 Our End of Year Fundraising was a Success!
Our goal was to raise $10,000 to support our programs at the end of 2021, and with lots of community support we surpassed that goal and raised $11,692! This will help us grow climate resilience and long-term food security in 2022. Our programs impact the community in a multitude of ways. This is just some of what we do:FEAST - School-based cooking and gardening education. Asheville Buncombe Community Garden Network - Over 30 community gardens with access to our tool library, seed library, and free hands-on educational workshops. Windfall Collective Plant Nursery - Growing out seedlings to support community gardens and local urban agriculture. Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council (ABFPC) - Coordinating across multiple organizations to support local sustainable agriculture policies. Bountiful Cities serves as the fiscal agent for the ABFPC.
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 The Community Garden Network Seed Library is going through some changes this year!
The Seed Library is a series of shelving units containing free seed packets. In the past the majority of those seed packets were donations from companies like Sow True Seed and High Mowing. We have been working to create more Seed Library locations around the city and also to include more community growers interested in saving seeds at their own gardens to stock libraries, to create a free inter-community seed network. There are several new locations of seed libraries that can be accessed around town. There is still a location at the Burton St Peace Garden, with new Sow True seed packets. The Stephens Lee Center has also started an independent seed library project that will be partnering and sharing resources with our CGN library. There is a small seed library shelf in the free food pantry at the Shiloh Community Garden. All the seeds in that shelving unit were saved from that community garden this past year. The Lucy Herring Garden at Vance Elementary School has also begun Saving Seeds from their garden this fall for the new seed library locations. The Windfall Collective has a seed farm at the Pearson Community Garden and they have been saving seeds from medicinal herbs this year to help the different seed library locations. The Utopian Seed Project will also be involved, providing education on how to plan a garden for seed production, and seed saving basics. This is a continually growing project. Any community growers who would like to participate in saving seeds for the library from your land or community centers interested in housing a seed library location please let us know! lydia@bountifulcities.org Bountiful Cities Seed Libraries and Seed Saving WorkshopDid you know Bountiful Cities Community Garden Network (CGN) operates several seed libraries? The idea is similar to a book lending library. Anyone can take some seeds and if you have extra seeds you can bring them to the library. Our CGN recently hosted a seed saving workshop so folks can learn more about saving seeds from their gardens. Check out the video from that workshop HERE on our website. If you would like more information about contributing seeds or getting seeds from our seed libraries contact Lydia@bountifulcities.org or Isa@bountifulcities.org How does Bountiful Cities Create Long Term Food Security?https://youtu.be/MOuxMHiJI5k Watch this two minute video created by our Board Chair Ameena Batada to find out ways to create long term food security... Beneficial Insects and Your Leaves Did you know that ladybug larva look like that?! And they are getting ready to hunker down for the winter with other insects like fireflies. They’ll stay warm and be ready to emerge in the spring. The best thing to do if you want to have lots of beneficial bugs like ladybugs and fireflies is LEAVE your LEAVES You can pile them in your yard, or just let them fall In the garden you can let tall stems stay to encourage praying mantises to leave their eggs for spring. But if you really do want your yard debris-free, call Bountiful Cities Grass to Greens (G2G) 828-775-0614 and we’ll come pick up your leaves and compost them for school and community gardens. Introducing LaKyla Hodges! Meet Ms. LaKyla, the new Bountiful Cities FEAST Program Assistant at Lucy S. Herring Elementary! LaKyla is finishing up her senior semester at Warren Wilson College where she is studying Environmental Education. She brings to us her enthusiasm for working with children and engaging them with food and nature. She also loves curling up with a good book and her cat, Sprout. The Herring Elementary FEAST garden is planting a new pollinator garden in the dappled shade of our plum trees! We are collecting divisions and seeds for native plants including: phlox, coreopsis, ferns, bee balm, day lilies, turtlehead, brown eyed susan, mountain mint, fire pink, cardinal flower/lobelia, foam flower, green and gold, asters. Please contact Jordan@bountifulcities.org if you have anything from your garden that you would like to contribute!
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Over the last month, Bountiful Cities has had so much support from our collaborators - and it's so nice to know we are all in this together! The East Fork Pottery Raffle was a huge success - raising over $2500 for our programs. The Hop Ice Cream is raising awareness about our programs and raising funds through it's new Bountiful Cities Series Ice Creams. Look out for ice cream with our figs and our sweet potatoes this fall (and read on if you want to make your own Paw Paw ice cream)! The West Asheville Garden Stroll invited us to participate this year and the flower puppet show raised all kinds of spirits! Finally Hood Huggers and Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy are supporting our solar project at the Pearson Garden.
Partnership and collaboration are the only path towards long term food security for us all, and we look forward to much more if it! If you have an idea for collaboration or a business that may want to partner with Bountiful Cities please contact Cathy@BountifulCities.org
Partnership and collaboration are the only path towards long term food security for us all, and we look forward to much more if it! If you have an idea for collaboration or a business that may want to partner with Bountiful Cities please contact Cathy@BountifulCities.org
Free Veggies and Garden Updates!
Our Pearson Garden is well on the way to getting solar power after a series of recent workdays and lots of volunteer hours. We also were able to remove a huge old dead tree in collaboration with arborist Tim Hinebaugh. We also had help from Chloe Cuturic from Asheville GreenWorks. Thank you Tim and Chloe! There is lots more work to be done, and fun to be had in the Pearson Garden. Our Wednesday garden workdays include veggie snacks in the pavilion. See below, and stay tuned for more info on that!
Pearson Garden and Nursery Garden workdays Wednesdays from 3-5pm. Located at 408 Pearson Dr. in Montford. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Alex@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Free Veggie Mondays
We give away produce donated by Mother Earth Food every Monday after 3pm at two of our partner schools:
- Lucy S Herring Elementary Peace Garden: On the Sharing Table to the right of the Cob Shed
- Hall Fletcher Elementary: Under the awning by the front entrance to the school
Pearson Garden and Nursery Garden workdays Wednesdays from 3-5pm. Located at 408 Pearson Dr. in Montford. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Alex@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Free Veggie Mondays
We give away produce donated by Mother Earth Food every Monday after 3pm at two of our partner schools:
- Lucy S Herring Elementary Peace Garden: On the Sharing Table to the right of the Cob Shed
- Hall Fletcher Elementary: Under the awning by the front entrance to the school
Students have returned to school and we are so glad to have them return to our school gardens for FEAST Classes! We are finding creative ways to explore the gardens and engage our students amidst the ongoing challenges that COVID has dealt us. Above is a photo of Lucy Herring Elementary FEAST students harvesting potatoes!
Lucy Herring Elementary School Peace Garden (formerly Vance Elementary School) in West Asheville. Workdays Thursdays 2:45 pm- 3:45 pm. Beginning August 23, the garden will again be closed to the public from 8 AM- 2:30 pm so that classes can use the garden for outdoor learning. Please contact jordan.diamond@acsgmail.net for questions and to RSVP.
Hall Fletcher Elementary School FEAST Garden Wednesdays 2:30-3:30pm, 60 Ridgelawn Rd. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Jacob@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Lucy Herring Elementary School Peace Garden (formerly Vance Elementary School) in West Asheville. Workdays Thursdays 2:45 pm- 3:45 pm. Beginning August 23, the garden will again be closed to the public from 8 AM- 2:30 pm so that classes can use the garden for outdoor learning. Please contact jordan.diamond@acsgmail.net for questions and to RSVP.
