by Catherine Haug, October 12, 2011
Johnny’s Select Seeds offered a helpful article in their latest newsletter. It is targeted to commercial and CSA growers, but the information is also useful for the home gardener. Check it out: Extend the Selling Season with Storage crops.
Here’s a sampling of veggies from the article; note that the temperature and humidity make all the difference between success and failure with veggie storage. (Links go to Johnny’s website). (more…)
by Catherine Haug, September 23, 2011
This was definitely a strange year for my garden. Everything got a late start and are finishing late as well. Some things just never produced anything edible. Like my radishes. They grew great, but the root was very woody, even before it had grown to any size. Very disappointing.
However, my late cabbage is doing better than in the 2 prior years of my garden, so I want to do the harvest right. In addition to researching on the web, I asked Don Bates, one of our experienced gardeners who grows a lot of cabbage. (more…)
by Catherine Haug, August 30, 2011
Thanks to Sally J. for the Alice Waters video link.
For those who have been reading my posts for a while, this will not be news for you, as buying & eating local has been my project for much of my adult life. But perhaps this will inspire you to join the local food revolution as well. Alice Waters (Edible Schoolyard, Slow Foods, Chez Panisse) has been championing this movement now for decades; she calls it a “Delicious Revolution.”
Watch her 4-minute video: Edible Education. She talks about how the Edible Schoolyard (founded 1995) provides hands-on experience and knowledge for the kids, and excites them about sustainability and enjoying the outdoors. She believes that this kind of program should be in every school, beginning with kindergarden. “Bring kids back to their senses, if you will.” Why not here in Bigfork?
Here is more advice from Alice, for both parents and educators (see page 2 of the Edible Education article): (more…)
by Catherine Haug, August 26, 2011
USDA: My Food Plate
(icon, above, from ChooseMyPlate.gov)
In June of this year, the USDA replaced its food pyramid with “My Food Plate” in attempt to make it easier to understand how much of each of 5 food categories to eat: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Protein, and Dairy.
USDA recommendations, and Cat’s comments follow: (more…)
by Catherine Haug, August 13, 2011
Thanks to Jean H. for telling me about these related articles in Mother Earth News:
If you use fish fertilizer, have you considered that you are supporting an unsustainable fishing industry? Or that you can make your own liquid fertilizers that are even better for your garden than fish fertilizer – and they will be ready in just a few days?
Read on for a synopsis of the articles. (more…)
by Catherine Haug, July 31, 2011
Thanks to David Brown for telling me about this intriguing idea: ‘Hugelkulture.’ From Permaculture Articles by Paul Wheaton, on Hugelkultur:
Hugelkultur [a German word] is nothing more than making raised beds filled with rotten wood. This makes for raised beds loaded with organic material, nutrients, air pockets for the roots of what you plant, etc. As the years pass, the deep soil of your bed becomes incredibly rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets – so your hugelkultur becomes sort of self tilling. The first few years, the composting process will slightly warm your soil giving you a slightly longer growing season. The woody matter helps to keep nutrient excess from passing into the ground water – and then refeeding that to your garden plants later. Plus, by holding SO much water, hugelkultur could be part of a system for growing crops in the desert with no irrigation.
Something to consider as our global climate changes and the Flathead becomes more arid.
See also Paul’s home page to check out some of his other interesting articles: Permaculture Articles by Paul Wheaton (www.RichSoil.com).