Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

ORGANIC Farming and Gardening are  now getting the attention of the public , aftter the Obamas announced their first White House Organic Vegetable garden . As farmers, let us not revel at the opportunity but rather let us build something tangible and rewarding instead by initiating  an EARTH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN especially now as  the time is  ripe to do so with EARTH DAY on the horizon.

Let us go back to history and remember the first American Farmers .

The first thing that comes to our memory is the plantation farming in the south and all the slavery issues that it had created.On the bright side we remeber George Washington and Jefferson and their brilliant acheivements as founding fathers.May be we need to start educating our kids from KinderGARDEN level to Backyards and school yards levels about those FOUNDING FATHERS/farmers who helped in the rise of our nation.Farming is not a low job even though those who are hired to do it  are  overworked and underpaid ..think sweatshops for example.

I have noticed, personally, that people look down at farmers  especially here in the south .They regard gardeners and farmers as low level human beings who work with the DIRT.Educating those people by a hands on class in gardening at their backyards is the best way to get them fid the merits of touching the soil with their own hands and turning it into food that is safe to eat!That is even as good as gold in days of safety and food challenges

FIRST in FIRST: Change the ATTITUDE , by raising the bar and educating the public about the merits of ORGANIC GARDENING and FARMING.

Raise the pay scale as well and start asking for some education for those who want to do the job.Create a level of respect by honoring and rewarding those who keep the EARTH  green and productive .To fight global warming start locally ,simply set up a backyard vegetable garden to start with  .Support the small farmers and gardeners market their produce in GREEN market that are venues for merchants to make GREEN bucks  selling greens imported from other countries.Create subsidies for start up farmers and help through grants those who use thier experience in local organic farming to educate the local community through FREE workshops, for instance.

When Rodale started writing books about ORGANIC FARMING back in the sixties and senventies people ignored him.We lend our ears and eyes to the main stream media that will tell-sell us their propaganda and fabricated stories  in relevance to the  ads and donations revenues received  from the special interest industrial groups.

Generally speaking:We have no specialized Organic gardeners and farmers who grow their own  organic vegetables hired to write articles on vegetable gardening at the local Newspapers .It is always about ornamentals ,shrubs and lawns with pesitcides and chemical fertilizers suggestions.Let us ask for a change ,if not possible to reach out through the  main stream media, then let us have our own blogs and networking to send the message.Wishful thinking is not going to bring in miracles , it is our actions that will effect a change in the attitude towards organinc farming.It is our efforts to elect farmers to the legislatures and local government and up, that will bring in change .

Words turned into actions and  motivations doing miracles  are possible  with our EDUCATIONAL reach out efforts that accompany our FARMING.

Hand in hand we can do it , one article  and one earth digging.. a day.

FARMING WITH A SPIRITUAL FRAME OF MIND

I want to relate a real story that happened to me that might draw in some meaningful gardening spiritual lessons .I facilitated a workshop on Container Gardening at a local (UMC) church that offers me a space in their backyard to experiment on my Draught Tolerant Container Gardening pilot project. 

Lately, we have been enduring severe drought conditions in Florida .Our last consecutive good rain is tracked back to Christmas Eve 2008.

That was true until yesterday, Wednesday March 18, 2009, when we had our latest good consecutive rain that made HEADLINES in the local papers.

For example, here was what the Palm Beach Post reported TODAY March 19, 2009 on its first page, "WEATHER CHANGE STALLED FRONT HELPS PROVIDE NEEDED RAIN.” We have not experienced such severe drought since 1930 here in Florida .This is how bad it is, especially for small farmers who do not exist on the list of “Disaster Help” when it comes to receiving financial or marketing support, to mention the least.

As a local ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY FARMER, I try to raise the awareness about the importance of locally grown Pesticide and Synthetic Chemicals FREE urban sustainable farming, through a series of FREE workshops. My last one was on Saturday March 14 at the local church as mentioned earlier. The thing that motivated me to write this article is what really happened before, during and after the workshop. 

Last week, BEFORE the workshop, I was at the church preparing for the presentation, when I met a “special spiritual” friend, Rev. Jannette ,a  member of the church .I mentioned to her that I want to dedicate this workshop in my prayers for getting rain. She corrected me and suggested that I pray for NEEDED WEATHER CHANGE.

