Gretchen Kruesi

Pickled Anything! Garlic Honey & Garlic Confit

By Gretchen Kruesi / June 26, 2025 / Comments Off on Pickled Anything! Garlic Honey & Garlic Confit

The Garlic Clove! This small crop adds a big punch of flavor that complements almost every delicious dish you could think of. And the best part? These two recipes are a breeze to make together!

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beaver

The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

By Gretchen Kruesi / June 25, 2025 / Comments Off on The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

Beavers are ecological and hydrological Swiss Army knives. Capable of tackling just about any landscape-scale problem you might confront.

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amaranth

An Amaranth Love Affair

By Gretchen Kruesi / June 23, 2025 / Comments Off on An Amaranth Love Affair

Our love affair with amaranth began long before the pseudo-grain became a trendy staple for gluten-free folk. The luscious leaves of this annual plant are not only packed with a plethora of health benefits.

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four season farm

Vegetable Farm Tips: The Keys to Efficient Veggie Production

By Gretchen Kruesi / June 9, 2025 / Comments Off on Vegetable Farm Tips: The Keys to Efficient Veggie Production

If the idea of running a vegetable farm sounds daunting, you’re not alone. What can you do to simplify techniques and reduce expenses? Where do you even begin?

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mushrooms

Foraging 101: Where to find your bounty

By Gretchen Kruesi / June 6, 2025 / Comments Off on Foraging 101: Where to find your bounty

Don’t know where to start for foraging wild plants? Read on for the information you need to begin foraging on your own: where to do it and how to be safe.

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farm

Farming Against Nature

By Gretchen Kruesi / June 2, 2025 / Comments Off on Farming Against Nature

When you’re walking around the grocery store looking at the vegetables, it’s probably hard to imagine that a century ago there was twice the amount of options.

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Zesty & Simple: New Classic Rainbow Coleslaw

By Gretchen Kruesi / May 23, 2025 / Comments Off on Zesty & Simple: New Classic Rainbow Coleslaw

Easy rainbow coleslaw! Transform your salad game with this colorful recipe. It is surprisingly packed with flavor and is a great addition to your repertoire.

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Tomato Plants in a Greenhouse

Types of Tomatoes: Deciphering the Many Varieties

By Gretchen Kruesi / May 21, 2025 / Comments Off on Types of Tomatoes: Deciphering the Many Varieties

If you love tomatoes, you probably already know just how many varieties of these summertime staples there are. But do you know what makes each one unique?

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Embracing Sustainable Food Production: Integrating Trees and Crops

By Gretchen Kruesi / May 16, 2025 / Comments Off on Embracing Sustainable Food Production: Integrating Trees and Crops

Adding the long game of trees to your system results in a deeper and more reliable, resilient and profound presence to your annual vegetable production.

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basket of mushrooms

Foraging for Mushrooms: Gourmet Root Systems

By Gretchen Kruesi / May 12, 2025 / Comments Off on Foraging for Mushrooms: Gourmet Root Systems

For people who enjoy foraging for food in the wild, there are plenty of mushrooms to choose from — “ten thousand mushroom species to be considered on the North American continent alone”. But foraging for mushrooms should never be thought of as a game of chance. You need to know all the clues when it comes to identifying…

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How to Create the Perfect Bee Hive: A Home Worth Buzzing About

By Gretchen Kruesi / May 5, 2025 / Comments Off on How to Create the Perfect Bee Hive: A Home Worth Buzzing About

For all the beekeepers and future beekeepers out there, this one is for you! Your journey to successful beekeeping begins with constructing a suitable haven for honeybees, otherwise known as the bee hive. The following is an excerpt from Raising Resilient Bees by Eric and Joy McEwen. It has been adapted for the web. Bees…

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Duo of Tapas: Cucumber, Fennel, and Garlic Dip & Savory Pie of Wild Greens and Feta

By Gretchen Kruesi / April 30, 2025 / Comments Off on Duo of Tapas: Cucumber, Fennel, and Garlic Dip & Savory Pie of Wild Greens and Feta

Appetizers, meze, tapas . . . whatever the name, these small plates symbolize hospitality. Every culture has a unique collection of dishes to share. Here are our favorite savory bites to enjoy before a meal. Serve a few together for a vibrant lunch or dinner. In Chile, Clove, and Cardamom explore mouth-watering recipes from the…

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farm animals

Silvopasture: What in the world is it?

By Gretchen Kruesi / April 25, 2025 / Comments Off on Silvopasture: What in the world is it?

