Growing Radish Some basic Facts

Radish is one of the easiest crops to grow. This is ideal for the beginners who are trying their hands on gardening.

A pH of 6 to 6.8 is ideal for growing radish. You can add other growing media with the soil to make it appropriate if the soil nearby is not up to that pH range. A list of the growth media can be found here. In normal cases fertilizers are not that necessary if you have put compost in the soil before planting the seeds. Avoid fresh manure or material which are rich in nitrogen.

Radish plant required direct sunlight at least 6 hours a day. Plant your plant accordingly. Put the seed in the soil at ½ inch depth and cover it with soil. The spacing between the plant should not less than 2 inch. Once the seedlings have grown about 2 inches in height thin them up to 3 inches apart. Lack of thinning can lead to inedible and shriveled roots.

Keep the soil moist by watering regularly. If s the soil is very dry it can result in radishes with very pungent flavor, whereas too much water can make the roots rot. If want to know more about watering check out my earlier blog.

Radish plants are not very much prone to diseases, on the contrary it is much more beneficial to other crops if you are thinking about companion planting. Planting radish along with cucumber or squash can reduce the beetle which affects cucumber or squash. It also attracts leaf bugs away from spinach. Sometimes there are some larva which attacks the radish roots. Crop rotation can resolve this problem. You can also add a good amount of wood ash to prevent these problems.

The best part of a radish as far as the beginners are concerned is that it matures very quickly. You can harvest your radishes with 3 to 4 weeks depending on the species. In case you are not sure of its size pull it out from the soil in case you find the radish is still immature, you can always replant it. It is always better to pull out a little immature radish than to take out over-matured. Oversize radishes can taste woody and unpleasant to the tongue.

The storage of this is similar to that of carrots. You need to cut off the leaves to eliminate any chance of further growth. Store them in refrigerator. You can use them for one or two weeks.

Radish are not very much known more their nutritional value, rather they are famous for their tasty addition to salads.

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Some System Updates!

Heres a quick update on the greenhouse aquaponics system in Delaware.  Unfortunately I havent been down there frequently enough to take care of it as much as Id like, but Ive got a radial flow filter built, and I just need a larger pump and tubing to hook up the sump tank and second grow bed.  Ill be working on that in the next few months.

My buddy Graham in Trenton, NJ has been working on his indoor IBC tank setup.  Here are some photos that I took.

Also in Trenton, my friend Jon built this really cool bookshelf with an integrated fish tank.  I talked to him about making the bookshelf above the fish tank into a small grow bed with lights mounted under the shelf above.  That would make a slick bookshelf / aquaponics system.  Check it out!

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Growing Cauliflower Some Important Points

Most of the people are really not sure about growing Cauliflower in their garden. Some might think it is too difficult for a beginners to try their hands on cauliflower and only an experienced gardener can come up with  great results. Though I agree that it is not as easier as some of the other vegetables which I have discussed earlier, it is also not a very hard nut to crack. Follow the points discussed in this article and I am sure you will not be disappointed.

 

Though primarily it is a cool weather crop, they are very sensitive to extreme temperature so it is sensible to start with a transplant. In case you want to start with seed plant them indoors in coconut coir or other media and make the seedling and then transplant in the garden. Using paper pot also helps preventing root disturbance while transplanting.

A pH of 6.5 to 7 is best for cauliflower. Just like Cabbage, Cauliflower also flourish in nitrogen and potassium rich soil. A little bit of organic matter from time to time will definitely help the plant. Make the soil loose up to a depth of 15 inch by using a tiller and mix 2.5 inch layer of compost with it. Plant the seedlings 20 inches apart. Like most of the vegetables it also require minimum 6 hours of direct sunlight everyday.

Make sure your soil has enough moisture. Don’t wait for the soil to dry out before giving water(want to perfect your watering techniques? Check out this article). This will cause the head to open up and become unpalatable. Whereas constant moisture would make large but tender head. A thick layer of mulch will also help to keep the moisture intact for longer period of time.

Once the head(also called “curd”) become the size of an egg, it is important to cover it(also called blanching) and protect it from the direct sunlight. This is important because it will make your cauliflower milky white in appearance. Missing this step can cause brown or yellow head, which may not taste so bad but definitely less aesthetic visually(don’t cover the heads in case you are using colorful varieties of cauliflower or it is of the self blanching type). While covering use plant’s own leaves, and tie them up using a rubber band or plastic tape. While covering the head don’t forget to leave some space for air circulation and future growth. Make sure the leaves you are using for covering the head is not wet. Otherwise it can cause rotting. So it is better to cover the head in the afternoon when the plants are usually dry. From time to time unwrap the covering to check on the growth of the head and any possible pest attack.

