Owner: Gardener to Farmer URL:http://gardenertofarmer.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:57:10 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: I am a passionate gardener who thinks she wants to be a farmer. Join me as I explore, learn, scheme and try a bunch of new things I have no idea how to do...at the very least, it will be funny Site statistics:Click here
My First Produce Partners, Ali and Evan 2008-04-10 14:52:34 First
of all, could these guys be any cuter? I mean really...and their little dog, too...Ali and Evan are the owners of the Little Red Bike Cafe, a wonderful place to eat in North Portland. The opened shop less than a year ago, but have quickly built a name for themselves. Of course, it doesn't hurt that there are precious few yummy places to eat in NoPo...and these two were smart entreprenuers that saw a business opportunity and seized it! Grilled Cheese with Jack & Roasted Peppers a cup of Chicken and Black Bean Soupwith Spicy Corn Relish, and Organic Mixed GreensAnd, although I would like to take credit for the idea, it was actually my partner who suggested I talk with Evan and Ali about my ideas. So, I went to visit them yesterday, and lo and behold, it was a match made in heaven! Read more:Partners
We are the Champions, My Friends! 2008-04-14 18:52:43 Many of you may remember one of my first posts about Hateful Wildlife. In it, I showed a particularly disturbing photo of a ravaged onion bed...It was an onion massacre, the likes of which I had never seen. Below is a picture of the hatefulness, if you have children near the computer, please, avert their eyes... It just never loses its impact, does it? This kind of natural disaster could cause a family to lose their onion crop for a whole year...But would I let that happen? Would I? I CAN'T HEAR YOU...WOULD I?? I didn't think so...Behold, the VICTOR!Yes, some of those poor little yellow and white onions survived, and all of the Giant Dutch Shallots survived (on the left). In my next planting of yellow and white onions, I followed advice left by my readers and covered the Read more:Champions
, Friends
Crazy for Cucurbits 2008-04-16 08:40:18 These little darlings are seedlings for Blue Hubbard Squash. This picture really doesn't do them justice...they have the most wonderfully textured leaves, fuzzy and thick, almost like a succulent. And, they are about the easiest seeds to start...just need a bit of heat, some water and presto! They dwarf other tiny seedlings, shooting up straight and strong, like some sort of prehistoric plant, quite possibly carnivorous. It really is a great show!This is a seedling of Spaghetti Squash...and although it doesn't taste like spaghetti, it resembles it...It is incredibly yummy with a bit of butter and real Parmesan...an epicurean delight!Sharilyn Muskmelon is a wonderfully yummy, coral-fleshed melon. All of my life, I have called these canteloupes, but apparently they are actually muskmelons Read more:Crazy
Rhubarb, My Beloved 2008-04-18 08:16:45 And so, my love affair with rhubarb continues...I never expected to fall in love with it, I mean, who ever expects to fall in love? It just happens when the time is right...Do I believe in love at first sight? I don't know...maybe...Do I believe in fate? Definitely! And you will too after you read this post...What you see before you is 3 pounds of luscious rhubarb... This vegetable, that is eaten like a fruit, has a tart, yummy flavor that tastes particularly good when paired with berries. The traditional matching is strawberry and rhubarb, but this year, I am trying cane berries, too. It can be used in many ways, but is usually an ingredient in sweet recipes...But the reason my beloved rhubarb appears in another post is because it will be my first sale to the Little Red Bike Cafe! Isn Read more:Rhubarb
Winter Wonderland 2008-04-20 10:08:22 I realized that I have been so focused on veggie seedlings that I have neglected to post pictures of the amazing transformation that is taking place in The Back 40. The apples are almost in full bloom and the cherries are absolutely breathtaking. This is one of the three apple trees on the property. And below is a picture of our giant cherry tree...and what I think is another cherry in our neighbor's yard.There are multiple benefits to having an mini orchard like ours...one that is often forgotten is the sheer joy of standing next to the trees when a bit of wind comes by...it is like having a snow storm of petals...I mean, what could be better than that? The little white and pink snowflakes drift around the landscape...it is like being caught up in a snow globe. Dreamy....Since Mother Natu Read more:Wonderland
, Winter Wonderland
