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Post by Garden Happy on Jun 13, 2012 6:29:44 GMT -6
We have been making clay garden seed markers in the community garden clay class.Some are turning out beautiful!!! We bought extra clay and plan to roll out some today at home. got plant plugs all lined up for the gardens and seeds are ready to go,garden designs are all done almost for our fall gardens. Got bamboo poles for the royal purple pole beans in the childrens gardens and for the red noodle beans in the adult gardens. We are in the process of having vista print do car door magnets,postcards,brochures,and I am making a monthly new paper now for each monthy class and to send out to the community. WE are taking 12 to the extention office to leanr how to make a solar oven to cook out of June 22nd. all is going well and the intrest just keeps growing.
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Post by Garden Happy on Jun 20, 2012 5:01:10 GMT -6
We are doing well in the community garden classes and gardens. People are reporting great crops with our fish emulsion and seaweed emulsion. hubby and I ahve been going to the houses and checking garden sand offering tips. Been canning till our hands fall numb(shelling beans corwders,butterbeans and black eyed peas)just put up the first of our sweet corn. We are looking in to buying by the pallet quarts,wide mouth and regular and pints and jelly jars. Taught how to can turkey recently.I teach in classes and one to one in homes. Next class is July 9th-how to build a compost system.We have ours going at the community garden. Clay classes continue to be popular and Sara is so gifted in clay projects!!! We are very blessed to have her skills! God bless this project and all who take part in it!
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Post by spuds on Jun 20, 2012 10:46:19 GMT -6
EXCELLENT!!!!
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Post by w8in4dave on Jun 20, 2012 18:33:13 GMT -6
We are doing well in the community garden classes and gardens. People are reporting great crops with our fish emulsion and seaweed emulsion. hubby and I ahve been going to the houses and checking garden sand offering tips. Been canning till our hands fall numb(shelling beans corwders,butterbeans and black eyed peas)just put up the first of our sweet corn. We are looking in to buying by the pallet quarts,wide mouth and regular and pints and jelly jars. Taught how to can turkey recently.I teach in classes and one to one in homes. Next class is July 9th-how to build a compost system.We have ours going at the community garden. Clay classes continue to be popular and Sara is so gifted in clay projects!!! We are very blessed to have her skills! God bless this project and all who take part in it! Great to hear all the nice stuff you do , thats wonderful!!
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Post by Garden Happy on Jun 25, 2012 15:46:51 GMT -6
took a group to the extention office for "SOLAR OVEN COOKING" We made 2 solar cookers,one from a foam box and one from 2 cardboard boxes with newspaper filling inbetween and a plexigalss top. She cooked from solar cookers while she taught the class and all the food turned out awesome.Last sunny day so i have not cooked from ours let.Storm Debby needs to pass through first!!!! Here are some solar resources they gave us info for: www.solarcookers.orgalso has cheap solar water purifier parts!!! check them out!
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Post by Garden Happy on Jun 26, 2012 5:00:36 GMT -6
We are getting busy,busy,busy,and it is good! The spring agrdens here are all gone,we are renewing the soil with green manure srops in the home gardens and getting ready to seed green maure crops,our next season is in August here so we are seeding plants to put out into the gardens then. Have 2 big events coming up we are involved in Antioch Pioneer festival 2012 about 5000 attend and our ANTIOCH COMMUNITY GARDENS are on the land where we do this event. We will be taking friends and visitors touring our gardens,harvesting herbs and vegtables,making kids herbal crafts,homemade herbal paper,grinding coffee beans,salt,and all kinds of goodies at the community gardens. doing classes throughout the day free to the public on organic gardening,seed collecting/seed swap,plant exchange,and signing up locals to the community garden activities. We are getting signs made up for this and brochures. ITEMS NEEDED FOR THIS IF YOU HAVE A MIND TO HELP OUT: Any seeds you have left over we could use to grow out,barter,and in our seed exchange. coffee grinders gunny sacks gourds for bowls,dippers,spoons.... Then Tomatoville is hosting a FLORIDA TAG(TOMATO EATING GATHERING)2012 NOVEMBER 10TH 2012 We will meet up in plantation Florida and trade tomato plants Novenber 10th and then again in March 1013 to eat and taste from all the tomato grow outs,anyone can come ,if you want to be involved go to my facebook page (gardenhappygardenhappyacres) and click onto tomatoville,register and get involved!!!
