Green Happenings-H2O

Severe weather impacts wildlife and birds

2011-08-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

As hurricane Irene heads to the East Coast, preparations for human and pet safety are being made. Green Happenings H2O is also encouraging preparations that will help wildlife and birds get through the aftermath of the Irene and the damage that is predicted.

Wildlife and birds have survived Mother Nature's fury since the beginning of time, however, the significant loss of habitat which is already a pressure on many species, compounded by the loss of natural food sources and shelter resulting from flooding, high winds and downed trees, can tip the scales against wildlife populations especially those who depend on late summer berries, nuts and leaves.

Autumn migration has begun along the East Coast corridor. Birds making this long trek south follow ancient skyway patterns and navigate to familiar feeding and resting areas along the way. During the storm's high winds, birds may be thrown off course. While most will be able to reorient themselves eventually, they will be far more successful with a little help finding food sources to help them along their journey.

Birds will seek shelter during a rain event. Due to their high metabolic rate, birds need to "refuel" on regular intervals. Prolonged, severe storm will leave birds hungry and potentially cause life threatening consequences. Moreover, the resulting damage from a severe weather event and flooding diminishes and alters the availability of food sources once the rain and wind have stopped.

With the impending hurricane approaching, Green Happenings H2O hopes homeowners on the fringe of the impact zone will consider offering a supply of fresh water and wild bird seed during the post storm period.
Fall migration has begun. Cornell's Bird Lab has addressed "how hurricanes affect migrating birds" in the following republished article(http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx?pid=1277) below:

Question of the Week

Q. How do hurricanes affect migrating birds, and is there anything we can do to help the birds that have been negatively affected?

A. Each year, migratory birds cross the Gulf of Mexico during hurricane season. Most birds wait for favorable winds and weather before starting a migratory flight, so seldom strike out over water during a hurricane, but some birds may be well offshore when a storm begins. Although migrants have enough fat (fuel reserves) to make the 600-mile Gulf crossing in favorable winds, they may not have enough energy to survive if they have to fight against headwinds.
Before and after flights, when migrants have higher than normal food requirements, they may have problems finding safe supplies of food in areas devastated by storms. Resident birds in hurricane areas also suffer when their food supplies, such as fruits and berries, are stripped from trees and shrubs. Like migrants, they may wander to other areas in search of food. Preserving critical coastal habitats is essential for these birds. It's also crucial for them that we enforce strict regulations to prevent hazardous materials from leaking or spilling during storms and floods.
Large storm systems may drive some birds far off-course. Strong-flying birds often move ahead of the storm, carried by the winds at the forefront of the weather system. Brown Pelicans, Magnificent Frigatebirds, and other oceanic birds have been recorded far inland, sometimes more than a thousand miles from the coast, after hurricanes. Some of these birds may find their way back; others, unable to deal with the unfamiliar terrain or to find appropriate food in freshwater, may die.
Birds and hurricanes have coexisted for millennia, and given the chance, healthy bird populations rebound from the effects of such natural disasters. Unfortunately, humans make this difficult for some birds because we have destroyed so much natural coastal habitat, and so nowadays hurricanes pose greater threats to vulnerable bird populations than they once did. Working to preserve and restore as much coastal habitat as possible, to minimize toxic spills and leaks during storms by enacting and enforcing strict regulations, and to keep bird populations healthy year round are our best strategies for minimizing the long-term effects of hurricanes on birds.

Alternative Gardening 2011 At-Home Hydroponics Naturally...Sussex

2011-06-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

NaturallySussex.com makes it easy to grow your own fresh produce virtually anywhere!

NATURALLY HOME

at-home hydroponics unit

We all know the health benefits of adding fresh greens to your family's diet.

But the time and space needed for a traditional garden is an obstacle.

available online at naturallysussex.com

The beauty of NaturallySussex's
Naturally Home At-Home Hydroponics unit is the simplicity of design and ease of use.

Constructed from lightweight PVC piping, the compact unit measures roughly 3 feet wide by 5 feet in length-so it fits perfectly just about anywhere inside or out.

Three flow tubes provide enough growing space for 18 plants. A constant supply of nutrient rich water flows through the tubes and discharges back to the nutrient tank. Plants are fed at the root. The stress-free access to nutrients makes it easy for plants to direct all their energy into production of great produce. YOU control the type of nutrients added! Organic or commercially available water soluble products are readily available from most garden centers.

Best of all THERE'S NO WEEDING! No need for a garage full of tools either.
With each plant neatly tucked into its own growing space, there's never a need to bend, weed or hoe. Plants are fed at the root with a steady flow of nutrients. Little effort is needed to produce fresh veggies all year long.