Parsley Me, But Your Nasturtium Is Showing 2008-04-22 09:27:22 I know, this is a crappy picture, but when your hands are shaking because it is freakin' freezing outside, it is hard to get a good shot...On Sunday, it snowed and sleeted...and when it was snowing and sleeting, it was FREEZING! However, it was sunny in between...and warm, relatively speaking.Given that kind of weather, what would any reasonable gardener do? Run out and plant in the sunny spots! Duh...So, I grabbed my parsley and nasturtiums from the greenhouse and headed to The Back 40 (that makes it sound like those two things are separated by some great distance, but it was actually about 6 feet). Yes, I was determined to plant...I planted half a circle around one of the apples. This tree is planted in a mini berm that is refreshed with chopped leaves every fall. It is like a mini co
Maltese Cross or Burning Love Flower 2008-04-24 09:58:58 I admit it, I love to find new plants that I haven't grown before (see my post on Falstaff purple brussel sprouts). I don't know why...I just do. That is part of what makes me a boutique farmer rather than a standard farmer.So, when I was browsing through the FedCo Seeds catalog and saw Maltese Cross
, I knew I had to try it. Of course, I had no idea what "it" was, I just thought it was strange and unusual and I, myself, am strange and unusual...Anywhoo, I started the little guys in a reused plastic container and they are just now sprouting...But when they grow up, they will look like this...what great cut flowers they will make!For those of you wondering why this plant is called Maltese Cross...take a look at this close up of the flower... The other name for this plant is Burning
Love Fl
Times They Are A Changin' 2008-04-26 11:49:15 This blog comes 5 short days before my official last day as the executive director of a local non profit. The decision was a difficult one, but necessary to allow me to spend more time with my niece and nephew who came to live with my partner and I in January.And so, I will be starting my own business. Actually two businesses...yes, I know, it is a lot of work to run one business, let a lone two, but bear with me and I will explain.I already have my blog, Gardener to Farmer. I now also have a business (and new website) with the name Gardener to Farmer that offers edible landscape consulting and maintenance, organic methods consulting and other miscellaneous garden-type services. Another service of G2F is Dancing Hills Produce. This is the name I have given to my produce sales. We will co Read more:Times
Ms. Passion Flower Goes to Washington 2008-04-28 08:25:57 I have always loved Passion
Flower Vine, I just always thought it was because of the beautiful flowers...But surprisingly, it has medicinal (and political) qualities, too...more on that in a bit...first, let's talk about my pretty little plant...I let it overwinter outside, as many varieties of passion flower are hardy to zone 7 or so. There wasn't a sign of life to it. I brought it into the greenhouse in early February and by about mid March, tiny little leaves were sprouting.Things started picking up speed by the beginning of April, and here is what it looks like at the end of the month.This now small vine can grow 20 feet or more in a season. I don't know if it will grow that much in my Portland garden, but I expect it will gain a lot of ground once it finally warms up here.Back to th Read more:Washington
Ode to Rhubarb 2008-05-01 08:49:00 Ode –noun 1.a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion. 2.(originally) a poem intended to be sung.I wanted to start this post with an ode to rhubarb...but when I realized exactly how much work that would be, I nixed that idea. I mean, I am in LOVE with rhubarb, but even I have limits...so for now, let's just think of this as a metaphorical ode...although I might try singing my post after I write it.Exciting news! Rhubarb
will be making a second appearance this weekend at the Little Red Bike Cafe...If you missed its last appearance, better get there fast because it was gone in the blink of an eye. I will be taking it over on Friday morning...I'm just sayin'... And if you want to say hi to me, I will be dropping it o
One Potato, Two 2008-05-04 10:35:40 I have a confession...I ignore conventional wisdom about the planting of my potatoes...and I am only writing about it now because it has worked out A-OK. Here's the first photo of the Yukon Golds...I am also growing fingerling potatoes...What did I do, you ask? There are very few rules about planting potatoes...if it is a small potato, with three eyes or so, you just dig a bit and put it in the ground...If it is a large potato, with multiple eyes, you can cut it into pieces (no smaller than 3 eyes), let it callous for a day, then put it in the ground. Quick sidebar: Eyes are those little things that start growing out of the sides of the potato when you have had it in the bin too long, callous is to leave the cut potato out for a day so it develops a tougher skin on the cut parts.I have o Read more:Potato
