DAY 8: March 28: We've Got Seedlings!

A little earlier than I expected ... eight days after planting my first batch of heirloom seeds, I see green leaves poking through the soil. What has come up first? FILDERKRAUT CABBAGE. Willkommen, my little cuties!

Filderkraut Cabbage, also known as Spitzkhohl, is an ancient German heirloom that was developed for making sauerkraut. According to Annie's, this variety has "huge pointed heads, is very sweet, and makes for an excellent sauerkraut."

The plant is expected to grow to about 28 inches, and the arrow-shaped heads should be about 12 inches tall when ready for picking.

I'm pleased that these came up first, as these are a very long seasoned crop--mature heads aren't even expected for 90-100 days after transplanting them into the ground, which is still a few weeks away.

Also, like most cabbages, they are a cool weather crop and best seeded indoors in early spring so the plants can develop while the temperatures are still cool. I'll try to keep some warmth underneath the soil, and bright light via the sun and/or a grow light above the seedlings until the outdoor temps are warm enough again to harden them off outside for a few hours a day, lengthening the time they're out each day as time goes on, before transplanting them in the ground for the season.

In the last few years, I've started to really enjoy several varieties of cabbage, and in raw and cooked forms. I'm fascinated that cabbage has been around for thousands of years and was loved by the Greeks and Romans. I'll dig into the history of cabbage and post what I find in a few days.

Fiddleheads

So the hard freeze last night didn't harm a thing in my yard, and I hope that most Michigan farmers were spared as well.

While I was out surveying my property earlier today (which took all of 3 minutes), I spotted tons of young fern shoots along the cool side of my garage. About three years ago, some loving family members offered up ferns from their overcrowded yard about 10 miles from me, and, since transplanting, the plants have nicely multiplied, as root-and-shoots do.

Ferns are magical this time of year. Their top curly-cue fronds (called fiddleheads) are something out of a Dr. Suess book. No wonder they've become a culinary delight--they're GORGEOUS, and they're packed full of antioxidants. If you're going to eat them, just make sure to clean and cook them properly--eating them raw have caused some illnesses. In fact, some varieties are toxic. Ostrich ferns are the safest to eat. They're usually able to be harvested just two to three weeks in the spring.

Before cooking, be sure to wash your fiddleheads thoroughly, rubbing off any brown coating on the plant. Boil or blanche them with some butter-water, finished with sea salt and pepper. 

'Tis the Season for a Hard Frost

The daffodils are sHiVeRiNg outside. I told the bees to warn the plants: Don't come up out of the ground yet. But last weeks' 80-degree temps coaxed us all out into the sun, I think.

There's a freeze warning in effect for the entire Great Lakes region as well as other areas of the U.S. tonight. It's early evening, and my heirloom seeds are all snug in the house already--and they might get a grow light treatment to boot--but I worry about the early rising flowers and the budding Japanese Maples in my yard. Of course more in trouble could be the mass crops of apples and asparagus and strawberries. Farmers won't sleep well tonight.

DAY 1: March 20: The First Seeds Meet Soil

It's go time. My nine-year-old daughter and I are working together on this project, and all winter we've been collecting egg cartons. There are a few of the styrofoam varieties but the majority are recycled cardboard, which we will further recycle directly into the ground with our seedlings.

Five varieties of tomato plants went into 3-inch fiber pots, which can also be planted straight into the ground. I love the variety...greek, pink, black, red, cherry.

Each container was labeled (<3 Sharpie <3), and after planting, all immediately went out to sunbathe--it's been record high temperatures in the 80s this week, so our seeds should be off to a dandy start. With it being March in the Midwest, though, we'll have to watch the temperatures carefully. There's a spot ready in the basement for when the outdoor temps drop near the freezing mark, which could very well happen yet.

We'll now fall into a twice-a-day water cycle (a spray bottle is used so the seeds aren't flooded) and anticipate the day that the happy little seedlings poke through the soil. In the meantime, the big shovels will come out to rearrange the yard. There are many shrubs to dig out and plants to move around to make room for our heirlooms. Concerned about the tiny yard, I have been thinking a lot about vertical gardening--these guys are going to need to grow UP...

My Heirloom Seed Purchase

All winter I thought about purchasing heirloom seeds. Suddenly March arrived, and I realized that I needed them asap! I did some fast and furious research and made the decision to buy from a small, family-owned farm in my own state. It just felt right.

I ordered from Annie's Heirloom Seeds. I found the website to be well-organized and detailed, and the owners share my opinion on growing heirlooms to honor previous generations (the past) in addition to growing for ultimate flavor and health (for the present and future). The seeds arrived snippity-snap at my door.

Here's what I ordered. As the months go by, I'll detail each choice and track the plants' development.

• Lacinato Kale
• Filderkraut Cabbage
• Mammoth Red Rock Cabbage
• Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts
• Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach
• White Vienna Kohlrabi
• King of the North Bell Pepper
• Amish Snap Pea
• Parisian Market Carrot
• Jaune du Daubs Carrot
• Bianco di Maggio Onion
• Cilantro
• Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Sugar Baby Watermelon

• Annie's Lettuce Blend, which consists of Forellenschluss, Tango, Red Salad Bowl, Oak Leaf, Amish Deer Tongue, Rouge d'Hiver, Rossimo, and Cocarde

• And Annie's Favorite Tomatoes Collection, which consists of Black Krim, Thesssaloniki, Koralik, Amish Paste, and Caspian Pink

Total price, with shipping? Just over $40. I was tempted to buy more. Annie's has some beautiful varietites of eggplants, melons, and peppers, but I don't even know how I'll fit what I did order into my small yard.

