Seasons The Greening of Maplewood
Farming Through The Years By Shann Finwall, Environmental Planner
1,500 miles – that is the average distance our food travels! There are consequences to this long distance travel including environmental impacts due to increased emissions and packaging, loss of freshness and flavor, and use of pesticides after harvest to increase shelf life. Because of these concerns, there is a growing movement in urban communities to better understand our food supply and to eat food produced closer to home. Our food didn’t have to travel so far in the past when Maplewood was a community of farmers. The Homestead Act of 1862 opened up land to settlers who would farm for five years. At that time, farming in the Maplewood area was appealing because farmers could sell their produce to St. Paul, the growing city to the south. By the turn of the century Maplewood was almost completely farmed. Today we see remnants of Maplewood’s farming history. The Bruentrup Heritage Farm, established in 1891, was one of the
last operating farms in Ramsey County. It was owned and operated by three generations of the Bruentrup family and was primarily a dairy farm. The Maplewood Area Historical Society now operates the farm as a historical interpretive center. The Ramsey County Poor Farm served the poor and the elderly from 1885 to 1950. Residents of the farm who were physically able had to work on site for their keep. When the operations ceased, the farmland was transformed into other county uses. But the historic barn, built in 1918, still stands and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Ramsey County Correctional Facility (RCCF) once raised cattle and hogs. The meat was used by RCCF and by Boys Totem Town. In 1996, the livestock operations ceased due to costs and impacts to the neighborhood. Today RCCF has a plant nursery where inmates help grow native trees, shrubs, flowers and wetland plants for use in public programs throughout the state. A drastic change to Maplewood’s farmland came after World War II when builders converted thousands of acres in the Twin Cities into neighborhoods of homes. Residents of those homes wanted improved
Spring 2013 services like sewer, water, better roads, and to be separated from the “nuisances” caused by farming. The City’s first zoning code was adopted in 1965 and was designed to separate the land uses. Because of the demand for organic, locallygrown produce in our area, we are seeing an increase in urban farming – both as a hobby and commercially. More residents are keeping chickens for eggs and bees for honey, tapping maple trees for syrup, and growing produce in their backyards. Businesses are developing new systems or tweaking old farming methods to better fit the urban environment. One urban farming business in Maplewood is Garden Fresh Farm (www.gardenfreshfarms.com). This farm uses aquaponics technology in a warehouse to raise fish and produce, turning the fish waste into fertilizer for plants. In 2013, the Environmental and Natural Resources Commission will be reviewing how the City can increase access to locally grown food and remove regulatory barriers to urban farming, without negatively impacting neighborhoods. For more information on urban farming review the local foods guide enclosed or visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/localfoods.
Visit Maplewood’s Farm History
Bruentrup Heritage Farm New Dairy Exhibit, June 14-15 www.maplewoodhistoricalsociety.org
Ramsey County Correctional Facility Plant Sale, First 3 Weekends in May www.co.ramsey.mn.us/cc/index.htm
Ramsey County Poor Farm Ramsey Co. Fair - 4H and Farmer for a Day, July 10-14 www.ramseycountyfair.com
4H Chickens
By Chris Swanson, Sustainability Intern Maplewood ordinance allows residents to keep up to ten chickens with a permit. No roosters are allowed – they tend to wake up the neighbors too early in the morning. Since 2011 the City has issued seven chicken permits. One of the youngest Maplewood chicken keepers is Jasmine Carvelli, 14 years old. Her first interaction with chickens was at a friend’s backyard chicken coop. After becoming involved in a local 4H group she found that she enjoyed animals. She suggested that her family raise chickens as part of a 4H project.
Jasmine Tending to Her Chickens
Chicken keeping has become more than a project for Jasmine. She loves interacting with the chickens and says that they are soft and fun to play with. She even taught one of her chickens to sit on her shoulder. Jasmine’s ten chickens produce 12 eggs per day for the family. The family uses the eggs they can, and gives away the rest.
Jasmine will continue to raise backyard chickens well into the future and she thinks that others should try their hand at urban chicken farming too. For information on obtaining your own chicken permit visit the City’s website at www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/sustainability.
