UJAMAA SEEDS BLOG

GROW & EAT LEAFY GREENS

Leafy greens are low in calories yet high in fiber, making them ideal for weight management. Fiber helps in maintaining a healthy digestive system and contributes to a feeling of fullness, which can prevent overeating. Leafy greens can be incorporated into a variety of dishes. They can be eaten raw in salads, sautéed with garlic and olive oil, added to soups and stews, or blended into smoothies. This versatility makes it easy to include them in your daily diet.

Many leafy greens, especially kale and collard greens, are rich in vitamin K, which is crucial for bone health. Vitamin K acts as a modifier of bone matrix proteins, improves calcium absorption, and may reduce urinary excretion of calcium.

Recent studies suggest that the consumption of leafy greens may be beneficial for maintaining mental health and cognitive function. Nutrients like folate and vitamin K found in greens have been linked to a lower risk of cognitive decline.

The vitamins and minerals in leafy greens can support skin health. For instance, vitamin C, abundant in these vegetables, is essential for the production and maintenance of collagen, providing skin with structure and elasticity.

Incorporating leafy greens into your diet not only brings a host of health benefits but also adds color and variety to your meals.

Leafy greens are nutrient-dense, providing vitamins such as A, C, K, and folate, as well as minerals like iron and calcium. Freshly harvested greens from your garden are likely to retain more nutrients compared to store-bought ones that have been transported and stored for longer periods. Leafy greens are high in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, which can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

GROWING TIPS FOR PLANTING LEAFY GREENS

Late April or May are excellent times for planting leafy greens, ensuring both a productive and manageable garden. If the last frost has passed in your region, you can start planting leafy greens like spinaches, lettuces, and kale outdoors in late April or May.

In many climates, the mild temperatures of late spring are ideal for leafy greens, which tend to prefer cooler weather. They can germinate and grow without the stress of mid-summer heat. The increasing day lengths and warmer soil temperatures of late spring can promote faster and healthier growth. Leafy greens often have a short maturity cycle, allowing them to be harvested just a few weeks after planting.

Planting in late April or May can facilitate a continuous harvest cycle. By planting successively or choosing varieties with staggered maturity times, you can extend the availability of fresh greens from your garden. Cooler spring weather can help in managing pests, as many common pests of leafy greens are less active in cooler temperatures. This can reduce the need for chemical pesticides.

Growing herbs indoors can be a rewarding endeavor, giving you fresh flavors right at your fingertips. In addition, herbs sprouting up indoors can be a rewarding way to bring some greenery into your home and have fresh flavors on hand for cooking. Here are some useful tips to help you get started and keep your herbs thriving:

Choose the Right Herbs: Some herbs are more suited to indoor growing than others. Basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme are all excellent choices for indoor gardens.

Provide Adequate Light: Herbs need about six to eight hours of sunlight per day. If you don’t have a sunny windowsill, consider using a grow light. Position the light about six inches above the plants and keep it on for the recommended amount of time.

Use Well-Draining Soil: Herbs don't like to sit in wet soil, so use a potting mix designed for indoor plants, which typically has good drainage. Adding a bit of perlite or sand can improve drainage further.

Water Properly: Water your herbs when the top inch of soil feels dry. Be careful not to overwater, as this can lead to root rot. Herbs like to be moist, but not soggy.

Choose the Right Containers: Make sure your pots have drainage holes to allow excess water to escape. You can use almost any container, but terracotta pots are particularly good for herbs because they allow the soil to breathe.

Fertilize Sparingly: Herbs generally require less fertilizer than other plants. Use a half-strength, balanced fertilizer every four to six weeks during the growing season.

Prune Regularly: Pruning encourages growth and prevents the plants from becoming leggy. Regularly harvesting the tops of your herbs will help keep them bushy and productive.

Control the Environment: Keep the temperature around your herbs comfortable (65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal). Avoid placing your herbs near cold drafts or excessive heat sources.

Watch for Pests: Keep an eye out for common pests such as aphids and spider mites. If you spot pests, you can usually wash them off with a gentle spray of water or use insecticidal soap.

Acclimate Outdoor Herbs: If you're moving herbs indoors from the outside, gradually acclimate them to the lower light levels inside your home to prevent shock.  By following these tips, you can enjoy a variety of fresh herbs in your kitchen, adding a burst of flavor to your cooking all year round.

GROWING CRESS IN A BOWL

If you don’t want to play in potted soil, consider cress.  Growing cress indoors in a bowl is a simple and quick way to enjoy fresh greens. Cress, with its peppery flavor, is perfect for salads, sandwiches, and garnishes. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

Choose Your Bowl: Select a shallow bowl or dish. It doesn’t need to be very deep since cress roots are shallow.

