January 2010 Blog Posts (12)

Three Sisters Garden

Spring marches forward towards us! Great planting idea passed on from Native Americans.

Thanks to FOOGS.org member Kimber Hirsch for the idea of planting a "THREE SISTERS GARDEN". Check out the link below! :)

http://foogsbarter.ning.com/forum/topics/three-sisters-gardening

Added by Ty Mellon on January 31, 2010 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Green/Sustainable Design II

There are of course many areas that need to be considered when designing green. The first part I shared was about Sustainable Design as it relates to land and site. This section will be the start of expanding and covering other related issues. After all, we strive to live a more sustainable life style and save the planet at the same time.

I have been working on a project trying to incorporate natural lighting; as much as feasible; this I thought would be a good heading for the second part;… Continue

Added by Sharabella Fini on January 28, 2010 at 11:54pm — No Comments

Who needs dairy anyway?

Two out of my three children have an allergy to dairy, one of them severe. That’s right an allergy, not an intolerance. We are talking all out eczema rash, crusty eyes, swollen stomach and nasty phlegm. I can tell within an hour if dairy has been consumed, even in the least amount.

As a lover of all things cheese, this put me at a loss for almost all recipes in my extensive knowledge of food. Even the most basic recipes include milk or cream. I had eliminated casseroles, enchiladas, pizza,… Continue

Added by Yvone Martinez on January 27, 2010 at 4:06pm — 3 Comments

The GREAT Outdoors and the Children

I love kids. As a young girl, I wanted to have 6 children, load us all into a van and travel around the country singing and dancing when I grew up. I also wanted to be President, an astronaut and Wonder Woman.

The education portion of what we are doing at FOOGS.org is so important to me, especially when it comes to educating the kids. I have been researching and ran across the National Wildlife Federation website and their Get Outside- Be Out There initiative. They have a GREAT site… Continue

Added by Rachel Butler on January 27, 2010 at 1:30pm — 2 Comments

Citizen Gardener

Hey, everyone --

I thought I saw a reference to Citizen Gardener yesterday and now I can't find it. My friend Amanda at catalystforfun.com sent me info in her newsletter about Citizen Gardener classes starting this Saturday, January 30th. Unfortunately I don't get home until Sunday and I don't know yet if I can go to 2 out of 3 (since I will miss the first). But they are probably on-going or in rotation. Does anyone know? I'm sure it is a great resource that I am only now finding out… Continue

Added by Camilo Garcia on January 25, 2010 at 7:43pm — 1 Comment

Rescued Plant Update

This is just a further update in my roommate's and my experiment with carrying vegetable plants over to the next year, particularly tomatoes.

Last night we ate a very good black krim tomato (with more on the way) from one of the plants we dug up just before the first freeze. Most of the rest are doing well and tomatoes are ripening, although only potted Brandywine plants that were never transplanted are producing new berries. A couple of varieties, particularly the Romas, were dry… Continue

Added by Robert N. Adams on January 22, 2010 at 9:35am — 2 Comments

Climbing Up, Not Out

I need to tell you folks, I have been working on a plan for cucumber cages. I'm focusing on growing up not out. Age wise, I'm not a fan of growing up, but when it comes to the garden growing up is THE way to maximize space. So many people have limited space so every square inch counts. I will be building some cage prototypes and posting pictures soon! I plan to build them out of cedar. Cedar is great, it holds up nicely to the elements and I really like the way it looks. Beauty and… Continue

Added by Tom Butler on January 19, 2010 at 11:19am — 5 Comments

For Trade - Herbs for Spices

As many of you know we are in the development stage of our online barter/marketplace. It's looking good so far!

I received a message last night from one of our FOOGs.org members, Chef Brian Dorman with Keres Spices. This really excites us here at FOOGs.org, since this is one of the reasons we are launching the marketplace. He is wanting to source local (Austin) herbs and came to us… Continue

Added by Rachel Butler on January 18, 2010 at 7:00am — No Comments

Harlingen Farmers Market - Harlingen, Texas

For those of you that do not know, I am a Valley girl. No, not that Valley, the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. My paternal grandparent visited the RGV as Winter Texans, referred to affectionately as snowbirds. They decided to leave behind the harsh winters of Michigan to make the lush and fertile area at the Southern most tip of Texas their home. My grandfather, in particular, marveled at the year around growing season and the lovely moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Some of their adult… Continue

Added by Rachel Butler on January 14, 2010 at 11:00am — 2 Comments

Dealing with the cold - a primer for folks from warm climates

Because I am astoundingly instinctively lazy, I am a huge fan of plants that can survive through the winter and do not require replanting.

Unfortunately, wintering a plant requires protection from freezing. Especially this year. I live in Austin, Texas, and we don’t have much winter. In fact, winter is my favorite weekend of the year.

So here are a few thoughts on getting through a brief and not-very-cold cold snap.

1.) Water. The heat capacity of water is… Continue

Added by Stephen A. Mason on January 11, 2010 at 10:17pm — 6 Comments

Gettin' Down and Dirty

Hey FOOGs Folks-

Time to get your soil ready for Spring planting! If you have an existing garden, turn over your soil or till it with a tiller. Turning over your soil is done exactly like it sounds - insert your shovel into the soil and flip it over. This keeps your soil soft and workable. This is a good time to amend your soil with compost, manure, etc. Mix in well. I recommend turning over your soil one more time before you plant in March. You don't want to plant until after last… Continue

Added by Tom Butler on January 8, 2010 at 12:29pm — 4 Comments

Gardening in Winter

I am learning a lot about winter gardens in Austin, and freeze-resistant plants like swiss chard, collards, broccoli and many others, that actually seem to thrive in the winter here. Elsewhere I posted a picture of a bowl of swiss chard picked yesterday.

2009's tomato plants, dug up and transferred to pots, have survived, and a couple of the Brandywine plants have even produced new tomatoes. So far though, the winter tomatoes, partially ripened indoors, are not as flavorful. I think… Continue

Added by Robert N. Adams on January 7, 2010 at 10:47am — No Comments