Lettuce Patch Gardens
Local Food for Real People
The best of local food and gardening on the web
Cheryl Spencer, Owner & Gardener
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Lettuce Patch Gardens is committed to our community, local economy, sustainable agriculture and fresh, healthy and locally grown food!
We are currently reworking our website, so please excuse our dust while we're getting everything ready. We expect it to be up and running in March or early April, 2009.
We are no longer able to offer a CSA, but if you're interested in local food and learning how to grow your own (the most local food of all!) then please sign up for our newsletter.
Virtual Garden Tour
We are located in the Cheyenne Cañon area of Colorado Springs.
Our garden is small, but abundant. Our garden sits on our .2 acre city lot. We have no lawn, only vegetables and ornamentals.
We grow food year-round and grow mainly herbs and vegetables, since fruit tends to attract the neighborhood bears.
Once they are big enough, they are transplanted into the beds:
When the weather gets cool, these beds will be protected with mini-greenhouses:
In the winter, the plants are further protected with an inner cover that holds in the heat.
Our garden is fed with kitchen scraps, leaves and garden waste. This is the foundation of sustainable agriculture:
Unfinished compost:
3-6 months later we get:
The tools we use for gardening are all human-powered:
(We don't even use a roto-tiller)
Spades for digging; and forks for loosening the soil:
Earth is here so kind,
that just tickle her with a hoe
and she laughs with a harvest
~Douglas Terrold
How We Grow Our Produce
We grow our produce using biointensive methods.
Biointensive growing uses organic methods (no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used), and focuses on sustainable growing techniques. We go beyond jus feeding plants and focus on building good soil that feeds the plants we grow.
The biointensive methods we use feed the soil, the plants and ultimately our customers in a way that significantly minimizes our impact on the environment.
Sustainable is a popular word these days, and it can mean many different things. Sustainable agriculture, to us, means using the least amount of land, water and commercial fertilizer to grow the most amount of food possible. We also believe that limiting our use of fossil fuels to grow and transport food is vital to sustainability.
Our market-garden recycles all plant waste into compost. We use minimal commercial organic-fertilizers. By doing so we are striving to be truly sustainable by importing as few outside resources as possible.
We grow not only crops to eat, but crops to feed the soil. We plant green manures (that are turned under and break down in the garden beds). We grow "compost crops" - crops that are grown specifically to make compost.
We use as little fossil fuels as possible in our growing and production.
We grow during the fall, winter and spring, but do not need extensive heating and cooling systems found in most greenhouse set-ups, further reducing our dependence on non-renewable energy. We rely heavily on the strong Colorado sun and biologically active soil to generate heat in our garden beds during the fall, winter and spring months.
We use only hand tools to work the soil (not even a roto-tiller). We currently use a car to make deliveries, but hope to make deliveries via bicycle in the future.
We also practice season extension, so that we can grow fresh food year round. We grow in mini-greenhouses that allow us to grow and harvest all year.
We have a passion for food and gardening, and have started a local Colorado Springs CSA. If you would be interested in a weekly home-delivery of our fresh produce visit our Community Supported Agriculture page to learn more about it. You can also purchase our produce at a local Colorado Springs health food store.
Cheryl, our head gardener, would like to teach others her methods, and work to expand urban market-gardening in and around Colorado Springs.
Urban gardening and urban agriculture are ideas that are becoming increasingly important as our world becomes more urbanized and developers transform agriculturally fertile lands and open spaces into sprawling suburbs. We and other urban growers are part of the solution to our current environmental problems.
We invite you to take a virtual tour of our gardens to see how we grow all this great produce.
This Week's Available Organic Produce - January 30, 2020
Organic vegetables in listed in green are available this week.
Lettuce & Salad Mixes, Scallions, Baby Leeks, Parsley, Cutting-Celery, Radishes, Swiss Chard
Paris Market Mix (Organic)
Salad & Lettuce Recipes
This organic salad mix is typical of what you might find in a Paris farmer's market - A colorful mix of tender heirloom lettuce and baby spinach. Very tender and sweet! A great lettuce mix for kids. Sample of varieties in mix: Flame, Red Deer Tongue, Cracoveinsis-leaf and butter lettuces. (Varieties change with the seasons).
Provence Mix (Organic)
Salad & Lettuce Recipes
Named after the food-loving region in the south of France, this is a colorful mix of organic tender heirloom-lettuce, baby spinach, arugula and baby chard. The arugula adds a peppery flavor and the chard adds substance since it is a "meatier" green. Sample of varieties in mix: Flame, Red Deer Tongue, Cracoveinsis-leaf and butter lettuces; American, Bloomsdale and Giant Noble spinach; Bright Lights Chard and Arugula. (Varieties change with the seasons).
Romaine Trio Mix (Organic)
Salad & Lettuce Recipes
A mix of three different kinds of organic Romaine lettuce: Red, Green and Speckled. It is a beautiful mix for Caesar salads and is wonderful on sandwiches. See our lettuce and salad recipes for more ideas on how to use this great tasting mix. Sample of varieties in mix: Freckles, Brune D'Hiver, Rouge D'Hiver, Paris Island and Little Gems Romaine. (Varieties change with the seasons).
