Here is where "Green Groups" cross the line. We are not talking about citizens action groups or community based "green groups". Read on and maybe you have experienced something similar from Conservancies or Environmental boards. We would love to hear your stories.
Does Green Group Cross the Line With Inspection at Virginia Farm?
MoreBeer - recipes and more!
.gif "Single Hop Recipes at MoreBeer.com")
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Prevent Listeria, use plant based compost, not manure
Another benefit to composting is the prevention of Listeria. Most cases originate from the use of animal manure as a fertilizer.
A little bit about Listeria:
Listeriosis (Listeria) is found in soil and water.
1. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer.
2. Animals can carry the bacteria and can contaminate meats and dairy products.
3, Processed foods, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts, can be contaminated after processing.
4. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk can be contaminated.
For most healthy people Listeria causes very little problems other than typical stomach issues such as fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.
Listeriosis affects mainly pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and adults with impaired immune systems. Healthy adults and children sometimes are infected with L. monocytogenes, but they rarely become seriously ill. Babies can be born with listeriosis if their mothers eat contaminated food during pregnancy.
What can you do:
You can prevent listeriosis by practicing safe food handling (adapted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Shop safely. Bag raw meat, poultry, or fish separately from other food items. Drive home immediately after finishing your shopping so that you can store all foods properly.
Prepare foods safely. Wash your hands before and after handling food. Also wash them after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables by rinsing them well with running water. If possible, use two cutting boards—one for fresh produce and the other for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. You can also wash your knives and cutting boards in the dishwasher to disinfect them.
Store foods safely. Cook, refrigerate, or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and ready-to-eat foods within 2 hours. Make sure your refrigerator is set at 40°F (4°C) or colder. But listeria can grow in the refrigerator, so clean up any spills in your refrigerator, especially juices from hot dogs, raw meat, or poultry.
Cook foods safely. Use a clean meat thermometer to determine whether foods are cooked to a safe temperature. Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F (74°C). Do not eat undercooked hamburger, and be aware of the risk of food poisoning from raw fish (including sushi), clams, and oysters.
Serve foods safely. Keep cooked hot foods hot [140°F (60°C) or above] and cold foods cold [40°F (4°C) or below].
Follow labels on food packaging. Food packaging labels provide information about when to use the food and how to store it. Reading food labels and following safety instructions will reduce your chance of becoming ill with food poisoning.
When in doubt, throw it out. If you are not sure whether a food is safe, don't eat it. Reheating food that is contaminated will not make it safe. Don't taste suspicious food. It may smell and look fine but still may not be safe to eat.
If you are pregnant:
Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
Do not eat soft cheeses unless the label states they are made from pasteurized milk. Common cheeses typically made with unpasteurized milk—such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as "queso blanco fresco"—can cause listeriosis. You can have hard cheeses and semisoft cheeses such as mozzarella along with pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads. But you can eat these foods if they are canned.
Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole. Examples of refrigerated smoked seafood include salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel. You may eat canned fish such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked seafood.
Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.
Avoid eating salads made in a store, such as ham, chicken, egg, tuna, or seafood salads.
A little bit about Listeria:
Listeriosis (Listeria) is found in soil and water.
1. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer.
2. Animals can carry the bacteria and can contaminate meats and dairy products.
3, Processed foods, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts, can be contaminated after processing.
4. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk can be contaminated.
For most healthy people Listeria causes very little problems other than typical stomach issues such as fever, muscle aches, and sometimes nausea or diarrhea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur.
Listeriosis affects mainly pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and adults with impaired immune systems. Healthy adults and children sometimes are infected with L. monocytogenes, but they rarely become seriously ill. Babies can be born with listeriosis if their mothers eat contaminated food during pregnancy.
What can you do:
You can prevent listeriosis by practicing safe food handling (adapted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Shop safely. Bag raw meat, poultry, or fish separately from other food items. Drive home immediately after finishing your shopping so that you can store all foods properly.
Prepare foods safely. Wash your hands before and after handling food. Also wash them after using the bathroom or changing diapers. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables by rinsing them well with running water. If possible, use two cutting boards—one for fresh produce and the other for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. You can also wash your knives and cutting boards in the dishwasher to disinfect them.
Store foods safely. Cook, refrigerate, or freeze meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and ready-to-eat foods within 2 hours. Make sure your refrigerator is set at 40°F (4°C) or colder. But listeria can grow in the refrigerator, so clean up any spills in your refrigerator, especially juices from hot dogs, raw meat, or poultry.
