Innholdsfortegnelse for April-May-2013 i MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Get Growing, Crop by Crop Our new Crops at a Glance Guide walks you through the specifics of growing an array of food garden favorites. Written by organic gardening expert Barbara Pleasant, these one-of-a-kind crop profiles provide the particulars of when and how to plant, how to harvest, how to save seeds, and how to outwit common pests and diseases naturally. You’ll find growing know-how for Asian greens, asparagus, beans, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, grapes, Jerusalem artichokes, lettuce, melons, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, raspberries, spinach, strawberries, summer squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, winter grains and winter squash. Ready to get growing? Head to www.MotherEarthNews.com/Crops-At-A-Glance—and don’t forget to bookmark it! You can also access much of this information on your smartphone or tablet with…

Proof in Her Pocketbook In response to the letter “The Riches of a Garden” in the February/March 2013 issue (Dear MOTHER): If you gave up gardening, your cash flow would definitely not improve. My husband — who has no interest in gardening — loves to tease me about the amount of money he thinks I spend on gardening. So, during the 2012 gardening season, I decided to keep track of every penny I spent on my 15-by-25-foot vegetable garden. I also weighed and measured my harvests. Using the prices of comparable items at the supermarket, I found that my little garden cleared more than $200 in value. We had all the fresh produce we could eat, and I was also able to freeze, pickle, and share with friends and neighbors.…

The owner of the Kewaunee nuclear plant in Carlton, Wis., recently announced that the plant’s sole reactor will close in 2013. Why? The 39-year-old plant — the first U.S. nuclear reactor set to retire since 1998 — is losing money and can’t find a buyer. It’s too early to say that this heralds a trend concerning the future of nuclear power, but two things are certain: The much ballyhooed nuclear “renaissance” has fizzled, and plant owners need to address serious, potentially costly safety problems, a point underscored by the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. Counting Kewaunee, there are currently 104 operational nuclear reactors in the United States. Just a few years ago, some nuclear advocates and government officials were calling for as many as 100 new ones. Now, the industry will…

Many of us have been enjoying fresh, local produce through community-supported agriculture programs. Now the CSA model, which allows consumers to purchase their food directly from farmers, is taking to the seas. By purchasing subscriptions ahead of the catch, residents of coastal and lakeside communities can enjoy fresh, local fish and shellfish through community-supported fisheries. Lovers of sustainable food get their fix, while fishermen receive a higher wage to bring in a smaller, predetermined catch. Fishermen are encouraged to offer an array of species, including those that are typically shunned as “bycatch” by large-scale operations, such as skate and redfish. Go to www.LocalCatch.org to browse a network of more than 100 community-supported fisheries and see whether there’s one near you. Organic Food Study Makes Waves Are organic foods healthier? Are…

Seedless table grapes are perfect for snacking, can be added to salads or chutneys, or can be dried for raisins. All types of grapes give up their juice when barely heated to a simmer before being crushed and drained. Refrigerate grape juice for at least 24 hours to allow it to clear, then pour off the juice and discard the tartaric acid crystals at the bottom of the container. Grape juice can be canned, frozen, or made into jelly or wine. Grapes provide fiber, potassium and a smattering of vitamins and minerals, but their real nutritional punch comes from phenols and antioxidants, which are most abundant in dark-colored grapes. The antioxidants in dark purple grape juice can improve brain functioning, and both juice and wine made from dark grapes are…

So maybe you’re thinking you want to generate your own electricity, and home wind power has crossed your mind. After all, who really enjoys paying a utility bill? Small wind energy is renewable, non-polluting, and, in the right circumstances, can save you money. But is home wind power a good choice for you? The answer may surprise you, because living in a windy area is not necessarily the most important factor. In fact, many properties are not a good fit for installing a wind turbine even if they have a lot of wind (for reasons we’ll get into). On the other hand, if you want to go off-grid and produce your own electricity, you almost certainly want to consider installing a home wind turbine, even if your location is not…

