Farm & Garden - Coming This Month

May 2007

Tue, 01 May 2007 01:03:51 -0600

May 2007 Edition

Feature Article

"One of the satisfactions of gardening and farming is saving your own seeds. You can keep treasured heirloom varieties, hardworking performers and your favorite colors and tastes to use year after year. You can experiment with breeding and crossing difference varieties to create something entirely new. The possibilities are endless."

Feature (May 7): May's feature article is on a topic on all our minds right now: Seeds! Join Bobbi Andrzejek for this informative and resource-laden crash-course in the basics of saving your own seed. It's not too late to grow some seed crops this year! Learn how in: "Saving Seeds"

April 2007

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:00:46 -0600

April 2007 Edition

Feature Article

"The most important lesson I’ve learned is one I pass along as often as possible: Raising livestock can be as complicated as you want to make it...Raising livestock can also be reasonably uncomplicated. Something is going to go wrong some where along the way. That’s just the way it is."

Feature (April 2): April's Feature article is brought to us by Robin Follette, in which we are given a terrific lesson in the basics of keeping livestock. Fencing, water, food, and housing for pigs, cattle, and goats are all covered in: "Introduction to Livestock"

March 2007

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 07:33:50 -0700

March 2007 Edition

Feature Article

"Modern technology has helped us increase the amount of sap harvested in the same amount of time...replaced visual grading estimates with tools, decreased the amount of water in sap before it even gets to the evaporator, offered choices in fuel, and more."

Feature (March 5): Robin Follette kicks off March with a feature on the advances made in harvesting, storing, processing, and grading the Northeast's prime crop during this season - maple syrup. You can learn all about vacuum pumps, Reverse Osmosis machines, and refractometers in: "Modernization of Maple Syrup"

January/February 2007

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:18:12 -0700

January/February 2007 Edition

Feature Article - January

"...We must become the growers of nutritious food by allowing the plants to fulfill their full nutritional value through our careful tending of their needs. Growing nutritious Good Food, not just plants to eat is our objective."

January 1: We start off 2007 with a feature by Ryan Albinger, in which he reminds us of the all-to-often forgotten connection between our food and its source. As agriculturalists, the goal of our endeavors is not just to grow healthy plants, but healthy food; he shares is wisdom and insight in: "Feeding the Plant, Nourishing the Body"

Feature Article - February

"Grow lights have been used to aid germination and growth in plants for decades. The common household light bulb we used beside our seed trays each spring have been replaced by much more effective bulbs."

February 5: In February, Robin Follette addresses a critical topic for anyone growing in far northern (or southern) climes. Whether it's starting tomatoes in March or keeping your winter houseplants thriving, learn what you need about floral illumination in: "Grow Lights"

December 2006

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 10:46:41 -0700

The Familiy Edition for 2006

Feature Article

"I didn’t know what to say. He was the perfect image of Santa in a bright blue plaid flannel shirt. Julie spent the rest of the meal alternately glaring at me and smiling at Santa."

December 4: This year the Family Edition feature is written by Cheryl Eggers. Remember those holiday traditions from your childhood? Do fond memories return whenever you smell the pine tree or hear the familiar tune from A Charlie Brown Christmas? Cheryl has a few memories and traditions to share with you. Read about them in: "A Homegrown Christmas"

October 2006

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 10:51:57 -0600

End of Season Tool Care

Feature Article

"Fall brings the opportunity to provide our equipment with both necessary repairs and maintenance and the precautionary care to maintain its longevity and productivity on our behalf. Now that your equipment is no longer needed on a daily basis, it can be thoroughly cleaned, examined, repaired, oiled, and stored for the season."

October 2: Our Feature article for October comes from Judith Korff. "Fall brings the opportunity to provide our equipment with both necessary repairs and maintenance and the precautionary care to maintain its longevity and productivity on our behalf." Join Judith as she walks us through end of season tool care in: "Preparing Farm Tools and Equipment For Winter Storage"

September 2006

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 07:20:38 -0600

Row Covers

Feature Article

"Row covers are not always easy to handle, especially the first season or two. There is a definite learning curve with row cover technology but row covers are a good answer to a lot of potential problems for sustainable growers."

September 4: This month Lucy Goodman walks us through the different options for row covers. Different materials and methods of putting them into action means choosing the right one to fit your situation. Learn from Lucy's years of experience in her latest contribution: "Row Cover Technology"

August 2006

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 07:22:41 -0600

Pickling

Feature Article

"How does knowledge come alive and evolve? We can only assume that wisdom and skill comes with a lot of trial and error, probably a few unlucky incidences, and definitely at least one lucky accident. Haven’t we all wondered who was brave enough to eat the first raw oyster? Who was the first to realize that meat was far safer and much tastier when cooked over a fire? And who, for goodness sake, was the first to learn how to pickle food?"

August 7: Join Jeannie Pierce as she ponders food preservation while preparing brine and hot water baths (including a few handy pickling recipes) in: "Pickling - A Mystery of Nature!"

July 2006

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 09:31:25 -0600

The Annual Flower Edition

Feature Article

"We like to enjoy our gardens and flowers, and also our vegetable plants, from within! It makes the planting, weeding, mulching and pruning efforts even more “worth it” to see your garden not only when you are outside, but also when you are in your home. Nothing pleases me more than walking past our large dining room window and seeing the huge vine of Confederate Jasmine in full bloom and swaying in the breeze."

July 3: Jeannie Pierce explains some of the techniques she uses to plan her gardens. She works at creating great views from inside her house, not just from the curb. Read Jeannie's debut contribution "Bloom With A View"

June 2006

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 16:27:59 -0600

Succession Planting

Feature Article

"When a crop is finished after the first pick it’s time to pull the plants, add them to the compost bin, amend the soil as necessary, and plant another crop."

June 5: Our own Robin Follette explains succession planting, a method used to grow more vegetables in the same amount of space in her contribution: "Succession Planting In The Backyard Garden."

April 2006

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 06:40:32 -0600

Lambing Season

Feature Article

"If a ewe is a bad mother or only throws singles year after year, she is not worth keeping..."

April 3: Bobbi Andrzejek writes about lambing season on her farm. Bobbi and husband Pat produce sheep for meat and fiber. Watch for Bobbi's contribution: "Lambing Basics."

March 2006

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 06:53:36 -0700

The Maple Syrup Edition

Feature Article

"What makes maple syrup so special...is that it’s seasonal. We have to wait until spring before we get to the business of collecting sap and boiling it down."

March 6: A broken twig is what started it all. From that first frozen icicle to the Santa shaped maple sugar candies, Gregg Banse takes a look at maple syrup and tells you how you can find one of the many festivals that celebrate this sticky sweet liquid: "Maple Syrup: Liquid Gold."

February 2006

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:44:23 -0700

Pruning Fruit Trees

Feature Article

"The ... fruit tree can be shaped like a Christmas-tree, a cone, an umbrella, or teased into a more exotic form."

February 6: Nancy Reinhardt illustrates the basics of shaping and pruning in her contribution: "Pruning Fruit Trees."

December 2005

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 15:15:02 -0700

The Family Edition for 2005

Feature Article

"The definition of simplify ... is "to diminish in scope or complexity." Doesn't that sound wonderful? It doesn't sound like our Christmas..."

December 5: Heather Truckenmiller shares her ideas on making Christmas warm and inviting, which doesn't always mean taking the simple road, with her contribution: "De-Simplifying Christmas."

November 2005

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 01:00:40 -0700

Feature Article

"Grandma was right ... a slightly crooked homemade birdfeeder ... will mean a whole lot more than a giftbag of lotions from the local department store."