Micro-farms are gaining popularity around country

If you can remember WWII then you remember Victory Gardens, which provided over 40 percent of America's food during the war years.

At that time, food was rationed and people raised their own chickens, hogs, cows and all the vegetables they could eat. Canning was popular in order to preserve the garden's bounty. After the war, industrialization and urbanization increased, homes were built close together, yards shrank to postage-sized plots of grass and the home garden almost disappeared.

The good news is that once again, home gardens are back and so is the small family farm, now called a micro-farm or urban farm. From Washington to Virginia and Arizona to Louisiana, people are raising animals and growing vegetables in order to have healthier, better-tasting food. They want their vegetables free of pesticides and herbicides and to have that delicious taste which comes from being picked fresh from the garden.

Many micro-farms are raising chickens, goats, sheep or cows which are free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Micro-farmers take pride in growing their own food.

One garden club member commented: “We found our family garden was a great way to teach our children respect for the environment, how to be self-sufficient and responsible for assigned chores, and of course, how to maintain a garden. Our kids adored planting seeds and watching them grow and produce something good to eat.”

Today, with the high price of gasoline causing the cost of food to increase, the idea of a micro-farm is appealing, not only for health reasons but also for the economic boost it gives the family budget.

Tending a garden also helps bring family members together and offers excellent opportunities for family discussions on a myriad of topics.

I was raised on a micro-farm, although we certainly didn't call it that. My mother and father both grew up at a time when every family had a garden and was self-sufficient. From those early gardening experiences, Mom and Dad gained a love of gardening that they passed on to me.

Our fall garden was always filled with fresh vegetables. Our strawberry patch was probably my favorite part of the garden. I loved going out and hunting underneath the leaves for hidden strawberries. I hate to admit that I probably ate as many strawberries as I dropped into my berry bucket.

We also raised chickens, rabbits, sheep and a variety of fruit trees and blackberry bushes. We even had our own beehives for honey and to pollinate the garden and fruit orchard. So, all in all, we were pretty self-sufficient.

In today's uncertain times, becoming more self-sufficient might be a wise thing. You can start small and increase the size of your micro-farm as your knowledge and experience increases. A 3'x6' raised bed can produce a nice variety of vegetables, and a small coop with 4-5 hens will provide plenty of eggs. As you gain experience, you can increase your vegetable beds or number of chickens. Some families like to share their extra produce with neighbors, while others sell at farmers markets.

Sandy Silvas, from Silvas Farm, has a micro-farm where blackberries, peaches and tangelos flourish and are sold to the public. Locals wait impatiently until it's time picking time. If your energy is limited, they sell their fruit already picked, as well.

“May is the month when our blackberries are ripe,” Silvas said. “Families love coming to our farm and filling their buckets with berries. This year, kids will also have a chance to see all the chickens we are raising. We have Rhode Island Reds, Cochins, Barred Rocks and Heinz 57 chickens hatched from our family of hens. We started with a dozen chicks and now have over 30! Each chicken has a name, and they all come running for their special treat of wheat seeds.”

Their website, silvasfarms.com, will give the dates and times when the public can visit and pick fruit.

“According to city regulations,” Amy Parrott, Yuma County Extension agent, explained, “educational organizations, such as 4-H and FFA, may have chickens, goats and sheep within the city limits from Sept. 1 through April 15 (when the animals are shown at the Yuma County Fair). Veal calves can be raised as a project from Jan. 1 through April 15. Our small animal leaders educate the kids about keeping pens clean and their animals well cared for.”

The city's regulations for possession and maintenance of animals within city limits (Chpt. 30, Sec. 001-999) state that poultry must be kept in an enclosure which prevents them from wandering into neighboring yards, that the lot must have 10,000 square feet in order to raise poultry and that no poultry can be raised in a front yard.

If the lot is smaller than 10,000 square feet, written permission from all adjoining neighbors must be submitted before a family can raise poultry. For a lot half-acre or less, 20 chickens can be kept. For each additional half-acre, 20 more chickens can be kept. If the house is on 2½ acres or more, the number of chickens is unlimited. No roosters capable of crowing are allowed. A city enforcement agent is in charge of ensuring these rules are followed.

Because of new food safety guidelines for production and harvest of lettuce and leafy greens, animals are not allowed within 30 feet of fields containing edible crops. This stops the public from walking dogs and small animals along canals which border fields.

If you want to raise chickens, Yuma Feed and Livestock, 2380 W. 32nd St., will have chicks for sale once cooler weather arrives, beginning the middle of October.

Buell Burgess, employee at Yuma Feed and Livestock, said, “We will be carrying whatever varieties of chicks are raised at the hatchery. We usually get in Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Aracanas and meat chickens (larger chickens raised for meat rather than eggs). We will also carry ducks. Some years we receive Guinea Fowl chicks and some years we don't, you just never know.”

Once you've chosen your fluffy, little chicks, you will need a large box and a light to keep them warm. A watering dish and chick feed can be purchased at the feed store. Keep the chicks in the warming box until they have feathered out enough to be moved to a fenced area.

A roost at least three feet above the ground keeps the chickens safe from predators. A ladder or stepped roosting poles will allow them to climb to the top roost. Wooden boxes can be built and straw added for nesting boxes.

It's not too late to start a fall garden. Purchase seeds for carrots, Swiss chard, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and lettuces, along with transplants for tomatoes and peppers. Amend the garden soil with a balanced fertilizer and aged steer manure before planting.

With a little money and some elbow grease, you can start a micro-farm which will give your family hours of enjoyment and some great-tasting food.

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Yuma Woman's Club is a service organization which helps Yuma in a variety of ways. They donate funds where needed and assist where needed. If you are interested in joining, they meet at Catalina Square Apartments, 3000 S. Catalina Drive, 1 p.m., on the second Friday of each month. Call 345-0888 for more information. Visitors are always welcome.

Karen Bowen is a master gardener and member of Yuma Garden Club. She can be reached at bowenkaren@ymail.com. This column is sponsored by the Federated Garden Clubs of Yuma.