After Ariana's great article was sent out yesterday as a City Dirt Newsletter, about EcoFarm and the Chef to Farmer connection, I came across this piece in the
Wall Street Journal, stating that California is losing so much farmland to development, that even though people want to go local for their food, it's very difficult. Even the urban farms can't make up for the subdivisions spreading out to rural areas.

The line between farmers and chefs is getting more and more blurry as restaurants source ingredients from their own gardens and chefs and farmers have more direct interaction. The close relationship between chefs and farmers is not a new trend - Chez Panisse (and others) brought the traditional interdependent relationship to California from Europe in the 1970s - but now even more restaurants in the U.S. are inviting their customers to enjoy a fine meal and take a walk through their farm or garden. The French Laundry in Yountville and the newly opened Farmstead Restaurant at Long Meadow Ranch in Napa to name a few.

And then there are the chefs who might not have a garden or farm directly attached to their restaurant, but make it a policy to buy their ingredients directly from farmers that they know and, in some cases, learn and work alongside. Programs like the Farm and Garden Apprenticeship at UC Santa Cruz's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and conferences like the Ecological Farming Association's conference, aka EcoFarm, attract organic farmers and gardeners, but chefs, like Jesse Cool, say it's important for the people who cook food to take part as well. Cool owns a group of restaurants, including the Flea Street Café in Menlo Park, and the catering company, CoolEatz .

Since she started as a restaurateur in the Bay Area in 1976, she's made it a point to know the local farmers she relies on for fresh and sustainably grown fruits and veggies. (Fat Cabbage, a fledgling farm in Pescadero started by graduates of the UCSC program, is one of these farms.) Cool has also been on the EcoFarm Board of Directors for 26 years and attended this year's conference with a newer chef from the Flea Street Cafe, Carlos Cañada. Cool explains that knowing exactly who grows her food and the farm it comes from is a way to complete the circle from soil to table. And now it's important to her to introduce younger chefs, like Carlos, to this idea.

While Cool does not have a farm attached to any of her restaurants, she's an avid gardener and is always looking to grow something unusual to share with her customers. She sees it as another way to take food from beginning to end and to recognize how people who grow and cook it both fit into that loop.

To hear more about the importance of conferences like EcoFarm and the chef and farmer relationship from Jesse and Carlos, click here:

Jesse and Carlos at EcoFarm.mov

Article and Video by Ariana Reguzzoni

You can get the most interesting heirlooms and other varieties by starting your plants with seeds rather than purchasing them as starts from a nursery. Most people had those little egg carton planter projects in grade school. That's really how simple it is. Add dirt, press a seed in, and remember to water. Garden supply stores and many hardware stores sell seed starter kits with little pellets of humus and clear plastic trays to cover them with, creating a greenhouse effect and keeping them warm and moist.

However, if you are gardening in small spaces, like indoors or your windowsill, then you don't need tons of plants and the seed starting kits. These are often rather large plastic containers with clear plastic glass and I consider them something of an eyesore to have in your house.

If you live in a small space and the seedlings are visible, grow them in something that looks nice. When cultivating small amounts of salad greens indoors use Edwardian terrariums made of glass and metal or a large cloche with saucer. They have the same greenhouse effect as the plastic kits, yet look nice in your living space. Salad greens grow quickly from seeds and starts work even for the impatient gardener. Herbs, especially the woodier ones like rosemary, are much more slow growing and so it's worth it to just buy them as starts.

For smaller starts, get very small, clean terra cotta planters with drainage holes in the bottom. Fill them with good potting soil and plant a few seeds in each one. To intensify the heat and light, put them under a cloche, or a bell shaped glass, or inside a glass terrarium. This will also look very nice and could go in the center of a table if it's in a sunny spot. Keep the seedlings moist. When they start to sprout, remove the glass cover. If there are too many plants growing up against each other, cull out the spindlier ones. After each plant has a few leaves, fertilize them with worm castings.

If they are going to be outdoor plants, they will need to be hardened off, so put them outside on mild days, and bring them back in at night. Do this for a few weeks, and then transplant them into your window box.

Save your cloche, terrarium and small terra cotta containers for the next round of seeds or plant small, tropical houseplants in the pots and keep them under the glass as a centerpiece.

This is excerpted from A Little Piece of Earth, How To Grow Your Own Food in Small Spaces published by Rizzoli Books, Feb. 16th, 2010.

