Eat First

Locally grown flowers in Central New York

Photo courtesy of Post St. Farm, Franklin Springs

You’ve heard of the farm-to-table movement. But are you familiar with the farm-to-vase movement?

An estimated 80% of the flowers sold in the United States are imported. But a small but growing number of farmers are pursuing their passion for flowers – growing them, selling them at markets, offering flower CSA shares, creating custom arrangements for life’s special moments and inviting customers to pick-your-own parties and “bloom bars,’’ where you can purchase flowers by the stem and build your own bouquets.

Flower farms are popping up all over Central New York. Since spring is here and summer is coming, I thought it would be nice to spotlight some of them. Most of the growers are women and all focus on flowers you’re not going to find at the grocery store, like snapdragons, ranunculus, peonies, foxglove, delphinium, dahlias, celosia, zinnias and heirloom mums. 

Flowers have the power to lift moods and make people happy – whether we’re giving them, receiving them or treating ourselves to a bouquet. This season, why not support local growers and get your flower fix right here, where we’re planted? Mother’s Day is coming up – it’s one of the biggest flower days of the year and “like Super Bowl Weekend for flower farmers,’’ in the words of one local grower. So act soon.

Follow these farms/farmers on social media to learn more about what they do and grow and stay informed about special events. 

Catalpa Flower Farm, Homer: On less than an acre of land near Homer, in Cortland County, Lindsey McDonnell grows a wide variety of perennial flowers for seasonal CSA shares (sort of like a weekly flower club membership you pay for in advance). But that’s not all: She also offers edible flowers for restaurants and has her hand in flowers and floral design services for weddings and other special events. Look for her every other Saturday at the Homer Regional Farmers Market starting in June. And keep an eye on social media for details on Catalpa’s roadside flower stand at the farmette, also starting in June. More information: Instagram, Facebook, website 

Ranunculus photo courtesy of Catalpa Flower Farm, Homer

Post St. Farm, Franklin Springs: This small-scale produce and flower farm near Clinton (Oneida County) is a regular presence at the Hamilton Farmers Market and the Clinton Farmers Market, in season. In addition to specialty produce and blooms (beginning with an early season tulip subscription, plus other options), co-owner Allie Healy Howard pops up at events here and there with make-your-own-bouquet bars. She recently left the world of local journalism to farm full-time with her husband. More info: Instagram, Facebook, website

Forest Ridge Farmstead, Warners: Owner Tabitha Sebastino is in flower mode year-round, starting with spring tulips, then summer stems and fall flowers. Christmas flowers, Valentine’s Day flowers and Easter flowers? She does them, too, bringing in American-grown blooms for customers. Check out her social media and website for information on CSA shares and to find out when her flowers are available at local retail outlets and at her self-serve, honor system roadside farm stand. More info: Instagram, Facebook, website

Brainard Farmette, LaFayette: Brainard Farmette is a small custom flower farm and apiary. Owner Stephanie Brainard is drawn to growing and raising things, from flowers to bees to chickens. She raises more than 20 types of flowers and offers cut flower subscriptions for individuals and businesses, with several pick-up locations in Central New York. Find Brainard Farmette honey at Spill the Tea Cafe, Minoa, and other locations. More info: Instagram, Facebook, website 

Withy Hollow Flower Farm, Erieville: The owners of this sustainably-grown flower farm in Madison County want people to celebrate the special moments of their lives in a flowery fashion: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, engagements – and, well, just because. Visit the Fayetteville Farmers Market in the summer (noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays) to check out their floral flair. And visit the farm’s website and social media for information on on-farm events and opportunities to visit and pick your own blooms. More info: Instagram, Facebook, website

Catalpa Flower Farm zinnia bouquets at the Homer Farmers Market

The Meadow, Manlius (formerly Bell Creek Farm, Phoenix): The Meadow is a small farm with a focus on specialty cut flowers and vegetables. Owners Kyle Wilson and Ginnie Hsu offer a variety of flower subscriptions, including spring tulips, dahlia bouquets and summer arrangements. Wedding floristry is part of the business and several options are available, from DIY buckets of blooms to full-service packages. The farm is in the process of transitioning from its original location in Oswego County to Manlius. More info: Instagram, website

