simon wilde

contact your local Master Gardener and check out this website: They should be able to help you with anything and everything!

http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu

http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/Grow_LA_Victory_Garden_Initiative/

good luck!

Hey there John!
It's a good thought, but it may not be possible in that climate. I have a lot of experience with both in the Virgin Islands, where they grow like weeds!!! In fact, I don't think I ever want to eat Chaya again! Not true, but when it's a major staple every day...Moringa has millions of possibilities and positives - you can grind it and sprinkle just for the health benefits alone...I'd say if you got the seeds, give it a go if it's for "personal consumption" just for the hell of it and keep your fingers crossed - anything is possible. However, check this out first:

http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa

and you should be able to find your answers...Moringa is a cool looking tree with amazingly versatile properties and benefits.

Good Luck!

Oh hey, by the way...Uh, you live in Dorset and you don't know about the River Cottage series & Hugh Fernly Wittingstall or the landshare project that he set up? That seems impossible, but just in case you should check it(the shows)/him out. Also, this blog post will give you an idea of what it's all about:

http://thepauperedchef.com/2010/12/guide-to-the-river-cottage-why-hugh-fearnley-whittingtsall-should-be-your-food-celebrity.html

Hope this is helpful...

Here you go! Could be a great place to start...

www.landshare.net/

good luck!

Hey Tyler, thanks for your response - WISH I HAD SOME CHICKENS!!! Maybe I'll go fishing tomorrow. But on a more serious note, they kind of fit into this:Larvae

The larval stage of this insect likes to feed on the roots of crops for two to six weeks, and then enters the pupa stage of its life. The caterpillars are slightly larger than adults, being about 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch long and are normally very slender and white in color, brownish at the ends. They can destroy the entire root system or stem of the plant, but more mature plants can usually tolerate this damage.

They are definitely larger than that - 1" plus and as thick as a pencil! but they could be that...I recently heard that the so/central Cali has been invaded by some kind of mutant, I believe, Japanese beetle, that devours all brassicas. Even so, I am working with a 5' x 50' space in a suburban setting with no other growers near by. However, there have been some strange developments: beets, radishes, 3 kinds of kale, carrots all devoured to the bone - I think it's rats, possums, or ? No signs other than heavy bite marks that an insect generally doesn't leave. Whoever that culprit is, outside of bite marks, they leave no evidence. The question is: why would one 5 gal pot of cucumbers be a breeding ground when another ten feet away is completely clean? THAT IS A MYSTERY IN ITSELF and I must admit, quite wonderful at that for this (on the small scale) makes the whole endevour so much fun!!!

In any case, thanks again:

PLEASE, I KNOW SOMEONE OUT THERE MUST KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THESE ARE. I certainly will never forget them:

As the Autumn arrived in Cali so did my cucumbers have to go, I pulled em out and by bloody god, this is what I found!!! I sifted through all the soil and there were maybe 30+ of these alien looking creatures. They certainly don't like the day light - as soon as they woke up they were burrowing back down!!! The strange thing is that in cucumber pot/container (5 gal) #1, there was no sign of them at all: So, what are they? Where do they come from? Should I toss the soil or have they made it better? Are they root eaters? Are they mysterious nighttime vampires that come to devour above ground? And, since I have saved about 25 in a fishbowl, is there any use for them?

"The land is pretty cheap..about $125 a month for 10 years...then it is yours. But to buy seeds, and equipment etc. And to build cabins...that is going to cost...so I still need to figure this out."

Greetings Skai!!!

I have been forever interested in possibilities in PR and recently lived on a farm with a gal from there who just wanted to get out - primarily because of "the politics/unemployment" etc. However, and I still don't know her exact "dilemma" - perhaps it was her boyfriend! - as an unfortunate holding an american passport, it seems like one of the last "safe" tropical areas to dive into and the SURF IS EXCELLENT!!! SO, before I carry on, let me say your most important NEED & question to ask is WATER, WATER & WATERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! At $125/mnth you need nothing but that - WATER!!! (and maybe depending on the rainfall in that area you don't even need that!). 20 acres of gorgeous land on a hillside is fabulous AS LONG AS IT IS NOT FACING EAST!!! Whatever the case, if you get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day you'll be ok (but not ideal-"depending"). SEEDS - no problem. They are cheap...HUMMMM, the thought just occurred to me, are your plans capitalist or regenerative/sustainability? If you want to CAPITALIZE, then yes, YOU NEED LOTS OF MONEY! if you want to create a beautiful little nitch of Heaven, you need next to nothing!!!

-You can get free seeds on line
-Greens and sprouts are edible within two weeks
-You can easily set up a tent compound and/or go crazy and
start with ONE shipping container and build on it from there
-For $125/mnth you can build with your hands, shovel, machete, and a spoon!!!
-You don't need "equipment" unless you're "after something"...
THE BIG QUESTION IS WHAT DO YOU WANT AND WHAT ARE YOU AFTER?

I could go on and on, but with out more info there's really no point.
WHERE IS IT?
I'll tell you right now, I would be pitching my tent and planting arugula this very minute
if I came across such an opportunity.

The bottom line is that if it is a descent "piece" of 20 acres! for $125/mnth you could start a REVOLUTION!

Fill me in on your reality and I can tell you much more.

Buena Suerte,

Sea Urchin

PS-If your story is true and you don't or aren't ready to go for it, please let me know and I'll start tomorrow!
If you are ready, depending on where it is, I'd be more than happy to help you out and manage it for you...

Hello there Mr. Red!
Thought you might find this interesting:

http://inhabitat.com/nyc/top-5-urban-farms-in-new-york-city/

http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/68297/index1.html

http://www.laecovillage.org/

From what I hear, new york is "going off!!!" Roof top/empty lot/back yard/balcony gardens and CSA's gallore!!! Pretty cool. It's going on everywhere and growing by the day. AWSOME!!!
HOPE YOU ENJOY,

S.U.