Just another one of those long periods where we’ve been so busy we’ve barely had time to twitter tweet, facebook blah blah or otherwise communicate with our friends in the Universe.  So now, at the end of another GLORIOUS weekend of activity, we’re gonna play a little well… you already got the puns from the title so we won’t go on any further with that at the risk of loosing you right off the bat.

But stick around!!  There’s lots of *ahem* ketchup (hehehe… couldn’t resist) to go around.  Don’t fret, it won’t all come at once… heck… that might make our heads explode!  No, we’ll ketchup one post at a time.

First, the BIG news!

In case you saw the little poster and announcement of our heirloom tomato plant sale, you probably already have an inkling of what has been happening.  Yup… the last week of May, Jason and I drove our fannies right down south to Olympia, Washington and filled our business license and all of the related addendum.  WOOHOO!!  We’re a business now!  Could you just dance around nekkid??  Oh… wait… that might not be appropriate depending on where you are reading this… moving on…

Regardless of your state of dress as you celebrate with us, please feel free to do a little happy dance.  We have wanted this for sooooo very long.  Finally, the Universe seemed to align (like it does) and we paid attention (like ya do) and followed the path (like ya do) that seemed so clear to us all of a sudden.  Again, we’ve been planning this for some time now but it never quite seemed the right time.

As some of you may or may not know, I no longer had a job as of the end of February and Jason is now working for an employer he really likes with people he really enjoys working with.  Shift in the universal flow… TAADAA!!

So what are all of those logos on the teaser?  In case you’ve forgotten by now… here they are again:

The first is the obvious one: The Shibaguyz.  That’s us!  How did we get that name?  Well… the Shibaboyz are Shiba Inu.  They are an ancient Japanese breed that are so danged cute nobody can resist them.  Needless to say, they are quite the celebrities around town.  It became a usual thing to hear folks call out: “Oh, hey!  I know you.  You’re those guys with the Shibas!”  Yes, indeed, we are the guys with the Shibas.  Are you seeing where this is going?  Shall I go on?  So that’s how we became The Shibaguyz.

What do The Shibaguyz do?  We’ll, The Shibaguyz is the name of the business entity that is Jason and Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby.  Under The Shibaguyz business entity falls:

The Lazy Locavores

and

The Urban Farming Project

While all are related, The Shibaguyz is like the parent with the other two being offspring.  You have seen the origin of The Shibaguyz… this blog.  The Lazy Locavores and The Urban Farming Project are just expansions from the things we do here on this blog.  Only on a business level.  Got it?  Yeah… we’re still figuring out the logistics of it as well.  And, believe it or not, there’s going to be another little venture in the next week or two.  Yeah, we never do anything small.  But y’all knew that already.  LOL

We even have cool shirts with our Lazy Locavores logo on it thanks to Snap! Custom Clothing.  Here’s us wearing them while teaching a class recently.

Eighty-five folks in all for the class… not too shabby if ya ask me!

Oh… and here are close ups of the shirts from both sides:

The Front

The Back

If you haven’t already clicked over on the links for our other sites, then go ahead and head over there now, bookmark them and subscribe to the feeds.  We’ll be updating them with more information this week as well as some GREAT photos and more information on our classes and what exactly each organization does.

How exciting!!

Yes, this blog will still remain the same little piece of the Universe it always has.  As a matter of fact, we’ll play catsup later this week and show you some of the other projects we’ve been up to preparing for this whole explosion of business activity!  In short, all of this came about because we just really had a hard time finding local organization that had philosophies and operating practices that were in line with our own ethics and codes of conduct.  We finally just looked at each other and decided we could achieve our goals much more quickly on our own that through any organizations currently our there.  Sometimes, you can get what you want… you just have to do it yourself.  Can I get a bump on that??  LOL

The other blogs and ensuing websites will be for those individual projects and, while they will cross paths often, the other sites/blogs will usually be mentioned here with more details over there.

