Food
How to Build a Simple Raised Bed
Start gardening this weekend with a simple raised bed your kids can help you create. In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how we built a raised bed with three kids (under 5 years old!) in one weekend. Why a Raised Bed? To be honest, we wanted a raised bed for one main reason…
Read MoreLife and Learning in the Garden: An Interview with Homeschooling Homesteader Kallie Vaughn
“I wonder how we actually thought that we would try to be farmers,” she laughed, thinking back to when it all started. Today, my friend Kallie Vaughn and her husband Matt are resurrecting an old farm on 25 acres in the rolling hills of the North Carolina Piedmont. Matt teaches high school, and Kallie homeschools…
Read MoreHealing with Food and Hoping with Seeds: An Interview with Matt Powers
When Matt Powers sees problems like climate change, hunger, and poverty, he also sees hope. Matt and his family have faced some life-changing challenges. Despite the problems of the world, he knows how much promise lies in seeds, soil, and curious human minds.
Read MoreMeet 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 MoreSheet Mulching Tutorial: How to Start a Garden Without Tilling or Digging
Starting a garden from scratch can be a miserable experience, especially if the ground is hard and the area you want to use is full of grass or weeds. But how can you start a garden without tilling or digging to prepare the area? The answer is sheet mulching, and in this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll show you…
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 MoreHow Does Your Garden Grow? A Mid-Summer Update
Today, we’re sharing a quick update on our growing season here at the farm. We have successes to celebrate and notes on things to do better next time. AND we are really curious to hear how you’re doing. How is your garden this season? Tell us in the comments at the end! In spring, we posted…
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 MoreCreating Gardens That Matter
Gardens matter. Whether big or small, in containers on a balcony or rows on a farm, gardens are important. They provide food and beauty. They enrich and enhance our lives in countless ways. So, why doesn’t everyone have their own garden? We think they should. Hello, and welcome to Gardens That Matter. Thanks for stopping…
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