Gretchen Kruesi
Very often, the best things come in small packages, and the humble woodchip is no exception. We’re all familiar with the use of woodchips in mulch, and while they are an excellent mulching material, woodchips have many other uses. Think mushroom growing material and animal bedding; think plant propagation and soil amendments — the list goes…
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Want to create your own garden, but don’t think you’d have the room for it? Think again. According to Mark Ridsdill Smith, author of The Vertical Veg to Container Gardening and creator of the Vertical Veg website, almost any small space can transform into a garden with a little bit of soil, seeds, and inspiration. In…
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When Sandra Baer and Lynn Cassells founded Lynbreck Croft in Scotland, they had no money, no plan, and no experience in farming. But they did have a goal: to produce wonderful food for themselves and the people around them by learning to work with nature. Through their efforts over the past several years, Sandra and Lynn…
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Worms aren’t just the squiggly, pink creatures found on the sidewalk after it rains. They are so much more than that. These highly regarded specimens play a vital role in enhancing our soils and revitalizing the health of the plants we need to survive. But how do we get them to work their magic? Through…
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Want to grow grains this spring, but weeds keep getting in the way? With the right tools and practices, you can keep weeds from affecting your grains and handle them without hurting the environment. In the passage below, farming expert Jack Lazor explains the characteristics of the weeds that might appear along the way and offers…
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Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer left their friends, family, and jobs in England to travel north to Scotland to find a bit of land that they could call their own. They had in mind keeping a few chickens, a kitchen garden, and renting out some camping space; instead, they fell in love with Lynbreck Croft—150…
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Believe it or not, the Internet wasn’t exactly a human invention. The World’s First Internet was created by microbes, the tiny organisms that are responsible for all life on Earth. Before humans were even close to existing, microbes were hard at work creating their very own Internet of Things — and today, our very own…
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Looking for advice on maintaining a happy herd? These tips will help you care for your goats in ways that will keep them healthy, safe, and productive. The following is an excerpt from Holistic Goat Care by Gianaclis Caldwell. It has been adapted for the web. Understanding Goats Understanding an animal’s complete needs—including mental and…
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If you take a walk around your neighborhood in the spring and summertime, chances are you’ll catch someone mowing their lawn or treating their grass with chemicals. Homeowners around the country are fixated on ensuring that their lawn looks clean and maintained at all times — but the process of beautifying a lawn may just…
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There are countless reasons to grow at home, from eating more healthily to saving money on your grocery bills. We can’t list them all here, but we can outline three very good reasons to try container gardening. (If you’d like more, take a look at The Vertical Veg Guide to Container Gardening. Mark Ridsdill Smith…
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Since the dawn of humanity, people have enjoyed a deep relationship with yeasts. You may not realize it, but yeast spores are present everywhere. They’re in the air we breathe; in plants, flowers, fruits, and soil; and even on our skin. And, perhaps more importantly, yeast is a key ingredient used in making alcoholic drinks. More…
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We’ve all heard of the phrases “time flies” and “time heals all wounds,” but what really is time, and how does it impact our lives? The concept of time may be even more powerful than we think, especially when it comes to the money we save and spend. The following is an excerpt from The…
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Living sustainably and ecologically requires less work than you may think; in fact, it may involve less work than you’re currently doing. Saying goodbye to your lawn mower and converting your lawn into a meadow allows you to create a space to help pollinators and natural plant species! The following is an excerpt from The Ecological…
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You don’t need us to tell you how to make a PB & J sandwich, but we can teach you how to go the extra mile with your ingredients. Here are a couple of our favorite recipes that use those timeless ingredients: peanut butter and jelly. RECIPE: New World Grape Jam From The Fruit Foragers…
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There is a lot to consider when getting ready to pick land for farming— location, size, price, soil quality, water access, etc. When considering such factors, it is important to look beyond what a plot of land has at face value and consider its potential. Land quality is not stagnant, but can be shaped over…
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When Arjan Dwarshuis first heard of the “Big Year,” the legendary record for birdwatching, he was twenty years old and he was sitting on the roof of a truck in the Andean Mountains. In that moment he promised himself that, someday, somehow, he would become a world-record-holding birder. Ten years later, he embarked on an incredible…
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It’s difficult to know what flowers are best for your garden — and even then, which flowers are easy to care for. Some flowers, like Dandelions and Sunflowers, are incredibly easy, as long as you have plenty of sunlight. While other flowers, like marigolds, have so many different variations that are each easy to grow in…
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Celia Farber, who was an intrepid young reporter in the 1980’s, was the first journalist to question the official narrative and dig into the science of AIDS. She reported on the “evidence” that was being continually cited and repeated by health officials and the press, the deadliness of AZT, and more. Throughout, Farber’s reportage was largely…
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In becoming the world’s first “punk undertaker” and establishing the Green Funeral Company in the UK, Ru Callender and his partner Claire challenged the stilted, traditional, structured world of the funeral industry; fusing what he had learned from his own deeply personal experiences with death, with the surprising and profound answers and raw emotion he…
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Are rodents like mice and squirrels ruining the vegetables and crops you’ve worked hard to cultivate? Fear not! Expert gardener Dani Baker has offered a few tips to help you keep a rodent-free planting bed this growing season. The following is an excerpt from The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker. It has been adapted for the…
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There are a lot of things to take into consideration when designing your garden: When to plant, where to plant, how to plant, and so on. In order to answer these questions, you first have to answer a much broader one: “How can I work with nature to make this garden regenerative and sustainable?” If…
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Interested in getting started with tillage? All you’ll need is a spot, some soil, and some crops to make your vision a reality. But deciding exactly which crops should make the cut might actually take more work than you think. When it comes to deciding on which crops to till, it’s important to keep in…
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Whether we like it or not, technology is quickly evolving and continues to be an integral part of our everyday lives. This leaves us with a choice: we can either allow ourselves to be dominated by this new technology, or we can harness its potential and use it to understand and improve our shared environment.…
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If you’re new to container gardening, knowing what and when to sow seeds can feel overwhelming. Never fear! Below is a list of easy seasonal projects plus a rundown of what an entire year of container gardening can look like. Get ready to grow in containers! The following is an excerpt from The Vertical Veg Guide…
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Where does the beef we consume actually come from? And why does it matter? When we purchase beef, we may not consider everything that took place before the package hit the grocery store shelf. However, where and how cattle are raised can have a big impact on the quality of meat and the overall well-being…
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