Upcoming Projects – Help Wanted!

Upcoming Projects – Help Wanted!

We have had a very busy winter at Bear Butte Gardens planning new projects for 2014!  I don’t know how we will accomplish every project that we have on the list.  So, I thought I would share the list and ask for a little help!   I’m hoping for a little give-and-take collaboration.

• What I have to gain:  Getting some projects done.
• What I have to give:  Experience and education about how to complete specific tasks.
• What you have to gain:  Experience and education.
• What you have to give:  Labor.

The project list below includes a brief description of each project and some indication of when I hope to work on the project.  If you see something that interests you, please feel free to contact me.  We can discuss it.  If you are interested in learning how to do the task, maybe we can identify a schedule that works for both of us.  You can help me get the work done while learning something new.  I see this kinda like an internship program, but with fewer strings attached.

Project List:

1. Build Fence – both barb wire fence and woven wire fence
   
   
   We have a variety of fencing projects – from small to large.  Tasks will include building “H” braces, installing “T” posts, installing barb wire, installing woven wire, installing electric wire, and building gates.  I plan to work on these projects whenever I have the time and resources, from now until the ground freezes in the fall.
   
   
2. Build Chicken Tractors
   
   Last year I built one “Joel Salatin style” chicken tractor.  This year I plan to build two more – one will be for chickens, one for turkeys (12 inches taller than the chicken tractor).  These tractors will house our “meat” birds.  This is an early spring project (April/May).
   
   
   Link:  Bear Butte Gardens - Building a Chicken Tractor
   
   
3. Add onto our Existing Chicken Coop
   
   
   Last year I built a chicken coop.  The primary use of this coop is to house our laying hens during winter months.  Last fall, I didn’t get a chance to add-on the outdoor, fenced-in, chicken “run”.  The October blizzard kinda impacted my schedule a bit.  Last October I setup a dog kennel for the chickens to use as a temporary outdoor run.  This year I plan to complete that project.  This is a late spring project (May).
   
   Link:  Bear Butte Gardens - Building a Chicken Coop
   
   
4. Build a New Turkey Coop
   
   
   We are expanding our organic turkey operation into a year-round endeavor, with hopes of breeding and hatching our own turkey poults.  We plan to house our adult, breeding turkeys in a new coop.  This structure will probably be similar in design to the chicken coop I built last year, but taller.  I plan to build a new turkey coop and outdoor run late spring (May).
   
   
5. Build a Portable Chicken Coop (Eggmobile)
   This year we plan to put our egg laying hens out on pasture for the summer.  In order to protect these hens from predators and weather, I plan to convert an old Dodge ranch truck into a portable “Joel Salatin style” eggmobile.  I plan to replace the truck box with a wooden coop structure.  Our eggmobile won’t be as large as Joel’s, but will server a similar purpose.  I plan to work on this project thru the early summer (May-July) as time and resources allow.
   
   Link:  Joel Salatin's Eggmobile
6. Build a Vegetable Cleaning Facility
   
   In order to improve the efficiency of washing vegetables for our CSA shares, we plan to expand one of our greenhouse to include a new room.  This room will be used to wash and weigh vegetables.  I’m planning this project for early summer (June-July).
7. Install Electricity to one of our Greenhouses
   
   
   Our permanent-structure greenhouse #1 gets too hot!  So, we want to install an under-ground electrical cable to this greenhouse and install a couple ventilation fans.  This will be a late summer project (September-October).
   
   
8. Move a Garden/Tool Shed
   
   
   This small project will involve moving a small garden/tool shed from one place to another.  I don’t really have a target time to complete this project.  I just want it done sometime this summer.
   
   
9. Build an Underground Root Cellar
   
   
   Michelle is hoping to have a root cellar to store root-crop vegetables this fall.  This will be a late summer project (September).
   
   
10. Build/install a Roadside Sign for “Bear Butte Gardens”
    
    
    We have already arranged for two large 8x8 signs to be painted.  This project will involve installing the posts and framing to mount the signs at the end of the driveway.  This will be a late spring project (May).
    
