Shawn and Goldie Douglas,
My Web Consultant's
Ask
the Expert
on Agriculture!
| Volume I, Issue 1 |
December, 2007.. |
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| WEBSITE
Our website
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Douglas Family Farms Shawn and Goldie Douglas 39 Cincinnati Avenue St. Augustine, Florida 32084 (904) 347-4444 Email: info@douglasfamilyfarms.com |
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| PICK A PLANT: | |
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Cantaloupe:
Cantaloupes are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and folic acid. They grow great in hydroponics because cantaloupes use a lot of water for fruiting and hydroponics makes for easy availability of water and nutrients (see Q &A section). A trellis is a great way to hold the vining crop. Fruiting takes place on side shoots and male flowers are on the main vine. Melons are insect pollinated so if you grow them in an enclosed space such as a greenhouse, bumble bees are great for pollination. It is also possible to hand pollinate them. Do this by using a toothbrush to lift pollen from male flowers and brush it onto the female flowers on the side shoots. |
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| BAD GUYS: | |
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Aphids are also known as green fly. They affect virtually all plants, trees, and bushes and make the leaves sticky. They have a symbiotic relationship with ants. In soil, the best way to get rid of them is to plant marigolds and spray them with a garlic or soap spray. In hydroponics, beneficial insects such as ladybugs are a great way to combat aphids. Neem oil is an excellent botanical control for aphids and other pests. We have used it exclusively on our farm for the last three years. |
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| MUSINGS: | |
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Whether you believe
you can do a thing or not, you’re right.
----- Henry Ford
There are no
passengers on spaceship earth We do not
inherit the world from our parents, |
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| REMINDER: | |
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Have you cleaned
the filter this month? Have you changed your fertilizer this month? Check for roots growing into the bottom of the pots. Do this by gently lifting the pots up out of the unit. If there are any roots growing through the holes in the bottom of the pots, then either cut them or tear them off. It is important the water is able to drain back into the reservoir. |
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| NEWS ALERTS: | |
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Eat Like a Peasant and Enjoy! When novelist Barbara Kingsolver, 52, moved from Tucson, Ariz., to southwest Virginia with her husband, Steven, and two daughters, they decided that they would spend a year trying to eat local: only food they either raised themselves or bought from nearby growers. They raised turkeys and chickens for meat and eggs, bought milk from a regional dairy, and froze corn and peas for the winter. The results of that experiment are the subject of her new book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life... (Full Story) |
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DFF
CSA In September, we will launch our CSA, greenhouse/educational center project. We will be opening up our farm for the fist time to the general public to teach renewable, sustainable, and environmentally responsible agricultural practices. This will allow the community to purchase farm fresh produce through a subscription from a local farm in which they get to meet the farmer, see the farm, see how we fertilize, control pests. We are very excited about this project and we will be releasing full details at the end of July. Presently the house is in a conversion phase. We will contact all interested parties. If you would like to be put on the list for contact, please e-mail us. |
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NOTES FROM FARMER SHAWNHydroponics is not bad! Hydroponics can save the world if people would lose the stigma attached to hydroponics that has to do with illegal uses. I like to say to people when illegal uses come up, “For the benefit of hydroponics, grow your dope in dirt!” But on the other hand, would it not stand to reason that hydroponics can also grow good food.
The answer to that unequivocally is YES! I know because I have been growing superior food for years. In addition to hydroponics, I love organics. However according to the USDA, organic growing can only be done in “soil”, that dirty four letter word! Because of that dirty four letter word, our hydroponic greenhouse could not be certified organic.
Shall we explore? What is soil? According to geologists, each grain of soil is nothing but little tiny rocks. Okay, so my rocks are bigger. This is not a testosterone induced statement.
For our large scale farm and Mini-Farms, we use gravel and clay pellets respectively. The fertilizer we use is OMRI certified organic. Amazingly, it works! It grows plants and big ones.
In addition, I have come up with a way to recirculate the water. In doing this we help save the earth for our children by using organic techniques and recycling water.
Hydroponics also uses less land. How you might ask? Well in looking on the back of seed packets, most state that plants must be so far apart. The reason is for optimum root growth. With hydroponics, the root balls of 50 foot tomato plants grown in my greenhouse could fit in my hand. Why is that?
Nutrients are provided to the roots so the roots do not spread out looking for nutrients. There is no need to search for something provided right to you. On the same note, fertilizer is provided with the water so the roots do not need to search for fertilizer either. By recycling the water/fertilizer less of both are needed.
So the benefits of hydroponics outweigh by far the negative aspects. Hydroponics uses less water, less land, less fertilizer, and less electricity. We should embrace the good qualities of hydroponics and by doing so we will have more of all for our children.
~ ASK FARMER SHAWN ~
Question:
I have 3 units and a vegetable garden, one of the units has cucumbers, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and squash. The other has lettuce and the last one has herbs, and sprouts. The garden I water every day, the two units with lettuce and herbs I add water to once a week, but the one with the vines I have to water every other day. Why is that happening? Is there something wrong with my Mini-Farm?
Answer:
No there is nothing wrong with your Mini-Farm. In your garden, water may pass right by the roots and not get used by your plants, so you will have to water it every day. The Mini-Farm recycles that water so that when your plants do not use the water, it can be recovered and reused. Your herbs and lettuce are not fruit bearing and therefore, do not use as much water. Your other unit bears fruit in the form of tomatoes, cantaloupe, cucumbers, etc, which takes a lot of water to do. As the weight of the fruit increases, the amount of water it uses will increase. Therefore, you must add more water to the unit bearing fruit more often. Just remember the more water you add the more fertilizer you should add. Every third time you add water also add fertilizer. We are currently addressing that problem by making the units self filling.
Sincerely,
Farmer ShawnIf you would like to ask a question, please e-mail us.
Copyright 2007 All rights reserved.