University of Southern Maine Dining

Now Collecting Coffee Grounds

2012-01-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

With the help of facilities, Resource Recover Supervisor Steve Sweeney, andAssistant Director for Sustainable Programs Tyler Kidder, USM Dining isofficially diverting all coffee grounds from the waste stream! Coffee groundsneed no additional supplements, replicate a fast acting fertilizer, and aregood for soil, house plants, and vegetable gardens. Coffee grounds are alsohigh in nitrogen; by sprinkling them around trees and other plants beforewatering, they provide a slow release of nitrogen into the soil. They have evenbeen known to guard off pesky pests! Coffee grounds will be collected from all residential and retail locations on both Portland and Gorham campuses. While we don't have exact numbers yet, we have estimated that this will save over 150 pounds of coffee from going into the trash, each week!

Holiday Shut Down Best Practices

2011-12-13T11:48:00.003-05:00

As we approach the holidays and prepare to shutdown it isimportant to take energy and water conservation into consideration. Thefollowing is a list of ways to reduce use and waste in offices, dorms, and homes.

You may also visit the University of Southern Maine’s “Green Up Your Space” webpage, created by the Assistant Director for Sustainable Programs, Tyler Kidder.

These lists are not exhaustive. If you have something thatshould be added please let me know. Thank you and happy holidays!

Office

Turn off all lights (This should be done for shutdown but also whenever you leave a space for more than 15 minutes)
Make sure all windows are closed and tightly latched
Make sure all exterior doors and loading dock doors are securely closed and latched
Unplug/defrost any mini fridges in the office
Unplug coffee makers, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, space heaters, fans or other small appliances
Unplug any adapters or chargers including those for phone, laptop, speakers, battery chargers, and task lighting – these draw energy even when the product is not in use
Unplug calculators, desktop printers, TVs, digital signage monitors, paper shredders, label makers, pencil sharpeners, and other electronics
DO NOT UNPLUG the fax machine!
After proper computer shut-down, unplug tower and monitor of desktop machines
To make all this easier: use a power strip if not already! Next time you’ll just have to flip a switch or two

Dining, Kitchen,Retail Locations

Consolidate all products into as few coolers as possible & unplug/defrost unneeded refrigeration equipment including:

Small coolers in the serving area (at the stations and the Worry Free Zone)
Reach-in and Ice Cream freezers
Dairy and Milk dispensers
Air Screens should be completely shutdown and product moved to a more efficient refrigerator
Walk-in refrigerators and freezers may be an exception because often they will require a huge amount of energy to reach temperature again. If you do not need your walk-in over break, speak to your maintenance crew about powering it down for you (this may be a time for them and your team to do some needed cleaning and maintenance as well!)

Unplug unneeded small appliances in the serving area such as microwaves, coffee brewers, hot chocolate machines, hot water taps, waffle irons, toasters, drink fountains, warmers, blenders, slicers, etc
Be sure all taps are completely shut off and not dripping
Turn off all lighting including lights in bathrooms, seating area, serving area, kitchen, walk-in coolers, plus warming lights, track lighting, etc
Partner with Facilities & Maintenance to shut down as much kitchen equipment as possible such as:

Ovens, hoods, hot water kettles, mixers, char broilers, fryers, stove tops
Shut off gas (if used) for shutdowns longer than 10 days
Drain, clean, and completely shutdown dish machine
Ice machines require a large amount of energy to refill so:

If operations are shutdown for LESS THAN 10 days leave the ice machine fully operational.
If shutdown is LONGER THAN 10 days drain, clean, and unplug ice machine

America Recycles Day - Tuesday, Nov. 15th

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

USM Dining Services is celebrating America Recycles Day to increase recycling, improve education on campus of what is recyclable, and motivate people to recycle more! There will be a table at Brook's Dining Hall in Gorham and the Woodbury Campus Center in Portland (11am-2pm) displaying recycling information. Stop by and enjoy free promotional materials, an opportunity to sign the America Recycles Day pledge, and tell us what you think about a wrapper collection program called TerraCycle. Additionally, we are taking this opportunity to provide drop off locations for printer cartridges, and any unwanted books or clothes. In support of Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, all books and clothing will be donated to Preble Street.

For more information, please visit:

The official America Recycles Day Website

Terra Cycle Website

Sustainability at USM Website

Thank you! Hope to see you there :)

Last harvest of the season!

2011-11-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

Dining Services hope you enjoyed the fresh produce throughout this years season! We served spinach, carrots, chives, squash, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, and more! If you weren't one of the lucky ones to try the organic lettuce mix from Johnny's Selected Seeds, today is your chance! Stop by for lunch and enjoy your salad today with lettuce cut fresh this morning!

Reusable containers, mugs, cups, and bags, oh my!

2011-11-04T14:53:00.001-04:00

Reusable take out containers, Coffee By Design coffee mugs, USM Dining cups, and reusable bags...

Have you been wondering where your peers are buying and using these great products? Your questions are finally answered!

Reusable take out containers may be purchased at the C-Store or the Husky Hideaway in Gorham and at the Woodbury Food Court in Portland, only $2.99!!! They may be used at the Husky Hideaway in Gorham or the Woodbury Food Court in Portland.

Reusable Coffee By Design coffee mugs may be purchased and used at any of our retail locations for $4.29! When you buy one for the first time, you get a free coffee! Additionally, when you use your reusable mug, ask for the discount price, only $1.29!!! You can also pick up a frequency coffee card, buy 9 coffees, get the 10th one FREE!!!

Our newest addition: USM Dining reusable cups! Purchase these gems at any retail location for $4.99 and enjoy a 99 cent refill price on fountain beverages at the Husky Hideaway!!!

Last but not least, if you now need something to carry all of your reusable containers in, try one of our USM Dining reusable bags. They are also available at any retail location for $2.99!

Reusable Display at the Husky Hideaway in Gorham

Thanks for helping USM Dining Go Green!!!

"Vampire Loads"

2011-11-01T10:37:00.002-04:00

Have you ever heard the term phantom loads or vampire loads?

Even when your electronics are off, if they're plugged in, they're still drawing power.

USM Dining does our best to unplug whenever we can, especially when we're on vacation!

Want to learn more? Read this blog by Roger Guzowski

http://mapawatt.com/2009/06/08/vampire-loads/

Questions, Comments, Concerns?

2011-10-28T12:54:00.001-04:00

Are you interested in sustainability? Do you have any questions about what sustainability is or how Dining Services contributes to sustainability? Would you like to suggest an option to improve our sustainability initiatives? If you have something to say, we want to hear it!

Email me, Dining Service's Sustainability Coordinator at: kbubar@usm.maine.edu

Take our Sustainability Survey

Or simply leave a comment here. Any information provided will be kept confidential!

We appreciate your thoughts. :) Have a fun and safe Halloween weekend!

Campus Sustainability Day

2011-10-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

If you missed lunch today, you definitely missed a good one! USM Dining celebrated Campus Sustainability Day by focusing on a local meal. It was a huge success and absolutely delicious!

Food Day Success!

2011-10-25T10:10:00.001-04:00

Farmer Joe Carlin from Carlin Family Farms of Windham, Maine was a delight to have and he wants to come back! Several students stopped by the Mindful Dining station last night to see what all the decorations were about and ask Joe some questions. Students asked about his practices, what he grew, if he had animals, how long he had been in business, etc. It was a lot of fun and hey, the squash (served with a maple and brown sugar syrup) was absolutely delicious! Joe is always looking for helpers so if you're interested in farm work, give him a call: 207-892-9854

Students had fun spinning the Food Day wheel and answering questions as they related to health, hunger, sustainability, and farming. Jacobb Charette, Program Manager for Safety Assistants, provided great treats for students who answered correctly!

Enjoy the pictures :) And check out what the rest of the country did on Food Day at FoodDay.org, Food Day on Facebook, and/or Food Day on Flickr!

Treats included Cliff Bars, Green & Blacks Organic Chocolate,
Newman's Own Organic Chocolate, and all natural Sweet Tea

These excited students made a group effort!

Joe Carlin of Carlin Family Farms, Windham Maine

Monday is Food Day!

2011-10-21T12:16:00.001-04:00

The first, National Food Day is taking place this Monday, October 24th!

We have several events planned for Food Day, we hope to see you at one of them!

“Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” - Joe Carlin from Carlin Family Farms of Windham, Maine will join us for dinner (4pm-7) in Brook’s Residential Restaurant to showcase his local business and delicious acorn squash!
Follow the “Did You Know” Signs around Woodbury Food Court and between Bailey and Brook’s to learn what ARAMARK is doing as it relates to sustainability and health.
Spin the Food Day game wheel in Brook’s Dining Hall (11am-1pm) for an opportunity to win a prize and learn new facts about health, food, farming, and sustainability! While you’re there, pick up some facts about Food Day!
The TRUE Cost of Food will play on repeat during lunch at both Woodbury Food Court and Brook’s Dining Hall – watch to learn more about food cost, production, and sustainability!

Please visit FoodDay.org to learn more about the campaign and discover who else are planning activities!

It's OK to be a follower!

2011-10-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

Simply click on "Join This Site" under followers. You can sign in with Google, Yahoo, Twitter, Netlog, AIM, and a number of other accounts you may already have!

Invite your friends to follow too! You can send them an email invite, share us on Facebook, StumbleUpon, MySpace, Twitter, Delicious, and more! Once you're a follower, click on "Invite Your Friends."

You can also email them individual posts; at the end of each post select the little white envelope to "email this post." Or share a particular post on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email, simply by clicking on their appropriate icons at the end of the post.

If you really like us, recommend us publicly on Google, by clicking the "+1" Google button!

Lastly, you can rate each post, by selecting a "Reaction" at the bottom: "interesting," "cool," or "funny."

Happy Following!

