Forks in the Dirt

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. Most of the veggies shown here were started under a DIY low tunnel.

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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OK, so I have a thing for books…

Gardening “How To” books, Ecological Gardening books, Permaculture, No Dig, Companion Planting, Preserving, Homesteading… I’ve read a lot of books. And, not all of them earn a place on my bookshelf.

Nothing quite compares to flipping open to a page to find that bit of info, recipe or inspiration. Below are some of my most loved Garden and Local Food books.

Each of the books listed below would make great gifts, and a welcome addition to any gardener, homesteader, or foodie’s library!

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Gardening, at its heart, is good for you AND the planet! But years of green washing and less than organic practices have made it a little confusing. But there are some basic tips I’ve learned to help you get gardening for sustainability.

Sustainable gardening is all about creating a living system that supports itself, nurtures the environment, and…  actually gets easier for you over time. It’s the sweet spot where ecology meets practicality.

When you plan to manage each precious resource—from water, soil, sun, and plant matter—you’ll see the soil grow richer each year and the workload become more manageable. The garden will start to function like the ecosystem it is rather than feel like a chore.

For Minnesota gardeners and especially organic, permaculture-minded homesteaders, this mindset fits beautifully with our distinct seasons, rich glacial soils, and wildly resilient native species.

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Simple One Pot Soup Recipe Easy to Repeat!

This is such a warming soup. I’ve made a few variations in the past but have settled on this as a family favorite. I recently made this for a recovering friend, and I think it’s a perfect hug in a jar.

I also recently harvested all of these main ingredients from our suburban homestead here in Minnesota. Yes, even the ginger. So this soup sums up my most recent fall harvests in one bowl.

And as with all soups, this recipe is a jumping off point. A half cup more or less of any of the main ingredients is not going to ruin this soup. It is lighter and brighter than the more common butternut squash soup, but it certainly looks like that other orange fall soup. I am always looking for ways to sneak in more protein, so of course I add white beans to this soup. Adding beans to any blended soup gives it a creamy, thicker consistency along with all the other health benefits.

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How to Prep Your Fall Garden the Easy, Earth-Friendly Way

Fall is in the air. Cooler days brings the unmistakable shift in our gardens as the growing season winds down. It’s tempting to grab your rake, pull every plant out by the roots, and “tidy up” before winter hits.

But if you’re aiming for a healthier garden and less work next season, it’s time to embrace no dig garden clean-up. No dig gardening is more than just a trend—it’s a smarter, soil-loving way to garden. And when it comes to fall cleanup, the no dig method gives your garden a natural boost while cutting your workload. Win-win.

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I started seed saving the year I got behind (way behind) on picking my pole beans. When I found a few (ok, lots) of bean pods that were swelling in their pods and starting to yellow I was in despair at a lost harvest.

But then a light bulb popped on.

These were not a waste—just a different stage of the plant.

I didn’t have to toss these overripe beans into the compost. I could leave these to grow and save them as dried beans. I could eat them or save them to plant for more beans next year.

It was a sublimely empowering moment. One I want you to have too!

I got lucky by stumbling onto starting with one of the easiest vegetable seeds to save. For the first few years I saved mostly bean varieties and native flowers. Over a decade later, I’m still experimenting with saving new seeds. Which is why I’m well suited to pass the torch: if I can do it—you can too!

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