Page 35 - Hillview_book

Urban Agriculture
A multitude of people, organizations, institutions and businesses contribute to the development and growth of our local food system and urban agriculture. These efforts are acknowledged on the following pages.
BACKYARD GABRDENS
“Our gardens are part of what we designed as an edible landscape. Each time we plant a new section we focus on permaculture* and sustainability. We have raised beds, chickens, hops, compost, fruit trees, berry bushes, mushroom logs, square-foot gardens and rain barrels.”
Willie Bittner, La Crosse
Go to Resources on page 58 for a link to the City of La Crosse’s regulations on raising backyard chickens.
*Permaculture is the design and development of productive and sustain- able gardens and farms developed from natural ecosystems.
ackyard gardening, especially food gardening, has become increasingly popular in this area and in the Mid-
west in general. People who garden have the satisfaction of growing and using their own produce and sharing it with friends, family and neighbors.
Most people in the area have traditional gardens with rows of vegetables in the soil, but other types of gardening are also used, including raised-bed (constructed
of wood, stone or concrete), straw bale (a raised-bed method of growing from organ- ic material), lasagna (uses compostable materials such as grass, leaves, dirt and manure and requires no digging and no tilling), square foot (uses small but inten- sive space), container (uses pots instead of planting in the ground) and landscape (incorporates vegetables into traditional landscaping plants and shrubs).
Whether tending to flowers or growing their own vegetables and fruits, backyard gardeners must pay attention to their soil to get the best results. Composting and vermicomposting (creating a nutrient- dense plant fertilizer made from worm castings) are excellent ways to enrich the soil. NOTE: Hillview produces and sells vermicompost called VermiGold; proceeds from sales support Hillview programs.
For a list of gardening books and resources, see page 60. For further in- formation and photos on La Crosse area backyard gardening, go to HillviewUAC. org.
HillviewUAC.org
“I have really enjoyed participating in the Seed Library program. It has in- troduced us to produce and flowers that I have not grown before. Saving the seeds makes me feel like I am giving back to the community.”
Rachel Teske, Onalaska
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