Innholdsfortegnelse for April - May 2015 i MOTHER EARTH NEWS

A new and potentially game-changing farming technique for conventional crop production is turning heads — and both farmers and environmentalists are taking a good, long look. Seven years’ worth of field research at Iowa State University has developed into what’s known as STRIPS, or Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips (www.PrairieStrips.org), in which highly diverse patches of native perennial plants are strategically woven through crop fields. Research has shown that if just 10 percent of a field is converted to prairie strips, nitrogen loss will be reduced by 80 percent, phosphorus loss will be cut by 90 percent, and sediment loss will drop by 95 percent. Overall, 5,353 pounds of soil per acre will be kept in the field instead of washed downstream. The reasons the strips can…

The pleasures of home-prepared food made from fresh ingredients are many, but using up all those odds and ends that don’t make it into the meal can frequently pose a challenge. Thankfully, conscientious cooks can control what happens to some of the nourishment that would otherwise go to waste. We asked editors, friends and fans how they anticipate and avoid food waste in their homes. Hundreds of responses poured in, showing that food “scraps” have a solid standing in the kitchen, if only we help them live up to their potential. Thrifty Tips Plan ahead. Leftovers from Monday night’s roast chicken can become tacos on Tuesday and a robust salad on Wednesday. Planning your meals in advance is the first step toward buying only what you need, and using every…

To make these breakfast bites, you’ll need a muffin tin, but you won’t need paper liners. Think of this as a formula, not a recipe. Any vegetables you have, such as onions, celery, green peppers, spinach or potatoes Butter or oil Spices and herbs, such as basil, oregano, rosemary, cumin or garlic powder Grated cheese, such as provolone, mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan or Asiago Leftover meat, such as ham, bacon, ground beef or diced chicken 2 eggs per muffin 1 tbsp milk or cream per muffin Salt and pepper, to taste Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the vegetables until tender in a skillet with some butter or oil, seasoning them with spices and herbs, to taste. Butter each cup of the muffin tin, and put about 2…

Hauling compost, digging garden beds and wrangling ornery livestock are just a few of the farm and garden tasks that can be hard on your body. Even the healthiest homesteaders are susceptible to bee stings and sunburns. Fortunately, your home is probably already stocked with simple cures for minor woes. The following remedies are adapted from 500 Time-Tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them co-authored by Barbara Seeber, Barbara Brownell Grogan and me (available on Page 80), and they’ll soothe everything from bug bites and bumped shins to blisters, burns and back pain. Poisonous Plants: Ivy, Oak and Sumac Prevention. The best way to protect yourself from this itchy, blister-causing trio is to wear protective clothing, including pants, long sleeves and gloves, whenever you work in areas where these…

Two of the easiest-to-grow crops in the cabbage family, kale and collard greens are closely related, super-nutritious veggies that have similar cultural requirements. You can grow quick crops of kale and collards in spring, while the weather is cool, and then plant them a second time in late summer for harvesting after temperatures drop in fall. If you live where winter temperatures stay above 15 degrees Fahrenheit, kale and collards will grow right on through the chillier months. By sheltering these cold-hardy greens with row cover or a low tunnel, you can grow them through even lower temps. As true biennials, kale and collard plants that survive winter will rush to produce flowers and seeds in spring. Types to Try Kale comes in several leaf shapes, textures and colors, and…

A modified watering wand is the best organic pest control that I’ve found! It’s inexpensive, safe, easy to use, and effective for the prevention and removal of aphids, spider mites and powdery mildew. To make this tool, you’ll need a watering wand and an adjustable brass hose nozzle. Both are available at any hardware store or gardening center; the watering wand costs between $10 and $30 and the nozzle is about $5. Remove the shower nozzle that comes attached to the wand and replace it with the hose nozzle. If your watering wand doesn’t come with a shut-off valve, you should invest in one. Turn the water on full blast and adjust the new nozzle to create a high-pressure spray. You’re dislodging the pests, not refreshing them with a shower!…

I use cardboard egg cartons to start my seeds. Each egg-shaped cup in the carton is the perfect size for an individual seed-starting pot. To try this: First, cut off the lid and use it as a tray to set the pots in. Next, moisten the seed-starting mix, fill the pots with the mix, and plant a few seeds per pot. As the seeds sprout and begin to grow, cut the pots apart, thin the seedlings, and leave them in the tray under grow lights or in a sunny window until they’re ready to go outside. Keep them moist!…

