Piecing It Together -Tips & Tricks-US45

USA - CANADA EDITION · ISSUE 45 · 2022 · FREE COPY

Piecing it

together

Essential Grower’s

Tips’nTricks GCMAG.CO

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CONTENTS

SUGAR, SUGAR...

THE TRUTH BEHIND SIMPLE CARB SUPPLEMENTS

THE POWER OF FUNGI

AND THE MYSTERY OF MUSHROOMS

MARKETpLACE

13

81 64

LOCAL GROWERS 89

HOW TO START PLANNING YOUR NEW GROW ROOM OR BUILDING

36

I N THIS ISSU E O F

GA R D EN C U LT U R E :

TEAM EFFORT

9 Foreword 11 Author Spotlight 13 Marketplace 18 The Power of Fungi and the Mystery of Mushrooms 20 TEAM Effort: How a Topdressing of Easily Accessible Mycelium Can Raise Your Growing Game 26 The Way The World Works Doesn’t Work 32 Tips For Balancing Your Soil’s pH 36 How To Start Planning Your New Grow Room Or Building 40 The History Of Food Preservation 49 It’s The Stigma That Stinks

52 56 60 64 68 72 77 80 85 89 94

20

Fall Prep For A Healthier Spring Water Activity & Food Preservation Don’t Press The Snooze Button On Garden Data Collection Sugar, Sugar… The Truth Behind Simple Carb Supplements Growing In Space Buckets The Invisible Harvest Rich’s Top 5 Indoor Growing Tips Words Of Gardening Wisdom Betty Green’s Top 5 Organic Gardening Tips Local Growers 5 Cool Ways Gardening Experts Harvest Their Plants 7

FOREWORD & CREDITS

FOREWORD

W

ho doesn’t want to improve their gardening game? We asked some of our writers to share their top growing tips, and they

delivered. The topics are varied, from Av Singh offering advice

USA - CANADA EDITION · ISSUE 45 · 2022 · FREE COPY

THE ART OF GROWING

enough when creating the perfect environment for your

PRESIDENT Eric Coulombe One less thing eric@gardenculturemagazine.com to worry about. +1-514-233-1539

C U LT U R E

explaining how to balance soil pH. A green thumb often isn’t

Special thanks to: Adam Clarke, Anne Gibson, Av Singh, Betty Green, Catherine Sherriffs, Dr. Callie Seaman, Evan Folds, Jennifer Cole, Jesse Singer, Joanna Berg, Mar tin Osis, Mar tyna Krol, Regi Oneton, Rich Hamilton, and Xavi Kief.

G A R D E N

on putting garden beds to sleep in the fall to Anne Gibson

CREDITS

Easy to use • Consistent clean quality input For all growers • Growing support provided

We are pleased to introduce Mar tin Osis and Xavi Kief; they will

ED I TO R Catherine Sherriffs cat@gardenculturemagazine.com

plants. Making informed decisions comes from experience

cover the magical world of mushrooms. In 2019, Paul Stamets opened the world’s eyes to the impor tance of the mushroom kingdom in his documentary film, Fantastic Fungi. There is so much to learn! The relationship between fungi, plants and our planet is undeniable. The healthiest soils are teaming with life.

A better understanding of the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi can make you a better grower. If you decide to grow them yourself and eat them, you will be a healthier person.

A win, win.

Last but not least, another edition of The Great UK Hydro Store Survey

U S A - C A N A DA E D I T I O N · I S SU E 45

and knowledge.

E XECU T I V E ED I TO R Celia Sayers celia@gardenculturemagazine.com +1-514-754-1539

Piecing it

together

Essential Grower’s

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We understand the importance of a clean and consistent input as well as keeping it simple.

Tips’nTricks

CANNA loves to share its knowledge and experience, our team is there to support you.

www.canna.com

ADV_CA_20_CORP_GARDEN-CULTURE.indd 1

GCMAG.CO 28-09-2020 10:54

DESIGN Job Hugenholtz job@gardenculturemagazine.com D I G I TA L & SO CI A L MARKETING social@gardenculturemagazine.com ADVERTISING ads@gardenculturemagazine.com

PUBLISHER toreadaboutwhatisgoingonintheUKmarketfromtheperspectiveof 325 Media INC 44 Hyde Rd, Mille-Isles progressive grow shops, please check it out online: GCMAG.co/2022 QC, Canada J0R 1A0 GardenCultureMagazine.com wasjustcompletedforGardenCultureMagazineUK.Ifyouwouldlike

It is an ever-evolving world, but gardening is cer tainly here to stay!

Happy Growing!

ISSN 2562-3567 (Print) · ISSN 2562-3575 (Online) Garden Culture is published six times a year, both in print and online.

Eric 3 @GardenCulture

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9

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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT

Mad respect for those who work day in and day out in an indoor grow, but the great outdoors is awe-inspiring for me.

Author Spotlight

AV SINGH

W

e will all be better growers now that we have ar ticles by Av Singh to read! Av is one of Garden Culture’s

newest contributors, and we are so thrilled that he’s willing to share his knowledge and exper tise with us.

An exper t in regenerative organic agriculture, Dr. Singh lives and grows in beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada, but has traveled around the world spreading the good word about holistic growing practices. Welcome aboard, Av!

What’s your growing motto?

Whether it’s living or growing, Tagore’s quote on life being service and service being joy will always ground me and remind me that there is meaning in our work. Finding meaning and purpose in what we do, especially as growers of medicine, has to bring us joy.

untouched. Witness how waxy, thick, and lush leaf growth is -- that’s usually enough to convince folks that the plant, the soil, and the microbes havegotthisfiguredout,andwe’rejustheretolendahelpinghand.

What is your favorite plant to grow? If cannabis, what cultivar?

Chole bhature. It’s the only street food that I will stop at every dhaba inIndiauntilIfindsome.Cholechanna ( masala)isaspicychickpea (garbanzo) dish, and bhature is a deep-fried leavened bread made withwhiteour. fl

Cannabis is by far the smartest plant I have ever grown, and I keep learning from her. With the cool late summers in Mi’kma’ki (where Nova Scotia is located), BC Bud Depot’s The Black is my favorite strain (although consuming it knocks me on my ass).

Do you prefer growing indoors or outdoors?

Mad respect for those who work day in and day out in an indoor grow, but the great outdoors is awe-inspiring for me. To watch your plant grow 6-inches in a day after a lightning storm or to see the amazing colors and smell the aromas as you approach your garden definessummerforme.

How would you convince other gardeners to grow regenerative/organic?

Ask them just to observe Nature. Witness how well plants grow in cooperation with other plants, how the soil is always covered, how insects are always buzzing or crawling around, and yet plants remain

What is your favorite food?

What do you love to do outside of work?

These are things that I do love to do and should do more, but I tend to geek out about work too much. Blessed with an amazing family, it’s nice to just hang out, enjoy good food, laugh and play games, and perhaps watch some rugby union with a single-malt in hand while some Bob Dylan is playing in the background. 3

Are you interested in writing for Garden Culture Magazine? We’d love to hear from you! Send us an email introducing yourself with a sample of your work. editor@gardenculturemagazine.com 11

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17

BY MARTIN OSIS

The Power of

Fungi

It is striking how intolerant humans can be at times.

But when it comes to mushrooms, we should be very accepting

and the Mystery of

Mushrooms The sudden appearance of a mushroom almost always elicits a response. One moment the mushrooms are there, and often, nearly as fast, they are gone. Like an unexpected visitor, an old friend you have not seen in years or just a dodgy-looking character standing at your door, the response is often surprise and suspicion.

18

A wild portobello (Agaricus sp.) is a delicious dinner guest.

FUNGI

When people are trying to identify mushrooms, they typically want to know what the species is and whether it is poisonous or edible. Often, they also want to know how to eradicate it from their properties. It is striking how intolerant humans can be at times.

But when it comes to mushrooms, we should be very accepting.

While sometimes they can be poisonous, like plants, mushrooms can range from gourmet delicacies to powerful medicines. They also do a world of good for the planet.

At times, these three roles blend into a give-and-take relationship.

This is the crucial part of what fungi do, and it generally goes unseen unless one takes the effort to observe.

UltimateConditions

The mushroom is the reproductive organ in the fungal life cycle.

Adequate amounts of water are essential for fungi to choose to produce mushrooms. Fungi are about%09 -8water, but more critically, they need moist ground for their spores to land and What Are Mushrooms? germinate. Temperature is also vital to prevent excess drying and Mushrooms are just the fruiting body or the reproductive stage promote condensation since both the spores and young hyphal of fungi. Fungi are not just ubiquitous; they are long-lived, neargrowth are incredibly vulnerable. Fungi are not risk-takers; conditions immortal organisms that can grow as long as the habitat provides have to be just perfect for them to expend the effort to produce the themsustenance.Manybelievethatfungiweresomeofthefirst mushrooms. terrestrial life on the planet when conditions were extreme. They quickly developed relationships with bacteria, algae, and plants to However, all bets are off when the fungi’s habitat is threatened. Cut survive, creating living biomass where all these organisms could exist downatree,buildaroadthroughtheforest,orsetafire,andthe and eventually thrive. fungi turn all their resources into fruiting mushrooms. Morels are especiallyfamousforthis,withmanyspecificmorelspeciese Fungi are made up of living threads called hyphae, and once a to only rely on that mechanism. Fire morels occur in conifer forests network has been established, it becomes known as mycelium. This that have evolved in a rhythm of regular burn cycles. mycelium interacts with the plants, plant debris, bacteria, protozoa, insects, and woody debris to create what is now known as the soil food web. This is the living substrate from which life on this planet Behind The Scenes springs and thrives.

So when we see mushrooms popping up around our yards and in our gardens, we know that the fungi have been working away unseen, often for a long time. Some of these mushrooms show up Essential To Life almost every year, others once a decade or only once in our lifetimes.

These fungi play many roles, including being a saprophyte, breaking Yet, seen or unseen, the fungal mycelium is still on the job, cycling down and recycling the organic debris from the plant kingdom and nutrients, supporting plant growth, and balancing bacteria, other the carcasses of the animal kingdom. Without fungi, we would be microbes, and insects. The healthier this balance is, the healthier the buried under piles of debris! This process is at the heart of what habitat you are tending and creating. 3 we are coming to know as mycoremediation. We try to harness this force to clean up our messes no matter how nasty, The disturbing looking Dog Stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus) distributes including spills of gas, oil, diesel, fertiliser (chemical or natural), its spores by attracting flies through a slimy pungent fecal aroma. and glyphosate.

Fungi also create symbiotic relationships with plants, especially woody plants and trees. This is called mycorrhiza, translating from the Latin word for fungi “Myco” and the Latin word for roots “rhiza”. These fungi use a couple of different methods to interact with the roots of plants, exchanging water and a variety of nutrients and minerals for carbohydrates that the plants are adept at manufacturing. This pool of valuable resources is held in the fungal mycelium and is doled out at need throughout this interconnected network. The breath of fresh air plants provide is just a waste product of this process.

Fungi also play the critical role of a parasite, keeping the whole system in a dynamic balance. This fungal parasitism covers all aspects of life, including plants, animals, insects and other fungi.

Bio

Martin Osis is an amateur mycologist who has been entertaining and educating mushroom enthusiasts for decades. Contact: Martin@MartinOnMushrooms.com 19

BY IV XA FEIK

Team Team Effort How a Topdressing of Easily Accessible

Mycelium Can Raise Your Growing Game

20

TEAM EFFORT

M

ushroom mycelia are everywhere; with a little search, it’s relatively easy to get your hands on some commercial spent substrate or to buy “grow your own” kits, ready to fruit or expand onto bulk growing media. Often composed of already-repurposed agricultural byproducts like woodchips, seed husks or hulls, you’re doing a

sustainability service by returning carbon and other necessary ingredients to the soil, feeding future generations of plants.

When sent into a living ecosystem, this TEAM, whether in a controlled indoor grow, urban planter, raised beds, or low or no-till

fieldofanyscale,frombackyardplottocommercialacreage,canimprovethequalityofthemicroclimatebelo the soil surface. In addition, it will encourage the harmonious self-management of existing pest pressures and begin lasting cocultivation relationships, opening opportunities for value-added nutritional and medicinal mushroom harvests.

Often composed of already-repurposed To take advantage of this simple techagricultural byproducts nique, break apart the spent substrate like woodchips, seed into a chunky mulch and spread it around husks or hulls, you’re the base of existing plants. The more you have to work with, the greater area you doing a sustainability can cover – aim for an inch of thickness service by returning or more, and if possible, incorporate a carbon and other lasagna-style layering technique, alternecessary ingredients to nating with plain corrugated cardboard the soil, feeding future or woodchips. If you have a very dense sourceofhealthymycelium,youmayfind generations of plants

How The TEAM Works

it can be cut into slabs with a serrated knife and laid out like tiles, which, under favorable conditions, can grow back together and fruit again.

myceliated mulch naturally retains moisture, protects the topsoil from sunburn, and suppresses the growth of unintended intercrops (a nice name for what some might call “weeds”). In addition, if the spawn is living and active, it may retain or even raise the temperature of the surrounding ground and lengthen or stabilize your growing season by fending off late and early frosts.

