Joseph working on our sign

Working w/ our mother earth

Every morning that I spend at the Seeds at City Farm is a blessing. I'm surrounded by wonderful people, in a wonderful place with healthy and delicious food.. that I get to grow! As I learn more I get more excited about my plan of having my own self sustaining farm someday. I really aspire to have my life as intertwined with mother earth as it can be; taking only the little I need and giving it all back in a practical and respectful way. She provides us with all that is beautiful and pure. And Julia and Paul recognize that and build their practices on like-minded philosophies, which is an attractive factor of the Seeds at City Farm. As you'll see by the photos, the Farm attracts lots of people! Happy volunteers have become regulars now at the Farm. It's great to witness the awareness in everybody of society's dire need for local sources of food, health, and community.

Laughter Bulb

There Was a Young Person Named Blair
Who grew plants in his hair
He raised red tomatoes,
Green peas, and potatoes,
And Kept a small gardener up there

A day in the life of an Aphid

Well what an interesting tale this is.
Once there was the aphids that lived on the brassica.
Some like Collards. Some like walking stick Kale.
While the aphid goes on her way sucking sap from the greens. She's asexual and lays identical daughter aphids. These little sisters can develop rapidly. But just when the Mama thought she was going to have all these children the parasitic wasp comes along. They insert there egg in the body of the little sisters and the larvae consumes it internally. Once they have been killed by the wasp they turn brown or black and bloated. The little sisters are now known as Aphid Mummies.
And the aphid just continues to go on reproducing. Aphids, it seems, find security among the corpses of their peers.
Oh and lets not forget about the Lady Beetle with there lady larvae being particularly voracious predators of aphids.

Yes the life of an aphid.
So the next time you are walking by an aphid colony take a few minutes to see what is happening.
The End

Cup O Seeds

Early morning welcome at Seeds. Love to see all the Brassica with the first light

Tues. Farmers Market!

Before the rains, we harvested Amaranth seed....

Before the rains, we harvested Amaranth seed.....

Nilah separates the chaff from the seed of the Amaranth plant.

Amaranth is a high protein grain from South and Central America. It grows very well in our poor soils and is relatively drought tolerant.

Ah ha! We've created conditions conducive to critters!

A Lesser Goldfinch visits regularly to the farm for a lunch of fresh sunflower seeds!

You can also eat the leaves- a simple recipe is to saute some onion and garlic in a pan and then add the washed leaves. The water sticking to the leaves is enough to cook them- and they're delicious!