Fresh, nutritious eggs and homegrown roast chicken dinners are reason enough to raise your own poultry. If you use your chickens in the garden, you can also harvest rich manure to create homemade fertilizer, and put your flock to work mixing organic wastes into superb compost. Plus, if you let your birds range on your property, get ready for a big bonus: They’ll provide terrific control of ticks and other pests. The Cost of Raising Chickens An adult standard hen eats about 84 pounds of feed per year, according to Ohio State University (she’ll need less commercial feed if she is free-range, penned on pasture or given lots of table scraps). Bagged feed at a retailer, such as Tractor Supply Co., currently costs about 35 cents per pound, so feeding…

People who love gardens also love greenhouses. The best backyard greenhouses feed the need to dirty our fingers while the rest of the garden is dormant. Even a small greenhouse can provide effective season extension by jumpstarting seedlings in spring. When managed properly, a greenhouse is a backyard oasis that yields fresh food year-round. If a lack of construction skills is keeping you from building a greenhouse, consider a kit. The best greenhouse kit is one that fits your needs and your pocketbook. Kits are easier than building from scratch and don’t require as much building experience (although it certainly helps to have a DIY attitude when you set out to build your own greenhouse, even from a kit). Shopping for Your Kit Local Regulations. Start by researching required permits,…

On March 20, 2009, I was like any other hopeful gardener with a pot out on the windowsill or a small plot by the back door. I was nervously watching the sky. Would it freeze? Would it rain? I had spent two months settling into a new house in a new city. My girls had started a new school; my husband, a new job. And now I was embarking on something I had never attempted before: starting a garden. I wanted this garden to be more than just a plot of land growing vegetables on the White House lawn. I wanted it to be the starting point for something bigger. I also wanted this new White House garden to be a “learning garden,” a place where people could have a…

Broomcorn: A Multipurpose Grain Crop On a recent trip to southern Colombia, I discovered broomcorn being grown as a versatile grain crop. The grain was fed to farm animals, such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and guinea pigs. I also saw a number of useful objects made from the stalks, including cages, sleeping mats and bags. To become a usable material, the stalks must be soaked in water, and then the brooms are bundled into a half-inch-thick rope and tied together. The thickest stalks are cut up and used as cooking fuel. Broomcorn is not really corn, but a type of sorghum that grows well wherever corn can be grown. When it matures, it tassels out into heads, which are what the whisk brooms I make are made from. I plant…

Growing Day-Neutral Strawberries What are “day-neutral” strawberries? Do they have different requirements from regular June-bearers? Day-neutral strawberries, also called “ever-bearing” strawberries, flower and fruit when temperatures are between 35 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. So instead of picking a single large crop of strawberries in June, you’ll pick smaller amounts of berries (and smaller berries, usually about 1 inch in size) over a longer period of time. That’s a nice benefit if you prefer fresh berries to preserved berries, for which you generally want a larger crop all at once. Compared with June-bearers, day-neutral strawberry varieties also produce fewer runners and are a little easier to manage in the garden. Use the “hill system” when planting them in the ground: Make mounds of soil about 8 inches high by 24 inches…

Spread the Joys of Modern Homesteading Perhaps the most surprising, consistent thing we’ve discovered about living conscientiously is how happy it makes us! As we experience the satisfaction of finishing a batch of homemade cheese, putting the final touches on a new workbench, plucking buckets of ripe tomatoes in the garden, or putting up dozens of quarts of homegrown fruits and vegetables — we smile in spite of the long hours and sore muscles. “There is nothing more satisfying after an honest day’s work than sitting down to a home-cooked meal prepared with food from your land, a fire in the woodstove and hand-knit socks warming your toes — and knowing you did not have to depend on anyone else to enjoy these comforts,” says one homesteading reader. Physical labor,…

Wind vs. Fracking I’m a New York state resident living in an area ringed by wind turbines. Many of us opposed the turbines, but the issue was never put to a public vote, so we are living with them. They are monstrosities looming over our hills, blinking at us all night with their red eyes, interrupting our formerly pristine views. But now they don’t look so bad, because we are being faced with a more hideous prospect: high-volume hydrofracking to produce oil and gas. Wind turbines seem benign by comparison. We are now fighting to hold back the poisoning of our water, land and air. If I could choose between the energy sources, I’d choose the turbines. Choose Turbine Sites Wisely Lester R. Brown’s well-written article on renewable energy (“Exciting…

