Enter to WIN a FREE 1 Month Subscription to UOG’S Monthly Seed & Garden Club!

Urban Farming, Bolstered By Zoning Law Changes, Blossoms in NYC

“These large-scale greenhouses are advanced and expensive, but more and more consumers and businesses are supporting them,” said Nicole Baum, spokeswoman for Gotham Greens, a rooftop farm operator in Brooklyn.

The city changed its zoning laws in 2012 to allow rooftop greenhouses certain exemptions from limits on height and floor size on commercial and industrial properties. As a consequence, landlords have come to view them as a potential amenity and opportunity for profit.

“The landlords now see a way to use their space wisely,” said Annie Novak, a farmer who helped create the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Greenpoint in 2009. “Now there is a positive shift from the community who want to see these spaces.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT: “AMNY.com“

How To Start a Garden That Yields The Crops You Want!

“People garden with different objectives in mind. Some are seeking a serene oasis, a time they can spend alone in nature, even if it is just a tiny plot on their urban lot. Many do not know of the serenity gardening brings until they have one. Some simply want an ornamental garden, pretty landscaping to admire. Some people just want tomatoes and basil for spaghetti sauce.”

Whatever your desired results from gardening are, here JenReviews shares a wealth of knowledge when it comes to starting a vegetable garden of your own!

Table of Contents

• Garden with Nature
  The first rule is to garden with nature, not against it. What type of soil do you have? Is it sandy or is it clay or is it a mix? What is the acidic level? How long is your growing season? How hot does it get? How cold does it get? How much rain do you get?
  
• Follow the Sun
  Go out to your proposed site and take a look at where the sun is in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. Bear in mind that if it is winter, the arc of the sun is going to be a bit different than in the summer.
  
• Don’t Try to Keep Out what you Can’t Keep Out
  There are gadgets and gizmos and wives tales of many a fix to deter animals, but save your money and just nod kindly at the neighbor telling his tall tales. The scarecrow with the banging pans, the sensor flood lights, the hose blasting shots of cold water, the fox urine, the Irish Spring soap, the locks of cut hair… these things may cause a deer or groundhog to hesitate once, but the second time they will simply ignore it.
  
• It’s All in the Soil
  By-products from growing roots and plant debris feed soil organisms. Soil organisms help plants by decomposing organic matter, cycling nutrients to make them more available to the plant, enhancing soil structure and porosity and controlling the populations of soil organisms, including crop pests. Healthy soil means healthy plants.
• Organizing the Garden
  I would recommend a garden no larger than 25 x 30 feet to begin.
  
• Buying Seeds, Starters, Bulbs and Seedlings
  
• Companion Planting
  It is based upon observations of plants that grow better together, due to the nutrients their root systems exchange and because the pests they naturally attract are pests that control the population of pests of their companion.
  
• Supplies
  Take good care of your tools and make sure they are always clean. Be sensitive to what you are doing. If you cut off a diseased leaf, clean the shears with soap before you use them on another plant or you are likely to spread the disease. Keep them sharp so that your cuts are clean, not sloppy and tearing, thus weakening the plant.

15 Simple and Inexpensive Homemade Fertilizers

“There is one basic role that applies when it comes to using fertilizers – “less is more”. If you apply too much fertilizer or a concentration that is too strong, you could do much more harm than good. You can harm plant roots and soon you will see the tell-tale symptoms of fertilizer burn – brown curled leaf edges and leaves that wither and fall from the stem.”

We have prepared a list of 15 homemade fertilizers, HERE: “GardeningSoul.com“

Join UOG’s Monthly SEED & GARDEN Club!

Get Seeds & Garden Supplies Delivered Every Month – Fully Customized Around You! We are now preparing our members for Fall planting season! Visit: http://ift.tt/2uo89Fu

Subscriptions are only $9.99/month + s/h.

