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 …

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 …

Forest Permaculture

Forest Permaculture is an integrated three dimensional design of permanent agricultural layers combining tall trees, small trees and shrubs, vines, perennial and self-seeding ground covers, and livestock to sustainability and permanently provide nutrients. Okay, that sounds so serious and professional.  Permaculture is a method of farming management where the environment provides food for your livestock.  …

Preserve Your Harvest : Freezer Friendly Fruit & Veggies

Because we are homesteaders, we are always looking for: 1. Ways to Preserve Food and 2. Meal Time Savers! Here is a how to properly freeze your fruit and vegetables for use during the winter and when you are just to busy to do all that prep work. Freezer Friendly Fruit Prepare, peel and slice …

Seed Saving 101: How to Save Seeds

Seed Saving 101: How to Save Seeds Preserve your harvest from year to year with these easy seed-saving basics. [repost: http://www.motherearthliving.com/vegetable-gardening/seed-saving-how-to-save-seeds.aspx?newsletter=1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=03.03.16%20MEL&utm_term=MEL%20eNews%5D By Tabitha Alterman September/October 2011 Growing an organic garden from seeds you saved yourself is the ultimate in gardening self-reliance. But that’s only one reason to take up this hobby. In addition to the …

Seed Saving Primer : Part One : Seed Biology 101

For those of us who pour over seed catalogs come January, this is for you! In full disclosure, I need to confess something... I am a HEIRLOOM SEED FREAK!!!  Seriously... no lie, it is sort of an obsession.  I love their names: Di Cicco Broccoli, Minnesota Midget Melon, Tom Thumb Popcorn, French Breakfast Radish (Have …

20 Vertical Gardening Ideas for Turning a Small Space into a Big Harvest

Is acreage still but a dream for you?  Consider Vertical Gardening! Vertical gardening is nothing more than using vertical space to grow vegetables (or herbs, or flowers, even root crops), often using containers that hang on a sunny wall. Traditional gardeners have done similar things with climbing plants like squashes and beans for centuries by …

Growing Radishes

Radishes are under-utilized in our diet. Radishes are good source of vitamin C, folate, riboflavin, thiamine, iron, magnesium, copper and calcium.  They are also full of anti-oxidants, phytochemicals, electrolytes and dietary fiber.  Radishes can be grown year-round; just select the right variety for the season.  There are over 200 varieties of radish, so pick and …

Growing Asparagus

  Sow or Plant In the beginning of January; sow Asparagus seeds indoors in trays. Sow Asparagus in seedling trays in soil that is between 75-80o F at ¼- ½” depth. It will take about 3-4 weeks to germinate. Starting indoors ensures good germination. Another option is to plant Asparagus 1 year old crowns. In …

Growing Broccoli

Sow In early January; sow Broccoli seeds indoors in trays in succession planting per week in 4” pots. Sow Broccoli in soil that is 80o F at ¼” depth. You may also try soaking for 12 hours and sprouting the Broccoli seeds and then plant directly into the soil if seedlings are not taking off. …