The Best of Mother Earth News

THE BEST OF MOTHER EARTH NEWS

THE BEST OF

SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE

MOTHER MOT MO THER EARTH NEWS

Homesteading & Livestock • Natural Health • Gardening Do-It-Yourself Projects • Renewable Energy • Food & Cooking

2018 • $16.99 • Display until Feb. 18, 2019

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Photos from the Field

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MARTINA SCHNEIDER; LUCY RENDLER-KAPLAN; MICHAEL ST. JEAN

Clockwise from above: A yellow warbler at Point Pelee National Park in Leamington, Ontario. A swing ride at Skokie’s Backlot Bash in Skokie, Illinois. The Lower Purgatory Falls in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire.

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Share your unique perspective with our community by submitting photos of inviting gardens, nutritious foods, wild animals, and more to the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Photo Group on Flickr (www.flickr.com/groups/motherearthnewsphotos/pool ). We’ll feature our favorites here and online!

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“ “

I want to thank you for all the wonderful and timely articles. I wouldn’t have had the courage to try many of the things I do now without your magazine — growing my food, making compost, and saving energy. I’m not rich with money, but I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams in the knowledge learned and used from Mother Earth News.

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I am an aspiring homesteader, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve referenced a Mother Earth News article while planning my own little paradise. I feel so fortunate to have this magazine to turn to when I’m feeling lost in a world that doesn’t always understand or accept my homesteading passions.

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This special one-of-a-kind issue, The Best of Mother Earth News, contains 47 articles from the 2018 issues of our beloved “Original Guide to Living Wisely.” Find what you need to help you achieve your self-reliance dreams!

Our goal at Mother Earth News is to provide information and inspiration to help you live more simply, more securely, and more sustainably.

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Table of Contents

16

6 Homesteading

on Marginal Land

Use an imaginative eye to find land for a farm, and transform it with sound husbandry practices.

11 Aquaponics in

a Natural Pond

Take advantage of the nutrients in your fish pond by floating a vegetable garden on top.

16 Sweet Savings

Build your own beekeeping equipment to save money while making honey.

22 Build a Backyard

Edible Ecosystem

Use compost, yard waste, and recycled paper to construct a small permaculture ecosystem that supports your food garden.

26

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26 Protect and

Shelter Your Goats

Construct sturdy housing and fencing for your goats to help them stay safe — and stay put.

30 Reasons to Raise Ducks

Consider adding these hardworking birds to your homestead for pest control and year-round eggs.

32 Choose Cows for

a Small-Scale Dairy

Before purchasing a cow, consider its history and disposition to ensure your micro dairy’s efficiency and success.

36 Small Homes Are

Just the Right Size

These homeowners downsized their lives to inhabit hand-built spaces that are easier and cheaper to maintain.

32

41 Get Started with a

Livestock Guardian Dog

After choosing a working companion, follow these tips for housing and socializing your LGD.

46 Reap Rewards with a Scythe Save money, invigorate your body, and diversify your property with a scythe.

50 Homestead Technology

for Disaster Preparedness

Add these dynamic tools to your emergency kit — they’ll boost camping trips and come in handy during catastrophes.

54 High-Quality, Hand-Forged

Homestead Tools

The Dobkins family crafts long-lasting garden tools to sell from their blacksmith shop in the Ozarks.

Terry Wild Stock

HOMESTEADING/LIVESTOCK

cover photograph:

Create a DIY beehive to save money on beekeeping costs.

The Best of Mother Earth News

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56 56 10 Rules for Starting a

Successful Farm Business

Go from part-time hobby to full-time career with these tips for turning a profit from your property.

61 Cultivate Local Change

Take inspiration from these firsthand accounts of people who’ve shaped their communities in positive ways.

66 A Smarter Farm Setup

Design infrastructure to help you work smarter, not harder, on your property.

NATURAL HEALTH 71 Healing with Poultices

Treating minor ailments with herbal remedies may be as easy as finding the right plant for the job.

GARDENING 74 Make Your Farm or Garden

Certified Sustainable

Find a certification that’s right for your plot to add transparency to your growing practices.

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66 78 Grow Great Lettuce

in Winter

With a little planning, you can harvest fresh, homegrown greens in the coldest season. Ready to learn more? Lettuce begin!

82 Top Plants for

Companion Planting

You can use plants in specific combinations to repel pests, control weeds, and boost your garden’s overall health.

87 Abundant Summer

Mulberries

A common sight in rural American landscapes, mulberry trees provide plenty of fruit for snacking.

90 Big Tillers

Consider these top tiller options for big gardens, landscaping jobs, and other large-scale needs.

93 Gooseberries in the

Market Garden

Start your own small-scale berry market with the flavorful and sought-after gooseberry.

96 5 Garden Myths

Unlock your garden’s full potential by learning to avoid and amend these common mistakes.

100

74 100 Grow a Green Roof

Turn your roof into a canopy of lovely plants that will keep your house comfortable year-round.

104 Year-Round Indoor

Salad Gardening

Use this unique technique to grow greens in a limited space, even in winter.

108 Homegrown Olive Oil

One small family has built a big business by growing olives and pressing its own extra-virgin oil.

DO-IT-YOURSELF PROJECTS 113 Make a Traditional

Hearth Broom

Learn the nearly lost American art of broom-making.

118 DIY Cob Cabin

Pallets form the frame of this sturdy, durable, creative cob structure.

120 A Little Winter Greenhouse

One reader shares how she created a small urban greenhouse.

122 Build a Rustic Door

Follow steps to form a board-andbatten door for a pantry or shed.

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126 126 Build a Stunning

Stone Culvert

Bring beauty and brawn together to create a functional showcase for your property.

130 DIY Dual Watering System

One reader shares how to build a unique watering system that incorporates both soaker hoses and drip irrigation.

133 DIY Tool Belt

Assemble these pockets and pouches and mount them on your favorite belt to hold your mostused tools.

RENEWABLE ENERGY 136 Living with Solar & Wind

A rural couple made a successful power play to supply their homestead with clean, affordable energy.

141 Coppicing Trees for

Sustainable Firewood

You can grow firewood in a fraction of the time it takes to raise a tree from seed.

144 150 Assess Your Site

for Wind Power

If you’re considering wind-electric generation, take a moment to assess potential sites for a turbine on your property.

FOOD & COOKING 155 Brew Backyard Root Beer With a little experimentation, you can learn how to make your own version of this historic, herb-infused soda using foraged ingredients.

158 How to Store and Protect

Food Long-Term

A reader shares how to properly store food items for the long haul.

160 Curing Meat at Home

Bring fancy food to your everyday plate by learning how to make the cold, cooked meats known as charcuterie.

164 Sweet Corn Off the Cob

Try these sweet and savory ideas for enjoying your abundance of corn this season.

144 Masonry Heaters

These super-efficient fireplaces produce long-lasting warmth.

170

182

160 168 Make Your Own

Elderberry Syrup

A reader shares how to make medicinal elderberry syrup at home.

170 Homemade Broth & Stock Glean nutrients and flavor from bones and scraps by simmering and seasoning them.

174 How to Order a Side of Beef

Don’t be cowed by buying meat in bulk — check out this advice from an artisan butcher and our readers.

182 Community Food

Farmers Kevin and Cherie Schenker established a grocery store to support the health of their rural community.

184 Beautiful Bread

Sourdough seems to get all the love — give yeasted bread a turn in the limelight with these stenciled designs.

189 Tips for Your

First Lamb Roast

Roasting a whole lamb doesn’t need to be intimidating — just make it a community event.

184

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MOTHER EARTH NEWS DIGITAL

Mother Earth News YouTube Channel Visit youtube.com/motherearthnewsmag to find more sustainable lifestyle videos to help you on your homesteading journey, and be sure to subscribe to receive updates on additions to the channel.

THE ORIGINAL GUIDE TO LIVING WISELY

Adding Livestock

BEST OF MOTHER EARTH NEWS WINTER 2018

A MOTHER EARTH NEWS breed profile focuses on San Clemente Island goats.

In this video, a California breeder discusses the advantages of the breed, along with some of the breed’s history.

Produced in conjunction with The Livestock Conservancy, you can find it here, bit.ly/1qukgvk.

Special Content Team Editor C W Managing Editor J T Assistant Editor J D Convergent Media B E 785-274-4404; BEscalante@OgdenPubs.com 68C 100Y 24K

Design a Great Coop MOTHER EARTH NEWS Editor-in-Chief Hank Will and Dr. Patrick Biggs, Purina animal nutrition expert, talk about the right design for your chicken coop. A number of factors will affect the design, such as landscape, city regulations, amount of land, etc. Learn more at bit.ly/2bRBa47.

Homemade Sauerkraut and Fermentation Basics

Website Digital Strategy Director K D Digital Content Manager T O Display Advertising 800-678-5779; AdInfo@OgdenPubs.com Newsstand M G; 785-274-4344 Customer Service 800-234-3368; CustomerService@OgdenPubs.com

Jennifer Kongs, former editor of MOTHER EARTH NEWS, shows you how to make your own sauerkraut — from cutting the cabbage to storing the mixture for fermentation. Watch the video at bit.ly/2kupZhW.

Preserving the Harvest’s Bounty Dehydrating veggies is just one way to preserve the summer bounty from your garden. Jessica Kellner demonstrates how to preserve fresh sage and ripe tomatoes with a countertop dehydrator. Go to bit.ly/2bW0ZOO for more tips.