NOW AVAILABLE: Options for RAISED BEDS -&- CONTAINER GARDENS -&- TOWER GARDENS – & – HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS

We’re making it easy for everyone to grow organic food all-year-round!

Ready to sign-up or just learn more? Visit: http://ift.tt/2uo89Fu

The “Gangsta Gardener” Who Believes REAL Masculinity Is About Being a Conscious Citizen of the Planet

“Los Angeles-based ‘gangsta gardener’ and community leader Ron Finley is determined to redefine ‘gangsta’ as being about building thriving communities, not machismo.”

“Gardening is gangsta: Mother Nature is gangsta. Being educated, creative and self-sustaining is gangsta. That whole concept was about turning a negative into a positive. If you want to be gangsta about anything, make it about building your community, sharing knowledge.

Men are brought up being told that we’re supposed to be provider and protector. But, as far as I can see, a lot of our communities are basically designed to kill people, because you can’t find healthy or nutritious food in them. Why is it easier to get alcohol than an organic apple? Why, in certain communities here, is it easier to get a gun than it is to get an organic carrot? Cities are designed for commerce, not for people.”

Read the FULL Article at: “EcoNewsMedia.com“

An Introduction to Hydroponics [INFO-GRAPHIC]

10 Ways to Use Baking Soda in Your Garden

“We are sure you already know baking soda is beneficial for your home and kitchen as it offers a safe and inexpensive way to clean the kitchen and bathroom. What about the garden? Here are the top 10 ways you can use baking soda in the garden to keep it healthy and pest-free.

1. Use Baking Soda To Test the PH Level of the Soil

Wet your soil with distilled water and sprinkle some baking soda over the damp part. If the soil starts bubbling, you have acidic soil with a pH level lower than 5.

2. Homemade Plant Fungicide

Mix four tablespoons with 1 gallon of water and you will get a homemade fungicide a lot cheaper and with much fewer chemicals and toxins than other harmful fungicides.”

Read 8 MORE ways to use baking soda in your garden, HERE: “GardeningSoul.com“

Solar-Powered Aquaponic Greenhouses Grow Up To 880 lbs Of Produce Each Year

“Fresh produce – ideally grown locally right in your backyard – is essential to a healthy diet, but with scores of people either lacking the space, time, or knowledge to cultivate their own food, for many that ideal simply isn’t attainable. Enter French company Myfood. They aim to bring food production back home, and they’re doing it with smart solar aquaponic greenhouses. These groundbreaking greenhouses, which are small enough to fit in a yard or even a city balcony, can produce 660 to 880 pounds of vegetables every year.” –via “HealthAdvisor.care”

AMAZING “Before & After” Pictures of a Rooftop Urban Garden

“I just started gardening in February and I just wanted to share how container gardening literally transformed my roof deck. Who says you can’t grow food in the big city?” says Julius Barcelona.

He also notes: “We’re five floors up and yes, the wind really is a big problem here. My herbs and leafy veg are okay since they’re low lying plants, but all my other plants like tomatoes and cucumbers are along the western wall so they are protected from the wind while they are small. I’ve put up some trellis net to support the taller plants along the side of the garden. There’s one good thing about the wind though; pests have a harder time establishing since they get whipped around a lot.”

Images via Julius Barcelona, Container Gardening and Vertical Gardening (Facebook Group)

Couple Spends 20 Years Building A Self-Sustaining, Floating Island To Live Off The Grid

Ever wish you could just get away from it all? Meet Catherine King and Wayne Adams, who did just that. Literally. They’ve been living on a homemade, self-sufficient, floating island for the past 24 years.

“The home, which they’ve named “Freedom Cove,” consists of 12 floating platforms that include a dance floor, an art gallery, a guest lighthouse, a studio for Adams and King, and 5 greenhouses. The settlement has half an acre of land for growing edible crops. The couple gets water from a nearby waterfall during the summer and from rainwater during the winter. The settlement had been powered by an array of 14 solar panels, but recently switched to a generator after these broke down.

