August 24, 2010 by Debra.

The Greater Seacoast Permaculture Group has just announced a new meet-up featuring a workshop on season extension and hoop house construction. This hands-on workshop should prove to be popular!

Season Extension and Hoop House Construction Workshop

Greater Seacoast Permaculture Group

Dover, NH

Sunday, September 19, 10 a.m.

 

Imagine harvesting your own healthy salads right through the winter. What if you could move beyond the traditional New England growing season to “start earlier” and “harvest later?” Join us in learning the process of growing herbs and veggies beyond the standard growing season with cold tolerant / hardy plantings and using season extension structures.

 

Keeping with our Permaculture Permaculture Principle #2 to Catch and Store Energy (using the cold frame to extend the harvest), Principle #3 Obtain a yield (extended veggies!) and #9 Use Small and Slow Solutions (a simple, easily built structure)…

 

Please join David Homa, owner of Post Carbon Solutions and Kzeloumsen Permaculture Gardens, for a workshop on options for Season Extension and Hoop House construction. This session will focus on the what, why and how of season extension for the Seacoast gardener. We will discuss the suitable crops, planting strategies/schedules and types of structures that can help you with season extension. David has recently opened Urban Farm Fermentory in Portland, a place of demonstration and teaching about permaculture. You can read more about it here

 

Furthermore, we will have some hands-on experience in building a standard season-extension hoophouse for backyard/garden use that David has developed. The model we’re building is scalable and we will have hand-outs giving the directions for this size and suggested variations that you might want to consider if you build one yourself later (and teach your friends and neighbors). We can also discuss the option of starting a “hoop house raising” series of events, where we can help construct these for each other.

 

We’ll start with some background on season extension and plant selection, followed by a briefing on the hoophouse design and construction. Bring appropriate work clothes/shoes/gloves. Some power tools will be in use so please bring eye protection if you are comfortable using a saw, drill, etc.

 

After we are done, we can also take a look at what else Mary and Brock have done in their suburban setting, including sheet mulched gardens, fruit tree guilds, perennial plants, rain barrels, and more!

 

We are charging for this on a sliding scale of $5-20. Please bring an item for the potluck after we are done.

 

RSVP to this Meetup:

http://www.meetup.com/GreaterSeacoastPermaculture/calendar/14523017/

 

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August 16, 2010 by Debra.

As part of World Kitchen Garden Day, five vegetable gardens in Exeter will be open to visitors on Sunday, August 22:

Kitchen Garden Tours

Exeter, NH

Sunday, August 22, 2010

2 to 5 p.m.

 

Five local people will open their vegetable gardens for you!

 

Come join the tour on Sunday, August 22, from 2 to 5 p.m. The first stop is at 175 High St. in Exeter. Maps will be available there or  “click here” to print your own. Pictured above are some veggies grown in the Hugo’s garden, including fresh-baked blueberry muffins by Mrs. Hugo!

 

This event is held in honor of World Kitchen Gardens Day. See www.kitchengardeners.org for more inspiration on how to go green, and eat fresh and healthy food, grown by YOU!

 

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

The tour ends with a Potluck Dinner Finale at 5 p.m. at the Jones Farm in Brentwood. For more information, please visit the website of the  Congregational Church in Exeter >

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July 26, 2010 by Debra.

The Greater Seacoast Permaculture Group is hosting a composting workshop with Rian Bedard of EcoMovement. The meetup workshop is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 8, in Barrington:

Come learn from Rian Bedard the basics of backyard composting, the do’s and don’ts, how to keep your pile active, and the basic science behind it.

Rian will also talk about his company and how it is done on a large scale at commercial facilities.

Rian Bedard is a certified Permaculture Designer and instructor. He received both certificates through the Urban Permaculture Guild of SF. Upon his return from CA, he started the first Zero Waste program as manager of the Me and Ollie’s cafe in Downtown Portsmouth. After his time at Me and Ollie’s he worked as Assistant Director of the Green Alliance, where he realized that there was a demand for compost hauling service. In November of 2009 he decided with his business partner to venture into the hauling industry and started a company called EcoMovement. They currently have 30 clients and are diverting and estimated 20,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill a week.

We are charging for this on a sliding scale of $5-20. Please dress for being outdoors. We expect this to go until about 4pm.e charging for this on a sliding scale of $5-20. Please dress for being outdoors. We expect this to go until about 4 pm.

To RSVP and more information about the workshop >

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July 20, 2010 by Debra.

As posted yesterday, Late Blight has been confirmed in Maine and Massachusetts. This is a disease that threatens both home and commercial growers, and our local food supply — please monitor your tomato and potato plants, and report any sign of Late Blight to the Cooperative Extension. In New Hampshire, contact the UNH Cooperative Extension. The UNH Cooperative Extension is also offering free lab diagnosis of suspected Late Blight samples.

