How To...

How do you do that...? I am frequently asked how we do things on our urban farm. It is impossible to cover in great details every subject, but here is some information about what we can offer you. We offer free initial onsite consultations and can answer your questions as needed as they come up. You'll need to know the ins and outs of urban farming and sustainable living, we can offer our perspective. Don't see what you are looking for? Simply contact us and ask your questions. We will provide resources and all the info you need and than post it here for others to see.

Rain cisterns that really work	Composting and Recycling
Starting out with Chickens	Starting your Worm Bin

How to Start a Rain Cistern Project

Tap the true potential of your roof by collecting all the rain that falls on it.

Collecting rainwater can be more than filling a 40 gallon barrel under your rain spouts. With numerous configurations and options, large cisterns can be used to collect the naturally soft rainwater already coming to you throughout the year. Rainwater can be set up so you can wash clothes, flush your toilets, water your urban farm animals and irrigate your urban gardens-essentially any non-potable use. Free initial evaluations and consultations are available with estimates for follow-up installations and year around maintenance. Contact us for information. In most cases, the amount of water you save each year will pay for the total cost of the project in less than 2 years.

Composting and Recycling

Ease of use is essential to long term success of any urban farm. Proper composting and recycling can result in sustainable gardening without the smell and mess usually associated with composting. Done correctly you can reduce your waste stream and build sold soils for future or current plantings. We offer free onsite initial evaluations and custom compost bins to help you be successful. Please contact us for more information.

Starting out with Chickens

Whether you have been planning for months or found yourself at home with an impulse purchase of cute baby chicks, we can help you get started out with your new urban farm. Here are the basic needs: shelter, feed, water, heat, light and space.

Shelter- you don’t need a large coop to start off with your chicks. In fact, you don’t want to. Stick with a brooder. It can be simple as a cardboard box or a more durable wooden box. It will need to have a layer of litter (usually pine shavings or straw). You will also need an area to hang a heat lamp, and area for shade, and space for feed and water. Sounds like a lot, but you can fit 12-16 chicks in a 2’ x 2’ box. Brooder kits are available; please contact us for more info.

Feed- Never start your chick out with table scraps. Use a chick starter feed for the first 8 weeks. The best way is through a small feeder to prevent waste. We can provide you with an all natural locally produced chick starter and all the equipment you need, simply contact us for more information. Never let the chicks run out of feed.

Water- Have a one quart chick waterer for each 12 chicks. Dip the beak of the chick in the water before you turn it loose when you first introduce them to the brooder. Your chicks will be thirsty when you get them. A taste of water right away helps them to find more water soon. Most baby chick loss is caused because the chick doesn't start to eat or drink. Never let your chicks run out of water.

Heat- The temperature where the chicks are should be 90 to 95 degrees for the first week. Reduce the temperature five degrees per week until you get to 70 degrees. They shouldn't need any heat after 70 degrees. This is accomplished by hanging a heat lamp (red bulbs are better than white. They cause less picking), approx. 12” above the floor of the brooder. Make sure that you only shine in one corner of the brooder- the chicks will self-regulate. Raise the heat lamp 2” every 5 days until chicks feather out.

Light- If you use a heat bulb, this will also serve as the light you need. Otherwise, be sure to give your chicks light. Have a small light for night- 15 watts or similar - to keep them from piling.

Prepare you coop and supplies. Grit and Oyster Shells: To aid in digestion, all chickens require grit to be introduced once off chick starter. When laying, thin shells will require additional calcium in their diet in the form of oyster shells. We see 5# bags of granite grit and crushed oyster shells for your chickens. See our Products page for more info and of course order your custom coop from us :).

Starting your Worm Bin

The first thing you need to do is get your hands on a bin. You can purchase pre-made worm bins from me directly, it’s fairly inexpensive- just contact us for more info. You can also look online or at your local nursery. Whichever type you go with, the size should be able to handle the food waste your house produces. Generally each family member will generate about ¼# of food waste a day…on the average. For a family of four (1# per day) you would need a 3’ by 2’ bin minimum and about 2# of worms. The height is less important as the worms usually only live and eat in about 10” of material. I generally recommend 12” in height. Keep in mind that the bin does not need to be very deep. Red worms live and eat in the top six to eight inches of material.

Worms can be dug out of your garden, but there are two varieties of worms that are specifically raised for vermicomposting, composting worms do a faster job of breaking down organic matter from beginning to end. Go with red worms (AKA red wigglers) for a successful worm bin.

Bedding- The most commonly used bedding material is newspaper, mostly because it is so readily available. Cardboard and peat are also good bedding materials. I prefer the shredded bill pile under your paper shredder. Regardless tear up the paper or cardboard into fairly small pieces or strips- about 1” wide max.

Moisture- Worms will not survive in a dry environment, so you need to moisten the bedding materials. Place your bedding material into a clean bucket and add some water. You want your bedding material to feel like a wrung-out sponge. A couple of drops should be released from the bedding if you squeeze a handful of it. You may need to add more water or dry bedding to get the right level. Break up any large clumps of bedding to allow for air to circulate…or worms. Add it to your bin…should be half full.

Grit- Add a shovelful of garden soil or finished compost to your bedding material. It will provide grit for the worms, as well as introduce microorganisms that will help the contents of your worm bin break down faster.

Rest- Cover up the bin. Let it sit a few days without adding food so that the worms work their way down into the bedding.

Placement- Where you place your bin is important. The bin should be kept in an area that stays between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures outside of this range can be detrimental to the worms and slow production in the bin. Location must also be convenient. Favorite locations include under the kitchen sink, mudrooms, and basements.

Feed your worms. Spread the food scraps onto the bedding and bury slightly. Try to keep it in one area, picking a different location every time. Remember- worm bins need your veggie scraps, tea bags, junk mail, and cardboard (unwaxy). Never feed dairy products, meat or oils.