I did just that at the workshop. For a close, I asked the pastor of the church to conclude with a prayer. As we joined hands altogether, Pastor Jim did a brief prayer and ended it with “so be it”. In my heart I was praying for a needed weather change as I was told. It happened on Wednesday March 18, 2009, AFTER the workshop. 

Another significant spontaneous coincidence that happened DURING the workshop:

As I was introducing the tomato crop and mentioning the health benefits of eating locally grown tomatoes, I referred to LICOPENE the amino acid that is found in tomatoes and was clinically tested and proven to fight cancerous cells.

I stopped there to ask a doctor attending the work shop to give us her opinion about how cancer cells are formed and prevented .Dr Nadia Malik, a local Chiropractor, gave us a brief talk on the CANCER CELLS, then I proceeded. Also, I introduced a water management expert and author, Dr. Christopher who did a brief talk on using rain barrels in sustainable gardening. Dr. Christopher, his wife Kimberly and myself are experimenting and building together a drought tolerant fruit and vegetable garden to replace the grass in their front yard. One way to fight global warming, other than by words, is to grow more fruit and vegetable gardens, especially using rain harvesting. Trees and plants have been proven as best friends in replenishing carbon with oxygen besides drawing in rain. The RAIN FOREST is the living example. MEANING: FORESTS and particularly TREES …attract RAIN. On the other side: CONCRETE BUILDINGS and DEVELOPMENTS attract DROUGHT!

It was not until the end of the workshop, when Dr Nadia handed me a copy of the March newsletter that she publishes .I was astounded to read the title: “ARE YOU AT THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER?” Here is a sample from the article, I quote:” Sensitive breast tissue is being exposed to inordinate amounts of toxins in our food, air, lotions, creams, just about anything you can think of, that mimic the bad estrogen in the body. Unfortunately these false estrogens are the kind that promotes cancer development.”

She goes on to elaborate on the prevention way, I quote:”Several studies point to the value of healthy diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits.” Unquote.

Toxins in our food: To talk about pesticides and chemicals loaded in our food is to talk about a small amount of those toxins that cause and consequently leads into a significant health damaging effect.

The list goes on to the air, lotions and creams, toys and prefabricated walls imported from China and lately toxins were found in pants distributed to firefighters!!

To find more about the least and most produce exposed to the toxins pesticides, visit this web site: ewg.org. Look out for pesticides report .You will receive a copy of the report to your email if you choose to do so. It is FREE of charge. 

Back to the SPIRITUAL frame of mind .I want to mention that my intentions and my spiritual intuitions have a lot to do about why I garden .I believe that gardening is a therapy especially if we approach it from a spiritual mental point of view.

Was it a coincidence that now hospitals in Japan and Finland are incorporating it in their hands on therapy treatments of their patients? 

Mother EARTH needs more earth keepers like farmers and gardener’s .You could be one if you tune with the new spiritual awakening that is at the works now at our present time. We waited FOUR HUNDRED YEARS to have one AFRICAN AMERICAN president. BY the way, the New York Times reported on March 19 that the Obamas are set up to start their White House VEGETABLE GARDEN.

First time since the Victory Garden was planted by the President of F.D ROOSEVELT. More details at the direct web link:

Nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19gardens-web.html

The living earth can not wait for more years of irresponsible damage to the environment. I have learned that GIVING appreciation works better than TAKING advantage in our human relationships .The latter (taking) is one of many faces of the COMPETITION WAY of living. The former (giving) is one merit of many of the COMMUNITY way of living.

I SHARE my good thoughts, intentions and deeds for the benefit of all the living.

I SHARE the harvest of my garden with the needy, equally with the affluent. I give thanks for what I receive in gratitude, that may the giver have more abundance. I pray for the needed weather change and the needed economy change for a better life on earth to all my relations. Aho-meta-kwe-yasen.

Tony

Alternative Community Farmer

If you are a locavore ,a vgeterian  or a RAW FOODIST living in South Florida, you will like to try a TROPICAL menu that fits into the sizzling heat of the South and keeps you COOL!.

As an appetizer  there is nothing equal to a coconut water or even better than a grape fruit to start with a lunch  or dinner menu.

