Farm Tour!

We will be offering our very first farm tour on Saturday, August 21st from 1pm-4pm.

This was an idea I had been thinking about for quite awhile but thanks to a very timely email from Esperanza at Pluck and Feather we've decided now is a great time to do it.

If you're curious about what we're all about or want to learn something about gardening or raising livestock or if you just want to hang out come on out and join us! We will provide some refreshments (maybe a bit of homebrew, hard cider and homemade soda *wink*) but feel free to bring anything you want to share with other homesteaders.

So put it on your calendars and keep checking as we add info about it. If you are interested in joining us please send us an email at dogislandfarm at gmail dot com. We look forward to meeting all of you!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Last week we had a giveaway contest for a $40 gift certificate to any of the over 200 CSN Stores. Well, it's time to announce the winner....

....Drumroll Please......

Janice - Your name got pulled out of the hat!

Please send us an email to dogislandfarm at gmail dot com so we can get you your gift certificate. Thanks everyone for all the interest and all the great comments! We truly appreciate every one of our readers.

Thursday in the City- Yoga, Veggies and Bees with Hayes Valley Farm

Earth Day at Hayes Valley Farm, originally uploaded by edibleoffice. Source:  Hayes Valley Farm
Outdoor Yoga with Lindsey Goldberg: Get ready for the Work Day on Thursdays When: Thursdays, 1:30pm to 2:30pm Description: Join Lindsey Goldberg before the Work Party on Thursdays starting at 1:30pm for an outdoor yoga workout at Hayes Valley Farm. Everyone is welcome to practice yoga at the farm. Deepen your connection to this place through a practice aimed at connecting to our breath, calming the mind, warming the body, setting mindful intention, opening the heart and celebrating community in a farm we are co-creating! Whatever the weather, we will embrace the wind, the sunshine, and clouds in all their dynamic configurations. Wear comfortable clothing. Instructor: Lindsey Goldberg Cost: Free Registration: No need to sign up. Just show up.
Growing Food with Antonio Roman-Alcala: Food Gardening Basics When: Thursdays, starting July 15, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm  Description: Come with your questions and experiences about small scale vegetable production; we will share whatever information we have with each other, and check up on the development of Hayes Valley Farm's emerging beds. $10 donation suggested. Instructor: Antonio Roman-Alcala Cost: $10 donation is suggested Registration: Contact our Course Administrator to sign up. Honey Bee Basics: An intro class about honey bees and the Hayes Valley Farm hives When: Sunday, August 1 - 10:00 am to 12:00 pm  Description: Join us for an introductory class about honey bees in general, and the SF Bee-Cause honey bee colonies that were (and again will be) hived at Hayes Valley Farm. We will talk about the lifecycles and biological roles of individual members of the hive (workers, drones and queen), and how those members behave as a “super-organism” with its own lifecycle and biological goals that change with the seasons and environmental conditions. We will discuss the health and safety risks of beekeeping, and those in the vicinity of beekeeping activities, as well as the cost, time and other commitments critical to being a “responsible” urban Finally, we will discuss the evolutionary pressures honey bees are experiencing in the US and worldwide, how non- beekeepers can help maintain healthy populations of this “powerhouse of pollinators” and her native bee cousins. We will answer any questions you may have. At the end of this class, we hope you will feel equipped to take on the role “honey bee ambassador” whenever the occasions arises in your personal life. Help increase public understanding and appreciation of honey bees, dispel unwarranted fears with facts, and prevent senseless acts of violence against our urban bees. Instructors: Volunteer(s) of San Francisco Bee-Cause Cost and Considerations: $20-40 sliding scale.

Thursday in the City- Upcoming Events at Garden for Environment

Garden for the Environment, originally uploaded by chuck b..

Info Via:  Garden for the Environment

URBAN COMPOSTING
Date: Saturday, August 7th, 2010
Time: 10AM – 12NOON
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Cost: Free

Give your summer garden a boost that will guarantee vibrant colors and tasty veggies for the months to follow! Aside from encouraging beneficial soil organisms and conserving a non-renewable resource, composting makes an excellent fertilizer that releases nutrients slowly at a rate which the plants can use them. This fun, hands-on class teaches methods for backyard and worm composting for home and community gardens. Come learn what you can do to improve your garden and prevent organic waste from ending up in the landfill! Rot On!

Register Online Here

For phone or email registration: Please call (415) 731-5627, or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org. Or register in the garden the day of the workshop.

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GARDENING FOR THE WATER-WISE 
Date: Saturday, August 14th, 2010
Time: 10AM – 12NOON
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Instructor: Hilary Gordon, GFE's Sustainable Landscape Education Manager
Cost: $15

As the demand for water increases, the preciousness of water hits home hard! With this understanding, it’s important to rethink how we design and grow our gardens to ensure our green spaces are water wise! Join GFE’s Hilary Gordon as we discuss the basics of sustainable, resource efficient garden design. This class will work with foliage color and texture, as well as sequence of bloom. Learn about climate-appropriate plants while exploring ways you can enhance an existing landscape, or plan for a new one.

