Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

I have one of the biggest personal gardens in the area at nearly a full acre. There are intensive times of the year, like harvest and this year there was a late spring so planting was pretty rushed. I grow enough to sell/trade, I supply a small restaurant with hot peppers, I can and freeze. In addition to the garden I have fruit trees (cherry, apple, pear, plum) , raspberries, asparagus, rhubarb on a total of a little over three acres.

I could easily double my garden area.

Water: I use those soaker hoses made from old tires. I made several PVC “Headers” that have from 4 to 6 hose connections each, separated by the width of my walk-behind tiller. My water bill goes up to about $100 a month for July and Aug. By wattering just the rows, I save money and get very few weeds between the rows.

Fertilizing: I get composted manure by the truckload for general broadcast over the entire garden in the spring. When I plant, I may use a little extra in the rows. I side dress corn with 16-16-16.

Pests: I have very little problems with bugs, deer are a pain occasionally but not enough of a problem to justify a fence. Usually, I spot spray things like beans, peas, and potato plants for bean beetle and that’s about it. Netting keeps birds off my strawberries.

Weeds. I use Preen wherever I have planted plants. In crops grown from seed, I till between rows after the plants are a few inches tall. Then it is on the hands and knees hand pulling the weeds within the row. Then Preen so I don’t have to do it again for another year.

I think a dedicated gardener could handle at least 5 acres without machinery, and 20-40 acres with a good tiller, especially if large areas of easier crops were grown like corn.

The biggest time management issue is the harvest, being able to collect and process or sell would be rough on 5 acres for one person. From my acre and orchard I canned over 400 quarts one year in addition to all the fresh stuff eaten or given away. And that was in addition to filling a large freezer too. I was also working full time so I believe a single person, just working the garden, could hit the 3-5 acre mark even with no help at harvest, but they would really have to enjoy the process!

GardenersCardiff answers:

You might be cheaper to put up one made of plywood and 2x4s.
If you plan it right it might even be cheaper to just leave it than move it.
An example of what I mean.
Http://www.buildeazy.com/wendyhouse_imp.html
I would think you could take the cuttibg list to a limber yard and gert a price for them to precut it for you.
They might even have a cheaper version of a minicabin/garden shed available.

GardenersCardiff answers:

I have found a website that compiles various resources on starting a non profit. I especially like the Minnesota Council of NonProfits because the site gives information on governance, developing strategic alliances, fund raising and other ingredients of successfully running a non profit.

Http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/znpbib.htm

As for funding your non profit, I suggest you check out Foundation Center to help you gain ideas on how to properly establish your organization and get support from private foundations. They have the most extensive database of private donors, and they publish a magazine that can be very helpful to your new non profit.

Http://fdncenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/establish/index.html

I was previously involved in the setup of a non profit, and we were able to get a pro-bono lawyer who set up everything for us, including getting the 501c3 tax status. Contact other non profits in your area and check if there are lawyers willing to work for free to get you started.

Non profits are just like any business – you need to get the word out in order to get the needed funding to help support your activities. Here are some tips to help you market your non profit:

1. Determine your your target audiences: who are the groups and audiences that your non profit wants to reach. Remember that one target group may respond differently to a marketing message as another group so make sure that each strategy is tailor made for each audience.

2. Develop a communications strategy, creating timelines for marketing efforts such as newsletters, press releases, special events, and others.

3. Develop a visual image. Prepare your logo and other branding tools – and use them consistently across various mediums. Make sure that you repeat your branding messages, slogans in everything you make from brochures to newsletters.

4. Employ multiple communications tactics: Nonprofit organizations often target several audiences, which may respond to different approaches. Various communications campaigns can help establish and maintain a more widespread positive image.

5. Select and use appropriate media: Plan to use a combination of approaches best suited to reaching your targeted audiences and that make best use of your financial resources. Include a variety of methods including phone calls, letters, e-mail, newsletters, PSAs, press releases, and editorials.

For detailed information on how to start a non profit, I suggest you read the following books:

– Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization — by Joan M. Hummel
– Starting and Running a Non-Profit Made Easy by Entrepreneur Press, David H. Bangs
– Starting & Building A Nonprofit: A Practical Guide by Peri Pakroo