Custom fit hard plumbed distribution unit

NATURALLY HOME At-home Hydroponics from NaturallySussex.com is designed with an improved distribution unit.Hydroponic systems generally rely on a flex hose design to deliver the water from the nutrient tank up to the flow tubes. Hoses need frequent cleaning and look messy. The NATURALLY HOME At-Home Hydroponics unit sold exclusively by NaturallySussex.com offers a clean design and replaces irrigation lines with hard pluming and a custom fit distribution unit. The compact, removable piece eliminates the potential for algae growth which can clog the system.

The unit includes:

-three four foot flow tubes with 18 prepared planting chambers
-lightweight, easy to assemble frame
- hard bodied main line
-hard bodied distribution unit
Assembly is easy!
The unit ships in easy to assemble pre cut pieces. Most fit together by hand. Flow tubes come with pre cut planting chambers. A few screws in the pre-drilled holes will anchor the flow tubes to the main frame in a matter of minutes! Hardware is included.

The unit doesn't include:
-Nutrient tank, pond pump and flex hose/fittings to connect to the uptake line.

Naturally Sussex recommends using a ten gallon bucket or tub -easily found at a local hardware store or homegoods store. Choose a pond pump based on lift. A small piece of flex hose and adaptor will also be needed to connect the pump to the uptake plumbing.

Once your NATURALLY HOME hydroponics unit is set up, simply add plants to the growing chambers and nutrients to the nutrient tank. Plug in the pump and let nature do the rest!
The hydroponics unit lasts forever and costs under $150.00.

Folks have this to say about the NATURALLY HOME At-Home Hydroponics unit
from Naturally Sussex.com:

"We stopped gardening several years ago. Most of our weekends are spent at our vacation home and it seemed easier to buy our veggies rather than trying to tend a garden of our own. The NATURALLY HOME hydroponics unit makes it so easy for us to grow our own produce that we've gotten two! One at our weekend residence and one at our home. We add nutrients to the tank once a week . That's it! Wherever we are, we have fresh produce-that we grew ourselves!" S. Meyers Montclair, New Jersey

"I'd love to garden-but just don't have the backyard space. NATURALLY HOME hydroponics is a compact solution and the kids think it's really cool!" Anna M. Easton Pennsylvania

"My boyfriend and I work crazy hours. By the time we get home we're beat so meals wind up being whatever we can throw together-most of the time, that's doesn't include fresh produce. NATURALLY HOME hydroponics gives us "garden fresh" choices-without the work of a garden! The compact unit fits great in our small apartment. It takes up next to no room and is easy to maintain. We love it!"
Kathy L Montague NJ

Alternative Gardening 2011

2011-04-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

Another growing season is upon us. In between rain storms, Sussex County NJ gardeners are planning, dreaming, prepping and pledging to PLANT A ROW for the Hungry this season. The Sussex County Board of Agriculture initiated this grass roots community service project with a different spin from the Garden Writer's Association's original vision...The SCBOA utilizes its web presence to not only encourage gardeners to Plant an Extra garden row dedicated to sharing with a local food assistance program or neighbor in need-but equally important- the site offers agricultural experience, horticultural knowledge, recipes, how-to's on canning and preserving the harvest AND alternative gardening.
Why would farmers encourage alternative gardening? The facts are that farmers have always encouraged local produce-fresh and healthy as important part of a daily diet. But in today's hectic pace, it isn't always easy or practical for folks to garden.

The Alternative Gardening feature (part of the SCBOA Plant a Row online segment) demonstrates it is possible (and relatively easy) to grow food in small spaces using some alternative methods like; containers, edible landscapes, strawbale gardening and no dig potatoes, upside down tomatoes on the deck and more.
The harvest from the 2010 PAR Alternative Gardening model undertaken by SCBOA member farm Shepherd's Cove, proved productive-producing enough food for the Shepherd's Cove family table AND and abundance to share through a local food shelter. This year SHEPHERD's COVE has signed on for a rather unique alternative experience- hydroponically growing produce while simultaneously raising protein ( namely trout) in a system that exchanges nutrients from the fish waste (those feed the plants) with filtered water returned to the 50 gallon stock tank.

The project began a few weeks ago with the installation of a 3 flow tube system (enough for 18 plants) and the acquisition of brown trout from a New Jersey hatchery. Here's what Shepherd's Cove reports so far:

" We were delighted to construct the three tube hydroponics system with so much ease. Made from PVC piping, the system can hold 18 plants-which to our delight DO NOT have to be restricted to lettuce!
Our initial hope was to raise Tilapia in the stock tank-however-sourcing this fish proved to be almost impossible and not cost effective. Our goal is to create an economical and practical model that can easily be repeated ANYWHERE.
After several weeks of trying to locate a hatchery that bred tilapia, we shifted gears and decided to make trout our protein source. Trout are heat sensitive and sensitive to changes in their environment- however, we believe that we've worked out many of the issues and are on the road to success in achieving and maintaining that delicate balance.

