Beardsley Community Farm

March Madness!

ben.epperson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:58:46 +0000

The stillness of winter is rolling into the bustle of Spring. All of the energy that has been built up by the slumber of the season is about to turn into total chaos. And we’re ready for it!

We’ve been busy & so have our friends! Over fifty volunteers in the past two weeks have helped us finish two of the new Food in the Fort beds. Take a look a the pictures of what our volunteers did.

But wait, there’s more, we still need help! Look below to see the flyer about the upcoming workshops and work days. Also, check out the Beardsley Post , our Food in the Fort Newsletter.

Workshops

March 20th: Container Gardening, work day to follow

March 27th: Gardening 101, work day to follow

Learning Never Ends

ben.epperson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:26:22 +0000

This past weekend, I attended the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association’s annual conference. This is the 30^th consecutive conference for the organization, so they’ve really been ahead of their time. There were many great sessions being put on.The first session I attended was all about small plot intensive farming. The presenter talked about how urban farming faces different issues that rural, such as parking lot oil runoff, different climates in cities, and different wildlife concerns. He also spoke fairly extensively about contaminated soil, and how to remove the contamination. Soil in cities is at a higher risk for contamination due to its history – it may have been exposed to lead paint or leaded gasoline, and was most definitely exposed to automobile emissions. Obviously, we don’t want any heavy metals or other toxic materials to be present where we grow food, since it will be absorbed by plant roots. There are several ways to remediate the soil:

-mulching (reduces any wind-borne dust)
-emphasize fruiting plants (veggies such as eggplant and peppers), which
-grow ornamentals
-add compost and calcium to the soil, which reduces metal uptake in plants
-use phytoremediation, or cultivating highly absorptive plants to take up metals (mustard, brassicas, native grasses, sunflowers) However, disposal of contaminated plants is a problem.
-excavation – removal
-geotextiles – protective barrier in raised beds, which keeps the toxicity below the barrier. Limits what plants you can grow – may not be able to grow deep-rooted plants

An audience member also mentioned a researcher at OSU names Nick Basta, who has conducted research on binding the metals in the soil so they will not be absorbed by plants.

I also learned about Intensive Pest Management (IPM) in small fruit productions. IPM is a management method used in sustainable agriculture. It’s not entirely organic, but it aims to use minimal pesticides to manage insects. Fruit can be especially hard to grow organically, so though IPM is not perfect, it’s a nice alternative to conventional.

The most interesting information that I learned was during two workshops: Understanding Soil Biology and Sustainable Beekeeping. In the soil biology class, I learned that every plant has an optimal carbon to nitrogen ratio. The researcher conducted studies on soybeans. He amended the soil with various forms of carbon to discover the best C:N ratio for the soy. When you find the optimal ratio, the weeds will automatically be suppressed because you have found the best growing conditions for your crops. They will automatically outcompete the weeds. The timely release of carbon into the soil also affects the growth of weeds. The researcher found that sawdust was the best soil amendment for soybeans, at the ratio of 50:1. The slow release of carbon stimulates microbial activity. The research presented was best suited to larger scale productions. It was great information, but implementing the research at Beardsley would be tough, since we’ve got several different vegetables growing in one bed so we wouldn’t be able to find the optimal C:N ratio for each bed.

The sustainable beekeeping class offered some innovative solutions to mite problems that so many beekeepers face today. There are two types of mites – varroa mites, a parasite that attaches to the bees’ body, and tracheal mites, a symbiotic predator that infests the airways of the honeybee. To get rid of varroa mites without using any kind of antibiotic, you can do 2 powdered sugar dustings in the spring. Using a flour sifter, sprinkle the hive two weeks apart with 1 pound of sugar each. This causes the mites to lose their footing and fall into the screened bottoms, and also causes the bees to clean each other. Then you simply remove the screen and take the mites far away from the hive. Tracheal mites are more difficult to get rid of, and the beekeeper is still experimenting with trial and error. She suggested planting mint around the hive, instead of using menthol, which is very harsh. You could also use grease patties (vegetable shortening and granulated sugar), which causes the mites to lose their grip.

