A natural living site where you'll learn about organic gardening, foraging, home medicine and more.
I believe that the most important thing you can do to ensure a pest-free garden is to build healthy soil that produces healthy plants. Still, there will be times that you want a few strategies to control aphids and other insects in your organic garden.
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The most frequent questions I get regarding organic gardening concern control of disease and insects. My answer tends to frustrate people, because I believe that the most important thing you can do to ensure a pest-free garden is to build healthy soil that produces healthy plants. We live in an imperfect world, of course, so there will surely be times that you want a few strategies to control slugs and snails in your organic garden.
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We have two beautiful espalier pear trees that are finally, after 5 or 6 years, producing enough pears that I am able to can some for winter use. And we really enjoy these canned pears sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar.
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In northern climates, gardeners grow what is called hardneck garlic because it thrives in cold temperatures. In late spring, hardneck garlic produces a leafless, curly, flowering stem called a scape. The scape itself is delicious, and can be used in many ways. Garlic scape powder is one of many ways I use garlic scapes, and while I love garlic powder and make my own, making scape powder is a much easier process.
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Water bath canning is a great skill to have when it comes to preserving the harvest. Choose water bath canning to preserve high acid foods like jams, jellies, fruit, most tomatoes and sauces, pickles, relishes and vinegar based condiments.
Even if you live in a small apartment, this is a skill you can learn and practice now before you are able to move to your dream homestead. Fruits and vegetables can be purchased at Farmer’s Markets even if you don’t yet have your own garden.
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You are likely familiar with wood chips, which refer to any woody material which has been broken down into small chips. Ramial wood chips, on the other hand, may be new to you. Also known as arborist wood chips, ramial wood chips are made from small diameter (under 3″) tree branches and often include the fresh leaves of the tree.
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Wood chip gardening, also known as the Back-to-Eden method of gardening, has gained popularity in recent years. It’s done so for good reason, but many people give up after just a season or two because they are not implementing the process correctly.
Here are 10 common mistakes that people make when wood chip gardening; this will help you to proceed with success in your gardening journey.
We grow everbearing raspberries, and the way we manage them, they produce a heavy crop of berries from mid-August through September. And it just so happens that our jalapeño peppers ripen during that time as well. Thus, the perfect combination for an amazing treat – low sugar raspberry jalapeño jam!
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Author Susannah Shmurak recently released her new book, Everything Elderberry: How to Forage, Cultivate, and Cook with this Amazing Natural Remedy. Since I grow, forage, and enjoy using elderberries, I looked forward to receiving a copy of her book about this natural herbal remedy, and delicious berry. Continue Reading
When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I relied on the local public library to feed my insatiable desire for information on self-reliant living. Attainable Sustainable: the Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living by Kris Bordessa was just the type of book I would relish finding, and covet owning.Continue Reading
I don’t think there’s a cookie I love more than a crispy, old-fashioned butter cookie. This amazing recipe from the new book, Sweet Maple by Michelle Visser, takes the goodness of butter cookies one step further with the addition of maple syrup. Old-Fashioned Maple Syrup Cookies are simply wonderful! Continue Reading
Is one of your goals this year learning to preserve the harvest? If so, Ann Accetta-Scott’s new book, The Farm Girl’s Guide to Preserving the Harvest is a must-have.Continue Reading
So, dairy and I do not always get along. I spent five years dairy-free because of all the sinus issues it caused. And then I discovered raw milk. What a wonder; I can now enjoy dairy again, as long as I keep it raw. That’s why I love this simple recipe for creamy, homemade raw milk cottage cheese.Continue Reading
I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a beautiful book. And The Homesteader’s Herbal Companion does not disappoint. While beauty will certainly get me to pick up a book, the contents must be just as attractive and interesting. Author Amy K. Fewell has done a great job of delivering the whole package.
Why sourdough is healthier, more digestible and more affordable than traditional yeast bread.