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Post by Garden Happy on Jul 3, 2012 14:17:25 GMT -6
The rain is gone and the sun is back and if feels so good!!! We are making the gardens for the adults,kids and a sand box area for the little tikes with plastic toys for them to play in. New batch of fish emulsion is done and we are getting request for it !!!! So for a donation of .... Maybe we will get a little something for seeds or other things we need. We are planting green manure crops now to turn over in a few weeks to get ready for our fall/winter gardens beginning in August. Hot here now so not much to garden,Start plating again in August. We found a wholesaler for canning jars in Tampa,right off the dock area so we are looking into buying the canning jars by the pallet now.
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Post by Garden Happy on Aug 1, 2012 7:47:07 GMT -6
Crazy busy getting everything ready for the fall/winter garden season here. We put up another 24 quarts of turkey soup and 28 jelly jars of elderberry jelly and elderberry/apple jelly. Canning beans next. We are getting request now for our fish emulsion and give it out . We cut tree limbs and hauled them to the back 40 at the church garden grounds yesterday.Thanks so much to Teressa and her husband Jeff who helped me get it done along with my faithful sons!! We were bushed after all that in this heat.Praise God my heart took it!!!!! I'm getting exited as we are now so close to getting the garden in at the church grounds and not just at people's houses!!!! We start next week laying irrigation pipes!!! THANKYOU JESUS!!! Then the gardens go in!!!!!!! AT THE ANTIOCH ORGANIC COMMUNITY GARDEN GROUNDS!!!! We meant with a t-shirt company and had a design made up for baby onsies,mens shirts,womens shirts,bummper stickers,tote's They are making us our own web site for the community to go to and buy direct!!! Tried to make a face book page for the members but many will not go to face book so I'm thinking of just closing it.The ones that do. They go and look but won't comment the ones that do,it drives me crazy.Feel like I'm talking to myself!!!! Class this month is ,PLANNING AND PLANTING THE FALL GARDEN" We are getting invloved in the Tomatoville plant exchange in Plantation have about 13 going so far and i believe more will come yet.Growing out for that and then their will be a tomato tasting in St. Pete Florida in March 2013. May be able to take the church bus van if we get enough which will be great!!!! Been some set backs,made things hard to get totally done,but walls are built to be scalled sometimes but please pray for us if your a praying person. All in all slower start then i wanted on the gardens at the church grounds,but it's happening now,great season to start out fall has far less bugs here in Florida zone 9. Everyone that got seeds and grew at their own houses learned a ton and are better prepared to help at the community gardens now. Feed back on the community garden classes has been great!!! Our Antioch Days Pioneer Festival on November 3,2012 is in full swing for all the work and prep.The community gardens area is going to have coffee bean grinding,herbal sachet making,herb bundling,hopefully broom corn making,plant a plant and decorate the container,and herbal paper,seed and plant swap. Still putting it all togeather depends how far along the plants are in the new gardens at the church. Well this pretty much catches you up on our goings on
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Post by Garden Happy on Nov 20, 2012 6:36:56 GMT -6
Been a while since i updated this.We had to define where and when I can post information and just got the go ahead that it's o.k. to post off church web site. We have been so busy and i hope to have pictures to post here soon. Lowe's in plant city donated delivered and unloaded for us wood pallets for us to build our pallet shed.this shed will be 10x12 and then a local stucco contractor has offered to stucco it for us We have built tables, planters,hoop house frames,fences,seeding boxes,benches and plant markers so far from all the wood by tearing apart the pallets and then using them for wood. Next we are putting up a hoop house to winter over some of the tender plants. the gardens are 1/2 in and growing ton's of plants now. We have growing right now,onions,basil,dill,thyme,mint,cilantro,parsley,lemon grass,rosemary,stevia,and oregano pea's,cow peas,lettuce,Swiss chard,Brussels sprouts,cabbage,tomato's,flowers went to a tomato plant exchange in Plantation Florida and had a wonderful time. They donated all the left over plants to our community garden. We are in the process of planting all those plants right now. We had a wonderful turn out at the ANTIOCH DAY'S PIONEER FESTIVAL,with 9 new people from the community signing up to work the gardens and 17 for canning classes' and 13 children signed up for the children's garden program we are starting in January. Next class will be our Christmas Party and we all are looking forward to this garden theme Christmas Party!!! All in all it's been a good first year,classes are expanding to include butchering, basic herbal medicine,and w hope to put in our first hydroponic system this spring. Needs are: bean seeds,garlic,onions sets pea's flower seeds plastic for the hoop house We are still praying for a sponsor so if your a praying person please lift this up
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Post by Pharmer Phil on Nov 20, 2012 7:09:40 GMT -6
how the heck do you ever keep up Gh...busy, busy, busy
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Post by w8in4dave on Nov 20, 2012 7:25:33 GMT -6
Ohhh my you are busy!! sounds like it is very rewarding we will be looking forward to some wonderful pics!! I'd love to see that building!
