Prairie EcoSystems Management

Sunday, May 22, 2011

12:30 PM – 5:30 PM

(BYO bag lunch at 11:30 AM)

At the home of PJ Quell and Larry Davis–

site of the new ¼ acre KCCUA forest garden

http://www.kccua.org/FG-Workshop-Flyer.pdf

5425 Mastin St., Merriam, KS, 66203

Disease resistant apples, pears, plumbs and nut trees.

Raspberries, red, black, golden

Elderberries

Insectary plants  yarrow, comfry, borage, thyme, hyssop, wild flowers, prairie plants and grasses.

Bamboo two varieties

Yellow grove Phyllostachys Aureosulcata  Cat Bamboo grows to 30’ 2” diameter, edible shoots and

Ground Cover Bamboo Pleioblastus variegates  24” height ideal for sloop stabilization.

Soil for raised beds.

Probiotic soil microbes.

Red worms

http://www.prairietrading.com/2010/08/19/worms-for-vermicomposting-and-soil-building/

Visit us at the Earth Fair Sat April 16 10 -3

Shawnee Mission East high School, Prairie Village, KS

 I can prune your fruit trees and brambles, prep your beds, build raised beds, no-till beds, plant edible landscaping.

Don’t plant a fruit tree till you talk to me about disease

Orchard maintenance, Organic pest control. resistant varieties and alternatives to spraying.

Wild flowers, prairie plants and grasses.

Steve Mann

Prairie Ecosystems Management

816 352-9213

Food Not Lawns

Urban Forest Gardens

Learn small scale Urban Food Forest Garden design

and hands on planting skills as we help develop a food forest at 43rd & McGee. Learn how to mimic the structure and function of forest ecosystems using sheet mulching, layering, planting patterns, species diversity, guilds and more. We will cover proper planning techniques for tree, shrubs and fruit. Two theory sessions and hands on planting workshop. Bring $10 to class for materials.

UMKC CLASS FEE: $14

E-mail: steve@foodnotlawnskc.org

Web site: www.foodnotlawnskc.org

Sec. A: 3 sessions; Wednesdays, April 6, 13

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM; UMKC School of Medicine, Theatre C, first floor, 2411 Holmes Charlotte, KCMO 

Hands on session Saturday April 16 2 – 5PM  43^rd McGee

Register at www.umkc.edu/commu  or Communiversity Winter 2011 Catalog

The most valuable workers on my farm are the red worms in my compost pile. They are giving me wealth beyond compare. They change the organic materials in the compost to humus.  Humus is the most valuable substance on Earth.

Organic Farm Workers

Humus is a dark colored and fairly stable soil organic matter with known and unknown physical and chemical properties. It is an integral part of the organic matter complex in living soil.  Humus appears to be the product of the microorganisms in living soil, soil that has not been killed by Death-a-cides and petrochemical toxins.

The earth worm’s intestines are a rich ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganism of the soil community of life. They eat the compost organic material and  concentrate the microorganisms and stable organic material and coat it with their slime. This is magical stuff, echy slime, binding the clumps of organic material and clusters of organisms into a crumbly spongy ball, Humus.

Now you can have your very own Humus factory and get the benefits of this remarkable organic substance. We are willing to part with some of our humus workers, red wigglers and share the wealth. Order today and if you are in the kansas City area we’ll arange delivery. If you not in our area we’ll ship them to you for a nominal charge.

 In Kansas City Call 816 352-9213 for questions and delivery.

You can pick up at the 10th Annual Earth Fair Shawnee Mission East high School (Prairie Village, KS)  at our booth.
Saturday April 16th 2011  from 10am  12pm 

Red Worms

1/2 pound about 500 worms $14.00 1 pound about 1000 worms $28.00 2 pounds about 2000 worms $42.00

Cold Frame Spinach Shack

It’s not too late to get your own Spinach Shack.  If you are blessed with a south facing spot on your lot we may be able to build a custom passive solar Quarter Sky Tunnel or Cold Frame Spinach Shack for you.

