We have Green Markets stretched over the the East Coast of Florida and catering mostly to the RICH and the Tourists.Prices are expensive and the vegetables are NOT LOCALLY GROWN _MOST of the TIME!!!

Come the growing and tourist season, main stream media deluge the so called green markets to tell the public about how fresh and local are the food at the GREEN and FARMERS MARKET.

OK ...MERCHANTS OF GREEN BUCKS YOU WIN.NOW LET US START LOOKING FOR SOMETHING REAL THAT replaces all the propaganda of fresh locally grown food only on the papers and screens of the main stream media .

Do not beleive what I say.It might be not true or you may ignore it or deny it.But befor eyou do that here are some movements that are now taking roots to create a NEW FARMERS markets on line and at night..to cater for the working class locals.Here they are , courtesy the NYT article qouted below:

"To make and learn from a mistake is HUMAN.To forgive those who err and make a mistake is Divine.Humans who are Earth Keepers and MEEK dwellers of the Garden of Eden are both:Human and Divine"...I think so!!

1-Thou shall : Do your own soil preparation: Florida soil is SANDY and infested with nematodes. Add organic ammendments,compost ,aged manure, peat moss to compacted poorly drained ground.Keep in mind feeding the EARTH to  to improve its structure and encourage root growth by adding ORGANIC MATTERand MINERALS.

2.Thou shall not be : Escaping Xero scaping: The word XERO is of GREEK origin which means:Understand/KNOW. Design with the size of mature plants in mind and the right plant for the right location. Try to avoid overcrowding and check out the soil PH before you plant.Here in S.Florida the soil is more ACIDIC..so choose acid loving plants like tomato for example and always look for native plants like calaloo.

3. Thou shall follow the natural law of Feng-shui and the law of natural attraction.

Take the environment as your partner /friend not your foe .Work in HARMONEY with nature not against it.

4.Thou shall not have:Lack of irrigation AWARENESS: Too much water can be just as damaging as too little. Do a finger-in-the-ground test to ensure that the soil around the roots is moist. Vegetables need about an inch and a half of water per week.Choose drip irrigation sysyem and rain barrel irrigation . Uphold and follow the water restriction laws in place as per your local government ordinances. We are in the DRAUGHT so be considerate in conserving water .

5. Thou shall start not in a:Wrong location/timing/season: Growing conditions follow the hardiness zoning of the USDA.S.Florida falls in the 9-10 zone .It is humid,hot,rainy .Keep that in mind when looking to plant. mature, creating different .Follow local growing table of plants that are draught tolerant,native and non-GMO origin.

6. Thou shall do :Proper Maintenance: Don’t kill the good bugs, like pollinators and lady bug , in an effort to eliminate the bad.. Prevention is best medicine for plants as well. Maintain your garden by being there to observe and prevent. Use mulch .Hand weed.Don’t set your cultivator (or hoe) too deep, damaging plant roots

7-Thou shall apply the correct  body postures of ERGONOMICS while gardening

8. Over-pruning: As a rule, don’t remove more than 30 percent of the foliage from shrubs in one cutting. And don’t “top” trees to control their height. “That reduces their life span rather than improves their health".:My friend/teacher  ,Ryan said so!

9. Thou shall avoid :Botched planting: Choose the right plant depth.Draw a brim around your fruit trees and fill it with water and aged manure.Feed the earth not the plants.

10.Thou shall keep on trying: Failing to start over is not allowed: Gardening is a PROCESS.Planting is a continuous work. Expect crop failiars but do not stop and be discouraged.Experiment and learn from your mistakes.They are common and they are lessons.Be positive and keep busy gardening!Start with a small plot so you can correct mistakes more easily, the experts say. And look to your county extension office for support if you run into trouble. Garden coaches also can diagnose problems and suggest remedies, as can master gardeners and landscape designers.

I was reading the NYT of today and I was shocked to read an article about the abuse of animals at the farms...here is an excerpt, I qoute the NYT:

"States Look to Ban Efforts to Reveal Farm Abuse

By A. G. SULZBERGER

Published: April 13, 2011

More details at the web link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/us/14video.html

I am naive about the way humans treat each others in this INFORMATION past industrial age..not to mention being an URBAN farmer living in a Southern city .

