  Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 323 Registered: 10-2003 |
Update on the woodchip pile next to my estate^^^ I just dug into it, I didnt see any worms, which Gannon said would be the indicator of good soil or material. Im just not sure but there are a few piles here for the taking. Id suggest a soil test of some sort. It looks like fantastic growing medium, It looks like woodchips that have been rotting for a while mixed in with soil. Its extremely light and airy. But if theres some kind of contamination in it Id hate for someone to ruin their garden. I have nothing to make me believe it is contaminated. Its here if anyone wants it though. Havent had any posts since I put up the offer though. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 515 Registered: 06-2005 |
I sat through a workshop today on sustainability. The speaker was from Portland, OR and discussed urban farming. In one example, someone ran a CSA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C ommunity-supported_agriculture) and delivered produce by bike. I'm just planting a seed of thought... | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 324 Registered: 10-2003 |
Cub, You told me about that seed distribution program behind the free lunch place. Do you have a link or a name, or even a #. I forgot when you told me it was open. | ||
Cub Member Username: Cub Post Number: 397 Registered: 02-2007 |
Django, I dont know if it is open everyday but I do know they are distributing hot crops on the 15th and 17th of this month. I am sure they will still have seeds. Greening of Detroits # is 313-237-8736. www.detroitagriculture.org I will be hitting your spot soon for some of those wood chips. I mainly need them for a walkway. | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 327 Registered: 10-2003 |
Cub see my post above. What I thought were woodchips are just a mulch type of material. Sorrry, but thanks for the info on seed. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 12762 Registered: 12-2003 |
No worms at all...weird. But your neighbor grew food in that garden out back, Django? How is HIS health nowadays? Get YOUR ground tested, too. Greening of Detroit has information on that, from what I understand. Kate over at the MLK/Trumbull garden had theirs done, and they've got to remediate. Everything they're growing now is in new soil...same with a few others I know over in Woodbridge. I'd still like to know how much lead can seep into a plant...that seems to be the most pervasive toxin in the soil tests I've heard about. Cheers | ||
Mwilbert Member Username: Mwilbert Post Number: 220 Registered: 11-2007 |
This might be interesting to you: http://www.grayenvironmental.c om/lead_in_garden_soil.htm | ||
Cub Member Username: Cub Post Number: 398 Registered: 02-2007 |
Ok Django. Thanks Mwilbert. | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 329 Registered: 10-2003 |
Im probably overreacting. I just dont know where the piles of wood chips came from. I know the guy who used to live here was a tree removal guy. I assume it was just his leftovers. Its more like stuff thats been put through a woodchipper, very fine stuff. Very light and airy, Its been there a few years, Im sure its fine but after looking at the link Mwilbert put up, I do live within a block of I94. That doesnt worry me but it should be known. Yeah G. no worms. I didnt look but a few shovel fulls down. It looks like a beautiful growing medium though. I sent you a text about the time you made your last post. I was outside your place, wonderin if you wanted to go shoppin at the market. Didnt want to bang on your door cause it was so early. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 12769 Registered: 12-2003 |
Mwilbert, Cool, that confirms my doubts about contamination, which I've voiced to my friend Kate with her garden at MLK and Trumbull...just thinking of the marvelous capillary distillation within plants...but wasn't going to encourage here without linked proof. Lead is a huge molecule...but I wonder what anyone downwind from that trash burner may encounter?! I know there have been tests of the soil from environmentalists eager to shut it down...and it would be great to have access to them and probably some comparisons from our old Ban the Burn days, too. Sorry about that text miss Django, that phone is broken temporarily but will call forward to my spare. Any texts FROM ME, just hit reply and it'll get to the right phone. Everything else just goes to the ether. Cheers | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 336 Registered: 10-2003 |
I was also told that sunflowers do an extremely good job of sucking contaminates out of the soil. I orderd a bunch from the Burpee seed catalog this year. I plan to fill my estates front yard with them. ive heard after three years of growing them, your soil should be extremely growable and healthy. But you have to remove the dead sunflowers in the fall, take them to the dump or whatever. Ive only heard that word of mouth. G. my phones dead for a minute till I pay my bill, should be on sunday afternoon. I can still text though. | ||
Topflight Member Username: Topflight Post Number: 4 Registered: 04-2008 |
Chemical Free Grass Clippings 17 Bags (bagged 5/10/08) Ryan Playground 5741 Faust Detroit, MI 48228 Southfield & Evergreen Warren & Ford Rd City-owned park future home of the Warrendale Community Garden | ||
Plymouthres Member Username: Plymouthres Post Number: 512 Registered: 02-2007 |
Cub- We have all decided that Tuesday would be best for us (Gannon, Jams, MrsRes and myself, so far!)! We should be there around 12:00, so look for us then. We are looking forward to seeing you there on Tuesday! | ||
Mwilbert Member Username: Mwilbert Post Number: 222 Registered: 11-2007 |
"I was also told that sunflowers do an extremely good job of sucking contaminants out of the soil." This is true, at least for a number of metals (lead, cadmium, uranium). I have seem papers indicating that different varieties have widely different absorption rates, but I don't know how you would get especially good ones. There is some question in my mind as to how to dispose of the sunflowers after they have done their absorption--if you put them in the trash, I don't know what mechanisms the local incinerator uses to capture metals. | ||
