Archive for the ‘Gardening’ Category

Check out the Farmers and Artisans Market in the North Village Arts District on Sundays from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information visit their website here.

I found this simple but helpful website and wanted to share it with all of you.  Some good ideas on cutting the cord to the box stores and planting your own flag of food independence.  I have you heading to the “winter” section but check out the table of contents at the top of the page for other ideas.  Give it a look!
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Achieving-Food-Independence-Winter.html

By Leigh Lockhart

I have planted a garden every season for 13 years.  The first few were motivated by a simple desire to grow some of my own food.  I rented a farmhouse in Hartsburg and just started digging.  I still remember how it felt (and tasted!) to eat that first radish I had grown myself.  As any gardener can attest, some seasons were better than others, but regardless, I was hooked.  The physical labor, being outdoors, the delicious rewards all made gardening a labor of love.

When I opened Main Squeeze in 1998 I tried to grow at least some of the produce we served at the café.  I concentrated on the things I did well: tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, zucchini, beans.  I bought a house in town and began tearing up more and more backyard to dedicate to garden space.  When I tell a customer that the produce they are enjoying came from my garden, grown in the café’s composted food waste, well, that’s just the best, best feeling.

In 2008 my gardening efforts turned more serious as the economy worsened. I planned that season’s garden more carefully, fearing that for the first time, the garden HAD TO PRODUCE.  With the help of friends that summer we had a great garden, even had enough tomatoes to sell extras at the cafe.  We love to support local farmers, but providing produce from my garden helped the bottom line so I began planning for the following season, bigger and better than ever.

When my dad died suddenly in December 2008 and the economy had my business teetering on the brink, I considered my next garden.  I didn’t even want to do it.  Growing $500 worth of tomatoes wasn’t going to save Main Squeeze and frankly, after losing dad, I couldn’t see the point in the labors of gardening, or much else.  All winter I paged unenthusiastically thru seed catalogs, but failed to order any.  Or do anything else to prepare for the upcoming season.  With the help of friends I managed to put in tomatoes, cucumbers and beans, but most of it rotted on the vine, a metaphor for how I felt about losing dad. I couldn’t envision the day when I would want to garden again.

As a hospital chaplain and grief counselor Daddy knew how to offer the deepest kind of compassion and comfort, the kind that really healed people.  So I relied on his words to help pull me out. “Time, tears and talking” he would say, and by this spring I was buying seeds.  I spent many solitary hours digging in the dirt this spring and it seemed with every new bed built, every seed planted, every plant staked and trellised, every tomato harvested, I felt more and more my old self.  As the plants grew taller I could feel myself healing, even having moments of joy, like the warm June evening when a neighbor played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. I felt Daddy right there beside me in the dirt and it was magical.

You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt, that’s for sure.  Next year I will grow beets.  Lots and lots of beets because these were his favorite.  I will roast them, top them with Goatsbeard Farm Moniteau Blue Cheese, maybe some crushed walnuts and lemon.  I will serve them with ice cold buttermilk, cornbread and tomatoes.  Closer to daddy and heaven never will I be.

Leigh is a culinary wonder and owner of Main Squeeze Natural Foods Cafe in Downtown Columbia
Visit Main Squeeze Here!

Beyond the Radish Root
by Carrie Koepke

This spring was not kind to my radishes.  I harvested a few, but noticed they grew most quickly above ground without creating much of anything “radish” wise.  I pouted briefly, before realizing I had used all my heirloom seeds and would need more.  So wild and crazy went my radish patch.  I had no idea what I was getting into.  Seemingly suddenly my cute tame garden entry was taken over by enormous stalks with flowers going every which way.

I admit it was pretty, despite the chaos.  There were vibrant purple flowers along with crisp whites.  The flowers were almost as pretty as those cute little radishes I had expected.  They were also tall, much taller than I expected.  In time those flowers faded and the seed pods took over.  I had expected a few pods per radish, a dozen at most really.  Not that I had any basis for my expectations, it was all random guesswork and preconceived notions.  I was certainly not prepared for the onslaught.  One radish seed turned into a powerhouse that could reseed the patch for a couple years.

The vast quantity sent me to my computer where I started searching the internet for info on harvesting and preserving the seeds.  My first search sent me on an entirely new tangent.  The pods are edible!  Why did I not think of that?  Why are the market tables not flooded with the gorgeous, prolific pods?  I wonder if I have been glossing over the tables thinking they are something else or if the radishes are just more marketable with all their color.

