Landscape Pesticide Registry

The deadline to register for the Landscape Pesticide Registry in Wisconsin is February 1. 

Go straight to the website for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection at http://datcp.wi.gov.  Click on the Environment tab and then click on Landscape Pesticide Registry. It's easy to register your own address. Then you can register the addresses of any neighbors who use commercial lawn pesticide application. The lawn company is required to contact you (usually by telephone) and give 24 hours notice that they will apply pesticide. This gives you enough time to protect your garden crops, poultry, pets, bees, and children from the harmful effects of pesticide. 

Remember the deadline is quickly approaching. Don't delay. I've found this to be effective and helpful. 

Who Cooks for You?

In many parts of the world, family units have one person whose full-time job is to prepare food for the family. This person rises early in the morning to make breakfast. After cleaning up, they head to the market to purchase food ingredients for the rest of the day's meals. It's not always a woman who does this work. We knew an exchange student from China who revealed that her retired grandfather did all the kitchen work.

By stark contrast, Americans have made an entire industry out of convenience foods. We've also seen an abrupt increase in obesity, diabetes, cancer, autism, allergies and more. Coincidence?

America's dependence on convenience food goes way beyond an occasional visit to a fast food restaurant. Food celebrities have published dozens of 30-minute meal cookbooks and they all include canned, packaged and pre-cooked items. How many of us make our own stock or boil our own legumes?  How easy is it to make salad dressing or popcorn? Yet even a 30-minute homemade meal is better than a frozen box of chicken pot pie or a can of soup.

So who cooks for you? Kraft? Pillsbury? Annie's Organics? And why does America no longer value the home cook?

Responsibility

Have you noticed that winters are warmer now than when we were kids? Does it concern you that we dump more salt on the winter roads in spite of warmer temperatures? Do you worry about chemical run-off in our local lakes? 

Do you worry that the Arctic ice caps are melting at an alarming rate? Do you think about polar bears with reducing habitat? Do you marvel at the increasing wildfires? Do you slather your skin with sunscreen in July because the ozone no longer protects you from the sun? 

Do you realize the banana you ate yesterday was shipped thousands of miles for your convenience? Do you consider the global effects of the third cup of coffee you drank this morning? Or the kiwi from New Zealand that is now routinely available and affordable? 

Do you stand in shocked awe when your neighbors heat their homes so warmly that they can wear summer clothes in January? Do you worry that the latest electronic devices are sucking energy? Are you stunned by the folks who routinely commute dozens of miles each day and justify it in their minds by driving a high mileage vehicle? Do you wonder how desert regions feel entitled to grassy green golf courses and the water pipelines to support them? 

Do you worry that our high consumer society is wearing blinders to the environmental damage we are causing? Do you worry that most people have decided they can't make a difference?  

Do you ever consider the poor souls that will walk this planet after we're gone?

Talkin' Turkey

Years ago, my mother-in-law would roast wild game for Thanksgiving dinner. Each year was a little different---wild goose, turkey, or pheasant---depending on what my father-in-law had successfully hunted that fall. I suspect this is how our forbears celebrated Thanksgiving, serving whatever had been harvested.

Each year, millions of turkeys are raised in industrial conditions for consumption at the holidays. The birds have been bred for extra large breasts, so large that they may not even be able to stand up. They are grown quickly in very crowded conditions, and fed genetically modified corn and soy products. Not surprisingly, they don't taste anything like wild game or pasture raised birds.

Last year we decided to support a local turkey farmer. We placed an order for a pastured raised heritage breed turkey, and I drove 20 miles to the small market to pick up the bird. I seem to recall that it cost five or six dollars a pound, so even a small turkey was a hefty $50. The flavor was pretty fabulous.

This year we're hosting a larger crowd and we simply can't afford to purchase a heritage breed turkey large enough for the family. But I also couldn't bring myself to buy an industrial bird. We found a compromise at the local grocery store---a frozen turkey grown by an organic farm cooperative. It's not quite as local as last year's bird, but at $3.99 a pound, I can afford it and still support a farmer in my state.

Before you buy a Thanksgiving turkey, I urge you to ponder all your options. Happy Thanksgiving!

Conserving Water

Parts of northern Wisconsin received so much rain last week that it has literally flooded, and we're sorry for their losses. But here in Dane County, we've received less than a half-inch of rain in the entire month of June. The ground is as hard as rock, and a recent attempt to dig a hole (for a hops structure) required the use of a pick ax. It's bad....so let's talk about proper watering techniques.

First of all, put away all those crazy sprinklers that throw water into the air, often resulting in water running down the driveway and sidewalk. This kind of watering is wasteful and we can't afford to waste a drop. Also, remember that the grass is not dead; it's merely dormant, and it will return whenever it rains. We don't water the lawn--we consider drought a hiatus from mowing.

