Category Archives: Garden Updates
Glyphosate-Roundup/possible harms and alternatives
Recently our new President Joyce Johns received an email from Ella Mfene of Drugwatch with links to information about Bayer’s herbicide Roundup whose active ingredient is glyphosate. According to Ella’s guide (linked below), sometime in 2023 Roundup will be unavailable to residential users and only available commercially. But the EPA has yet to update the Roundup label warning of possible harm to health, even though Drugwatch claims recent studies indeed show harm. At Valencia Community Gardens, we do not use Roundup or other commercial weed killers but rely on mulching and good old-fashioned weed pulling and scuffle hoeing. Even the alternatives Drugwatch describes have limited effectiveness, come with caveats, and can be unsafe to apply without protective gear.
Here are the links Ella sent, the first updated October 30, 2023, and the second dated September 5, 2023: https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/ and https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/alternatives
And here is the body of Ella’s email:
| . . . My name is Ella, and I work with Drugwatch; a free web resource committed to ensuring the safety of families and providing vital health information. As you may know, pesticides can pose risks to both humans and animals. To address this concern, we have created a comprehensive guide that provides information and resources about Roundup, and its potential health effects. Additionally, we have created a guide that offers organic, homemade, and agricultural alternatives to mitigate these risks. Please feel free to explore them: https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/ https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/alternatives/ I believe that these pages would make a valuable addition to your website. . . . Best, Ella You can reach Ella at emfene@drugwatch.com Her second link gives information on Integrated Weed Management, and both links offer details of lawsuits against Bayer (formerly Monsanto). |
Garden update 20 October 2023
Greetings from Deb
Gorgeous October days we’re having with no freeze yet, though a frost has blackened some plants. Time to put the garden to bed. We are harvesting all the green tomatoes, taking them home to ripen slowly in sheds and garages. Those of us who took them home will share–just ask. Vines and plants are pulled and piled up to dry before we chip them. (Tomato vines, unless good and dry, are notorious for clogging the chipper.)
GARLIC: 2 plots in the big fenced area were planted last week. We watered the rows previous to planting and will continue watering for the next few months. We should see them poking up by November. It’s a favorite crop and so nice to see green growing things in February and early March. We harvest in June. The bulbs came from the Mennonites and from organic grocers. Though we may plant a couple rows of conventional grocery store garlic as an experiment.
The Greenhouse is closed up tight for the winter and Fran has lots of seeds starting there. Lots of leafy greens–spinach, lettuce, chard and some herbs like thyme and tarragon. Should make for good eating this winter. There are beautiful chard and collard greens to harvest. They should be good for another month. Will they return in the spring?
Putting the Garden to bed means pulling up plants, covering soil with mulch/manure, digging up Bermuda grass which has encroached, rolling up hoses and doing whatever projects to improve the space we come up with. Ron has good ideas for projects. We’ll be at it through November and maybe longer into the winter. It’s been a great year at VCG.
In case you missed it, at the Oct. 7 Board Meeting Joyce was elected President and Patricia was added to the Board.
New VCG President Fall 2023
Joyce Johns has agreed to take over duties as President following a board-meeting vote on Saturday, October 7, 2023. Outgoing President Deb Christensen agreed to continue making garden reports (though reluctant to accept the title Garden Manager). Thank you, Deb, for your dedicated service as President, and thank you, Joyce, for stepping up. Claudia will continue as Secretary.
February 2023: Seeds for the new growing season
Some folks have worked at the garden through the winter, but now we have Spring ahead and are thinking about planting. Ron emptied the big water tank, and Ken plowed. Some of us decided which seeds to replenish and which holdovers are still good. Now we need help clearing out the upturned Bermuda grass and breaking up the clods. Come on Wednesday or Saturday mornings starting at 10 or 10:30 if you want to help.
Early October Report from Debbie
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The following is Debbie’s note in email at the start of October 2022.