Right now, a new solar photovoltaic (PV) system gets installed in the United States every four minutes, totaling about 130,000 systems in a year. That rate is expected to jump to a new installment every 80 seconds in the next year or two. Solar power growth since 2010 has been explosive: The amount of electricity sourced from the sun has increased more than 400 percent in those five years. Wind power has experienced a big growth spurt, too: Nationwide, wind capacity grew by 90 percent in 2012. Overall, U.S. renewables are entering a new era of cost-competitiveness. Since January 2012, installations of renewables have accounted for about 50 percent of new domestic electricity-generating capacity, while natural gas has accounted for 38 percent and coal has clocked in at 13 percent.…

This simple dish depends on the quality of its main ingredient, so try to use the freshest asparagus spears. Serve it as a side dish at any meal, or as the centerpiece of a light supper along with toast and scrambled eggs. Yield: 8 to 10 servings as a side, 6 to 8 as a main course. 1 large bunch, about 2 pounds, asparagus 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄2 tsp coarse sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 chive blossoms After trimming, place the spears in a steamer over simmering water for about 8 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and arrange on a platter or on individual plates. Combine the lemon juice and olive oil in a small glass or pitcher…

This gardening season, with climate change causing higher temperatures and desperate droughts in multiple regions, many of us will experience weeks or even months in which sparse rainfall won’t keep pace with the sun’s hot rays. To keep your crops’ thirst quenched, try some options outlined in this roundup of water-wise gardening strategies, from familiar irrigation methods — such as soaker and drip hoses — to a lesser-known system called “partial root-zone drying.” The best watering methods will depend at least partly on planting arrangement and crop type. Planting leafy greens, onions and other shallow-rooted plants in blocks rather than rows will simplify watering, especially if you water by hand. With crops that occupy more time and space in the garden, such as beans, peppers, sweet corn and tomatoes, better…

My wife, Gwen, makes a soup/stew — we call it “stoup” — that’s great for using vegetables that are close to turning. These ingredients are just a suggestion; you can use any vegetables you may have. Yield: enough servings for an army. 3 pounds ground beef or stew meat 1⁄4 cup white flour 3 cups whole tomatoes 8 carrots 1 bunch celery Potatoes, squash, zucchini, corn or any other veggies on hand, about 1 cup, chopped Beef stock or water 1 cup barley Spices or dried herbs, such as basil, oregano, Greek seasoning, black pepper, thyme or garlic powder Brown the beef in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Drain the excess fat, sprinkle flour over the beef, and cook, stirring, until flour has browned. Chop your vegetables, including the…

Do you wash your garden produce on the lawn with a hose? Or transplant seedlings on top of your picnic table, or on your knees in the garden? If so, this DIY potting bench will make your gardening chores easier and faster. The handy bench will let you work at a comfortable height, and will provide a central place for stashing your hand tools and supplies. The tubs will offer places to store soil, compost, waste and other materials. You can even add a sink to one side. Before building your potting bench, purchase the storage tubs or baskets you’ll be using for the cantilevered wings, and tweak the dimensions of the bench parts accordingly. The materials and cutting lists are divided into sections for the bench (Page 51) and…

They’re fully evolved and they’re here to stay. I’m not talking about some invasive insect, but rather about off-road utility vehicles (UTVs), which are now available in scores of models from a number of manufacturers. Originally developed for a few specialized industries, these rugged machines have become go-to choremasters for modern homesteaders. Also known as “side-by-sides,” UTVs are perfect for getting around acreage and boldly going where a pickup truck or tractor ought not tread, and they have a smaller environmental footprint as well. Workhorse of a Different Color UTVs aren’t intended to completely replace a tractor or truck, but they can perform many of the same functions, and they boast the added benefit of ATV-like nimbleness. Unlike traditional ATVs (allterrain vehicles), though, a UTV carries its passengers in side-by-side…

Topping asparagus and lettuce with shrimp turns a salad into a luxurious appetizer, or even a light meal in itself. I find this a good way to end the day in early summer, topped with a honey and saffron dressing that lends a bright golden color as well as rich flavor. You can sprinkle this dish with either scallions or chives. This dressing is also good on cold lobster or scallops. Yield for salads: 4. Yield for dressing: about 2/3 cup. About 32 medium-sized asparagus spears 32 raw shrimp, deveined, with head and shells removed 3 tbsp olive oil 1 large butter head lettuce, washed and torn into pieces 2⁄3 cup Honey-Saffron Dressing (instructions at right) 2 scallions, green tops only, chopped, or chives Coarse sea salt Freshly ground black…

