In spite of cloudy weather, Emily Jubenvill gave a very useful and interesting talk on various aspects of building gardens and composting. One technique for building a new garden is called “Lasagna Gardening”. This method transforms a weedy patch of ground into a productive garden without stripping the sod or pulling the weeds. Layers of brown, carbon-rich material, such as leaves and straw, are combined with layers of nitrogen-rich greens, such as grass clippings, vegetable peelings and manure, to produce good garden soil in a very short time.
We saw the result of a Lasagna Garden, which was built last spring. This garden produced a large crop of pumpkins last summer. After one year the garden has a good layer of rich soil ready for planting. Emily cautioned that in a new Lasagna Garden certain vegetables, such as pumpkins and squash, will do well, but not carrots or potatoes.
Emily answered many questions about composting and growing vegetables. She also demonstrated how to tell whether soil needs to be amended with organic matter or sand and explained the use of cover crops to protect and enrich the soil.
After the workshop, the attendees were treated to a healthy lunch courtesy of Loutet Farm, Sprout Organic Market and GBRRA’s own Fiona Walsh, who shared an assortment of her home-made Kombucha teas. Fiona explained that Kombucha starts out as sugary tea, which then undergoes fermentation with the help of a SCOBY (an acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast”). And yes, Fiona did bring a few SCOBYs for demonstration purposes. For instructions on how to make your own Kombucha, please refer to this link. Kombucha, besides being a delicious beverage (or an acquired taste, depending on who you talk to), may aid in the treatment of conditions such as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease).