We'll be sending photos and diary entries to Green Happenings H2O as we move forward with this project- our end goal being a food pantry donation of both fish and produce-including some less traditional hydroponically produced plants! Fingers crossed!"Shepherd's Cove

Green Happenings H2O encourages YOU to become part of the SCBOA/Plant A Row project by visiting the Sussex County Board Of Agriculture website: www.sussexcountyboardofagriculture.org and making your participation pledge to Plant A Row. Find local donation sites by zip code search-learn about the food you grow and how canning and preserving your garden harvest can significantly add savings to your food budget AND test out some alternative gardening at home!

Green Happenings H2o is excited to have Shepherd's Cove Farm contributing to our site. We wish them well in their exploration of hydroponic growing and aquaculture!

NJ Sec of Ag asks campers to help protect NJ's forests...

2010-08-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

USDA release

FOREST PEST AWARENESS MONTH MARKED IN AUGUST

NJDA Issues Alert That Firewood May Contain Insects That Threaten Our Forests

(TRENTON) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher is asking campers to leave their firewood at home to prevent the spread of insects that pose a potential threat to the Garden State’s forests.

“New Jersey has some of the most beautiful camping areas, and a campfire is part of the whole camping experience,” said Secretary Fisher. “But the firewood that is used might be host to unwelcome tree-killing bugs. So, we ask campers, both from out of state and here in New Jersey to buy firewood near where they camp to stop the spread of these insects.”

Recognizing the importance of protecting New Jersey’s forests, parks, and wilderness areas from infestation, Governor Chris Christie declared the month of August in New Jersey as Forest Pest Awareness Month. “This awareness aims to prevent potential destruction of our forests, which are of great value to our citizens, the environment, and even the state’s economy,” the Governor said.

Secretary Fisher said new infestations of invasive pests are known to occur due to movement of wood and wood products. People can accidentally spread the pests by bringing firewood along with them. He urged all of New Jersey’s citizens to be on the look-out for these forest insects and prevent their spread with a few easy tips:

Buy firewood where you plan to burn it, which means that the wood was cut within 50 miles of where you will have your fire.
Wood that looks clean and healthy can still have tiny insect eggs that can start a new and deadly infestation. Even if the firewood looks fine, always leave it at home.
Aged or seasoned wood is still not safe. Bugs can crawl into dry wood, as well.
These simple reminders can prevent a deadly loss to New Jersey’s forest life. A pledge against moving firewood can be taken at www.dontmovefirewood.org.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has been battling an infestation by the Asian longhorned beetle since 2002 when the wood-boring pest was discovered in Jersey City. Surveys found 113 invested trees – those trees and 348 at-risk host trees were removed. The beetle was declared eradicated in 2008 after a five-year federal/state operation.

Asian longhorned beetle was again found in Middlesex and Union counties in 2004 involving 116 infested trees, which were removed along with 20,903 at-risk host trees. An eradication effort continues in that region.

The Division of Parks and Forestry worked closely with the NJDA to replant about 5,400 trees in the two areas. No new infested trees have been discovered in New Jersey since April of 2006.

The Department is watching three other pests that have the potential to threaten New Jersey trees – Emerald Ash Borer, Sirex Woodwasp and Southern Pine Beetle.

Emerald Ash Borer, a small emerald green insect native to Asia, was discovered in July 2002 feeding on ash trees in southeastern Michigan. Since then, it has afflicted more than 100,000 square miles of damage to ash trees in 12 states, as well as Canada, including New Jersey’s bordering states.

Sirex Woodwasp also is a threat but instead to pine trees. This large, dark insect is native to Eurasia and North Africa and can be up to 1.5 inches in length. Identified in New York State in 2006, it has since affected many other states including Michigan, Ohio and Vermont. If the pest continues to spread, it could eventually cause billions of dollars of damage to United States forest life.

Lastly, Southern Pine Beetle, a native insect that has been found in New Jersey and is expanding its range to the southern part of the state, poses a similar threat to our pine trees. This 1/8-inch long, dark, reddish-brown insect has been one of the most destructive pests in the southern U.S. for more than 30 years and killed around 4.5 million board feet of pine timber in four years alone from 1973-1977.

The State Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, oversees more than 430,000 acres of land that receive over 18 million visitors annually. About 42 percent, or 2.1 million acres, of New Jersey is forested, which includes state and private lands that serve as environmental resources.

Trees exist for many important environmental reasons including filtering air pollution chemicals and dangerous small dust particles from the air, reducing water runoff, flooding, erosion and storm water management costs, and helping to recharge groundwater and keep sediment and pollutants from streams. They also provide summer shade and protection from winter winds and snow, which increases comfort as well as reduces winter heating and summer cooling costs by at least 20 percent.

Asian longhorned beetle as well as Emerald Ash Borer, Sirex Woodwasp and Southern Pine Beetle, all pose a great health risk to the landscape of New Jersey’s urban, suburban, and rural forested areas. The Department of Agriculture’s Forest Pest Awareness Month aims to call attention to these potentially devastating pests by asking campers not to move their firewood to prevent their spread in New Jersey.

