Tag Archives: Growing

By Larraine Roulston: Those of us fortunate enough to have a residential garden, balcony space or a plot in a community vegetable/flower garden can reward themselves with some homegrown vegetables. You’ll find that getting an early start by planting a few seeds indoors will be more economical than buying transplants. Vegetables …

Read More »

By Kim Robson: It’s summertime, and our elderberry bushes are flowering. We’ve covered uses for elderberries, specifically the healing properties of elderberry syrup for coughs and sore throats, but what about the fragrant blossoms? Elderflower syrup is rich in vitamin C, making it suitable for treating runny noses caused by …

Read More »

By Kim Robson: We vegetarians do love our mushrooms. They’re meaty, filling, and full of vitamins and minerals; but they are also virtually calorie free and add delicious umami to food without the extra salt. Certain mushroom extracts can help stop migraine headaches (in addition to a number of other …

Read More »

By Fredrica Syren:  I love this time of the year when our homestead is exploding with ripe vegetables and fruits. My tomato plants are producing like never before, and on top of that, I also received tomatoes from a neighbor who does not know what do with her huge tomato …

Read More »

By Kim Robson: Come springtime, I always have a glut of empty mason jars that have been emptied gradually over the fall and winter. They clutter up our gardening shed, clinking around and getting in the way of things. It’s too early in the year to start canning — so …

Read More »

By Larraine Roulston: Many farmers and backyard gardeners who enjoy their freshly picked organic harvest can seize the opportunity to share their excess bounty with those less fortunate. As they see it, they are delighted that soup kitchens, food banks and pantries are able to distribute much more than just processed foods. In Canada, …

Read More »

By Fredrica Syren: I admit I have watched more documentaries about organic food, small farms and environmental instability than I can count. However, the new documentary Sustainable is one I must recommend. This movie is well done and presents a provocative view of the economic and environmental instability of America’s …

Read More »

By Fredrica Syren: My family (my husband and our three children) and I live on an “urban homestead.” This term refers to a household that grows, through gardening and livestock, most of the food it consumes. The difference between an urban homestead and a farm is that an urban homestead …

Read More »

By Diana Smith:  During the 20th century, mankind has shamelessly and ignorantly poisoned our planet; and now we are at the tipping point. It is the “green” mentality that the gardeners from every corner of our green earth have chosen as a way to redeem ourselves to Mother Nature, as …

Read More »

By Fredrica Syren: Growing potatoes is so much fun, and they taste way better than store bought potatoes. Most people believe you need a huge space to grow them, when, as a matter of fact, potatoes grow very well in pots. This way, you can plant a few pots and …

Read More »