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- Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
This is a practical and engaging guide to transforming an ordinary backyard into a productive farm. Homesteading is experiencing a revival among both rural and urban residents who want to get back to basics and live closer to the land. With this book, homeowners will obtain both inspiration and instruction for transforming their grassy yard into a lush farm that can produce all the food they need. The author is an experienced woodworker and homesteader who shows how to plan and design a backyard farm. He offers expert advice for making all of the essential hard-working structures that are needed to sustain small-scale agriculture. Step-by-step instructions are provided for 21 projects including green houses, beehives, rabbit hutches, raised beds, potting sheds, trellises, fences, and more. Readers learn how to create an irrigation system, harvest rainwater, and keep their farms environmentally sound. Each detailed plan is accompanied by the author's clear, instructive drawings. More than just a manual, the book also offers entertaining and enlightening interviews with both experts and "average Joe" farmers. We learn what motivates them to become backyard farmers, the lessons that they have to share, and maybe even a couple of funny stories along the way.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017
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About the Author
Chris Gleason is the author of several books for the DIY market including Art of the Chicken Coop, Built-In Furniture for the Home, The Complete Kitchen Makeover, Complete Custom Closet, Old-School Workshop Accessories, and Building Real Furniture for Everyday Life. He grew up on a farm in upstate New York. He has been raising chickens in his Salt Lake City backyard for over six years. He currently builds and sells chicken coops. He has owned Gleason Woodworking Studios for over 13 years.
CONTENTS
ABOUT BACKYARD FARMING
Profile: Wasatch Community Gardens
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? GARDEN UPKEEP
RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM
IRRIGATION STRATEGIES
GARDEN CART
COMPOST BOX
VERMICULTURE BIN
RAISED BEDS 101
EASY PLANK RAISED BEDS
STACKED LUMBER RAISED BED
VERTICAL INTEGRATION GARDENING VERTICALLY
Profile: Kyle LaMalfa
POTATO PLANTER
TIERED LETTUCE RACK
WALL OF TOMATOES
BEAN LEANER
SQUASH RAMP
GRAPEVINE LADDER
PEA TRELLIS
OPEN SEASON GROWING SEASON EXTENDERS
Profile: Lynsey Gammon
GREENHOUSE
COLD FRAME
WIRE MESH CLOCHE
PVC CLOCHE
CREATURE COMFORTS DWELLINGS FOR YOUR BACKYARD FRIENDS
Profile: Kevin and Celia
TOP BAR BEE HIVE
RABBIT HUTCH
INDEX
ABOUT BACKYARD FARMING
An old proverb reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun, and in the case of the backyard farm, that is certainly true. And while it is exciting to see that small-scale food production is enjoying a notable resurgence in popularity, it is hardly a brand new concept.
Unfortunately, however, modern farming techniques, political policies, and economies of scale have combined to create a culture where growing one’s own food is the exception rather than the rule. We don’t have to look back very far to remember an era when this wasn’t the case.
During World War II, the American government encouraged citizens to plant “victory gardens” as a way to alleviate pressure on the public food supply, and also as a means of boosting morale by creating the feeling that ordinary people could make a contribution to the war effort. What is less discussed is the fact that more than 20 million people grew such gardens, and in 1944 alone, they managed to grow the equivalent of 40 percent of all the vegetable produce consumed in the country. This example demonstrates quite clearly the impact that regular folks can make when enough of us pitch in.
There is a long and diverse list of motivations that may be inspiring today’s backyard farmers. The people who I talked to during the process of writing this book cited, collectively, the following benefits:
•Obtaining better and fresher produce
• Saving fossil fuels related to food transportation costs
• Reducing the need for chemically based, potentially harmful fertilizers and pesticides
• Enjoying the pride and satisfaction of doing it yourself
• Building community by frequenting farmer’s markets
• Supporting local businesses
• Building community by knowing the people who produce food and sharing with others
• Strengthening a secure network of food production: local farms are a key part of this
Some of these goals are easily attainable even on the individual level—anybody who has tasted a fresh, homegrown tomato harvested at its peak can attest to this. Other goals, such as trying to reduce fossil fuel consumption, need to be reached by a great many people in order for a positive impact to be perceived. It is worth remembering the huge effect produced by the victory gardeners half a century ago. I try to frame this kind of scenario in win-win terms: by growing as much of our own food as we can, we’ll immediately enjoy the benefits of better food and stronger connections to our communities. I hope these fun and delicious incentives alone are powerfulenough motivators to get more people involved so that significant gains can be made on a global level.
