Posts by Amy
Meet the Giving Gardener: 12-year-old Ian McKenna Grows to Help Others
When he was eight years old, Ian McKenna started fighting. He was fighting hunger with a giving garden. He shared his harvest with a local food bank and has grown ever since. Now 12 years old, Ian cares for three gardens using organic methods. His younger sister helps, too!
Read MoreWhat’s Your Biggest Gardening Challenge?
If you think back to last year’s garden, what frustrations did you have? Or if you don’t have a garden yet, what are the things that keep you from starting? Today, we’re asking experienced and aspiring gardeners to tell us about their garden, goals, and challenges. We’d love to hear yours! We’ll read your answers and plan blog posts and…
Read MoreSheet Mulching vs Lasanga Gardening
What’s the difference between lasagna gardening and sheet mulching? Here’s a quick look at the similarities and differences.
Read MoreJustin Rhodes on Growing Food and Hard-Working, Problem-Solving Kids
“A happy family growing our own food and living the permaculture homestead dream.” That’s how Justin Rhodes describes life. He and his wife Rebekah grow food and homestead with their four children, ages 1-8, not too far from us in western North Carolina. I had a chance to talk with Justin, aka the “permaculture chicken ninja…
Read MoreRake & Roll! Composting Giveaway
Fall is coming to western NC. The morning air is crisp, and the leaves are hinting of colorful changes ahead. To celebrate fall’s arrival, we’re doing a big composting giveaway here on the blog. The Rake & Roll Composting Giveaway ended Monday, Sept. 19., 2016. Update: The winner has been drawn! Thank you to everyone who entered and shared…
Read MoreHow To Make a Simple Worm Bin
“Wormies!” Kids love worms. At least, mine do. 🙂 The boys helped me make this simple worm bin last fall, and the worms have been busy eating our food waste ever since. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial of how to make a worm bin with kids. Our worm bin project started with a dish of earthworms…
Read MoreHow To Grow a Tomato in a Container
I love eating tomatoes from the summer garden, but it took me awhile to come around. I used to HATE raw tomatoes. Blech! I pushed the bland, watery wedges to the edge of my salads and peeled the red, round slices off hamburgers. I just didn’t get it. Then, I grew my own tomatoes…
Read MoreWhat to Do About Composting Maybes
When you are composting, you may find yourself asking, “Can I compost this?” more and more often. And you’ll probably find Let’s take bread as an example. If you do a quick search online you’ll find that some experts say, Sure, you can! Other sources say, No way! What do you do with a composting maybe?
Read MoreWhat Matters Most to You?
What kind of garden matters to you? Do you want to grow your own fresh, healthy food? Or create places where you can watch the butterflies and hummingbirds? Would you like to feel more grounded and connected to nature? It’s so easy to lose touch in today’s busy world. Maybe you want to see your…
Read MoreMeet Amy
Hi, I’m Amy. I’m the nature nerd in the family. I majored in biology in college, and I’ve haven’t stopped learning about nature yet. Yes, I geek out over plant identification, animal scat and the occasional biochem reaction. I can’t even tell you how proud I was when my then 3 year old correctly identified a…
Read MoreMeet Colby
Meet my husband, Colby. He is the the weirdo artist of the family. He designed and built sets for stage and screen for 20 years before becoming a farmer. All that experience in carpentry, welding, painting and even sewing comes in handy on the farm. Although he has less experience with plants, Colby brings a…
Read MoreMeet the Neighbors
We live in a hundred-year-old house that belonged to my grandparents. Our next door neighbors are my parents, “Nana” and “Grandpa.” Having grown up next door to my Grandma Millie, I know how awesome this is for our kids. The boys know just where to go for treats and extra hugs. Nana and Grandpa are…
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