A Beet by Any Other Name Would Taste as Sweet 2008-05-07 10:27:58 Listen,I dig beets...no pun intended...for some reason, I just really love them. It hasn't always been so...My first contact with beets as a child was some weird pickled beet that looked like the cranberry sauce you buy in the can and eat at Thanksgiving. I actually really like cranberry in the can at Thanksgiving...but it has to be the one that stays solid and you cut it into these crancircles and add it to the mass on your plate...but I digress...And while I like crancircles, I DO NOT like beet circles (not to be confused with crop circles), So, it was a real surprise to me when, as an adult, I tried beets again...this time fresh beets...Wow! It was wonderful! An earthy, semi-sweet, sometimes crunchy, sometimes velvety texture...great cold or hot...are you kidding me? What's not to lov Read more:Sweet
Crops and Raabers at the Little Red Bike Cafe 2008-05-09 10:14:02 Having its premire at the Little Red Bike Cafe this weekend...Broccoli Raab...Yummy! I am so glad it is finally time to start harvesting more than just rhubarb...not that I would ever tire of rhubarb. Although Raab is usually a fall to spring crop, I planted it early in our greenhouse and then out into the garden in late March, early April... It is grown for its unopened flower heads as well as its leaves. Here it is just getting started in our greenhouse. Broccoli Raab, Rapini, Italian Broccoli, those are just a few of the names people around the world call this member of the turnip family. And aren't you surprised it isn't a member of the broccoli family? Me too, but when you grow it, you will notice the leaves are like turnip leaves. I think we should just pretend it is a part of th Read more:Crops
Green Thumb Sunday: Begonias and You 2008-05-11 12:25:07 Cue trumpets and choir... "Behold, I give you Tuberous Begonias!"And, they are one of my favorite flowers...but tuberous? That is just wrong...I mean, Begonia is such a romantic, inspirational name...Tuberous, ummm, not so much...sort of sounds like a diagnosis.Doctor: Ms. Van Krevelen (yes, that's my real last name), we regret to inform you that your toe has become tuberous. We are going to have to remove it.Patient: What?!?! I always wore shoes in the garden! How could that happen??I supposed we could call them by their initials, "TB"...oops, ok, that sounds worse...let's just go with Begonias and we will all know what I mean...What's weird, is that I found an article that said their flowers are edible. Seriously? It suggested creating a begonia flower sorbet...I am not sure...it soun Read more:Green
, Thumb
, Sunday
, Green Thumb
Shallots or Pop Art? 2008-05-13 09:34:16 I have become quite creative in photographing my veggies...and this is my favorite pic so far...I think it looks like a giant Saguaro cactus ...you know, it's the stereotypical cactus...seen in films like High Noon...Which is set in Texas, but Saguaro Cacti don't grow in Texas, only in the Sonoran Desert. How very Hollywood, using a plant to make a buck...Back to the shallots...these are Dutch Y
Edgy Entrepreneur Blog on Networking 2008-05-17 10:22:48 A great primer for network and relationship building in business. The blog contains pithy, well written information about entrepreneurship. read more | digg story
Read more:Entrepreneur
Falstaff; Brussel Sprout or Shakespearean Character? 2008-05-16 09:14:21 Seriously, even I can't believe I am about to compare a brussel sprout to Shakespeare...but that's the name of these cuties...Falstaff Brussel Sprout
s...I've written about them before, so you may remember that they are purple, one of the reasons I am so nutty about growing them. Here is a not so great pic of when I first transplanted them...weakly looking, aren't they?But why the name Falstaff? Read more:Shakespearean
, Character
Green Thumb Sunday 2008-05-18 10:05:57 As I mentioned last Sunday
, I am now participating in GreenThumb
Sundays...I think I should have done this yesterday...still learning the ropes...in any case, here are my artistic attempts at showing you what is blooming now...This is a pair of beautiful white ranunculus and on the left, you can see the bottom of an iris about to bloom.This is the virtual arrangement my mom received for Mother's Read more:Green Thumb
My Second Produce Partner! Little t Bakery 2008-05-20 12:49:11 First, let's start by saying Little t Bakery
