May 2013 Cape Cod Organic Gardeners Newsletter

Next Meeting:  Thursday, May 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whelden Library, Rte. 149,  West Barnstable.   Please park in rear lot.

This will be a sharing meeting.  Please bring your questions and helpful gardening suggestions.  Together we learn and profit.  The results of this Saturday’s plant sale will be reported.

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Thank you to Palma Puzzuoli and Judy Recknagel for providing refreshments at the last meeting!

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Horticultural Vinegar

CCOG member John Hunt sent us some details regarding using vinegar as an organic weed killer. He is also willing to organize a group order if there is enough interest. Follow the links below for more information, and if you’d like to participate in a group order, contact John at johnhunt@att.net.

Info on recipe for weed killer: http://www.dirtdoctor.com/Vinegar_vq778.htm

Here is link to Ozark 10% vinegar, good for general purpose cleaning like laundry, dishwasher, coffee pot (removes hard water/mineral deposits on these appliances). You can also use in the Organic herbicide; but, as I mentioned, I prefer the 20%.
http://stores.gardenvarietyorganics.com/-strse-105/Ozark-White-Distilled-Vinegar/Detail.bok

I estimated the shipping for 12 bottles its about $100; 1 bottle shipping is about $17.

Here is the %20 bottle I use:
http://stores.gardenvarietyorganics.com/-strse-106/Maestro-Gro-20-pct–Vinegar/Detail.bok

Here is the Garden Variety Home Page:
http://stores.gardenvarietyorganics.com/StoreFront.bok

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April 2013 Cape Cod Organic Gardeners Newsletter

NOFA Bulk Order

Thank you to Kevin, Tamar, Frank and Judith for picking up the NOFA bulk order.

Bulk Order Potatoes

The second bulk order pickup will be Saturday, April 13 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Kelly Farm, 66 Marston Lane, Cummaquid. This is for seed potatoes, onion sets and shallots. If you are unable to pick up your order at that time, please call Jean to make other arrangements (508-362-8136).

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April Meeting:
Year-Round Vegetable Production with Eliot Coleman (Part II)

Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whelden Library, Rte. 149,  West Barnstable.   Please park in rear lot.

For our next meeting, we’ll continue viewing the DVD Year-Round Vegetable Production with Eliot Coleman, a filmed workshop on year-round vegetable production which offers farmers and gardeners the rare chance to sit in with Eliot Coleman, one of the pioneers of the organic farming movement and author of The New Organic Grower, Four-Season Harvest, and The Winter Harvest Handbook.

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Save the Date: the Plant Sale will be Saturday, May 11

If you haven’t yet started your seedlings, it’s time!  Start them a little earlier so we’ll have sizeable plants for the sale.  Here are Jean’s recommended start dates:

Also, start thinking about which of your perennials are due to be split this year – when you’ve split them, you can pot them up as plant sale donations too!

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Cultivating Blueberries Organically

Thank you to Stephen Whittlesey for his informative talk at our last meeting.  Here is some of what we learned:

1. Have the soil tested. It should be 4.5-5.5 pH. The local extension service can do this.
2. Purchase 3-year-old bushes and plant 4-5 feet apart. If you need to acidify, use sulfur.  Blueberries do not like wet feet.
3. Remove blooms the first year.
4. Prune between November and January. Take out 1/3 of the canes. Leave 2 or 3 canes – save the canes with fruit buds (which they set in the fall). Thin out every year, 4-5 canes.
5. Pest Control: For winter moth, spray with dormant oil in early spring. Spray before the leaf bud opens to smother the worm. For spotted wing fruit fly, spray when forsythia is in bloom. Use pyrethrum (PyGanic). Permethin repels ticks. Wear rubber boots to protect against ticks. The county entomologist, Larry Dapsis, has ongoing research and strategies for winter moth and spotted wing drosophila. The county agricultural agent is Russ Norton.
6. Add ammonium sulfate for nitrogen. Keep bushes open for sunshine by pruning.
7. Steve’s preferred cultivars: Duke, Blue Ray, Patriot, Blue Crop, Northland, Sierra, Rubel, Jersey.
8. More information available from the Mid Atlantic Berry Guide for Commercial Growers; also Cornell, Rutgers, and UMass ag. school docs.
9. Country Garden in Hyannis has some products for pest control and acidifying soil. Crop Production Services in Carver, MA (508-866-4429) is a good commercial source for these products.
10. Koppert Biological Systems in MI sells bumblebee colonies. 810-632-8750.

