Perfect Tyme for Thyme

By Lora Krall Perfect Tyme for Thyme | Herbal Living Winter is cold, full of sickness and not much energy, it is the perfect tyme for thyme! The Greek word for thyme was said to mean “fumigate” for its strong balsamic odor.  It was often used as an incense to dispel illness and germs in …

Yearly Food Planning for Your Family

Planning a year's supply of food for each member of your family can seem a daunting task.  Want to grow a large garden, have an orchard and vineyard, grow your own crops, and produce your own oil and sugar?  How much meat, vegetables, fruit, sugar, oil, flour do we each consume per year?  What if …

Before Grocery Stores…

“Society will develop a new kind of servitude which covers the surface of society with a network of complicated rules, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate. It does not tyrannise but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd.” ~ Alexis de Tocqueville ~

Best Plants to Grow Indoors in the Winter

It’s winter outside, but that doesn’t mean we can’t earn the mood-elevating, health-enhancing benefits of tending to plants. By Anna Archibald and Tabitha Grace | November /December 2017 If properly cared for, certain flowers, culinary herbs and even citrus plants can be grown inside. Photo by iStock/IPGGutenbergUKLtd Growing plants indoors adds vibrancy and cheer to our …

5 All-Natural Tricks To Save Your Garden From Fungus

Written by: Steve Nubie I’ve been gardening for more than 40 years. I’m particularly fond of vegetable gardening, although my wife is an avid gardener with flowers and decorative plants. Both of us, though, have confronted the challenge of various forms of fungus growing on leaves, and we’re both very hesitant about any chemical sprays. …

5 Ways Your Great-Grandparents Stockpiled Fresh Produce

Written by: Daphne Cybele Van Schaick Can you stockpile fresh produce? Yes! You can integrate your extra garden and orchard produce (or weekly specials from the supermarket) into a well-planned stockpile that includes fresh produce, just like your great-grandparents did. Fresh items can be preserved for longer storage, and you can grow fruit trees, nut-bearing …

Food Independence on a 1930s Farm

A young man and his family relished the seasonal bounty of their garden and orchard, especially the green chili chow-chow they made each fall. By Harold Oliver, as told to Peter Kohler We braided onions and hung them to dry in the cellar. ROBERT SHETTERLY This account was told to me by my former neighbor, Harold Oliver, …

11 Unique, Lightning-Fast Vegetables You Can STILL Grow From Seed

Written by: Mary Dyer Survival Gardening [ repost: http://www.offthegridnews.com/survival-gardening-2/11-unique-lightning-fast-vegetables-you-can-still-plant-from-seed/  ]   By the time August ends, your vegetable garden likely has a number of bare spots. This is a good thing, indeed, and a sign that the bounty of a successful harvest has enriched your dinner table and replenished your cupboards and freezer for the …

Winter Hoop House Harvest Schedule

By Pam Dawling If you don't yet have a hoop house (high tunnel), this winter and spring harvesting schedule should give you encouragement to get one. We are in Zone 7a, so if you are in a colder climate, add inner tunnels (we don't need them), and adjust the dates to see what you can …

Immune Boosters: Elderberry, Echinacea, Garlic and Oregano

by Susan Melgren Whether by good genes or a childhood of eating food off the floor, I have a fairly strong immune system. I get truly sick only once a year—and it’s usually this time of year. The worst of the cold and flu season might be behind us, but I’m still keeping an eye …