Redlands, 15hr30min, cool without a cloud in the sky.

Compost. Read any garden book, magazine or blog and you are sure to come across something about making or using compost. What is the fascination with dirt, you say? It is the cornerstone of your organic garden, a sure fire way to add back to your soil vital nutrients that in turn, give you the basis for amazing produce.

Carbon and Nirtogen = compost. Okay, there is a little more to it but for our purposes, we are good. Carbon-rich “brown” materials are items like fall leaves, straw, dead flowers from your garden and shredded newspaper [and you have been wondering how to use waste from your paper shredder contraption].

Nitrogen-rich “green” materials, are grass clippings, plant-based kitchen waste (vegetable peelings and fruit rinds, absolutely no meat scraps). No fancy compost pails are needed for the kitchen waste [although there are some really nice ones out there]. I hang a plastic bag just under where I work in the kitchen and  scoop kitchen scraps into it. Once full, I take it out to the main compost bin.

Now, about the main compost bin. Many cities offer compost bins to their cities residents through  municipal waste or quality of life departments for a nominal fee. The one we have in our garden was provided by the City of Redlands. It is stack-able – three tiers high, measuring about 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall.

When starting your compost bin, layer the first layer with dry matter - we used leaves. Next, top with a thin layer of green stuff and a thin layer of soil [dirt]. Moisten the three layers and then repeat. The goal is to keep a ratio of three parts brown to one part green. Don’t worry if it takes you a bit to gather up your ingredients. Fall is a great time to collect as much brown matter as you can [straw and leaves are more plentiful now than in summer, so stock up!].

If you are intent on perfecting the compost process, may I suggest making it a community project. Surely, someone on your block has some trees that loose their leaves each fall and someone else has lots of green lawn. Put it all together and you have the makings of amazing compost.

A few last words on compost. Every couple of weeks,  turn the pile, moving the stuff at the center of the pile to the outside and working the stuff on the outside to the center. Do keep it moist,  not soggy. Seeing steam from your pile is a good thing [don't be worried if you don't always see it] Steam means stuff is  decomposing. Soon, you will  see earthworms.

Don’t be worried if some stuff in your compost pile takes a bit longer to break down. Add  that stuff  to the newer stuff – letting it have more time to break down. Don’t be afraid to add non-colored paper towels, dryer lint, egg shells and coffee grounds to your compost. If you have a bit of time, you can blend up the kitchen waste into a puree – gross, but it does speed up the compost time.

Ready to use the compost? Not sure how and where? Check out this article on Organic Gardening -

Enjoy the day!

Redlands, 14hr37min, sunny with puffy white clouds.

Well here we are, past the half way mark of the Fall season. For us, farmers markets have wrapped up until the Spring, festivals and events have all come and gone. Nursery operations are shifting away from seed starting to maintenance and the time is here to reflect on the past growing seasons and plan for those to come.

This year, we have seen some very positive growth, both in the nursery and in our community. More and more of you are growing more of your own food, cooking more with fresh herbs and supporting your local growers/farmers by shopping at various farmers markets.  Across our region and the country, this healthy, sustainable action is proving to be more than a fashionable trend.  Just this year alone, we have seen numerous farmers markets come on the scene here in our county with more around the corner in 2011.  This is all good.

On the down side, with the tremendous growth in all things fresh, local and sustainable, our farmers markets are being hit with some shady if not illegal practices. All too often, markets are now seeing “resellers” – vendors who are not growing the produce they are selling at their booth [much of it coming from through the docks of Los Angeles from other countries]. Many booths are being run by people who have never stepped foot on the farm that may or may not have produced the products they are selling. Vendors who do have organic certification on some of the products they provide are filling their tables with produce not grown organically – leaving the public somewhat misguided.

Perhaps the most common negative issue surrounding farmers markets today [from my perspective] is the misconception that just because something is grown locally or because it is at a farmers market , it is grown organically. I can not tell you how many times I have overheard a customer ask a farmer if they used pesticides and with the response being “no spray, no chemicals”. To this I say , “yeah right”. Come on people, it’s okay to tell the truth. When asked if we spray, I say, “yes, OMRI approved materials”. Once I explain what that is, I have never had someone put a plant back.