Farmstead 1868, Cazenovia: Farmstead 1868 is a working lavender farm (and dairy) offering U-pick lavender and premium lavender products (soaps, candles, lotions, bath bombs, etc. ) made with ingredients grown on the farm. If you're a fan of the fragrant purple flowering plant, mark your calendar for this year's Lavender Festival (July 6; pre-sale tickets only). More info: Instagram Facebook website

Wake Robin Farm and Bakery, Jordan: Flowers and flours. Meg and Bruce Schader must hear that all the time. Visit the farm during growing season and you’ll see fields of colorful blooms, like sunflowers, zinnias and larkspur – and fields of wheat and other grains. Flowers are Meg's "love language.'' She turns them into market bouquets sold at the farm on Fridays (3 to 6 p.m.) and on Saturdays at the Central New York Regional Market. The grains are milled into flour, which Bruce uses to make about a dozen varieties of bread sold at the farm and the market. More info: Instagram, Facebook, website 

Cut flowers photo courtesy of Wake Robin Farm, Jordan

Petals in Bloom Flower Farm, Williamstown: Petals in Bloom is a family-owned dahlia farm in Oswego County. Owners Katherine and Miles Lewis grow hundreds of varieties of the striking flowers. They offer a seasonal dahlia bouquet club subscription (blooms are ready in late August, or when Mother Nature says) and U-pick flowers at their farm. They also sell dahlia tubers for home gardeners and hold a Dahlia Fest in the fall. More info: Instagram, Facebook, website

Brushaber Blooms, Pulaski: Brushaber Blooms is a "micro farm" specializing in dahlias. But first come tulips, zinnias and other flowers. Follow Brushaber Blooms on social media for information on its self-serve roadside flower stand. Owner Jill Brushaber gets the word out when paper-wrapped bouquets are available -- and when she has sold out. More info: Instagram, Facebook

Barn Blooms, Wolcott: Suddenly, I feel like taking a drive to Wayne County to visit Barn Blooms Flower Farm. Owner Carrie Wafler offers tulip and summer flower subscriptions and friends say it’s worth the drive to Wolcott to visit her flower stand and pick up a bouquet. Barn Bloom flowers are also featured at Sweets by Sarah Bakery in Fair Haven. In the off season, Wafler makes wreaths, porch pots and holiday centerpieces, which are sold at the stand. More info: Instagram, Facebook, website

 

Sweet Venus Farm, Syracuse: an urban homestead

You've heard the expression "grow food, not lawns.'' That's what Chellsea Jones does at her home off Teall Avenue in Syracuse, a couple blocks from Henninger High School.

Jones and her partner, Jacob Eichten, bought their house on Robinson Street in 2009 partly because it has a big kitchen and partly because it's on a double city lot. There, Jones has established Sweet Venus Farm. Some would call it a micro-farm, farmette or city farm, but Jones calls it an urban homestead. It’s a magical place where she raises enough produce to feed herself, Jacob and their three children -- with plenty left over for the freezer, for canning and to share, swap or sell when there is an abundance. “Not only do we do a lot of cooking, but we also tend to congregate in the kitchen,’’ Jones says. “We really value family meals.’’

Follow Sweet Venus Farm on Instagram for updates: Jones alerts the farm's followers when things like eggs, spinach, squashes and garlic are available. I buy eggs from her regularly and love having fresh, beautiful eggs from chickens raised just over a mile from our house.

You’re not going to confuse Sweet Venus Farm with more sprawling urban farms like the Brady Farm and Urban Delights Farm on the south side of Syracuse, which are big enough to bring produce to local markets and to offer CSA shares. Jones’ goal is to live off the land as much as possible – and make the most of her small plot of it. The property is on a city bus line and across the street from a neighborhood tavern, yet there is a seclusion to it, especially out back, away from the street.

The back yard is lush, green and quiet. This is where Jones channels most of her energy and time. The space is planted with all kinds of traditional and non-traditional crops: Swiss chard, carrots, sweet potatoes, strawberries, raspberries, horseradish, onions, garlic, lemon cucumbers, Mexican sour cucumbers, sweet potatoes, three varieties of beets, tomatoes and The Three Sisters – corn, beans and squash.

“The Mexican cucumbers look like little watermelons,’’ Jones says. “I’m really excited about those.’’