Inspecting Your Beehives

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Art Direction and Pre-Press Assistant Group Art Director M T. S Pre-Press K M

Publisher B U Editorial Director O H. W III Circulation & Marketing Director C O Newsstand & Production Director B C Sales Director B L Group Art Director C L Director of Events & Business Development A P Digital Strategy Director K D Information Technology Director T S Finance & Accounting Director R H M E N (ISSN -) is published bimonthly by Ogden Publications Inc., 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, KS 66609.

For subscription inquiries call 800-234-3368.

Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 785-274-4365; fax 785-274-4305. © 2018 Ogden Publications Inc. Printed in the U.S.A.

Beekeeper Gene René talks about a “dearth” in his beehives during the summer months, a time when closer inspection is called for to avoid low food supplies or robbers raiding the hives. For Gene’s full video, go to bit.ly/2bV4Hey.

4 THE BEST OF MOTHER EARTH NEWS

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Homesteading on

Marginal Land

Don’t shy away from steep or weedy land — you can restore it to health.

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Use an imaginative eye to find land for a farm, and transform it with sound husbandry practices.

By Beth and Shawn Dougherty

M

any of us share the ideal of finding a place in the country where we can grow good, clean food in an environment of our choosing — a home, and perhaps a refuge in tumultuous times. A retreat. A haven. Despite the idyllic image, high land prices and an overall lack of affordable farms can make what should be an exciting bid for independence feel like brooding defeat. But what if we were to realize that little farms can be found in practically every locale, hidden from view and just waiting for a budding farmer to adopt them? And what if these small farms were among the most reasonably priced land out there?

It may sound too good to be true, but all land is, well, land, and most of it will grow something, however abused or neglected it’s been. When we realize this, our homestead possibilities suddenly widen. Modern homesteaders can partner with their own animals to take poor, neglected, or abused land and rebuild it into a fertile, regenerative ecosystem.

Any place with dirt and water, ruminants, and a farmer to manage them can be a homestead.

vertical. All the good places seemed to be taken already.

We began cruising back roads, searching for anything that looked unloved.

We waded through briar-infested yards to peer through broken windows and

poke into spider-haunted barns. We read bulletin boards in area grocery stores and gas stations. Our image of a picture-perfect Old MacDonald farm began to give way to something not only more affordable, but also much more realistic. We simplified our expectations and eliminated barns, fences, and stock water systems from our “must have” list — those things could be improvised, after all — and searched instead for land

A Discouraging Search We didn’t know this 20 years ago. Our purchase of a small plot, designated “not suitable for agriculture” by the state of Ohio, was less an act of hope than one of desperation. Even looking for a farm had been intimidating. Real estate agents seemed unwilling to respect our desire to stay under budget — something we felt was necessary to save money for farm improvements — and they insisted on showing us properties that were out of our price range. Depressing as this was, it gave us an idea of what was out there, as did searching the classifieds, where nice places commanded astronomical prices. Anything in our ballpark was postage-stamp small or completely

Mobile chicken tractors of various sizes come in handy for protecting birds from predators while the flock performs pest control and fertilizes the soil.

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Looking back, we were lucky in several ways. In addition to two small creeks that converged on the property, our steep land would help us move captured water from one point to another. Our east-west-oriented hollow would capture more sunlight on its south-facing side than we could’ve hoped for if the valley ran north to south. And the variations in slope and aspect also meant the land had many microclimates: warm, cool, wet, dry, sunny, and shaded, in many combinations. Finally, our nearest neighbors also had a little cleared land they weren’t using — too bare, steep, and rocky to be called a pasture — and which they were willing to lend to us.

We had a lot to do, so we dove right in. It was only natural that, as the goats

Watering the Flock With our animals constantly out grazing, we had to find ways to provide them water in the pasture. Carrying water in buckets to our tethered goats could be a good workout, but dairy cows require many more gallons of water per day. Our well was barely adequate for our household needs. Very short-term grazing along the sides of our two creeks — a practice called “flash grazing” — had smoothed the exposed soil and allowed grass to grow to water level, strengthening the banks and protecting them against floods. But we had pastures to graze away from the creeks, which couldn’t support year-round grazing anyway. So we installed lengths of perforated French-drain pipe in peren-

8 THE BEST OF MOTHER EARTH NEWS

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aBove,

Beth dougherty (10);

we could scavenge — including piles of unwanted manure from neighbors with horses, and rotted sawdust from a local mill — our soil improvement program took off.

Eventually, we added pigs to the farm workforce, and their composted bedding built up the raised beds where we grew winter greens and root vegetables year-round under low tunnels. Having initially fenced the chickens out of the garden, we began fencing them in, using our poultry to clean empty raised beds, turn deep mulch, and graze and till beds planted with green manures.

In addition to their garden work, the chickens served as fertilizer spreaders in the pasture, where they scratched through manure piles looking for seeds and insects. They laid plenty of orangeyolked eggs for our breakfast table too.

and

Land Worth Improving

merrily chomped through the thorny undergrowth that sprawled over most of our property, we should find ourselves moving them almost daily to new grazing areas.

A light went on when we stumbled on books and videos by Joel Salatin, Greg Judy, and Allan Savory. Moving our goats daily reduced tall top growth, added manure and urine, disturbed the soil surface, and allowed long rest periods for the land — activities that built up the topsoil and let sunlight in to encourage the growth of grasses and legumes. We’d reinvented a rudimentary form of rotational grazing!

We refined our methods according to these experts’ advice, and in a remarkably short time, the briars were in retreat. Weedy grass moved in at first, but gave way over time to rich volunteer carpets of clover and orchard grass, perennial rye, and tall bluegrass. We added a dairy cow and a calf, followed by a handful of sheep, and the different dietary needs of each species had complementary impacts on forage growth.

Previously rocky and eroded slopes lost their sharp edges under this mix of hooves. Grass seeds driven into the soil were given time to germinate and establish, softening our steep hillsides with thick greenery. The neighbors, at first openly skeptical, became enthusiastic and offered us the use of their neglected field. Their field also responded quickly to the influx of carbon and manure that our animals’ periodic grazing provided.

Our thin, rocky soil made gardening in intensive raised beds almost a necessity. With all the free soil amendments

Shawn

that wasn’t completely inaccessible, and that had some kind of house.

Still, when we picked our way down a steep, overgrown track to see an $11,000 house and 17 acres offered through a terse ad in the local classifieds, we weren’t thinking, “This is it!” The rocky hillside was covered in trash, trees, and briars. Although the small house was structurally sound, it had unhinged doors, broken windows, and dangling fixtures. It was far from the farm of our dreams, but it would get us out of the city. We figured we could fix it up and sell it later, making enough to afford a down payment on a real farm. Little did we know, the day we started hauling away trash and drove in a picket for the goat tether, we were already beginning to build a diverse ecosystem.

Flickr/Scot nelSon

Mixed-species grazing and goat- and sheep-powered brush removal make use of the natural characteristics of hilly, neglected land.

9/26/18 10:42 AM

den. Diluted whey is also excellent plant food, either as a side dressing or a foliar feed, and it gives bacterial activity in the compost pile a tremendous boost of sugars, proteins, and beneficial microorganisms.

At Long Last, Self-Sufficiency

Shawn

and

Beth dougherty (10);

aBove,

Flickr/Scot nelSon

The entire farm benefits from a few cows transforming pasture into nutrient-packed milk.

nially damp spots in our upper pasture, and directed this captured water into inexpensive used shipping containers with 300-gallon capacities. We gravityfed the water through ordinary garden hoses to half-barrels equipped with stock-water valves. Even our children could easily drag the half-barrels to anywhere in the pasture, and we had water everywhere on the farm without using our challenged aquifer. We could even put running water in the barn!

Sunshine to Rocket Fuel Our goats’ milk had been a happy source of good, fresh fats and proteins to pour over our morning bowls of oatmeal, or to turn into tart feta. But Isabel, the Jersey cow, and her calf brought further revolution to the farm. Our daily allotment of sunshine was being transformed into rocket fuel.

Initially somewhat intimidated by

the quantities in which it was being delivered — a grass-fed Jersey can produce multiple gallons of milk daily for much of the year — we soon discovered all the ways that milk is the premier source of high-quality, home-produced fat and protein for every appetite on the farm.

Our table overflowed with butter, hard and soft cheeses, yogurt, kefir, sour cream, and more. Plus, the dairy surplus and byproducts provided invaluable farm fuel. Milk feeds the whole farm: calves; pigs, which can grow from weanling to slaughter weight on whey and grass alone; and poultry, which require no other protein supplement in their ration than clabbered raw milk, while young birds fortified with raw milk resist coccidiosis. The farm dogs and cats, our guardians and pest-control systems, benefited from milk too.

A low-level dilution of raw milk is a proven antifungal drench for the gar-

Our farming took on a whole new dimension with the advent of the grassfed Jersey cow. We weren’t dabblers anymore. Our poultry and garden would have been overwhelmed by the milk our cow produced, inspiring us to purchase our first pig. Garden and food waste we’d been composting instead started to go to the pigs, where it was transformed into bacon and pork chops, as well as vast quantities of nitrogen-saturated carbon in the form of soiled bedding for the compost bins. Practically everything on our table came from our small acreage. We routinely sat down to a bountiful array of fresh vegetables, herbs, fruits, and eggs, as well as meat, butter, milk, and cheese from our exclusively grass-fed animals. And while the flavor and quality of our diet skyrocketed, our grocery and feed bills plummeted. Our land fed us with the highest-quality food we had ever eaten, and our farming practices fed the land as well, visibly building soil, fertility, diversity, and drought- and flood-resistance.