Don’t worry about that lawn we’ll eradicate it. We even have plenty of spinach transplants to get you growing this fall.  Call today for a consultation and grow your own this winter.

 Call quick I’m going to get really busy.

 Steve

816 352 9213

Quarter Sky Tunnel Spinach Shack

I love the crisp thick green leaves of winter spinach. The arugula, beets, kale and carrots are just a bonus.  I’ve been growing my own in a cold frame on the South side of my garage for the last two years. My home shelters the bed and created a micro climate that can be a couple of degrees warmer. The freezing North winds are blocked and the Sun pours down its warmth.

Dut  to do  dododododo do do Spinach Shack Yea!

I’m smiling and singing since I built my  Spinach Shack Yea!

 Spinach is remarkable plant it contains antifreeze proteins that help protect the cell membranes from the freezing. Last year my spinach withstood all that Jack Frost could muster down to three degrees.

This year I took it to the next level with my cold frame design. I made it big enough to walk into.  It extends six feet out and is sixteen feet long and six feet high. I have a door on the side and can reach all areas for harvest.  I will be harvesting fresh sweet spinach and cold weather crops all winter. 

 If you have a microclimate and a building sidewall  with south exposure you too can have a Spinach Shack and fresh greens all winter.   Give me a call for a design consultation and to schedule construction.

 Steve

816 352-9213

Ruby

 She sits so contently in our Paradise Garden basking in the warm fall sun. Her luxuriant green locks cascade to the sides.  That’s my Ruby Rutabaga. She’s adorned by a string of ripening cherry tomatoes. They look so good on you Ruby. Ruby’s proud of her Swedish heritage and doesn’t mind being called a Swede. The glacial mineral enriched alluvial soil you dwell upon makes you strong and proud. So today I will move you to a pot of the rich soil and bring you home to live with me for the winter. Ok !  I’ll take you to the BadSeed Friday night but you have got to promise to behave.

 If you understand what real food tastes like, food grown with love and devotion then come share a bunch of Red Russian Kale or spicy white Shogan turnips. Ah yes Purple Kohlrabi woooooh. Visit with Rudy Rutabaga, Lumpy’s cousin.  Or I guess you can go to Mc Dungals.

 Platte Prairie Farms at BadSeed Farmers Market 1909 McGee KCMO Fridays 4:30 – 9:00PM 

Oakleaf, romaine and ruby lettuce,winter squash, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, spinach, arugula, radishes, turnips, and kale.

Crewmembers of SpaceShip Earth

Red worms creating humus from horse manure

The most valuable workers on my farm are the red worms in my compost pile. They are giving me wealth beyond compare. They change the organic materials in the compost to humus.  Humus is the most valuable substance on Earth.

Humus is a dark colored and fairly stable soil organic matter with known and unknown physical and chemical properties. It is an integral part of the organic matter complex in living soil.  Humus appears to be the product of the microorganisms in living soil, soil that has not been killed by Death-a-cides and petrochemical toxins.

The basis of Biodynamic farming is humus.  It is the component of the topsoil that allows plants to thrive. It allows the soil to hold water and mitigates the effects of droughts.  It is the living soil. For me to grow the most nourishing vegetables and fruit using organic methods requires humus. I use Biodynamic soil preparations along with pro-biotic microorganism mixture Toby and I have developed to enrich the compost and soil with beneficial microorganisms.  

The red worms are the finishing touch. The earth worm’s intestines are a rich ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganism of the soil community of life. They eat the compost organic material and  concentrate the microorganisms and stable organic material and coat it with their slime. This is magical stuff, echy slime, binding the clumps of organic material and clusters of organisms into a crumbly spongy ball, Humus.

My worms are experiencing a population boom in the rich horse manure and mulch pile on my farm so I will sell some. I will be bottling up the pro-biotic, Missouri Microbes, Line Creek mixture for sale also.  If you have seen the crops at Creek house Community Garden, you know this method works.

Red worms                             2.75/ 100

Missouri Microbes                 8.00/pt 

I will be adding a web page for your ordering convince after I plant 90 cabbage transplants. Till then email or call.

 Steve 

816 352-9213

csa@prairietrading.com