Scallions-Green Onions (Organic)
Scallion Recipes
Organic green onions, also known as scallions are sold in bunches of 6-8. They are a great addition to salads and soups. Varieties grown: Tokyo Long, Evergreen Bunching.
Scallions-Red (Organic)
Scallion Recipes
Organic Red scallions are very similar to green scallions, but have a sweeter taste, which is similar to the sweetness of a red onion. They are a sweet and colorful addition to salads and soups. Varieties grown: Deep Purple, Crimson Forest.
Parsley (Organic)
Parsley Recipes
Organic flat-leaf Italian Parsley and Curly Parsley Varieties grown: Italian Flat-Leafed and Moss-Curled.
Cutting-Celery (Organic)
Cutting-Celery Recipes
Organic Cutting-Celery Varieties grown: Apium graveolens
Radishes (Organic)
Radish Recipes
Organic Radishes, sold in bunches of 8-10 Varieties grown: Small Round Red, French Breakfast, D'Avignon, Pink Beauty.
Baby Leeks (Organic)
Baby Leek Recipes
Organic Baby Leeks, sold in bunches of 8-10 Varieties grown: Lincoln.
Swiss Chard (Organic)
Swiss Chard Recipes
Sold in bunches, approximately 1/2 pound each. Varieties grown: Ruby Red, Lipstick, Bright Lights, White Chard.
Recipes using our organic produce
See a list of our Favorite Cookbooks
Choose from the following list of produce to be taken to recipes using that ingredient
All produce is available through our CSA. Most, but not all is available through our retail outlet.
Arugula
Asian Greens
Basil
Beets
Chinese Cabbage
Cutting Celery
Parsley
Radishes
Rosemary
Salad Greens
Spinach
Scallions
Summer Squash
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Our Favorite Cookbooks
At Lettuce Patch Gardens, we not only like to grow great food, we like to eat great food! We are constantly testing different varieties of our produce to bring you the best tasting vegetables. The best way to test new foods is to rely on trusted sources for great recipes.
We have compiled a list of our favorite cookbooks. The following cookbooks either celebrate seasonal cooking and have wonderful recipes for using fresh produce.
Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Cooks Illustrated is like no other cooking magazine we have ever read. It's a sort of Consumers Reports for cooking, aimed at the beginning gourmand. The magazine includes recipes, tips sent in by readers, standard methods for important cooking procedures, reviews of gadgets or food items, and reviews of cookbooks. All of these are accompanied by beautiful black-and-white illustrations and photos of the foods and techniques used (which explains the "Illustrated" part of the magazine title).
Our favorite articles are those that delve into the development of the recipe featured. These articles all provide a standard format of describing the "perfect" representation of the items and then the authors explain their process for creating their final recipes and the method by which to read and make the recipes. While this sounds scientific (and indeed, it is), the writing is delightful and down-to-earth, not dry or esoteric as other gourmet magazines. In addition, sidebar articles explore choosing particular ingredients or comparisons of different brands or gadgets relating to the recipe shown and give clear direction where the more elusive ingredients and gadgets can be purchased. Buy It Now
Taste Pure and Simple: Irresistible Recipes for Good Food and Good Health by Michel Nischan
(2004 James Beard Award Winner for Healthy Focus & Vegetarian)
Acclaimed chef Michel Nischan knows that eating well is all about balance, and his beautiful cookbook proves that robust meals can be both healthy and flavorful. Avoiding the high-fat dairy products prevalent in so many cookbooks, he uses vegetable juices and olive oil to achieve the same luscious flavors. Who knew that sweet potatoes make a rich sauce that's fabulous drizzled over coriander-seasoned duck? Or that creamy white bean dip spread on crusty bread could make you forget about butter? And after eating a healthful dinner, it's okay to indulge in a dessert like Flourless Hazelnut Cake. A chapter on basics provides a solid foundation of stocks and sauces, while the glossary describes how to find and use unusual ingredients. For the good home cook who craves something new and delicious and particularly those who want to eat well while maintaining a heart-healthy diet, it's simply a matter of Taste Pure and Simple. Buy It Now
Stein and Hinds's Peerless Restaurant in Oregon's Rogue Valley is becoming one of the compulsory stops for foodies making West Coast pilgrimages to places like Chez Panisse and French Laundry. Now the restaurant's executive chefs present the philosophy and recipes that inform their cooking from seasonal Northwest ingredients. Eating is political for the authors, and they make a strong case for home cooks as well as restaurant chefs to support local farmers and purveyors to "encourage a regional food supply and a strong local economy, maintain a sense of community, encourage earth stewardship, and protect the future of small to medium-size family farms." Sprinkled between elegant recipes for Sweet Corn and Shiitake Mushroom Custard and Pan-Seared Alaskan Sablefish with Green Garlic, Fiddlehead Ferns and Soft Polenta are profiles of farmers and fishermen, as well as concise, non-preachy explanations of the environmental consequences of different production methods, in order to help readers make responsible and sustainable choices. The emphasis is firmly on Pacific Northwest products, especially fish and seafood, but each recipe offers substitutions to encourage cooks to use sources from close to home. The first step to a good meal is quality ingredients, and for Stein and Hinds that starts with knowing where your food comes from. Buy It Now
Throughout The Best International Recipe, you'll find features that make this collection especially home cook friendly: Pantry spotlights offer clear explanations of ingredients and what to look for, and in some cases, what you can substitute without compromising flavor. Specialty equipment (and substitutions) are highlighted as well, so you won't waste money on equipment you don't really need (hint: You don't need a paella pan to make paella). Core techniques highlighted throughout the book explain essential methods that you can apply to all of your cooking, such as getting the most from spices and a method for making buttery tart dough that won't leave you feeling frustrated.