Go, TEAM, Go!

cardboard you can give them, and are well suited to this purpose. Perpetuating your TEAM may be as basic and low-tech as refreshing the vibrant existing ‘mycelial mat’ you created in a previous year with a fresh source of fungi food. If this is your goal, simulate the natural environment of wood-decaying mushrooms by covering this layer with a protective layer of nontoxic paper or cardboard (forming a penetrable “bark”), and maintain Figure 1 its moisture with regular waterings as you go about tending the companion plants. Seams, punctures and around the edges of this layer are where you’ll be able to observe whether the mycelium is regrowing and are the places to look for fresh fungi on a rainy day. With regular attendance to this valued resource, you can revel in the regenerative joys of plucking a meal’s worth of ‘bonus’ mushrooms numerous times throughout the peak harvest period in the same way you might tend a ‘cut and come again’ plot of salad greens.

credit: Xavi Kief

Living colonies of fungi naturally release carbon dioxide as part of their own digestive processes, and plants will be more than happy to take advantage of any supplemental source of this valuable gas you can provide, whether Oyster mushrooms, the easiest and most common mushroom directly below the leaf line at surface level or by allowing it to you’re likely to find as a tabletop “fruit your own” kit, enjoy naturally feed the roots in well-aerated soils. eating up all the landscaping woodchips, straw, or shredded

When afforded the opportunity to make direct contact with the earth, your TEAM will attract worms to populate the soil Oyster Mushrooms, traditionally forming cascading clusters hosting your plants, benefiting their rootzones with improved on bagged substrates or logs, grow vertically and are easily aeration and, by their rapid digestion, enacting a form of mihand-harvested among wood shavings in a TEAM application cro-manuring right where your garden can use it best. The 21

GERMINATION

credit: Xavi Kief

TEAM EFFORT

A common garden slug (Arion subfuscus) devours mushrooms fruiting in the TEAM-enriched environment.]

Your TEAM can also extend its nutritional and medicinal qualities to the localized ecosystem of pollinators and other beneficial insects and animals. For example, bees are known to visit exposed sources of mycelium, improving their individual and hive immunity against otherwise potentially devastating viruses.

Birds, frogs, and toads attracted to the earthworms and beetles munching on partially mushroom-devoured substrates can also help reduce populations of moths and their yield-reducing burrowing larvae (corn earworms, for example).

Off-Season Conditioning

With regular attendance to this valued resource, you can revel in the regenerative joys of plucking a meal’s worth of ‘bonus’ mushrooms numerous times throughout the peak harvest period in the same way you might tend a ‘cut and come again’ plot of salad greens

While regenerative agriculture doesn’t ever really “end”, most growers will consider at least part of the year their “off-season”. This is the perfect time to evaluate the tenacity of your TEAM and consider diversifying your roster. This may include introducing variety in the types of fungi represented (experimenting with different mushroom cultivars that run and fruit under a range of temperature conditions, for example), learning to raise your own mycelium from spores or cultures, and scouting and “spring training” local indigenous fungi species using techniques inspired by Korean Natural Farming or similar methodologies.

Finding an edible variety that is hearty and can survive in your climatethroughallfourseasonsmightbedifficult,butit’sagood reason to make friends with your local farmers’ market mushroom purveyors. However, don’t be surprised if these wise farmers are already putting this resource to good use in their own regenerative cycle; in this case, you’ll need to come up with something of value to offer in exchange. Consider starting a mutual aid arrangement with them, whether a trade for fresh produce, mushroom substrate provision, or skills-sharing (if you’re not inclined to farm labor, consider market-day childcare, digital promotion, and design services). This relationship may bring about a deeper connection to the land, intersecting the wild and tended areas so many species depend on for our common survival.

Like the best managers and coaches, you’ll learn to spot and utilise the talents of your TEAM through observation, practice, and experimentation. So dig in, and use TEAMwork to make your wildest dreams work!

23

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TEAM EFFORT

Finding an edible variety that is hearty and can survive in your climate through all four seasons might be difficult, but it’s a good reason to make friends with your local farmers’ market mushroom purveyors

Words to the Wise: Cautions and Parameters for Selection of Species and Spawn Types Depending on your interests and access to resourcsuccessful in fruiting mushrooms from your mycelium es, indoor TEAMwork might flow naturally from the before using it as a topdressing, the grain will most likeproduction of jar, tub, or other container-based fruitly be digested well enough by the fungi not to pose a ings of mushroom species like cordyceps militaris. significantthreat.

Contaminated or otherwise unsuccessful attempts, thankfully, can be good sources of vigorous fungi-deRemember to inoculate responsibly; consider that you composing-fungi (commonly, green molds) which, almay unintentionally introduce an aggressive fungus dethough frustrating when fungi are the target harvest, veloped for commercial purposes that could ‘escape’ aid in the rapid composting of pre-existing dead plant your garden and outcompete existing wild populations. matter (old roots and leaf litter, for example) and play A good tactic to avoid this is to use an already-localtheir own role in nutrient cycling. Remember that once ised varietal of a common species, like Turkey Tail, an you’ve allowed for these species to take hold, however, aggressive decomposer of wood and a potent medicithey are likely to produce more spores and will be pernal mushroom for humans (and many of their companpetual in your growing environment. It’s a good idea to ions!). Learn to identify Turkey Tail growing in a nearby take these TEAMS farther afield, and considerforest, them and (with appropriate permission, if needed) your lineup for “away games” only. break up some fallen tree limbs into nice-sized chunks, partially burying them among your plants. Suppose If manufacturing your own TEAM from scratch usyou’re on a homestead or woodlot. In that case, you ing a spore syringe or liquid culture, be aware that a can use longer branches or trunks full of mycelium as substrate with a high ratio of protein-rich grain may natural borders or rafts, “topdressing” the soil horizon attract small mammals to your growing environment. around or below raised beds to retain their structure Instead, expand this type spawn to cardboard, straw, and create a hugelkultur-inspired seasonal source of or woodchips before sending in your TEAM. If you’re readily-accessible, hand-pickable mushrooms. 3

Bio

Xavi Kief is a writer, researcher, and lifelong learner with their hands in the dir t and their imagination traversing the universe. Seeking always to deepen and integrate their connection with the living planet and its diverse inhabitants, Xavi finds joy by infusing their practical and playful approach to cultivation with a healthy dose of science. They grow food and medicine for their family and community on their Nor thEast Coast homestead.

25

BY EVAN FOLDS

The Way The World Works

doesn´t

work How is it that we put so much energy and resources into fixing things, yet they seem to get worse?

26

EARTH CRISIS

A

neasyexampleishealthcare,wheretheUnitedStatesspendsnearlytwiceasmuchonhealthperperson as comparable countries yet has increasingly higher rates of disease. People call it sick care for a reason; we treat symptoms with massive amounts of pharmaceuticals and misguided assumptions about how the body

workswhilenotconsideringtherootcause.Ultimately,allcynicismaside,thisisgoodforbusines

More Of The Same The business model is essentially the same for conventional lawn care, food, war, agriculture, etc. Status quo and conventional wisdom sell us on convenience and scarcity, then attempt to control the narrative to capitalize on the fear that this induces. In so many ways, our social software needs a reboot. We are capable of love and abundance but believe it backwards.

What is known is that humans are resilient; we will rise from the ashes as we have in the past, but with a new purpose and in new and exciting ways

The mechanism of control is corporatism – a marriage of business and government – that manipulates and coerces people into customers who collectively do not understand the value of what they buy. The industries built around this trickery are enormous and powerful, so when considering this, if our purpose is to seek truth and hopefully a way towards fixing the systems that sustain us, we must ask who benefits?

This is a big question built on top of an important reality – the modern world is stuck within a dying socioeconomic system that uses consolidation and control to pillage the Earth in the name of profit. This cradle-to-grave approach is unsustainable, built on extraction and subsidies. It results in what Vandana Shiva calls “fake cheap”, where a quarter-pound cheeseburger that would cost $12 without federal subsidies is somehow molded to a price point that has the masses nourishing themselves in a way that results in countless sick care customers.

Cynical?

We are living in a Ponzi scheme of corporatist capitalization.

What happens when it unravels is anyone’s guess and more a metric of how many of us come to grips with what is coming before it gets here than a situation where we can individually do anything about it. What is known is that humans are resilient; we will rise from the ashes as we have in the past, but with a new purpose and in new and exciting ways.

Our Health And Safety At Risk Through its almost total control over the media, health care, big business, and government, the system is flailing for influence and generating massive collateral damage to the health

and safety of the general public. The level of fear used as a full-court press on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies has reached epic and epidemic proportions. It is tearing communities and families apart, and we are left with a serious question – when will enough be enough?

The public policies enacted during the Covid Moment to protect people have mostly done the opposite. We have given our agency over to others for so long that we don’t know what it looks like to stand up for ourselves. As a result, the world has been split into two.

The system has shown its cards; we are being presented with an opportunity to choose – those who believe in the system or believe in themselves.

We are not talking about conspiracy theories and personalities playing puppet master here. We are talking about social and economic systems sucking the life out of the planet in a race to the bottom line at all costs. The system is not broken; it works exactly as it was designed. Coming to terms with this reality is the challenge of our times.

Seeing The Light

So how do we change the system? Buckminster Fuller recommended building a new one that makes the existing system obsolete. This is happening rapidly worldwide; thousands and maybe millions of people are actively building a “New Earth”, seeking freedom from the systems that bind us, putting people before profit, and choosing to come home to themselves and the community.

Many are showing up for the first time to engage at local political meetings. Others are exiting the system entirely, but what is clear is that the system is failing people. This impulse to reorganize society is being facilitated by tools such as private membership associations, cryptocurrency, and other disruptive technologies that decentralise control from traditional power channels to help build a new foundation for sovereignty and freedom.

27

EARTH CRISIS

In so many ways, our social software needs a reboot.

Decentralized communities are cropping up in all regions of the world, focused on fundamentals such as agriculture, skill-sharing, and more. This is happening on large and small scales. One leading organization in the space with two global locations in Ecuador and Mexico describes itself as “a member-owned network of conscious co-living communities that combine the value of owning a home, the freedom of renting, and a sense of belonging wherever you go.”

Soul Searching Work

Decentralized communities are cropping up in all regions of the world, focused on fundamentals such as agriculture, skillsharing, and more

People are seeking a new way of living, and rightfully so, given the pain and turmoil alive in the world right now. Sadly, the way the world works doesn’t work for most people.

Humans are recalibrating their lives on an unprecedented level. Some are waking up, others have already checked out, but the dynamics of the moment are stirring penetrating and often uncomfortable questions for everyone. Can we trust the experts? Does capitalism have a conscience? Is the government working for us or against us? Do I have power, and where can I find it?

This sort of soul searching is understandable given the conditions of the modern world. The wealthiest 1% of people own 50% of the world’s wealth. Three men have as much money as the bottom 50% of Americans, yet more than half a million people are homeless. We live on a water planet, yet more than 3.5 million people – the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every hour – die globally from water-related diseases yearly.

The world grows enough food for 10 billion people, yet 1 in 5 children in my county struggle with hunger. The list goes on.

What A World

The status quo wants business as usual, and those capable of making up their own minds are dangerous to business as usual. The unprecedented censorship seen through the Covid Moment by traditional and social media may be the clearest signal of how desperate the status quo is to retain control of our culture and how easy it is to manipulate the masses. Can we not think for ourselves?

Censorship limits diversity and makes us weaker, not stronger.

If we do not make up our own minds, someone else will do it for us. When this happens, it results in things we would not want if we were asked. Food is no longer our medicine, most farmland is not family-owned, we practice perpetual wars, and we try to solve natural problems with synthetic solutions. So we double down, again and again, hoping for different results, and it is crippling us.

When tyranny and toxic rescue chemistry are applied, rather than focusing on nourishment and reinforcing the natural principles of balance and diversity, the result is a false reliance on government and industry to save the day, and they are playing on the same team – against us.

False Promises Consider a homeowner hiring a conventional lawn care company. Government regulations allow them to spray carcinogens on landscapes that cost homeowners in more ways than one; then, they can make false promises that generate the problems they propose to solve. Generally, the average homeowner hiring a lawn care company has been conditioned 29

EARTH CRISIS

to want green grass with no weeds.

But, do you think they realize that the approach of trying to grow the grass with artificial fertilizers and herbicides damages soil health, pollutes the environment, poisons people, and ultimately stimulates more weeds?

The Way Forward

The gift of consciousness brings great power and responsibility, and we are being called to rise to this challenge

The healthy and more successful longterm approach is to grow the soil with biodiversity, living roots, and the work of the microbes of the soil food web so that the plants that the soil supports can thrive. Then, just like the microbiome in the human body, the soil is teeming with life and ready to perform miraculous functions that deliver tremendous value to the homeowner, such as saving money, better plants, reducing irrigation, a safer environment, and more. A forest grows trees with no fertilizer; the compost pile is the gut of the landscape. The natural world is much simpler than we have made it, and the parallels are life.

The strength of the soil food web, the gut microbiome, or the forest is in diversity. There is a great lesson here: censorship, the corporate nature of our health care, the artificiality and monoculture of conventional agriculture, and at almost every other point of opportunity we have to encourage diversity on a large scale, we choose the opposite.

We are so much more than this if we decide to be. We are spiritual beings of light living in the shadows, but in the spirit of our coming cultural renaissance, the shadow shows us the light. We seem to be in denial about the sources and merits of what helps us thrive. But as humans, we can change our minds and put our will into action in new ways.

This impulse to build a “New Earth” is important. We are facing circumstances never before seen on our planet, and the impulse represents an attempt to build community in a new way. The gift of consciousness brings great power and responsibility, and we are being called to rise to this challenge. In doing this, we must focus on regional development, leverage technology for abundance, and listen to indigenous cultures which retain the wisdom of how to live with the land. People do not need to be saved or rescued; we need to connect with the Earth and know our power and how to put it into play. When this happens, we move mountains.

Are we going to do what we are told within the confines of what we used to think? Or are we going to think critically, feel vulnerable, and will deeply into a new world that we all know is possible?

The time for gurus is over. In the end, no one is going to save us but ourselves. 3

Evan Folds is a regenerative agricultural consultant with a background across every facet of the farming and gardening spectrum. He has founded and operated many businesses over the years - including a retail hydroponics store he operated for over 14 years, a wholesale company that formulated beyond organic products and vortex-style compost tea brewers, an organic lawn care company, and a commercial organic wheatgrass growing operation.

Bio

He now works as a consultant in his new project Be Agriculture where he helps new and seasoned growers take their agronomy to the next level.What we think, we grow!