is adorable and so is the owner, Tim Healea.Tim is an amazing baker...internationally renowned, even...he was a part of the US team in the 2002 World Cup of Baking, where the US took a silver medal.In any case, Tim will have a wonderful, and no doubt successful, bakery...especially if I have anything to say about it!Since the bakery opens next week, he Read more:Second
, Partner
A New Business Model 2008-05-23 08:45:21 Wow, this week has really flown by...I was so busy I didn't have time to blog...for shame! I have another appointment next week with a potential produce partner, which will make three...and I have realized two things. One, there is a market for the type of produce I provide and for the marketing methods I offer and two, I do not have enough space to grow for multiple restaurants.This is a good pro Read more:Business
Hello, My Name is Jean Ann, and I am a Social Networking Addict 2008-05-27 10:15:03 OK, seriously, people...Since I got a laptop and ditched the family computer, I have become engrossed with all of the new ways to connect and build community online. I hate to say it, but I am addicted to social networking and social network marketing.Sites like Facebook and MySpace are usually the first things that come to mind when people think about social networks. But, as I have discovered, t Read more:Hello
, Social
Peas and Thank You, or Proper Legume Etiquette 2008-05-29 11:18:35 In the right conditions, peas can be quite polite...easy to grow, very productive, always yummy...And here in the Pacific Northwest, I simply pop them in the ground in the garden and let them grow up the trellis...These are the first Sugar Snap Peas I have harvested, aren't they adorable?I can't bring myself to eat them...they have been sitting on my counter for three days...I walk by occasionall Read more:Thank
, Proper
, Etiquette
Social Networking Update 2008-05-31 08:36:43 just found Lifestream.fm...it is a media and social aggregator that keeps you and your friends informed about what you're doing online at a glance and in realtime. It has some unusual social networking sites...one that I just discovered...a twitter counterpart called FoodFeed...You report on what you are eating...ok, this is not Weight Watchers, I am not reporting EVERYTHING I am eating...But I wi Read more:Social
, Update
Green Thumb Sunday!! 2008-06-01 09:37:12 Yes folks, it's time for GreenThumbSunday
, once again...I have been working in the yard the past couple of days...we finally had sun again. Although a little worse for wear, I got a lot accomplished. Haven't had time to pay much attention to my flower beds since I have been out planting veggies in the Back 40. But by next weekend, I should be able to focus on my little pretties...Another couple Read more:Green Thumb
The Portland Thymes Headline: Determined Woman Struggles to Overcome Herb Addiction 2008-06-03 09:44:28 It took me at least two and a half days to renovate this bed that sits outside our kitchen window. This is an after picture...I wish I had a before...The landlord had planted about 8000 grey ornamental thyme plants and this little Japanese Maple in the plot so it wouldn't be bare. And that was unfortunate for two reasons...one, I couldn't stand to have the perfect herb garden right outside of my k Read more:Headline
Gardener Discovers New Organic Pest Management Method? 2008-06-06 11:50:55 Remember waaaaay back in March when I brought the strawberries into the greenhouse, hoping to have an early treat? As the plants started warming up and growing, some hateful insects started eating the leaves...I didn't know what it was or what to do about it...You all gave me suggestions, and several of you identified the problem as weevils. In fact, strawberries have their own special weevil...c Read more:Organic
, Management
I Saw the Sun 2008-06-08 23:27:35 Yes, I saw the sun today for the first time in I don't know how many weeks...I immediately dropped everything and ran outside to plant...I planted 5-6 varieties of tomatoes, 3 varieties of eggplant, french filet beans, and 2 kinds of squash. I also added more Worry Free slug bait and I am trying to save the cole crops from the dreaded white butterfly...it looks so innocuous, but the next thing you
Cornichon: Small Cucumber, BIG Attitude 2008-06-10 19:16:13 While out for a Sunday drive, my partner and I stumbled upon a tiny farmers market...Locavore that I am, I hoped I would find someone from another part of the state who had actually been able to grow something in this horrid wet, cold spring we are having. Uhhhh, no...sad to say, it looks like we are all in the same boat.Not one to be phased by adversity, I took some time to see what veggies and h Read more:Small
, Cucumber
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