Lettuce planted next to onions. I was a gardener that planted my vegetables in long, straight rows by plant type. Even though my garden was productive, I still had varieties that struggled and provided very little to nothing. With experience, my ...
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Asparagus, King of Vegetables
Fresh Asparagus Asparagus is one of our family’s most eagerly anticipated harbingers of spring, and we delight in the sight of the furled green tips emerging from the earth. It is not only a beautiful plant (a member of the lily family) and a ...
Honeyberries – Love at first bite
Unknown by many in the states, the honeyberry has been a valued fruit plant for centuries in Asia and Eastern Europe where they grow wild in the cold, wet and mountainous regions. The Ainu aboriginal people of Japanese recognized this berry as ...
Summer Reading: A Farm Dies Once a Year
During the summer, you may find yourself in need of a good book. Consider picking up A Farm Dies Once a Year, a portrait of life on an organic farm in rural Pennsylvania. When he was thirty-one, Arlo Crawford decides to uproot his life in ...
True Berries vs Common Berries
I am a berry hoard with a valid reason for my obsession. I make wine. This passion justifies my excessive gathering of berries and fruit. Most of my bounty is grown on our farm or found along the forest’s edge. Ironically, many of ...
Making Homemade Italian Pasta
For an Italian cook, making fresh pasta represents the very essence of cooking. It’s not just a habit, a tradition, and a requirement. It’s deeper than that. It’s art. You can make fresh pasta with many different flours, not only the ones from ...
Barn Raising
We’ve all picked a friend up from the airport, but how many of us would help build a friend’s house? Although we might like to think we’re that selfless, most of us could come up with a thousand excuses to get out of such an exorbitant favor. But ...
Earth Day Appreciation
A late morning stroll along the paths and roadbed in our woodland areas remind me that today, many are participating in Earth Day events. Maybe you’re planting a tree, participating in a community event or focusing on your garden. And to others, it’s ...
5 Birds That Promise Spring Has Arrived
With spring already here (allegedly -- this remains to be seen in snowy PA), migratory birds will start flocking back to the Northeast for the breeding season. While the appearance of the robin is the first surefire sign that spring is coming, you ...
Insights About Antibiotic Free Meat
We’ve all seen them. Meat products at your local grocery store with the words “antibiotic free” stamped on the front of a package in bold letters. Contrary to what many may believe about this statement, all meat products are antibiotic free. Let ...