Agriculture

Preparing Your Garden for Spring - even if it's still winter!

Posted by krissy on January 25th, 2012

I saw something very exciting at the grocery store over the weekend: a display of seed packets! On the same day of the first significant snowfall in Massachusetts this winter, the display of seed packets was like seeing a little ray of sunshine - right there in Stop & Shop! Seed packets for sale can only mean one thing...spring is in the foreseeable future!

Even though it's nowhere near spring in many parts of the U.S., thinking about your garden is definitely a reality.

How can you get your garden ready even if it's still winter?... read more

Join a Coffee CSA on National Coffee Day!

Posted by krissy on September 29th, 2011

Are you keen for caffeine? If so, we hope you're enjoying National Coffee Day!

And here's a keen idea to celebrate National Coffee Day: join a coffee CSA! We all know about produce CSAs and even meat CSAs, but have you ever thought of joining a CSA to get your daily coffee fix?

CoffeeCSA.org lets you sign up for coffee shares from coffee farmers. The organization is 100% owned and controlled by the farmers that they feature! And it gives you the opportunity to get involved with the farms - you can even pay to plant a tree on a small coffee farm. ... read more

Protecting your garden during a hurricane

Posted by krissy on August 25th, 2011

Who lives in Hurricane Irene's projected path? *raises hand* Hopefully everyone makes it out safely, but extreme weather can be really tough on a garden.

prep garden for hurricane

Here are five tips to help prepare your garden for high winds and serious downpours:... read more

Fall and Winter Gardening

Posted by krissy on August 24th, 2011

fall gardening The days are a little shorter, Halloween candy is on the shelves at CVS, and kids are getting ready to go back to school if they're not already there. Indeed, autumn is around the corner.

Autumn can be a wonderful time of year for a greenie. Here in New England where I live, local apples are plentiful resulting in homemade cider, applesauce, pies, and apple butter. The weather is cooler, meaning less need for air conditioning. And while many people think that September signals the beginning of the end for gardening season in a lot of the country, it doesn't need to be the case. In fact, fall gardening can be a great end to the year!... read more

Agriculture

10 Fun Composting Facts

Posted by krissy on June 24th, 2011

Who doesn't love composting? It's free soil, it cuts down on waste, and it's great for your garden.

compost heap

Here are 10 fun composting facts:... read more

Is a CSA right for you?

Posted by krissy on June 16th, 2011

The environmental benefits of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) are numerous. From supporting small farms to lowering your carbon footprint to getting delicious locally grown food, CSAs are a great way to eat healthy and be green.

However, CSAs aren't right for every family. Here are some good things to ask yourself before joining a CSA.... read more

The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen

Posted by krissy on June 13th, 2011

The Environmental Working Group compiled 2011's lists of The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen. They used data from the USDA to analyze pesticides in produce.

The lists are a little different than last year -- for instance, cherries dropped off The Dirty Dozen, but now lettuce is there.

Here's The Dirty Dozen, which are fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residue:... read more

Apples
Celery
Strawberries
Peaches
Spinach
Nectarines (imported)
Grapes (imported)
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes
Blueberries (domestic)
Lettuce
Kale/collard greens

10 Reasons Why Farmers Markets are Awesome

Posted by krissy on June 2nd, 2011

Farmers market season is in full bloom in much of the U.S. Farmers markets are awesome and any greenie should go and support their local farmers market.

Here are my top 10 reasons why farmers markets rock:... read more

Beekeeping Basics: An interview with Jaime Cool of Bee Kind Family Farm

Posted by krissy on June 1st, 2011

extracting honey I am lucky to have had the wonderful opportunity to talk to Jaime Cool of Bee Kind Family Farm in North Carolina. If you're interested in beekeeping, this interview is a must read!

How did you first get interested in beekeeping?

Robb and I have both always had an interest in homesteading. After we sold our farmhouse in 2004 we did a bit of travelling around before we finally planted our roots and settled down again. We have always had a garden when there was room, but when we bought our home here in 2006 we really got into all of it: gardening, raising chickens for meat and eggs, canning, cooking with wood, etc. Some friends of ours started beekeeping in 2008, this really sparked our interest and we decided to give it a try! A perfect addition to the homestead!... read more

Humane, live rabbit traps and organic rabbit repellents for gardeners

Posted by krissy on May 31st, 2011

Today was have another guest blog post from Havahart®, makers of humane pest control. Be sure to help them raise money for the American Humane Society! Don't forget to check out their previous guest blog post for us about rabbit proofing.

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Controlling Rabbits with Traps

Rabbits can cause chaos in your vegetable and flower gardens by eating plants. They enjoy feasting on just about everything, including young seedlings, flowers, bulbs, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. Rabbits also enjoy burrowing, which could mean additional damage to your plants and property.

If you want to completely rid an area of rabbits, you will not be successful because of their rapid reproduction rate. In one season, a single rabbit can produce a whopping 800 children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Traps are an excellent method for battling burgeoning rabbit populations and will effectively reduce the damage to your plants and property. (Hatch)... read more

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