Community CROPS August 2008 Newsletter
Summer's heat definitely hit recently here in Lincoln, but we were lucky to have it come so late in the summer this year. Your plants won't do much when it is so hot, they just hold on and wait for cooler weather, and then resume growing fruits.
It's definitely a great time of year to have a vegetable garden--everything is producing prolifically right now. Many plants are a little later this year than before, but they are doing well now. At the farm, the cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and okra are all growing great, as are lots of beautiful flowers. The community gardens are also looking great--it's the time of year when all our hard work pays off in lots of pounds of nutritious, fresh food.
There is still plenty of work to do in the gardens, so let us know if you are involved with a group that would like to spend a morning volunteering. It's a lot of fun and a chance to do something meaningful where you can instantly see the results. We're also starting to think about planning for 2009 with new garden locations and new partnerships. Ideas are always welcome.
You can contact us at (402) 474-9802 or e-mail us at crops@communitycrops.org
Community CROPS Farmers' Market
Thursdays, 4:30-7:30pm, Pentzer Park (2 blocks north of 27th and Holdrege) Stop by the CROPS Farmers' Market on your way home from work, or come out in the evening to enjoy talking with the farmers and learning how they grow everything. Each week, we have a selection of freshly picked, very local food for you to choose from. Most of the food sold is grown just 6 miles from the market, and harvested that day. Pentzer Park is a great place to be, we are in the shade, and there's a fun playground for kids to enjoy. For more information, see our Market pageUpcoming Workshops
We've had great attendance at our recent workshops and still have many more this year for you to attend.Water Bath Canning -- Saturday, August 9th, 2pm, at the Antelope Church of the Brethren (Sumner Street and Normal Blvd). Come learn how to can tomatoes and other high-acid foods.
Kombucha Workshop -- Saturday, August 16th, 2pm, at the Antelope Church of the Brethren (Sumner Street and Normal Blvd). Learn the ancient art of preparing this this traditional beverage while exploring the origins and myths surrounding it.
All workshops require pre-registration. Visit our Workshops Page more information on these and other upcoming sessions.
Fall Gardening
This is the time of year to work on planting a fall garden. Many plants can be still planted at this time of year and harvested throughout the fall. As the weather gets a bit cooler, root crops such as carrots, beets, parsnips and more will do well. Also, many leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach and kale prefer the cooler temperatures of fall. Of course, September is the time to plant garlic to be harvested next summer. If you missed our workshop last weekend, here are some great resources on what to be planting now and on into the fall.Fall Gardening Nebguide -- This is a great publication on all types of crops that can be planted now for fall.
Vegetable Container Garden Many types of vegetables can be grown in containers in the fall, and then you can bring them in when it gets too cold. This K-State publication gives some good guidelines on sizes of containers.
How to Grow Garlic Read up on planting garlic so you can get some in the garden this fall. It's easy, and only requires a little weeding in the spring to get a great crop.