Register Online Here

For phone or email registration: Please call (415) 731-5627, or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org. Or register in the garden the day of the workshop.

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HOE, HOE, HOE: A TOOL MAINTENANCE CLINIC
Date: Saturday, August 21st, 2010
Time: 1PM – 2:30PM
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Instructor: Thomas Vogl, GFE's Tool Maintenance Guru
Cost: $5-7

Garden tools, our fellow hard-working friends, need some love and care too. In this hands-on clinic we'll go over some of the most important gardening tools, their uses, and how to clean and sharpen them. The main focus of this workshop will be hands-on learning– so bring your garden tools and Tool Guru Thomas Vogl will take you through the steps of cleaning, sharpening and maintaining them. We'll provide the cleaning and sharpening material. If you don’t have any tools you would like to bring we have plenty in the garden just waiting to be loved. Be prepared to get a little dirty and walk home with a pair of pruners so clean and sharp your neighbors will be green with envy.

Register Online Here

For phone or email registration: Please call (415) 731-5627, or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org. Or register in the garden the day of the workshop.

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EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BERRIESBUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
Date: Saturday, August 28th, 2010
Time: 10AM – 12NOON
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Instructor: Johanna Silver, Sunset Magazine Test Gardener
Cost: $15

Add some perennial sweetness to your garden with berries. It’s true -- blueberries grow great in our mild climate as long as you’re smart about which variety you choose. Same with raspberries, strawberries, and native huckleberries (plus a few that may be new to you!). Come join instructor Johanna Silver, Sunset magazines’ Test Garden Coordinator and learn everything you need to know, including selection, care, container suitability, design ideas, and more.Plant now; make pie later.

(Photos: Sunset Magazine & Kaitlin Louie)

Register Online Here

For phone or email registration: Please call (415) 731-5627, or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org. Or register in the garden the day of the workshop.

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SUMMER PRUNING FOR THE URBAN APPLE ORCHARD URBAN ORCHARD SERIES
Date: Saturday, August 28th, 2010
Time: 1PM – 3PM
Location: Garden for the Environment, 7th Ave at Lawton Street, San Francisco
Instructor: Matthew Sutton, founder Orchard Keepers
Cost: $15

Do your apple trees bare less fruit than you would like them to?  Have they grown too big for your garden?  Summer pruning is essential orchard maintenance and will help ripen fruit, slow down overly vigorous trees, and encourage strong branches for next year’s apples!  In this workshop you will learn how to make the right cuts on your fruit trees this summer.  Join Matthew Sutton of Orchard Keepers, ecological tree care specialists, and learn to enhance the health and yield of your fruit trees with appropriate Summer Pruning techniques.Stay for informal Summer Pruning practice from 3pm-4pm.

Register Online Here

For phone or email registration: Please call (415) 731-5627, or email info@gardenfortheenvironment.org. Or register in the garden the day of the workshop.

The Mysterious Medlar

Flowering Medlar

Small Medlar Fruitlets

If you've looked at our list of what we're growing there's this strange name under our Fruit Tree heading - Monstruese de Evreinoff Medlar. If you're in the U.S. chances are you have no idea what that is. I honestly don't even know how I found out about it. The "Monstruese de Evreinoff" part of the name is actually the variety. Yes, there are multiple varieties of this fruit tree most have never heard of. So what is the deal with this plant?

The Medlar is in the same family as apples and pears. It is a large shrub or small tree with large green leaves and beautiful white flowers native to the eastern Mediterranean region. The fruit is generally small - about 1 1/2" - 3" in diameter. The calyx end is much larger than on an apple. You pick the fruit after the first frost. However, it's much too hard and sour to eat yet. You must allow them to soften or what's called "bletting" them by storing them in a cool dark place until the skin starts to wrinkle. When the fruit softens it takes on the flavor of cinnamon applesauce. It makes a fabulous jam or heat them up and serve with cream for a wonderful dessert.

The Medlar was very popular during the Middle Ages up until the Victorian Era. Charlemagne was a fan of the Medlar, instructing that they were to be planted in the Imperial Gardens. They aren't as fashionable anymore, but you can sometimes still find them in Europe. In the Middle East, however, they still hold onto some of their popularity.

The photos above I took at Cawdor Castle near Inverness, Scotland. I was so excited to come across it because I had actually never seen a full grown one in real life. I have a tiny sapling in my front yard, but that is as close as I had come to one previously.

If you are interested in growing one of these interesting fruit trees you can check out Raintree Nursery in Washington State. Right now they are offering them for pre-sale.  So far they are the only reputable nursery I've found Medlars at in the U.S. They also sell a lot of other wonderful rare and unusual fruit trees and shrubs.