Whether you want to make spicy pork tacos to rival those found on the tables of Mexico or learn how to make chicken as juicy as the French, The Best International Recipe is your essential guide to the best cooking from around the world. Buy It Now
When we see land as a community to which we belong we may begin to use it with love and respect.
There is no other way for land to survive the impact of mechanized man...
The objective is a more enduring civilization.
~ Aldo Leopold
Eating with the Seasons & the Slow Food Movement
The things most worth waiting for are not available everywhere all the time.
~Alice Waters
Fresh spring lettuce, succulent fruits in summer, autumn's squash and wild rice and root vegetables in winter. Eating fresh seasonal produce not only is delicious, it is a good way to connect with the rhythms of the natural world.
When produce is trucked across country (and internationally) for out of season distribution (tomatoes in winter, for example), its nutrition declines. Many vegetables that are shipped long distances are picked early or sprayed to delay ripening. Eating locally grown food can help limit exposure to chemicals and lend support to small regional farms and growers.
Eating seasonally means focusing on the outstanding selection of foods that are available throughout each season. It is exciting to wait for asparagus, rhubarb, beans and peas in the spring; cucumbers, berries, and corn in the summer; winter squash and apples in the fall; and root vegetables in the winter. All fruits, vegetables and herbs have a season, enjoying them at the peak of flavor is the best way to eat.
Together, the choices we make in our life can create a world that is connected and healthy.
Learn more about Slow Food
Brian Halweil discusses Local Food on the Restaurant Guys Radio show
See a list of Lettuce Patch Garden's favorite slow food cookbooks
Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.
~ Henry David Thoreau
Groups who are working on preserving and promoting local and endangered foods are:
Slow Food is an international organization whose aim is to protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern fast food and life.
The Slow Food movement was founded in 1986 in Italy, and has spread around the word. Through a variety of initiatives, it promotes gastronomic culture, develops taste education, conserves agricultural biodiversity and protects traditional foods at risk of extinction. It now boasts over 80,000 members in over 100 countries.
Recognizing that the enjoyment of wholesome food is essential to the pursuit of happiness, Slow Food U.S.A. is an educational organization dedicated to promoting stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production; reviving the kitchen and the table as the centers of pleasure, culture, and community; invigorating and proliferating regional, seasonal culinary traditions; creating a collaborative, ecologically-oriented, and virtuous globalization; and living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.
The Chef's collaborative is a national network of more than 1,000 members of the food community who promote sustainable cuisine by celebrating the joys of local, seasonal, and artisanal cooking. Check out their website to find restaurants in your area who are members and support sustainable agriculture.
100 Mile-Diet A typical ingredient in a modern meal has traveled 1,500 miles or more from farm to plate. The 100-mile diet is a local-eating experiment you can try for yourself--and a way to reconnect with the place you call home.
Locavores are a group of concerned culinary adventurers who are making an effort to eat only foods grown or harvested within a 100 mile radius of San Francisco for an entire month. They recognize that the choices we make about what foods we choose to eat are important politically, environmentally, economically, and healthfully. In 2005, they challenged people from the bay area (and all over the world) to eat within a 100 mile radius of their home for the month of August.
EatLocalChallenge.com is a group blog written by authors who are interested in the benefits of eating food grown and produced in their local foodshed.
Renewing America's Food Traditions (RAFT) wants to revive the production and use of endangered foods in North America. It is a coalition of seven of the most prominent non-profit food, agriculture, conservation, and educational organizations dedicated to rescuing America’s diverse foods and food traditions.
Heritage foods are foods derived from rare breeds of American livestock and crops with strong genetic authenticity and well-defined production protocols. Heritage Foods USA brings hard to find heritage foods with superior taste directly to American homes for holidays and special occasions. Because of their rarity and strict production protocols, heritage foods are currently produced only during certain periods of the year and in limited quantities. So you must pre-order to assure you get our products! America's top chefs and food writers swear by the superior tastes of heritage foods.
100-mile Diet Local eating for global change. This site encourages people to use ingredients acquired from within 100 miles of home. Like the idea? Their web site has some great ideas and inspirational stories from people who are trying it. Bon appetit!
FoodRoutes Where does your food come from? How can you help support your local farmer? Where can you find Local Food? What is Community Supported Agriculture? Read more on how to buy local. Find out about the FoodRoutes' "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" Toolbox and take the Buy Local Challenge.
Local Grain Initiative The philosophy of the local grain initiative goes much deeper than simply encouraging the small scale growing and production of grain. By using a grain experiment like this as an example in 'reclaiming', it's hope is to address issues of regional food security which are inseparably linked to issues of ecological balance, bioregional self-sufficiency, and re-defining our 'use value' notions of resources. The local grain initiative is for healthy ecosystems.
