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.
Food for Your Garden: Starting a Traditional Compost Pile in Your Yard
What can we do to reduce our waste? Use less, recycle and reuse packaging materials, and compost your organic waste. And if you’re a gardener, there’s no reason to throw away this beneficial (and cheap!) source of nourishment for your soil. Compost is the key to a flourishing garden. Turn your kitchen scraps and yard…
Read More
Raspberry and Blueberry Soda: Brewing Up Some Bubbles
One of the best ways to begin brewing is by dipping your toes in the bubbling waters of homemade soda. This recipe for Mountain Raspberry and Blueberry Soda features just a few local ingredients and allows you to get as creative as you’d like. There are no real rules when it comes to this fun…
Read More
Drying Herbs and Flowers
The following is an excerpt from Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by the Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante. It has been adapted for the web. A few guidelines: Pick plants in the morning, when it is dry and sunny and they are at their peak, depending on the plant and the part that…
Read More
Recipes and Meal Plans for Childhood Cancer
“Your child has cancer.” Every day, forty-three American families hear these words, thrusting them headlong into the terrifying and unfamiliar territory of pediatric oncology. Finding meals that are both enjoyable and good for your child’s health can feel near impossible. Read on for some tips and recipes to inspire and help in one of the…
Read More
Using The Miyawaki Method: A Forest in the Desert
Growing a forest on barren, dry land calls for an innovative approach. This approach, known as the Miyawaki Method, transforms infertile land into a biodiverse oasis! The following is an excerpt from Mini-Forest Revolution by Hannah Lewis. It has been adapted for the web. Photo Courtesy of Gaurav Gurjar History of the Miyawaki Method When Afforestt’s Gaurav…
Read More
Wild Dijon Vinaigrette: A Spin On Classic Salad Dressing
Move aside, store-bought salad dressing! Delicious and unique, this Wild Dijon Vinaigrette is bound to be your new salad staple. All you need to get started is some vinegar, a little bit of mustard, and a few more simple ingredients that you can find at home. The following is an excerpt from Wildcrafted Vinegars by Pascal…
Read More
How to Create the Perfect Bee Hive: A Home Worth Buzzing About
For all the beekeepers and future beekeepers out there, this one is for you! Your journey to successful beekeeping begins with constructing a suitable haven for honeybees, otherwise known as the bee hive. The following is an excerpt from Raising Resilient Bees by Eric and Joy McEwen. It has been adapted for the web. Bees…
Read More
Ramp It Up A Notch: Tabasco-Style Ramp Hot Sauce
Looking for a delicious (and spicy) DIY project to work on this spring? This recipe for foraged, tabasco-style ramp hot sauce is sure to turn up the heat. The following is an excerpt from The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora by Alan Bergo. It has been adapted for the web. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs…
Read More
How to Grow Healthy Plants: Strengthening Your Farm or Garden’s Immune System
Searching for tips on how to grow healthy plants? The excerpt below offers advice on how to improve your farm or garden’s immune system through providing optimal conditions, managing plant competition, and achieving optimal nutrient balance. The following is an excerpt from The Ecological Farm by Helen Atthowe. It has been adapted for the web.…
Read More
Designing A Food Forest: The Seven-Layer Forest Garden
Get ready to create your own seven-layer forest garden! Food forests, or edible forest gardens, are life-filled places that provide habitat for wildlife and food for humans while promoting natural beauty and biodiversity. To get started, all you need is to take a page from Mother Nature’s book. The following is an excerpt from Gaia’s…
Read More
Wild Edibles: 5 Tips for Beginner Foragers
New to foraging? Here are a few beginner tips to get you started on your hunt for wild edibles! And next time you are taking a walk around the neighborhood, keep your eyes peeled for these thirteen plants: dandelion, mallow, purslane, plantain, thistle, amaranth, dock, mustard, grass, chickweed, clover, lambsquarter, and knotweed. The following is…
Read More
Better Butter: Blossom Butter and Herb Garden Butter
Herb butter is a fantastic trick to have up your culinary sleeve! These two recipes offer simple ways to use edible flowers and herbs that you can pick right in your backyard. If you’ve never made herb butter, you’re in for a treat. These recipes are from The Occidental Arts and Ecology Cookbook, by The…
Read More
How to Manage Invasive Thistle and Improve Your Soil
