Handweeding the collards. 5/27/04 

Beetle Invaders

Today we did three tasks. We transplanted eggplant, planted raspberries, and the other half did hand-weeding and hoeing. We learned about the bug that ate our plants. It's called a [Colorado Potato Beetle] [This was first mis-identified as a Striped Cucumber Beetle which, fortunately, we have yet to see in the garden!]. And Shannon had to kill it because it was bad for the plants. We also did another type of fertilization- fish fertilizer. It was different because it was like water and we had to sprinkle it on the plants through the watering can. Its different because the leaves suck in the fertilizer, not the roots. We also learned that there are little bugs under the leaves and the ladybugs eat those. There was a lot of pollen in the air. It looked like snow. -Daisy

Something Different

5/24/04 Something I did [to make a] positive change was I helped Shannon and staff with the flowers we planted. We used trowels and cow manure. Something [different that was a] negative change was not a thing. The weather was chilly and cold today. -Deshawn

Sister Michele paints our pallet picket fence 5-04. The fence was constructed by removing slats from one side of recycled wooden pallets, cutting uniform pickets with a circular saw, and anchoring with tomato stakes. 

Potato Planting

[We have been planting out potatoes into tall round bins constructed from chicken wire and three tomato stakes. Potatoes are planted directly into layers of leaves and granular fertilizer or compost.] Today we planted more potatoes then some types of flowers. -Precious We also planted more potatoes, peppers, and squash. I had fun because I did transplant flowers into cups. -Rodney

Mulching the raspberries 5/04 

Graylodge Shelter for Women Visits

Graylodge came to paint and lay down boxes for the farm. It was hot and we worked hard! (The girls helped with sheet mulching and painting our pallet picket fence. We'll hope to see them again next Friday.) - The girls of greylodge

Inch by Inch, Row by Row

5/15/04 Today we learned how to seed. It was fun and we learned a lot. Today was hot but we still did our best job. -Donna We also made walkways on the middle of the beds so we know where to walk at. It was tiring but we finished. -Jazzmine I am crazy for spinach! -Shannon 5/18/2004 Today we learned how to plant grown peas into the ground (transplanted). We did it around the stumps* so we have a wall when it grows up. We also did a scetch of a vegetable. - Rodney *We have wood stumps on a circle to form our outdoor classroom. Today May 18, 2004 we had fun. We planted about three different kinds of potatoes. -Deshawn

Many Volunteers

5/12/04 Lillian Soto (A community volunteer) Thank you Laura, Tigre and I got a lot! of work done today. Also another volunteer, Lillian joined us. Lots to seed. Today we seeded lettuce, basil, and MORE eggplant and peppers. Potted up tomatoes. There are some aphids on them, because I think they are stressed in the crowded greenhouse. And we caught the mouse that has been wreaking havoc on out flats. We also fertilized our plants in the field. They are looking a little weak. We're trying to improve our record keeping system with all the different things we're trying. This land here is ready for the kids and this garden to be successful. The potential is amazing and I await all that we will learn from each other. -Shannon May 13, 2004 Today we laid another bed and planted beets. The process was slow at times but we accomplished what we had to do. Later on we worked in groups at United Way and worked on our "Ideal" community. -Jazzmine May 14, 2004 Viktor and James with the guide [drove] the fences into the ground and leveled, at least 8 fences done today. Luis and Moises have made fences with taking a third of the wood off. -Community Service volunteers

Learning Together to Accomplish Our Goals!

May 11, 2004 Today we we're bedding (preparing a bed) for a hour it was hot but we kept doing our job. We couldn't finish because people was talking too much and fooling around. Then we met Karen. She was telling us about what we do in one week (journaling lesson). - Jerica Today we were bedding and were supposed to accomplish a job but didn't quite get there. -Donna Today I (Viktor) did some fences (constructed out of pallates) for the garden, at least 5 done. -Viktor We all prepared a bed for direct seeding spinach, Forked compost into out terrible clay, rocky soil, but we will transform it! It seemed like a task the 10 of us could accomplish in an hour but we only got as far as digging the bed and amending it. It was a good lesson for us all to examine how we can work together as a group more effectively. So while the kids worked on a journaling lesson I seeded three rows of Savoy spinach using the seeder salvaged from Holcomb and it seems to work fine. -Shannon

Into the Wilderness Along the Park River

Today was a nice day. It wasn't too hot or cold. We went on a hike and had a game/ice breaker. We got a lot of work done today. We layed down mulch leaves and mulch woodchips. We are using different methods on different beds. Some we included compost. In others we didn't. Today Jonathan, Precious, Deshawn, Aaron and I did some woodchipping and we make a path between the raspberries and onions. Then we went on a hike and I wrote about a plant that looked like the raspberry stems. When we were coming back Theresa Donna, and Precious rolled down a hill! We had fun. I took a lot of pictures. -Daisy

Intro to Field Work and the Food System

Today we all worked together we took leaves and put them somewhere on the raspberries and then we picked up woodchips. We had fun! - Donna I was glad the working kids were here. It took a short time to get 2 tasks done. Also I liked it that we had a volunteer hoe the weeds. I had fun and I was energetic. - Daisy I really enjoyed today's discussion. I enjoyed the topic and that the kids were participating. -Jerica

Of Sheet Mulching, Onions, and Rocky Times with the Rototiller (entries before 5/5/04)