Today’s backyard farm may not fit the preconceived ideals that we attach to the word “farm,” and for good reason. Few of us—especially those of us who live in urban environments—have enough space to accommodate long uniform rows of crops, and most of the work in backyard farms is done by hand rather than by large machines. The good news is that these constraints don’t have to limit you all that much: the key to success for today’s backyard farmers is having or gaining the ability to adapt and plan cleverly so you can make the most of the space you do have. For many of us, this means implementing container gardens and making efficient use of land through vertical gardening practices. It isn’t hard to extend the growing season with cloches, greenhouses, and cold frames. To enjoy the fruits of your labors all year long, you may wish to look into canning and preserving your produce. This can be easier than you think—my friends make homemade fruit rollups every year from their apricots using a simple solar dryer that they made with free materials.
planning your garden
How much space will you need to have a meaningful backyard farm? The answer, of course, depends on how many people you’re trying to feed and what you’re trying to grow. For most of us, answering this question will take some trial and error. There are so many factors (soil and weather, just to name a couple) that can influence your results, and you’ll likely see fluctuations from year to year. Some crops will exceed your expectations, and some might disappoint. In other words, it is inherently pretty tricky to pin down empirical data that guarantees the type of yield you’ll get from a given sized garden plot, but I’m going to present some generalizations for a reasonable jumping-off point. See the chart at right for a list of popular veggies and how many plants you’ll need per person.
square foot gardening
One really popular garden planning method that has received a ton of attention since it was first publicized in the early 1980s is the square foot gardening concept. In his book of the same name, author Mel Bartholomew advocates a simple but extremely efficient system for growing vegetables in 4’ x 4’ (1220 x 1220mm) raised beds. His approach eliminates wasted space between plants, which means that his plots produce the same amount of food as traditional row-planting, while requiring only 20% as much space. If you apply his principles, he suggests that you can expect the following results:
One 4’ x 4’ (1220 x 1220mm) box will supply enough produce to make a salad for one person every day of the growing season.
A second 4’ x 4’ (1220 x 1220mm) box will supply the daily supper vegetables for that person.
A third 4’ x 4’ (1220 x 1220mm) box will supply that person with extra produce to preserve or give away.
Mr. Bartholomew further specifies that a typical 4’ x 4’ (1220 x 1220mm) box should provide, in one spring season, the following very impressive list of crops:
• One head of cabbage
• One head of broccoli
• One head of cauliflower
• Four heads of romaine lettuce
• Four heads of red lettuce
• Four heads of leaf lettuce, followed by sixteen scallions
• Four heads of salad lettuce
• Five pounds (2¼kg) of sugar peas
• Eight bunches of Swiss chard
• Nine bunches of spinach, then nine turnips
• Sixteen small, ball carrots
• Sixteen beets, plus four bunches of beet greens
• Sixteen long carrots
• Thirty-two radishes
For more information on this great gardening technique, see Mel Bartholomew’s book All New Square Foot Gardening.
As mentioned before, many factors will come into play when planting a garden, but I’m hoping the following chart will provide a good starting point. It gives measurements indicating how much space you should provide for one plant of each kind listed. These measurements are guidelines to get you planting. As you gain more experience, you’ll discover you can adjust some of the numbers to fit your gardening space and needs. Experimenting is a great way to figure out how you can get everything you want out of your garden.
I think that it is abundantly clear that growing at least some of your own food is a terrific undertaking, as seen from many different perspectives. And while we all have our own unique motivations and approaches, it is my goal in this book to highlight the pleasures of backyard farming, and to provide a lot of detail about the kinds of structures that you can easily build to make the entire process more efficient. The projects that I have presented here are designed to help your backyard farm grow more produce in less space and with less work. I have also included a number of in-depth profiles of some of my own backyard farming heroes in the hope that you’ll find them as inspiring and interesting as I do.
Here’s to a bumper crop!
Chris Gleason
Salt Lake City, Utah
June 2011
VEGETABLE PLANTS NEEDED PER PERSON
vegetable
amount per person
area needed per plant
Asparagus
5–10 plants
48 sq. in. (310 sq. cm.)
Beans
10–15 plants
10 sq. in. (64 sq. cm.)
Beets
10–25 plants
12 sq. in. (77 sq. cm.)
Bok Choy
1–3 plants
5 sq. in. (32 sq. cm.)
Broccoli
3–5 plants
36 sq. in. (232 sq. cm.)
Brussels Sprouts
2–5 plants
24 sq. in. (155 sq. cm.)
Cabbage
3–5 plants
12 sq. in. (77 sq. cm.)
Carrots
10–25 plants
10 sq. in. (64 sq. cm.)
Cauliflower
2–5 plants
18–24 sq. in. (116–155 sq. cm.)
Celery
2–8 plants
18 sq. in. (116 sq. cm.)
Corn
10–20 plants
12 sq. in. (77 sq. cm.)
Cucumber
1–2 plants
12 sq. in. (77 sq. cm.)
Eggplant
1–3 plants
18–24 sq. in. (116–155 sq. cm.)
Kale
2–7 plants
18–24 sq. in. (116–155 sq. cm.)
Kohlrabi
3–5 plants
2–5 sq. in. (13–32 sq. cm.)
Leafy Greens
2–7 plants
12 sq. in. (77 sq. cm.)
Leeks
5–15 plants
12–36 sq. in. (77–232 sq. cm.)
Lettuce, Head
2–5 plants
12–18 sq. in. (77–116 sq. cm.)
Lettuce, Leaf
10–15 plants
2–4 sq. in. (13–26 sq. cm.)
Melon
1–3 plants
48–72 sq. in. (310–465 sq. cm.)
Onion
10–25 plants
12–24 sq. in. (77–155 sq. cm.)
Peas
15–20 plants
18–24 sq. in. (116–155 sq. cm.)
Peppers, Bell
3–5 plants
18–24 sq. in. (116–155 sq. cm.)
Peppers, Chili
1–3 plants
18 sq. in. (116 sq. cm.)
Potatoes
5–10 plants
24–36 sq. in. (155–232 sq. cm.)
Radishes
10–25 plants
2–4 sq. in. (13–26 sq. cm.)
Squash, Summer
1–3 plants
24–36 sq. in. (155–232 sq. cm.)
Squash, Winter
1–2 plants
84–144 sq. in. (542–929 sq. cm.)
Tomatoes
1–4 plants
48 sq. in. (310 sq. cm.)
Zucchini
1–3 plants
36 sq. in. (39 sq. cm.)
WASATCH COMMUNITY GARDENS
Salt Lake City, Utah
Wasatch Community Gardens (WCG) is a non-profit group with a mission to empower people of all ages and incomes to grow and eat healthy, organic, local food. This mission supports and celebrates urban farming in a number of ways, and I spoke with Community Educator Carly Gillespie to learn more.
community gardens
As their name suggests, WCG operates seven community gardens where people can rent plots to grow their own vegetables. Because not everyone who wants to garden has a viable backyard of their own, this program has been immensely successful, and it is growing all the time. It currently involves over 180 families per year. WCG also functions as an umbrella organization for the Community Garden Network, which operates 20 community gardens in the area and assists new ones in forming. It offers quite a bit of assistance, including free vegetable and herb seedlings and seeds, 10 hours of Wasatch Community Gardens consulting time, and access to other discounted and free resources (compost, materials, tools, seeds, etc), as available. In 2011, Wasatch Community Gardens contributed more than $15,000-worth of materials to community gardens in the Network. Membership in the Network also grants member gardens access to financial assistance, as available: in 2011, Wasatch Community Gardens will contribute $14,000 in mini-grants to new and developing community gardens in the network.