Overall, a very informative conference. It was also entertaining, with the colorful Joel Salatin as a guest speaker for the event.

-Claire

Ben’s Farewell

ben.epperson — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:48:50 +0000

This is a hard blog to write.

I will soon be leaving Beardsley Community Farm.

The Knox County Healthy Department has been awarded a large grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the Healthy Kids Healthy Communities program.

HKHC is a four year program hoping to find innovative solutions to battle childhood obesity in over 40 cities in America. The Knoxville HKHC program will focus on three communities in its first year: Lonsdale, Inskip and Mascot. My responsibilities as program manager will include grassroots organizing, needs assessment in the communities and meetings with policy makers in order to bring about real change for the betterment of Knoxville’s children.

Though I am very excited about being given this opportunity, it makes me sad to leave my work here at Beardsley.

We’ve come a long way in the last two and a half years, thanks entirely to people like you: our volunteers, supporters, friends and family.

The Short List: What We’ve Done Together

Created a 7,000+ gallon water catchment and storage program

Planted over 40 fruit trees in the heart of the city

Revitalized Beardsley’s entrance with new steps and a straw-bale gateway

Hatched ducklings

Expanded the chicken coop

Built a chicken tractor

Created an aquaponics system

Planted a small muscadine vineyard

Put in bramble beds, raspberry and blackberry

Created a beautiful butterfly garden with over 80 natives

Started the Youth Leadership Program, employing and mentoring 30+ Knoxville youth

Planted an herbal tea bed

Expanded our community gardens

Expanded our donations to include 2 more food banks

Created a beautiful website

Worked with 1,000s of volunteers

Educated 100s of children about gardening and urban agriculture

Started 4 new school garden programs

Built an herb spiral

Installed edible landscaping at the L. T. Ross building

Expanded our composting system, including vermiculture

Started 3^rd Saturday Work Days

Created a Beginner Gardener’s Guide

Made a beautiful brochure, in English and Spanish

The list goes on and on.

These are your accomplishments, Knoxville. I’m so proud to have played a small part.

There’s more work to be done, always.

Beardsley won’t be left adrift, not by a long shot.

We have an absolutely INSPIRING AmeriCorps crew this year. They’ve, in their (much too short) time here, transformed Beardsley and brought new energy and insight to the ways in which we operate and serve the community. And then there is Khann Chov. She has been a constant source of encouragement and has taught me about leadership, compassion and humility. I am indebted to her, to all of my AmeriCorps team members and to each person who has given selflessly of themselves to Beardsley and its mission.

I love this job and I love this work. I will do my best to work for the things that create real good: food, soil, wild spaces, toil, craft, local economies, smallness and our children.

I will miss all of you but I’ll be right around the corner.

Start small.

Embrace your mistakes.

Remember… It takes a little longer than you think.

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front by Wendell Berry

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.

So, friends, every day do something
that won’t compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.

Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion – put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?

Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn’t go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

SSAWG

ben.epperson — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:16:16 +0000

In January we attended the SSAWG, Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, conference held in Chattanooga, TN. With such an influx of information, we’d like to share each of our learning experiences.

__________________________

I spent most of my time at SSAWG attending lectures on livestock production. The talks ranged from husbandry to pasture management to nutrition. One of the more interesting lectures I attended was given by Dr. Charles Sydnor from Burlington, NC. He was a proponent of “mob grazing” for cattle which involves allowing pasture grasses to fully mature and become what may be considered “overgrown.” Rather than turning out the cattle to graze the entire field the producer should aggressively move their herds through. The idea is to not graze all the grass down, but to trample the majority of those grasses to produce two primary goals: 1) An aggressive, non-selective feeding 2) A build-up of massed organic matter from the trampled grasses. This, in theory, produces healthier pastures by increasing soil fertility and forcing cattle to consume other plants (ideally invasives) they might otherwise avoid. If you’re interested in more information I would recommend this article from the Rodale Institute: http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/Slocum/20090310.