Building a local foodshed isn’t just a romantic dream. The first step is no farther than the nearest abandoned

At left, a weedy slope before rotational mixed-species grazing, and at right, grass flourishing in the same area.

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acreage, and you don’t need a degree in environmental science to apply — start with whatever’s already growing, some grazing animals, and a little daily devotion. We can restart the ecological give-and-take that grew our soil in the first place. In fact, it’s the investment tip of the century: Build prosperity and abundance straight from the earth. So, welcome, newbie farmers! Affordable farms are everywhere, right under our noses. All we have to do is begin.

The Basic Land Checklist

Above: A pipe delivers a small, steady stream

of water from a pasture seep to a tank. Right: For those of us who’ve never owned The stream with healthy bank vegetation. land, knowing what to look for can be a little overwhelming. We found it helpful to make a list of priorities: land been treated in the past? Mining Location. Know where you want goat-grazing operation. Local knowlcan leave heavy metals in the soil; so to be, based on factors from family and edge of a parcel’s previous use can can other kinds of land management. employment to climate and cultural conhelp with farm planning too, such as Commercial animal production may ditions. If you’re thinking of producing when a neighbor mentions a spot that also nix plans to raise certain species goods for sale, where are your customers? floods every April, saving you a poorly on your land; an outbreak of hog cholUnderstand the market potential in the placed spring garden bed. You might era on a nearby farm left it potentially region you’re considering. be able to exchange land care for pasunsafe for raising pigs for more than Accessibility. Before you submit an ofture space — the bulk of our pasture 30 years. Old building sites may have fer, make sure you know how you’re goactually belongs to three different sets hidden potholes or imperfectly filled celing to get in and out of your land. Also of neighbors. Remember that you’ll be lars, as well as fiberglass or asbestos hazconsider the route for any large equipentering an established social structure ards. Ask as many questions as you can ment you plan to bring in or out — a wherever you buy land. Consider how about the land before you make an offer. wind turbine, for example, or a truckyour strongest opinions and most idioNeighbors. Getting acquainted with load of building materials. syncratic behaviors will fit into the culpotential neighbors is useful. Introduce Water. Before you seriously consider ture of the place you’re hoping to live. yourself, ask questions, and listen to any piece of land, make sure it has ample Premiums. Keep an eye out for unexthe answers. Neighboring land use can water year-round. Where is it coming pected assets. Trees will provide shade, affect your future plans, as when you from — is it well, spring, surface, or city lumber, and firewood. Surface water discover an avid grower of rare roses water — how good is it, and is it accessican serve as irrigation, stock water, a right next to where you planned your ble all 12 months of the year? fishing spot, or a swimming Residence. Are you going hole. Neighbors might give to live on this land? Doing so you manure, and their unisn’t a necessity — living within used fields might be available a short walk or drive of your for lease or lend. Established farm can give you the privifruit or nut trees, berry canes, leges of small town or village and bushes will produce years residence as well as many of before you can expect your the benefits and pleasures of new plantings to do so. farm life. But if you do plan South-facing slopes, wind to live on your land, you’ll breaks, and shelterbelts are all need some sort of dwelling. substantial assets.

Know what your minimum So if you’re looking for requirements are: The simpler farmland, keep a weather your needs are, the more pieces eye out for neglected corners of land you can consider, and you can bring to life. They’re Grazing technique is essential for creating lush pastures full of good the cheaper they’ll be. more common than you grass and clover for your livestock.

Previous use. How has the might think.

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Aquaponics

in a Natural Pond

Take advantage of the nutrients in your fish pond by floating a vegetable garden on top.

By Robert Pavlis

I

magine growing vegetables on rafts in a backyard pond. You won’t need to water, weed, or fertilize plants when water is your growing medium.

Because a pond will stay cooler than soil, you can harvest cool-weather crops, such as lettuce, for a much longer period. Ponds that contain fish provide a

natural source of nutrients that help support an aquaponic vegetable garden. Not only will your floating vegetable plants produce food, but they’ll also keep algae levels in the pond low by consuming the nutrients algae need to thrive.

Historical Aquaponics Systems Combining plant and fish cultivation is far from new; societies have been grow-

ing food on lakes and rivers for a long time. The Aztecs created chinampas, large artificial islands and peninsulas on which they grew trees as well as chile peppers, squash, corn, tomatoes, and beans. In modern-day Iraq, the Marsh Arabs still grow food on rafts that are large enough to hold their homes and even large meeting halls.

The idea of growing food on water makes sense.

An aquatic ecosystem can provide all the moisture and nutrients plants require and eliminates soilborne pests, while the plants keep algae blooms at

Chinampas are a traditional form of aquaponics long practiced in South America.

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bay and provide cover for fish. Despite all these benefits and the long history of growing vegetables in natural water systems, the concept is rarely applied to backyard ponds.

Why Grow in a Pond?

Aquaponics systems are as varied as the plants grown in them; here, pumps transfer pond water to an elevated planting tray, and the water aerates the pond as it falls back in.

Hydroponics is now a common way to grow vegetables, such as lettuce and tomatoes, commercially. In hydroponic systems, plant roots are suspended in water that contains fertilizer while the rest of the plant grows normally in the air.

How does a pond compare with a commercial hydroponic system?

Provided you have some way to suspend the plants over the pond water, pond growing is virtually the same as a hydroponic system, with one important difference: You won’t need to fertilize the pond, because fish, insects,

clockwise from left:

Nutrients naturally accumulate in a pond when fish waste and dead organic material decompose. Nitrogen, the nutrient that’s most critical for fish health and plant growth, cycles through the pond with the help of a variety of decomposers. See the diagram on Page 14 for an example of how this works.

Organic matter, such as dead animal and plant material, accumulates in the pond. Bacteria then start to decompose the organic material. The initial decomposition produces ammonia, a chemical that’s very toxic to fish. Fortunately, bacteria will also convert ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate, neither of which are as toxic to fish. Some nitrogen will escape into the air, but most of it will remain in the water as nitrate until plants use it again as they grow.

Algae requires higher levels of nitrate to grow than most other plants, so the key to controlling algae growth is controlling the level of nitrate in the water.

In a natural pond, this is often done by including a lot of decorative plants in the water and at the edge. Instead of decorative plants, try growing vegetables right in the pond water. They will not only control algae, but will also provide food for your table while they work.

flickr/Justin leonard; flickr/aqua mechanical (2); Green relief. PaGe 11: wikimedia commons/emmanuel eslava

Pond Nutrients

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A simple Styrofoam raft, as above, leaves plant roots exposed in water. Insert pots full of expanded clay pellets, shown at right, into the raft to fend off hungry fish looking for a snack.

clockwise from left:

Flickr/Justin Leonard; Flickr/Aqua Mechanical (2); Green Relief. Page 11: Wikimedia Commons/Emmanuel Eslava

bacteria, and decaying plant material will do this for you.

Commercial hydroponic systems are relatively complex, with pumps to move the water past the plants’ roots and equipment to test the oxygen and nutrient levels in an effort to maximize productivity. You won’t need all of this for a pond hydroponic system. A simple raft that holds the plants in place is all that’s required.

Choosing Plants for Aquaponics Systems In aquaponics systems, the roots of the vegetables will mostly be immersed

in water instead of soil, so this system isn’t a good choice for root crops. Most other plants will grow quite well directly in water.

If you’re just starting out with aquaponics, try growing any of the leafy greens, such as lettuce, spinach, or Swiss chard. If you’re an experienced aquaponic grower, you might branch out to more adventurous options, such as peas, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, or even peppers.

Whichever plants you choose, start your seeds in soil, as you would for any garden, and after the seedlings are a couple of inches tall, transplant them to their water environment.

Growing Vegetables on a Raft The easiest way to grow vegetables in a pond is to use a floating raft system. Dense polystyrene is the cheapest and most readily available material to make a floating raft, but be aware of the environmental risks: when it breaks apart, animals (including fish) can eat and choke on the pieces, and the material takes at least 500 years to decompose. Take a piece of dense polystyrene, cut some holes through it, insert your plants, and float the whole structure in your pond.

Dense polystyrene will withstand

Cannabis and Tilapia Canada is on track to legalize recreational cannabis in 2018.

(Medical cannabis has been legal in Canada under certain circumstances since 2001.) This has spawned a number of commercial growing operations. One of the most interesting new growing operations is located in southern Ontario.

Green Relief grows medical cannabis in an underground facility that provides about 2 acres of growing space lit by LED lights. The plants grow in rafts floating in tanks supplied with water from fish tanks containing tilapia. The fish waste in the water provides plenty of nutrients for the plants. The circulating water keeps both the fish and the plant roots well-oxygenated.

The company harvests both cannabis and fish from the system.

In a demonstration area, Green Relief uses the exact same system to grow a variety of flowers and vegetables; see photo on Page 15.

Green Relief uses separate tanks for the tilapia that provide organic waste material to support its medical cannabis growing operation, which fills a 2-acre facility.

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Bacteria in the pond convert nitrogen in organic matter into ammonia, then into nitrite, and finally into nitrate, which is less toxic, and a form of nitrogen plants can use.

Plants use nitrate to grow.

piping instead of strips of foam. Any material that floats will raise the main raft so it’s not touching the water, which will give your plants’ roots the air space they need.

You’ll have several options to hold the plants in place. You can use 1- to 2-inch lengths of the insulation for copper piping to make “collars” for each plant. The foam insulation will already have a slit along one side, making it easy to insert the seedling without damaging its roots. You can then insert the plant with the foam collar into a hole in the polystyrene by compressing the collar a bit. As the plant grows and needs more space, it’ll push against the foam, compressing it.