Sustainability Survey

2011-10-17T11:39:00.003-04:00

Take our online, sustainability survey for a chance to win a $10 gift card for iTunes!
Have something to say about sustainability as it relates to Dining Services? We want to hear it!
Only 10 questions! Won't take long! And your feedback is really important to us!
You can also find the survey on facebook!
Thank you in advance :)

October is busy!

2011-10-07T15:57:00.004-04:00

It's fall again! There won't be many harvests left from the Gorham Greenhouse this year, but I did manage to gather these guys yesterday (see jalapeno picture). I've also been harvesting our grape and cherry tomatoes; they won't turn color outside anymore, but they will inside! The sides of the greenhouse have officially been rolled up for the season, but lettuce, spinach, and chives are still growing strong despite the cool weather (55 yesterday inside). When they're ready to harvest we'll be using them at Brook's Residential Restaurant and Woodbury Food Court; look for the greenhouse signs!

October is a busy month! It's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Fair Trade Awareness Month. Monday, October 24th is National Food Day and 2 days later, Wednesday, October 26th is Campus Sustainability Day. Stay tuned to find out how we'll be participating in each one! Stay updated on facebook too!

Cooling down in September

2011-09-06T11:01:00.001-04:00

Long time no see followers. Sorry the last month has been hectic; we've been busy with opening and I've been busy starting graduate school!

Although this blog has primarily been about the garden in the past, I'd like to slightly transform it to include more aspects of sustainability. I think it's a great resource to communicate the projects ARAMARK is working on here at USM.

Right now we're working on implementing a Farm to Table initiative where we're inviting local farmers on campus to highlight some of the produce we buy from them.
We are also working on planning events for the Real Food Day Challenge on October 24th, http://www.realfoodchallenege.org/, a day focused on sustainability, alleviating hunger, and health.
A focus group dedicated to sustainability as it relates to dining services will be available for students within the next few weeks; my goals for this event are to determine student's current knowledge of sustainability, knowledge of what ARAMARK is doing, and the best ways to improve our efforts while making them accessible to the students.
I am also working with students from Rachel Bouvier's Natural Resource Economics class this semester in hopes to get some concrete research done regarding compost. A similar project was performed last year in the same class with our Reusable To Go Container (RTGC) program and ARAMARK received a lot of information that we are now implementing.
With that said, the RTGC program has new buy-in initiatives this year: 1 FREE small coffee coupon, opportunities to win monthly prizes, and an extra key tag so customers may have 2 RTGC out at any given time. And, until September 16th, the RTGC are reduced in price to only $1.99!! A great deal! Look for RTGC in Gorham at the C-Store and Husky Hideaway or in Portland at the Woodbury Food Court and City Sandwich.

Currently the camera is MIA so I can't provide any pictures of the greenhouse this time. BUT I do have an amazing picture of this huge, organic carrot. If you look back to the last time I harvested these carrots, you can certainly see the difference! I was really impressed :) They were served only a few days later during one of the first dinners back for students.

Other than carrots, since my last post, I have harvested cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, yellow and green bell peppers, jalapenos, and chives. Friday I did some "housekeeping" and composted some plants that weren't doing so well. The squash and pumpkins don't look great, but I've been told that's just because they're transferring all of their energy towards the fruits. Hopefully we'll have some baby pumpkins soon! I have also replanted spinach and lettuce for a fall crop; it grew so fast the first time I planted it, that I'm sure we will have success again. :) **Update: spinach and lettuce is already growing!!!

I promise to have more pictures next post! Until then, enjoy this cool fall weather!

Attack of the aphids!!!!

2011-07-06T11:17:00.001-04:00

OK, they weren't really attacking, but if they were smart enough, they could have!! A couple of weeks ago I noticed my snow peas burning in the sun, so I moved them over to the shade. I harvested 1 quart of snow peas (see last post) and I check on them this week, and all the plants look dead! Since one of my spinach beds inside was not producing as much as the other, I thought I'd replant more peas inside. I pulled all of the spinach up and saw a few aphids, but when I pulled the pea plants up there must have been a hundred or more of those little buggers!

Water can in hand, I went straight to the kitchen for some vegetable oil, water, and soap (no bleach), a natural remedy for aphids I found online previously. I was surprised that this instantly killed them! I'm going to add compost and wait a day before transplanting tomatoe plants into that container as well as wait to replant my peas. Hopefully the aphids will not return!

It has been hot in Gorham! Check out the progress and enjoy the heat....

Left: Cucumbers Right: Sunflowers

Garlic

Pickling cucumbers inside have grown a lot in the past week!

Jalapenos are beginning to flower!

Hot and bell peppers doing great!

Pole beans taking over the lights!

And beginning to flower :)

Pumpkins!!

Squash (hope there's room)!

Chamomile has flowered a lot!

Cherry tomatoes are beginning to show!

Just keep growing, growing, growing!

2011-06-22T13:44:00.000-04:00

It's almost July! Can you believe it?! I can't! It's been beautiful here in Gorham for the most part and the plants are loving it! Another harvest yesterday, 24 quarts lettuce, 8 quarts spinach, 2 quarts chives, 3 quarts terragon, 1 quart snow peas. Check out some of the progress...

Cucumbers, Squash, Pumpkins, Carrots

Carrots

Chamomile beginning to flower!

Cucumbers, with sunflowers next to them

Pickling cukes inside

Mountain Mint finally getting bigger

Nasturtiums

First harvest of Snow Peas

Pole beans growing right up and above their poles!

pole beans

Pumpkins

Squash

Sunflowers, these are the biggest :)

Cherry tomatoes beginning to flower!

Soggy plants this morning!

2011-06-13T06:49:00.001-04:00

Barrow's Greenhouse in Gorham is closing this month and they've started to yard sale all of their unwanted items. Below is a picture of some supplies I bought from them last week, definitely a bargain! All of those smaller pots have another pot inside them as well and those watering cans were exactly what I was looking for. All of that for $11.25, needless to say, I'm definitely stopping in again sometime this week. Go out and support some local business, there's some really great stuff!

Well, I'm glad I took pictures last week, because today is certainly a cloudy day. I started early this morning and looked at the plants first thing, they definitely don't need watering! Must have rained pretty hard last night, but it's better than everything drying out. Even plants inside the greenhouse didn't need watering. Should be receiving our rain barrels soon that Gary Stephenson from Residential Life ordered. This will provide a great alternative to the hose and plants seem to really love fresh rain water!

I've noticed some spiders in the lettuce beds, but I'm leaving them be for now as they don't seem to be eating the lettuce. Also, I'm assuming they're keeping other bugs away. There is a critter digging in my squash and pumpkin beds, it's only happened a few times so I haven't done anything about it yet, also not really sure what to do. Ideas?

Spinach and lettuce survived their first harvest beautifully. They grew a lot just over the weekend so they look even better than the pictures! In fact, many plants grew over the weekend including the pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, sunflowers, and nasturtiums!

BASIL

SPICY BASIL, GENOVESE BASIL

BELL PEPPERS

CHERRY TOMATOES

GRAPE AND TRUST TOMATOES have a lot of growing to do to catch up with the cherry tomatoes, but at least they are finally growing!

CHERRY TOMATOES

CUCUMBERS INSIDE

ORGANIC CUCUMBERS OUTSIDE

CLOSE UP CUCUMBERS

CUCUMBERS/SQUASH

GENOVESE BASIL

JALAPENOS

LETTUCE

NASTURTIUMS

SWEET PEAS

GREEN BEANS

PUMPKINS

SPINACH

The sun is shining, the weather is sweet, yeah! -Bob Marley

2011-06-01T10:18:00.000-04:00

I won't bother telling you I see the expected thunderstorm coming in, because for the past week it has been absolutely beautiful! In fact, it's been so beautiful, I moved all the plants outside, but the spinach and lettuce which of course are stationary in their beds. I was worried about them over the weekend, but I think they all loved being outside. It was also so hot in the greenhouse over the weekend that I'm afraid if I hadn't put them outside, many would have wilted!

So, the sides of the greenhouse are officially rolled up. I have now planted cucumbers, pole beans, squash, and pumpkins. Today I'm going to plant some flowers: nasturtiums, forget-me-nots, and sunflowers. I'm also going to plant more lemon balm (the first attempt failed), more mountain mint (there's only a little growing), more chamomile (they didn't transplant well), and borage (accidentally left them in the greenhouse and they're not looking so hot!)

Enjoy the pictures!!

BASIL

CARROTS

CHAMOMILE

PARSLEY

GARLIC

LETTUCE

PEAS

SPINACH

CHERRY TOMATOES

Sunshine on a cloudy day!

2011-05-20T10:28:00.000-04:00

If you've been in the Portland/Gorham area at all in the past week, you know the following picture represents how the entire week has been!

Brooks Dining Center Patio

Rainy, cloudy, foggy, rainy, raining, rain, rain, and more rain! But, it does make for an easily maintained greenhouse as the damp weather prevents the plants from drying out. I'm not around every day for the summer however, so Karen (as previously mentioned) has been so kind to keep an eye on the greenhouse when I'm not around. Thanks Karen!

Many of the plants will soon need transplanting into larger areas as you can see from the pictures below. I've collected many 5 gallon buckets from the kitchen to transplant tomato plants in and I'll probably end up purchasing some as well. I have 2 deep beds empty outside on the patio and 1 shallow bed still empty inside the greenhouse. I'll most likely cut down the spinach and lettuce to 1 bed each so that 2 more beds can be used for other plants. I haven't got it all sorted out yet, but my method of "just going for it" has worked well so far, so I expect I'll figure it out next week. :)

Forget the rain for awhile and take a look at these lovely pictures of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the greenhouse!!! And think, sunshine, sunshine, sunshine! Enjoy!

GARLIC

LETTUCE BED

SPINACH BED

A Natural Green Thumb

2011-05-05T15:56:00.001-04:00

Well, I don't know if I've mentioned, but I have zero experience growing in a greenhouse. Karen, a worker in Brooks Dining Center has informed me I have a natural green thumb!

As I previously said, I was nervous about my seeds not growing because of dry soil, but as you can tell from the following pictures, I don't think I have anything to worry about!