When they aren’t working on their sustainable lifestyle, they still manage to keep busy; during the summer, visitors come from nearby Tofino to experience the family’s sustainable lifestyle. Adams is also a carver, while King is a painter, dancer, writer, and musician.”

Read more about their story and see a photo gallery, here: “BoredPanda.com“

This Futuristic, Rotating, Indoor Garden Grows Food Year-Round!

This rotating garden wheel is like a futuristic vegetable farm in your living room.

Learn more  at: “OGarden.com“

Chicken Cordon Bleu (Grain Free, Gluten Free)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprouts Farmers Market. All opinions are 100% mine. 

Bastille Day commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 – a turning point of the French Revolution. What better reason to try your hand at French cuisine?  The French term “cordon bleu” translates to “blue ribbon.”  The term was used when referring to a special order of French knights and was then applied to the highest order of food and cooking.  My mom makes her Chicken Cordon Bleu using canned cream of chicken soup and stuffing for the topping.  Her recipe inspired me to create my own version, with a few twists.  Making a homemade sauce adds a few extra steps, but I promise this dish still comes together easily and is packed with flavor!

My mom seemed to always make Chicken Cordon Bleu when we would have company over for dinner.  I can see why: you can easily adjust the amount you make if you need to feed a crowd.

I remember my mom always making rice as a side dish to go along with Chicken Cordon Bleu.  (Rice is a great vehicle to mop up the extra cream sauce by the way!)  Isn’t it amazing how food can bring back good memories?  It just so happens that my mom celebrated a birthday recently so I was happy to recreate this dish (using my real food philosophy) to honor her.  She really did spend a lot of time and effort to cook for us.  If it wasn’t for her I am not sure I would be the cook that I am today.  Thank you, Mom!

Chicken Cordon Bleu (Grain Free, Gluten Free)

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

A “blue ribbon” dish that is super simple to make. Juicy chicken with ham and cheese baked in a flavorful cream sauce that the whole family will love.

Author: Sara

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 packages Sprouts Organic Chicken Breast (about 6 pieces)
• 8 ounces Black Forest Ham
• 8 ounces Swiss or Provolone cheese
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons tapioca flour (any flour you like will do)
• 1 cup chicken stock (I use homemade)
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup almond flour (any breadcrumb you like will do)
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In an 8 ½ x 11 pan, add the chicken in one layer.
3. Top each piece of chicken with 1-2 pieces of ham to cover the chicken.
4. Top the ham with the slices of cheese.
5. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt 3 Tbsp butter.
6. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute.
7. Add in the chicken stock and coconut milk while whisking to mix in the flour and to thicken the sauce.
8. Once sauce has thickened add in the wine and seasonings (salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper).
9. The sauce will be fairly thick but will thin out once cooked with the chicken.
10. Pour the sauce over the chicken to cover entirely.
11. Mix the almond flour with butter and Herbes de Provence and sprinkle over the chicken.
12. Bake in the oven until sauce is bubbly and the chicken is cooked through, about 35-45 minutes.
13. Serve immediately.

3.4.3177

 

 

The post Chicken Cordon Bleu (Grain Free, Gluten Free) appeared first on The Organic Dietitian.

How to Grow Food for FREE in the City

This is a guide on how to grow food for free or with very little money in an urban environment. I cover all the limiting factors that typically prevent people from gardening including space, raised beds and containers, water, compost, soil, mulch, seeds and go into how to compost, how to make a compost bin, how to harvest rainwater, how to do grey water, how to forage and much more. The idea of this video and guide is to help you get past all the limiting challenges of gardening in the city and get you to start growing some food. This guide is geared particularly at how to grow food for free or with very little money in an urban environment where space may be limited. One of the main keys to growing food for free in the city is to utilize wasted materials and resources. Creating a minimal environmental impact is a central part of everything in this guide and utilizing wasted materials and resources is one of the best ways to keep our environmental impact small.

