The West Coast

What would happen if we as Americans did not have the great state of California? Well, about 50% of the horticultural diversity of food crops would not be available for everyday consumers like you and I to eat. You really like those fresh plums that are available right now? Good, me too, but 95% of the plum production in this country comes from California (same with apricots, they are both in the same subgenus of the Rosaceae family). Not only is California big on plums, but they also account for 55% of our peaches, 85-90% of our strawberries, and 30% of our pears. So think twice about our wonderful farmers out in California. If we do not have land for our farmers to work on, then we will not be able to enjoy and nourish our bodies with hundreds of delicious and healthy food products. Thank you very much to the state of California and the agricultural production that comes from there!

The Ultimate Breakfast

One of the best parts about horticulture is all of the wonderful fruits and vegetables that are available for consumption. While I do not consider myself to be a master chef, I certainly have experience working in the kitchen with fresh ingredients (former employee of a catering company and everyday cook). Here is my recipe for a healthy, filling, and horticultural breakfast.

"2 Eggs & an Onion"

2 large eggs
2 "Cherokee Purple" tomatoes (chopped)
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
3 cloves of fresh garlic (minced)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of fresh basil (chopped) (Note: you can use basil, oregano, cilantro or other fresh herbs)
1 tbsp of Valentina Mexican Hot Sauce
2 slices of whole-wheat bread (toasted)
Salt and black pepper to taste

1.) Start by heating a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat with 2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped garlic, and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.

2.) Once garlic is golden brown, add onion, and the 2 tomatoes. Give a quick stir and cook about 5 minutes. Toss a couple of times to ensure even cooking.

3.) Once cooked through, make space in middle of skillet for eggs. You can add them with yolks intact, or if you prefer scrambled eggs that is fine. I like my eggs fried. Add 2 eggs and lower heat to medium-low.

4.) Once eggs are almost completely cooked through on first side, flip them, while simultaneously placing 2 pieces of whole-wheat bread in toaster.

5.) Let eggs cook through, bread to toast and then plate.

6.) Place the 2 pieces of toast down on plate, add 1 egg to each slice of toast, serve vegetables on top, and finish with the hot sauce, fresh basil (other herbs work as well), salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Now that is darn good breakfast. Don't be afraid to try different vegetables either. So far this summer I have used 3 different varieties of squash, red onions, celery, bell-peppers (any color), and even freshly chopped peaches in all of my dishes. That is one of the wonders of horticulture, there is so much variety!

Russian Horticulture, wait, really?

Yes folks, what you read is true. Even those brutal Russian winters can not stop horticulture from being practiced worldwide.

This past spring, I was fortunate enough to study abroad in Moscow, Russia. I participated in an international agricultural seminar, a three-way program between Clemson University, Pennsylvania State University, and the Moscow State Agro-Engineering University. I lived in Moscow, Russia from January 15th to May 12th, 2008, and loved absolutely every second of it. I loved it so much, that I would like to return there some day (hopefully sooner than later) to live and work in the field of horticultural production.

I know that some of you are thinking to yourself that "wow, this kid is crazy," and you are exactly right, I am. Who in their right mind would think about moving to Mother Russia, suffer through bitterly freezing winters, and leave life in America? Well, I would, but enough of all of that, let's talk some plants, huh?

Throughout the semester, our Russian-American study group went on weekly tours throughout the Moscow Region to different agricultural facilities. Some of the places we visited were the Moskovsky Greenhouse, a fruit farm with a juice processing facility, various dairy farms and processing plants, potato, canola, and soybean farms, and one of my favorites, a swine processing facility. (NOTE: swine means pigs, or pork, or those lovely oinkers that taste so good when they have been sitting in a cooking vessel all day, not plants).

Although the pigs were great, the vegetative biodiversity was absolutely beautiful and my favorite part of living in Russia. Once the snow and icepack melted and spring came around, it was like living in a completely new environment. Beautiful bulbs started to poke their way through the soil, birds migrated back for the beginning of spring, and you could feel a new sense of life in the air. Over were the days of sub-freezing temperatures, endless snow-showers, and barren plants.

Here is a picture of Alexander's Garden, just meters away from the Kremlin Walls, and the ever-so-famous Red Square.




Even though much of Russia's landscape is dominated by tunda, borreal forest and temperate woodlands, there is an enormous amount of plant productivity that takes place. Russia is the second largest producer or wheat in the world, the United States is first. Russia is also the 3rd largest apple producing country, China and the United States are first and second. The country also features over 300 wineries, a world leader in sour-cherry production, and is famous for their vodkas. (NOTE: Russian vodka is made with potatoes, unlike most vodkas worldwide, especially in the United States where wheat is the crop used for alcohol production. Talk about putting horticulture to work!)

So if you are ever thinking about going to Russia, feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to answer any questions about Russian horticulture, or just Russia itself. It truly is an amazing place.

Pictures from: Personal photo collection.

Support Local and Organic Farms!

Which is better, organically grown crops, or crops grown with applied fertilizers and chemicals? This is one of the hottest topics in the field of agriculture today, and has led to millions of people choosing to buy their food elsewhere. Personally, I never bought any organic produce until I started working on our organic farm here at Clemson University, but now I can say that organically grown produce make up at least 50% of my diet. So, what do you think, organic, or not?