Hall Fletcher Elementary School FEAST Garden Wednesdays 2:30-3:30pm, 60 Ridgelawn Rd. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Jacob@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Introducing Jacob gillis
We are so happy to be able to introduce one of our newest Bountiful Cities staff members. Jacob has been growing food for 7 years now and teaching gardening for 4 of those years. He loves working with kids and is excited to be helping with food sovereignty and getting back in the dirt. He is working with the FEAST program at Hall Fletcher Elementary School and Francine Delany New School for Children. He is also working with our Grass to Greens program. Welcome Jacob!!
Newest Food Pantry Installed in Deaverview!
The Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council working in collaboration with Keenan Phillips and residents of the Deaverview Community has installed the third in a series of free food pantries in the Deaverview Neighborhood. The other two pantries are located in the East End Neighborhood and Shiloh Neighborhood. For more information on donating shelf stable food or household goods for these pantries please contact Cathy@BountifulCities.org or to get involved with the food council contact Coordinator@abfoodpolicy.org
Get Your Fall Plants from Bountiful Cities Windfall Collective Nursery
Windfall Collective has a wide selection of plant starts and perennials for the fall growing season! Here's a list of what we have available, feel free to reach out to alex@bountifulcities.org with any orders/questions!
Several varieties of winter squash, basil, amaranth, kale, sunflowers, and mixed greens, as well as bee balm, ashwaghanda, tulsi, tumeric, yarrow, chamomile, ajuga, lettuce, rainbow chard, snapdragons, calendula, nasturtium, spinach, strawflower, blanket flower, new zealand spinach, japanese indigo, sorrel, and hyssop. We also have trees and shrubs available, including elderberry, willow, goumi berry, fig, serviceberry and paw paw.
Several varieties of winter squash, basil, amaranth, kale, sunflowers, and mixed greens, as well as bee balm, ashwaghanda, tulsi, tumeric, yarrow, chamomile, ajuga, lettuce, rainbow chard, snapdragons, calendula, nasturtium, spinach, strawflower, blanket flower, new zealand spinach, japanese indigo, sorrel, and hyssop. We also have trees and shrubs available, including elderberry, willow, goumi berry, fig, serviceberry and paw paw.
Grass to Greens is Available!
Do you need a late summer clean up of your yard or a fresh garden plan for fall?
Call for a free consultation (828) 775-0614
Call for a free consultation (828) 775-0614
September Harvest Recipe...
Would you like to contribute a seasonal recipe for our monthly newsletter? See below for details!
Paw Paw Ice Cream – makes about one quart
This recipe contributed by Cathy Cleary from The Southern Harvest Cookbook
1 cup pureed paw paw
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Freeze in your ice cream freezer according to its instructions. Serve alongside pound cake, sugar cookies, or all by it’s lonesome.
Do you have delicious seasonal recipes you would like to share in our newsletter? Please send them to cathy@bountifulcities.org along with a photo if you have one, and information on where the recipe originated. We would especially love to feature treasured family recipes!
1 cup pureed paw paw
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Freeze in your ice cream freezer according to its instructions. Serve alongside pound cake, sugar cookies, or all by it’s lonesome.
Do you have delicious seasonal recipes you would like to share in our newsletter? Please send them to cathy@bountifulcities.org along with a photo if you have one, and information on where the recipe originated. We would especially love to feature treasured family recipes!
Come to the West Asheville Garden Stroll this Saturday for a taste and purchase online between 9/13-9/19
Bountiful Cities is partnering with The Hop Handcrafted Ice Cream and the West Asheville Garden Stroll to raise funds for our important outdoor learning environment at the Hall Fletcher Elementary School FEAST Garden. The FEAST program of Bountiful Cities teaches hands-on gardening and cooking education to kids, providing practical skills that can support life-long food security.
