General
Healing with Food and Hoping with Seeds: An Interview with Matt Powers
When Matt Powers sees problems like climate change, hunger, and poverty, he also sees hope. Matt and his family have faced some life-changing challenges. Despite the problems of the world, he knows how much promise lies in seeds, soil, and curious human minds.
Read MoreMeet the Giving Gardener: 12-year-old Ian McKenna Grows to Help Others
When he was eight years old, Ian McKenna started fighting. He was fighting hunger with a giving garden. He shared his harvest with a local food bank and has grown ever since. Now 12 years old, Ian cares for three gardens using organic methods. His younger sister helps, too!
Read MoreSheet Mulching Tutorial: How to Start a Garden Without Tilling or Digging
Starting a garden from scratch can be a miserable experience, especially if the ground is hard and the area you want to use is full of grass or weeds. But how can you start a garden without tilling or digging to prepare the area? The answer is sheet mulching, and in this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll show you…
Read MoreWhat’s Your Biggest Gardening Challenge?
If you think back to last year’s garden, what frustrations did you have? Or if you don’t have a garden yet, what are the things that keep you from starting? Today, we’re asking experienced and aspiring gardeners to tell us about their garden, goals, and challenges. We’d love to hear yours! We’ll read your answers and plan blog posts and…
Read MoreSheet Mulching vs Lasanga Gardening
What’s the difference between lasagna gardening and sheet mulching? Here’s a quick look at the similarities and differences.
Read MoreJustin Rhodes on Growing Food and Hard-Working, Problem-Solving Kids
“A happy family growing our own food and living the permaculture homestead dream.” That’s how Justin Rhodes describes life. He and his wife Rebekah grow food and homestead with their four children, ages 1-8, not too far from us in western North Carolina. I had a chance to talk with Justin, aka the “permaculture chicken ninja…
Read MoreRake & Roll! Composting Giveaway
Fall is coming to western NC. The morning air is crisp, and the leaves are hinting of colorful changes ahead. To celebrate fall’s arrival, we’re doing a big composting giveaway here on the blog. The Rake & Roll Composting Giveaway ended Monday, Sept. 19., 2016. Update: The winner has been drawn! Thank you to everyone who entered and shared…
Read MoreHow To Make a Simple Worm Bin
“Wormies!” Kids love worms. At least, mine do. 🙂 The boys helped me make this simple worm bin last fall, and the worms have been busy eating our food waste ever since. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial of how to make a worm bin with kids. Our worm bin project started with a dish of earthworms…
Read MoreHow Does Your Garden Grow? A Mid-Summer Update
Today, we’re sharing a quick update on our growing season here at the farm. We have successes to celebrate and notes on things to do better next time. AND we are really curious to hear how you’re doing. How is your garden this season? Tell us in the comments at the end! In spring, we posted…
Read MoreHow to Build a Backyard Teepee (for Free!)
Spend an afternoon creating a stick fort with your kids. This “super secret hideout” is super easy and fun.
Read MoreHow To Grow a Tomato in a Container
I love eating tomatoes from the summer garden, but it took me awhile to come around. I used to HATE raw tomatoes. Blech! I pushed the bland, watery wedges to the edge of my salads and peeled the red, round slices off hamburgers. I just didn’t get it. Then, I grew my own tomatoes…
Read MoreWhat to Do About Composting Maybes
When you are composting, you may find yourself asking, “Can I compost this?” more and more often. And you’ll probably find Let’s take bread as an example. If you do a quick search online you’ll find that some experts say, Sure, you can! Other sources say, No way! What do you do with a composting maybe?
Read More