Preserving locally grown goodness

2010-06-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Preserving your favorite summer produce and fruits by canning, preserving and freezing is a great way to save money and is a great family activity. It's even more fun for kids if they've grown the foods themselves. The process is relatively simple though a few essentials are required for jellies, jams, sauces and jar canning. Chances are that some of the equipment is already in your house-or in family treasures passed on from previous generations. If not, you can find canning supplies at thrift stores, antique shops or you can purchase brand new canning kits online.

Canning methods have changed since Grandma's day. Gone are the days of sealing wax and many folks are opting to freeze rather than can certain low acid foods. Keeping safety first is always important whether in the garden, kitchen or in processing foods. Be sure to follow all directions and method steps to insure your canning process results not only in great flavor and nutrition, but foods that are safe for your family. It is recommended that canning methods prior to 1990 not be used. The USDA provides a wealth of resources on current day canning processes. Check them out!

We'll be sharing some of the info here and hope you'll be encouraged to give canning, freezing, dehydrating and preserving fresh from the garden or farm goodness at home.

SOME TIPS:
*Keep it simple! Preparing and preserving large quantities of harvest can be time consuming, messy and generally not too much fun. Keep your goals simple and realistic
*The more the merrier! Plan a "Jamming" parties with friends-sharing quality time with the added benefit of yummy take-homes is a great alternative to the usual night out with the girls.
*Get the kids involved-assign tasks appropriate to age and remember to keep safety first! Summer canning projects make AWESOME "show and tell" school projects in the fall!
*Nothing beats homemade-except locally grown! Great results start with great ingredients- visit your local Pick UR Own Farm, Farm Stand or Farmer's Market-locally grown for your homemade.

Alternative Gardening : Cultivating container harvest Update from Shepherd's Cove Farm Frankford, NJ

2010-05-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Container gardening is probably one of the easiest ways to grow flowers and veggies (after the threat of frost has passed that is). A few key factors will impact patio gardening success. The soil used in container gardens needs to be lighter than your garden soil. Pre mixed container soil is readily available at most nurseries or garden centers. You'll find everything from potting soil to pre fertilized/time released potting soils and organic potting soil. Ask a professional what's the best match for your garden vision.

Your container needs adequate drainage. Adding additional holes to the container is easy with a few simple tools. We're learning that lots of edibles do well in containers and that veggies can even be mixed in with flowering annuals to bring a touch of color to your container garden. Here are some of the container pots we have started at Shepherd's Cove. With plans to also add container herbs, garlic and other edibles, we'll be able to spice up our meals with fresh herbs-without the challenges of traditional gardening and in a fraction of the space!

Red Basil, traditional basil, peppers, lettuce, beans and cabbage- all in containers placed throughout the gardens and on the deck. Cucumbers, garlic and thyme will be added to the selection.

Alternative Gardening MULCH update from Shepherd's Cove Farm Frankford, NJ

2010-05-24T21:47:00.001-07:00

What would a SHEPHERD'S COVE project be if we didn't find some way to incorporate a by-product of our main focus-sheep.
The most obvious garden benefit of our sheep production comes in the form of garden compost (but we'll spare you a photo).

Sheep manure is an excellent source of nitrogen, potash and phosphorus -three essentials to healthy plants.

*Potassium is an essential element for plant growth. Potash helps plants use water and resist drought. It promotes healthy green lawn grass and is important to food crops. Potash enhances the size of fruits and vegetables. Some think of Potassium as a plant strengthener.

*Phosphorus is vital to the growth and health of plants. It assists in converting the sun's energy and other chemicals, such as nitrogen, into usable food for plants. A phosphorus deficiency will lead to stunted, sickly looking plants that produce a lower quality fruit or flower. But phosphorus needs to be mixed with water for the plant to utilize and absorb it. Some think of Phosphorus as a plant strengthener.

*Nitrogen promotes good leaf growth-which in turn is essential for photosynthesis (how the plants make their food). Nitrogen is found in the air but must be absorbed by plants from the soil. Think of Nitrogen as your plant growth stimulator.

All three of these essential soil amendments important to garden success and are found in sheep manure-(plentiful on our farm). So adding them to the garden mix has been one way of improving our soil while utilizing one of many by-products of sheep production.

A second sheep by-product we've incorporated into this year's alternative gardening experiment is sheep wool mulch.

Sheep's wool absorbs approximately 30 % of it's weight in moisture and helps keep ground temperature consistent. We've examined studies which looked at sheep's wool as both a mulch and for it's potential benefits as a weed barrier. We found the results to date could help meet our objectives so we're giving it a try.

In this totally unscientific study, we've planted one row of green beans and one row of beets-sown directly in compost treated soil.

Thick wool roving (wool that has been washed and combed into a smooth long strand) has been placed around the outer edges of the garden rows.

