Folks interested in improving the quality of their health gathered under the oak tree last Market Day at Eden’s to listen to this months free lecture.  Leo Samalot and Emily Gonzalez, two interns with Parker Chiropractic College, presented information by way of a "health talk" to a small group of area neighbors sharing about how important the foods that we eat are to living healthy lives. Not only should they be fresh and free from pesticide residues, but they should be grown in such a way that allows the food to be as nutritionally dense as it should be. In farming, that way of growing is called, “sustainable” practices, which are almost always also organically grown, (without using synthetic inputs or pesticides).   

The movie that has rec'd lots of hype in the locavore world, FOOD, Inc., finally arrives in Dallas tonight!  Free screening at the Magnolia and the opening is Friday.  Join us for an Eden's Watch Party at the 7:30 show!

Watch your market day email reminders for details on how you can win 2 free tix to Saturday night show!

See you tonight - and I'll be there Friday night, too.  This one is worth seeing more than once! 

It will change the way you look at dinner.....

Now, go git yer hands in the dirt!

Marie

Eden's Organic

www.edensorganicfarm.com

I went to a court hearing with a fellow farmer this past Tuesday. One of her former CSA supporters was asking for her money back for last summer's poor season.  Court, I must say, is NOT the best environment in which to say what you need to and make your points clearly. Most of us get nervous and tongue tied.  This happened to my farmer friend the other day and unfortunately, by the time she found her voice, the judge had already said he made up his mind and wouldn't let her really tell her side. Because she wasn't electronically available at all times, basically, she was advised to work out a monetary settlement with her unhappy customer.

EXCUSE ME?

For those of you who've never farmed, believe it or not, some of us don't take our cell phones out in the field with us. At least I don't, unless I know I am expecting a call. It is so sandy/muddy/wet/dusty out there - and guess what.....cell phones don't much like that. And in this particular case anyway, cell phone signals weren't even available until recently at her farm. And you know what else, by the time we get inside at the end of the 13 hour day, we're pretty tired and probably, it is pretty late and you are sleeping. So if our email is down, and we leave a message on your phone after you've left for work, and you can't reach us back because we're still in the gardens - it isn't because we're avoiding you. We're busy and pooped, too!

I must add though, I told the court that I really, honestly felt that if one of myEden's Garden CSA supporters was trying to reach me via email, and didn't hear back from me in 2 weeks, I felt comfortable they'd come out to the farm to make sure I wasn't dead out in the gardens! THATmy friends, is what CSA is all about.

CSA = Creating a caring, bonding relationship between the person that grows the food and the people who eat it.

Shouldn't every day reflect our good intentions for taking care of our planet?  I would like to think so, but if we have to hold an annual day to bring attention to it, let's make it a party I guess, right? 

Join me today down at Mockingbird Station in Dallas for their twist on Earth Day.  They are hosting a little celebration with community garden exhibits, your favorite honey bee experts - the Honey Bee Guild, and, your favorite organic gardener - me! 

I'll be down there from 4-8 with a bit of USDA Certified produce from Valley Ridge Farm Organics out of the Martin Mills area and some USDA certified organic plant starts for those of you who want to grow your own.  ($1.99 for veggies and $2.49 for herbs)Not only that - along with sidewalk sales hosted by the various area shops, I hear the new Disney movie Earth opens at the Angelica today, too. 

Should be a good time!

When I was a kid, we practiced conservation in school.  Recycling was a big deal and I actually have cotton shopping bags from Jewel/Osco Drug from before I moved to Texas - over 17 years ago!  So, all of this "go green" going on now is a bit "Johnny Come Lately" it seems to me - but, hey, better late than never I guess. And, I'd like to think it goes to show that if you teach your kids NOW to respect the environment, it sticks with them as they grow up. It did me anyway.

Hope to see you at Mockingbird Station. 

Well, even though I watered and covered, I still lost a few pepper plants and a handful of tomato plants up on the tables last night.  At first glance, I didn't think we'd hit freezing, but after checking a few thermometers, the low registered in at 30.  Cold enough to freeze a pepper, even with row cover.  One step I didn't take, was to better surround the tender plants with hardier ones and the lost plants were those on the edges. 

Never fear, we'll have more!  Some pepper plugs are coming in this week and most of the maters are just fine. 

Keep your eyes on things and we should be out of the danger zone here by next week. 

Well, it isn't every day that Eden's Gardener is out shopping - in fact, it isn't really one of my past-times believe it or not.  But the other day, while the media was oohing over George Bush's hardware store visit, the former First Lady, Laura, was doing a bit of shopping herself. 

What I found interesting is that it took me about 3 times of passing each other by, at the to remain nameless Dallas antique shop, before I realized it was indeed Mrs. Bush.  I was sure there was a mistake, until I started to notice the conspicuous trying to look inconspicuous gentlemen in the shop who were obviously NOT shopping for a vintage office secretary for their 100 year old farm house - or anything else that I could tell. 

But it was indeed Mrs. Bush with her designer, they were looking among the various vignettes like all of the rest of us in the shop. 

I've had several brushes with "celeb" status folks in the past, so I have learned not to act star struck, and I kept out of her space and  minded my own business.  But afterwards, I did wish I'd have thought to say at least, "Good afternoon" or "Thank you for all of your years serving our country." as one of the classiest and nicest of first ladies I can think of in recent history.  Her mother-in-law, Mrs. Reagan and a few others from the past come to mind now, too.  But say what you want about her hubby's approval ratings, I don't think anyone had a sour note for Laura.  At least she didn't raid the White House when she moved out.

I hope she found what she was looking for - I'm still desk-less on the farm....yes, I do have to do paperwork from time to time, too.  It isn't all fun in the dirt out here. : ) 

Till next time - now go git yer hands in the dirt!

And don't forget that the Dallas Organic Garden Club meets this Thursdsay at Fretz Park Rec Center in Dallas. See the Events page or dogc.org for info.

Each year we have these cold blasts come down from the Arctic and each year the instructions for preserving plants are the same. 

• TURN OFF YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM - be sure to have watered your lawn and beds deeply the morning before the expected drop in temperature is expected. If you have containers, be sure to put plastic or cheap clay pots in the garage or wrap with blankets to keep from cracking.

 WHY? Wet soil insulates the plant root system better than dry soil - and the cold weather will dry out the soil further, potentially causing your plant to dry out.

I submitted a story this morning about a tree that was hacked down for no apparent good reason.  Read it in its entirety here.  It is a real shame that people don't value trees more.  Many cities have ordinances requiring the replacement planting of new trees when old, mature trees are removed for development, but what about a chainsaw happy neighbor who takes down the tree in his yard that was saving you a bundle on cooling bills?  Or some fly by night certified arborist who has no degree in anything related to horticulture or trees diagnosing a life or death prognosis for your tree?  Look at these quick facts about trees;

The tornado has taught me

Planting!  Fertilizing!  Gardening!  Ah, the cool breezes are back and it is time to get back into the dirt - without all of the sweating.  I actually love the summers and just plan my days so I'm done out in the garden before the heat really cranks up, but I know many folks hang up thier gardening gloves about the 4th of July and seem to wait until about now to retrieve them. 

Well, now is a good time to get busy and prepare the yard for fall and winter.  It is a bit early to plant pansies, even if you can find them at your local independent garden shop, but it isn't too early for petunias, allyssum, snap dragons and mums.  Did you know mums are perennial?