Welcome to Can You Dig It?, your monthly column for all things related to the farm or garden so you can move with confidence during the growing season. This month we want to seek out some reasons to get started on your farm or garden project, and a few more summer tips for those reading this newspaper in Zones 6a & 6b. Let’s jump right into it.
FOUR REASONS TO JUMP START YOUR SUSTAINABLE FARM PROJECT
Every few months someone will reach out via email to ask about starting a garden. Many folks have gone on to do just that, and others have run into some difficulties. I thought it would be good to share a few neutral reasons for jump starting your means to food self-sufficiency.
● Address Food Insecurity
Farming in the city is as ancient as farming in some respects, so seeing urban farming today as an avenue to address persistent food insecurity taking place in many cities is a viable and important road to traverse.
● Revitalizing Neglected Areas
Living in a city means you have buildings that have to occasionally be torn down or areas in parks that are underutilized but have remained green spaces over the decades. Either option can potentially be an opportunity to propose a farm project.
● Grow Culturally Relevant Crops
I work with a group in Mattapan (Boston) that is one of the only places retained as a farm since the late 1800s. Mattapan has a very large community from the West Indies and Caribbean and at their farm, Callaloo is by far one of the most profitable crops that they grow and sell. Know your community so you can cater to their needs and wants.
● Collaboration and Cooperatives
Collaboration is the key to success when creating a sustainable farm program. Instead of how giant corporations rely on the government to support their useful and (sometimes) nefarious actions, collaborations don’t need to be a zero sum game nor JUST transactional. You can look at places like Cooperation Jackson all the way in Mississippi or Wellspring here in Springfield to begin to recognize that building cooperatives can be a sustainable and viable alternative.
MORE FARM/GARDEN TIPS FOR JULY
And now a few useful tips for this high point of the season.
Know Your Zone: If you don’t know your “hardiness zone,” you will be falling short of your potential as a grower by not utilizing the great opportunities to grow great tasting vegetables in early spring and late summer/early fall. Late June through early July is the time to start seeding for the fall harvest.
Plan Your Planting Schedule: Use your last and first frost dates to calculate your planting schedules. If you have access to seedlings or can do seedlings on your own, this is a perfect time to get that movement in motion.
Maximize Your Space: Make use of vertical gardening techniques to expand your space if possible.
Compost: Composting kitchen scraps and yard waste can provide rich nutrients for your soil. Don’t use cooked food (especially oily food), no rice (attracts vermin), and always try to mix browns (ripped up cardboard, leaves, straw) with greens (vegetable food scraps, pesticide free cut grass) for a more element rich and diverse compost.
Water Wisely: Water deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance.
Use Mulch: Mulching helps retain soil moisture and suppresses weeds (example: straw, dried chopped fall leaves).
Practice Crop Rotation: This helps prevent soil-borne diseases and pests.
Grow Native and Adapted Plants: These plants are more likely to thrive in your local conditions.
Encourage Beneficial Insects: Plant flowers to attract pollinators and beneficial insects that can help control pests.
Thank you for your time, and as always, for any farm or gardening questions, please reach out to canyoudigit413@gmail.com 