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Thank you to Barbara Kiusalas and Christl Barbour for providing refreshments at the last meeting!

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Our heartfelt condolences to Lois Fornier on her father’s passing.  Lois said he passed away peacefully the morning after our potluck, and she sends her thanks to all who expressed concern.

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Kevin Mennegerode has a snow thrower that runs, and the ‘throw-part’ works but the gear box is shot thanks to mice. It is free for the taking to anyone who wants it. Contact Kevin at kbmnlmcapecod@hotmail.com.

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February 2013 Cape Cod Organic Gardeners Newsletter

March Meeting:
Cultivating Blueberries Organically

Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whelden Library, Rte. 149,  West Barnstable.  Please park in rear lot.

CCOG members have been lucky to have the opportunity to pick organic blueberries at Stephen Whittlesey’s blueberry patch in West Barnstable.   At our March meeting, Steve will share some of his knowledge and experience in growing blueberries.

Steve  purchased the 2 1/2 acre property in 1969 and built a home on the upland. The blueberry patch, which was planted by the original owner of the property, took up over an acre and a half of the parcel.  The entire parcel was carved off the West Barnstable Brick Company property, long after it closed in the 1930s, for the purpose of building the patch.  There are several varieties of highbush blueberries present, including old varieties such as: Stanley, Jersey, Rubel, Wareham, Rancocas, and Pioneer, plus some new varieties which Steve has planted in recent years, such as: Bluecrop, Northland, Sierra, Patriot, Duke, and Blueray.  There are about twelve hundred bushes, and they have always been managed organically.  The patch was untended for several years while Steve was busy with other things, but he has been spending the last six or eight years restoring it. He tried wholesaling berries in the seventies, but, unable to compete with large-scale blueberry farms, he has since operated as a pick-your-own-berries enterprise.

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Start Seedlings Early for Plant Sale

The annual CCOG plant sale will be earlier in May this year, so please start your seedlings earlier so we’ll have sizeable plants for the sale.  Here are Jean’s recommended start dates:

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NOFA Bulk Order Pickup:  Saturday, March 16

The NOFA bulk order pickup will be held at the Meetinghouse Farm (same location as last year) on Saturday, March 16 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.  The Farm is located on Route 149 on the north side of Route 6 near the historic 1717 Meetinghouse in the Village of West Barnstable in the Town of Barnstable.  Please bring your copy of the order you placed.

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Thanks!

Fun at the Potluck

Thank you so very much to Lois and Gerry Fournier for again hosting the winter potluck!

Recipes:

Coconut Basmati Rice

1 1/4 cups water
1 cup white basmati rice
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
1 piece cinnamon stick (1 – 1 1/2 inches)
1/4 cup currants or raisins
1 dried chile (optional)

In a heavy saucepan with a tightly fitting lid, bring the water to a boil. While the water heats, rinse the rice well. When the water boils, stir in the rice and all of the remaining ingredients. Return to a boil. Stir, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and optional chile. Stir to fluff the rice and serve.

Curried Corn and Peppers

1 cup chopped scallions
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoons curry powder
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cut corn (10-oz package)
2 tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Sauté the scallions and bell pepper in the butter on medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in the curry powder and the corn. Chop the tomatoes and add them to the skillet. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are heated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Butternut and Pear Soup

3-4 lbs of butternut squash
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 chopped shallot
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 ripe pears, peeled cored and cut into chunks
6 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/4 cup heavy cream

Roast squash. Remove seeds and peel. Place squash in a bowl and mash coarsely. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat oil and add onion, shallot, ginger, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until onion is soft and begins to brown (about 10 min.). Add pears and cook another 5 min. Measure 3 cups of cooked, mashed squash and add to the saucepan. Stir in broth, honey and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 min. Puree in a blender or food processor, then return to saucepan. Stir in the cream and keep warm. Do not boil.
Makes 9 cups.

November 2012 Cape Cod Organic Gardeners Newsletter

This Month’s Meeting:
Year-Round Vegetable Production with Eliot Coleman (Part I)

Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whelden Library, Rte. 149,  West Barnstable.

As promised, this month we’ll be viewing the first part of the DVD Year-Round Vegetable Production with Eliot Coleman, a filmed workshop on year-round vegetable production which offers farmers and gardeners the rare chance to sit in with Eliot Coleman, one of the pioneers of the organic farming movement and author of The New Organic Grower, Four-Season Harvest, and The Winter Harvest Handbook.