She is a fan of purple and has planted some purple produce for fun, like peas and corn. At the back of the property, along the fence line, is a hazelnut bush. A chicken coop that houses 20 chickens takes up a chunk of the property. In season, Jones says, the chickens produce about a dozen eggs a day. She also has ducks for eggs and raises rabbits for meat.

The small farm is primarily her project, Jones says, adding that Jacob lends emotional and financial support and builds just about anything she needs, from fencing to the chicken coop to a wooden walkway made from pallets.

The front yard is planted with sunflowers, irises, roses and some lettuces. There’s two rain barrels from Onondaga County’s Save the Rain program and a Little Free Library, where neighbors and visitors can take a book or leave a book.

Jones, 36, grew up in the Oneida County community of Holland Patent, where her mother had a big flower garden and she cultivated an interest in growing things. She studied biology and nature interpretation/natural history at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and has worked in the agriculture field, including stints at Grindstone Farm in Pulaski and as farm manager for the Urban Delights Farm in Syracuse. “It was during my years at ESF that I really became interested in growing my own food,’’ she says.

Jones currently serves as chief juicemaker at Farm Girl Juicery, a juice bar with two locations (Chuck Hafner’s Farmers Market and Garden Center in North Syracuse and the Salt City Market in downtown Syracuse). When she’s not at her job, Jones spends 12 to 20 hours a week working outside – seeding, planting, weeding, and, best of all, harvesting.

She has me thinking we should plant some garlic in our elevated garden box this fall and let Mother Nature work her magic.

“What I really want to do is show people they can do this,’’ Jones says. “What’s better than getting food from your own back yard?”

All photos © Margaret McCormick, 2021

 

Got zucchini? Make zucchini butter

It's that time of year: The zucchini in your garden seems to multiply overnight. Or someone shows up at the office with a shopping bag full of zucchini and says, "here -- take some home.''

 

Had your fill of zucchini bread and zucchini boats? Try something different -- zucchini butter. It takes about an hour to cook a couple pounds of zucchini down into a soft, buttery paste that can be tossed with pasta, spread on grilled bread or used in place of sauce on a pizza. Or, spread it on toast and top it with a poached egg -- one of my favorite work-from-home lunches.

 

I went with a recipe from one of my favorite cookbook authors and food bloggers, Marissa McClellan, tweaking it slightly to add a bit of heat. I cooked the zucchini down for a full hour, leaving it slightly chunky but soft enough to spread -- not total mush. 

 

Zucchini Butter

Adapted from "Preserving by the Pint,'' by Marissa McClellan

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 plump garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
Big pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

2 pounds zucchini or a combination of zucchini and yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped off stems)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) to the pan and cook for a minute. Add the zucchini cubes.

Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the zucchini has begun to soften. Add salt, pepper and thyme at this point. Reduce the heat and continue to cook the zucchini, stirring often. The goal is to cook the moisture out of the zucchini and create a soft, flavorful paste. If the zucchini starts to brown and stick to the pan, add a splash of white wine or some vegetable broth and reduce the heat a bit more.

 
Total cooking time should be about an hour. I left the zucchini butter a bit chunky, but soft enough to spread. 

 

When done, cool the zucchini butter and store it in half-pint jars in the refrigerator. It will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge or a year in the freezer.

 

Note: Serve the zucchini butter with pasta, on crusty grilled bread or on pizza. 

 

                 Early stage of cooking the zucchini down

 

                 Linguine with zucchini butter

 

 

All photos by Margaret McCormick unless otherwise noted

 

 

 

Crazy Daisies and The Garden Cafe at Crazy Daisies

It's the best time of year to visit Crazy Daisies. The flower farm on Kasson Road, off Route 175 near Marcellus, has annuals, perennials, vegetable plants, herbs, succulents, hanging baskets, container gardens and much more to strike your garden fancy.

 

Crazy Daisies also has a Garden Cafe with a focus on fresh, local fare. So the question becomes: Shop for flowers first or grab a table on the porch first and have a bite to eat?

