DIG IN
The latest articles from Chelsea Green and our authors: offering tips and techniques about how you can bring our books to life in your kitchen, backyard, or community.
10 Cooking Projects to Keep You Extremely Well-Fed
Are you looking to add new recipes to your repertoire? Look no further! We’ve compiled some of our favorite cooking projects and recipes that will nourish you all year long. Making Amazing Amazake Rye Bread Ready to take your rye bread to the next level? This new twist on an age-old recipe is perfect for…
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A Taoist Approach to Gardening
In her book The Tao of Vegetable Gardening, Carol Deppe introduces her innovative “Eat-All Greens Garden” which could be the easiest, most space-saving, and labor-efficient way of growing greens. With this method, a family can raise all their summer greens as well as freeze and dry enough for the winter months with even a tiny garden—a perfect…
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Redeeming the Dark
Are you afraid of the dark? If you said yes, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. But have you ever wondered why the dark gets your blood racing? In his book Wild Nights Out, author Chris Salisbury explains where that fear comes from and then encourages us to face that fear and go out and explore the night (and…
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From the Homemade Hooch Files: How to Make Dandelion Wine
Heads up: you definitely don’t want to be spraying weed killer on your dandelions. If your lawn is a total dandelion breeding ground, you are so close to having some delicious wine! Get out there and pick some so you can get started on fermenting a batch of flower wine. This drink is not only…
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Pinching Flowers to Prolong Bloom: When and How
This time of year, flowers are in full bloom! To get the most out of them, try pinching flowers to prolong the bloom. This may sound simple enough, but there’s more to this trick than you might think. The following gardening tip is from The Flower Farmer by Lynn Byczynski. Pinching Flowers to Prolong Bloom…
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Keeping the Smoke Hole Open
It’s no secret that social media has changed us, but is it necessarily for the better? Author Martin Shaw puts social media on the spot as he reflects on how today we face more “societal flatness” than ever before. The tonic? The old stories. The following is an excerpt from Smoke Hole by Martin Shaw. It…
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Learning from Our Arboreal Allies
Akiva Silver owns and operates Twisted Tree Farm, a homestead, nut orchard, and nursery located in Spencer, New York, where he grows around 20,000 trees per year using practices that go beyond organic. His background is in foraging, wilderness survival, and primitive skills. He has been observing nature intensively for the last 20 years, cultivating…
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Kickstart Your Day with Homemade Granola and Yoghurt
If you’re looking for a flavor-packed granola recipe with many delicious ingredients, then look no further! This granola recipe is a go-to for famous London restaurant Towpath’s breakfast regulars. As a bonus, they included their simple yoghurt recipe, which completes the meal. The following is an excerpt from Towpath by Lori De Mori and Laura…
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Inheriting the Earth
Farmland covers 38 percent of the land area of the Earth and is a major contributor to climate change. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Soil and plants have the capacity to store huge amounts of carbon in the ground, thus how we grow food can be one of the key solutions to…
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Dealing With Crossroads: Something to Hang Your Heart On
At a time when we are all confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our modern lives—identity, technology, trust, politics, and a global pandemic—celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole. Here, he invites us to put down our phones and lower our gaze to the prayer mat. In Martin’s own words “In…
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The Three Pillars of Immune Health
Staying healthy is at the top of everyone’s to-do lists. But what is the best way to do it? The key is keeping your immune health in check. While that sounds daunting, there are a lot of small tweaks we can make in our everyday lives to keep our immune system in tip-top shape. If…
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Pros and Cons of Tillage
When it comes to tilling your soil, less equals more. “Why?” you may ask? Traditional tilling is exceptionally damaging to the soil in the long run. Occasional tillage may be necessary, such as before you start growing vegetables, or when you need to add supplements to depleted areas. In these cases, use a hand tool…
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Biodynamic Beekeeping 101
Spring is here and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get started on all of the projects I mapped out during the cold winter months – including trying my hand at incorporating bees into my homesteading adventure! As a new-bee (get it?!), I need help to get started so I did…
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The Best Books for Makers
Books for Makers: Best Gifts for DIY Lovers In the age of computer-assisted design, mass production, and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it…
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The Significance of America’s Maple Syrup History
Everything is better with maple syrup. At least that’s what you’ll hear when you ask Vermonters. So what better way to solidify your love for all things maple than to learn how to make it yourself? The Sugarmaker’s Companion by Michael Farrell is a comprehensive guide for both beginning and professional, home-scale and commercial maple…
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Ten Facts About the Water We Use
Most people have a basic understanding of the importance of water conservation. We’re taught to turn the faucet off while brushing our teeth and not to try and take shorter showers. However, we might not be aware of just how important conserving water is, how it impacts our lives, and how much we need it…
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The BIG Difference Between Small Farms and Big Business
In the herbal medicine industry, due to a lack of quality checkers, it’s easy for any business to be certified “organic”. There is a big difference between small farms and big business, though, as author Ann Armbrecht discovers. The following is an excerpt from Following the Herbal Harvest by Ann Armbrecht. It has been adapted for…
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So You Want to Be a Mycologist
Due to the wave of ‘mycophelia’ occurring in North America, educational workshops that cover the basics of mushroom and fungal life are not hard to come by. In his book In Search of Mycotopia, author Doug Bierend takes the reader and aspiring mycologist with him to one of his first mycology classes – filled with…
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The Importance of Nutrient Cycling
Putting nutrients back into the land is almost – if not more – important than harvesting from it. When it comes to growing pretty much anything, it is all about balance, and nutrient cycling can help you maintain equilibrium within your land. There are many simple and affordable ways to practice nutrient cycling, from compost…
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A Different Way of Working
While it’s true that machines can make life easier, they don’t necessarily make it better. Robert Somerville, author of Barn Club, understood this fact. That’s why he decided to gather a team of volunteers to come together and build a barn the old fashioned way – with a little sweat, tears, and his hands. The…
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A New Kind of Cowgirl
Meat eaters rarely see how the sausage (or in this case, steak) is made. At the New Cowgirl Camp, like-minded women come together to learn how to raise livestock sustainably and change the meat industry for the better. The following is an excerpt from The Reindeer Chronicles by Judith D. Schwartz. It has been adapted…
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Get Ready for Maple Sugaring Season
Everything is better with maple syrup. At least, that’s what you’ll hear when you ask Vermonters. What better way to solidify your love for all things maple than to learn how to make it yourself? If you only have a couple of trees nearby — say in your backyard — author Michael Farrell has some simple advice…
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Grow Vegetables Like You Mean It
In the United States, 40 percent of the food we produce is wasted. Ben Hartman is trying to put a dent in that dismal statistic. Inspired by Toyota’s “lean” approach to manufacturing, a production strategy designed to minimize waste and maximize efficiency while increasing profits. In his practical how-to manual, Hartman shows how he has…
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Want to Become an Herbalist? Drawbacks of the Herbal Renaissance
From tulsi to turmeric, echinacea to elderberry, medicinal herbs are big business—but do they deliver on their healing promise—to those who consume them, those who provide them, and the natural world? If you’re interested in become an herbalist, check out this insight to get started. The following is an excerpt from Following the Herbal Harvest…
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Magic Mushrooms: A History
When the word “mushroom” comes to mind, “magic” isn’t far behind. But what started this almost immediate association between mushrooms and illicit drugs? While there are some truly magic mushrooms out there in the world, not all of them cause LSD trips when ingested, yet that is the common connection people make. Doug Bierend explores…
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