Contact Evan at www.BeAgriculture.com or on Facebook and Instagram @beagriculture 30

BY AN N E GIBSON

Tips For

Balancing Your

Soil’s

pH

Many common garden problems are due to soil pH imbalances, so it’s vital to test, monitor and adjust the soil to maintain it within the optimal range

32

BALANCING SOIL PH

S

oil pH (or hydrogen ion concentration) indicates how acid or alkaline our soil or growing medium is. It is measured in pH units to show on a scale of 0 to 14 whether the soil is neutral, acidic or alkaline. Soils with a pH value of 6.5 to 7.5 are considered neutral. Over 7.5 indicates an alkaline soil pH, whereas below 6.5 is acidic.

The basic rules are to add compost, mulch and apply compost teas Why Testing Your Soil pH Is Important

Soils with a pH value of 6.5 to

Soil pH directly affects the availability and uptake of nutrients 7.5 are considered neutral. Over and chemicals soluble in soil water by plant roots. The further from neutral the soil pH is, the less total nutrient uptake 7.5 indicates an alkaline soil occurs, leading to nutrient deficiencies. However, the maximum mineral nutrient availability occurs between pH pH, whereas below 6.5 is acidic 6.5-7.5.

In Australia, our native soils vary widely. Coastal lime soils tend to be alkaline. Volcanic acid soils, compacted poor Tips for Taking a Soil Test using a Kit quality‘fill’soilinurbannewhousingareas,andthose with method of determining the soil pH is by using a pH An accurate higher organic matter, like compost, influence soil meter.pH.This is simply inserted into the soil, and a reading is taken.

Other factors that impact pH include soil type (sandy, Another easy method uses special indicators or dyes that are clay or loam), temperature and high rainfall. Commercial matched against a color chart. The steps are quite simple: blends of potting soils are pH tested, so consumers are confidenttheyaregettingareasonablybalancedinput.

• You may need to test multiple soil samples individually for the best results if you have many garden beds and pots.

Many common garden problems are due to soil pH • I test each zone and batch of the potting mix to know if imbalances, so it’s vital to test, monitor and adjust the soil there are any pH issues I need to address. to maintain it within the optimal range. This also applies to • If you want an average pH of your garden soil, you can take working with a potting or seed-raising mix. multiple samples and combine them for testing. However, you may risk missing an issue in one area that could need I recently worked with a client who amended her potting remediation to correct a strongly acidic or alkaline soil. medium with several ingredients, including coir peat, • If you are collecting soil from a sizeable in-ground garden compost and vermiculite. She had poor seed germination bed, dig a hole down to 10 cm from the surface. Take at and seedling failures. When testing the pH of the mix, we leastfivelabeledsamplesfromdifferentpartsofthebed. found it to be highly alkaline at 8.5. I suggested she test Test each separately; this will provide you with data to the individual inputs to see where the problem lay, and compare. If all samples are pretty close in pH values, you surprisingly, the compost supplier was the culprit! It was a can make any soil amendments to the entire area. If one or good lesson in testing every batch and understanding the moreofthesamplesaresignificantlydifferent,youcantreat imbalances and negative consequences. them individually.

• Removeanyfibrousorganicmaterialsorstonesbyhandor Soil pH Impacts Nutrients, sieve before testing.

Minerals and Growth • When testing potting mix – either homemade or Plants obtain 14 of the 17 essential nutrients in a dissolved form commercial – thoroughly mix the blend before taking an in soil water. Highly acidic soils (pH 4.0-5.0) can contain toxic average sample. I’ve found results vary considerably by concentrations of minerals like aluminium, manganese and iron missing this step! that can affect plant growth.

• For small potted plants, remove the plant from the pot.

Take a sample of the potting mix immediately around the Beneficialsoilbacteriathatperformavitalroleindecomposing rootball. organic materials are hampered in highly acidic soils. This impacts • For potting mix in large tubs where you can’t remove the breakdown and availability of nutrients, especially nitrogen. the plant, take a sample as deep as possible around the Essential minerals become ‘locked up’. So, a balanced pH is a key rootball.Useasharptroweltodigdownalongtheinside to plant and soil health, including the biology. wall of the tub to collect the sample and blend it thoroughly before testing.

33

Kit directions are easy to follow:

• theAcidic soils tend to attract fungi and may be fungally dominant.

Addaat fl teaspoonofthesoilorpottingmixsampleto • Make a ‘compost tea’ with a handful of compost in an old sock test plate surface. or stocking dangled over a bucket. You can add a small lid of • Squeeze a few drops of the purple dye indicator liquid onto liquidseaweed,fishemulsion,wormleachatefromaworm it and mix well into a thick paste. farmandatablespoonofmolassestohelpfeedbeneficial • Dust the white powder over the paste and wait about one microbes. Ideally, use a pump to aerate the compost tea minute for the color to change. for 12-18 hours and use immediately. Dilute and water in or • UsethecolorcardwithpHvaluesfromacidictoalkaline spray over your soil and plants. to match as closely as possible to your sample. Compare the soil sample in natural light for an accurate color match.

You can also plant into ‘pockets’ of compost or potting mix while you remediate a larger area of the garden. Simply dig a hole bigger I record my pH tests in a Garden Journal. This provides accurate and deeper than the plant you want to grow, and fill this with data to work with if any amendments need to be added to your compost or potting mix. This strategy will enable you to adjust soil pH. Keeping a record is so valuable. You can look keep growing while improving the soil in your garden. As the plant back to compare the pH and any improvements over time. An establishes, its roots will use the balanced nutrients and moisture annual soil test will reveal any action you may need to take. If it’s in the potting mix or compost so it won’t suffer while you work within your budget, start with a professional soil test. Lab results on the surrounding soil. provide you with exact inputs to correct the pH and avoid any potentialnutrientdeficiencies.

If you are not getting a professional soil test done, it may be appropriate to add agricultural lime, not builder’s lime, to raise the If the soil is too acidic: less than 6.5 = low pH pH if it’s too acidic. As a guide, carefully apply 100g/meter. The (most common for Australian soils): most accurate way to apply lime is after a professional soil test • The quickest solution is to add high-quality organic matter analysis,whichwillshowyouwhichmineralsaredeficientori in the form of compost with a neutral pH, so you can start surplus. Again, it will take a while to increase the pH when you planting ASAP. Adding humus (broken down compost) is amend the soil using lime. You could expect to see a change in the the best way of changing pH naturally. Let the soil biology pH within six months. do the work!

•

BALANCING SOIL PH

1

8

2

9

3

10

4

11

5

12

6

13

7

14

Test your soil annually to know your garden’s nutritional requirements If soil is too alkaline: greater than 7.5 = high pH: • •

• •

•

When a plant expends energy This soil will be harder to rebalance than acidic soil (<6.5) adjusting the pH inside its cells and and likely contain more bacteria than fungi. outside in the soil, its overall growth The quickest solution is to add high-quality organic matter suffers. This is why we sometimes have in the form of compost with a neutral pH so you can start to step in to adjust the pH to create planting ASAP. Adding humus (broken down compost) is a more balanced environment for our the best way of changing pH. Again, let soil biology do the plants to grow. But ultimately, plants work! are in control! As Jeff Lowenfels, author You can also plant into ‘pockets’ of compost or potting mix of ‘Teaming with Microbes’ explains, while you remediate a larger area of the garden.

“Plants synthesize and release exudates Add green manure crops every season to improve soil of various components that adjust the pH health, organic matter content and increase microbial to where it should be.” Now and then, activity. though, we can give them a helping In an extreme situation, you could use powdered sulfur. hand for a healthier, thriving garden.

However, this option has pros and cons! Be careful, as sulfur is anti-microbial and can kill off your biology if applied The basic rules are to add compost, regularly. You could take the approach of making an initial mulch and apply compost teas. These steps will help application by using one handful/square meter and again improveadding your soil pH, increase soil biology (fungi, bacteria annually after testing if still needed. Unfortunately, and worms) and create a buffer for both acidic and alkaline sulfur to the soil is a slow method of adjusting the pH and soil types. 3 is affected by moisture and soil life. In highly alkaline soil, it’s likely you would not notice a change in the soil pH for about six months.

BIO

Anne Gibson, The Micro Gardener, is an author, speaker and urban garden community educator on the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, Australia. Anne is passionate about inspiring people to improve health and wellbeing, by growing nutrient-dense food gardens in creative containers and small spaces. Anne regularly presents workshops, speaks at sustainable living events, coaches private clients and teaches community education classes about organic gardening and ways to live sustainably. She has authored several eBooks and gardening guides. Anne shares organic gardening tips and tutorials to save time, money and energy on her popular website - TheMicroGardener.com.

35

How To Start

planning your new

grow room or building

36

GROW ROOM PLANNING

D

eciding to start a cannabis facility is no simple task. Whether growing medically for yourself or if looking to start a licensed facility, there is

much to consider. In general, at least in Canada, medical patients are afforded different opportunities and have different rules to follow.Therefore, some of the topics below may not apply to medical growers.

Working Backward

When any client approaches me to start In general, if a grow, I always ask them to begin at the end and work backward. The first time isn’t your thing to consider on any project is when enemy, then you you HAVE to complete it or when you WANT to complete it. The difference can likely finish between HAVE and WANT is significant Determine Facility Size cheaper and at when it comes to the schedule, quality, If you haven’t already calculated your and cost. I have always been told you facility size, now is the time. You need a better quality have to choose between cost, time, and to, again, work backward from the quality, and you can only pick two. In genend. In this case, the end would be eral, if time isn’t your enemy, then you how much flower or oil do you want can likely finish cheaper and at a better quality. Rushing these to produce? With this in mind, you can determine the footprint projects tends to end in disaster or major added cost. of the building. Alternatively, if you have a fixed budget, then you should determine your maximum financial expenditure and work backward on how many square feet you can afford to Location, Location, Location build. Costing varies drastically from region to region, so giving Now that you have your end date, you can consider location an estimate is outside the scope of this article. Ask around and and desired site conditions. Keep in mind that local regulations see what others have built for in similar industries, and that may exclude your property automatically. Therefore, before dewill help. I would use a per square foot cost to determine your signing anything, you need to make sure your preferred location budget. When either of these processes is complete, you can is allowed to be used for a cannabis building. Once this step is start sizing your building. complete, you can move forward to your next decision.

Available Services

Before agreeing to a property, you need to understand your utilities (power, water, natural gas/propane, etc.) and what is available. You haven’t sized your facility yet, so you don’t know the exact details. However, if you are doing a decent-sized facility, it is best to confirm you have natural gas, 3-phase power, and a reliable water source. Sewer and septic are also to be considered, but this generally doesn’t cause as much grief. One of the single biggest facility showstoppers is the availability of 3-phase power.

If you don’t have access to it now with an existing connection, you need to ask your utility provider if it is currently on your street. If it is not, expect a long waiting period to determine if you can connect and also a significant amount of money. It isn’t uncommon to see hundreds of thousands spent on 3-phase upgrades. So do your due diligence and make sure you have enough power before committing to a site. Remember that if you don’t have gas, power, water, etc., you are essentially screwed.

Growing Space

If you are sizing space for growing, consider the labor code for safe working spaces and the fire code for minimum distance between aisles for egress. I typically don’t like to leave any working space less than 3’ (1 m), the minimum in Canada. I suggest that a typical grow room can only be filled 70-80% full of plants, and the rest should be aisles and walkways. When using rolling benches, I leave one 3’-4’ aisle when all benches are together. Depending on the size of your facility, the rest of the space will be allocated differently. If you are doing EU GMP export, you will need more space to process your flower than just Canadian GPP. You need to consider all the extra areas in the building. Don’t forget things like a sanitation room, storage for packaging, a quality assurance office, at least one shower at entry, and airlocks from dirty to clean spaces. I typically allocate 40-60% for flower and another 40-60% for processing the flower. This depends a lot on grow style, dry style, and if you have extraction as well.

37

GROW ROOM PLANNING

The Drawing Board

At this point, you should have a good general idea of the size of the building you need. After this, you can move forward with doingupsomeprocessow fl diagrams.Mostpeoplehave - anun derstanding of what they want to accomplish. However, it is often difficulttoaccessthatinformationasadesigner.Thebestthing a client can do to help their design team is map out their own thoughtsonpaper.Simpleow fl chartsofhowyougrow,process, and the time it takes to accomplish tasks will go a long way in design.Themoreyoucandocumentbeforegettingtheofficial design started, the better. I often tell my clients the only thing the same about all grows is they are all different. Drawing diagrams and putting your thoughts on paper is the only way before designing to get what you want in the end.

Select A Design Team

You are ready to move forward with your design team by this point. This next step depends on whether you are well-connected in the design industry or not. In a traditional building situation, you would hire a general contractor or an architect, and they would guide you through the next steps.

For the most part, this is what I generally recommend. However, I think that all process buildings, regardless of cannabis or not, need a process evaluation done before these professionals are hired. I typically recommend a process-minded team prepare an “Owners Project Requirements” document from the information you have already provided. This document is to be used as the basis of design for your project. You and your process engineering team review all the conditions in the space and the specialty equipment and document it. The process team will do the heavy lifting; your job as the owner is to review and approve.

This process team will also act as your translator between you and your professional team when things get too technical. If you create this approval process, then you are protecting yourself from getting a facility you don’t want.

anything, you need to make sure your preferred location is allowed to be used for a cannabis building

calling for tenders in the general construction public, as you don’t always know what you are getting. Instead, I would pick a couple of different groups and see who you think can do the best work for you. We never recommend that our clients choose the lowest-cost bidder, which usually means the worst quality building.

Work with people you trust and who will stand by their work.

Just remember these are talented tradespeople, and they aren’t generally cheap, but their quality of work should be outstanding.

Planning Is Everything

To sum this all up, the best thing I can say is plan, plan, and plan.

