Garden Newsletter—June 2012
Summer 2012
Manhattan Community Garden
History of the Community Gardens
Many of us may not know the history surrounding the Community
Garden area. It is a history primarily associated with the African-American
Community in Manhattan KS. In 1865 Manhattan had a population of 328
people, nine of which were African-American (2.7%). For many years African-Americans have had a significant presence in the Manhattan Community, much of which has been associated with the garden’s geographic
area.
The African American community was associated with the Yuma street
area and south. Douglas school was segregated and you can still see all of
the churches founded and attended by African Americans in the same geographic area. There was even a USO Center established in the area for African American soldiers from Fort Riley. Many of these families have lived
in the neighborhood for generations. This area includes where the Riley
Lane Community Garden site currently resides. Many of their descendants
have moved on to successful careers outside Manhattan. For example, Tiger Woods father (Earl Woods) was raised in Manhattan and later joined
the Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
During the 1970s, Manhattan underwent urban redevelopment that included our garden site. Many African American families were displaced by
this process. However, some of those families moved back to the area.
Clearly, the Community Garden is a relative newcomer to the neighborhood.
Article continued on page 4
Inside this issue:
Extending tomato
season
2
President’s corner
3
Butterfly Garden at
Collins Lane
4
Pesticide history, IPM, 5
Organic gardening
Grants provide assistance to Garden
8
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Manhattan Community Garden
Extending tomato season
I’m counting on this being a banner year for tomatoes. The last 2
years have been less than average for tomato growing so we’re about due
for a good year. One of the problems with tomatoes is that there is just so
many tomatoes that you can eat fresh or sliced on your hamburger. Here
are some suggestions for making your tomatoes last all year long.
Tomatoes can be easily frozen for use later on in making spaghetti
sauce, salsa or other tomato dishes (although the frozen product will be
mushy- not chunky like fresh tomatoes). It is almost mandatory to remove
the tomato skins and to do that dip whole tomatoes in boiling water for 3040 seconds then immediately immerse them in cold water. The skins will
crack and peel of the tomatoes very easily and completely. Next remove
the stem core and any blemishes with a sharp knife. If you want a thicker,
richer product, cut the tomatoes into quarters and squeeze them to remove
the seeds and the juicy material around the seeds (called locular jelly). Then place the tomatoes in
a zip lock bag and remove as much air as possible from around the tomatoes by pressing the bag
flat (or zip it shut except for a small hole and suck the excess air out with a soda straw). Place the
bags in the freezer. This makes an excellent product for tomato sauces, soups, stews, salsas, and
other prepared tomato dishes.
Tomatoes can be ‘canned’- actually preserved in glass jars- by preparing the tomatoes as
above and packing the tomatoes in glass canning jars. These come with a flat metal lid (with a soft
rubbery seal) and a metal ring to hold the lid in place. You can re-use the rings but you should always use a new, fresh lid each time you use the jars. The packed jars are then dipped into a large
container of boiling water so the jars are completely submerged. Consult some canning guidelines
for how long to process the product which will vary with the size of jar and whether the product in the
jar is hot or cold. When you remove the jars from the water, the interior of the jar will contract- making the lid pop or snap. You can then remove the rings and store the jars in a cool, dark place until
you are ready to use them.
Finally, there is drying. Tomatoes can be ‘sun dried’ by peeling and quartering the tomatoes
and placing them on racks in the sun for 6 days to 2 weeks. This usually requires bringing in the tomatoes at night and keeping them covered with cheesecloth to keep away insects and dust. It is
simpler to dry the tomatoes in an oven. Peel and slice the tomatoes and
place the slices on cake racks on a flat metal pan in an oven set at 200ºF.
It will take 6-10 hours to dry (rather than the days in the sun). If you want
to invest in a food dehydrator, you can also dry them this way as well.
When dried, the tomatoes may be rubbery and pliable rather than crispy
dry.
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Manhattan Community Garden
You can fairly easily preserve the ‘fruits’ of your gardening efforts for many months and you
can amaze your friends as you serve them dishes with garden products you’ve grown. And, as
Mr. Food on TV says ‘ it’s soooooo good!’.
Dr. Chuck Marr
Emeritus Professor of Vegetables Crops at K-State and
Manhattan Community Gardener
President’s corner
As the Vice President of the Board, one of my jobs is to monitor the plots for
weedy conditions. As our crops grow and mature, so do the weeds. Hopefully you
are well underway in harvesting you spring crops and starting to harvest summer
crops (I saw John Rodgers picking ripe tomatoes). Given the often limited time you
can devote to your garden, harvesting becomes your major activity.
However, do not disregard the weeds. Here are some of the problems that will
occur if you do not control them. The weeds will:
> become stronger with deeper roots and more
difficult to remove;
> start to seed and become an increasing problem
for both you and your neighbors;
> rob water and space from your crops; and
> create more weeds the next year.