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Post by Garden Happy on Dec 10, 2012 6:44:57 GMT -6
Pharmer Phil LOL I think it's because we have no family here so adopted my community! I just love to see the faces of friends learning to garden for the first time and there first harvest! god has blessed me so very much. I'm alive to have this much fun only because of him!!!! What a joy the gardens have been to me and to those I'm teaching,we are very blessed. They are such a happy crew,we just have fun together! We've just added a fire pit area at the church.My son cut and donated a 48 '' fire pit of thick pipe. In January as we build our pallet shed we can warm ourselves now and cook and make hot cocoa and hot tea by the fire pit!!!! Our Christmas party is tonight and I've had a blast sewing stockings and making Christmas potpourri's,decorating a grapevine tree and making dips with fresh herbs from our gardens!!!!! More later,to busy today to write more,God Bless everyone and Merry Christmas From Antioch Organic Community Gardens!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Compost Pharmer on Dec 10, 2012 16:29:27 GMT -6
I wish I didn't live so far away. I would love to be part of your Garden Community. What part of Florida you live in? Pan handle or down by Miami?
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Post by Garden Happy on Dec 11, 2012 10:00:56 GMT -6
In between compost pharmer ,20 minutes to Tampa in PLANT CITY FLORIDA,STRAWBERRY CAPITOL!!! We are in Ag land all surrounded by farms.
ANTIOCH ORGANIC COMMUNITY GARDEN FIRST CHRISTMAS PARTY was a huge great time! 16 attended even though we were under a tornado warring!!!! We had a blast! menu was: SLOW GRILLED WILD HOG WHOLE LEG(my 21 year old Isaiah provided this meat) BBQ SQUIRREL(my 13 year old Isaac provided this) CROCK POT SQUIRREL(Isaac provided this) RED BEAN DIP GUACAMOLE YOGURT DILL CUCUMBER DIP BEAR CLAWS(my 13 year old Isaac made these by himself) HERBAL WALNUTS VEGETABLE PLATTER Canned sweet pickles(Jean provided these) Vegetable Melody sweet canned pickled,(Jean provided this) DIRT PUDDING(Debby provided this,in a planter!) CIDER WASSAIL all the herbs used we're harvested from our Community gardens!!!!!! We had a wonderful time eating and then played the gift stealing game . alot of the gifts were homemade a butterfly house with the 6'pole,jellies,a home grown papaya tree that was about 5' tall,a hand painted sign.... We then played the ,"OLD WILDERNESS THE GAME OF BACK COUNTRY LORE AND SURVIVAL SKILLS" Jeff and Teressa a couple won that game! they had to answer 12 questions from 4 categories, plants,land and sky,wildlife,wilderness skills I'm so blessed to be able to do this Community Garden and classes.
I'm so happy God made my gifts in life loving gardening!!! What a joy to enjoy each other and learn the skills and wonders of God's gardens!!!! My son Isaiah,cut a 48'' pipe for our fire ring and delivered it to the gardens last week so we can now enjoy bond fires! Thanks my son! Next month we build the pallet shed! And a hoop house.