I water my raised beds with a long rain wand either early in the morning or late at night. I hold the flowing water right to the ground, avoiding getting any water on foliage. Damp foliage leads to all kinds of diseases, and the roots need moisture, not the leaves. Soaker hoses would be very useful because they drip water slowly right at root level. It's better for root development to water deeply and less often, rather than spraying lightly and frequently.

Buy the best rain wand that you can afford. The cheap ones at the discount store will last you a season. Professional quality watering equipment will have brass fittings that can be replaced when worn.

We love our new rain barrel collection system, but without much rain, we still rely on hoses for much of our watering. We reserve the rain water and distilled water (collected from the basement dehumidifier) for use on the blueberry bushes. Rainwater is pH neutral, which is better for acid-loving blueberries.

It's far more time consuming to water by hand, but it conserves water while keeping you in touch with your gardens. Please water responsibly!

Pesticide Notification Sign Up

Last spring I nearly had a heart attack when my neighbor's chemical lawn service arrived just as the currant bushes in my side yard were beginning to form fruit. I ran outside and talked to the employee, who tried to be cautious and respectful about spewing liquid chemicals on my food crops.

I've just learned that we have another option. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection provides a Landscape Pesticide Advance Notice Registry, which means that the chemical lawn companies will give us advance notice of pesticide application. Here at Red Bucket Farm, this means that we can keep the bees inside the hives on the day of chemical application by corking their entrance holes when they return the previous night. Even one day's notice will give us a chance to protect them. We can also cover crops, keep the dog inside, close the house windows, and decide if the chickens are at risk.

You can register, too. Go to datcpservices.wisconsin.gov/landreg/index.jsp. First register yourself as a homeowner/renter, then register whatever adjacent property is causing concern. The deadline for signing up is February 1.

Heritage Turkey

It's the time of year when many of us roast a turkey or two for holiday dinners. This year we did some research and became more informed consumers before purchasing.

Did you know that turkeys sold in common grocery stores are not able to breed normally? The Broad Breasted White turkey has been cross bred to such an extreme it can no longer copulate. This breed will grow breast meat so large and heavy that the bird can't breed and sometimes can't stand on its own legs. All the eggs are artificially inseminated, and all the turkeys are raised in large commercial factories in confinement production.

The good news is that there are options available if you're willing to look. Thanks to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, there are a few farmers willing to keep the endangered breeds alive. Interest from the Slow Foods USA movement is raising awareness among the public.

We ordered our Thanksgiving turkey (a Bourbon Red) from a local farmer who raises meat animals in open pasture. We'll admit it was pricey----at $6/pound, it makes even a small turkey a rather large investment. We roasted our nine pound turkey outside on the grill over smoking hickory chips and stuffed with apples and rosemary. The meat was moist and delicious, and there was far more dark meat than a commercial bird. We enjoyed every bite of it, and then boiled the carcass for soup broth.

We've considered raising our own turkeys, but it's not a good idea to raise chickens and turkeys on the same property because of disease control. Besides, it's not entirely legal in my municipality. So for now, we'll pay the extra money to support our local farmers who are working hard to preserve heritage breeds.

Summer Vacation

It's nearly impossible for an urban farmer to find time to leave the farm for summer vacation. Early summer is busy with planting, while late summer is harvest time. We planned our family's summer vacation months ago. The timing of it was more dependent on work and school schedules rather than farm work. In spite of everything, we were determined to spend a few days at Rocky Mountain National Park.

In the week before our departure, I could hardly keep up with farm work and still prepare for vacation. The Japanese beetles hatched and began munching happily on my fruit trees, grapes and raspberries (organic treatment: neem oil). My tomato plants suddenly showed signs of early blight, which quickly ruined my entire crop last year (organic treatment: copper fungicide). Cabbage worms were working on my Brussels sprouts, and my pepper plants were still struggling with whiteflies. The bees were threatening to swarm again and needed some management. The local garden center was having its frequent customer sale, so I planted three new current bushes. On top of everything, the weather forecast predicted the worst heat wave in years. How could I possibly leave Red Bucket Farm at this time?

Only with the help of some very good people. Steve came to the farm twice a day and fussed over my chickens as if they were his own. I think he might be as crazy as I am. Eric and Casey watered my gardens so faithfully that we have small mushrooms growing in the beds instead of wilting plants. Eric even gave my tomatoes another fungicide treatment. Dawn filled in all the gaps, checking on the chickens in the heat of the day and watering anything that looked dry. I came home to find my farm thriving quite nicely. In spite of what you hear on the news, there are still good people in the world and I'm blessed to have them for my friends and neighbors. Thank you!

Sustainable Partying

Like many of you, we recently hosted a graduation party for our high school senior. We wanted to provide homemade food and serve it to approximately 60 guests without contributing unnecessary garbage to the local landfill.

The menu was all-American: brats and buns, chicken wings, potato salad, fruit salad, baked beans, bulgur pilaf, chips, hummus, cheese dip, etc. We served dinner on regular dishes and used normal stainless tableware. (Yes, we had to borrow to accumulate enough.) We always use cloth napkins at our house and have acquired a good pile of them, mostly homemade. All beverages were served in their recyclable cans or bottles.