Other Tropical fruit juices : papaya ,star fruit,pineapple,citrus,watermelon are good sources of vitamins,minerals and enzymes.They are best assimilated when taken fresh .Fruits act on cleansing our system while vegies act on nourishing and replenishing.

Try this Southern GREEN  Energy JUICE  for a starter:

A bunch of collard greens.Abunch of dandelion.One cup of arugola leaves.Two cucumbers.One whole  apple.Four carrots with green tops.half a beat with tops.one garlic or slice of ginger.Juice all the above and feel the energy boost!

Among my  favorite  RAW FOOD Tropical salads are  :

1- Locally grown Heirloum  Tomato salad:  

 preparation time :10 minutes

Cut one avocado into slices.Dice a locally grown heirloum tomato.Squeeze half a Florida lemon or one key west lime.Crush one Gelroy garlic glove into a pinch of seasalt.Add 2 table spoons of Extra Virgin olive Oil, top with feta cheese grumbles.Toss salad into a bowl, mix  with  dressing.Refrigerate 3 minutes.Serve fresh and enjoy!

2-Florida  Sprouted Quinoa / DandelionTabouleh salad:   

 preparation time: 15 minutesTime

Soak half a cup of organic quinoa for ten minutes.Add : two diced locally grown heirloum tomatoes, fine mince a handfull of parsley,cut two onion scalions, cube dice one cucumber,chop three leaves of dandelion green tops.Toss  salad mix into bowl , add dressing of three table spoons of extra Virgin  olive oil,One squeezed lemon otr two limes,a dash of sea salt and black pepper.Refrigerate for 5 minutes.Serve and enjoy!

3-Popeye Florida spinach salad:

Preparation time: 15 minutes 

Cut a handful of Florida Kalaloo spinach  leaves along with peeled stem.Cut a handful of locally grown collard greens.Dice one heirloum tomato.peel and slice one cucumber .crush one garlic glove into a dash of sea salt and cayyenne pepper.Squeeze half a lemon or one lime.Add three extra virgin olive oil.Toss and mix ingredients.Serve fresh.Enjoy!

Most people tell me they find it intimidating to grow fruits and vegetables in Florida. . Personally , I went through the same experience.   Gardening in South Florida is different ,but not difficult,because the region falls under the TROPICAL and SUB-TROPICAL zones 9-10-11.

I found it helpful to graduate from the  -  Florida  Master Gardener Certification program . Florida Horticultural EDUCATION helped me a lot to acquire the KNOW-HOW skills .BUT the Most important factor was my 10 years of  HANDS-ON  local community NATURAL farming and gardening EXPERIENCE.As they say,practice makes perfect! There is no shortage of out of state gardening books  collecting dust on the shelves nor for out of state gardeners who moved to retire in Florida.But there are shortages in finding Florida EDUCATED and FLORIDA EXPERIENCED  Organic "LOCALLY GROWN " gardeners and farmers.Best bet  is to start networking and checking internet sites like the popular:localharvest.org

We have been experiencing DRAUGHT and major Hurricanes during the last five years.This led me to experiment on Container gardening as a safegaurd flexible  horticultural process  that adapts and addresses to such kind of hardship inclement weather.

Florida Vegetable Container Gardening  TIPS.

Benefits and TIPS on Florida fruits and Vegies Container gardening :

1-It is easy and instant.If you have no back/front yard and live in an apartment with a patio or private entrance ,then you can do it.With the economy in a grinding crunch , saving on the grocery bills by growing your own organic food is not a bad idea.

2-You will by-pass the problematic disease and nematodes infested Florida sandy soil .Pesticides and fertilizers free container gardening is even easier to do in containers than otherwise.To discourage unwanted bad bugs , experiment with  vegies companion herbs like Cuban oregano .

3-Container gardening is resistant to Hurricanes(you can shelter indoors) and Water restrictions/Draught drills and dilemmas(you will save onwater bill, fines and tickets) .

4-Container gardening is almost a weed free gardening if you use your own home made soil mix.

5-Most of the following can be grown in containers : a)Vegies-Tomato,peppers,eggplant,beans,lettuce,green onion,squash,sweat potatos,yams,cucumber and more...

b)Herbs- Basil,rosemary,Cuban oregano,aloe vera,parsley,mint,cilantro and more.

c)Fruit trees- Mango,papaya,pineapple,pommgranate,fig,citrus etc

d) Edible flowers-Sunflower,nasturtium,marygold etc

For a start up kit what you need are the following:

1-Containers: 5 gallon  and 6-10 inch .