backyard sharing
In addition to their work with community gardens, WCG also utilizes another innovative program that helps gardeners find land. Working under the theory that there is enough viable land in the community, but much of it is not being properly utilized, WCG encourages people to participate in backyard sharing. The initiative is remarkably simple but the implementation—a clever online tool by LifeCycles—makes it really effective. People who are willing to share their yards with local gardeners post their location and some other information, and this database is visible to people who are looking for a place to plant some seeds. It is an ingenious program that essentially runs itself—Carly jokingly referred to it as “Craigslist for Farmers”—but it is a fantastic way to support a potentially very powerful movement. Visit www.sharingbackyards.com to check it out.
Sharing backyards. There is plenty of land that is not being utilized to its full potential, and this Web site helps backyard farmers find plots for gardening. Visit www.sharingbackyards.com.
Gardening as a community can bring joy, knowledge, and vegetables to a lot of people!
community education
The other major component of WCG’s mission relates to community education. Carly provided a lot of information about how much this has grown over the years. For many years, the group put on about a dozen workshops per year; then, in 2009, they aimed for 20 workshops to coordinate with their 20th anniversary. Just two years later, they hosted 35 workshops and served over 1,000 participants. There has obviously been a huge interest! Carly also stressed that all of the growth has been organic and based on the interest of the community, which makes sense. If your goal is to serve people’s needs, offer the kind of things that they’d like to attend! Here is a partial list of the kinds of workshops they present regularly: fall planting workshop; the legend of the three sisters (growing corn, beans, and squash together); fun with fungi; garlic planting and growing; fall seasonal cooking; beginning organic gardening; winter composting; eating locally for the holidays; garden planting and design; chicken week (includes coop tours, seminars, and more); beekeeping workshop; rainwater harvesting; building structures for your garden; cultivating fruit trees; the year-round garden; gardening in small spaces; seed selecting and starting.
Workshops and classes aplenty instruct local gardeners in everything there is to know about gardening.
The Wasatch Community Gardens’ annual plant sale disperses more than 30,000 plants in a single day.
Their educational programs also focus on the younger folks in the community. Wasatch Community Gardens serves 1,500 urban youth, ages 3–18, in its youth programs each year. City Roots Youth Gardening Classes, City Sprouts Summer Camps, field trips, and the Junior Farmers program take place at two of their teaching gardens, the Fairpark Garden and the Grateful Tomato Garden. In 2011:
• 520 elementary school-aged students participated in after-school and summer classes
• 574 teens participated in community service in the garden
• 392 elementary school-aged students visited the garden on field trips
• 1851 pounds (840 kg) of produce were harvested from the youth gardens (food given to students, their families, and food pantries)
• 27 partner agencies brought youth participants to the gardens
plant sale
And finally, WCG also puts on an enormous plant sale every spring, a fun social event that serves as a kick-off to the growing season for thousands of people. The sale supports WCG’s work and provides local growers with an astonishing variety of organic vegetable seedlings, including over 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. They sell over 30,000 plants in a single day.
finding a community garden in your area
One of the easiest ways to locate community gardens is—perhaps not surprisingly—online. There are a number of Web sites dedicated to this pursuit, and here are links to some particularly good ones:
•The American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) www.communitygarden.org
•Local Harvest (also has links to farmer’s markets and more) www.localharvest.org
•Wikipedia Do a search for “community gardening in the United States” or wherever you are
•Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens (in the UK) www.farmgarden.org.uk
•City Farmer News (based in Canada but has stories about urban farming everywhere) www.cityfarmer.info
The above resources have state-by-state listings of existing community gardens, and lots of other related info. You could also find one the old-fashioned way: ask around at local garden centers, green houses, natural food stores, or co-ops.
