1-18-2012-   Cleveland urban farm creates jobs for people with disabilities

www.youtube.com- this is a link to a video regrding an ohio state university project in cooperation with stanard farms to provide employment to individuals with disabilities and at same time teach urban farming practices to these individuals allowing them to be more self sufficient. it is a win-win situation for all parties involved. another benefit is a homegrown vegetable farm market operating in the middle of winter providing fresh produce to grocery stores locallly. this reduces the need for trucking and wasting of fuel to bring products to where it will ultimately be consumed.

     in the first pictures are sunflowers i had grown  from same so called hybrid seeds i used year after year in fact this year was the third year in a row i had used seed saved from the year before. sometimes i think they tell you seed is hybrid and in fact it is not. i grew some huge flowers ranking in the 14-16inch diameter size. and all were very healthy. one thing i do as i have  done this year is to add  compost i had made over the winter from manure i had taken from the barn the previous winter. the compost is aged thirty days and allowed to heat up and is turned over in thirty days, and repeated for 2 more turnings completely stirring the pile allowing the compost to break down completely. then i mix the compost with topsoil and sand to allow drainage of water through soil and combine it into a raised bed set into my hillside out side the door to my house. these were salvaged boards someone brought home and laid around the farm . they will last and by then i may replace with logs or such. i can raise enough in this small bed to take care of myself and it is easier to weed since i bunch all the plants up . and i don't have to reach to my toes to weed . i can almost reach backside of garden by hand. 

    after back filling with compost and placing pea gravel in bottom of raised bed i planted it with my plants as seen above then mulched with straw to hold moisture and keep weeds down. it was easier to pull weeds when ground had moisture in it. and it seemed to keep pests away for most part also. i was real pleased with the way things grew the first year but know this year will make a big difference. want to do the same with raspberries  and blackberries in rows like this along hillside. making it easier to pick and maintain the berries. this is the plan but will have to see how much i can get done.