The more details you hammer out on paper before construction starts, the better. Don’t let people tell you that renovating is cheaper than new or that this system is the only way to go. I have Like Your Architect seen many systems that work incredibly well, and I have also The team you hired to do your architecture will help you with seen renos cost more than new builds and look much worse. I buildingpermitsandworkingwithcityofficials.

Make sure you encourage you to do due diligence and make sure your team is like your architect, as they need to be your best friend during the rock solid. Work with people who care and that you trust, and construction process. You hire them to protect you and ensure you will be on the most successful path forward. 3 the building meets code. If they bring up an issue, consider that they should have your best interest at hand. This professional team will also likely have a network of contractors to refer you to.

I encourage you to meet a few before deciding who will be your construction partner.

Adam has provided planning and design services for canna-

Bio

Choose A Contractor With A Great Reputation

When meeting your construction team, I focus on the mechanical, electrical, and controls team members. The majority of costs in a cannabis building are process equipment, mechanical and electrical. These team members have to be the best in the industry if you want to have a stunning facility. I don’t like clients

bis and hemp cultivation and processing facilities over the last seven years with Stratus. His projects involve outdoor cultivation, indoor cultivation, drying, processing, extraction, storage, bottling and packaging, andmore.Livingonahobbyfarm,Adamlovesallplants,includingowers, fl vegetables, and microgreens, but is most passionate about hemp and is in aweofthefast-growingplantandallofthebenefitsitofferstohumans and the environment alike.

39

BY JESSE SINGER

the History of

Food Preservation

Food is critical to our survival. As important as it’s been to grow or find our food - preserving it is just as essential and has been something humans have strived to master for tens of thousands of years. From the sun to the refrigerator, man’s quest for food preservation excellence has seen us try it all. Here’s a timeline of food preservation methods and landmark moments throughout history.

40

FOOD PRESERVATION - A TIMELINE

12,000 BC sun drying

Prehistoric man didn’t have any fancy technology, but they had the sun! So they would use it to dry out various fruits and foods. The evaporation of the water in the food helped prevent the growth of bacteria.

Credit: -Ayman-Damarany

11,000 BC ‘World’s Oldest Brewery’ In 2018, researchers found beer residue dating back 13,000 years in a cave in Israel.

3,150 BC Fermenting in Egypt Evidence suggests that the Ancient Egyptians were fermenting alcoholic drinks.

3000 BC Mesopotamia

To store and save food for times of scarcity, the Mesopotamians would preserve cooked fish and meat in sesame oil, drying and salting it.

1000 BC Harvesting Ice & Snow

Passages from the Chinese poetry collection, known as Shijing, refer to religious ceremonies regarding the filling and emptying of ice cellars.

41

500 BC

Jam & Jelly

The ancient Greeks would preserve fruit by immersing them in honey and packing them into jars.

The Romans went one step further and would cook the fruit and honey before packing.

400 BC Yakhchāl

Ancient Iranian engineers invented these domed structures in the desert with storage space below ground for ice - and sometimes food.

160 BC De Agri Cultura (On Farming or On Agriculture) Written by a Roman soldier, senator and historian, Cato the Elder. The work - On Farming or On Agriculture - contains the first written recipe for dry-cured meat.

Bibliotheca historica

36 to 30 BC

In Diodorus Siculus’ work of universal history, the Bibliotheca historica (completed sometime between 36 and 30 BC), he writes about how the nomadic Cosséens in the Persian mountains would salt the flesh of carnivorous animals.

400-1400 Confit Today, confit is thought of as a method of food preparation, but the term originated as referring to food cooked for a long time in a liquid as a means of preservation. In the Middle Ages, meat would be cooked, cooled and sealed in its own fat. Stored in a cool place, the meat would remain good for months.

Brining 1400 Around this time, we see the origins of the brining method of food preservation - particularly for meats. The technique involved submerging the meat in a salt solution (brine), activating osmosis, and thus pulling water from the meat.

1478-1618 Tamonin-nikki The Japanese diary, written by monks between 14781618, documents how wine is heated to preserve it.

42

FOOD PRESERVATION - A TIMELINE

18th Century: Root Cellars Taking advantage of the consistently cool temperatures below the frost line, root cellars were a popular form of food preservation from the 18th Century until the advent of refrigeration.

1756 Artificial Refrigeration

In Edinburgh, Scottish physician William Cullen provided the first documented demonstration of artificial refrigeration.

1768 Lazzaro Spallanzani Spallanzani was an Italian priest and a scientist whose experiments with boiling and then sealing meat in a container showed that thermal actions could sterilize foodstuff.

1795 Nicolas Appert (the “father” of Food Science) Appert was a French chef who, in 1795, began his experiments in food preservation which involved sealing food in jars and placing them in boiling water.

-12,000 Francs 1795 The amount of the cash prize offered up by the French military for a new way to preserve food.

1803 Butter Box Thomas Moore gets a patent for his box used to transport butter.

The wooden box had a metal insert with ice to fill the gaps.

43

FOOD PRESERVATION SMALL FOOD - A TIMELINE GARDEN

1804 La Maison Appert

Appert

For The Win

The factory, started by Nicolas Appert, became the world’s first canning/jarring factory.

1851 Pressure Canner

1810

After years of experimenting and perfecting his work, Appert submits his canning invention to the French military and claims the 12,000 Franc prize.

Raymond Chevalier-Appert, the son of Nicolas Appert, got a patent for his pressure retort (canner), which would can at temperatures above 212°F.

Mason Jar 1858 John L Mason patents the iconic Mason Jars with the threaded screw-top and airtight seal. These easy-touse and reusable jars were a major influence in the rising popularity of home canning.

1862 Pasteurization Named after famed French scientist Louis Pasteur, who did his first experiments with Pasteurization in 1962. However, it would be decades before we would use the method.

Canning 1864 Understood

Although the canning process had been around for decades (thanks to Appert), it wasn’t fully understood until 1864, when Louis Pasteur proved that heat kills bacteria. Before that, it was believed that the exclusion of air preserved food.

1913 DOMELRE American Fred W. Wolf invents the first refrigerator for use at home. Called the DOMELRE (Domestic Electric Refrigerator), it was a unit you would mount on top of your icebox, and it sold for $900.

45

BIODYNAMICS FOOD PRESERVATION - A TIMELINE

1918 Refrigerator Mass Production -The Frigidaire company buys the idea for a fridge with a compressor on the bottom from electrical engineer Alfred Mellowes and begins mass production.

-The Kelvinator Company bought a different idea from Nathaniel B. Wales and began their own mass production of the first fridge with automatic temperature control

1922 Birdseye Seafoods Inc. Clarence Birdseye, the man often credited with creating the modern frozen food industry, conducted successful fish freezing experiments and started his company, Birdseye Seafoods Inc.

Fast-Freeze Fish

While his company quickly went bankrupt, Birdseye expanded on his research and developed a new, commercially-viable means of fast-freezing fish, starting another company, General Seafood Corporation.

Has your garden been ridiculously successful this year? Of course it has! Enjoy the fruits of your labor all year round by using some modern day preservation techniques. Consider pickling your peppers and cucumbers, making and freezing hearty tomato sauce, and turning your berries into sweet jam.

Learn the ins and outs of fermentation and dehydration, and if you want, take a step back in time and use the old fashioned root cellar to keep crops like potatoes and garlic throughout the winter. Food preservation will help you eat well and cut down on waste! 3

Sources: • • • • • • • • •

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_preservation dehydratorlab.com/history-of-food-preservation MSU Extension: The History of Preserving Food at Home (bit.ly/3PpW2ib) History of Food Processing (bit.ly/3lkhvv3) whirlpool.com/blog/kitchen/history-of-the-refrigerator.html historyofrefrigeration.com/refrigeration-history/history-of-refrigerator National Center for Home Food Preservation (bit.ly/3Mt5hvW) virdex.it: Cato the elder and his dry-cured meats (bit.ly/3FYkrXW) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Appert

1924

• • • • • • • •

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Foods Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Association: Root Cellar (bit.ly/3NoZBU6) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteurization en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Landis_Mason en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Poetry en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigeration en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curing_(food_preservation) bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45534133

BIO

Jesse grew up obsessed with movies and so it only makes sense that he graduated from McGill University with a degree in Polit Science. He then put that degree to good use with a job at a video store. After that, he spent months backpacking around Europe - a continent that he has been back to visit many times since. Jesse is super curious and loves to learn and explore new subjects. For the last 15+ years, he has beenwritingonlineforanumberofdifferentsitesandpublicationscoveringeverythingfromfilmandtelevisiontowebsitereviews culture, history, news, and sports. He’s worn many hats - which is ironic because he actually loves wearing hats and he has many different ones.

47

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BY REGI ONETON

CANNABIS OPINION PIECE

opinion

It’s The

Stigma That Stinks!

N

othing on this Earth gets my blood boiling more intensely than when someone comments that the odor of cannabis is not only intolerable, it’s somehow offensive and bordering on Biological Warfare. Something or someone has given these Cannabis Karens licenses to call the cops if they smell skunks in the hallway. I once had a condo

association meeting where we couldn’t even get to the agenda items because the hot topic that day was the smell of Ganja. I have seen signs that warn parents not to drop their kids off at daycare smelling of cannabis, as though the consumption of my medicine would somehow make me a bad father. As I typed that, I felt the tingle of violence. I am ready to start knocking people out. Thank the Lord I smoked a blunt before I dropped the kids off at Tiny Tokers Daycare for children of drug-addicted losers.

Let’s talk about smells and odors for a moment, shall we?

We’ve all had that family up the hall that’s always cooking some delicious and spicy cuisine. The odors of the meal wafting through the halls either pleases or offends the sensibilities of all the residents. But nobody is bringing up their culinary preferences at the next condo meeting. How about body odor? We have all been there. You don’t just star t verbally assaulting the person or making arrangements to have them hosed off by the Cleaning Cops. Sometimes, especially when you choose to live near others, you need to tolerate things politely.

I think it’s essential to give you, the reader, a little perspective on who is writing this. Cannabis, in all its forms, is as beautifully necessary for me as your morning coffee.

I am such a Ganja Dork that I take microscopic photos of my Cannabis flowers and roll my joints on an actual silver

Cannabis, in all its forms, is as beautifully necessary for me as your morning coffee. platter like I’m serving tea to the Queen. So, the looks of disgust and passing comments while I am trying to burn my spliff are an intrusion and even an infringement of my rights as a person and proper ty owner. I get it; it’s stinky! But so is your personality and general viewpoint on life.

When I am growing my medicine, I employ a carbon filter to minimize the smell as much as possible. That’s about as much bending over as I am willing to do. For every person who hates the smell, you have one that loves it. It just so happens

49

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CANNABIS OPINION PIECE

You would not dare tell a circle of suit-wearing gentlemen to stomp out their stink sticks and brush the musk of whiskey from their mouths

For every person who hates the smell, you have one that loves it.

the more vocal segment is always the hater. I listened to my favorite Podcast on 4/20, which, as we all know, is our sacred day of celebration, only to hear the host say the long-standing privately observed holiday was for “losers”.

He states that it’s ridiculous to hold a “drug” in such high esteem and take a day out of the year to celebrate something so moronic.

This coming from a guy who rents a Maclaren a few times a year for the experience and can’t walk his fat ass to a basketball net without breaking his arm. I took it personally; he looked right at the camera and said that directly to me. I almost jump-kicked my own television.

The stigma of the pothead loser he so eloquently described directly correlates to the hatred and perceived intrusion of that funky skunky smell a lot of us love.

some Kush, you have a bunch of dads in New Balance shoes ready to have their Will Smith Oscar moment because their wife can’t handle the smell anymore! Caviar smells like a seaside prostitute, but some people still spread it on a cracker, and they are more than welcome to do it at my table because my mother taught me to tolerate those little things so we can enjoy the bigger picture that exists in all of us. If the smell on my jacket sends the wrong signals to you and the smell of grandma cooking liver in the basement isn’t somehow worse than cannabis, then you can’t be helped.

Just remember, it’s legal in many places now, and if you knock on my door and it’s not to ask to borrow rolling papers, you will have the door promptly closed on you. I might even need to smoke another joint to calm down after.

Cigars and brown liquor are considered a delicacy. You would not dare tell a circle of suit-wearing gentlemen to stomp out their stink sticks and brush the musk of whiskey from their mouths. The second you wrap that tobacco leaf around

I leave you with the immor tal words of Rodney King: “Can’t we all just get along?”

Happy Growing; keep it dank and stinky. 3

BIO

RegiOnetonisamulti- disciplinaryartistanddaytimeexecutive.He’sbeenamemberofSocansincehis release at the age of 20, and is a self-taught audio engineer and self-proclaimed studio rat. Regi is a late-blooming street artist and painter whose works can be found hanging in the offices of Burton and Vans Canada. Long-time contr the Under Pressure Graffiti Festival and lover of the Arts. As the years plow forward, he has added botanical en plant father to his litany of passions. His interests include writing and spending too much time looking at his phone.

51

BY AV SINGH

Fall Prep For A Healthier Spring

It Ain’t Over ‘til The Garden Bed Is Asleep 52

POST-HARVEST LAND PREPARATION

I

t’s been a long season. As you lop off the last plants and fruits for hang drying or fresh-frozen storage, your thought dreams drift you to a more relaxing oasis away from the arduous tasks performed for the last six to eight months.

But,you’resonotfinished.Post-harvestlandpreparationisarguablythemostimportantworkyoucan

farmforprofitabilityandenvironmentalsustainability.

Regenerative Prep

Regenerative growers, whether Post-harvest land following organic, biodynamic, or natural farming techniques, are preparation is arguably blossoming worldwide. Placing a the most important regenerative agricultural lens on growing helps shape some integral work you can do on the practices that can help stave off some farm for profitability of the common challenges annual crops face (e.g., cereal grains, oilseeds, corn, and environmental etc.). These challenges include bare soil, sustainability soil compaction, poor water retention and infiltration, increased weed pressure, and pests and pathogens.

