Clover might be my favorite discovery in gardening. Growing up, I was taught that clover was nothing more than a weed that marred an otherwise perfect lawn. I saw the various patches of clover as areas to avoid in the summer when walking barefoot, since they were often teeming with bees. It wasn't until we... Continue Reading →
There is a rhythm to life. Birth. Growth. Production. Decay. It's the pattern that every living thing must go through. We were formed from the earth and to the earth we will return. Decay is essential for new life to begin. When it comes to healthy soil, it is the spent life of decaying things... Continue Reading →
I was reading the other day that the FDA has lifted its consumer advisory to avoid romaine lettuce grown in the Salinas region of California. I'm sure the growing community is happy to have this ban over with. However, this was the fifth recall on leaf crop grown in the area that I can remember,... Continue Reading →
I'm serious when I ask this. Where did the year go? It's beginning to sound like a cliche, I know. But I'm still scratching my head over how fast it seemed this year went by. Maybe that's why I'm clinging to this time between Christmas and the New Year. This season of rest. Because I... Continue Reading →
The market garden is now dormant. Asleep again as winter approaches. All is quiet where there once was a flurry of activity not that long ago. I always come into this season with mixed feelings of relief and gratitude. Our spring is so busy with planting and working the soil, and our summer with harvest,... Continue Reading →
I'm thinking about what kind of people my children will be when they grow up. I think about this often. Mostly because I wonder if I'm doing enough to equip them for their future. Are we preparing our children to take care of themselves after we're gone? In our house, we try to balance technology... Continue Reading →
You've heard them before. I know you have. Maybe you've even tried some of them. It seems like gardening has more myths passing around than any other hobby. But how do you know what's true and what's folklore? Just because it's been passed around on Facebook a million times doesn't make it true. Seriously, this... Continue Reading →
I try to do as much as I can by hand in the garden. This is partially because I try to live as frugally as possible. But it's also because I'm unwaveringly stubborn. Just ask my wife! When we first started our market garden, I had grand delusions of farming 3 acres with only a... Continue Reading →
Homesteading has become quite the trend. I think that's a good thing, which is a good thing in and of itself because we like to call ourselves homesteaders. That word has kind of a romantic feel to it. Kind of retro without being quaint. Rustic, even, like a splintery board from yesteryear. But I digress.... Continue Reading →
Here we are once again, at the birth another new year. The older I get, the quicker the years seems to pass. On more than one occasion last year, I had to double check the calendar because it sure felt like we had just started into 2018 not that long ago. But alas, we've now... Continue Reading →