Many people in Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall have enjoyed gardening for years, and with such beautiful countryside, it is the perfect place to dig in the dirt and see what deliciousness one can grow. Some are just starting to dive into the world of backyard farming; it is a tremendously important activity rich in the history of our great state. Farming feeds our souls as well as our bodies, and while not everyone has the land or equipment for full-fledged farming, everyone has the right to home-grown produce.
It is within our abilities in these communities to have backyard farms as long as you keep in mind certain regulations, which can be found on both the Middlefield and Durham websites under Planning and Zoning (P and Z) regulations.
Want to keep chickens and have fresh eggs each morning? Did you know that egg color is directly related to the color of the earlobes of the laying hen? According to Keeping Chickens: Getting the Best from Your Chickens, by Jeremy Hobson and Celia Lewis, red lobes mean brown eggs and white lobes will mean white eggs, except in the case of the Araucana hen which lays blue or green eggs and has red colored ear lobes. There is nothing like collecting each beautifully created egg in various hues and tasting the difference between mass produced caged chicken’s eggs and free range eggs. Note the difference in yolk color, from pale yellow to the brightest of oranges, depending on the season and food found by the hens.
Keeping chickens is a great activity for families to do together. Before running out and building a fantastic hen house, make sure the placement of the coop is within the regulations. In Middlefield, according to the P and Z regulations, “No outbuilding that houses livestock, including poultry, shall be constructed closer than 100 feet to any property line.” In Durham, the regulations say, “No building in which animals are to be kept shall be located closer than 30 feet to any adjoining lot line or 40 feet from the street line.” One further point is from Geoff Colegrove, the town planner for both towns, who said, “Some subdivisions have deed restrictions on things like clothes lines and animals,” so review all this information if living in an area that may be affected.
The key to having a good harvest is to start with soil that is nutrient-rich. Compost or manure and other fertilizers are the way to do this. Composting is something that everyone can do. A compost bin can be built or bought; some even have bins that can be cranked to rotate and turn themselves over without the use of a pitch fork, but homemade bins are just as good. As it states in Grow Vegetables: Gardens, Yards, Balconies, Roof Terraces by Alan Buckingham and Jo Whittingham as consultant, vegetable and fruit scraps and thin layers of grass clipping can be added to compost bins. Remember not to add dairy products or meat to the bins. Then over time the compost heats up and the materials start to decompose; every now and again the compost needs to be turned to pass air all through it. Mature manures also help get the job done. Local farms often sell organic compost and manure for those who haven’t started composting yet.
Everyone, regardless of space or fertile soil, can grow delicious fruits and vegetables through the use of containers. There are various cloth-like containers on the market but they run about $10 a pop. Using black landscaping cloth, one can sew their own planter bags. The bags easily allow air ventilation and water to pass through; just remember as with all containers, they need to be watered very regularly.
A cool idea for getting more out of potato plants is the idea of a potato condo, which the Shibaguyz posted on their blog. The idea is pretty simple: generally people build a box out of wood that starts with one layer of boards around the base. The seed potatoes are planted and covered with soil; as the plants grow up, the next layer of boards are added as is the next bit of soil, leaving the tops of the potato plant uncovered. This continues as the plant grows up; the production on tubers also continues vertically. A test of using large planter bags instead of boards is being conducted this season.
Eating fresh wholesome food is something that everyone needs, and getting back to our roots (pun intended) is something that can be done with some effort and a bit of know-how. Get more out of your lawn; start growing a backyard farm.