2-seeds and growers flats and  pots.Start seeds inside away from sizzling outdoors heat.

3-Home made Organic soil:  A mix of  saw dust, sphagnum peat moss,vermiculites,perlites,compost.Experiment!

4-Hook up with a local organic local farmer network.Visit localharvest web page , network and check events calender for  local  workshops and classes .

5- JUST DO IT!

In  South East Florida the soil is sandy same as the beach.

The Farmers /green markets are mostly located close to the beach fronts .

Those ocean fronts are the attractions for the easonal tourists and the home  location of the  affluent and the  rich .

Here is a  random tour for "SOME" of those beach front GREEN/FARMERS MARKETS" at an undisclosed location in Florida.

A band is playing ..stands are displaying .Couple of grocery store style conventional produce . A local farmer ,who uses fertilizers and pesticides, is  selling herbs and vegies in potted containers.A juice bar selling smoothies and strawberies along side the conventional  fruits ,some imported from Mexico and overseas. Aflower stand.A cafe stand.A Tea stand.On occasion- chiropractor stand. A hydroponic local farmer -green house Tomato-stand .A  local farmer-  conventionally grown oriental produce produce stand.

Affluent People  strolling and walking their dogs.The air is fresh with the ocean breeze.Less and less people visit each year.

Where are the  small farmers who  grow natural pesticide and fertilizers FREE produce.The question resonates in the ocean breeze fresh salty air..and the echo travels along  the waves of the ocean front...waiting for an answer

With the economy in crash , and endless crunch

Farmers are struggling , dodging  the punch

We live on pickles , to save our nickles

To pay the rent , we stay on "LENT"

To pay our taxes , we work our "AXES"

Our cut on spending  , is open ending

No cash to stach , just  recycled trash

With no insurance , we choose endurance

We fight our ills , with garlic pills

Bankers bailed out , stay strong and stout

Farmers left out  , go  bankrupt no doubt

To work those lands , send helping hands

While left for less , we pray: God Bless

In flood and draught , we grow for naught

To feed the world , you count on us

To save U S , send us  STIMULU$ .

By Tony

Alternative Community Farmer ,Fl.

Every year during Spring Lent or Pisach(as you prefer!) , my mother Sarah who is now 92 and going ,used to prepare a special soup and  salad for us .

As I remember , she used to tell us that the human body needs some rest from certain foods that weigh heavy tolls on the DIGESTIVE system, like meat  for example .

"The creator gave us a garden gift to use as a source for our food.We were told that the MEAK will inherit the EARTH  .. our job as CARE TAKERS or  ..EARTH KEEPERS, is to to maintain both  our bodies and the garden.So be kind and meak my kids, NOT MEAN!".She used to say .Well , she was the EARTH KEEPER and baby bearer of our  family, while my late  father was only the bread maker and ,sometimes the trouble maker when intoxicated!

She did a hek of a work on both jobs !I used to accompany her and my grand father on their  their herb gathering field trips  during spring  and summer school breaks. On one occasion we  collected DANDELION greens and roots for the Special time of Spring Fasting.

Nowas we go into Lent, I want to share a LENTIL  SOUP and A DANDELION SALAD RECIPES as passed to me by mother SARAH .. for the BODY.Also I want to share a FOOD for THOUGHT as well:"INTUITIVE EATING", a book by Naturopath Doctor and Master Herbalist Humbart Santillo,ND.

The reason I put the two in one package is that I beleive in trusting our OWN FREE INTUITION in choosing what and when to eat at a place SERVED with LOVE and shared with FAMILY  and friends, rather than ALONE in our cars  at a drive through fast food  restaurants, for example .

Gardening and Farming helps us get connected  to  EARTH and FAMILY as well.Our relationship to our MOTHER is as much important because she TEACHES US THE FIRST LESSONS ON LOVE by just setting the example. The  quality of the food should be a sacred one too as it enters our sacred badies.LOVE is the energy that makes this connection .Lack of it breaks the sacredness both family and  food.

