Category: Uncategorized
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Growing Vegan Manure
With the goal of being a self-sustained (minimal off-site input) farm, supplying my own soil amendments/fertilizers is paramount. As nutrient rich food comes from nutrient rich soil, I’ve been focused on fertilizer production from day one, knowing that I am farming denuded native soil. I’ve adopted several means of enriching the soil. At the top…
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Elevator Pitch
I was struck by a recent conversation with an inquisitive college-aged young man in an elevator. He noticed I was carting plants & asked what kind they were. I told him they were 2 different varieties of avocado. He nodded affirmatively, then shyly admitted that he always wanted to learn to grow, but is worried…
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Nigerian Summer Greens
Lagos spinach (Celosia argentea) is a heat-loving ornamental & edible leafy green that I experimented with growing last Summer. The plant produces eye-catching flowers beloved by the bees & butterflies🤗 This member of the amaranth family, native to West Africa (Nigeria) is packed with vitamins A & C, antioxidants & protein. It has up to…
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My Favorite Farm Tool That You Wouldn’t Expect
I’m an essentialist, so I certainly wouldn’t say that I have a lot of hand tools on the farm. I have the tools that I would consider essential, i.e. a shovel, hoe, rake, etc. Space is at a premium so every tool must earn their spot. One of my favorite tools that I consider indispensable…
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A Grower’s Journey
As temperatures began to cool & I prepared myself for the heavy workload of “resetting” the farm for Fall/Winter, I seized the opportunity to take Hurston on a maiden voyage to Alabama to hang with my favorite fellow grower & co-conspirator- my twin sister, Latisha- on her farm. For weeks we laughed, learned & worked…
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Pineapple Patch Update
Yep- I’m sold on using plastic landscape fabric for making light work of weeding the pineapples. Commercial growers got this one right. The landscape fabric has made for a much more pleasant growing experience for me. The pineapples require minimal attention, aside from an occasional dose of my farm made, organic liquid fertilizer. It takes…
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Major Life/Work Upgrade
In addition to farm projects, I took on an even bigger project this Summer: acquiring, then building out my work truck. I wasn’t looking for just any truck. I wanted a “million mile” Ford 7.3L diesel engine, which was only manufactured from 1994-2003. The engines are said to be bulletproof & are prized by those…
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Seize the Moment
It was a regular Monday afternoon running errands on foot in downtown Miami when I spotted two gentlemen putting in new landscaping plants at a shopping center. This is a typical scene, but this time I slowed my stride & watched them swiftly & expertly toss empty nursery pots into a neat pile after dispelling…
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What’s the Rush?
Slow down. What’s meant for you isn’t going anywhere. Don’t miss the miracle in each moment.
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Summer Blooms
A late summer treat has been watching the zinnias I sowed months ago pop up all over the farm. The patches of colorful blooms are delightful for the eyes, zero maintenance & beloved by the bees & butterflies. The best part about zinnias is the more you cut them, the more they grow. That means…
Mahaba Farms 