The final results are in! Over 7,000 pounds of recycling and 17,340 pounds (12.2 tons!) of trash were collected by A Litter Bit Better! volunteers during this year’s event. Approximately 3,189 volunteers picked up 245 sites that spanned a total of
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"Where Olmsted County News Comes First"
Online Edition
Sunday, May 19th, 2013
Volume ∞ Issue ∞
- 5:36:49, May 15th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - Though I hated to see you reference Glenn Beck by name [Three Times ... [Read More]
- 11:42:07, May 10th 2013 - yenken - I feel very sorry for those who have commented do far, as when you stand fa ... [Read More]
- 12:10:25, Apr 26th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - Mr. "Cabtrom's" garbage-out[burst]--in response to Ms. Reisner's w ... [Read More]
- 9:51:50, Apr 24th 2013 - jeff pischke - To Jerry Grehl, the number to the fillmore county sheriffs office is 7 ... [Read More]
- 9:27:24, Apr 22nd 2013 - Cabtrom - Blah blah blah, garbage in garbage out! ... [Read More]
- 7:00:49, Apr 11th 2013 - Donald Pierce - Col. Stan Gudmundson hit most of the important nails squarly on the h ... [Read More]
- 12:44:54, Apr 4th 2013 - Frank Hawthorne - My compliments to Ms. Hammer for giving us well-crafted "Rachel Rea ... [Read More]
- 5:09:06, Apr 3rd 2013 - truthiness - I see this is dated April 1. That explains it! ... [Read More]
- 12:04:33, Apr 3rd 2013 - Frank W. Hawthorne - Say WHAT?!? Stan's American-Pie [In SKY] is Falling--Not Again? ... [Read More]
- 12:40:21, Mar 29th 2013 - Jacob - It's a shame that so few people care about making their voices heard. If we ... [Read More]
Grow it from the rooftops! Söntés is poised to begin hyper-local ag innovation
Mon, May 13th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Home & Garden
Posted in Rochester Home & Garden
Comments
Uprooted Hay Bale Garden sketch by Adam Ferrari. Photo submitted
Featuring locally grown food has been something that Söntés restaurant takes pride in. The downtown Rochester establishment is preparing to take local to a whole new level by creating Rochester’s first commercial rooftop garden, growing in a hay bale garden to be located on top of the historic Kennedy building on the southwest corner of South Broadway and Third Street.
The fresh vegetables and herbs will be served up in the restaurant below, and plans are being made to make the garden not only a food production zone, but also a new experience demonstrating what is possible in both dining and urban agriculture.
“We want to create an environment where people can enjoy a meal on the rooftop and actually see the garden that part of their meal was grown in,” said Daniel Heublein a local farmer and engineer recruited to jumpstart the project by Söntés owner Tessa Lueng. “Many people have felt how nice a table on a rooftop can be at a bar, like Kathy’s. We want to bring a similar experience to appreciate local food.”
A hay bale garden is started by sprinkling nutrients on top of the hay bales and soaking the hay so that it begins to produce nutrient-rich compost while still retaining the rectangular structure that vegetables can then grow out of. Once the gardens are growing, an umbrella of shade cloth is constructed to keep the plant from the nonstop sunshine they will see throughout the day on the roof.
The garden will begin with 10 to 15 hay bales, but the plan is to eventually increase that to about 50.
As garden planning began to get underway, unexpected costs began to arise. Chiefly, the services of a structural engineer will be required to make the rooftop suitable for a number of people, hay bales, and other equipment to be on it. An irrigation system also needs to be installed.
To raise funds for the Uprooted project, an Indiegogo campaign has been started (www.indiegogo.com/projects/uprooted-an-urban-garden-project). A person can donate and receive gift certificates and other goodies from Söntés as well as a hay bale on the rooftop in your honor.
After the initial costs are covered Heublein says that the garden can exist for a long time at very little cost.
While this garden may be the first rooftop garden in Rochester, Heublein hopes it is not the last.
“We want to demonstrate that this can be done, that .....
[Read the Rest]
The fresh vegetables and herbs will be served up in the restaurant below, and plans are being made to make the garden not only a food production zone, but also a new experience demonstrating what is possible in both dining and urban agriculture.