Most of us do not know how to communicate well without the F and M F rich vocabilary of profanity.Add to this the racial divide among whites,blacks,moslems,christians and you name it.People here in the South are so much addicted to UNDER  the influences whether racial or halucinational ones...you name them!

Excuse my naivity ,and try to explain to me so I can  understand , why we here in this 21st century regime change facebook revolutions and demionstrations :why we feel dormant and timid here in the heart of DEMOCRACY  country We invade other countries with bombs to teach them a lesson in democracy ??.What is the point? It is not the ecconomy stupid! Its we  stupified ,nullifed,and pacified by the ecconomy .

WE are losing our jobs,homes,cars,farms,lands (soon our minds)to the banks and we go and deny it all and point the finger at a dictator like kadafi or Hussein and let the programmed TV audience be distracted rather than demonstrating  against the local evils done to their lives and homes.

While Americans are  now being thrown into the streets as homeless by our own banks and partners ,politicians etc We still go to wqars to preac Democrady by FIRE."To whom are you reading your psalms , David?" The bible asks!..

What matters most?Being rational or racial?Being one will negate the other..You choose!You can not be both and stay mentally stable!

Some prefer to be financially stable rather than mentally..Thats why we are here!End of venting!

I want to talk about peiople  who put on masks and hide their intentions and identities to inflict pain emotionally and racially on others and go by the traditions of sifting people by being defining them as either  gentiles or  jews.Blacks or whites.Immigrants or citizens ...and so forth ...This is exactly what happened in Germany during the THIRD REICH...First they went after the JEWS.Then they went after the GYPSIES.Then they went after the Comminist and the homosexuals ...and by the time it was XY turn ...no one was left  to HELP.

Here is another ficticious   scenario ."They started with the Moslems, then the Latinos and immigrants ...next the Christian radicals ..then the you name it radicals.. bY THE TIME  they WILL come to GET  you,,,nobody will beLEFT to HELP you.JUST SAYING A FICTITIOUS SCENARIO..IT  HAPPENED ONLY IN A DREAM!!

So keep on feeding  the racial profiling beast...by the time it will reach you...no one will be left to help you.

Can you beleive that one can GREEN SPRAY  their lawn to avert a ticket or fine? Seeing  is beleiving I guess Here are some excerpts qouted from NYT article of today:

Spraying to Make Yards Green ... but With Paint, Not Water.I qoute NYT":

By MARC LACEY

Published: April 9, 2011

If you want to learn more,check this full  NYT article web link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/us/10grass.html 

The Roman Empire  did good things, excluding  conquerring other countries and trading and using slaves ,  to remember like for example: Introducing canals  systems for irrigation.

One other thing that most of us do not know was that the Roman Empire employed and enlisted FARMERS to go to wars.They had horses ,  and that was a prerequisit to join the military then,owning a horse!

So what is common now and then aboutThe Roman  Empire and Farmers? 

Simply speaking as many SMALL local  farmers now struggle to make a living (may be you have heard that they do well,but in reality they DO NOT!):They are  getting out of business and relinquishing their farms to the Big Agri or just abandoning it to the banks as they default on  mortgages or fail to  compete with the Mexicans or Chinese farming products .

I found a common an interesting denominator while watching a  below video clip , may be you can find the same thing too:It is good to know  that farmers of the Roman Empire were the soldiers as well , and much more,as this video clip shows:

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/1064.html

There are foods that grow in the wild and will cost you nothing other than the time spent to locate and pick them.

The ancient Chinese,Greek,Indians,Aztecs,Incas and Native Americans have the key for gathering medicinal food.They lived ,wandered and ate their food so CLOSE to Mother Nature.

