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Thursday, November 30, 2017

Still collecting data for the toasted spices vs regular spices.

continued from: https://theorypracticelandscaping-kfrye.blogspot.com/2017/11/another-post-series-to-taste-test.html

via Instagram

Today was a cinnamon solo test on apple roses. Got three taste testers at my afternoon food mapping meeting!

In today's blind tests: we had 1 vote for the untoasted being more flavorful, and 2 votes for no difference.

All participants noticed the color of the spices were easily visible (the toasted cinnamon is much darker).

In full discloser, 1 participant today was a college student and admitted he was so hungry he really couldn't distinguish much in terms of his pallet and more importantly..."can I have some more?!"

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

We've raised $300 so far!

#GivingTuesday Another $150 by midnight tonight, and SeedMoney will match us an additional $200! Help us max our fundraising for the therapeutic gardens we would like to build for HOSPICE of Knox County! http://ift.tt/2j4F36F

We've raised $300 so far! #GivingTuesday Another $150 by midnight tonight, and SeedMoney will match us an additional $200! Help us max our fundraising for the therapeutic gardens we would like to build for HOSPICE of Knox County! http://ift.tt/2j4F36F


We've raised $300 so far! #GivingTuesday Another $150 by midnight tonight, and SeedMoney will match us an additional $200! Help us max our fundraising for the therapeutic gardens we would like to build for HOSPICE of Knox County! http://ift.tt/2j4F36F


We've raised $300 so far! #GivingTuesday Another $150 by midnight tonight, and SeedMoney will match us an additional $200! Help us max our fundraising for the therapeutic gardens we would like to build for HOSPICE of Knox County! http://ift.tt/2j4F36F


We didn't meet the goal for the $400 match last week, but we still have 17

days left of our SeedMonday fundraising campaign! This #GivingTuesday Community Roots is competing for a second change $200 challenge grant from SeedMoney. To be in contention, we need to raise at least $200 between now and the 11:59pm Pacific Time on the 28th. Our project gets to keep whatever we raise whether we win a grant or not. You can "root" for us by making a tax-deductible donation here: http://ift.tt/2j4F36F


Monday, November 20, 2017

November Sunset

It's the first clear night we've had in several days. The night sky is making up for lost time.

Community Roots needs your help

with raising $250 to earn a match of $400 in JUST 24 days!

All proceeds go directly to the garden project for HOSPICE of Knox County! We have no paid employees - all volunteer work!

Please consider helping us by DONATING or SHARING this post today!
https://donate.seedmoney.org/1711/community-roots


How people feel about sleeping children, I feel about students taking exams.


Sunday, November 19, 2017

Community Roots needs your help

with raising $250 to earn a match of $400 in JUST 24 days!

All proceeds go directly to the garden project for HOSPICE of Knox County! We have no paid employees - all volunteer work!

Please consider helping us by DONATING or SHARING this post today!

https://donate.seedmoney.org/1711/community-roots

Lilac leaves


Friday, November 17, 2017

Community Roots needs your help with raising $475 to earn a match of $400 in JUST 26 days! All proceeds go directly to their garden project for HOSPICE of Knox County! They have no paid employees - all volunteer work! Please consider helping them by donating or sharing this post today.


http://ift.tt/2mD1ip7


http://ift.tt/2mD1ip7 Straining the pumpkin


https://theorypracticelandscaping-kfrye.blogspot.com/2017/11/another-post-series-to-taste-test.html

https://theorypracticelandscaping-kfrye.blogspot.com/2017/11/another-post-series-to-taste-test.html

Another post series to taste test the effect of toasting the spices in baking!

Made batches of toasted ginger, allspice, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and cardamom. First taste test will be pumpkin pies! Stay tuned!

Community Roots needs your help with raising $475 to earn a SeedMoney match of $400 in JUST 28 days! All proceeds go directly to their garden project for HOSPICE of Knox County! They have no paid employees - all volunteer work! Please consider helping them by donating or sharing this link today. http://ift.tt/2j4F36F


Preparing the pie fillings. Last of the pumpkins for this batch!


Community Roots needs your help with raising $550 to earn a SeedMoney match of $400 in JUST 28 days! All proceeds go directly to their garden project for HOSPICE of Knox County! They have no paid employees - all volunteer work! Please consider helping them by donating or sharing this link today. http://ift.tt/2j4F36F


Community Roots Raising Money For Therapeutic Garden at HOSPICE of Knox County, Ohio


Check out this campaign:
Community Roots needs your help with raising $550 to earn a match of $400 in JUST 28 days!
All proceeds go directly to their garden project for HOSPICE of Knox County! They have no paid employees - all volunteer work!
Please consider helping them by donating or sharing this post today.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017


Gratitude for solace in the kitchen when the weather turns dreary! And for the fresh lemon thyme and rosemary to use with wine for a stroganoff!


Giardia, cause of giardiasis (100x magnification). Look like little 👻, don’t they?!


SeedMoney Campaign! Check it out!

DONATE HERE!

DONATE HERE!