*whew*

Got all that??  Good… wait… no?  Don’t fret… there will be more information up on each blog and site soon enough.  We’ve just been so dang busy with our first plant sale and planting our six plots that we hardly ever get time to actually do the business stuff.  Hey… we’re learning here.  Thank goodness we have so many great mentors to learn from.  It pays to know your local farmers and business people for more than just a few reasons!

So there you have it.  Our new business license gives us the status as true urban farmers with the rights to grow our own plants as a nursery, sell them either ourselves or wholesale to garden centers and to use them in our garden coaching business as sale items or for installation in the edible gardens we do for our clients.  FUN!!

Changing the world through gardening.  That’s how Jason described it in a class we taught recently.  We started out with our own wonderful, fantastic Jungle (which WAIT till you see what’s going on back there right now!! HOLY COW!) and ended up changing the world through gardening.  It really can happen.  We’ve seen it all around us.

So raise a glass or do a happy dance or however you’d like to celebrate with us (we’ve been doing a lot of both!  LOL) and here’s to changing the world around us and educating folks and learning more each day.  We hope you all enjoy this adventure as much as we do… ’cause we’re taking you along with us!  Here we go!!  CHEERS!

talk to you soon…

The Shibaguyz

COME AND GET ‘EM!!

It looks like all signs are favorable and this weekend is confirmed for our BIG HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALE!  WOOHOO!!

What:  Shibaguyz Heirloom Tomato Sale

Date: Saturday, May 30

Time: 11am – 5pm

Where:
9029A 18th Ave SW
Seattle, WA  98106

We are located in a townhouse on 18th Ave SW between SW Henderson and SW Barton in West Seattle.  If you use a map search engine, it will bring you right to our street address.  After you arrive, look for the signs and the Shibaboyz… I’m sure they’ll be doing their part to help their dads during the sale… right…

If you have any further questions, please feel free to call our business line at 206-579-0599 and ask for The Shibaguyz! 

Why have we waited so long, you might ask, when the big box stores have been selling tomatoes for WEEKS now?  Well… have you noticed how cold it has been here at night in our little area of the planet?  A lot of the unfortunate ‘maters we’ve seen out and about have either died back completely or are so stunted they may or may not recover to bear much fruit.  Yes, there are those brave souls out there who have used hoop houses and commercial gadgets to keep their tomatoes warm enough to stay alive.  The fact of the matter is, however, our soil temps just haven’t been up to supporting much in the way of these heat-loving wonders we all lust after in our summer gardens.

Believe me… we understand you enthusiasm.  What we have found in the past is that a little bit of patience pays off in the great race for the ripening tomato here in Seattle.  Our plants we put out at the beginning of May the past two years were no bigger or more productive than those we put out the first week of June.  That being the case, why put ourselves through all the fret and worry of wondering if our lycopersicum lovelies were going to be frozen out?

*whew*

There… now whenever folks ask us this question, we’re just going to refer them back to this page.  LOL

Following is a list of ALL tomatoes we are growing in our little space here.  We have not taken an inventory as of yet for each variety but there are, literally, hundreds of starts on every surface and shelf in our hot room and on our patio.  Our private orders have been filled and now we’re ready to open our stock to the public.

Prices range from $3.00 to $10.00 depending on size and variety.  Each of these plants have been raised by us here in our grow room.  All have been transplanted twice in order to encourage better rooting so you can just pop ‘em in the ground or a pot with a little food and they should perform very well for you.  And, as always, The Shibaguyz use NO chemicals on our plants so you can be sure you are getting food that is safe and healthy for you and your family.

Again, this is a complete list of all varieties we are currently growing… not all of them are ready for sale this week.  Those needing another week or so to set up will be available for ordering ahead of time with pick up dates within seven to ten days.  Our location and contact info is listed below.

So… without further ado…

Here we go…

Paste Tomatoes

AMISH PASTE TOMATO 

82 days  

Originally from the Amish of Wisconsin.  Seed acquired from the Amish farms in Lancaster, PA. The deep red, 8 ounce fruit resembles an acorn, with thick flesh and few seeds. Makes an excellent canning tomato! *Indeterminate vines.

Note: Ours grew to be over 12 feet tall!!!  

