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Keepin Urban Organic Gardener Real

This post was inspired by a conversation that Anita and I had a few weeks back.

It was when I was initially launching the Fall Gardening 101 course.

If you are a new reader, fan or follower, please read so you know what you can expect from this site and the information that I share.

Why Urban Organic Gardener was created

It wasn’t answering your questions about the best way to get rid of aphids or what to do if your tomatoes are getting blossom rot.

That’s not my passion nor what I feel strongly about.

What I feel strongly about is our food and knowing where it is coming from.

What I feel passionate about is empowering you to start growing some of your own food in a way that’s
not overwhelming or confusing.

And from what you’ve told me, it’s something you’re passionate about too.

During the past 3 years, I’ve created and put together lots of free information, inspiration and ideas to give you the tools to not just create your own urban garden, but to know where your food’s coming from…

And keep it pesticide and chemical free.

Because here’s the bottom line:
It’s freakin awesome to grow your own lunch…

No doubt.

But it’s life-changing when you can take back control of your health and your family’s health by getting connected to and deciding for yourself which foods make it on to your plate.

There’s nothing like growing your own to make that a reality.

Why am I writing this?

Over the past few months as the popularity of the site has grown, I’ve been receiving more emails, comments and messages.

Some of which…haven’t been so nice.

I had one woman email me that she’d never buy anything from a guy wearing a black hoodie and does the “black rapper thing” with his hands.

I had someone tell me that I should change the name of my site because I was limiting my audience by not allowing people to talk about in ground gardening.

I have people emailing me multiple times asking me to solve their insect problems, then calling me out and being rude publicly when I don’t help them with their problem.

These aren’t the type of people that I want to reach and interact with.

It’s made creating and sharing information a bit of a drag lately, which is why the quality of the content has been suffering.

If you want to learn how to farm you backyard, till up your front yard or cure the black spots on your tomatoes…this isn’t the place for you.

I don’t say that with negative feelings, this just isn’t.

To bring that feeling and passion back into what is being done, I am going to get back to the fun, simple and informative posts that inspire and empower you to start growing your own food, so you can avoid toxic pesticides, eat healthier and not feel limited by your lack of experience and space.

Can I get an amen?

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Expanding Beyond Gardening

I’ve been asking you a lot of questions…

…through surveys, posts, Facebook and Twitter.

You’ve been heard – loud and clear.

I might not respond to everyone, but I read everything and I’ve heard you.

It goes beyond gardening

The one common thing that I keep hearing is that you want to grow your own food to eat healthy, avoid pesticides and chemicals and to know where your food is coming from.

There is only so far that growing our own food can take us in that respect, especially for those of us with smaller spaces. Plus, gardening is a boring topic to always be writing and reading about.

More than gardening information

That is why I am going to be expanding the content to include ways beyond growing your own food so that you can eat healthy, avoid pesticides and chemicals and know where your food is coming from.

You’ll still get your simple and quick tips to start and maintain your garden, but you’ll also be getting information on other ways to incorporate healthy foods into your life and reasons why.

Future offers

I’m also currently developing an online course to help you get your garden started along with other courses to take your health to where you want it to be for you and your family.

Your turn

Fill out the survey below to allow me to better serve you and provide you with the content that you are seeking.

Also, be sure to sign up for my email updates below to stay up to date when the online course will be offered.

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Which Posts Have You Found Most and Least Useful?

In 2012, the content focus has change…

…and I would like to get your thoughts.

As the header image of the site says, this site is about “Practical container gardening tips to grow your own food.”

Which is why I want to make sure that that is what is provided for you – practical tips.

It’s easy for me to know which ones are the most popular. I really want to know which ones are the most useful to you, so more of those can be created for you.

This is going to be my last post for a few weeks. As you are watching this I’m back in NYC and going to be speaking at Green Festival on Saturday, April 21 at 2pm at the Javitz Center. If you are in the NYC area, come check it out and say what’s up. I’ll be back posting regularly on May 14th…or possibly before.

Most popular posts of 2012 so far…

To help jog your memory here are some of the most popular posts from this year:

[vimeo clip_id=”40674783″ title=”0″ byline=”0″ portrait=”0″ width=”525″ height=”393″]

Your turn

Since I want to be of highest service to you on this journey, in the comments below let me which posts were the most and least useful to you.