Formerly known as Glass Gardens Greenhouse, the approximately six acres at the end of West Gambier Street in Mount Vernon has experienced a shift in land use since the nursery closed in 2010.
Now known as Community Roots, these abandoned greenhouses and fields are being used as the site of community programs that restore the historical horticultural use, while also developing educational and social programs that target community needs such as high rates of recidivism: 
  • Local school science standards (e.g. STEM education goals, etc.)
  • Agricultural & horticultural education (eg. 4H, FFA, KCCC, OSU Extension-Knox Co, etc)
  • Wilderness skills and programs (scouts, orienteering, camping, bluebird & butterfly monitoring, plant and insect identification, Natural Fit Outdoor Adventures)
  • Community Health programs (e.g. TouchPointe, Hospice of Knox County, Opportunity Knox, OhioJobs, MERIT court)
Studies have shown that having natural elements in design and increasing time with nature & greenspace can:
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower rates of aggression
  • Lower incidence of mental health issues (1) 
  • Incivilities (vandalism, foul language use, etc.) (1)
For this project we would like to partner with Hospice of Knox County Ohio and use our horticulture job training program to grow aromatic fresh herbs to create a therapeutic garden for Hospice programs. 
Since August 2016, we have provided a work place for local probationers sentenced to community service hours while teaching these probationers how to propagate plants from seed and cuttings, as well as manage a greenhouse. 
In May 2016, we began working with a Hospice children's grief group to plant aromatic herbs to help address as service gap formed when Hospice had to let go of their aromatherapist due to budget constraints. The children (who had all lost a parent) planted the herbs in May, and in June we were able to bring the mature plants back to Hospice during a lunchtime event at local grief camp (Camp Hope) the same grief group children were attending. 
With this project specifically, we want to expand on this work and use our current community service probationers to further our direct support of Hospice programs that enrich the quality of life for care receivers as well as the hospice grief therapy programs for those who are losing and have lost loved ones. 
This garden will help Hospice continue to provide  fresh aromatic herbs for client meals and nutritional needs, as well as aromatherapy uses (e.g. pain management, physical comfort) at no cost to Hospice or their clients.
**********************************************************************************

DONATE HERE!

Knox Co. Ag News: Farms Must Begin Reporting Air Releases of Hazardous Substances from Animal Wastes

"Peggy Kirk Hall, Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Resource Law
Ellen Essman, Law Fellow
Beginning November 15, 2017, many livestock, poultry and equine farms must comply with reporting requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) section 103. The law requires entities to report releases of hazardous substances above a certain threshold that occur within a 24-hour period. Farms have historically been exempt from most reporting under CERCLA, but in the spring of 2017 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the rule that allowed reporting exemptions for farms. As long as there is no further action by the Court to push back the effective date, farmers and operators of operations that house beef, dairy, horses, swine and poultry must begin complying with the reporting requirements on November 15, 2017."
Read more: Farms Must Begin Reporting Air Releases of Hazardous Substances from Animal Wastes

Knox Co Ag News: Lighting Solutions for the Dark Days of Winter

Lighting Solutions for the Dark Days of Winter

Laura Akgerman  Disability Services Coordinator for Ohio AgrAbility
"Does your workload get lighter as the days get shorter and darker?  Probably not. Animals still need fed and tended to, work needs to get done, and equipment needs fixed.
A well-lit work space is important to ensure that you can work safely and effectively. Task lighting makes work safer and easier, allowing you to see your equipment and workspace. Task lighting can be portable, permanently attached, or you can even wear it. LED lights are one solution for lighting a poorly it area, or upgrading older, expensive to use lights."



Read more: Lighting Solutions for the Dark Days of Winter

Small/New Farm College

Great article from our Knox County Ag News blog!



"Are you a small farm landowner wondering what to do with your acreage?  Are you interested in exploring options for land uses but not sure where to turn or how to begin?  Have you considered adding an agricultural or horticultural enterprise but you just aren’t sure of what is required, from an equipment, labor, and/or management perspective?  Are you looking for someplace to get some basic farm information?  If you or someone you know answered yes to any of these questions, then the Ohio State University New and Small Farm College program may be just what you are looking for."...



Read more:

Small/New Farm College

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Harvesting microgreens! They are spicy!! http://ift.tt/2zQJj4C


Extending the Season - We're Past the Freeze


We had our first real freeze in the greenhouse today. Temp was 17 °F-37 °F today, with the windchill in the upper teens. I walked in around 10am to find the hoophouses at 45°F and a lot of ice around the place.



These overnight temps were too much for some and right at the edge for most, even under the floating row covers. We have about another week of near freexing lows and then if we don't have more hoophouses, we'll either have to move the plants (i.e. take them home, or the high school greenhouse....) or we'll lose them. It would be a shame to lost the edible flower plants like calendula, and love in the mist; not to mention the dye plants like the indigo and french marigolds! 




So far the microgreens are going pretty well. The second round of seeding (where we went with half a 5g scoop per flat) a lot of sprouting! So it took like a week-10 days instead of 3 days for seeds to germinate, but even just under our minimal effort plastic covers, they sprouted well.



The first round of seeding (2 flats from 10/20) were ready to harvest.


The day was all about shoring up the hoophouse benches with more compost and bales and move as many flats of microgreens into the hoophouse. While were on site working today, we also built up some heat with a little greenhouse heater we purchased last year.
photo by Scott Patterson
photo by Scott Patterson

























 
By 4pm we were able to get the temp up to nearly 60 °F
 
Then to move as many microgreen flats as we could, I remembered I had this old (10-12 year old) cheap greenhouse shelving unit that has survived 4 moves and all the winters and all the summers...anyway, its various parts are in various conditions, not sure it could ever be its original self again. So we used the parts to build shelves, allowing us to fit more flats in immediately. 
 
Last thing we left a jug of hot water in the hoophouse to keep the temperature change buffered after sunset.



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