I started calling people and looking for recipes.  I gathered a pod and forced my husband to taste it.  He was tentative but seemed happily surprised.  These slightly alien looking things taste like radishes.  The seeds have a pop of juice and extra heat, but there is no questioning their origin.

My son and I gathered the tangled mess of radish plants and took them to a comfortable shady spot to start gathering.  We gave some away.  We blanched and froze some.  We munched on a couple with slight winces (neither of us can handle much raw heat).  We set aside a bowl of finger snacks for my husband.  Then we got to cooking with the rest.  We made a delicate radish pod soup.  We made stir fry.  Then we made plans next year to set half the radish section of the garden aside for pods only.  Apparently there is a whole variety of “rat tail” radishes that are bred just for pods!

So next time you see your favorite vendor, who recently was selling those gorgeous bundles of radishes, give a little nudge and a little wink.  Find out if they will be bringing any pods to market!

For those who find the treasure and feel experimental toss a handful of chopped pods in to water for soup.  We added a sliced “normal” radish, a garlic scape, some cubed tofu and some vegetable broth powder.  It went great with grilled cheese and fresh local tomato sandwiches.

By Dan Kuebler

Grass seems to be the major crop these days at the farm due to the continued rains.  However, our rain gauge only had 1.5 inches over the last seven days or so, compared to Columbia where we’ve heard reports of over 3 inches just this past Wednesday afternoon.

Little need for irrigation except in our one tall tunnel which houses our forty or so Heirloom tomato plants.  The plants are looking good so far and we’ve picked close to 50 pounds this past two weeks.  We did have plastic over both our tall tunnels but the wind blew the plastic off from our south tunnel three weeks ago.  We didn’t really mind this since the plastic was going on its sixth year and it’s usual longevity is four years.  It tore it off very neatly on each end and one side and flipped it onto the ground so I could easily cut the last side off and fold it up for handling. I appreciate Mother Nature when she helps me out like that.

The hairy vetch cover crops have been mowed down several weeks ago and over the past several days tilled into the soil.  This week we will broadcast buckwheat into these plots as a summer cover crop and pull an old bedspring over it with the tractor to lightly cover the seeds. The buckwheat loves the heat of the summer, very quickly germinates and does an excellent job of keeping weeds out of the plot. Later this summer we will mow it down, incorporate the organic matter into the soil and then follow that with a winter cover crop probably of oats. 

We also tilled in a cover of white clover on a plot of about 4,000 sq. ft.  We are preparing to erect a new movable tall tunnel on this area.  We have wanted to have a movable tunnel since 1990 when we first read of them.  Ours will be 30’ x 48’ and it will have the capacity to be moved over three areas during the year for spring, summer and winter crops.  We will be picking up this structure in the next week or two and then begin the process of putting it together and laying out the track that it will roll on.  We will keep you posted every month on how this goes and will have pictures to share of our experiences.  Later this fall we plan to have a field day in conjunction with the Small Farm Today Trade Show the first weekend in November.  Any one who reads this is invited to come out, so be looking for more information later this fall.

In the next BLOG for August be looking for an update on our repair work on the re-wiring of the solar pump (pesky muskrats).

The Can and I? Can I?  Should it not really be Jarring? I mean there is no can involved!

My mother did not can food, and I really doubt her mom did either.  And that goes back into the 1800s right there.  I never had home canned ANYTHING from anyone as a kid.  So what do I know?  The only picture I had in my mind was a pressure cooker exploding sending shrapnel through my chest as I yell “why did I try this?” 

Now I can say that, with a little reading, a little self confidence and support from MU/Boone County Extension in the form of Vera Massey, I am ready to try.  I just took the water bath canning class on Wednesday and next week it will be pressure cooking.  The class made me feel much more comfortable and watching the steps involved is easier than simply reading them.  I am very visual.  Vera made blueberry jam right in front of us and it really did not take that long.  I will admit that seeing all of that sugar pouring into the pan sorta freaked me out about jam, but at the same time, it’s not like I ever eat more than a teaspoon of jam in one meal. 

The idea of making something and sealing it up to use when you will most appreciate it is very motivating.  Also, how cool is it to give the gift of food that does not have to be eaten right away.  I imagine friends breaking open jars of “Casey’s Own” magical pasta sauce in the middle of winter.  I will need to create a label!  Don’t ask what the magic part is!

