D&L Urban Farms

2012-01-05T18:17:00.001-07:00

2012-01-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

A new year and a new start

As we all know and are secretly enjoying the winter has started off and is becoming a low snow year. But we also know that it can turn snowy and wet in a hurry, if it chooses.

If you are like me, you are getting a little antsy to get out there and get growing. Sorry to say the soil is still frozen. So here is the a great way to get your hands dirty, go to your local garden shop and buy a bag of potting soil. Cut the top of the bag and water the soil. Tip- place bag in a shallow rubber-made bin to help contain irrigation and also for transportation. Then plant some lettuce, kale and/or spinach (just ideas) and place in a warm, well lit area (preferably a south facing window) and wait for germination. Once the seedlings have emerged and if the weather keeps up (I mean stay warm) during the day you can place your little portable garden outside and bring it in during the night to prevent freezing. Cover rubber-made bin with either a old window, saran-wrap or any other clear cover. Just beware if the temps outside get to hot you might have to crack the lid.
Enjoy an early season garden!

-J.Gardner

December 2011

2012-01-04T16:50:00.001-07:00

Gifts for the Gardener!

New pair of pruners!

Kneepads!

One or two pairs of new garden gloves in fun colors!

2011 Growing Season Wrap-up

Once again we had one of those amazingly wet springs that delays the growth of many gardens throughout the valley, including mine. Fortunately, we did not see a lot of disease but there was a few aphids running around on tomato plants this year.

Other than the wet spring, it was a great gardening season.

D&L Urban Farms was excited this year to introduce our first pre-set garden options; from the grilling garden to the garlic garden we feel that everyone had great new options to fill their garden with this last year.

We are hoping for the 2012 growing season that we see more gardens being planted and more people enjoying the act of growing their own vegetables.

Please don't hesitate to mention us to your friends and family that might be looking for some help developing, maintaining or just need some advice on starting their own vegetable garden.

Thank you for a great year and we look forward to gardening with you next year!

Follow-up Links
Blog!
Wasatch Community Gardens
D&L Urban Farms Website

Dear Jessica,

Well the growing season has come to an end and the time to rest and ponder about our garden adventures has arrived.

This holiday season D&L Urban Farms would like to thank each and everyone of you for supporting us through the 2011 growing season. We hope that you have a wonderful holiday season!

This edition will feature:

D&L Urban Farms and Wasatch Community gardens workshop series.
Possible Christmas gifts for the gardener in your life
2011 growing season wrap-up

Happy Harvesting!

Gardner to Gardener- WCG Workshop

Date:

1st class- Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Cost: 299.00

Instructor: Jessica Gardner, D & L Urban Farms

Gardner to Gardener - an intimate gardening & learning opportunity

Location:
Wasatch Community Gardens' Office
824 South 400 West, Suite 127
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Click here to Register now!

Have you wistfully been watching your friends, family and neighbors harvest beautiful homegrown vegetables? If you have always wanted to know how to grow a successful vegetable garden but don't know how to start in your own backyard, then this workshop series is just for you. Discover your green thumb!

Join Wasatch Community Gardens and expert gardener Jessica Gardner, of D&L Urban Farms, this spring for a series of workshops and more that will give you all the tools you will need to plant, grow and maintain a successful vegetable garden in your backyard. By the time you are finished, you will have:

A custom gardening notebook and calendar filled with notes about your own garden,
A personalized garden design/plan,
An in-depth consultation and planting help from Jessica in your own backyard,
Intimate class time covering the basics of organic gardening,
Entrance to our much coveted Plant Sale Pre-Sale for 2012 (a $250 value),
The resource book: Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening: Vegetables,
And the knowledge you need to start a great backyard garden.

The cost of the entire series is $299. 100% of the proceeds support Wasatch Community Gardens' programs in the community.

There are only 5 spaces available for our second year of this popular series, and last year all the spots filled up quickly! So, don't delay! Reserve your spot, or a slot for a loved one TODAY! For more information, emailCarly Gillespie or call 801.359.2658 x10.

MORE DETAILS

The following five dates encompass the full workshop series:

Session One: Intro to Planning Your Organic Garden
Wednesday, March 7th
6:30 - 8:30 pm

Session Two: Planning and Designing Your Garden
Wednesday, April 4th
6:30 - 8:30 pm

Session Three: Shop the Pre-Sale
Friday, May 11th
8:00 - 9:00 pm

Session Four: Individual Backyard Consultation and Planting Help-By Appointment
May 14th - 18th
Session Four: Maintenance and Fertilizing

Wednesday, June 6th
6:30 - 8:30 pm

Happy Harvesting,
Jessica Gardner
D&L Urban Farms

October 2011 Newsletter

2011-10-03T19:13:00.002-06:00

October 2011 Newsletter

Dear Jessica,

Hope that you all having been enjoying the extended season so we can enjoy our harvest a little bit more this year. It looks like the weather is about to turn to a true fall temps and some gardens might be ready for bed.