A)Dandelion Salad Recipe::

1)Fetch a HANDFUL BUNCH of DANDELION WEED:Wildcrafted from  your backyard or  LOCALLY grown  from a nearby  FARMER.Wash and dry,tear into tiny pieces.Set aside

2)Chop  one fresh red onion .Set aside

3) Shred 1/2 cup of carrots

4) Hand Squeeze one frsh lemon.Mince or crush two cloves of garlic.Pour  4Table spoonsf extra virgin olive oil.Dash some sea salt.

Mix dressing ingredients and toss with salad.

Refrige 5 minutesrate.Serve on Romaine lettuce bed.

Enjoy.

B) Lentil Soup Recipe::

1)Rinse then Soak 2 cups of organic brown lentil overnight.Retain water and cook on low heat until it becomes soft.

2)Saute  in a stainless sreel panwith preheated extra virgin olive oil:one chopped onion, th reegarlic cloves, a pinch of:cumin ,cayenne pepper,sea salt,ginger powder.Add cooked lentil and water mix.Simmer for 15 minutes.

3) Rinse a bunch of locally grown organic swiss chard and another bunch of dandelion greens and locally grown Spinach( locally grown Kalaloo ,if you  live in Florida!).Cut and set aside.

4) ADD chopped/ cut greens to Lentil soup, mix and cook on LOW heat for 10 minutes.

Serve soup at end of meal after salad was served.Works great as for dinner on a chilly spring night.

Enjoy and Bonne Appetite.

Happy  and Healthy LENT /PISACH/ down to earth INTUITIVE eating!

Tony .. alternative community farmer!

Once I fell into a research on the best and worst produce exposed to pesticides.The following were the best produce  lowest in  pesticides exposure:Onion,avocado,pineapple,mango,banana,eggplant papaya , greens etc..To view the whole report , go to ewg.org link:

food news.org/pdf/ewg_pesticide.pdf.

I live in Florida and I grow most of the above in season, naturally and  without the use of pesticides.I also found out that colon cancer and other colon related diseases are the number one causes of death in US.

Back to the farm and the garden.Did you know that juicing  locally grown greens and locally grown fruits helps your colon health?

We are kept in the dark by the  main stream media that bombards our heads with various news from all over the world about stuff that is so destracting and depressing like earthquakes ,wars,crimes and other disastors, but not so much about  FOOD related  GOOD news .

Here are some good news which we  rarely stumble upon :

the Hunzas who live in the Himalayas are the healthiest race on earth thanks to their vegeterian diets and to their backyard fruit and vegetable gardens.

The Japanese have the highest number of  living centurians on earth thanks to their seafood and SEAWEED diets.

Back to US.

We are  the number one Super power on earth , we have the vastest aerable lands ,the  most advanced technologies and the highest reserves and  resources .WE feed the world .

But ,we are so vulnerable to diseases because our diet is so saturated with chemicals and pesticides.We are the most fed but the least nourished.

Greens are the undeclared gold of the future.Water is the  next strategic food security.As farmers we are the bees of living food production.KEEP ON BUZZING!

 Some People say we are what we eat.How about being mad most of the time and HOW  certain food  and beverages help us to be under their influence!

I have a friend who falls into this category.She is on a HIP-HOP diet ..and diet sodas are her binging favorite drink even when she is on her diet.She is mad most of the time.I am not saying she is so because of the sodas.But what about the EXTRA ADDITIVES stuff we get in our food like to preserve color,retain freshness jargon etc...

The human body is made of 80% water and the cells get their nutrients through the interstitial tissues or in other words through a water apparatus of  cellular filtration and asmosis exchange.

Is it possible that what we put in our bodies could be the culprit behind our rage or anger?

I experimented with my body and found out that my moods were related to my foods.When I Eat sweats and carbs a lot ..loco I go!

When I Eat LOCALLY grown fresh organic fruits and vegies especially from my backyard .. PEACE and Harmoney reins the day.

They say if you are allergic to pollen and honey , try your locally produced and beehived  honey ones! I think this may apply to all what we eat as well.It makes a better assimilation into our  digetsive system just as it is produced by nature.No need for waxing and the additives for preserving the shelf life lists of added chemicals are needed when we switch to the local gear..

The quality of our food comes first when we want to decide about buying what we eat...not the dollar value..is what our body understands in its digestion process.