Disease-Suppressive Soil

Whatdefinesadisease-suppressivesoil?

First, it does not mean the absence of disease or the virulent pathogen; rather, it refers to the soil’s ability to render the pathogen benign or keep it from gaining a stronghold in the soil community.

Chemical and physical characteristics can create a disease-suppressive environment, but the microbial community does most of the work. At present,thereisnodefinitiveexplanation as to what is happening in these soil communities, but, in large part, potential pathogens are held back in three ways:

As regenerative farmers, hopefully, notions like the use of green manures, insectaries (i.e., refugia areas with companion plants to 1) Competition - p l a n t b e n e fi c i a l m i c r o b e s a attractbeneficialinsects)cover , crops,mulches,compost populous teas, than pathogenic ones and out-compete them for and fermented extracts, etc. were not foreign practices during resources, especially Carbon (C) and Iron (Fe). thegrowingseason.Usingthesefarmingmethodsshouldhave the land pretty well set for just some minor tweaks to get your 2) Production of an antibiotic - of course, microbes beds ready for next year’s crop. are the source of many antibiotics used in humans; these same microbes can create molecules that kill other microbes.

Ideally, most annual crops, should undergo crop rotation and notbeplantedinthesamefieldforthreetofouryearstohelp 3) Production of volatiles - interestingly, many of the address weed, pest, and disease issues. However, for many terpenes that are sought after in our plants are the same growers, the infrastructure for these plants parallels that of molecules that can inhibit pathogen growth. perennial crops like grapes, hops, and fruit trees and, therefore, are managed more like an orchard or vineyard as a permanent bed system. A lack of rotation will create severe selection pressure, and viruses, viroids, fungal diseases, and insects will prosper. As a result, the primary goal for fall preparation is to create or maintain a “disease suppressive” soil to combat any future pest or pathogen.

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POST-HARVEST LAND PREPARATION

Preparing your beds in the fall should not be confused with applying soluble fertilizers. Soluble fertilizers will leach out of the soil with winter precipitation

More Post-Harvest Prep Tips

Many of the regenerative farming practices mentioned above are foundational in creating a disease-suppressive soil, but here are some steps to follow post-harvest to help prepare for spring planting: •

Remove all plastic mulch (not recommended for sustainability reasons) or landscape fabric. Hopefully, soon there will be more non-petroleum-based biodegradable mulches, maybe even hemp-based!

•

Mow or shred any leaf, stalk, or exposed root-ball material; this increases the surface area of these materials, boosting their opportunity to decompose quicker, thereby not being a suitable host for overwintering pests or pathogens.

Ideally, you have left some rows with natural vegetation (e.g., weed refugia) to provide homes for overwintering beneficialinsects.

•

•

If there is a window (i.e., how many days before frost) to plant a cover crop, choose an appropriate cover to meet your needs (e.g., nutrient scavenger vs. weed suppression vs. increase organic matter vs. break soil compaction, etc.).

Some growers will carefully scatter cover crop seeds a few weeks before ‘Croptober’ to help establish cover before cold temperatures set in.

•

Feed your soil with microbial foods and microbes. During the winter months when plants aren’t actively growing, very little food is being offered to soil life. The use of compost, compost teas, compost extracts, and fermented teas can not only help keep some bare soil more aggregated but can boost microbial populations. Some growers using organic fertilizers with a high C:N ratio (Carbon:Nitrogen) like alfalfa meal or insect frass will include extra food for the microbes.

Over winter, these will become plant available and ready for plant uptake when something is actively growing on the bed.

•

Lastly, many growers add special ingredients to their fall elixirs likekelpextract,humicacid,seaminerals,fishhydrolysate, and even simple sugars like molasses. Chock full of vitamins, amino acids, and trace minerals, these soil drenches create an active microbial community that surpasses what is witnessed during the growing months.

Preparing your beds in the fall should not be confused with applying soluble fertilizers. Soluble fertilizers will leach out of the soil with winter precipitation. Proper fall preparation involves the use of microbes and microbial foods that will help make nutrients plant available when the need arises, and more importantly, help make the soil more disease suppressive, securing another favorable crop. 3 Based on soil tests, you may want to add some soil amendmentsthatrequiresignificantweatheringtobecome plant available, like limestone, gypsum, rock phosphate, rock powders like Azomite, greensand, glacial or basalt BI O Av Singh, PhD, PAg advocates regenerative organic rock dust. Remember to ensure that heavy metals like agriculture serving various organizations, including Regeneration Canada, Navdanya, and the Canadian Organic Growers.

Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Mercury (Hg) aresufficientlylow.

55

BY DR. CALLIE SEAMAN

Water Activity & Food Preservation

i hT s article i w ll e c t r ainly make o y u e uq stion evert y i h gn o y u thot hgu o y u e nk w abot u a w ter. e hT o f llowign teci nh e uq e r o v lutionie z s the safety of food and dry flower products sold for human consumption but has been used for decades in the food industry.

56

WATER ACTIVITY

What Causes Spoilage

The water present causes this spoilage and reduced shelf life in the plant; the higher the water content, the increased risk of microbial attack. But why do some foods take longer to begin this process?

One of the biggest issues growers face is keeping their beautiful produce from spoiling and becoming ravaged by microbes

When water is in an equilibrium state, it moves from a liquid/aqueous state to a gasses/vapor state. Water is also classed as a solvent, and it will happily hold salts and sugars along with many other constituents known as solutes. The addition of solutes to water alters the equilibrium state and its behavior. Not only that, but its temperature also has an effect. Food has many different solutes at differing concentrations. When the water is removed, these concentrations increase and help boost the food’s shelf life.

the better its capacity to support life. The relative humidity of the air surrounding that water also plays an important role.

Distilled water has an aw of 1, giving it the greatest capacity to support life. On the other hand, dried fruit has an aw of 0.6, reducing the chance of microbial colonization and spoilage. If this dried fruit is exposed to dry air with an aw of 0.5, the water will migrate from the fruit into the air, preserving it further. However, with an aw of 0.8, humidity results in the fruit absorbing the humid air and spoiling faster—the lower the aw of a substance, the less chance of microbial growth due to desiccation.

How To Measure Water

There are a couple of ways to measure water, either by using a resistive electrolytic hygrometer, a capacitance hygrometer, or a dewpointhygrometer.Thefirstoftheabovemethodsfollows Salts and syrups have been used for many years to preserve food. the principle of resistance. There are electrolytes in the glass Radiation is another methodology that has been employed, killing rods of the meter that change resistance directly proportionanything present on the surface of the produce. However, these al to the relative humidity. The second method involves water methods can be detrimental to some volatile compounds, reducinto a membrane, increasing its ability to hold ingtheirnutritionalandbeneficialproperties.being Ozoneabsorbed andsteam a charge, which we can then measure. The fastest and most are also food preservation techniques. However, the damage accurate method is the dew point method, which involves the caused to delicate fruit is more problematic than the solution it cooling of a mirror until the dew point and measuring this with creates. an optical sensor.

Understandingthechemistrybehindwhyfoodspoilsisessential.It So, what is the best aw when curing and preventing mold growth? allows us to develop a more tailored methodology of preservation rather than just adding substances or using treatments that will Remember, it is not just about the aw of the product you are prehave anti-microbial effects. serving;itisalsotherelativehumidityofthe - surroundinga ing airtight containers and desiccating crystal sachets are perfect What Is Water Activity? ways to gently aid the migration of the water from the cells. An Water activity is a concept that has been around for over 50 years aw of 0.6 is ideal when drying fruit and herbs before placing them and has helped with food safety, product design, and shelf-life into the seal storage vessel where you can control the humidity. guarantees. Lowering the water activity of a food substance helps Below 0.6, no microbes can proliferate. prevent the growth of microbes; it is not classed as a kill step, as cells are viable in powdered milk but never grow.

Donotrushthecuringprocessifyouwanttopreservetheavors fl ofyourproduce.Atthesametime,insufficientdryingcanresult Thestrictdefinitionofwater )activity is the partiala ( vapor presw in loss through decomposition of the biomass. Although it may sure of water in a solution (p) divided by the standard state partial seem complicated, using water activity to help prolong shelf life vapor pressure of water (p*). and prevent mold is something all serious growers should try. 3 aw = p/p*

Various Food Preservation Techniques

But what does this mean in simple terms?

References

It is the thermodynamic activity of the water, also known as the energy the water has as a solvent (p) and the relative humidity of the surrounding air (p*). As the temperature increases, so does the aw because it has greater energy. The more energy the water has,

1.

2.

3.

4.

Rahman, M.S. and Labuza, T.P., 2007. Water activity and food preservation. In Handbook of food preservation (pp. 465-494). CRC Press.

Mathlouthi, M., 2001. Water content, water activity, water structure and the stability of foodstuffs. Food control, 12(7), pp.409-417.

Troller, J., 2012. Water activity and food. Elsevier.

Barbosa-Cánovas, G.V., Fontana Jr, A.J., Schmidt, S.J. and Labuza, T.P. eds., 2020. Water activity in foods: fundamentals and applications. John Wiley & Sons.

BIO Dr. Callie Seaman is a leading expert of the UK hydroponic industry and became passionate about medicinal cannabis when she was diagnosed with epilepsy over 20 years ago.After obtaining a Biomedical Sciences degree at Sheffield Hallam University, she completed a PhD titled “Investigating Nutrient Solutions for Hydroponic Growth

of Plants”. During her PhD, she became a founding director of Aqua Laboratories Ltd – a formulator and producer of specialist hydroponic nutrients. In October 2018, Callie became a non-executive director of a home office licenced medicinal cannabis facility within the UK. She consults with a wide range of other licensed producers worldwide as they look to set up their facilities.With numerous scientific articles, book chapters and peer-reviewed papers to her name, Callie is an experienced professional in the field of medicinal cannabis, cultivation and fertilizer science. @dr.callieseaman

@DrCallieSeaman

@dr_CallieSeaman

linkedin.com/in/dr-callieseaman Web: aqualabs-uk.com & cbdhempire.co.uk

57

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BY JOANNA BERG

Garden Data

Collection G

athering and examining data on your growing environment can have a powerful impact on understand-

inghowvariousfactorsinfluenceplantyieldorthe

expression of their genetic traits. Data is information that will put your finger on the pulse of your garden or farm,and gathering it doesn’t have to be a daunting high-tech solution. Don’t immediatelyleaptogreenhousecomputerbrainsandfieldsensors.

My great-grandmother kept a simple log of our family farm, noting the daily weather, farm activities, crop issues, and other significant events, including the births of the children in our family. I treasure that journal to this day

60

DATA COLLECTION

S SCIE NTIF IC CLAS

My great-grandmother kept a simple log of our family farm, noting the daily weather, farm activities, crop issues, andothersignificantevents,includingthe - birthsofthechil dren in our family. I treasure that journal to this day. So, get excited about gathering data! Connect with your plants on a deeper level, and, who knows; maybe you’re leaving a family legacy. Here are some tips and tricks on collecting great data and leveraging that information to grow healthy, beautiful plants.

NAM E

LOCATION

SUPP LIER

NAM E

S SCIE NTIF IC CLAS

DATE S

PEREN NIAL

GERM INATE D PLANT ED

DATE S

SEEDL ING

CTIO NS RU PLAN TING INST

CTION CARE INST RU

PARTI AL SUN OTHE R

OTHE R

CTION CARE INST RU

S MUCH

LESS MUCH

FERT ILISE RS

PMEN T & EQUI

PMEN T & EQUI FERT ILISE RS ADD ITION AL ADD ITION AL

OTES N

OTES N

RATIN G RATIN G

SIZE COLO R

SIZE

TASTE

COLO R TASTE

Connect with your plants on a deeper level, and, who knows; maybe you’re leaving a family legacy

Not every year will have the same weather at the same time, but documenting and learning the temperature and weather patterns will help you predict the arrival of pest and disease pressures in the future. For example, how many days of 10 oC weather does it take before I see cucumber beetles attacking my plants? If you note these environmental variables, you can begin to correlate them with a pest presence. Once you know you’ve hit the environmental window that favors the life cycle of your pest or disease, you can take a preventative approach to management. Crushing a problem before it begins is much easier than reacting to an acute problem.

PARTI AL SUN

TS IREM EN WATE R REQU

TS IREM EN WATE R REQU

LESS

When do the Japanese beetles start attacking your roses?

When do the cucumber beetles arrive to shred up your leaves? When does your squash get powdery mildew in the fall? Knowing when a pest or disease shows up is paramount to preventing them in the future. Log who you see and when they show up to inform future pest forecasting.

LIGH T LEVEL SUN SHAD E

S

Document Pest/Disease Emergence

Daily Temperature, Humidity, and Weather Events

LIGH T LEVEL

SHAD E

PLANT

SEED

HARV ESTED

PLANT

SUN

SEEDL ING

STARTED FROM

PLANT ED

HARV ESTED

CTIO NS RU PLAN TING INST

BIENN IAL

PEREN NIAL

GERM INATE D

STARTED FROM SEED

TREE

ANNU AL

BIENN IAL

ANNU AL

FLOW ER

SHRU B

PRIC E

TREE

SHRU B

FRUIT

HERB

SUPP LIER

FLOW ER

HERB

PRIC E

LOCATION

FRUIT

VEGET ABLE

VEGET ABLE

Soil and Plant Tissue Testing

Many home gardeners do not want to carry the expense of lab testing. The stakes are lower for the hobby gardener, but if you are a commercial producer of any kind, you will want to understand how your nutrient regimen affects your crop. Getting a side-by-side soil saturated media extract (SME) test along with a plant sap or plant tissue test can be powerful in unlocking your understanding of the soil-plant interface, crop performance, and fertilizer utilization.

