Forks in the Dirt

I know August can feel overwhelming for organic gardeners, because pests and diseases have likely found your plants, weeds are growing faster than anything else and weather can throw up roadblocks to the most dedicated gardeners.

Faced with all the August garden tasks, many of us feel like throwing in the towel – because we’re also having to harvest, cook with and preserve all the abundance that we planned for.

This time of the summer is when the pace of modern life (kids’ sports, fun events, friends and family) and trying to ‘get it all in’ before school starts again collides with spending time in the garden. It is a  reminder of how farmers ad people tied more closely to the land and seasons have probably always felt- but for them it was a matter of survival to harvest and preserve as much as possible.

For almost all of us today, that is not the case.

So, let’s take a breath and lay out a plan so that, come mid-winter we can look back on this time with pride, over a meal with veggies from the garden.

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As you start growing more of your own fresh produce you realize pretty quickly that early spring lettuces bolt by July and leave you longing for something green, crisp, and light to add to your salad bowl during the hottest part of summer.

But there are some obvious reasons to skip buying lettuce at the grocery store.

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In nature, pioneer species (like lichens, crabgrass, or dandelions) sacrifice themselves to build the future. They break down rock, fix nitrogen, and accumulate organic matter. When they die out because other species move in, they leave behind rich, deep topsoil so that forests, prairies, and other stable climax communities can thrive.

America’s expansion on the continent has flipped this script, at least so far.

But I see change happening and hope rising all around me as people realize the they are part of nature.

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Grow Your Own Groceries + Take Back Control

Between unpredictable grocery prices and supply chain hiccups, it’s easy to feel a bit powerless when walking through the supermarket aisles. But what if the ultimate security system wasn’t something you bought, but something you grew? Growing your own food doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t need to grow everything. Just start with something!

Taking back your power starts with planting a few plants, using whatever space you have.

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A recipe with two ingredients a little time in the dehydrator with a big pay off: rhubarb sour candy from the garden!

These taste like if Sour Patch® had a kid with simple ingredients + kept the fiber. I like the big flavor coupled with the little chew. I get to help out at our local elementary school, and the kids go crazy for them every year!

It is a great, simple way to use up some of the rhubarb and not make yet another crisp… but if you’re looking for tips on growing rhubarb or other recipes, I have you covered.

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Let’s shrink your lawn with sustainable turf alternatives!

This guest post is brought to us by the legend, Bob Dahm. Many of my Midwest garden friends will know him as “Organic Bob,” which is how I knew him when we first met about 5 years ago.

He has guided our family on our own home lawn re-seeding (with tougher native grasses) and bee lawn areas with great success. This is because he sees our yards and gardens as integral parts of the natural world, not separate from them.

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Are you itching to get planting but the soil isn’t warming fast enough?

Growing under the cover of a low tunnel is the answer to jump start your spring vegetable garden. These temporary structures are basically ‘low to the ground’ greenhouses, hence the ‘low’ tunnel. The simple, arched structures are efficient at trapping passive solar heat and holding it in the soil. In Minnesota we often get snow into April, so the reinforced arches are key to keeping plants happy during spring storms.

Inexpensive and easy to build, low tunnels can be popped up anywhere, so they’re perfect for small space gardens. They also work well with crop rotation, as you can move where you’re growing your earliest crops each season.

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