What's Growin' On Archives - Page 71 of 141

Presenters at the Conference all have Twitter or Instagram handles to follow.

Field Trip: Gourmandise Grain Conference

When someone says "whole grains" my ears perk up. Homesteaders try to make food as often as possible with unadulterated ingredients. Whole grain baking and cooking is an ongoing effort that requires education, persistence, and experimentation to get right. Enter the 2016 Gourmandise Grain Conference. Imagine an entire day dedicated to baking, milling, and cooking with whole grains. The WHOLE grain--meaning flour that includes the bran and germ--made into pastas, grain bowls, breads, and sweet treats. Sounds like heaven, right? …

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 25, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Recycled ficus trees enclose a pond and seating area for contemplation.

Field Trip: MoonWater Farm

We hear more and more about urban agriculture and small farms cropping up in the middle of big cities. MoonWater Farm, the collaborative effort of Kathleen Blakistone and Richard Draut, is exactly that. But MoonWater Farm is more than just a homestead microfarm, it's a learning experience for kids of all ages. Want to learn how to milk a goat or build an inexpensive compost bin? Have a burning desire to take care of horses or create a dry garden?…

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 11, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Dazzling Blue Kale, the best of both worlds.

National Kale Day 2016

National Kale Day is here! It's a chance to celebrate one of the best (IMHO) brassicas in the world. Brassica? It's short for Brassicaceae, the family to which kale belongs. Along with broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kohlrabi, collards and...wait for it...turnips, kale is a highly nutritious and great-tasting vegetable that no winter garden should be without. Kale tolerates frost (we've seen photos from fellow gardenerds of their kale growing under a mound of snow), and flavor improves with frost.…

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 5, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Find YouTube videos on how to prep raised beds for fall planting and more at the Gardenerd YouTube Channel.

Gardenerd’s YouTube Channel Hits 5,000 Subscribers!

Gardenerd's YouTube Channel was born in April, 2009. It sat dormant for awhile but slowly over the years we've added helpful, instructive videos to help you grow organically in your own back or front yard. Thanks to you, fellow gardenerds, for helping us grow. Yesterday, we reached a milestone: 5,000 followers. Some of our most popular videos include How to Braid Garlic, where you can take your summer harvest and turn it into a functional kitchen decoration. How to Prune…

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 4, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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The finished keyhole and flower garden, freshly planted

Bill Mollison – Father of Permaculture

You may have heard that Bill Mollison, considered one of the fathers of Permaculture, passed away this week. He lived from 1928-2016 and saw, I imagine, dramatic changes in our ecosystem during his lifetime. This Australia native spent his life teaching the principles of Permaculture to thousands if not millions. Through his work, his legacy lives on. I never had the chance to meet Bill Mollison, nor take any of his classes (though running away to Australia for a Permaculture…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 28, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Get your own tasting wheel from UC Davis.

Honey Tasting Tips

While attending the Heirloom Expo 2016 we discovered there would be a honey competition, that is to say, a contest for the best tasting honey. Since we are at or near honey harvesting time, it's appropriate to share a few tips if you plan to have your own honey tasting this fall. Honey tasting is fun, but more complex than you might expect. To keep it light, you can score the results from "best tasting" to "not so much." Judging …

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 27, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Monarchs love all the flowers on site.

Wordless Wednesday: Esalen Garden

If you've never been to the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA, you need to do whatever it takes to get there. The Esalen Farm and Garden encompasses all the best of biointensive agriculture, beauty, and spiritual connection to the land. It's a must see. If you can't add it to your itinerary soon, here are some photos to tempt you.

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 21, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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When to Harvest Garden Vegetables

This blog post is brought to you by the Home Garden Seed Association at EZfromSeed.org. If you don't know when to harvest your summer crops, here's a helpful guide: You put your time and energy into growing tomatoes, greens, zucchini, and other vegetables from seed. So of course you want to harvest them at their absolute best. But it’s not always easy to know when that is. Picking at peak flavor is essential. Read below to find HGSA's top tips…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 20, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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The squash tower reigns supreme over all other displays.

Wordless Wednesday: Heirloom Expo 2016

It's beautiful up here at the Heirloom Expo 2016. There is so much to see, so I'll just leave it to the photos to explain. And we have to finish with the squash tower, a mainstay of the Heirloom Expo:

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 7, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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The pumpkin (ours anyway) was only about 8 inches in diameter.

Harvesting Silver Edge Pumpkin Seeds

I fell in love with Silver Edge pumpkin seeds the moment I laid eyes on them. This Mexico native squash wins every beauty contest when it comes to seeds. They're enormous, they're exotic and they have a shiny SILVER EDGE! What could be better? Well...this: they taste delicious. Silver Edge pumpkins are not grown for the flesh, which is allegedly unpalatable, they are grown for the seeds. Traditionally used in pipian sauce, a green mole-type sauce without the chocolate, Silver…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 6, 2016
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments