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The BUFCO Bulletin

The New Year's Edition

January 2019

In this issue...


Rest is one of the keys to optimal health but there's no need to go completely dormant this January... winter will come and go lickity-split and spring will be here before we know it! In this issue, we'll share some ways BUFCO is making the most of the winter months: learning, experimenting, and HIRING. And speaking of learning, we share some exciting news!

And this month, we welcome for the first time, Guest Tipster Jeremy. For the last two seasons, Jeremy has been a vital member of the BUFCO Team, and in this edition he has tips for turning waste into…not waste.

 
The garden may be dormant, but the gardener doesn't have to be!

Achievement Unlocked!


It’s official! Arlene is now an Organic Master Gardener following an intensive training course through Gaia College in BC. She then went on to become a member of the Society of Organic Urban Landcare (SOUL). We just heard the great news that she passed the exam with flying colours, is now a SOUL Accredited Organic Land Care Practitioner.

Arlene was so inspired by the Organic Master Gardener course that she and Marc encouraged BUFCO staff to enrol. Now both Debbie (Office Administrator) and Julia (Gardener) are digging into the 14 week online program.

In Your Garden 


If it weren’t for winter I, like many inspired gardeners, would be in the garden 12/24/7. But I have to admit I also enjoy the much-needed break that winter in Hardiness Zone 5/6 imposes. I often find it difficult to stay put at my desk from April to November. But the short days and long nights of winter take the pressure off and make it easy to hunker down indoors and get creative. This is the time to read, write, research, plan and study. It’s also a great time to experiment with indoor growing.
 
Our previous set-up.
In the past we used florescent fixtures for our indoor garden. Florescent bulbs provide full spectrum light that requires relatively low energy. They also emit a colour wavelength that is pleasing to the eye.

This winter we are experimenting with Innova Grow Lights that we purchased from Costco. These are LED lights (light emitting diodes) that are also full spectrum, but they emit red and blue light as well as colours that are invisible to us, such as infrared and ultraviolet, equally important wavelengths for optimal plant growth. These are long lasting, very energy efficient fixtures that are cost effective and compact enough to mount under a bookshelf or hang over a kitchen counter. The one drawback, in my opinion is that the blue/red light casts an eerie pall over the plants and make a room look too much like a disco. I much prefer light that mimics sunlight, so our solution was to keep our growing station in the basement.
 
Looks like a science project!

We were curious to see if these lights produced the same or better results as the florescent lights and if days to maturity were similar. We tested our usual compliment of pea, sunflower and arugula micro greens and grouped them in two batches. One batch was grown under lights that were 6 inches from the soil surface (Right) and one batch was grown under lights that were 12 inches from the soil surface (Left).
 
We were happy to discover that the micro greens grown under the LED light grew at the same rate as the Florescent light and the plants were just as healthy. We also noted that the distance of the fixture to the plant had very little effect on its growth. At harvest time, 10 days after planting, both groups of plants were very similar in height and harvest weight. There was no difference in the taste quality either. Both groups of micro greens were equally delicious and a fresh and welcome treat! So far, the LED lights are so good.
 
Sunflower Arugula Peas

Jeremy's Tips in the Middle #1


Keep all your usable vegetable scraps in a bag in the freezer – potato and squash peels, onion, garlic, and carrot cut-offs, broccoli and cauliflower stalks, ginger rind… Now, at a moments’ notice, you have everything you need for a quick and delicious vegetable stock. Chicken, turkey, and beef bones and leftovers can be saved in a separate bag for later use in a meat-based broth. After making your broth, skim out the large bits and put them in your compost bin. You can then use the broth any way you like, most commonly as a base to add things like barley or peas for a hearty soup. It also makes an excellent mineral tea to water plants!

Guelph Organic Conference is coming up!!

 
Winter time is a perfect time for learning and a great place to stimulate our minds and get us excited for the upcoming planting season is the annual Guelph Organic Conference. This must-see, four day event is suitable for novices, professionals and anyone garden-curious. Every year they offer fascinating workshops and host lively panel discussions featuring scientists, farmers (both urban and rural), gardeners and community builders who are at the cutting edge of organic growing, food production and discourse. There is also a trade show attended by over 100 organic vendors of every description.
 
It's worth the drive to Guelph!!

You can register for specific workshops. The full event schedule with workshop descriptions is available on the conference website.  BUFCO will be attending workshops, tasting samples, networking with new and veteran suppliers during the full 4 days--we hope to see you there!
 

BUFCO Workshops at TBG


If Guelph is a little too far a distance for you to travel, consider coming to our upcoming Backyard Urban Farming for Beginners workshops at Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) next month. It will be a three-week intensive covering:

~
“ It was so interesting and engaging. I wanted
more!
~

  • Garden planning, companion planting and crop rotation on February 12th
  • Raised beds and containers on February 19th
  • Cover growing from seed and planting on February 26th
They are often sold out so register early!

Jeremy's Tips in the Middle #2


Multi-task your take-out containers. Once emptied of their original contents, a quick hand-wash will have them ready to help keep leftovers fresh for later, or for getting your lunch from home to the office or school. As much as possible, turn a one-time use plastic into multi-use container. That said, it’s still a good policy to avoid buying things with lots of packaging in the first place, which can be a challenge. A great practice is to shop at local farmers markets, where packaging of any sort is discouraged and minimized. And bring re-usable bags for loose produce. In the dairy department, Old-timey milk-in-a-bottle is increasingly available, and helps to eliminate cardboard boxes and plastic bags. Plus, you can return the empty bottle and get a deposit back.

Cool Job Alert: BUFCO is HIRING!


Would you, or someone you know, like to join our fantastic team?? We are currently looking for: Important "must haves" are a genuine desire to join us on our mission to inspire people to grow their own food and a drivers license with a clean driving record. BUFCO is undergoing big and exciting changes this year, so it'll be a dynamic work environment for sure! Please take a look at our website to see full job descriptions or send us a message at info@bufco.ca for more information.
 
See what we mean about rest being important?

Jeremy's Tips in the Middle #3


Wherever and whenever possible, compost. Admittedly the act of composting can lie somewhere between difficult and impossible at times. But with a bit of effort, solutions can be found. Almost all municipalities offer green bin collection for composting at municipal facilities. Anything organic that doesn’t end up in your bags of broth scraps can be dropped into city compost - egg shells, coffee grounds, fruit rinds, and a great deal more. If your municipality doesn’t collect compostables, consider saving them up for a few days and give them to a community garden or a neighbour who does have the ability to compost. Just remember that home and community gardeners will NOT want meat scraps or oils in their compost. Once these scraps are broken down, it makes a fantastic soil top-up for your gardens


Give us a call!
Arlene at (647) 290-2572
Marc at (416) 450-3899

Email us at
info@bufco.ca

 
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Copyright © 2019 The Backyard Urban Farm Company (BUFCO), All rights reserved. 44 Columbus Ave., Toronto, ON, M6R 1S2  Canada
 
                                    
 


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