 

On Saturdays and Sundays, brunch is served from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu is fairly simple, with things like French toast (made with Pastabilities raisin pecan bread or brioche) and real maple syrup, stretch bread breakfast pizza and breakfast sandwiches. Coffee is from Salt City Coffee and New York State beer, wine and hard cider is available, as well as specialty drinks like Bloody Marys and Mimosas. On weekdays, the Garden Cafe keeps it simple, offering cheese and olive boards, charcuterie plates, baked Brie and crackers, and hummus with vegetables. Stone baked pizzas are available on Fridays and chicken barbecues are offered some weekend. The aforementioned small plates are also available after brunch service on weekends. 

 

I visited around noontime on Sunday and the porch was packed with diners enjoying breakfast, coffee and baked goods and sweeping views of the lush, green western Onondaga County countryside. It was so busy, in fact, that a staff member had to step out to get more eggs -- the kitchen was about to run out.

 

Place your order inside at the counter and it will be delivered to you inside or outside on the porch. A list near the counter notes their local suppliers, including Rohe Farms, Pastabilities, Dutch Hill Maple, Hiwire Honey, 2 Kids Goat Farm, Small Mountain Za'atar and others. Everything is made fresh to order and therefore takes a little extra time. I sipped a Bloody Mary and read a few sections of the Sunday newspaper before my food arrived.

 

From the chalkboard menu, I selected the garden vegetable scramble (with onion, kale and tomatoes), served with your choice of cheese on top and meat on the side, plus toasted stretch bread, all served in a paper-lined pie tin. The Bloody Mary, ordered spicy, was garnished with lime, celery and a pick holding a couple olives. I spotted homemade banana nut muffins and Half Moon cookies at the counter and treated myself to a Half Moon to enjoy later.

 

Before or after your meal, take a walk around the flower farm. A large greenhouse has thousands of plants and hanging baskets, arranged according to color. Have a garden space that doesn't get a lot of light? Step into the shade shed and find plenty of plants that are made for shade.

 

Crazy Daisies was established more than a decade ago by Jennifer and Glenn Cox. They have six children, some of whom are involved in the business. Jennifer and her team design and plant containers for residential customers and business clients, offer container gardening workshops in season and host special events, like "Yoga on the Porch.'' Both the indoor and porch space are available for private parties.

 

We are in the process of establishing a garden in the front yard of our home on the North Side of Syracuse, which will give me good reason to return regularly to Crazy Daisies and the Garden Cafe this summer and into the fall. The selection is great, prices are reasonable and after Central New York's winters, there's no such thing as too many flowers.

 

As staff member Kelly told me as I was perusing plants: "Perennials are like furniture. You have to keep moving them around until you find the right ones and the right place for them.''

 

Crazy Daisies is at 4695 Kasson Road, Marcellus. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Information: 315-498-5525.  Information: Website Facebook 

 

 

 

Last call for Wegmans Organic Farm tours in 2014

The last two tours of the season at the Wegmans Organic Farm near Canandaigua will be offered this Thursday (October 2) and next Thursday (October 9) at 2 p.m.

If you're heading to the Finger Lakes, if the weather stays like this -- gorgeous! -- and if you're curious about growing food and what goes into running an organic farm, you'll find the tour of interest and value.

 

Put on your walking shoes, leave the dog at home and bring a jacket (and an umbrella, in the event of rain). Tickets cost $10 AND MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE at Wegmans stores. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION. 

The farm tour lasts about two hours and covers about two miles, some of it hilly. About 23 people took the tour on the day I visited.

If you've been to the grocery store lately, you know that organics is a huge "growth category." The Wegmans Organic Farm was established in 2007 on a 50-acre property about eight miles from the city of Canandaigua, overlooking Canandaigua Lake. Approximately 10 acres are certified organic.

 

The purpose of the farm is not to supply all of Wegmans stores -- that would be impractical and impossible. It's to learn what works and what doesn't in the field and to share knowledge and good practices of growing food naturally, without pesticides, with Wegmans' partner growers -- and the public, as well.

 

Produce grown on the farm stays close to home: It's sold primarily at Wegmans’ Canandaigua and Pittsford stores, and is used at the Next Door Bar & Grill, a popular restaurant next door to the Pittsford Wegmans. Some of the produce makes it to Wegmans stores in the Syracuse area -- ask your store or produce manager what might be available from the Wegmans Organic Farm.

Radishes, Roma tomatoes and hundreds of pounds of salad greens were harvested the day I visited. Also grown this year: cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, beets, micro greens, fingerling potatoes, peppers, kale, pointed cabbage, Swiss chard, spinach, green and yellow squash, to name a few. Dozens of herbs are planted, as well, like basil, borage, chives, dill, chervil and others.

