Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

Group:

Those in upstate NY can benefit directly from the great work Kathleen O'Meal is doing, and the rest of us can take a page out of her book and figure out how to do these things ourselves, to bless the lives of countless others. Here's KO's post:

Hi Friends,

In planning and thinking ahead:

I am most pleased to announce that EPAC has agreed to let me offer you from a few trailer truck loads of the millions of seedlings our Notheastern Chapter buys together from our suppliers in Vermont and Maine. These are from 4 Organic farms who seed in sterilized soils, all carefully mixed and soil blocked rather than in Cow pooh pots, or containers that inhibit root growth/Oxygen. This method reduces transplant shock. These suppliers are major suppliers to farmers in the Northeast.

These are all shipped and unloaded in controlled environments during the night time hours (no disruption in light cycles) to our very large EPAC greenhouse operation at the Mullen's Biointensive Farm in the fingerlakes area, NY. The greenhouses are disease free and quarantined.

Because I'm the big boss, :) I get to offer these to you either in bulk, like flat or larger or as individuals. Most are seedlings in flats. Some of these plants will be many weeks old and huge---these are individual only. And costs will be direct only of course :). None of us are vendors. Costs will be listed closer to delivery time. You will be very very happy with these during this economically stressed time. They also sell seeds. I dont have time to deal with seed selling though. If you bring your own flat trays the costs are reduced even further. They dont come to EPAC in flat trays they come in large biodegradable totes. As such I can also sell these by numbers of plants rather than just flats....this makes it more conveneient for those who want just a few..... :)

Each variety comes with written grow and seed saving instructions....you will love how these businesses have created gorgeous written pages that fit into garden journals....a new thing that is really catching on.

FIrst plan and get your gardening spaces ready:
The reason we decided to buy in together for this, again this year, is that we want to free up some time for families who are building gardens and greenhouses this year (our families are getting together to help each other build these, this Fall and early Spring---sometimes several families work together to do this). Seeding and caring for seedlings takes some time. We need to focus on getting the garden and tools ready first, so that we can learn to seed early for the next season (2013). PLease please spend your time getting containers, and any garden space you are able to. Prepare your gardens and soils first. Get your needed tools, Plan out and make attractive your landscaping to include edibles.

Planning this is a time consuming and challenging endeavor. Take this time to plan, plan , plan. Get drip systems in to make life easier. Get timers for water delivery, and rain barrells made or purchased. Get garden journals ready. Get tool totes for hand tools, scissors, markers, strings, and all kinds of needed things...make these attractive and give them for Christmas gifts? Prepared and get your garden tools organized in racks. Make haste and prepare all needful things and the Lord will bless you.

If you do this now, you will be more apt to stick to your goal to garden this next year.

Please consider your neighbors. Maybe you have a neighbor who has physical challenges or is just not thinking. Wouldn't that neighbor enjoy and be benefitted by some fresh produce. Maybe you can garden together.

There will be plenty of landscaping edibles available. For example: The only sure way to buy nasturtiums (delicious and colorful.), that do not do well in transplanting is to buy them in large individual soil blocks.

Bottom line for you is this:

I have placed a hold on many different vegetables, herbs, and flowers for us in this area. You will not have to buy ahead. I will send out a catalogue with pictures and instructions closer to the time they come in.

New this year are the lettuce seed tapes (Last year they offered 5 kinds of lettuce mixes). I bought my first seed tapes last year from them for pennies really and it is so blasted convenient. They seed on long tapes and you furrow and place the tapes in and cover over and water...what is so cool is that the seeds are embedded in a germination mix fixed in to the long tapes. I am trying to figure all of this out so I can send you a way to do this for yourself. It really gives the seeds a fast and hardy first start.

They also start carrots for you!!! This is way beyond cool. As you all know who garden....starting and thinning out carrots takes some time and effort. These guys have long carrot cubes with individual little baby carrots in them. Then you just take a dibble and set them just like onions. And they are cheap cheap cheap! I am working on getting them to sell us the rights to the equipment to do this...they built some new soil blockers (not on market yet) for root crops that are amazing.

As some of you know, I personally use Dr Mittleiders micronutrient formula and fertilizers only. These are organic minerals, some chelated. These prevent the seedling burn that happens in many other fertilizers. They use a prefertilizer almost the same as Mittleider.

For those of you in Walworth area, you can pick up at my house or I can meet you at the Town Hall. I will have these in hoop house for you ready to go and you will be able to come and look these over before buying...I will set up times for you to do this.

I can arrange to have you meet some of our EPAC folks in your area to pick up what you need.

Palmyra Ward folks I can bring these to you at Church.

I can also drop these off at other Churchs in the area....my service to you all....

As promised last year I will be personally making available a few different varieties of strawberry plants this year. For goodness sakes do not pay retail.

Above all, lets take charge and garden now.

KO

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