Another good option is to use hydro-

ponic pots, which are designed with lots of holes for good water circulation, or, if you prefer the DIY approach, you can punch holes in plastic drinking cups to make your own. These pots can then be filled with mineral wool hydroponic growth medium or expanded clay pellets. The plants really won’t care which system you use, provided it gives them some support until they grow good-sized root systems.

Although the raft system is easy to build and use, it does suffer from one limitation: Fish can get at the plant roots. Most fish will nibble on plant roots, but koi and other carp, such as goldfish, may eat enough to affect your plants’ productivity. To keep your plant roots safe from piscine predation, you can add netting below the raft.

Using a Bog Garden

If you don’t have room to install a natural pond, you can create an aquaponics system with just about anything that’ll hold water, such as these half-barrels.

Bog gardens are frequently added to natural ponds as a way of cleaning the water and keeping nutrient levels low.

The diagram above shows how a bog garden connects to a pond. Water is pumped from the pond into the bottom of the bog garden, where it percolates up through the sand layer and past the plant roots, and then finally returns to the pond. The plants benefit from the nutrient-rich water being pumped in from the pond, and the low-nutrient water that returns can’t support algae blooms.

Normally, gardeners grow ornamental plants in a bog garden, but there’s no reason you can’t use vegetables. Planting

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clockwise from lower left:

floating on a pond surface better than the cheap stuff that easily breaks into little balls. The lids from containers used to ship fresh fish to stores and restaurants work well, and you can easily get them free of charge by asking the staff of places where fresh fish are sold. You can also buy larger sheets of polystyrene in building supply stores.

The problem with flat pieces of polystyrene is that they leave no air space between the polystyrene and the water.

Plants grow better if some of the roots are exposed to air, so it’s a good idea to have a small air gap between the foam and the water. You can attach small strips of foam around the edge of the raft with glue or twist ties, or use the insulation foam covers sold for copper

flickr/Dallashomestager; keith warD; green relief

The pump moves nitrate-rich water to the bog garden.

in sand is easier than using individual pots, and the natural look of the pond won’t be disfigured by floating rafts. Bog gardens also solve the problem of fish eating the plant roots, since the two are kept completely separate.

clockwise from lower left:

flickr/Dallashomestager; keith warD; green relief

Planning an External Growing Area The two methods described above are fairly simple to implement, but you might not like the idea of seeing your vegetables in or near your pond. You may also want a larger growing area to increase the number of vegetables you can grow. The solution to either of these issues is to create a separate vegetable growing area.

There are many variations to this option, but in general, you’ll need to add a pump that will move the pond water to an external tank. The water will flow through the tank, eventually returning back to the pond. The tank will hold sheets of polystyrene with plants inserted; most growers using such a system prefer square tanks, because polystyrene sheets can then be easily cut to the right dimensions. This tank system is very similar to commercial hydroponic systems, except your pond will be providing the nutrients.

In a normal pond, keeping fish levels low is important so ammonia levels don’t get too high. But with a larger external growing area, you’d actually have to increase the fish load in the pond to provide enough nutrients for the plants.

This is great news for people who love to have lots of fish in their ponds and for people who raise fish for food.

The Green Relief display garden shows off a vibrant collection of edible plants.

The moving water and the large surface area of the external tank also provide a great way to oxygenate the water, which is needed to support a higher fish load.

Small backyard ponds tend to get fairly warm, and traditional goldfish, koi, and mosquitofish are good choices. A midsized backyard pond could support tilapia, which require cooler water.

A larger pond can support game fish, so the whole system could provide your table with meat and vegetables.

Balancing Fish and Plant Load Aquaponics systems are easy to set up, but for a commercial operation, the difficulty is in getting the fish-to-plants balance just right.

If the fish level gets too high, the plants can’t keep the nutrient levels

under control and the fish die; alternatively, too few fish can’t generate enough waste to provide the plants with enough nutrients.

Keep in mind that the number of fish won’t matter as much as the total fish weight. Large fish produce more waste than small fish. This is all complicated by the fact that fish grow, so a system in balance today may be out of balance a few weeks later. The key is having a progression of differently sized fish in the system so the overall weight of fish is kept constant.

A noncommercial operation, such as the one in your backyard, won’t be as complicated, because you won’t need to maximize productivity. Just keep fish loads low, and you won’t have any problems. If nutrient levels dip, your plants will just grow a bit slower.

Create a Backyard Water Feature

With Building Natural Ponds, author Robert Pavlis shows you how to create a pond free of hassle, cost, and complexity, and designed as a fully functional ecosystem ideal for biodiversity, swimming, irrigation, and quiet contemplation. This is a step-by-step guide to designing and building natural ponds that use no pumps, filters, chemicals, or electricity. Subjects covered include: understanding pond ecosystems and natural algae control; planning, design, siting, and pond aesthetics; step-bystep guidance for construction, plants and fish, and maintenance; scaling up to large ponds, pools, bogs, and rain gardens; and more. If you’re looking to build a pond that’s in tune with nature, this is a great resource. This title is available at www.motherearthnews.com/store or by calling 800-234-3368; please use promotion code MMEPAIZD.

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Sweet Savings H

ow many people dream of having a few bustling beehives in their backyard? But here’s a typical scenario: You go to a beekeeping class for beginners and do everything the instructors suggest. You buy equipment and protective gear, order packages of bees, install them in the hives, feed them sugar, and treat them against parasites and disease.

Then, they don’t survive the first winter. You buy more bees the following spring, and the cycle repeats itself.

Faced with high bee mortality, mounting costs, and modest returns, even ex-

pert beekeepers sometimes hang up their veils. There are half as many bee colonies in the United States today as there were in the 1940s, and the majority of those that remain are treated with chemicals and trucked around the country to pollinate almonds and other commercial monoculture crops. This stresses the colonies, spreads disease, and leads to honey laced with pesticides.

Fortunately, there’s another option: natural beekeeping. Its principles haven’t changed in a thousand years: Observe how bees live in the wild, and mimic the same conditions in your apiary. Georges de Layens, one of Europe’s leading beekeepers from the 19th century, offered

three keys to sustainable apiculture.

First, use local bees that are disease-resistant and adapted to your local climate and flowering patterns. Second, keep bees in appropriate hives that imitate a natural tree nest and match the climate of your region. Finally, practice sensible management in tune with bees’ biological needs, and disturb them as little as possible.

Follow these simple rules, and beekeeping will become what it used to be — a joyful and productive occupation that requires relatively little effort and brings great rewards. Whether you aspire to have a few hives for pleasure and honey, or to make your living through natural bee-

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FROM FAR LEFT:

By Leo Sharashkin

GETTY IMAGES/KOSOLOVSKYY; LEO SHARASHKIN (2)

Build your own beekeeping equipment to save money while making honey.

from far left:

Getty ImaGes/KosolovsKyy; leo sharashKIn (2)

keeping, you can keep bees successfully and with minimal cost. Let’s get you off to a good start.

are untreated. Most stores will have large plywood boxes, crates, pallets, and wood containers they need to dispose of. Construction and remodBreaking the eling sites often have a pile of Vicious Cycle lumber cutoffs you can help “Keeping bees requires yourself to. Students at the art little effort, and barely any studio at our local school use capital to get started,” wrote sheets of ¼-inch plywood for de Layens in Keeping Bees in painting projects, which they Horizontal Hives: A Complete discard after class.

Guide to Apiculture. But the If you don’t have any inexperience of many beekeepclination or time to salvage ers is actually quite different. lumber, consider using roughBeekeeping has become a sawn lumber from a local mill costly undertaking because (make sure it’s thoroughly airof the prevailing habit of dried) instead of dimensional buying equipment and bees. lumber from big-box stores.

After investing hundreds or Rough-sawn lumber may be thousands of dollars into your Above: Beekeepers who use horizontal hives rarely need to smoke four times less expensive. Plus, their bees. Below: Bees make excellent use of the deep frames in setup, you’re under pressure to the rough surface is beneficial horizontal hives, building comb as they naturally would. produce more honey to recovfor bees because it’s easier for er your costs. Pushing bees for them to walk on, and they’ll maximum honey production instinctively coat it with creates more problems, which propolis, which will create an are costly to fix, and you’re antibacterial envelope around caught up in a vicious cycle. their nest.

“Make no mistake,” wrote Free insulation. In my opinthe Ukrainian beekeeper ion, the best material for insuIllarion Kullanda in 1882, lating a hive is natural wool. “build the kind of hive you You can place it between walls can craft yourself with the (in double-wall construction) cheapest materials available and under the roof. In many in your country.” Following rural areas, you can obtain free his sound advice, I discovered wool from sheep breeders who that you can obtain almost keep their animals for meat everything you need for your and shear them for hygienic project, free of charge. reasons. You can also use cardboard or sawdust instead. In Finding Freebies many climates, a plank that’s Free lumber. I needed to 1½ inches thick will provide build a couple dozen swarm all the insulation you’ll need. traps and hives for my apiary.