Each and every comment is read. Your opinion counts.

Photo courtesy of Bilal Kamoon on Flickr.

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Last Post of 2011 and What’s in Store for 2012

This is gonna be the last post of 2011..hard to believe it’s over.

Have lots planned for 2012 and want to share some of it with you.

Most of which is based on the most and least popular posts of the year, along with all the emails, comments on this site and on the Facebook page, Twitter and YouTube.

In 2012, I am going to be focusing even more attention on showing you how to grow your own food with little to no space. These are the topics that I’m going to be focusing on:

  • Apartment Gardening. Going to get more into how to best find, utilize and grow the most in the space that you have.
  • Indoor Gardening. Not only will I share how to start seeds indoors to get a jump on the season, but also how to grow indoors year round. Might be throwing some hydroponics in the mix as well.
  • Container Gardening. Still focusing on self-watering containers. Will be giving more tips on maintaining your containers and what grows best in them.
  • DIY Projects. Have lots of ideas for projects to experiment with in the new year such as a worm pot container, bookshelf herb garden and more.
  • Indoor Composting. When I lived in New York, I made my own compost bin and attempted to make my own worm bin unsuccessfully. Really looking forward to experimenting with some new composting ideas for those of us without the land.
  • Garden Recipes. Will continue to share the seasonal garden recipes, but will be focusing more on what’s actually growing in my garden or what you are growing in yours.
  • Insects & Diseases. Will help to identify specific pests and diseases and how to best remedy them.
  • Reasons to Grow & Health Benefits. Will continue to share the reasons to grow your own food such as the fact that we are humans and that our food travels such a far distance. In 2012, going to be expanding that out to the health benefits of what you are growing as well. Did you know that raw garlic is a great anti-microbial? See…stuff like that.
  • Tips & How Tos. The simple tips and how to posts will be a mainstay for 2012 as well.

As per usual, these posts will be quick and to the point for you to easily understand and get started.

I’ve already partnered up with some great sponsors including SeedsNow.com, The Greenhouse Catalog, Rainbow Worms, Safer Brand and Vertical Home Gardening to share their products and get your garden going for 2012.

The most important thing is that the information helps you out, so what questions or posts would you like to see relating to these topics or what other topics would you like to be covered?

Thanks for a great 2011 and here’s to an even better 2012!

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Top 10 Least Popular Recipes From Urban Organic Gardener in 2011

This was the first year that I started to share seasonal garden recipes. They were a popular addition to the site.

Earlier in the week, I shared the 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2011.

Not all of them were that popular and I like to share my mistakes just as much as my successes.

You are asking, “Were they tasty?” Pssshhh, of course they were, but just not popular on the site.

The list is compiled strictly from my analytics based on how many times a page was viewed, not by how many people ate it and liked it.

Here they are:

Just because they weren’t popular doesn’t mean that they weren’t good. I only hooks up the good stuff.

Which recipe was your least favorite recipe from 2011?

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Top 10 Least Popular Urban Organic Gardener Posts of 2011

Everyone posts their greatest and best of collection like I did a few days ago, but no one ever acknowledges the ones that didn’t do so well.

So I thought WTF…why not? As I said the other day, there were over 150 posts on Urban Organic Gardener in 2011. Not all of them were very popular.

Not only have I learned a lot about gardening in 2011, but I’ve also learned a lot about what you like and don’t like, which is just as important.

This list is compiled strictly from my analytics based on how many times a page was viewed or in this case, not viewed. I won’t get into the speculation and reasons why I think they didn’t do well. You can figure that out.

Here they are:

Those are the misses from the site. Just because they weren’t popular doesn’t mean they weren’t good 😉

What were your least favorite posts from 2011?

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Top 10 Most Popular Recipes from Urban Organic Gardener in 2011

Yesterday, we counted down the 10 Most Popular Posts on Urban Organic Gardener in 2011.

This was the first year that I started to share seasonal garden recipes. So, I’d like to share with you the Top 10 Most Popular Recipes from the year.

The list is compiled strictly from my analytics based on how many times a page was viewed, not by how many people ate it and liked it.

Here they are:

Now you are probably thinking, which is the best tasting? Well they are all best tasting because that’s how I roll.