Salad greens are very easy to start by seed and can be grown indoors near a sunny window or outdoors on a small balcony since they don't require pollination. You can either start seeds in small pots and transfer them to a larger container when they are ready, or just plant them right in to the soil. The latter is the easiest way for small space indoor gardening.

During peak summer months lettuces tend to "bolt" or grow upright and develop a bitter taste and tough texture, so plan a box for spring or early summer, harvest, and then sow new seeds or add new starts to replant for an autumn salad box. Mix varied colors and leaf textures in your boxes for aesthetics. Different greens will also offer a variety of textures and flavors that will make for an interesting salad. Some greens, such as arugula and escarole, tend to be on the bitter side, while those in the mustard family are spicy and others, like red or green leaf, romaine and butter lettuces are sweeter and mild. A little chervil adds a nice hint of anise to your salad. As well, I like to add edible flowers like nasturtium for a spicy flavor, or borage for a sweeter one. (The flowers will need to be outside, since they need pollination, but the greens can be grown indoors.)

Either buy starts from a local nursery, or order your seeds. The starts are bigger, but I like the variety offered by seed companies. A few good places to try are Seed Saver's Exchange, Kitchen Garden Seeds, and The Cook's Garden.

Instructions

1. Make sure your container has drainage holes in the bottom and (if it's indoors) that there is something to catch the water run-off. If the container doesn't have drainage, drill holes in the bottom.

2. If you'd like, layer landscaper's cloth along the bottom so that when the water runs out, not too much soil goes with it.

3. Fill your container with good organic potting soil. To mix your own potting soil, see this post. Then, if using seeds, poke holes into the soil with your finger. Space them about 4 inches apart.

4. Sprinkle a few seeds into the hole, and then pat the soil back over the hole. (If you are using starts, see the Strawberry Box instructions for loosing the roots, then plant.) Water!

5. When plants start appearing, cull out some of the new sprouts, leaving the largest, healthiest shoots.

6. Keep soil moist to the touch.

7. You can harvest mixed salad greens when they are young and tender. Don't cut or pick the entire plant; rather, pull off the outer leaves and the let the plants keep growing. (The box shown in Photo 9 above provides about one small salad a day, or a larger salad every two days.)

8. This salad planter shown in Photo 10 has some greens that are particularly good for cooler weather. They include Joi Choi, which is tolerant to heat and cold, Giant Red Mustard, my favorite in salads, Frisse, as well as arugula (although sometimes my arugula goes to seed and sprouts yellow flowers). I clip those flowers and use them in salads as they have a nice spicy flavor. This planter also grows radicchio (this is great in a salad with pomegranate seeds in the winter), and red and green leaf lettuce.

Additional Notes: This box can take some dappled shade, but should get about 6 hours of sun a day in cooler temperatures. Keep the soil moist to touch. In really hot, sunny places, your greens won't be happy in peak summer, so put some sun-loving herbs in them. If you live in a cool place or have partial shade, go ahead with your autumn replanting a little earlier. Plant your box with tatsoi, escarole, and mâche spinach, and chard for an early winter salad box.

This post was originally published on Apartment Therapy and is from the book, A Little Piece of Earth, How To Grow Your Own Food in Small Spaces by by Maria Finn.

Foraging Advice from A Little Piece of Earth.

Miner's lettuce season is upon Northern Cal...

I think they needed just a little sun.

When winter comes to Italy, the lemon trees potted in terra cotta get moved indoors. Every large estate has a sunny, ventilated room to store their lemons, known as a limonaia. Winter is when the trees bloom, and I've always imagined a room full of these as exquisite to the point of intoxicating. Worried about cold snaps, I've brought my Meyer lemon tree indoor and the smell of blossoms on just one tree greet me every time I walk in the house. Sweeter citrus trees like oranges and tangerines need more heat, but acidic ones like lemons, limes and kumquats do very well inside. My favorites for keeping in sunny windows are Meiwa kumquat, Kaffir lime, and probably the most popular indoor fruit tree, the dwarf Improved Meyer Lemon. Keep these in a sunny window.