SAN MARZANO TOMATO 

80 days 

An excellent tasting Italian paste variety known for its high yields. The deep red, pear shaped fruits (3½ by 1½ inches) are solid and meaty and grow in clusters. Great for drying!  *Indeterminate vines.  

Italian Roma Tomato

The Tomato Bush Italian Roma, ‘Lycopersicon lycopersicum’, is a determinate type Heirloom paste tomato from Italy. The Italian Roma is an excellent, old heirloom tomato used for sauce or canning. The very firm, meaty 3 inch pear-shaped fruits have very few seeds. They are very productive and can produce up to 200 fruits on compact vines.

Salad Tomatoes

BLACK PRINCE TOMATO

85 days 

This old Russian heirloom has become very popular in gourmet restaurants! The smooth, round fruits have a deep, garnet skin color with dark, reddish – brown flesh. Very juicy and flavorful! For best flavor, the tomatoes should be harvested when the shoulders still have a trace of green. A MUST for the tomato connoisseur! *Indeterminate vines.

RED ZEBRA TOMATO

75 days 

The showy, mottled skin of this variety hints at the rich, sweet flavor held within. The red, medium sized fruits are beautifully marked with gold highlights. A heavy producer of great tasting fruits. *Indeterminate vines.  

STUPICE TOMATO 

55 days 

An exceptional tomato from Czechoslovakia! A great tasting, early variety that produces globe shaped fruit that are deep red, weigh 3-4 ounces and has potato leaf type foliage. A tangy, real tomato flavor! *Indeterminate vines.

SWISS ALPINE TOMATO

80 days 

This old world favorite was brought over from Switzerland in the 1880’s. This highly productive plant produces small, 4 to 5 ounce tomatoes, with deep red flesh and that true, sharp tomato flavor! Sets fruit even in cool weather. Remember those good old tasting tomatoes? This is it! *Indeterminate vines. 

COSMONAUT VOLKOV TOMATO 

72 days 

The juicy red, luscious  fruits are perfectly shaped, and grow on short vines that remain healthy and vigorous when others have shut down. Named after the Russian cosmonaut, this variety will consistently produce a bumper crop of fruits with a rich, tomato flavor, even with areas with a shorter growing season. **Determinate vines. 

FIRST PICK TOMATO 

60 days 

A French variety popular for generations in the Baptiste family of Reims, France. The fruits are deep red, globe shaped and weigh 4 to 5 ounces each. This plant sets fruit in cool weather, providing tasty tomatoes sooner than other “early” varieties! Also does well as a fall crop, setting fruit in the cooler night temperatures. Exceptional flavor for an early tomato! **Determinate vines.

LONG KEEPER TOMATO 

78 days 

As the name implies, this tomato is meant to be grown for storage. Plant later in the growing season, so the fruits start to mature in late fall. Pick the ripe and partially ripe tomatoes before the first fall frost, and store in a well ventilated area with temperatures around 60 to 70 degrees F. Will last from 6 to 12 weeks in storage! Semi-determinate vines.

OREGON SPRING TOMATO 

55-80 days 

This very early variety is a great choice for short growing seasons or container growing. The flavorful, red, 3 oz. fruits are nearly seedless, and are uniform in size. Good choice for an early tomato crop. **Determinate vines.  

Cherry Tomatoes

SUGAR LUMP TOMATO 

70 days 

This old German heirloom is exceptionally sweet and high yielding! The deep red fruits are ¾ to 1 inch in diameter and grow in clusters of 6 to 12 fruits. *Indeterminate vines. 

BESSER TOMATO 

75 days 

From the southern area of Germany (Freiburg region), this old favorite dates back to the 1800’s, and is a must for any tomato lover! The plants produce 3/4 inch diameter fruit in clusters of up to 12, very sweet, cherry tomatoes. The vigorous vines need strong cages for support.

*Indeterminate vines. 

MEXICO MIDGET TOMATO 

65 days 

A very prolific producer of small, ½ inch, deep-crimson colored fruits that have great tomato taste. The tall vines keep bearing till frost. Great for snacking or in salads. *Indeterminate vines.  