1) Wild Herbs:Indegenous  peoples like Native Americans DISCOVERED, before Columbus discovered America ,thousands of years ago :A cure for Cancer.You may check out the recipe given to a Canadian Nurse by a Native NORTH aMERICAN iNDIAN.iT IS SOLD AT THE HEALTH FOOD STORES ( after so many attempts to ban and suppress it!)UNDER THE REVERSED NAME OF THE NURSE: ESIAC.Chief among the ingrediants is RHUBARB...find out the rest of the food by reading the label of ESIAC!Dandelion is another herb that you might find growing in your backyard and it is another free wild growing food, mistaken for a (rounded up) invasive  weed!

2)Wild Mushrooms:The Chinese eat fungus and mushrooms and make soup especially of a famous mushroum known as CHAGA.They call it the KING of Plants.They drink it as a tea and add it to their soups.It is a famous LONGEVITY FOOD also in Russia,Japan in addition to China.It is superior to JINSENG and has medicinal properties equal to FO-TI-TIENG the mushroom herb which has been known to be the main food ingredient of a CHINESE longevity CENTURIAN who lived 265 years and survived 24 wives!Check it out in a forest or praire near you ,which have survived deforestation or development!A word of caution for mushrooms gathering:There are edible and poisonous mushrooms.In case you do not have enough experience and education about gathering them , please consult with a health practitioner or a mushroom professional before you ingest or gather any!

Japan is now recovering from a TSUNAMI and EARTHQUAKE.May be as a tribute for their advanced knowledge and use of edible mushrooms,we send prayers / peace/ donations for the survivors .Lake Worth, Fl  residents just did a VIGIL last night in memory of the TSUNAMI victims. 

3)Tropical leafy  greens(Rich in Chlorophyl):Kalaloo or the Caribean Spinach grows well  in S.Florida .It is among the best greens you may find to cleanse and fortify your immune sysytem with foods that are rich in IRON.Iron helps in manufacturing HIMOGLOBIN and carries  oxygen  in  blood which feeds the brain(30% of brain food is OXYGEN)Remember to take a deep BREATH as you read  on!Women especially need to eat more of Spinach in general because of their moon cycles!Kalaloo may be found growing in the wild also it is cultivated and domesticated , so far elluding the GMO eyes!

This Spring remember to EAT LOCALLY as much as you can.Try to take a walk in the wild and identify foods that are growing in nature .Here in S.Florida there are plenty to find and gather like :Elderberry,Loquat,Bitter melon,Dandelion,Chicory,Coconuts and much more...

Want more FOOD FORAGING TIPS? Check this out:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article4067876.ece

 Important note:Make sure there are no trespassing signs where you gather .It is wise to  ask for permission FIRST ,from property owners as a precaurtion to be SAFE ,before you set your foot on properties that are not yours!!

Happy Spring gathering!

The Spring is on.It is time to slim up and get rid of excess baggage from within and without.

I have started the process of spring cleaning by getting rid of smoking habit .It took me 72 hours just by eating more GREENS , in addition to starting a new exercise regimen :Gardening and transforming the lawn backyard into a productive vegetable garden.An exercise that pays you rather than you pay the gym! Voila!

Here is the best way to clean up as easy as one two three :

1)Go within you  ...search,find  and destroy inner clutter:

Start with the bad habits that are affecting your bady.Plan and execute a way out from your system before it is too late.Kick off damaging habits to you body,mind and spirit HEALTH .That will give you more clarity of mind to go ahead and cleanse the things from oputside like your home,storage,car etc...Clutter could also be emotional and mental .Work on that too.

Greens are the best for the body to detoxify the blood and the organs from TOXINS.I prefer green juices like Wheat grass, and SPRING GREENS like Dandelion....

2)Go without you ...search,find and destroy outer clutter:

Start with your storage closets and what have you.Clean up and donate stuff outdated or not needed to charities and thrift stores.Minimize your time spent on collecting stuff .Maximize time spent on making new friends and keeping the old ones by communicating more .Have quality time reserved for loved ones not loved THINGS!