We are offering Garlic beds and Clean-up Services right now.
Please see below for more info
Jessica Gardner
D&L Urban Farms

Garden Clean -up

It is time to put our gardens to bed. If you are interested in D&L Urban Farms helping your garden get ready for fall and be ready for spring give us a call.

Clean up dates October 17-20 by appointment.

Clean- up includes
* removal of annual plant debris.
* if necessary soil amendments - we recommend doing this in the fall to avoid muddy messes in the spring.

Rates are $35.00/hour plus materials

Garlic Beds

Always wanted to a part of the garlic grower club, well here is your chance.

The Garlic Bed (planted in late fall and Harvested in July): Soft neck, hard neck and elephant garlic.

Price: $300.00

includes: 3x 6 raised redwood bed, organic local topsoil/compost mix soil, planting and garlic.

Irrigation installation is extra

Price: $100.00 - established bed
includes: bed prep(clean-up & weeding), planting and garlic.

· Harvest Helper: $40.00 (one time harvesting and storage tips)

Installation Dates: October 1-20, 2011

Community Events

October 22- Wasatch Community Gardens in holding a Winter Composting class. Click here to register and find out more info.

November 12- Utah State University Extension - Wreath Making class. Click here to register and find out more info.

Acorn Squash Roasted with Garlic/Sage topped with Gruyere
Cheese

Serving 2

2 medium sized acorn squash
2 fresh garlic cloves minced
1 hand full of fresh sage minced
1 tbs. of olive oil
1.5 cups of heavy cream
Salt & Pepper
4 slices of Gruyere cheese to top the acorn squash

Pre-heat oven to 375 F.In a sauce pan sautee the garlic & sage in olive oil until fragrant.Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add Salt & Pepper to taste.
Remove the neck or stem of the acorn squash and cut off the pointed or butt end of the squash. Clean out seeds and place on a cooking sheet. Pour the heavy cream mixture into the acorn squash and gently put into oven. Roast for 45 min. Then add cheese to the top of the acorn squash and cook for 7 min or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

*This is my home recipe so please be cautious when moving the acorns from the oven to the counter they sometimes roll around.

August 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-14T16:03:00.002-06:00

Garlic Beds

This year D&L Urban Farms is offering a Garlic Bed. With a soft neck, hard neck and elephant garlic variety you can also enjoy the wonders of growing your own garlic. Click here for more details>

Optional Weekly Maintenance

This next week is the last week, August 15-17, 2011, that D&L Urban Farms will be offering the Optional Weekly Maintenance. We will be on a on-call basis until the first frost for clean-up.
Please contact Jessica if you would like us to stop by for one more shot of fertilizer, weeding, trellising and pest control.

Harvest Market

Don't miss out on the Downtown Farmers Market Harvest Market. Starting August 9 from 4pm- dusk. Great way to get a free loaf of bread mid week or anything else you might have missed over the weekend.

Slow Foods Utah

is presenting SLC Bites this August 22, 2011. Register here

Cataract Canyon Women's Trip - on the Colorado River

As many of you know I am also a river guide in Southern Utah for Holiday River Expeditions. I will be doing a Women's Yoga Retreat this Labor Day with Holiday River Expeditions. Please join me for this beautiful 4 day adventure with yoga in the heart of Canyonlands, great whitewater, amazing hiking, and most likely fresh veggies from the garden...
Email Karen for more info. Hope to see you on the water as well as in the garden.

Follow-up Links

D&L Urban Farms Home Page

D&L Urban Farms Blog

August 2011- Harvest Month

Dear Jessica,

Hope that Harvest month is finding you all well. Some things are still coming in, with our cool spring it is to be expected, and other stuff is getting replanted right now.

This is our favorite month at D&L Urban Farms, we now get to enjoy what we have all been patiently waiting for.

Harvesting Hints

Many people are nervous about when and how to harvest their bounty.
Here are a few tips on harvesting on some common veggies that we all may have planted this year.

Bush Beans:

Harvest before pods are fully mature. Pod should be full sized with small seeds, and firm, crisp flesh when picked. Usually ready 7-14 days after flowering. Keep harvesting to enjoy a continuous harvest.

Beets:

harvest can start as soon as the root begins to form. The larger the root the more fibrous they get, so don't let them get to big. Use a digging fork or trowel to loosen the soil an pull up need plants by the tops. Young leaves can also be enjoyed in the kitchen as well.