I took the class because I am about to have a lot of tomatoes in my life and I want to can most of them.  The news on this goal was mixed.  It sounds like pressure cooking is better suited for tomatoes BUT you CAN water bath tomatoes as well but it takes much longer.  I will have to opt for the snail-pace canning though, as I also thankfully learned something else that saved me not only hassle but perhaps my life.  You cannot or should not use pressure cookers on glass flat top stoves, which is what is in my rental.  They heat created by the pressure cooker can shatter the glass and tip the pressure cooker and an explosion my follow.  So maybe someone can host a pressure canning party for me?

Last year, I planted three heirloom tomato plants and I was overrun with fruit.  This year I planted eleven and a few that came in on their own.  Plus, this year I have cages on seven of them so I cannot imagine how many I might have.  I do not have freezer space for very many so canning it shall be.  Plus with all of my hot pepper plants as well, I think a little salsa is in order.  That is another canning project.  Habanero salsa baby es muy caliente y bueno! 

So thanks to Vera and my curiosity I now have the canning bug and I refuse to wait!  I went to Westlakes and low and behold…they had the very home canning kit for stockpots that Vera showed us.  I wanted it so badly!  I got the last one baby!  And now…well…you know all of that sugar in that jam, forget about it!  I am going blueberry picking, and tonight I am making and canning jam!  So be gone you old useless unfounded fears!  JAM ON BABY!

My Local Foods Canning Kit for my Stockpot!

I will post pictures of my creations and the FIRST jar shall go to the FIRST person who is local and who posts a comment to this article.  You can pick it up next weekend at market!  So ready…set…comment!  Be nice too!  It’s gonna be spoon lick’n good!  You’ll be telling all of your friends…nobody makes a jam like “Casey’s Own.”  Label to follow!  As time progresses I will let you know what I am canning.  If I can do it, anyone CAN!  
Contact Vera to find out when the next classes are and let her know I said YES…YOU CAN CAN! 
masseyv@missouri.edu

Casey

Last week I was privileged to be invited to pick early blueberries at Carol and Greg Busacker’s SGB Farms on Cedar Tree Lane south of Ashland. Talk about sustainable agriculture and local food! Yummm!

They needed a patient, expert picker, as there were just one or two ripe berries per bush–early comers. Greg and I picked together, one on each side of the row, and caught up on our lives while we worked. We covered most of the patch and gathered about ten pounds (about two galloons) of berries. I’m famous for my picking speed because I belt the bucket to my waist and pick with both hands–years of vegetable harvesting experience.

Blueberries are such a joy to pick, no thorns and you get to stand up straight. Rich in antioxidants, they freeze easily and keep well. I fill up my freezer and eat some every day all year. The farm is beautiful and it’s a fun family experience.

Carol and Greg schedule pickers by reservation, call 573-657-2989 to get on their mailing list. Unfortunately they’re totally booked for 2010, but no reservations are needed at Mary Brauch’s Missouri Highland Farms. See her website at www.missourihighlandfarm.com. Mid-Missouri blueberry season is coming June 17-July 19th. Enjoy!

Diane La Mar is a local psychotherapist and writer.

Things are busy at the Salad Garden Farm in Ashland, Missouri!  This is the time of the growing season that is non-stop at our farm.  Suddenly, everything is growing very rapidly; vegetables, pastures, cover crops, weeds, insects, deer and of course the grassy areas that need mowing weekly due to the extra rainfall this spring.  Since we have grown organically since the farm was purchased in 1977, we rely on methods that use no herbicides to control the weeds.  This includes use of reusable fabric barriers and lots of mulch that was just harvested from the pasture over the last several days. We also rely on hand tools for cultivation and just bare hands to pull weeds that are forever popping up. 

My wife and I just finished mulching and caging our heirloom Cherokee Purple and Japanese Black Trifele tomatoes in our tall tunnel.  We should have some fine tomatoes coming to Market around July 4.  The heirloom tomatoes, as many of you know, are not very disease resistant and they perform much better under plastic with drip irrigation versus out in the open where they are more exposed to the elements and splash up from the heavy rain we seem to be getting more frequently over the past several years. We did notice on several plants as we were caging, the presence of small tomato hornworms.  I will treat this pest with an approved organic product called  Dipel.  It is the bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) in granular form that when mixed with water and misted onto the plants will very quickly begin to kill the hornworm after the worm ingests some of the bacteria on the foliage.

