Blog - Page 60 of 215

Frankie and this guy live in an open pen and let guests pet them.

Field Trip: Wildlife Waystation

This week I had a unique opportunity to visit the Wildlife Waystation, a sanctuary for wild and exotic animals on 160 acres in Sylmar, CA. The motto of the Wildlife Waystation is Refuge, Healing, Education. It was an experience I'll never forget. Imagine standing in the midst of the Angeles National Forest, among chaparral, cactus, and wildflowers. Suddenly you hear a lion roar. Next, a peacock caws, followed by the hoot of two or three chimpanzees. It's out of place…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 22, 2019
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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William Woys Weaver

Podcast: Heritage Seeds with William Woys Weaver

Our final interview from the 2018 Heirloom Expo is with Dr. William Woys Weaver, steward of the Roughwood Seed Collection. Dr. Will is author of 16 books, and a fascinating food historian and epicure. We chat about how he discovered the Roughwood Seed Collection at the bottom of his grandfather's freezer. Dr. Will's knowledge of Pennsylvania Dutch culture and cookery has filled volumes, so it was hard to limit this podcast to just seeds. We chat about his process of…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 10, 2019
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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New Year’s Resolutions 2019

New Year's resolutions are tough. I'm torn between motivation to make changes, and residual exhaustion from last year telling me to take it easy. Usually that exhaustion wains as spring draws near, as excitement for new seedlings permeates my world. So with hope in the wings, here are two resolutions to share for the coming year: Self-Care We all know that self-care is hard. We sacrifice ourselves for our families, for clients, for the cause. It's easy to burn out.…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 8, 2019
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Astrid and Matthew Hoffman inspect their Golden Berry or Uchuva plants.

Podcast: Seeds with Astrid and Matthew Hoffman

I met Astrid Hoffman back when she and her husband Matthew had just started The Living Seed Company in northern California. Since then, their company has grown to showcase far more than the original 22 seed varieties they sold in the beginning. Now they're providing locally adapted seeds from around the world. During our interview, we talk about what got them started. Astrid mentions Seed School from the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance, as the point of inspiration that sparked it…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 27, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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This is probably the best photo I've ever taken. Little Miss Sebright graced me with a close up.

Year-End Round Up from Gardenerd!

This is our penultimate post of the year wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year. Our last post of the year will be a new podcast on Thursday, Dec. 27th, but we couldn't leave 2018 without thanking you for being such adventurous and enthusiastic gardenerds! Here are some highlights from 2018 to inspire you for the coming year: Year-End Round Up New varieties we tried: There's so much more that happened, including a…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 25, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Pamm Larry heads the Good Food Brigade.

Podcast: Good Food Brigade and GMOs with Pamm Larry

If you don't already know Pamm Larry, you'll want to. She's the fearless leader of Good Food Brigade, fighting for safe, just, healthy, and regenerative food for all. In our latest podcast, we chat with Pamm about her battle against GMO food production, and we discuss what we can all do to take back control of our food system--one garden at a time. Pamm spearheaded the citizen-backed campaign to label GMO ingredients in California through Prop 37 back in 2012.…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 13, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Fingerprint cookies are just one of the delicious recipes found in Heritage Baking.

Review: Heritage Baking by Ellen King

Winter is the time for baking, so it's only fitting that Chronicle Books released Heritage Baking by Ellen King just in time for holiday festivities. What's better than breads and pastries made with whole grains? This book, showing you how to do it yourself. Here at Gardenerd, we grow a small batch of heritage grains each year. So far we've grown Turkey Red, Kamut, White Sonora, quinoa, triticale, and this year, Red Fife. We usually harvest enough to make a…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 11, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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We've unveiled our kale bed from its protecting floating row cover. Time to start picking!

Wordless Wednesday – December

This is what December looks like in a warm-winter climate. We're watering from rain barrels and eating salads in December (since lettuce bolts to seed too quickly through the summer). The mood also shifts toward baking and cooking again. Such is the beauty of fall/winter gardening. Loquats have just set fruit on our potted tree. They'll be ripe in a couple months. Our spring radishes are nearly ready to pick. Varieties include Cherry Belle (spring), Easter Egg (spring), French Breakfast…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 5, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Tasty and easy to make in about 30 minutes.

Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Sage Balls

'Tis the season for pumpkin everything, so these mini pumpkin sage balls are perfect for quick snacks or appetizers during the holidays. We've had this recipe sitting around since 2010 and finally got around to making them. You can make your own pumpkin puree to use in this recipe, or just grab a can (we did, since we're eating all our home-grown squash in solid form this year). The result is quick and easy, not to mention tasty. Mini Pumpkin…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 3, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Podcast: Off-Grid Living with Doug and Stacy

I've dreamed of moving off-grid for years. Tiny house, a few acres of open space, composting toilet, and most of all: peace and quiet. The whole deal thrills me, but not without reservation. Meet Doug and Stacy, two folks living what I call the real American Dream. Doug and Stacy host their YouTube Channel, Off-Grid with Doug and Stacy, where they share their daily adventures living on 11 acres in the mid-west without electricity or running water. Their lifestyle is inspiring to…

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 29, 2018
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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