Video: Homemade Pesticide

Growing Home

Harry Rhodes
1325 S. Wabash #205
Chicago, Cook County, IL 60605

Growing Home's Les Brown Memorial Farm in Marseilles, IL has 10 acres of total land, with about 3.5 acres in cultivation. This land was acquired from the federal government as federal surplus property. The mission of Growing Home is to provide job training for homeless and low-income people and create employment opportunities within the context of an organic agriculture business. Growing Home also operates a 1/2 acre urban farm at the Su Casa Catholic Worker on the south side of Chicago. Growing Home is very active in advocating for urban agriculture in Chicago.

http://www.growinghomeinc.org/


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Recipe: Roasted Asparagus Four Ways!

Nothing captures the essence of springtime like tender, fresh asparagus.  Asparagus grows wild in many parts of the United States and can often be found minding its own business by the side of roads and interstates!  It's one of the easiest and tastiest ways to starting 'eating wild'.  The recipe below is a simple and delicous way to serve this marvelous little gem.  The spears taste great with the standard recipe, but pesto or hollandaise sauce provides an intriguing twist.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

2 bunches of asparagus, preferably thick trimmed and pelled if needed

2 tbsp dry white wine or dry vermouth

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  In a large shallow baking pan toss together the asparagus, wine, salt and pepper to taste and olive oil until the asparagus spears are evenly coated.

Roast the asparagus until the spears are browned in spots and are just tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Transfer the asparagus to a platter and drizzle with the lemond juice to taste. Serve at once or try the following variations:

with Shaved Parmesan

Drizzle the hot roasted aparaa=gus with lemon juice as directed, then, using a cheese shaver or paring knife shave -2 oz of Parmesan, Romano or dry Jack cheese over the asparagus.

with Pesto

Omit the lemon juice. Toss the hot roasted asparagus with 1-2 tbsp pesto or to taste.  Serve at once.

with Hollandaise

Drizzle the hot roasted asparagus with lemon juice as directed,then serve it with hollandaise sauce.

Orangeville Farmers Market

Orangeville Farmers Market

What:
Open to all farmers/vendors, no cost, first-come, first serve for space. Seasonal produce, crafts, baked goods.

Where:
EWING ST AT W HIGH RD
ORANGEVILLE, IL 61060

When:
Saturdays July 4 to October 10, 2009
8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Contact Info:
Cindy Rackow
815-789-3113
crackow@rampcil.org


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Polls: What's Your Favorite Feature?

CC Angus Beef

Natural, grass-fed beef.  The animals are fed good forage in rotating grazing, stockpiling, and presenting bales. They are raised humanely without the use of hormones, growth implants, or antibiotics.

Sold through a variety of outlets and direct on the farm.  Also available at the Geneva IL Green Market.

Don and Marilyn Dralle
18468 Cty. O
Mineral Point, Wisconsin 53565
630-776-4309

ddralle@mhtc.net

18468 County Road O
Mineral Point, Wi 53565


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DIY: Homemade Insecticide

Have occasional troubles with bugs but don't trust harsh chemical pesticides that are a hazard to friendly insects, or yourself? Try these recipes!

Recipe#1
Ingredients:

• 1 gal. of warm water,
  
• 1 cup of instant coffee crystals,
  
• a squirt of dish soap(not detergent),
  
• several dashes of tobasco sauce.

Spray both sides of leaves, the stems and soil surrounding plants. You can cut this recipe just as you would reduce any recipe. Refresh it the next year with a little tobasco sauce.

If you make kess than a gallon you could just throw it awy and start new in the Spring.

Do Not Use Instant Powder Coffee; it won't disolve well.

The soap is a surfacant which helps insecticide stick to the leaves. I think the key may be the tobasco sauce. Good Luck.

Recipe#2

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/3 cup rubbing alcohol
• 1/4 tsp liquid dish soap

Add all to a 16 oz spray bottle, fill the rest with water and shake well before each use.
You will be amazed at how fast this knocks out unwanted pests.....before your eyes!
I would suggest you do this very early in the morning as to not burn your plants in the heat of the day.
You have to repeat this as you see the return of the unwanted pest, but it is safe, easy and works great ... I have not found any insect that it will not kill, with direct contact. I also see that it keeps them away for a period, depending on water and rain fall.This is safe and can be applied same day as harvest, just rinse well.

Recipe#3

Ingredients:

• Garlic Concentrate (this can be bought at gardening supply stores)
• Water

Boil a pot of water on the stove and mix in garlic.

Another option is to use certain kinds of plants strategically to drive unwanted bugs from your more delicate varieties. Called 'companion planting', this approach aims to leverage plants' natural properties for use in your garden. Popular companion plants are marigolds, 4 o'clocks, nasturtiums, garlic, borage and tansies.

DIY: Build Your Own Spice Rack

Like the clean minimalist look of the spice rack above? Check out the original post at Apartment Therapy.

Here are the instructions:

How To Build a Spice Rack Out of Vinyl Molding

• The molding came from Home Depot. It's plastic - almost like a Styrofoam - and square. It's easy to cut in a miter box. (I'm always on the lookout for stuff like that.)

• Molding specs: "Blind Stop White Vinyl Never Rot" cellular vinyl moulding. 5/8" by 5/8". $5.15 per 8'. SKU 246871.

• I made ten 2-foot pieces and three 22-inch pieces.

• With little white brads, I nailed 5 of the cross pieces at equal intervals on the uprights (just far enough apart for the jars). I then nailed 5 more cross pieces onto the existing cross pieces to make the shelf wide enough for the spice jars. I'd originally intended just one piece but the resulting shelf was too narrow for the jars. Then I nailed it to the wall, again with brads (it's very light).

• The jars are from Cost Plus originally but I've also found them at Bed Bath and Beyond. I alphabetize them roughly (they're out of order all the time) and also label the tops with Avery removable round stickers. Mainly I just pick 'em by sight when I'm cooking.