Mattole Garden Project
Cultivating Community
The Garden Project
20 Mar 2007
Merlin Nelson
Ken Young and I have started a garden project. We want to encourage as many members of our community as possible
to grow as much food as they can, to eat, to share, to barter, to potluck, and to preserve. Good food. Healthy
food. Our food for our community.
We are launching this endeavor by growing vegie starts. Lots of vegie starts. We have set up a controlled environment
incubator for the early germination of vegetable seed and have a protected, natural light area for hardening off.
Given the vagaries of spring weather around here, the germination and nurturing of early vegies can be some what
intimidating to the novice gardener as well as a time consuming effort for even the experienced cultivator. So
we figured that by offering good, organically grown starts we can encourage more of our neighbors to start growing
more food earlier than they would otherwise be able to. We will be offering these to anyone interested at a cost
based on what it costs us for materials and operation, not factoring in any labor or profit. We aren't doing this
to make money. Our goal is to help populate the gardens of our community with 'homemade' vegies without costing
us or anyone else too much cash. A listing of what is available when and how much they will cost will be posted
on this site in about a week.
Hopefully, we will be able to offer other services throughout the growing season that will facilitate the individual
gardener in producing more of the food their family needs. Some ideas on the table are providing basic soil testing
to determine N-P-K and pH levels; assistance in determining nutrient needs based on established organic cultivation
methods; the bulk buying of natural soil amendments such as various meals and mineral amendments to keep the individual
cost per pound as low as possible; and perhaps an openly accessible 'library' of how to information on organic
cultivation and related topics. All services will be offered at a 'at cost/no cost' basis. Again our goal is not
to start an individual-based business of growing food but help begin a community based process of feeding ourselves
with our own food.
This isn't just our project however. It is our desire that this becomes a community project with active participation
from throughout our Mattole community. Most of us that live out here have a strong connection with our natural
environment. We like living under trees not streetlights, and would rather eat out of the garden than McDonalds.
We want healthy food and a natural environment for our families. The manner that we meet the needs of our families
is defined at some level by the goals of sustainability and self-sufficiency. We believe in Mother Nature not ADM
and Dow Chemicals.
In the process of building our homesteads and growing our families in the Mattole we have all developed skills
in working with Mother Nature to meet the needs of our family. You may not think of them as "skills",
abilities you can sell in the marketplace, but in the process of tending our land and feeding our families we have
all learned things, developed abilities that enhance our pursuit of self-sufficiency.
This is where the idea of community cultivation comes into play. Not the establishment of a community garden where
people "buy in" with labor or money and then share in the proceeds. Community gardens are a good idea
and I know of one such effort that is currently in operation in our valley, but the time, organization, and space
requirements do limit the number of families that are able to participate is such a project. What we envision is
more of an established network within the community where people can share their knowledge, ask questions, and
find help. You might have developed a method to beat a gopher problem. Community cultivation means cultivating
the means for you to share that knowledge with your neighbors that need it. Community cultivation is growing your
own garden to meet the needs of your family and then growing a little extra of something to share with a neighbor.
Community cultivation is quite simply neighbors helping neighbors grow the food we all need.
This is not an attempt to start an organization, co-op, or committee. What we hope to "grow" is a network
of individual gardeners to share knowledge and abilities, develop awareness of the food needs of our community,
and to build a platform to encourage cooperative efforts between individuals to feed our community.
That being said we have no idea how to do this beyond what we are doing. If you are reading this, you are "plugged
in" to the net and that seems to be the place to start. We are going to try to set up a bulletin board on
this site for the sharing of ideas, questions, etc. but in the meantime if you have an idea e-mail us at kcy@frontiernet.net and continue to check this site for further updates. Happy planting.
Price List Starts
Lettuce and other greens started in 1.5" peat pots. Each have 2-3 seedlings and should be "plugged"
into dirt soon after you get them. 1.5" plugs for 50¢ @
6 Packs $1.75 @ These are primarily culinary herbs.
4" pots $1.50 @ These starts have been germinated in 1.5" peat cups and then transplanted into 4"
pots. They are about 4-6 weeks old so you have a bit of time.
1 Gal Pots $2.50 @ These are early start tomatoes. They are well rooted and are suitable for either bed transplants
or container growing.
Amendments
Blood meal $1.00/lb
Bone meal $1.00/lb
Cottenseed Meal $0.50/lb
Fish meal $1.25/lb
Kelp meal $1.50/lb
Soft Phosphate $0.50/lb
Greensand $0.75/lb
Oyster Shell Flour $0.25/lb