Cauliflower matures within 50 to 60 days. Though it depends on the variety of the plant, generally a mature head ranges from 6 to 10 inches in diameter. Once you find your desired size cut them with sharp knife below the head with some leaves to protect the head. Though it is best to eat right after the harvest, you can also store them well. Cover it with perforated plastic bags and put it in the refrigerator. For more on “storing vegetables” check out our earlier blog.

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New Growth in my Windowfarm!

I was pleasantly surprised to see my strawberry plant flowering yesterday!

Im also seeing some growth in the Basil planted in the windowfarm.

The green onions are doing really well, and I cut one to mix with my eggs for breakfast this morning.  This marks the first time Ive eaten anything that Ive grown.  Awesome!

The lavender on my windowsill is also starting to grow.

My little garden is coming to life!  My betta, Tarzan, is happy!  Our frog Henri is happy!  Our cat, Alex, is happy!  And, Im super happy!

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Gardening in Shade Some useful information

Gardening does not always means that you need to grow plants in full sun. Shade in the garden is like a nightmare for many gardeners. Though most of the vegetables like Tomatoes, or cucumbers require full sun for their development, many plants can grow wonderfully well in shade. Here in this article we will try to give you some idea on how you can do gardening in shady condition.

When people talk about shade they can mean a variety of condition. So at times it can be confusing to what actually a shade gardening refers to. First of all let us make a distinction between different types of shades.

Gardening in partial shade

1.    Partial shade: This kind of shading refers to a condition where the place receives direct sunlight for less than 4 hours.
2.    Full shade: This is a condition where there is no direct sunlight through out the whole year. There are some plants (like Euphorbia) which can grow well in areas like this.
3.    Dry shade: If you are planting under some big tree the chances are that apart from being shaded, the place will be very dry. As the water content of the soil is mostly sucked in by the big trees. There are few plants which can survive in these conditions also.
4.    Moist shade: In case the planting is near any big water source such as ponds or rivers the soil remains very wet through the season. In this condition plants are never short of water.

It is the partial shade that we will discuss in this article. As we have already discussed in out earlier article Sun or no Sun, if you want to grow fully grown fruits in a plant, you need to provide them more than 6 hours of sunlight. Having said that, crops such as Spinach and other leafy vegetables, Peas, Cauliflower can grow pretty on partial shade.

Some tips on growing vegetables in shade:
Most of the plants which grow in the shade generally have larger leaves to absorb more light. Do not crowd shade tolerant plants. It will help to absorb most of the light available. Less crowding will also increase the air flow through the plant and will reduce many diseases.
Paint the walls of your buildings surrounding the shady area with lighter paint. It will increase the light reflection and provide light support to the dark shady areas. You can also use mirror tiles or metallic surfaces for this purpose.

Benefits of Shade gardening:
There are some benefits also if you are doing gardening in shade. If you remember, while discussing growing tips about Cauliflower and several others we have informed you about the effect of heat on bolting. In case your gardening is in the shade the impact of bolting can be reduced. The leafy vegetables such as Spinach lettuce grown in partial shade will look much fresher and you can enjoy them for a longer period of time. This is due to the fact that the more they are in the sun the larger will be the amount of water loss.

Talking about water, you also need to water the plants less regularly than when in the direct sun. By knowing ideal plants for shade, you can very easily optimize your total garden space. Plant the plants which prefer the direct sunlight in the sunny place whereas as in rest of the partial shaded spaces you can easily cultivated rest of the plants. It will help you to double your total vegetable output.

You can get some vivid idea about sun and its impact on vegetables growing in this article.



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Were in the paper!

That might even be what brought you here! Whether you saw us in hard-copy or youre here on your own, rest assured that were mighty excited about your visit to our website!

Take a look around the different pages, read some previous posts, and feel free to ask us some questions! Interested in a specific topic? Wondering about something on the farm? Just want to say hi? We welcome conversation!

As for what we have available this week, we offer the following for your gustatory pleasures:

• Radishes
• Arugula
• Mizuna (a very tasty, mild Asian green)
• Bok Choy
• Oregano
• Chives (garlic and standard)
• Swiss Chard
• Limited Spinach
• Limited Kale

Were a bit light this week on our lettuces, but no worries. Theyll be back soon!