Wool roving has also been spread around the seed holes. Oat Straw covers the wool roving to keep it in place and discourage garden visitors from stealing it away as nesting material.

We hope to see a reduction in the need to water as frequently, faster germination time, lower weed rates and maybe even an impact on the garden slug population.

We'll keep you posted on the process and project as things develop.

Turning Traditional Gardening on it's head: Alternative gardening update from Shepherd's Cove Farm, Frankford NJ

2010-05-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

TURNING TRADITIONAL GARDENING ON IT'S HEAD

What if you don't have ANY garden space available for planting? Can you still grow some fresh veggies for your table and to share? We're told the answer is YES and are giving it a try.

WHY IT WORKS
Plants respond to light direction. This is called "Phototropism". Phototropism is directional growth which is determined by the direction of the light source. In other words, it is the growth and response to a light stimulus. Some plants will grow toward the light- others will grow away from the light.

For our UPSIDE DOWN experiment we used a patio tomato plant. The plant will extend its growth toward the sun-so although the plant itself is upside down, new growth is extending upward. And so far-so good. The real question is whether the weight of the tomatoes will weaken the vine and cause the plant to drop or the vines to break. Time will tell, but for now our UPSIDE DOWN TOMATO plant seems to be doing just fine.

HOW TO BEGIN
We purchased a "tomato bag" from a local nursery and followed the easy to assemble directions. The bag actually was "easy to assemble" which was great!

POTTING SOIL
We selected an enriched potting soil for this project-one with time released commercial fertilizer already added to the mix (we're taking every advantage we can find to ensure success). We filled the bag as per the manufacturer's instructions but have noticed the soil has compacted. We will be adding a little more potting soil as needed.

PLANT SELECTION
Our choice of patio tomato was based on the tendency of this plant to get bushy rather than leggy. This should make it easier to offer support if the vines become to heavy. We purchased our tomato plant from a local grower who knows plants and had started and cared for the young seedling on site.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Veggies need a sunny location to grow well. We found no suitable place to suspend the bag in the front gardens (which receive the best sun) so we got a bit creative and suspended the bag from a clothesline at the back of the house. Using the clothesline to suspend the bag allows us to keep the plant in the sun for longer periods of time simply by sliding it across the clothesline. We're keeping an eye on the sun pattern as the season progresses and may change location if this doesn't seem to be doing the trick.

CARE
Upside down plants need a bit more watering than other container gardens. Because the roots are closer to the surface of the container, we water with a little extra care so the roots don't become damaged by the force of the water. The container has a plastic lid with a center hole at the top. When watering your plant pour the water onto the rim of the plastic lid and let it drip gently onto the root system.

Initially, the plant looks a bit odd hanging upside down, but as the leaves and new growth begin to seek the sun, it's actually looking better!

Alternative Gardening Straw Bale Gardening update from Shepherd's Cove Farm, NJ

2010-05-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our alternative gardening"laboratory"-Shepherd's Cove Farm. As members of the Sussex County Board of Agriculture and strong supporters of the SCBOA/ PLANT A ROW for the hungry initiative we decided to become a "test" zone for the many different ways to grow fresh food without planting directly into the soil.
Like many small farm families in NJ's Agricultural mosaic, our farm operation is one element of our day to day. The family also works off the farm and balancing it all leaves little time for tending a robust traditional summer garden. Believe me we've tried-but somehow the weeds,watering and time needed to care for the plants just can't be found. We know that's true for many folks outside of the farming community as well-so we're excited to see if these "alternative gardening" ideas can actually perform to the standards of cutting labor, time and effort while still producing enough for our table and for sharing with a neighbor in need.

So with great enthusiasm, armed with a ton of research and a little help from our farmer friends we were ready.

We couldn't resist the urge to begin our alternative gardening experiment - perhaps a bit earlier (mid May) than was wise. An unusual late season frost had us carrying our container pots in and out of the garage to protect the tender plants from damage. Those in the know also suggested putting a light cover over early plantings that were in established garden beds. Their sage advice helped protect our project from serious set backs- Our thanks to the local farmers for their expert advice and support in this effort!

LESSON 1: KNOW YOUR ZONE
Sussex County NJ is a zone 6 planting area. We're told the threat of frost passed by the end of May- so Memorial Day weekend we'll be hosting a "planting party" and finishing off our edible landscape integrations. Before you begin any planting project, know your planting zone-then check out what plants thrive in that zone environment. Spoil and air temperature affect a plant's health and growth. Short growing seasons call for plants with shorter maturity times-this avoids a lot of disappointment in the garden and provides second opportunity to add cool season crops like peas, cabbage and lettuce back into your garden.

USING STRAW BALES as a garden medium.
We've elected to try out gardening in 2 straw bales and have chosen a spot in the front garden beds. These beds are traditionally filled with flowers (and a few too many weeds). The height of the straw bales adds some interest to the garden space. The veggies that will be planted in them will add some variety (and a snack factor-which makes for a delightful treat when weeding!)

