Community Garden Coalition

Seed for Thought

bethrota — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:36:33 +0000

If you’re anything like me, this warm weather and sunshine has got you
thinking about the coming garden season! While tomatoes and peppers might seem like a long way off, February is the time to start ordering your seeds and getting cold season seedlings started indoors.

Thanks to generous donors, there will be a limited number of seeds available at the upcoming Spring Thaw. We’ll also notify gardeners when seedlings are available. In the meantime, here are some great seed suppliers to help you get started:

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Fedco Seeds
High Mowing Seeds
Morgan County Seeds
Seed Savers Exchange
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Be sure to check out our planting calendar for guidance on when to plant, and whether you need to start seedlings or can direct seed outdoors. Stay tuned for some ideas on cost-effective ways to start seeds indoors.

Local Food Grants

Jenny — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:21:16 +0000

Our friends at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Farms and Communities Inc. have just received grants to promote locally grown food. Read about it in the Missourian.

A New Plant Hardiness Zone for Boone County

Jenny — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:30:07 +0000

The USDA has just released a new map of plant hardiness zones, the first since 1990, and Mid-Missouri has been moved from zone 5b to 6a. The zones are defined by the average annual minimum temperature, with zone 6a meaning winter lows are -10 to -5˚ on average.

When you read about plants, a zone rating helps you judge whether a perennial can make it through the winter where you live. A lot of the most popular home gardening vegetables are annuals in most of the U.S. because they can’t make it through our winters. But, plant hardiness is something you want to consider if you’re buying plants you hope to keep around for several years. Of course, the details do matter, and taking steps like planting in a sheltered area or covering plants in the winter can help some more tender plants make it through a tough Missouri winter, if you’re a more adventurous gardener.

The new USDA map reflects calculations of average temperature from 1976 to 2005, and I think it’s fair to say that most people are not surprised to see a warming trend over the past 30 years. Looking further back into the history of changes to the map however, it seems that in the ’60s Mid-Missouri was in the -10-0˚ zone, too.

There are also alternate zone maps to consider, including some, like the AHS Heat Zone Map, that describe how much heat a plant will have to survive in the summer (60-90 days over 85˚ in Boone County). Heat zone descriptions have started to appear on some plant tags in garden centers recently alongside hardiness. There’s a great set of interactive maps by state showing heat and hardiness zones and other useful information like average first and last frost dates at www.plantmaps.com.

New Urban Farm in Mid-MO

Jenny — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:57:59 +0000

The Boonville Daily News recently reported on a new urban farm getting underway this year in Boonville, a project of CGC partner Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. This should help provide more affordable, fresh food to Boonville residents in years to come.

Winter Farmers Market

Jenny — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:32:09 +0000

Update: They also have a beautiful new website today!

This winter while your own garden is cold and unproductive, don’t forget that you can still get locally grown vegetables, cheese from nearby goats and meat from area farmers at the Columbia indoor farmer’s market, every Saturday morning at Parkade Plaza, 9 a.m. to noon.

What’s for lunch? A free movie.

Jenny — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:28:45 +0000

School gardens have been popping up locally and nationally in recent years as an effort to help children learn where food comes from and interest them in the simple and nutritious food available from a garden. Despite these efforts, many times the kind of food available in a small plot outside the school has very little in common with what’s served in the cafeteria. This Thursday night at Ragtag, watch the movie Lunch Line to get some background and perspective on the National School Lunch Program. It’s free!

Garden Leader Profile: Don Day

Jenny — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:13:12 +0000

When the Broadway Christian Church decided to start a public community garden four years ago, Don Day volunteered to coordinate it. Under his guidance, the garden has expanded to 96 plots with over 60 families from all over the city tending them. Day says his absolute favorite part of the program is working with the many refugee families that have plots there. (The Columbia Refugee Garden currently adjoins the community garden at Broadway Christian Church.)

In addition to gardening, Day is also a Sunday school teacher and head of the Mission and Outreach Ministry Team for his church. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and the former coordinator of the MU Extension Master Gardener program. Day currently works part time running the energy education program for MU Extension.

Day and his wife Fran have 3 children and 4 grandchildren, all of whom live in Columbia.

- Profile by Francie Szostak

Garden Leader Profile: Leslie Schneider

Jenny — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:47:42 +0000

Leslie Schneider is the leader of the 9th Street Community Garden. An accomplished gardener, this is her second season at a community garden. Schneider’s interest in plants originated while watching her father and grandmother tend to their gardens, and came full circle when she completed the MU Extension Master Gardener program in 2009.

Schneider loves working with people to achieve a common goal: a healthier lifestyle. Her current favorite things to grow are herbs and tomatoes. When she is not gardening, Schneider practices law.

The 9th Street Garden had 25 gardeners and all the plots were full for the 2011 season.

- Profile by Francie Szostak

Unite for Local Food & Good Nutrition

Jenny — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:21:56 +0000

Today’s Missourian had an article about the Unite 4 Healthy Neighborhoods initiative and the Health Department Garden. Nice photo, too!

So. Boone Learning Garden Fundraiser

Jenny — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 04:05:01 +0000

Sunday, November 13 • 1-3 pm
Southern Boone County Elementary School in Ashland

Come on out and support the Learning Garden and producers of delicious Missouri-grown products. Take a tour of the Learning Garden, learn about opportunities to sponsor a garden bed, and shop an indoor farmers’ market. Enjoy a “local lunch” featuring Patchwork Pork, Danjo Farms buns, Salad Garden salad, dessert from Maa Pies, and sweet potatoes grown at the school. Lunch is $10 for adults, $5 for kids age 3 through 5th grade, and kids 2 and under are free.

The funds raised at this event support the Learning Garden which relies solely on volunteers.