This story hinges on two numbers: 5.0 and 6.8. At 5.0 — the figure that dominates today’s industrial food chain — both you and the environment suffer. For humans, it means more obesity, more diabetes, more heart disease, more weakened immune systems, more feeble brains and dementia, maybe even more cancer. For the environment, it means more carbon in the atmosphere, more floods, more erosion, more dying streams and lakes, more cruelty. Push that number to 6.8, however, and we can reduce all of those problems. Ruminating on pH These two numbers measure the health of an ecosystem that was the linchpin of human development through the hundreds of thousands of years of our evolution to our modern form. That ecosystem is still essential, because the fundamental facts of humanity…

This one-pan classic is perfect for incorporating all kinds of vegetable scraps and other “extras” you may have lying around. Make sure you have good tortillas and enchilada sauce, but other than that, you can put practically anything inside enchiladas and end up with a delicious meal. Here are some ingredients I’ve added and loved, most of which are optional. Finely chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, squash, peppers or potatoes Chopped greens, such as spinach or kale Finely diced garlic, onions or shallots Olive oil Cooked beans Diced, shredded or ground meat, such as seasoned hamburger, chicken, roast or steak Cooked grains, such as brown rice or millet Salt, to taste Herbs, such as cilantro or chives Spices, such as cumin, chili powder or paprika Enchilada sauce Enough tortillas…

There’s no quick fix when it comes to squelching squash pest problems, but you can keep the bothersome bugs under control. Plant non-preferred squash types to discourage your region’s worst pests. Gardeners in the eastern United States favor butternuts over other squash types because borers usually leave the plants alone. Start plants indoors to give them a strong beginning, and then grow them under protective row cover until the flowers open for pollinators to visit. Delay planting your main crop until early summer, after many squash bugs and cucumber beetles have found other host plants. Plant trap crops by early direct-seeding a few pest-magnet squash, such as ‘Baby Blue’ Hubbard or yellow straight-neck summer squash. When squash bugs or borers find the trap crops, cover those plants with a bag,…

The anti-war poet and soldier Siegfried Sassoon reports that toward the end of World War I, Winston Churchill told him that war is the normal occupation of man. Challenged, Churchill amended this to “war — and gardening.” Are the two opposites? Some agriculture is a form of war, whether it’s clear-cutting rain forest, stealing land from the poor, contaminating the vicinity, or exploiting farm-workers, and some of our modern pesticides descend from the chemical warfare breakthroughs of World War I. But gardening represents a much wider spectrum of human activity than war. Could it be the antithesis of war, or a cure for social ills, or an act of healing the divisions of the world? When you tend your tomatoes, are you producing more than tomatoes? We are in an…

I recently wrapped up a trial of the Polaris Ranger EV, during which this vehicle spent more than a year as the go-to utility machine on my sheep and cattle ranch in east-central Kansas. The Ranger was ready to go no matter the weather or the season (as long as I remembered to plug it in, of course). The incredible torque of the electric motor and its different “range” settings offered sure-footed towing and hauling ability through snow, mud, and sloppy and soggy corrals, and all over my pastures. I put the machine to work hauling fencing supplies, minerals and people. I also used it for herd and flock checks, and it was invaluable for rounding up animals. One of the perceived drawbacks of electric vehicles is their range. The…

I wanted a cold frame in my tiny Zone 5 garden, but I lacked the tools, patience and space to make and store one. Instead, I stacked old bricks in a rectangle against the south-facing wall of my Illinois home. Each side is two bricks high. I purposefully sized the walls to fit three scavenged storm windows, which I laid horizontally across the top of the bricks. I prop up the glass with a stick as the weather warms. My DIY cold frame was free, it doesn’t waste garden space, and it provides extra-early harvests!…

Rotating your annual crops — even in a small-scale home garden — can help thwart potential gardening woes. If you plant the same crop in the same spot every year, overwintered pests, disease spores and nematodes can build up in that bed’s soil. A lack of rotation also means that the main nutrients a crop pulls from the soil will become depleted in that spot over time. The first step to establishing successful rotation practices is to get to know the crop families. Plants should be rotated based on family, because crops in the same family generally have similar nutrient requirements, and they also attract many of the same pests and diseases. (You can print out a chart of common garden crops, grouped by family, by going to http://goo.gl/mdwtYK.) A…