Aaand, as you may or may not have noticed from previous pictures, I most certainly had mixed up my signs for spinach and lettuce! Who knew? Ohh just about everyone that knows anything about gardening. :) Changed them today!

Still to plant next week and later this summer: pumpkins, squash, cucumbers, pole beans, nasturtiums, and sunflowers!!

Enjoy the weekend!

Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else? ~Betsy Cañas Garmon

2011-04-27T09:26:00.000-04:00

Good morning!

I have planted many seeds in the last couple of weeks and we're already seeing green! Take a look!!

Our 1st Jalapeno popping up!

Organic Lettuce!

Organic Spinach!

Sugar Snap Peas!

Organic Tomato!

We also have mystery plants which I forgot to take pictures of. There were a lot of little green helicopter heads popping out of one of the beds I didn't plant anything in. I transplanted them into a smaller container to see if they become anything! Leftovers from last year perhaps.

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides.

~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

Until next time, Kayla

Gorham Greenhouse Now Growing Great Greens!

2011-04-21T11:34:00.019-04:00

The weather outside has been unpredictable, as Maine typically goes, but the greenhouse is keeping warm! In fact, today it reached 90 degrees, so the fans are running and trying to cool it off a bit.

I've been busy planting, watering, watering, and watering. The beds were unbelievably dry from being left all winter and required several days of watering and turning before anything could be planted.

Most seeds were started on April 14: basil, borage, bell peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes (yes, I'm trying from seed), lemon balm, cilantro, and chamomile (smallest seeds ever!) and certified organic artichoke and red grape tomatoes.

The beds finally seemed moist enough yesterday to plant so I proceeded with: parsley, mountain mint, and certified organic carrots, lettuce, and spinach.

All seeds were bought locally at Johnny's Selected Seeds in Winslow, Maine.

I'm a little concerned about my seeds as their soil keeps drying out rather quickly, but I keep putting the water to them! So we'll see how it goes in the next couple of weeks. Worse case scenario: we spend a little more money to buy starter plants. BUT, fingers crossed we don't have to do that.

Tarragon and chives were both left in the greenhouse during the winter and survived! We have already served chives once in the dining hall, they were mixed in with the mashed potatoes.

Now, we wait. Patience is a virtue. :)

Until next time,

Kayla

A new year! A new Sustainability Coordinator!

2011-04-11T15:10:00.009-04:00

Spring has sprung! (Ok, for the most part)

Hello all blog-followers and others... My name is Kayla Bubar and I'm the new Sustainability Coordinator for Aramark over at the University of Southern Maine. AKA, "The New Tyler" And no, being a vegetarian and a redhead are not prerequisites for the job, just unexpected similarities :)

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself as I expect to be updating this blog frequently, especially throughout the growing season! I come from Unity College, a small environmental school located in Unity, Maine where I received a Bachelors of Science in Sustainable Design and Technology. My passions include, but are not limited to, building science, city planning, hiking, yoga, community engagement, meeting new people, and of course, sustainable food!

I have successfully completed my first week here at USM and must say the staff are fantastic and friendly, the food is fresh and delicious, and my desk is covered with notes and seeds already! Soon to come: starting seeds in the greenhouse, getting to know USM students, and Earth Week!

See you soon and thanks for following,

Kayla :)

P.S. If you have any ideas, questions, or concerns involving sustainability, please feel free to post a comment here, or email me at kbubar@usm.maine.edu Thanks!

January 11 :: Harvest Calculations... a little late

2011-01-11T15:54:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year!

Please don't hate me, i've been sitting on these numbers for two months just waiting for... ok, i don't know why i was putting it off. But don't fret, the wait is finally over. I know it must have been an anxious time for all of you, and for that i apologize.

Here it is, the cumulative harvest totals from the greenhouse and raised beds this passed season. I'd suggest that you not question my math, just understand that all of these figures are based on photographic evidence, messy notes made in a dirty notebook, and a good memory:

55+ gallons of leaf lettuce
20+ gallons of spinach
30 or so gallons of basil
225 or so pickling cucumbers
95+ hot peppers (Jalapeño and chili red)
21 or so sweet peppers
over 200 cherry tomatoes (from only two plants!)
45 bulbs of hardneck garlic
15 bulbs of softneck garlic

The quantities of the below mentioned plants are not important, but the length of the list is: parsley, marjoram, chives, French tarragon, sugarsnap peas, nasturtiums, cilantro, swiss chard, radishes, sunflowers, borage, and rudbeckia.

It wouldn't be a Blog post without some photos, now would it? I'll leave you with a few photos from the last season, chosen at random.

May: Chive blossoms - beautiful and edible

July: garden harvest taking over the walk-in fridge!

June: so many happy plants!

Pepper seedlings in hand, fresh crop of lettuce sprouting in the background, gardening in a dress and leggings in May... Life is good!

Take care and take heart: a new growing season is just around the corner!

Grow on,

Tyler

December 1 :: Winter Again? So Soon?

2010-12-01T16:02:00.004-05:00

December sneaked up on me!

Looking back at the post I made on December 1st 2009, i realize that it contains some of the same news i wanted to share on this day, exactly one year later. At least i'm consistent!

Same as last year, the heat and water were turned off to the greenhouse during the final week of November. The day before Thanksgiving I had help removing the remaining pepper plants (i had spicy peppers ripening right up until the end), spinach (which only matured enough during our cool autumn to be harvested once), parsley and swiss chard.

Now all the inside beds are officially empty. The runner bean, french tarragon, and chives will remain in their pots inside the greenhouse through the winter. Hopefully they will survive!

Outside the rolling bins have been moved under the patio's overhang to make it easier to remove snow from the patio and the greenhouse will double as snowblower storage. To protect them from freezing and thawing repeatedly i brought the hoses and some other tools inside.

Tune in next week for statistics from this past growing season during which the greenhouse and rolling beds were more than twice as productive as the previous year. I plan to go through my records and add up all the harvests. Hooray for progress!

Grow on,

Tyler

November 12 :: Garlic 2.0

2010-11-12T10:07:00.008-05:00

Greetings!

With the help of my greenhouse volunteer, Brittany, I planted two types of hardneck garlic in the last week of October. I had intended to save a few heads from our summer crop and use them as seed this fall, but in my enthusiasm to use the garlic in the kitchen i forgot to set any aside for planting. It sure was delicious... I also failed to buy the two successful varieties we grew last year because the vendor at the Common Ground Fair was all sold out. Gah! Instead i picked up some Music and Russian Red, two other hardy varieties that grow well in the Northeast.

Red Russian Garlic from Snell Family Farm in Buxton, ME

Garlic is planted in the fall to give it a head start in the growing department. Like many root vegetables, it is frost tolerant and goes into dormancy over the winter. By planting after the first frost but before the ground is frozen solid, you give the garlic a few extra weeks in which to put down some roots. Then when the warm weather comes in the spring the plant continues to grow where it left off and puts shoots up through the soil surface.

Garlic can also be planted in the spring but usually yields smaller bulbs than the same bulb planted in the fall. With a short growing season like we have in Maine any method to increase soil efficiency and capacity is helpful. One clove of garlic yields one head of garlic in the summer. The larger the clove, the larger the bulb that grows from it.

Last year I planted garlic in one of the long stationary raised beds. Over the summer, however, it was decided that those beds should be split in half and put on casters to preserve the concrete of the patio. When that happened about a quarter of the growing space was lost, but now the beds are mobile. Garlic is sensitive to over watering, especially as it matures is the summer, so hopefully the soil will now also drain better.

Soil depth is important to the success of the garlic crop because garlic puts down deep roots. These beds are over a foot deep (sorry, i haven't actually measured them) and last year yielded large, healthy bulbs. I covered the soil in straw after planting which keeps the weed growth down.

Once there was one; now there are two

And that's it. Now we wait until March or April, then harvest in July. Wahoo!

Grow on,

Tyler

November 5 :: French Breakfast

2010-11-05T15:16:00.007-04:00

Welcome back!

The radishes i planted in September are French Breakfast radishes. I usually buy seeds from Maine growers, but when you are buying late in the summer, you don't always get the best selection. These are an heirloom variety grown by a Colorado seed company and are organic.

Why, you may (or may not) be asking, does it matter that they are an heirloom variety? Over the last decade growing non-traditional varieties of fruits and vegetables has become popular with home gardeners. An heirloom variety is 'a cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture.' Thanks, Wikipedia!

Previous to the industrialization of agriculture and the widespread adoption of monoculture there were many varieties of each type of plant. There is now a resurgence of interest in seed saving and preserving these 'endangered' varieties from being lost.

So these French Breakfast radishes are different than those you'd buy at the grocery store, and probably different even from those you'd pick up at your farmer's market. They are also oblong, and i was surprised at their shape when i pulled them, expecting something round. Then i referenced the seed packet again and realized all was well in the radish world. I've never seen radishes this shape, but they sure are delicious! They aren't spicy, just crispy and mild.

Although i do enjoy a sliced up radish in my salad, a more creative way to utilize these roots is to slice them and place them on buttered toast. Maybe this special combination was discovered in France and eaten for breakfast, hence the name of this radish variety. Then again, maybe not. You tell me!

Grow on,

Tyler

p.s. Much like a beet, you can eat the greens of the radish plant!

October 25 :: Rainbow chard, anyone?

2010-10-26T13:07:00.002-04:00

Hello Again!

Sometimes I am brimming with ideas for what to grow in the greenhouse and what to do with the harvest. Other times i need a little inspiration and one person in particular has been especially creative and vocal when it comes to what veggies she'd like to see come out of the greenhouse. Sometimes her motives are personal: "I just want to see what that plant looks like", others are experimental: "Could we even grow peppers? That'd be cool!", and other times she's looking to share the bounty: "I think we should grow cucumbers and make pickles to serve!" Whenever i express hesitation or doubt, she's there with a good idea. Oh, and she's always willing to help create or taste test the final product.

