the grass.  ...shouldn't they be way South by now?

Perhaps more importantly, say if they did head South, then came back up because it was so warm- what if it gets very cold again (like today's dropping temperatures)- will they be able to make the migration?  I imagine they must exert so much effort in making the migration- that to travel all the way South and back is enough- but to change flight is a lot.

I am positive that the geese know much more than we do- they have senses for weather and direction much higher tuned to we do (it seems most people can't travel to the next town over without GPS or googlemap directions!).  So, perhaps there is nothing for me to worry about- because they are way ahead of us in their adaptation and resiliency.

One thing for me is for sure, and that is that I trust Nature, for she knows if she needs to get a fever to heal herself from a disease- then let it be.  In Nature I trust.

From Mine to Ours

We have been talking a lot in our family recently as to what the future looks like for us here.  With so many moving parts, from questions of work, a community for Rosemary, schools?, money, land, commitment, friendships, on and on- so much so that it's become clear that at the moment we cannot commit fully to being here for the long-term.  Which means, my relationship to this land needs to change.

This is a challenge.  Particularly for the fact that I am working with a long-term way of thinking.  I am thinking of tree canopies and depth of topsoil growing, and animals againg, and systems getting established.  Things that take time!  So, for this framework of thinking to change, I am seeing that my goals must change.  Which, as I see it now, is a good thing.

When we moved here, after living in a couple communal type settings of 200+ acres, I was feeling like this was my first "homestead."  The first piece of land that I may be living on for the rest of my life, and eat from, and I care for it, and it cares for me.  As paradisiacal as that may seem, I feel the vision to be somewhat selfish, in that, I have only felt I am ready to share when we have our needs taken care of- our bushel of apples for ourself before we give any away.  Now, this is no good.  I mean, establishing a sustainable local food system is a process that takes time, and to be in it purely for one's own needs, and you miss out on all the beauty of a shared meal with the community.  The stone soup story.  It's been a quality of this vision that I haven't particularly liked, but haven't been sure how to get away from it (isn't that the point of living on a homestead? to provide for all the needs of your family?  and if you don't have all those needs met by the land yet, then how can you give away even more of that harvest?).  This readjustment to the current set of needs feels like it may the be the key to unlocking this dog-like bone-clinging.

It came to me today, as I was sitting and nursing with Rosemary.  I thought- that new garden bed I made with Moe- just before the winter (half) set-in.  It is the first flag posted to mark the start of the community gardening bed with commitment from my neighbor Liz.  The Community Garden element have been wanting to include in the Possibilitarian Garden project, but I've had a list of reasons (or excuses) that have felt like blocks to further the project thus far: it feels like the soil here is so poor, and I want things to grow for people if they're going to garden for the first time, and my selfishness for using any donated soil for my family's own plants.  BUT THIS!  The possibility of not staying here for the long-term.... That means, I need to work my butt off and help to make a nice garden on this street that folks feel ownership of.

When we first moved here, and talked about the community garden idea, several folks were interested.  I'm pretty sure they still are.  Lots of people have family history of farmers, or used to can, pick and grow themselves when they were younger- so there is some knowledge there.  Now, it's just a matter of tapping into that, accessing it, and allowing people to access this land.

When we moved here, no one went on this land.  It was sort of viewed as off-limits, it seems.  But now, the walls have been taken down, and I think it's possible that a garden can really grow here, and that there's a chance that people can feel it is there's.

So, this is what I am going to do - make new garden beds for the community garden.   Talk with Liz, see what she wants to do.  Call a meeting if it seems right, ask folks what they are interested in.  I can start plants for people, help people plant things- even help water and set-up systems to make it possible for people to do what they need to do.  I have been planting things these past two years with perennials in mind, and I'll continue with that with close-eye to these new beds.  So much is possible!

Much to stew on now.  Very exciting and hopeful.

Happy snow-less cold day.

don't forget to hold the bottom.....!

OH OH OH!

A good note for anyone who has a worm bucket (especially the double 5-gallon set-up) to make sure that everyone else in the household understands that in order to move it properly, YOU MUST HOLD THE BOTTOM BUCKET, and not the top handle!