SIBERIA TOMATO 

40-70 days 

Excellent choice for cold weather areas. The dwarf, sprawling plants are able to set fruit at cooler temperatures. This Russian variety produces plenty of red, 1½ oz. fruits with good, strong flavor. Does well in containers. **Determinate vines.

SUB-ARCTIC PLENTY TOMATO 

40-60 days 

For those with short growing seasons, this extremely early variety has upright stems packed with 1½ inch fruits. Has excellent cold-setting abilities. Great for early summer harvests or when used in Fall container gardening. **Determinate vines. 

 RIESENTRAUBE

80 days 

Grown by the Pennsylvania Dutch as far back as 1855, the name of this old German heirloom translates to a “giant bunch of grapes”. Clusters of 20 to 40, 3/4 ounce fruits abound on its vines, while the flavor is similar to larger beefsteak varieties. *Indeterminate vines. 

Hartman Gooseberry Tomato 

70 days 

Bright Yellow cherry tomatoes on vines that produce several hundred fruit per plant. Great flavor and excellent in salads or sliced with olive oil and mozzarella cheese. *Indeterminate vines. 

- -NOTES- -

* Indeterminate vines- Plant continues to grow throughout the season until frozen or hacked down.  Continually bears, harvest all season long, smaller amounts over longer periods.

** Determinate vines- Plant grows to a standard size, fruit sets and ripens around the same time.  Harvest usually lasts a few weeks.

Water and Fertilizers – Most of the tomatoes we offer have the same requirements, water at plant base never foliage except foliar feeds. Tomatoes can be heavy feeders; use balanced organic fertilizers like worm tea or fish emulsion.

• Excess nitrogen = big leaves, no fruit
• No calcium = blossom end rot
• Extreme heat = blossom drop
• Infrequent watering = cracked skin

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz

just sayin’…

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz

This is it folks… in just a few short days, The Shibaguyz will be presenting at the West Seattle Edible Garden Fair.  In a shameless bout of self promotion, it would be great to see all of our readers there at our presentations:

1:00pm    Big Things Come In Small Packages – Small Space & Container Gardening 101

Think your space is too small for you to produce real food?  From backyard plots to windowsill pots, we have information you want about growing your own groceries in small spaces and containers.  We’ll start with the basics of picking varieties of seeds to suit different living situations and we will provide solutions for the small space gardener on a budget.  From seeds to soil and harvest to table, we’ll cover a wide range of topics in a fun and interactive format for the small space and container gardener while supplying you with the necessary resources to grow your own groceries.

We will also be participating in two panel discussions: “Victory Gardens, Then And Now” as well as “Ask The Experts.”  Those panels are at 2:00 and 3:00.

There are a wide range of other speakers from those talking about city goats and chickens to “Eat Your Weeds” presented by our friend Jayne Simmons from Longfellow Creek Community Garden and owner of Sister Sage Herbs.  Willi Galloway, fellow Master Gardener, author and public radio personality will be presenting “Some like it hot: how to grow warm weather crops in the cool Pacific Northwest” and “Gourmet Vegetables: Tips and techniques for growing your best tasting vegetables ever.”  There will be cooking demonstrations from the local food gurus at Bastyr University and snacks provided by Herban Feast.  Be sure to check out the schedule online here and the list of presenters with bios here.

For the whole rundown, you can also check out our other blog specifically for the Fair here.

OH!!  And don’t forget to stop by our booth and say hey!  We’ll have our Lazy Locavores booth there with information, fun products and resources.  Be sure to say hey!!  We love to meet our friends from the blogiverse!  And did we mention the giveaways?  With our new business, The Lazy Locavores, some of our vendors have sent us some fun prizes to give away during our class.  We have signed copies of great books, resource guides for Northwest Gardeners and one of the coolest products we discovered this past year at the Flower & Garden Show.  What more could you ask for??  The Shibaguyz and free stuff!  WOOHOO!!  LOL

One other fun thing that will be happening this weekend… well… that better wait for another post.  We’ll save it for tomorrow… hehehehe…

See you at the Fair!!