LESSON 2: WHAT TO (and NOT) To USE
To establish a straw bale garden you will need to acquire...a bale of straw! But not all straw is made equally. Straw is made from harvesting grain plants such as oats or wheat. Though a few residual grain seeds may sprout up on your straw bale- they are easy to remove.
*DO NOT USE MULCH HAY for bale gardening- the field seeds will sprout creating a weeding issue.

HITTING THE RIGHT SPOT
Once you've purchased your straw bales, you will need to choose a location that offers plenty of sunlight for the plants you'll be selecting. Veggies usually do best with 6 hours of sunlight.

LESSON 3: Wet bales are almost impossible to move so choose your location wisely-your bale garden will be staying put for awhile. Straw bales will last for one to two planting seasons before turning to mulch- which can then be added to other garden spots to enrich the soil.

CHOOSING THE PLANTS
We purchase locally grown plants from local growers. Farmers and nurserymen have tended the seedlings and carefully produce the healthiest, hardiest young plants for their customers. Their knowledge and expertise is a benefit and helpful advantage to the novice gardener(and we'll take all the advantage we can get).

HOW TO POSITION THE STRAW BALE
Lay out your straw bale configuration and be sure the baling twine isn't touching the ground. This will keep the twine from decaying too quickly but also positions the flakes of straw in a manner that makes it easier to insert the plants.

SEASONING THE BALE
Once your bales are in place begin a 7 day wetting program. Saturate your straw bales with water once daily. This will start up the biological process that breaks down the straw (and feeds your plants). The bale will "heat up" at the beginning of the process but will then cool and be ready to welcome the plants.

Shepherd's Cove is now in day 6 of the wetting program and looking forward to the next step- selecting and planting our veggies!

Two straw bales have been added to the front garden area which gets plenty of sunshine. The bales have been seasoned by watering daily for 7 days- they will soon be top dressed and ready for planting.

Testing out Alternative Gardening

2010-05-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

Straw bale gardening, growing veggies in containers, no dig potatoes, upside down tomato plants...do these ideas actually ease some of the back breaking labor and weeding time that's part of traditional gardening- but still produce a robust harvest?

SCBOA member farm Shepherd's Cove has volunteered to give some of these methods a try and update us on their progress, success and failures throughout the season.

Follow along as *Shepherd's Cove tests out alternative gardening ideas designed for small spaces, decks, apartments or virtually anywhere there's a little space and sun. Better yet-why not join in the experiment? Share and compare your results- and then share some of YOUR harvest through the SCBOA/PLANT A ROW for the Hungry program. You can register right here by clicking on the Plant a Row icon.

*Shepherd's Cove farm raises fiber sheep and lamb and fiber products like hand spun yarns and wool rovings. While the folks at Shepherd's Cover are great at raising livestock, they want you to know they are NOT "green thumb" experts (generally relying on the local farmers and Farmer's Markets to provide the Bounty of Sussex County harvest for their own table).

Ice Cream Company makes a "sweet" offer to help Honey Bees

2009-11-08T09:15:00.001-08:00

Haagen Dazs Ice Cream pledges cash for Tweets to help Honey Bees

Bee keepers know the challenges facing the honey bee population-and farmers know the importance of the bee population to crops and food production. Green Happenings H2O applauds the outreach efforts of Haggan Dazs and the company's use of Twitter to drive global awareness.

Tweets which include the specified # message (#HelpHoneyBees) are incentivized with a -$1.00 per Tweet/up to 1000 per day) pledge from the Ice Cream maker. The campaign ends on 11/11. The awareness- to- dollars campaign pledges money which will be given to institutions researching the cause of the colony collapse crisis.

Additionally, Haggan Dazs has set up a great site interactive and educational site.

Find out more: http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/#crisis Here are some BEE facts from the Haaggen-Daza site:

Over the last three winters more than 1 in 3 bee colonies has died nationwide, affecting many of our favorite nuts, fruits and berries –

Researchers believe there are many causes for the decline in the bee population including:

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) –
Symptoms were reported by more than 35 states across the continental United States and in two provinces in Canada, Belgium and Spain Varroa Mites – Inadvertently introduced into the United States in 1987, these tiny, brown parasitic relatives of ticks feed exclusively on honey bees Viruses – Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) is highly associated with CCD Chemical Exposure – Pollen in CCD-affected hives show levels of 45 different types of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides Lack of Nutrition – Limited supply of good pollen and nectar supplies due to drought has greatly impacted honey beesIce cream production is dependent upon honey bees for alfalfa pollination, a key ingredient in milk production. Dairy cows rely on alfalfa for feed; without the cows we would not have milk, and without milk we would not have ice cream Honey Bee and Food Supply Agriculture Facts