Prepare the Growing Medium: You can use paper towels, cotton wool, or a thin layer of soil as a growing medium. Paper towels or cotton wool are cleaner and easier to manage, especially for beginners. If using paper towels, lay them flat to completely cover the bottom of the bowl. If using soil, fill the bowl with about an inch of potting mix.

Moisten the Medium: Thoroughly wet the paper towels or cotton wool with water until it’s evenly moist but not soaking. If using soil, water it until it’s damp all the way through.

Sow the Seeds: Sprinkle the cress seeds evenly over the surface of your chosen medium. You don't need to bury them; just make sure they are in contact with the moist surface. Use a generous amount of seeds, as cress is typically grown densely.

Cover the Bowl (Optional): You can cover the bowl with another bowl or a clear plastic wrap to create a mini-greenhouse effect. This helps maintain moisture and warmth. If you cover the seeds, be sure to remove the cover once the seeds start to germinate to prevent mold growth.

Place in a Bright Location: Place the bowl in a spot that receives indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight can be too intense and might dry out the seeds too quickly.

Keep the Medium Moist: Keep the paper towels or cotton wool moist at all times. If using soil, water lightly whenever the surface feels dry. Avoid overwatering as cress roots are quite delicate.

Watch Them Grow: Cress seeds germinate very quickly, often within just a couple of days. You can start harvesting as soon as the plants are about 2 inches tall, which usually takes about one to two weeks.

Harvest: To harvest, simply snip the cress just above the root line with scissors. You can harvest what you need and allow the rest to continue growing, although cress is best eaten young.

Growing cress in a bowl is an easy and satisfying project, especially for those new to indoor gardening or teaching children about plant growth. Enjoy your fresh cress in a variety of dishes!

The urban gardening movement is a social and environmental initiative that encourages the cultivation of plants and food in densely populated urban areas. This movement has gained momentum in recent years, driven by a variety of factors including a desire for local and sustainable food sources, the need for green spaces within cities, community development, and concerns about food security.

Here are some key aspects of the urban gardening movement:

1. Community Gardens: These are shared spaces where people come together to grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Community gardens not only provide fresh produce but also serve as centers for community engagement, education, and social interaction.
2. Rooftop Gardens: Utilizing the often-underused space atop buildings, rooftop gardens can help reduce a building's temperature, improve air quality, and provide a green oasis in the concrete jungle. They can be used for food production or simply as recreational green spaces.
3. Vertical Gardens: In cities where horizontal space is limited, vertical gardening uses walls and other vertical surfaces to grow plants. This innovative approach can beautify urban environments, improve air quality, and even contribute to building insulation.  
4. Window Farms and Balcony Gardens: Urban dwellers with limited space can use window sills and balconies to grow herbs, vegetables, and ornamental plants. This small-scale gardening can contribute to personal well-being and reduce one's carbon footprint.
5. Guerrilla Gardening: This is a more activist-oriented aspect of urban gardening where individuals plant gardens in neglected public spaces, such as road medians and unused plots, often without official authorization. The goal is to transform these areas into green, productive spaces.
6. Edible Landscaping: This approach integrates food-producing plants into urban landscapes, turning ornamental gardens and public spaces into areas that also yield fruits and vegetables.  
7. Sustainability and Education: Urban gardening promotes sustainability by reducing food miles, encouraging composting, and using organic growing methods. Educational programs associated with urban gardens can teach community members about nutrition, food systems, and environmental stewardship.
8. Social Cohesion: Urban gardens often become communal spaces that foster a sense of belonging and collective responsibility. They can bridge diverse communities, providing a common ground for interaction and cooperation.
9. Economic Benefits: Urban gardening can help reduce grocery bills, create green jobs, and stimulate local economies through the sale of surplus produce.
10. Health and Well-being: Beyond providing fresh food, urban gardens offer mental and physical health benefits. Gardening activities can reduce stress, encourage physical activity, and provide a sense of achievement and connection to nature.

The urban gardening movement is characterized by its adaptability and innovation, finding ways to integrate green spaces into the urban fabric despite challenges such as limited space and soil contamination. It reflects a broader shift towards more sustainable and community-oriented urban living.

Growing flowers in your vegetable garden can provide a range of benefits that enhance the health, productivity, and beauty of the garden space. Here are some reasons why integrating flowers among vegetables is a good practice:

