Gretchen Kruesi
We should just change the name of summer to elderberry season. It’s the perfect time to pick these berries (which aren’t actually berries) and make delicious jams, drinks, and sauces. Cooking or fermenting elderberries is crucial to unlocking their flavor. Once processed, you’ll have an end product with plenty of health benefits as opposed to…
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Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals by Dr. Jill Stansbury serves as a practical reference manual for herbalists, physicians, nurses, and other allied health professionals looking for information on specific herbal formulas. As part of a five-volume collection, every book in the set focuses on a different body system. To make it simpler for readers to…
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The world is in the grips of mass formation as we bear witness to loneliness, free-floating anxiety, and fear giving way to censorship, loss of privacy, and surrendered freedoms. It is all spurred by a singular, focused crisis narrative that forbids dissident views and relies on destructive groupthink. “Humans have found themselves in a state…
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Birds, Beasts and Bedlam recounts the adventures of farmer-turned-rewilder Derek Gow, who is saving Britain’s much-loved but dangerously threatened species, from the water vole to beaver, tree frog to glow worm and returned honking skeins of graylag geese to the land and water that was once theirs. The following is an excerpt from Birds, Beasts…
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There’s really nothing better than sitting down after a long day with a glass of wine and the sun setting in the distance. Unless of course you foraged for the berries for said wine, crushed them by hand, added in some sugar, water, and citric acid, bottled it up, and waited six months before you…
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What is Farinata? We’re glad you asked! Farinata is an Italian fried cake made from chickpea flour. Sanor Katz describes it as “a luscious, light, and creamy treat that is almost like a fluffy omelet or soufflé.” The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys by Sandor Ellix Katz. It has been adapted for the…
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Have you always wanted to make cheeses at home, but have never known where to start? Good news! Homemade cheese doesn’t have to be complicated, all you really need is a handful of ingredients and time. The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys by Sandor Ellix Katz. It has been adapted for…
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Our gardens provide many things; food for our tables, flowers for our loved ones, even a pleasant way to spend sunny afternoons—but there’s so much more we can gain from our gardens. While we’re planting, weeding, and watering, we’re doing so much more than growing. We are building resilience, from the ground up. The following…
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This is the moment the Barn Club has been working towards: the barn raising. As Robert J. Somerville mentions in this excerpt, in modern times the task of barn raising has been given to bigger, stronger machines. But there is something deeply fulfilling about using your own two hands, along with the hands of others,…
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In Our Wild Farming Life, Lynn and Sandra recount their experiences as they rebuild their new home and work out what kind of farmers they want to be. They learn how to work with Highland cattle, become part of the crofting community and begin to truly understand how they can farm in harmony with nature…
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For the next post in our vegan cheese series we’re trying our hand at spicy hard cheeses! While the base and first few steps of this recipe are very similar to the vegan cheese spread in the last post, there are few extra steps that’ll test your fermentation and cheese-making skills. If this sounds a bit…
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It’s that time of year again: garden planning season! If you’re looking for the best tips, tricks, and inspiration for planning your garden, you’re in the right place. From using lowers for pest control to permanent beds to choosing a site, we’ve got the reads you need! 10 Easy-to-Grow Flowers for Pest Control It’s difficult…
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If you’re looking for a kid-approved muffin recipe that is just as healthy as it is delicious, then look no further. Leah Webb, author and master chef, has found the perfect substitutes for sugar, grains, and dairy for these delicious muffins. Packed with nutrients AND flavor, they’re the perfect breakfast side or snack. No matter…
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Fasting for health isn’t a new concept; people have been talking about why (or why not) to fast for years. The history of fasting goes far beyond this, though, all the way back to our primitive ancestors. Thankfully, we will never have to go days or weeks between catching our food; however, studies show that…
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Lynn and Sandra 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 acres of…
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If you’re an American, you may have never heard of a “croft.” Before we published Our Wild Farming Life, a number of our employees didn’t know what a croft was either. Thankfully, Sandra Baer and Lynn Cassells give us a rundown of what exactly a croft is, and a brief history of crofting, too. The following is…
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Okra is an extremely productive plant and, if you choose to grow it, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor all year round! Let the winter weather inspire you to try okra in a different way—dehydrated and fermented. The following is an excerpt from The Whole Okra by Chris Smith. It has been adapted for…
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Although the stages of composting are very closely intertwined, each separate one has its own value and needs to be nurtured accordingly. The materials used go through several transformations: physical, biological, and chemical. Understanding each phase of this process is the first step in creating the best nutrients for your plants. The following is an…
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Cranberries! These hardy little berries are great to grow if you live in a colder climate. Authors Scott and Allyson say “It’s pretty amazing that this small fruit, which is too sour to eat out of hand, was seen as a profitable pomological fruit considering that it not only lives but thrives in some of…
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Spring is just around the corner, but winter is still at our doorstep. What better way to stay warm and positive than a gathering centered around good food and drink? Here we offer culinary inspiration: Spicebush Duck Legs from Marie Viljoen’s Forage, Harvest, Feast, to be coupled with hot, mulled Wassail from Jereme Zimmerman’s Brew…
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People are quitting their jobs and retiring at an alarming rate all over the country. Dubbed “the great resignation,” this change in the American workforce is causing shortages and supply chain issues in many sectors, from healthcare to retail. The following is an excerpt from Scanned by Nick Corbishley. It has been adapted for the…
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From a young age, Simon Fairlie decided to go off the beaten path, also known as “the hippie trail.” After attending an all-boys boarding school, Fairlie decides to skip attending Cambridge and explore the world. The following is an excerpt from Going to Seed by Simon Fairlie. It has been adapted for the web. ‘If you don’t…
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In 1947, Daniel Dennett, America’s sole master spy in the Middle East (code name “Carat”), was dispatched to Saudi Arabia to study the route of the proposed Trans-Arabian Pipeline. The plane carrying him to Ethiopia went down, killing everyone on board. In Follow the Pipelines, investigative journalist Charlotte Dennett, digs into the mystery of her…
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Looking for the perfect recipe to warm up the cold winter months? This hunter’s rabbit stew is the perfect twist on a cold-weather classic that the whole family will enjoy! With this simple and satisfying recipe, you can add a twist to your family’s comfort food this winter. The following is an excerpt from Raising…
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Thinking about raising broiler chicks? There’s a lot to know! Thankfully, Joel Salatin knows A LOT about homesteading and raising poultry. Check out his list below to gauge if you’re ready to jump into the chicken-raising life. The following is an excerpt from Polyface Micro: Success with Livestock on a Homestead Scale by Joel Salatin. It…
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