Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Cedar Ridge Resident Facility Garden

The Cedar Ridge Center, a Johnny’s customer located in Skowhegan, Maine, recently sent us the following review of their successful growing season. Cedar Ridge is a newly renovated, 74-bed facility offering full rehabilitation services, an enhanced meal plan, and 24-hour skilled nursing care.

        

The Cedar Ridge facility’s garden was a project that was started in the spring of 2013 with the assistance of Master Gardener Robert Turner, Johnny’s Selected Seeds Contact Center Specialist Erin Reardon, and the activity department at the Center. Seeds were purchased through Johnny’s in Winslow and started in the facility under grow lights.

   Last spring, the turf at the facility was taken up in 5 strips, 7 feet wide and 50 feet long. This year we added 3 more strips, for a total of 8. The turf was left between the rows so that our residents’ wheelchairs could access the entire garden. 

   Through the direction of Master Gardener Robert Turner the project was taken on with sustainability in mind. No fertilizers were used to amend the soil. The residents assisted with watering, potting seedlings and then, after harvest, they snapped beans, peeled vegetables, and have made pickles and squash pie. 


   Residents have enjoyed watching the garden grow and showing off their garden to family members. The garden for the past 3 months has produced 1,187.58 pounds of fresh produce! Our facility kitchen staff has taken great pride in preparing the backyard fresh vegetables and the residents compliment daily about how much they have enjoyed them. This is a project that speaks of the memories and tastes of home. We have raised broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, summer and winter squash, zucchini, Swiss chard, and lettuce and added raspberries, blueberries, and asparagus this season. 


    

Monday, October 6, 2014

Save 10% on Selected Season Extension Supplies

Protect your crops and extend your season early in the spring and late in the fall. Season extension methods allow you to not only extend your season, but increase your yield. 




Friday, October 3, 2014

Events, Conferences, & Tradeshows We're Attending

2014–2015 Schedule
We'll be continuing to update our 2014–2015 schedule at Johnnyseeds.com — check back at your convenience.

EventLocationDates
Hoes Down Harvest FestivalGuinda, CAOctober 4–5, 2014
European Seed Association (ESA) Annual MeetingLisbon, PortugalOctober 12–14, 2014
Sunbelt Agricultural ExpositionMoultrie, GAOctober 14–16, 2014
Mother Earth News Fair • TopekaTopeka, KSOctober 25–26, 2014
North Country (NH) Fruit & Vegetable SeminarWhitefield, NHOctober 29, 2014
Farmer to Farmer (Maine Organic Farmers 
& Gardeners)
Northport, MENovember 1, 2014
Growing Power Urban & Small Farms ConferenceMilwaukee, WINovember 7–9, 2014
Tilth Producers of Washington Annual ConferenceVancouver, WANovember 7–9, 2014
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Sustainable 
Agriculture Conference
Greenville, NCNovember 10–12, 2014
Asia & Pacific Seed Association (APSA) Asian 
Seed Congress
Macau, ChinaNovember 10–14, 2014
Pacific Northwest Vegetable Association (PNVA) 
Conference & Trade Show
Kennewick, WANovember 12–13, 2014
Mississippi Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association ConferenceJackson, MSTBD
Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional 
Network (ACORN)
Halifax, NS, CanadaNovember 12–14, 2014
National Young Farmers Conference at Stone BarnsPocantico Hills, NYDecember 03–05, 2014
Great Lakes Expo (GLEXPO)Grand Rapids, MIDecember 9–11, 2014
New England Vegetable & Berry Growers 
Association (NEV&BGA)
Manchester, NHTBD
State of Maine Agricultural Trades ShowAugusta, MEJanuary 13–15, 2015
Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, & 
Organic Conference (ISCAOC)
Springfield, ILJanuary 07–9, 2015
Great Plains Growers ConferenceSt Joseph, MOJanuary 08–10, 2015
Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable ConferenceSavannah, GAJanuary 08–11, 2015
Minnesota Organic ConferenceSt Cloud, MNJanuary 9–10, 2015
Northeast Organic Farming Association of 
Massachusetts (NOFA–MA) Winter Conference
Worcester, MAJanuary 10, 2015
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group 
(SSAWG) Conference
Little Rock, ARJanuary 14–17, 2015
Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association 
(OPGMA) Congress
Sandusky, OHJanuary 19–21, 2015
NYSVGA Empire State Producers Expo (New York 
State Vegetable Growers Association)
Syracuse, NYJanuary 20–22, 2015
Indiana Horticultural CongressIndianapolis, INJanuary 20–22, 2015
Vermont Vegetable & Berry Growers 
Association (VVBGA)
Fairlee, VTJanuary 21, 2015
Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) ConferencePacific Grove, CAJanuary 21–24, 2015
Practical Farmers of IowaAmes, IAJanuary 23–24, 2015
Northeast Organic Farming Association of 
New York (NOFA–NY) Winter Conference
Saratoga Springs, NYJanuary 23–25, 2015
American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) Vegetable 
& Flower Seed Conference
Tampa, FLJanuary 24–27, 2014
Scotia Horticultural ConferenceGreenwich, NS, CanadaJanuary 26–27, 2015
Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable ConventionHershey, PAJanuary 27–29, 2015
Pacific Agriculture ShowAbbotsford, BC, CanadaJanuary 29–31, 2015
Guelph Organic ConferenceGuelph, ON, CanadaJanuary 29 – February 1, 2015
Texas Organic Farmers & Growers Association 
(TOFGA) Conference
San Antonio, TXJanuary 29 – February 01, 2015
Virginia Association for Biological Farming 
(VABF) Conference
Richmond, VAJanuary 30–31, 2015
Northeast Organic Farming Association of 
New Hampshire (NOFA–NH)
Concord, NHJanuary 31, 2015
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture 
(PASA) Farming for the Future Conference
State College, PAFebruary 04–07, 2015
Missouri Organic Association (MOA) ConferenceSpringfield, MOFebruary 05–07, 2015
OrganicologyPortland, ORFebruary 05–07, 2015
Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association 
(OEFFA) Conference
Granville, OHFebruary 13–15, 2015
Northeast Organic Farming Association of 
Vermont (NOFA–VT)
Burlington, VTFebruary 14–15, 2015
Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention (OFVC)Niagara Falls, ON, CanadaFebruary 18–19, 2015
Farm to Table New Mexico Organic Farming 
Conference
Albuquerque, NMFebruary 20–21, 2015
Georgia Organics ConferenceAthens, GAFebruary 20–21, 2015
Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education 
Service (MOSES) Conference
Lacrosse, WIFebruary 26–28, 2015
Oregon Small Farms ConferenceCorvallis, ORFebruary 28, 2015
Northeast Organic Farming Association of 
Connecticut (NOFA–CT) Winter Conference
Danbury, CTMarch 7, 2015
Harvest New England Agricultural Marketing 
Conference & Trade Show
Sturbridge, MATBD
Mother Earth News Fair • AshevilleAsheville, NCTBD
Nevada Indoor Agricultural Conference (AG • NV)Las Vegas, NVTBD
International Seed Federation (ISF) World 
Seed Congress
Kraków, PolandMay 1–31, 2015
PNW Mother Earth News Fair (formerly in 
Puyallup, WA)
Albany, ORTBD