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Bright Agrotech Commerical Aquaponics Webinar

Recently, Bright Agrotech hosted a webinar for people interested in getting into commercial aquaponics.  Bright Agrotech is a business in Laramie, Wyoming co-owned by Dr. Nate Storey, who is one of the best sources for information about aquaponics.  He posts tons of educational videos that have helped me tremendously.

Heres the Commercial Aquaponics Webinar:  http://bit.ly/1dsSXr3

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Growing Bell Peppers Some Useful tips

Back to growing tips. Today’s edition Bell Peppers. You can check rest of the vegetables by exploring the site.

Peppers grow very quickly. Depending on their variety they can become within 60 to 150 days (after transplanting). For the beginners we suggest you use the early varieties for growing. You can use your backyard or growbags to grow pepper. Just make sure receives 6 hours of sunlight in a day.

Though you can directly put the seeds in the garden, we strongly recommend that you first grow the seedlings indoor. It takes 2-8 weeks for the seeds to grow into a proper transplant. Now plant them into the garden where you intended to grow pepper. Give 12 to 15 inches gap between two plants.

Prior to transplant mix a good amount of compost with the soil. They are not a very hungry plant. That much of compost is enough for the plant. While using compost ingredients, make sure you don’t use a high amount of Nitrogen in the pile. This can result in lush foliage and lesser fruits. For more on C/N ratio read out earlier article.

Watering is very important in plants like pepper. They require a good amount of water but make sure the soil have proper drainage and the roots don’t get water logged. One of the solutions you can use is to add Perlite with the soil.

Pepper is a very good companion plant which goes well with plants like Tomatoes, Carrots and Basils. It is important that you provide some form of support to the plant. Once the plant stars growing fruits it becomes tough for the plant to strive without support.

Pepper is usually pest free. In rare cases spider mites or aphids attacks peppers. You can easily hand pick and remove them.


Harvesting:

Don’t wait for the peppers to fully mature before picking. Most of the peppers taste best when picked little early. Also it increases the yield. Use a sharp knife to cut the fruit from the plant.

It is best to eat them the same day you have harvested. You can also use a refrigerator to store them. You can get more on vegetable storing in our earlier article.






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Apartment system update from October 27th and Harvesting some Bitter Arugala

Heres a quick video of the system from late October.  I ran out of room on my camera, so its a quick video.

Also, a few days later on December 3rd, we harvested the arugula.  It ended up being too bitter to eat.  We harvested it too late.  Im still learning about growing veggies, but its been a fun experiment!

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Roof Top Gardening Some Important Points

Want to do gardening but not having enough space in the backyard? Why not think upwards? If you have a roof top you can definitely use it to grow your favorite plants.

There are some benefits for roof top gardening:
1.    You can utilize your long unused space into a vegetable garden.
2.    Usually full of sunlight.
3.    Visually attractive.
4.    It can cool down the top floor of the apartment in the hot summers.

But unlike your backyard, you need to keep some points in mind before starting your roof top garden.

Weight: Weight is very important. First decide whether you want to use containers or you want to make plantation in the raised beds. In case you are planning to use containers try lighter material like plastic or fiber. Click here to know more about different container materials. Calculate the total amount of weight your roof top is going to bear. You need to add the weight of the soil (in wet condition), containers, mature plants along with their fruits, temporary weight such people and snow (in case you live in a place where snow fall is a regular incident). You can reduce the weight of the soil by mixing Coir or Perlite with the soil.

Sunlight: Generally roof tops are full of sunlight (unless your roof top is surrounded by some high buildings). So the chances are good that the plant will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight pretty easily. But over heating is sometimes also detrimental to certain plants. Beside heat from the top, there is a huge amount of heat also reflected back by the floor of the roof. So just keep in mind that in some cases you may need to provide some shading for the plants.

Wind: Your roof top is a place where the speed of the wind is maximum; especially if you live in high altitude. It is always better to provide some structural barrier or fencing to protect the plant in case of excessive wind flow.

Accessibility: This is a major issue. How easily you can access your roof top. Carrying soil, containers, equipments can be a real headache if the accessibility is poor. Please make sure you have lift or proper stairs installed before starting.

