By Lee Koelzer | Director
Asparagus is delicious. It is also a cold weather crop that we are attempting to grow here in the tropics. To make this happen, we are building a series of raised garden beds using recycled glass bottles, and filling the beds with cow manure to plant the seelding in.
Why raised beds? Because asparagus takes about 3 years to establish itself before we can start harvesting, and the raised bed will help protect it from randomly wandering pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, turkeys, ducks, and random other livestock which periodically escape the neighbor's ropes and wander through our farm. The beds also help keep the asparagus sectioned off so we do not accidentally step on it or (heaven forbid) accidentally dig it up! It will also allow us to contain the fertilizer and limit weed growth. Plus, garden beds made of colorful wine bottles are pretty awesome.
We collect the bottles from our subscribers to our CSA Bountiful Basket, and from bars and restaraunts looking to recycle them. They are free building material, and they are much stronger and durrable than the locally made bricks. When our asparagus is successful, we will of course distribute the roots to other villagers around the farm and give them bottles to make their own raised beds.
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