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz

Our new friend, Jessi Loerch, describes herself on her Twitter profile as “Copy editor by night. Runner, knitter, chicken wrangler and horse lover by day.”  That pretty much sums it up!  We met Jessi as “jloerch” on Twitter a couple of months ago via a mutual friend on the social media network.  As it turns out, Jessi co-authors a great blog called “Mudrakers” for the Everett Herald website.  Focusing on gardening and gardening issues here in the Seattle area, “Mudrakers” is easy to read and the articles are comprehensive and include many great resources for the Pacific Northwest gardener.

Being a fan of her tweets and her blog, imagine how thrilled we were to answer her Q&A email for a post on her blog!  Too much fun!

As you know, we are shy about sharing our love for food farming and our Urban Farming Project… right… LOL  NOPE!  After returning what we feared was a rambling set of answers to her questions, we wondered how much editing she was going to have to do to make it all suitable for publication.  She stayed true to our answers and published them as we sent them and the resulting piece is really fun!  Jessi has a playful attitude about her gardening and we really connected with her so we’re not surprised this Q&A came out so well.  Check it out HERE and leave a comment thanking her for raising awareness of this type of food gardening and of urban farming.

Thanks again Jessi!!

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz

*drumroll*

Stacy of Florida Backyard is the winner of our first ever contest!  WOOHOO!!  ”Name that seed” was a real hoot for us.  If you didn’t get a chance to read the entries in the comments section, go there and do so… some of them were just a SCREAM!  WAY too many to mention in this post, but be sure to go check them out.  Aliens… seriously… that’s what we thought too…

Congratulations to Stacy and a big ol’ thank you to William Martin, President and CEO of Edible Gardens Seed Company for his generous prize donation for our contest.  Edible Gardens Seed Company is where these free seeds came from in the first place through a promotion they were running.  Looks like it worked on us!  LOL

Now that the contest is over, here is the list provided to us from Edible Gardens Seed Company on the identity of the seeds:

1. A variety of beans (some of you all even got the correct names for these beans.)
2. Strawberry Popcorn
3. Kikuza Squash (we’d never heard of it before either… can’t wait!)
4. Pumpkin
5. Artichoke
6. Rainbow Chard
7. Alien pods come to take over the world… oh… wait… *ahem* New Zealand Spinach
8. Sunflower mix
9. Pickling Cucumber

Were you close?  Close(ish)??  Again, you MUST go read the comments in the post to see some of the rather “original” guesses.  LOL  They still make us laugh.

And now, without further ado…

Here is an interview with our winner:

Shibaguyz: What is growing in your garden right now?

Stacy:  Holy merde, what ISN’T growing right now?  Out back we have the vegetable/fruit garden, with corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, figs, Meyer lemons, key limes, dozens of varieties of tomatoes and peppers, onions, carrots, strawberries, soybeans, several varieties of bushbeans, a climbing bean (red rice), three varieties of potatoes (vertically), and even a pineapple!  And Husband just announced last night that we’re adding more planting boxes so he can try some tobacco!  

Out front we have a daylily garden, multiple echinaceas, coreopsis, tall bearded irises, cupheas, hollyhocks, agapanthus, multiple gingers, and much more.  We have only a 1/4 acre lot so I opted for specimen plantings instead of the mass plantings that I love (and envy!) so much.

Shibaguyz: What is your FAVORITE edible to grow?

Stacy:  Tomatoes.  There are So Many Varieties, and they’re such eager producers, they are the first thing I ever grew and are responsible for getting me thoroughly hooked.

Shibaguyz: What is your favorite edible to… well… eat?

Stacy:  Still with the tomatoes.  There’s just so much you can do with them (pardon me while I go all Bubba Gump on you)…raw with salt, ranchero sauce on eggs, spaghetti sauce, tomato bisque, insalata caprese, ratatouille, drool!

Shibaguyz: Favorite color?

Stacy:  Blue.  I’m sorry I can’t come up with anything meaningful or amusing to go with that.  :)

Shibaguyz: Pets?