The latest update from Eric Sideman of MOFGA:

The latest update on late blight is not good news.  It has been found by scouts on a few more farms in the Waldoboro region. These have not been confirmed yet in the lab, but the field observations were on tomatoes and potatoes on commercial farms. This means that growers in that area should be very vigilant scouting…

To read more, including his recommendations for organic growers >

And from the Pest Management Office, Maine Cooperative Extension, which is also accepting samples of suspected Late Blight:

Late Blight:  Grower and Farm Stand Alert

Potato late blight, the disease that caused the significant crop losses for tomatoes and potatoes in Maine last year has just been confirmed at a sight in Waldoboro, and several other suspected sites are now being investigated. Typical symptoms will be a water-soaked grease spot on foliage with a fine white mycelium on the underside of the leaflet. A stalk infection will usually look dark brown, almost black.

 

The spores released by infected plants have the ability to travel 40 plus miles under the right conditions and infect potato and tomato plants. We are encouraging all commercial growers and home gardeners to be carefully inspecting their plants for disease. If late blight is found we are asking that the diseased plants be destroyed. They can be buried or simply bagged so that the spores can not escape and that the plant will die.  Late blight is an obligate parasite and needs living tissue in order to survive. Applications of protective fungicides should be applied to tomato and potato crops if they have not been receiving regular applications up to this point.

 

The Pest Management Office in Orono will look at any samples that you may suspect have been infected. When sending samples, they should be placed in a plastic bag with a piece of moist paper towel to keep the sample fresh.

 

For pictures of this disease visit the following websites:

www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_potato.htm

 

The Pest Management Office has copies of a home gardener alert, a late blight ID sheet for roadside stand producers and a poster for late blight identification that you can use to make your help and your customers more aware of this potentially devastating disease.

 

Late Blight Hotline: For the most recent information, call the IPM Hotline at 207-760-9IPM (207-760-9476).

 

Pest Management Office

491 College Avenue

Orono, ME  04473

1-800-287-0279

PMO @ umext.maine.edu

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July 20, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

 Turning Point Community Garden is a new project getting rolling in Durham, NH

From their about description, “Turning Point Community Garden is a project, headed by a UNH master’s student, to create a community area that sustainably and holistically provides food, energy, other commodities, and a pleasant space freely to the public and especially those in need. It serves as a hub for the exchange of ideas, the teaching of sustainable farming and living practices and skills, and the socialization of the community. It is located on Wednesday Hill Road, in Durham, New Hampshire, on land freely and kindly lent by the owners of Turning Point Farm.”

They are seeking any extra started vegetables or late-season seeds for the garden. Email Ellen at edm23@cisunix.unh.edu for more information. 

You can find more information about Turning Point Community Garden on Facebook

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July 19, 2010 by Debra.

From Eric Sideman at MOFGA:

The first confirmed report of late blight in Maine just came through less than an hour ago.

 

A gardener in Waldoboro, Maine has late blight on tomatoes.

 

At this time I have no more details but will surely get them to you all as they develop.

 

Please go out now and scout your potatoes and tomatoes for signs.  Get back to me if you suspect it.  Remember, there are a lot of problems out there that can be confusing, e.g., I have mention in earlier Pest Reports blackleg, early blight and tarnished plant bug feeding.

 

If you don’t remember what to look for, take a look at these fact sheets:

http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_potato.htm

 

Eric Sideman

Crop Specialist

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Phone:  603 269 6201

esideman@mofga.org

 

And from Becky Sideman at UNH:

Dear NH Veg and Berry Newsletter Recipients: 

The UMaine plant diagnostic lab just confirmed late blight on tomato in a home garden in Waldoboro, Maine.

 

Thus far, late blight has NOT been confirmed in New Hampshire. Cheryl has diagnosed several potato samples with black leg, and we’ve seen many potato plantings that are showing signs of damage by potato leafhoppers, and potatoes with black leaf tips that appear to be the result of tarnished plant bug feeding.

 

However, the Maine diagnosis means that we need to stay on the lookout, because late blight could very well be in the area. Growers that have not been applying protectant fungicides (e.g. chlorothalonil, copper) should start doing so if they intend to, and should continue to scout for symptoms of late blight on tomato as well as potato. Any suspicious samples should be sent in to the plant diagnostic lab for confirmation. Digital photos can also be quite useful — and fast. Remember that samples that are sent in for late blight confirmation are free. Diagnostic lab info can be found at: http://extension.unh.edu/Agric/AGPDTS/PlantH.htm

 

Excellent photos of symptoms of late blight can be found at:

http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/vegpath/photos/lateblight_tomato.htm

 

We’ll keep you posted as we learn more, or if late blight is found within New Hampshire.

