Chelsea Green Blog
Farming & Homesteading
Are you Team Duck or Team Chicken?
Thinking about adding a laying flock to your backyard, but having trouble deciding between ducks and chickens? Agonize no more. Ducks are easy to herd, have routine egg laying hours, and are superior to chickens in terms of pest control. Chickens are more readily available, usually cheaper to purchase, and are a better confinement animal,…
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How to Grow and Maintain Fruit Trees: General Fruit Tree Management
Thinking of growing fruit trees? While it’s no small undertaking, fruit trees are much more forgiving than annual crops once established. Fruits like apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pears, pluots, and plums can easily be grown on trees in your backyard — you just need to know the correct management practices before you get started.…
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From Seed to Table: Buckwheat Pancakes
According to a column in Agricultural Research from September 1974, “buckwheat has an amino acid composition nutritionally superior to all cereals, including oats,” due to its high content of lysine. Not only that, but hearty buckwheat pancakes are just as tasty, if not tastier, than those made from wheat. So what are you waiting for?…
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How Cattle Grazing Improves Soil Diversity: Saving Our Soil
In Our Wild Farming Life, Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer recount their experiences as they create Lynbreck Croft—a regenerative Scottish farm rooted in local food and community. As they build their farm, Cassells and Baer bring new livestock to their land and learn techniques to help them truly understand how they can farm in harmony with…
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Un-Coop Your Poop: Everything You Need to Know About Chicken Tractors
If you keep your laying hens in a stationary coop, you’re missing out on their incredible soil building talents. Un-coop that chicken poop by putting your flock in mobile shelters, otherwise known as chicken tractors! These tractors spread manure for chickens to till, which helps keep your grass short and your soil healthy. The following is…
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Farm the Woods: Grow Food and Medicinals in Forests
Contrary to popular belief, forestry and farming are NOT mutually exclusive. Growing food, medicinals, and other non-timber products like mushrooms and ginseng in the woods helps increase self-sufficiency and allows you to maintain a healthy forest. The following is an excerpt from Farming the Woods by Steve Gabriel and Ken Mudge. It has been adapted for the web.…
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Food for Your Garden: Starting a Traditional Compost Pile in Your Yard
What can we do to reduce our waste? Use less, recycle and reuse packaging materials, and compost your organic waste. And if you’re a gardener, there’s no reason to throw away this beneficial (and cheap!) source of nourishment for your soil. Compost is the key to a flourishing garden. Turn your kitchen scraps and yard…
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Using The Miyawaki Method: A Forest in the Desert
Growing a forest on barren, dry land calls for an innovative approach. This approach, known as the Miyawaki Method, transforms infertile land into a biodiverse oasis! The following is an excerpt from Mini-Forest Revolution by Hannah Lewis. It has been adapted for the web. Photo Courtesy of Gaurav Gurjar History of the Miyawaki Method When Afforestt’s Gaurav…
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How to Grow Healthy Plants: Strengthening Your Farm or Garden’s Immune System
Searching for tips on how to grow healthy plants? The excerpt below offers advice on how to improve your farm or garden’s immune system through providing optimal conditions, managing plant competition, and achieving optimal nutrient balance. The following is an excerpt from The Ecological Farm by Helen Atthowe. It has been adapted for the web.…
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Designing A Food Forest: The Seven-Layer Forest Garden
Get ready to create your own seven-layer forest garden! Food forests, or edible forest gardens, are life-filled places that provide habitat for wildlife and food for humans while promoting natural beauty and biodiversity. To get started, all you need is to take a page from Mother Nature’s book. The following is an excerpt from Gaia’s…
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How to Manage Invasive Thistle and Improve Your Soil
Invasive plants creeping into your yard is frustrating. Particularly for thistle, there’s a better approach than yanking it out at the root or worse spraying herbicide. Work smarter, not harder, with these approaches to removing invasive thistle. The following are excerpts from Beyond the War on Invasive Species by Tao Orion and The Wild Wisdom of…
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Rewilding Your Land
Picture-perfect farms may be aesthetically pleasing, but they’re likely lacking in biodiversity. Rewilding practices allow the land to return to its natural wild state, providing more room for fruit-bearing plants to grow and animals to control small pests. The following is an excerpt from Farming on the Wild Side by Nancy J. Hayden and John…
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Drop the Beet: Growing No-Till Beets