Oldways is a widely respected nonprofit food issues advocacy group praised for translating the complex details of nutrition science into the familiar language of food. Oldways programs are focused on the simple triangle of principles: nutrition (health, science), tradition (pleasure, joy, history) and sustainability (environment, organic). Oldways develops and carries out education programs and events to help consumers make wise choices about eating, drinking, and lifestyle, emphasizing the traditional pleasures of the table.
The trumpet of a prophecy?
O Wind,
If winter comes,
can spring be far behind?
~ Percy Bysshe Shelley
Sustainable Agriculture
When farms and market-gardens are run sustainably, the gardens and other resources are managed as naturally as possible and provide a good living for the grower.
Growers are able to provide their customers with the best possible vegetables, harvested at the peak of flavor and nutrition.
Produce grown with synthetic pesticides and herbicides cannot be grown sustainably.
The consumption of fossil fuels, extensive loss of topsoil and pollution of our water is at the heart of "conventional" agriculture. Here is an excellent comparison of conventional agriculture and sustainable agriculture.
At Lettuce Patch Gardens we embrace sustainable agriculture. We fertilize our crops naturally. Straw, leaves, weeds and spent vegetable plants from the gardens are composted and nourish the soil. Our soil stewardship practices allow us to minimize the amount of off-site fertilizers that we purchase. Mulching and vigilant hand-pulling helps keep the weeds under control instead of spraying herbicides. We don't have much of a need for pesticides, and the ones we do use on occasion are no more harmful than soap. Because the soil is fed well and bacterial activity in the soil is high, the soil is healthy enough to feed healthy plants without the need for chemical fertilizers. Our gardens a source for truly local and truly seasonal food. Our produce, grown and eaten when it is "in season" is the freshest and best tasting you can find.
Sustainable agriculture also contributes to our community. Food is purchased locally and this keeps money in our community.
When food is grown locally consumption of polluting fossil fuels is significantly reduced. As fuel prices rise and oil becomes more scarce, the cost of food will also rise.
The David Suzuki Foundation estimates that much of our food travels over 2,400 kilometers just to get to our dinner table. What's even more astounding is that the production of the food needed to feed a family of four, including packaging and distribution, releases up to eight tons of carbon dioxide annually. Due to "conventional" agricultural practices, 15 metric tons of soil are lost annually to feed each US resident because our large-scale agricultural practices erode soil. This amounts to 2 billion tons of soil a year. Almost 40 percent of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded. Modern agriculture causes about one quarter of the risk of climate change.
Sustainably grown produce, on the other hand, results in the growth of new topsoil. By adding substantial organic matter to the soil, we can actually remove excess CO2 from the atmosphere by turning it into carbon.
Learn more about sustainable agriculture at the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
Hydroponically-grown Lettuce
Why hydroponic lettuce is NOT "better than organic" and is not sustainable:
Sustainable is defined as "a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged."
Many hydroponic growers will tell you that their methods are better than growing in soil because they use "cutting edge" technology to grow plants. But what they don't tell you is that the nutrient solutions they use are typically derived from petrochemicals, and are not organic. Even if they are derived from organic sources they have to be highly processed, which generally requires the consumption of fossil fuels. Hydroponic growing requires that the greenhouse is heated even in the depths of winter. Heated greenhouses require large amounts of fossil fuels to heat, light, pump nutrient solutions and control the mass of equipment that runs them 24 hours per day. This is not sustainable.
Some of these same arguments can be made about large-scale organic agriculture that relies on the conventional factory farm model but uses organic fertilizers and pesticides. Large farms also use fossil fuels to run their large-farm machinery, and they transport food long distance, again using more fossil fuels. Again, this is an issue of sustainability. That is why we support a vision of truly local, small-scale agriculture.
Whether or not organically grown food is better depends on how it is grown. At Lettuce Patch Gardens we don't use any petrochemicals and we use the smallest amount of outside fertilizer possible. We also keep a lot of leaves, coffee grounds and other food waste out of landfills by composting. The biggest difference between heated greenhouses and our gardens is that we rely on a pollution-free heat source-the sun. It may not be "cutting-edge" but it has worked for thousands of years.
Remember - Sustainable is "a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged." What can we find in the heated greenhouses that does not deplete resources? The fertilizers? The CO2 units, fans, heaters, water pumps and lights? None of these things returns anything to the earth to nourish it and grow more food. They consume large amounts of fossil fuels and petrochemicals that pollute our air and water. They do not compost, because they have no need for it. Nothing about heated greenhouses, especially ones that use soil-less growing methods is sustainable.
So, the next time you hear that food grown in a heated greenhouse is "better" or "cleaner" than organic, ask yourself -- is it really?
The contrast between actual sustainable agriculture and heated greenhouse growing is stark-
Lettuce Patch Gardens
Hydroponics
Recycles garden or farm waste by composting
Yes
No
Uses fossil fuels to heat greenhouse
No
Yes
Uses organic fertilizers
Yes
Usually not
Uses fossil fuels to circulate nutrients
No
Yes
Uses CO2 pumps to artificially promote plant growth
No
Yes
For help finding local and organic food options go to our list of Colorado small farms and market-gardens
Organic Consumers Union is a grassroots non-profit public interest organization which deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, corporate accountability, and environmental sustainability.