Each time you go to the garden to water or harvest crops, leave some time to
remove weeds. This will avoid you having to spend a large amount of time to control
them later.
Please do not forget that weeds at the edge of your garden
(paths or other plots and areas) are your responsibility. I often see
plots where weeds are controlled within the garden center, but are
a problem at the edges.
Please be a good neighbor and take care of weeds in your
plot and the associated paths.
Ronald Downey
Community Garden Vice President
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Manhattan Community Garden
History of the Community Gardens continued
The Harper family is a good example of one of these families. Ferris and Lula May Harper
moved here in 1949 and raised their family here settling just east of the East Garden area. Lula
May Harper just recently died on May 24, 2012. Their son, Robert Harper and family reside
across Riley Lane southwest from the parking area.
Robert is a long-time teacher at the Manhattan High School. He also deals in scrap metal;
consequently he needs to park in the alley (therefore please don’t block his driveway). He is my
friend and often looks out for my garden when I am away, including harvesting mature crops.
More importantly, he is a friend of the garden. Robert keeps watch and makes sure that kids don't
play in the garden. If something is suspicious, he reports it to us. He is someone that we want on
our side.
As members of the garden, we need to be good neighbors. We also need to understand the
community where we spend so much time and effort on our crops. I hope this brief history will
help all of us to better understand all the residents that share our area at Riley Lane.
Note, much of the above information was found in a book by Geraldine Baker Walton, 140
Years of Soul: A History of African-Americans in Manhattan, Kansas 1865 -2005 (KS Publishing,
Inc. 2008). Geraldine worked at the Manhattan Library for many years and is a member of the
Manhattan African-American Community.
Ronald Downey
Community Garden Vice President
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Manhattan Community Garden
Pesticide History—IPM—Organic Gardening
“In reality there are no pests in nature. “
Humans label “pests” as any plants or animals that endanger our
food supply, health or comfort. When pests attack plants grown for food
and threaten our very own survival – pest control becomes necessary.
Pesticides have existed for centuries. The use of pesticides dates
back to 2500 BC when Sumerians would rub sulfur compounds on their bodies to control insects
and mites believing that the foul-smell would repeal the pests. The oldest known medical document, the Ebers’ Papyrus – dated around 1550 BC – describes over 800 recipes of poisons and
pesticides using known substances. The Chinese were also using compounds made of mercury
and arsenic to control body lice.
In the years around 1750 to 1880, Europe experienced an agricultural revolution. Crop protection became more wide spread. Insecticides such as pyrethrum (chrysanthemums extract) and
rotenone (extracted from roots of several tropical and subtropical plant species) were routinely
used by farmers to control pests. In 1867, Paris green – a mixture of copper and arsenic – was
developed and extensively used to control potato beetle and to protect grapes from insect damage.
By early 20th century, dilute sulfuric acid, iron sulfate, copper nitrate and sodium arsenate
were used to control broadleaf weeds in cereal crops. Compounds of mercury were introduced in
1913 to protect seeds from rust and other diseases. At the time major changes were happening
across the globe. The world’s population was growing exponentially and more food was needed
to feed everyone. The World Wars occurred and scientists were creating and dispersing weaponized chemical agents.
The first modern synthetic insecticide – DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) was first
synthesized in 1874, and its insecticidal properties were discovered in 1939 by a Swiss chemist
Paul Müller. In 1948, Müller was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery. The compound was credited for saving thousands of lives during World War II by killing typhus-carrying lice and malaria-carrying
mosquitoes. German scientists performing experiments on nerve gas
during World War II synthesized parathion – an insecticide still widely
used today.
Advances in chemistry, biochemistry and engineering rapidly and
profoundly changed farming. The chemicals and technologies initially developed for warfare during that era were rerouted for use on farms. Ammonium nitrate, used in munitions, became a
cheap source of nitrogen; and a number of pesticides and toxic compounds were used in agriculture included insecticides originally developed as nerve toxins. Technological advances post-war
greatly innovated all aspects of agriculture, from large machinery that allowed a single farmer to
work larger areas and fields, fertilization and pesticides.
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Manhattan Community Garden
Throughout the 50s and 60s a number of pest control agents were developed: BHC, aldrin,
2,4-D (agent orange ingredient), malathion, atrazine, paraquat and picloram. These chemicals
were inexpensive and effective.
Under a false sense of security, it became common for people to apply huge amounts of
these chemicals in an attempt to “sterilize” habitats – creating an ecological havoc.
Recognition that chemicals such as DDT may cause significant harm to humans became
public in 1962, by Rachel Carson, “Silent Spring”. The book was the first publication that warned
about the pesticide overuse. It challenged the abuse of synthetic pesticides and initiated a movement toward agrochemical regulation.