Sourdough…chances are you’ve either tried sourdough bread yourself, or you know someone who bakes with it. But are you familiar with the benefits of baking with sourdough?Continue Reading
I’ve had several items on my wish list as I move towards more natural living, and slowly but surely I’m checking items off my list. Sunflair® Solar Ovens sent their Deluxe Solar Oven Kit for my honest review and I can now check one more item off that list!
The Sunflair Kit came with a portable solar oven, 2 collapsible silicone pots, a 3-lb round roaster, 2 baking/dehydrating racks, 2 heat conducting/baking trays, a thermometer, instruction booklet, and a carrying case.Continue Reading
In our early years of gardening, we were able to eat fresh from our garden all during harvest season. Sure, there were often extra tomatoes to can, or broccoli to freeze, and even enough carrots to over-winter in the garden. The size of our garden has increased exponentially over the years and the goal now is to eat vegetables from our garden all year long. Yes, even fresh vegetables. Storing vegetables properly is essential.Continue Reading
There has not been a time when a beautiful lake has not been a part of my life. Growing up, my family spent every summer at a lake in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Swimming and hiking and wild berry treats were part of our daily routine.
That cottage is still in our family, but Mike and I also own a small place at another lake a little farther away. The cottage at Swago is much more rustic and does not have running water.Continue Reading
It’s always fun to get to check out a new book before the rest of the world sees it. And The Suburban Micro-Farm by Amy Stross was no exception. This gardening book really does cover it all, and there is plenty for both the beginner, and advanced gardener.
If you are living on a small plot of land, you’ll really appreciate Amy’s years of experience and wisdom in getting the most of every inch of your property. She’ll teach you how to build your soil, and to grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs.Continue Reading
Brian Thomas and Teri Page, the authors of The Backyard Bread & Pizza Oven eBook live off-grid with their two small children. They live in a tiny house with an outdoor bathroom, no running water, and just enough solar power to run a few appliances.
One might think that an off-grid life is one of deprivation. That food would be basic and boring. But the authors of this book prove that it’s anything but. With their homebuilt outdoor pizza oven, meals include home-baked bread, wood-fired pizza, roasted chicken and so much more.Continue Reading
More and more families are choosing to purchase beef directly from a local farmer. It’s important to them to know where their food is coming from, and how it is raised. For many of us, that can be an overwhelming task – we weren’t raised on a farm, and we don’t always know the terminology, much less what questions to ask.Continue Reading
Sometimes I feel like a double agent privy to inside information. Often it’s sensitive, potentially damaging information on chemical farming to which, if the “chem farm” folks were wiser, really shouldn’t allow me access. Especially since they should know who I am. You know, one of those lunatic, chemical-free, organic farmers! But they don’t seem to know. They keep sending the incriminating info straight to my desk.Continue Reading
Oh, wow! What a great idea. An online class – Urban Farming for Kids – taught by kids!! My kids are grown, but I sure would have loved this resource when they were little. It’s awesome to watch these kids – Ethan and Lydia – as they do such a great job teaching other kids how to garden, raise chickens, milk a goat, and more.Continue Reading
I’ve been following author Teri Page and her blog, Homestead Honey since the summer of 2013. That was when I stumbled upon her post Setting Up an Outdoor Kitchen.
Teri and her husband, Brian, purchased land in Missouri the previous fall, and were setting up their off-grid homestead. I admit I was amazed. They had 2 small children and this was not a week-long camping trip. This was real life.Continue Reading
Now that gardening season is over, Mike and I enjoy watching a good farm-to-table cooking show in the evening. We learn, we laugh, we get inspired. Sometimes a new dish ends up on the table the next night. Continue Reading
I’m the girl who’s not in love with canning. I much prefer to preserve my garden produce by dehydration or lacto-fermentation because both methods do a much better job of preserving nutrients.
Canning does have its place, and I do can tomatoes and sauce, and maybe a few jars of applesauce.
