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Don Gustafson at a seed collection hike
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Event: Seed Collection Hike, November 6
The Door County Seed Library is pleased to co-sponsor a seed collection hike on Saturday, November 6, from 11:00 a.m. to noon at Crossroads at Big Creek. This free community event will be led by planning team member Don Gustafson, who is also a member of the Board of Wild Ones of the Door Peninsula. Don will give us a tour of the native gardens at Crossroads and identify various native seeds that we can harvest. The seed library will also distribute winter sowing handouts (yes, you can actually sow your seeds in milk jugs - in the winter!) and native seed packets.
Participants should dress for the weather. We will provide seed-gathering supplies. Meet at the front of the Collins Learning Center.
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November Garden Calendar: Put your Garden to Bed
Happy November, gardeners! After a long season, it’s time to give your garden (and yourself) a rest. The best way of doing so is to make sure that your soil is covered with cover crops, mulches, or tarps that will help protect it from erosion. While November is a bit late for cover cropping, it’s never too late to throw a few tarps over your beds! You can also mulch with fallen leaves or loose straw so long as they’re free from weed seeds.
November is also a great time to do some garden cleanup. It’s especially important to get rid of any crop remnants (rotting tomatoes, kale stalks, etc.) so they don’t harbor diseases throughout the winter. You also want to make sure your tools are properly stored and other debris is tucked neatly away. You’ll thank yourself in the springtime when you don’t have to tug your supplies out from a layer of ice and mud.
If you’re feeling serious, you may also want to have your soil tested to find out which kind of amendments to focus on next season. The UW Extension in Door County offers tests for a small fee ($18-30 plus shipping depending on how much info you’d like).
Lastly, take a little time to reflect on how your season went — is there anything you’d like to try differently next year? Mistakes that could have been avoided? Things you’re excited to try next season? Jot it down while it’s still relatively fresh.
Happy gardening and enjoy some well-earned rest!
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Helen and Nicki by the raised bed garden at the ADRC in Sturgeon Bay
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Community Connections: ADRC
By Renee McAllister
In 2018, the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) moved into their new location on 14th Avenue in Sturgeon Bay. The ADRC serves seniors and disabled individuals in the community. Helen, a Master Gardener and growing enthusiast, wanted to create gardens at the center. It was made possible with a three-year grant from the UW-Extension office. The money was designed to benefit low-income residents with meals that included fruits and vegetables.
Helen and Nicki, the activities and volunteer coordinator at ADRC, gave me a tour of the garden beds at the center. Through this project, volunteers and Door County residents of all ages worked together. It started with a 16-foot hip high, raised bed placed at an angle to the building to allow full view of the plants from a large window. Then, last year, two more raised beds and mobile planters were added. A tool shed and tools were also added. The County of Door maintenance staff provided soil and water hoses. Other local organizations volunteered to tend the garden during the summer -- a youth group, Sunshine House, and Jak’s place. The final goal of the project is a plan to add a memory bench and sidewalk for accessibility next year.
To provide future shade, four fruit trees were planted this year. Volunteers happily named each tree: Gala Girl, Romeo, Juliet, and Harry & Emma. Three growing towers were purchased this summer to grow lettuce, which was shared with Sunshine House and Jak’s Place. Carrots, radishes, herbs, beets, cucumbers, beans, peppers, and tomatoes also comprised this year’s produce.
Vegetables were bagged up and made available for consumers to bring home and enjoy. The harvest was also shared with Sunshine House and Jak’s Place. Once a week, brown bags with seasonal items were made available to consumers. The goal was to work together to produce food and maximize well-being. It’s a wonderful program that benefits all ages!
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Seed Saving Tip: Seed Storage
By Penne Wilson
You have saved your first seeds – congratulations! Or maybe you have leftover commercial seeds from this year that you wish to save for planting next year. There are a few tips to help ensure that your seeds will be viable when you are ready to plant next spring. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to protect your seeds, especially if you are storing them short-term (say five years or less). Just keep these three thoughts in mind: dry, cool, and dark.
Tip 1: Maintain dry conditions
Before you store your seeds, it’s important to ensure that they are dry. Dry is actually more important than cold! A simple test is to try bending a seed or hitting it with a hammer – if the seed snaps in half or shatters, it’s probably dry enough for storage, even in a freezer. However, if it bends or smashes, the seeds need to be dried further before being stored. Leftover commercial seeds are most likely dry enough for storage without any extra drying time.
Tip 2: Maintain cool and dark conditions
The simple solution: find a cool spot out of direct sunlight that maintains a fairly consistent temperature. Good options include a closet along an outside wall or a room on the north side of your house. It’s not necessary to freeze seeds for short-term storage and freezing actually isn’t recommended if you are not sure that your seeds are dry enough (freezing can cause moist seeds to crack or split).
Advanced solution: If you know your seeds are adequately dry, then you can consider storing seeds in a glass container in a chest freezer or a refrigerator. Just remember to let the entire container of seeds acclimate to warmer temperatures before opening the package to prevent condensation on the cold seeds.
