Before you pick up that non-organic apple…read this! “Did you know that if you consumed an average apple you would be eating over 30 pesticides, even after you have washed it?” Yuck! On average, any non-organic fruit contains over 20 pesticides! It’s true what they say, that you are what you eat! Unfortunately, farmers have resorted to heavy doses of pesticide to counter the infiltration of harmful bugs so they can keep up with consumer demand. Our food continues to diminish as farmers scramble to keep up quantity versus quality. How very sad for us consumers! But, if we buy organic and increase that demand, then the farmers have no choice but to change their ways. We have the power, as consumers, to change the way our food is grown and processed. The more people who opt out of buying non-organic foods, the less demand which will equal less production of those kinds of foods. Our health depends on the consumption of pure, untainted foods. Eating organic provides us with the vital, and proper, amounts of nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. We can help fight off disease and illnesses if we pay more attention to what we are putting in our bodies! Read more at http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/

Our voices need to be heard! Our government is ready to lift the ban on genetically modified alfalfa. By producing GE alfalfa, the probability of genetic contamination of organic and non-organic alfalfa will be greater. Farmers, both organic and non-organic, will feel the negative economic impacts of this deregulation and most concerning is the likelihood that more harmful herbicides and pesticides will be required. Call or write Congress at (202) 224-3121 or search who your local representative is at http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/. Do your part to maintain this imperative ban on genetically modified foods!!

To find out more, visit http://ofrf.org/action/ofan/100525_alert.html.

We’ve got a new giveaway for the month of June!! It’s an awesome Sun System New Wave 44 T5 High Output Fluorescent Fixture!!! It is a 4′, 4 tube fixture that produces 20,000 lumens! This normally retails for $219.95, but can be yours FREE! Come down and enter our raffle and try your luck!!

Sometimes the choice of which lighting to go with can be a daunting decision. One thing to keep in mind, is that lighting is one of the most important factors when it comes to your garden-one that shouldn’t be overlooked or not well thought out.

There are three main types of lighting to choose from-fluorescent, Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium’s. Fluorescent lamps tend to produce less heat and use less energy and are great for starting seedlings and rooting cuttings. They aren’t intense enough to support the growth that more mature plants need. Metal Halides give off a white light similar to that of natural sunlight. This is a good light to use during vegetative growth. High Pressure Sodium’s are more in the red range of the light spectrum, making it a superior choice during the flowering stages of growth.

A newer light source out on the market are T5′s. These linear fluorescent lamps are another option for your seedlings and cuttings. LED’s are making their way on the scene with the recent introduction of the quad band. These have yet to prove that they are effective during flowering stages.

We carry all of these different lighting choices.

There has been another outbreak of salmonella poisoning, this time associated with sprouts.  Yet another reason to grow your own!!  No deaths have been reported, but the illnesses have affected people in 10 different states.  They were sold to 18 states under the labels Caldwell Fresh Foods Brand, Nature’s Choice, and California Fresh Exotics. They were sold to Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Kings Supermarket, Numero Uno, Cardenas Markets, Gonzales Northgate Markets, Jons Marketplace and Canton Foods. As a consumer, it is scary to think that so many of our foods are not safe and can cause illness and sometimes death.  If you want to be sure your foods are contaminant free…start your garden now!

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100522/ap_on_bi_ge/us_tainted_sprouts

Do you wonder why you see vegetable and fruit washes everywhere now?  Well, part of the reason behind washing your food before you eat it is because of all the pesticides that are sprayed onto crops to eradicate pests.  Here is a list of the foods with the most concentration of pesticides:

1. Strawberries
2. Bell peppers (green and red)
3. Spinach (tied with number 2)
4. Cherries (grown in the United States)
5. Peaches (grown in Chile)
6. Cantaloupe (grown in Mexico)
7. Celery
8. Apples
9. Apricots
10. Green beans
11. Grapes
12. Cucumbers

What better reason do you need to grow your own!?!

Source: http://www.diet-blog.com/07/pesticides_the_12_most_tainted_foods.php

We carry Ed Rosenthal’s herbal fungicide that is safe for edible plants!  This potent blend of essential oils prevents and kills powdery mildew, gray and white mold, black spot and most other molds and fungus.  This biodegradable and environmentally safe mix contains Rosemary oil, Thyme oil, Clove Leaf oil, Wintergreen oil and potassium bicarbonate.  It is family and pet friendly, made out of pure food grade ingredients, 100% vegan

Ed Rosenthal's Zero Tolerance

and can be used up to 5 days before harvest.  We sell 1 quart, ready to use bottles for only $20.00!!

Our veggies are loving it!  As you can see from the pictures, everything is growing and looking delicious!  We will be replanting the sunflowers outside in soil and harvesting the lettuce, basil and chard when ready.  Our ten year old daughter planted these when she was on Spring Break in April, so they’ve been growing for a little over 4 weeks!  Amazing, the results you get when you grow hydroponically! Yum!

We have been approved by Hydrofarm!  As a distributor of their products, we are quickly becoming the most diverse and well stocked store on the Central Coast!  Check out their site at http://www.hydrofarm.com/.  We are still waiting for our account to be set up with them, so look for their products towards the end of May!

Good, quality water is essential when it comes to our gardens.  Although many people may successfully grow plants with tap water or other untreated water, they would see a huge improvement when using filtered water.  It’s not uncommon to find a variety of harmful contaminants in our local source of water.  These can include bacteria from wildlife and sewage/septic systems; salts and metals from runoff; pesticides and herbicides; even radioactive contaminants.  All things that can alter a plant’s ability to absorb nutrients and thrive.

Ideally, you want to use water that has a low PPM (parts per million) and low EC (electrical conductivity) giving you the room to add nutrients specific to the needs of your plants.  We recommend using a Reverse Osmosis system to filter your water.

pH (potential hydrogen) measures the acidity or alkalinity of your solution-anything falling below 7 is considered acidic.  When growing hydroponically, you will want your pH to somewhere between 5.8 and 6.2.  Lockout can occur with extreme pH levels, so be aware of what your numbers are!