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Oct. 1, 2022
Greetings –
October already! Perfect weather to be working in the Garden with the sounds of cranes overhead. They seem to be here early this year. In the Garden we are still harvesting tomatoes, and we will have plenty of green ones up until the first frost which often comes mid October. Bell peppers too and in the next few months, leeks. More greens are coming up in the GH to get us through the winter. We continue to plant lettuce, kale, radishes and spinach there.
One corn patch has been taken down and we need to work on the other one. The one inside inside the fence will become a garlic patch so we need to clean out the weeds and grass to make it ready for the October GARLIC planting around the 15th. Erika will get garlic bulbs from the Belen Farmers Market. those that she got last year did well. Let’s add the compost that Linda has sifted from the bins and also rake up the last of the rotting leaves in the big compost area from last fall. That plus some horse manure will make for good rich soil. A 2nd garlic patch could go where the onions were.
It’s a great year for apples – yellow delicious at our Garden and in other neighbours’ yards too.
That’s all I know for now. Debbie
Today’s harvest at Valencia Community Gardens
And we may be getting some rain today August 11 through Saturday the 14th!
Garden bounty in late June 2021
Pics taken by VCG member Fran Miller
Early VCG garlic harvest, grapes forming, and roses (May 29, 2021)
Zucchini Shrimp Boats
Recipe for all that upcoming zucchini and cured garlic
Zucchini Shrimp Boats (recipe from Betty Mishuk in Silver City)
4 large or 6 small zucchini
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
2 tbls butter
3/4 pounds shrimp, deveined
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Chopped parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Halve the zucchini long way. Score them and scoop out the insides, leaving ¼” or so to strengthen the boats. I use a grapefruit spoon.
Place the boats in a large baking dish. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and thyme. Bake until tender 20 .minutes
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper cook till pink 3-4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and chop into bite size pieces along with the reserved zucchini. Return the shrimp to the skillet. Stir in scooped-out zucchini, tomatoes, garlic Cook 1 minute. Add cream and lemon juice and half the parmesan. Cook 3 minutes. Fill the boats and top with mozzarella. Cook till cheese is bubbly about 10 minutes. Garnish with parmesan and parsley.
ENJOY
Seedlings and Soil Event 7 Silva Rd. in Tomé
NMSU Zoom: Designing Landscapes for Diversity
Wed. March 3rd at 3 pm
Register here: https://nmsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ucuqoqDooHdfkj3S-KbT5fIQTKxkKmOQD
Valencia Community Gardens in Tomé Gets a Wonderful Gift from Lowe’s and wants to share the wealth with other established and starting community gardens
Valencia Community Gardens (VCG), a non-profit based in Tomé, received a donation of hundreds of bags of organic garden soil, starter soil, planter soil, and seed-starting kits from Lowe’s in Los Lunas. The donation arrived at the perfect time as our gardeners are preparing soil and planting early crops for the season.
VCG will share the Lowe’s donation with other community gardens in Valencia County. East Valencia Urban Gardens at 309 El Cerro Mission Rd., directed by Lindsey Díaz from the SWCD at Whitfield, will be offering raised garden beds to community families this summer. VCG will also be offering free supplies to individuals interested in participating in our garden community or those interested in starting their own community garden. Our gardeners can be found toiling away every Wednesday and Saturday morning throughout the year. Stop by and join the fun!
7 Silva Rd just north of Tomé Gallery, south of Tomé Plaza, west of and running nearly parallel to Hwy 47. Look for the Valencia Community Gardens banner on the gate and the streetside Little Free Library.
New growing season beginning soon
We wear masks, keep at least six feet apart, and otherwise observe all recommended pandemic precautions. We’ll be posting springtime hours as soon as it reliably warms up. We’re at 7 Silva Rd. between the Tomé Gallery and Tomé Plaza just west of and somewhat parallel to Hwy 47. We’ve been preparing plots and pruning grapevines.
Masks and Hours
We wear masks, keep at least six feet apart, and otherwise observe all recommended pandemic precautions. We’ll be posting springtime hours as soon as it warms up.