4/1/04 Today we talked about sustainability over at the United Way building. We also built a table in the greenhouse. Discussed how we will conduct our lessons on Saturday. -Daisy 4/3/04 9am- 3 pm Today was the Hartford Americorps workday. There were about 15 Americorps volunteers and five folks from Central Community College. By the end of the day we had pallet fence construction down to a science! They also planted all of the bulbs and created a compost bin, new garden beds and the outdoor classroom. Things are really coming along! Sister Michele and Zohra from Americorps got really into using the power saw- next time we should watch the sawdust to make sure it doesn't bother the gardeners in the greenhouse. Next Thursday we'll really need to clean out the box (our storage facility)- evidence of a successful workday! -Laura 4/8/04 4pm-6pm Today we met Shannon and Jiff Martin. We talked a little and got to know each other. Afterwards we learned how to seed and planted parsley. It was fun. -Daisy 6:15 pm 4/15/04 Today we seeded a whole lot of flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Shannon came and helped. Jerica got sick the first hour and went home early. Ann Thomas [the interim director of the Hartford Food System] came and I spoke to her about myself and my interest in gardening. I had fun. -Daisy Huertas 6:00 pm 4/17/04 Today was a field trip to the Holcomb Farm. It was a nice day outside. We learned many components that can be added to a tractor. The way that this farm deals with animals that can destroy their crops were electric fences. There were barn animals that they kept. We took pictures of material facts that we could use with the kids. -Jerica 4/22/04 Today Jerica and I came at 3pm. We watered the plants in the greenhouse then learned how to handle the rototiller. We took turns tilling then Laura and I hoed the beds. We put cardboard down on one of them and Shannon and Jerica put wet leaves on them. It's a method to stop the weeds from growing. It's called sheet mulching. We were very hot, dehydrated and tired but other than that we enjoyed our time and got some work done. -Daisy We watered the plants in the greenhouse. I learned how to use a rototiller. It was fund and also difficult. We had people watching us while we worked. -Jerica 4/24/04 Today we did sheet mulching after we transplanted the onions in the ground. We also hoed the rest of the beds. I brought my little sister with me so she could volunteer. -Daisy Today was a glorious fabulous sunny completely dirty day! Finally the sun came out after what has seemed like weeks of rain. After mulching and transplanting the onions we took a little field trip to Earth Day sponsored by the Hartford Environmental Neighborhood Partnership. Daisy, Jerica, and Alyssa made rain sticks and talked to everyone about the farmers market (Daisy made a fabulous flyer that we passed out). Everyone seems to be excited about GROW Hartford and our plans for the market- I just hope we can get some vegetables growing soon! -Laura 4/29/04 Today we mulched and planted onions. It was very nice and hot today. No peppers have grown so we re-planted. We talked about the characteristics of a leader. Also who we thought were leaders. We watered in the greenhouse. We used the truck to mulch instead of the wheelbarrows. We mulch first then plant into the mulch. -Jerica I'm aching from shoveling woodchips into our swamp of a road. (We're still waiting for our golden tractors to fall from the sky.) -Laura 4/30/04 Today we planted onions and greens. Herman picked out the greens, Santos and Rick planted them the same as the onions. Luis watered plants and picked holes for the plants. It was a good day out! -Youth Build volunteers 5/1/04 Today we transplanted collards, cabbage, and broccoli. We talked about Tuesday [the first day of the program] We were trying to figure out other activities that we can do with the kids. -Daisy 12:30 Sister Michele came and helped today. Started more sweet peppers and potted up tomatoes. I think we have a lot! The soil is real rocky and hard at the end of bed 3. We talked about teambuilding etc...and played a few trial games. I hope we're ready for the group! -Shannon 5/4/04 Today was orientation for the youth. We have them a tour around the farm site. The kids met each other as well as staff by playing ice breaker games. Everything went great. The kids look like they are ready to learn. Daisy watered the plants in the greenhouse. -Jerica First day with the whole crew. We didn't get into the work part but that's ok. The kids started to open up and I think they are going to enjoy being here despite their reservations. -Shannon 5/5/04 Shannon and I had a busy day sheet mulching part of the back area, digging and planting the raspberries, and exploring the loading docks at Westfarms Mall for piles of cardboard. I've been begging the weeds not to grow before we can get out there with our hoes. Daisy and Jerica did a spectacular job helping out with crew on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to watching their progress as they learn to work together. -Laura

Welcome to GROW Hartford!

This journal is maintained by ten young people from Hartford, Connecticut selected to participate in a six-month work and leadership skills training program called GROW Hartford, a project of the Hartford Food System. The journal documents the work of youth participants, GROW Hartford staff, and hundreds of volunteers who are already in the process of converting a half-acre lot in Hartford into a lively organic vegetable farm. The urban farm will serve as an outdoor classroom for more than one-hundred young people and families to learn about agriculture, the environment, and community participation. Entries to this blog may include records of our daily field work and weather, thoughts and feelings of the participants and volunteers, reflections on our lessons related to agriculture and the environment, the food system, community action and policy, relevant information about our tools, techniques, and the amazing people making this a reality. As I write only our two team leaders have started but we've been quite busy keeping up with the soil preparation, seeding, weeding, and early season planting. Early entries to this journal were kept in a paper notebook and transferred to the blog later. Read on for daily accounts of our life and work on a new urban farm! In health and harvest- Laura Brown, Program Director