Okay, enough of my rant on that. Back to the nursery. When I look back on this year, I am quite happy with so much. We held true to growing only heirloom/heritage varieties and were happy to see that you appreciated that. We shifted our pots away from plastic to bio-degradable mid year and while we had not factored in the additional cost into our annual operating expenses, we sleep well at night. Mid year we even began to offer pre-printed plant stakes in our naturally grown herbs and heirloom/heritage vegetable and flower plants.

Like others in the field of agriculture, we had our fill of crop damage by pest [damn those Bagrada, catapillar worms, slugs] and misjudged the type and amount of certain crops we grew [who know heirloom tomato plants would not be our best sellers, the common sweet basil commonly found at Trader Joes or the plant I call a weed, I mean mint was].

One of the things I disliked the most was the the amount of inventory that went unsold, went past its prime and made its way into compost. There is something very heartbreaking about this! It’s hard to put into perspective the time and energy that goes into each plant we grow – from seed sourcing to seeding, germination, planting, fertilization, maintenance, pruning, tagging, hauling to and from market, etc…

In the back of my mind this whole year, I have been wishing that instead of composting these amazing wonders, I could just get them tucked in the ground, grow them to maturity and  offer their delectable fruits to the community. That wish has been granted, just in time to get all of our surplus fall/winter heirloom vegetable starts in the ground, avoiding the dreaded compost bin!

I am so happy to announce that Rolling Hills has partnered with our neighbor, Annie Mercado, amazing beekeeper and longtime grower of avaocado’s , oranges, grapefruit, oranges, kiwi and blackberries on her families ranch spanning over three acres to offer the community another option in eating fresh, locally and sustainably. To her amazing produce, we will be offering our own heirloom vegetables, fresh cut herbs, fragrant flower bouquets, herb salt blends, herb teas, local eggs  and recipes in weekly boxes – fresh from us to you.

Starting this Winter, together with Annie, we will begin offering these amazing CSA shares.  What does CSA stand for? Community supported agriculture.  Individuals who join in to participate  make a quarterly commitment which helps us, cost-effectively produce heirloom vegetables and ensures that the farm fresh produce you and your family will be enjoying is the  freshest, tastiest most nutritious you can get.

Think about the how you will be helping to  reduce air pollution and fossil fuel consumption by buying food that wasn’t flown or driven hundreds even thousands of miles. Think about the  greater variety of produce you and your family will be enjoying. Think about how this one simple act will help to preserve small family farmland and help to keep money within the local economy.

So, what can you expect in your weekly “share” of the crops? In the winter months, expect heirloom oak-leaf, red and green salad bowl, autumn blend lettuces. Expect bulls blood, golden and chioggia beets. Expect Nero Di Toscana kale, bright lights and magenta Swiss chard, cilantro, garlic chives & African blue basil. Expect avocado’s and oranges. Expect herb sea salt blends and recipes using ingredients in your boxes. If you would like, we can add in a dozen local eggs .  Throughout the year, look for treats like Annie’s own “Bee Love” honey or our seasonal tea blends made with our own herbs. And because we are a state licensed nursery grower, look for our naturally grown herb/heirloom vegetable plants to make their way into your spare boxes from time to time.

Cost for the shares looks like this: We will start with  Small Shares, delivered weekly: 34.50 a week. 13 weeks in quarter x 34.50 = $448.50 + $10 start up fee = $458.50. Playing with the idea of 1/2 shares  or mini shares – perfect for single households & students. Let us know what you think!

In order to plan efficiently, your CSA commitment is made on a quarterly basis. If you would like to discontinue after any quarter, a simple email will do the trick. Quarters will end in December, March, June and September. We will do our billing and planning in the last few weeks of these month, which means we are accepting new subscribers NOW! with a launch date of January 1, 2011.

