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THE INDOOR FARMER WHO WANTS TO REMAKE APPALACHIA’S AGRICULTURE

Jonathan Webb’s farm doesn’t look like much: tawny soil stretching to a line of trees, a trailer with a few makeshift desks. But if Mr. Webb gets his way, by mid-2020, the Morehead, Ky., the property will house a 60-acre greenhouse—the first in a series of multi-acre, technology-augmented indoor farms meant to bring jobs to Appalachia and fresh-picked tomatoes to surrounding states.

“If we had 500 acres of supply tomorrow, we could sell all of that supply to U.S. grocers,” said Mr. Webb, 34, who wears a uniform of dark jeans, a light denim shirt, round glasses and a Kentucky ball cap. “We cannot build fast enough or grow fast enough to meet the demand of grocers or consumers.”

Mr. Webb’s vision is to turn economically distressed eastern Kentucky into the high-tech agriculture capital of the country. He has no prior experience in farming, but he has managed to attract $97 million in project financing and a list of noteworthy partners. Ultimately, he plans to spend $1 billion to $2 billion on greenhouses—even if it takes a decade or two.

READ THE STORY Wall Street Journal

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Quick Maturing Crops You Can Grow Almost ANYWHERE!

Don’t let space or time hold you back from growing your own food! There are plenty of things you can plant in your garden, windowsill or tiny patio that will produce in less than 45 days. In some cases, you can even enjoy homegrown food in less than 1 week! Here are our top selections if you’re short on time & space in the garden.

Sprouts / Microgreens – Ready to eat in 3 days to 2 weeks

Each and every living seed will grow into a plant. It’s when that seed begins to grow (germinate) that we call the beginning growth stage of the plant a “sprout”. They are a convenient way to have fresh vegetables for salads, or otherwise, in any season and can be germinated at home or produced industrially. Sprouts are said to be rich in digestible energy, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, and phytochemicals! See MORE Sprout/Microgreen Varieties, here! 

 

Swiss Chard – Ready to eat in about 5 weeks

Chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. Fresh young chard can be used raw in salads. Mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked or sauteed; their bitterness fades with cooking, leaving a refined flavor which is more delicate than that of cooked spinach. See MORE Swiss Chard Varieties, here!

 

Zucchini Squash – Ready to eat in about 6 weeks

Though considered a vegetable in cooking, botanically speaking, squash is a fruit (being the receptacle for the plant’s seeds). Squash can be served fresh (in salads) and cooked (squash stuffed with meat, fried squash, baked squash). See MORE Squash Varieties, here!

 

Spinach – Ready to eat in about 5 weeks

Spinach can grow anywhere there is at least a month and a half of cool growing weather. Spinach is a cool-season crop, hardy to frosts and light freezes. In rows 12 inches apart, space seedlings 3 inches apart. After thinning, cover the plants with row covers to keep the pests away.  (Soak seeds overnight before planting because it germinates slowly.) See MORE Spinach varieties, here!

 

Radishes – Ready to eat in 4 weeks

Radishes are a fast-growing, cool-season crop that can be harvested in as little as twenty days.  Eaten raw they can be whole, sliced, diced, or grated. You can also cook and pickle them. Most of them are typically eaten fresh and make a good addition to a salad or a substitute to pepper on a sandwich. See MORE Radish varieties, here!

 

Tiny Tim Tomatoes – Ready to eat in about 6-8 weeks

The Tiny Tim tomato plant is a dwarf type plant produces excellent yields of ¾” – 1″  bright red cherry tomatoes. They are perfect for patio gardens. Grows well in pots, containers, and windowsill gardens. See MORE Tomato varieties, here!

 

Mustard Greens – Ready to eat in about 6 weeks

Growing mustards are a quick and easy crop to grow in your home garden.  They are a spicy green, which will quickly become one of your favorite crops. When growing from seed, start them outdoors 3 weeks before the last frost. For a more steady harvest, plant seeds about every 3 weeks or every month to give you a successive harvest. Mustard greens prefer cooler weather, so plant late in the summer for a fall harvest, or very early in spring before the summer heat sets in. See MORE Mustard varieties, here!

 

Lettuce – Ready to eat in as little as 6-8 weeks

Seed should be sown thinly in rows 1 foot apart; for leaf types, thin plants to 2-3 inches apart, then thin again by pulling every other plant when half-grown. This will encourage thickly developed plants. For head types, space rows 18 inches apart, plants 8-10 inches apart. Closer spacing results in smaller heads, which may be preferable for small families. Specialty growers are spacing lettuce very close for selling baby lettuces, a rapidly growing produce market. See MORE Lettuce varieties, here!

