by Fey Adelstein Like many people this spring, I was inspired to upgrade my garden. I started with the construction of raised beds 2ft in height (to alleviate my concerns about unknown soil conditions). The sides of the beds are framed, creating strength from which to anchor a trellis. Before […]
by Kristen Smeal, Master Gardener Brightly colored fruits and vegetables not only add a pop of color to the table, they also add an abundance of nutrients and fun. Summertime yields a colorful palate of vegetables and fruits: red, yellow and purple tomatoes; green and yellow cucumbers; navy blueberries and […]
by Kristen Smeal, Master Gardener Gardening is the ideal outdoor learning experience. Whether growing in containers, raised beds, or the ground, the rewards of growing vegetables are plentiful. When children see the process from seed to harvest, they are more likely to taste vegetables they might not normally try. Pumpkins […]
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener July is an interesting time in the garden. Harvests have begun coming in and some crops are finished, leaving gaps, while the peppers and tomatoes are just beginning. After a busy spring of planting, gardeners tend to become lethargic, which can […]
by Margie Siegal The tomatoes are a beautiful red, the zucchini is producing nicely and you just can’t stop posting photos of your lettuce on Instagram. The time has come to eat what you worked so hard to grow, and it will be worth the work and the wait. Your […]
By Kristen Smeal with planting instructions by Alison Limoges Many of the techniques used in gardening and farming today were developed by indigenous peoples of a given area. In the Bay Area, the Ohlone (Costanoan) tribes buried fish from the Bay and nearby creeks to fertilize garden crops. Growing corn […]
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Ever since I started growing food at 13, I have been fascinated by the miracle of seeds. You can take a tiny round object, place it in the ground and a plant will emerge from that spot. And if it is […]
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Some things about vegetable gardening do need to be learned by experience: How much zucchini will your family really eat? What does fertile soil feel like? Other really valuable information can be learned from books and online sources. Shared knowledge from […]
Review by Margie Siegal A garden in the shape of a pizza? A chicken run as a garden design element? A formal (but edible) garden? Nikki Jabbour dares to think outside of the terra cotta pot and, in Groundbreaking Food Gardens, (Storey, 2014) presents 73 plans for not quite ordinary […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, May 14, 2020 by Marla Koss In a time of food insecurity, what could be more inviting than a tree covered in fruit? The again, sometimes the gods can be too kind. Overly generous fruit loads have a way of breaking branches and yielding small, poor-quality fruit […]
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Make Sure Your Plants are Getting Enough Water As your plants get larger and the weather gets warmer, keep an eagle eye on the water needs of your veggie plants. While you still have seeds sprouting or very small seedlings, the […]
Review by Margie Siegal I am now reading a thirty year old book. It is one of the best gardening books I have read, and I think it would be especially good for a beginning gardener. Although The Self Sufficient Suburban Garden is out of print, used copies are available […]
Our 1st Zoom Meeting Was a Great Success! Thank you to our presenters (bios below) who introduced the concept of permaculture, and how to apply permaculture principles into regenerative backyard design and local food production. We had a wonderful dialogue about these topics in the context of COVID-19 and the […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, January 9, 2020 by Marla Koss Communities all over the world have love and pride for where they live and Californians are no different. There are places here for everyone: mountains and coastlines, grasslands and forests, even a backyard garden or a city park. No matter the […]
February 18, 2020 from 7 to 8:30 pm Rhythmix Cultural Works 2513 Blanding Avenue, Alameda Join Alameda Backyard Growers speaker Birgitt Evans for an informative and hands-on seed starting workshop. About this Event Starting vegetables from seed can save money and will give you access to thousands of vegetable varieties […]
On Monday, January 13, at 7 PM ABG will present a movie night at Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave. ,Alameda , co-hosted by StopWaste! Free popcorn! Please bring your own container for water to reduce waste. Trevor Probert of StopWaste will lead a Carbon Farming discussion after the movie. […]
In a recent article on ApartmentTherapy.com, ‘Why Alameda, California Is One of the Coolest Suburbs in America‘, Alameda Backyard Growers gets a great mention! Favorite house/garden walk: Alameda Backyard Growers. In addition to picking backyard fruits and veggies and donating that homegrown produce to the Alameda Food Bank, this network […]
Alameda Sun, Thursday, May 9, 2019 by Margie Siegal Since the growing season in Alameda is 365 days long, it is possible to grow something tasty during every season of the year. Although most Alamedans have small spaces in which to cultivate, practicing succession planting (replacing harvested crops with a […]
by Robert D. Raabe Department of Environmental Science and Management University of California, Berkeley Armillaria mellea is a common disease producing fungus found in much of California . It commonly occurs naturally in roots of oaks but does not damage them unless they are weakened by other factors. When oaks […]
by Jillian Saxty Printed in the Alameda Sun, Thursday, July 12, 2018 Becoming involved in Project Pick was the main reason I decided to join Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) back in 2010. While driving around town (in my electric car) I had always noticed how many fruit trees we have […]
Farm2Market, Alameda Point 2600 Barbers Point Rd, Alameda, CA 10 am Birgitt Evans and Marla Koss will discuss how to prune deciduous fruit trees, and participants will have a chance to practice those skills. Please wear garden gloves and bring pruners if you have them. The handout on summer fruit tree […]
Alameda Backyard Growers is committed to reducing food waste through Project Pick, which has sent over 11 tons of otherwise wasted fruit to the Alameda Food Bank. Now we’re taking the next step, and tackling food waste in our own kitchens. Read more.