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Post by Garden Happy on Dec 21, 2012 6:14:15 GMT -6
Our first frost may be one the way soooo, today I will go us to the gardens and we will bed in our tomato's and other plants and cover them with frost blankets. Hope to get the hoop house up very soon!!!! Next year we also hope to "light up the garden area with Christmas lights and a huge star! just not ready for the electric out lets yet up there only have 2. Here are the needs if anyone wants to send any of these. hot pepper seeds and sweet bean seeds-seed companies rarely send peas or beans i think because of weight. pea seeds garlic onion sets gourds old fashion edible or medicinal plants seeds Any garden tool for kid's or adults. We are in need of garden gloves for children and adults. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW 2013 YEAR.
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Post by Pharmer Phil on Dec 22, 2012 5:25:54 GMT -6
had a friend who made a solar oven once...it worked nice! wonder ifin he's still got it...been 26 years...
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Post by Garden Happy on Dec 23, 2012 6:28:19 GMT -6
Yes they work good if you get the right angles for the sun to catch and you need a wide rim covered in foil! Going to beg my husband to make the community gardens and us a solar dryer out of pallets and glass I'm going to have to beg hard ,we have a ton of work to do around here(at my house) Freezing cold 36.6* here ,got the bed's covered yesterday at the community gardens.praise God for my boy's help and my daughters,December 22 is not the day to get a huge crowed to help at the gardens. I'm crossing my fingers the weather man was right about our temp.We Had frost at our house and at the community gardens yesterday We did not lose anything but it was a close call. Everything is tucked into coastal hay and frost blankets on the tomato's.I wish we had more frost blankets but we are making do with what i had. Next year ,hope to have a sponsor,pray for this if your a praying soul. I'm trying hard to get pictures posted. Let's just say If i was a cussing person , I would be!!! Instead I yell!!!
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Post by Garden Happy on Dec 28, 2012 15:04:16 GMT -6
Checked everything today up at the community gardens and all is well.Eveything is growing very well under the costal hay and frost blankets.tomato's are still blooming and look very green,no frost damage at all!!!
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Post by w8in4dave on Dec 28, 2012 20:51:39 GMT -6
Wow! Wonderful for you!! Turkey stock!and everything ... Good for you!! Thats just wonderful !! Great for you gardenhappy!! I wish I was so into the community as you are ... I am not tho but dang you rock!! Good luck and thanks for every thing you teach Huggs!
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Post by Garden Happy on Dec 30, 2012 18:24:33 GMT -6
Thanks 8inforDave New years hopes and dreams for the gardens. January-get the pallet shed built. Get a hoop house up keep the plants alive,plant carrots,beets,potato's,radishes,turnips,onions,herbs Get a seed bank started Start the canning classes Get the First Children's Gardening Classes started Start advertising to the community weekly Make plans to host a seed/plant swap for February 2013 get it advertised Get arbors made out of pallets for the front garden areas build potato boxes from pallet wood and seeding boxes. make clay markers for garden beds and frames to permanently attach to each garden bed. Organize a fund raiser(selling farmers almanac products) Seek sponsors -please pray for this. Learn to post pictures and get the Antioch Organic Community Gardens blog started. This is the new goals for January 2013!!!!
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Post by Compost Pharmer on Dec 30, 2012 19:08:10 GMT -6
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Post by Garden Happy on Jan 13, 2013 6:40:06 GMT -6
Here are a few of our ANTIOCH COMMUNITY GARDEN PHOTO'S. THIS IS THE OUTSIDE AREA OF OUR GARDENS. THE FENCE WAS ALL MADE OUT OF PALLETS DONTATED FROM LOWES IN PLANT CITY FLORIDA.WE TORE THEM APART,NAILED TOGETHER AND PAINTED THE FENCE .NOT BAD FOR A RECYCLED FENCE!
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Post by Garden Happy on Jan 13, 2013 6:47:14 GMT -6
THIS IS INSIDE THE FENCE AREA. BESIDE FENCE INSIDE IS A 2' BOARDER BED,OF LEMON GRASS,SALVIA, THYME,MINT,BLUE PANSEY'S. THEN A 2' WALKWAY THEN THESE 4'BY80' GARDEN BEDS.wE WEPERATED THE GARDEN AREA'S WITH BRICKS WE DUG UP OUT OF THE GROUND IN THE AREA THAT USE TO HAVE A HOUSE.MAKING 4X10 BED AREA'S. THIS AREA SHOW OUR HERBS FOR CULINARY USE:CILANTRO,MEXICAN CILANTRO,DILL WEED,CATNIP,PARSLEY,AND CHIVES.
