Gretchen Kruesi
The fun doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down. There is a whole other world to explore when night settles in. In Chris Salisbury’s book Wild Nights Out, he offers guidance, ideas, challenges to try and games to play at dusk and in the dark. For grown-ups, children, and anyone in between, these activities…
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Looking for the best cider to sip on a crisp fall evening or cold winter night? In the excerpt below, author and fermented beverage expert Claude Jolicoeur describes the four main styles of cider and how to tell the difference between them. The following is an excerpt from the Introduction of Cider Planet by Claude Jolicoeur. It has…
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In an age of erratic weather and instability, it’s increasingly important to develop a greater self-reliance when it comes to food. And because of this, more than ever before, farmers are developing new gardening techniques that help achieve a greater resilience. Longtime gardener and scientist Carol Deppe, in her book The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and…
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Summer is a great time to enjoy sweet treats, and what’s sweeter than freshly picked berries? We’ve put together some of our ‘berry’ best articles on nature’s sweet summertime treats. RECIPE: Gooseberry Pie Have you ever tasted a gooseberry? These unique, tangy fruits are related to currants, but have a flavor all their own. Though…
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“Charles Eisenstein is one of the most original writers working today, and his essays on the social and spiritual impact of the pandemic event are among his best work. The Coronation is essential reading for anyone concerned about the damage that has been done to our societies and how we might recover and collectively go…
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Are you quick to grab a shovel at the mere mention of purslane for fear it will overrun your garden? If you nodded your head “yes,” might we suggest taking a second to rethink your attack? This semi-succulent annual not only boasts the highest-yet-measured levels of omega-3 fatty acids (hello, health benefits!) in a plant;…
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Looking to add another recipe to your fermenting repertoire? Try your hand at Kvass. Bonus: it is the perfect entry-level project. Kvass is an ancient and beloved beverage from Slavic Eastern Europe. While it is basically a low-alcohol beer, it is enjoyed as a soft drink, even by small children. This nourishing beverage calls for…
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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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