Thanks to the SF Chronicle, I learned about a local resource that I can tap into if I need to. It’s called the Institute of Urban Homesteading (IUH) and is dedicated to teaching the lost skills of gardening and making a variety of foods by hand.The instructors go a little further than what I’d personally do at home and also get into raising and slaughtering animals for meat. All in all, it’s very interesting to see a group dedicated to bringing people back in touch with their food – where it comes from, how it’s prepared, etc.
Due to my interest in urban “farming,” I decided to take a tour of an urban farm when the IUH was offering tours on 5 different farms in the SF East Bay this month. I was surprised to find out that aside from the animals and the bee hives, my garden is just as diverse and plentiful as the one that I toured.
The key difference between my garden and the urban farm I toured centered around the way the plants were arranged. Whereas my garden is structured and organized (more European as my European spouse describes it), the urban farm garden area was more free flowing with curving paths and a bit of controlled chaos that added some interesting character.
It was good to have a benchmark to compare what I’ve been doing for 3 years and realize that I’ve been on the right path as a result of reading the right books.Since I’m on the topic of books, the ones that I’ve read that have helped the most in my gardening endeavors are:
- Golden Gate Gardening
- Plants & Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region
- Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners
If you start with those books and follow them up with some good cookbooks that focus on Farmers Market produce, you’ll be on your way to eating well from your own backyard without taking classes (unless you want to!).
My favorite cookbooks for the urban gardener
- Eating Well In Season: The Farmers Market Cookbook
- Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating From America’s Farmers’ Markets