“We want to create an environment where people can enjoy a meal on the rooftop and actually see the garden that part of their meal was grown in,” said Daniel Heublein a local farmer and engineer recruited to jumpstart the project by Söntés owner Tessa Lueng. “Many people have felt how nice a table on a rooftop can be at a bar, like Kathy’s. We want to bring a similar experience to appreciate local food.”
A hay bale garden is started by sprinkling nutrients on top of the hay bales and soaking the hay so that it begins to produce nutrient-rich compost while still retaining the rectangular structure that vegetables can then grow out of. Once the gardens are growing, an umbrella of shade cloth is constructed to keep the plant from the nonstop sunshine they will see throughout the day on the roof.
The garden will begin with 10 to 15 hay bales, but the plan is to eventually increase that to about 50.
As garden planning began to get underway, unexpected costs began to arise. Chiefly, the services of a structural engineer will be required to make the rooftop suitable for a number of people, hay bales, and other equipment to be on it. An irrigation system also needs to be installed.
To raise funds for the Uprooted project, an Indiegogo campaign has been started (www.indiegogo.com/projects/uprooted-an-urban-garden-project). A person can donate and receive gift certificates and other goodies from Söntés as well as a hay bale on the rooftop in your honor.
After the initial costs are covered Heublein says that the garden can exist for a long time at very little cost.
While this garden may be the first rooftop garden in Rochester, Heublein hopes it is not the last.
“We want to demonstrate that this can be done, that .....
[Read the Rest]
A Litter Bit Better! 2013 Final Results and 7-Year Summary Report
Mon, May 6th, 2013
Posted in Home & Garden
Posted in Home & Garden
Comments
Tour with the Masters!
Mon, May 6th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Home & Garden
Posted in Rochester Home & Garden
Olmsted County Extension Master Gardeners Garden Tour. Wednesday, July 24, 4-8:30pm.
Tour 7 beautiful gardens made up of perennials, annuals, and Hosta glades. Enjoy repurposed antiques, garden sculptures and several water features. Learn fro
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Habitat is looking for homeowners for A Brush with Kindness home repair program
Mon, May 6th, 2013
Posted in Home & Garden
Posted in Home & Garden
Are you a low-income homeowner? Does your house need exterior paint or other exterior repairs? Do you need a new roof, siding or windows? Does your yard need new landscaping or fence repairs? Do you need a wheel chair ramp?
If you (or someon
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They’re back and they’re gross, but bed bugs can be conquered
Mon, Apr 29th, 2013
Posted in Home & Garden
Posted in Home & Garden
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Bed bugs have resurged to become a significant pest of the 21st century, but an entomologist with University of Minnesota Extension has made it his goal to beat the bed bug through research and education.
North Americans have had
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Diversify Tree and Shrub Plantings
Tue, Apr 23rd, 2013
Posted in Home & Garden
Posted in Home & Garden
By Gary Wyatt, University of Minnesota Extension
ST. PAUL, Minn. (3/22/2013) —
When selecting trees and shrubs for your landscape, always plant several different species to help protect against invasive species or an insect or disease infesti
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St. Charles farmer’s market is looking for vendors
Mon, Apr 22nd, 2013
Posted in Home & Garden
Posted in Home & Garden
Do you like growing vegetables, or making artistic crafts? Would you like an entertainment venue, or want to educate the community about a specific topic? Then perhaps you would like to join in this summer’s Farmer’s Market that will be Thursday
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Rochester Garden and Flower Club plant sale
Mon, Apr 15th, 2013
Posted in Rochester Home & Garden
Posted in Rochester Home & Garden
Will winter, by mid-May, have ended its encores and finally vamoosed?
The Rochester Garden and Flower Club (RGFC) certainly hopes so. Its 74th Annual Plant Sale is scheduled for May 15 and May 16.
The sale, to take place (snow or no) at Olmste
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[Read the Rest]
Elder: International Herb Association’s Herb of the Year 2013
Mon, Apr 15th, 2013
Posted in Home & Garden
Posted in Home & Garden
Since 1995, the International Herb Association has chosen an Herb of the Year. The Horticultural Committee evaluates possible choices based on the herb’s outstanding characteristics in at least two of the three major categories: culinary, medicina
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[Read the Rest]