Check out The Meatrix to see a clever flash movie about the meat industry.
Most of us need to be reminded that food
is the generous result of a collaboration
between our species
and the rest of nature,
not just simply another product of industrial collaboration
~ Joan Dye Gussow
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the total genetic variation in the world's living organisms. Genetic variables are crucial to nature's ability to build resilience and adapt to particular environmental conditions. Lettuce Patch Gardens is committed to biodiversity. We use only organically grown seeds and prefer to use heirloom seeds whenever possible.
What are Heirloom seeds and varieties?
Heirloom plants are the gift of our genetic heritage. They have been passed down through the generations. Most heirloom varieties are of European descent, brought here by immigrants and saved diligently by each generation. Unfortunately, modern agricultural practices have caused us to lose 97% of the vegetable varieties that were available in the U.S. in 1900.1 Each of the remaining heirloom varieties is therefore a precious commodity. They are all treasures that have endured the test of time and have unique characteristics, including wonderful flavor, hardiness and resistance to disease and drought.
Articles of Interest:
What will we eat as the oil runs out?
Then I say the earth belongs to each generation during its course, fully and in its own right, no generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of its own existence.
~Thomas Jefferson
Our Commitment to the Environment
Once you get that your food comes from the environment, you never want to do anything but take care of the world.
~Alice Waters
At Lettuce Patch Gardens, we take our commitment to the environment very seriously. We recycle all packaging, paper, garden waste and kitchen scraps. We also seek outside sources for our compost. Leaves, cardboard and un-salable produce that would otherwise end up in a landfill go into our compost piles. We are a member of Colorado Springs green power. This is a program that allows utility customers to purchase wind power in place of dirtier coal power.
As growers of sustainably grown, organic produce, we consider ourselves to be stewards of the environment, and would never knowingly do anything to harm our air, water or soil.
The very act of growing and selling local produce is environmentally friendly.
Our produce never travels more than 10-20 minutes to get to you. This not only allows you to buy very fresh vegetables, but it saves tremendous amounts of fuel as well. As Joan Dye Gussow, author of This Organic Life noted, a calorie is a unit of energy. It takes 435 fossil fuel calories to fly a 5-calorie strawberry from California to New York. Since strawberries are about 90% water, this is a pretty careless waste of a precious resource. When you think about it, all fruits and vegetables are mostly made up of water.
Ultimately, our nation uses a lot of fuel to transport water from one place to another. Locally produced food significantly reduces the use of fossil fuels in our food system.
We also contribute a portion of our profits to organizations that support local, organic and sustainable agricultural practices:
Seed Savers Exchange-is a non-profit organization of gardeners who save and share heirloom seed. Since 1975, our members have passed on approximately one million samples of rare garden seeds to other gardeners.
New Farm-works with people worldwide to achieve a regenerative food system that renews and improves environmental and human health, working with the philosophy that "Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People.”
One is constantly reminded of the infinite lavishness and fertility of Nature--inexhaustible abundance amid what seems enormous waste.
And yet when we look into any of her operations that lie within the reach of our minds, we learn that no particle of her material is wasted or worn out.
It is eternally flowing from use to use, beauty to yet higher beauty; and we soon cease to lament waste and death, and rather rejoice and exult in the imperishable, unspendable wealth of the universe, and faithfully watch and wait the reappearance of everything that melts and fades and dies about us, feeling sure that its next appearance will be better and more beautiful than the last.
~ John Muir
Resources for Small-Scale Organic Growers and Market Gardeners
This page is devoted to helping people who want to start marketing produce, but need some guidance and resources to get started.
Our emphasis is on sustainable, local and small-scale agriculture. All of the resources listed are geared toward this way of growing and will help you on your journey of making a living doing what you love.
If you have a suggestion for a resource or website to add to our list, please contact us.
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." ~ Rumi
Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Biointensive Resources
This is esential for learning how to grow organically/biointensivelydenotes resources that we consider to be essential for learning how to grow organically and/or biointensively.
Biointensive Workshops and Ecology Action WorkshopsEsential for learning how to grow organically/biointensively
with John Jeavons. These workshops are invaluable for gaining a real-world understanding of the biointensive growing techniques. At the workshops you will learn, observe and participate in all aspects of biointensive growing, from planning your garden beds, to starting seeds, transplanting, harvesting and creating your own compost.
The Backyard Homestead Esential for learning how to grow organically/biointensively(Mini Farm and Garden Log Book)
For those who want to develop more self-reliance, are considering earning an income from market gardening, or just want to learn how to become more effective food growers. This companion book to How to Grow More Vegetables is the result of ten years of practical garden research and covers such subjects as food from your backyard, beginning to mini-farm, tools you can make (including the U-Bar), plans to build mini-greenhouses, crop profiles and tests, calendars, essential bookkeeping, and much more. This book includes plans for the mini-greenhouses that we use for growing throughout the winter.
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Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Books
Here is a list of our favorite books on sustainable agriculture and organic growing. Some of these are more inspirational than practical, but all of these books will help you gain the knowledge necessary to be a successful market gardener.
We own and have used all of these books. They are divided into the following sections:
Growing-General, Business & Marketing and Inspiration.