Pgn421 Member Username: Pgn421 Post Number: 544 Registered: 02-2005 |
count me in | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 12775 Registered: 12-2003 |
It'll be great to see you again, Pat! Topflight, welcome to the board. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 12776 Registered: 12-2003 |
Gosh, it's going to be a sight on Tuesday...heh. What a lesson to the neighborhood and beyond...Mark, I cannot wait to hear the feedback you get! Cheers | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 8646 Registered: 10-2003 |
Georgia is the street off Gratiot across from Bettermade to help you with a landmark. (Message edited by jams on May 11, 2008) | ||
Cub Member Username: Cub Post Number: 399 Registered: 02-2007 |
Looking forward to Tuesday at 12:00p.m. | ||
Plymouthres Member Username: Plymouthres Post Number: 515 Registered: 02-2007 |
See you guys at noon(or thereabouts!). | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 12808 Registered: 12-2003 |
Yeah, I'll be heading over to Django's to ride with him after eleven. See y'all. | ||
Pgn421 Member Username: Pgn421 Post Number: 548 Registered: 02-2005 |
Cub- Keep up the good work. Glad to see everyone today at your garden! | ||
Plymouthres Member Username: Plymouthres Post Number: 520 Registered: 02-2007 |
Cub- Once again I say, "You are the man!•••••• We all had an awesome time today at the Georgia Street garden plot. Many forumers out today including, Pgn421, Fishtoes, Gannon, Cub, Jams, my wife and I, Cub's brother and of course, Cub. This garden is exactly the vision that Detroiters need to get for themselves, in their own neighborhoods. All of us need to start taking the city back, one lot at a time, one street at a time, one person at a time. Together we can do a ton, and working at the Garden has assured me that my time down there has not been in vain, and that the revitalization that I have begun to see may just stick and grow. The people who have come down to help more than adequately represent that goal, and the change that I see happening in the 'hood as we work there is amazing. Almost every person seemed to be interested in what is going on there, and many more honked and waved as they went by, almost encouraging more than just a garden. There seems to be a better sense of "community" as I see it. We will be down again, and soon, my friend. Keep up the good work!•• | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 12815 Registered: 12-2003 |
Lotsa fun, I'm still at Django's, considering our day in the sun. I was going to make a debriefing reference, but most wouldn't get it, and the jokes would fly. Fuck, that's a pun, too. I'm going to be hurting tomorrow, that's for sure. Damn Polish/Irish skin. At least I COULD be whiter now...heh. What an amazing time today. We did some good, and Cub's clan is solidly wonderful to know. Grannie is a dear, and I was able to honor her with some reflection of the clan she helped into the world. Thanks Pgn421 for the bagels and cream cheese, thanks Django for those Budweisers, and then YOU Plymouthres for the ice cream treats. Biggest sale that fellow had all day, I'd bet. Fishtoes is cool, and it is great to have Django back in circulation. Jams has an incredible depth of knowledge with this stuff, I have no doubt that 'free' composting will work. Gives one hope for the future...all the neighborhood people we were able to engage in conversation, turning fearful scowls into smiles. It didn't hurt me joking about our 'master' Cub, ordering his people around...what a great time! Can I get any props for getting something done today? Heh, I amazed even myself. We found out the reason for all those helicopters, apparently there was a high-speed chase from Ferndale that ended about a half mile away...fellow was driving a Plymouth Durango and it ended up at a corner party store...hit a car with handicap plates. I took pictures, if anyone is interested. Jumped into a conversation with three of Detroit's finest, found out that no-one was killed and all the officers were unwounded. Thank God. I'm sure the rest of you can catch it on the evening news. Cheers, I'm now an official urban farmer's helper. Working on achieving that next level... | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 353 Registered: 10-2003 |
That was good gettin dirty. Its been a while. Now I just have to get Cub over here with his rototiller to get my garden goin. | ||
Pgn421 Member Username: Pgn421 Post Number: 550 Registered: 02-2005 |
looks like i missed all the excitement | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 517 Registered: 06-2005 |
I just made a blog entry and uploaded six photos from today's DetroitYES hoe down. http://www.allyeargear.com/ Cub, that tractor was at Holcomb and Lambert. It wasn't there on my return ride. Instead there was a front loader. I think they're borrowing that Ford tractor from someone local. It was nice meeting everyone today and thanks for the bagel! | ||
Jams Member Username: Jams Post Number: 8712 Registered: 10-2003 |
I had a blast, thanks all. If the offer made today is accepted, we close before the end of the month, 28th or 29th. So Cub, we'll split the raspberries, and herbs I have for your garden and what will be my new one (which will be a very small one). I'll dig out all those Organic Gardening mags, we talked about and donate them to you, maybe as a start to a reference library for the project? Hell, there's got to be a design somewhere in there for a grape arbor (three-four years, we'll be able to start a winery  ) Thanks for allowing me to participate in this! | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 356 Registered: 10-2003 |
SOMEONE should have told me how bad I was burning with my shirt off. lol | ||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 1258 Registered: 11-2006 |
So much love on this thread! |