Cook foods safely. Use a clean meat thermometer to determine whether foods are cooked to a safe temperature. Reheat leftovers to at least 165°F (74°C). Do not eat undercooked hamburger, and be aware of the risk of food poisoning from raw fish (including sushi), clams, and oysters.
Serve foods safely. Keep cooked hot foods hot [140°F (60°C) or above] and cold foods cold [40°F (4°C) or below].
Follow labels on food packaging. Food packaging labels provide information about when to use the food and how to store it. Reading food labels and following safety instructions will reduce your chance of becoming ill with food poisoning.
When in doubt, throw it out. If you are not sure whether a food is safe, don't eat it. Reheating food that is contaminated will not make it safe. Don't taste suspicious food. It may smell and look fine but still may not be safe to eat.
If you are pregnant:
Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
Do not eat soft cheeses unless the label states they are made from pasteurized milk. Common cheeses typically made with unpasteurized milk—such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as "queso blanco fresco"—can cause listeriosis. You can have hard cheeses and semisoft cheeses such as mozzarella along with pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads. But you can eat these foods if they are canned.
Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole. Examples of refrigerated smoked seafood include salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel. You may eat canned fish such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked seafood.
Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.
Avoid eating salads made in a store, such as ham, chicken, egg, tuna, or seafood salads.
Monday, July 21, 2014
Companion Planting
Here are a handful of favorite plants for discouraging pests in the vegetable garden to jump-start your companion planting endeavors.
1. Basil
Among the most popular partnerships, basil and tomatoes go hand-in-hand—both on the plate and in the garden. Basil is said to repel whiteflies, spider mites and aphids on tomatoes. Planting basil around young tomato plants can confuse adult hornworm moths, preventing them from finding the plants and laying their eggs.
2. Dill
Dill helps deter squash bugs, so plant it among your squash plants to keep your crop safe. It also helps repel adult cabbageworms when planted among cabbage and other cole crops. The heavily scented leaves of dill may repel other insects, as well, or simply mask the scent of the host plant.
3. Nasturtiums
Many gardeners find success planting nasturtiums among cucumber vines to repel the cucumber beetles that feed on cucumber leaves and flowers, and transmit bacterial wilt. Some gardeners also report that vining nasturtium varieties help deter squash bugs when planted among winter squash.
4. Onions
The bold odor of onions may actually repel pests or confuse them by masking the fragrance of their preferred host plants. Either way, onions in the cucumber patch can scare off cucumber beetles, and planting them between carrot rows repels adult carrot root maggot flies. Circling a row of onions around tomato plants is also said to help repel sap-sucking aphids.
5. Garlic
The scent of this aromatic is said to repel aphids in the lettuce patch, as well as send Japanese beetles packing when planted around blueberries, roses, raspberries and other susceptible crops. Garlic plants are also used to keep spider mites away from phlox and other vulnerable perennials.
6. Tomatoes
With strongly scented foliage of their own, many gardeners use tomatoes to protect their cabbage and broccoli crop from diamond back moth larvae. The adult moths are less likely to lay eggs on cole crops planted between and beneath tomato plants.
7. Catnip (Nepeta spp.)
Plant this perennial member of the mint family between rows of plants susceptible to flea beetle damage, such as radish and eggplants, as the adult beetles are repelled by the fragrance.
8. Calamint
Another member of the mint family, this perennial is reportedly quite adept at deterring cabbageworms, cabbage loopers and diamondback moth larvae on cole crops. Plant a few calamint plants near these crops, but be careful to deadhead the flowers before they drop seed to prevent it from taking over the garden.
9. Tansy
Some gardeners use this herb to keep Japanese beetles at bay, planting it among brambles, roses and other plants favored by adult Japanese beetles. Tansy's strong scent is said to either deter them directly or make it difficult for the beetles to hone in on their host plant.
10. Marigolds
Tall marigold varieties, such as African marigolds (Tagetes erecta), are used by some gardeners to deter tomato and tobacco hornworms. When planted in between tomato plants, they are thought to confuse the adult hornworm moths and keep them at bay.
11. Borage
Used by gardeners for centuries to discourage hornworms on tomatoes and cabbageworms on cole crops, borage is a beautiful addition to the garden. Easily grown from seed, this herb can be readily grown around susceptible plants. It's also great at supporting Honey bees and other pollinators.
12. Lavender
When grown among lettuce and other leaf crops, the heavily scented leaves of lavender dissuade both whiteflies and aphids.
