Saturday, December 31, 2011

Winter Reading

This is a great list of reference reading put out by Colorado State University Extension and the Colorado Master Gardener Program. Each topic presents the most basic and pertinent information in regard to vegetable gardening in Colorado. There are some great topics listed. Just choose one and then Google Colorado State University CMG and the number of the article. It will look like this: Colorado State University CMG 720. Happy winter reading!

References / Reading
CMG GardenNotes
o Block Style Layout in Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens – #713
o Frost Protection and Extending the Growing Season – #722
o Growing Vegetable in a Hobby Greenhouse – #723
o Irrigating the Vegetable Garden – #714
o Mulches for the Vegetable Garden – #715
o Sample Planting Guide for Raised-Bed Garden – #721
o Sample Vegetable Garden Seed Catalogs – #712
o Tomatoes – Early Blight of Tomato – #718
o Tomatoes – Growing Tomatoes – #717
o Vegetable Garden Hints – #719
o Vegetable Garden: Soil Management and Fertilization – #711
o Vegetable Gardening in Containers – #724
o Vegetable Planting Guide – #720
o Water Conservation in the Vegetable Garden – #716
o Climate Summary: Boulder and Longmont – #741
o Climate Summary: Castle Rock, Littleton and Parker – #742
o Climate Summary: Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Cannon City – #742
o Climate Summary: Dillon – #744
o Climate Summary: Eagle and Glenwood Springs – #745
o Climate Summary: Fort Collins, Greeley and Estes Park – #746
o Climate Summary: Gunnison – #747
o Climate Summary: Northeast Colorado – #748
o Climate Summary: Northwest Colorado – #749
o Climate Summary: Southwest Colorado – #750

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Urban Agriculture

Please check out this student piece on Urban Agriculture. This is a 301 landscape architecture course at Iowa State University. Enjoy-I did!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

How does your garden grow?

What tomato varieties did you plant this summer? What did you like? What would you plant again?

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Are You Sharing in the Bounty?


I hope you are sharing the bounty of your crops! A client of mine did while I was in her yard last week. She even made it sound like I was doing her a favor by taking some cherries from her tree. Indeed I most likely did as I know the feeling of seeing that hard work rot on the tree. So remember, when you have eaten all the zucchini you can stand, or frozen and pitted all the cherries you care to eat, invite your friends over! There really is no reason for it to go to waste and what may currently be a burden to you is most likely a delight to the lucky recipient of your gift! If you have already overwhelmed your friends and neighbors, post something here! I'd be willing to bet you will have gracious takers in no time!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Mid Summer Fury



It is now mid summer here at Urban Farmer Exchange! Everyone is furiously trying to keep weeds at bay and water applied. Not a good time to plant and move mature plant material. It is however, still a good time for seed trading! Typically mid July is the time to plant that second harvest of peas so be sure to get that going. I would also like to encourage you to spread the word regarding the blog. It will be no time before it is once again time to cut back, divide and exchange so be sure to pull seasoned gardeners and new into the fray! If you would like to do a guest post here at Urban Farmer Exchange or add something to the calendar, please send me an email.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Plant Material: Henderson CO

You dig iris: yellow, black and two tone purple. Also have basket of gold ready for seed collection. Contact s_boyd@live.com

Monday, June 13, 2011

A Gardener's Place

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting with Barbara Coakley of Gardener's Place. This is the new garden store that has popped up in downtown Greeley on 9th Street. In her shop she has a selection of tools and gardening supplies. I was pleased to see she offered alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. She will be offering gardening classes throughout June and July. Her schedule is as follows:

June 11 Composting and Soil Treatment
June 18 Proper Potting Techniques
June 25 Plant Placement
July 9 Butterfly Gardening
July 16 Creating Year Round Interest

All Classes are from 9-10am and cost $35.00
Barbara was energetic and had a lot to say. From what I understand her personal garden is close to the shop and she may be offering tours with some of her classes. Be sure to pop in and say HELLO!

Monday, June 6, 2011

Vegetables: Greeley

Started at home. I have more than I need: Broccoli, Roma Tomatoes,Cabbage, brussel sprouts, Sweetie tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, Jaune Flamme tomatoes
Contact: urbanfarmgirlz@gmail.com

Community Calendar

Sunday, May 29, 2011

For offer: Young Bantam Chickens Greeley

Two young bantam chickens. This years hatch. Have got to go! Make offer.
These little birds make wonderful urban chickens if you have only a small space to dedicate. email:urbanfarmgirlz@gmail.com

Monday, May 23, 2011

The gift of compost

All right friends things are well on their way! I met a most wonderful woman named Helen last night! She brought me a bucket of compost and helped me thin my strawberries! In turn she took home at least 100 strawberry plants! Its nice to meet new people and while I have never received the gift of compost I know my strawberries are going to love it! Please let me know if there is anything you think can be done to improve the blog. I am out meeting people and promoting what is going on here but I need you all to do the same as well! This is about having an entire community as a resource!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

New Tabs

I have added Community Calendar and Garden Resources. Please submit your events and garden links post haste! Look just below the header to find these new resources!

Monday, May 9, 2011

WANTED: Garden Tools Greeley

The community garden at the Clay Center is in need of all types of garden tools and supplies. Hoes, rakes, hand tools, hoses, seeds and seedlings. Most of the gardeners are recently arrived refugees from Burma/Myammar and do not have any tools to speak of. Contact Deborah at ddeboutez@msn.com

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Offering: Plant Material

You dig:
Yellow tall yarrow, echinacea, tickseed coreopsis, mint, lambs ear, raspberries, strawberries, thyme, golden rod
Contact: urbanfarmgirlz@gmail.com

Wanted: Cultivator

Contact jbmlnichols@comcast.net

Offering: Tools & Seed

jbmlnichols@comcast.net is offering up a landscape rake, post hole digger, misc. irrigation parts, pumpkin seeds, basil seed and lettuce seed. Email for more information!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Welcome!



Early farming practices were typically a community event. Not everyone could afford the horses and equipment to plow, seed and harvest the fields. Everyone pitched in making farming a truly neighborly way of life. I am a transplanted farm girl. I have found urban life to be isolating despite the fact that I am out and available for a neighborly chat most every day. I always have something to share from my garden and have exhausted my closest friends with offers of plant material. But what if there was a place for the average urban dweller to share with the entire community? A place that would allow you to not only give but to receive. A place to trade knowledge, experience, equipment, harvests and plant material on a local level. Well my friends we are going to give it a try because I am willing to bet that even if you don't consider yourself a gardener, you have something garden related to give! So, email me at urbanfarmgirlz@gmail.com with your garden offer. Include a description of your item for offer along with your email address. When responding to an offer, respond directly and by all means let me know when your item is gone.

Happy Gardening!