My biggest pest however, is a new population of deer.  For years we had a 7-foot high, extruded plastic fence around a 4-acre area.  That worked very well but alas, it is now degrading after 12 years and in need of being removed and taken to the recycler in Millersburg.  So, we have gone back temporarily to using one strand of electric fence like in the old days.  Early in the spring this works well but as the season progresses the tasty woodland morsels toughen up and the deer want to enter the paradise of irrigated vegetable land.  They soon learn to jump over or duck under the fence.  Yesterday I had to take extra time to run to the grocer for a jar of very cheap peanut butter.  I then tore small pieces of aluminum foil, put a dab of peanut butter on the foil and wrapped it around the electric fence line.  I did this every 10-15 feet.  This has been effective in the past in that the deer will smell the lure, reach out with their tongue for a taste and OUCH!  This one time shock usually keeps them from entering again.  Problem is that the new fawns that are now being dropped in the fields will all have to go through this training to learn the game and for the moment they stay hidden in the tall grasses and are feed when mom is ready to nurse them at that safe spot.

growing heirloom tomatoes requires more protection from elements

Our latest energy saving device for quickly keeping our grassy areas mowed is a used 6-foot wide finishing mower that is pulled behind the Kubota tractor and powered with the PTO (Power Take Off is the shaft that is on the rear of the tractor and to which implements are attached that are then powered by the tractor).  My brother found it on Craig’s List.  It is Italian made, as is my 10 HP tiller and 6-foot sickle mower that are used to cut the pastures and make mulch.  Since European farms are small and have been for centuries, they seem to have mastered designing equipment that fits small farms like ours.

I mentioned that we use cover crops as part of our operation.  We have two nice stands of hairy vetch that is in full bloom and which is ready to be mowed down this next week.  The vetch is a legume and it will fix nitrogen in the soil with the help of soil bacteria on its roots.  It takes a large brush mower powered with the tractor to mow it down.  We then give it a day or two to dry and then work it into the soil with a large tiller.  We allow 10-14 days for the organic material to begin breaking down in the soil before we plant another crop in this area.  With vetch as a cover crop started in October of the previous year we have no need for supplemental nitrogen for the main crop.  We will also follow the vetch in some areas with a summer cover crop of buckwheat and/or soybeans.  Buckwheat is a super fast growing crop that is very effective at suppressing weeds in the field and holding the nitrogen from being leached out of the soil.  At the end of the summer the buckwheat will be mowed down and tilled into the soil.  A fall planting of garlic will likely follow the buckwheat.  The soybeans do a nice job of suppressing weeds too, if they are broadcast versus seeded in rows.  Nothing will follow the soybeans in the fall but they will be mowed down and the organic material will cover the field for the winter and prevent erosion and yet be ready for a main crop of vegetables early in the spring.

That’s all for now folks but look for a story on our solar irrigation system in July.  The rains have been regular so far this spring but I can assure you that can all change and irrigation is a must for a market gardener.

Dan Kuebler, Market Gardener and member of the Columbia Farmers Market since 1989; The Salad Garden
dlkuebler@yahoo.com

Last year I planted three heirloom tomato plants using four foot stakes that barely served my plants growth.  This was my first experience growing tomatoes after 16 years in Alaska.  From just those three plants I was rolling in red fruit!  Well, this year I have tall cages and 11 planted from seeds that I saved last year. I do not have freezer space so what will I do?  I will preserve them!  Yes!  I can! Or can I? 

Canning started in the late 18th century in France when Napoleon offered a cash prize to the first person who could preserve food for his army.  Nicholas Appert thought of bottling food like wine. He learned over years that if you heat food to a certain point in bottles it would not spoil.  That is all well and good for Napoleon and Mr. Appert, but I have no idea how to can!  I mean our parents and grandparents, aunts and so forth canned like crazy.  If they could do it, so can I!  I want to taste my tomatoes in December 

Vera Massey, a wonderful person with MU/Boone County Extension, will be teaching three food preservation classes this month.  Spread over three Wednesdays with morning and evening sessions, this is a must do for all of you green thumb foodies and farmers market shoppers!  Space is limited so visit the link below or email/phone Vera with questions.  I have my seat!  I asked Vera a few questions for all of you and here is what she had to say:

 SA:  Why do you think so few people can food today?
VM:  For many people canning is something they’ve heard about but don’t have a clue how to do it.  Since canning is a science, it’s critical to use research-based procedures to ensure the foods are canned properly and will be safe to eat.  If foods are not canned properly they can be dangerous.  They can harbor Clostridium Botulinum, which causes botulism, a type of food poisoning that can be deadly.  The good news is that home canning can be done safely when you learn the proper skills and techniques…something you’ll learn at the upcoming workshops, I’ll be offering.  Home canning is actually making a comeback as more and more people are reconnecting with their food through home gardening and locally produced foods.