Order Your Tree
When ordering your tree, find out how large it will be. They are usually sold by their age or container size. Purchase one that's two-three years old (the tree should be at least 3 feet high by then) and plant them in a container only 2 inches larger than the root ball.
You can order these from your local nursery or
Four Winds Grower

Step 1: Place a saucer that is larger than the container you will plant the tree in with pebbles under the plant and add some water to the saucer. This way the roots aren't soaking, but the plant gets moisture from the evaporating water.

Step 2: Make sure your planter has drainage holes in it. If it doesn't be sure to drill or hammer holes into it.

Step 3: If you'd like cut and layer a strip of landscaper's cloth over the bottom. This helps the dirt from flowing out when you water.

Step 4: Fill the planter about three-fourths full with a potting soil. (See LINK for mixing your own potting soil.)

Step 5: Remove the citrus tree from its nursery pot and gently massage its roots so they can spread more easily.

Step 6: Place the plant into the pot and then fill in around it with more soil. Press down around the base of the plant. Don't cover the trunk with soil or leave any roots exposed.

Step 7: After planting, water it thoroughly.

Step 8: Indoor citrus trees like to be misted with water regularly. I tend to mist all my indoor plants when it rains outside so they don't feel like they're missing anything. If you live in a drier climate, mist more often. (And if you have a cat, a loving spray from the water bottle helps keep them off the tree!)

Step 9: Mulch. Mulch is great for outdoor plants as it helps retain moisture and helps protect the roots during the winter months. You don't need mulch for indoor plants, but I like the look of this colorful beach glass, and admittedly, this mulch is more decorative than anything else.

Step 10: When you have a cluster of tiny lemons, pull off about 2/3rd's of them off the tree so the remaining one will grow into a full size fruit.

This post was originally published on Apartment Therapy and is from the book, A Little Piece of Earth, How To Grow Your Own Food in Small Spaces by by Maria Finn.

In Medieval times strawberries symbolized prosperity, peace, and perfection. Through history they have also be considered aphrodisiacs, and some lore has it that Native Americans taught settlers how to sweeten cornbread with strawberries, and this was the inception of the strawberry shortcake. What is undisputed about strawberries is that they have no fat, very few calories, yet are rich in vitamin C, potassium, folic acid, fiber, and vitamin B6. And very few things taste better than a perfectly ripe strawberry. As well, you don't need a backyard, just a sunny windowsill. And in many parts of Northern California, you can grow these year rounds.


Types of Strawberries:

Primarily, people grow three different kinds of strawberries: June Bearing strawberries produce one large crop in early summer. These are the biggest berries and their root system is on runners and the plants spread easily. The other two, Everbearing and Alpine produce berries from spring into fall, and these are the most practical for reaching out your window so you can pluck a berry or two to add to your yogurt in the morning. These are smaller berries than June Bearing, but still very sweet. If you have a shadier spot, you try growing Alpine Strawberries, a wild European variety that is small, but is a pretty plant and the fruit has a nice flavor. Two of my favorite heirlooms are "Yellow Wonder Wild Strawberry" and the "Alpine Migonette."

A real advantage to growing your own strawberries is that on commercial, non-organic farms large amounts of pesticides are used to grow strawberries. In fact, they are one of the most pesticide laden fruit to be found on grocery store shelves. According to the Environmental Working Group website, pesticides were found on 90 percent of the strawberries tested.

What You Need

1. Window box with drainage holes: To make drainage holes yourself you will need a drill or hammer and large nail.
2. Potting soil
3. Landscaping cloth: Optional. These only come in large rolls, so it might not be worth it to buy an entire roll for your windowbox. If you see someone using a roll of it, ask them for a swatch.
4. Strawberry starts from your local nursery: You can also use seeds. I've listed two of my favorite seeds companies here, but strawberries can take a long time to grow. For small windowboxes, you will only need 3 plants per windowbox, so it doesn't cost much more to just buy the plants at your local nursery. If you want to start your plants by seed, two of my favorite places are Renee's Garden and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
5. Water

In temperate climates like Northern California, strawberries will grow and fruit year round. For climates with a hard winter, strawberries should be planted when it seems the last freeze has passed. If a snap freeze is going to hit, bring them indoors until it passes. They should grow and fruit until it starts freezing again.
Before Starting

Mix Your Potting Soil

Almost all garden centers sell excellent potting soil enhanced with everything from bat guano to seaweed. Since you are planting things you will eat, don't skimp on this and buy organic. There are many different ways to mix your own potting soil, but the main components you want from your materials are elements that keep the soil lightweight and well drained, like vermiculite or perlite. The soil also needs an element that will hold moisture, like peat moss or humus. This is important, as pots tend to dry out faster than the ground and the smaller the pot, the faster it dries out. Worm castings also provide humus that help retain moisture. The more you water, the more you will need to add nutrients, as these drain out of the soils. And the smaller the container, the more you will water, so keep your worm castings coming.

To make your own potting soil, start with 1/3 rich, organic soil. Add 1/3 vermiculite or perlite and 1/3 worm castings.
Instructions

1. Make drainage holes in the bottom of your window box.

2. Cut a piece of landscaper's cloth and lay this on the bottom of the windowbox (optional). This just lets the water flow out, but holds back some of the potting soil.

3. Fill the box up 2/3 of the way with potting soil. .

4. Remove your starts from the container they came in and gently massage the roots, so they will spread more easily once planted. .

5. Place the starts in the window box, and space them about 3-4 inches apart. Then fill in around them with potting soil. Plant the strawberry starts even to the soil level--don't bury the stems or expose the roots.

6. Water them well after planting and keep the soil moist to the touch. Full sun is best, but during the hottest months be sure and give them extra water. Some varieties, like the alpines, tolerate partial shade.

7. They should produce strawberries during temperate months.

Additional Notes:

On Co-Planting: Sometimes I add tiny flowers to the box, like the Sweet Alyssum pictured here. I like how they look and they attract pirate bugs that eat pests that will harm the strawberries, although doing so means your strawberries will have a little less space, and may need to be replaced sooner.

This posting was first published on Apartment Therapy and is from the book, A Little Piece of Earth, How To Grow Your Own Food in Small Spaces by by Maria Finn.

Maria Finn, founder of City Dirt, is guest blogger this month at Apartment Therapy. Here is the first post.

It all begins with the soil. Worms are the great transformers of landscape through eating and digesting. They can consume a patch of stones and over time turn it into a fertile field. Worms continually pass soil through their intestinal canals, keep anything they can use for food, and then "cast" the rest. With indoor worm composters, these creatures can take your coffee grinds, lettuce scraps and apple cores and turn them into fertilizer castings that your plants will love.

Read More...

These days it's hard to believe that California is still in a drought, but when it downpours, imagine all the water rolling off your roof, over the pavement, and washing the roadside pollutants and debris into the rivers and wetlands. The egrets and herons are wading in it, the shorebirds shoveling their beaks through it, and it's wreaking havoc on California salmon spawn.

Native plants that like having wet feet in the winter, and handle drought conditions in the summer are perfect for staunching this. Installed near drainpipes, they slow the rush of rainwater so that it soaks into the ground before making it to waterways. They also create a filtration system so that it not only slows the water, but the plants and ground filter it of many toxins. It also helps slow river bank erosion. As well it helps to improve the quality of your garden's soil so that come the dry months, you need to water less.

Julie Vogt of Lagunitas was tired of paying a huge water bill every summer to keep her grass green, so she stopped watering, let it die, and then planted native sedge grasses. As well, she installed cisterns to catch rainwater. The effect was a beautiful garden and the water from the cisterns provided irrigation for the native plant nursery that is on her property and maintained by SPAWN. The natives are planted along riverbeds to help stop erosion and save spawning areas for California salmon. "The more impervious surfaces that are built, like parking lots and buildings, the worse this problem is going to get," Julie stated. "Rain gardens help, getting rid of lawns help, as do preserving or creating green spaces."

SPAWN has teamed up Marin Municipal Water District to launch the 10,000 Rain Gardens Project. They provide technical and design assistance to residents and businesses in Marin County for harvesting rainwater and installing native gardens. Visit their website HERE for more details.

And it's not just Marin County. This month, the El Cerrito Green Streets Rain Garden is being implemented on public walkways to help staunch the flow of water and help keep pesticides, PCBs, mercury, and copper from running into the San Francisco Bay.

Plant lovers in Palo Alto can attend the Native Plant Nursery Workday on Wednesday to plant seedlings in marshes. Visit Save the Bay

To find out what you can do in your neighborhood visit Estuary Partnership

Tips: Community Service

Tip: You can volunteer to plant seedlings at your local non-profit that restores wetlands. This counts as community service to help pay down traffic tickets. So double up on that debt to society!

Available February 16th!