The road to sustainability usually involves finding ways to do more with less, and when it comes to green transportation technology, that’s certainly true of Ford Motor Co.’s new EcoBoost engine. EcoBoost is an “engine downsizing” program that coaxes more power from smaller engines through the use of turbocharging and gasoline direct injection. Essentially, the Ford EcoBoost engine delivers V8 performance from a V6 engine and V6 performance from a 4-cylinder engine. Even cooler news: When you don’t need the extra power, the smaller engine is able to operate much more efficiently than the larger engine it replaces. Ford is currently deploying this technology in a wide variety of models, from full-size pickups and SUVs down to compact cars. Ford is also advancing hybrid technology in several of its latest…

Are organic foods healthier? Are they worth the extra money? In the wake of a media free-for-all surrounding a September 2012 study by researchers at Stanford University, many people were left asking these questions. While the Stanford findings did point out that organic food can lower one’s risk of exposure to pesticides by 30 percent, many media outlets focused instead on the part of the study that concluded there is no significant health benefit to be gained from eating organics. Shortly after the first round of articles and blog posts hit, a second round — this time made up of impassioned rebuttals to the Stanford study — showed up. To read this collection of responses from sustainable food advocates, go to http://goo.gl/7s8yG.…

Sometimes garden writers make things involve more work and expense than necessary. Raised garden beds are one example. Your crops will grow fine whether your beds are level, raised or even sunken (a good choice in dry, windy regions). Maintaining dedicated beds — where you plant crops — and dedicated pathways where you walk is the important piece. Compacted soil is the enemy of strong plant growth. The more easily a plant can send roots into the soil, the faster the plant can absorb the nutrients it needs and the more drought-resistant it becomes. If the plant has to spend energy pushing roots into hardened soil, the plant has less energy to grow and produce well. In nature, meadow mice, moles, earthworms and other critters tunnel throughout the soil —…

So you’re ready for home-scale renewable energy, but have realized that putting a home wind turbine in your backyard doesn’t really make sense. What are your alternatives? If you’ve already decided you want to generate your own electricity, take a look at solar power. Many sites that aren’t well-suited for wind turbines have great solar exposure, and the cost of solar electric panels is similar to what you would pay for a wind turbine. On the other hand, maybe you don’t care about the hands-on side of renewable energy — you simply want to reduce your fossil fuel use and support the development of cleaner forms of energy. If that’s your situation, research your options for buying green power. In some cases, it’s as easy as selecting the wind power…

To run chickens in your garden, install long, permanent chicken tunnels along one or more sides of the garden, connected to a coop where the birds sleep. Lay out dedicated garden beds using a standard width so that portable wire pens can be moved from bed to bed. Your chickens will be able to enter from the permanent tunnel into pen-covered garden beds via small gates you can open and close as needed. The tunnel system allows you to give your chickens a large, protected area in which to range and distribute manure while staying safe from predators. 1 To exclude deer and other critters, and to provide additional security for chickens, install perimeter fencing using livestock panels, 16 feet long, with 2-by-4-inch openings. These panels are durable, secure and…

ACF Greenhouses: Buffalo Junction, Va.; 800-487-8502; www.LittleGreenhouse.com; kits, accessories and supplies BC Greenhouse: Surrey, British Columbia; 888-391-4433; www.BCGreenhouses.com; glass and polycarbonate kits Charley’s Greenhouse: Mount Vernon, Wash.; 800-322-4707; www.CharleysGreenhouse.com; large selection of kits and supplies FarmTek: Dyersville, Iowa; 800-327-6835; www.FarmTek.com; kits, irrigation supplies, heaters and lighting Exaco: Austin, Texas; 877-760-8500; www.Exaco.com; wide range of designs and sizes from German and Belgian manufacturers Growing Spaces: Pagosa Springs, Colo.; 800-753-9333; www.GrowingSpaces.com; solar-heated dome greenhouses Harvest Pathway: Amherst, N.H.; 603-325- 1232; www.HarvestPathway.com; dome kits, film and DIY resources Solar Gem: Tacoma, Wash.; 800-370-3459; www.SolarGemGreenhouses.com; one-piece fiberglass greenhouses Solexx Greenhouses: Salem, Ore.; 877-476- 5399; www.Solexx.com; home greenhouses and cold frames with PVC-based glazing Sunrise Domes: Glocester, R.I.; 401-965- 0753; www.SunriseDomes.com; geodesic dome greenhouses Building From Scratch Check out these suppliers and resources if you’re…

