VISIT THE NEW IMPROVED WEBSITE AT rowbyrow.wordpress.com

Check out the new website

2009-03-22T21:18:00.002-04:00

all updates are now being posted at rowbyrow.wordpress.com
thank you, blogspot, for your early help!
Wordpress just works a bit better for us!

Starting Seeds - 1 week old

2009-03-13T11:25:00.003-04:00

Planted 3/7/09

Brussel's Sprouts

Spinach

Onion

Broccoli

Lettuce

Lettuce

Fluffy Cat (she likes to watch me plant)

Calendar

2009-02-24T17:59:00.000-05:00

Wish List

2009-02-24T17:33:00.002-05:00

the Project is getting started! here are some things we would love to get used, instead of buying. there's enough junk in this world already!

Please email me if you have any of the following OR merely drop them off on my front porch (31 Dean Street).

For Now:

* egg cartons (handy for sprouting potatoes)
* a warm, humid space for sprouting potatoes
* cell flats (they look like this: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?category=292&subcategory=612&item=9027 )
* seed trays (the look like this: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?category=292&subcategory=613&item=9508 )
* a shelving unit like this: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100655787&categoryID=529235
* compost
* old hay or straw bales
* florescent lights (like hanging lights in a garage)
* heat mat or old electric blanket

For Later:

* unused garden tools

the Capital

2009-01-31T09:03:00.003-05:00

For all of you who don't live in the Annapolis area or, for some mysterious reason, didn't see The Capital yesterday, here it is:

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2009/01_30-24/CAN

We made the front page of Friday's Capital! I am most wonderfully pleased. Already, there has been increased interest in the project - both for those wanting to join and those wishing us their best.
So exciting. So - DON'T FORGET - the sign up meeting is THIS MONDAY at 49 WEST COFFEEHOUSE from 5 - 7 PM.
I'd like to thank Pam Wood, who wrote the article, for her support. She contacted me from information she found on the Annapolis Green website (who also deserves kudos! a link to their website can be found on the right-hand side of the screen) because she was so interested in the idea. She is charming and honestly supportive of environmentally-friendly initiatives. Please keep an eye out for her articles in The Capital - she is sure to continue being supportive of our community. She has even expressed interest in covering us again when the project gets off the ground this spring and summer!
Remember - I am always free to speak to/email any of you who have questions or are interested in the project. Let me know what you are thinking.
Looking forward to Monday!

Check Us Out on AnnapolisGreen.com

2009-01-27T19:45:00.002-05:00

Row-by-Row-ers -

Please check out the website Annapolisgreen.com! Along with lots of local, environmentally-friendly advice, they have written about our project on their "News" tab. Even better, sometime next week, we will be their "Feature Story." Very exciting.

Join the Project!

2009-01-04T18:58:00.002-05:00

The Murray Hill Row-by-Row Project: a Lawn-share CSA

What:

CSA is short for Community Supported Agriculture. Traditionally, members sign up to receive produce from a vegetable grower on a weekly basis. Families pay a membership fee and then a small, flat, weekly payment for the vegetables they receive. The veggies will vary seasonally and whatever is grown will be split evenly between the members.

What makes this different: Lawn-share means that participants will give up a large patch of lawn - preferably one-hundred square feet (a ten-foot by ten-foot square) to the gardener - vegetables would be grown on this plot of land throughout the growing season by me. Instead of buying vegetables from a farm - your front lawn becomes the farm!

Who:

organized by Eliza, 2 1/2 year Murray Hill resident, certified teacher
needs you - any interested Murray Hill resident

How:

you provide - land with at least 6 hours of sun a day, hose and nozzle and a $35 sign-up fee
I - prepare the soil, grow the seedlings, plant seeds, water, weed, harvest, distribute and generally nourish
Once the harvest begins, you pay $10 a week for your share of the veggies

When:

Information meeting: Monday, February 2nd, 2009 from 5-7pm at 49 West Coffeehouse, 49 West Street, Annapolis, MD
Planting will begin as early as mid-March
Harvest will last through October.

Where:

Murray Hill residents' front yards

Why:

I aspire to someday soon grow food as a full-time job. I have no garden-able land myself and need some land on which to grow food.

If this interests you, please come to the information meeting on 2 February 2009 from 5pm-7pm at 49 West Coffeehouse. Do not worry if you feel you may not meet the requirements - we can modify to fit all situations and levels of interest. If you have any questions, email me at eatoomey@gmail.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-01-03T19:19:00.001-05:00

Do I have to have one-hundred square feet?
No! Any Murray Hill resident with at least 25 square feet is welcome to become a member. If membership rises above 10 families, preference will be given to families with the most land.