Earth Day Saturday, April 21st – Washington Park, 740 Central Ave., Alameda Thank you for visiting our booth at Earth Day! We hope you got to learn more about food waste, and about what Alameda Backyard Growers is doing to help, including saving backyard fruit with Project Pick. Here’s an […]
by Marla Koss of Alameda Backyard Growers Thursday, January 11, 2018 It’s bareroot fruit tree season! Many fruit trees can be successful in Alameda if planted now, but there are pitfalls when choosing both a suitable tree and the best spot to plant it. In the spirit of Alameda Backyard […]
by Brigitt Evans, Alameda Backyard Growers Alameda Sun, November 9, 2017 November is a transition month in Alameda. Warm sunny days may be punctuated by rainstorms, but the nights are cooling down. Plant growth is slowing down and planting begins now for late winter or spring harvests. Here are some […]
Irene Rakochy, a Founding Board Member of ABG, a great friend, and a dedicated ABG volunteer, died unexpectedly in her sleep in June. She was 69, and leaves two adult sons. We miss her so much. In honor of Irene, Alameda Backyard Growers has donated to the Redwood Empire Food […]
by Linda Carloni, Alameda Backyard Growers October 12, 2017 Fall has arrived, and the end of our warm-season vegetable gardens has arrived. Alameda has such a moderate climate that we can plant cool-season gardens, but many gardeners choose to give their vegetable plots a rest in the rainy season. When […]
Alameda Sun – Eric J. Kos May 11, 2017 Now Entering: Phase Two The pilot year for Project Tree is entering its second phase of development this year, thanks to Alameda Backyard Growers tree-planting guru Marla Koss. Marla and I put together the initial concept for Project Tree last year. […]
Alameda Sun – Eric J. Kos Thursday, December 29, 2016 Earlier this year the Alameda Sun presented the Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) with a specific donation for a specific purpose (“Project Tree Seeded,” April 14). The idea was to seed a tree planting program in Alameda that would help restore […]
One of our co-founders, Amanda Bruemmer, spoke very eloquently about ABG’s mission and programs in her in-depth interview on May 24, 2015 with Jack Kulp on Listen Up Bay Area. Check out the audio link here.
Alameda Sun, Sun Staff Thursday, April 9, 2015 Five years ago, Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) sprouted its first tender shoots when 30 friends and neighbors gathered at High Street Station to talk about gardening and how to share extra produce from their yards with the Alameda Food Bank. Today, ABG […]
When: April 12, 2015, 11 am to 2 pm Where: Trident Room, O’Club, 641 West Redline Avenue, Alameda Alameda Backyard Growers will celebrate its five year anniversary with a special event: “Growing community, one community garden at a time” hosted by ARPD with support from Supervisor Wilma Chan. Join us […]
by Kurtis Alexander, a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Read the original article here. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation last week that seeks to bolster California’s love affair with fresh food, including approving creation of a statewide Office of Farm to Fork. After putting his signature on seven bills Friday, […]
While tens of thousands were gathered in New York City on Sunday, September 21, 2014, hundreds of other rallies were held around the country to highlight Climate Change. Hundreds of Northern California environmental, social justice and trade union groups gathered at the amphitheater near Lake Merritt. Enthusiastic speakers from many […]
Janice Edwards (co-founder) and Jillian Saxty (board member) appeared on Bay Area Focus on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 8AM (Channel 44). Host Michelle Griego interviewed them about how Alameda Backyard Growers began as a group and what impact it’s having today in Alameda. Janice and Jill agreed that it […]
InsideBayArea.com – by Laura Casey, Correspondent Here’s a link to the original article. About 300 people showed up to the first cleanup effort at the Jean Sweeney Open Space Preserve Saturday, lending hands to spread mulch, remove prickly weeds, build demonstration planter boxes and paint whimsical murals in a part […]
San Jose Mercury News – by Paul Rogers Here’s a link to the original article. For years, Barbara Stackhouse would go out every spring with her husband, Richard, to pick oranges from three big trees in her backyard in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood. The couple would give the juicy […]
The Alamedan – by Laura Casey A happenstance meeting at a networking event in San Francisco three years ago led two Alameda residents to create a city-wide educational and service program to help feed needy residents who rely on the Alameda Food Bank for fresh fruit and vegetables. After finding […]
Inside Bay Area – by Janet Levaux Correspondent Here’s a link to the original article. ALAMEDA — Alameda Backyard Growers has a lot to celebrate Sunday, when it commemorates its three-year anniversary at the Alameda Main Library with a special three-hour event. The group draws 50 or more guests to […]
This fruit turns into this I just got back from a trip to Australia and one of the highlights was visiting a national park where the rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef called the Daintree. On our way to the Daintree, a fabulous tip from the tourist information representative had […]
Alameda Patch Alameda Backyard Growers take quickie census of island fruit trees with surprising results By Carol Parker (Patch Poster) – March 25, 2012 Twenty five people converged on March 10 with one mission in mind – to find Alameda’s hidden treasure trove of fruit trees. Now, Alameda Backyard Growers, […]
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