Growing Food from Food
Alameda Sun – Wednesday, March 10, 2021 by Holly Johnson, ABG Board member In addition to growing vegetables from seeds or plant starts, there is a fun, easy method to try without needing to buy or acquire anything extra. Many types of food are very easy to grow from scraps not otherwise used. A gardener...Continue reading→
Two More Seed Libraries Grace the Island City
Alameda Sun – Tuesday, March 2, 2021 by Kristen Smeal, ABG Board member When Girl Scout Leader Jill Proffitt learned of the Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) Free Seed Library, she saw an opportunity for the Girl Scouts to help. Girl Scout Troop #33373 of Alameda, which includes eighth-graders Jennifer Proffitt, Meadow Mihok and Alice Onderwater,...Continue reading→
Kristen’s Garden of Hope
by Kristen Smeal, Garden Science teacher at Saint Philip Neri and ABG Board member Last March, just a week before the Shelter-in-place orders, students at St. Philip Neri were busy planting radishes, snap peas, kale, broccoli, and lettuce in the school garden. Some plants were started in cups and pots, and some directly in one...Continue reading→
Marla’s Garden of Hope
by Marla Koss, ABG Board member Last November, while researching soil improvement advice for an article slated to appear in the December 10th issue of the Alameda Sun, I interviewed Greg Dupuich, owner of Encinal Nursery, and Ploughshares Nursery’s General Manager Jeff Bridge on their recommendations. In an intriguing turn of events, both men immediately...Continue reading→
Margie’s Poem and Garden of Hope
by Margie Siegal Old plum tree bent and gnarled All at once opens one blossom, two blossoms, three, four, five blossoms, uncountable blossoms, not proud of purity, not proud of fragrance; spreading, becoming spring, blowing over grass and trees… — Dogen Zenji, 13th century Japan The world outside has gone crazy, but here in my...Continue reading→
Smidgens of Hope
by Ron Limoges, ABG Board President Although I am a Founding Board Member and, currently, President of Alameda Backyard Growers I really dislike gardening. I tried it twice: both times large furry deer and small-ish furry rodents ate every green sprout before I could get from my back door to the pea patch. They ignored...Continue reading→
Alison’s Garden of Hope
by Alison Limoges, ABG Board Member When I first thought about what has been different about my gardening this past year, not much came to mind. I still plant and harvest greens and herbs from seeds and starts on my balcony garden. For some reason there have been fewer pigeons to shoo away. Instead, a...Continue reading→
Choosing Tomato Varieties to Plant in Alameda
Alameda Sun, Thursday, February 11, 2021 by Marla Koss, ABG Board member As 2020 marked a resurgence in gardening, let 2021 be the year for upping one’s game. Now is an ideal time to think about what to plant in this year’s vegetable garden. First on the list: tomatoes! Spending a little time reading up...Continue reading→
Root Crops
by Margie Siegal Root crops are not that exciting – no one I know ever gushes about heirloom rutabagas – but they have a lot going for them. While vine ripe tomatoes are only around for two to three months out of the year, in our climate, you can grow beets, carrots and parsnips from...
Alameda’s Local CSA – Farm2Market
by Alison Limoges In case you haven’t heard, Farm2Market, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project of Alameda Point Collaborative (APC) at Alameda’s former Navy base, has a new manager. Jess Bloomer is excited to be overseeing this two acre diversified farm and social enterprise which is all about “Supporting the Community, Stewarding the Land and...Continue reading→