Who is this muse, you ask? It's Stephanie Browne, the Food Service Director at USM Dining Services in Gorham! Here she is, showing how much she loves plants:

You might be asking what this all has to do with rainbow chard, and I'm about to tell you. Stephanie wanted to try growing chard because she liked to eat it at home. I decided this was a worthy experiment for the following reasons: In the greenhouse we need to grow vegetables that 1) don't take up too much space, 2) continuously produce (aka have multiple large harvests like spinach and lettuce), and 3) don't mind the cool weather (since I didn't have any bed space until August). Chard fulfilled all of these qualifications.

I grew only a small amount from seed since i wanted to see how it performed in the shallow greenhouse beds. The answer is GREAT! It has been growing well since August and has sustained two major harvests of all large leaves. Next year i will grow more earlier in the season and the yeild should improve due to the warmer weather and increased sunlight.

Teenage Rainbow Chard (a colorful variety of Swiss Chard) growing in a bed of basil

Rainbow Chard picked and ready to be used!

Here in Dining Services we sauteed the chard with butter and put it as a side dish on our Home Line in the Residential Restaurant on the Gorham Campus. At my house, I have perfected a great way to enjoy chard as part of a healthy, fast, easy, affordable and filling vegetarian dinner. Here are easy instructions to get the chard ready. Here are easy instructions to poach an egg (or two if you are really hungry!) to be placed on top of the chard.

So: sauteed chard (cook it only until it turns bright green, don't overcook it!) + poached egg (the runny yolk acts as a sort of sauce) + a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar + handful of pine nuts (or other mild tasting nut like sliced almonds) + salt & pepper = delicious!

Head to your farmers market or local grocer and pick up some locally grown chard and eggs right now!

Grow on,

Tyler

October 19 :: Cotyledons? True Leaves? What the what?

2010-10-19T13:07:00.002-04:00

Welcome Back!

After recently witnessing spinach, lettuce, basil, radishes, and volunteer sunflowers emerge from their seeds in the ground I started wondering about the first set of leaves that appear when the seeds germinate. These initial leaves (two for vegetables and herbs) rarely look like the adult leaves of the plant and can make seedling identification tricky if you forgot to label your planting trays or soil blocks carefully.

It turns out that the first leaves are called cotyledons (pronounce COT-a-LEE-dens) and are present in the seed while it awaits germination. Without getting too scary technical, here's the scoop:

When the seed is exposed to the correct combination of heat and moisture, these babies absorb the water and inflate. The seed has nutritious reserves with which to extend the stem and push the leaves up through the soil's surface where they can reach the light. They are fully equipped to carry out photosynthesis and therefore pave the way for the rest of the plant to develop by generating food. For more information on the subject, go here.

Here are photos of a newly emerged cilantro plant. The cotyledons are the straight leaves, the serrated leaf is the plant's first true leaf (more on that later). Sometimes the husk of the seed stays attached as the seedling develops, but it will fall off after a few days (see below).

Often you'll read instructions about thinning or transplanting seedlings, or applying fertilizer that refer to doing a task when the plant has its first set of 'true leaves'. These are the first adult leaves and their appearance indicates that the seedling has passed the most stressful time of germination and development and is a little more hardy.

Let's play a game! Ok? Ok. Here are four photos (A-D) of baby plants and their cotyledons. Following those are four photos of teenage and adult plants with true leaves (1-4). Match the cotyledon plants with their adult versions. Answers will be available next week!

For bonus points: Name these plants! (hint: they are all veggies and herbs but are not all mentioned in the first paragraph of this post)

[A]

[B]

[C]

[D]

And those with true leaves:

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Grow on!

Tyler

[edited on 11/5/2010] I decided to include the answers on this post, instead of making a new post for them. Answers: A - 3 Cucumber, B - 1 Basil, C - 4 Radish, D - 2 Rainbow Chard

October 7 :: Cool Season Crops

2010-10-07T14:13:00.001-04:00

Lettuce and Radishes and Swiss Chard! Oh My!

Being a good gardener is all about utilizing your resources. Some would say that as our days shorten and get cooler, our growing season has come to an end. Not so!

There are many cool weather crops that do well in both spring and fall. Many can even tolerate (or are made more tasty by) a frost or two. In my gardens right now i have leaf lettuce, rainbow chard, and radishes which are nearly ready to be eaten, all planted in late August or early September. Coming right along is spinach which has germinated and begun to leaf out. See the photos below!

Johnny's Five-Star Greenhouse Leaf Lettuce Mix

Rainbow (a variety of Swiss) Chard companion planted with Basil

A second batch of rainbow chard, seeded two weeks after the first batch

Radish seedlings, just coming out with their first set of true leaves

Smooth leaf spinach from Johnny's Seeds

Some of you skeptics may be saying 'but you have a greenhouse!'. And you would be right! But i have not turned on the heat in the greenhouse and so it is only marginally warmer than the outside air at this point in the year. You could be growing these plants in field or raised bed, too. Other cool season crops include kale, collards, carrots, and beets. For continuous harvest, these can be seeded mid-summer and then reseeded every two weeks until September.

There are also many inexpesive and energy efficient ways to extend your growing season. One is to start seedlings on a warming mat like the one i have, pictured below before i filled it all the way up with soil blocks containing basil, marjoram, and cucumber seeds.

Click here to learn more and here to shop for warming mats!

Also becoming popular again are cold frames, which everyone and their mother used to use in their Victory gardens during WWII. Cold frames are generally made out of reclaimed (and therefore cheap or free!) building materials like doors and window frames. The idea behind a cold frame is that it traps any sunlight and warms up a small area, in which you can grow lettuce and other veggies nearly year round. Click here to learn more and click here make your own! Utilize those resources!

Enjoy the season and, of course, grow on!

Tyler

September 22 :: What's New in USM Dining?

2010-09-22T11:29:00.003-04:00

Hello there!

USM Dining Services has been busy implementing new waste-reducing strategies and we need your help to make them work!

Bag the Plastic Bag

All of our operations are now plastic bag-free, meaning no more waste created. Please bring your own bag to shop in the C-Store or any of our other locations and help us reduce our environmental impact, one customer at a time. If you find yourself without a bag, we offer you durable, washable reusable bags that can be easily tucked into your backpack or briefcase and brought along whenever you go shopping. These bags are only $2.99 and are convenient for more than just on-campus shopping. Take them with you to the grocery store, the bookstore, or even use them to carry your books and notebooks around.

Single-use plastic bags are not only made of petroleum-based non-renewable natural resources, but the are also a huge pollution problem. Because they are lightweight they easily blow into the ocean, destroy the pristine beauty of beaches, and cause issues for the wildlife. They are often mistaken for jelly fish floating in the water and eaten by turtles and other marine animals, resulting in death. Here is an example of how large an issue plastic bag waste really is.

Do your part - take a reusable bag with you whenever you shop and reduce your waste.

Reusable To-Go Containers

These things are so cool!

Pick up your reusable to-go container in Portland at Woodbury Food Court or in Gorham at the Husky Hideaway Snack Bar. They cost only $3 then you never have to pay again! Get your food to stay or take-out in the container. Eat then return the empty container to the cashier and get a clean one. If you aren't ready to have more food yet, return the container to the cashier and they will issue you a raincheck. A raincheck is a small laminated card good for one clean container when you are next ready to eat on either campus. Brilliant!

Be sure to take care of the container when it is in your possession - we are not responsible for damaged or lost containers. Same thing with the rainchecks - if you lose it, you'll need to pay for a new container!

What are the benefits? You are helping reduce your waste by eliminating the need for disposable to-go containers. Also, the reusable to-go containers are more sturdy than disposables. You can reheat your food in the microwave in them and use them at home, too. They are durable and can be used 2,000 times! When they reach the end of their life or become damaged, they are recyclable.

Why wouldn't you want one? Play a part in helping USM GO GREEN!

Grow on,

Tyler

September 17 :: Planning for the Chilly Season

2010-09-17T10:57:00.004-04:00

Welcome back!

Since the weather changed from August-style hot to November-esque chill, I have been faced with new challenges in the Greenhouse and raised beds. Instead of drying out too fast, the beds are sprouting mushrooms. Where there was dust, now there is a slimy layer of mossy algae and mud.

In anticipation of the cool weather to come I have rolled down the sides of the greenhouse to trap the heat that is created on sunny days. On rainy days like today, however, the temperatures stay about the same inside and out.

Sunflowers are still sunny, even on a gloomy day

I planted two varieties of rudbeckia (the same family to which black-eyed susans, sunflowers, and daisys belong) in the rolling beds with my sunflowers two weeks ago and they are still just tiny tiny seedlings, barely poking their leaves out of the soil. Indoors i planted a wildflower mix with the peppers and parsley. The seeds took longer than usual to germinate and now are growing extremely slowly due to the cool weather. Seeds need heat and water to germinate and our temperatures just haven't been warm enough to give my new plants a good start. Hopefully we'll have one last warm spell before October sets in.

Bed of newly planted lettuce and bed ready to be planted with spinach

There are many plants that prefer cooler weather, however, so I am starting to plant my second crop of lettuce and spinach. These leafy greens get tough, wilt and go to seed in hot summer temperatures but thrive in the cool and moist conditions commonly found in New England during spring and fall. We should have greenhouse grown lettuce mix gracing our salad bar by the beginning of October, with fresh smooth leaf spinach close on its heels.

Five Star Greenhouse Lettuce Mix from Johnny's Seed Co, Winslow Maine

The growing season is not yet over when you are fortunate enough to have a greenhouse!

Grow on,

Tyler

September 10 :: We are eating well!

2010-09-10T11:19:00.004-04:00

Hey there!

We have been enjoying a long and prolonged harvest of some of our late summer crops. Whereas our cukes and tomatoes came in early and are now finished, we have plenty of parsley, basil, peppers, rainbow chard, and garlic to enjoy.

The photos below are a brief look at the harvest from the last two weeks.