Understanding what causes lower back injuries to farmers and gardeners ,may help in the  prevention of same from happening.

Where does the lower back injury and pain occur  ?What causes the pain?What prevention methods to use?

To answer those questions from the Farmer/Gardener point of view ,we must understand   some basic anatomy and physiology of the human body  specifically about  :The structural and functional systems .Disclaimer:This is only my  personal story .If you have back injuries or pain ,please seek  help from PROFESSIONAL HEALTH PROVIDERS . The body is supported by the bone structures and functions thanks to the Muscles.Lower pain  occurs in the LUMBAR SPINE area between the L1-L5 vertebrae.The lumbar muscle gets strained triggering muscle spasm and  pain .Rushing to take pain killer pills and treating the symptoms is not enough.

Understanding how to take charge of our own body is our own responsibilty.Prevention is the key to radiant HEALTH.

I found out that we are not given enough education to do so on our own, as farmers.I am lucky because I am a certified massage therapist ,as well.I have learned how to use my body weight and proper garden ergonomics to stay fit in my garden .Here is how:

What I usually do when I am gardening is start with breathing exercises to warm up my body.Putting my MUSCLES to work right away as they are cold is an invitation to injury.Warm them up!

Going through my farming chores like Digging,Weeding,Bending to sow or harvest,Pulling or Pushing a wheel barrel/cart,and Lifting heavy soil bags for example -I learned to use my body weight and proper functional movements to stay fit.

Those functional movements included:

1-Using my lower body muscles and legs, like instead of doing repetitive spinal bending I use my knees and lower part of my body like in lifting loads .I keep stuff close to my body and my  back spine alignment  at a perpendicular angle to the ground..Working with the gravity of the earth rather than against it.

2-I ballance my movements by alternating the use of upper and lower body and right and left arms accordingly.Harmoney works  internally  like in homeostasis as well as externally like in utilizing muscular  dynamics .

3-I use proper ergonomic tools.You can find those tools on line.Careful not to fall into the shopping until you drop mood.I usually go shopping instead:Drop by drop or one garden tool at a time and I  learn as I go! 

I have tried garden ergonomics and it works for me..My back is right on the track...Give it a try.

Have a HEALTHY Farming Day!

Tony

Take note:Fertile soil and local Small Bio-Dynamic Urban Farmers are  the next  undeclared endangered species..Unless We Act!

There are laws that protect certain ANIMALS who are listed as endangered species .If you shoot an endangered species bird you go to jail.In contrast ,there are no laws that protect a HUMAN BEING who is showing legal free speach dissent for cutting down a 1000 years old HISTORICAL TREE!

Two  local environmentalists in Florida ,were  handed jail sentences instead as they were among the environmentalist group that staged the protest.make way for more .

Ironically enough  , another local  commisioner _total so far indicted are five_was sentenced  and sent to jail for Developers related payoffs or  pay for play and other corruption charges.

We have lost almost all fertile farmland that follow natural horticultural procedures in South Florida .Now we have a lot of NEW gated communities and vacant buildings locked up and stalmating in a real estate market that is in financial limbo .

Hydroponic farms are now  sprouting as the alternative  .Not only did we lose the fertile soil of those fertile farms forever , but also we lost the jobs and the BUSINESS as well!

Lots of small local farmers are struggling to stay in business and  are moving  out of state  as the cost of living is skyrocketing , especially in Palm Beach County.

The good news is:There is a new  administration now and a stimulus plan help is on the way.Are there any incentives in the plan for small struggling local farmers ?Any legislations to protect and preserve farmlands from development?Any news about saving the Historical trees from deforestation that is causing more draughts .

Remember the RAIN FOREST...it is called so because it attracts rain.What are those concrete structures attracting other than FINANCIAL gain for property investment  institutions (and financial pain for taxpayers!)that were recently bailed out . DRAUGHT!

Gardening in the tropics...are you going bananas!

Lots of Snow birds(South migrating Up North folks) flock to  warm Florida every year .I meet a lot of them at  local community gardens who approach me with this question: How come your VEGIE garden is so BEAUTIFUL and BOUNTIFUL?

I ask them to sign up for my next FREE GARDEN WORKSHOP and they disappear. THEY WANT ANSWERS RIGHT NOW!