And I can dried beans (legumes). That may be surprising, since storing the beans dried is so easy. Here’s my reasoning – some days I just like to have something available that’s fast and easy. And cooking dried beans is anything but fast.Continue Reading
After watching the documentary Food Inc., I knew that life would never again be the same. I knew that the grocery store would no longer be the main source of food for our family.
The process has been slow, and not always easy. But it has been worth it. Seriously, not a night goes by that Mike and I do not declare that we sure do eat well. And for that we praise God!
And that’s why I thought I’d pass along these tips that might help to make your journey just a little easier as you reduce your dependence on grocery stores.
Some of the ideas may be obvious; others may be less so. Hope you find them all helpful.Continue Reading
It’s as though our yard knew just what we’d need before we ever moved in. Space for a garden. Two black maple trees to tap. And a big ole fireplace for boiling down the sap.Continue Reading
Rufus was in a cage for 8 months. Out of dozens of cats at the animal shelter, I knew he was the one for us the minute I saw him and without warning, I was crying. Sheesh. Why do I do that?
The transition to our home wasn’t the easiest one for him. He wanted to be friendly, but his fear held him back. All we know about his time before the cage was that he was a stray. All they could tell us about his age was “adult cat”.
At first all Rufus would eat was the junkiest food out there. Food with lots of fillers and grains. We hoped to feed him raw cat food, but we had to let him adjust to his new environment before we could take that step.Continue Reading
I had a fun, online, conversation recently with some homesteader “chicks”. Some, like me, are urban homesteaders. Others have lots of acreage. And we got to chatting about what we want for Christmas. There wasn’t a bottle of perfume on the list, although chocolate, a cute sweater, and a date night did make the cut.
Homesteading women are hard workers, and that was certainly reflected in their wish list. What kind of woman would want homesteading supplies for Christmas? A passionate, dedicated one who knows who knows what she wants in life, that’s who!Continue Reading
The following article is written by Edwin Shank, and his 13 year old son, Wesley. Edwin is one of my farmers, and you can follow both Wesley and his 11 year old brother Roland as they do their morning chores.Continue Reading
Mike and I started dating when he was 13 and I was 14. Most of our “dates” consisted of swimming at the YMCA, walking, and making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches at his parents house. And we spent countless hours pouring over The Foxfire Books. We were going to homestead.Continue Reading
The following article is written by Edwin Shank, a farmer from whom I just recently began buying raw milk. Edwin’s milk is from grass-fed Jersey cows, and if you’ve never had milk from a Jersey, you don’t know what you’re missing. There’s just so much more cream than the milk I had been getting which was from Holstein cows. Cream is where it’s at!!!!Continue Reading
I was thrilled to be able to get a great buy on a bushel of Gala apples from a local orchard because the apples were a little small. One can only eat so much pie, so I decided to use some of the little apples to make some raw apple cider vinegar.
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Whether you have 100 acres, or just a rooftop, your piece of property is your homestead. Maybe you have flocks of chickens and herds of cows, or perhaps it’s just a pot on the balcony where you grow herbs. For me, it’s 1/4 acre in small town America where I grow as much food as I can. It’s all good!Continue Reading
You can just tell that Angela England, the author of Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) is a get-it-done type of person. On a half acre of land she and her husband raise fruit, vegetables, bees, chickens for meat and eggs, goats, and 5 kids of the human variety. They produce 40% of all the food that they eat in a year – quite impressive for such a small piece of land. Continue Reading
In her book Pasture Perfect: The Far Reaching Benefits of Choosing Meat, Eggs, and Dairy Products from Grass-Fed Animals, Jo Robinson explains how products from animals raised on pasture are great for our health.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my basis for choosing food to just be that it does not contain harmful substances such as hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. I want to go much farther than that, and choose food that is nutrient-dense.Continue Reading
Quick! Name every food you can think of made with corn. …I’ll wait…..
You probably mentioned corn-on-the-cob, cornmeal, cornbread, corn muffins, corn chowder, corn fritters, corn chex, corn pops, and corn flakes, corn oil, corn starch, corn syrup, and popcorn.