Tomatoes

Fruits require 25-35 days to maturity from flowering depending on your variety and the outside air temp. Pick fruit when full in color and still firm. At the end of the season you can pick all the green fruit, store in paper bags or wrap in newspaper, put in your basement or a dark cool place and harvest at will.

Peppers:

fruits require 34-45 days to maturity from flowering to full color. You can choose when you pick them on the flavor you want, I like to wait for the full color to mature. If you have fruit on the vine after the first frost you can do the same thing with them as your tomatoes.

Potatoes

Can be harvested as soon as they start forming new potatoes.

Summer Squash:

takes 35-45 days from flowering. Harvest when not fully mature, if left on the vine to long the skin begins to toughen and decreases quality.

*Source: Utah State University Cooperative Extension Fruit & Vegetable Fact Sheets*

Happy Harvesting

Jessica Gardner
D&L Urban Farms

July 2011 Newsletter

2011-07-07T15:44:00.000-06:00

July 2011 Newsletter

Dear Jessica,

We are now in the heart of the growing season and we should all start to see our tomatoes and peppers setting fruit. Pulling the last of our lettuce, but looking forward to the our fall planting of lettuce.
Don't forget to give your soil a recharge every 2-3 weeks with a fertilizer, organic or not which ever your choose. D&L Urban Farms prefers fish emulsion.
With rising temps you might want to think about a layer of mulch if you have not already done. A layer of mulch will help with evaporation of the water in the soil and provide your plants with more water and cooler soil temps.

Hope you enjoy the July, especially with Utah's great fireworks on the 4th of July and the 24th of July.

Jessica Gardner
D&L Urban Farms

Optional Weekly Maintenance/Vacation Helper

If you are going out of town or just need some one to come over and check in on your garden with or with out you, D&L Urban Farms is continually offering an optional weekly maintenance/vacation helper plan that anyone can utilize.

Optional Weekly Maintenance Fee: $40.00/week (up to three beds)

Optional service includes:

*Weekly weeding, fertilizer, trellising (materials not included) and organic pest control.

*Monthly Newsletter- recipes and seasonal tips.

Fall Garden Installations

Fall Garden: Lettuce (3 varieties), Spinach, Kale, Chard, Beets, and Beans

To busy to get your spring garden in, well here is a second chance. The Fall Garden offers end of the season treats

Price: $300.00
Includes: 3x6 redwood raised bed, organic local topsoil/compost mix soil, planting and seeds.
Irrigation is extra

Price with an existing bed: $75.00
includes: bed prep (clean-up/weeding), planting, and seed

Just want to plant the seeds your self: $20.00

Installation Dates: August 1- 22, 2011

Order your fall bed by July 25, 2011 and receive 10% off

Garlic Beds

Always wanted to a part of the garlic grower club, well here is your chance.

The Garlic Bed (planted in late fall and Harvested in July): Soft neck, hard neck and elephant garlic.

Price: $300.00

includes: 3x 6 raised redwood bed, organic local topsoil/compost mix soil, planting and garlic.

Irrigation installation is extra

Price: $100.00 - established bed
includes: bed prep(clean-up & weeding), planting and garlic.

· Harvest Helper: $40.00 (one time harvesting and storage tips)

Installation Dates: October 1-20, 2011

Confirm your garlic bed installation by August 15. 2011 and receive 10% off.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Often have you wondered what you would do with a garlic scape or the flower buds of a garlic plant or what they are when you see them at the farmers market. Well, they are delicious and make a great early summer pesto.

Recipe
1/3 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup parmigiano cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 t salt (I prefer sea salt)
1 cup garlic scapes (flower part removed and cut into 1/4 in pieces)

Add walnuts and garlic scapes in food processor and mix until fully chopped up. Add olive oil at a slow drizzle while the food processor is on then add salt. Remove from food processor into bowl and add cheese to taste. I also like to process the cheese sometimes as well.

I put them in a ice cube tray and froze half of it and then the rest in an air tight container to use as a dip or with pasta.

Enjoy!

2011-06-25T19:44:00.000-06:00

2011-06-25T18:48:00.001-06:00

such beautiful lettuce still. heading down the main salmon with mr. gardner. get it heading hahahaha
Jessica Gardner

2011-06-14T22:20:00.001-06:00

Jessica Gardner

2011-06-14T22:19:00.001-06:00

Jessica Gardner

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2011-06-14T22:18:00.001-06:00

Jessica Gardner

2011-06-02T19:05:00.001-06:00

aspargus
Jessica Gardner

2011-06-02T19:03:00.001-06:00

garlic
Jessica Gardner

2011-05-10T13:17:00.001-06:00

Jessica Gardner

2011-05-10T13:14:00.001-06:00

Jessica Gardner

2011-05-09T16:49:00.000-06:00

Jessica Gardner

2011-05-09T16:44:00.001-06:00

I love the rain
Jessica Gardner

Specialty Gardens and More 2011

2011-04-26T11:37:00.000-06:00

2011 Price List

This year D&L Urban Farms is excited to offer a variety of different gardens and maintenance packages. If you have any questions regarding this list please feel free to contact us at any time.

