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October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came,-
The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The sunshine spread a carpet,
And every thing was grand;
Miss Weather led the dancing;
Professor Wind, the band....
The sight was like a rainbow
New-fallen from the sky....
~George Cooper, "October's Party"
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3rd Annual Taste of Unity
Harvest Party
This is a don't - miss event !
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Thursday October 24th
4pm to 8pm
10 Chefs
Cash Bar
Silent Auction
Corndance, Fiddler's Hearth, Main Street Grille, CenterPlate at Notre Dame, Ivy Tech, Thyme Of Grace, Palais Royale & The Morris Bistro, Century Center, The Mark & Uptown Kitchen, and The American Culinary Federation
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Unity Fall Classes
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Thurs Oct 3rd 6pm Joel Barrett
Wed Oct 9th 6pm Making Mead
Thurs Oct 17th 6pm Fermentation
Thurs Nov 7th 6pm
Thurs Nov 14th 6pm Whole Foods Cooking
Thurs Nov 21st 6pm
All Classes are held in the Unity Gardens Office in the Food Bank of Northern Indiana
702 Chapin Street
South Bend IN
Call 574-315-4361
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Looking for Interns
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Are you looking to intern or do you know someone who is? Unity Gardens is always in need of Interns, and it's not just about gardening!!
Remember,
We are growing more than vegetables here!
Do you have an interest in fundraising, marketing, working with children, community health & wellness, cooking, growing produce for market, urban gardening, grant writing,event planning, accounting, community building, race directing, website design, and more
What's your passion?
We need you!!
Contact Sara Stewart RN MSN
574-315-4361
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Mini Food Forest at LaSalle Square
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I will say sometimes we have to label things for people to pay attention. Three years ago when we started planting fruit trees, berry bushes, and herb gardens at Lasalle Square we just called it planting food because that is what we do. But now, we have embarked on a more organized project of planting a mini "Food Forest " in the garden. We are taking a 40' x 75' area and planting an intensive food forest. What are our goals with this project?
1. Provide a long term food source.
2. Create a food bearing low care area.
3. Reduce the amount of soil damage done by yearly soil prep. for our annual garden.
What's going in the Mini Food Forest? Glad you Asked!
Raspberries, Gooseberries, Currants, Strawberries, Blackberries, Kiwi, Plum, Apple, Cherry, Blueberries, Grapes, Elderberries, Cranberries, Herbs, and more!
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What I'am Reading
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Great book! I promise it will make you change the way you think about what you plant and why.
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 | Fall Has Arrived
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 | | Enter as garden guest..leave as our friends |
Another year is slipping away, and as we start to put the gardens to bed we reflect on another great year. We are so grateful for the support of our community!
Every year I compile photos from the year to show at our Taste of Unity Celebration. As I do, I tend to reflect on the season:the old and new friends we connect with in the garden and the community we share. It is also a time to start looking toward the future. Unity Gardens has big plans for 2014 and beyond, and we hope to be sharing them with you soon. But for now, we just thank you all for your continued support. Without you we would not be here.
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| Fall In The Garden | There are two kinds of gardeners, the ones that want to hang onto the season and the ones who are willing to let nature take its course. Not sure which kind you are but I am a "want to be " let nature take its course guy. In reality I hang on. Here are some tips for both types.
So how do you extend your season? I think a plant is done when the leaves turn black from a killing frost! Until then, I think they have potential. You can approach extending your plants 2 ways. One way is the shotgun method. Every time the forecast says, "a chance of frost", run to you garden and cover every plant with something; a cardboard box, pots, 2 liter bottles, sheets, blankets or whatever. Then there is the more refined method of putting low tunnels over your veggies or even a cold frame. I'm not sure which way is best - its a personal choice.
If you are looking for an end to your growing season, October is a good month to get started. We normally get a hard frost mid to late month, so you can't feel too bad about taking the garden down. During the first 2 weeks harvest aggressively. Freeze, can, dehydrate, or otherwise preserve what you can. Rescue those green tomatoes and either let them ripen on your kitchen table or make green tomato salsa.
Next, it gets a little more difficult. Pull up all the dead plants. Any diseased plants should be disposed of either by sending them off with your yard waste or burning them. This also includes any tomato and squash plants. Items such as leafy greens, beans etc. can go into your compost pile. Next is a good time to cover up your garden. A foot or more of leaves works great. Shredded is better if possible! Grass clippings are also great. I like to put cardboard down under the leaves and grass clippings, but you do need to weigh it down and it can look unsightly. In the spring you can just rake the leaves and cardboard off and plant in fresh, weed free, soil. |
| Green Tomato Relish |
2 pounds firm, green tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 fresh green Anaheim (or other large, mildly-flavored) chili pepper, stem and seeds removed, quartered
3-4 green jalape�o chilies (for a medium-hot salsa) or serrano chilies (for a hotter salsa), stems removed, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves (coriander greens, dhania, etc.), coarsely chopped
1.combine the green tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil, and water in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and cook covered on a medium-low heat burner for approximately ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water only if needed to maintain the most minimal broth.
2.Stir in and simmer for an additional five minutes the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey (or sugar), and cilantro. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning, if needed, by adding more lemon juice, honey, and/or salt, to taste.
3.Spoon the mixture (in batches if necessary) into the container of a food processor or blender and pulse until the salsa reaches the consistency you prefer, either chunky or a smooth puree. Makes approximately one quart of salsa, which should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. This recipe may be doubled or tripled. |
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What's Bugging Me
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Cool weather is settling in and I will say not much is bugging me now. But the insects that rob my garden are still well imprinted on my memories of the summer. Squash bugs can put a damper on a summer day, as can a potato beetle. What am I to do now ?
There are some things you can do. Rotate, Rotate, Rotate... The first line of defense is crop rotation. We have a great crop rotation file that you can download from our website : Crop Rotation Bad bugs love to return to the scene of the crime or overwinter in the area the buffet was located. You can also till your garden just before the frost sets in. This will expose the overwintering pest to the cold and hopefully kill them. I am not a fan of tilling, but in extreme areas where you know its an overwintering type of pest I say go for it! Clean up your garden. If you have had pest problems like Potato Beetles, pull out the left over plants and burn them. Also, think about companion planting. There are 2 solid reasons I can see for companion planting.
1. Some insects are repelled by certain plants.
2. Plants such as basil may mask the scent of tomatoes making it harder for the pest to find.
Remember most bad pests are specialists which means they have a limited type of plant they feed on. If you have chickens, fall and early spring are great times to let them go wild in the garden, eating up bugs and plants. They will eat just about any thing ....Keep that in mind when you put them in the garden.
Think about planting areas with plants that invite beneficial insects into your garden. Many native flowering plants host the good guys, and fall is a good time to plant.
Now relax and enjoy a insect free winter.
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