Watering: In the hot summer, the watering may required to do everyday. Make sure you have water connectivity in the roof top; otherwise carrying water everyday from downstairs can be a nuisance. Make sure you have proper drainage on the roof. You can also use the rain water if you have rain water harvesting system in place. You can find some idea about rain water harvesting in this article.

Besides these major issues some minor factors you also need to consider. In the likes of availability of electricity at the terrace can be really helpful though it is not essential. Also please take the required permission from your local authority before starting you garden.


Hope you have enjoyed the article; Share your views regarding the article. Use the Comment box below.

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Mango Growing Some Useful Tips

Mangoes are called the king of fruits. It is generally a plant of the tropics. Typical weather resembles hot summer and cool winter (not very cold). If you live in a place that is more or less of this type; you can definitely try growing mangoes. Here in this article we will provide you with some easy growing tips.

There are two ways to grow mango:
1.From the seed: Growing from the seed is pretty easy. Peel a ripe mango, separate (or eat) the pulp. Then wash the remaining hard portion (it contains the seed) with water and let it dry. Then sow it where you want to plant the tree. Within 2 to 3 weeks you will get the seedlings. In this process the plants grows really big but the fruiting requires minimum 8 years. 
2. From grafting: Most of the plants bought from nurseries are grafted. You just need to plant them. In this method the plant reach manageable height and can bear fruit within 5 years. In this process quality of the fruit is almost assured.

Mango plants grow well in acidic soil pH range of 5 to 7. They can not tolerate frost. While planting the trees give at least 6 to 12 meter spacing. They grow really big and need that much space to grow properly. They don’t require much water. Make sure your soil has enough drainage.

Over watering can kill your plant. You need to protect them from weed especially in the initial years. A thick layer of mulch is a very good idea for mango trees. In the initial years you need to provide compost for the nutrition of the plant. The more it grows the lesser you need to care.

Once the plant gets little bigger you can think about pruning. Pruning is a very good choice for mango trees. Apart from giving space and nutrients to the branches, it also helps to give the plant a proper shape.

While harvesting mangoes be careful. The sap can really cause problem (skin problem, allergies) to the body.

The mature fruit can be of varied size and shape depending on its variety. Best time to pick the mangoes when they are ripe. But in case you have picked them early (sometimes done with the intent to protect the fruits from birds, bats, and other animals) pack them in paper bags and keep them in the room temperature for some time.

The flavor of a ripe mango is always welcomed. Enjoy your vitamin and mineral packed fruit with friends and family. You can also use the raw ones into making pickles or in salads.






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Some useful tips for Growing Mushrooms

Mushrooms are full of vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients; they are low in calories and very good for health. Growing mushrooms is not as difficult as you might think. In this article we will provide you with some useful information which will definitely resolve most of your queries regarding Mushroom growing.

Unlike most of the other plants mushrooms don’t grow from seeds rather they grow from the spores.
Dark, cool and moist environment is ideal for mushrooms. Depending on the variety the ideal temperature ranges from 45 to 60 deg F. little bit light won’t do a lot of harm to the plant but make sure most of the time the light is absent.

One of the easiest ways to start growing mushrooms in your home is to buy Mushroom kits. The best part of a kit is it is already packed with the growing medium and the spawn. You can grow them in trays, bags or boxes. You can also use garden beds to grow them.

How to prepare your own compost:

Choose your composting ingredients. You will find a variety of composting ingredients in this article. After choosing the ingredients mix them and let them decompose. For better understanding of composting process check out our earlier articles:5 tips to faster decomposition.

Once your compost is ready take the mixture in a shady place for providing the ideal condition for mushroom growing.

Once you make sure that the temperature of the compost is bellow 30 deg C start the process of spawning. Add grains of spawns and mixed them properly with the compost. If done properly within two weeks mycelia will grow in compost. You need to provide good ventilation or install a cooling system because those mycelia will increase the heat in the compost.

The edible part of the mushroom is the fruiting stage of the plant. You can quicken the process by covering (generally done by using organic material such as compost, peat moss, cow dung etc.) the top surface of the compost. This is called casing.

Harvesting:

Harvesting of mushrooms are done in three stages:
1.    Buttons: this type is not that good in tastes and primarily for their appearances only.
2.    Cups: have a rounded cap and is next best to Flat mushrooms for eating.
3.    Flat: the caps are flattened and the gills are fully exposed. They are the best in taste.
Pick the mushrooms in an upward twisting motion. After picking the mushrooms, brush off the compost or dirt and use them as food.



Do you grow Mushrooms? Share your experiences with us:

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Growing Papaya Some Tips to Remember

Papayas are easy to grow. It is one of the plants you should consider growing in your backyard if you live in predominantly warmer climate. You can grow them pretty easily from the seeds.

First cut the papaya in half and then take out all the seeds. The seeds are covered with some jelly like substance. Squeeze the seed out of that coating. Use clean water to wash the seeds and then let them dry out. Once they are totally dry, use them for plantation.

Select the place where you want to grow papaya. They are very sensitive to root shock so it is advisable to plant the seed where you want to grow. Transplantation process can really hurt the plant. Before planting the seeds make sure you have mixed enough compost with the soil. They are very voracious feeder so make sure you have provided them enough to eat.

The spacing required for each plant is minimum 1.5 meter.

If you read our blogs regularly you would have known by now that papaya plants require full sun; More the better. Though papayas also grow in partial shade; the fruit growing is delayed and the tastes are also not so good.

Papaya plants are very susceptible to root rotting. So watering becomes very crucial. Much more water than required and you end up harming the plant. Also, considering the fact that they generally grow in warmer condition and have large leaves (they transpire a lot of water) you can not provide too little water either.  The best soil type is loamy type for growing papayas.

Papaya plants can be male female or bisexual. It is important that your garden have at least some female or bisexual plants. The male plant will not bear the fruits. It is recommended to have 1: 10 ratio about male and female plants to have a healthy yield. Generally it will start flowering once it become more than one meter in height. Expect to harvest the ripe papayas within a year.

The best part of growing papaya is that unlike most of the plants, you will get the fruits all year long. The only problem is with time they become taller (it will become difficult to pluck the fruits) and much more prone to diseases. Also, older plants tend to flower much less than the younger ones.

Papayas are very nutritious fruit. They are rich in vitamin C. You can have them ripe or raw.

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The Valhalla Project has some great ideas!

I was browsing kickstarter a few days ago and came across this fundraiser for "The Farm of the Future."  The group behind the project calls themselves Valhalla.

"We are Valhalla -- a group of people dedicated to making sustainable communal living mainstream and inspiring people to help create the beautiful world our hearts tell us is possible."
I like their mission statement and in particular, I thought their idea of combining an earthship structure with a greenhouse was really cool.  Check them out!

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Some Paintings

Ive recently taken an interest in watercolor painting, and have done some nature-related paintings.  The herb paintings are practice for an herb shelf that my girlfriend and I are painting together.  Enjoy!

Juneberries

Maple Leaf

Chives

Rosemary

Mint

Basil

Wild Carrot

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Marigold Some Growing Tips

Though Marigold represent a single type of flower their variety is endless. They can be single or double and come in many colours which can range from orange, yellow, bi-colour even white.

The best thing about growing marigold is you dont need to think much about the soil. They generally grow in any kind of soil, provided it is well drained and has some nutrients in it. Plant them in a place which receives sufficient amount of Sunlight and chances are that you will get a good amount of yield.

Like most other plants Marigold can be grown both from transplants and from seeds. Although you can easily buy seedlings from your local nursery shops, you can use a much cheaper option of starting from seeds.

If you are growing from seeds try planting 2 months prior to frosting date. Use soil-less media to fill seedling trays. Put the seeds and cover them with the mixture. Then cover the tray with plastic wrap keep the tray in a worm place. You dont require any sunlight for seed germination.

It generally takes 3-4 days for germination but you should check the tray everyday to see any sign of germination. Once you see the germination remove the plastic cover and move the tray in the sunlight.

Once they develop two sets of true leaves you can transplant them to their permanant pots or in the garden.

Care:

Marigold is a plant which requires very little care. You just need to provide them water regularly so that the soil doesn’t go dry. Depending on the variety you may need to put some support to protect them from strong winds.

While growing the plant you need to remove the dead stems and leaves from the plant so that seeds and flowers can grow easily. Unlike Tomato or Roses the pruning is not that essential.

Pest and prevention:

Marigold plants have a pungent odour which help them repel pests. So in most cases you probably would not need any pest preventive system from outside. Besides, the roots of the plant help in reducing nematode population beneath the soil.Due to this unique property marigold plants are used in companion planting. You can find more about that in this article.

Additional point:The petals of the Marigold flower are used to add colour and flavour in many dishes across many cultures. It is also an good alternative to the expensive saffron, and used in many rice preparation (like Biriyani). More on edible flowers in this article.

