The hungry insurgent

BY CHARLEY UNDERWOOD

When the weather gets cold, one thing growers sometimes do is go to conferences. The other day, I went up to St. Cloud to see what was up with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers. The most interesting talk for me was listening to a bunch of apple growers talk about climate change. Now understand this: You are pretty careful to avoid the terms “climate change” or “global warming” when you talk to groups of farmers, because some of them think the whole thing is a big conspiracy so Al Gore can heat his Nashville mansion or so some university climate scientists can get bigger research grants and sell more books. They think global warming is a political question, not a science question.

(Or maybe they even think science itself is political.)

But growers and farmers work with the land and with nature, so they have to be practical. Kansas farmers have basically stopped growing corn, since drought is becoming the “new normal” and corn uses too much water. Minnesota apple-growers are also starting to realize that last year’s extremely early spring and late hard frost might become the “new normal” for them as well. When those conditions occur, the trees bloom too early to be pollinated and the frost kills the blossoms before the apples can set. The result? No apples. Even in the urban “heat island” of South Minneapolis, I saw plenty of this happening as well. It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican, a Democrat, a Green or whatever, late frosts can kill your fruit blossoms. It is also pretty clearly true that global climate change is making our weather more unpredictable. So what can you do?

One answer is to plant polycultures. That means, don’t just plant one thing. If you plant only apples, then the blossoms may all freeze. If you plant all elm trees or ash trees, then Dutch elm disease or the emerald ash borer may take out all the trees on your street. Mix it up. Confuse the pests. You’re not a big corporate farmer and you don’t have a half-million dollar combine to run through thousands of acres, so you can interplant several different things in the same place.

“Companion planting” is the term used when planting several things together actually helps each of them in some way.

The most famous companion planting is probably “three sisters”: corn, beans and squash. You plant the corn first, which supports climbing beans as they grow. Then along comes the squash, using the sun a bit later in the year and occupying a different level of the garden than either the corn or beans. They use different nutrients from the soil. They are in different plant families, so they attract different pests. The beans even fix nitrogen from the air, which helps the other two plants grow. If one crop gets totally destroyed by one pest, like the year corn borers took out all of my corn like a bunch of malevolent Paul Bunyans, then you still have two left. You can find lists of companion plants lots of places online, like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki-/List_of_companion_plants or you can call your Hennepin County Master Gardener at 612-596-2118.

Here’s my last bit of gardening advice for the month: Join a Food Hub. The Food Hubs are local clubs that you can join to get really great seeds and plants at remarkably low prices. They also offer classes and sometimes social events for folks interested in growing more of their own food. You can join them at various levels from $10 to $50, depending on the amount of seeds and plants you need, by calling 612-821-2358 or online at http://www.gardeningmatters.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=10.

You could also sign up in person at the Spring Resource Fair from 1 to 5 p.m. on March 9 at Metro State University, 700 E. 7th St., St. Paul. The Food Hubs are a deal you don’t want to miss. You sign up; you pick up seeds and plants in your neighborhood; you have what you need.

OK, so gardening classes are now being scheduled, and below is what I have so far. They are all either free or very low cost, and nearly all are right here in South Minneapolis.

Monday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m. Free but RSVP required.
“Vermiculture (worm composting),”
Mother Earth Gardens at Riverview Wine Bar, 3745
42nd Ave. S. info@motherearthgarden.com, 612-724-2296
or in person at store, 3738 42nd Ave. S., Mpls.

Monday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Free but RSVP required.
“Pea shoots and micro-greens,
” Mother Earth Gardens at Riverview Wine Bar, 3745
42nd Ave. S. info@motherearthgarden.com, 612-724-2296
or in person at store, 3738 42nd Ave. S., Mpls.

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 6-7:30 p.m. Free but RSVP required.
“Edible landscapes,” East Lake Library, 2727 E. Lake St.
612-543-8425 or online at http://www.hclib.-org/pub/events/.

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6:30–8:30 p.m. $15, RSVP required.
“Flower and vegetable gardening from seed,
” Roosevelt High community education, 4029 28th Ave. S.
612-668-4828 or http://www.mplscommunityed.com/.

Monday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m. Free but RSVP required.
“Garden design,” Mother Earth Gardens at Riverview Wine Bar,
3745 42nd Ave. S. info@mother-earthgarden.com,
612-724-2296 or in person at store, 3738 42nd Ave. S., Mpls.

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 7-9 p.m. $15, RSVP required.
“Pruning and care for trees, shrubs,”
Lake Harriet community education,
4912 Vincent Ave. S., Mpls.
612-668-3330 or http://www.mplscommunityed.com

Monday, March 4, 7 p.m. Free but RSVP required.
“Beginner urban gardening,” Mother Earth Gardens at Riverview Wine Bar,
3745 42nd Ave. S. info@motherearthgarden.com, 612-724-2296
or in person at store, 3738 42nd Ave. S., Mpls.
Wednesday, March 6, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $15, RSVP required.
“Vegetable gardening,” Roosevelt High community education,
4029 28th Ave. S. 612-668-4828 or http://www.-mplscommunity-ed.com

Saturday, March 9, 10:30-Noon.
Free but RSVP required. “Small space veggie gardening,
” Penn Lake Library, 8800 Penn Ave. S., Bloomington.
612-543-5800 or http://www.hclib.org/pub/-events

Monday, March 11, 7 p.m. Free but RSVP required.
“Herbs,” Mother Earth Gardens at Riverview Wine Bar,
3745 42nd Ave. S. info@motherearthgar-den.com,
612-724-2296 or in person at store, 3738 42nd Ave. S., Mpls.

Thursday, March 14, 6-7:30 p.m. Free but RSVP required.
“Advanced Veggie Gardening,” East Lake Library, 2727 E. Lake St.
612-543-8425 or http://www.-hclib.org/pub/events