Weekly Farm Report
From Friendship Farms & Fare
Week of October 19, 2015
A Community Service To West Pasco’s Urban Agriculture Community
For the full report, go to: http://media.wix.com/ugd/643592_f321525b12374b1d97c153a86d76f780.pdf
Planting & Harvest Notes
Winter Seeding and Garden Starts Underway
Garden Starts: Broccoli in the South Gardens. Peppers and Tomatoes in Old North Garden.
Harvest Notes: herbs, red malabar spinach, Okinawa spinach, sweet potatoes sweet potato leaves, basil, and culantro
Leaves of Loquat
Poems of the 2014 Florida Loquat Festival
Public Presentation & Recognition of Poets
October 24 12:00 noon
New Port Richey Public Library
Leaves of Loquat is now in print! This one-of-a-kind collection of loquat poems will be made available to the public on October 24, at noon, at a special reading and celebration. This collection is most likely the only poetry publication dedicated entirely to loquats. Join us if you can.
The Grand Gardens
Friendship Farms & Fare Teams Up With Other Growers:
Join us November 7th 2:00 to 4:00
The Grand Gardens in New Port Richey will have a Grand Opening on November 7th (2:00 to 4:00). Please join us at the corner of Grand Blvd. and Georgia Ave.
3F is participating with Ecology Florida, Nature Coast Real Food Project, and other local organic agriculture organizations to establish a substantial (and sustainable) community garden just west of the East Madison neighborhood.
The Grand Gardens is one of two new community gardens in the East Madison neighborhood of New Port Richey. Joining in this 3F and Ecology Florida in the project are East Madison Growers and Nature Coast Real Food Project.
Two property owners have committed to having 3F use their vacant lots for community gardens. The New Port Richey Environmental Committee has approved both lots for gardens. We are currently receiving applications for garden plots.
To acquire a plot or to join in the project as a volunteer, contact Travis Morehead at (727) 271-2333.
Financial support will be greatly appreciated. If you would like to share contributions with Friendship Farms & Fare in support of the new Grand Gardens or any our other projects, your gifts will be gratefully received. We’ll share an acknowledgment of your gift and our warm thanks. We are also happy to report that contributions to Friendship Farms & Fare are tax deductible.
You can mail contributions to:
Friendship Farms & Fare
PO Box 596
New Port Richey, FL 34656-0596
Fall Seeding and Garden Starts Continue
About Half the Gardens are Planted
We are making good progress on the fall gardens. We have installed beds of collards, kale, and broccoli. We have many more beds to go. Next up will be swiss chard, and we’ll probably try some tomatoes and bell peppers. We will devote at least 6 beds to broccoli, and probably more.
Arugula
Samples Available
One of our fall favorites, Arugula, is doing well. We have leaves available in limited (sample) sizes this week, but we should have more than previous weeks. The plants have not really taken off yet, but they are healthy and strong.
Red Malabar and Okinawa Spinach
Our summer spinaches are slowing, but we’ll have sufficient quantities for any who are interested.
Sweet Potato Leaves
Nearing End of Season
Sweet Potato leaves are our oldest summer greens, and beloved by many. We still have some available and will for one more week. Shares that request are getting 1 gallon bags of these delicious and nutritious dark green leafy vegetable.
Garden Overview
Now is the time to begin planning the fall garden, and we are doing that. Try seeding, if you like. It is still very hot – probably too hot for fall crops. It is getting late, so we’ll take our chances with starts. We’ll be planting swiss chard, collards, kale, and (of course) broccoli. We’ll continue to work with tomatoes and bell peppers.
See the Share Report for all items.
For all plantings, we use seeds from our collection or heirloom seeds from Seed Savers Exchange (http://www.seedsavers.org/).
Sweet Potato Update
111 pounds harvested
We harvested 10 pounds this week, bringing our total to 111 pounds.
In 2013 we harvested 150 lbs. Last year (2014) our harvest was 250 lbs. This year we will likely reach around 150.
Okra
End of Season
88 pounds
Our total for the year was 88 pounds. This is a little less than last year.
We are doing some advance planning for an Okra Event in mid-June, 2016. Let us know if you are interested.
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Visit the Friendship Farms & Fare website for the Weekly Farm Report:
http://www.fffsite.org/#!report/c1tuh
Contact us via email, at: http://www.fffsite.org/#!contact/cl4l
Friendship Farms & Fare is a branch of Ecology Florida, a not-for-profit corporation. Contributions to Friendship Farms & Fare and Ecology Florida are tax deductible. To learn more about Ecology Florida, please visit the website:
http://www.ecologyflorida.org/
If you would like to support our mission and individual projects, you may share donations through our website (above) or at our mailing address:
Ecology Florida
PO Box 596
New Port Richey, FL 34656-0596
Friendship Farms & Fare reaffirms, restores, and advances agrarian ideals to reestablish a sustainable culture
http://www.fffsite.org/
Natural, Economic, Cultural…bringing three ecologies together to regenerate a resilient future for all.
PO Box 596 ● New Port Richey, Florida 34656-0596
www.EcologyFlorida.org
Ecology Florida advances the harmonious integration of healthy natural, cultural, and economic ecologies to regenerate a sustainable world