Have you heard of silvopasture? This system of managing grazing animals is an ancient practice that integrates trees and pasture into a single system for raising livestock. These systems are managed for both forest products and forage, providing short-and long-term income sources in a mutually beneficial way for healthier animals, better soil, less pest control and mowing, and…

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salt-rising bread

On the Rise: How to Make Salt-Rising Bread

By Gretchen Kruesi / April 23, 2025 / Comments Off on On the Rise: How to Make Salt-Rising Bread

Want to spice up your traditional bread recipes? This salt-rising bread recipe by fermentation expert Sandor Ellix Katz has all the simplicity, flavor, and uniqueness you’ve been searching for! The following is an excerpt from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys by Sandor Ellix Katz. It has been adapted for the web. What Is Salt-Rising Bread? Salt-rising…

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herbs and tools

The Art of Herbal Formulas: Asking the Right Questions

By Gretchen Kruesi / April 21, 2025 / Comments Off on The Art of Herbal Formulas: Asking the Right Questions

Learning how to ask questions that will elicit relevant information is as much an art form as creating an herbal formula. Follow this broad list as a starting point.

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Milkweed Bud Pizza with Bacon and Pickled Turnips

By Gretchen Kruesi / April 18, 2025 / Comments Off on Milkweed Bud Pizza with Bacon and Pickled Turnips

Nothing says “spring” like a fresh, foraged meal! Savor the flavors of the season with this Milkweed Bud Pizza recipe.

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Reaping the Harvest: Tools for the Harvest

By Gretchen Kruesi / April 10, 2025 / Comments Off on Reaping the Harvest: Tools for the Harvest

So you want to start reaping your harvest, but you’re not sure where to start? Learn how to break down the options of harvesting tools!

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Simple Maple Morsels: Maple Shortbread Bars & Rosemary Walnut Scones with Maple Glaze

By Gretchen Kruesi / March 19, 2025 / Comments Off on Simple Maple Morsels: Maple Shortbread Bars & Rosemary Walnut Scones with Maple Glaze

Maple is a special addition to any recipe and cozy way to enjoy the marvelous sweetness of maple. Perfect with coffee or tea and delicious everyday snacking!

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medicinal herb garden

Start Your Own Medicinal Herb Garden with These 3 Herbs

By Gretchen Kruesi / March 14, 2025 / Comments Off on Start Your Own Medicinal Herb Garden with These 3 Herbs

Want to start your own medicinal herb garden? Passionflower, lemon balm, and goldenseal are great places to begin! These herbs are jam-packed with medicinal properties and easy to grow in a majority of climates.

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maple roasted nuts

Maple Roasted Nuts: A Sweet, Seasonal Treat

By Gretchen Kruesi / March 10, 2025 / Comments Off on Maple Roasted Nuts: A Sweet, Seasonal Treat

Craving something sweet? These delicious maple roasted nuts are the perfect treat to help you push through those end-of-winter blues. The following is an excerpt from Full Moon Feast by Jessica Prentice. It has been adapted for the web. The Magic of Maple: A Rich History Following the Hunger Moon, just before the first thaw…

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Beyond the Maple: Birch & Walnut Syrups

By Gretchen Kruesi / March 3, 2025 / Comments Off on Beyond the Maple: Birch & Walnut Syrups

Move aside, maple! We have two new syrups to add to the table. Read on for insights on tapping, selling, and eating syrup from walnut & birch trees.

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Sprouting 101: Easy Breezy Home Seed Sprouting

By Gretchen Kruesi / February 26, 2025 / Comments Off on Sprouting 101: Easy Breezy Home Seed Sprouting

Sprouts are easy to cultivate, mature quickly and pack a nutritional punch! You can make nutrient-rich sprouts from all kinds of edible seeds in your kitchen.

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cover crops

Laying Down Cover Crops in 7 Steps

By Gretchen Kruesi / February 21, 2025 / Comments Off on Laying Down Cover Crops in 7 Steps

Want to make the most of the slow gardening season? Lay cover crops to improve the health of your soil and plants! The following is an excerpt from The Celestial Garden by Jane Hawley Stevens. It has been adapted for the web. Benefits of Cover Crops Cover cropping is a management practice that benefits the…

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Umami Bomb: Caramelized Miso Cheese

By Gretchen Kruesi / February 19, 2025 / Comments Off on Umami Bomb: Caramelized Miso Cheese

If you read our post about growing koji in your kitchen, you’re probably itching to try out those new koji skills! This miso cheese recipe is an excellent next stop on your koji-kitchen journey. Miso cheese is sure to add a twist to any cheese lover’s plate, plus it’s easy to make at home! The following…

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tools for micro-farming

Starter Kit Tools: 9 Vital Tools for Micro-Farming

By Gretchen Kruesi / February 18, 2025 / Comments Off on Starter Kit Tools: 9 Vital Tools for Micro-Farming

Interested in micro-farming, but don’t know where to begin? Believe it or not, you only need 9 tools to get started. These easy-to-find tools for micro-farming will set the stage for productive growing! The following is an excerpt from The Lean Micro Farm by Ben Hartman. It has been adapted for the web. Unless otherwise noted, all…

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