What started in the summer of 2008 as an ambitious project to create a do-it-yourself, 100 miles-per-gallon sports car within a budget of $10,000 has come full circle. MAX (Mother’s Automotive eXperiment) now has more than 100,000 miles in its logbook and consistently achieves 100 mpg at speeds from 45 to 55 mph. The project proves triple-digit fuel efficiency is feasible — even on a tight budget, and especially if you build your own car. If I can make a 100-mpg car in my Oregon garage, what could the major automakers be giving us? That said, it’s important to understand upfront that MAX is not comparable to a modern sedan, with all of the creature comforts most drivers expect. But it doesn’t need to be. MAX is marvelously practical as…

John Mackey is an evangelist for capitalism. There’s no better word to describe him. Mackey believes capitalism can save the world. In fact, he thinks it already has to some extent. In his new book, Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business, Mackey argues that if we believe in the “heroic” potential of free enterprise, then free enterprise can solve most human problems. His mission is to make people believe in that heroic potential. If this sounds uncomfortably messianic coming from a businessman, well, perhaps that’s Mackey’s style. He dismisses the excesses of traditional capitalism — slavery, environmental catastrophe, the eradication of indigenous cultures, mindless expansion — the way a Christian might pass off the Spanish Inquisition as an example of the potential of power to corrupt any human…

Resolved to Find a Homestead Thank you for everything you do to keep the spirit of self-sufficiency alive and thriving. I am an aspiring homesteader myself, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve referenced a MOTHER EARTH NEWS article while planning my own little paradise. I feel so fortunate to have MOTHER EARTH NEWS to turn to when I’m feeling lost in a world that doesn’t always understand or accept my homesteading passion. Whether on your website’s home page or your Facebook page, the content you feature is either something I’m already interested in and want to learn more about, or it’s something you’ve managed to get me excited about (such as carving my own wooden spoons, a skill I’m now determined to master). Your articles inspire me…

French researchers recently published a study on GMO safety showing that rats exposed to low doses of genetically modified (GM) corn and Roundup herbicide experienced negative health effects. The results, published in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicity, emphasize the urgent need for more long-term GMO research. More than two decades ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted GMOs “generally regarded as safe” status, meaning the industry had no obligation to conduct long-term safety studies. And while GMOs don’t have what scientists call “acute” effects, what about “chronic” effects — those that come on gradually and can’t easily be tied to one cause? The French study — the most comprehensive GMO safety assessment ever conducted — highlights that concern. It involved 200 rats and spanned two years,…

The U.S. Army is making innovative strides toward sustainability with its Net- Zero Initiative, which aims to achieve five net-zero energy installations, five net-zero water installations and five net-zero waste installations by 2020. A net-zero energy installation produces as much energy onsite as it uses; a net-zero water installation limits the consumption of freshwater resources and returns water back to the local watershed; and a net-zero waste installation reduces, reuses and recovers waste streams, converting them to resources and thus creating zero landfill waste. The initiative will award $7 billion in contracts over 30 years to businesses that develop sustainable projects at Army bases. According to the Army, achieving the initiative’s goals will allow it to maximize efficiency, steward available resources and manage costs. The Army’s attention to resource management…

All About Growing GRAPES Long-lived grapes can be grown in most climates, provided you choose appropriate varieties for your region. Cold-hardy varieties bred in Minnesota can survive temperatures to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, while disease-resistant muscadine grapes excel in warm climates with limited winter chilling. Growing grapes organically is easier in the arid West than it is in the humid East, where disease prevention is a higher priority. Types to Try Seedless table grapes produce juicy, thin-skinned berries great for eating fresh, drying as raisins or making into juice. Labrusca grapes have wild North American grapes in their pedigree, which gives them a bold flavor ideal for juice and jelly. Labrusca grapes have good tolerance of cold winter temperatures. Muscadine grapes are best grown in warm, humid climates and produce…

