Homestead Basics

So we have been extremely busy around here with school starting an alot of corn to go through. It caused us to wait a little too long to pick some veggies out of the garden. This thing is out of control!

We harvested our first bit of carrots from our square foot garden. They turned out great and, as always, much better than anything at the store. My wife washed them off and the kids made short work of them. Luckily there are ALOT more than just what you see here in the pic.

Peak Moment 87: In summer 2006 Judy Alexander embarked on an experiment to see how much food she could grow, and how many neighbors could benefit, from the garden around her house. Check out her homegrown rainwater collection and irrigation system - watering her 60+ edible crops. Meet the bees, the chickens and the worms. [...]

Here is a pic of our strawberries. We are getting a bowl full about every three days. They are on the small side, but taste delicous! They are about the size of a large rasberry or blackberry. Not sure why, will have to research. My wife loves making freezer jam out of these. Recipe will [...]

urban farming

Here is another update on our square foot boxes. It’s been six weeks and we are eating from it daily. It is so nice to just walk outside and grab your salad.

We have some friends coming over for burgers. Here is a quick shot of our square foot garden on week 6! Here is my wife grabbing some burger toppings, doesn’t get any fresher!

So here is the promised pic, our first salad containing ingredients from our square foot garden. Not sure of it was a mental thing, but it tasted much better than store bought!

Just an update. I took this picture of our square foot garden before my wife started picking things. Tonight we will have our first salad with fresh spinach, butter crunch lettuce, and sensation lettuce. I can’t wait to try it and will let you guys know how it tastes.

www.omegagarden.com Weather Network Interview. Enjoy fresh, locally produced high quality food all year round, anywhere you are, without leaving your residence, or picture yourself operating a successful commercial farm in the heart of the city! The Omega Garden™ is a revolutionary rotary hydroponic system designed with convenience, simplicity, and maximum yield in mind. From the [...]

Just wanted to put a quick two week report on our square foot garden. Things are turning out great! Everything is growing according to plans and best of all, NO WEEDS! It sure is nice to see things popping up.

Patti Moreno the Garden Girl shows you how she controls insects in her garden, by using diatomaceous earth! www.gardengirltv.com and http Use the CC button to view subtitles in any language. Natural Garden Pest Insect Control Using Diatomaceous eEarth So a lot of people ask me, Patti you are an organic gardener, what do you [...]

Yesterday we spent our Family Home Evening tilling up the old garden. Most of our food will be in the new square foot gardens, but we needed more space. Some items just take up a lot of space, and since we had the garden spot we used it. It was fun and the 5.5 horsepower [...]

We finally got our Square Foot Garden setup for this year. Our boxes are 4 foot wide by 6 foot long. I wanted to go 8ft, but the 6ft long 1×6 boards were a lot cheaper. We built 6 of these boxes. Plus we still have a regular garden area tilled and ready. This area will contain the vine type foods such as watermelons, squashes, etc.

This egg shell starter is a very cool idea. My wife saw this in some magazine. You start them indoors. All you have to do is collect egg shells for a while, with six kids it didn’t take too long.

Eggplants are crops that hate the cold, so they should be planted in the spring after all danger of frost has passed. Grow eggplant and keep their soil free of weeds withhelp from an organic farmer in this free video on fruit and vegetable gardening. Expert: Jarrett Man Contact: stonesoupfarm.googlepages.com Bio: Jarrett Man created and [...]

Blackberries can be pruned anytime because they grow so easily, and any branch to touch the ground will eventually take root and grow more berries. Hack away at blackberry bushes to keep them under control withadvice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on plant care. Expert: Yolanda Vanveen Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com Bio: Yolanda Vanveen [...]

Part 2 of Walter Brock’s Documentary “Breaking New Grounds.” Breaking New Grounds is an economic development engine in Louisville, KY built on composting, urban farming, and sustainability principles.

Part 1 of Walter Brock’s Documentary “Breaking New Grounds.” Breaking New Grounds is an economic development engine in Louisville, KY built on composting, urban farming, and sustainability principles.

Urban Trail Gardens owner Ron Harvey talks about a simple method to make your own lightweight containers. Produced by Backyard Farmer, Nebraska’s premier gardening program. Visit us at byf.unl.edu

I have been doing some research on aquaponics as it really fascinates me. I noticed that in Australia this form of gardening has really taken off. I decided to post up a couple of links in this post that will guide you to some great info on aquaponics.

To grow bamboo, place a piece of the plant in the ground or in a container and provide it with plenty of sunlight. Grow bamboo withtips from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening. Expert: Yolanda Vanveen Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is a third-generation flower grower and sustainable gardener who lives in [...]

Learn how to start and maintain a garden in this free gardening video. Expert: Tia Pinney Contact: www.massaudubon.org Bio: Tia Pinney is a Teacher Naturalist and Adult Program Coordinator at Mass Audubons Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

Peak Moment 147: In Colorado it’s cold for much of the year, but inside this cozy dome greenhouse, the plants are growing happily. Take a grand tour with Buckhorn Gardens manager and permaculturist Breigh Peterson: the greenhouse structure with its interplay of light and water, warmth and air; curving raised beds of vegetables and flowers; [...]