My article on storage crops was published today in Organic Lifestyle Magazine: Foods You Can Grow and Store All Winter - The Lowdown on Storage Crops ...
Homesteading
A Plethora of Pumpkins
When we went out to do a little work in the garden this weekend, we found quite a surprise hiding under the pumpkin vines and nasturtiums. Not only were the pumpkins ripe early, there were a lot more of them than we were expecting! The Magic Lantern, Goosebumps, Cinderella and Small Sugar pumpkins we sowed in the spring had become such a jungle that we weren't really sure what was going on in ...
Full Woodshed
"The youth gets together his materials to build a bridge to the moon, or, perchance, a palace or temple on the earth, and, at length, the middle-aged man concludes to build a woodshed with them." ~Henry David Thoreau ...
The Cider Press
I am pleased to introduce a new, exciting, extra fancy addition to our homestead; the cider press. I have managed to borrow or rent various cider presses every fall, and have always wished I had one of my own. Unfortunately, they are not cheap. One of my friends who happens to be an inventor and tinkerer heard me say this enough times that he and his girlfriend went ahead and built us one from ...
How ‘Bout Them Apples?
Although not a fantastic apple year, I managed to glean a few decent sized baskets full off of abandoned fruit trees for pressing into cider. Our trees at home produced heavily last year and not so much this year, but as a result, we found some new picking spots that should be good sources in better fruiting years. Our garage smells deliciously of apples now, and I'm excited to break out the ...
An Agricultural Act
"Eating is an agricultural act." ~Wendell Berry ...
Just Peachy
Canning season is here, and things are just peachy in the farmhouse kitchen. Canning peaches feels a lot like capturing summer in a jar. There's nothing like opening a cheerful looking jar of peaches on a cold winter morning to enjoy with breakfast. They're also good to take along on off-season camping trips as a special treat. We decided to pick up our peaches on the way home from a family ...
The Pumpkin Jungle
Our summer garden (or Pumpkin Jungle as I like to call it) is really loving the hot weather, and I'm pretty sure the pumpkins are trying to take over the world. The pumpkin vines ran out of room so they just decided to go up and over the back fence. I am sure we'll have some adventures this fall looking for pumpkins down the hill behind the garden. Dude the Scarecrow is being ...
Garlic Harvest
It's the time of year when pantry shelves, freezers and attics begin to fill up with the harvest. Our attic eaves are starting to collect a whole array of wonderful things including braids of this year's Nootka Rose garlic crop. This heirloom silverskin softneck variety originated on Washington State's San Juan Islands and is late maturing and rust resistant. I have been growing Nootka Rose ...
Lavender Harvest
I have a case of lavender love. Why? Because of the aroma, because of it's soothing qualities, because it is so beautiful and because it is so purple, I am completely enamored. I look forward to harvesting and drying the bundles every summer, because it is seriously like a spa experience in the garden. When I was a kid I couldn't care less about lavender. I thought it was just a scent that uppity ...