Invasive plants creeping into your yard is frustrating. Particularly for thistle, there’s a better approach than yanking it out at the root or worse spraying herbicide. Work smarter, not harder, with these approaches to removing invasive thistle. The following are excerpts from Beyond the War on Invasive Species by Tao Orion and The Wild Wisdom of…
Read More
Simple, Greek-Style Yogurt
Looking for a simply & healthy snack to make this spring? These tips will help you whip up a delicious Greek-style yogurt with ease. The following excerpt is from Keeping a Family Cow by Joann S. Grohman. It has been adapted for the web. Making Yogurt Milk from a high-milk-solids breed such as the Jersey…
Read More
Rewilding Your Land
Picture-perfect farms may be aesthetically pleasing, but they’re likely lacking in biodiversity. Rewilding practices allow the land to return to its natural wild state, providing more room for fruit-bearing plants to grow and animals to control small pests. The following is an excerpt from Farming on the Wild Side by Nancy J. Hayden and John…
Read More
How to Forage and Store Wild Greens
Whether you are an expert forager or new to the skill, it’s important to understand how to store your freshly picked bounty. Luckily, author Alan Bergo has the lowdown on how to harvest wild greens and cook them for the best storage so your harvest can stay fresh for days after being picked! The following…
Read More
Drop the Beet: Growing No-Till Beets
Let’s drop the beet! Beets can be grown year-round and are a perfect, flavorful addition to meals. Get started on growing your own no-till beets with help from these tips! The following is an excerpt from The Living Soil Handbook by Jesse Frost. It has a been adapted for the web. How to Grow No-Till…
Read More
Foraging for Food: 10 Tips to Get You Started
Foraging wild plants in your area is a great way to shake up your culinary delights. Don’t know where to start? Below are our best foraging posts to get you started on your hunt for wild edibles. Foraging 101: Where to find your bounty We’ve given you descriptions. We’ve given you recipes. We’ve given you…
Read More
Homemade Dandelion Beer
You can forget about waiting for your wine to ferment, because we have a recipe for dandelion beer that will be ready in just a week! Who knew those weeds in your backyard could make such a fun beverage? The following excerpt is from Pascal Baudar’s Wildcrafting Brewer. It has been adapted for the web.…
Read More
Insects on Fruit Trees: Controlling Pests Organically
How do you control bugs & pests on your fruit trees without using harmful sprays and treatments? Here are some tips for identifying insects on fruit trees and controlling them organically. The following is an excerpt from The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips. It has been adapted for the web. Finding Insects On Fruit Trees…
Read More
How to Build An Outdoor Clay Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
Nothing can be compared to the taste of a fresh, hot slice of pizza that came straight out of a wood-fired oven. By building your own clay wood-fired pizza oven, you’ll have this cheesy delicacy at your fingertips whenever you’re craving it! VIDEO: Building An Outdoor Clay Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Take it from Richard Miscovich,…
Read More
Rock & Grow: Adding Local Rocks & Soil To Your Garden
Looking for ways to naturally enrich your garden? The answer is all around you….literally. Add local rocks & soil to your garden to improve soil health and see your crops flourishing in no time. The following is an excerpt from The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments by Nigel Palmer. It has been adapted for the…
Read More
Garden Strawberries — A Sweet and Delicious Ground Cover
Garden strawberries are excellent for both covering the ground and for growing fruit. If you’re planning out a forest garden, or are just looking for a plant to use as ground cover, strawberries are a great option. The following is an excerpt from The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker. It has been adapted for…
Read More
Just Add Bugs: Rewilding in Your Garden
For too long, bugs have had a negative connotation associated with them. But what if we took the time to observe the benefits of insects? It’s time to rebug our gardens, lawns, and parks! The following is an excerpt from Rebugging the Planet by Vicki Hird. It has been adapted for the web. Adding Bugs:…
Read More
Asparagus: An Aspiring Spear
Asparagus is a delicious vegetable with a layered history. How did this aspiring spear make its way from growing in the wild to appearing on our plates? The following is an excerpt from the The Seed Detective by Adam Alexander. It has been adapted for the web. “Nature gives us the key to every secret…
Read More