On Saturday September 11th, The Hop will launch a new ice cream flavor Blueberry Purple Basil using produce from Bountiful Cities gardens. This new flavor will be rolled out at the West Asheville Garden Stroll. The Hop will donate a portion of proceeds from on-line sales to Bountiful Cities the following week, September 13-19th. To order online and support Bountiful Cities Sept. 13-19th go to: https://hopicecreamnc.com/online-store/
On Saturday September 11th, The Hop will launch a new ice cream flavor Blueberry Purple Basil using produce from Bountiful Cities gardens. This new flavor will be rolled out at the West Asheville Garden Stroll. The Hop will donate a portion of proceeds from on-line sales to Bountiful Cities the following week, September 13-19th. To order online and support Bountiful Cities Sept. 13-19th go to: https://hopicecreamnc.com/online-store/
Hot Springs Elementary School Garden summer produce distribution update:
Through a partnership with the Lords Harvest we were able to distribute between 30-40 pounds of fresh produce each week during the summer months while students were on break. The continued maintenance, harvesting, and distribution of this garden is possible because of a grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1978 to build a permanent pool of charitable capital for the 18 counties of Western North Carolina including the Qualla Boundary.
Through a partnership with the Lords Harvest we were able to distribute between 30-40 pounds of fresh produce each week during the summer months while students were on break. The continued maintenance, harvesting, and distribution of this garden is possible because of a grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. The Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1978 to build a permanent pool of charitable capital for the 18 counties of Western North Carolina including the Qualla Boundary.
Bountiful Cities is partnering with East Fork Pottery for a Raffle Fundraiser!Today, Sunday August 15th we are launching a raffle for three collectible pieces of East Fork pottery. The raffle will last for three weeks with sales closing on Friday September 3rd. Winners will be chosen on Sunday September 5th 2021. Pottery can be viewed and tickets can be purchased on-line at BountifulCities.Org. Raffle tickets can also be purchased by emailing Cathy@BountifulCities.Org.
Buy Your Raffle Tickets HERE
Since 2000 Bountiful Cities has promoted social justice and food sovereignty through hands-on educational programming, policy work, coalition building, urban agriculture installation, and community gardens. Working primarily in Asheville and Buncombe County, Bountiful Cities envisions abundant urban environments and food sovereign communities.
Raffle proceeds will support Bountiful Cities programs...
FEAST - School-based cooking and gardening education.
Asheville Buncombe Community Garden Network - Over 30 community gardens with access to our tool library, seed library, and free hands-on educational workshops.
Grass to Greens - Edible Landscaping and School Garden Maintenance.
Windfall Collective Plant Nursery - Growing out seedlings to support community gardens and local urban agriculture.
Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council (ABFPC) - Coordinating across multiple organizations to support local sustainable agriculture policies. Bountiful Cities serves as the fiscal agent for the ABFPC.
East Fork Pottery has been a values-centered business since day one. Paying our employees a living wage so that they build a foundation of financial stability, partnering with nonprofit and grassroots organizations to help raise awareness and funds for their liberation and equity work, along with measuring, reducing and offsetting our operations’ carbon footprint are some of the commitments we’ve made to be more than just a business that makes pottery and money.
For more information about this fundraising effort or getting involved with Bountiful Cities please email Cathy@BountifulCities.Org.
Buy Your Raffle Tickets HERE
Since 2000 Bountiful Cities has promoted social justice and food sovereignty through hands-on educational programming, policy work, coalition building, urban agriculture installation, and community gardens. Working primarily in Asheville and Buncombe County, Bountiful Cities envisions abundant urban environments and food sovereign communities.
Raffle proceeds will support Bountiful Cities programs...
FEAST - School-based cooking and gardening education.
Asheville Buncombe Community Garden Network - Over 30 community gardens with access to our tool library, seed library, and free hands-on educational workshops.
Grass to Greens - Edible Landscaping and School Garden Maintenance.
Windfall Collective Plant Nursery - Growing out seedlings to support community gardens and local urban agriculture.
Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council (ABFPC) - Coordinating across multiple organizations to support local sustainable agriculture policies. Bountiful Cities serves as the fiscal agent for the ABFPC.