 

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9 of The Best Vegetables to Grow in Small Gardens

Gardening in a small space can be just as rewarding and fun as growing in a large garden area.  These days, urban gardeners are growing more of their own food in sometimes less than 100 square feet.  Balconies, patios, even indoor windowsills are a great place to grow vegetables and herbs.  Almost anything can be grown in a container, and if you’re wanting to know what you should plant to maximize your yield in a small area, here are 9 of the best vegetables/herbs to grow in a small garden.

1. Shallots:

Space shallots approx. 4-6 inches apart with the rows 18 inches apart. Plant the bulb root side down, the top of the bulb 1 inch below the surface. Planting too deep grows elongated bulbs that don’t store well.

2. Carrots:

Sow seeds evenly in a very shallow trench, about 1/4 inch deep. Keep seeds moist so they will germinate. Space rows about 12″ apart and when the first leaves emerge, thin to 1″ apart; when true leaves emerge, thin to 3″ apart.

3. Cherry Tomatoes:

To start tomatoes indoors, sow seeds using expanding seed starting soil pods about 8 weeks before the last frost date for your area. Seedlings will be spindly with less than 12-14 hours of light per day, try to keep them in a warm sunny location. When seedlings have 4 leaves, transfer to a deeper pot (3-4″) and again when 8-10 inches tall. Each time, place the uppermost leaves just above the soil line and remove all lower leaves. Transplant (see: guide to transplanting) into the garden when the stem above the soil has reached 8-10 inches tall. Be sure to harden them off before transplanting them outdoors. Allow up to 10 days for the tomato plants to harden off to the outside temperature fluctuations.

4. Runner Beans:

Set three 6 foot poles in the ground, tepee fashion, and tie together at the top. Leave 3 to 4 feet between the pole groups. Make a hill at the base of each pole, enriched with compost or well-rotted manure, and plant 6-8 seeds in each. After the second pair of true leaves appear, thin to 3 plants per pole. With regular harvesting, the pole beans should bear all summer.

5. Garlic:

Break apart cloves from bulb but keep the papery husk on each individual clove.
Ensure soil is well-drained with plenty of organic matter. Plant in Full Sun.
Plant 4 inches apart & 2 inches deep, in their upright position (the wide end down and pointed end facing up). Come springtime, shoots will begin to emerge.

6. Kale:

Plant Kale in rows 18 inches to 2 feet apart. When the seedlings are 3 or more inches high, thin plants to 10 inches apart (read about thinning) and use the thinnings for salads or as a cooked vegetable.

7. Basil:

Try to space your basil plants about 12 inches apart. As long as you harvest the leaves when they are young, basil plants make a wonderful container crop.

8. Lettuce:

Seed should be sown thinly in rows 1 foot apart; for leaf types, thin plants to 2-3 inches apart, then thin again by pulling every other plant when half grown. This will encourage thickly developed plants. For head, Bibb, and cos types, space rows 18 inches apart, plants 8-10 inches apart. Closer spacing results in smaller heads, which may be preferable for small families.

9. Beets:

Sow seed 1/2 inch deep in rows 12-18 inches apart. The beet seed is a compact ball of many tiny seeds. Many plants germinate where each seed is sown, so seed should be placed sparingly. When seedlings are 4-6 inches high, thin plants to stand 1 1/2 inches apart. (They can be used in salad or cooked like spinach.) Then, as these beets grow to about an inch in diameter, pull every other one to allow larger beets to grow.

READ MORE ABOUT GARDENING IN SMALL SPACES AT www.SeedsNow.com

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Grow Food Year Round in a $300 Underground Greenhouse

The word Walipini, derived from the Aymaran language and an indigenous Bolivian tribe, is translated as “a place of warmth” and is an earth-sheltered cold frame or transparent-roofed enclosure.

This underground greenhouse was created for the cold regions of South America to maintain food production year round but is now being adopted by gardeners of all skill levels across the world.

Most say that Walipinis should be at least 8’ by 12’ in size, but many people build even larger. Searching online you can find all types of plans and blueprints on how to design your underground greenhouse.

READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT Homestead Guru

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Grow A Garden All Year Long! Join the Seed Club TODAY!