Consider this all experimental--we'll see how these turn out, how the space plays out, and how much produce these plants yield. Hopefully I'll have LOTS to share, and have room left to expand the offerings next season.

What's the Deal with GMOs?

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. Crops that have been genetically engineered have been proven to be more pest-, disease-, and herbicide-resistant than their natural predecessors, and GMO plants hold up better to extreme weather. Sounds great, right? But hold on ... are GMO plants okay for the environment and for animals? What about for humans? We don't know yet because GMO seed producers got fast U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval without any long-term testing. Whuh?

It seems that back when George Bush Sr. was president, the White House mandate to the FDA was to promote biotechnology. The person in charge of developing the agency’s policy at that time was a former Monsanto attorney, who later returned to Monsanto as their vice president. Monsanto is a huge biotech company that is reportedly responsible for the technology behind 90% of all genetically modified seeds. I find that connection quite interesting. Monsanto is also responsible for developing Agent Orange, saccharin, and various pesticides and herbicides (including the well-known weed killer called Roundup™). And now the company controls 90% of our new seed supply? I'm not okay with that.

The few studies that have been conducted are showing unfavorable results. Some published animal studies, for example, show potentially higher risks of toxicity, allergenicity, immune suppression, impaired fertility, and cancer. In 1996, it was found that genes spliced from Brazil nuts and soybeans resulted in allergic reactions so severe that the individuals could suffer anaphylactic shock, possibly leading to death (Campbell). According to the Institute for Responsible Technology, the FDA's own scientists believe that GMOs could lead to unpredictable and hard-to-detect allergens in the body, as well as toxin build-up, new diseases, and nutritional problems.

Further disheartening is the fact that the FDA has required no labeling on GMO foodstuffs, so there is no way for the average consumer to determine whether or not his or her food has been genetically altered.

If any of this alarms you--and it should--do your own research. Watch the eye opening documentary Food Inc. Write to your congressperson. Given the facts on GMO known today, I'm putting aside my adventurous tendencies and playing it safe and all natural, growing heirloom plants with the exact same genetic makeup that my ancestors cultivated. Exactly how I'm going to accomplish this, and in my tiny urban space, is a different story ... and what this project is all about.

Sources:

Campbell, Jonathan, "50 Harmful Effects of Genetically Modified Foods," http://www.cqs.com/50harm.htm.

Center for Food Safety, http://truefoodnow.org/.

"How to Avoid GMOs/Monsanto." Garden of Eatin', http://www.garden-of-eatin.com/how-to-avoid-monsanto/

Food Inc., http://www.takepart.com/foodinc.

"Genetically modified food," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food.

"Genetically Modified Foods,"Global Healing Center, http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/nutrition/genetically-modified-foods.

GMO Health Dangers, http://www.responsibletechnology.org.

"Monsanto’s Roundup Really DOES Cause Birth Defects, New Report Finds," Planetsave, http://planetsave.com/2011/06/08/monsantos-roundup-really-does-cause-birth-defects-new-report-finds/.

Whitman, Deborah, "Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?", April 2000, http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php.

Whitman, Thomas, ed. "American Rice Banned in Many Countries After Genetic Contamination," August 21, 2006, Ecological Farming Association, http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_1605.cfm.

What Are Heirloom Seeds?

Heirloom seeds, to me, are simply seeds of plants that started the "seed - plant - seed" cycle before seeds were genetically modified (had their DNA altered by genetic engineering techniques).

Seed Savers Exchange, an almost 40-year-old organization devoted to preserving heirloom plants through regeneration and seed exchange, defines "heirloom" as "open-pollinated varieties that are more than 50 years old and have been handed down through generations."

Per the Daily Green, "Heirloom vegetables sound fancy but are simply the kinds of vegetables everyone ate before the days of mass-produced produce. These are veggies that look and taste the way nature intended..."

Anyone who has tasted a homegrown heirloom tomato can't deny that it has a superior taste to a mass-produced, store-bought variety, which is cross-bred to crapola. Its shelf-life may have increased by a week or two, saving the grocer a few pennies, but the supermarket tomato now tastes a little like a red rubber ball.

The case for genetically modified (GMO) produce is potentially much worse than being palate-displeasing...we think. I say it that way because long-term testing of GMO produce is incomplete. After all, GMO foods were only put on the market in 1996! There are no long-term studies to definitively tell us how these laboratory-altered products affect the human body, and yet, by 2010, per the National Agricultural Statistics Board, 93% of the planted area of soybeans, 93% of cotton, 86% of corn grown in the United States were GMO. More on GMO in a separate post. For now my focus is on heirloom, and out I go to water my little planted treasures.

Sources:

"Genetically modified food," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food.

"Heirloom Seeds," The Daily Green, http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/heirloom-seeds.

Seed Savers Exchange, http://www.seedsavers.org.

Deciding to Grow Heirlooms

Heirloom = a valuable possession passed on from generation to generation.

My father was a backyard gardener. My grandparents and great grandparents on both sides of my family were farmers. I have it in my blood. Although my newly arrived heirloom seeds are not from family, they come from a small farm in Michigan--a farm much like my past generations may have owned.

I've grown herbs and flowers and various types of vegetables through the years, but it's time to make it more meaningful. Some day I'll buy some land. Today, I have just a few hundred square feet in my urban yard. I'm determined to make it work. I will feed my family heirloom edibles this summer, and I will preserve and share the seeds after this season...

...and in the process, I hope to find a pathway to my inner garden of tranquility amidst the sounds of car alarms, disgruntled neighbors, and freeway traffic.