Community Groups

[gregorywade]

I was wondering if anyone was currently participating, or would be interested in participating, in groups aimed at developing individual and neighborhood solutions for the energy challenges society will be facing.

Currently, I’ve taken up an organic garden and intend on doing so again this year. I still have a lot to learn as last year was a mix of successes and failures. I would also like to learn the proper techniques for composting. Anybody interested in sharing labor, knowledge, and ideas?

I’m also interested in techniques and skills such as food preparation, energy conservation, and bicycle maintenance just to name a few. I’ve spent some time researching and experimenting on my own, but would enjoy sharing ideas, knowledge and tools with people who are doing similar things.

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[gregorywade]

Um…I meant food preservation, not food preparation…but if you’ve got recipes to put to use for a back yard garden…

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[Ken]

I intend to expand my garden this year. And on the preservation front, I am going to try smoke drying tomatoes this year. I have a home made hot smoker but I have been eyeing my collection of old computer equipment with the intent to recycle some parts and chassies into a cold smoker.

My compost method is more time based than scientific, but I am watching craigslist for some of those givaway composters I missed last month.

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[WSMom]

I’m very interested in organic gardening and would be interested in meeting to share ideas. I have three composters heating up in my yard right now. Since my vegetable garden space is limited, I would like to find someone who’d like to share seed packages and learn more about starting plants from seed. Also, I freeze blanched tomatoes for winter soups and I would like to learn how to can my vegetables. I’m having a hard time imagining “smoked” tomatoes :).

Let’s keep in touch.

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[TheVelvetBulldog]

KatherineL (occasional poster) is a long-time organic gardener and composter and could offer some great info. Additionally, looking up the Alki Wildlife Habitat folks could give you some helpful hints.

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[KatherineL]

Thanks, Velvet. Gregory, your group sounds like a great idea.

I love to talk gardening. I’m not a speed composter. All those rules you see are simply ways to make compost faster, and maybe to retain more nutrients. Basically, if you throw something on the ground, it’ll rot. Eventually. The busy woman method I worked out is: Mix green stuff (grass clippings, fresh weeds) with brown stuff (leaves, dead plants.) They compost faster if you can chop them. Strive for a tweedy look. Water in the summer when it dries out. Turn now and then. This fall’s leaves will be partly composted by summer, fully composted by the end of the summer.

Composting goes faster if you can add fresh horse, cow, chicken or rabbit manure, and if the pile or bin gets some sun. Never add cat or dog manure; they’re “cold” manures – they don’t heat up the pile and can spread pathogens.

I’d love to share seed with other people who start seeds under lights. I like to start a variety, but don’t have space to plant the whole package for every kind. I may have some extra currant tomato seed this year. I won’t know until I actually plant in late March.

A great place to get answers to your gardening questions is the Plant Answer Line at Elizabeth C. Miller Library, depts.washington.edu/hortlib/index.shtml. Call or email, if they don’t know, they look up the answer and get right back to you.

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[credmond]

This is where I pop in and suggest Sustainable West Seattle, which is meeting this coming Monday, Jan 28, at 7 pm at the main lodge at Camp Long. SWS has a whole sub-group relating to tilth, permaculture, and soil and vegetation management, along with energy, water and waste, transportation, and green building. Website is still in the early, simple, stage but gives some idea of the group in general. That’s a place to both share and acquire information and each of these groups has a blog (some, more active than others). Just a thought…

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[credmond]

oh, the URL – “sustainablewestseattle.org”

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[WSMom]

Hi KatherineL:

Do you have any suggestions of where I can find some horse, cow or rabbit manure? I have used your composting method for the past few years with good results. In addition to your advice, I occasionally will ask the grocery store for bags filled with greens from the produce dept. to add to my compost bin. The extra lettuce leaves and etc make the worms reproduce like crazy. I also get coffee grounds from Starbucks and Tully’s to add to the mix. I have not added manure though, and if I could get some I would.

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[Erik]

WSMom –

West Seattle Nursery has manure. As for ‘greens’ added to the compost heap they include any fresh cut grasses or leaves too. I follow Katherine’s slow method.

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[flowerpetal]

I have on more than one ocassion seen free horse manure on Craigslist in the free section. Rabbit doo is good too if you know someone with a rabbit hutch they are often happy to have you come by and shovel up the neat little pellets.

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[JanS]

hi to everyone here…here’s a link to a class you might all enjoy….and Harmony Hill is an absolutely wonderful place near Hood Canal in Union, WA…just down the road from Alderbrook Inn.

Sustainable Gardening

with Ann Lovejoy

Feb. 16, March 2, and March 15 – one-day workshops

Get your gardening year off to a great start by learning how to create a garden that offers year-round beauty, serves your changing needs, and becomes easier to care for each year. Ann Lovejoy is one of America’s most well-known and widely respected gardening authors.

Details & registration

http://www.harmonyhill.org/retreats/lovejoy.html

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[gregorywade]

Credmond,

I’ve made note of Sustainable West Seattle and would gladly participate if the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, the regular meeting time conflicts with my current schedule, and I don’t see a list of other activities listed on the web site.

In the short term, I would like to gather people interested in forming work parties, buying bulk materials, exchanging ideas and even surplus produce this year. Spring is drawing near, after all.

I would love to plan a meet-up for those that are interested. I can be reached at gregorywilliford at gmail.

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[AnneT]

I was just up at the Farmers Market discussing this with Russ who provides great organic produce every week.

I left behind a great garden on my 1.5 acres in Sammamish. Now I am in new soil, I worry about other polutants in the city, water run off, etc.

I am also faced with the challage of minimal space, so I also need to learn about container gardening.

I will call around this week to a few of the organic farmers to see if they would be open to “visitors”, is anyone up for a field trip?

or are any of you up to doing show- and tell in your garden?

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[karen]

I have a “in” on the horse manure. My folks have horses out in Renton. They feed pelleted grain which means there is less grains growing from the manure. While they don’t open up to occasional “pick-ups”, they have agreed to having one day where people could come and get manure if there is any interest.

So, if it seems like there is some interest, I would be happy to facilitate that.

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[WSMom]

I would love to get it on some lovely horse manure! I unfortunately do not have a pickup, but I’d be delighted to pay for gas if someone wouldn’t mind my tagging along and filling a garbage can.

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[gregorywade]

Karen,

How much manure? I am interested and I can get a pick up. If their is enough interest, and enough manure, renting a larger truck might make sense. No?

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[karen]

Lets see, 10-12 horses – there’s plenty to go around! A pick up or large truck filled and then taken to a central W. Seattle distribution point would work well. Again – if there is enough interest.

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[WSMom]

Gregorywade:

I think a pickup truck should be adequate. Should we start a separate thread to see if anyone else would like to come on board?

Thanks Karen & Gregorywade for doing this…

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[WSMom]

Hey Gregorywade & Karen:

I’m still hoping we’ll get organized and get some horse-doo

this beautiful weather is making me happy and giving me garden-lust.

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