East Fork Pottery has been a values-centered business since day one. Paying our employees a living wage so that they build a foundation of financial stability, partnering with nonprofit and grassroots organizations to help raise awareness and funds for their liberation and equity work, along with measuring, reducing and offsetting our operations’ carbon footprint are some of the commitments we’ve made to be more than just a business that makes pottery and money.
For more information about this fundraising effort or getting involved with Bountiful Cities please email Cathy@BountifulCities.Org.
By Lydia George
So many people love to see and hear birds around their homes and will put out bird feeders filled with seeds to attract more of this wildlife to their yards. While this is a good strategy, there are also many beautiful perennial plants and flowers that you can add to your landscape which will feed the birds every year, they will replenish as a natural resource rather than having to continually buy seeds from the store, and this method of feeding native birds is also less disruptive to their natural feeding habits. You can also put out nesting boxes, shrubs and tall grasses that will act as a natural habitat for bird species to make homes in!
There are many beautiful flowering plants that birds love to eat! Black eyed susans, echinacea, daisies, cornflower, sunflowers, asters, joe pye, zinnias, yarrow, goldenrod and daisies are all great natural food that will make your yard beautiful while attracting native pollinators and song birds to your yard!
There are also many shrubs and trees that can feed birds as well. Evergreens like Holly, Rhododendron, redcedar and hemlock all have berries that birds love to eat. Also trees like sumac, elderberries, dogwood and redbuds are beneficial to birds, insects and humans (for food or medicine), just make sure you are prepared to share the bounty of your harvest.
Vining plants like native honeysuckle varieties and virginia creeper can create great habitat as well as food for many different bird species, including hummingbirds.
For nesting sites, many birds like dense clustering bushes that create protection from predators. Aronia, viburnum, and winter berries are all great shrubs that create this kind of environment while also providing food with their fruiting bodies! Also if you have room in your yard, taller trees like willows, oaks and sycamores have lots of nooks and crannies that are perfect homes for all sorts of different wildlife.
Having native grass varieties can also be great for providing seeds and nesting materials for many birds, Indian rice grass, northern sea oats, switchgrass, prairie dropseed, bluestem grasses and so many more varieties are beautiful ornamental grasses that have these benefits for wildlife.
Not only will these plants beautify your yard, lots of them will provide you with edible food and medicine. Most importantly you will be providing much needed habitat to native song birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals which are exciting to see, and so important to the health of our native ecosystems! This is just a few of the many hundreds of plants that will serve important roles for all sorts of wildlife.
Would you like to learn more about Solar?
| Join us Saturday August 28th and Sunday August 29th Bountiful Cities is installing solar panels in the Pearson Garden! If you are interested in joining us for an educational community workday or donating funds/materials towards this project, FILL OUT THIS FORM or reach out to us directly: Cathy@BountifulCities.org The Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy has donated solar panels and is working with us to get the garden on solar power, which will provide electricity for all of the shared community spaces, walk-in cooler, pavilion, and greenhouses. If you are interested in how we will cook squash pie once we have solar please keep scrolling for more info! |  |
SPICES AND POTS!
What do beautiful pottery and delicious spices have in common? Both support Bountiful Ciites work! We are so pleased to welcome our newest sponsors and co-creators. Spicewalla is donating their amazing spices for our FEAST cooking and gardening education classes, and East Fork Pottery is donating pottery for an upcoming raffle! Stay tuned!
Volunteer in a Community Garden...
Lucy Herring Elementary School Peace Garden (formerly Vance Elementary School) in West Asheville. Tuesdays 11-12:30 Thursdays 9:30am-11am Please contact jordan.diamond@acsgmail.net for questions and to RSVP
Pearson Garden and Nursery Garden workdays on August 5th, and August 19th 2-5pm(1st and 3rd Thursdays). Located at 408 Pearson Dr. in Montford. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Alex@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Pearson Garden Solar Installation! Volunteers needed Saturday Aug. 28th, and Sunday August 29th. Please sign up to receive more information HERE.
