1. Vegetables in the Ford Garden The Written Word

2. Aquaponics   Aquaponics combines aquaculture with hydroponics.   Fish produce ammonia (NH), which bacteria convert to nitrate (NH3).   The water is sent to plants, which absorb nutrients that they need.   The water returned to the fish.   Mexico: Aztecs built rafts (chinampas). Waste from canals and cities irrigated the plants.   Asia: Farmers combined rice in paddies with fish to grow both.

3. Spinach: Spinacia oleracea   Vitamins A, C, E, K, cal- cium for eyes and brain. More iron than meat !   Too bad Popeye ate out of a can. Loses color and vitamins when processed.   Yummy in salads.   Likes cool weather. Nearly all grown out West.   Origin: Persia, Nepal

4. Aquaponics Aquaponics  Will nitrogen grow plants better in the soil or the water ?  What bacteria are best for plants? What do they do?  How do fish help plants and plants help fish?  Is this a new idea or has it worked for millions of years?  Can this knowledge help us grow food in the city?  Can it feed people who don’t have enough water?

5. Taro Family-Araceae Taro Family-Araceae  Tropical plant, grown for its roots (corms), leaves.  African and Asian staple, starchy like potato.  Origin: India - one of the early cultivated plants.  Toxic when raw. Baked roasted, boiled. Sugars are sweet, nutty.  Called dasheen, gabi, elephant ears, name, yam, cocoyam, inhame.

6. Radish: Raphanus sativus   Root crop, same as beets, garlic, potato, carrots.   A bit bitter. Grown for oil.   Rich in B6, ascorbic acid, potassium.   Grows in 30 days.   Cultivated thousands of years ago in China and Greece – here in 1629.

7. Tomato: Lycopersicon Tomato: Lycopersicon  Romans called it wolf peach. Italians: golden apple.  90% comes from the West and sprayed.  7,500 varieties: really a fruit. Grown in greenhouses in cool climates.  Served in salads and cooked, as in pizza, sauces.  Like most veggies, 90% water.  Origin: South America

8. Corn: Zea mays Corn: Zea mays  No. 1 US crop. Used to produce eggs, milk, meat, fuel, cooking oil, whiskey, dog food, plastic.  Major source of starch.  Sweetens cereals, tonic, peanut butter. Too much sugar !  Yellow, red, pink, black, and blue. Kernels grow on ears, protected by silk in a husk.  Origin: Mexico 9,000 years ago. Called maize.

9. Collards: Brassica oleracea  Leafy like cabbage, kale, broccoli. Blue green leaves. Slight bitter taste..  Southern favorite. Loves hot weather and the cold of late autumn. Flavor enhanced by light frost.  High in fiber, vitamin C, coun- ters cancer, virus, bacteria.  Also called berza, couve.  Origin: Asia Minor

10. Pea : Pisum sativum  Edible seeds grow six feet in pods. Tendrils help it stand. pods. Tendrils help it stand.  Leaves have 1-3 leaflets. White flowers, purple blossoms.  Used in soups, salads, snacks. High: protein, vitamins A, C.  Cousin of beans and peanuts.  Mendel used them to found study of genetics.  Origin: Georgia (5,000 BCE)

11. Bean: Fabaceae   High in protein. Can be stored for years. Soaking revives.   Some boiled to destroy toxin.   4,000 types; kidney, soy green, pole, string, snap, refried, black, pinto, etc.   Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you toot. The more you toot, the better you feel. Lets have beans with every meal !   Origin: Mid-East, Americas

12. Long Bean Vigna unguiculata   Grows to three feet: tastes best at 18 inches.   Used in casseroles, stir-fry, soups. Blanch and fry with garlic and olive oil.   Called yard-long, asparagus snake bean, cow pea, bora.   Same plant family as black- eyed pea.   Good source of protein, vitamin A and C, thiamin, iron, folate, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese.

13. Blueberry: Vaccinium  Perennial: grows on a bush.  Turns from green to purple to blue.  Low-bush benefit from fires.  Pruned or burned every two years to manage pests.  Maine crop is largest low- bush: uses 50,000 beehives.  Helps with infections, strokes, cognition, blood pressure.  Canada’s largest fruit crop.

14. Bok Choy : Brassica rapa  Related to cabbage, turnip;  Studied in Ming dynasty for medicinal qualities;  Pekinensis: broad leaves with head;  Chinensis: no head, more like celery or mustard;  Winter-hardy  In small amounts, may prevent cancer. Toxic in large amounts.

15. Beets: Beta vulgaris   Red-purple, white-red roots. Bleeds during cooking. Sweet taste – made into sugar.   Roots crunchy and buttery. Leaves are bitter, can be boiled.   Made into soup (borscht).   Lowers blood pressure, fights tumors, laxative.   Rich in vitamins & minerals.   Origin: No. Africa 2,000 BCE

16. Chives Allium schoenoprasum   Smallest of onions, perennial.   Stems serve as leaves.   Repels insects, attracts bees.   Rich in vitamins A and C, calcium and iron.vitamins AC   Cut back, it continues to grow. .  Its use dates back 5,000 years.

17. Carrots: Daucus carota   Favorite of Bugs Bunny. Will eating carrots improve your eyesight? High energy food.   Orange, white, yellow, purple, red. The root is eaten. crunchy, sweet. Feathery leaves bitter and toxic.   Made into juice, cake, pudding.   Helps with digestion, parasites, constipation.   Origin: Asia, Middle East

18. Pepper: Capsicum annuum  Comes out of the flower.  Natives used it as seasoning.  In tropics, grows several season. Here an annual.  A thick, fleshy wall surrounds the seeds like fruit; wall is eaten.  Hot peppers are jalapeno and habanera. Eat at own risk !  Origin: South America

19. Eggplant: Solanum melongena  Large, egg-shaped. Purple variety in U.S. since 1860. Low in vitamins / calories.  White, brown, yellow, or striped fruits.  Grow in tropics. Fruit grows out of gray-green hairy leaves as large as a football.  Some thought it caused bad breath, madness, leprosy, cancer.  Origin: Northern India

20. Cauliflower: Brassica oleracea Cauliflower: Brassica oleracea  Looks like broccoli, opens outward with green florets, white flowers.  Loves cool, moist climate. Heavy leaves protect flowers from sun.  Low in fat, high in vitamin C, fiber, and carbohydrates. Cancer-reducer?  Eaten raw, cooked, pickled.  Origin: Asia Minor

21. Lettuce: Lactuca sativa Lettuce: Lactuca sativa  Used in salads; few calories. High in calcium, iron and vitamin A.  Types: Romaine, Bibb, Iceberg, Chinese.  Large leaves grow close to the ground on short stems. Dislikes dryness.  Important farm crop, mainly grown out West.  Origin: Middle East as early as 550 BCE.

22. Cabbage: Brassica oleracea  Easy to grow, frost-hardy. Lots of vitamin C.  Family: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts.  Types: white, red, savoy. Savoy is wrinkled. White cabbage (pale green) eaten in salads, cooked, pickled as sauerkraut.  Problems: snails, slugs, worms.  Origin: Europe,  Origin: Europe, Mediterra- nean. Called “wild mustard.”