 SA: What are some of the benefits of home canning?
VM:  Canning food in your own home (using the most current research-based information) can be a safe and rewarding process. Many people can foods because they like the way the foods taste and they have control over what is in the jar…for example no preservatives or pesticides. Personal satisfaction also rates high as a motivator for home canning.   Other reasons people home can are for economic reasons, gift giving and it’s a family tradition. Preserving food with home canning, as well as other preservation methods like freezing and drying, are also great ways to increase your consumption of local food. Eating locally is about eating foods when they are in season, and canning/freezing/drying allows you to capture the bounty of any particular crop in season and extend its availability throughout the year. For example, I love to fill up on fresh blueberries when in season, but I also love them in a jar of blueberry spice jam that I can enjoy in the winter and also give as gifts to friends.

SA: Are pressure cookers scary?
VM:  I’ve been around pressure canners since I was a young child…. a long time.  I don’t find them to be scary but I know many people do.  It seems there are always the stories circulating that someone knew someone who had one blow up.   Scary stuff… but the likelihood of a pressure canner blowing up is very unlikely as long as you follow directions.  The great thing about attending a workshop to learn about canning is you get to see firsthand how a pressure canner works and observe all of the steps of canning—from preparing the produce to taking the jars out of the canner after the processing time is complete.  The bottom line is if you plan to can low-acid foods like vegetables, meats or soup mixtures you will need a pressure canner.

SA:  How much of an investment in dollars does it take to get started?
VM:  There are definitely investments or startup costs when it comes to home food preservation…. the food, necessary equipment and your time.  The investment for equipment will vary depending on the preservation method. The items needed for boiling water bath canning (jams/jellies, pickles, salsas, fruits) are not particularly expensive.  The water bath canner would be less than $30.  If you do a lot of canning projects, then the costs of the jars can add up, but you get to reuse the jars year after year as long as they don’t get chipped or cracked. As your collection of jars grows, your costs of home canning go down in subsequent years. When you reuse jars, you must buy new lids, but they only run about $2 a dozen.  If you plan to can non-pickled vegetables, meats or soups then you will need to invest in a pressure canner that can cost around $90. You might be able to reduce the expense if you have one or two families that want to buy one with you. Then everyone could share it. Be careful buying a used one because the seals and the gauge might not be functioning properly and replacement parts may no longer be available.

SA:  I will be taking two of your classes, the water bath and pressure canning courses, what will I be able to do after those classes?
VM:  After attending the classes, I think you will feel more confident in your ability to safely preserve foods.  During the workshops you will be able to see each of the steps involved in the different aspects of food preservation and ask questions if anything is unclear.  You will also have guide sheets with all the details and recipes for preserving foods that you can refer back to as you are preserving your foods. The canning process can be a little intimidating at first, but after a couple of canning projects, you will feel much more comfortable doing it. There are safety considerations with home canning, but these are all easily satisfied by following the directions you will receive in the workshops.  With a little studying and practice, I’m confident you’ll become a satisfied home canner who is putting up wonderful, tasty, locally grown food.

Food Preservation Classes:
Wednesdays June 16  – Freezing and Drying  – 9:30 am – Noon or 6 to 8:30pm
Wednesdays June 23  - Water Bath Canning  – 9:30 am – Noon or 6 to 8:30pm
Wednesdays June 30 - Pressure Canning  – 9:30 am – Noon or 6 to 8:30pm

Visit MU Extension Website for more information and to register ASAP:  http://extension.missouri.edu/boone/
Or email or call Vera at: 
masseyv@missouri.edu
573-445-9792

“Go Compostal in CoMo” by Arthur S. Lemmings

Our Soldiers of Soil

Coincident to your adventures as a CoMo gardener here is what I would recommend. Grab an old sheet of newspaper, take your chair to a corner, sit facing the intersection between the walls and write 1000 times “I will compost I will compost I will compost.” Then shred the sheet of newspaper, take it outside with some coffee grounds, egg shells, old lettuce, any hair that you can find, mix with leaves and grass clippings, and create the beginnings of a pile, far enough from your dwelling that it won’t attract mice and other furry interlopers to your doorstep.