Aside from the CSA, in 2011 Rolling Hills Herbs & Heirloom Annuals will feature yet more unique heirloom varieties of edibles grown naturally – from our backyard to yours. Look for black edamame, cress, strawberries, pumpkins [galeaux d'eysines], hot peppers [thai and red habanero] watermelon [yellow] to name a few. Look for orange thyme, verigated African blue basil [plus lots more annual varieties] catnip and cat grass, white sage and bay laurel.

To make our nursery operations more cost efficient, we will be offering wonderful preseason discounts when you place your spring order early [more on that to come]. As seed catalogs begin to hit your mailbox and your plant wishlist fills up, don’t forget to share it with us! Anyway we can help you grow your best garden ever – we are happy to lend a hand.

Enjoy the day!

Monday morning, 06hr39, light rain here in Redlands – reflecting on this past weekend. Savoring the triumph that was RIPE! – Our Fall Garden to Table Festival.

The idea for the festival began in mid summer. We growers are always thinking a season [or two] ahead, it seems. Knowing that many farmers markets would be winding down just as fall crops were making their way into the Earth,  the idea to celebrate the fall edible garden emerged. 

You have most likely heard me say how gardening in the Fall is absolutely the easiest season to grow a garden. I do hope you will at least dare me to be wrong. Summer heat [that for the most part did not arrive this year] has made way for cooler temperatures and an early amount of rain. The soil is still warm though, making it easy to get our hands down in the soil. Things that we can not [for the most part] grow successfully other times of the year – lettuce [lettuce, lettuce] arugula, cilantro, dill, spinach, all grow fabulously now – and with so little effort [except for the  slugs which using Sluggo from Cherry Valley Nursery can take care of].

In my mind, growing food is not reserved for just the spring/summer season. I am passionate about expanding the amount of food I grow – adding more plants and more variety each season. I love the fact that when I need cilantro or kale, it is right outside and that I do not have to run to the grocery store. I love that in the Fall and Winter, we have plenty of  lettuce on hand – kinds you just don’t see anywhere else.

Keeping a kitchen garden growing into the Fall and Winter is also my way of helping to stay grounded [literally and figuratively] in a time of year that is marked with less sunlight, more commotion and a frantic  energy that seems to permeate everything.  The fall garden grows a little slower – but at a steady pace. It is forgiving and patient. It allows me to take what is needed and then generously regrows more for another day [like the lettuce, kale and chard - you cut it and in a few weeks - it has regrown enough for yet another harvest]. Being one with the natural rythem of nature does a lot to reset and restore me individually.

Fall and Winter gardens allow me to grow foods that my body seems to especially need and appreciate. Kale, chard,broccoli, cabbage – all vitally rich in nutrients, fibers, natural energy. And if by magic, the garden grows almost effortlessly, as if it knows that we all need to go inside, rest and regroup as a year winds down.

For many, shopping at a local farmers market or growing a garden is all about flavor. Who can blame anyone for that? Nothing is crisper, sweeter, more savory than fresh from the fields – fresh from the vine, fresh from the garden. For others, the act of buying local now extends beyond local retail to the foods they feed themselves and their family.

And as RIPE! showed us this past Saturday, fresh, local food brings together people of all ages, races, beliefs, abilities – all unified as community. Saturday was all about positive action – being the change we all seek. People came together to learn how to grow food in their gardens more successfully and then put that knowledge into action when they helped plant the raised bed at OAM full of basil or when took home locally grown heirloom sugar snap peas and beets along with the organic fertilizer and insecticidal soaps to help care for them.

After savoring seasonal  foods made with ingredients  grown here locally and freshly prepared by the amazing folks of Olive Ave. Market, many picked up the raw ingredients from the local growers to recreate at home. After hearing of the Beyond the Garden Gate – Growing Food for Ourselves & Our Community – a debut program which encourages each of us that gardens to plant just one extra edible plant in our home garden for the sole purpose of donating it to Family Services of Redlands – our community accepted the invitation and got started immediately.

