Author: MicroFarmProject602
Natural Soil Building and Amendments for Gardens
Soil – the gardener’s most valuable resource is right under our feet. It is wisely said that a garden will thrive when the caretaker ceases to nurse the plants and focuses on tending to the soil. A garden that is grown on the foundation of fertile soil will be more […]
Sweet Soil! Hot Composting for Your Garden
Soil building is a key component to growing healthy food. When garden soil is healthy, the plants will be, too. Though there are many techniques for maintaining healthy soil, the home gardener should start with one simple practice: composting. Nature recycles waste materials via decomposition, and uses it to recharge […]
Ground-Breaking: Making the Switch from Lawns to Food
Are a carton of juice, a head of lettuce or a bouquet of flowers on your shopping list?Most folks will run to the grocery store for such items, but have you ever considered producing some of these everyday food staples at home?Some of your neighbors may be doing just that.From […]
Container Gardening: Growing Vegetables, Fruits & Flowers in Small Spaces
Container Gardening in a Blast Furnace? Gardening in Phoenix, AZ, where my farm is located, certainly has its challenges. From our alkaline mineral soil, to lack of adequate space, and, of course, a shortage of water and abundance of heat; I could have entitled this article “Successful Container Gardening in […]
Rooftop Gardening
Densely populated cities have limited space for growing food at ground level, but acres upon acres of wide open space in some unusual places. That is why, instead of competing with developers for premium ground space, farming operations are moving up in the world –up to the rooftops. On a […]
Connecting Farm Elements
Urban farms are often challenged to find space for all of the elements that the farmer wants to add. More can be done with an urban farm when it is designed carefully and when elements are combined. The elements of the farm are the plants, animals, structures and systems that […]
The Micro Farm Project | Small Urban Farm
What is The Micro Farm Project? The Micro Farm Project is a beautiful place where veggies, flowers, fruit, and herbs grow and our small livestock animals provide us with fun and food. We are creating a tiny farm on our quarter-acre urban lot and are always experimenting with ways for […]
Ups-and-Downs on the Farm
The homesteader’s lifestyle is exhilarating, satisfying, exhausting, and sometimes disappointing. To give you a brief snapshot of the urban farm life, we were awakened before sunrise by a bleating goat who was giving birth to the tiniest Nigerian Mini triplet kids. Happily, the birth was unassisted and everyone was healthy […]
Using Water for Frost Protection
It may seem counter-intuitive, but one strategy that commercial growers use to protect plants from cold temperatures is to water the soil prior to a frost. Water is an excellent insulator. Plant cells that are plump with water are more resistant to frost damage. Moist soil retains heat better than […]
Garden Fabrics
I have been known to use old bed sheets for frost and shade protection in my garden. But sheets have some disadvantages: they block too much light, can be unsightly, can block the rain, and must be removed during the daytime in the winter. I have also used plastic, which […]