Eliot Coleman

From Amazon Editorial Review: “During his careers as commercial market gardener, director of agricultural research projects, developer of tools for organic growers, and teacher and lecturer on organic gardening, Coleman has studied, practiced, and perfected his craft, and while you can bring Coleman’s books with you into your garden, there’s nothing like getting the advice straight from the man himself.  Experience a workshop with bestselling author and expert in season extension, based on a filmed day-long workshop and extensive interview. Complete with a slide show, images from Coleman’s own farm over the years, his travels to Europe, and detailed plans for his model of season extension, this film is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sit down with a master.”

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NOFA Bulk Order

The bulk order program available through NOFA provides savings through its group purchasing power on many necessary items … from cover crop seed and fertilizers to seed potatoes and onions/shallots.
The bulk order form will be available to download from NOFA on January 1, 2013 at: http://www.nofamass.org/programs/bulk-order-program. Print out the form and fill out your selections. Keep a copy for yourself, and mail the completed order form with your check to:

Carolyn Albrycht
5 Sachem Circle
E. Sandwich, MA 02537

Carolyn must receive your order by January 10. Please include taxes where necessary … but note that not all items are taxable. Call Carolyn if you have questions: (508)888-3905.
Members without computer access should send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Carolyn by 12/15. The order form will then be mailed to you as soon as available.

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Annual Dues $5/Year

Membership Dues are due in January. You must be a paid CCOG member to participate in the Bulk Order.
Please make checks out to CCOG and send to:

Jean Iversen
P.O. Box 464
Cummaquid, MA 02637

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Pot Luck 2013 – Please Note Date Change

Our winter pot luck will be Sunday, January 27, at 1:30 p.m. at the home of:

Lois Fournier
128 Ashley Dr.
Centerville, MA 02632

Snow date February 3rd.

October 2012 Cape Cod Organic Gardeners Newsletter

This Month’s Meeting:  Healing From The Inside Out

Thursday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Whelden Library, Rte. 149,  West Barnstable.

Organic Vegetables from the Garden

Group Discussion:  Members will share their experiences on the topic of putting the garden to bed.

Healing From The Inside Out: Speaker Katherine Reynolds will give a presentation on why we should eat organically.

Thanks!

Thank you to all who showed their gardens this summer!

July 2012 Cape Cod Organic Gardeners Newsletter

Summer Garden Tours – August

Sun., Aug 12 at 3:00 pm:  Checkerberry Farm, 46 Tar Kiln Rd, Orleans.  (This tour replaces the previously announced tours for this date, which have been cancelled for now.)  Founded in 1996, Checkerberry Farm is a 8-acre farm run by Gretel Norgeot.  Gretel has four beehives, a greenhouse, and a garden.  Directions: From Rte 6 eastbound, take Exit 11.  Turn left onto Rte 137 and then take an immediate left onto Pleasant Bay Road.  Continue 1/2 mile, then turn left onto Rte 39.  Follow Rte 39 for 1 1/2 miles.  At the blinking yellow light, turn right, then take the 8th driveway on the left, #46.

Sun., Aug 26 at 3:00 pm:  Brewster Community Gardens, First Parish Brewster Unitarian Universalist GrOW Sustainability Initiative Garden, and private home gardens and sculpture at 93 Finlay Rd, Orleans.

We meet at Brewster Community Gardens, Brewster Conservation Area on Lower Rd in Brewster.  Directions: Take Rte 6A to Exit 10. Go north on Rte 124 towards Brewster. At the intersection of 6A, go left. Shortly on the right will be the Lutheran church. Bear right on Lower Rd. and continue for .3 mi. to the sign for Brewster Conservation Area on the left.  Parking is toward the field to the right.  Gardens: 65 community garden plots, children’s garden and new woodland trail.

From there we continue to First Parish Brewster Unitarian Universalist GrOW Sustainability Initiative Garden, 1969 Rte 6A, Brewster.  Directions:  Backtrack to Rte 6A, continuing to about a tenth of a mile past Rte 124, then take the right directly across from the church (sign says “church parking”).  Proceed down the drive and bear right to the gardens and parking.  Garden: Terraced gardens, raised beds, hoop house, perennial flowers, herbs.