Sticky Traps for Pest Population Monitoring

Thesestickytrapsarecommonlymisusedtocontrolying fl insects suchasaphids,leafminers,fungusgnats,thrips,whiteies, fl black ies, fl midges,andotherying fl plantinsects.Althoughtheymaydoa good bit of population reduction, sticky traps are more than just a trap! They are there to catch insects so you can identify who they are and how many are in your garden. Often, you will see sticky traps with a little grid printed on the trap; this is for counting. If you count the number of insects weekly and subtract the previous counts from the most recent count, you can tell how severe an infestation is and if a pest population is increasing or decreasing over time. This can help you understand if a treatment you might have tried is working. Also, sticky traps won’t necessarily solve your pest problem. For example, if you have a fungus gnat issue, sticky traps won’t solve your problem if you are not addressing soil moisture levels. Do not rely on them to obliterate a pest issue.

Think holistically about the pest life cycle and attack them where they are vulnerable.

61

@ATAMI.USA

DATA COLLECTION

Over-collecting data is a very easy mistake to make

Soil pH, Moisture, and Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

Crushing a problem before it begins is Youcangatherthesedatapointsinthefieldina- low-techap proach with relatively inexpensive store-bought meters or send much easier than a sample to a lab for measurement. Hobby gardeners and comreacting to an acute mercialproducerswillgetafirmunderstandingoffieldconditions with these data points, which is essential because these variables problem dictate the ability of a crop to properly uptake the nutrients.

Don’t Over Collect Data

Meaningful data but less data is better than tons of useless information. Over-collecting data is a very easy mistake to make. This habit can be a waste of time and can get overwhelming. Instead, approach your data collection with a strategic attitude. Know why you are collecting a particular piece of information and have a plan on how you are going to use it. How will you aggregate the data to see patterns? How will you look back and analyze trends over time? These questions will help dial in your method of documentation. Is it a spreadsheet, a journal, or a bunch of notes scribbled on a calendar? Any of these methods will work as long as you have a clear plan on which data you need and how you intend to access that information in the future.

Bio

I know data collection can sound like a snorefest or feel cumbersome, but I believe it can be empowering and informative. Farmers have always thrived on their observations because it connects them more deeply with their production. Data can be a powerful anchor to your observations and provide vital information. So unleash your garden nerd and document your amazing observations because it will pay off! 3

JoannaBergisaCertifiedProfessionalSoilScientistspecializinginpest - anddiseasediag gratedcropmanagementsolutionsthroughherfirminNorthernCalifornia,DirtyBusinessSoil 63

Sugar, Sugar

BY AV SINGH

The Truth Behind Simple Carb Supplements

64

SUGAR

O

ld Wives’ Tale? Bro-Science? Snake Oil? Or Magic Bullet? The use of simple sugars in the garden predates the fancy bottles of “candy” and “sweeteners” that you see lined up in grow shops and garden centers. For hundreds of years, Natural Farming techniques have used honey, molasses, maple syrup,

and other natural sugar sources to benefit crop production - but why?

Re cent research reveal s that these simple sugars are more than microbial foods Well, here’s the truth. The truth is -- we don’t exactly know why. So many varying factors like soil pH, soil organic matter, and soil microbial life, coupled with our still limited understanding of what actually goes on around the rhizosphere and the root cell membrane, leave us with several potential modes of action of why free sugars benefit plant growth.

For hundreds of years, Natural Farming techniques have used honey, molasses, maple syrup, and other natural sugar sources to benefit crop production -- but why?

Sceptics argue that the whole purpose of photosynthesis is to produce glucose, some of which is used as energy for plant growth, while much of it is exuded into the rhizosphere to feed or attract microbial populations. They contend that supplemental sugars will only attract more microbial species that benefit from an excess of simple sugars and that the practice of sugar supplementation disrupts the natural selection of microbial species that the plant needs; this is true. Exogenous sources of simple sugars will preferentially favor those microbes that see glucose, fructose, and sucrose as food, and their populations will rise as a result. However, recent research reveals that these simple sugars are more than microbial foods.

Most plant physiology textbooks will note that complex organic molecules need to be digested by microbes before being absorbed into the plant. So, essentially, supplemental sugars are not food for plants; they are microbial foods. In contrast, recent research has identified that the relatively impermeable plant cell membrane has Sugar Transpor t Proteins (STPs), which have a strong affinity for simple sugars and can actively transpor t them into the plant through roots and other plant organs.

So, what is the benefit of this “free” sugar, considering the plant can already make the stuff ? For the longest time,

our one-track perception of sugars within the plant was to view them as sources of energy or building blocks for amino acids and other complex molecules. However, sugars play a critical role in modulating plant growth. The simple monosaccharides, sucrose and glucose, function as signaling molecules that aid the growth and development of plant tissues. This relatively new understanding of the role of sugar in plants can provide added information on the timing of sugar supplementation.

Continually applying “free” sugars to a plant throughout its life cycle may not be the best approach because it will provide significant selection pressure only to allow certain microbial species to thrive. Growers must know that the goal of a healthy soil food web is to have as many actors present on the stage at all times. If concentrated with only bacteria and fungi, nutrients can get tied up and not cycle to the plant. Therefore, sugar supplementation should be strategic and application timings motivated by specific end goals. As with all things in life, moderation is key.

Kickstart Seedling Growth Or Clone Root Development

From the hypocotyl development of the seed to the root extension of your developing clone, exogenous sugars will signal cell elongation and division at the root tip.

Both sucrose and glucose have been linked to increased auxin biosynthesis. Auxins are a class of phytohormones that are sugar magnets and are primarily responsible for growth (e.g., the highest concentrations are in the apical and root meristem). Also, a spoonful of sugar helps the mycorrhizae go up. Studies have shown increased mycorrhizal infection rates when soils are supplemented with some fructose.

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Crop Steering Using A Little Glucose Boost Giving your plants a little break from sugars during veg may allow them to establish a more diverse microbial population around the rhizosphere. As a plant is approaching generative growth (flowering), a switch in the form of nitrogen (N) can help maintain optimal plant health and make the transition more fluid. Nitrate (NO3-) is an excellent form of N for growth, but in flowering, plants will be better off with ammonium (NH 4+) or amino acids as their source of N. Exogenous glucose has shown to inhibit the uptake of nitrate N and favors the uptake of amino acids like glycine.

Finish With A Sugary Treat For Root Health

A little extra postharvest sugar feeding can provide microbial populations with a much-needed boost for the coming winter when food sources may be slim

A significant hormonal shift happens within a plant in the latter stages of flower or after entering fruit fill. Sugar magnet hormones, auxins, begin to concentrate in flowers and fruits and as a result, so does the majority of photosynthate (i.e., glucose from photosynthesis). Who misses out?

The roots. With roots no longer getting their fair share of sugar, root health decreases, and plants become more

Growers must know that the goal of a healthy soil food web is to have as many actors present on the stage at all times

susceptible to root diseases. Some timely applications of sugar in the last couple of weeks before harvest can help stave off root-related plant disease. This late-feeding of the rhizosphere can help maintain microbial populations that can continue to produce secondary metabolites like flavonoids, terpenoids, vitamins, and other antioxidants for the developing fruit or flower. Moreover, a little extra post-harvest sugar watering feeding can provide microbial populations with a much-needed boost for the coming winter when food sources may be slim. The increased activity can help break down potential overwintering sites for pests and pathogens.

This age-old practice works, yet we will continue to better understand why. The one cer tain truth - the more we know reveals just how little we know about the plant:soil:microbe interface. 3 67

BY RICH HAMILTON

Growing In

space Buckets

Buckets 68

SPACE BUCKETS

It offers room for a handful of small plants such as microgreens and herbs and even slightly larger veg such as cherry tomatoes, carrots, and onions

S

pace buckets are an excellent solution if you don’t have much room or money but still want to grow some plants like herbs or spices. The best par t? You can quickly put one together yourself with inexpensive materials found at most hardware stores.

This trend has taken off in recent years as people look to become more self-sufficient, whether they live in a house or a flat with no garden. Anyone can nurture a space bucket and enjoy the satisfaction of cultivating their micro-climates.

What Is A Space Bucket?

A space bucket incorporates all the essential elements of a grow room into a self-contained climate. It offers room for a handful of small plants such as microgreens and herbs and even slightly larger veg such as cherry tomatoes, carrots, and onions. This growing solution also has LED lighting, ventilation fans, and a power supply wrapped up in a bucket with a lid. Like terrariums, once you understand the method, the only limit is your imagination and available space!

Easy on The Wallet Space buckets are affordable to make. A grow room can cost thousands of dollars, but this microenvironment is relatively cheap. You probably already have most of the items you’ll need around the house!

Anything you don’t have is easily found at a supermarket or hardware store.

A Space Saver The clue is in the name; space bucket refers to the low space requirement!. They are the perfect growing option for apartments, dorm rooms, or shared houses. You can put it in the corner of your closet, in the garage, or even under the kitchen sink. It is discreet because no one will see the lights once the bucket is closed. The only thing that might draw attention is the fan’s hum.

Environmental Control Most space bucket enthusiasts enjoy the challenge of seeing what they can achieve in such a limited space. In addition, these sealed micro-climates offer complete control of overgrowth. However, there are still some risks.

Anyone can nur ture a space cub ket and enjoy the satisfaction of cutl ivating their im cro-cil am tes 69

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SPACE BUCKETS

A grow room can cost thousands of dollars, but this microenvironment is relatively cheap Making a space bucket may seem technical, but it’s easy!

This guide will help you get started: Materials • Three 5-gallon buckets • One 5-gallon bucket lid • One roll of black duct tape • One bottle of super glue • One roll of reflective Mylar • Two 12-volt, 80-mm computer fans • One 12-volt power supply • Four wire nuts • One pack of small zip ties • Three bolts and nuts • One 4-socket light fixture • Four 23-watt compact fluorescent bulbs 1: Use the glue and coat the bucket’s interior with reflective Mylar. Drill drainage holes in the bottom of the bucket and four small holes in the side. These will be used to run zip ties through and attach the 12-volt power supply.

Any small problem you may be able to rectify in a large grow room quickly might be magnified in a space bucket. Unfortunately, these issues can kill your plants. However, if you are organized, systematic, and consistent in light, feed, and pH levels, you may find that you can play around with the controls and achieve more out of your mini-environment.

For example, you could set up two or more space buckets to grow the same plant under differing conditions. You may choose to go to bloom early or switch up your nutrients. The better method will stand out, and you can carry this information forward to your next space bucket project.

2: Cut two holes in the wall of the same bucket for fans.

Drill a small hole near each fan opening to run zip ties through and attach the fans to the bucket. One works as an intake fan and the other as an exhaust. Connect your fans to the power supply using the wire nuts.

3: Take two more buckets and cut the bottoms off.

These spacers will add height when your plant outgrows its initial first bucket. The buckets should nest perfectly so no light can escape when the buckets are fitted together.

4: Cut the bottom of the fourth bucket and duct-tape the lid to the top. Cut a hole in the lid in the shape of your light fixture. Next, duct-tape the light fixture to the lid so that the bulbs fit inside. Finally, wrap the exterior in duct tape to keep light from escaping.

Are Space Buckets For Me? Space buckets are low cost, convenient and discreet. They are also an excellent training tool if you want to work toward building a more standard grow room. It will give you time to learn about the importance of water, feed, the environment, and what your plants need.

So, if you feel like dipping your toe into indoor gardening or want to try something different, give it a go! Small spaces can offer tremendous results. 3

BIO An industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in

a variety of roles, Rich is currently a business development manager foralargeUKhydroponicsdistributor.TheauthoroftheGrowers Guide book series, Rich also writes on all aspects of indoor gardening. He is also an independent industry consultant, working closely with hydroponic businesses worldwide.

71

Urban Foraging

BY JENNIFER COLE

From British Columbia, Canada to Christchurch, New Zealand, foraging connects people back to nature and changes how food is harvested.

72

URBAN FORAGING

E

very August, the crab apple trees on David Quinton’s residential street in Vancouver, Canada, are laden with fresh fruit. People come with ladders and long poles to reach the highest branches where the ripest apples hide.

Otherswaituntiltheyfalltotheground,thenfilltheirbuckets.

This is foraging. Different from a harvest of leafy greens, basil, or foragers harvest food growing radishes garnered from a cultivated vegetable patch or commuunhindered by human intervention in nity garden, foragers harvest food growing unhindered by human intervention in urban areas, suburban side streets, and along urban areas, suburban side streets, riverbanks, seashores and remote forested regions. Throughout history, foraging has always been part of the human experience. and along riverbanks, seashores and However, the advent of industrialized agriculture and improved remote forested regions logistics in transporting goods changed the idea of going into the foresttolookforwildasparagus.Whybotherwhenwecanfind members going out with his mother, a keen forager, to gather it with little to no effort at the grocery store? The price was mushrooms, ginger, and leeks from the ravines, wetlands, and worth the convenience until now. meadows across the region. Many of those areas have since been developed, and Toronto City Parks has a bylaw forbidding foragThe Guardian newspaper [1] reports that, in New Zealand, where ing help preserve the area’s delicate biodiversity. The law also inflationimpactsfoodcosts,increasingnumbers ofto people are prevents the over-harvesting of the edibles found growing in the foraging to supplement the contents in their pantries. It’s nature’s ravinesdenotedbythecityasenvironmentallysignificantareas. bounty offered at no charge but invisible to those who don’t know where to look or what foods are edible.

A keen environmentalist, Forbes believes people will pay more attention to the natural world and learn how to take care of it sustainably if they develop a relationship with it through food.