What Do you think about the article? Please post them below in the comment box. We are eager to know from you.

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Some Love for our Botanic Gardens

Botanic gardens, be they large or small, pull me towards them like a bee is drawn to nectar. These, often ancient, gardens with their collections of often rare, and always magical plants speak volumes not just about the British love of plants and gardens but also about the history of plants in the UK, the way they were collected and eventually planted out. Many a collector sent their finds back to Kew, or another of our world renowned botanic gardens, and those gardens would sow the seeds, nurture the plants and then offer out the propagation of these plants to nurserymen. The plants we take forgranted as being the backbone of our gardens began their life in the country being looked after by these incredible places.
Bristol has a wonderful botanic garden, that today sits just north of the Downs in the garden of one of the University of Bristols Halls of Residence. It has moved here quite recently from another site and it is proof of the brilliance of the team who work there, both paid and voluntarily, that it looks as though it has been there forever. The garden has 4 core collections, Evolution, Mediterranean, Local Flora and Rare Natives and Useful Plants and these can be seen used over a selection of gardens that include a herb garden, a Chinese Medicine Garden, beautiful herbaceous borders that are set out to show which plants are pollinated by which insects, or indeed small mammals in some cases, as well as sections based on the evolutionary collection and the collection of plants native to Bristol and its surrounding area.
It also has amazing glass houses with a National Collection of Lotus, which are beyond beautiful and offer an ethereal beauty to a glasshouse that also house the Victoria Amazonica waterlily and a huge collection of Nepenthes.
But, like every botanic garden in the UK and probably worldwide, it is being squeezed by budget cuts and constantly is having to fight to survive. Its well documented that Kews budget is always under threat but so are the budgets of the majority of these gardens, as few universities actually use them as a resource hence their constant fight for survivial.
So what can you do to help? Well make sure you know where your local botanic garden is and use it!! So many people I speak to about the Bristol Botanic Garden are completely unaware of its existence and I imagine the same is the case for many. Visit, become a member or a friend, go to their events or even volunteer to help in the garden or in some other way. An hour helping them once a week with marketing or admin releases someone else to raise precious funds or other do other vital roles that are less easy to find volunteers to cover.
Here are a few photos of Bristol Botanic Garden that I took at their recent Bee and Pollinators Festival.

 The Amazon waterlilies with the Lotus plants growing above them are quite beautiful in the tropical glasshouse.

 Always good to see a bee buzzing around at a Bee and Pollinator festival!!

 This is a custard apple and it was growing in the Native American Food Garden on which there will be a full post soon.

The wonderful bird of Paradise plants, which in their native countries are pollinated by sunbirds.

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The Three Ws Who What and Why

Some of you who know us are probably thinking that its about time we got this blog up and running! We tend to agree- weve just been a little busy! Weve spent the last two years dismantling our every adolescent expectation of a glamorous, comfortable city life by buying a farm, putting in gardens and a greenhouse, filling up our barn, permaculturing the land, and generally getting a small homestead going while working jobs in the outside world. Now its time for us to update all of you on our progress and our current farm status!

Our journey started long, long ago in a land not-so-far away. The year 2009 found us living in Fond du Lac, WI in a nice house in a nice subdivision. Matt was a mechanical engineer, Elise worked in a non-profit organization. And while we were comfortable, neither of us was particularly happy. We knew something wasnt quite right, but we werent sure what it was. Luckily (at least in the long run), Matt got briefly laid off from work and we realized that the security we had always associated with a set paycheck wasnt actually all that secure. And if that security was an illusion, what else did we need to reevaluate? The increased time to read, cook, and do things around our home brought about lots of questions and changes that sent us reeling- but in the right direction.

We started to ask whether our current lifestyle was sustainable- not only financially, but for the environment- and how we could make it better for everyone involved. We read. And we read. And then we read some more. And as we read (and cooked from scratch more often), we began to explore what else we might be able (and even WANT) to do- could we do away with prepackaged food all together? What about growing our own vegetables? Making our own dairy products? Our own sweeteners? What about meat? Could Matt actually farm full time rather than commuting to Milwaukee every day? The answer was YES- but not where we were living. We figured that goats (and their owners) might fare poorly in a well manicured neighborhood that had covenants forbidding fences. So we put our house on the market and decided to search for a more earthy lifestyle, wherever that might take us.