Finally we visit 93 Finlay Rd, Orleans. Directions: Continue on Rte 6A eastbound to lights at West Rd/Eldredge Parkway in Orleans. Go right on West Rd/Eldredge Parkway, then take an immediate right on Lots Hollow Rd. Take first left onto Finlay Rd and proceed to #93 on the right.  Gardens and Sculpture: Home vegetable garden, strawberries, cutting flower garden, perrenial garden. Sculpture by Sid Ahlstrom and Steve Thomas.   Refreshments served on deck overlooking 13-acre white cedar swamp.

Save the Date!

Sun. Sept. 9:  Potluck Picnic at Kelly Farm (Rain Date Sept. 16) 

 

 

 

June 2012 Cape Cod Organic Gardeners Newsletter

Summer Garden Tours – July

Sat., July 7:  Web of Life Organic Farm
Meet at the Burger King commuter lot at Rt. 132 at 2:15 pm to car pool to the farm in Carver.  Since 1996 the Web of Life Farm has been committed to small scale sustainable farming practices, producing a wide variety of organically grown seedlings, vegetables, as well as poultry, honey and eggs, for sale at local farmers’ markets.

Sun., July 15: Sheep and Private Gardens at 89 Fisk St., West Dennis &  226 Indian Trail, Barnstable
Meet at 3:00 pm at Veronica Worthington’s, 89 Fisk St., West Dennis.  From Rte 28, heading east, turn right onto Fisk St. (about 1/2 mile after the Bass River bridge).  Drive almost to the end. 89 is on the right.  Veronica has a greenhouse, tomatoes, and 16 sheep. From Veronica’s, return to Rte 28, turn left, and drive over the Bass River bridge.  Take a right at the light onto Station Ave. (bear left to stay on Station Ave.)  Follow to 6A (Station Ave. becomes Union St.).  Turn left on 6A and drive about 3 miles. Turn right onto Indian Trail (opposite Mary Dunn Rd.) Drive almost to the end to #226.  Al and Christl Barbour will show us their gardens.

Sun., July 29:  Private Gardens at 149 School St, Marstons Mills & 396 Cotuit Bay Drive, Cotuit 
Meet at 3:00 pm to see Nancy and Kevin’s gardens. Take Rte 6 to Exit 5 (Rte. 149).  Go west to the small airport rotary and turn right on to Race Lane. Travel past the airport and take a left on to Old Mill Lane.  Old Mill Lane becomes School St.  Drive to the top of the hill and turn in at #149.  It is a horseshoe driveway; please drive to the end to accommodate everyone.
Return to Race Lane, turn right, and then take a right at the rotary onto Rte. 149. Follow 149 to Rt. 28 and turn right.  Turn left onto Old Post Rd. and drive about 1.2 miles to the second entrance for Cotuit Bay Drive.  Turn left onto Cotuit Bay Drive and continue to #396, on the left, the garden of John and Palma.

Save the Dates:  August Garden Tours

Sun., Aug 12 at 3:00 pm:  Bettina Brown’s home garden in Hyannis, followed by Jeff & Jenifer Lyon’s farm on Craigville Beach Road.

Sun., Aug 26 at 3:00 pm:  Brewster Community Gardens, First Parish Brewster Unitarian Universalist GrOW Sustainability Initative Garden, and private home gardens and sculpture.

Watch for details and directions in the next newsletter!

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Thank you

Thanks especially to Steve Seymour for bringing and managing the visual equipment at our May meeting.  Thanks for refreshments go to Dianne Langeland, Pat Greenwood, and Jean Iversen.  Dianne Langeland’s hummus was a big hit – see recipe below!

Hummus
2 19-oz cans chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt
Tabasco
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Chopped parsley

Drain the juice from 1 can of chickpeas. Place the drained beans in a food blender or processor, then add the second can of beans, water and all. Add the tahini, lemon juice and garlic and blend until very smooth. Taste and season with salt and Tabasco sauce to taste. Put in serving bowl and pour olive oil over the top. Garnish with parsley.

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Organic Blueberry Picking

From Steve Whittlesey: Blueberry picking season will start early this year, in the first or second week of July, depending on weather and ripening. Looks like a bumper crop coming along. This year CCOG members are invited to pick Mondays and Thursdays, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The price will be 3.50/pound, the same as it has been for the last two years. Containers are provided for picking if you need them. The patch is at 1560 Main St, West Barnstable on the north side of Rte 6A. Except for the number on the mailbox, there is no sign on the road. Park on the street or in my driveway, which is just before the Crystal Pineapple Gift Shop. Please don’t park in the gift shop parking area. I will send another notice out as we get closer to opening day.