Welcome to the Club! UOG is a fully customized monthly garden club that is curated JUST FOR YOU, and full of unique garden seeds & supplies. #urbanorganicgardener

 

🐝 SHIPS ON THE 5TH OF EVERY MONTH
🍅 STARTS AT $9.99/MONTH
🌶 FREE TO CANCEL AT ANY TIME
🥦 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
🍉 PURE RAW UN-TREATED HEIRLOOM NON-GMO SEEDS

LEARN MORE or SIGN-UP: www.urbanorganicgardener.club

📢[SAVE $5 ON YOUR FIRST MONTH BY USING CODE “UOG5” DURING SIGN-UP]

**SIGN-UP DEADLINE is JULY 4th at 11:59pm PST. Shipments will go out on the 5th.**

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Check out this DREAM tiny house with an attached GREENHOUSE!

Here’s an attractive modern home built by Olive Nest Tiny Homes, nicknamed The Elsa, in some ways the tiny house that’s unlike any other tiny house you’ve ever seen. When at it’s destination, the tiny house has a separate trailer that connects with it and has a greenhouse mounted to it. In essence, a two-trailer tiny house setup that turns into one. The inside is just as impressive as the exterior as you’ll see in the video. The home’s interior measures 323 square feet, and includes a full-sized seating area, kitchen, dining counter, bathroom and sleeping loft. It features a mini-split unit for heating and air conditioning. What do you think?

See more: http://www.goodshomedesign.com

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Pet-Friendly Indoor Gardening

Houseplants make a wonderful addition to our home’s décor and improve the indoor air quality.  Those with pets, however, may struggle with keeping plants safe from curious pets and the pets safe from indoor greenery.

The good news is you can grow an indoor garden even when you own pets. Yes, some do love to dig in the soil or even eat our favorite houseplants, but with proper plant selection and planning, you can keep your pets safe while enjoying an indoor garden.

Start by selecting plants that are safe for your pets.  Consult the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website for a list of pet-safe plants to grow and toxic plants you should avoid.  This will reduce your anxiety by helping you create an indoor green space safe for your pets.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/belmar-slash-lake-como/articles/pet-friendly-indoor-gardening-477c2881-e5be-4de5-bace-0397f405593c

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Grow Up to 90 Fruits and Vegetables in Your House With This Auto-Watering Indoor Garden

If you’ve always wanted to start your own herb or vegetable garden but don’t have the yard space or the “green thumb” to pull it off, there’s now another option. The OGarden Smart is an indoor gardening system that grows up to 90 plants at one time—20 of which are edible.

Strawberries, celery, kale, bok choy, green beans, cayenne pepper, green onion, and cherry tomatoes are just a few of the fruits and veggies the OGarden can grow. Up to 30 growing cups can be placed in a lower cabinet, where the seeds are allowed to germinate. Once they sprout, the plants can then be transferred to the rotating wheel up above, which holds up to 60 plants at a time. It takes about 30 to 40 days to harvest the produce, depending on the type of plant grown.

The system is self-watering and uses automatic LED lights to provide the right amount of sunlight, no matter what season it is. The only work that’s required is planting the seeds and refilling the water tank once a week.

LEARN MORE: http://mentalfloss.com/article/574691/grow-90-fruits-and-vegetables-your-house-auto-watering-indoor-garden

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Urban Roots celebrating 50th anniversary

East Side youth nonprofit Urban Roots will spend 2019 celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The urban agriculture organization will kick off celebrations with an event at Summit Brewing Company, 910 Montreal Circle in St. Paul, on Wednesday, March 6, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The organization has grown substantially over the past half-century, starting with one small garden and expanding to include not only gardening but conservation and wellness to its programming.

Today, Urban Roots has three main programs for high school students: the Market Garden program, where students grow and sell produce; conservation, which involves students working on a number of natural resources projects on the East Side; and Cook Fresh, a healthy eating and wellness program.

With each program, not only are students getting job experience, they’re also learning leadership skills, self-development and about possible future careers, said Patsy Noble, executive director of the organization.

READ MORE: http://www.lillienews.com/articles/2019/02/25/urban-roots-celebrating-50th-anniversary

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On rooftops and in tunnels, city farms lead food revolution

Only the Northern line tube trains rumbling through tunnels overhead provide any clue that Growing Underground is not a standard farm.