Gardening first of all is a PROCESS!You learn as you go and grow.

 Gardening in the Tropics is not the same as  in New York, for example.

I try to explain to them that they need to LEARN THE FLORIDA WAY which is different, but not difficult.Best way to learn is HANDS ON! Most prefer to ask questions and read books.Ok ,it is good to know , but practice makes perfect.JUST DO IT.

You need to start somewhere ,anyhow.. a container will do!

In order to spread the awareness ,I self published a garden manual .I give  copies of it  for free for those braves  who dare to invite me to help them set up a fruit and vegetable garden and replace the inefficient lawn  in their front or back yards.

Gardening books , college courses ,most advertized garden WORKSHOPS are so easy to get access into .True ,they all cost MONEY.Mine are for FREE!

It is not BUSINESS AS USUAL for me to sell gardening /farming EDUCATION.I do not go to those workshops and classes that ask for money, just to give you information that is FREE to get at your local library,internet  sites:like localharvest.com ,for instance.

Here are some FREE tips from my  garden manual in case you fall into the SNOW BIRD category, and love to ask questions :

1- Find a good location for your plot.Florida has  mostly SANDY soil..Let us say you want to grow a garden in South Florida  .First thing you need to do is check out the PH of the soi,to find the scale of alkaline /acidic level .

2-Next step build your own top soil and ammend accordingly.Best PH for you Florida 9-10 zone region is the one above 5 and less than 7..Remember that the Ph is the most important indicator for a healthy absorption and assimilation of ingredients by the plant.

3- Soil texture:I use mostly compost and manure in building my top soil.There are ingredients that you may want to add to enrich the soil like bone neal,blood meal,seaweed,sawdust etc..

4-Check out what native plants grow well in the region.From my experience, I start with :Native plants which are draught tolerant, like the KALALO , caribean spinach,wild cherry tomato,papaya etc.

5-Wear and carry a safety garden gear:Sun glasses,hat,gloves etc.

6-Drink your water ,learn about the garden ERGONOMICS, and get the right tools.

In the times of economic crunch , best refuge is the farm/garden.

I have accumulated enough COMMUNITY FARMING EXPERIENCE during my last twenty years and I want to share it with you : FREE.

Sign up in my Free Workshops or invite me to your events /network/school/wellness center/meet-up group-If you LIVE in FLORIDA , close by  ...I will stop by.

Bye for now.

Tony  :)Florida

It is good to know where the TOMATO comes from ..Put a chip in it and try to trace it by our satellite GPS system .Yes?

It Is Good to know what, where and when  to grow and eat our  fruits and  vegies , offcourse, just in case there is a backtrace!

Humans may consume  planted potato chips  but not the new editions- yet to come- of silicon vally hi-tech implanted chips in our produce, to say and stay within what is politically correct .

Tracing TOMATO,where does it come from in REAL?

Mexico? Close..

In the begining,tomatoes grew WILD in the Andean regions or what is known now as : The Corridor of Ecuador,Peru,Clombia,Bolivia, and Chile.

The Aztecs -not the Incas-  were the first to cultivate it and extensively use it in their diets.They called it "XITOMAL".The Spanish Conquisadoros took it back home and spread its seeds among their empire .The Italians  discovered its aphrodisiac properties and incorporated it into their national cuisine.The English suspected tomato to be a poison and traced its origin to Italy and banned it as a Poison!

In fact to be unbiased to any one race..in our trace , John Gerard the English Herbalist in his 1592 herbal ,found out that the leaves and stems were poisonous.TRUE!

The UN-INFORMED Executive chef at the Royal palace tossed away both tomato fruit  and potato root  and cooked instead their green tops !BAN ,BAN,BAN .Poisonous tomatoes decree was born!

Back to our present time of 21  century.Check out LICOPENE in tomato as  cancer fighting - ingredient .Not to mention Vitamin C!

How come some got food poisoning not long ago from eating tomatos ,jalopenos,lettuce and spinach for example.AHA..need to find out the source..

Tomato and Jalopeno were out-sourced in Mexico .BAN! BAN!BAN!