For more information go to: http://ift.tt/2tb9VKu

12 Incredible Ways To Decorate Your Fence

“Every garden, backyard or patio has some kind of fence. They can be pretty dull and even can make the surrounding area uglier than it probably is. That’s why we decided to present you a dozen of great ideas that can unbelievably transform your garden and make it an enjoyable place.”

Enjoy and get inspired: “SiteForEverything.com“

FACTS FOR FAMILIES: Gardening is Good For You

“Therapeutic gardening has existed since early Egypt. At the beginning of the 1800s, Dr. Benjamin Rush recorded the therapeutic effects of working the garden. Following both World War I and II, veteran hospitals used gardening as therapy for returning soldiers. Even today, there are many gardening and farming programs for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. We have known for a long time that gardening was good for you, but now have the research to back it up! And Chris says that more importantly, we can use this research when presenting our case to groups or organizations in support of the benefits of gardening, farming, and being in nature.”

“What may be required next is a shift in our time-strapped culture, where we have so much demanding our attention. Growing a plant forces our patience as we await the opening of a flower bud or ripening of a vegetable. During that time, we note observations of the soil, insects both good and bad, weather, and the habit of the plant as it moves through its lifecycle. Watching and culturing the life of another organism is powerful for any human being. A shift in our mindset toward nature positions the fields of horticulture, urban agriculture, landscape design, and landscape architecture as key career paths to promote the health and well-being of everyone in our community and not just those with the means to afford the graces of nature or a well-kept yard. ”

Read the FULL Article at “CJ-TC.com“

7 Reasons Why (Urban) Gardening is Cool Again

“In case you haven’t noticed it yet, gardening is becoming cool again. More and more people are planting gardens in their backyards, building vertical ones where space is tight, keeping succulents on their office desks and cactus in their bedrooms.

It’s not surprising. City life is a mad dash of existence; We live in a concrete jungle, deal with the chronic stress of slow-moving traffic and stressful commute, get blind looking at multiple screens all day long, and try to be the responsible employee, family member, and friend. Short of the long: We need something more than this city routine.

GMA News Online attended an urban gardening workshop at Cedarhills Garden Center in Quezon City, where we learned the many benefits of gardening. Read them HERE!”

How To Turn Barrel Drums Into Raised Garden Beds

“Drums can be great for building raised garden beds. If you happened to have some barrel drums around collecting dust, this might be a good project for you.

Just cut the drums in halves and build a stand to support them. Your garden bed is ready for some beautiful flowers! Watch the video tutorial for how to cut the barrel drums.” via “NewzMagazine.com“

Does Coconut Oil Contribute to Heart Disease?

I get so fired up when articles go viral that provide false health and nutrition information.  In a world where a lot of people are searching online for health information (hello, Dr. Google!) it can be hard to navigate fact from fiction.  Remember: just because you read it on the internet, that doesn’t make it true!

The latest you may have heard is that the American Heart Association’s guidelines caution against using coconut oil, as it may elevate LDL cholesterol and lead to heart disease.  Does coconut oil contribute to heart disease?  I say no way!  Healthy fats are a critical part of keeping our bodies running properly.

As a registered dietitian I have been able to observe firsthand how diet and lifestyle can impact overall health.  Clients that thought they were doing everything right: eating whole grains, avoiding saturated fat, eating more vegetables, skipping the egg yolks — yet they still developed heart disease.

Consider the Source

There are tons of articles online.  When you’re reading information pertaining to your health, consider the source.  I would never take advice from the American Heart Association (AHA).  For years they have promoted a diet that has actually been causing more heart disease.  The AHA promotes use of vegetable oil (despite being inflammatory), endorses high intake of grains, and encourages everything be low-fat (causes high blood sugar)(1, 3).  Despite the recommendations of the AHA and people adopting a low-fat diet, in the United States cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of men and women, plus it is costing us billions of dollars.  Organizations like the AHA often receive funding from food or drug companies, creating a huge conflict of interest.  When deciphering fact from fiction it is always important to look and who is providing funding and the source of the information.