There were several courses on pasture care in this same vein. At the root of these talks were the detrimental effects of pesticide and fertilizer use in pastures. It is important to remember that there are many beneficial insects, bacteria, and fungi in the soil, and the majority of these are killed during sprayings. Soil fitness is one of the greatest issues to face the modern farmer and much can be done simply with proper care that allows beneficial life in the soil to thrive. These organisms are capable of building a much better soil than can be achieved with habitual sprayings. While these methods may not provide the instant results of the sprayings, but they can provide the same results and save you money in the long-term.

- Brian Blackmon

__________________________

In the diversity session that I attended, the speakers Hollis Watkins and Kulo Zigbi questioned our definitions of diversity and how our organization views diversity. Hollis was also our keynote speaker for the conference. The wisdom that he shared seemed to be drawn from his life experiences, including his work with the Civil Rights movement. He spoke with a simple elegance that allowed his conclusions to naturally flow from the dialogue. The most striking point was his comment on an organization’s attitude toward its community. He said an organization must see itself as a part of the community rather than just an entity serving the community. Though this may seem like a simple shift in attitude, it is without a doubt one of the most important. Recognizing our organization as a part of the community changes our language from us and them to we. For our farm to be a more stable part of our community, we must challenge ourselves to know our neighbors. Thus, the work that we do would a simple part of our relationship with the community.

- Lauren Bailey

__________________________

The SSAWG conference in Chattanooga this year was a real mixed bag. Some of the courses were excellent: well planned-out and on-point. Others, however, seemed haphazardly designed and strayed from the given topic. My favorites were the course on heirloom tomatoes, the lecture on sustainable beekeeping, and the talk about year-round lettuce production. Although at Beardsley we won’t be grafting out heirloom tomatoes onto disease-resistant rootstocks, I’m interested to try grafting one heirloom onto another. This would allow us to produce a single tomato plant bearing two or more different varieties of fruit. Because the beekeeping presentation focused primarily on splitting colonies in order to sell hives, we might not directly apply any of the techniques the lecturer presented. Nevertheless, the class also served as a crash-course on honeybees, and brought me up to speed on how we’re managing our four hives at Beardsley. The lettuce course included invaluable information on starting lettuce seed, varietal selection, and maximizing hoop house heat retention and efficiency. We’re already putting what we learned here into practice!

-Graham Taylor

__________________________

The most educational workshop I attended, by far, was Tomato Grafting. We learned that grafting is not only for fruit trees. It is a pretty simple process that we hope to use at Beardsley. It allows you to grow several type of tomatoes on one stem. The leader of the workshop showed us a picture of his personal plant, which had 3 different types of tomatoes growing from one stem. If you don’t have much space in your yard, it’s a great way to grow a variety of tomatoes.

It was reassuring to attend the Intensive Vegetable Production on a small scale. We do everything the urban farmers who presented do including composting scraps from restaurants, collecting rainwater, education. I was impressed that the garden in Atlanta did not have fences – if we didn’t have fences our produce would all be stolen. But Mr. Nuri justified the open space as being a welcoming place to anyone. I like his way of thinking, but if we are going to continue our donations as we have, it’s necessary to keep the fence. I think if the neighbors considered us a part of their community, things would be different at Beardsley. Perhaps there wouldn’t be so much vandalism. One way we can offer free produce to anyone, anytime is to have gleaning plots with signs that say “Take these!”. At least its a start to tearing down the fences.