Which recipe was your favorite from 2011?

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Top 10 Most Popular Urban Organic Gardener Posts of 2011

There were over 150 posts on Urban Organic Gardener in 2011. Do I really have that much to say?!

Since it’s December, I’ve decided to share with you the most popular ones for the year based on your votes. You didn’t really vote, but you kinda of did by checking out these articles.

This list is compiled strictly from my analytics based on how many times a page was viewed. I won’t get into the speculation and reasons why I think they are so popular. I will let you do that.

Here they are:

There you have. What are some of your favorite posts from 2011?

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Taking a Break and Asking For Your Feedback

This is going to be my last post for a few weeks. Going to be taking some time away from the site to travel and visit friends and fam. Time to rejuvenate so I can get some new life into the site.

During the time off, I will be taking a look back at the past few months and evaluating what’s been done to see what has done well. That will to help come up with new ideas and to keep the site fun and interesting. The last thing I want is to become is another boring gardening site.

One idea that I’ve had that I want to work on is rigging so that it can be used to water all of the containers. That way if you have multiple containers, you only have to water one of them.

Most importantly is – what have you really enjoyed and really hated? Be honest, I can take it. If I don’t like your opinion, it obviously means that you are dumb and I won’t fault you for that.

For reals, please provide me with your feedback to help grow and shape this site.

Do you like the quick gardening tips? Dislike?

More or less on the effects of chemical gardening and alternatives?

What about the food news? More of it? Less of it? Cut it out all together?

Have you been enjoying the recipes or can do without them?

What else would you like to see that hasn’t been covered?

Lemme know in the comments and I’ll check you when I get back to posting on Monday, September 19.

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It’s Almost July, What’s Growing in Your Garden?

It’s almost July. Crazy ain’t it?!?! Around the country most of you should be at least a month deep into your growing seasons. You should have already thinned out some seedlings after their true leaves shown and done succession plantings.

You’ve already shared your spring garden ideas with me and last month you told me how your May gardening was coming along.

Ginger Renne Doxie had a raised bed built from cinder blocks that had some tomatoes, peppers and radish. She also planned to grow some tomatoes upside down.

Juanita pretty much wrote an entire post about all she had going on from spinach and lettuces that she was harvesting to the onions she was eating daily. It was great to read the excitement in her comment.

Melissa Willis asked if it was a loaded question and said how she went out of control with her plantings, but had not rain in New Mexico. Hopefully she’s had some since.

Well on my balcony garden, I had that issue with the twigs in the soil, but all is not lost. My mint container is doing well. There are two swiss chard containers that I’m harvesting from regularly and using in my smoothies. Also, my Jack Be Little Pumpkin is looking decent so far.

Now on to the important questions and part of the post, what’s growing in your garden this time of the year?

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Is My Integrity Tarnished Because I Have Sponsors?

In the beginning of the year I started to partner up with some sponsors. I wanted to discuss with you whether you think that I’m still maintaining my integrity and remaining true to this site with that addition.

My reasoning for starting this site in 2009 was to inspire and empower people to start growing their own food. At the current time, I’m pretty much dedicating myself to to this full-time.

Since I’ve partnered up with these sponsors, I’ve been mindful not to turn the site into an infomercial. That’s not why I started this and it’s not what I’m going to turn it into. Doing that would totally turn me off and I would think turn you off as well.

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m pretty much a DIY kinda guy – making self-watering containers and hanging soda bottle planters. The DIY thing ain’t for everyone. I understand that.

Often times people will ask me about products or what they can buy instead of making. So I’ll turn them on to one of my sponsors or put them in touch and be fully transparent about it.

While seeking and speaking with potential sponsors, I do my due diligence in regards to checking their relationships with companies such as Monsanto and Scotts (Miracle Gro). I’ve actually turned down a few companies that were about to write a check out to me because of their relationships with those companies.

I’m not sacrificing what I’m doing and stand for because someone breaks out George Washington.

Moving forward I’m going to be integrating my sponsors more into the site and what I’m doing, but I’ll by no means become Billy Mays. My goal is to do it in a way that helps to expand the scope of what’s already being done.

I’ll still keep doing what I do and this site will not become an infomercial.

Ultimately this site is about you, so I want to hear from you. Do you think my integrity is tarnished because I have sponsors?