DDT was eventually banned in 1972 after research concluded its toxicity. It was also
banned for agricultural use worldwide under the Stockholm Convention, in 2004.
It became evident that under constant chemical pressure, non-target plants and animals
were harmed and pesticide residues appeared in unexpected places. Some pests became genetically resistant to pesticides and still today there are over 500 pest species that exhibit some level
of resistance to at least one type of insecticide.
Research was then redirected to more pest-specific pesticides and cropping methods.
While it is an advantage to control multiple pest species with a single chemical treatment, the nonspecificity of most early pesticides also killed the beneficial organism and natural enemies of the
target pests in high numbers; having an enduring impact on the ecological balance.
Today’s pesticides are designed to persist for shorter periods in the environment and less
lethal than the early DDT and arsenic, mercury and lead compounds. All pesticides are now registered with the EPA, after a number of scientific tests for every use of every pesticide is performed
and approved. Fact sheets on active ingredients can be found at www.epa.gov, which contains a
list of chemicals registered with the EPA from 1997 to present.
The three most common pesticides used today are
shown in the picture to the right. This is what their chemical
structure looks like. If you use pesticides at your garden or at
home take a look at the label and see if you can find any of
these listed.
The most recent changes in agriculture were initiated by
the introduction of Integrated Pest Management – IPM – in the
late 60s. The IPM concepts are labeled as an “effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices”, according
to the EPA.
The aim is to manage insect population instead of completely eradicating the pest. It is a
series of management evaluations and decisions. Reducing the levels of pests by crop production
discourages pests and encourages beneficial predators or parasites that attack pests, and timing
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Manhattan Community Garden
pesticide application to coincide with the most susceptible period of the pest’s life cycle.
The K-State Research and Extension has a variety of publications on pesticide safety and
pest control with the main goal of IPM – education for better understanding ecological principles,
pest prevention and control strategies: www.ksre.ksu.edu/pesticidesipm. This way of thinking lead to the development of “softer insecticides”
that is less harmful to the environment. Pesticides also based on some
type of naturally occurring biological insect hormone or venom, or plant
extracts, became more readily available. These are now readily available and listed as “organic pesticides”.
The term “organic farming” was first introduced in 1940 in the publication “Look at the Land“
by Lord Northbourne. His work, linking spirituality
and ecology, described a holistic, ecologically balanced approach to farming. It was J.I. Rodale that
brought the word organic to the U.S. when he published “Organic Farming and Gardening” in
1942. He advocated a return to sustainable agriculture and organic farming in the US, and popularized the term “organic” to mean grown without pesticides.
In the 1970s, a global movement concerned with pollution and the environment increased
focus on organic farming. The EPA, Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1970
and amendments to the pesticide law were in 1972. Organic agriculture simultaneously began in
other parts of the world. Alternative agriculture began and was called “sustainable agriculture”.
Organic agriculture is regulated by the USDA National Organic Program which states that
“organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrated cultural, biological, and mechanical practices
that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity”.
A produce is “organic” does not mean “pesticide-free” or “chemical-free”. In fact, in most
states, organic farmers are allowed to use a variety of chemical sprays and powders on their
crops. However, the pesticides must be derived from natural sources, not synthetically.
The K–State Research and Extension is a very good reading material for Insect Management for Organic Vegetable Gardens. In reality it is an excellent resource for control tactics for all
gardeners: mechanical, biological, insecticides and includes a list of common pests in Kansas
with pictures…
In the end, gardeners need to be aware of the risks and benefits of pesticides (synthetic
chemicals or natural chemicals) and should use common sense when applying these in your
plots. What you do will not only affect the environment—in this case—your plot—but also the food
you produce and consume.
Dr. Leila Maurmann
Chemist/Spectroscopist
Community Gardener—Master Gardener in Training
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Manhattan Community Garden
Grants provide assistance to Garden
The Manhattan Community Garden has received two grants this year.
The first grant for $5,000 was from the Kansas Community Garden Project,
sponsored by K-State Research and Extension. This grant provided the funds
for the second storage container at Collins Lane as well as tillers and mowers
for that site. We have recently been informed that we will receive a grant from the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation for $1,600. This money is designated to purchase additional new
equipment for the Gardens.
The City of Manhattan is working with the Garden to help prepare a second acre at Collins
Lane for gardening next year. They have already paid for topsoil from the former North garden
area to be transferred to Collins Lane. In the late fall, a City crew will install irrigation and prepare
the soil for gardening use next spring.
Garden Newsl etter —June 2012
1221 Thurston Street
www.tryufm.org
Manhattan KS 66502
What’s inside
·
History of the Community Gardens
·
Extending tomato season
·
President's corner
·
Butterfly Garden at Collins Lane
·
Pesticide history—IPM—Organic Gardening
·
Grants Provide Assistance to Garden