Local food
Yard Talk - dirt simple tips for natural yard care
Episode 15: "Local food"
Howard Stambor explains the benefits of "mining the urban waste-stream" for his compost pile.
Greg reveals his secret weapon against plant disease and nutrient depletion--crop rotation.
No room for a garden? Sue McGann of Marra Farm demonstrates the ease of container gardening.
The Bellevue Farmers Market is just one of many places to buy heathy, local food in the Puget Sound region.
View Episode Fifteen: Local Food , Windows Media Player 18:44 Min.
Synopsis: Curious about the growing demand for organic food? Join us as the Yard Talk duo explains the downsides of traditional US agriculture practices. Environmental damage and poor nutrition are two of the reasons why Greg and Doug investigate options for local and organic alternatives right here in the Pacific Northwest. In this episode , we learn about creating bounty in your own back yard , container gardening for tight spaces , farmers markets , P-Patches, and salmon-safe farming in the fertile Snoqualmie Valley.
Food for thought...
- We are what we eat” and currently the American diet includes an excess of high fructose corn syrup , chemicals , and pesticides.
- Big business agriculture does not have a clean environmental record. Consider buying food that has a “Salmon-Safe” label.
- Try to incorporate sustainable systems in your back yard like the Stambors have. Possibilities include raising bees, maintaining a worm bin, composting, mining the urban waste stream, collecting rain water from your roof, and growing enough produce to share with your community.
- Use crop rotation to keep plant diseases at bay and protect the nutrients in your soil naturally.
- In a very limited space, use containers to plant veggies.
- Use only organic, slow-release fertilizers and composts in your veggie beds.
- Visit your local famers market once a week to get the freshest, healthiest produce and other farm products.
- Consider getting a plot in your neighborhood P-Patch. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a P-Patch yet, start one.
- Use the pesticide card from Puget Sound Fresh to see which veggies are most important to get organic.
Greg's tips & tricks
Greg explains how crop rotation can stymie plant diseases and protect nutrients in the soil.
Doug’s designs
Doug shows us how the garden at the Stambor’s house uses many great space-saving techniques that you can try at home.
Guests
Patricia and Howard Stambor
Blake Johnston, Growing Things Farm
Steve Evans, King County Agriculture Program
Sue McGann, Marra Farm
Show resources
Native Plant Landscaping Guide
Seattle Tilth’s Garden hotline*
*External link.
Please note: This list of resources is provided by King County as a courtesy to the public and does not endorse or guarantee the quality of the service offered or provided.
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