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You’d think these city folks have never seen a cow…oops, I guess I was one of them…

Cocoa, Ginger’s three week old calf drinks 1-2 gallons of milk a day.

I went back and visited Soulflower Farm this past Saturday on the Institute of Homesteading’s annual urban farm tour. Their large 2 1/2 acre urban farm in El Sobrante is definitely the biggest urban farm I visited and there was a lot to see. Nevada and Maya gave tours all day and I was excited to share Backyard Roots with visitors.

Ginger, the Jersey cow stole the show with her three-week-old calf, Cocoa. Maya gets 3-4 gallons a day from Ginger and to keep up with it, she makes cheese every day. According to Wikipedia, “Jersey cows are a small breed of dairy cattle, originally bred in the Channel Island of Jersey. The breed is popular for the high butterfat content of its milk and the lower maintenance costs (because of its smaller size), as well as its genial disposition.” Ginger was not only an easy going mom, she was a beautiful creature. Maya hopes to breed her in the future for smallness, so her lineage could benefit urban farmers.

Their hillside farm is shaping up and although some visitors mentioned they wouldn’t want to farm on a hill, Nevada explained how irrigating a slope with greywater and rain catchment tanks has advantages, mainly how easy it is to work with gravity. They use greywater from their washer and shower as one of their main irrigation methods. They also use rainwater catchment that has the advantage of not being treated with chloramine (an ammonia based derivative added to tap water that kills bacteria) The problem with chloramine is it kills the helpful bacteria in the soil that plants need. Nevada has several large tanks to catch rainwater and he wants to collect more. He said an hour of rainfall can fill his 350 gallon tank!

Another interesting idea they are trying out is using their large flock of broiler chickens for pest management. Read about it in their latest blog posting and to find out about upcoming workshops. The next one is building with super adobe. Check it out.

Nevada explains how the greywater and rain catchment system works on his hillside farm-(hint—gravity helps a lot).

Maya holds another new addition, a three-week-old kid

I included two rooftop gardens in Backyard Roots and was curious about the downtown San Francisco rooftop garden at the Chronicle ever since I heard about it. When the chance came up to visit it I jumped. Editorial assistant Kim Gomes is also the gardener and she showed me around. It’s her “green sanctuary” she said, up above the hustle and bustle of the city below. It attracts a lot of birds including hummingbirds. They have two thriving hives despite the fact there is not a lot of greenery to be seen nearby. The plants get full sunlight and a lot of wind so they are watered with a drip irrigation system ten minutes a day. Pests are few and easier to control on an isolated rooftop, although Kim says she still can’t figure out how the snails made it up there.

The garden is a place to experiment with plants and growing methods. One of the latest is a potato growing bag called a Potato Planter bag that has drainage hoes and two flaps at the bottom to retrieve the potatoes. She adds compost to the plants weekly. The potatoes grow faster in the solar warmed grow bag and the bag is a great rooftop option especially if you don’t have much space. Harvest is easy and fast, just open the flap.

Another successful newcomer are the evergreen strawberries she’s planted this year. They are planted in containers all over the roof, but I loved the pallet planter. She said to make the planter she simply stapled landscaping material on 5 sides and then filled with dirt. After planting the strawberries and letting them get established she tilted the pallet up vertically. She did the same technique for a succulent garden. For step by step instructions for the pallet planter and other planter diy planter ideas check the SF Gate article she wrote here.

The Potato Planter Bag

Backyard Roots

More lessons on living local from farmers like you

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Soulflower Farm-Institute of Homesteading Tour

San Francisco Chronicle’s Rooftop Garden