Hall Fletcher Elementary School FEAST Garden Sundays 10am-2pm. 60 Ridgelawn Rd. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Jacob@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Shiloh Community Garden - Saturdays 10am - 2pm Please contact Lydia George lydia@bountifulcities.org for more info
Peace Gardens and Market 10-noon on Saturdays
Fairview Road Resilience Garden - 5-7:30pm Wednesday evenings, 10am-noon Saturday mornings. If you would like to attend please RSVP using this link
Root Cause Farm hosts volunteer opportunities on Wednesdays 6-8pm, Thursdays 8:00am-12:00pm, Sundays 3:00-5:00pm. Sign up here!
Verner Center for Early Learning Wednesdays from 3:30-5:30pm 2586 Riceville Rd. Asheville, NC behind Outward Bound. Sign up or just show up! Contact Whitney Rea Smith (828)450-7503 or Wrea@verneremail.org
Soul and Soil Project Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-12. Fairview. Please contact info@soulandsoilproject.org for more info and to join
Dr. John Wilson Community Garden Mondays and Thursday mornings from 8-12. Please contact diana.mccall@townofblackmountain.org for more information.
Haw Creek Commons Garden - workdays are every Tuesday and Thursday morning 10:00am-11:30am
Pearson Garden and Nursery Garden workdays on August 5th, and August 19th 2-5pm(1st and 3rd Thursdays). Located at 408 Pearson Dr. in Montford. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Alex@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Pearson Garden Solar Installation! Volunteers needed Saturday Aug. 28th, and Sunday August 29th. Please sign up to receive more information HERE.
Hall Fletcher Elementary School FEAST Garden Sundays 10am-2pm. 60 Ridgelawn Rd. Please click this link to sign up. Contact Jacob@BountifulCities.org for more information.
Shiloh Community Garden - Saturdays 10am - 2pm Please contact Lydia George lydia@bountifulcities.org for more info
Peace Gardens and Market 10-noon on Saturdays
Fairview Road Resilience Garden - 5-7:30pm Wednesday evenings, 10am-noon Saturday mornings. If you would like to attend please RSVP using this link
Root Cause Farm hosts volunteer opportunities on Wednesdays 6-8pm, Thursdays 8:00am-12:00pm, Sundays 3:00-5:00pm. Sign up here!
Verner Center for Early Learning Wednesdays from 3:30-5:30pm 2586 Riceville Rd. Asheville, NC behind Outward Bound. Sign up or just show up! Contact Whitney Rea Smith (828)450-7503 or Wrea@verneremail.org
Soul and Soil Project Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-12. Fairview. Please contact info@soulandsoilproject.org for more info and to join
Dr. John Wilson Community Garden Mondays and Thursday mornings from 8-12. Please contact diana.mccall@townofblackmountain.org for more information.
Haw Creek Commons Garden - workdays are every Tuesday and Thursday morning 10:00am-11:30am
World Soil day in Buncombe County
On Sunday December 5th there will be a mix of local events around Buncombe County to honor soil by promoting awareness of healthy soil and celebrating its many benefits.
There will be events to help educate our communities on the importance of soil biodiversity and sustainable soil management.
In the evening there will be a potluck and film viewing to celebrate the wonders of soil. Learn more and register for events HERE.
There will be events to help educate our communities on the importance of soil biodiversity and sustainable soil management.
In the evening there will be a potluck and film viewing to celebrate the wonders of soil. Learn more and register for events HERE.
Harvest Recipe...
Savory Summer Squash Pie
Summertime Savory Squash Pie – serves 4
The thing about squash is it comes at almost exactly the hottest point in the summer. Before you pre heat that oven check and see if you have a pan that will fit in a much smaller (and less heat producing) toaster oven. It bakes up just as good in a rectangle as it does a circle.
