Chelsea Green Blog
Farming & Homesteading
Managing Chicken Manure: The Joys of Deep Litter
Ever heard the phrase, “always follow your nose?” As it turns out, this is a good rule of thumb when it comes to chicken manure. Composting chicken manure in deep litter helps build better chicken health, reduce labor, and retain most of the nutrients for your garden. The following is an excerpt from The Small-Scale Poultry…
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Good Grazing Makes for Healthy Pastures, People, and Planet
In her book, The Art of Science and Grazing, nationally known grazing consultant Sarah Flack identifies the key principles and practices necessary for farmers to design, and manage, successful grazing systems. This book is an essential guide for ruminant farmers who want to crate grazing systems that meet the needs of their livestock, pasture plants,…
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Abundant Kudzu: Uncovering the Many Uses
This long-lived perennial legume is used for forage and erosion control. Kudzu is edible with many medicinal uses and other applications. Pollinators of all kinds love its prodigious lavender blooms!
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How to Start Seedlings in a Cold Frame: Gardening Tips from Eliot Coleman
Are you ready to get a jump-start on the gardening season? With a cold frame, you can get started now. A cold frame harnesses the sun’s heat before it’s warm enough to let unprotected seedlings growing outside. Essentially, it consists of a garden bed surrounded by an angled frame and covered with a pane of…
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Beyond the Maple: Birch & Walnut Syrups
Move aside, maple! We have two new syrups to add to the table. Read on for insights on tapping, selling, and eating syrup from walnut & birch trees.
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Why Modern Wheat Is Making Us Sick
Why is modern wheat making us sick? That’s the question posed by author Eli Rogosa in Restoring Heritage Grains. Wheat is the most widely grown crop on our planet, yet industrial breeders have transformed this ancient staff of life into a commodity of yield and profit—witness the increase in gluten intolerance and ‘wheat belly’. Modern…
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Laying Down Cover Crops in 7 Steps
Want to make the most of the slow gardening season? Lay cover crops to improve the health of your soil and plants! The following is an excerpt from The Celestial Garden by Jane Hawley Stevens. It has been adapted for the web. Benefits of Cover Crops Cover cropping is a management practice that benefits the…
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Starter Kit Tools: 9 Vital Tools for Micro-Farming
Interested in micro-farming, but don’t know where to begin? Believe it or not, you only need 9 tools to get started. These easy-to-find tools for micro-farming will set the stage for productive growing! The following is an excerpt from The Lean Micro Farm by Ben Hartman. It has been adapted for the web. Unless otherwise noted, all…
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A Short History of Agricultural Seed
Seeds are the foundation of agriculture. As John Navazio describes in this excerpt, America was once home to hundreds of small-scale agricultural seed producers, each of which developed seeds adapted to grow best in the surrounding region. Today, following the trend of most businesses, just a few large companies provide seed for farmers everywhere. With…
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Leeks: The Ultimate Winter Crop
Looking for a veggie to grow and harvest through winter? Try leeks! With some careful planning, a bit of elbow grease, and some insight from Eliot Coleman, you’ll enjoy leeks from your garden all year long. The following is an excerpt fromThe Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman. It has been adapted for the…
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Starting A Micro-Farm: Tips for Getting Smaller
Want to set up your own micro-farm? These tips will help you learn how to simplify your work, increase profitability, and shape your ideas so you can create the perfect tiny farm for you. The following is an excerpt from The Lean Micro Farm by Ben Hartman. It has been adapted for the web. Unless…
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Build Your Own Cold Frame: Get a Jump on the Planting Season
Extend your planting season with a cold frame! Building your own cold frame is a simple way to keep growing plants all winter long. The following is an excerpt from Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman. It has been adapted for the web. What Is A Cold Frame? Gardeners should dedicate a monument to the cold…
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How to Protect Plants from Winter Elements
Living in a colder climate doesn’t mean you need to give up on more fragile plants. By adequately preparing your less-hardy plants for the winter, you’ll set them up to survive and thrive! The following is an excerpt from Cold-Hardy Fruits and Nuts by Scott Serrano and Allyson Levy. It has been adapted for the web. Protect…
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Sweet Winter Carrots: Growing & Harvesting
Want to keep growing great food during the cold months? Try growing winter carrots in your cold house! These carrots, which Eliot Coleman grows on his farm in the winter, are even sweeter and more flavorful than the more conventionally timed “spring carrots.” The following is an excerpt fromThe Winter Harvest Handbook by Eliot Coleman. It has…
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Is Your Greenhouse Winter-Ready? Dealing with Snow on Your Greenhouse
Want to keep your protected crops heated and healthy all season? Get your greenhouse ready for winter with these snow removal tips! The following is an excerpt from The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook by Andrew Mefferd. It has been adapted for the web. (Photographs courtesy of Andrew Mefferd unless otherwise noted.) Dealing with snow…
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Low Tunnel Tutorial: Winter Growing DIY
Want to grow year-round, but a greenhouse feels like a big investment? The low tunnel is here to help! Low tunnels are less expensive than greenhouses and allow you to adjust & respond to the climate outside the tunnel. When it comes to cost and flexibility, low tunnels are the all-around winners. The following is…
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10 Books to Gift the Homesteader in Your Life
These days, there are a record number of people growing their own food and other crops at home. Whether the homesteader in your life is new to the homesteading lifestyle or a seasoned pro, we’ve got your go-to gifts for anyone who grows everything themselves. In the first edition of The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer,…
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How To Create A Homemade Wreath
From clipping the proper branches to tying the right knots, building a wreath takes patience and precision. Create this holiday craft with your family to decorate your home, or spread the joy to others by gifting or selling your homemade wreath. The following is an excerpt from Carving Out a Living on the Land by…
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Wondrous Wintergreen: All About the Wintergreen Plant
Have you ever chewed on a piece of gum or used toothpaste and wondered where the minty taste comes from? It’s all in the wintergreen. Wintergreen, a vine that produces flavorful berries, is very easy to grow and harvest in your own garden or greenhouse. It is an unusual and beautiful evergreen groundcover plant that…
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A Guide to Pruning Protected Crops
Pruning is essential for keeping protected crops healthy & balanced through the winter months. Keep reading for some helpful tips on pruning greenhouse and hoophouse plants! The following is an excerpt from The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook by Andrew Mefferd. It has been adapted for the web. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs copyright © 2017…
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Keeping Seeds Organized: Saving & Storing
Storing seeds is the key to having a successful growing season. Follow these tips for keeping seeds organized so you’re ready to plant as soon as the time is right!
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Soil Is Alive: What Lives In Our Soil?
Ever wonder what worms and centipedes are doing as they crawl through your soil? They’re actually working to improve the soil’s health, which benefits the environment and all living things in the long run. The following is an excerpt from Farming on the Wild Side by Nancy J. Hayden and John P. Hayden. It has been adapted…
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Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in a Garage or Yard
Learn how to grow shiitake mushrooms in almost any environment, including your yard and even your garage!
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How to Extend the Growing Season
Winter may be coming, but that doesn’t mean you should put away those tools just yet! Extend the growing season past the first frost with a few modifications.
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The Endless Arugula Bed
What if we told you that there was a way to extend your growing season and save time & money? The answer is all in arugula. With quick hoops and greenhouse film, you’ll be on your way to harvesting sweet & flavorful arugula in no time. The following excerpt is from The Resilient Farm and…
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