Let’s drop the beet! Beets can be grown year-round and are a perfect, flavorful addition to meals. Get started on growing your own no-till beets with help from these tips! The following is an excerpt from The Living Soil Handbook by Jesse Frost. It has a been adapted for the web. How to Grow No-Till…
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Insects on Fruit Trees: Controlling Pests Organically
How do you control bugs & pests on your fruit trees without using harmful sprays and treatments? Here are some tips for identifying insects on fruit trees and controlling them organically. The following is an excerpt from The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips. It has been adapted for the web. Finding Insects On Fruit Trees…
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Rock & Grow: Adding Local Rocks & Soil To Your Garden
Looking for ways to naturally enrich your garden? The answer is all around you….literally. Add local rocks & soil to your garden to improve soil health and see your crops flourishing in no time. The following is an excerpt from The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments by Nigel Palmer. It has been adapted for the…
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Garden Strawberries — A Sweet and Delicious Ground Cover
Garden strawberries are excellent for both covering the ground and for growing fruit. If you’re planning out a forest garden, or are just looking for a plant to use as ground cover, strawberries are a great option. The following is an excerpt from The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker. It has been adapted for…
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Asparagus: An Aspiring Spear
Asparagus is a delicious vegetable with a layered history. How did this aspiring spear make its way from growing in the wild to appearing on our plates? The following is an excerpt from the The Seed Detective by Adam Alexander. It has been adapted for the web. “Nature gives us the key to every secret…
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Planting, Transplanting, and Pruning Trees
Interested in growing trees? Here are some tips on successfully planting, transplanting, and pruning trees to create a flourishing forest garden! The following is an excerpt from The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker. It has been adapted for the web. Planting Potted Trees and Shrubs If you order potted trees, check with your supplier to…
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Compost: Small Farm-Style
With the right strategies and practices, composting on a small farm is surprisingly easy and inexpensive. Just follow these steps for making compost, and your farm will be thriving in no time! The following excerpt is from The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables by Ben Hartman. It has been adapted for the web. (All photographs by Ben…
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Garlic Mustard: A Gold Mine of Food and Medicine
Garlic mustard: while known as “invasive,” this plant can be consumed in its entirety and has great nutritional value. Plus, the garlic-flavor is a perfect addition to any recipe that calls for mustard! The following are excerpts from Beyond the War on Invasive Species by Tao Orion and The Wild Wisdom of Weeds by Katrina…
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Fermented Plant Juice: A Drink Only a Garden Could Love
Everyone loves a refreshing, fermented, nutritious drink…even your garden! Take your fermentation skills out of the kitchen and into the garden by brewing fermented plant juice. The following is an excerpt from The Regenerative Grower’s Guide to Garden Amendments by Nigel Palmer. It has been adapted for the web. How to Make Fermented Plant Juice Fermented…
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A Guide to Soil Fertility and Crop Health
Want to see your crops thrive this upcoming growing season? The key is in soil fertility and health. Spend time maintaining your soil’s health to guarantee bigger and better crops come harvest time! The following is an excerpt from No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture by Bryan O’Hara. It has been adapted for the web. What Is Soil Fertility?…
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Catnip! Good for Cats, Good for Humans
Many know the effects of catnip on our feline friends, but few realize that catnip has medicinal effects for humans. From stomach aches to reducing fevers, catnip is a versatile herb with many benefits. The next time you grow this plant for your cat you may end up taking a few cuttings for yourself! The…
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Become A Plant Breeder: The Seed Series
It’s time to take control of your seeds and become a plant breeder! Saving your seed allows you to grow and best traditional & regional varieties, and develop more of your own. The following excerpt is from Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties by Carol Deppe. It has been adapted for the web. Becoming A Plant…
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Weed Suppression: Choosing The Right Cover Crops & Living Mulches
Trying to figure out how to manage weeds in your garden beds? Use cover crops and living mulches for weed suppression while your garden flourishes! The following is an excerpt from The Ecological Farm by Helen Atthowe. It has been adapted for the web. Suppressing Weeds With Cover Crops: Getting Started Cover crops suppress weeds…
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