Why compost? Even if your soul is glory bound, your meat and hide will likely end up one fine day in the custody of worms, who are known for their surliness when confronted with terrestrial injustice. (Of course there are exceptions. I mention this so you aren’t tempted to bore me with florid remembrances of your dear pet boa constrictor Alfonso, a rather large worm, may he rest in peace, and the adorable ways he would imitate a shoelace being tied).  But where were we?

Compost is to a worm what foie gras is to a Frenchman; for the worm, life without a moist bed of decomposing organic matter on which to rest its clitellum is not worth living. Moreoever, worms, unlike Frenchmen, keep thick ledger books, books far more detailed and thorough than any you might imagine that St. Peter or Santa Claus use for distributing rewards like Tickle Me Elmos and eternal bliss. I am sad to say that for the vast majority of my time as a human, about 40 years worth, the worms’  annual ledger entries concerning my activity do not bode well for being thrown upon their tender mercies. “Did not feed us,” reads one entry (which was leaked to me by a friend who appreciated some sawdust I provided him this year).  Another says: “Still not feeding us.” One detects a note of passive aggression.

 At the very tippy top of the University library is a secret room guarded by a two-headed dog, a personable burro, code-named Seymour, and a special collections librarian. Here, amidst the hidden doors, guillotines, and spring-coil foot traps, the library keeps its samidtzat, literature available to the select, a rareified priesthood of those who will suffer no harm when encountering the grim truth of existence; to wit, that truth is a social construct, which, as Nietsche said, is made from the same reassuringly soft cloth “as a baby’s blanket.” Nietsche never said any such thing  Here too is where the University librarians typically hold their Halloween party, and it was at just such a party, that I, a lowly electronic resource assistant costumed as a warthog, was able to sneak by the librarians as they played grab ass and ate candy corns and worked on their shushing techniques, and from the brittle, yellowed pages of the De Wormibus Non Disputandum, sampled the catalog of horrors that await those who ignore the stewards of our topsoil.

1. The worm swarm. A squadron of red wigglers covers every square inch of the target’s flesh and at the count of three emits slime whereupon each worm moves three steps to its left. They then repeat this manuever, albeit moving to the right. (Directions change if you are south of the equator).

 2. Cave of wonders. Leaders of the squadron choose a special forces team to spelunk into the nostrils and enter the brain cavity. These special forces operations personnel then feed on fatty solids in the frontal cortex, thus diminishing their own decision-making powers.

 At this point you may be asking, “Can I be saved from this awful future simply by composting?” Unequivocally yes. Composting may even save you from the awful present. It makes you a general contractor in the Decomposition Division of the Soils Department of the world’s oldest and most generous corporation, Mother Earth Inc. You bring in all the materials and supplies and combine them in ways you decree, and then hand the project over to time, the elements, and dear old Ma. In doing so you reconnect with the ancient cycles; it’s like surfing one of earth’s smelliest waves, dude.

 Cowpieabunga. Once the pile is established, feeding it is easy. Sip your tea of a morning, sprinkle the compost with carrot tops, and, if you’re curious, look inside the pile and experience the transformation. A couple of weeks ago I pulled back some sections of the rotting mound of death and decay my girlfriend and I have amassed on the front lawn. It is heavy on horse manure from Stephen’s College stables, Kaldi’s coffee grounds, eggshells, straw from mulching last year’s garden, and kitchen waste. I pawed at the dark wet earth, saw and sniffed residues from past meals (“Hello, breakfast old friend”) in various stages of decay, and spotted some large reddish worms who seemed to be working down there like lonely miners, boring holes through the interior of the mound, masters of a strange and silent alchemy. With any luck, come fall the mixture of miscellany should attain the darkness and consistency of a perfectly wrought chocolate cake, which I intend to feed to the garden soil in celebration of September’s booty.

There are many reasons besides to compost, which are too numerous, intelligent, and straightforward to be covered in a blog post. Additional resources follow:

University of Missouri Extension, Making and Using Compost:

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6956

Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America, Chapter 6, The Use of Energy

Arthur S. Lemmings is a Columbia resident and works for a United Nations project improving relations between cacti and people in arid urban environments