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We are growers of "our~ganic" (not officially certified organic - see below) fruits
and vegetables in Catalina, AZ, slightly north of Tucson. Our aim is to be a source of freshly harvested local
produce for the Catalina area, including Oro Valley and NW Tucson. This web site mainly functions to let everyone
know approximately what we are currently harvesting, how to get here, and what the current hours are. I update on
Tuesday and answer mail. If there appears to have been no update, the veggies are the same as last week.
Directions to Our Garden are on the "Location" page (see links above).
Please drive slowly. You may be sharing the narrow roadway with chickens and dogs and humans.
Hours are posted farther down this page, along with the current harvest. See the "Contact" page
to get in touch.
PS: please try to remember to BYOB (bring your own bag),
but we have a few for those who forget. I forget sometimes too!
Hours:
Saturdays 9am until Noon
| Spring is just around the corner. |
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January Harvest
at least
3 varieties of lettuce,
spinach,
eggs!,
bok choi,
arugula,
grapefruit,
tangelos,
radishes,
bay
leaves, rosemary,
and anything else we can find!
(beet greens,
turnips)
Garden News:
Rather than chat away here on the web site I have started an online journal. Here
is the link for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the recesses of the garden and points beyond. If you just
want garden news, look for the entries titled "Garden News".
www.LifeontheUrbanFarm.spaces.live.com
latest entry 1/28/2010
Otherwise, the basic hours and produce
list will be right here as always, as well as the email address.
Slow down. Be green. Shop local. Smile.
Every
time someone thanks us for doing this work, I am thanking them back for allowing us to do it. People who are appreciating
the value of having a variety of local, freshly grown organic produce... food right out of the ground.. actually still alive
when you buy it!... these people are contributing to the life of the community and the planet, as well as their own
little bodies. Thinking globally and acting locally isn't just for Earth First now, is it.
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| Summer Veggies |
You can click on this water color prickly pear to see some of Rebecca's art work. If
you are interested in purchasing any of her work, or contacting her for mural or other art-related work, just let us know.
Also, the San Pedro cactus below is a reminder that we also have native and climate-adapted plants available,
both ornamental and food producing, under the shade cloth in the garden. Jesse is the one to seek out there for
info.
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| My Blooming San Pedro |
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| Catalina resident |
This wise old resident is linking you to another Catalina web site, OurCatalina.com.
This site keeps up on local issues and interests, things to do, resources, etc., and is well worth checking
out. So put your pointer on the owl and he'll take you there.
| husking pistachioes |
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| pistachio flowers |
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"What are those trees?" When we first started doing this we thought people would enjoy driving through the orchard.
I took this picture of the flowers in early April one year, so they will soon be flowering again. To learn
about the orchard's history and odds and ends about us, click on this picture.
We had a pretty good harvest two years ago, with much volunteer help. Above is a picture John de Coville had
taken of many hands doing the husking. The machinery to do it all ourselves is cost prohibitive unless we win the lottery,
so we'll continue to do it all "by hands" for several years more anyway. The crops are generally heavy every other
or every 3 years, with light ones or next to nothing in between.
If we are harvesting while you are here, please go over and check out the operation. If you volunteer some time you
can even leave with some fresh pistachioes, not to mention an idea of the time involved in harvesting from just one tree.
Often this answers the question, "why don't you do anything with those nuts?" Don't worry, we will some day, with machinery.
Meanwhile, take advantage!
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We call it "Our-ganic"
Just a word or two (okay, I'm a wordy person) about the word "organic" here. Finally we have a government definition
for a term that's been tossed about loosely for years by gardeners. Some gardeners probably still don't know the meaning
of 'organic gardening', and some may dispute the definition adopted by our wise public servants. My feeling on the subject
is you are best informed by asking the grower how he gardens. This means you need to know what your own priorities are.
Wayne and I have always considered organic to mean without the use of chemical pesticides (commonly known as 'spraying')
and without the use of chemical fertilizers such as ammonium phosphate, sulphate, etc. We
both feel that the main issue is the spraying of chemical pesticides, insecticides, which are very harmful to us
and the environment. However, chemical fertilizers are not exactly harmless and it is possible to do without
them as well. While we are not certified organic, we are honest about telling you that the food we sell is grown
organically in the true sense of the word, thus "our-ganic". However, there is a lot to be said for the nutrition in
fresh local food however it's grown compared to that coming in by truck from who knows where.
I recently saw a sign on a contractor's truck that said "Unlicensed by Choice". Right on ~~ me too. A license
or certification doesn't automatically mean a good job done, and a lack of one doesn't mean a lack of quality or honesty.
If you are really looking for organics, ask the grower not only if his crops are sprayed with pesticides, but also what
he uses for fertilizers. Don't count on our government to protect you (think 'mad cow'). Really it is up to each
of us to take the responsibility to be as well-informed as we possibly can.
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| corny sunset |
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And, a tiny little word about pricing. So many new callers ask about our
prices, and I say it how it is- priced according to the local market (Wild Oats and TJ's) for organics. What we
have over Wild Oats and Trader Joe's (both of whom I really appreciate, don't get me wrong) is the freshness.
Where else can you get organic vegetables out of the garden the very same day unless you have your own garden? And if
you have had your own garden, you understand one of the major expenses. It's the water bill, isn't it!
For us the water bill is electricity to run a big enough pump to irrigate, not to mention the occasional thousands of dollars
on repairs. Don't look for bargains here. Look for quality. What Wayne always says, and he is not a wordy person, is, if you have to ask about prices you don't
want to come here. Personally
I believe in paying a fair price for the effort put out. We are not big enough to sell tons of veggies on the commerical
market and then roadside stand the leftovers at bargain basement prices. If it doesn't work this way, we'll
go back to just growing our own food... which is definitely the economical route for those who can't afford to
pay someone else to grow it for them. Again and again, it is a matter of priorities.
Ourselves, we don't even have a cable TV bill. Actually we no longer have television, but we do have high
speed internet. Just a matter of priorities. Live
well.
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