Chelsea Green Blog
Farming & Homesteading
Abundant Kudzu: Uncovering the Many Uses
This long-lived perennial legume is used for forage and erosion control. Kudzu is edible with many medicinal uses and other applications. Pollinators of all kinds love its prodigious lavender blooms!
Read More
How to Start Seedlings in a Cold Frame: Gardening Tips from Eliot Coleman
Are you ready to get a jump-start on the gardening season? With a cold frame, you can get started now. A cold frame harnesses the sun’s heat before it’s warm enough to let unprotected seedlings growing outside. Essentially, it consists of a garden bed surrounded by an angled frame and covered with a pane of…
Read More
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.
Read More
Why Modern Wheat Is Making Us Sick
Why is modern wheat making us sick? That’s the question posed by author Eli Rogosa in Restoring Heritage Grains. Wheat is the most widely grown crop on our planet, yet industrial breeders have transformed this ancient staff of life into a commodity of yield and profit—witness the increase in gluten intolerance and ‘wheat belly’. Modern…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
A Short History of Agricultural Seed
Seeds are the foundation of agriculture. As John Navazio describes in this excerpt, America was once home to hundreds of small-scale agricultural seed producers, each of which developed seeds adapted to grow best in the surrounding region. Today, following the trend of most businesses, just a few large companies provide seed for farmers everywhere. With…
Read More
Starting A Micro-Farm: Tips for Getting Smaller
Want to set up your own micro-farm? These tips will help you learn how to simplify your work, increase profitability, and shape your ideas so you can create the perfect tiny farm for you. The following is an excerpt from The Lean Micro Farm by Ben Hartman. It has been adapted for the web. Unless…
Read More
Is Your Greenhouse Winter-Ready? Dealing with Snow on Your Greenhouse
Want to keep your protected crops heated and healthy all season? Get your greenhouse ready for winter with these snow removal tips! The following is an excerpt from The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook by Andrew Mefferd. It has been adapted for the web. (Photographs courtesy of Andrew Mefferd unless otherwise noted.) Dealing with snow…
Read More
How To Create A Homemade Wreath
From clipping the proper branches to tying the right knots, building a wreath takes patience and precision. Create this holiday craft with your family to decorate your home, or spread the joy to others by gifting or selling your homemade wreath. The following is an excerpt from Carving Out a Living on the Land by…
Read More
A Guide to Pruning Protected Crops
Pruning is essential for keeping protected crops healthy & balanced through the winter months. Keep reading for tips on pruning greenhouse and hoophouse plants.
Read More
Soil Is Alive: What Lives In Our Soil?
Ever wonder what worms and centipedes are doing as they crawl through your soil? They’re actually working to improve the soil’s health, which benefits the environment and all living things in the long run. The following is an excerpt from Farming on the Wild Side by Nancy J. Hayden and John P. Hayden. It has been adapted…
Read More
Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in a Garage or Yard
Learn how to grow shiitake mushrooms in almost any environment, including your yard and even your garage!
Read More
The Endless Arugula Bed
The secret to the sweetest arugula ever? Overwinter your plants for a spring surprise: the sweetest, most flavorful arugula you’ve ever tasted!
Read More
No-Till Arugula Start to Finish
Growing no-till arugula is a simple way to grow your own food. These greens can be used on pizzas, salads, and as a garnish on almost any dish.
Read More
Brew Outside the Box: Making Mushroom-Infused Beer
For the adventurous brewer infusing mushrooms into brews is a great way to combine the medicinal benefits of fungi with one of the world’s most consumed drinks.
Read More
Vermicast Structures: Worm Real Estate
Farmers rely on earthworms to create vermicomposting systems to improve seed germination, enhanced seedling growth and increased plant productivity.
Read More
Building Your Own Root Cellar for the Fall Harvest
Building a root cellar is a great way to keep your harvest fresh through the cold months. With protection from weather and animals, these cellars can be just as good as a regular refrigerator. They can be built into a wall in your basement, dug into the ground, or simply buried. The following excerpt is…
Read More
Composting as if it Mattered
Composting is more than a way to minimize waste and a garden supplement. It is a method, when practiced and perfected, can supply all the needs of your crops and soil.
Read More
About Thyme: Growing, Harvesting, and Drying Thyme
Thyme is easy to grow and harvest in almost any condition. Follow these tips to get started growing, harvesting (and drying) thyme in your home or backyard!
Read More
Preserving Veggies: Tips for Freezing Vegetables
Try your hand at preserving veggies by freezing them! Freezing vegetables is a quick, simple way to preserve them for winter meals.
Read More
All About Cows: What has Four Legs, Says “Moo,” and Could Save the Planet?
Cows can help rebuild soil and restore land to its rightful state—improving carbon sequestration, natural water cycles, and soil fertility and nutrient density.
Read More
Arid Agriculture: Strategies to Reduce Heat Stress in Crops and Livestock
Become more resilient when temperatures are on the rise to reduce heat stress and grow food in even the most arid environments.
Read More
A Guide to Great Compost From Eliot Coleman
Compost is the key to an abundant garden. Learn the basics of making compost from gardening expert Eliot Coleman, and enjoy the joy of growing your own food.
Read More
How to Save Tomato Seeds
As your favorite variety of home grown tomatoes start ripening on the vine this summer, be sure to save those seeds for next year’s planting. It takes a bit of care to get the seeds out of the gelatinous tomato goo they’re suspended in, but once you’ve done it you can use those seeds to…
Read More