Shannon Ripp
Nothing says summer like a fruit smoothie. But what’s better than a fruit smoothie? A frozen fruit smoothie. When it’s too hot to cook a meal, and sandwiches or salads aren’t appealing, try one of these delicious recipes. Not only will they cool you down, but you’ll get plenty of nutrients, too! The following is an…
Read More
Akiva Silver owns and operates Twisted Tree Farm, a homestead, nut orchard, and nursery located in Spencer, New York, where he grows around 20,000 trees per year using practices that go beyond organic. His background is in foraging, wilderness survival, and primitive skills. He has been observing nature intensively for the last 20 years, cultivating…
Read More
Sleep seems to be the thing that escapes most of us. In a society that praises long hours, we aren’t getting the rest needed for optimal physical and mental performance. Continuously practicing to be the best is an unhealthy myth that drives many athletes. Studies recently conducted are reporting that the best way improve athletic…
Read More
Tourism, infrastructure, electricity. What do all these have in common? They’re impacted by global warming. We like to think of global warming as ocean temperatures rising and more carbon dioxide in the air. That isn’t the whole truth. Our changing climate is at the root of many large issues, though the connection might have been…
Read More
Okra, slime is gold! This pod-producing vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse and has been used throughout history for medicinal, culinary and cosmetics purposes. Discover the benefits of okra when eaten or use the slime from okra for glowing skin, thick shiny hair and strong nails, among others. The following is an excerpt from The Whole…
Read More
Minerals from soil and outside water sources find themselves in irrigation systems. When you water your land, these minerals infiltrate the soil and change its composition. Your plants are more impacted by their presence than meets the eye, but what exactly is the relationship? The following is an excerpt from Water in Plain Sight by…
Read More
Groups of piglets running around a farm seems like a dream come true. When it comes to making sure each one is healthy and growing properly, it can get chaotic trying to figure out which pig is which. Using identification strategies to keep them organized is not only in the best interest of the farmer,…
Read More
Making cider seems like a lot of work (and it is) but it makes itself more than you may know. With the addition of yeast, the apple juice ferments into cider after a few days. Andy Brennan, cider-enthusiast, advises to trust this process and not to interfere. Leaving nature to do its work yields a…
Read More
Microgreens can be used as a garnish or addition to provide great nutrients to your meals. Recently, okra joined the list of delicious microgreens. You can even grow your own at home! Okra can be grown using an aquaponics system; find a use for any gallon-drums you have left in your garage or shed. The…
Read More
Unhealthy diets, poor exercise habits, and environmental factors have led to a rise in metabolic conditions in the younger generations–a trend that is only increasing. Some of the food we eat contains high amounts of sugars with low nutrition, and when consumed over a long period of time, can be very harmful to your health,…
Read More
It’s hard to imagine starting your garden in mid-March if you live in areas where it snows a lot. What could possibly grow in the near-frozen ground? Eat-All Greens. These plants are sturdy and need little management or help at all, plus you can eat almost the entire plant! Try starting with Green Wave mustard.…
Read More
We don’t often think about how, long ago, the towering and strong trees we see around us in communities and the rows of Christmas trees on farms began as tiny seeds. Much less often, do we think about the people who dedicate their lives to planting and caring for these tress. The first important step…
Read More
Living a healthy lifestyle can be challenging, especially when it comes to buying food. You want to keep a budget but don’t want to sacrifice good quality or you’re not sure where to get the best products? The first step is to take the time and see what you have access to– farmer’s markets, co-ops,…
Read More
In the past decade, there’s been more time and research dedicated to understanding athlete’s health and working to implement safety measures to ensure their well being on and off the field. Accomplishing any athletic goal is more work than just working out and eating right. No longer can we look at sports and nutrition apart.…
Read More
The list of issues impacting Earth’s rapid decline continues to grow at a highly alarming rate. Environmental concerns are entering the world of politics and business. Our quality of life will not be the same five years or ten years in the future; we are nearing the point of having to think about simply surviving…
Read More
Water is always changing and impacting the environment around it; storms form, droughts occur, and floods damage. It seems that the level of water on Earth is bouncing between extremes. These shifts are tied to the state of our climate. In the past, climate change seemed like a far-off concept; now it’s becoming more present…
Read More
Pancakes are classic, but have you tried using plantains? These simple pancakes are a huge hit with everyone who’s tried them! With this recipe, you’ll make healthy and nutritious pancakes that will have you and your taste buds dancing. With no grains, dairy, or added sugar, these pancakes are wholesome enough to feed to your family…
Read More
Anything involving farming almost always requires the help of another person, whether you’re feeding the animals or trying to decide if you want to expand the barn. Partnerships not only help with your personal life but the success of your business in the long run as well. Having someone to share the work and ease the…
Read More
Gary Paul Nabhan is an internationally celebrated nature writer, food and farming activist, and proponent of conserving the links between biodiversity and cultural diversity. He holds the W.K. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Sustainable Food Systems at the University of Arizona Southwest Center, where he works with students, faculty, and non-profits to build a more just,…
Read More
One of the most important skills to have in life is to be able to adapt to the changes that come your way. Being resilient sets you up to succeed with any challenges that may arise, but it’s not always an easy task. However, if you follow a few simple guidelines you can better prepare…
Read More
When you think of a typical farm, you probably think of going out to feed the animals with a bucket of scraps. This has been one of the most common ways to recycle food for many years and helps reduce your waste footprint. However, composting with the help of animals is another technique used on…
Read More
It’s almost impossible to be a successful community without a group of caretakers behind the scenes, making sure everyone’s needs are met. For hundreds of years, women made up these “caring communities,” supporting families, making food, and bettering community life. Though the makeup of these caring communities has changed over the years, the support provided…
Read More
Although the stages of composting are very closely intertwined, each separate one has its own value and needs to be nurtured accordingly. The materials used go through several transformations: physical, biological, and chemical. Understanding each phase of this process is the first step in creating the best nutrients for your plants. The following is an…
Read More
For those who aren’t in the know, it may seem like all farmers are created equal, but that’s simply not the case. In fact, there is such a wide variety of farmers that it’s nearly impossible to put a label on them. But that doesn’t stop organizations from trying. The following is an excerpt from…
Read More
Recently, farmers have been making the headlines because of the hardships they’re facing to sustain their farms. With larger, corporate farms running smaller, privately-owned farms out of business, it seems like many farmers are fighting an uphill battle. But, despite the small amount of money, long hours, and constant threats from the “big guys” farmers…
Read More