Garden Design, Consultations or Vacation Garden Helper is based on an hourly rate: $35.00/hour

Custom gardens: Prices vary. Vegetable and herb list will be provided during this process.

Specialty Gardens: $350.00 includes installation, soil, seeds, and transplants. See descriptions on next page.

Transplants: $ 5.00

Seeds (for the season): $3.50/plant

Irrigation systems: prices vary

Optional Weekly Maintenance Fee: $40.00/week (up to three beds)

Optional service includes:

*Weekly weeding, fertilizer, and organic pest control.

*Weekly Newsletter– recipes and seasonal tips.

This year we are also offering a variety of specialty gardens. Each is designed around a theme to simplify the choices of variety …prices and descriptions follow.

Specialty Gardens

All constructed in beds are 4 feet wide x 8 feet long x 12 in tall. Prices are $350 for installation and planting of each garden with a $40/ week maintenance fee (optional)

Edible Herb Garden : Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, Sage, Oregano, and Tarragon

Herbs play a very important role in the kitchen. Instead of wondering if you need to buy it at the store you can just step out into your back/front yard and pick your own fresh herbs.

Classic Vegetable Garden: (2) Tomato Plants(heirloom varieties avaialbe), (2) Pepper (hot & sweet), Summer Squash, Carrots, Bush Beans, Kale, and Beets

This Classic Vegetable Garden will give you all the great garden essentials for summer.

Kids Pizza Garden: (2) Tomato Plants(heirloom varieties available), (2) Pepper plants, Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Scallions.

This child friendly garden will provide your kids with a way to connect with their food source. Plus, a great reason to grill pizzas outside in the summer.

The Garlic Bed (planted in late fall and Harvested in July): Soft neck, hard neck and elephant garlic.

· Harvest Helper: $40.00 (one time harvesting and storage tips)

Grilling Vegetable Garden: Zucchini, Tomato (heirloom varieties available), Peppers, and Eggplant

Love those veggies that you can throw on the grill and enjoy on a hot summer day, this is the garden for you.

Plant Propagation Class

2011-02-02T14:26:00.002-07:00

“Plant Propagation 123…”

Date: Saturday, February 5^th, 9:00am – 11:00

Location: Utah State University Botanical Center Greenhouse, 725 South 50 West, Kaysville

Description: Discover the science of propagating plant cuttings and starting your own plants from seed in this hands-on workshop. Participants will leave with “ready-to-root” cuttings and a home seed

starting tray.

Cost: “Friends of the Garden” Members $25

General Public / Non-Members $35

Class size is limited so you must pre-register with Stacie at the USU/Davis County Extension Office, (801) 451-3403.

Solar Greenhouse Class

2011-01-06T09:26:00.002-07:00

Solar Greenhouse Class

Since the beginning of time, people dreamed about capturing the light and warmth of the sun.

One way to do that is with a solar greenhouse, an ecologically sound way to extend your gardening passions through the year. Taking advantage of solar energy is not always easy, but it provides a clean renewable resource that enables you to garden out of season without fossil fuels. All greenhouses are solar as they use the sun's light energy to grow plants. Solar greenhouses, by definition, harvest the heat during sunny days and release it at night or on cloudy days. To function successfully, the greenhouse must maximize solar gain and have one or more mechanisms to store the heat.

If your last heating bill left you in shock, if you are concerned about the environment or if you just want to do the right thing in the energy world, look no further than the sun that shines in Utah — even in the winter.

Class participants will learn if a greenhouse is right for them or if an alternative growing structure is best. They can also learn about free standing vs. attached greenhouses. Class topics will cover different styles or designs and will include greenhouse framing and other structural supports. Other subjects will be glazing or what to use to cover the greenhouse for best light and efficiency, heating and cooling the structure and greenhouse lighting.

Larry Sagers, Horticulture Specialist for Utah State University, will teach you how to design a solar greenhouse in this class. It will also cover cold frames, hot beds and other alternative growing structures.

The three-week class will be held on January 13^th, 20^th , and 27^th from 9:00 am – 12:00 noon at the USU Wetland Discovery Point Building, 676 South 50 West, Kaysville.

The class will include one-on-one consultation with the instructor, a solar greenhouse design booklet, handouts and a CD with class PowerPoint lectures and other greenhouse information.

