With all schools shuttered and state and county stay-home regulations remaining in effect, City Farm SLO agricultural activities, considered "essential," go forward. Volunteers, like Michael (above), help harvest vegetables for the Food Bank, Salvation Army and Homeless Shelter. |
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SAFETY FIRST! Education Coordinator Teresa Lees has taken a new role as Health and Safety Coordinator, making sure that tools are disinfected before and after use, that harvests follow all Food Safety procedures (separating collecting, washing and packing functions) and that social distancing is in effect. She and Emily Wilson, Interim Director of GleanSLO, pack 145 lbs of kale, chard, lettuce and fava beans on May 5, bringing total contributions since March 15 to more than 400 lbs. |
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CITY FARMERS MOVE FORWARD WITH NO-TILL CARBON FARMING METHODS AND REAP PROMISED BENEFITS Rather than rototilling our school gardens at the end of Fall or turning over the soil after harvesting rows as in previous years, since last summer we have experimented with approaches that preserve soil ecology and promote carbon sequestration. These include sheet mulching with recycled cardboard for weed control, adding a top layer of thick compost, watering heavily and planting seeds and starts into this layer. As we transition now from cool to warm weather crops, the results have been rewarding. |
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SPRING PLANTING STARTS IN THE GREENHOUSE |
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This year we are growing warm weather crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumber, corn and melons from seed in the refurbished greenhouse. The same day that beets, onions, radishes and chard were harvested, site manager Shane Lovell installs plumbing and drip tape, loosens the ground with a broad fork and prepares bed 15 for the third planting of tomatoes. |
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As part of this year's change of practices, we moved from planting in individual rows to planting in beds of three to five rows to encourage dense production, weed control, efficient irrigation, row cover protection from pests and wind, and better planning and tracking. |
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For the whole story in pictures, check out our Flickr site and/or our Instagram feed. |
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