Cheap and durable roofOn my way to the building ing. Cover the hive top with supply store, I stopped at a steel or aluminum for durabilsmall rural recycling cenity. A local newspaper near me ter in southern Missouri. I sells large sheets of aluminum never made it to the store after that. The as large wooden spools used for electric (enough for two swarm traps) for $1 a recycling center had everything on my wire. The recycling center was transformpiece — employees use it once in their shopping list except screws. There was ing all this bounty into mountains of printing shop and then scrap it. a staggering quantity of lumber of all wood mulch. I could have as much as I Even with a pile of free materials, imaginable dimensions, plywood, and wanted at no cost. the prospect of building a hive may be even pieces of metal roofing. There were Other sources of free lumber are plendaunting if you’ve never built one. Let’s even ready-made hive stands galore, such tiful. Just make sure the boards you get demystify it: A hive is just a rectangular HOMESTEADING & LIVESTOCK • www.MotherearthNews.coM 17

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Layen

frame rabbe

To make good use of specialty tools, arrange a hive-building bee with like-minded friends and enough building materials for several hives.

box with a cover. You can build one with a handsaw, a hammer, and a chisel. For higher productivity, you can use a table saw and an electric drill. A small router and an air compressor with a narrowcrown staple gun will further speed things up. A Layens hive is a one-day project,

and you can build several swarm traps (small, scented hives used to attract and capture wild honeybee swarms) in a day.

You can even construct hives without your own tools, workshop space, or woodworking skills. We organized a hivebuilding party for 17 people who brought

their own tools and built 33 hives and swarm traps in a day. Even those without prior woodworking experience picked up useful skills and went home with their own equipment.

Be safe, have fun, and let’s go make some sawdust!

deep frames, invented in the 19th century by Georges de Layens. More than 1 million hives of this model are in use today, and it’s the hive that I (and my bees) prefer.

This style of hive is ideal for successful overwintering and rapid spring colony buildup, even in cold climates. This model features 1½-inch walls, which will protect your bees from summer heat and winter cold. This version accepts 14 Layens frames (which are equivalent to 18 Langstroth deep frames)

Materials

Tools

• 1 untreated 2-by-10 board, 14 feet long • 1 untreated 1-by-8 board, 8 feet long • ¼-inch untreated plywood sheathing, at least 265⁄8 by 187⁄16 inches • Sixteen 3-inch deck screws • Wood glue • Fifty 1½-inch staples or 1¼-inch deck screws or nails • Twenty 1-inch staples or 1¼-inch nails • About fifty 3⁄8-inch T50 staples • 20-by-30-inch aluminum flashing • 1-by-20-inch steel or aluminum insect screen • Wide paintbrush • 1 pint exterior acrylic primer/sealer • 1 pint light-colored exterior acrylic paint

• • • • •

• • • • • • •

area with a more abundant honey flow, simply make the box longer by 19⁄16 inches for each additional frame you desire.

Depending on the area and your management choices, Layens hives can consist of anywhere from 12 to 30 frames.

Building Instructions

1 Cut the 2-by-10 board into four pieces at 217⁄8 inches, and four pieces at 1611⁄16 inches. Rip all eight boards to 91⁄8 inches wide. These will make up the walls of the hive.

2 Prepare the tongue-and-groove joint using either a dado set and table

Tape measure Sliding miter saw Table saw Dado set (optional) Router with ¼-inch and ½-inch straight bits and 45-degree chamfer bit Right-angle clamps (optional) Carpenter’s square Cordless drill with a ½-inch drill bit Narrow crown staple gun T50 staple gun Utility knife Metal shears

LEO SHARASHKIN (3). PAGE 19: LEN CHURCHILL

Build Your Own Layens Hive The Layens hive is the original horizontal hive with extraand holds up to 45 pounds of surplus honey. If you live in an

1

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rabbe for b

stopp for b

7/16”

3/8”

aluminum flashing for roofing plywood top frame for top

UPPER FRONT/BACK BOARD FRAME REST RABBET

ventilation holes Layens frame upper side board

frame rest rabbet

short rim

5/16”

bottom planks 13/16”

lower side board

long rim 1/8” chamfered drip edge

LOWER FRONT/BACK BOARD BOTTOM RABBET

ventilation slot

1/2” 1/2”

upper front board

1/2”

1/2”

LEO SHARASHKIN (3). PAGE 19: LEN CHURCHILL

lower front board entrance slots

rabbet for bottom

TONGUE AND GROOVE DETAILS

26-5/8”

stopped rabbet for bottom

9-1/8” 21-7/8”

1/2” x 1/2” tongue 16-11/16”

13/16” x 13/16” stopped rabbet for bottom 1-3/16”

9-1/8”

13/16”

2”

4” 1-1/4”

LOWER SIDE BOARD DETAILS

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3

7 saw or a router with a ½-inch router bit to create a ½-by-½inch tongue along one side of two of the long boards and two of the short boards. Cut a ½-by-½-inch groove along one side of the other two matching long boards and two short boards.

3 Cut a rabbet that’s 3⁄8 by 7⁄16 inch along one edge of the long grooved boards on the side opposite the groove. These will become the frame rests.

4 On the long boards with a tongue, cut a rabbet that’s 5⁄16 by 13⁄16 inch on the side opposite the tongue.

5 On the short boards with a tongue, cut a 13⁄16-by-13⁄16inch rabbet, stopping 13⁄16 inches shy of each butt end.

6 Cut two entrances in one of the long boards with a tongue. Each entrance should be a slot 4 inches wide by ½

8

inch tall. Place the slots 1¼ inches from the bottom edge of the board and 2 inches from each end. I use a router with a ½-inch straight bit for this. (You can also drill a hole and use a jigsaw instead.)

7 Now, you’re ready to assemble the hive box. Position the grooved boards on a flat surface. The long boards go between the short boards with the grooves facing up and the frame-rest rabbets on the long boards facing toward the inside of the box.

Check to make sure everything is square, drill two pilot holes per corner, and then attach the sides using 3-inch deck screws.

8 Apply wood glue to the grooves of the assembled box and the tongues of the remaining boards, connect the boards, and assemble the second tier with 3-inch deck screws, drilling two pilot holes per corner.

9 Cut two 233⁄8-inch pieces from the 1-by-8 board. Cut a Leo SharaShkin (7)

5

9

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Your finished hive will be sturdy, well-insulated, and easy to replicate when you discover how simple horizontal hive management can be.

⁄ ¼-inch tongue-and-groove joint, and glue the boards together. Insert them into the rabbet on the hive body and use 1½-inch staples (or nails or screws) to fix it into place.

0 Rip the remaining piece of 1-by-8 board into two planks that are 2½ inches wide, and then cut them into four pieces — two pieces that are 265⁄8 inches long and another two that are 1615⁄16 inches long. Put the shorter planks between the long planks, check that everything is square, and then connect them with 1½-inch staples or screws, forming a frame. ! Cut a piece of ¼-inch plywood to 265⁄8 by 187⁄16 inches, and attach it to the frame with 1-inch staples or nails. @ Cut a piece of aluminum flashing to 20 by 285⁄8 inches. Lay it on a flat surface, center the lid on it, lightly score the perimeter with a utility knife, cut the notches on all four corners, and then fold and staple the flashing into place with 3⁄8-inch staples. # Rip what remains of the 1-by-8 board into two strips that are 15⁄16 inch wide. Cut them into four pieces: two pieces that are 263⁄8 inches long and another two that are 1611⁄16 inches long. Take 1⁄8 inch off one edge of each plank using a 45-degree chamfer bit (to form the drip edge), and then nail the boards to the hive body ½ inch from the top edge of the box with the drip edge facing up. This rim will support the top.

Leo SharaShkin (7)

1 4-by-

$ Now, it’s time to add some ventilation. Drill four ½-inch holes on each short side of the top, making sure the holes are sloped upward to prevent rainwater from entering the hive. If your climate has very hot summers, drill a couple more holes on each side. On the inside of the top, cover the holes with aluminum or steel insect screen, and staple it into place with 3⁄8-inch staples. Make a ½-by-3-inch slot in the center of the bottom, cover it with screen on the inside, and staple the screen into place.

Paint the outside of your hive, and then you’re done.

Your Layens hive is now ready for some bees. The top bars of the frames create a nice ceiling, which retains warmth inside the hive and minimizes disturbance during inspections. The space above the frames is ventilated and can be filled with insulation for winter. Thick walls and a deep and relatively narrow nest mimic a tree hollow.

The best part, of course, comes during the actual use. The Layens hive is a pleasure to work with, and with the plentiful reserves stored in the deep frames, the bees overwinter great, build up strongly in spring without any feeding, and do excellent throughout the season. This hive was designed for easy management, requiring only two hive visits per year.

Simple and Natural Beekeeping for Fun, Productive Hives

Learn natural beekeeping from Europe’s foremost authority. Georges de Layens, inventor of the popular horizontal hive, shares a lifetime of experience on how to get started in simplified beekeeping with Keeping Bees in Horizontal Hives, including: choosing the best hive model for you and your bees; managing your hives with just two visits per year; taking advantage of horizontal hives and deep frames; avoiding unnecessary complications and procedures; increasing an apiary with natural or artificial swarms; transferring bees from one hive model to another; enhancing bees’ health drug-free; doing without requeening, feeding, and other chores; understanding honey plants and honeyflows; and more. Layens’ simple beekeeping boasts more than 100 years of successful use, with 1 million hives in use today. With this guide, keeping bees can be easier than you ever imagined! This title is available at www.motherearthnews.com/store or by calling 800-234-3368; please use promotion code MMEPAIZD.

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Build a Backyard

Edible Ecosystem Use compost, yard waste, and recycled paper to construct a small permaculture ecosystem that supports your food garden.

By Zach Loeks

F

ruits, vegetables, and flowers can transform neighborhoods into abundant, beautiful, healthy environments. If we plant fruit trees, berry bushes, and herbs, we can begin to form new food landscapes throughout our communities. The best way to start this process is by building a small edible ecosystem in your backyard that includes a simple compost system that will become the bed for your perennial food plants.