It is quite remarkable to realize that the entire RIPE! event was created and executed by US – we the local people.  There was no big business there – just us local business men and women. Advertising and marketing of the event was done by each of us as well  -connecting with each other through social networking and face to face invitation.  Each person that volunteered – the children’s librarian from A.K. Smiley Library, the students from the University of Redlands, Chef Lee,  my friends Roberto, Wendy & Sandra, Amber’s friend [please forgive me, I may forget names but never faces!] you are our neighbors. Thank you for being there and for helping to create the community we all strive to have.  No more wishing for it – we created it!

When I reflect on the events of RIPE!, I am filled with gratitude to have seen so many familiar faces of friends we had met at this past years farmers markets. I am so pleased when I remember seeing many of you finally meet the awesome folks of Cherry Valley Nursery and pick up the best organic products for gardening. I know you will visit them time and time again.

When I think back on how those of you that came to hear how to plant a raised bed and garden in the Fall/Winter actually got your hands dirty and helped to plant the raised bed at the market, I am so happy. Remembering Sandra explain and demonstrate pieces of knowledge she has picked up while working with us in the nursery makes me so proud. And as always, when I reflect back on my daughter Corrina  [and Ms. Sue of Winchester Cheese's  daughter,

  Shea] running our respective booth with such class, poise and professionalism – my heart is so happy and so proud.

As I allow myself to savor the success of RIPE!, I hope each of you will join with me in acknowledging your success as well. YOU are creating the world you envision. We really are RIPE! for all that is local, fresh, sustainable and authentically GOOD!  

Enjoy today as well as  the bounty and  the restoration the Fall season brings.

I don’t know about you, but the radish is not at the top of my favorite vegetable list. As pretty and  as  healthy as they are, I still so not have an overwhelming desire to find new recipes that show case them let alone, eat them raw.

The plus side of radish. Radishes are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.  They are a  good source of riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, copper manganese and a very good source of fiber, vitamin C, folate and potassium.  In addition, they have mild anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial as well as anti-fungal properties. They are said to be beneficial for cough, respiratory problems, digestive disorders,  asthma, bronchitis liver and gallbladder troubles.

Overall, they are one really great natural food. The only problem is the flavor.  I just haven’t been able to bring myself to tollerate, nevermind enjoy a radish. But with a resolve to add more vegetables to my diet, especially the ones we grow here in our nursery, radish is back on the table.

Being a root vegetable [just like beets or carrots] and not a fan of overly warm weather [who is?]  radish thrive in the fall/winter garden.They are not fussy about their growing conditions which means they don’t mind cool frost, being grown in containers or being bunched close to one another. They can tolerate some shade – only needing about six hours of sunlight to grow like a champ.

 Unlike other root crops, radish mature pretty fast – in as little as 20-40 days.  Don’t be tempted to leave them in the garden to see how big they can grow. Sure, you might grow some whopper size radish but they will not taste good and they will be soggy. Harvest them when they are of a decent edible size and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Now, how to eat them. While raw is always best, let’s explore the idea of cooking them! Better yet, lets combine them with a veggie we do like – carrots -[another  fall favorite and root veggie].

Ingredients

12 young, tender carrots
1/2 red onion
3 large radishes
2 teaspoons minced fresh  French thyme
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
Rolling Hills Herbed Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, as desired

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Wash, peel and slice carrots into thin strips or rounds.

3. Wash the radishes and slice them into a similar thickness as the carrots.

4. Slice onion  thin.

5. Add  freshly cut thyme and parsley to the carrot-radish mixture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss generously with olive oil.

6. Bake on a parchment-lined sheet tray until tender and slightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Easy enough and delicious served along turkey meatloaf or baked chicken. For variations, substitute freshly grated ginger for thyme and serve over brown rice.

Enjoy the day!

Rolling Hills Herbs & Heirloom Annuals

Hello All!

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful Fall rain. The weather God[s] have looked down favorably on us and yes, it will  be clear and beautiful for RIPE! A Fall Garden to Table Festival this coming Saturday! We look forward to seeing you there. Be sure to bring a friend [or two!].

