The EECO Farm Food Pantry Project has had a good season so far. I say “so far” because we are still growing fresh green and root vegetables with the aim of supplying them to the Food Pantry into the winter months. We are delivering 15 to 20 boxes of veggies to the East Hampton Food Pantry every week. We’ve been doing this now for more than 6 months. Carrots, kale, Swiss chard, sweet turnips, mizuna, tatsoi, lettuce, beans, radishes, tomatoes, peppers (hot and sweet), corn, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage . . . you name it, we deliver!  read more »

Most food and ornamental plants depend on pollination by wind or insects. Domestic and feral honey bees are important pollinators, but their numbers have been decimated by so-called colony collapse disorder (CCD). A combination of stress and insecticides is the most likely cause of CCD, and the result is clear – for some time to come only gardeners and farmers with their own healthy beehives will be able to rely on honey bees for pollination -- such as those at EECO Farm.  read more »

One of the joys of gardening is occasionally pushing the envelope to see what happens. If you get away with it, you congratulate yourself on being smarter than the pundits. If it fails, well, at least you gained some experience.  read more »

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The most important thing you put into your garden is also the least expensive: seeds.

But if you avoid cheap hardware-store brands and go the extra yard to get really good seeds, you will get better results. The companies listed below all offer good, fresh, organic seeds. You will notice that many of them are in areas to the north of here - this is good, because it means their seeds are likely to be acclimated to rather cooler temperatures than we get, and will do well. Seeds from warm climates don't do as well here - it's too chilly for them.  read more »

Always remember that tomatoes are a tropical plant, although careful breeding has produced some varieties that tolerate shorter days and cooler temperatures. Our climate is classified by the USDA as Zone 7, the same as north Georgia, so we are warm – but we are not tropical! Early tomatoes need everything you can do to keep them warm – row-cover tunnels, black or red plastic mulch, and/or Wall-o’-Water enclosures. The seeds like warm soil, too.  read more »

When you want a drink of water, you can walk over to the faucet or grab a bottle.

Plants don’t have that option - they depend on the water you give them, or what falls as rain. How much water do plants need, and what’s the best way to get it to them? A general rule of thumb is one inch of water per week. Plants that get an inch a week will certainly survive, and will probably thrive . . . unless it is blazing hot, unless the soil was dry as a bone to start with, and unless the soil is very sandy, so use your judgment.  read more »

Even the best gardens get insects and diseases (although healthy organic plants tend to shrug them off) so we've compiled a list of some companies selling products you can use with confidence and safety. Bear in mind that most insects are friends, not enemies. Before you zap something, find out what it is - it might well be a beneficial insect that will help you control harmful insects! If you can catch one in a jar, we will help you identify it as friend or foe. Happy gardening in 2008!

Organic pest and disease controls:  read more »

Please remember that this is only a guide, not a hard-and-fast schedule. Colder or warmer, or wetter or dryer weather will influence these dates. Some seeds will not germinate in cold soil, so pushing the envelope is always a gamble.  read more »

As the days get shorter and cooler, it’s time to start closing your garden down for the winter.

Spend a little time now to help your garden – and yourself! Come spring, when everyone else is hacking away at weather-hardened soil, you can, without breaking a sweat, start planting in great soil. Sound good?

Here’s how you can accomplish this minor miracle:  read more »

In the 1960s and 1970s, food described as “organic” was produced by small growers who were rebelling against the “chemical revolution” in agriculture. The 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which helped bring about the banning of DDT, raised people’s awareness of the environmental and health dangers of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.  read more »

When EECO Farm started seven years ago, it was straight out of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. The soil had no insects, no earthworms, no soil life at all. Because of this, there were no birds, not even crows. No hawks or falcons. The silence was eerie.  read more »

It’s almost time to sow seeds for your fall crop!  read more »

I have heard it said that a weed is simply a successful plant in the wrong place. As we all know, they are certainly successful – if you turn your back on bare soil for a day or two, it is certain to have some healthy-looking weeds growing there the next time you look.

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