The rows of fennel, purple radish and wasabi shoots could be in almost any polytunnel, but these plants are 100 feet below Clapham High Street and show that urban agriculture is, in some cases at least, not a fad.

The underground farm has occupied a section of the second world war air-raid shelters for nearly five years, and Richard Ballard, one of the founders, is planning to expand into the rest of the space later this year.

“The UK is the hardest market for growing salad,” he said. “We’ve got very low prices in the supermarket, so if we can make it work here we can make it work anywhere.”

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Urban farms could be incredibly efficient—but aren’t yet

The green revolution that transformed modern agriculture has generally increased its scale. There’s tremendous potential for efficiencies in the large-scale application of mechanization, fertilization, and pesticide use. But operating at that level requires large tracts of land, which means sources of food have grown increasingly distant from the people in urban centers who will ultimately eat most of it.

In some ways, hyper-local food is a counterculture movement, focused on growing herbs and vegetables in the same dense urban environments where they will be eaten. It trades the huge efficiencies of modern agriculture for large savings in transportation and storage costs. But is urban farming environmentally friendly?

According to researchers at Australia’s University of New England, the answer is pretty complex. Within their somewhat limited group of gardeners, urban agriculture is far more productive for the amount of land used but isn’t especially efficient with labor and materials use. But the materials issue could be solved, and the labor inefficiency may be a product of the fact that most urban farmers are hobbyists and are doing it for fun.

READ THE REST OF THE STORY: https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/12/urban-farms-could-be-incredibly-efficient-but-arent-yet/

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Q & A: Indoor gardening delivers greens all winter

Q: Now that winter has come, I miss my garden and eating what I grow. Can you give me some tips for things I could try growing inside during the winter? – Beth from Newburgh

A: It is tough when that frost-bite chill of winter nips at your green thumb and forces you inside, I know. And while I have some houseplants growing and they are nice to look at, and occasionally water, they don’t quite scratch the itch of gardening like growing food for the kitchen.

I do what I can to extend my outdoor growing season as long as possible, building small plastic tunnels over my beds of greens and lettuces and using row-cover fabric to protect my plants from killing frosts for as long as possible. And I’m able to continue my harvest well into November most years. But when the snow starts falling, I find it difficult to continue growing outdoors. So, a few years ago, I did some research to learn more about growing some food inside through the winter.

My dream is to one day build a small greenhouse or conservatory off the back of my home. I imagine opening the door to this light-filled space and feeling the warm, moist air float out into my arid, winter-parched home. Wandering in to pick fresh food for the kitchen every day of the week, while watching the cold winter winds blow snowdrifts outside.

Someday I’ll make this dream come true, but for now, I have to make do without. Fortunately, I do have some fluorescent grow lamps that I use to start my seedlings for spring planting, which does deliver faster results than a sunny windowsill alone. But you can be quite successful growing salad greens without a greenhouse or grow lamps and add to your winter diet.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT: “RecordOnline.com“

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How to Bring Lush Greenhouse Vibes to Your Home During the Colder Months

1. Pick hardy plants. Of course, if you don’t have a green thumb to start with, winter can pose a whole other challenge. Use this season to focus on naturally hardy and already well-established plants, rather than deciding now’s the time to try your hand at a new specialty. “Sansevieria is a standby as a truly solid, highly tolerant plant,” Lowrie tells Brit + Co. “[At Terrain], we are liking the narrow shape and natural form of Fernwood Sansevieria, or Sansevieria Moonshine, for its brighter, frosty green foliage.”

2. Stick to your routine. If tending to plants is part of your self-care, be sure to keep this habit going strong, especially since moods can plummet during the winter. “Beyond the air-purifying benefits and the way that plants brighten up and bring life to interior spaces, for us it’s about maintaining the connection to nature throughout the year and the ritual of tending them, especially in the colder months,” Lowrie says. Engaging in pruning and tending rituals can be a fulfilling part of your day and can boost your mood when you’re not getting as much interaction with the outdoors.

3. Make a mister your best friend. If your favorite plants are struggling as temperatures drop, remember that it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. “Many ferns and other lush plants will thrive in low-light situations, but humidity is often the biggest challenge for otherwise tolerant houseplants,” says Lowrie. “To remedy, we scatter misters throughout the house, and I make habit of misting while on the phone or chatting with my partner.” A simple spritz here and there might be the difference between lush greenhouse vibes and saying goodbye to your favorite plant pal.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT: ” Brit.co“

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High-tech urban greenhouse takes local farming to a new level in Denver

DENVER — People walking or driving by Altius Farms have picked up their phone to call and ask about the greenhouse at 25th and Lawrence. The glass-enclosed structure houses an urban farm that is using advanced technology to change the way we think about growing food.

