Organics pt. 2

    There are a few ways chemicals get into food. Absorption from soil, is a major way. Another way is, what's sprayed on the plant. These compounds, often aimed at weeds and insects, could build up in the animals, dairy, and consumers eating these plants.  Other than those ideas, fruits and veggies, straight from the garden, is a nice addition to most meals.
    When planting a garden I like to clear all trash from the area, and be careful of what goes into compost.  A clean water source is also important. For the soil and natural waterways, as I dig in I'll take the time to remove any plastics, painted woods, cement, asphalt, etc.. For compost, I'll be sure to remove any stickers or ties. I'll then build up compost, mixing different soils knowing they are free of contaminates.
     I haven't used sprays in my smaller backyard gardening. On a larger scale pests can take out entire crops in a few days if the conditions are right. Companion planting helps a lot by providing biodiversity.  I'll try to feed with a constant source of compost so the plants don't get stressed out or more susceptible to pests.   

 Happy Gardening!

Urban Gardens of San Francisco

   It's nice to find peaceful gardens in the midst of a busy metropolis. While traveling to San Francisco I found a few urban gardens.  

     The first one was tucked in the back of an average park.  There is a large range of plants that are kept by kids in an after-school program.

      I ran into a neat "Mini-park," while on the way to another community garden.   It was surprising to see how much variety was between two large condos!  

       After traveling further, I found a neat strip of community organized gardens.  The lady there said it was originally part of a homeless employment program, however that program was shut down and it is now a garden the local residents keep up.  It seems like a good way to get people outside and working together.

   
      I ran into this garden on the walk back.  It was at a school with a large lemon tree, that fruit on it in January!  It is neat to see that even in a big city, youth are learning in nature.

 
      Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed.

Winter Update

    The cold season is in and the leaves have nearly all fallen.  This is a good time for planting leafy greens, onions, garlic, broccoli and other frost tolerant plants.  Last month I cleared out the beds and turned them with compost, leaves, and chicken droppings/hay.  The ground is softer now and has fewer deep-rooted weeds.

   A few weeks ago I planted arugula, beets, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, Swiss chard, and peas.   Between the hens eating them and the nights where it got really cold they are stunted to say the least.
Instead I began to focus on weed removal and making a few more beds.

   Recently I just planted some red lettuce and blue broccoli from the local nursery; as seen in the photo.

   The lettuce is an heirloom variety called Red Romaine. Red lettuce seems to do well in frost and is very flavorful.  I'm hoping the broccoli will help keep the frost away from the lettuce once it grows larger.

   No-till gardening is becoming easier the more I dig in.  There are some things I've learned that make a huge difference.  First, let the ground work for you; instead of exhausting yourself with digging up a clay bed, pile organic material over it and water it for a few months.  Once the ground is softer then dig the leaves or mulch into the clay.

   Second, make sure to water any compost or organic matter you wish to activate;  by activate I mean bring to life.  The process of composting is done by a mix of factors, we mainly think of worms.  There are a lot of other insects, bacteria, etc. that play a part in the decomposition of soil.  They need plenty of water to remain present and flourish.

  As I go through the dirt, I set aside any fair sized rocks in one of the paths; to help roots grow more freely and to get fewer misshaped carrots or onions.  I'm looking forward to the warmer season with longer days.  That's all for now.  Thanks for reading and best of luck with the garden!

24 hour meat and sugar fast

       Fasting is something there is much debate about.  Everyone has an opinion, here's mine.  To start here's a article on an interesting study done in Utah.  http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=3988629   While I like the idea of giving my body some time to recover and cleanse itself.  During a 24 hour fast I feel like I have less energy.  So I've been thinking and reading.  I think that to fast from meats and sugars for 24 hours is really beneficial and can be done more often than a complete fast.  You wouldn't have the drop in energy either.   This is a picture of bacon peanut brittle to get an idea of what to eat with care.

       So why meat and sugar you may be asking.  Well I learned in a marine biology class that because animals are higher on the food pyramid they contain 10 times the toxins of the food they eat.  And sugar in a processed refined form also interact with our body very similarly to a toxin.  It does so by providing energy without any nutritional value, so in order for that energy to be used, it must take nutrition from the rest of the body.  Besides this the digestive system can use the time to revitalize and function at prime.

I've found this to help with stress and getting over a cold or flu faster.  As well as getting more energy on a daily basis. I hope you found something you enjoyed reading here today.  Till next time folks.

The At Home Workout Plan

Are you like many people these days and have a busy daily life?  While wanting to improve your health, you don't seem to find the time. Well here's an easy 3 in 1 solution.  Turn your lawn into a garden!  Instead of driving across town and/or paying to work out, why not start a garden and get the exercise while doing something you enjoy.  Also you can get tasty vegetables to add to home cooked meals.  


Start small and use fallen leaves or grass clippings to amend the soil. Then pick up seeds from local hardware stores and begin your vegetable or flower garden.  You will quickly feel the exercise even just moving around a bit more.  The fresh air is great and the various activities are good for building core muscles and endurance.  There are many resources online for stuff like this.  Try searching Backyard Gardening or similar keywords.


After a few months of consistent work you can get nutritious vegetables, herbs etc...  This will make your work easier as you get natural vitamins. 


There you have it, an at home workout with a built-in nutrition plan.  You can spend as much or as little time as you'd like.