13. Parsley
Planting parsley in the asparagus bed may send asparagus beetles packing, particularly early in the season when the spears are just emerging.
14. Castor Oil Plant
Although it should be grown with care (all parts—especially the beans—are extremely poisonous to humans and animals when ingested), the castor oil plant is proven to keep moles and voles at bay. Planted around the perimeter of the garden, it keeps voles from moving in. Some commercial mole and vole repellents are even made from the castor oil plant because it works so well.
Read the full Article
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/14-plants-to-repel-beetles-and-other-garden-pests.aspx
1. Basil
Among the most popular partnerships, basil and tomatoes go hand-in-hand—both on the plate and in the garden. Basil is said to repel whiteflies, spider mites and aphids on tomatoes. Planting basil around young tomato plants can confuse adult hornworm moths, preventing them from finding the plants and laying their eggs.
2. Dill
Dill helps deter squash bugs, so plant it among your squash plants to keep your crop safe. It also helps repel adult cabbageworms when planted among cabbage and other cole crops. The heavily scented leaves of dill may repel other insects, as well, or simply mask the scent of the host plant.
3. Nasturtiums
Many gardeners find success planting nasturtiums among cucumber vines to repel the cucumber beetles that feed on cucumber leaves and flowers, and transmit bacterial wilt. Some gardeners also report that vining nasturtium varieties help deter squash bugs when planted among winter squash.
4. Onions
The bold odor of onions may actually repel pests or confuse them by masking the fragrance of their preferred host plants. Either way, onions in the cucumber patch can scare off cucumber beetles, and planting them between carrot rows repels adult carrot root maggot flies. Circling a row of onions around tomato plants is also said to help repel sap-sucking aphids.
5. Garlic
The scent of this aromatic is said to repel aphids in the lettuce patch, as well as send Japanese beetles packing when planted around blueberries, roses, raspberries and other susceptible crops. Garlic plants are also used to keep spider mites away from phlox and other vulnerable perennials.
6. Tomatoes
With strongly scented foliage of their own, many gardeners use tomatoes to protect their cabbage and broccoli crop from diamond back moth larvae. The adult moths are less likely to lay eggs on cole crops planted between and beneath tomato plants.
7. Catnip (Nepeta spp.)
Plant this perennial member of the mint family between rows of plants susceptible to flea beetle damage, such as radish and eggplants, as the adult beetles are repelled by the fragrance.
8. Calamint
Another member of the mint family, this perennial is reportedly quite adept at deterring cabbageworms, cabbage loopers and diamondback moth larvae on cole crops. Plant a few calamint plants near these crops, but be careful to deadhead the flowers before they drop seed to prevent it from taking over the garden.
9. Tansy
Some gardeners use this herb to keep Japanese beetles at bay, planting it among brambles, roses and other plants favored by adult Japanese beetles. Tansy's strong scent is said to either deter them directly or make it difficult for the beetles to hone in on their host plant.
10. Marigolds
Tall marigold varieties, such as African marigolds (Tagetes erecta), are used by some gardeners to deter tomato and tobacco hornworms. When planted in between tomato plants, they are thought to confuse the adult hornworm moths and keep them at bay.
11. Borage
Used by gardeners for centuries to discourage hornworms on tomatoes and cabbageworms on cole crops, borage is a beautiful addition to the garden. Easily grown from seed, this herb can be readily grown around susceptible plants. It's also great at supporting Honey bees and other pollinators.
12. Lavender
When grown among lettuce and other leaf crops, the heavily scented leaves of lavender dissuade both whiteflies and aphids.
13. Parsley
Planting parsley in the asparagus bed may send asparagus beetles packing, particularly early in the season when the spears are just emerging.
14. Castor Oil Plant
Although it should be grown with care (all parts—especially the beans—are extremely poisonous to humans and animals when ingested), the castor oil plant is proven to keep moles and voles at bay. Planted around the perimeter of the garden, it keeps voles from moving in. Some commercial mole and vole repellents are even made from the castor oil plant because it works so well.
Read the full Article
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/14-plants-to-repel-beetles-and-other-garden-pests.aspx
Friday, July 18, 2014
Spicy Fudge S’mores
8 regular size graham crackers, broken in 1/2
8 marshmallows
Zombie Jac’s Hot Fudge
Sauce (see directions below)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Lay 1/2 of the graham crackers on a cookie sheet. Place
marshmallows on crackers.
Bake until the marshmallows are golden brown, about 3 to 5
minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining graham crackers,
pressing lightly to make a sandwich. Drizzle Spiced Fudge Sauce over top and
serve immediately, while still warm. For
a special treat replace graham crackers with waffle pretzels.