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Whenever we purchase grass-fed beef or pastured pork from a local farmer, we ask for the fat, too, so that we can render lard or tallow. It’s a great way to save money since the rendered fat can be used in cooking, soap making, and skin care.Continue Reading
Mike and I started dating when he was 13 and I was 14. Most of our “dates” consisted of walking, swimming at the YMCA and making grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup at his parents house. And we spent countless hours pouring over The Foxfire Book and its sequels. We were going to homestead.Continue Reading
Long Way on a Little, Shannon Hayes 4th book, is for meat lovers. It convincingly argues that we can lower our food costs and still pay farmers fairly by reducing waste and using all of the animal. The book is full of recipes for cooking pastured poultry and pork, and grass fed beef and lamb. But Long Way on a Little is more than a cookbook. Hayes, in an interesting and concise manner, discusses the role that grazing animals have in maintaining both our health and that of the earth. She teaches us “how to make each animal fully count”.Continue Reading
I think that Sean Zigmund and Cheyenne Miller are audacious. They have a few acres in upstate NY and they call it a farm. And you know what? It is a farm.
These young people know how to work the land so that they are both producing and building soil for the years to come. On the day we visited Root N Roost Farm, they were busy processing duck, but Cheyenne took the time to show us around the farm. (Yes, we emailed ahead of time).
On this small plot, they are producing enough to fill 15 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares, in addition to stocking their farm stand and feeding themselves and their apprentices. And they are raising hens for eggs, and pigs, ducks, turkeys, and chicken for meat, and bees for honey and pollination.
Sean Zigmund
Their raised beds are built using hugelkultur and/or lasagna gardening. And they use hoop houses to extend their growing season (winter CSA shares are available).
And if you think they couldn’t possibly fit one more thing on their land, you would be wrong. They recently built two small ponds!
Cheyenne Miller
Missing from the farm are tractors or even rototillers. All of the work is done by hand – well, the animals help work the land as well.
While “pretty” or “manicured” would probably not be apt descriptions of their farm, you could certainly ascribe the adjective “resourceful” to these farmers.
Their outbuildings are built from pallets, and one of their coops is made from an old truck cap. Sean and Cheyenne know how to recycle or, I should say, upcycle. We’re not talking dog-patch, though. (That’s the probably not politically correct term we use for people whose property is littered with junk that they think they will some day use). No, Sean and Cheyenne put this rescued junk to good use.
As if they aren’t busy enough, they love what they are doing so much that they conduct classes to share their knowledge with others. While you may not live near Root N Roost, you live near a farm. Call them up; take a tour. You’ll learn something, and hopefully you’ll take home some fresh organic produce and eggs like we did.
Born Again Dirt: Farming to the Glory of God by Noah Sanders was published a few months ago, and I devoured it immediately. I don’t consider myself a writer, and so it has taken me a while to review it. (Sounds like a strange thing to say for someone with a blog, but my posts are more a chronicle of what I do, that don’t require a lot of writing skill). But the book is frequently on my mind, and I thought it valuable enough to force myself to do it.Continue Reading
Before its collapse, the USSR had been providing Cuba with much of its oil, farm equipment, pesticides, fertilizer and food. Cuba, in return, provided them with sugar. All of this ended with the break-up of the Soviet Union.
This was a crisis for the small island nation who grew little of its own food (sugar and tobacco were its main crops). Cuba was starving and the average person lost 20 pounds during this time.
By necessity, Cubans began growing their own food. And they did it in every corner of land that they could find.Continue Reading
J.I. Rodale is considered the father of the organic farming movement in the U.S. I’ve read Organic Gardening Magazine for many years and many Rodale Press books are included in my library. But I had never visited the Rodale Institute until recently, despite the fact that it is only an hour and a half away in Kutztown, PA.Continue Reading
As a Penn State Master Gardener, I am required to take 8 hours of continuing education each year. I wanted to take the opportunity to visit a farm just outside of NYC called Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, so I chose a day when a class that interested me was being held. Continue Reading