Broadleaf Czech and German Extra Hardy Garlic, cured and ready to use

Curly leaf parsley by the binful!

Rainbow Chard (a variety of Swiss chard)

Red Beauties (sweet) and Chili Red (hot) peppers

Jalapeños and a red beauty

peppery nasturtiums taste a bit like radishes and are used on salads and as garnishes

I hope your garden is still producing and you are enjoying this bountiful time of year. Add September 15th to your calendars and come to the Brooks Dining Center for our Sustainability Dinner where local and fresh foods will be at every station. Hope to see you there!

Grow on,

Tyler

September 1 :: Welcome Back!

2010-09-01T11:12:00.007-04:00

Classes started a few days ago and things are off to a whirlwind start!

Vendor and student involvement fair, Welcome Weekend in Gorham

In Dining we have geared up for a great semester with new choices, fresher options, food for special diets, and a calendar full of theme meals and special events. To check out all that we have to offer head to our website. Bookmark it so you know where to go whenever you have meal, nutrition, hours of operation or meal plan questions!

Post-consumer compost collection in Brooks

We are composting again in the Brooks Dining Center with the involvement of many helping hands. The process starts with you, the eater, who will need to scrape compostable food scraps into the green bin in front of the dish room. Fruits, veggies, bread and other grains and napkins can all go right in. Leave meat, fish, dairy, eggs and any trash on your plate and the dish room crew will take care of it.

Where does it all go?

The compostable food scraps are transported down to the composting facility behind the facilities department and near the soccer field. The Grounds Maintenance team manages the composting process and the final product is used all over campus and in the Dining Greenhouse on the Patio of Brooks in Gorham. Food that we do not compost on campus goes to a local pig farmer who picks it up and uses it as feed for his animals, so no food is ever wasted!

Brooks Student Center Patio, ready for lunch on Saturday of Welcome Weekend

Reusable Shopping Bags

In an effort to reduce our waste, we have disontinued giving out disposable bags in our locations. Purchase a reusable bag if you need one, otherwise just remember to bring your own and keep it tucked in your backpack or purse so it's always ready when you need it.

Three-compartment Eco Take-Out Container

Coming Soon!

Starting in October we will be offering reusable to-go containers in the Husky Hideaway Snack Bar in Gorham and at Woodbury Food Court in Portland. These are a durable, washable, microwavable plastic container that can be reused 2,000 times! By participating in the program you can personally significantly reduce your waste by reusing the containers. And the best part is that we even wash them for you! Check back soon for more details!

Welcome back!

Tyler

August 19 :: Sunny Flowers and Running Beans

2010-08-19T13:52:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

Among my many vegetables are also a few sunflowers. I read that cucumber plants grown among sunflowers are sweeter than those grown away from sunflowers. I don't know if that is true, but i do know that my sunflower plants attracted so many insects and birds that they are well worth growing. The cucumber vines also reached out and used the strong sunflower stems to pull themselves up and grow skyward.

Because the sunflowers are on the edge of the patio, far above any surrounding plants, they are unsheltered from the wind. Unfortunately there was a windy storm Sunday night in Gorham and when i came in on Monday morning i found headless sunflowers!

And broken stems!

And i was sad.

BUT! We and the birds had our chance to enjoy the sunflowers waving to us over the fence and though they met an untimely end, some of the stems that did not break in the storm are blooming from lower parts of their stems. Also, i planted a new batch of sunflowers among my cilantro which will be blooming shortly (see the photo below).

Until they do, i'll just have to enjoy my hyacinth running bean which was a gift from Cindy Carroll, crew leader for Gorham Grounds at USM and a true gardener. The bean arrived as a smallish plant but has thrived and is in full bloom now. First it climbed a little cage i put over its pot, then it climbed a 6' bamboo pole. Next i slid it under the lights in the greenhouse and now it has climbed up the chains holding the lights to the ceiling frame. I have been coached to save the seed pods and plant more beans next year. I can't wait! Check it out below:

Grow on,

Tyler

August 13 :: Lycopene, anyone?

2010-08-13T16:39:00.001-04:00

Ripe peppers from the greenhouse and raised beds

Welcome back!

In May we purchased 18 pepper plant seedlings, six plants each of three varieties: Jalapeño, Chili Red, and Red Beauty. The plants are loaded with peppers, all maturing at different rates depending on variety. This being a new experience for me, i was concerned that all the peppers seemed full size and ready, but the two types that were supposed to be turning red weren't doing so.

Turns out that peppers stay on the vine for a while before turning red pretty quickly. You can eat any pepper variety while it is green, and only some varieties turn red at all. I was picking the jalapeños while they were green but then i checked the plants one day to find a red one! I didn't even know they turned red! Did you know that a chipotle pepper is merely a red jalapeño that has been smoked? Amazing!

Red and green jalapeños

Turning our attention to tomatoes, i just read the most interesting thing on GardeningKnowHow.com. Get a load of this:

"Another factor in how long it takes for a tomato to turn red is the outside temperature. Tomatoes will only produce lycopene and carotene, two substances that help a tomato turn red, between the temperatures of 50F and 85F. If it is any cooler that 50F, those tomatoes will stay a stubborn green. Any warmer than 85F and the process that produces lycopene and carotene comes to a screeching halt. Tomatoes are triggered to turn red by a chemical called ethylene. Ethylene is odorless, tasteless and invisible to the naked eye. When the tomato reaches the proper green mature stage, it starts to produce ethylene. The ethylene then interacts with the tomato fruit to start the ripening process. Consistent winds can carry the ethylene gas away from the fruit and slow the ripening process."

This is why if a tomato falls off the vine or the branch of tomatoes comes off while you are harvesting you can ripen the green tomatoes on your windowsill or kitchen table as long as they are mature enough to produce ethylene and the conditions are right: warm enough temperature and a breathable, lose covering to trap the ethylene. A paper bag does the trick!

If you have tomatoes that are ripening faster than you can eat them and are about to go bad, tuck them into your fridge (exposed them to the air rather than in a bag or container which will trap the ripening agent). Only refrigerate a tomato that is already ripe, otherwise it'll never ripen if it is kept below 50 degrees!

Sweet Chelsea cherry tomato plant

Enjoy the harvest, visit your local farmer's market today!

Grow on,

Tyler

July 27 :: Garlic Harvest!

2010-07-27T16:42:00.003-04:00

Welcome back! Here is a photo recount of my garlic harvest today. Enjoy!

The garlic, earlier today. Having never grown garlic, i decided better to pull it a little too early than too late. The weather had been dry so i went for it!

I grew two varieties of hardneck, of which German Extra Hardy grew larger and had a greater yeild while the Broadleaf Czech had slightly smaller, but still health bulbs and a few more instances of stunted plants. I also grew a variety of softneck of which most plants completely failed and those that did survive have small, undeveloped bulbs.

My prize bulb! German Extra Hardy

Once rinsed of large piece of dirt i dried then spread the bulbs with greens and roots still attached on racks in a back storage room. This room stays warm, dry, and dark. I installed a fan to keep the air moving around the garlic and plan to turn the bulbs a few times a week to make sure they are curing evenly.

The cucumbers are still coming, tomatoes are in full swing and soon we'll have three types of peppers, rainbow chard, sweet basil, and cilantro ready!

Grow on,

Tyler

July 13 :: Utilizing the Harvest

2010-07-13T15:42:00.004-04:00

Greetings,

Waste not, want not. It's easier said than done sometimes, and with a large garden there are dry spells followed by times of plenty. There are days when you think you never want to see another cucumber followed by days where you miss their cool crispness. The trick is a little bit of planning before the growing season accompanied by a bit of flexibility so that when things do all ripen at once, you are ready.

Over the last month and a half the greenhouse and raised beds have produced (and these are rough estimates, my friends): nearly 50 gallons of mixed leaf lettuce, five quarts of sugarsnap peas, three quarts of cucumbers, at least six gallons of spinach, two gallons of Italian large leaf basil leaves, one gallon of Pistou miniature basil leaves and branches, many handfuls of French tarragon, marjoram, parsley and chives, 25 cherry tomatoes, and six jalapeño peppers. And it's only July!

Everything on that list (except peas and lettuce) is still happy and producing more and more. The tomato plants are heavy with immature fruit, the cucumbers grow inches each day, the pepper plants are so loaded down that they are tipping over, and the garlic will be ready to pull up in a week!

What have we done with everything? Used it, of course! Some goes home with helpers and coworkers, some of the abundance of lettuce went to Wayside Food Pantry in Portland when there wasn't anyone eating in the dining center on campus, and everything else went into our kitchen and came out on the salad bar for the summer campers or was sliced up in specialty salads or used as an aromatic garnish for catering functions. The only exception is the cucumbers - we have made fresh pack kosher dill pickles with the first ones and are waiting on those results before we decide what to do with the oncoming crop. Nothing has gone to waste.

Enjoy the following photos of the bounty and come eat with us sometime!

Produce walk-in refrigerator: a shelf full of lettuce, parsley, chives and tarragon from the greenhouse

Miniature basil (L) and Italian large leaf basil (R), ready to use

Sunsugar orange cherry tomatoes

Jalapeño!

Take care of yourself and shop at your local farmer's markets!

Grow on,

Tyler

July 2 :: Hello Tomatoes!

2010-07-02T13:11:00.003-04:00

Happy Independence Day to all! Enjoy the cookouts, the hot weather, and the fireworks!

Here on the patio the jungle is continuing to thrive and produce. Here are some photos from the bed of tomatoes, basil, sunflowers, and borage.

I just picked the first tomato from the garden of the season. See it, in all its glory, below. Look closely because you will never see it again, for i have eaten it! It was lovely.

And there are so many more to come!

Last year we had such miserable weather that i only ate a few tomatoes from the garden, even though i grew eight plants! I found this photo (below) from August 18th, 2009. that's what i was celebrating! In AUGUST! One tiny tomato that probably never ripened due to the blight... sad!