You'll see chickens -- eggs are used by the Wegman family, according to our tour guide. You'll also see rabbits. Their waste is added to the compost pile, which is huge -- good organics begin with good soil, after all. There's also an apiary. Honey from the farm can't be labeled "organic,'' because the bees travel off the farm, to areas that aren't certified organic.

New at the farm are six "high tunnels,'' which extend the growing season for salad greens, herbs and some vegetables. Step inside and see why -- they really retain heat.

 

Last call to check out the Wegmans Organic Farm this year!

 

 

 

How is your garden growing, Central New York?

Garden update, East Side of Syracuse, June 25, 2014:

No sooner had the pole beans sprouted and started to take off, something dug them up. Bam! Gone.


Fortunately, the six San Marzano tomato plants in that small plot are untouched and coming along nicely. I see red sauce in our future -- supplemented with tomatoes from one of our local markets. We do not have enough space for a sauce garden.


Two kinds of cherry tomatoes (super-sweet reds and pear-shaped golden tomatoes) are also coming along well in the elevated garden box Robert built last year. The garden box is the perfect height for deer to enjoy a smorgasbord -- but they don't, knock wood. At least not so far, fingers crossed.


We've been enjoying romaine, arugula and leaf lettuce salads from the garden box, too -- to the point where I almost overdosed on salad last week, if that is possible. I love a salad with greens, arugula, local strawberries, toasted walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette and blue cheese this time of year.


The basil in its own planter box is deep green and gorgeous. As always, we'll use it to make pesto. And when local tomatoes are in season, we will feast on Caprese salad. But not before then.


When gardening space is scarce, you need to plant where you can to take best advantage of the sun. These planters hold green bell pepper plants. If everything grew as well as that ground cover, we'd be all set.

As the lettuces fade in the garden box, we might add some more herbs, or some Swiss chard, which will grow well into the fall. Got any suggestions?

How is your garden growing, Central New York? Let us know in the Comments section, below. Happy gardening - and harvesting!

Figs on yogurt, figs on pizza, figs on trees in CNY

During winter, a cluster of trees on a small hill in DeWitt is covered with tarps and burlap. It took us a while to figure out that the trees beneath the protective wraps are fig trees.

Figs and fig trees are native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East – and not exactly common in colder climates like Central New York. But Faraj Aouad, owner of Omar’s Beauty Salon, on Thompson Road, patiently persists in growing them here.

Faraj, a native of Lebanon, says he started with three trees (bearing common black and white figs) and now has 15 of them. In early September, when the figs start to ripen, he puts a small, hand-lettered sign out in front of his salon offering Fresh Organic Figs.

If your only experience with figs is in Fig Newtons, you haven’t truly experienced figs – and you are in for a treat. We picked some up from Faraj on Saturday and they were lush and ripe – plump and swollen, like tender little balloons. They’re purplish-green on the outside, reddish and seedy on the inside and a little bit squishy.

Last year, we ate them out of hand and in green salads. On Saturday, I halved them, tossed them lightly with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a touch of honey and roasted them in the oven just long enough to render them syrupy but still hold some of their shape.

I used a small amount on pizza and refrigerated the rest to eat with my morning yogurt. They also are a delicious partner with blue cheese and make an excellent crostini with goat cheese or ricotta spread on some toasted bread, then topped with rosted figs.

Figs also pair nicely with cured meats like prosciutto and salami – the combination of sweet fruit and salty meat is hard to resist. We put roasted figs, caramelized onion and strips of salami on top of a “white pizza’’ – olive oil, garlic and several cheeses --  with yummy results.

Faraj treats his fig trees with nothing but tender loving care. He says the figs “are coming in with a vengeance this year – large and sweet to eat.’’

Get some while they last and have fun experimenting with them. And tell your friends about the man who grows figs in a place where one doesn’t expect them to thrive.

Figs are available at Omar’s Beauty Salon, 5829 Thompson Road, DeWitt, for a limited time. It is best to call ahead. Call 315-446-0101 or 315-445-1190. If you have a small market basket or produce container, bring it with you. Figs are fragile and need to be used quickly. They’re priced at about three for $1.