I choose organic, but for a number of reasons. Like I stated above, I never use to eat organically grown food till this summer. I am 6'3'', 215 lb, healthy, red-blooded American male that has been eating food from the grocery store since I was a kid. My family has never shopped for organic food, so why would I eat it? I am not sick, or unhealthy (knock on wood), and have never experienced any side-effects from eating food from the grocery store (knock on wood). But now after working on an organic farm and learning the principles of agricultural production, I must say that organic is the way to go.

First, and most importantly why I choose to support local and organic agriculture is that there are no chemicals and synthetic compounds applied to the food that I eat. It is not uncommon for produce to travel hundreds, if not thousands of miles before it lands in your supermarket, so why eat something where you don't know its derived location, and what, if anything was applied to it?

Another reason why I choose to support organically grown food is that the agricultural use of fossil fuels and pesticides produces air pollution (and the cost of energy is already expensive enough the way it is). Untreated animal wastes and agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides cause water pollution which ultimately reduces biological diversity, harms fisheries and leads to outbreaks of nuisance species. I don't know about you, but I still want to eat fresh seafood when my body craves it, and if this doesn't change your mind, then I don't know what will. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agricultural practices are the single largest cause of surface-water pollution in the United States. Wow! Do you really want those chemicals to be in your food, then end up in your water? I certainly DO NOT!

Ok, so I am not saying that we should shut down every farm that sprays chemicals to their crops, where would our food come from? We certainly can't shutdown our largest industry in terms of GDP, so what should we do? I propose that farmers across the United States should reduce their chemical applications to food crops by 25%, then after 2 years, we cut another 25%, and continue to do this until there is no longer the application of chemicals and pesticides to our food crops. Now whether this actually happens or not, that is another story.

So think twice before you go shopping at grocery store again. Do you really want those tomatoes, peppers, and other items when you don't know how they were grown? Do you want to continue supporting a practice that is detrimental to our environment in multiple ways? Not me, not this guy. Head on down to your local farmers market and actually talk to the farmers, after all they know best what is happening in the fields. And if there is not locally and organically grown food available, then head to your local supermarket. Organically grown food is available in almost every grocery store across the United States. GO ORGANIC!

Raven and Berg, The Environment 5th Edition, Danvers, MA. 2006

Picture from: Clemson University Student Organic Farm website

http://www.clemson.edu/sustainableag/student_farm.html

Come to the Farmer's Market!

The Clemson University Student Organic Farm is a project that was founded in 2001 and currently occupies approximately 15 acres of the Calhoun Field Laboratory. The farm was certified organic in 2005, meaning there are no synthetic, or chemical pesticides and fertilizers applied to the fields. Crop production mainly comes from the farm bottoms in Calhoun Fields, but just a couple of miles up the road we have a "heirloom" vegetable garden located in the South Carolina Botanical Gardens. (NOTE: FYI heirloom- cultivar of a vegetable or fruit that is open-pollinated and is not grown widely for commercial purposes. Heirloom's often exhibits a distinctive characteristic such as superior flavor or unusual coloration).

Above is a local garden plot just minutes away from our organic farm in Clemson, South Carolina.

So far, my experience working on the farm has been an absolute blast. While waking up at 6:00 am and biking, or walking to work might sound outrageous to some people, I look forward to every morning and afternoon, especially on Wednesday's.

Every Wednesday is our "big day" on the farm, because every Wednesday is market day (pending on seasonality, of course). From 4:00-7:00 pm locals from the Clemson area come to eat, pick out, and buy their fresh produce for the week. Some of the available fresh produce items include:

Zucchini
Beans (several varieties)
Cucumbers
Heirloom Tomatoes (several varieties)
Summer Squash (several varieties)
Peaches/Nectarines
Sunflowers
Cushaw Squash
Kale
Okra
Onions
Melons (several varieties)
Clemson University Eggs (12 in a dozen)
Clemson University Bacon (original, and smoked pepper varieties)

These are just crops and other items that we have available for this summer. Once fall is here, and thankfully it is only right around the bend, we will have new produce items due to the change in season.

Even though I am looking forward to the fall, I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed every fresh peach, nectarine, and slice of watermelon that we have had. I feel it is a blessing to be able to work in a field that supports not only a healthy diet for myself, but for hundreds of people in the Clemson area. I am looking very forward to my career in this industry, no matter where it takes me. So come on out to our market every Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 pm, there is tons of "good eats" to go around.

Link: Clemson University Student Organic Farm
http://www.clemson.edu/scg/sust/student_farm.html

Picture from: My personal photo collection

Horticultural Video

For your viewing pleasure, enjoy!

Drink More Wine!

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, one of the many facilities at Texas Tech University, found that people who consumed 1-2 alcoholic beverages daily are 54% less likely to have a weight problem than those who don't imbibe. Now FYI, studies also found that those who consumed more than 2 alcoholic beverages daily reversed the trend, thus gaining unnecessary weight. So, what should we do? The answer is simple, drink more wine!

