Category: Interacting with nature

corn origins

I received a gift from west coast visitors - Floriani Red Flint Corn. The accompanying information mentions it is a staple polenta corn and family heirloom grown for many years in the Valsugana Valley of Italy. The uninitiated would assume this corn originated in Italy, but it did not. I am enjoying snippets from "1491" by Charles Mann which describes the Americas before Columbus. As we know, the corn kernels we eat grow on a corn cob. It is also apparent that a corn cob cannot self seed - Read more [...]

permaculture trending – comfrey

I like the pragmatic and intellectual underpinnings of permaculture. On the intellectual side, I am reading and enjoying Holmgren's "Principles and Pathways beyond Sustainability", at the quasi pragmatic/theoretical level I enjoyed Hemenway's and Whitecraft's books on permaculture in the United States and the United Kingdom respectively, and for a hands on approach, of course the two books by Holzer. And some of the suggestions have rubbed off. Polyculture and biodiversity are not new to organic Read more [...]

responsibility to animals

I had a good time at the Georgia Organics annual conference - its 15th and my 7th.  The Friday workshops and farm visit and the Saturday educational sessions were excellent and the two keynote speakers have national repute and lived up to expectations.  At my breakfast table on Friday morning was an organic livestock farmer.  I asked him a question which was triggered by the assistance I am providing to two ailing chickens:  "What do you do when one of your animals get sick?"  His answer was Read more [...]

water

I think we take water for granted but should not. Friday's Financial Times (Feb 17, 2012) reports that "Chinese officials have issued a stark warning over growing water shortages saying the situation is worsening every day and that more than two-thirds of cities are affected". Texas last year had the driest year on record, but the good news is that the drought may be receding and only 14% of the state is now in "exceptional drought" compared with 41% 3 months ago. In Georgia we continue with intrastate Read more [...]

fungi – growing mushrooms

My woodland has so many naturally occurring mushrooms that I am again inspired to grow my own mushrooms. I say again because when I first purchased the woodland it had no access road and I had to cut down a number of trees including oak trees to gain access to the interior where my tractor building now stands. At the time, I cut the trunk of one of the oak trees into 3ft logs and drilled and inserted shiitake mushroom plug spawn and placed the logs in a valley on the north side of a rise where it Read more [...]

it’s off to work we go

So its off to work we go now the night long roost is done and the fledgling sun brings cheer and early crow we hear the padlock click the stay bolt undone we gather at the coop door and here's our keeper Rick he points out the way a 50 yard jog across a field and up a hill its the fruit trees turn today he is deep into organics no sprays at all munchies abounding for us his soil mechanics he wants the bad bugs gone we're happy to oblige we eat them all both good and Read more [...]

fungi

The recent heavy rains and at times warm weather have transformed the appearance of the woodland - the trunks of the trees have assumed a variegated green appearance. On closer examination these are lichen -  a symbiotic alliance between photosynthesizing green alga and fungi.   Other growths are more intricate. And there are the long reaching arms. And finally some regular mushroom growths at work decomposing the end of a tree trunk.         Read more [...]

soil test

Eight years ago when I was working full time and all my growing activities took place in an Atlanta subdivision, I convinced myself I had to buy a soil test kit.  I splurged and bought a LaMotte model STH-4 (sounds like a revved up sports car) which is described as a "professional soil testing outfit"  and, in addition to pH, can test for nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.  Needless to say, after a cursory test with meaningless results, I packed the model STH away and it has now resurfaced, Read more [...]

cold frame building

On a recent visit to the thrift store, where there are often solid wood furniture and country painting bargains, I noticed about 50 double insulated small windows each 2 ft wide and  31" high.  Available for $1 each.  I bought 22.  And have spent a lot of time figuring how to use them effectively in a cold frame. My greens are growing very well under an Agripon row cover - it allows air and rain through, protects against frost, keeps the temperature higher inside than out and allows some Read more [...]

some winter tasks

Vegetable growing in winter I know it is still early days and we may yet have blizzards and really low temperatures, but I am much encouraged with the growth of my greens (lettuce, spinach, kale, collards) and the protection provided by my row covers, so I have been growing more vegetables for transplanting in a few weeks. I googled winter hardy vegetables and bought Rapini Broccoli Raab seeds and Mache Corn Salad seeds - very reasonably priced and very quick delivery from Hirt's Gardens.  They Read more [...]