Cost: $75 for Friends of the Garden members

$100 for non-members

(For information about becoming a Friend of the Utah Botanical Center and Ogden Botanical Center, please go to: http://www.utahbotanicalcenter.org/htm/member).

For more information or to register, call Stacie at the USU/Davis County Extension Office, (801) 451-3403.

2010-12-06T12:38:00.002-07:00

NEW! Gardner to Gardener - an intimate gardening & learning opportunity
Have you wistfully been watching your friends, family and neighbors harvest beautiful homegrown vegetables? If you have always wanted to know how to grow a successful vegetable garden but don't know how to start in your own backyard, then this workshop series is just for you. Discover your green thumb!

A custom gardening notebook and calendar filled with notes about your own garden,
A personalized garden design/plan,
An in-depth consultation with Jessica in your own backyard,
Six hours of intimate class time covering the basics of organic gardening,
A plant list tailored to your future garden,
Entrance to our much coveted Plant Sale Pre-Sale for 2011 (a $250 value),
The resource book: Rodale’s Successful Organic Gardening: Vegetables,
And the knowledge you need to start a great backyard garden.

The cost of the entire series is $299. 100% of the proceeds support Wasatch Community Gardens' programs in the community.

There are only 5 spaces available for this innaugural series, and they will fill quickly. To reserve your slot today, or for more information, call Claire Uno at 801.359.2658 x15 or email director@wasatchgardens.org.

MORE DETAILS

The following five dates encompass the full workshop series:

Session One: Organic Gardening - The Basics

Thursday, March 3rd

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Session Two: Planning and Designing Your Garden

Thursday, March 17th

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Session Three: Individual Backyard Consultation

April 4th – 8th

By Appointment

Session Four: Maintenance and Succession Planting

Thursday, April 21st

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Session Five: Shop the Pre-Sale with Jessica!

Friday, May 6th

8:00 – 9:00 pm

2010-08-16T14:40:00.000-06:00

The one great thing about the front yard is that it gets great sun. The Cosmos have more honey bees buzzing around them than I thought possible.
Companion planting with flowers is paying off. Attracting good bugs and repelling bad ones.

2010-08-16T14:38:00.000-06:00

Basil, Parsley, Carrots and Onions great morning harvest

i love it when the carrots still have dirt on them. a little grit never hurt anybody.

2010-08-15T15:29:00.000-06:00

what a harvest
Tomatoes/Swiss Chard/Dragon Tongue Beans/Beets
To store Chard - blanch chopped chard for 3 min, run under cold water to stop the cooking process and then put i an air tight container or freezer zip lock bag. great to add to winer soups.

2010-07-12T20:28:00.000-06:00

A peak in to the experiemental greens bed.
Holding up well in the heat but growing slow.
Should be interesting.

2010-07-12T20:26:00.000-06:00

Dragons Tongue Bush Beans.

2010-07-12T20:25:00.000-06:00

Mammoth Dill in full bloom. Looks like fireworks, but smells better

Mid- summer

2010-07-12T14:49:00.000-06:00

Plants are growing and the fall plant is just around the corner. Getting ready to order some more seeds (where I can) and getting ready to enjoy the tomato fest that will be occuring soon. A lot of our tomatoes we planted this year are early producers, which is great since we had such a cold spring.

All the greens and peas were successful and boutiful, got to love that.

Thanks Jessica Gardner

2010-06-04T09:59:00.000-06:00

5 raised beds Liberty Park area.

2010-06-04T09:57:00.000-06:00

First front yard garden

Herb Garden

2010-06-04T09:56:00.000-06:00

Self Watering Herb Garden

2010-06-04T09:54:00.000-06:00

Spring Greens

Spinach

2010-06-04T09:52:00.000-06:00

This spring has been crazy. Finishing up the USU Master Gardening program and then transitioning into installing gardens. Total so far 8 gardens in, maintaining 5. Learning a lot, making mistakes, growing amazing gardens and having a blast.

This is some beautiful Arugula

Spinach- have you ever let the leaves get this big? they are beautiful

Radishes - so sweet and so deliscous

2010-04-14T20:59:00.001-06:00

The 2nd garden of the season. Planter boxes were custom built by Mike Anderson who is a friend and an amazing wood worker. We are planting a lotof spring greens (lettuce, peas, chard, arugula, micro greens, etc) first and then some determinate tomato plants to maximize space and productivity.
Keep your eyes open for how they grow and produce.

Kale Chips

2010-04-02T19:39:00.001-06:00

A good friend of mine turned me on to these wonderful chips called Kale Chips.