- Claire Godschalk

__________________________

This year’s SSAWG conference was an enriching educational experience. Every agricultural conference I attend is a reminder that there is a whole movement of highly intelligent and passionate farmers, policy-makers and educators dedicated to delivering wholesome food to their communities and sustaining the arability of the land. As the outreach coordinator for the farm, I found myself attending workshops geared towards the policy procedures and sociology of the sustainable agriculture movement.
Even though some workshops were duds, I at least took some tidbits of information or contacts away from every session that I would like to share with you.

- An organization based out of Nashville works as an interfaith network to get grocery stores back into low-income food deserts. They “worship by combating injustice” rather than proselytizing their own interpretation of God. It is a program of the Manna-Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee. www.foodsecuritypartners.org AND www.restoringnashville.org.

- Graham mentioned the success of the year-round lettuce production session. The presenter discussed gestations periods, cover crop options, all-natural pest management and timing for planting and harvest. This was quite possibly the most informative workshop.

- We also listened to the “Barefoot Farmer” who follows Rudolph Steiner’s practices of facilitating a biodynamic system (a closed circuit of crop rotation, livestock and composting so that everything on the farm is utilized and nothing is wasted). His techniques were quite eccentric but the basic principles were rooted in efficiency, pragmatism and long-term productivity.

While I cannot rehash every detail, here are some resources brought to our attention through a networking session that may appeal to you if you are in line with values of SSAWG-goers:

Resources:

RAFI. Food Policy Council. Cefs.org. US Work Group on Food Crisis – anti-trust. NRCS. National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Grassroots Guide to 2008 Farm Bill. Farm to Cafeteria initiatives. Food First.

*”Right now we listen to respond. We must be a culture that listens to understand. “

*”Organizations trying to help the community see themselves not as members of the community but as working in that community. This must change if we are to connect and succeed.”

-Rachel Winner

__________________________

I attended a pre-conference field trip to Crabtree Farms, Chattanooga’s urban farm. It’s been a few years since I have seen the hard work and fruition of another urban farm in action. As an educator, I believe in learning through experience. A walk through the 22-acre farm was very informative. Many of Crabtree’s unique projects could be implemented at our own Beardsley Community Farm.

Beardsley and Crabtree have a lot in common. Our missions are to teach others about growing food in the city, by demonstrating it, and by serving as an education site. Beardsley and Crabtree are also influential in their communities, acting as partners to many like-minded organizations and encouraging others to grow their own food, in whatever capacity they can.

I was really impressed with their fundraisers, which include a huge pig roast in October and a fall and spring plant sale which generates thousands of dollars a year. Some of their successful practices include a CSA, a pick your own operations for their berries, and their shitake operations. Crabtree’s high tunnels were also spectacular. Crabtree Farms’ three high tunnels make it possible for them to extend their season, and to grow food year round. Their successes are inspirational, and we will certainly think of Crabtree Farms’ bounty as examples for innovative practices at Beardsley!

-Khann Chov

New Spring Classes

ben.epperson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:56:50 +0000

Spring is peeking her head around the corner. So, to lure in the Spring spirit, we are hosting two work days in February with classes on pruning and water catchment.

On February 20th, farm team member Graham Taylor will be teaching pruning methods– specifically fruit tree and blueberry pruning. The following Saturday, February 27th, former farm team member Frank Callo will be teaching a class about water catchment systems.

Each event is 10 am- 1pm, with the workshop lasting one hour and the rest of the time spent working on the farm. We hope that you will come out! Please email us or call us to register because space is limited.

Workshop and Workday Flyer

Food in the Fort Newsletter

ben.epperson — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:20:11 +0000

Beardsley Farm has received a grant that will improve our ability to provide food for Food in the Fort. Mark Inman, a new farm team member spearheading our Food in the Fort partnership, will be publishing a regular newsletter. Click Issue 1 b&w to see the first issue.

Thank you!

ben.epperson — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:08:59 +0000

Thanks to everyone who helped to make Snow Day possible. We had about 950 people attend the event — a good time was had by all. The event would have been impossible without the donations made by Barley’s, the bands, silent auction donors, and soup contestants.