Growing-General
The book is arranged into 3 parts. The introduction deals with the natural history of garlic. The second part deals with the different varieties, and the difference between the hardneck and softneck varieties. It also deals with the history of cultivated garlic. Examples of different garlic include Korean Red, which is a hot garlic, Spanish Roja, Polish, German Red, Inchilium Purple, Silver Skin (the variety usually found in stores), Montana Giant, etc. Each one has its own characteristics and each one has different storage time, growing time, and harvest time. This is the most comprehensive guide to growing garlic out there.
"Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours." ~ John Locke
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Books: Growing-General | Business & Marketing | Inspiration
Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Business/Marketing
Making Your Small Farm Profitable
How to improve, conserve, and enrich your soil organically, to ensure the highest (and healthiest) yields.
What machinery you'll need and how to use it.
The best "cash crops" and specialty crops to grow for profit and how to raise them.
How to use innovative strategies to find or create a market "niche" for your farm's crops or services.
A concise overview of essential farmstead skills, such as haying, fencing, and managing a woodlot.
Numerous charts and tables that put useful calculations at your fingertips.
With today's increased concern for the quality of the food we eat and the health of our environment, Successful Small-Scale Farming offers a unique and invaluable perspective on the future of agriculture. Karl Schwenke's message -- that small-scale farms can be cleaner, smarter, and more efficient than corporate agribusiness -- has never been so relevant as it is today.
Selling Produce to Restaurants (A Marketing Guide for Small Acreage Growers)
Selling Produce to Restaurants is the definitive guide for anyone considering expanding his or her marketing techniques. More than ever, restaurants and consumers are turning to local small acreage growers for farm fresh produce. This publication was written by a small acreage farmer who has been selling herbs, flowers and specialty produce to restaurants for over a decade. Diane Green shares some of her personal strategies that have helped her be successful. This was one of the first books we purchased when starting our market garden. It is full of useful tips you won't find anywhere else.
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Books: Growing-General | Business & Marketing | Inspiration
Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Books that will inspire you to grow
In lively alternating essays, husband and wife tell the story of their venture. He recounts the details of building a house, tilling the land, constructing a deer fence; she, bemused at her husband's grandiose plans and his unfailing confidence, goes along with everything, including spending the first winter with thousands of tomato and pepper seedlings growing in the bedroom of their temporary apartment in Albany. Increasingly dissatisfied with her job covering the static New York State government, Schaye finally gave it up and entered wholeheartedly into farm work. After the first summer, they sold their house in Brooklyn, took part-time jobs, and through backbreaking labor, made their farm work. Now they have a successful business selling flowers and fresh produce at greenmarkets. Without playing down the hardships of the endeavor-the authors have written an engaging and unfailingly optimistic book.
Within a framework that offers brief overviews of the development of U.S. agriculture, the interviews allow the reader to hear firsthand what has gone wrong and what we can do about it. Part One focuses on concepts of traditional agriculture, organic growing and market viability. Part Two discusses pioneering agriculture and the process of restoring our farms to thriving habitats of biodiversity with clean water and healthy soil. Part Three considers the issues of industrial agriculture, exploring the controversy of genetically modified foods, farm foreclosures, and the 2002 Farm Bill. Part Four returns us to sustainable agriculture and how we can make sustainability work for us. It includes discussions of farmers’ markets, co-ops, and local food systems.
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Books: Growing-General | Business & Marketing | Inspiration
Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
DVDs
Dig It-(John Jeavons Double-Digging Video) This video shows how to prepare your soil better and much more easily by following the techniques John Jeavons has developed while double digging all over the world for the last quarter of a century. Learn directly from the master. These techniques will improve your garden, and its soil, wherever you live. Have fun digging! This is esential for learning how to grow organically/biointensively
Salad Gardening for Profit Revisited- A new down-to-earth instructional video and manual explaining step-by-step commercial organic salad gardening using a corner of your garden and an unheated greenhouse. The video gives you all the details of a successful one-person operation, earning $500 or more a week for nine months each year. The many marketing ideas will inspire you, including the new national Farm-to-Cafeteria movement. In the instruction manual, Susan encourages people to contact her for help and support in growing their own business. Help provide low fat, high nutrition food for people and get paid well for doing it. Video and manual. Seventy minutes.This is esential for learning how to grow organically/biointensively
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Websites
Boulder County New Farmer Program Colorado State University Extension in Boulder County is excited to offer this series of 8 evening classes designed to help New Farmers explore farming as a business and Intermediate and Experienced Farmers refine their business, production, and marketing skills. This Market Farm track will explore farms producing vegetables, fruits, flowers, eggs, herbs, etc. for sale at farmers' markets, community supported agriculture, produce stands, restaurants and wholesale. Please visit the Colorado Small Farms page for more details.
ATTRA One of the best sites on the web for resources on organic growing. There are many fact sheets and lists of additional resources at this site. It is so large, that you just have to look through it to see for yourself what a wealth of information that it is.
Certified Naturally Grown When USDA's Organic program was implemented in 2002, organic farms earning more than $5,000 per year were forced to make a choice that for many was difficult: either pay high certification fees and complete mounds of paperwork to become Certified Organic, or else give up using the word "organic" to describe their produce and/or livestock.