Seeing as Danny was being dutiful and moving the worm bucket downstairs so we can process it and harvest worm castings, he went to work- without all the information, and only a few steps down the stairs, and SPLASH!  CRASH!  Worm casting drainage splashed so high that it hit the ceiling!  and then a huge puddle flowed down the stairs, seeping into the cracks of the lineolium and slip-guard on the steps.  oooooo!  It is stinky! to say the least.  Since, we've moped it up twice, opened the doors to get the air flowing, and have some incense lit.  We'll see how long it takes before the stinky cloud passes.

So, make sure you let everyone you know how to transport the worm bin to avoid any such incidents happening to you!

Is it Spring? AND Tree Lawn Transformation

I'm coming from Vermont, and there they call this kind of weather "The January Thaw"- do they have that in Cleveland, or is this what they call "climate change?"

Either way, today's very warm & Springy weather had me out and transplanting, cleaning the chicken coop, digging swales, and planting new things.

I have made the first steps in transforming the tree lawn in front of our house into a Rain Garden.  Water has this amazing way of being invisible, and yet always present in the landscape.  It leaves its mark in slightly (sometimes not so slightly) washed away soil with rocks left and indented pathways.  It may not be there, but when that rain comes- it is there, there, everywhere!  So, water is a big part of conception to consider here.  I have been dreaming about it a lot lately.   Imagining pondways, streams, brooks, rain gardens- like water ways that have a foot bridge over them.  Oh!  It is so enchanting to walk over a water way.

So, today, like  a kid playing at the beach, I dug trenches down the hill to lead them into the rain garden  carved out with big burms and a serpent swale through the center that winds its way down the slope.  Then, with the vigor of the air, I jutted over to my friend Mari, who had some Swamp Rose Mallows waiting for me and a Catalpa tree!  And when I came home, I planted them all: 5 or 6 roses and one catalpa tree on the tree lawns (plus spread some mullein seeds I had all over).  I imagine the catalpa growing tall and acting as a block for the bright street light that shines in our windows at night... I doubt we'll be here long enough to see that to the vision- but hopefully, one day someone will benefit from that- and of course, benefit also from its beauty with its majestic branches, long pods, heart-shaped leaves and sweet flowers.
   

And the swamp roses!  They will get so big (maybe even up to 7 feet tall)!  and be sort of a flower fortress in front of our house.  It'll be interesting to see and feel how it changes the vibe of people walking by on their way to Buckeye, or mamas with baby strollers, or kids playing in the street.  There is a slight fear of things getting trampled before they have a chance to grow, but I think they'll be okay. We'll see!  They're hearty!

nothing like having Spring on the mind, and planting things when it is January!!

Got be flexible with what you get these days.  Take it or leave it.

sunflower stalks

Always save the sunflower stalks
to stand in the snow
so the finches
have a place to perch
when the world goes white.

a pumpkin poem

  

 

An Ode to the Great Rouge Vif D'Etampes:
May the Harvest Last!

Today- is an ode-
to the gorgeous Rouge Vif D'Etampes
which Inspired
simply by the sight
of her image on a seed packet-
so curly, plump and sweet.

Rouge!
Vif!
D'Etampes!



The pumpkin of a witch-
with those magical vines making ornate the whole garden plot.
Oh rosey, rosey, rosey-
I plan to save your seeds
and savor your children for many generations.

You enchant as you age cooly and calmly.
Thank you for your grace,
thanks for hanging around-
I wish you greatly good-bye and
soup's up!

Blue Oyster Harvest & Mushroom Moisture

Yesterday, we harvested a big flush (fruit) of the oyster mushroom grow bag that we grew as part of the workshop we held in December.  So delicious!  We tore it up, cooked it with some butter, garlic, and added it to a left-over asian noodle dish.  mmm mmm!  delicious!

-------

Luckily we were able to harvest it before it dried out.  Which brings me to the issue of dry warm indoor air.  We have forced air in our house- and we have a built in a humidifier, but we don't always keep it on so that we don't get into moisture problems.  That being said, the lack of moisture is a problem for the mushrooms, which begin to crack and dry out without the proper moisture.  BUT!  this can be averted by putting the straw bag in another plastic bag and misting the mushrooms.  The extra plastic bag helps to hold in the moisture, and keep the mushrooms from drying out before they can fully develop a healthy fleshy flush.

-------
For now, we wait a few more weeks until we see the next flush come bursting forth!

