Lavender Dreams Farm & Donkey Rescue©

We are committed to growing our vegetables organically All of our produce is grown without chemicals. We are proud of our accomplishments and of the healthy example and environment we are providing for our community, and for the planet.

We use no pesticides, herbicides, Round-Up, Miracle Gro, synthetic fertilizers or other poisons designed to kill living organisms.

We promote sustainable, organic agriculture and are crusaders for a healthy planet. We wish to model the kind of growing that doesn't ruin the earth, but takes care of it. .

Green Beans - many varieties
Onions - red, white, yellow and green
Gourmet Shallots
Pumpkins
Squash - winter
Zucchini & Yellow Crookneck
Garlic - many varieties (soft neck and hard neck)
Cabbage
Corn
Asparagus
Fennel
Kale
Spinach
Jalapenos - Green Peppers
Beets
Swiss Chard
Parsnips
and much, much more!

What is Compost?

Compost is a useful organic material made from organic wastes (e.g., yard trimmings, food wastes, manures). In composting, bulking agents (e.g., wood chips) are added to organic wastes to accelerate the breakdown of material. Then, the finished material is fully stabilized and matured through a curing process.
Worm composting uses red worms to create useful organic material from kitchen wastes.

The Uses and Benefits of Compost:

• Provides mulch for landscaping and gardens
• Replaces fertilizers
• Provides erosion control
• Alleviates soil compaction
• Improves soil structure, porosity, and density, creating a better plant root environment
• Suppresses plant diseases and pests
• Promotes higher yields of crops and plants
• Cost-effectively remediates soil contaminated by hazardous waste

Choosing a Composting Bin
 
Not all composting bins are equal. Check around and see what works best for you. For table scraps, consider a worm box/bin instead of a composting bin. The rule for worm bin size is two square feet of surface area per person, or one square foot of surface area per pound of food waste per week. Red worms work best for composting. If your goal is to "hold" materials such as leaves for a year or so, a large open-air holding bin is most practical. For active, hot composting, smaller enclosed plastic bins are preferred.

Tips for Creating the Best Compost 
 
Add kitchen scraps). Kitchen scraps are high in nitrogen, which heats the pile and helps speed up the process.
 
Aerate your compost whenever you add new material. Oxygen plays an essential role in the breakdown of materials.
 
Keep your compost moist but not wet. Dried composting material will not break down and wet composting material will stink.
 
Don't overload on any one material. Variety is the key.

Tips for Worm Composting

• 
  Place your bin in a shady location where the temperatures will remain moderate.
  Black and white newspaper makes great bedding material. Just tear into strips and moisten to the dampness of a wrung-out sponge.
• Red worms work best for composting because they have large appetites, reproduce quickly and thrive in confined spaces.
• Worms like to eat some of the same foods we eat.
  If your worms are dying, it could be lack of food, temperatures that are too high or too low or moisture levels that are too high or too low. Dying worms could also mean it's time for fresh bedding.
• If your bin smells rotten or attracts flies, there may not be enough air circulation or you may have materials in your bin that should not be used for compost. Make sure the lid is secure (with air holes), cover all food scraps with bedding.
  
  

  What NOT to Compost:

  • Coal or charcoal ash
  • Dairy products
  • Egg yolks
  • Diseased or insect-ridden plants
  • Fats, grease, lard or oils
  • Meat
  • Fish bones and scraps
  • Pet wastes (cat litter, dog or cat feces)
  • Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides