Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2022 i MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Several years ago, while transforming our sand dune into an organic garden, I introduced my husband to the concept of “beneficial detritus.” “This,” I said, pointing to decimated tumbleweeds and puncture vine. “You don’t want this in the garden. The seed heads will sprout. But this …” I gestured at poplar and mulberry leaves that had blown into our fenced garden from neighbors’ unfenced yards. “It’s beneficial. The leaves will decompose to be some of the best fertilizer, and it won’t burn any plants.” That “beneficial detritus” now composes part of our yearly soil amendments, alongside goat manure, decomposed hay, kitchen compost, and the whey from my cheese making projects. We layer it on, avoiding soil disturbance if we can, then allow the whey and irrigation to boost the microbes…

When I was offered a chance for some deep, rich, earth for gardening in a tiny Southeast Alaska village, I asked if there were any black slugs in it. “If you’re going to garden here, you have to just get used to them!” a resident curtly responded. And with that began my battle and fascination with the invasive giant black slug, Arion ater. Tenakee Springs in Southeast Alaska, with a population of 120 souls in summer and possibly a third of that in winter, lies 45 nautical miles south of Alaska’s capital, Juneau. Sitting on Chichagof Island deep in the Tongass National Forest, the largest national forest in America, Tenakee Springs is surrounded by second-growth and old-growth forest. Southeast Alaska is blessed with close to 18 hours of bountiful summer…

I’m getting my farm off the ground, but am no marketing pro. How can I find the people who will want to purchase my products? Starting out in farming is daunting, as is figuring out what the farm will produce. Meat? Eggs? Vegetables? Fiber? I chose livestock, and in the early days of my farm, I remember the challenges and endless experimentation it took to figure out how best to manage my cows and pigs. But over the years, I came to recognize a priority I hadn’t considered at the beginning: I hadn’t figured out who I was going to sell to. I had the idea that simply setting up buyers club locations in reasonably populated areas would organically bring in all the business I could ever want. This sort…

“It’s a joy to look out and see that I built this myself, and to know that I saved so many treasures that would’ve gotten thrown out.” EDITORS’ PICK A Fast Favorite I look forward to many more articles! I’ve been receiving the newsletters via email for quite a while, and I recently subscribed to the magazine, which I can hold in my hands. It’s my absolute favorite magazine! There hasn’t been one article that wasn’t relevant to my way of living. We’ve lived in Connecticut mostly. We’re now in Florida, and this summer, our new venture is in Tennessee, where I’ll be trying to fish farm and raise meat birds. The June/July 2022 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS was uncanny, and it went along with our new manual pump…

Having a clean home for my family brings peace of mind. When our surroundings are tidy and free of messes I feel more calm and in control. My focus improves with fewer chores and I can be more present for enjoyable activities. Sanitary surfaces keep my family protected from food borne illnesses and means our home won’t attract insects or pests. Unfortunately, commercially produced cleaning products often contain harmful chemicals such as phosphate, lye, pesticide, ammonia, isopropanol, and other toxic ingredients. Painful symptoms can result from exposure. Respiratory problems, allergic reactions, chemical skin burns, and headaches are known issues, as well as the unknown long-term effects in both humans and pets. And of course, we all know that certain cleaning products can result in death if swallowed. We do our…

If you collect rainwater, there are a few ways you can use that water beyond giving it to your plants. One way is to build an outdoor shower. Using materials found at my local hardware store, I made a rainwater shower. I crafted a rectangular rack to hold the showerhead using 2x4s and 2x2s. Then I screwed eye hooks into the top that allow me to hang the rack wherever it’s convenient or nail it to a tree. I mounted a low-volume showerhead to the rack, which is attached to a submersible pump with a garden hose and galvanized fittings. I use a painted-black 5-gallon bucket to hold the rainwater and pump for the shower. If the water is too cold, move the bucket into the sunshine and let the…

This repurposed building is home to five vertical farms, a form of urban agriculture that emphasizes locally grown foods cultivated in pristine conditions and without chemical fertilizers. John Edel, founder and director of Bubbly Dynamics LLC, the company that owns The Plant, says, “We call this (The Plant) a vertical farm because we’re growing on multiple levels.” In addition to the vertical farms, The Plant incubates 19 other food-related businesses, including three breweries, a bakery, a cheese distributor, a coffee roaster, and a chocolatier. The processes used by the farms at The Plant are environmentally sustainable. Edel explains, “There’s a mix of hydroponics and soil-growers in the building. One of the advantages of growing in a building is that there are no insects.” So, there’s no need to use pesticides…

Capillary Wicks for Container Plants Who doesn’t love a hanging basket of flowers? But keeping them healthy can be a challenge, because they’re exposed to the sun and wind, and the hanging factor can make them difficult to water. Adding wicks to a hanging basket makes it easier to maintain your flowery finery. Start by obtaining wick material and a hanging basket with an integrated reservoir. The basket may come with a wick already in place, but you’ll likely need to add additional wicks. Drill four holes in the top of the water reservoir and insert two wicks, poking one end through each hole so the wicks form a “U” shape with the ends extended into the growing medium and the underside sitting in the water reservoir. Fill the reservoir…

We’ve only been homesteading a few years, but one of the first skills we learned was how to preserve food. We’ve put up apple jelly, strawberry jelly, apple butter, and more. Store-bought jelly can’t compare with the taste of homemade. After taste testing many types of homemade jelly, we have to say chokecherry is by far our favorite. The chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) is a large shrub or small tree, usually found growing in small clusters. Fruiting bushes typically measure 1 to 3 inches in diameter and 8 to 15 feet tall. Exceptionally large specimens may reach 40 feet in height and a foot in diameter. Fruit is occasionally produced by plants that are only 3 feet tall. Chokecherries bloom in late spring, when the leaves are nearly fully grown. Raw…

As my fall harvest begins, what’s a good recipe to make use of my produce? There’s something magical about fall, when crisp, cool weather is ushered in. As we pull out our sweaters and jackets, it’s also a good time to pull out our favorite hearty, traditional recipes. And with eggplants being a popular fall harvest, you can kick off the season with a perennial favorite: eggplant Parmesan. Aside from eggplants being both nutritious and delicious, they’re easy to customize and can be adapted to a variety of palates. Eggplants have a delightfully absorbent quality, allowing them to soak up and hang on to flavors and seasonings well. This makes them ideal to cook with and a pleasure to serve in many types of dishes. Eggplants are practically fail-proof in…

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