Farm Portraits

From left to right (sort of): Arugula, Mizuna Greens, Pickling Cucumbers, Basil, Marigolds, Pole Beans, Thyme, Thai Basil, German Thyme, Chair, Tomatoes, Nikki's Tomatoes.

From left to right (sort of): Jalapeños, Marigolds, Tomato crop, Cucumbers, Concrete Path, Beets, Swiss Chard, Peas, Lettuce Mix, Eggplant, Lima Beans, Green Peppers, Hot Red Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Marigolds, Flat Leaf Parsley, Carrots, Garlic

Pictures by Patrick.

"Is all this effort doing the planet good?"

In the New York Times: Urban Composting: A New Can of Worms. The article explains some of the unique circumstances we city folk have to deal with when it comes to composting. There are some funny stories in there. The article also asks how much good does composting do. It is no where near as helpful as recycling. That is the single best thing we can do. But it does keep trash out of landfills and finished compost is great for plants. 

For us, yes, it is a bit of work to manage Kimberly (our composter); chopping everything up, making sure there's a good balance of material we put in there, turning it…just add it to the list. But it's fun. She is our own little science experiment. 

Article written by Mireya Navarro.

NYTimes.com also has an entire section about composting.

Petition: Food Democracy Now!

Help encourage President Obama to fill the Department of Agriculture with individuals who believe in sustainability and are motivated to change our food chain for the better. Sign the petition… read about the nominees and just hope they've paid their taxes.

Infarmation: Garlic 101

Farmer no. 1 recently purchased garlic at a local corner store and noticed the words "GROWN IN CHINA" on the label. Think of all the pesticides, soil conditions and pollution in China....alarmed by this thought, the garlic was immediately thrown away. We started checking the garlic at all the local grocery stores and found "GROWN IN CHINA" at every store. Why are our local grocery stores selling something that can easily be grown locally?

Very upset by this discovery, we immediately went to the farmers market to purchase locally grown product. The subject was discussed with a local farmer and he said that most garlic in U.S. grocery stores is grown in China, and what is currently in stores was harvested last year!

The Brooklyn Farm will now officially begin growing garlic...and you might consider planting a few bulbs too. It is very easy to grow and Fall is the ideal time to plant garlic for the optimum bulb and shoot development.

We will order our bulbs now and plant in October. Check out the Garlic Store in Ft. Collins, CO. to purchase organic, USA grown bulbs available in lots of interesting varieties. By Spring, we'll have fresh, organic garlic. In the meantime, we recommend buying garlic solely from the farmers market.

For more information on growing garlic, click here.

Infarmation: Skyscraper Farming

Interesting article in the NY Times today about creating "verdant, self-sustaining towers where city slickers cultivated their own food." It seems a bit strange to have a farm behind glass and 20 stories high...this is taking the idea of eating local to the extremes.
Check it out and tell us what you think.

Photos by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mithun and SOA Architects.

Infarmation: Politics of Food

On the radio today was an interview with Paul Roberts who spoke about his book The End of Food. The material is a little doom and gloom but a very worthwhile ear-opening listen. 

Find Out:

> How much Americans pay for food compared to the rest of the world, and why

> How a food shortage made the English army shorter

> Why South Korea is wrong

> What percentage of food costs goes to marketing and advertising

> Why food from China is cheaper and why it is scary

The interview is a half-hour long, listen here:

Download the .mp3