This year will be different! I foresee cherry tomatoes (both red and orange!) gracing our salad bar for weeks! Well, maybe not weeks... i only grew two plants!

Enjoy the holiday weekend and prepare for the harvest - it's coming sooner and better than last summer!

Grow on,

Tyler

June 25 :: The Peas Have Arrived!

2010-06-25T16:09:00.006-04:00

Welcome back,

We have been harvesting like crazy in the greenhouse: lettuce, basil, spinach, parsley, tarragon, chives and my favorite... sugarsnap peas!

The peas started being ready at the end of last week and peaked this week. Since I staggered two batches, we'll have more in 2 to 3 weeks, thank goodness. Here's a quick photo timeline of the first batch as they progressed:

bamboo tepee, peas planted underneath on April 2nd

Getting pretty tall by May 25th

Blossoming the week of June 7th

I had to do emergency tying-up at one point and then the underside of the vines got sunburned. But they are still doing fine and creating lots of sugary snappy goodness

From seed to fruit: 11 weeks. Requirements: pea seeds (aka dried peas), twine, poles, workable soil, one liquid feeding of Neptune's Harvest, frequent watering. Yield: 1 gallon of peas (probably would have been more if they had not undergone the stress of falling over and having to be tied back up).

Dave Cimato holding out some peas he harvested (and then ate) today. The best part about sugar snaps is that the pod is totally edible, so there is no shelling!

Until next time, enjoy the summer's bounty!

Grow on,

Tyler

June 16 :: Garlic Scape Time

2010-06-17T15:59:00.004-04:00

Hello there!

I've just finished harvesting all the scapes off of my hardneck garlic varieties and my hands smell like i've been chopping garlic cloves in the kitchen.

softneck garlic variety = no scapes

hardneck garlic varieties = lots of scapes

Scapes are the flowers of the garlic plant and they shoot up from the stem late in the spring, nearly into the beginning of summer here in Maine. You can leave them on and let the plant flower, but most farmers and gardeners cut the scapes off causing the plant to reinvest the nutrients it would have spent on the flower back into the root instead. This makes sense with garlic because the root, or bulb or head, is the part of the plant that we eat.

Luckily, you can eat the scapes, too! Cut them from the plant before they get too thick and curly, chop them into bite sized lengths and they are a tender, garlicky addition to any stir fry or sautéed dish. I bet you can boil or steam them, too. Check at your local farmer's market or the best grocery market in your neighborhood - they should have some scapes for you to buy and try.

Today's garden bounty: garlic scapes, french tarragon branches, chives and chive blossoms

That's all for now. More to contemplate and crunch next week!

Grow on,

Tyler

June 4 :: Sharing the Garden

2010-06-04T10:38:00.003-04:00

Welcome!

As spring unfolds the world starts to wake up and mature. More and more creatures are moving about, the plants are spreading their branches and flowering, and everyone is hungry. In an effort to dissuade some of those hungry creatures from eating my garden, i have undertaken some companion planting. That, however, only has so much affect as I just learned when i found three aphid colonies among my healthy plants.

I am firmly committed to organic gardening and will never add any dangerous chemicals to those things i plan to eat or interact with. That being said, a silent rage builds within me when i see something i have worked hard for go to someone or something else (I'm talking in garden terms here but this goes for people, too). So no, i'm not above squeezing an aphid between my fingers or roughly ripping out 'weeds'. But I am willing to try to share my garden a little better and have more compassion toward other beings who are just trying to survive.

Here are some of the garden visitors I encountered today:

This spider has set a web in the pea thicket and has already caught a yummy wasp, which is nearly twice its size. Spiders are generally considered to be 'good' garden inhabitants because they eat insects. This one, however, chose to eat someone that could have potentially benefited my plants by predating on other insects. The spider: predator of predators.

Usually we think of flies as 'dirty' because they tend to be in smelly places where they lay their eggs. And we gardeners tend to elevate bees to a level of importance usually reserved for our family members. However, bees are not the only pollinators! The fly pictured above is providing a service for the chive blossoms. I also saw a honey bee and an ichneumon wasp buzzing around the chives. Wasps are sometimes pollinators themselves by virtue of the fact that they are predatory insects looking for larvae (aka caterpillars) in which to lay their eggs. In their search for larvae, they travel from plant to plant and spread pollen.

Ever seen spit on your plants? That's from a spittle bug, either a larvae or an adult. The bug uses its biting mouth parts to hold on to a plant and create a foam around itself while it develops from a larvae into an adult. There are lots of different spittle bug varieties and they really don't hurt the plant, although both the larval and adult form feed on plant juices. Does that fit them into the 'good' or 'bad' category? I don't know. I extracted the above nearly-adult larvae from its spittle home on the French tarragon to photograph it. Don't worry, i put it back after the photo shoot.

So next time you see someone in your tomatoes that you didn't invite to the party, think twice before you judge them. Good or bad are relative terms, especially in nature. Everything is connected! Spend more time in your garden and you can catch an infestation before it becomes a real infestation. That way you only have to kill 12 aphids instead of 1,012. I'm just saying. You'll also get to witness those beneficial interactions which make the whole system work.

I pledge not that I will not kill 'pests' right away but that I will consider their plight calmly before I decide how to proceed. After all, I can't blame them for liking my garden - i like it here, too.

Enjoy the next couple of weeks, I'm off to North Carolina to do battle with and be appreciative of some southern creatures.

Grow on,

Tyler

For you, Mark

2010-05-28T12:12:00.002-04:00

Heirloom tomato plants from California. May 12, 2009

Mark,

Due to the fact that our weekly meetings were so abruptly discontinued, i feel the need to tell you what is going on in the greenhouse and make sure that you aren't out of the loop.

Today i rolled up the sides of the greenhouse because it has been so hot. This has been a crazy spring! You didn't get to see all the amazing seedlings but there were tons of them! Lettuce, cucumber, nasturtiums (different variety from last year), sunflowers, basil (three types!), marjoram, and spinach. I was so sad last year when our heirloom tomatoes failed that I didn't want to try to grow them again. With things as they are, however, i think i might do just that in your honor. Maybe even Paul Robesons again - i remember you saying they were the best and i'm disappointed i never got to try one.

The garlic is huge! I'm so glad you suggested we grow it - i learned so much during that process and I really liked having something to visit out on the patio over the long winter. It was a constant reminder that spring was on its way.

Listen, mostly this is about me needing to say something that i didn't always take the opportunity to say when i should have: Thank you. Thanks for taking a chance, thanks for guiding sometimes and stepping back other times, thanks for trusting me and teaching me to trust my own skills. I wouldn't be here without you, and i'm not sure how i feel about being here without you now. The hiring process was casual: one applicant for a job that didn't exist. I'll never forget what you told me 10 months later, "I didn't hire you for what you knew, I hired you for who you are".

Thank you for paying attention.

You will be missed,

Tyler

Mark Allen, February 10, 1955- May 18, 2010

May 25 :: Things are Blooming

2010-05-25T15:53:00.005-04:00

The herbs and vegetables are just beginning to flower...

Cherry Tomatoes

Chives

Chili Pepper

Jalapeño Pepper

Flowers on the tomato and pepper plants now mean fruits later! Chive blossoms are actually edible, as are the stalks on which they grow. Plants are so super cool.

Grow on,

Tyler

May 18 :: Companion Planting

2010-05-18T10:56:00.003-04:00

Greetings!

This year I'm going to abandon my obsession with planting in rows and columns. This is a new commitment, so please ignore the fact that all the lettuce, parsley, and spinach has already been planted in neat two inch bands stretching precisely across the beds.

Seriously, though, I want the next set of beds, rolling outdoor and shallow indoor, to look like little island oases equipped with different color blossoms and leaves, different height plants, different harvest dates, and myriad aromas.

I did some research on companion planting, the practice of intermixing plants within beds in certain combinations to have mutually beneficial results for all plants involved. Sometimes it can be that the companion plants each use different nutrients in the soil and therefore do not compete for nutrition, some provide shade or ground cover coveted by others, some provide a tall structure for climbing plants to use as a support, while others repel pests or attract beneficial insects.

With my tomatoes I have planted borage (to attract those lovely pollinators and also to attract destructive insects that would otherwise colonize my vegetables), three varieties of basil (because who doesn't love tomato and basil together), sunflowers (for height and shade), and nasturtiums (whose blossoms attract predatory insects and bumblebees). This bed will remain inside for another week or two then get rolled out to the great outdoors. See photo above: the white stakes are labels for the sunflower and nasturtium seeds, some of which germinated today. The baby basil and borage seedlings are off to a great start.

Amongst the three types of peppers (two hot, one sweet) I have planted marjoram, or wild oregano. This companion-to-all plant looks nice in with the pepper plants, acts as a host to pests to keep them away from the peppers, and according to many 'makes the vegetables planted with it taste better', whatever that means. I'm willing to give it a try. In above photo: tiny marjoram seedlings are interspersed with taller pepper plants.

My next companion planting experiment involves two rolling beds, two varieties of pickling cucumbers, two varieties of nasturtiums, and two varieties of sunflowers. It's going to be a jungle!

Until then, grow on!

Tyler

May 10 :: Peas, Revisited

2010-05-10T12:03:00.002-04:00

The peas are progressing perfectly!

Pea plants naturally climb so those little tendrils are sensitive, fast-growing feelers that help the plants stay upright. I planted a second rolling bed full of the same sugar snap variety to ensure that we have peas ready to be picked and eaten right through July (or that is my hope).

Enjoy what might be the last of our chilly weather this year!!

Grow on,

Tyler

April 29 :: Planting is more fun with friends!

2010-04-29T16:47:00.003-04:00

Greetings!

Today was a fun day in the greenhouse, even though at one point I thought it was going to blow off the patio in the crazy wind.

Two of USM's AmeriCorps Vista Volunteers joined me for a miniature planting party. We planted two mixes of leafy lettuce (see David Cimato and David Brown hard at work, below) in two of the greenhouse beds.

