California | Backyard Roots

You’d probably never believe Gary Rosenberg’s garden was on a roof top so I had to prove it with this photo of him climbing up a ladder to it. His Berkeley garden is so densely planted and lush that I was constantly checking my steps to make sure I didn’t walk off the edge. His house didn’t have a backyard and he wanted to make use of his large flat roof top so he began the rooftop garden back in 1994. First, he made sure the foundation was strong enough to support all the weight. Then he then stripped the old roof down to the structural elements and covered them with thick plywood. He topped it with two layers of modified torch-on, a rubber-like surface that is extremely waterproof and durable. But the mechanics of his garden is really not what it’s all about.

“I don’t teach gardening, I teach civil disobedience,” he explained, and there’s nothing that bothers him more than our wasteful consumer society. Almost all the containers, building materials, and even plants have been gleaned. He uses solar power, a composting toilet, and recycles the water used to for his plants into a very rich compost tea that he reuses on his plants. He also allows his plants to live their entire lifespans so he can collect the seed from successful plants so they can naturally adapt to the climate. He doesn’t see weeds as a problem, because they are biomass and natural carbon sinks that he eventually add to the compost. The way Gary sees it, if we could redirect the waste stream, improving society would naturally follow.

Collards are allowed to grow over several seasons, he picks leaves as he needs them.

Gary recycles the roof top runoff in barrels that makes a naturally rich compost tea.

Gary has planted over 20 fruit trees along the sidewalk of his Berkeley home.

Gary’s rooftop garden is barely visible from the street because of his densely planted sidewalk garden that contains over 20 fruit trees.

Last month I was lucky enough to get a job to photograph Forbidden Fruit Orchards in Santa Barbara. Started by Sandy Newman in 2002; she dreamed of owning a farm ever since she majored in plant science back in college. Having a real farm is a fantasy of many urban farmers, so it was interesting to talk to Sandy, who had her dreams come true.

Sandy originally wanted to plant a vineyard on her 100 acre spread that she found on the internet. But after talking to a local farm agent, she learned that vineyards required having enough money to go eight years without turning a profit! He advised her to start with blueberries so that’s what she did. Her high quality, organic blueberries have become very popular and profitable, and a first step towards her vineyard dream. In the cool coastal climate she’s able to grow and harvest from September to July and she says the sandy soil is not a problem. She has nets to keep the birds out and wells for irrigation. She mulches to keep evaporation to a minimum. I asked her what was the hardest part about growing organically and she said it’s not insects it’s weeds. She currently sells to nine farmers markets all over Southern California and has expanded her farm to other specialty crops such as currants, mulberries, tea leaves, and products such as honey, jam, syrup, sorbet and others. She did start her vineyards in 2007 and is now selling her Cebada Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Sandy’s words of caution: farming is tons of work. It used to be that her farm was her escape, but now “my vacation is to leave.”

Check out her new website (and my photos) http://www.forbiddenfruitorchards.com/ Designed by Jamie Leighton at RevolutionCreatives.com having a great website is another step to a successful modern farm.