When a seed costs only pennies and a transplant costs a buck or two, you don't have to be a math wiz to know that you can save big bucks by starting your seeds from scratch. But how exactly do you get started? GMO, conventional, or organic seeds? A lot of people ask if they have to buy organic seeds to avoid those that are genetically modified, and the answer is … [Read more...]
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Collection
To continue our series of seed giveaways, we're thrilled to offer a giveaway from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. It is always such a delight when their catalog arrives in the mail - it is absolutely stunning! Baker Creek prides themselves on having rare varieties with great flavor and nutrition. As usual, this year's 21st annual catalog is full of colorful heirlooms with … [Read more...]
7 Benefits of Gardening with Chickens
I've been intrigued by the idea of gardening with chickens for a while so was excited to attend a presentation about this at The Livestock Conservancy conference by Jim Edrington. Though Jim has worked at The Seed Savers Exchange for many years, he focused on sharing his experiences incorporating chickens in his gardens at home. As you might guess, there are some … [Read more...]
8 Reasons to Grow Your Own Food
Although most people seem excited to learn about our self-reliant lifestyle, every now and then, someone doesn't get it. Or they may think that we do this simply to save money. But the reality is that there are a lot of benefits to growing your own food. Chemical free When you grow your own, you know exactly what was or was not sprayed on it, as well as what was used to … [Read more...]
Celebrating summertime with the best varieties of tomatoes
Reading Epic Tomatoes by Craig LeHoullier took me back to my childhood and enjoying tomato sandwiches with my grandfather during the summertime. Though I've reviewed many books this year, this is one of the most delightful perhaps because of the many delicious-looking photos, descriptions, and the author's personal stories about different tomato varieties. LeHoullier even … [Read more...]
Save water, time, and money using drip irrigation
"Trees grow faster, with wider trunks. Shrubs and perennial flowers bloom more profoundly. Vegetables and fruit and nut trees yield more abundantly." - Robert Kourik How is this possible? In the quote above, the author of Drip Irrigation: For Every Landscape and All Climates is referring to the benefits of drip irrigation, compared to watering your garden by … [Read more...]
Getting started with saving your own seeds
During my cross-country farm tour last fall, I stopped by Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) in Iowa and was overwhelmed by their amazing heirloom seed collection and the many other resources that they offer. So, I was excited to read Seed to Seed, which was written by one of SSE's seed researchers - Suzanne Ashworth. Del Rio Botanical near Sacramento, California, Ashworth … [Read more...]
Book review: Plowing with Pigs
I was originally drawn to Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions because I am planning to raise pigs, but it turns out you really can't judge a book by its cover! While there is a chapter about pigs and the many ways they can help you around your homestead, this book is actually a collection of many different affordable homestead solutions. The … [Read more...]
Book review: The Permaculture Book of DIY
I recently moved and now have space for many more do-it-yourself (DIY) projects compared to my previous city apartment. Well, now I've added even more to my to-do list after reading The Permaculture Book of DIY. This book is a compilation of 23 different projects based on permaculture principles - meaning that they are designed to be "low impact, ecologically sound projects" … [Read more...]
A beginner’s guide to medicinal herbs
Within hours of starting to read Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide, I had started a tincture and an infusion. It is one of my favorite herbal books for beginners, and I'm not alone in that opinion. It is one of the classics. The book starts with basic info about herbs, then includes a chapter on how to make herbal remedies. She has complete instructions … [Read more...]