3)Go GREEN in Body -Mind -Spirit and Soul:

Spring time is the time when Lent , Passover and Purim happen.Fasting is good for the whole body mind and spirit.Fasting could be from refraining from using bad language in your wording with others or by refraining from junk food or just by cutting on foods , drinks etc..that you have been addicted to like alchohol or sugary drinks etc...It also helps to connect with spiritual groups and give to charity .

Our world is a circle .The Earth is a Circle so why not start a circle of friends and start from your backyard garden or a community garden growing food that feeds humans how are le4ss fortunate than you.

I have seen people taking home homeless dogs and cats?How about those homeless people who are now populating our streets after they have lost their homes or appartments after they have lost their jobs and cars ?

Spring is the time to WAKE UP  SPIRITUALLY ,SHAPE UP our body  and CLEAN UP our mind.

One Earth and  one HUMAN Family  sustained with LOVE.

Happy SPRING TIME!.

This coming Earth day let us celebrate in a different ALTERNATIVE  way.

Here are top ten  GREEN suggestions  .

1-Honor local farmers who use NATURAL protocols in farming. Buy their  locally grown produce .Support the local farming ecconomy.

2-Refrain from using pesticides and harmful chemicals .Instead substitute with preventive organic pesticides.Example: Fight nematodes and harmful pests with Oils:/Neem/garlic/essential oils like citronella ..combine with cayyenne pepper and Dr,Bronner liquid soap water solutions.

3-Dwellers of homes-villas with a yard:Turn over the non-productive grass loan front/backyard into a productive efficient organic vegetable/herb/fruit/edible flower garden.RECYCLE:Compost your kitchen scraps!

4-Dwellers of homes without yards/Trailers /vans /tents :Join  a community garden/ a local CSA /garden club/,take a COMPOSTING  class:visit:localharvest.org/farms/M20618 and register for one/Read :an alternative NATURAL  MEDIA  like: NATURAL AWAKENING /ORGANIC GARDENING/ localharvest.org blog .

5-Dwellers of apartment /studios:Buy local organic produce/ start a patio organic container  garden  ,use  heirloum seeds/ seedlings instead of GMO 's .

6-Dwellers of the open /public space:Do not litter the beaches/streets/woods with your beer /soda cans!

7-All of the ABOVE:Reduce your carbon foot print:Ride a bicycle/Walk to work(If close by)/take the bus or train.

8-Join an EARTH/Beach clean up day-. Volunteer at a local farm/soup kitchen/school/community outreach.Donate to a green energy project/ green earth non-profit charity organization.

9-Stop smoking.Fix your car exhaust.Reduce/eliminate  your consumption of: sugar products/ coffee/drugs-alcohol.BREATHE :FRESH GARDEN SCENTED AIR!

10-Honor the NATIVE AMERICANS by remembering their teachings."We do not own the EARTH .The EARTH OWNS US".As a tribute, start using an alternative Native American Recipe to fight and prevent FIRE ANTS:CORN GRITS! Bon ants appetite.

Happy EARTH DAY! (to come :)

It is time we involve the small farmers in the debate about Food politics like :/Regulations/Stimulus Aid /Shortages/Safety/Speculations/Monompoly/Price Fixing/ etc,,

They compete with the Big Agri-Business in producing our food .The Big AB have a huge lobbiyest network that interferes to influence the way laws are produced  affecting/farmers/food regulations etc .. in  different aspects from production to marketing /GMO seeds  /employment of illegall immigrants/food safety and food shortages,,etc..

In times as ecconomically critical as our own , we need to involve everyone who farms from the urban farmers to the Big Agri-Business in the farming dialogue/regulatiuons/innovations/process /procedures /etc..

Take the example of Tomato Shortages that now leads the national food news :

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704548604575097950250670456.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us_business

Why do we only qoute politicians or the main stream media- not diverse farmers -about what is going on?

Here is one TOMATO voice -reason that speaks for itself and is often bypassed or ignored , in demanding that small farmers be involved in the DIALOGUE of the Causes and Effects of topics related to farming:

http:www.brasschecktv.com/page/1015.html

There is the supply and demand economic reason behind the hiking of the tomato prices in addition to the weather factor.

When tomato war broke up in Florida 4 years ago and resulted in the  defeat of the cherry tomato producer  X in favor of the florida tomato competitor Y , no one paid attention.Now all are PAYING attention because the price$ of tomato are hitting everyones pockets!Got it?

Our logic is so selfish/ isolated / orbits around our egoistic type of thinking.If it does not hurt me but it hurts my neighbor :It is OK!Right!This is the egoistic thinking all about ME!

Change the ME into WE and the community culture steps in.Where are you farmers small and big in speaking up and standing up ?Silence...

When will the farming consciuosness wake up to speak out about the wrong doing to the farms/farmers/produce/etc?

Your voice counts at the ballots ...why not vote for farmers as representatives who can follow up and remedy the farming issues from food shortages to food safety and rather not leave the final word for lobbyists or politicians who have no clue about the farmland peolpe and world?

Your voice/choice can be so important as to affect  your freedom ,your rights..and the quality or availability of your food,

Welcome to Florida.Now start ...s..picking tomatoes!

Check it out why tomatoes are in shortage:

www.floridatomatoshortage

One thing the main stream media is not telling you: There is already a shortage of farms here in Florida and of farmers to pick them as well!!.There is a whole sale of exiting farms and closings of small farm business who do not have access for financing help.There is an exodus of illegal migrant farmers going back home in anticipation of a second   Arizona law copy in Florida.

Come the cold fronts and freeze.. temperatures( there has been a repeat of such for the last three years as an outcome to Climate Change!).This has resulted in so many small farmers being hit heads on in the pocket and stopped farming when no compensations were received !

Blame it on the weather .Blame it on te economy.

There is  money to be claimed and received by Big Agri-business as crops fail.How about the small farmers that were kept out of the picture and emergency help  funds ?

I know of a small farmer who runs an herb farm and all the time she gets rejected when she applies for emergency help...because she grows her herbs in containers,,and who knows what else?

Tomato shortage is another way of saying :There is a small farm and farmers shortage after so many farms were wiped out by developers to say the least and not to forget the weather to blame as well!

Speaking of shortages in tomatoes without referring to shortages of  farms or farmers to pick them or grow them leaves us with speculations about future pickers:

Cell mates who cost tax payers money and do no work...send them to the fields to grow and pick tomatoes and see what will happen.Prices might  fall down as the markets will be flooded with tomatoes .Just kidding!

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/1015.html

I think this is not real what I saw _Click  ABOVE LINK to watch it_on YOU TUBE .What do you think? 

I think there is something not true about this thing.

 Sorry for the unintended  rhyme.I am skeptical unless someone calls WH , like they did with the last Georgia firing and rehiring of an African American  Agriculture Georgia state director for something she said but ,actually later on when investigated , itturned out  that she did not .

It was then  EDITED and fabricated by a blogger and later broadcast by a biased  news channel who just beleived his fabricated story for some reasons of its own..May be this TV coverage story  too is fabricated  ,since it is coming again from Georgia like the other story...

We , here in Florida  are SOUTHERNERS too like Georgia our next neighbor and we have our goofs to joke about!,Like ,we are known nationally and INTERNATIONALLY,for the HANGING CHAD or the BUTTERFLY BALLOT and jokes were made about us .LOL!

May be in Georgia they have something else to laugh or make a joke about? Is the "THE CRIMiNAL GARDENING " thing from Georgia one of tghose DIRT jokes?

I really do not know??.

Please , take me serious.I am an Urban Farmer myself and people usually think we farmers are good hearted and sometimes they joke how NAIVE we are..God Bless them .They make me laugh about those farmers jokes!LOL!!!!Keep them coming...May be this coverage story is another JOKE...LOL!

I am just posting the link as I received it .May be someone will prove that I am right : this clip about criminal charges for growing tomato is not true?

Do they have similar laws in Georgia like the ones in California about Medicinal Maijuana? May be they thought it was Marijuana ,like the recent raid of a school garden in California by police who mistook Tomato for Marijuana???Well, mistakes happen .