Learning About The Wild Side So in 1998, he started Forbes Wild Foods[4] to generate that The founder of Swallow Tail Canada [2], Robin Kort, is a trained awareness. chef and foraging enthusiast. She knows all the best places in BritishColumbia’ssoutherncoastalrainforesttofindwildedibles Expert foragers across Canada gather edibles for the compasuchasfiddleheadandliquoriceferns,bigleafmapleowers, fl and ny. Milkweed pods, cattail hearts, and even spruce tips are preoyster mushrooms. served and sold to restaurants, hotels, gift shops, food and health stores, and individuals. Only foods growing in natural abundance Kort says the pandemic caused people to think twice about are harvested. The company prides itself in ensuring the foraging traveling, and as a result, they have become more connected to is done sustainably, encouraging harvesters to look at what they their local environments. Her company offers online courses and are taking as a pie. That means only cutting a slice of what is foraging field trips throughout Metro Vancouver that educate available each year so that nature can replenish the stock. The participants on how to gather and prepare fresh kelp or trap a company also works to reintroduce wild foods to lands needing Dungeness crab without leaving the shore. remedial attention, such as overgrazed woodlots and pastures.

Adding native plants to a landscape helps repair the soil and enShesaysthatpeoplewanttolearnwheretofindlocalfoodand hance the ecosystem. are excited about harvesting the green pinecones of British Columbia’s infamous Douglas Fir tree to make syrup.

The company’s website, swallowtail.ca, provides resources on what’s in season and is also clear that foraging is not about overindulgence. For example, if Kort is at the beach and only spots two pieces of kelp instead of ten, she won’t take any. She believes those two pieces are better served as part of the ecosystem than on her dinner plate.

Gathering fresh kelp

Dungeness crab

Foraging Equals Sustainability

For Jonathan Forbes, foraging has always been about sustainability. His family lived in Toronto during the 1950s, and he re-

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Why bother when we can find it with little to no effort at the grocery store?

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FulfillingACollectiveNeed

In 2010 and 2011, Christchurch, New Zealand, experienced deIn New Zealand, Wildish says foraging is about leaving as much as structive earthquakes; large swaths of the city were demolished. possible, not only for other people but for animals, birds, bugs, and The red zone, a ribbon of land stretching from the coastline to reseeding.I’mconsciousofthisasIfillmybucketswithapplesin the inner city, was designated too unstable to rebuild, and 8,000 Vancouver. I’ll share what I don’t use to make crab apple jelly with houses were destroyed[5]. However, vegetation, including fruit and neighbors or take it to a community cupboard or fridge. nut-producing trees, remains in the area. Eleven years after the quakes, it has become a favorite spot for foraging, making a draSummer in Canada is winter in New Zealand. As I harvest crab matic difference to Joanna Wildish’s household food costs. So she’s apples, Wildish is bundled up and is also out and about harvest[6] createdOtautahiUrbanForaging , a shared resource for people ing nutrient-rich purple nettle, dandelion, and onion weed. But inChristchurchtofindplants,berries,andother - supplies like fire it’s more than a free harvest of chickweed that makes foraging wood, pinecones, and seaweed. worthwhile. Being in nature, Wildish says, gives her a strong sense of inner resilience and belonging to the earth; this can serve as an Although wild foods have become trendy for restaurants that inspiration to us all as we go about our harvests. 3 pay foragers to gather for them, Wildish says that practice is the opposite of what foraging is all about. She views foraging as a loSources: • Foraging takes hold in New Zealand’s wild places | New Zealand | The Guardian (bit. cal community experience with a collective focus on sharing and ly/3A6ueds) maintaining nature’s abundance. She’d like to see foraging areas • AboutUs|SwallowTailCanadaswallowtail. ( ca) • Foraging prohibited by Toronto bylaw, city warns | CTV News (bit.ly/3y2m0jR) developed like food forests, as places people can go to supplement • About - Forbes Wild Foods (wildfoods.ca) edible needs.

• Residential red zone - Wikipedia (bit.ly/3bosAcH) •

OtautahiUrbanForaging|Facebookfacebook. ( com/Otautahi.Urban.Foraging)

A Bountiful Harvest In More Ways Than One

Back in Vancouver, the crab apple harvest is in full swing. The normally quiet residential street is a hive of activity. A few years ago, the city came to chop the trees down, but after Quinton told them how people harvested the fruit, they went away and haven’t come back, he says. As a result, the ripe apples are everywhere, including on the ground and hanging from lower branches. What’s left after the human frenzy will be eaten by urban wildlife, like raccoons, skunks, and coyotes.

Wild foraged green salad with red dead nettle, miners lettuce, jasmine owers, fl dandelionandchickweed

Joanna Wildish foraging

BIO Jennifer Cole is a writer and garden enthusiast with a bachelor’s degree focused on history from Simon Fraser Universit freelance writing career spanning two and half decades, Jennifer lives in Vancouver British Columbia. Her by-lines have regularly appeared in the opinion section of the Toronto Star and her portfolio includes articles in various newspapers, magazines, and websites across Canada. When not writingherownblogorvisitinglocalgardencenters,-youcanfin tering, planting, and nourishing her own urban garden oasis.

75

INDOOR GROWING

RICH’S

T0p TOP5

BY RICH HAMILTON

Indoor Growing Tips

I

’m Rich Hamilton, and I have been growing indoors for many years. Like all growers, I have encountered many mistakes and problems. However, these have only made me a better gardener in the long run. I could share countless tipswithyou,butthesefivewilllikelyhavethemostpositiveimpactonyourgrowinggame.

1

Keep a Grow Diary

There are many ways to keep notes! Write them on a pad, log them on your phone, or use a wallchart. Just make sure you do it! I cannot stress enough how much being able to track my cultivation history has helped me learn and succeed as a grower.

Writing down a brief list of everything you do and when you do it will help you spot mistakes, successes, and growth patterns. Before long, you will have a tried and tested foundation of knowledge upon which to build.

2

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Indoor grow rooms are ideal places for insects to thrive. They love the hot, humid climate and the abundance of tasty plants. An infestation of bugs like aphids, spider mites, and thrip can be devastating. Pest infestations often snowball quickly; the reproduction rate is remarkably high, especially in warm conditions. For example, a female aphid can produce up to 12 offspring a day, which will reach adulthood and start reproducing themselves after only a week!

Writing down a brief list of everything you do and when you do it will help you spot mistakes, successes, and growth patterns

Usingmythree-daypest checklist religiously means that you will spot the signs of any infestation while you still have a chance to control and eradicate it. It will also remind you to ensure the environment is suitable for your plants and not in a zone attractive to insects.

77

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3

Reservoir Recommendation

When using a system with a tank or reservoir to feed plants, you should change it completely every seven days, regardless of what nutrients have been used. Plants do not consume nutrients and water equally. Therefore, the nutrient strength in the hydroponic 1. reservoirwilluctuate. fl Donotjusttopupthefeed!Ifyoudoand then take the EC measurement, and it comes out correct, it does not mean that what is in the tank is what your plants need. The 2.

EC reading only tells you the level of salts present in the water. It 3. cannot tell you the levels of individual elements. Nutrients can also start to dissolve or calcify after a few days, which will change the 4. properties of your nutrient solution.

By fully draining and cleaning your tank every seven days, you will be replenishing your plants with fresh, accurately-dosed feed in a clean environment. It will prevent any problems before they start.

Regular cleaning also helps prevent water from stagnating and developing fungi and bacteria.

4

Keep Your Grow Room Clean

Think of the grow room as a restaurant kitchen. It’s your workroom and place of creation. Suppose it is clean, sanitary, and well organized. In that case, you can get much more out of it at a better-quality rate than messy, cluttered and unclean.

Inadequate hygiene standards increase the chances of a pest infestation or an attack of mold or mildew. Space also equals safety in a grow room; the combination of running electrics, hot lights, and water could quickly become a recipe for disaster.

5.

5

T h r e e - d ay C h e ck lis t Examine leaves from a sample of plants for signs of insect damage, including bugs, residue, tracks, holes, or eggs.

Remove any dead, dying, or damaged leaves.

Turn each plant 900 to distribute light and airflow evenly.

Maintain good housekeeping and hygiene standards.

Check that temperature and humidity levels are correct.

Buy The Best You Can Afford

Money talks, and never is this more accurate than in indoor gardening. When it comes to equipment, 9 % of the time, you get what you pay for. This does not mean that you must buy the top range, but cer tainly do not buy the cheapest. Cheap nutrients will be full of cheap industrial-grade elements, and inexpensive lights won’t give you the actual outputs of PAR or PPFD. Unfor tunately, there are too many unscrupulous firms out there that are only concerned with making money.

Buying quality also ensures your safety and peace of mind with warranties, guarantees and customer service

The more technology and So, ensure the cables are tidy and not covered and that everything quality equipment present is appropriately spaced. As a result, your plants will be happier and in your grow room, such healthier,andyouwillfindamoredesirableworkingenvironment as fan speed controllers or produces better results.

LED lights, the easier and more manageable you will find things and the better results.

Buying quality also ensures your safety and peace of mind with warranties, guarantees and customer service. Budget brands are ok for amateur small grow projects. But they are not generally reliable enough for anything more significant or long-term. They will often cost you more in lost yields and other problems. So buy quality and get it right the first time. 3

79

BY MARTYNA KROL

words of gardening

wisdom W

e should never stop learning, for no one can have all the knowledge. From

clean-fingernailed novices to grizzled

spade-leaners, all growers should be on the lookout for valuable and competent tips and advice from those who have walked the path before us. Detailed and gritty information is there for the taking these days, but I thought it might be helpful to share some of the more general tips that I’ve come to lean on.

80

GARDENING WISDOM

Never Give Up! Think of failures as lessons; if you let them, every obstacle on the road can teach you something. It used to be yearly around midsummer when I wondered WTF I was doing. So many things went wrong, from terrible weather (I live in the North of England) or slugs that had eaten all my veg to an early crop-killing frost, a polytunnel picked up by the wind, and stolen strawberries.

You get the idea.

Gardening is a game; we can’t win every time, but we try new strategies and adapt

This year, I have a resident mole, vole, and a rabbit that has taken care of most of my outdoor planted seedlings. Was I angry? Hell, yes. Will I give up? Not a bloody chance. These days, whenever I encounter an ‘oh-my-God-I-give-up’ moment, I just breathe deeply (sometimes for a long while) and reconfigure it to a challenge. Gardening is a game; we can’t win every time, but we try new strategies and adapt. Once we can handle one scenario, a new lesson arrives. Rome wasn’t built in a day... or without a lot of swearing.

Establish Routine!

Be it your farm, grow room or house plants, work on a routine to help you manage it smoothly. Take house plants, for example. Depending on the volume of your indoor jungle, it may be hard to remember which plants need watering and when. I like to bring all my pots together on a slow Saturday morning and place them in a bath filled with a few inches of water plus a bit of feed or a nutrient enhancer.

They slowly soak up what they need, and I can go about my morning. The plants return to their spot in the house once the pots feel heavy.

Similarly, if you’re managing a greenhouse or a growing space, it’s worth having a routine walk where you check all areas. Are the compost bays covered, and have the volunteers left the taps closed? Are your timers and irrigation systems set correctly with no leaks? Checking those points becomes second nature in no time and helps you go about with the new tasks that will undoubtedly arise.

Stop Apologizing!

This speaks to many aspects of life, largely thanks to social media. Unfortunately, a weird shame over our ordinariness and a desire to maintain a specific image has crept into the gardening world. So many of my clients will begin the garden tour with apologies for the weeds or overgrowth. Stop!

Nobody should be judging your space; if they are, kick them

out. We all have lives to maintain and other hobbies and chores on the to-do list. So get this perfect image of Monty Don’s garden out of your head unless you have an unlimited budget and an infinite army of volunteers.

More importantly, be grateful for the space you have, whether a 2m x 2m ‘yarden’ (as we call the Yorkshire-stone paved front yards of terraced houses of the North), access to a community garden, or the most beautiful and wildlife-filled fields and forests. It’s not a competition! Even one pot that brings one bee to its nectar or a smile to your face is a call for celebration.

Keep Learning Until You Drop Dead!

I am so happy that growing and gardening tasks are now considered cool! There are many incredible teachers out there with an immense amount of knowledge just waiting to be shared. From permaculture specialists, soil experts, and hot and cold climate gardeners to urban farmers and small space designers, there is a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips. The world of growing is constantly evolving, with new gardens being built and various methods trialed and tested on different soils. We live in an extraordinary time! I remember when I was closing Incredible Aquagarden’s Instagram as the project ended; there were no followers on the platform interested in plants or soil. Little did I know how the internet would change, and to this day, I take inspiration from many growers across the globe, listen to my favorite podcasts and keep watching webinars that routinely blow my mind, even when I start to think I’ve seen it all.

Have Fun! This one doesn’t need explaining. Do you like to lie in a hammock all day with weeds around you? Good, because weeds are better than bare ground. Do you work in the garden non-stop from sunrise to sunset? Good, you should own your energy. Whatever is fun for you, please do it.

What is the point otherwise? 3

BIO Martyna Krol is a vegetable grower, natural bee-

keeper, and edible spaces designer. She is a lover of all soil and urban farming techniques and is the former head of growing at Incredible Aquagarden.

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We do what we love and we’re here to help you do the same. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for you, the people we’ve met and served along the way. We believe that fostering a cohesive, vibrant local community that unites passionate people is important to ensuring not only our community’s success but the well being of our plants.

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83

ORGANIC GARDENING TIPS

Betty Green’s

BY BETTY GREEN

The organic queen, Betty Green, offers her top five most effective tips for blissful

Organic Gardening Tips 1

and all-natural gardening.

Soil is Everything

The soil provides your plant’s roots with an anchor, nutrients, water, and beneficial bacteria and microbes. You can transform even the most challenging, barren ground into prospering soil by adding organic matter, which will break down over time to create a rich loam soil.

Usecompost,mulches,manure,mycorrhizae,andgreenmanure.

There are a million ways to enrich your soil, so get researching.

Many of them you can do at home for next to no cost. The health of your soil is essential for success.

2

Grow What You Know

Growing produce that you and your family enjoy eating is rewarding, especially when following organic practices. Beyond nourishing your body with nutritious food, organic gardening is excellent for the environment.