Zombie Jac’s Hot
Fudge Sauce:
1/8 -1 tsp Zombie Jac Habanero Sauce (You can substitute equivalent amount of ground fresh Habanero Peppers),
depending on how much heat you want.
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/3 cup cocoa
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
- If
using fresh Habanero peppers: remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers
and place them into a small food processor or coffee grinder. Process till smooth. (Good idea to wear gloves)
- Measure
Zombie Jac’s Habanero sauce out to ⅛ tsp – 1 tsp, depending on how much
heat you want.
- In a
small saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, and sauce.
- Stir
to remove any lumps. Add milk and
stir.
- Bring
to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- Boil
until sauce has reached desired consistency, sauce will thicken a bit as
it cools.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.
Remaining sauce can be refrigerated in a sealed, microwave
safe container. Just heat up to use again. Excellent on different fruits, desserts and
ice cream.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Time to consider the winter
I know after the last winter most of the US had the last thing on your mind is upcoming cold. And yes it is right around the corner...Right now we are enjoying the tomatoes and peppers but within the next two months we will start to unwind to fall harvest and then winter. Now is the perfect time to plan for the cold and get ready to extend your growing season, possibly well into the winter.
No money for a greenhouse, consider a hoop house. They are pretty inexpensive and reusable or maybe a DIY coldframe (we will cover that in a few days). Here is a video from Howl in Lowell. The community garden sets up hoop houses and in the Northeast they can be extremely helpful when a regular greenhouse is not available, to extend the growing season or start growing a little earlier.
Got some tips and trick you would like to share post away! Hope you enjoy and of course -
Happy gardening, farming and eating!
No money for a greenhouse, consider a hoop house. They are pretty inexpensive and reusable or maybe a DIY coldframe (we will cover that in a few days). Here is a video from Howl in Lowell. The community garden sets up hoop houses and in the Northeast they can be extremely helpful when a regular greenhouse is not available, to extend the growing season or start growing a little earlier.
Got some tips and trick you would like to share post away! Hope you enjoy and of course -
Happy gardening, farming and eating!
Monday, July 14, 2014
Remediation to urban soils
Zombie Jac's Tip of the week:
Remediation to urban soils.
While the growth of Urban Farming and Urban Gardening (there
is a difference) is booming now a days there should be a strong concern over
the quality of the soil when doing ground planting. Contamination of urban lots is common and
often without proper remediation can lead to exposure to lead, mercury, zinc,
arsenic, chromium, copper, dioxins and cadmium.
A soil contaminant is an element or chemical present in the
soil at a level that could possibly pose health risks. In a few areas of the
country, element levels may be naturally high. In many cases, human activities
have increased the soil levels of many elements and chemicals and also spread
them out more widely. Lead, cadmium, arsenic, zinc, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) are contaminants commonly found in any urban environment. In addition,
other contaminants can also be found in areas near former commercial or
industrial properties. Table 1 lists sources of contamination that are commonly
found on sites with a commercial or industrial history, such as where we are in
Troy, NY.
So what can you do?
First see about getting your soil tested. Cornell Cooperative Extension can provide
testing as well as many garden centers provide soil testing. Once you get a definitive answer on what is
in your soil then you can go forward with a solid plan.
Remediation can be a significant undertaking and without
proper testing you could also expose yourself to toxins just by allowing them
to become airborne, for this reason if you suspect contamination we always
recommend raised beds with a good weed barrier.
Other benefits to raised beds are high density growing, water
conservation and weed control. One of
the most prevalent contaminants in urban environments is lead (Pb), but do to
the fact that lead is not soluble (capable of being dissolved) exposure through
most vegetables is minimal with the exceptions of root vegetables. Exposure is more common through dirt dust,
working the soil. But lead is relatively
simple to deal with. The most common is
compost. A good quality, even home made
compost can help remediate lead as well as many other contaminants through
bonding.
Another option is separate planting. Grow food in containers, raised beds while remediation
through planting items like clover, ash plant, sunflowers, spinach and Indian mustard
are considered hyperaccumulators and have the ability to take up soluble metals
into their roots there by removing the contaminants up to 100 fold greater than
other plants. Typically harvested at the
end of the growing season then have soil retested.
Care should be taken when ever considering urban growing but
the benefits of urban growing far outweigh the risks when there are so many
options to alleviate those risks.
Happy Gardening, farming and eating!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)