Stacy:  Do we ever.  Five, count ‘em, FIVE cats (four of which are rescues…yay, karma!), the Best Dog in the World, and a big fat goldfish.  

Shibaguyz: Shameless plug time – Tell us a little about your businesses, your websites, blogs… whatever you want to plug about yourself, go for it!

Stacy:  I’ve been around the blog world for a loooong time, primarily as Sekimori Design where I’m something of a weblog specialist.  I started out getting people off Blogger/Blogspot to Movable Type, then from MT to WordPress of late (the latter being the lightest weight application to run on a server for a weblog), but along the way I’ve done design work for all kinds of non-blog websites and print media, and recently branched out to stock photography as Boondock Studios.  FBY  is my haven, a place to ramble on about digging in the dirt and meet others have the same, er, affliction.

Congratulations again to Stacy!  Be sure to check out her blog and company.  Her photos almost pop out of the screen at you!

Finally, here is a little more information taken from their website on the President and CEO of Edible Gardens Seed Company, William Martin:

William Martin farms on 28 acres in Santa Barbara, California. His seed-preservation operation was inspired from a close relationship with the Dalai Lama and Vandana Shiva, and offers powerful solutions to address the world’s seed crisis.

Check out their products.  They have a fun variety of seeds packaged very well to fit specific gardening specialties.  I know we’re going to have fun with our Victory Garden In A Tin all season long.  In fact, look for future VGIAT posts on how the seeds are progressing.  We’re definitely looking forward to growing these great seeds.

Thanks to everyone who commented and guessed in our first contest ever!  There’s only one first time and this one was a whole heck of a lot of fun!  More in the future??  Who knows… depends on if we run across any more great products or books out there to give away.  If you have an idea for a contest or would like to donate an item as a give away, drop us an email at shibaguyz@me.com and we’ll talk… FUN!

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz 

UPDATE!! (04/26) The folks at Edible Gardens have graciously donated a $20 gift certificate as the prize for our little contest!  WOOHOO!!  So… keep those guesses rolling in!  Some of you all are doing better than we did, that’s for sure!  LOL  Have fun!!

This week, we received our little tin of seeds from Edible Gardens.  They had been running a promotion where all you had to do was pay for shipping and handling and they would send you an assortment of seeds.  Since the shipping was less than a normal packet of seeds, we thought we’d give it a go.

What came in the mail was a little packet with a clear-topped tin in it like you get your salves in from your herbalist.  I have to admit, at first glance, we were a little disappointed.  However, after opening the tin an separating out the seeds, we were more than pleased with our little $1.89 investment.

We also have to admit here that the plant geeks in us fully took over as we played with the seeds identifying some of them.  Now we figured, why have all the fun ourselves??  So we’ll get you involved in our little game.  Yes, we have identified them all… now it’s your turn!  Leave your guesses in the comments section of this post and we’ll see what you all come up with.  I know two of them in particular surprised the HECK out of us because we’d never seen those particular seeds before.  Watch… you all will get them right off the bat.

Here we go!

If you click on the individual photos, they will blow up HUGE for you and you can zoom in on them to get an up-close diagnostic look at them.

What’s that you say?  Incentive?  You want incentive?  hhhhmmm… we’ll come up with something… hhhmmmm… Tell you what, we’ll confirm a prize for you all and get back to ya on that, how’s that?  The winner will be picked by some random, fancy-pantsy system (we’ll come up with that too) and we’ll notify you here on our blog in a week.  How’s that sound?  Yeah!  A week from today, we’ll announce the winner here on our blog.  We’ll also update you this weekend about the prize (gotta come up with a prize by this weekend… *looks at what’s laying around the room*).