Serendipity, later revealed as God, brought us to a 125 year old farmhouse on five acres just south of West Bend. We closed on the farm in May, and by June, we had found our farming gateway drug- chickens. But chickens arent called the gateway drug without reason, and our menagerie soon expanded to include not only our friendly, feathered bug-hunters, but some milkable mini-ruminants (who think theyre really dogs) and you guessed it, one lone duck (who seems to think hes just a chicken who loves bathtime).

The animals may have given us a name for the farm, but its our vegetables, fish, and other produce that are our mainstays. Were growing vegetables and fish in our 30x72 greenhouse, and are planting and permaculturing the rest of our acreage to further our three main priorities for the land- sustainability, diversity, and abundance. We want to grow as much food as possible while using natural fertilizers and insectaries (with beneficial bugs like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps), companion planting, and prevention strategies; if we absolutely must use an insecticide or other "potion" we make sure that theyre OMRI certified or made from ingredients wed eat ourselves (garlic spray as a finished product might not be something wed eat willingly, but we could and probably do eat all of the ingredients in it).

Weve become fully rooted in living a low-impact, nature- and God-honoring lifestyle and it is our passion to help others do the same. After all, individual actions make the biggest impact when they inspire others to make changes, too. But not everyone has an inner farmer just waiting to bust out, and we firmly believe that you shouldnt have to become one just to live a less impactful life and have access to nutritious, delicious, local food. Not everyone has their heart quicken at the idea of thawing frozen water buckets in January and smushing potato beetles in July- and thats OK! Wherever youre at, we want to help- whether its providing your food for you, teaching you how to make cheese/bread/soap/beer/wine/etc., or giving you ideas of how you might improve your own backyard garden.

Well be updating this blog at least once a week and we encourage you to sign up for email updates. Some posts will have our updated product lists (you might also find it easier to check the appropriate tab, rather than scroll through all of the posts), while others will have tips, recipes, and everyday life stories. Check back often and let us know what you think!

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Some Nature Videos

Some koi fish at Shofuso Japanese House in West Philly.  Theyre hungry!

This caterpillar is munching my dill!

Jewelweed Seeds exploding!

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Grow Cabbage In Your Home Some Basic Tips

Cabbage is generally a cool weather crop. There are quite a few varieties available in the market viz Green Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Savoy Cabbage, Pointed cabbage, etc.,

Cabbage can be grown from the seeds easily. Sow seeds one inch deep into the soil. Spacing is very important in growing cabbage two seedling should not be very close to each other.

Generally it is advised to keep the spacing 6-12 inches apart. Another trick in the book is to harvest alternatively to give each plant enough space to grow.

Check your soil pH before planting the seeds. An ideal pH range is 6.5 to 6.8. Lower pH can be prone to club root diseases. To increase the pH of the soil try adding lime along with the soil.

It is important to choose the variety of cabbage wisely and as per your local environment. For example, if you are in cooler climate you can choose slower maturity variety and can grow huge heads, but in case you are in warmer climate it is best to go for fast-maturing variety and grow in the springtime.

As you may have already experienced, cabbage requires regular feeding and a good amount of sunlight. In hot summers provide temporary shade to the plants.

For a good cabbage head you need to maintain a constant level of moisture. Water regularly. Uneven watering can make the cabbage head crack. Check out this watering guide before start giving water to the plant.

Applying mulch and mixing compost with soil can provide the solution. Once the new leaves began to emerge apply fertilizers such as fish emulsion, blood meal, etc., A compost made of tea can be very helpful to the plant. It provides the much needed nitrogen to the plant in case the leaves are turning yellow.

Cabbage is one of the vegetables that is very much prone to pests and diseases. One of prominent sign is holes in the cabbage leaves. There are so many insects such as cabbage loopers, slugs, aphids, root maggots, etc., some most frequent diseases include club roots, yellow leaves, black rots, etc., though the variety of problem differs very much and their particular solutions can vary, one of the general solution is to go for companion planting. In case the plants are already attacked by some molds or fungal diseases, it is wiser to remove the plant. Also, crop rotation prevents many of the pests.

You can be sure that the cabbage is ready for harvesting once you can feel their head become firm. Cut the head with a sharp knife from the stem. You can refrigerate the heads for two weeks.

Raw and chopped cabbages can provide a great compliment with barbecue and seafood. There are so many good recipes involving cabbage is present in many cultures. Cabbage is good source for vitamin A, C and Iron.




What is your experience regarding growing Cabbage? Do you have any trick to share? Any advice will be welcomed.

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