Many beginner gardeners will grow certain crops just because they are easy, but you won’t like growing them if you don’t enjoy eating them. Pick three to five of your favorite plants that w thrive in your location and make them the priority.

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You can transform even the most challenging, barren ground into prospering soil by adding organic matter, which will break down over time to create a rich loam soil

3

Epsom Salts

Otherwise known as magnesium sulfate, this cheap household product has been used as a natural fertilizer that can have excellent results on your plants for over a hundred years.

Some vegetables, including tomatoes and capsicums, grow better with consistent extra magnesium. A magnesium additive allows for better absorption of nitrogen and phosphorous. Epsom Salts can help fix a magnesium deficiency, signs of which include leaf curling, yellowing, and stunted growth.

Add one cup of Epsom salts to every 100 square feet of soil at the beginning of the season. Do not add more than this, as you could inadvertently have a magnesium toxicity problem. For veggies, spread one tablespoon of Epsom granules around the base of each plant. You can also mix two tablespoons per gallon of water and apply it once per month as a foliar spray for quick magnesium uptake.

4

Recycle Cooking Water

Tipping away cooking water is madness for so many reasons!

The water you’ve boiled veggies in offers a fantastic nutritional supplement for your plants. You are also living sustainably by using the pot of water for more than one thing.

Different nutritional elements will filter your water depending on what you are cooking. For example, if you are boiling eggs, there will be an excess of calcium in the water.

After cooking green veggies, you will have some iron content in that water.

Let the water cool before offering it to your plants. You can also use the cooking water from potatoes and pasta; the starch will provoke the release of more nutrients in the soil.

Never use salted water on your plants!

5

Clean Produce After Harvest

Although organic gardening is excellent on many levels, you don’t want to eat many of those inputs. So don’t forget to look after your harvest to keep it in tip-top condition for use in cooking or selling.

Cleaning after picking will keep bugs and pests away from your food. It will also stop any spread of bacteria from one plant to another, reducing the risk of your produce going bad quickly.

Always wash your fruit and veg well before using them for cooking, especially if you have young children or anyone with an immune deficiencywhomaybemoresusceptibletogerms.Youcanbuy vegetable wash, but water and vinegar work just as well. 3

BIO

Betty Green has two passions in life: plants and food, which is perfect considering the two go hand in hand. Betty is a dedicated gardener and self-taught cook who is big on organic produce and sustainability. With a large family of four children to feed, she has been slowly increasing her portfolio of garden produce for her growing repertoire of delicious recipes. Betty loves writing about plants, cooking, and sustainability.

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Local

GROWING PROJECTS

Growers

USA

WHO’S GROWING WHAT WHERE Saskatoon, SK

2.

Boulder, CO

Black Fox Farm and Distillery produces traditionally crafted, small-batch whisky, gin, and liqueurs with a twist. John Cote and Barb Stefanyshyn-Cotearefifth-generationfarmerswhohavedevotedthemselvesto understanding and working with the land while growing sustainably. The couple has evolved from simply growing grains to combining the staple crop with acres of fruits andowers. fl Withsomanyingredientsgrowndirectlyonthefarm,JohnandBarb knowwhatgoesintotheirspirits.Theytakecareoftheirfieldsbysowingcoverc using spent grains from distilling as compost fertilizer, and practicing crop rotation.

State-of-the-art drip irrigation systems help conserve a precious resource, and the couplereusesof % 5 9 thewaterfromthedistillery.Minimaltillagekeepspreciou soil life intact, and above the surface, natural habitats are encouraged. In addition to growing their own ingredients, Black Fox ferments and distills directly on the farm. With all of these initiatives, it’s no wonder John and Barb have earned global acclaim for their philosophy and farming practices. Few institutions have combined agriculture and distilling the way they do; their tools, techniques, and terroir result in signatureavors fl customerscanenjoyforsomanyreasons.

Black Fox Farm and Distillery

Credit: Black Fox Farm and Distillery

1.

& Canad a

Learn more: blackfoxfarmanddistillery.com facebook.com/BlackFoxFarmandDistillery @BlackFoxSpirits blackfox_farm

The Golden Hoof Credit: The Gold Hoof

The Golden Hoof is a 200-acre slow food farm that follows regenerative growing practices, working harmoniously with nature. Operated by Karel Starek and Alice Martiz-Starek, the couple strives to produce high-quality, nutrient-dense meat, eggs, and dairy products while raising happy animals and creating healthy soil. Karel and Alice began farming after being diagnosed with celiac disease, making it impossible for them to digest gluten proteins in grains. After dramatically changing their diets and exercise habits, their health improved, and they decided to help othersreapthesamebenefits.Theirfarmisaresponsetothedisconnect between people, food, health, and nature. They purchased the property in 2010 and began researching growing methods, instantly knowing that they did not want to follow conventional practices that use harmful chemicals and heavy machinery. They raise cattle for beef and dairy, pigs, poultry, and sheep.

Rotationalgrazingkeepsthesheepanddairyheardhealthyandreducesthestressontheland.Theanimalsforageinthefields,livingo grasses,forbs,legumes,barley,andsunflowersprouts.Thelivestocknaturallyaddscomposttotheearth,andKarelandAli probiotics, and occasionally volcanic ash to their land to help their soil thrive. All of the amendments are incorporated naturally by the animals! In addition to the livestock, a 3,000 square-foot tropical greenhouse produces veggies year-round. An overstory of tropical perennials like bananas, citrus, mangoes, avocados, and cherimoya seems out of place in Colorado but does well all the same. Over 100kws of off-grid and grief-tied solar PV panels help power thefarm;thecouplealsogrowsheatwhilemakingcompost.Theyintegratein-oor fl heatwithacompostpileinsteadofaboilerorsolarth If this sounds like a lot, it’s because it is, but Karel and Alice wouldn’t have it any other way. They invite us all to take part in the slow food movement by supporting our local farmers.

Learn more: thegoldenhoof.com/home.html 89

GROWING PROJECTS

Local

USA

Growers

& Canada

WHO’S GROWING WHAT WHERE St. Agatha, ON

Garden Party Flower Farm

Credit: Garden Party Flower Farm

4.

Palmer, AK

It’shardtofindaower fl thatisn’tbeautiful,buta Garden Party Flower Farm bouquet is all the more remarkable because it carries a zero carbon footprint!

Peter and Theresa grew organic fruits and vegetables for over 30 years beforejumpingintoower fl farming.Theywereactuallyhopingtoretire but made the switch after learning about the unsustainable practices associatedwithcutowers; fl they’reoftentreatedwithharmfulchemicals and are imported long distances with unfair labor practices. Who can retire with that on their conscience? So the couple now applies their organicvegetablegrowingpracticestoowers. fl Theygrowover0 2 varieties on their farm and forage from their meadows and forest to create unique combinations in their bouquets. All of their cut blooms are grown without fossil fuel-dependent fertilizers and pesticides. GMOs and neonicotinoids are a big no-no, and crop rotation helps build healthy soil.

Seedlings grow in a cool greenhouse with no added heat, meaning the Garden Party Flower Farm doesn’t produce any CO2 emissions! Peter andTheresagrowtheirbloomsfordesignersandower fl loversingeneral.

People can come to the farm and pick their beautiful bouquets, and special events are also welcome, but be sure to book your time slot in advance!

Learn more: gardenparty.ca

Seeds and Soil Farm

Seeds and Soil Farm is a family-run, small-scale operation that takes meticulous care of the earth and spreads the good word about regenerative agriculture. The farm was launched in 2016 to help Alaskan gardeners increase their food security and knowledge of ecological growing practices.

Seeds and Soil Farm specializes in producing heirloom and open-pollinated fruit,vegetable,herb,andower fl seeds,alongwithlocal,nutritiousfood.

Mother Nature leads the way; no-till methods keep the precious soil life intact, and pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides are never used in the market garden, whether organic or inorganic. The farm also offers classes where people can learn about gardening, including the ins and outs of growingmicrogreens,edibleowers, fl andkombuchabrewing.Thewebsite also provides a wealth of information on permaculture practices, and seeds are available for online purchase. The boutique-style farm doesn’t have a retail store, but several gardening shops in the Alaska area sell its products.

When you purchase from Seeds and Soil Farm, you support small-scale andecological;thefarmerssaytheirheartsoverflowwithgratitudewith every sale.

Learn more: seedsandsoilorganics.com facebook.com/lazymountainalaska

Credit: Seeds and Soil Farm

3.

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WHO’S GROWING WHAT WHERE

E

Local

Growers Check out what LOCAL GROWERS are doing near you!

visit: GCmag.co/WGWW

GREEN ADVICE

BY CATHERINE SHERRIFFS

WAYS

Gardening Experts Harvest Their Plants You’ve worked hard in the garden this season, nurturing your plant babies from seed to harvest! We hope you’ve gathered many valuable tips and tricks in this edition of Garden Culture to help you as you get ready to gather your homegrown crops. But before you get picking in the garden, here are a few last words of advice in our list of 5 Cool Ways Gardening Experts Harvest Their Plants. Happy Harvesting!

1

The Right Tools

Harvesting plants doesn’t have to be complicated; carefully using your hands is all it takes to get the job done. But a few tools on the market can make foraging moreefficientandfun!AbbyArtemisia-botanist,herbalist,andprofessional forager - knows a thing or two about harvesting plants! In her book, The Herbal Handbook for Homesteaders: Farmed and Foraged Herbal Remedies and Recipes,sherecommendsafixedbladeknifeorpocketknife that can be safely stowed in a sheath on your belt. Her favorite tool is a Japanese digging knife (also known as a Hori Hori) because it’s like a trowel and knife in one and makes many garden tasks much easier. A good set of pruners are anothergo-to,andshesuggeststryingafewdifferentpairsuntilyoufindsome thatfitwellandfeelcomfortableinyourhand.Ofcourse,noseriousgardener should go without gloves, and for those days where you might be harvesting out in the hot sun for a couple of hours, a cooler and some ice packs are ideal.

2

No Diggity

If you’re a fan of no-dig gardening methods, you know that keeping precious soil life intact is essential through all stages of growth, including harvest! Charlie Nardozzi, gardening expert and the author of The Complete Guide to NoDig Gardening: Grow beautiful vegetables, herbs, and flowers - the easy way! recommends that gardeners adjust their technique when it comes to harvesting certain crops. For example, when it’s time to pick greens such as spinach, lettuce, and bok choi, cutting the plants at the soil line leaves the earth undisturbed.Thesameruleappliestocauliflowerandcabbage.Thisway,theroot system stays in the ground and feeds the soil as it decomposes.With root crops, things get a little trickier, but Nardozzi says a healthy garden bed with plenty of compost allows for easier pulling. He recommends gently tugging on carrots, beets, and parsnips by hand to remove them from the ground; after harvest, cover the bed with mulch to keep weeds from germinating.

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Pioneering References

ma ma edi ti o n s.co m | cannascope.com

GREEN ADVICE

3

Sage Advice

Harvesting fresh herbs throughout the summer for your meals is lovely, but when the firstfrostlooms,youhatetoseeyourbasil,rosemary,andchivesgotowaste.Luckily, there are many ways you can pick and preserve your herbs so you can enjoy them throughout the colder months! Master Gardener, Susan Betz, recommends snipping bunches of herbs at the soil line and air-drying them. After harvest, tie the base of the herbs together with a rubber band to make bunches, then hang them in an area of your home with good cross ventilation. Drying time should take anywhere from two days to a few weeks; you’ll know they’re ready when they’re crispy to the touch. Store the dried herbs in clean glass jars for the best avor fl and fragrance.Another way to preserve your herbal harvest is to freeze the plants while they’re fresh. Betz suggests chopping the herbs first;they store well in containers in the freezer for up to eight months.You can also turn your harvest into pestos, butter, and herbal vinegar. For more herb garden tips, check out Betz’s book, Herbal Houseplants: Grow beautiful herbs - indoors!

4

Bugs Happen

There’s nothing better than knowing how your food was grown and where it comes from, but that doesn’t mean your harvest won’t be dirty and come with a bug or two. Sometimes, a quick rinse doesn’t do the trick, especially with food with crevices or hiding spots. So what’s a home gardener to do? Don’t freak out, says Jessica Sowards of Roots and Refuge Farm. Although an excellent source of protein, perhaps you’re just not ready for caterpillars on your dinner plate. Sowards suggests dissolving 3 tablespoons of table salt inalargebowlofcoolwater.Soakveggieslikecauliflower,broccoli,and leafy greens for about 20 minutes. After the salt water bath, all of the insects should be gone. Rinse the plants and enjoy them, bug-free, for dinner. For more fantastic gardening tips from Sowards, check out her book, The First-Time Gardener: Growing Vegetables - All The Know-How And Encouragement You Need To Grow And Fall In Love With Your Brand New Food Garden.

5

Seed Saving

Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about seed saving, which we can all do to save money in the garden. But harvesting seeds is an art. JulieThompson-Adolf, writer and blogger of Garden Delights, says it’s essential to consider your plants when harvesting seeds. Are they super productive or riddled with pests and disease?

Are they quick to produce fruit, or has your hair gone grey waiting for harvest?

The only way to select desirable plants is to observe them throughout the growing season and take notes on how they perform. For best results in the garden, save seeds from mature plants that are healthy, productive, droughttolerant, and disease-resistant. Another tip? In Starting & Saving Seeds: Grow The Perfect Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, And Flowers For Your Garden, Thompson-Adolf says bigger is better. She says the largest seeds from your harvest will generally produce the most vigorous plants.

Don’t forget to properly process and label the seeds in a packet, storing them in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use them. 3 96

EXPOSURE TO MIICROBIAL MASS MAY BLOW YOUR MIND. SHOULD YOUR PLANTS DEVELOP SYMPTOMS OF AWESOMENESS, PLEASE CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY TO BRAG ABOUT YOUR RESULTS.

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