“This is our mission, is to bring urban farming back into our communities,” said Altius Farms Founder and CEO Sally Herbert.

The farm is already supplying about 20 local restaurants and Marczyk’s Fine Foods with fresh produce. Herbert hopes to introduce a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program where people will be able to buy directly from the farm.

“People can know their farmer. These restaurateurs and their customers will understand where their food is coming from every day,” said Herbert.

READ THE FULL STORY AT: “TheDenverChannel.com“

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Indoor gardening: Add plants to every room of your home

Grow herbs or other leafy greens indoors under a Growbar LED light fixture or near a sunny window. (photo contributed)

Gardeners know the benefits of digging in the soil. It elevates a person’s mood, improves mental and physical well-being and the outcome is always good – added beauty or tasty nutritional food. But many of us are stuck indoors for the winter, have a lack of space to garden outdoors or just can’t get enough of this healthful activity. Adding greenery indoors expands our gardening opportunities and provides the many benefits of living with and tending plants.

Let’s start with the kitchen. Boost the flavor and nutrition of winter meals by growing leafy greens and herbs in a sunny window or under a cabinet with the help of a Growbar LED light fixture. Start plants from seeds or purchase transplants to grow indoors. Place your indoor kitchen garden in a brightly lit location, free of cold drafts and with easy access to harvest and use. Then enlist the whole family and even your guests into harvesting greens for their salad and herbs to season their meals. This is sure to turn family and friend gatherings into unique and memorable experiences.

Include plants in your home or work office. Greenery helps reduce stress even when working at your desk or tackling homework at the end of a long day. Set a few plants on or near your desk or other workspace. And don’t let a lack of light stop you from growing a bit of green stress relief. Stylish energy efficient full spectrum plant lights, like the Felt Pendant Grow Light (modsprout.com), fit any décor, direct light where it is needed and promote healthy plant growth.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT: “ukiahdailyjournal.com“

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Paris-based Agricool raises $28 million to expand its urban farming tech

Agricool today announced it has raised $28 million for its system that uses specially designed trailers to grow strawberries in big cities.

The Paris-based company has now raised a total of $41 million as it works to meet the growing demand for locally grown produce through technological innovation.

“We are very excited about the idea of supporting urban farming toward massive development, and it will soon no longer be a luxury to eat exceptional fruits and vegetables in the city,” said Agricool cofounder and CEO Guillaume Fourdinier in a statement.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT: “VentureBeat.com”

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Ikea wants to help you farm in your house

Ikea doesn’t just want to sell you furniture–it also wants to sell you on sustainable living. And how best to live sustainably than to grow your own food?

That’s the idea behind a new line of products the Swedish company is developing with British industrial designer Tom Dixon. Due to be announced in May 2019 and released in Ikea stores in 2021, the products will be focused on making it easier for people to farm in an urban environment.

“For Ikea, this collaboration is about challenging the way society looks at growing in general and addressing that it’s both possible and rewarding to have a place to grow your own plants in the city,” James Futcher, creative leader at Ikea Range and Supply, said in a statement. “Food is key to humanity and design can support with better solutions.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: “FastCompany.com“
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How To Grow Wheatgrass At Home *WITHOUT SOIL*

Growing your own wheatgrass at home is easy and fun to do – especially during the winter months!

There are a lot of different methods on how you can achieve this, so below we are going to share with you some of our favorite.

There are both soil and soil-less methods.  Today we are focusing on soil-less.  Make sure you choose which will work best for you.

Before you get started, purchase your wheatgrass seeds.

And this is how it’s done ….

As you can see, wheatgrass can be easily grown and prepared at home.

Some claim it can do everything from detoxifying the liver to improving immune function & boost weight loss. Nevertheless, wheatgrass delivers many amazing benefits.

Now, let’s see what happens to your body if you drink wheatgrass daily …


We’ve talked about the amazing health benefits of consuming wheatgrass and showed you how to grow your own, now here are some great ways to enjoy your raw, healthy, nutrient-packed wheatgrass!

Check out these wheatgrass recipes:


Ready to start growing your own Wheatgrass? SHOP Wheatgrass seeds!