Cooperative Extension Websites This site will help you find your nearest Cooperative Extension office.
New Farm Works with people worldwide to achieve a regenerative food system that renews and improves environmental and human health, working with the philosophy that "Healthy Soil = Healthy Food = Healthy People.” This is a HUGE site with lots of information for organic growers.
Grow Organic Is a grower's catalog that carries almost everything you need for organic gardening and growing. A very comprehensive source for organic fertilizers, insect control, tools and equipment you may have trouble finding locally.
In the Tractor Seat: Women Farmers Take the Steering Wheel-The Mainstream Media Project (MMP) has produced a radio program focusing on women in agriculture. During the program, titled “A World of Possibilities,” listeners can “hear women farmers tell their stories of success and ingenuity in the face of the daunting challenges of sustaining small farms in an age of industrial agriculture.” The program runs for 55 minutes and can be accessed online at the link above.
Market Gardening Concepts for inspiration and practical information on urban market-gardening.
The Organic Agriculture Information Access is an electronic collection of historic United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publications related to organic agriculture. In this collection, there are almost 200 documents published before 1942 (before synthetic chemicals became widely used) that contain state-of-the-art information and data that is still very pertinent for today's agriculture. Access to this data is intended to provide growers with new ideas on crop production without chemicals, as well as help researchers conserve scarce resources by avoiding unintended duplication.
SARE Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The site offers cutting-edge sustainable farming and ranching technologies, useful contacts, and funding sources for research and education initiatives. Learn how to get a grant, search the SARE projects database, post or browse upcoming events, order books and bulletins or find SARE contacts and regions. You can also browse a variety of subjects including animal and crop production, economics and marketing. The site is sorted by audience, giving farmers and ranchers, consumers, researchers and educators each a fast track to the information that’s most useful to them.
National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture is a diverse nationwide partnership of individuals and organizations cultivating grass roots efforts to engage in policy development processes that result in food and agricultural systems and rural communities that are healthy, environmentally sound, profitable, humane and just.
OMRI- The Organic Materials Review Institute was started in 1997 by organic certification agencies. Its mission is to provide professional, independent, and transparent review of materials allowed to produce, process, and handle organic food and fiber. A complete and up-to-date version of the OMRI Brand Name Products List is available for viewing and free downloading from the organization’s web site.
Women, Food & Agriculture Network Their self-described mission is to link and empower women to build food systems and communities that are healthy, just, and sustainable, and that promote environmental integrity.
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Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Listservs & Newsletters
Listservs (e-mail discussion groups)
Market Farming provides the small-scale farmer a way to network with other farmers, to discuss appropriate scale production methods, equipment, marketing, profitability, cropping sequences, diversification, sustainability, working with extension agents, private consultants and fellow farmers, and anything else involved in making a living and providing food and fiber from your small acreage farm. To subscribe, visit
Small Farms in Colorado This listserv is intended to connect, support, and promote small farms in Colorado with news, educational outreach, and production and marketing related info. Subscribe to the Small Farms listserv at CSU select "Small_Farms" from the list and fill out the form.
Small-Scale Farming This list is open to anyone interested in or involved in small-scale farming. Equipment, fruit, grain, hay, livestock, marketing, non-organic, organic, vegetables, and whatever else is related to farming or market gardening are open for discussion. Sign up for free at Yahoo Groups.
Sustainable Agriculture (different than above list) A meeting place for farmers, consumers and others who are interested in sustainable farming. Candid, honest looks into the lives of farmers. Open to small and large sustainable commercial farmers. This is not a homesteading list. Sign up for free at Yahoo Groups.
Newsletters
ATTRA's Weekly Harvest Newsletter Sign up at their home page. Read archived issues.
The New Farm Sign up at their home page. Read archived issues.
Women, Food & Agriculture Network Newsletters
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Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Seeds and Supplies
We have ordered from all the seed companies listed below
and have had great experiences with all of them.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Preserving the finest in heirloom vegetables, flowers and herbs. We offer pure heritage seed varieties that are selected for flavor and nutrition. Non-Treated, Non-Hybrid and Non-GMO. Our catalog lists 1000 heirloom seeds from over 50 countries.
Bountiful Gardens Heirloom, untreated open-pollinated varieties for sustainable agriculture. Request a free catalog.
The Garlic Store We are Colorado Department of Agriculture Certified Organic handlers. We believe in the small family farm and the stewardship to the land, saving as much as possible for the native species of plants and animals. Peaceful coexistence with the flora and the fauna on the 98% of the land we don't farm or inhabit is important to us. The Garlic Store carries a huge variety of garlic, and their site is loaded with tons of information on growing and using garlic.
Gourmet Seed International Gourmet Seed International welcomes both the Professional Market Grower and the Gourmet Home Gardener! Here you'll find Certified Organic Seed, Heirloom Seed and Gourmet Seed from the United States, Italy, Germany, France, China, Japan and all over the world. We are proud to offer you one of the finest selections of seed anywhere.
Grow Organic Is a grower's catalog that carries almost everything you need for organic gardening and growing. A very comprehensive source for organic fertilizers, insect control, seeds, tools and equipment you may have trouble finding locally. Request a free catalog.