    
11. Build several Permaculture Swales and Ponds
    
    
    This is actually a huge project that I plan to work on for the next decade.  I’ve been researching, studying, and learning as much as I can about key-line water management processes for over two years now.  This project will be based on information from Bill Mollison, Geoff Lawton, and Mark Shepard.  I plan to work on this project whenever I get the opportunity.  For more information, Google “permaculture swale”.
    
    
12. Collect Rocks for a New Rock Wall
    
    
    A wonderful friend of ours is building a rock wall for us!  The wall is intended to block the wind and help protect our high-tunnel greenhouse.  We have been gathering rocks from a site a few miles away, but we need several more loads.  It is hard work, but it saves in gym membership fees!  We get a load of rocks whenever we have the resources and time.

Note:  Bear Butte Gardens is USDA Organic Certified.  This means that we cannot use any treated wood for any structures which might come into contact with either vegetables or livestock.  This rule requires us to utilize other building materials (e.g. cedar, metal, concrete, rock, etc.) that are approved for organic certified facilities.

So, if you have the time, energy, want to learn about an organic certified gardening/farming operation, and are willing to give us a helping hand, please feel free to contact me!

Thank you!

Rick Grosek

Bear Butte Gardens
Sturgis, South Dakota
www.BearButteGardens.com
Rick@BearButteGardens.com

I Love Podcasts! And this is why!

Do you listen to Podcasts?  I do, and I think it is a great way to get a wealth of educational information!  If you want to learn about something, and I mean almost any topic, you may want to consider listening to podcasts too.

What exactly is a podcast?  According to About.com:

A podcast is an audio or video program formatted to be played on the iPod and made available for free or for purchase over the Internet.

Podcasts are shows, similar to radio or TV shows, that are produced by professionals or amateurs and posted to the Internet for download and listening or viewing. Many podcasts are made available for free, though some must be purchased.

I think of a podcast as a special radio talk show about a specific topic, that I can listen to whenever I choose.  Whenever I am ready to listen, there is an episode to listen to, of a topic that I choose!  Now that's convenient!  Most podcasts that I listen to are less than 60 minutes per episode, some as short as ten minutes per episode.  It works great for me - with my 50 minute commute to work.  All the podcasts I've listened to have been free.  Podcasts can be audio or video.  I generally only listen to audio podcasts.

What topics are available?  You name it!  Almost every topic you can think of!  Over several years, I've listened to podcasts about gardening, permaculture, agriculture, food freedom, healthy living, sustainability, homesteading, bee keeping, music, music/audio recording, mixing live music, music instruments, bluegrass bands, computers, databases, backpacking, canoeing, dog training, product reviews (e.g. cars, phones, computers, guitars, etc.), American history, world news, and politics, just to list a few.

Where are the podcasts?  In general terms, a podcast is a collection of episodes.  It is common for a podcast to have a new episode on some kind of schedule (e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.).  When someone creates a new podcast episode, it can be "published" in a couple different ways.  The most popular place to publish a podcast is to the Apple iTunes Store.  The iTunes Store contains an staggering quantity of podcasts.  These podcasts can then be subscribed to and down-loaded from the iTunes Store.

Here is a link to preview the Apple iTunes Store Podcast Directory.

A note about the Apple iTunes Store: In order to access the iTunes Store, you will need an Apple ID account.  You can create this account for free.  You do not need to use an Apple iPhone or iMac computer to use the iTunes Store.  You can access the iTunes Store from a variety of devices (e.g. iPhones, other smart phones, Apple iMac computers, Windows computers, etc.).  The process of creating an account leads you to believe you must provide a credit card to complete the process.  If you do so, the credit card will not be charged unless you purchase something from the iTunes Store.  And, they do make it pretty clear when you are about to purchase something (as opposed to downloading something that is free).  However, there is a way to create an Apple ID account without providing a credit card.  Follow this link to learn how.

