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It’s important to Know What Is in Your Food


FarmGirls August 19, 2012

Waxahachie Daily Light

Fall gardening is upon us and knowing what is in your food is something The FarmGirls encourage you to explore. Have you worried about E. coli, Listeria, or other soil/food borne illnesses? Do you wonder when you bite into a plump tomato or a fresh ear of corn how many miles it has traveled to be a feast on your table? Would it peak your curiosity to know what growing methods the farmer uses to produce your food? These are questions that we asked ourselves after Donelle returned from an extended trip to Europe. She found that her taste of produce in America was vastly different than what she had grown accustomed to in Bosnia.


It was the moment she snipped off a side shoot from the dividend broccoli growing in her mom’s garden that made her realize there was definitely a difference in the quality and flavor of the food. Soon she also learned that the homegrown vegetable is likely to have a higher nutritional content, which started the FarmGirl journey. Although having a delicious steamed broccoli side dish with the best flavor, great quality, and high nutritional value is important, the best part is growing your own food. Our favorite time of the year to garden is in the fall. The cooler temperatures that Fall brings us is not only a relief from this August heat, but you can stay outdoors longer, the pests are fewer, and your collards, kale, carrots, and tomatoes taste sweeter because the sugar content is higher in cooler weather. Wouldn’t you garden in the fall for sweeter tomatoes? The FarmGirls do!


It is time to start your fall gardens and The FarmGirls have a goal. We want to see an increase in organic backyard gardening, especially in our hometown of Waxahachie. However, if you are not going to garden this season, we suggest you check the local resources for organically/naturally grown foods like those at the Downtown Waxahachie Farmer’s Market or the local organic section of our grocery stores. Tune in every Friday to The FarmGirls Organic Radio Show on KAAM 770 AM to learn more about organic gardening. Our show is at 1:00 PM, just after your organic lunch. Like us on Facebook at Garden Inspirations as we continue to make friends over the FarmGirls’ garden gate…

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September 2, 2012 - Waxahachie Daily Light

Written By: Marilyn & Donelle Simmons

The Farm Girls are always watching for great new sustainable ideas. We visit many trade shows and learn about new products on the market. A few weeks ago we discovered "Ollas Pots". As you can imagine some of the new modern sustainable products are not really new ideas. What makes us chuckle is a lot of the new products are often times ideas that we left in the dust decades or even centuries ago. Just like bell bottoms reappear on the fashion market, so do some of these "green" ideas. The Ollas Pots may not be a new idea, but we are confident that this will be of great use for many gardeners. The Ollas Pots are a red clay urn-shaped pot with a lid. The pot is sunk into the soil in the middle of a 4’ x 4’ space of your garden and filled with water covering with the lid to keep out the mosquitoes. The clay pot slowly leaks out and waters the garden. This product would be wonderful not only for the conservation of water, but for the convenience of a busy home owner. Oh yes! The Farm Girls brought home two Ollas Pots and have sunk one into the DFW Truck Farm, which is a large container garden and the other will be used for teaching purposes in many of our on-going garden education classes.


Another sustainable gardening practice that we discovered on a garden consultation is a way to attract earthworms to your garden. Now this method requires a little effort of eating your favorite flavor of ice cream from a clear plastic tub. (It’s a tough job being a FarmGirl) Once the clear plastic tub of ice cream is finished wash it out and cut the bottom of the tub saving the lid. Bury the tub in a convenient spot in your garden and fill it 1/3 of the way full with enriched soil or compost. Purchase red wiggler worms from a local nursery put them in the tub adding a 1/3 more of soil leaving the top space open to place vegetable scraps in the tub either daily or as needed. (Exclude the use of high acid fruits such as oranges and lemon rinds) The moisture level in the tub should be that of a well-rung sponge. Worms are good friends to the gardener and we consider them to be King of the Soil. This is a fun activity to do with children in your garden or school gardens. If you have a sustainable idea - email us and share your idea!

farmgirls@gardeninspirations-tx.com


Tune in every Friday to The FarmGirls Organic Radio Show on KAAM 770 AM to learn more about organic gardening. Our show is at 1:00 PM, just after your organic lunch. Like us on Facebook at Garden Inspirations as we continue to make friends over the FarmGirls’ garden gate…