A tomato plant (the classic annual veggie) typically ripens from seed to fruit in 6-8 months in the PNW. They’re an intensive plant that requires seeding as early as February, babying the seedlings with heat and light, then transplanting to the ground and covering with plastic to protect from cool nights (which stunt their growth),Continue reading “American Guinea Hogs: the perennial pork”
Tag Archives: organic gardening
The scythe; it really ties the farm together.
Have you seen the Big Lebowski? The Dude, hopelessly adrift, finds purpose and grand adventure in recovering a stolen rug that was the keystone of his humble abode. That’s how I feel about the scythe on the farm. Like, The Dude’s feng shui, the farm’s flow is totally blocked without it. How strange that theContinue reading “The scythe; it really ties the farm together.”
Upgrading the mighty 5 gallon bucket
I spent many years working landscape construction specializing in steep slope installations and other sites with difficult or delicate access. Sites where an excavator or other heavy equipment could not/should not go, Some places where even a wheel barrow would be too cumbersome. On a couple jobs we used a military surplus medic stretcher toContinue reading “Upgrading the mighty 5 gallon bucket”
DIY greenhouse; 11 months in the making.
It really is a load off my shoulders and mind. All the design deliberations, cost considerations, material requisitions, and top-of-ladder installations…done. Done, done, DONE! Well, there’s still caulking, painting, and power to run, but that’s pretty mindless… …point is, no more big decisions! Geoff Lawton, of Permaculture Research Institute, says a design is madeContinue reading “DIY greenhouse; 11 months in the making.”
Pastured Poultry > Free Range Chickens = Sanity + Sunflowers
For the first year here it felt like trying to drink from a firehose. Now in year number two, things have seemed much MUCH more manageable. I credit two pivotal points for me that turned it around. One, barn organization. The barn, while small, is centrally located on the front property and so, all projectsContinue reading “Pastured Poultry > Free Range Chickens = Sanity + Sunflowers”
Bellfern Homestead 