Another way to publish a podcast episode is to put it on a specific web site that you author and control.  Other people can then go to your website and play or download the podcast.  An example of this can be found at the Farm-To-Consumer Legal Defense Fund website.  On the main page of this website, they maintain a list of news topics.  Some of the news topics are actually links to specific podcast episodes.  From there you can listen to the podcast (streaming over the internet to your computer), subscribe to the podcast, or link to the iTunes Store.  Another example of this publishing method is the NPR (National Public Radio) Podcast Directory.

How to get podcasts?  I mainly get and listen to podcasts on my Apple iPhone, but you can get podcasts on most other smart phones and computers also.  First you need to find the podcast, then you can either "subscribe" to the podcast, or simply pick an episode and listen to it.

This is how I do it with my Apple iPhone:

1. I went to the Apple website and created an Apple ID Account.  Here is a link.
2. On my iPhone, I went to the Apple App Store and downloaded the free application "Podcasts" made by Apple.  This application will allow you to connect to the Apple iTunes store, find podcasts, subscribe to podcasts, manage your podcast subscriptions, and actually listen to podcast episodes.
3. From the "Podcasts" application, I can search for podcasts by entering key words/phrases (i.e. "organic gardening", etc.), or browse thru categories of podcasts (i.e. Arts, Business, Health, Music, Technology, etc.), or browse thru featured podcasts.
4. Once I find a podcast that looks interesting, I can either subscribe to it, or select an episode and listen to it.  Generally, I listen to at least one episode to decide if I'm interested.  If I like it, then I subscribe to the podcast.
5. After I subscribe to a podcast, I can configure the settings of that specific podcast to download episodes as I specify - or I can simply use the defaults.  Since I have an unlimited cell phone data plan, I'm generally fairly liberal with my download configuration.  I usually set it to download new episodes automatically, and keep all un-listened-to episodes on my iPhone.  After I listen to an episode it is automatically deleted from my iPhone.  If I didn't have the unlimited data plan and needed to be more frugal with data downloads, I would set the podcasts to download manually, and I would only download episodes when I have access to free wi-fi (e.g. at a coffee shop, library, etc.).  I could even only download specific episodes based on episode title and description.  However you get the podcast episodes to download, you can then listen to them any time you want to.  
6. I can connect my iPhone to the USB port in my car and listen to the podcast episodes with my car stereo.  This works great for my commute to work.  This also works great when we go on road trips across South Dakota, Wyoming, or Montana where Internet access is not available and radio stations are not cutting it.

This method of getting podcasts (e.g. using the Podcasts app to subscribe to podcasts in the iTunes Store) takes all the work out of it!  It becomes an automated process.  All I need to do is listen.  Nice!

Here is a list of my favorite podcasts right now.  These are all available on the iTunes Store by searching for the podcast name.  Or you can go to their associated websites by clicking on the links below.

• An Organic Conversation - An actual radio talk show based in San Francisco, that  also gets published to a podcast.  They cover health, food, environmental, and gardening topics.  Great show!  This is Michelle's favorite!

• The Permaculture Podcast - Permaculture education and interviews

• Terra Informa - Each week Terra Informa delivers coverage of breaking environmental news from across Canada and around the world. From corporate wrongdoings to tips on living a little greener, they are your source for the news that the mainstream media missed.

• Homesteading and Permaculture by Paul Wheaton - Sometimes Paul is very direct in making a point, and often uses adult language, but his content is very useful.

• The Organic View - The Organic View Radio Show, part of The Organic View Radio Network, is a unique, live, interactive, Internet talk-radio show that features key leaders, scientists and educators who work within industries that involve organics, environment, technology, pollinator health, wildlife, and clean energy.

• Sustainable World Radio - Ecology and Permaculture Podcast

• Food Rights Hour Podcast - The podcast about: small-scale farmer, consumer, and producer rights; effects of genetically engineered crops and foods; farm raids; nutrient-dense traditional foods; homeopathy; raw milk laws; sustainable agriculture and more!

• The Agroinnovations Podcast - Provides people with information about permaculture, organic agriculture, appropriate technology and other strategies to further relocalization and regenerative ecosystem management.