Keep your climate in mind when you choose the tree at the center of your permaculture garden.

An edible ecosystem is a planned garden that features diverse food plants that complement each other’s forms and functions, imitating the structure of a natural ecosystem. I create ecosystems that include a mix of three or more varieties of herbs, berries, and fruit trees, along with beneficial fungi, which all work together to produce an abundance of food. These miniature permaculture gardens also provide space to trial potential food plant guilds and propagate new plants to share with your community.

ADOBE STOCK/BONITA

What’s an Edible Ecosystem?

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Caption

Adobe Stock/bonitA

Use a tarp to kill any grass or other plants before you set up the bed.

Cover the area with a layer of overlapping cardboard to deter weeds.

By starting small and trialing different combinations of perennial food species, you can learn what works well and then share that successful design with your neighbors. For instance, if a certain berry cultivar is delicious and works well with a ground cover of thyme, you can suggest that design to others in your area. You’ll also be able to turn your garden into a nursery source for propagating other sites in your yard and community.

— and complementary — life cycles. This is the premise behind companion planting in any environment. For instance, a larger fruit tree can shelter smaller plants from wind and heat; ground covers, such as thyme, can keep out weeds; herbs can confuse pests; and grapes can use another plant’s stems for a trellis. Some plants have coevolved to form symbiotic relationships, and some plants simply work well together in a planned ecosystem.

Mimicking Nature

Compost Spot to Garden Plot

A well-designed edible ecosystem will offer improved yields and require less maintenance than a traditional food garden by mimicking the form and function of natural ecosystems. Form refers to the different canopy and root shapes and the plant sizes used — fruit trees, berry bushes, and ground covers have notably different forms. You can maximize water, nutrient, and sunlight use within your garden plot by layering diverse leaf and root profiles.

Function refers to plants with different

Pay attention to the useful waste materials available in your community, from home food compost and paper recycling to yard waste, bagged leaves, and downed twigs and branches. In combination with backyard soil, small straw bales, and bagged potting mix or compost, you can easily create an edible ecosystem in any 8-by-8-foot space. Use small square hay bales to form the borders of the garden, and fill the central space with layers of debris, compost, and topsoil. Woody

Butt the straw bales together to make a sturdy frame for the bed.

debris will keep the composting layer aerobic by creating air space, while compost will provide nutrients for microorganisms. Recycled paper and dry yard waste will serve as mulch to prevent weeds from growing and to retain moisture for your edible perennials.

Edible Ecosystem How-To First, choose a site that’s accessible for yard work, has good drainage, and has enough space to grow a fruit tree that’ll mature at about 15 feet tall. The site can be in full sun or partial shade, but you’ll need to pay attention to light requirements when you select species to plant.

After you’ve chosen your site, you’ll need to kill the plants already growing there. The easiest way to do this is to lay down a 10-by-10-foot tarp (you can fold a large tarp to fit the space) and weight it with square straw bales. Leave the tarp and bales in place all summer to fry any grass and weeds underneath. Next, remove the bales and tarp, and place a layer

Top off the filled beds with a layer of finished compost or topsoil.

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of cardboard over the newly exposed soil to act as sheet mulch. If you want, you can skip the plastic stage and just cover the grass with a cardboard sheet mulch.

Overlap the cardboard by at least 18 inches to ensure grass doesn’t grow into your edible ecosystem.

Next, use six of the square straw bales to form an 8-by-8-foot border for your ed-

Lay out your food plants after killing the cover crop for in-place mulch.

ible ecosystem, and inoculate them with edible mushroom spores before other wild fungi can take hold. To inoculate them, cut into the straw with a root knife and insert your preferred mushroom spawn; you can use oyster or enokitake sawdust spawn. The best way to find varieties suited to your area is to talk with local gardeners, farmers, and nursery staff;

Edible Ecosystem Example

Here’s an example of an edible ecosystem designed for Zone 4, my hardiness zone. Some of the food plants I chose required two individuals for proper pollination. The overall number and types of plants, however, follow the pattern of a woodland ecosystem.

Fruit tree: 1 ‘Northbrite’ European pear Woody bushes: 1 black raspberry and 2 Haskap berries Herbs: 1 mint and 2 bee balm plants Ground covers: 24 thyme and 24 strawberry plants Vines: 1 ‘Somerset’ grape or hardy kiwi Edible fungi: One 5-pound bag of oyster or enokitake sawdust spawn

alternatively, you can take a risk and try something local growers aren’t using yet.

It might fail, or you might discover your new favorite edible fungus!

To prepare the bed for perennial food plants, fill the center with successive layers of woody debris, compost, leaves, and soil, until it’s full. To get started, scavenge woody debris and prune any hedges or trees you have, and layer this material on top of the cardboard. Add a mix of grass clippings and household compost to the heap on a weekly basis. Bagged compost or some soil from your yard can speed up the decomposition process. An occasional 5-gallon pail of manure or forest soil is a great source of beneficial microbes to jump-start the composting process.

Finally, top off the entire mound with topsoil or bagged compost, rake it smooth, and seed it with a mix of winter rye and red clover. This can be done in fall, and the ZACH LOEKS (9)

Plant a nitrogen-fixing cover crop to load the bed with nutrients.

The pear should be planted in the middle of the edible ecosystem, with a rodent guard around its main stem until the trunk establishes a thick bark. The berries need to be planted in the corners of the planting area to have room to grow and access to sunlight. Plant the herbs along whichever edges suit their sun requirements. Mint tolerates shade, so it should go along the north side of the ecosystem, and bee balm should be planted along the sunny south side.

The ground covers should be planted in a similar fashion, according to their sun and shade tolerance. Thyme can prosper in partial shade, so it should be planted in a grid every 6 to 12 inches on the northern half of the bed, around the pear, berries, and mint. The strawberries need more sun, so they should be planted on the sunny southern half of the bed, again distributed between the berries and bee balm. The grape should be planted on the south side of the pear tree and trained up its trunk. The vine will protect the trunk from sun scald on that side, and will use the tree as a trellis. The mushroom spawn should be inserted into the hay long before the other plants go in, and will spread throughout the bales to produce edible mushrooms and hasten the decomposition process.

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ZACH LOEKS (9)

You can use these beds to propagate cultivars you wish to share, too.

cover crop roots will stabilize the mound over winter. You can let the plants grow as long as you want; if you leave the cover crop to grow until the following midsummer, you can then cover it with a piece of black plastic for 7 to 12 days to kill the plants and make an in-place mulch.

Sometime between filling your compost area and killing the cover crop, select the plants you want to grow in your edible ecosystem. I recommend choosing a small fruit tree, a berry cultivar, one or two herbs or edible flowers, one or two ground covers, and a fruiting vine. A local nursery can help you select species suited to your site, your climate, and your desires; small nurseries are often more familiar with which plants do well in a particular area, and can offer advice on new cultivars to try. Consider site drainage, hours of sun per day, and USDA Hardiness Zone as you make your choices. You could also reach out to a local permaculture designer for advice on how to maximize your garden’s productivity and resource use.

After planting in spring, you’ll need to mulch your ecosystem. If you grew a cover

With everything in place, you won’t need to water or weed often.

crop for in-place mulch, this next step may not be necessary — but it won’t hurt.

Cover the surface between the plants with newspaper, and cover that with fine hardwood chips and more straw or leaves from your yard. The newspaper and mulch will suppress weeds until the plants are established, and will prevent unwanted volunteer plants from germinating. You can run a soaker hose between the plants to keep them moist while they establish themselves. Keep the soil moist, but not sodden.

By filling available garden space with edible plants of differing forms and functions, you’ll have created an ecosystem that will use resources, such as sunlight and water, more efficiently and produce food with less effort from you. The ground cover will spread between the other plants, which will offer shade and wind protection to each other as they grow. Nonaggressive vining plants can be supported by the fruit tree as a living trellis.

Spread the Wealth These micro-ecosystems can be repeated many times in your yard or on a home-

stead. Just place nametags by each plant so you don’t forget the cultivar names and can document your successes. Your favorite plants can easily be shared with neighbors to begin to build an edible ecosystem neighborhood through the harvest and movement of suckers, scions, and seeds to other homeowners. In fact, this is necessary! Your plants will propagate themselves through seeds and suckers, and you’ll want to harvest the surplus and share it.

In an edible ecosystem, the diversity of plants work to shelter each other, capture sunlight, and create symbiotic relationships with each other, supported by the healthy soil you’ve nurtured below. Begone, stinky compost piles! A planned, biodiverse ecosystem will make immediate use of your waste to grow food as a beautiful landscape feature.

Remember to start right: Build a good compost bed, bring in some wellresearched cultivars to mimic the natural layers of a woodland ecosystem, and do a good job mulching and watering for the first year. Then, just maintain the mulch layer and enjoy your harvest!

A Visual Guide to a Profitable Farm Business

In The Permaculture Market Garden, author Zach Loeks taps into his passion for sustainable permaculture systems to provide a visual guide to integrating permaculture into a market garden. This book is designed to get aspiring farmers started with their own permaculture market gardens, and to give seasoned farmers tips to expand their businesses. Loeks walks readers through all the steps necessary for operating a profitable and sustainable farm. This guide features five parts: Farm Ecosystem, Whole Farm Mapping, Holistic Planning, Design Management, and Our Permabed System. Full of detailed and colorful illustrations to accompany the information, this book is easy to understand and enjoy. The Permaculture Market Garden is also a best-seller at our MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIRS! This title is available at www.