What is the Truth? What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is actually not a fat, but a sterol; a combination of a steroid and alcohol.  Cholesterol is fat soluble and blood is mostly water.  Think of oil and water: they don’t mix.  This means that cholesterol can’t travel in the blood freely.  In order for cholesterol to travel in the blood it needs to be carried in a particle known as lipoprotein.  These lipoproteins are fat (like cholesterol) surrounded by protein.  Lipoproteins (or lipoprotein particle number) are really just the transportation system for cholesterol and other fat so that they can freely flow in the blood.

The best way to think about this is to imagine cholesterol and triglycerides are people and the lipoproteins are the cars that are transporting those people from point A to point B.

There are different types of lipoproteins.  Two of the more well-known lipoproteins are low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL).  We have all been taught that LDL needs to be lower and is considered our “bad” cholesterol while HDL should be higher because it is our “good” cholesterol.  When we get a standard lipid panel drawn we are testing for how much cholesterol (or people) are inside the lipoproteins (or cars) and not how many cars are on the road.

The main function of LDL is as a transport vehicle to deliver triglycerides for storage or immediate utilization for energy.  While HDL transports cholesterol back to the liver where it can be processed, added to bile, and excreted.  Both have a purpose, which is why our bodies make both.  We now know that it is the LDL particle number (or number of cars) this is an indicator of heart risk disease and not the people inside the cars (cholesterol and triglycerides).

The more LDL particles indicate higher risk for heart disease because the smaller particles can fit into the lining of the blood vessel and create damage.

Cholesterol is vital to health and we would not be alive without it.  It helps to make vitamin D, bile, sex hormones and steroid hormones.  It is important for brain health (25% of the brain is cholesterol), it inactivates bacterial toxins, and helps us maintain a healthy gut wall.

This is probably why a whopping 75% of our cholesterol is produced inside of our bodies by the liver (provided our liver is functioning well).  Dietary cholesterol has little impact on our total cholesterol because our body tightly regulates the amount in our bodies.  If we eat more cholesterol, the body makes less and if we eat less, the body makes more. (4)

The Real Cause of Heart Disease

Inflammation, blood sugar imbalance, and oxidative stress play a big role in the development of blood vessel plaque that can contribute to heart attacks and stroke.  These three factors can cause damage to the blood vessel lining.  This damage causes LDL particles (or the cars) to be drawn to the injury site to help repair the damage.  Cholesterol inside the LDL is used like spackle to support healing.  Excess LDL particles then can get caught in the vessel lining.  Inflammation at the injury site draws immune cells and it is the combination of immune cells and LDL that begin to form plaque.

If you were looking for a lab value that could help you assess your risk of heart disease, the two that I recommend to clients are C-Reactive Protein (CRP-hs), which can help assess inflammation levels in the body, and LDL particle number (done via a NMR or nuclear magnetic resonance test). (2)

LDL particle number indicates the number of cars on the road (aka blood stream) and the people inside the car are cholesterol and triglycerides.  It is really the number of LDL particles that can best assess risk for heart disease and not what they are carrying that counts.

So while the American Heart Association may caution against the use of coconut oil because they believe that it elevates LDL, I disagree.  An elevated LDL isn’t necessarily a bad thing because having a low LDL cholesterol level doesn’t mean you are not at risk for heart disease.  You can have low LDL cholesterol yet still have high LDL particle numbers giving someone a false sense of protection.  In fact the lowest risk of death, according to one study, was a low LDL particle number and a normal or high LDL cholesterol number. (5)

Bottom line: Heart disease is a complex, multifactorial process.  Diet and lifestyle are big contributors!  Coconut oil, as well as other healthy fats like olive oil, grass-fed butter, avocado, nuts, and even pasture-raised lard are going to continue to be part of my healthy lifestyle.  That being said I will also say that everyone is metabolically different.  The amount of fat that works well for one person may not be what another person does best on.  You have to figure out the amount that works best for you are your body!