• Vegetable Gardening

• The Self-Sufficient Gardener

I hope this information helps you get started with the wonderful world of podcasts!  Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have.

Rick Grosek

Bear Butte Gardens

Sturgis, South Dakota

www.BearButteGardens.com

Rick@BearButteGardens.com

Garden Weeds -- Love or Hate Relationship?

Rick's previous post about dandelions serves as a great warm-up for this blog discussion about weeds.  First of all, what exactly defines a weed?  According to Merriam-Webster a weed is:

"a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth; especially : one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants" 

So, I guess the key phrase here is "not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth".  Seriously, this can create numerous discussions in our gardens and household.  I've never been highly opposed to weeds in the garden, but then I also don't have issue with picking up a piece of dropped food, blowing it off, and eating it....factors which both say something incredibly important about my mindset, I'm sure.

I really believe that weed hysteria probably came into vogue about the same time that monoculture row cropping hit its stride.  Monoculture row cropping is how many of us plant our gardens, a solid straight row of one kind of crop, e.g. corn or peas or tomatoes, etc.  If you like to plant your garden this way, then you probably enjoy the solid lines of nicely tilled black earth in between the solid rows of your favorite crop....which is precisely what we've been taught to do as gardeners for decades and decades, because if you want to run your tractor or tiller down the rows and clear the weeds, you need straight rows without anything criss-crossing in the tractor's way.  And if you want to flood irrigate your field or garden, you need to be able to maintain those irrigation ditches running between the rows and keep them weed-free and free-flowing.

But what did the human race do before they had machines to help them till and turn the soil?  Was it as necessary way back when to have weed-free straight rows of a single crop?  The first example that comes to mind is the Native American three sisters garden.  A typical three sisters garden lays out corn which is companion planted with both beans and squash.  The corn shoots up first and then the beans germinate and gradually start to grow up the corn stalk, then the squash starts spreading across the ground under the corn and beans, shading the soil with its giant leaves and choking out the "weeds".

I have been planting a variation of the three sisters garden for a few years now with good success.  What are the benefits?

• No trellising or poles required for the beans as they climb the corn.
• The beans add nitrogen to the soil which is usually depleted by the corn.  Because the beans are so beneficial for the soil, at the end of the season the soil is in much better shape for the next year with minimal or no soil amenities needed in the same garden space.  
• You plant the three types of seeds in each "hill" so when you water, you are watering three crops at once. 
• As stated, the corn and the squash work together to shade the soil and we all know that weeds don't do as well where it's shady.
• Maximum usage of square footage!  Each of these crops can be rather space intensive, but when they are all planted together, you get a lot of bang for the buck. 

What are the drawbacks?   No mechanized weeding or harvesting can be used, which sounds like a big ag problem, doesn't it?  I was admittedly quite skeptical about harvesting a three sisters garden.  I envisioned the bean picking being quite a laborious task since they would be wrapped about the corn stalks.  And then you would have to be careful not to step on squash vines....but in reality it works out very nicely.  What I like to do is plant either a soup bean or a bush bean (or both) at the base of the corn.  My reasoning is that the climbing soup beans can stay in the garden until the entire plant is dried up, which happens about the same time the corn is finished growing and harvested.  So you can either pick your sweet corn and then allow the corn stalks and soup beans to dry together and then harvest the beans or if you are growing dent or flint corn, the beans and corn will be ready to be picked about the same time.  A bonus if you are growing bush green beans or snap beans is that you can pick the beans in the shade in the corn rows even on the warmest days.  The squash just seem to take care of themselves underfoot and not really cause any issues, in my opinion.  

As for weeding, yes, you just have to get in there and do it by hand.  Again, an issue for the very large gardens/producers.  But honestly, I learn more about the health of my garden by spending some up-close (or should I say down-close) time on my hands and knees pulling weeds, than I can in any other way.  When you are forced to pull weeds one at a time, by hand, you start noticing things like how the soil smells, how much moisture is in the soil, what kinds of bugs and worms are living in the garden, whether there is any damage to the stems and roots of the garden plants, etc.  