Numerous articles and websites claim that raised bed gardening is easier and more productive than non-raised bed gardening, but I believe most of those claims are misleading. For example, some writers assert that soil in raised beds is better. Your soil’s fertility is a function of the amounts of compost and other amendments you use; raised bed soil is not automatically more fertile. As long as you continually improve the soil in dedicated beds, whether the beds are raised, sunken or level doesn’t matter. If you have poor or contaminated native soil, you may want raised beds with better soil brought in from elsewhere, but the soil (and probably frames) will be quite expensive. If you raise beds extra high to make them easier to reach, they will cost even…

BOOKS Homebrew Wind Power by Dan Bartman and Dan Fink Power From the Wind: Achieving Energy Independence by Dan Chiras, Mick Sagrillo and Ian Woofenden The Renewable Energy Handbook by William Kemp Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life by John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist Thriving During Challenging Times: The Energy, Food, and Financial Independence Handbook by Cam Mather; You can read more about Cam’s off-grid adventures in his blog at www.MotherEarthNews.com/Cam. Wind Energy Basics by Paul Gipe Wind Power: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business by Paul Gipe Wind Power Basics by Dan Chiras OTHER RESOURCES Home Scale Wind Turbine Installation (DVD) by Cam Mather Small Wind Certification Council; www.SmallWindCertification.org; independent certifying body for small wind and lists certified turbines, pending applications and detailed consumer information…

Every week, we invite our Facebook fans to share their wisdom on a given topic. Invariably they post some great firsthand information. Here’s a sample confirming yet again what our readers have reported in the past — that chickens, ducks, turkeys and guineas all provide amazing organic pest control. (For more firsthand reader reports, see www.MotherEarthNews.com/Eggs/PestPatrol.) • We moved to our new home four years ago in July and got 12 hens. The waves of grasshoppers jumping in the yard have never come back, and we have never seen a tick anywhere, despite living in the bush and having a couple of bad years of ticks in our area. The birds free range, but the garden is fenced off. — Rebekah Massey • They definitely make a difference. Compared with…

If you have a lawn big enough to warrant a riding lawn mower, then one of these days you’ll probably be in the market for a zero-turn mower. Since its invention in the early 1960s, the zero-turn riding lawn mower has gradually revolutionized the task of mowing grass. Zero-Turn Mower Mechanics Zero-turn mowers are faster, safer, more efficient and more comfortable than any other design. And they come in every size and capacity, suited to your particular situation. Whether you’re a suburban lawn geek with barely enough grass to justify a riding mower or a rural property owner maintaining acres of green around your homestead, the zero-turn mower will likely prove itself a better choice than any other lawn mower or tractor out there. One reason zero-turn mowers excel at…

I stopped eating pork about eight years ago after a scientist happened to mention that the animal whose teeth most closely resemble our own is the pig. Unable to shake the image of a perky little pig flashing me a brilliant, George Clooney smile, I decided it was easier to forgo the Christmas ham. A couple of years later, I gave up on all mammalian meat, period. I still eat fish and poultry, however, and pour eggnog in my coffee. My dietary decisions are arbitrary and inconsistent, and when friends ask why I’m willing to try the duck but not the lamb, I don’t have a good answer. Food choices are often like that: difficult to articulate yet strongly held. And lately, debates over food choices have flared with particular…

The pages of Mother Earth News have inspired generations of backyard gardeners, self-sufficient homesteaders, renewable energy innovators, and simple-living enthusiasts. Now, our popular Mother Earth News Fairs offer you a more personal experience, where you can meet the people you’ve read about and learned from in the magazine. When we all come together, the positive energy is invigorating and infectious. Here, some of our favorite Fair speakers share what they’re most excited about in the ever-widening world of sustainable living. Linda Gilkeson Gardening Expert “I’m excited to see how people of all ages are learning to grow at least some of their own food. I’m amazed at how rapidly the number of new gardeners is growing, especially in urban areas. Where for so long urban food gardeners were exceptions and…