If that be the case,which I think IS AN INNOCENT  mistake. then we need to EDUCATE more people about gardening ,for example those who make a mistake like the one in California school garden ,should sign up and volunteer at a CSA or a community garden and do some community service to learn how the tomato look like and take  a course of PLANT IDENTIFICATION.

Gardening education should be obligatory at schools and colleges so that people will have a better awareness about where the food comes from and how to grow your own food in case you lost a job or a home etc..and save on the FOOD STAMP tax payers money!

They say it is better to teach how to fish rather than to give some one a fish...Try that at the garden.

 I am kind of confused what to beleive these days!

The Chinese introduced Feng Shui while the Japanese introduced REI -CHI pronounced as REIKI.

Both are towards alignment and balance of the CHI , the latter for BEINGS and the former for OBJECTS .Gardening is a Therapy as used in Japan .Touch is a Therapy as used by TWIN-NA and TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE.in China .Both are meant to align the CHI and bring in balance.

 

The native Americans speak of the four elements of creation:Water,Air,Earth and Fire.The chinese added to them Metal.

The ancient Greek s introduced to us Hippocretes the father of Medicine:He said:Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.The greeks like the Chinese and the Native Americans gathered herbs and harvested food from the wilderness and back yard gardens.Where are we now?

Happy Feng Shui Gardening!

 

To learn more about Organic Gardening :Come to my Classes .Schedules @:localharvest.org/farms/M20618

Check out coming events box.

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What motivated me to write this article is the continuous and never ending complaints I hear , about keeping up with the challenges of growing and MAINTAINING an organic productive garden in S.Florida , from  garden enthusiasts who come to my gardening classes.

Here are some tips and suggestions to tackle this subject.

First it is important to address the nature of the special climate here in South Florida.There are considerations to acknowledge that we fall in the Sub-Tropical agricultural zone 10-11.It means we have to partner with the LOCAL Environment CHALLENGES of: Excessive Heat,Humidity,Sandy Soil and occasional Severe Stormy Weather,to be able to successfuly do gardening.

Maintenance of a garden is the KEY , in my personal opinion.Gardening is a process and it takes awareness,time, patience and offcourse MAINTENANCE!

I-Fruit Trees Maintenance Tips:

1-Upon planting new fruit trees in the backyard , reinforce with scaffolds and stakes .

2-Do not plant trees ,in general ,under or near power lines or structures like a house.

Hurricanes and storms might topple and uproot the trees causing damages to property and lives .

3-Dig a BRIM around the fruit trees ,especially, and cover with mulch to capture and retain moisture.Nourish with Organic ammendments and accepatble composted manure.

4-Prune-Cut-Trim dead branches,excessive growth and folliage according to your local area guidlines .Be careful not to do that during fruitation or blossoming season.Follow specific suggestions according to the different kinds of trees involved.

5)Do not HATRACKING.Follow proper pruning procedures and guidlines of local city /county and state laws.Ask for professional help when in doubt.It is illegal to do HATRACKING in some communities!

6)Recycle yard wastes from trees by using as mulch and composting to reduce the carbon foot print and costs of recycling.

II-Vegetable/Herb/Edible Scaping Maintenance Tips:

Plant heirloum/organic seed varities that are in favor of the climate zone you live .Here are some samples of plants that do well , generally speaking,during the Winter/Spring Seasons :

1)Vegetables:

Tomato(usually classified  under fruit, but commonly misunderstood as a vegetable),collards,cabbage,calaloo(Carribean spinache),beets,carrots,common potato,lettuce,radishes,Winter /Spring beans,peas,green peppers.

2)Herbs:

Parsley,mint,dandelion,onion,garlic,purple/thai basil,rose mary,cayenne pepper,Neem tree,Kam-Sutra mentha.

3)Edible flowers:

Sunflower,nasturtium,marigold.

I personally prefer container gardening as an  option .Because:

It  Better controls weeds,saves on water bill and adheres to the water restrictions to conserve on water ,especially when using hose controls while hand watering, rain barrels and drip irrigation .

Contrary to common beleif , container gardening when following the proper procedures like using the above and self watering  containers , is a low maintenance practice.