 

An addendum… Rob Wick at UMass just confirmed late blight on tomato in Hadley, MA.

 

Becky Sideman

Assoc. Ext.Professor, Sustainable Horticulture

G48 Spaulding Hall, Durham NH 03824

Durham NH 03824

(P) 603-862-3203 (F) 603-862-2717

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July 14, 2010 by Heather.

UNH Cooperative Extension, Rockingham County, will be holding a workshop for you to learn about using edible flowers from your garden on Monday, July 19, 2010. Here is more information about their class:

Edible Flowers, a free 30-minute presentation by UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Dot Cole, will be held on Monday, July 19, at 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the Demonstration and Instruction Garden, across from the Rockingham County Complex at 113 North Road in Brentwood. Come learn which flowers are safe for consumption before experimenting with blossoms in your own garden. Cole will share some of her favorite recipes and demonstrate what blooms can be included in recipes and used as garnishes.

The Demonstration and Instruction Garden is a multi-acre site sponsored by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program. Its mission is to promote environmental awareness through education, demonstration, conservation, and research. The gardens include a children’s garden, butterfly garden, trial garden, and many other theme gardens. All are welcome to join the Master Gardeners as they plan, plant, weed, and tend trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables in the display and test gardens on Mondays from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The garden is located in the meadow, at the bottom of the hill, behind the Rockingham County Complex maintenance buildings. Please park in the lot directly across from the complex at 113 North Road and walk down the dirt road to the garden.

UNH Cooperative Extension provides New Hampshire citizens with research-based education and information, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions that strengthen youth, families and communities, sustain natural resources, and improve the economy. For more information about the Master Gardener Program, or to learn about educational programs in Rockingham County, call (603) 679-5616 or visit http://bit.ly/rockingham. 

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June 29, 2010 by Debra.

The success of Timberland’s Victory Garden at their Stratham headquarters is leading to plans for expansion and the addition of fruit-bearing plantings — a terrific example of a workplace community garden benefitting many!

In an expansion of its corporate Victory Garden, Timberland will replace many of the plants at its front entrance with low maintenance, pesticide-free fruit trees (peach and pear), as well as more than 80 blueberry bushes.

 

Since the inception of their Victory Garden in 2008, Timberland employees have used their company-paid community service hours to harvest more than 2,000 pounds of produce which is then sold to the internal Timberland community. To date, this effort has translated into more than $3,000 to the New Hampshire Food Bank. The planned expansion of the Victory Garden (nearly 2,000 square feet of vegetable gardens currently) will more than double in size, allowing for greater production of fruits and vegetables and leading to increased donations to the food bank.

 

“We’re excited that our Victory Garden has been so successful in its first few years, and looking forward to expanding our effort and our impact,” said Ann Caron, chairperson of Timberland’s Garden Committee. “It’s truly a win-win: we’re feeding our own internal family with the fresh, healthy produce we grow and more importantly, helping to feed other NH families in need by donating our garden proceeds to the NH Food Bank.”

 

To read entire article > 

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June 14, 2010 by Debra.

Find out more about how to connect with fellow Seacoast gardeners! Jenny Isler, Master Gardener, will share information about the newly created Seacoast Community Garden Network at 6:30 pm tonight, Monday, June 14, at the William Fogg Public Library, 116 Old Post Road, Eliot, Maine.  For more information: (207) 439-9437.

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June 13, 2010 by Debra.

Many thanks to Eric Sideman for captivating a capacity crowd—twice! For those who couldn’t make his presentation on managing pests and diseases organically, here are some resources that we thought might be useful :

• Sign up to receive Eric’s Pest Report by email through MOFGA. The online version includes photos of specific pests and diseases mentioned.

• “The Resource Guide for Organic Insect & Disease Management”, co-authored by Eric, is available online or in print form.

• Sign-up for Becky Sideman’s “New Hampshire Vegetable, Berry & Tree Fruit Newsletter” is available by email or a print copy by mail through the UNH Cooperative Extension.

• The UNH Cooperative Extension also maintains a Late Blight & Information Update page, including a slide show on prevention, identification and management.

* Additional information on gardening, including how to become a Master Gardener, may be found at sites maintained by both the University of Maine and UNH Cooperative Extensions. They both can also answer individual questions.

• Recommended sources for row covers and organic solutions: Green Methods (Nottingham, NH), Fedco Seeds (Waterville, ME), and Johnny’s (Winslow, ME). Row covers might also be found at some local ag supply stores such as Agway, Blue Seal, or Aubuchon. And share extra materials through the free classifieds section of the Seacoast Community Garden Network, or the message board of Greater Seacoast Permaculture.

[Photo of Colorado potato beetle by Eric Sideman, MOFGA]

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