One of every three bites the average American eats is directly attributed to honey bee pollination.
Honey bees are responsible for the pollination of more than 100 crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, providing 80 percent of the country’s pollination service
The honey bee is responsible for pollinating $15 billion in agricultural crops each year. The California almond crop alone uses 1.3 million colonies of bees for pollination, approximately one half of all the honey bees in the United States
Honey bees, the unsung heroes of food production, dance far and wide for our favorite fruits, nuts and berries
Honey bees are the only insect that produce food for humans, flying approximately 15 mph and visiting about 50-100 flowers in each pollination trip
When a honey bee returns to the hive, it gives out samples of the flower’s nectar to its hive mates.
The principal form of communication among honey bees is through chemicals called pheromones
A single bee cannot make honey, it takes a whole hive
An average worker bee will only make 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime
One honey bee colony can produce 60 to 100 pounds of honey per year
To produce 1 pound of honey, honey bees must visit 2 million flowers and fly 55,000 miles

The A, Bee, C’s of Honey Bees Preceding humans by millions of years, the oldest bee fossil dates back more than 100 million years.

Flowering plants appeared about 65 million years ago
Humans have been associated with honey bees since the era of cave men, and ancient societies in Egypt and Israel kept bee colonies for honey production
Apis mellifera, a honey bee’s scientific name, literally means “the honey-carrying bee”, but in actuality bees carry pollen on their hind legs in an area know as a pollen basket or corbicula
A queen bee can live for 2-5 years, a worker bee 1-4 months and a drone 40-50 days

A new day for the Garden State-Farmland Preservation & Open Space

2009-11-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

The passing of Public Question 1-Farmland Preservation and Open Space- may baffle some who are acutely aware of the economic woes facing NJ. But the simple reality is that people in the Garden State do recognize the importance of preserving our biodiversity and farmland for the long term benefit of all.

Our economic woes need to be addressed-with leadership, wisdom and self restraint- among other attributes that our elected officials may or may not use to untangle the mess. Solutions won't come quickly or painlessly-but they can come-in time. And that's the key-time.

Some would have liked NJ to believe that we could have/should have deferred preserving our natural resources until we straightened out the mess we've made with out state's economy. But nature won't stand still while we focus on other-very important- issues. NJ citizens get that.
We simply can't make more land or natural resources. And we can't make a better quality of life for ourselves or our children, without them.

Thank you fellow Garden State residents-for exercising leadership, wisdom and prudence- for taking a step in the right direction for all of New Jersey-now and in the future. Your voice mattered-let's hope the vision and wisdom you've shown is reflected by our newly elected officials.

YOUR VOICE MATTERS-Open Space and Farmland Preservation

2009-10-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

Your voice matters Open Space&Farmland Preservation

Autumn wouldn't be the same without pumpkin picking, apples, cider (and those awesome fresh made cider donuts!). All around the Tri state, families pile the kids in the car and head to the country to enjoy hayrides, corn maze adventures, and to create great family memories that become part of a tradition.

We treasure those moments together-captured against backgrounds of magnificent autumn colors. Blue skies, vibrant colored leaves and vivid shades of green- in combinations that can't be duplicated...but can be preserved-through the continued funding of NJ's Open Space and Farmland Preservation efforts.
But preserving agriculture in the Garden State is about much more.

According to the NJ Department of Agriculture:
"The $82 billion food and agriculture complex is one of New Jersey’s largest industries, ranking after pharmaceuticals and tourism in the economic benefits it brings to the state."
"Retaining productive, taxpaying farmland is critically important to all New Jersey residents since agriculture is the largest single source of the scenic vistas we all enjoy throughout the year. Productive farmland covers 733,450 acres.

Farmers in the Garden State produce more than 100 different kinds of fruits and vegetables for consumers to enjoy either fresh or processed here in New Jersey and elsewhere in the Northeast, in Canada and in many countries around the world. Nationally, New Jersey is one of the top ten producers of blueberries, cranberries, peaches, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, snap beans, spinach, and squash.

In addition, growers also produced hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of specialty crops that added a unique flavor to the Garden State’s bounty. Vineyards, for example, are a growing segment of the industry, enabling the state’s more than 30 vintners to develop a wide variety of award-winning New Jersey wines."

On November 3 State Question #1 will offer voters a voice in insuring that those traditions, pleasures and treasures of the Garden State will be here to be enjoyed by all, for years to come. Farmland Preservation and Open Space funding has long lasting benefits-improving the quality of our water, food and lifestyle in New Jersey.

Sussex Naturally would like to remind you that your voice matters:
Vote on November 3rd-State Question #1

Sussex...Naturally has a place of its own!

2009-09-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sussex... Naturally has received such amazing response from our readers, we at Green Happenings-H20 decided to give it it's own space!

