Why Use Local Resources for Your Garden? As someone who loves growing my own food, and not breaking the bank at the same time, ive found that the secret to balancing these two goals lies in utilizing the local resources available to me. Not only is sourcing local materials great for the environment, but it also allows you to get the raw inputs needed for your garden, and often very cheaply, all while helping you to make local connections....
When it comes to food preservation, there are countless methods to choose from. Canning, freezing, and drying are all popular options, but there’s one technique that often gets overlooked: root cellaring. Now, you might be thinking, “But I don’t have a root cellar!” Fear not, dear reader, for we are here to share with you the art of root cellaring without a root cellar. Yes, it is possible to store your fresh produce for months without the need for a traditional dedicated root cellar....
What is a Cover Crop? The term “cover crop” is often used as a catch-all for plants whose main purpose is not to yield a food crop but rather to provide desirable benefits to your soil and the actual food crops planted after them. Cover crops are commonly used and associated with industrial farming operations but in recent years gardeners have started to realize their usefulness in personal gardening. Benefits of Using Cover Crops The most important benefit gardeners get from cover crops is that they act as a natural weed suppressant....
What is Jerusalem artichoke? To put it very simply, Jerusalem artichoke is something like a combination between a potato and sunflower. Most varieties produce 10-foot-tall sturdy stalks much like a sunflower but under the soil produce knobby (some might say ugly) delicious little tubers. While Jerusalem artichoke is very popular in western Europe among vegetable gardeners it is actually indigenous to the central United States. It is also part of a very small handful of crops still around today that were originally domesticated by North American natives’ well before European settlers arrived in the Americas....