Tip 3: Consider typical seed life
Some seeds, such as parsnips, onions, and spinach, are notoriously short-lived. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, here is the typical seed life of properly dried and stored vegetable seeds:
- 1 year: onions, parsnips, parsley, salsify, and spinach
- 2 years: corn, peas, beans, chives, okra, dandelion
- 3 years: carrots, leeks, asparagus, turnips, rutabagas
- 4 years: peppers, chard, pumpkins, squash, watermelons, basil, artichokes, and cardoons
- 5 years: most brassicas, beets, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, muskmelons, celery, lettuce
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Recipe of the Month: Wild Rice Stuffed Squash
By Deb Moore
The days are growing short, and the nights are getting chilly! One thing I enjoy about this time of year is the hearty, comfort food that seems to so perfectly embody the warmth of the upcoming holidays, i.e., time spent with family and friends around a table heavily laden with tasty dishes. Hearty, comfort food needn’t be heavy, however. Wild rice stuffed squash highlights the best of the fall harvest and is a healthy and delicious alternative to some of the heavier dishes that tend to find their way to the table. Also consider using the rice stuffing by itself as a lighter stuffing for your turkey or chicken. This recipe takes a bit of time to prepare, but it’s really “hands off”; cook the squash and rice ahead of time, and when you’re ready for dinner it’s a quick 30 minutes from oven to table. Serves 6
(recipe adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook)
Prep ahead of time:
3 small acorn squash, cut in half crosswise
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut squash and scoop out seeds; place halves flesh side down in a glass baking dish filled with about ¼” water. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes, or until squash is tender.
½ cup wild rice
½ cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups water
Pinch of salt
While squash is cooking, prepare the rice. Use a 2-quart pot, filling with the water and salt. Add the rice, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand while preparing the other ingredients.
About 30 minutes before serving:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 scallion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
8 oz. chopped mushrooms (optional)
4 oz. chopped water chestnuts (optional)
8 oz. organic turkey sausage, crumbled and sauteed (optional)
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. Herbamare (If you can’t find, you can substitute sea salt)
½ cup chopped, fresh Italian parsley
½ cup organic, dried cranberries
½ cup pecans, chopped
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil and scallions; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, celery, mushrooms, water chestnuts, dried herbs, and Herbamare. Sauté for 8-10 minutes more, or until mushrooms soften. Place the mixture in a bowl. Add sauteed turkey sausage, parsley, cranberries, pecans, and cooked rice and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. Evenly distribute rice mixture into the center of each cooked squash half and put into a glass baking dish. (*If preparing ahead of time, use plastic wrap to cover the dish with the stuffed squash and refrigerate until about 20-30 minutes before you want to serve -- you may need to cook a bit longer as the squash are chilled from being in the refrigerator.) Cook in the oven at 400 degrees F for 10-20 minutes, or until heated through. Enjoy!
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Book Review: Wildflowers of Door County, A Field Guide by Paul and Marilyn Mahlberg
By Renee Borkovetz
Door County has a vast range of soil types and habitats. As a consequence, a variety of plants and wildflowers thrive in all of these environments. This book was written and illustrated based on observed wildflowers throughout Door County. It is intended to be used as a field guide, as you explore the County with its natural beauty and wildflowers growing abundantly around us. Colorful, detailed illustrations aid in identifying them. Be sure to bring this book with you on your next adventure and see which wildflowers you can identify -- and maybe learn a little more about them in the process.
This book is available as a book and an ebook at the Door County Library through InfoSoup.
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Chue and Tou Lee of Lee's One Fortune Farm
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Featured Grower: Chue and Tou Lee
By Mikayla Kifer
Meet Chue and Tou Lee, owners of Lee’s One Fortune Farm in the mountainous region of North Carolina. This husband and wife duo farms on eight plots of land with help from their extended family. Although they provide a variety of Asian staples for their community, their primary focus is rice production.
As Laotian Hmong refugees, the Lees sought stability and security in the States. They managed to find a home in North Carolina where they could put down roots. Although it’s unusual to grow rice in the hilly Appalachians, the climate and geography have enough similarities to the Laotian highlands that the Lees can grow many varieties of rice using traditional Hmong practices. It took a few years for the unfamiliar crops to catch on in North Carolinian markets, but now demand far outstrips supply. The Lees sell most of what they grow in regional tailgate markets, but receive requests from as far away as Washington state.
Despite the success of the farm, Chue and Tou worry about dwindling interest from younger generations. "My ulterior motive is perhaps, the way this style of farming that we do with the Hmong culture, that it doesn't die with my generation," Tou Lee said, while Chue adds, “If nobody takes the mantle and uses it, we'll lose it.” To foster continued interest in cultural heritage and food security, the Lees plan to create a facility where they can teach traditional cooking skills and farming methods. To learn more, check out this article or this article.
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~~The Door County Seed Library planning team
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