Getting the email confirmation that SAMU was invited back to the Edmonton Urban farm was truly the BEST daylight savings treat. An opportunity to grant our students more avenues into community building in a common place, outside with nature right in our city.
I immediately began to reflect on the crops planted last year that would make for a great humus layer to enhance the black gold (soil) nutrients. I bundled up Early April and head out to the plot to assess what was still standing from our winter season. Dill, Peruvian Mint (Huacatay), Corn Stalks, marigold, and a few others I couldn’t identify until rubbing my fingers against them. Creeping thyme, it’s back…it’s green, oh my!
I returned only but a few weeks later to see such luscious WEEDS! And knew then, my work would truly begin in preparing for our exciting growing season.
With the 2 Acres of plot land for over 50 farmers, we are no strangers to weeds that erupt within our plots. What I learned from urban farm school this year, taught me that I’d put in a bit of extra effort in identifying weeds this season. To begin, I observe what weeds I’ve seen other cultures within the farm consume or use for remedies as often they look like seedlings until they smother your crops of course.
I made my way with some clever weeding tools and moved through stinging nettle, dandelions, quack grass, crabgrass, and more dandelions. Tough labor for sure! But, it’s rewarding to better understand what can be beneficial for us humans is not always the best for our crop growth and soil health.
Join us at the farm every Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. to learn about plot maintenance, how to identify weeds, and what to do with them once you’ve uprooted them.
-Macey Nortey, SAMU Programs Manager