From Sap to Syrup
By Ann Hutchinson, Lead Naturalist When Patti Heller moved into her home with a maple forest in Maplewood she complained about all the leaf raking she had to do. Then, she and friend Melanie Krueger attended a two-day maple syruping class at Wild River State Park, just to do something fun. While learning how to tap, collect, and boil down the sap, they realized this was something they could do in Patti’s one-acre backyard. Patti has 25 silver and sugar maples, which were planted in the 1940’s and are now 15 to 40 inches in diameter. With Melanie’s help, she decided to tap her trees. Last year they placed 52 taps, and collected the sap using the spile and blue bag method. They pour the sap in large plastic pails and then boil it down over a fire outdoors. With a ratio of 40 gallons of sap to one gallon of syrup, boiling off 230 gallons of water will net them 6 gallons of syrup in a good year. Patti enjoys sharing the process with neighbors, family, and youth groups. Now she sees the leaves as another gift from the trees – she composts and uses them in her garden. “The earth has a lot to offer,” says Patti. “It is so important to learn what you have, to appreciate it, and to take care of it.”
Tapping Maples in Maplewood
Family Program: Sap Into Syrup - March 9, 10:00 - 11:15AM, $5 per child, Maplewood Nature Center (651.249.2170).
A Taste of Honey
By Chris Swanson, Sustainability Intern As a young boy in Mexico, the food Arturo Leyva’s family ate was grown locally on neighboring farms. He can tell the difference between food he buys at the supermarket and the farm fresh produce that he enjoyed as a youth. That difference in taste is why five years ago Arturo decided to start keeping bees in the backyard of his Maplewood home. He missed the taste of fresh honey, naturally infused with the aromatic hints of the flowers and other plants the bee visits. To prepare to become an urban bee keeper he attended a class at Century College and got involved with the local University of Minnesota bee keeping group. Arturo is now in his fifth season of backyard beekeeping. He has never had any complaints from his neighbors, who all support him and his honey bees. His neighbors are thrilled with the positive effects that the bees have on backyard flower and vegetable gardens in the neighborhood. Because the bees pollinate the plants, the gardens are noticeably more vibrant and full. The occasional jar of home harvested honey also doesn’t hurt.
Maplewood Bee Keeper Arturo Leyva Seasons 2
The number of urban bee keepers is growing around the Twin Cities as people recognize the positives associated with backyard bee hives. Arturo believes that number will continue to grow in the future, but recognizes that they need new members to make that happen. For more information on urban beekeeping visit the Minnesota Bee Keepers website at www.mnbeekeepers.com.
Community Gardens Thrive In Maplewood
By Oakley Biesanz, Naturalist and Community Garden Coordinator Did you know there are FIVE public community gardens that are located in Maplewood and North St. Paul? Each year the community garden coordinators work together to create an educational series for the public. If you’re intrigued by urban agriculture and love good healthy food, consider tending a vegetable garden this year, or join us for a class! The Gardens: • Edgerton Park, Roselawn and Edgerton – Managed by the City of Maplewood. The public can rent plots, includes a children’s garden (www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/communitygarden). • Harvest Gardens, Hazelwood and County Road C – Managed by First Evangelical Free Church. Largest of the gardens, plots available to the public, donations appreciated (www.harvestgardens.org). • Cowern School, 2095 Margaret Street North– Managed by ISD 622. Public can rent individual plot or work in community plot (www.isd622.org/ communitygarden). • Harmony School, 1961 E County Rd C – Managed by ISD 622. Plots available for Harmony Learning Center program participants. • Carver School – Managed by ISD 622. Community plot open to Carver Elementary families.
Have Yard and Garden Waste? Try Composting! By Ginny Gaynor, Natural Resources Coordinator
Composting Weeds and Kitchen Scraps
Weeds, fallen branches, leaves…If your yard has trees, shrubs, or garden beds, at some point you’ll need to figure out a strategy for managing yard waste. In the olden days – before 1992 – you could throw it away with your garbage. Today yard waste must be treated separately from other solid waste. You can take it to a compost site or pay your garbage hauler an additional fee for pickup. But this organic material is a valuable source of nutrients and there are great ways to use it on site. Many Maplewood residents have discovered that home composting is a fun way to handle yard and garden waste and kitchen scraps. Composting is easy to do and it gives you a supply of compost, a nutrient-rich organic material that helps improve the soil in your garden. Compost recipes and compost structures run the gamut from the simple to the extravagant. At its most basic, a compost pile needs dead plant material, green plant material, air, and water. Homemade bins, plastic tumblers, and fancy containers are all effective.
Edgerton Gardens - 2012 produced a bumper crop of kale and cherry tomatoes!
Grow Your Own Food Program Highlights: • Spring Kick-Off Event! The Truth about Organic Gardening: Monday, April 15, 7-8PM, First Evangelical Free Church. Jeffrey Gillman, Professor and researcher at the U of M will share his gardening tips and homemade remedies to build your soil and control pests and weeds. FREE. (Hmong & Karen language translation.) • Community Gardens Bus Tour: Saturday, June 22, 1-3:30PM, Meet at the Maplewood Nature Center. Tour the diverse community gardens in Maplewood and North St. Paul. A unique aspect of each garden will be showcased: cultural gardening techniques and crops, children’s garden, food shelf plot, communal gardening, and edible landscaping. FREE. • Composting - Make Your Own Black Gold: Saturday, May 18, 10-11:00AM, Maplewood Nature Center. Learn all the basics to start and maintain a compost pile or bin in your yard. Call 651.249.2170 to register for these programs. For additional information about Programs and Edgerton Community Garden visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/communitygarden.
The City made some minor changes to its composting regulations when it revised the Solid Waste Ordinance in June 2012. Here are the requirements for a home compost pile or bin in Maplewood: • Small quantities of lawn and garden waste, and kitchen food scraps, can be composted. • Compost pile or bin cannot be in the front yard. • Compost pile or bin must be at least five feet from rear or side property lines. • Compost pile must not be a nuisance to neighbors due to objectionable odors, vector of disease, attracting unwanted wildlife, or unsightliness. Consider composting this spring. To get started, purchase a compost bin from the Recycling Association of MN at www.recycleminnesota.org. Bins are $55.00 and will be available April 20.
Seasons 3
The Great Sunflower Project By Oakley Biesanz, Naturalist
Bees are in trouble, but YOU can help! Our native bees and honey bees are in decline. In recent years, researchers have observed a decrease in pollinators, and anyone who gardens knows that these little animals are critical in the garden, in agriculture, and in nature. Maplewood Nature Center invites you to participate in The Great Sunflower Project this year, a nationwide backyard bee count. It just takes 15 minutes and a garden. You can monitor your own garden or join a naturalist for a Bee Count at the programs marked below with a sunflower. How does it work? Print off a recording sheet from the Great Sunflower Project website at www.greatsunflower.org. Pick a warm sunny morning and watch a blooming sunflower for 15 minutes. Record the type of bees that visit your flower. Submit your results on The Great Sunflower Project website.
Pollinator at Edgerton Garden
Photo by: JanLendL Flickr
A limited supply of “Lemon Queen” sunflower seed packets, instructions, and pollinator posters are available for free to participants in the pollinator classes listed below and to visitors of the Maplewood Nature Center (starting May 8 until supplies last). Join the fun and help with bee research!
Pollinator Classes:
To register, call the Maplewood Nature Center at 651.249.2170, or visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/nc.
Honeybees on Sunflower
Photo by: John S. Ascher
• Garden Pollinators: Wed., May 8, 6:30-8PM, Maplewood Library. Learn about pollinators from Extension educator Karl Foord. FREE. Adults. • Butterfly and Pollinator Garden Tour: Fri., May 31, 6:30-8PM, Maplewood Nature Center. Learn what plants attract pollinators. FREE. Adults. • Befriending Bumble Bees. Join the quest for the rare rusty-patched bumble bee. July 12, July 20 and August 2, 10:00AM-noon, Jim’s Prairie, FREE. Adults & kids 5+. • Tasty Treats from the Bees: Sat., July 27, 9:30-10:45AM, Maplewood Nature Center. Enjoy tasty treats, learn about bees, and do a Bee Count. $5/family. Best for kids ages 4 to 10. • Community Garden Day at Edgerton Community Garden: Sat., August 10, 10AM, Edgerton Park. Take part in the Bee Count and tour the garden. FREE. Adults and families.
Carpenter Bee
Circle the foods you like. . . . . Can you guess which foods are pollinated by bees? By Oakley Biesanz, Naturalist
Answer: all of them except for corn and wheat. Bees are responsible for every third bite of food in the US! Printed on 50% post-consumer recycled paper
Seasons 4