MotherEarthNews.com/Store or by calling 800-234-3368; please use code MMEPAIZD.

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Protect & Shelter Your Goats Construct sturdy housing and fencing for your goats to help them stay safe — and stay put.

By Julia Shewchuk

F

encing and shelter are two of the most important factors to consider on a farm. Both can keep your livestock healthy, safe, and where it belongs. But fencing is also one of the most costly upfront investments you’ll have to make for your livestock, and it’s not wise to pinch pennies. Cheap fencing can fail after a couple of years and could cost you livestock; expensive fencing will last a decade, if not longer.

Goats in particular will benefit from sturdy fencing. They will climb on a fence, try to stick their heads through a fence, rub along a fence, and try to run through a fence. A fence will be the one barrier between your goats getting out or a predator getting in. A fence will prevent your goats from escaping and eating that one poisonous plant on your property that you thought they’d never reach.

The expenses won’t end with the fencing itself. Along with a high-quality fencing wire, you’ll need to buy a sturdy gate, fence posts, bracing wire, fence

staples, and a fence stretcher. Buy the best fencing materials you can afford, one pasture at a time. Your goats will thank you, as will your neighbors. Here are my tips for finding good materials and constructing a fence and shelter for your goats.

Fencing Materials We opted for Bekaert Non-Climb Horse Fence on our farm because it’s very sturdy, and that justifies the extra expense. It’s also a bit more difficult to work with because it’s not as flexible, but for us that’s a small price to pay for the longevity and performance we expect.

We’ve had our fence up for eight years now, and it has withstood full-body goat rubbing without bulging or showing signs of wear or tear.

This particular fence also has relatively small 2-by-4-inch openings, so a goat can’t stick its head through and get stuck, horns or no horns. The fence is 5 feet high, which gives the goats the illusion that they can’t jump it. Even our tallest bucks haven’t attempted to jump it.

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Fence Construction Build solid braces on both sides of the gates as well as the corners, and stretch your fence tight. A saggy fence won’t do its job. Use plenty of staples because one will surely pop. Don’t scrimp by putting fence posts farther apart than the instructions tell you — doing so will compromise the sturdiness of your fence.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides instructional videos and manuals on building fences; contact your local office for copies, and learn more by searching for “EQIP” at www.nrcs.usda.gov.

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and

Benjamin C. Tankersley; Julia Shewchuk (3). Pages 26 clockwise from lower left:

In addition to good fencing, goats need decent shelter to protect them from predators and the elements, especially Goats are lively and will try to escape; you’ll need a solid, tall fence to keep your ruminants in rain, wind, and heat. Like us humans, and predators out. goats can get sick from exposure to extreme weather. Goats have hollow hair a strand of barbed wire underneath the We use a single strand of brace wire. shafts that help them withstand moderfence just below the surface and ran a In the past, we used two strands twistate heat and cold (and also insulate them top strand just above the fence on all ed together and have had one fatality from the shocks that electric fences can exterior fencing to prevent uninvited and two close calls with a goat getting deliver), but their coats don’t provide guests from getting in. its head stuck between the brace wires. protection from severe temperatures We’ve found that electric or heavy rain. Plus, the more fencing will not contain our energy a goat uses to stay warm goats, especially if they spot or dry, the less energy it will green grass or vegetation on have to make milk. the other side.

Unlike fencing, housing We’ve tried three-strand and doesn’t need to be elaborate four-strand temporary electric or expensive. In more temfencing, and ended up having perate climates like ours here to collect the fence from all in northern Florida, a threefour corners of the property. sided shelter with a roof is sufficient. Most of our shelters It seems one goat will charge have 5-foot-high partial walls, through the fence and then allowing room for air circularun, with all the other goats tion over the top of the wall, close behind. Electric fence which we call the “summer may work well for some, but gap.” In a cold climate that not for us.

Split-rail won’t work either. experiences snow, a propEven a 225-pound goat can erly ventilated barn would be make itself as flat as a pancake better. For our winter, we close if it wants to reach the tree on the summer gap in the birththe other side of the fence. ing pens with plastic sheeting To avoid injuries, we haven’t to provide a draft- and rain-free used barbed wire for interior environment for pregnant and Buy the best fence you can afford to contain your playful goats. fencing. However, we buried lactating does and their kids.

27: Jessica Harms

Shelter to Suit Your Circumstances

27: jessica harms and

Benjamin c. tankersley; julia shewchuk (3). Pages 26 clockwise from lower left:

Before you start any construcdrained. Slotted flooring is cheap, tion, take a moment to consider but can become unsanitary very these details: quickly, and the slots can become Location. Think about where traps for legs and feet. Plus, wood you’ll put the shelter, especially if is porous and will hold bacteria it’ll be permanent, and make sure and fungi, organisms you’ll want it will be accessible and won’t be to minimize in your dairy operain the way of rain runoff. Locate tion. As with shelters, the type of a buck’s shelter downwind from flooring you use can depend on your house. your budget and situation.

Who it’s for. Is it for your We use a dirt floor as a base and bucks, does, or birthing? Your cover it with a layer of grass hay shelter may have to be designed a and shavings. We clean our pens little differently for each use. For at least once a day to remove urine example, pregnant does need amspots and manure. Sometimes, ple room to give birth, and need we have to add a bit of sand to some time away from other goats, even out holes from digging or to bond with their kids. With this removing urine spots. The hay group, you may also have to conThe goat shelter on Serenity Acres Farm is built out of wood serves to provide a barrier to the and metal sheeting. You can use what you have on hand; sider access to electricity for lights, dirt, adds warmth, and helps soak any material that will stand up to the elements will do. heat lamps, or a camera system to up urine. The shavings also help monitor your goats. soak up urine and prevent it from The number of inhabitants. OverFlooring and Bedding puddling. We use hay because here in crowding causes stress, and the goats You can choose goat bedding to suit the South we have easy access to it, but on the bottom of the herd order could your personal preference as long as you we have trouble finding straw. In states be pushed outside if there’s not enough provide a clean, dry space for your dairy farther north, goat farmers are able to room. goats to lay down and rest. use straw instead of hay. Up north, You can put up a shelter in a weekend Visit any goat farm and you’ll find there’s also the option of using deep without much expense. We use wood as concrete, soil, or gravel, and somelitter bedding for winter. our base material and metal sheeting for times rubber mats beneath the bedding.

Most of our goats prefer to sleep in the roof. You can be creative in choosing Concrete is easy to clean if sloped to the courtyard, on the ground, or in the building materials — just make sure it allow for proper drainage, but it’s very shade of trees during summer. In winter, will stand up to the elements, is wellexpensive. Dirt and gravel are practical, the goats move into the pens and sleep constructed, and is easy to maintain. A inexpensive, and easy to clean if properly huddled in the warm hay bedding. friend of mine uses calf huts, which are portable but quite expensive for their size. Go online to find free building plans; both Penn State Extension (www. extension.psu.edu/calf-and-heiferhousing) and the Maryland Small Ruminant Page (www.sheepandgoat. com) provide plans for free.

Whatever materials you use, make sure that nails don’t stick out at either end because your goats will find them.

Make sure you leave no gaps, no sharp edges, and no protruding corners — your goats will find those too.

A friend of ours erected beautiful three-sided shelters out of metal, but left a gap between the lower edge and the ground. Two of her bucklings got their feet stuck in the gap and ended up with very deep, unsightly gashes right above The author tells interns and visitors that the best cheese begins with healthy, protected goats. their hooves.

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Reasons to

Raise Ducks

Consider adding these hardworking birds to your homestead for pest control and year-round eggs.

and

31: JeSSica HarmS

adobe Stock/PefkoS; Janet Horton

The average duck egg is larger than the average chicken egg, and some breeds of

above from left:

Tasty Eggs and Meat

Happy ducks that have plenty of food, water, and friends are easy to keep together. An inexpensive 2-foot-high pallet fence is an easy and efficient way to keep them contained. If you let them free-range in the daytime, you’ll still be able to herd your ducks back to their coop quickly when necessary. Ducks don’t need any sort of perches or nest boxes. Simply give them plenty of clean hay or straw, and they’ll happily make a cozy nest in a corner of the coop.

Ducks have a gland in their tails that produces waterproofing oils when they splash water on themselves. The ducks then distribute the oils over their feathers as they preen, so you need to provide

30

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hese days, many folks are keeping chickens in the suburbs, on homesteads, and even in citybased coops. If you don’t have a few chickens of your own by now, you probably know someone who does. A lot of us have a desire to reconnect with our food’s production, and one way to accomplish this is to keep a few farm animals around. But not many people keep ducks, even though these feathered friends have plenty to offer.

Simple Homes for Happy Ducks ducks can lay quite consistently. Duck eggs are cherished for baking and can also be a viable alternative for people who have developed an allergy to chicken eggs.

Raising ducks for meat takes about 2 to 4 months, which is similar to the time required to raise most broiler chickens.

Duck meat is a delicacy in many regions, often commanding top dollar at fine restaurants. The fat from ducks is wonderful for cooking and baking. And by raising the ducks yourself, you can ensure the health and happiness of your animals, which is an added bonus.

Male ducks usually aren’t particularly aggressive, so keeping one around is rarely a problem. Raising a small breeding

SPread on PageS

By Jennifer Poindexter

flock can help you maintain a supply of replacement or slaughter ducklings year after year.