1. Pollinator Attraction: Flowers are excellent at attracting pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds. These pollinators are crucial for the fertilization of many vegetable plants, leading to better fruit and seed production.
2. Pest Control: Certain flowers can repel unwanted insects or attract beneficial insects that prey on common garden pests. For example, marigolds are known to repel nematodes and other pests, while flowers like calendula attract beneficial insects that consume aphids and other harmful pests.
3. Companion Planting: Some flowers, when planted alongside specific vegetables, can improve the growth and flavor of vegetables through companion planting. This can be due to various factors, including the deterrence of pests, improved soil health, and more efficient use of space.
4. Biodiversity: Incorporating a variety of flowers increases the garden's biodiversity, leading to a more resilient and balanced ecosystem. This diversity can help to reduce the incidence of diseases and pests while promoting a healthier, more vibrant garden environment. 
5. Soil Health: Some flowers, such as those from the legume family, can fix nitrogen in the soil, making it available to neighboring plants. This natural fertilization can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and improve overall soil health.
6. Aesthetic Appeal: Beyond the practical benefits, flowers add beauty and color to vegetable gardens, making the space more enjoyable and inviting. This aesthetic appeal can enhance the gardening experience and even encourage more time spent in the garden, which can lead to better maintenance and care of the vegetable plants.
7. Cutting Garden: Growing flowers in your vegetable garden can also provide you with a ready supply of fresh flowers for bouquets and arrangements, adding a personal and decorative touch to your home.

By carefully selecting and positioning flowers within the vegetable garden, gardeners can create a harmonious and productive space that benefits from the unique advantages that flowers offer.

The text below has been adapted from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) website on the International Year of Millets.

2023 The International Year of Millets

With an ever-growing global population, the global food system faces many complex challenges, including hunger, malnutrition, limited natural resources and climate change. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger has designated 2023 as the Year of the Millets. The goal of FAO is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

According to the FAO, a solution to the above challenges is to boost affordable and sustainable crop production, as well as increased consumer access to varied diets. Because of their diversity, millets are affordable sources of nutrients for healthy diets that can be cultivated in various adverse climates and arid regions with minimal external inputs.

The Food and Agriculture Organization promotion of 2023 as the International Year of Millets is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the multiple benefits of millets, from nutrition and health to environmental sustainability and economic development. On their website they state the “everyone has a role to play - from governments and private sector companies to the general public, including chefs, home cooks and youth. We need to work together to unleash the potential of millets for human and planetary health and well-being.

For more information about the International Year of the Millets visit:

https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/about/en

Each year April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day, which is a wonderful awareness and celebration of children’s books. We rejoice in the many books written about gardening, farming, and the outdoors. The importance of introducing young children to growing food and enjoying outside is immeasurable. When children learn about outdoor customs, soil, plants, water, and animals, they discover natural science concepts they can use life long. Watching and waiting patiently while the planted seed grows into a sprout, to a seedling, to a plant with small leaves, and finishing with a flower, fruit, or vegetable are akin to birth, infancy, toddlerhood, and childhood looking forward to an awesome future.

One of the finest ways to bond and support childhood development is to introduce food and farm product cultivation through books. Imagine the stories about fingers in the soil, the first bite into fruit off a vine, or feeding carrot to a horse. Listen to the many questions about where food comes from, the sounds of a chicken, and fruit or vegetable. Children benefit from knowing how food ends up on their plate, how things grow, and who does all the hard work to feed them healthy, nutritious, and tasty bites.

Children’s books about growing food include lessons on responsibility, preparation, caring for plants and animals, outdoor safety, awareness about natural cycles, and appreciation of our environment. There are countless traditionally published garden and farming children’s books to be found by a quick internet search. Here, we share hidden gems with diverse characters written by diverse authors.

Zora’s Garden by Rae Chesney is a charming fictional fact-based garden and storytelling book featuring a young Zora Neale Hurston in her Eatonville, Florida garden. Read in historical voice, “Now some barely get off de ground and some just reachin’ up like dese here plants” makes the expressions as visual as the wonderful and bright colored illustrations by Rae Chesny

The Old Truck by brothers Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey is a loveable story about an old red truck and a little girl on a farm. The truck is worn out over time and rusts in the field. The little girl grows to run the farm and restores the truck back to life. The soft colors and whimsical retro design are ideal for toddlers through pre-schoolers. 

Fern and Ginger by Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance members Kathy Anderson and Karen Bowlding tells adventures in foraging, gardening, and farming settings. The siblings enjoy the outdoors while they learn from their Grandma and multi-generational landowner Farmer Sass. Creative colorful illustrations compliment lessons on edible wild plants, farm vegetables, and seeds. Home (karenbowlding.net)

Please be sure to start a child’s journey at UJAMAA SEEDS and UCFA GOODS. Order seeds and books today!

Beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, and peanuts. These are all members of the legume family. Growing legumes in your garden is a great way to provide high-quality protein for you and your family. Black-eyed peas have a different name in each section of the country. Black-eyed peas, also known as cowpeas, field peas, and crowder peas, are a common legume cultivated around the globe.

Several varieties have historically been cultivated in Africa and were transported to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade, hence a new term is becoming popular, African Peas. By whatever name you call them, they’re an old favorite in the South and can be grown where both days and nights are warm for a period of 60-90 days. Check out our varieties of beans and peas.

CLICK on our BEANS & PEAS link and begin or expand your Legume Garden this year.