We have an amazing group of participants that will be on hand: Riley’s Farm of Oak Glen with apples, tomato, squash and zucchini [wondering how they still have lots of summertime produce in the middle of fall? Successive Planting -more on that for a later post!], Joes Local Eggs of Redlands, Winchester Cheese Co, Cherry Valley Nursery [on hand with organic soil, organic plant food, organic pest management and low chill varieties of fruit trees and berry vines just in time for Fall planting!], Farquhar Farms with yummy avocados and citrus, SunnysideLocal [local grower of blueberry plants], Three Sisters Farm, A.K. Smiley Library [children's garden based story-time 10- noon], Slow Food Redlands & Family Services of Redlands.

Speaking of Family Services of Redlands, Rolling Hills and Olive Avenue Market have teamed up to launch, Over the Back Gate- Growing for Ourselves & Our Community© a program that encourages everyone who grows their own  food to plant a little extra in their kitchen garden for the sole purpose of donating to Family Services of Redlands. Donations of fresh produce are welcome 5 days a week! [even one Saturday a month] at their location here in Redlands off Lawton.   

To kick off this program, guests of RIPE! who purchase 5 of our naturally grown herbs and/or edibles will automatically receive 1 free 4 in veggie plant just by letting us know that you are participating in this outreach!Thank you for spreading word of this program to  friends & family!

Rolling Hills will be  on hand with herbs and fall heirloom veggie starters. Just for the event, we have planted lots of salad bowls and herbs in beautiful decorative containers – perfect for the kitchen window or any other inside sunny location.  Join us as for a cup of Chocolate Mint Roobis tea we have freshly crafted just for the festival using our very own chocolate mint and stevia. While you are there, be sure to sample our other brand new debeut – Herbed Organic Sea Salt. Herbed salts are a great way to add flavor to almost anything while lowering the amount of salt we use. Our naturally grown sage, rosemary, marjoram, oregano along with lime and orange combine with organic French sea salt for one amazing experience for the pallate.

At our booth, you will also find an interest list that we are compliling for starting a CSA [community sponsored agriculture] this coming Spring. Rolling Hills is in the beginning phases of collaborating with a local farmer   here in Redlands to create a CSA that will offer heirloom vegetables, avocado’s, citrus, honey, cut herbs and recipes in each share. If you are interested, be sure sign up. We will forward you more information as we get a little further down the road.

Have we mentioned the food? Olive Avenue Market is busy preparing seasonal delights like soup with apples and butternut squash, beet salad, carrot salad, pumpkin parfait & more! Come and enjoy these seasonal delights. Grab a cup of local coffee or tea. Pick up fresh produce and stay to watch as we plant a raised bed full of basil. Learn more about local educational outreaches and how to grow food in your own back-yard.

Enjoy the day,

Rolling Hills

Hello All!

Something really cool happened last week that I wanted to share with you. As many of you know, in addition to growing  herb and heirloom vegetable starters  for the home gardener, we offer contract growing for local farmers.

What is contract growing? Basically, a farmer or nursery contacts us and asks us to grow something specific for them. They give us the quantity they are looking for, sometimes providing us the seed or raw cuttings for rooting. Then grow their plants for them. The process takes anywhere from 30-90 days, depending on what we are growing.

Anyhow,  last week our neighbor Victoria asked if she could stop in to pick up a few plants. When she arrived, she had with her an empty Aveda Shampure bottle that she was re-using as a container to hold lavender and chamomile – both of which are botanicals used in Aveda product. She has partnered with Julian August – an Avenda Concept Salonhere in Redlands to create these eco-friendly herbal containers as a fundraiser in support of Earth Day 2011 and the non-profit Surfrider Foundation.

How brilliant is that?

To assist them with this fundraiser, Rolling Hills is contract growing many of the herbs they are going to use. We can do the same for you!

Are you looking for an eco-friendly fundraiser to support your school [heirloom tomato plants, edible flowers or a salsa garden , anyone?] or a  worthy cause? Are you preparing for a wedding and looking for “living centerpieces”?  Are you hosting a bridal or baby shower? Consider Rolling Hills Herbs and Annuals.

What better way is there to support a locally owned business, sustainable agriculture, and be eco-friendly all at the same time?

Enjoy the day!