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Post by Garden Happy on Jan 13, 2013 6:54:36 GMT -6
AOME HOW I DROPPED THE PICTURES TWICE ,SORRY. THESE SHOW THE VERY BEGINNING BUILDING OF THE BEDS. YOU CAN SEE US BUILDING THE FENCE PIECES IN THE FIRST AND HOW WE SET THE BEDS OUT. EACH BED HAS 1 FOOT BASE OF COMPOSTED LEAF MOLD,THE COMPOSTED ORGANIC DIRT FROM ,MOTHERS ORGANIC HUMUS FARM IN SEFFNER FLORIDA.THEY DONATED A DUMPTRUCK LOAD OF ORGANIC DIRT GOLD TO US! THEN YOU SEE THE BRUSSEL SPROUTS WE GREW FROM DONATED SEEDS.THEY ARE NOW ABOUT 21/2 FOOT TALL AS OF JANUARY 2013.
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Post by Garden Happy on Jan 13, 2013 7:00:35 GMT -6
i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/tupro1/op/36528_10200377036258323_460689601_n.jpg[/IWE HAVE ONLY 1/2 OF THE BEDS IN AT THIS TIME.THIS YEAR WE WILL ADD 4 MORE 4X80 LONG BEDS,A HOOP HOUSE AREA THIS FALL,A HANDICAP GARDEN AREA,AND OUR PALLET SHED.WE ALSO WILL BEGIN THE VERTICAL GARDENING THIS YEAR WITH RECYCLED FENCING IN THE LAST ROW. YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THE LAST PICTURES OUR COMPOSTING AREA SITE MADE FROM PALLET'S. THE BRICKS ARE RELLY OLD AND HELP DIFINE EACH AREA. THIS IS DIANTHUS AND CABBAGE.
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Post by Garden Happy on Jan 13, 2013 7:05:58 GMT -6
CABBAGE PLANTS. THE WHITE MARKERS TOY SEE IN THESE BEDS ARE CUT FROM PALLETS ALSO AND PAINTED.WE THEN TOOK A LARGE BLACK MARKER AND LABLED EACH PLANT VARITY.WE ARE MAKING CLAY MARKERS RIGHT NOW THAT WILL HAVE A NICER LOOK TO THEM AND WILL USE THESE TO MARK ROWS AND POTTED 16'' POTS.
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Post by Garden Happy on Jan 13, 2013 7:15:51 GMT -6
YOU ALSO CAN SEE OUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN THE PICTURES THAT WE WILL FINISH AS SOON AS THE LAST 4 BED'S GO INTO PLACE. WHERE THE HOUSE STOOD IS A CEMENT AREA 10X20.WE ARE GOING TO MAKE HIP HIGH GARDEN BEDS OUT OF PALLET WOOD TO GROW INTO LETTUCES,E EDIBLE FLOWERS,KALE'S,CHARD'S,AND PEAS AND VERTICAL POLE BEANS AND MINI CUKES AND MELONS THIS YEAR. 1 BED 2X6 IS ALREADY DONE AND NEEDS TO BE STAINED AND THEN SET INTO PLACE. WE ARE EXPLORING WITH MOTHERS ORGANIC HUMUS FARM MAKING A BAMBOO HYDROPHONIC SYSTEM ALSO THIS YEAR.
MONDAY JANUARY 14TH 2013 WE BEGIN THIS YEARS CANNING CLASSES . I WILL BE TEACHING CANNING MEATS AND VEGETABLES. WE NOW HAVE A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER AND A YEARLY CALENDAR.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK PHARM PHAMILY? WOULD LOVE SOME INPUT FROM GROWERS AND GARDNER'S.
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Post by Compost Pharmer on Jan 13, 2013 7:56:53 GMT -6
Those are some good looking beds. Healthy looking plants. Keep up the good work that you do over there in Florida.
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Post by spuds on Jan 13, 2013 11:49:12 GMT -6
Very nice,its here.
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Post by Garden Happy on Jan 13, 2013 18:50:37 GMT -6
Thanks spuds!
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