WOOHOO!!  I think this is our first contest!!  And we weren’t even planning on it being a contest until I posted the photos just now.  Even better… a SPONTANEOUS contest!!  WOOHOO!!  LOL  Gotta love that…

There you have it:  identify the seeds, we’ll pick the people who were closest and randomly pick those out of a hat and give away something next Friday.  Too vague for you?  Hey… our house… our rules…  hehehehehe…

HAVE FUN!!

talk to you soon
The Shibaguyz

Another new plot in the making for our Urban Farming Project.  This time we are atop one of the ridges in our neighborhood with a plot accurately named for the main inhabitant: The dreaded Himalayan Blackberry (Robus armeniacus)! *cue dramatic music*

Now, as you may or may not know, the Himalayan Blackberry was introduced into our part of the globe in 1885 via India by a man named Luther Burbank.  The same gentleman whose was responsible for bringing us all such creations as Shasta Daisies, Elephant Garlic and Pineapple Quince was also the creator of the then named “Himalayan Giant.”  What started as the children of his cultivating labors soon became the wild child of the Pacific Northwest.

You see… one has but to look around during an early summer drive through our lovely area to see the obvious, apple blossom blooms of R. armeniacus.  It is considered an invasive weed here choking out all native vegetation and throwing lithesome canes some thirty feet to blanket any and all objects that would stay still for a spring season.  And don’t even get me started on the pain!  Yes, the pain… try navigating a patch of these characters without long, thick sleeves and pants and you too will know the sting of the cruel barbs the canes of the Himalayan Blackberry produce.

With such a toxic reputation, why would anyone dare wax poetic about these mutant wonders of horticultural science?  Think back to last summer and our posts about the wonders of…

West Seattle Freeberry Jam!  Invasive weeds taste good!

That’s right!  These same choking, stabbing, torturous canes produce the sweetest of berries which, in turn, become the most delicious jams, jellies, syrups, vinegars, cobblers, pies, ice creams *drool* oh… excuse me there… *ahem*  Suffice to say the gain, in this case, outweighs the pain.

No argument here Himalayan Blackberries are, indeed, invasive and should be controlled whenever and wherever possible.  However, if you do happen upon a lovely thicket of them draped heavily in giant, dark berries… indulge yourself and pop a few in your mouth.  Let the detractors nay all they like.  The only adverse affect these Shibaguyz can find to these prickly delights is the stained fingers and lips often worn here as a badge of honor amongst those locavores hearty enough to brave prospecting for the dark fruits.

Even with all this poetic rambling and my undying affection for the fruits of this plant, I have my limits.  Those limits were almost met last Friday as I tackled the task of reclaiming our newest Urban Farming Project plot from the grip of Robus armeniacus.  For three hours I grappled with the canes of two year’s growth on this once productive garden.  I won, but not without more than a little BS&T (blood, sweat & tears).

While Jason was at work, I decided to take on the clearing of this once loved plot for the morning.  The homeowners were also at work so I tore into the project hoping to give them a clean palate to look at that evening when they returned.  So… on with it…

Before & After Angle #1: Please note here the HUGE timbers in the foreground of the After photo.  They are in exactly the same position in the Before photo but they are covered with the grasses and, yes, the thicket of Himalayan blackberries.  I’m sure these wonderful timbers were used as dividers in the past garden.  I can assure you they will not go to waste in the new design either.  Definitely a gem of a find in there.  

Before & After Angle #2:  I have to say I was skeptical in talking to the homeowner at our first meeting.  Seriously… LOOK AT THOSE BLACKBERY CANES!!  All I could do was rub my arms and hands from the memories of previous clearing jobs. *shudder*  But, here is is three hours later.  Cleared down to the ground!

If you look carefully there along the far right side of the photos, you can still see the crowns of the mother plants.  Look familiar?  Yes, Robus armeniacus is a member of the Rosaceae family.  Once I had all the canes hacked out and cleared away, I was left with root crowns that REALLY reminded me of the roses I pruned for neighbors.  Definitely a family resemblance…  Don’t worry!  We’re digging those out this week.

Another bonus found underneath all of that overgrowth was a patch of oregano!  Yes!  After all that time, the oregano originally planted in the garden was still there and thriving under the mulch of dried grasses and berry canes.  That one gets to stay for sure!

Oh yeah… did I mention finding all of this in there?  these were and will again serve as lovely pavers for paths in the newly reclaimed garden.  It’s always great to find all of your raw materials right on site!

So there it is… our newest plot dubbed the Himalayan Highlands so named for the lofty perch and to honor the previous residents of the plot: The Himalayan Blackberry we are so fond of.