Then we made soil blocks in which we planted two varieties of pickling cucumbers (Stephanie, the Food Service Director here in Gorham, has decided we'll be making homemade pickles this year) and borage (which I don't really know that much about and don't really know how to use).

The seeds will spend the next few weeks on the seedling warming mat through germination and up until they get their first true leaves, at which point they no longer need the heat of the mat.

And then it started to snow outside...? It's hard to see in the photo below, but if you double click it will open in full size and you can see the flakes better.

We should have lettuce to eat early to mid June and the cucumbers will be ready to transplant into a rolling bed outside shortly after Memorial Day, but not a moment before! The snow reminded me that although we have been fortunate up until this point with our weather, springtime in Maine is anything be predictable.

Enjoy the weird weather while it lasts,

Tyler

40th Anniversary of Earth Day

2010-04-09T13:13:00.019-04:00

This year USM Dining Services is hosting a week long event to highlight various sustainability efforts around campus in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22, 2010. It will be held in the Residential Restaurant, top level of Brooks Student Center on the Gorham campus from Monday April 19 through Friday April 23. Get Excited!!

All week Dining Services operations will be reducing our plastic waste by being plastic bag free. If you think you'll need a bag, bring your own or purchase one of our reusable bags for $0.99 at any of our locations around Portland and Gorham.

Check out the Earth Week schedule below:

Monday April 19th

All Day - Check out our food waste display to see how much food is wasted daily at the Residential Restaurant. Then pledge to reduce your food waste by signing up for the 'Green Plate Club'.

Lunch (11a-1:30p) - Find out about USM's unique on-campus composting program.

Dinner (4p - 7p) - Learn about our Earth Week reusable mug promotion and about the waste associated with disposable cups.

Tuesday April 20th

All Day - What is important to you? Come and tell Dining Services which sustainability initiatives matter the most.

Lunch (11a-1:30p) - Oakhurst Dairy will be here with samples and will be talking about their sustainability initiatives.

- EcoMaine and USM Recycles will talk about recycling on and off campus.

Dinner (4p - 7p) - Interested in Community Gardens? Come talk to the students working to make gardening more accessible to USM students and staff.

Wednesday April 21st

All Day - Take a short tour of the Dining Services Greenhouse on the Brooks Student Center patio. Ask questions and learn about what we grew last year. Tours start at 11:30am, 12:30pm, and 1:30pm.

Lunch (11a-1:30p) - Learn about seeds and planting with the CIA at their seed demonstration.

Dinner (4p - 7p) - Interested in Community Gardens? Come talk to the students working to make gardening more accessible to USM students and staff.

Thursday April 22nd - Earth Day

All Day - Digital presentation introducing the local growers and producers whose products are being served at the Local Meal.

Lunch (11a-1:30p) - Native Maine produce supplier will be here sampling fresh local produce.

- USM's Sustainability Coordinator for Facilities, Dudley Greeley, will be presenting 'The Story of Stuff', a short film discussing the current trend of consumerism.

Dinner (4p - 7p) - Special Local Food Dinner

- Local Eaters - Come and meet USM's advocates for sustainable eating.

Friday April 23rd

Lunch (11a-1:30p) - Did you know that USM's Gorham Campus is an Arboretum? Come learn more and get involved!

Come and see all these great things for the price of a meal! Students may swipe for a regular meal credit; those without meal plans pay just $6.75 for lunch and $8.30 for dinner plus tax. Enjoy your meal and learn more about how USM is working for a greener future.

Hope to see you there!

Tyler

April 8 :: Let the Planting Begin!

2010-04-08T16:09:00.008-04:00

It is time...

Greenhouse + ProMix + Water

+ wheelbarrow + soil block maker

= soil blocks!

A whole army of them! They are in trays on a seedling warming mat set to 70 degrees.

In these soil blocks i planted the smallest seeds ever. These are Marjoram seeds. Good thing I didn't sneeze. I also planted lemon basil, Italian Large Leaf basil, and Pistou miniature basil.

And for the great out-of-doors...

Sugar snap peas, my favorite!

mmmmm

I planted the peas in one of the rolling beds and made a tripod trellis of bamboo poles and twine. Luckily we had a nice warm weekend right after i planted them. Thanks, nature.

Next week I'll be posting a schedule of all the Earth Week happenings here at USM the week of April 19th - 23rd. Clear your calendars!

Grow on,

Tyler

March 31 :: Happy Spring!

2010-03-31T14:08:00.003-04:00

March 20 was the first day of spring. Could you tell? Seems like the days previous to spring were nicer than those technically part of the season. Oh well! It's really starting to warm up and I'm about to uncover the garlic. It has been underground and covered with straw in the raised beds since the fall. Today i pulled back some of the straw and this is what I found:

IT'S ALIVE!! Having never grown garlic before, this feels like a huge success, especially with the weird, warm winter we just had.

Due to the rain I have held off planting the sugar snap peas but plan to do so at the end of this week or next week once the soil dries out. Coworkers tell me that the spring peepers are peeping in Gorham and Scarborough. A wise man once told me to plant peas when the peepers peep because the peepers don't lie. The wise man was actually named Jim and he works at Estabrooks Nursery... and he told me that about a month ago in a gardening class. I have remembered it ever since!

Until next time,

Your Pea Planter

March 18 :: What's Important to You?

2010-03-18T12:02:00.003-04:00

Hello again!

Next week we will be starting up the green house and planting some seeds. Until I have further news from the greenhouse, I'll entertain you with a recent discovery. I was told about this cool website called wordle.net. On it you can use text from whatever source to create word art. The words used most frequently are shown larger. I used the last few posts from this Blog, made some formatting decisions , and here is what I created:

I guess garlic is pretty important to me, as are winter and soil!

Make your own Wordle and save it to the public gallery then send me the link. I'd love to see your creations!

Best,

Your Wordle Wizard

March 1 :: Long Time, No Blog!

2010-03-01T14:29:00.004-05:00

Welcome back!

How was the winter for you? Mine was productive and I spent some time dreaming about the growing season to come.

That is a photo of my desk covered with compost literature, books, and the seeds I just ordered from Johnny's. I have some on the way from Pinetree Seeds as well, another Maine seed distributer.

I also bought a medium sized soil block maker (sitting in the box in the above photo) on a recommendation from Jeff McKay, Assistant Director of Grounds here at USM. It creates little blocks of soil in which I'll plant herb and vegetable seeds. Once they have germinated, the seedlings can be transplanted in their block right into the bed, eliminating the need to use and store seedling trays. Also, the soil blocks allow more oxygen circulation and the transplanting process is less stressful for the baby plants. Exciting! I'm sure you'll hear how it works in some upcoming posts.

My other new tool is a seedling warming pad that should help those little seeds germinate faster and grow stronger. By warming the soil, the air temperature doesn't need to be as warm and that cuts down on the energy needed to heat the greenhouse. We hope to pair up with the Grounds crew here and share some greenhouse space to cut down on energy use. Our greenhouse on the Student Center patio will get fired up in April once the average temperature rises a few degrees.

Check back! The growing season is nearly here!

Best,

Your Garden Guru

December 1 :: Ready for the Winter

2009-12-01T09:14:00.004-05:00

Hello!

After a balmy run in November, looks like December is ready to show us that it is officially winter. Last week I officially shut down the greenhouse for the rest of the winter. We turned off the heat, shut off the water, and emptied those few beds with plants still in them. Here's what it looks like now:

compared to what it looked like in August:

Last year the greenhouse stayed running through the cold months but there were lots of crop failures and too much energy expended. This year I decided to call the greenhouse a 'Three-Season Greenhouse' and not to use it over the winter. Because it is made of plastic and not glass, it does not insulate especially well and it is hard to keep a consistent temperature with our downright frosty winters here in Maine. Staying in line with our interest in sustainable practices, for the yield of herbs and veggies we get out of the greenhouse, it is not worth the energy needed to heat it this time of year.

The raised beds are also ready for the winter, which they will spend outside. The garlic is frozen hard into the soil and will stay that way until March, probably.

So I get a break from gardening! I'll spend this time, like many Maine gardeners do, learning about what worked and what didn't from the previous season and planning for the next. I hope to peruse glossy (and non-glossy!) local seed catalogs to decide on some new or repeat plantings for the spring and summer. Sounds like fun to me!

Until Then,

Your Happy Hibernator

November 19 :: Raised Beds to Bed

2009-11-19T09:06:00.006-05:00

Hello Again!

This week I am putting the raised beds to sleep for the winter. In one, the garlic is planted and insulated from the cold (or the heat, like last week's balmy spell) by a thick layer of straw. It will stay there through the winter and send up shoots and form bulbs next summer. My friend Ms. Squirrel has been digging holes in that bed again and she uprooted one of my planted garlic cloves. I wanted to check on them anyway, to make sure they were sending out roots downward but not sprouting their greenery upward yet. Garlic should be planted late fall to give the roots time to set before the ground completely freezes, but not too early so that the plant decides to sprout from the warmth. I was worried that last week's high temperatures would start the garlic sprouting, but it didn't seem to. They do have nice, spidery white roots on them, though. Hooray!

Small carrot plants in frosty soil

The other raised bed on the patio still has late carrots in it. I pulled one up today to check their progress and it was so tiny! When i pulled it out, a clump of frozen topsoil came with it, but the soil underneath was not frozen. They'll only have a week or two of growing left before the soil completely freezes. At that point they will also freeze and can be pulled out of the frozen ground to eat. Unfortunately, ours won't be big enough to really use in the dining hall, just good for a snack or two.

The perennial herbs in large pots in the corners of the raised beds have been cut back to help them prepare for dormancy over the winter. Once the ground completely freezes, I will pull the pots out of the raised beds and put them in the greenhouse for the winter. The greenhouse will be turned off next week so even though it won't be heated, it will offer the herbs a little bit of insulation from the elements and hopefully keep their roots alive so they can come back next spring.

