Garlic has long been used for its medicinal qualities as well as for its pungent taste and distinct flavor. Long known as a “poor man’s medicine” this hearty plant was available for the masses during the Roman empire and was the used to help improve the immune system and ward … Read more
Sustainable fishing is the only method of harvesting protein rich aquatic creatures. Other fishing methods put our oceans and health at risk. There are two main factors that affect our ability to sustain oceanic fish populations: a) the health of the population, thus the rate at which they can renew … Read more
Canning food is a reliable form of food preservation. By taking the bounty of the fat times, the summer months and converting them into jellies, pickles, sauces, stocks and other products, you can store up a reserve of food for the lean times, winter months when few, if any, crops … Read more
Raised beds and “no-dig” vegetable gardens are increasingly advocated as one of the best ways to produce an organic vegetable garden in a small space. Container gardening is also another method handy to pursue, especially for urban dwellers who don’t want to commit to an established garden space. When pursuing … Read more
Locavores are usually defined as people who practice eating foods harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius. Some define the concept as utilizing a concentric circle; utilizing the most local area, such as the backyard garden, for common food items, buying from regional farmers’ … Read more
Tomatoes are the classic summer crop. As flavorful as they are bountiful in the summer months, there is no substitute for a fresh, homegrown heirloom tomato variety paired with fresh basil and olive oil. Especially when you contrast it to the tomatoes that are available during winter; hybridized varieties that … Read more
Seed saving is a sustainable practice and an aspect of the permaculture movement. Some plant varieties are easy to save the seeds and replant next season but other plants are rather difficult and improperly selecting and saving seeds may result in diseased plants or lack of germination altogether. Anyone can … Read more
Pickling is a wide-ranging and widely-practiced form of food preservation. When we pickle whole foods, such as produce like cucumbers, or other garden vegetables, or fish, or meats (like pork), we take the bounty of summer months and save it, extending the availability of those perishable goods into the seasons … Read more
Hydroponics is defined as “the cultivation of plants by placing the roots in liquid nutrient solutions rather than in soil”. Vertical hydroponics is simply put the vertical distribution of water. It takes up wall space instead of floor space and works much like normal hydroponics. Many people opt for this … Read more
If you use herbs, either medicinally, or as food, or both, but either don’t have the available space or climate to do so outdoors, growing herbs indoors may be right for you. Indoor gardening allows you to tightly control your growing environment to a degree where you could coax even … Read more
Herbs can be used for a variety of purposes: as culinary flavoring, adding spice and depth to meals, or as medicine to treat or prevent common ailments. Having a home medicine chest of medicinal plants is extremely useful and growing ones own herbs and preserving them for later use past … Read more
More than just a trendy term at the supermarket, “free-range” embodies an ethical idea of raising animals in a humane, natural way where the animal is free to roam in open spaces during its life. “Cage-free” is an interchangeable term with “free-range.” Eggs are a common food item that is … Read more