FOG Soil Test
This soil test was completed on 12/6/12 by our microfarmers (The Sawmill Farm Collective), located in the northwestern corner of FOG. Download the results here.
Need organic plant starts?
The Sawmill Farm Collective is offering organic starts to FOG gardeners this spring. Starts must be pre-ordered (download order form), and will be available for pick-up at the garden from 10am-2pm on May 27th and June 2nd.
The Sawmill Farm Collective is our newest “micro-farm” at the Northampton Community Farm located in the northwestern corner of the FOG site. It will be growing salad greens for local businesses, as well as culinary and medicinal herbs for CSA distribution.
How to use the broadfork?
Learn how to use this important springtime tilling tool by watching this instructional video.
Useful links related to organic & no-till gardening and permaculture:
- Instructions for a No-Till Garden
- Organic Material Review Institute – A directory of organic products and genetic materials, which can be used to find products and materials or ensure that your products and genetic materials qualify as organic.
- Compost Resources – The how-to basics of composting as well as more complicated science behind it.
- Western Mass. Permaculture Guild – A regional forum for permaculture enthusiasts in Western Massachusetts.
- UMass Permaculture – Documents UMass students’ effort to plan & create their own permaculture garden.
- Organic Gardening Guru – Entertaining and informative hub for all things organic gardening.
- Organic Gardening Glossary – An A-Z glossary of organic gardening terms.
- Invasive Plant Atlas of New England – An authoritative guide to invasive plants of New England.
- Grow Your Own Organic Garden Powerpoint presentation from Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Tomato Blight hit the Florence Organic Community Garden last season!
Late tomato blight is a serious problem for growers in our region, it’s very fast and contagious, and an outbreak is happening this season. Gardeners should check for symptoms of late blight at least weekly.
If there are any plants/tomatoes/potatoes infected with late blight at FOG, they need to be destroyed as soon as possible. The plant material should be put into a sealed plastic bag and carried off-site. They absolutely must not be put into the community compost piles.
UMass Extension has a good description of late blight (Phytophthora infestans) which affects tomatoes and potatoes. Gardeners should be reminded that some of the chemical solutions listed are not allowed in an organic garden, however. (The only organic chemical control for late blight is copper.)
This UMass Extension link focuses on the prevention of late blight and answering some FAQs.
There are a number of diseases that look similar to late blight; this link can help people distinguish between them.
