Did you know there are some flowers you can eat? And they are delicious! As summer approaches at the Urban Farm, there are a variety of tasty flowers in bloom. Keep your eye out for these unassuming treats as you meander through the farm.
Archives for harvest
New Farm Happenings
Hello to the University of Oregon blog community! My name is Ayla Ginger.
I am so happy to be placed here on this wooden bench, spilling out my first, long awaited post for the Urban Farm blog. I wish to bid the previous blog writer and urban farm friend, Kat, a loving hello and farewell. It has been over a year since she last posted on this blog, now living in Portland and partaking in many great gardening endeavors.
My goal here is to post weekly updates on the growing narrative that is the Urban Farm, similar to Kat. I took the Urban Farm class almost two years ago and fell in love with the place, the process and the people of the farm. New plants, topics and issues are constantly sprouting. Hundreds of students occupy the outdoor classroom a term; think about all the hands that have collectively dug into this dirt that have contributed to its healthy state today! Who are these hands? What is their experience on the farm?
From what I have gathered over time spent and conversations had; this place, this outdoor classroom, this cultivated open space, has affected, and continues to affect the lives of an innumerable amount of species. I aspire to bring light to the place, process and the people, and to share this narrative with any who may be interested to listen. Gardeners, urban farmers, nature lovers, academics, ecologists, poets, what have you, all welcome!
I wish I had photos to share, but I am having some technological difficulties in that area. Photos to come soon!
Feelin’ Great From My Head Tomatoes
Currently Listening: Minor Threat - Complete Discography
It’s been rainy here the past couple days which as I’m sure you can imagine makes everything in the garden just POP! Thus far, we’ve harvested 37 pounds for the month of May.
Check out this ridiculous allium: (whose name I do not know!)
We transplanted some peppers already (we’ll see!) and check out the spinach that we planted from a Territorial Seed Co. seed strip (May 12):
At the bottom bed of this photo on April 21, you can see the spinach sprouting up!:
Bok Choy on April 14:
I have a bunch of varied, what I like to call ‘general harvest work photos’ that I think it is time to share!
April 7, not even a storm can deter the Urban Farmers from prepping beds for spring planting:
Every group was busy working and harvesting April 9:
Someone took a leek in the sink:
April 14:
Tom sweeping up for the week on April 23:
Taking out some brassica’s April 21 to prep that bed for some Thai eggplant:
May 5, nice romaine harvest:
May 12:
Okay so this isn’t a work shot, but look at how beautifully laid out this bed is!:
Great job everyone, and don’t forget to study your plant families for the exam tomorrow ;]
Later Days
-Kat B!
Life Alive!
Currently listening: Menace- Best of
Today I went around and just took pictures of both classes and both locations, the Columbia street and the UO one. I’ll elaborate more on that later, but first I want to post these pictures!
Morning Class at UO Urban Farm:
Lauren’s group examining the bee’s:
Harper’s group setting up tomato cages:
Shelly’s group is all like ‘lettuce party over here’:
Morning Class at Columbia St. Urban Farm:
Some group dialogs about classroom projects and real-world events before beginning the days work:
Kasey’s group is Taking Care of Brassicas:
Using a machete helps to ensure they get chopped up into decent sizes for the compost pile! The more surface area the greater the exchange rate between microorganisms during decomposition which in turn leads to a faster rate of decomposition within the entire compost pile. Life!
Kasey is holding a sprayer full of compost tea!:
Goofing around:
Dan’s group getting ready to plant some Solanaceae:
Keegan’s group talking about reworking ‘the boneyard’:
Afternoon Class at UO Urban Farm:
The afternoon class ran out of sunshine and got rain instead, but fear not! they continued their journey and had a great turnout!
Dan’s group checking out their turnip & carrot bed:
Kasey’s group putting up tomato cages:
We learned that to improve water resources the tomatoes were going to be planted in little trenches- to help with watering come summer time when there are less ‘hands on deck’ in the Urban Farm.
All of this happened within a normal day of classes at the Urban Farm!
We harvested about 18 pounds of food security today, radical! You can check out the up-to-date harvest log here.
Be our friend on Facebook! And
Later Days
-Kat B!