At the end of the evening, we were pleased that our garbage cans were no more crowded than usual. When corporate America wants you to think that you'll need disposable plates, cups, napkins and tableware for your next party, don't believe it!

Reel Mowers

When we lived in our cozy house on a small property, mowing the lawn with an old fashioned reel mower was a no-brainer. But when we moved to our current lot, a quarter acre seemed like an awful lot of grass to mow.

We've never even wanted a gas-powered mower, nor have we ever wanted a snow-blower, weed whacker or leaf blower. I read that those small gas powered engines create more air pollution than our automobiles. Besides, we hate the noise.

So we purchased a Black & Decker electric mower for our larger lawn. It worked great for two years and was not repairable, so we returned to our old reel mower. I'll admit this has been difficult, but we are stubborn and refused to give in to gas dependent tools.

This spring we got a new reel mower made by Fiskars. It was $230 at the local hardware store and my mowing crew seems to like it. It's easier to push, cuts evenly, and trims cleanly. The mower has four settings to determine grass length, and we're keeping the grass longer to help discourage weeds.

We recommend reel mowing!

Chem Lawn Season is Here

Last week Thursday was a gorgeous day here at Red Bucket Farm. The biddies and pullets were grazing in the chicken yard, bees were foraging and building comb, laundry was drying on the line in a brisk breeze, and I set out 8 brussels sprout plants and 14 tomato plants from the greenhouse into the raised beds. The whole farm felt happy and good.

Then the chemical lawn truck pulled up in front of my neighbor's house and before I knew it some dude in aviator sunglasses was spraying chemicals all over everything, droplets flying in the breeze and stinking up the vicinity. I dashed outside to beg for some tiny consideration. I pointed out the animals, beehives, crops and laundry as politely as I could considering my desperation. I begged him to keep the spray low to the ground and away from my property. He didn't say a word, but he nodded and moved a few feet away from the property line.

Michael Pollan tells us in his book Second Nature that Americans spend $30 billion each year on lawn chemicals. The trend for large expanses of green lawns began after the Civil War when suburban areas were beginning to develop. The idea was that green lawns would unify a neighborhood. Large expanses of open lawn were a reaction to the privately walled gardens of England. Common folks still had no grass with a few chickens and a vegetable garden, but the wealthy suburbs had grass lawns.

Thanks to corporate marketing, the golf course lawn has now become an American obsession. I cannot imagine why anybody would spend hundreds of dollars every year to pour chemicals on the lawn, which makes the grass grow faster and creates additional mowing. It's self-perpetuating and a ridiculous waste of money and energy, not to mention the damage to the environment.

I've made a few signs to try to protect my urban farm from airborne chemicals. Meanwhile, I'm planning to plant clover in the bare spots of my yard. Clover is good for the bees and adds nitrogen to the soil. Remember sitting in the lawn on hot summer days looking for that lucky four leaf clover? Or picking a bouquet of beautiful yellow dandelions to bring home to mom?

Compost Awareness

This week is International Compost Awareness Week, sponsored by the US Composting Council. It's an opportunity to educate about the benefits of composting.

We tried composting years ago and we were terrible at it. Our compost bins were just a matted, dense pile of yard waste that never quite broke down to be the crumbly golden substance it was purported to be. Eventually we gave it up.

Last spring we began composting again in earnest. We got a little smarter about it and realized that our previous attempts didn't contain all the right ingredients.

A compost pile needs brown materials that are high in carbon: ashes, wood, bark, shredded cardboard, fruit waste, leaves, peanut shells, peat moss, pine needles, sawdust, straw, vegetable stalks.

The compost pile also needs green materials that are high in nitrogen: clover, coffee grounds, food waste, garden waste, grass clippings, hay, hedge clippings, manures, seaweed, vegetable scraps, weeds without seeds.

Remember, compost needs both green materials and brown materials.

Since we began composting, I've noticed that I rarely use the garbage disposal in my kitchen. I have a small bucket on the counter where I save all the kitchen scraps such as fruits and veggie trimmings, tea bags, and egg shells. Also, I've noticed that composting has reduced the amount of garbage that goes to the curb on garbage days.

We have three compost bins. One is for the current collection pile. We add scraps to it daily and turn it over on the weekends, usually by hauling out much of it on a tarp and putting it back in the bin. The second pile has been retired and is gently decomposing. That one gets turned less frequently. The third bin is compost ready to be sifted and put to good use.

Compost bins at the garden center can be pricey, but it's easy to get creative. Old pallets make a good bin, or any other scrap lumber. We've got our eyes on a pile of discarded deck railing down the street which will expand and improve our current system.

If you live in an apartment or small home, you can try worm composting. The worms will help percolate your small pile of scraps and turn it into wonderful fertilizer for your container plants.

Please do your part to reduce, reuse and recyle. Composting is easy!