The winner of The Souper Gourd Award was Coolato Gelato’s Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque!

Other soups that were entered into the contest:

Cream of Pea Soup by Sangrias

Creamy Mushroom & Delicata Bisque by Veg O Rama

Roasted Tomato Bisque by Cafe 4

Tomato Chipotle by Tomato Head

Chocolate Soup by Crown & Goose

Vegetarian Chili by Bistro at the Bijou

Can’t wait til next year! Until then, don’t be strangers. Come and hang out with us at Beardsley Community Farm.

Here are some pictures…

Healthy Kids Healthy Communities

ben.epperson — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:33:09 +0000

Last week, a press conference was held at the farm to announce that the Health Department of Knoxville is a recipient of the Healthy Kids Healthy Communities Robert Woods Johnson Foundation grant. At the press conference, Mayor Ragsdale, Stephanie Welch, and Mark Jones spoke about the plan of action for decreasing childhood obesity. With the $360,000, the Heath Department plans to fight childhood obesity in the neighborhoods of Lonsdale, Inskip and Mascot. The approach is to create better access to healthy food and to create safer environments where children can play. Currently in Knox County, four out of every ten children are obese.

Stephanie Welch cited our farm as the kind of work that she’d like to see spread throughout Knoxville. We are so proud to be the leading example to our community, and we hope that with our work and with this new grant initiative Knoxville will be a healthier community.

We played in the snow, too!

Snow Day is FRIDAY!

ben.epperson — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:02:42 +0000

SnowDay is Friday at Barley’s.

7pm til close.

William and Jennifer, Madre, Limit Nine, Jennifer Nicely, Slomski Brothers, Jamie Cook, The Enigmatic Foe.

All you can eat soup only $3.

Silent Auction Items: Bonnaroo tix. Fat Tire Bike.

YMCA Family Membership. & MUCH MORE!

Everybody’s coming. You Should Too! Support Knoxville’s only urban farm and have a blast.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Soup Contest at Snow Day!

ben.epperson — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:36:05 +0000

Snow Day is quickly approaching. We want to get you as excited about the event as we are. So, here’s a sneak peak at the restaurants that are providing soup for the soup contest. All of the restaurants have been asked to create their best vegetarian soup for the contest. The People’s Choice Soup Winner will receive the prized Gourd Award to be displayed in their restaurant all year long. Check out the restaurant descriptions and show up on Snow Day to vote your favorite soup!

THANKS TO ALL THE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR’S SOUP CONTEST!

Crown & Goose, our Gourd Award Soup Contest winner from 2009, is also a Gold Sponsor for this year’s Snow Day event. Customers of the Crown & Goose can enjoy a British style dinner at Knoxville’s first authentic London gastropub.

Tomato Head, with food as its’ main focus, has served the Knoxville area with fresh food since the early 90s and has recently expanded to the Maryville area. Their pizza and sandwiches include the freshest of ingredients and they gladly serve many vegetarian options.

Bistro at the Bijou is located in one of the most historic buildings in downtown Knoxville. The food, as described by Ben Epperson, is Southern French fusion. Dine at the Bistro for delicious food in a cozy atmosphere.

Veg O Rama is Knoxville’s full service vegetarian restaurant. They specialize in homemade veggie burgers, chili dogs and tofu reubens. With local and organic ingredients, Veg O Rama appeals to all health conscious consumers!

Sangrias in Market Square is a tapas bar that offers customers several flavorful dishes to share in Spanish style cuisine. It’s a pleasurable social dining experience based on great food and great discussion.

Coolato Gelato has Italian style gelatos, paninis & espressos. Though it has only recently opened in downtown, it hasn’t taken long for Coolato Gelato to catch the cool label. Their food is as smooth as their name.

Cafe 4 located in Market Square describes their cuisine as ” ‘comfort’ food with a ‘global’ flair.” They host live music which leaves the customer with a full dining experience and satisfied senses.

Thanks to our sponsors!