 

Pizza with Roasted Figs, Caramelized Onion and Salami

Half of a small red onion, sliced; caramelized

1 package Columbus Bakery pizza dough (or your favorite pizza dough)

¼ cup olive oil (approximately)

2 plump cloves garlic, minced

About 1.5 cups grated cheese of your choice (I used a combination of grated Jarlsberg and Parmesan)

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

Half cup (approximately) roasted figs (see below)

4 ounces (approximately) salami, cut in thin strips

Handful of fresh basil, julienned

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

A couple hours before you're ready to cook pizza, put pizza dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a towel. Punch the dough down every now and then.

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Put oven rack in lowest position. Grease a perforated pizza pan.

Place pizza dough on greased pan and stretch/roll it out it to edge of pan to create a thin crust. Combine olive oil and garlic. Drizzle olive oil on crust and spread it to edges of crust using a brush or your hands.

Sprinkle on the grated cheeses, then arrange fresh mozzarella cube on top. Top the pizza with caramelized onion, roasted figs and salami. Don’t use so many toppings that you can’t see the cheese; heavy toppings can make for a soggy crust. Garnish with julienned basil and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake pizza until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling, about 13-15 minutes. Let rest about 3 minutes then transfer to a cutting board and slice. Makes about 8 servings (one slice).

To roast figs: Rinse and halve figs. Toss with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roast figs at 400 degrees for 15 minutes (approximately). Transfer to a bowl, saving the juices. Cool, then cover and refrigerate.

 

Gardening for food in Syracuse: Thinking inside and outside the box

This relentless mist and rain is not good for Taste of Syracuse, Greek Fest and other outdoor activities in Central New York this week.

But it IS good for our garden in a box – which has started to resemble a big, leafy, green salad in a box.

So far, knock wood, the neighborhood deer and resident woodchuck are not snacking on all the green goodness behind our house.

But I enjoyed my first salad from it last night. Besides tasting incredibly fresh, there is something very satisfying about eating food you have grown yourself, outside your door. It’s the ultimate in eating healthful and local.

Since I first posted about our attempts to grow some food in a small city space, we have added pole beans, three pots of green bell peppers and two containers of basil.

In addition to Swiss chard, a variety of salad greens, spearmint and more basil, the garden box contains contains one Super Sweet cherry tomato plant, which promises to bear clusters of tiny tomatoes until frost.

Robert, consumed by the gardening bug after building the box, cleared a small spot on the east side of the house, where he has planted zucchini, two varieties of tomatoes and eggplant.

This year, if he chooses to make grilled ratatouille and can it for enjoyment all winter, he won’t have to rely entirely on produce from the Regional Market.

We’ll keep you posted on how our little Syracuse gardens are growing.

A Syracuse garden takes shape – in a box

There are advantages to a small house. There are fewer rooms to clean, for one thing, and less grass to mow.

But less space outdoors equals less space to garden. And less space to garden equals little to no opportunity to grow food, with the exception of basil and other essential herbs.

Until now! 

I happened on this garden box on legs (above) while browsing the Williams-Sonoma website. My first thought was: How cool is this?! What a great option for space-challenged people like us, who have no back forty -- just a hill and trees and gravel drive. My second thought was: Oh, $300 – soil and plants not included. 

Fortunately, I live with a very handy man, who makes art and builds things. I asked him if he could design and build something like the Williams-Sonoma garden box – compact and on legs -- for us. As you can see, he rose to the challenge. 

The result is an elevated, 30-inch-by-54- inch garden box on a steel frame – quite a bit bigger than the retail model that inspired it (24 by 36 inches) -- and far less expensive. 

The box is made of larch, a locally grown hardwood noted for it strength, durability and ability to resist water. The lumber cost $40. The frame was custom-made and welded by Robert's cousin, Ben Poormon, of Steelfab in Weedsport. It cost $100. 

At the base of the box are a couple grids of concrete reinforcing mesh. On top of that went hay and the soil. 

All we need now is plants, sun and rain. Robert picked up three pepper plants at the Central New York Regional Market last weekend. We're thinking tomatoes, some lettuces, herbs and – well, we're not sure what else, exactly. 

We'll let you know what we decide to plant -- and how our little vegetable garden-in-a-box grows this summer.