Pre-heat your oven to 400
Tear Kale into bite sizes off of the stalk.
you want to discard the stalk
drizzle olive oil over Kale and mix
then add Salt & Pepper and mix
put on cookie sheet spread evenly.
Bake for 10 min but watch after the 7th minute to prevent burning.
and enjoy!

SNOW?

2010-04-01T21:23:00.000-06:00

Every spring it seems that every April we all get a little bit of a surprise with the weather. Always getting duped by mother nature. Well today the folks of Salt Lake City got duped. For the past month it has felt like an early spring and possibly way to dry.
When the winds decided to whip through the valley for 2 days and stirring up all that awesome dust, spring was itching my eyes and tickling my nose. I welcomed the snow with open arms and thinking about all the wonderful plants(veggies/tulips/daffodils) that are loving the layer of insulation and a good long drink of water.
Yeah it snowed today and possibly tomorrow and maybe some rain on Easter but just think about all the dust and other crap that it is keeping out of the air and how all your plants are loving another drink from the sky.

Master Gardening Class

2010-03-31T13:29:00.001-06:00

For the past couple of years I have heard about the Master Gardening Class that University of Utah Extension puts on each year. So this year I decided to do it. Unfortunately, the USU Extension in Salt Lake County is going through some changes and they did not offer it. Fortunately, the USU Extension office in Davis county opened up several slots for the poor people in Salt Lake City to join their community of Master Gardeners and experience the commute of there, instead of what a lot of them do, commute down here to SLC.
Each week we learn about a new topic from vegetables to woody plants to pesticides (which let me tell you is nasty). We are given all of this knowledge so that we can become educated volunteers for the USU Extension office in Davis County. We do 40 hours of community services, 10 are dedicated to diagnostics. The other 30 can be done helping maintain the grounds and the Utah Botanical Center in Kaysville, yes Kaysville, propagating seeds in the green house or giving talks around the county to small groups about different topics.
I have also met some amazing individuals. I am in a group of 5 individuals (mostly women) and we are in charge of growing a group garden at the Davis County Fair grounds. We put all of our heads together and came up with what we hope is going to be a beautiful garden to share with everyone.
I was a little nervous joining the Davis County Master Gardeners because of well, where we live and how we live. They go to lagoon every weekend and I go once a year. I am glad that I have had a chance to interact with a diverse group of individuals that I think as long as you have a common interest it doesn't matter if you go to Lagoon every weekend or not. We all like to see and watch things grow. Stay tuned for more info on the class and maybe some pics of the garden from start to finish.

First Peas hit the Sky

2010-03-30T12:15:00.000-06:00

Every year around February 1, I start to get really excited to plant my garden. My taste buds have become dull and no longer excited by the taste of grocery store produce. So I dive into all my seed catalogs that came around January 1st and start circling all the interesting veggies/flowers/herbs that I can find. Then I dig into my seed box that has extra seeds from the past year and I always have a back up packet of peas. Which for me is the first seed I plant in the ground.
This year on February 28, I dug up my earth in the back yard and laid my pea seeds in their resting place. Not knowing if the seeds are going to be any good or how long it will take them to pop their little heads up I go and check the soil every day for a sign of new growth.
After 4 week this is the beautiful site that I see when I go outside. They just opened their leaves to the world yesterday to absorb light, water and all that important good stuff that the elements will bring.
Next week I will plant my lettuce from seed in the ground. Watch out spring is just around the corner.

2010-03-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Lettuce Starts finally in the ground. they are looking good!

Arugula from seed. They look so cute!

2010-01-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Broccoli

Butterhead Lettuce

Lots of different types of lettuce

More Lettuce
All of these plants were put in the soil on January 1, 2010. I am hoping to transplant them in my hoop-house mid to late february or early March depending on how things go. This is a lot of fun and helps get the inversion blues out of my head.

Hearing on proposed Utah nuke plant zeroes in on water needs - Salt Lake Tribune

2010-01-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Another reason to support local businesses so we don't need to have things like this being constructed.
Support growth in your area through sustainable and safe ways.
Hearing on proposed Utah nuke plant zeroes in on water needs - Salt Lake Tribune

Cold Utah winter, fresh produce - Salt Lake Tribune

2010-01-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Cold Utah winter, fresh produce - Salt Lake Tribune

Supporting Local Farmers

2009-12-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

Supporting Local Farmers

Christmas GIft Blues

2009-12-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about what to give my loved ones everyday and what do you get the people that already have everything. Well, as I was donating to my favorite non-profits, I thought I should donate to their favorite non-profits in their names. What a great idea, well i can't take credit because a friend of mine is doing the same thing. So, their you have it. Support your community and their community by donating.