Who is going to do all the work?
Me, mostly. I will remove the existing sod and till the soil, install low fencing (to keep out the bunnies), test and amend the soil (to improve fertility), order seeds, plant seedlings indoors, nurture seedlings, transplant seedlings, direct seed some plants, water, weed, trellis, harvest, clean and distribute produce to members. However, ALL HELP WILL BE WELCOME, ANY TIME! Just contact me via phone or email if you are interested in helping out! I will be working a full time job until early June and will be doing most work in the early mornings and late afternoons and weekends. After that point I will have a more varied gardening schedule. Additionally, there will be a Saturday School which will provide opportunities for families and children to help (see FAQ below).

How much will it cost?
To join the Murray Hill Row-by-Row project there is a $35 sign-up fee. This money purchases seeds, soil amendments (blood meal, peat moss, manure, etc), materials for low fencing and other things. When harvest begins, there is a weekly $10 fee for your portion of the vegetables, regardless of amount or type. This period should last approximately 20 weeks, so members can expect to pay about $200 over the course of the year for their entire vegetable intake.

Will it be organic?
To the best of my abilities, yes! Whenever possible, I will buy organic seeds. Practices will model organic farming, using no toxic chemicals or artificial substances to enhance plant growth. No fertilizer will be used in excess and therefore there will be no substantial or hurtful run-off into our local streams and rivers. Personally, I strive to buy organic whenever possible because I care both about the quality of food I eat and the effects that buying non-organic food can have on our environment.

What are the benefits of being involved?
Besides getting fresh, organically-grown vegetables for a low price, there are many other benefits to joining the Murray Hill Row-by-Row project. You would be joining a growing group of people who are interested in overseeing the production of their own food - outside of the factory farming method. Please see the posting recommending further reading to learn about the "Food not Lawns" movement. Additionally, the Murray Hill Row-by-Row project will allow you to watch the many foods you eat grow from seeds to an edible product, something unfamiliar to many of us. Through monthly member meetings and member celebrations, you will experience an enhanced sense of community based on a productive common purpose.

What if I don't have any available land?
There are still opportunities for you to get involved! Depending on membership numbers, work-shares may be available. This would allow the landless to work, instead of provide land, for a share of the vegetables. Additional opportunities are available for a person who would be interested in letting me use an unfinished space like a basement or backyard shed (with electricity) to grow seedlings in. I would also be interested in someone with a greenhouse in place of lawn-space. If you are unsure if there are any opportunities for you, do not hesitate to email me or come along to the meetings.

What kind of vegetables will be grown?
Below is a list of what I plan to grow this season. However, at the sign-up meeting or monthly member meetings, people can suggest different or additional plants for growing.
Arugula
Beans (bush)
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Carrots
Celery
Corn
Cucumbers
Gourds (fall, decorative)
Leeks
Lettuce
Melons
Onions
Peas
Peppers
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Scallions
Spinach
Squash
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Watermelons
Basil
Cilantro
Oregano
Parsley
Sage
Thyme
Rosemary
Sunflowers

What should I expect to get?
Each week, members will receive a portion of the vegetables harvested that week. This portion will depend of the number of members: for example, if there are 10 members, each member will receive one-tenth of the weekly harvest. An early spring harvest may include 2 heads of broccoli, a small bag of snap peas and 4 heads of spinach. Later in the year, you may be taking home a pound of tomatoes, a pound of cucumbers, a pound of squash and two bundles of basil a week. As the year draws to an end, you may receive two or three pumpkins and a fall crop of Brussels Sprouts. What and how much is harvested will change according to the season and weather. Some weeks there may be more, some weeks less.

How long will the growing season last?
Approximately 20 weeks, from late-April through September.

Will you use fertilizers?
No chemical fertilizers will be used - only natural soil modifiers like manure, compost, crab chum, peat moss.

How can I get my kids involved?
Depending on membership and interest, I plan to start a Saturday school for interested families. This would allow kids (or anyone, really!) to work with me and receive instruction on how plants grow. This would be a totally hands-on experience: actually planting, weeding and harvesting the vegetables. The cost would be $10 per family, per week.

What will happen to my lawn next year?
Depending on your interests, I can either re-seed your lawn for grass or leave it as-is, with a list of appropriate vegetables to be grown (as the same crop should not be planted year after year in one spot, and some vegetables do particularly well after others!).