Didn't get back to this thread for awhile... Darthtrader, have you used the "3 sisters" method? It will produce a lot... but it is meant for field corn, not sweet corn (sweet corn won't support the beans), dry beans not snap beans (you might trample the squash while picking the snaps) and winter squash, not summer squash (ditto on trampling). Essentially, it was a "plant it & forget it" arrangement; the heavy growth did not enable frequent entry for the harvest of immature crops. I have used several variations of it with sweet corn, substituting cowpeas or soybeans for beans, and using indeterminate tomatoes as ground cover in place of squash. I heartily endorse the use of cowpeas within sweet corn, as they are mostly weak climbers, and won't overload the shorter, weaker stalks of the sweet corn. Regardless of the method & varieties used, the corn & squash require a lot of space... which is what I was referring to when I mentioned that it might not be cost effective for those with smaller urban lots. CynthiaH, I once lived & gardened in the Bay area, also on borrowed land. My garden was on a utility easement near the NASA/Ames facility, and was limited in size only by how much time I chose to invest in it. In exchange, I agreed to clean up trash left by a BMX organization (bike racing) on other parts of the property, and to keep the weeds down. Except in the inner cities, there is always empty land somewhere. I gave more detailed advice on OPP gardening (other people's property) here.

A thought about the pH of tap water: it doesn't matter much. Most people's water will test between (say) 7.3 and 7.8 because, if the water is naturally acidic, the supplier will treat it to protect the pipes. What matters is the total alkalinity (a quantity) rather than the pH (a ratio). In most of the East and other areas where water is naturally soft, the total alkalinity is low even if the pH is 7.5 or whatever. There is just not enough stuff in the water to have much effect on soil chemistry. But hard water from limestone springs or wells will have higher total alkalinity that could impact the soil chemistry. Also, out west, the raw young mountains are still leaching lots of solubles into the runoff. This means that western rivers like the Colorado have high total alkalinity plus a load of salts that can build up in the soil with long-term irrigation. So there's probably no value in running out to check the pH of tap water. It will be alkaline, but the test doesn't tell you how the water will affect your soil.

Thanks - larger market wanted money and insurance certificate with application, I emailed them asking if they would hold my check until they guaranteed the space (since this is nonprofit run by volunteers I wanted to make sure 1 person didn't cash the check while another collected names & decided who to give space to!). Also asked if I could wait and have certificate sent to them after I was approved since it will cost me $50 to get certificate. I hope this didn't come across too much as PITA, but they also wanted "specific items to be sold" - so I started typing out a list of all my seeds for them, said in email "Some are guaranteed spots in the beds, but others I am not sure would be good sellers based on sales at X market last year, though they might be in yours. If you have any "must haves" please indicate those in your reply and I will be sure to plant those. Of course, I cannot guarantee that everything I plant will make it to market due to weather, pests, or disease losses." I also found last year that I didn't quite have enough of some things to support 2 markets, but I had enough of others (esp. tomatoes) to sell wholesale and to sell to people at DH's work, either the next day (leftovers) or midweek (with 3-4 days to go til next market!). So online orders, in addition to the Thurs/Fri deliveries at work and weekend farmstand, might work out well with a Wed night market. Last year was tough with Fri AM orders going to work and Fri night market. Of course I can do "preorders" to deliver at market too, that might work out esp. well with things in short supply, or eggs that need to be kept cool (if they pick up at the beginning of market). Oh, I just got email from town Ag commission - they're updating the farm map and want $25 to add (or keep) a farm, to go towards printing costs. I don't think I can get on the online map without being on print, though I MAY be able to get listed on website without being on the map (they haven't updated the listings yet). Think it's worth it since I'm on the outskirts of town? They'd have to redraw the map since they don't go far enough west to show the main road that I have frontage on (in another town). I don't want them to add a circle with a vague location on my "official" address where I don't have frontage. Everyone would get confused like the tax assessor did when they came out to see the house after we built!

IMO a two hour notice is reasonable:) It is more difficult today to get everyone's schedules together to show property so we don't kill two hours just driving around. But we do plan our showings and it is common to have notice well before two hours. The exception is when showing properties in the area and the buyer notices your house on the market and wants to see it right away :)