III-General ,Green Thumb Rules on Organic Gardening Low Maintenance,Top Ten  Tips:

1-Follow water restrictions according to your local area laws.Best time to water is at DEW HOURS (4-6AM) ,depending on the restrictions.When in doubt call  your local authorities for advice.

2-Use mulch as appropriate to retain moisture, control weeds  and counter heat stressing effect on plants.

3-Do not mow lawns at peak heat temperatures and sunny skies.

4- Recycle-Re use-Reduce.

5-Garden wearing garden gear and hydrate by drinking  non-alcoholic fluids to use peak body energy.

6-Conserve on water by using rain barrels and drip irrigation systems.

7-Choose draught tolerant and native plants and grow according to season.

8-Prune-Clip-Trim the proper and professional way.

9-Use plants as shade providers and companion herbs to reduce stress and combat pests.

10-Enrich the soil environment ,periodically after/during growing season, with organic matter,mulch,organic ammendments and compost.Use crop covers.Enrich the community spirit connection ,by sharing harvest with neighbors,soup kitchens and the needy.Give back to the community.

Happy Organic Gardening Maintenance!

The christmass trees are lying at the curb waiting for the trash truck.I could not resist the natural gardener instinct , so I grabbed them and now they are being used as mulch in my new backyard garden.The plastic containers ,the bed wood frames,the discarded poinseta christmass trees ,the kitchen metalic shelves and much more that I picked from the trash bins and curbs follow suit.

I do recycle , reuse ,reduce and lately I added RESTORE to the universal composting formula.

Yesterday , I attended a neighborhood association meeting .I was so much impressed by the spirit of community .City officials ,business owners and common residents came together to work  to restore and beautify our neighborhood.

Personally , I was involved with community gardens that were transformed from neglected and crime infested grounds into beautiful gardens that are PRODUCtIVE.I used to donate the extra organic produce to a soup kitchen when I was a community Garden Co-ordinator for eight years .Not any more when that garden was re assigned as a dumping sight for land fills.

Now I have a vision to convert the challenges we face at our neighborhoods, especially with abondoned and neglected lands , into productive Organic Gardens.With no money or any financial support I started collecting materials from the curb and building a backyard garden that grows vegetables and flowers.

My new restored garden is located at the corner of NE 9th street and federal Highway in LW.An example set to prove that we do not need mega money to restore our neglected lands.My neighbor came and asked me for help and I gave him a hand and ideas to create an edible flower landscape  and a Zen garden .

A business owner of Studio 205 stepped in to donate some flowers to my garden and recycled compost from his juice bar.Thank you Mr.Andy Amoroso.

Now imagine that we create a center for FREE mulch and garden  supply materials recycled from the christmas trees , wood frames,vegetation  and plastic containers from restaurants /juice bars refuse to build more productive vegetable gardens!

The ecconomic crunch has forced so many of us to lose homes,jobs,cars etc..I took that challenge to CREATE a JOB instead of the usual attitude of looking to FIND  a job.

Creating food for our community is in fact a GREEN JOB.Productive Vegetable gardens can be added to the menu of REBATES to encourage residents to convert their inefficient water consuming grass lawns into vegetable gardens is an ecconomically lucrative GREEN idea to be taken seriously.Thats why I jumped in to help last June at the composting pilot program by the city of Lake Worth.

I applaud the GREEN efforts of Mr.Joseph Kroll the director of the Utility Department in KIND by just lending him a helping hand.

I can feel the appreciation and the community spirit through the acts the city are demonstrating as a LEADING EXAMPLE to transform our community into a leading GREEN CITY!

Working together and applying the universal composting formula can prove that we can transform our environment into a better place to work and live.Leadership makes a difference.Thank you for bringing us together Mango Grove Neighborhood Association.

As a reminder: Please visit my web link below to find out about my Ongoing Gardening Classes and read my blog @:

localharvest.org/farms/M20618

Another example of my community gardening work: watch SCG at You Tube:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I01Qd9b7YT4

Happy Community Gardening