(I will add photos once they come back developed)

funny story

So, I'm at the bank yesterday, and I'm talking with the banker about Possibilitarian Garden.  He says, "I love that- that's great! .... so what do you grow? .....  corn? ....  lettuce?"

And there you have it, folks, all the food you need from a garden to live on!

so much work to be done ....  
:-)

Ghetto-ization of the Mind

What does it mean to experience the "ghetto-ization of the Mind?"  I am finding now upon almost two years of living here (with a few month hiatus to Vermont for Rosemary's birth), that parts of myself I have had to set aside, hang up in the closet or keep stored away in a box in the attic for safe keeping.  These parts of myself are my softer sides, especially my deep feminine sides.  Those sides don't feel particularly safe in this environment (hence why the temporary fleeing for the end of my pregnancy and birth of Rosemary), and I have almost forgotten them in this depressed, neglected and violent city.  It can be hard to remember that other places are not like this, when you walk down a street and you pass more than three once-beautiful and vibrant homes, now neglected and decaying buildings, and you see mattresses and tires in the backyard.  It's hard to remember that the whole world isn't like this.  It can feel overwhelming, too, because other parts of the world- heck, even other parts of the city a few blocks away- that don't look and feel like this partly in part because this has been neglected so long like this.  It can feel like one thing is necessary for the other to exist- so it makes it feel like this whole world is just tangled up in a pile of neglect and decay, and to add to that, there's little to no work for folks.   So, shit, what to do with that?!

BUT in actuality, life is not like this in all parts.  Though I am strong in many ways, capable of overcoming many fears while living here- encountering spirits and ghosts of this street's past- it seems I am unable to overcome the "ghetto-ization" of my mind.  I realized this when I picked up a yoga magazine while at the Cleveland Heights library this past week.  I started to read one article where it talked about getting in touch with your breath is getting in touch with your true self and your heart.  Things that resonant so clearly with me, but also something that I hadn't thought of or practiced much since moving here.  Something I had hung up in the closet and only taken on to wear on special occasion.  It had been dropped as an item of daily apparel.  And my heart is at a deep lose for it!  It's like in not feeling safe here, I have dropped those parts of myself.  The spiritual.  The one that worships the shakti- the feminine divine, the one that opens herself up to expose my vulnerabilities and breathe.  Unfortunately, this is not a safe place for doing that.

Instead, what I have done is focus intensely on how things can get better- what they can look like in the future, when they get better- (because to focus only on how they are is extremely depressing and bewildering)- and from that I feel I have gained considerable and inspiring vision for the land here and for the Possibilitarian Garden project.  The vision fuels my spirit immensely.  Luscious plants, ponds, and frogs, and butterflies and milkweed, and cherries and apples, and microgreens, and herbs herbs herbs!  Can't you see the color?  Smell the flowers?  See the life?

And yes, this all nourishes me so greatly.  Taking the vision of permaculture to this place, extending it to the community, creating new possibilities.  It's inspiring and invigorating!

But I am also finding that it is part of my intense focus is also partly a survival tactic, and that focus is causing me to loose or fall out of touch with other parts of myself that are not safe yet here.  I garden with an eye over my shoulder and imagine the future sanctuary space, while knowing full-well that there may be gun shots still heard way-to-close.  It's not enough to feel safe - to envision the creation of the small paradise here, to make it paradise, and to furthermore, to bring out all the parts of myself- especially the most vulnerable.  So, I have had to box up parts of my mind, to make it fit into the box of the ghetto, where it must grow tough and gritty and unfriendly- because as I have found not on one occasion, to open myself to others greetings is to act as if soliciting and invite harassment.

So, what does that mean of my and my family's future here...?  It is hard to say, aside from the fact that I must not submit to the ghettoization of the mind.  I will always carry this place with me, where ever I go in life, and I will know that no one should have to live life in a place where people carry guns to intimidate or defend themselves, or people are submitted to such internal violence and neglect from the larger institutional system and within the everyday social context.  

And to garden here?  It is to survive here.  And for Cleveland's survival as a city, and as for any kind of renewal for this city, it's got to come from the gardens and the people doing it.  Because that focus on and vision of a different, better and more hopeful future that is one of engagement, joy, nourishment, healing and life is all there has got to be to survive and thrive.

Goodnight,

Diana