Need help figuring out your lipid panel numbers, don’t know what foods to eat, or how much fat to incorporate into your diet?  Work with a dietitian (like me!) that can assess your labs and coach you on appropriate diet and lifestyle choices using accurate science-based information.

 

The post Does Coconut Oil Contribute to Heart Disease? appeared first on The Organic Dietitian.

Germantown Couple’s Legacy Will Live on Forever in Protected Urban Garden

“NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Germantown couple’s legacy will grow forever, thanks to an agreement that will always protect their urban garden.

When Ernest and Berdelle Campbell left their Belle Meade home and moved to Germantown, they knew an urban garden would be a part of their retired life.

Now, more than 30 years later, that garden is still thriving and thanks to the Land Trust for Tennessee, its future is forever.”

READ THE FULL STORY at: “WKRN.com“

Pro Tips? Grow What You Like, Start Small, Use What You Have!

Learn how to get started with an urban garden from people who have done it. Or, if you’ve got limited space, consider beginning with a container garden! Visit: “RodalesOrganicLife.com”

This San Fransisco Family Created an Urban Farm in Their Backyard That is Teeming With Life.

“The homestead is a family project where each member does their part. Blas Herrera, husband to Chan and father of their two young girls, puts on his beekeeper suit one foggy morning to smoke and subdue the bees before extracting them for an upcoming garden tour. The Chan-Herrera family opens their backyard oasis to the community regularly, and on this particular day, students from S.F. State were due for a visit.”

Read the full article at: “SFChronicle.com“

Help Support Nicaragua’s Education Farm & Nutrition Kitchen

HELP SUPPORT THIS PROJECT

“Since moving to Nicaragua, a day doesn’t go by when we bite into produce grown here and taste the bitter flavor of chemicals. The use of these chemicals goes back generations. This, along with a changing climate and five years of drought has had a devastating impact on the environment, depleted soil quality, and caused malnutrition. With your support we can build a hands-on farm model that teaches sustainable growing methods, nutrition education, and improves health for families and children.”

What Mesa Sostenible Looks Like Now:

So far they have been successful at securing land, and growing various plant varieties from seed in two small greenhouses. They’ve also started a composting initiative to help reduce waste and promote soil health.

What Mesa Sostenible Can Look Like with Your Help and Support: 

The GOAL is to build a sustainable, working farm that will provide the community and visitors a-like the experience to participate in a unique and memorable educational experience in sustainable farming, living & healthy food preparation.

“MESA Sostenible aims to have the following social, environmental and economic impacts:

• Demonstrate the importance of year-round crop diversity to reduce malnutrition through a varied diet and nutrition education.
• Increase soil fertility and reduce topsoil erosion.
• Eliminate agricultural chemicals used on productive land.
• Maximize rainwater infiltration and on-site treatment to improve ground water storage through water harvesting techniques.”

Here’s The Plan:

Our goal is to raise $95,000 in funds to bring the MESA Sostenible Sustainable Farm and Nutrition Kitchen to life.

Help us reach our funding goal! Other ways you can ACT NOW:

• SHARE: Facebook, Twitter – use the social icons at the top right
• SHOW your family and friends, encourage them to help fund us.
• EMAIL to five friends, show them you care. Click here.
• VISIT our website to learn more about our work.

Thank you for your support!

Make Your Own Biodegradable Seed Starters, 4 Different Ways

Find more great ideas for starting your seeds, on our Pinterest Board! 

Grow Your Own Private Garden – No Matter Where You Live!

The Noocity Growbed is an unique and efficient self-watering gardening system.
It’s easy to assemble and only needs low maintenance. The Noocity growbed allows you to plant a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and herbs anywhere without worrying about time.