Organic Seed Database Not a seed catalog, OMRI is a database service for growers and certifiers. They provide independent verification of organic certification of organic seed. Each supplier provides them with certification information which they verify before that item is shown. They also allow the supplier to update the availability of seed varieties, allowing you to check the availability from many suppliers at once.
Seed Savers Exchange We are a member of the exchange, and can personally tell you that the selection of seeds available is astounding. You can shop from the exchange's limited commercial catalog offerings, or become a member of the exchange and choose from thousands of seeds from around the country.
Seeds Trust is a 22 year old family operation dedicated to delicious home gardens, stunning native landscapes and saving seeds. We like their catalog's High Altitude offerings. They have been the resource since 1984 for thousands of extreme gardeners looking for exceptional flavor and trusted reliability. The have seeds from around the world for the coldest climates and shortest seasons.
Turtle Tree Seeds Turtle Tree Seed Offers 350 Varieties of Biodynamic Vegetable, Flower and Herb Seeds. Turtle Tree Seed operates as a workshop in a unique intentional community in upstate New York where people with special needs and volunteers live and work together.
Underwood Gardens Heirloom seeds, open pollinated and rare seeds. Browse their extensive collection of endangered and heirloom seeds, fine garden supplies and helpful books and videos.
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Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Soil Testing
We use Timberleaf Soil Testing for our biointensive soil. Their unique program goes a step further than most – it takes into consideration the whole-plant environment by testing soil elements plus closely examining cultivation practices. They provide a thorough soil analysis with extensive suggestions on how to improve your soil. We highly recommend them.
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Shopping > Books: Cookbooks | Sustainable Agriculture | Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers | Kitchen Tools
Books for Market Gardeners and Small Farmers> Biointensive Resources | Books | DVDs | Websites | Listservs & Newsletters | Organic Seeds & Supplies | Soil Testing | Small Farm & Market Garden Links
Boulder Belt Eco-Farm is a small farm near Eaton, OH is committed to growing our food sustainably and locally because food grown sustainably and locally is healthier for both us and the planet. Check out their blog for more news about the farm and their lives as full time eco-farmers.
Catnip Farm is a 14 acre organic farmstead in western Iowa County, owned by Rich and Ericka Dana since the fall of 1996. Now in their ninth season, they provide their CSA members & farm customers with fresh multi-colored eggs, organically grown vegetables, culinary herbs, cut flowers, fruit, bedding plants, honey, fresh & dried catnip, handmade kitty toys and fine crafts (Wildgirl ceramics, jewelry, mosaics & ornaments).
Cornerstone Garlic Farm is a small family farm that specializes in garlic. We practice sustainable agriculture and though we are not certified organic we use organic practices. Besides garlic, shallots and mushrooms we grow a wide variety of fresh vegetables, blackberries and herbs. Our produce is available at local markets from March - December. Fresh homemade Garlic Powder is one of several value added products we take to local markets as well. We usually end our garlic season by selling at the Virginia Wine and Garlic Festival.
Deck Family Farm and Oregon Natural Meats Their goal is to produce the healthiest and most nutritious meat possible, and on the farm it begins with animal health and welfare. Their animals have access to pasture 365 days a year. They strive to grow all of their animals there on the ranch from start to finish which means babies are nursed until an appropriate age of weaning and finished on the same pasture where they were born. They do not use synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics on the farm. They feel a low stress chemical-free environment produces healthy and happy animals.
Greentree Naturals is a small certified organic farm nestled between the Cabinet and Selkirk mountain ranges in rural northern Idaho. They produce a wide assortment of specialty produce, herbs, fresh & dried flowers and berries. Expanding from a farmer's market to supplying upscale restaurants, Greentree Naturals has also become a center for summer farm tours, workshops, a grower's collective, a fresh flower subscription service as well as a small CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). They teach on-farm workshops related to all aspects of Organic production and Market Gardening and offer a consulting service of the same. They also have an active apprenticeship program for aspiring farmers, and are presently involved in designing a curriculum for University of Idaho and Washington State University to establish a credited curriculum for on-farm student-apprenticeship program.
Medicine Hill promotes local producers everywhere as well as growing your own for food and herbal uses. We grow for the local community as well as offering select herbal seed groups with guides for cultivation and use. Largo Creek Farm at Medicine Hill is situated in a cool, high desert region of New Mexico with clean air and water and intense sun, growing without chemicals or wildcrafting. Medicine Hill honors the old ways and those who have passed on and those who remain to teach us.
Seven Springs Farm is a 125 acre organic farm in Floyd County, Virginia, USA. Our philosophy is to be stewards of the land in the most ecological way possible. We use farming methods that build the fertility of the soil, such as organic fertilizers and biodynamically made compost. Pest management is achieved through cultural practices and biological and botanically-based materials.
Quillisascut Cheese Company is a small family farm in Northeastern Washington State, owned by Rick and Lora Lea Misterly. Their 36 acre farm is located at the base of the Huckleberry Mountain range, just off the Columbia River. The cheese production grew out of a love for country living and desire for homemade cheese. Lora Lea was raised on a farm in central Washington where her family had a small dairy and her mother made farm style cheese and butter. That cheese was the inspiration behind the cheese now being made at Quillisascut.
If you would like to add your small farm, farmers' market or market garden to our list, please contact us.