5 eggs
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or sour cream
½ cup cornmeal or flour or cooked rice or crumbled tortilla chips
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups thinly sliced summer squash – any variety
¼ cup sliced fresh basil or 1 Tablespoon dried basil
¾ cup sharp cheese – diced or grated
3-4 cloves garlic – crushed
The thing about squash is it comes at almost exactly the hottest point in the summer. Before you pre heat that oven check and see if you have a pan that will fit in a much smaller (and less heat producing) toaster oven. It bakes up just as good in a rectangle as it does a circle.
5 eggs
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or sour cream
½ cup cornmeal or flour or cooked rice or crumbled tortilla chips
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups thinly sliced summer squash – any variety
¼ cup sliced fresh basil or 1 Tablespoon dried basil
¾ cup sharp cheese – diced or grated
3-4 cloves garlic – crushed
- Pre heat the oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees (check to see if you have a pan that fits in the toaster).
- Whisk together the eggs, olive oil, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Fold in the remaining ingredients.
- Grease a 7X11 inch pan or 9 inch pie pan.
- Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- The middle of the squash pie should be firm to the touch when it is done.
- Serve with salads, chilled cucumber or corn soup, dilly beans, corn on the cob, or cut into small squares and serve as an appetizer.
By Community Garden Network Co-Coordinator Lydia George
It is getting to be the time of year when many summer vegetables and fruits are beginning to flourish, and with them comes an abundance of insects and rodents who want to share in the bounty. Here are some common recipes for homemade pest control sprays that will keep these uninvited guests from eating your harvest, that don’t rely on harsh, dangerous chemicals. You can also combine these recipes together for even more potent concoctions!
1. Spicy Pepper Spray: the spicy flavor in hot peppers are produced by the plant as a
natural repellent, to keep animals and insects from eating their fruit. Humans are the
only animal that ignores the pain and finds these chemicals to be a palatable flavor! That means that Cayenne Pepper can be used as a great pest control for insects and rodents in your garden! Add either half a cup of fresh ground or dried pepper into 2 cups of boiling water. Chili Peppers, Cayenne Peppers, Habanero Peppers will all work, the
the spicier the better! Allow the peppers to infuse in the boiling water for 15-20 minutes,
remember to do this in a well ventilated area because the air in your kitchen will get
spicy. Strain the pieces of pepper out of the water and store in a container. This mixture
will be very potent, so you can mix a few spoonfuls into whatever spray bottle you have
with 1 part pepperwater : 10 part tap water ratio. Coat the leaves of your crops with this
spray to deter many kinds of insects, rabbits, deer, groundhogs, aphids and mites!
2. Vegetable Oil Spray: vegetable oil is a cheap and accessible remedy for many mites
and aphids etc. The oil will coat the insect and clog the pores they use to breath. You
can mix a cup of oil with a tablespoon of biodegradable dish soap for an even stronger
effect. Like with the pepper spray, you only need to mix a few drops of the oil mixture
into the water in your spray bottle, shake well and then coat the affected area of your
plant with the spray. Common areas of your plant that may be getting attacked are the
underside of the leaf, the area where the leaf meets the stem, and any newly emerging
growth!
3. Garlic and Mint Spray: garlic is another natural pest deterrent, mostly for insects.
Interplanting garlic with your other vegetables can act as a natural barrier against many
pests during the spring! But after you harvest all your garlic in June you can save some
cloves for making this spray! Mint is also a plant whose smell is a natural pest deterrent.
Mix 3 cups of mint leaves with 7-10 garlic cloves and a small amount of water in a
blender to make a fine paste. Add this into a pot of boiling water and let it boil for 15-20
minutes. Then you can cover the pot and let it sit overnight, so it gets extra potent. The
next day you can strain out all the plant material and put your concoction into a container for storage. This is another recipe that you can dilute with water in your spray bottle to make it last longer.
There are other natural product options like neem oil and diatomaceous earth which make for great pest control, although they are a bit more expensive than the options listed above!
Wishing you all a bountiful harvest this season!
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