Market Farming

[bob111higgins AT comcast.net]

Hi,

As an urban gardener you probably know this, but please beware of lead levels 
in your soil -- origins mostly in old lead paint from adjacent housing over 
the 
years, and from car exhaust from old lead-additive gasoline. Arrange for a 
good 
soil test to be sure.

Very small amounts of lead can cause permanent neurological damage in 
children, 
and larger amounts can impair adults, unless promptly detected and treated. 
When I lived in Boston, we could have mined our back yard garden spot for 
lead. 
As a result, I built raised beds with scavenged, clean compost and soil, even 
lining the bottoms of the beds with perforated plastic to limit root contact 
with the contaminated soil but allowing drainage.

As you might expect, root crops show the heaviest uptake, followed by greens 
and then fruiting / flowering vegetable crops.

Bob
Red Brick Farm
Hopewell, NJ
> Hi Farming Friends, 
> 
> I'm a lurker on the list, director of a community & youth gardening 
> nonprofit 
> in Washington DC.  I thought I'd turn to you all for some good advice.  
> 
> I'm advising the startup of a new community garden -- its about 50'x200', 
> may 
> 1/3 again larger than that; flat, currently growing a bountiful crop of 
> weeds.
> 
> I'm looking for practical, low-cost, plan for preparing the soil.  There 
> are 
> SO many options, but some cost more than others, some are ready for 
> planting 
> sooner than others, etc.  For example, the rototilling and amending plan 
> which 
> would cost more and take a long time to do. 
> 
> I think this group might be a great candidate for a no-till option in which 
> they start by mowing down the weeds, smothering the weeds (advice please), 
> then 
> 'building' soil by layering up the least costly ingredients (composted 
> leaves, soil, manure/sawdust mix, straw, etc -- advice please!), then 
> letting it 
> sit 
> and settle over the winter, for planting in the spring.
> 
> I would really like your advice on this.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Judy Tiger
> Garden Resources of Washington
> Washington, DC 20009
> grow19 AT aol.com
> ... building community, revitalizing neighborhoods, and educating youth 
> through community and youth gardens ...
> 

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