Due to the large number of students in the Urban farm class, they separate into groups of around 5-8 people and oftentimes, I like to sit in on groups and see what they’re up to. This past week I was sprawled out on a bench near the grove of pear and cherry trees, soaking up the long awaited sun, and I suddenly found myself in the middle of team leader Lydia’s group. They all sat around me and began what ended up being a very long, involved and delightful conversation that spanned several different topics. The nature of their conversation was a great representation of the sorts of interactions that take place at the farm, and while quite choppy and sporadic, I thought it nice to share this experience for those interested in the happenings of the farm.

The group began by talking about volunteer hours they had completed. Emily, one of the students, told of how she brought her brother to Grassroots Garden with her and now he volunteers there three times a week! We all delighted in this fact until then, the questions began…(Through observation and Emily’s comments, I learned how incredibly curious and eager to learn this particular group is, and Lydia searches her brain and often laughs in response to the insane amount of questions she is asked in a small amount of time.) For this blog post, due to the nature of that particular instance, I intend on sharing cool things I learned in a sporadic manner.

First, we learned how you have to wait 3 YEARS to harvest asparagus. I mentioned that I work at The Kiva and that customers often complain about the daunting price of asparagus; oftentimes around ten dollars for one bundle! Given the long process of cultivation and harvest, though, I believe I can now justify the price. In addition, white asparagus is white because the stalk grows

completely underground! WOW. 

Soil is primarily made up of 3 parts: Sand, silt and clay. Sand is, well, we all know what sand is. Silt is a dust like material typically smaller than sand. Clay is the most dense of the 3. We say that soil has good tilth when there are equal parts sand, silt and clay, and when the soil is aerated and crumbly. We don’t want too much of any 3 parts. The mineral content of soil is 45% with 5% organic matter. Organic matter and microorganisms bring nutrients to the plant (sugars “chocolate cake” from the sun through the process of photosynthesis) that feed and protect the plant.

Heirlooms: Old heritage seeds passed down through generations and coveted for certain qualities. Not so good for storing or shipping. They have not been hybridized! A commonly recognized heirloom are the tomatoes that you buy at the store that come in crazy shapes and colors compared to the other, stereotypical round tomatoes. Heirlooms are generally coveted for better taste. They are, however, more fragile than the conventional tomato, which is why you do not typically see them in big box, average grocery stores. This discussion led to the discussion of what the difference is between hybrid, GMO and heritage. Anyone know?

Generally speaking, the definition of heirloom is given above: Heritage seed passed down through generations to maintain certain qualities. Hybrid: A seed produced by cross-pollinated plants. Cross-pollination can happen through wind, rain, insects and animals, and human-related activities.
GMO: Genetically modified organism. A change in the DNA sequence of the plant. This process should not be confused with cross-pollination, as cross-pollination is a process that most often happens naturally, without human interference.

Until next time!