Heartland Farms: 2 Donkeys, 1000 Chickens, and More Crops than You can Count

Ms. Teresa 

Banneker school group

Mother Hubbard’s is a proud contributor to community education and we try to spread as much knowledge as we can. Whether it be about gardening, smart shopping or even large scale food production (AKA farms). This week we got to escort a group of local school children to a tour of the local Heartland Farms run by Ms. Teresa Birtles, the owner and chief operator of the farm. Heartland farm is pretty substantial, there’s space for at least a thousand chickens, countless kinds of crops, and whole herd of sheep, plus a couple donkeys and cows. She supplies some well known, local restaurants here in Bloomington: upscale restaurants like Finch’s to organic whole food restaurant Laughing Planet. Despite this I had never heard of this establishment. But, having experienced it first hand I understand now how important places like this can be for not only whole food, but for fun and educational experiences for people unfamiliar with this kind of work.

Now, I haven’t been to a farm since I was a wee child and back then my great aunt owned a large sum of land, several chickens, and a cow that couldn’t compare to what we saw. Upon arrival we were greeted by a herd of sheep and two donkeys (that were much larger than the movie Shrek would have you believe. Thanks a lot Hollywood). Thankfully, Ms. Teresa is kind enough to give small tours to those that are interested and, boy, does she have an air about her. She is immensely hardworking and intelligent. She is fantastic at tailoring speech to fit the the audience and making the information interesting while at the same time engaging. Most notably, we had a whole lesson dedicated to soil enrichment that benefit her pastures for her herd and soil for crops disguised as a lesson about poop (what better way to get a kid’s attention, right?).

Look at them go!

Free him!

Attention Thief

From lessons about how to corral the herd and lead them to pasture to describing the delicate relationship between farmer and animal and even how the animals work to protect each other, the children kept they’re focus. That was until the cows revealed themselves like a genie after rubbing the lamp your great-great-grandparents left you and then you wish for a million bucks and get a million deer an- is that just me? Sorry. Anyway, the cows appeared and stole attention which is understandable, cows are adorable. However, the unexpected attention thief was the edible clover flowers. 

All in all, I feel that this kind of experience sums up what Mother Hubbard’s stands for: community education about whole foods and local businesses that has the potential to last a lifetime. Who wouldn’t want to be here for that. 

I you'd like to know more about Ms. Birtles and her farm, including everything that she grows and provides, please visit her website HERE

Also, Donkeys

"The Good, the Bad, and the Bugly" - Troubleshooting Pests and Disease in the Garden

Having trouble in your garden this year? 

Are your leaves yellowing, speckled, riddled with holes?
                                                              Are your stems withering and rotting to the ground?
                      Do you see egg clusters on the underside of your kale or squash greens?
                                           Are your tomatoes here today and gone tomorrow?
Are you noticing a powdery substance on the leaves of your plants?
                     
                            Are there... Enough! Enough, we get it! 

There are a lot of issues we often face as organic gardeners.

But never fear! You are not alone!  

Join us this Thursday, July 14th from 6:30-8:00 pm for a Garden Problem Solving Workshop 

with the brilliant and beloved Stephanie Solomon! 

We will be addressing many common garden troubles such as problematic insects, wind, water, and soil-bourne diseases, and mineral and nutrient deficiencies.

Come with a list of some difficulties you have been experiencing this gardening season, and we will help to troubleshoot the cause and hopefully lead you toward a solution. 

Organic Gardeners Unite!  

Images thanks to: 

http://fortcollinsnursery.com/fcn-blog/the-best-gardeners-kill-the-most-plants/ and http://www.silhouettedesignstore.com/view-shape/39589

Gourmet in the Garden

Hello Beautiful!  Who knew you could make such a glorious looking salad with greens harvested mostly from your back yard? Our friend Oliver does! This 7-year-old gourmet garden guru taught our Kid's Cooking class the other day and taught us all a thing or two... or three! 