Next week I will put the greenhouse to bed until March. Check back!

Until then,
Your Frozen Farmer

November 5 :: Planting Garlic

2009-11-05T10:55:00.008-05:00

Hello again!

This week I planted the three types of garlic i bought at the Common Ground Fair. Here's how it went (and how it hopefully will go in the future):

Biggest cloves of garlic of each variety

+ chilly soil in the raised bed

+ bale o' straw from O'Donals Nursery

+ eight months
= Garlic plants! Garlic scapes and bulbs!
(photo from http://ipbeats.wordpress.com/page/20/)

This being my first garlic planting ever, i took advice from a few different sources and tailored it to meet our space requirements and location. We'll see how it goes!

Best,
Your Graceful Gardener

October 20 :: All About Garlic

2009-10-20T12:14:00.004-04:00

Hello again!

It's nearly time to plant the amazing crop we affectionately call 'garlic'. So much more than just a culinary addition, garlic acts as a slug and deer repellent and is therefore many an organic farmer's best friend. It's also something that can be planted in the autumn, just as the rest of the crops are coming out of the ground. It'll stay in the ground until almost July, though, so make sure you put it in a place where you won't want to plant something else come spring.

In September I went to the Common Ground fair in search of seed garlic. Seed garlic is technically the same thing as the garlic you eat, but garlic growers reserve the biggest, strongest, and best heads of garlic to replant the next year, and they'll sell all the rest for table garlic. Buying garlic to use as seed, therefore, is a little more expensive and it is even more important that it be top quality.

I bought garlic from two different farms. From the first i purchased Broadlead Czech, a hard neck variety good for cold climates. It is a large head of garlic with large cloves in a single, circular row.

From the second farm i purchased another hard neck variety, German Extra Hardy, which is supposed to be their most rugged and (according to the name) hardy garlic variety. This one also has large cloves, like the Broadleaf Czech.

Also from the second farm i purchased Susanville Softneck. Soft necked garlic is generally more common - it's probably the kind you usually buy in the store - and it has a soft, papery stem that is flexible and can be braided. We thought we'd try it out and see if we could braid some of our heads when they are ready next summer. Soft necked varieties often have multiple layers of cloves where there are cloves in the center of the head and others around the perimeter.

All three varieties are ready to go into the ground next week, after we have a few more hard freezes and no more warm spells. To plant, i'll break all of the cloves apart from the head and plant them pointy side up. Each clove will grow into another head. If we have success, we, like the farmers from which i bought the garlic, will save our biggest and best heads to grow again next season.

Since i haven't yet had a chance to taste these different types of garlic, you'll have to check back in this summer to see which ones were the favorites.

Until then,
Your Garlic Grower

October 15 :: New Season

2009-10-15T10:04:00.005-04:00

Welcome back!

Think the growing season is coming to a close? Think again! Maine is the best place to cultivate cold weather crops and we are trying out a few of our own here in the raised beds near the greenhouse.

Two months ago I started carrot seeds in the greenhouse. When the seedlings had their first set of leaves, I carefully transplanted them out into the raised beds where they are thriving. They are currently sharing the bed with impatiens but due to the frost last night, the imapiens are about ready to come out and the carrots can suck up all the sun and nutrients they need.

Happy baby carrot!

Carrots need plenty of depth and nice, soft soil so their roots (the part we eat) can grow straight and strong. Usually people don't transplant carrots but I decided to take my chances.

This morning when i poked my head out into the frosty air to check on the carrots (and to see the damage from the frost) this is what I saw:
As you may be able to see from the above photo, I found the soil all dug up and lumpy, like someone had been trying to eat my little carrots! I glared around for the culprit, finding no one nearby. Opting for the detective approach, i tried to identify the footprints of the irritating fellow. My first thought was human but when i looked again none of the carrots were actually disturbed, just the soil around them. My over-active imagination then leaped to blame deer (where, luckily, it didn't linger long since it would be nearly impossible for a deer to make it up the long, narrow metal staircase onto the patio and even less likely that Kathy at the front desk would have admitted a deer to the dining center).

Upon closer inspection i found a clue that lead me to the answer:
Acorn tops among the carrots! There aren't any trees in the vicinity that could drop their acorns on the patio so some little creature must have brought them. I had noticed a wily squirrel out on the patio a few times, running along the railing. I hadn't paid her much mind at the time but had i known she'd been digging in my gardens i would have done my territorial duty to dissuade her from returning. I'll be more aware next year.

For now i suppose she won't bother my gardens any more since she's planted probably 20 to 40 nuts in them already. For the next month or so we'll see how the carrots grow around them. Unfortunately for Ms. Squirrel, the other bed which is currently empty (and where she also did some visible digging), will not be empty for long as I will be planting garlic in it in the next week or so. I will leave her nuts in the carrot bed, but those in the garlic bed will have to go!

Next week: Garlic!

Grow On,
Your Squirrel Scout

September 30 :: Common Ground Country Fair

2009-09-30T09:51:00.006-04:00

Hello again!

My cousin and I went to the Common Ground fair this past weekend in Unity, Maine. Put on by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association, the fair includes everything from organic produce, flowers, dairy and meat, to discussions about new farming techniques and lectures about bee keeping. Anything you may have wondered about sustainable living in Maine could be answered if you went to the right tent.

Here is a photo journal of our lovely day there and some of the highlights. If you'd like to see a photo full-size, just click on it. Enjoy!

Banks of solar panels were found around the fairgrounds and on vendor's tents to provide power

So much to see! Which way should we go first?

We decided to head towards the livestock. I really like goats and i'd like to have goats one day. They have great personalities. Did you know that? I'm serious, they do. Really.
Here is one of the GIGANTIC cattle we saw. Beth is tall, so you can get the idea how tall this steer is and he's bending down to eat.
Edible peace sign made of beets and lettuce.
All that wandering around made us hungry. Time for a veggie quesadilla made using solar power.

The farmer's market section was amazing. Here's just a glimpse of some of the things for sale.
One of my reasons for attending the fair was to buy garlic for our gardens here at USM. On the way I got a little distracted...
by good music

and a bike parade!
After our long day we enjoyed a walk through the dappled sunshine of the woods on the way back to the parking lot.

I did buy garlic and met some interesting people. Check back next week for further details.

Until then!

Grow on,

Your Tireless Traveler

September 22 :: Getting Involved

2009-09-22T09:54:00.006-04:00

Whether it's what you choose to eat, where you choose to shop, how much (or how little) you choose to recycle, all of your decisions each day affect the environment where you live. Here are a few ways to get more involved, meet people who are already involved, and feel a little better about all those choices we have to face each day.

photo courtesy of: http://www.meepi.org/will/cgcf04/cgcf04.html

The Common Ground Fair, September 25, 26, & 27, 2009

This hugely successful fair takes place in Unity, Maine, once a year and is put on by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association). According to the fair's website, "Hundreds of vendors, exhibitors and demonstrators, more than 1,000 volunteers, and tens of thousands of fairgoers will gather to: share knowledge about sustainable living; eat delicious, organic, Maine-grown food; buy and sell beautiful Maine crafts and useful agricultural products; compete in various activities; dance; sing and have a great time."

Sounds good to me! Unity is a little less than two hours away from Portland and it's a beautiful time of year for a drive. Better yet, check out camping options here and bring your bike. You'll save $2 on your admission if you bike to the fair! Tickets are $10 and you can buy them at Whole Foods in Portland. You can also buy them at the fair the lines are rumored to be long.

This will be my first year attending the fair and one of the items on my agenda is to pick up some Maine-grown hardy garlic to plant in our raised beds over the winter. I've already scoped my preferred vendor off the list on the site. Check out all the info here. Hope to see you there!

USM Public Interest Resource Group General Interest Meeting / Kick-Off Party Wednesday, 9/23 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Student Government Office, Woodbury Campus Center, Portland
or
Thursday, 9/24 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Lower level, Brooks Student Center, Gorham

USM PIRG is an activist student organization that works on issues important to the USM student body and the members of the group.

Come to our General Interest Meeting to find out more about what we do!

FMI, email Karl Rawstron at karlemail1@gmail.com

photo from "the City as Food Collective", http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/16/dining/16chefs.html

Wednesday Farmer's Market, Monument Square, Portland, 8-2p
Saturday Farmer's Market, Deering Oaks Park, Portland, 8-12p

These weekly markets put other farmer's markets that i have seen to shame... and they run until Thanksgiving! Now that is something to be thankful for. The farmers themselves usually harvest their crops just hours before making the drive into Portland to sell their produce. Farmer's markets are the best ways to support local growers since much more of the profits go directly to the farmer instead of to a distributor or a retail store.

This is the best place to get your nutrients since everything is fresh and many things are organic. Pick up a handful of beets. The roots you can use to make an easy, filling borscht (beet soup), the greens you can saute with onions until soft, toss in some pine nuts and top with a poached egg. There are local eggs and onions available at the farmer's market as well. Yum!

Get out there and be a part of all Maine has to offer!

Grow on,
Your Onion Organizer

September 15 :: Salad Bar, Ahoy!

2009-09-15T12:22:00.003-04:00

Hello again!

Today in Brooks Dining Room we are featuring produce from the garden. Check the sandwich station for tender Genovese basil featured in paninis with tomatoes and mozzarella.

Fresh chives from the greenhouse can be found mixed in with sour cream to top your baked potatoes.

And don't forget the salad bar, once again home to our zesty lettuce mix. Here are some photos of this morning's lettuce harvest.

Hooray! I provided the kitchen with two dish tubs full of fresh, tasty lettuce. Did you know that most produce loses much of its nutritional content within 24 hours of being picked? Don't ask me where i learned that, but here's the lesson: eat fresh and you'll be getting much more nutrients out of your food. And it just plain tastes better, too.

Cheers to that!
your Lettuce Lady

p.s. Don't forget to head into Portland tomorrow morning for the weekly Farmer's Market in Monument Square. It's prime harvest season!