Buckwheat growing at Khadigar Farm. Photo by Will Bonsall. By Will Bonsall Gardeners rarely include buckwheat among their garden crops, except occasionally as a green manure. That’s not a bad idea, although often not the best. For soil that already has a modicum of fertility, other green manures – oats, for example – return more
Clethra alnifolia Liatris and a Monarch butterfly Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) By Heather McCargo Photos by Jean English Native plant corridors attract pollinators and wildlife to your farm by stretching across your property to connect your piece of native habitat to nearby meadows, wetlands or woodlands. This creates a much larger area for native pollinators
By Roberta Bailey Maine is a rich state. We are rich in beauty, rich in art, rich in innovative people. We are colorful and full of local color. We color outside the lines. We think outside the box. We get cabin fever and turn the box into a high tunnel and learn how to laugh
By Cheryl Wixson There are certain times in the life of your farm or business when circumstances beyond your control – such as the death of your partner, health of a family member, loss of a facility due to fire or other disaster – require that the business enterprise cease operation for a period of
By C.J. Walke Reactive Remedies My favorite role in my work with MOFGA is helping growers and gardeners troubleshoot insect pest and disease issues in their fruit trees while developing strategies to keep those pests in check to allow fruit to reach harvest. Most often I am approached or contacted once a pest population has
By Diane Schivera, M.A.T. Getting your livestock to the butcher or processor is not just a matter of walking them onto a trailer and driving there. There are procedures to do first and best ways to transport in order to produce quality livestock products. Planning and Delivering for Slaughter You need to contact the processor
Eric Sideman with his favorite vegetable. Becky Sideman photo. By Eric Sideman, Ph.D. I like to have a garden that is like a farm stand – maybe because one of my favorite memories is going to the farm stand as a kid with my mom and dad. For whatever the reason, I like to be
This 22- by 49-foot high tunnel at Stutzman’s Farm in Sangerville is made from native white cedar, using an innovative design by Sunny Stutzman. Detail of the structure. Two side vents – one at each end of the house – are gas-powered and can be set to open at a specific temperature. Close-up of a
Rich Schuler, energy consultant with Practical Farmers of Iowa, by the insulated compost bin. Heat from composting warms water which is stored in tanks and available to heat greenhouse soil when needed. Sally Gran runs TableTop Farm, where the innovative heating system was trialed. The compost is aerated by blowing air through PVC pipes set
Oil being expressed from black oil sunflower seeds in a Piteba press. Photos by Anita Budhraja. After the oil has been pressed and the sediment and pigment allowed to settle for hours, the product is decanted, giving finished, ready-to-use oil. By Will Bonsall Those of us who seek to be more self-reliant are often content
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