Just look at that poise! 

Not just delicious, but exceptionally nutritious too, this wild edible salad delights the eyes and taste-buds, and leaves you feeling healthy and fresh!

.....................

Oliver guided us confidently through the salad preparation, teaching appropriate knife skills   (watch those fingers!), and how to safely identify the plants we used.

This vibrant dish included wood sorrel, pink and white clover, dandelion flower, wild onion, violet leaf, lettuce, chickweed, multi-flora rose, and ground ivy! We dressed it with a little salt, pepper, elderberry syrup, and organic sunflower oil. Yum! 

 

Our Kids Cooking classes are an incredible opportunity for kids and adults alike to learn new kitchen skills, taste new foods, and gain confidence. You might be surprised by how much even very young children can absorb just through observation. One of our regulars surprised us the other day by demonstrating how to properly cut a leaf from its spine without even being prompted! It appears that we have an army of new kitchen gurus on the rise! 

A little helper watches attentively in class 

Our little gourmet garden guru helping our two interns use the salad spinner 

Not everyone is accustomed to eating salad, especially ones with such unusual ingredients, but with Oliver's enthusiasm and charm, we got samples out to our pantry patrons, and many were surprised by how much they enjoyed it!

This young man was wary at first, but was surprised and delighted when he finally decided to taste Oliver's wares. Even after several minutes had passed, he was still marveling at the wonderful taste he held in his mouth!

Sound like fun?

Join us Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-5:00 pm to take part in our next culinary adventure!

See you there!  

Smart and Easy Garden Watering with Less Water

Smart and Easy Garden Watering with Less Water

1.     Add Compost and Other Organic Matter to Garden Soil:  Organic matter, such as compost helps soils to absorb water like a sponge, instead of allowing it to all drain away.

2.     Mulch: Mulch is your garden soil’s great friend.  A layer of mulch helps to keep soil from drying out, keeps weeds from sprouting, and breaks down to become organic mater in your garden soil, further increasing your soil’s water retention.  On your annual beds, spread straw or leaves in a 3-4 inch layer over your garden soil, being careful not to cover or crowd your plants. In your perennial beds, use wood chips if you have them.

3.     Water the Soil, Not the Leaves: A drip hose puts the water into the soil, where it needs to go, and keeps plant leaves dry, which helps keep disease under control.  You can place mulch over a drip hose, further conserving water in your garden. Once in place, a drip hose will save you time, and can even be set with an automatic timer, watering without you having to be home!  Instructions to make a drip hose out of a leaky old hose are below.

4.     Water Deeply and Less Often:  Water deeply to fully soak the soil, then wait until it is nearly dry again to water.  This encourages deep roots to grow, which will make the plant more resilient to drought and other stresses. 

5.     Dig Swails: Swails are trenches dug along the curve of a hill to capture water running down the incline.  Dig a 6” deep trench along the downhill side of a garden bed, and fill it in with wood chips to keep water close to your garden plants. 

6.     Limit Weeds:  Weeds drink up water from your soils!

7.     Save Rainwater: Using a rainwater catchment system, you can significantly reduce your municipal water usage. 

Making a drip hose with an old busted hose:

• Get new life out of an old leaky garden hose by turning it into a drip hose.  Once they are in place, drip hoses help save time and water! 

• Take your hose and place it over some scrap wood.   Starting where the hose will actually be watering the soil, use a 1/16^th drill bit to drill a hole every 2-3”.  

• Shake out the little bits that were drilled out, and attach hose to spigot.  Flush out the hose with water.  If you won’t be connecting the end of this hose to another, you will need to clamp off the end.  This can be done by cutting off the metal at the end, then folding the end back and securing with some wire or a small clamp. 

• Place the drip hose on top of the soil as close to the plant roots as you can manage, anchoring the hose with ground pins.  Start by turning the drip hose on for 20 minutes, adjusting the watering time as your garden needs!