The three sisters garden is just one example of companion planting.  My other gardens have combos of things like snow peas and radishes, cabbages and cucumbers, tomatoes and onions and basil or tomatoes and carrots and beets, sweet potatoes and peppers, garlic and potatoes.  An internet search will reveal hundreds of combinations for companion planting, all allowing for more food production in less space.  

Another newly popular concept based on an age-old technique is called permaculture design.  In permaculture design you plant compatible plants to best utilize space and provide a maximum quantity of food while building healthy soil and land.  Generally permaculture design courses focus a lot on perennials; however, annuals can also be worked into permaculture.  In permaculture very little attention is given to mechanized weeding and harvesting while lots of attention is given to companion planting and water efficiency.  We have known for a very, very long time that flood irrigation is the absolute least efficient use of water resources.  Sprinkler irrigation ranks about second in inefficiency.  Both flood and sprinkler irrigation methods lose a lot of water to evaporation with a small percentage of water getting deep to plant roots where needed.  

I recently read an article entitled "Listen to Your Weeds" and felt very validated about my weed beliefs.    This article states that if you take the time to assess the weeds in your garden, you can learn quite a lot about your soil such as degree of compaction, alkalinity, and levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, etc.

Our gardens sit atop a very breezy ridge where transplant shock is just common place in the spring.  No matter how well you "harden off" a pepper plant, it's going to go through a setback when it's put out into a garden where 35 mph winds are common.  I have come to really appreciate the value of those early weeds that shoot up in the spring as they provide a buffer for my poor transplants....kind of a safety net around the baby peppers until they can take hold with stronger roots and stems at which time I go through and simply pull the weeds out of the way and lay them down as mulch at the base of the transplants.

And ultimately, when you are working in questionable soil, weeds can do wonders to put it right.  Weeds will pull nutrients up to the top soil from deeper levels while, at the same time, sending out an undoubtedly fabulous network of roots which help to aerate the soil.  Lateral-growing weeds also serve as a "cover crop" or "green manure" in many situations---cooling soil, avoiding erosion caused by bare soil, and then providing critical biomass when turned back into challenged soil.  The key is just keeping the weeds from going to seed.

Often times when I finally get into a specific area of the garden to pull out thigh or waist-high weeds, I will find a myriad of beneficial insects have taken up housing in the weed patch, often times many kinds of beetles and spiders.  Unwittingly I have created a beetle bank within the garden, harboring a safe place for beneficial beetles and spiders to live and reproduce so that they can go out and prey on garden pests that are not to my liking.

Having said all of this, sometimes the weeds can just get on my nerves, hence the following list.

Times when weeds start to bother me:

• when they slow down the actual harvest process, e.g. trimming salad greens and needing to spend more time picking out grass and weeds than actually cutting the greens
• when it's obvious that the "chosen" crop (or maybe I should say "cash crop") is not prospering because of said weed, e.g. when bindweed slows growth of another plant by wrapping around it and choking it down (but pay close attention to what that bindweed is telling you about your soil!)
• when the weeds are so tall that I simply cannot see the cash crop anymore ALTHOUGH often times once I do get in there and clear the path to the cash crop, those veggies look spectacular!  Plants sitting in a somewhat shady spot, cool roots, no wind.....life was good for them!  
• thistles--ouch!  I never like thistles in the gardens, maybe because I frequently like to harvest bare-handed and wearing flip-flops.  

Once I do get into a garden to do some serious weeding I know the next step will be to lay down mulch  to keep the soil covered and retain soil moisture.  Often times the pulled weeds themselves can be laid right down as a mulch in addition to grass clippings and rotted hay.  

So, don't fret about weeds.  If you want a clean garden, then by all means keep those weeds pulled, but first make an assessment of what kinds of weeds are growing and try to determine WHY they are in the garden.  The weeds might be able to tell you something very important about your garden's health.  

Michelle Grosek

Michelle@Bear Butte Gardens.com

www.BearButteGardens.com