Wine grapes, Vitis vinifera, from the family Vitaceae, are loaded with essential nutrients and vitamins. Wine grapes, as well as table grapes are vital sources of vitamins E, C and other antioxidants, all of which are known to help reduce heart disease and help build your immune system. But which ones to drink?

Wines are commonly distinguished between reds and whites. Some examples of common red wines are Merlot, Shiraz, Chianti, Pinot Noir, and white wines include Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. Each variety offers the consumer a different taste and experience, and they can be enjoyed anywhere in the world.

Generally grapes are gratifyingly easy to grow. They can be cultivated in pots and grown directly from the ground. Rich soils should be avoided, because the plants will utilize more of their energy towards vine growth, rather than fruit production. Once the bunches have been harvested, allow 1-2 days for drying before any further processing begins.

So now what? If you're like me, you really want to head to the local market and pick up a nice bottle of Merlot to compliment the steak that is marinating right now. Be sure to check in for more horticultural news and updates.

References: Biggs, M. Flowerdew, B. McVicar, J. "Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit" 2006.

Image from: http://www.sfbayimages.com/

What is Horticulture?

Horticulture is one of three sciences that comprise modern agriculture, along with agronomy and forestry. The word “horticulture” is broken down into two parts; ‘hort’ meaning garden; and ‘culture’ meaning to cultivate or grow. Horticulture is most easily defined as the science or art of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. There are six smaller sciences that make up the horticultural field including pomology, olericulture, arboriculture, floriculture, landscape horticulture, and post-harvest physiology.

Almost all of the different forms of plant life that we encounter each day are derived from the science of horticulture. The ‘Japanese Maple’ you have in your front yard is a horticultural species, the bouquet of flowers that you are giving to your girlfriend is a product of horticulture, and all of those delicious fruits and vegetables that we enjoy year around are products of horticulture as well. Without horticulture, life as we know it would be dull, dry, and almost tasteless. We need these plants and their productive parts to remain in our daily lives because they contribute so much to our diet, health and aesthetical pleasure.

So whether you are in your garden, greenhouse, or out on the golf-course, please take the time to step back, and capture all of the wonderful things that horticulture does for us today, because without it we would be in a world of trouble.

References: "Horticulture: Principles and Practices" What is Horticulture, pages xxix-xli

Image from: My personal photo collection.

How to Build a Compost Pile...

A major topic concerning both horticulture and environmental science is the proper way to dispose food and landscape wastes. Millions of pounds of food and landscape wastes are hauled away to local waste facilities every year, when it could be perfectly recycled and put back to use. Therefore, this raises the quintessential question, what should we do with our plant wastes? Should we throw them in the trash, or implement them into a healthy and sustainable compost piles?

Compost piles have been utilized since the beginnings of agricultural production. They replenish tremendous amount of nutrients back into the soil, protect the plant's lower portions and root systems from pests, and help keep the soil moist and cool. Below, you will find some basic instructions on how to build and maintain your own compost pile.

Note: Before we tackle the actual construction of the pile, let's be sure on what is compostable material. Acceptable compost pile ingredients include: yard trimmings, such as fallen leaves, grass clippings, flowers and the remains of garden plants. Kitchen scraps, such as fruit and vegetable peels and trimmings, crushed eggshells, teabags, coffee grounds, and filters can all be composted as well. Woody yard trimmings can be run through a shredder, or cut real fine before adding them to the pile.

Instructions:

Start by assembling your compost pile withholding vessel. This can be as simple as a plastic bucket, or as intricate as a structure built with wood, wire and concrete. As long as the vessel is capable of withholding all the ingredients and can accessed rather easily.

1. Start your pile with a layer of browns (shredded), then add a layer of greens (also shredded). Mix the two layers together while adding some moisture (H2O). Note: feel free to add other soils, manures, or other nitrogen sources.


2. Be sure to tarp and cover your pile during warm months to reduce water loss (transpiration). By covering our pile we are preventing excess water from gaining access into the pile, which then would go on to create possibilities for unwanted microorganisms, disease and the persistence of fungi.


3. Over time your compost pile will grow larger and larger, be sure to turn or mix your pile every 3-5 days. This process will speed up the "composting" of the soil and also release a good amount of heat. Do not be alarmed by this!


4. Besides adding ingredients and turning the pile, you should be sure to check to temperature. Using hotbed thermometer, check the interior temperature of the pile, which is at least 12 inches from the soil surface. The temperature should peak between 90-140 degrees F. If the temperature begins to fall, or exceeds 140 degrees F, be sure to turn the pile.


5. Continue monitoring the temperature and moisture of the pile. The temperature will rise as long as there is un-decomposed material that needs to be broken down. Once your turning causes no more rise in temperature, the compost is probably ready to be spread and utilized in your garden or landscape. Look for the compost to be dark, crumbly, and will no longer look like the original materials/ingredients.

These instructions are basic, and can be used by anybody who is interested recycling their plant wastes and lessening their carbon footprint on our environment.

Image from: http://www.peacecorps.mtu.edu/

Polomski, Robert. "Recycled Yard Trimmings: Home Composting" 2003.