Same great content, same fun format- new address:
www.sussexnaturally.blogspot.com

We hope you'll check continue to follow Sussex Naturally and watch for future announcements for the Sussex...Naturally web launch and online store-where you'll be able to find the best products, arts, photography and more-all produced in Sussex...Naturally!

Green Happenings H2O will continue to bring you tips, insights and info in the same casual tone-and we hope you'll join in with comments and contributions.

NJ Audubon launches njwildlifetrails.org...come explore!

2009-09-29T12:01:00.001-07:00

You already know that Sussex Naturally is wild about all the outdoor recreation possibilities Sussex County offers. And we admit, our Green Happenings-h20 team is still discovering the best trails for wildlife watching and exploring- but now, thanks to our friends at New Jersey Audubon- we can all spend less time researching and more time exploring!

NJ Audubon has announced the launch of NJ Wildlife Trails on line! This great interactive tool allows expert or novice to discover and enjoy the best wildlife trails and viewing spots in the Skylands region and throughout the state.

NEVER HEARD OF New Jersey Audubon?

You've missed out! NJ Audubon is made up of people passionate about preserving and learning about New Jersey's natural treasures-it's diverse wildlife, bird population and habitats. NJA members work hard to preserve and conserve the Garden State's natural resources and to develop innovative projects to protect, preserve and utilize those resources.

NJA is staffed by experts, dedicated to their field and inspired by a passion for preserving the delicate biodiversity that we depend on. NJA members are folks just like you- who enjoy and appreciate the amazing natural world around us-whether observing nature in the wild or in your backyard.

NJA Centers are easy to access and a great place to find reference books, equipment and educational materials for young wildlife enthusiast of any age.

Check out their parent site www.njaudubon.org.

BIRDING AND WILDLIFE TRAILS in print:

NJA has been developing the Wildlife Trail Guide series for some time. To date, three regional guides, in addition to the online site have been published. These printed guides are easy to use and full of info. They're great to toss into a backpack- whether you're on a day trip or weekend excursion. These guides have gotten outstanding reviews from our readers.

Now the folks at NJA have gone a step beyond the printed guides and has created an outstanding online application that offers regional trips and trails. Spotting wildlife in their native habitat isn't always easy-unless you know where to look (and what to look for). NJA has included tips on both so your experience will be even more enjoyable.

Not quite up for a hike? Driving tours have been included in the online version!

How great is that!

Here's a preview of what you'll find when you visit the site:

Clearly labeled driving tours are one click away. Pick a region, click on the colored bar and up pops everything you need to know including area highlights and wildlife and natural wonders you can anticipate seeing. What a great resource for the casual or expert explorer or for classrooms and environmental groups!

We at Green Happenings-H2o, appreciate that this site is not overly complex and doesn't overwhelm with information-after all, who wants to spend time in front of the computer when there's so much to see and do right outside the door! The designers of www.njwildlifetrails.org have added enough tools and info to create a perfect starting point...and then created a forum for sharing personal experiences, connecting with others, or linking to more resources and info...at your own pace and pleasure!

Thanks New Jersey Audubon- for making it so easy for anyone to start exploring!

Greener Living...not a New Years Resolution

2009-09-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

I've spent many a year planning the "fool-proof", life- changing, long overdue New Year's resolution. A perfectly thought out plan- executed at the stroke of midnight... which usually fell apart somewhere around February! I'm sure you can relate.

About five years ago, I made one final resolution that I can say I still keep to this day...I resolved NOT to make New Year's resolutions anymore!

Instead of one hyped-up, do or die commitment, now I make small-sometimes inconspicuous changes in behavior that are almost mindlessly easy to enact. Building on those subtle changes until, without much apparent effort (or anxiety) I have reached the intended goal.

Evolution has replaced resolution with great success!

The same principles apply to reaching the ultimate objective of the Green Movement...a greener, healthier lifestyle. Go Green is everywhere. That's great news for you and me and the planet. With the wealth of products, services and information at our fingertips, we're better resourced than ever.

Taking small steps toward make better choices is easier than you think. And those steps do add up to a significant contribution -when we all do our little part.

Collective wisdom on our planetary health tells us that the environmental issues we face don't belong only to a particular nation, government or industry. They belong to each of us personally-afterall, we all expend resources, make consumer decisions and participate in the production of waste by-products.

Just as collectively we have impacted the health of our environment,

collectively, we can make a broader and quicker positive impact on reversing that environmental impact than any legislation or industry change alone.

The environmental challenges we face may still be part of the evening news reports for many. For others the news may be overwhelming and the problems may seem too large to imagine how they can make a difference. But even in the midsts of daily demands on time and personal resources, small steps toward healthier living have economic and personal rewards.

Green Happenings-H2O will offer suggestions and ideas that encourage, educate and facilitate small and easy changes that will help make a difference. We believe in the positive impact of collective change and we hope to encourage you to take a small step forward today.

Wherever you are in the "green spectrum" is a great starting point toward the greener, healthier lifestyle we all seek.