But , how come tomatoes do not tatse like tomatoes anymore?Check out the Fumigation by growth hormones like ethylene.How come those migrant farmers spraying the tomato had deformed babies?Shut down that  cherry tomato grower.The Tomato Brands war of survivor: the fatte$t vs the fittest!

Remeber back in 1994 that company which introduced the Tomato hybrid called "FlavrSavr"?It incorporated an anti-sense gene that shuts off the gene responsible for making a ripe tomato get soft and keep it well for as long as 14 days after harvest fit for consumption right on the store shelf.

The altered gene was labeled as food additve and approved as safe.

I personally check out Heirloom and wild cherry tomatos seeds as produced and preserved by nature.

End of the Tomato Talk...

It is Spring already in Florida ...HEYYYYY!

The hurricane season,the cold fronts coming from Canada,the draught,the floods,the economic crunch and all the other blablabla depressing talk:Forget about it!

Let us switch to purging and Spring inner- house cleaning  with some  local recipes to fill in a new resolution promise."LOSE that extra weight BABY,Lighten up!"

I am going to share with you a REJEUVINATING story  to tell at your next food DETOXIFICATION station chat chat chat!.

No Romaine lettuce,spinach,jalopeno or peanut butter ingredients for sure..you know why!ehem ehem!!!

IT is called  TABOO- LEE.There is nothing ugly  in it except its prefix sounds like taboo..and  the suffix is prounounced as in  "LIE" .The word comes from the PHOENECIAN heritage cuisine,  now  for real known as Lebanese cuisine.No politics or cussing ,please!

The mother word  derives from  :TAWABLE,  which means "SPICES" and  rare as they were then they were found and BLENDED together in a formula of seven spices one of them is cumin.. another... black pepper, another: I am not going to tell you all my secrets! Make  up your own!

Here is one more KEY ingredient :MEDITERRANEAN SEA SALT..well get those spices together mixed up and put all in a mortar and pound ,mix with1/2 bunch of Organic fresh green scalion.Set aside .

Move to those Organic freshly harvested garden Parsley  get as many bunches as one bunch per two family members participating in this cleansing food" festivity".MInce the parsley .Set aside.

Pick those garden fresh Roma Tomato or even better fleshy ugly or "local harvest catalog" Heirloom tomato.Chop chop chop.Set aside.

Sacrifice couple of  locally grown cucumbers into dices.Set aside.

Meet your garden mint.Pluck a bunch.Mince it up.Set aside.

Fetch a dandelion weed in your backyard .Pick the green leaves.cut.

Throw away the dead bulgar and replace with LIVING QUINOA SPROUTS.

Assemble all of the above in a deep bottom bowl.Baptize with Extra virgin alive oil and Florida or California fresh squeezed lemon.Hand bless/mix all

Put in a refrigerator for five or ten minutes.Set on the table.Sit down at the table.ATTACK.

Later on  you will feel cool and RELAXED. Consider this as a more palatable laxative per se , not to say a non-prescription spring cleanser!

Bon Appetite!

Tony Florida :) @ localharvest.org/farms/M20618 

There has been little or no rain for the last two months here in WPB/Florida.I noticed that the water canals are bottom dry around the Acareage and my friend who has an herb nursery is on the brink of shutting down operations as her water supply has shrinked not to mention the decline of business due to the economic crunch!

Never the less I kept my garden undeterred and coping with the draught by applying an ancient water conserving technique known as "the Roman Canals farming".

Secret # 1) SHAPE:

I simply built a garden in the oval SHAPE of a Roman Stadium with a water collecting canal in its circum- center. Whenever it rains , the water instead of running off and out collects in the canal and spreads out  .Whenever it does not rain I use city water once a week and it is working.

Secret #2)Plant NATURE:

I choose draught tolerant native plants that have been culyivated and harvested in Florida.Their DNA has already been developed to tolerate the climatic effects of the TROPICS..Example:Wild cherry tomatoes ,caribean Spinach(kalaloo) , Southern collard green,Tropical Neem fruit tree,Tropical Papaya fruit.

Secret # 3) Soil texture:

I build up my soil from scratch using mainly compost and manure plus other organic ingredients -offcourse I wish to keep my formula for myself! The trick is to get the soil trap as much moisture as long as possible and be insulating to the Blazing Florida Heat !

Secret # 4) Location Location Location of your garden plot!

Happy farming .Tony