Stay tuned for more on this exciting plot.  There are so many possibilities here… and what a great before and after this is going to make!  From one food source to another.  We love you Robus armeniacus but you are, ESPECIALLY in this case, a weed and you gotta go to make room for some other food!

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz

This past weekend, we brought in our first official harvest for the season!  WOOHOO!!  It’s not a HUGE harvest but it’s enough that we have been cooking with them every day since Saturday.

The first leeks of the season.  A friend of ours we are working on the community garden with brought these from her Vashon Island farm.  She dug ‘em up that day and handed them to us dirt and all.  WOOHOO!!  SSOOO yummy!  Making potato leek soup tonight for dinner… yummm…

After being dormant all winter, this giant curly leaf parsley is sweet and fragrant and goes in at the last minute to every dish we’ve made.

 Spring garlic!  Someone asked us what the difference was between spring garlic and regular garlic.  The answer?  Nothing… you just dig out the spring garlic first when it is tiny like this.  Still has a WONDERFUL garlic flavor but is sweeter and the entire green section is tender and wonderful in salads or right in your dishes as a green.

So there you have it!  Those are the first harvests right out of the plots we and our friends are working.  Next up: salad greens and spinach.  We’re about a week out from the first of those.

New at the Ballard Farmers Market (and check out their new blog too!) this past Sunday was ASPARAGUS!!  Steamed it up that night and ate it with gusto and appreciation for a definite sign of the Spring season.

More harvest updates as they come along with accompanying recipes!

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz

Farmer Jason

As we have told you, we are taking on a few new projects for 2009.  Along with a MAJOR career change for Shannon and a lifestyle overhaul for the Shibaguyz household, we have been moving more in the direction of our passions and doing what makes us happy and more in line with our personal vision of our lives (how’s that for a mission statement! LOL).

Farmer Shannon

Seriously though… this is an important step for us since we have been talking about it for a couple of years now.  Finding where your true passion lies and then having the courage to follow up on it and walk the path it takes you on is more than a little frightening.  But, with the support and sometimes rabid encouragement of our friends, family, fans and community, we have taken some big steps this year.  The benefits?  We are healthier and happier than we have ever found ourselves!  hhhmmm… maybe this whole “follow your bliss” and “living in the now” thing really works!  Go figure…

Next up?

The Shibaguyz will be appearing in a live speaking engagement at the West Seattle Edible Garden Fair on May 23rd, 2009.  The event takes place from 9:30am – 4:00pm at the South Seattle Community College Landscape Horticulture Department.  Sponsored by Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle, this is the first formal speaking engagement we will be presenting this summer.

We will be on three panels: “Building A Garden Community” focusing on how gardening builds bonds and brings a greater sense of community to neighborhoods and cities; “Victory Gardens: Then And Now” This panel will have some of the original Seattle Victory Gardeners on it along with the newbies like us who are following in their revered footsteps; and “Ask The Experts” This will be a fun Q&A from a panel of experts in the fields of edible gardens.  This is your chance to pick the brains of the people who are diggin’ the soil day to day.

Path Through The Jungle

Also, we will be doing our own presentation on “Small Space And Container Gardening.”  In this presentation we will offer solutions for the urban gardener to produce food no matter what the size, space, location or budget.  We have a fun and interactive presentation designed for you all so we hope you can attend and delve into our world.  Hopefully you’ll learn something too!

Please come out and support this first annual event on edible gardening.  Now more than ever, we need to take control of our own food safety and grow our own economic stimulus package.  We hope to see all of our Pacific Northwest friends there.  Come and make a day of it!  There will be a kid’s activity area and wonderful local snacks provided by Herban Feast Catering.  If you aren’t there, you’ll just have to hear about it second hand then you’ll be sooorry!  Oh… did we mention… this is all FREE!!  FREE!!  FREE!!  You can’t get these kinds of workshops for free anymore… so take advantage of it while you can!

For more information, check out the Community Harvest Of Southwest Seattle website.

talk to you soon…
The Shibaguyz