My favorite Non-profits

Wasatch Community Gardens-http://wasatchgardens.org/
Utah Food Bank- www.utahfoodbank.org
Cancer Wellness House-www.cancer-wellness.org
Grand Canyon Youth- www.gcyouth.org

Make a list of your favorites and email them to your family for the future.

Happy Holidays

The New Wave Urban Farming - How to get fresh food from small spaces

2009-11-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.grist.org/article/the-new-wave-of-urban-farming-how-to-get-fresh-food-from-small-spaces/

Homesteading+Lessons+Learned%3A+If+I+Could+Do+It+All+Again

2009-11-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Homesteading+Lessons+Learned%3A+If+I+Could+Do+It+All+Again

Agent for Change: Westside Wonder

2009-11-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Agent for Change: Westside Wonder

No Knead Bread Recipe

2009-10-29T09:55:00.003-06:00

No-Knead Bread

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp dry yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups of warm to hot water

Mix all dry ingredients together in a glass bowl
add water and mix until combined.
let rest covered for 24 hours or more
turn dough onto well floured surface. Shape and leave to rise a second time. At least an hour.
Preheat dutch oven in 500 degree oven
dust dough with flour or wheat bran top and bottom
bake covered for 25 minutes
uncover and bake another 10 minutes
(times adjusted for altitude)
Enjoy

A Conversation with Michael Pollan

2009-10-28T10:07:00.000-06:00

A Conversation with Michael Pollan
D&L Urban Farms does not agree or disagree with Pollan but he raises a lot of good points.

2009-10-03T11:13:00.000-06:00

2009-10-03T11:10:00.000-06:00

Early August Garden planted - still looks great and did produce a sustainable amount of food.

2009-09-30T09:29:00.000-06:00

the massive tomatoe vines that i was referring too

2009-09-30T09:26:00.000-06:00

Peas looking good- just an experiment do you think they will last?

no more tomatoes- it looks weird with out all those green vines with red hanging things every where. I love the change in season...it is the only thing constant in our lives...change that is.

lettuce or lettuce. i love arugula and micro greens. i hope my plant live to see me after the grand canyon. Got to put up the hoop house.

The Curry Plant did great this year. Nothing like walking in the back door and smelling curry from you car to your house. Very romantic.

Plans for White House Farmers' Market Move Forward

2009-09-17T14:09:00.001-06:00

Thought this article was interesting. The one thing I wish it mentioned was the Local aspect of the whole White House Farmers Market. I think it is great that they are going organic but they are also going LOCAL!!

Plans for White House Farmers' Market Move Forward

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Homegrown businesses help backyard gardeners - Salt Lake Tribune

2009-09-13T07:23:00.001-06:00

Homegrown businesses help backyard gardeners - Salt Lake Tribune

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An Open Letter to Whole Foods Market from the Organic Consumers Association

2009-09-11T11:19:00.001-06:00

I thought this was really good information about certain "organic" brands and thought that if we all buy local we can really stop these issues from coming up.
Thank s
Jessica

An Open Letter to Whole Foods Market from the Organic Consumers Association

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Already thinking.......

2009-09-10T13:40:00.002-06:00

I am pretty sure next year that I should only plant 4 tomato plants. Trying to find room to plant my fall crops and also trying to find all the tomatoes is really hard in 12 plants. I only bought 10 but i had 2 volunteers shoot up.
Also, excited about fall greens...lettuce, mustard greens, spicy greens, peas, etc...

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2009-08-28T10:43:00.001-06:00

Tomatoes getting ready to become sauce for the winter months. YUMMY!!

This is where the double oven is a must. PS if you are getting new appliances buy the double oven, it will make your life easier. Trust me.

2009-08-25T07:58:00.000-06:00

Don't make this mistake

2009-07-22T21:48:00.001-06:00

PS Never prune a determinate tomato plant you may mess with how much fruit you get.

Killer Tomatoes

2009-07-22T21:44:00.003-06:00

Watch out for the tomato frenzy that is about to unleash. If your tomatoes look like mine, you might need to plan your first canning session along with some apricot jam/leather/whatever preservation. It is time to finally reap the fruits of our labor. YES! I love this time of season.
Soon more photos.

2009-07-10T11:39:00.000-06:00

This bed use to have just lettuce in it. now the tomatillos, eggplant, garlic, soral, oregano,onions and volunteer squash have taken over a very small space but are living in harmony.

2009-07-10T11:37:00.000-06:00

I love the paper lantern look of the tomatillos they bring the garden party to life.

2009-07-10T11:34:00.000-06:00

My peas were a hit and now I have big gaps in the beds that will be filled with beets/carrots/radishes/lettuce you name it that is where I am planting them. I will also replant my peas just in a different area, yet to be discovered.

2009-07-10T11:32:00.000-06:00

I love the squash flower when it is in bloom.

2009-07-10T11:29:00.000-06:00

The Hops are starting to bud out, very exciting.

Time to Plant again

2009-07-05T10:39:00.002-06:00

Time to plant second rounds of carrots, beets, beans, cabbage, etc. Just make sure to plant them 2 inch deep so that they are protected from the heat. More pics to come when my camera grows out of the ground.

2009-06-01T10:30:00.000-06:00

D&L Urban Farms has been launched into the Salt Lake City world via the Catalyst Magazine. If you all have a chance to pick up a copy this month go to page 33 for D&L Urban Farms first print ad. We would like to thank the Catalyst Magazine for providing this wonderful opportunity to be in the their magazine. Community Support is invaluable and we appreciate all of our supporters.
Thank you
EAT YOUR OWN!
Durham & Lewis

June 1, 2009 Update

2009-05-31T17:43:00.001-06:00

Squash!

The Herb Garden in the front

The lettuce patch (2 harvest deep)

Thyme in bloom!

2009-05-31T17:41:00.000-06:00

Sage in bloom!

It's GROWING!

PEAS !

HOPS!

2009-05-17T19:10:00.000-06:00

The middle phase. NO MORE CHIVES!

2009-05-17T19:09:00.000-06:00

The first bed has been assembled. It looks great needs some more work but will be perfect for the area that is avaible. The beauty of this bed is that the owner of the land helped D&L Urban Farms with the construction and shopping for the materials to make it more affordable for her and also to be apart of the creation of this amazing food producing area.

2009-05-17T19:05:00.000-06:00

The beginning of the first installation of D&L Urban Farms. This location is beautiful, it has so much potential and already an amazing herb garden. You can see on the left side the sage, oregano and curry, and flat leafed parsley.

This is the bed that will have the first set of raised beds. You can see that there are more chives that you will ever eat in your life. With the help of the land owner, D&L Urban Farms will be able to create a usable food growing space. She weeded ever chive out by hand. That is dedication.

The bed that will most likely stay the way it is because of the beautiful tree in the middle. The soil will be ammended and hopefully have some sort of vegetables or more herbs growing in it.

2009-05-15T08:17:00.000-06:00

The edible flower. The Globe Mallow. Yes you see these beautiful flowers paint the desert floor
year after year with their orange petals but little did you know (or maybe you do) you can eat the petals of the flowers. They kinda taste like carrots believe it or not. They also take little or no water during the growing season which is great in my opinion.
If you are into edible flowers, D&L Urban Farms can help you find the right flowers to put in your yard that are kid friendly. We specialize in Kid Gardens, help you child/grandchild make a positive connection with their food and yard.

The Front Yard

2009-05-15T08:12:00.000-06:00

Who said your garden has to be in the backyard. I ran out of room and decided that since I have a big gaping hole in my front yard it could use some squash love. The squashes love to get big and bigger and become the biggest thing in my available gardening space. Plus the weed control, can't beat it.

Many of our herbs are in our front yard to begin with:Thyme, Sage, Mint, and Dill. I plan on planting more herbs in the front, for one they are beautiful and also, they tend to take up a fair bit of space.

Got HOPS!

2009-05-15T08:07:00.000-06:00

Here is one of our hop plants. It is doing really really well. They may not have a lot of color but they still can fill out a blank area and they also smell Delicious in the fall when they bloom. You can brew beer or I have been told that if you are having trouble sleeping you can fill a pillow case with hops and sleep on them and they will help you sleep easy. Go figure. I can't wait for the tepee to be full of hops.

2009-05-15T08:04:00.001-06:00

The lettuce patch. We started many of these lettuce in the basement in March. Others were planted just outside. You can say that it looks like they are all doing about the same so why take the effort to plant inside. For FUN!

My Garden's first week outside

2009-05-15T08:01:00.000-06:00

Week one of my beautiful tomato plant. I have 10 of them this year. I don't think it is over kill. We love tomatoes and decided to buy several different varieties so we can have a colorful display throughout the garden. You can also see the peas in the background stretching to grab the bamboo trellis.

A New Day

2009-05-14T07:22:00.002-06:00

The first of many blogs for D&L Urban Farms.
We are a new business to the Salt Lake Valley looking help anyone who needs help creating their own vegetable/herb garden.
We basically are available to help you do what ever you need done... from where to plant...to water wise irrigation systems...to pest removal.

There are many new gardeners out there and sometimes this hobby/lifestyle can get a little overwhelming. Being a visual learner myself, D&L Urban Farms can come to your house and help you develop the skills and confidence you need to grow your own organic produce.