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ADOBE STOCK/PEFKOS; JANET HORTON ABOVE FROM LEFT:

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Thanks to their protective waterproof feathers, ducks and ducklings are well-suited to water and are able to stay warm in cold weather.

water in which they can bathe. Use an inflatable pool or small stock tank to provide an inexpensive water source for bathing and preening. Because ducks carry so much moisture on their bodies, you’ll also need to equip their coop with adequate ventilation to keep it free from mold and mildew.

Ducks Love Garden Pests Ducks enjoy a combination of plant forage and animal protein in the form of insects and other invertebrates. All laying ducks can eat up to 8 inches of slug in a single gulp. Some breeds, such as the Muscovy duck, can also control flies, ticks,

wasps, mosquitoes, and Japanese beetles if allowed to roam your property.

Ducks can also help you control weeds, and while doing so will produce phosphorous-rich manure for your garden, compost, or property.

Hardy and Handsome Ducks do well in cold weather and will continue to lay eggs during much of the cooler season. They’ll also be able to forage, assuming the ground isn’t frozen and the vegetation isn’t dormant or absent.

Even if the ground is frozen, ducks enjoy getting outdoors during winter.

Ducklings are among the hardiest of

backyard fowl babies because they have thick downy insulation and a layer of subcutaneous fat. Young ducks will thrive during those wet and cold months that send other birds looking for shelter.

You can see why you may choose to keep birds that lay eggs year-round and masterfully handle pesky insects and weeds. But some people add ducks to their backyard flocks simply because the birds are playful and beautiful. Watching a family of ducks foraging around your property is peaceful.

Spending time observing these lovely birds going about their business can be a way to reduce stress or a quiet way to spend time with your family.

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Choose Cows for a

Small-Scale Dairy

Article and photos by Steve Judge

Before purchasing a cow, consider its history and disposition to ensure your micro dairy’s efficiency and success.

I

n 2006, my wife, Wendy, and I purchased an abandoned 40-acre farm in Vermont and brought it back to life by starting a micro dairy. We were driven by a passion for the slow food movement and a desire for communities to enjoy locally produced, farm-fresh milk. My long-term goal has been to refine my management practices and gradually reduce the amount of time and effort required to successfully run a micro

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Operating a micro dairy means reduced time and effort in producing dairy products.

dairy. How you achieve this same goal will at least partially depend on how much work your cows do for you — and which cows you choose.

I’ve milked just about every type of common dairy cow, including Holsteins, Guernseys, Brown Swiss, Ayrshires, Dairy Shorthorns, Holstein-Jersey crosses, and other Jersey crosses.

Of all the breeds I’ve milked and cared for, I prefer Jerseys for a micro dairy because Jerseys are: • Less likely to have problems when calving, and calf size is never an issue when choosing a sire.

• Relatively small-framed and typically easy keepers.

• Easier on barns and feeding facilities than larger-framed cows, such as Holsteins.

• Grazers and foragers. Some specialty breeds may be better, but Jerseys consistently do a good job.

• Heat-tolerant. That said, I still provide my cows with the opportunity to find shade in summer. Don’t listen to people who advise you not to.

• Better at converting feed to milk than most other breeds, and their milk is high in butterfat and protein.

• Intelligent with responsive personalities if properly raised.

• A common breed with a good selection of sires and genetics.

• Able to make good beef if properly raised.

I’ve cleared a lot of brush and firewood off approximately 10 acres of our land to create what I call “wooded pasture,” which is now officially referred to as “silvopasture.” Our Jersey cows browse well in the woods and are helping me gradually thin out the underbrush. They also do a great job preventing the brush from regrowing while encouraging the native grasses to take hold.

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The author designed this milk-processing room to maximize efficiencies in space and labor, with the goal of milking four cows in half an hour.

The cows have also done a remarkable job improving our open pasture. Years ago, I read that it takes 100 years of careful stewardship to make a good pasture. I believe it. I also believe it’s important to let the grasses that grow voluntarily in my pastures thrive and multiply. I don’t believe in plowing and planting whatever exotic grass is popular at the moment. I try not to mow my pastures with my tractor more than once a year to reduce soil compaction. The rest of the time, I let the cows do it with their “4-inch cutter bars,” as my neighboring dairy farmer used to call grazing Jerseys.

My formerly overgrown fields have now become productive pastures thanks to my cows. For me, Jerseys have been a good choice. But, regardless of breed, you should spend time with cows you’re considering before you buy them to make sure they’re healthy and have good, workable dispositions, because if all goes well, you’ll be living with them for a long time.

Get to Know Your Cow What’s more important than the breed you choose is the health, temperament, and history of the individual cow you select. Cows intended for a micro dairy should be easy to handle, relaxed around people, and calm when they’re milked. Chances are your cows will be visited and milked by inexperienced visitors or hired help, so they can’t be dangerous or difficult to handle in any way.

Be aware that people usually sell cows for a reason. If you’re buying a cow from someone you aren’t well-acquainted with, ask why it’s being sold. I prefer to buy cows from local farmer friends who routinely sell cows and bred heifers to control their herd size.

Regarding temperament, my rule is to never buy a cow I haven’t put my hands on. Foolishly, I seem to keep breaking my rule and always end up regretting it. You should spend time

The author built a small tie barn in which to shelter and milk his cows.

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with the cow and notice whether she’s relaxed or tense. After a few minutes, you should be able to approach her and put your hands on her without her fussing or backing away. Kneel down beside the cow and feel her udder. She shouldn’t object.

The cow may show a little annoyance, which is OK, but if she kicks out and tries to hurt you, look for another cow.

Just like people, every cow has its own personality. Be well-acquainted with a cow’s personality before you purchase her.

Determining whether a cow is healthy is essential. Have the cow tested for all common bovine diseases — don’t stop at the tests your state requires. Also, test for Johne’s disease and Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV). The infection rate in the United States for BLV is well over 50 percent, but most farmers are unaware of the seriousness of these diseases and rarely test their cows for them.

Also, have your cow’s milk tested for Staphylococcus aureus mastitis. If the cow is dry, squeeze a small amount of milk out and have it tested. S. aureus mastitis is highly contagious and incurable. If a cow gets infected, she’ll be infected for life. This is one reason someone might sell a cow.

Know the cow’s history as well. If you have a tie barn and the cows are going to sleep in their stalls and drink out of water bowls, make sure the cow you’re considering has previous experience with such a setup, or expect a rough transition.

If the cow has only been in loose housing, moving into a tie barn can be stressful and even dangerous for both you and your animal. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but you’ll need to be aware of any potential problems.

Last summer, I bought a very nice Jersey that had only experienced loose housing. Her one saving grace was that she didn’t kick when I milked her. Though she had a good temperament, she wasn’t used to human contact and didn’t welcome my touch, she couldn’t use a water bowl, and she had difficulty getting up into her stall because she lunged forward too far and bruised her brisket. I had to cut the curb down to give her more room. I also had to water her by hand for more than a month until she finally figured out the water bowl.

Now, she’s well-adjusted and welcomes my touch most of the time. She’s a good cow, but the transition was difficult and added excess time to my daily chores.

My farm is located in a little village near neighbors, railroad tracks, and a busy state road. The idea of having a cow on the loose here scares the heck out of me. I keep my fences well-charged, and my cows thus respect polywire. If they touch it and don’t get shocked, they count themselves lucky, just as I do.

Remember, when you introduce a new addition to a small herd of cows, it will take some time for them to develop a bond with one another. The cows in the herd will see the new cow as a stranger, and the new cow will be looking for her old buddies.

Give cows some time to adjust to one another before you turn the animals out together. Years ago, I brought one of my cows to a nearby 40-cow Jersey farm to be watched while I did some work on my barn. The farmer immediately turned the cow out with his herd in the barnyard, and the other cows ganged up on her and broke her hind leg. In the end, my wellmannered cow had to be put down.

There’s a lot to think about when choosing the right cow for a small herd or micro dairy, so take your time in selecting an animal that will best fit you and your farm.

In starting our micro dairy, we were driven by a desire to offer locally produced, farm-fresh milk.

Fencing and Familiarizing Figure out what sort of fencing your cow respects.

I use electrified polywire. This isn’t a barrier fence like barbed or woven-wire fencing. If a cow doesn’t respect polywire, she can go right through it.

Get to know a cow’s temperament and health before bringing her home to your herd.

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Small Homes

Are Just the Right Size

These homeowners downsized their lives to inhabit hand-built spaces that are easier and cheaper to maintain.

By Lloyd Kahn

A

ccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average size of a new single-family house in the United States in 2016 was 2,640 square feet — almost 1,000 square feet larger than in 1973. Despite that trend, in recent years, some people have opted out of a mortgage or high rent and are living — for at least a time — in small spaces, simplifying and rearranging their lives to do so.

My newest book, Small Homes, is about homes that are larger than “tiny” but smaller than the national average. These are less expensive, use less resources, are more efficient to heat and cool, and are cheaper to maintain and repair. Most of the featured homes have between 400 and 1,200 square feet of floor area — less than half the size of the typical new U.S. home. They vary from unique and artistic to simple and low-

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cost. Some are plain, ordinary buildings that provide owners shelter at a reasonable cost — and some are inspiring examples of design, carpentry, craftsmanship, imagination, creativity, and homemaking.

The underlying theme is that you can create your own home using mostly natural materials. With most of the homes featured in the book, the owners have done their own work.

With others, they hired builders to carry out their plans.

There’s an old-school concept working here that’s still relevant in this digital era: A computer can’t build your home for you.

You still need the same tools — and human hands.

We invite readers and builders to send us stories about other homes in this size category, along with photos if possible; contact us at smallhomes@shelterpub.com. And if you don’t have a small home of your own, we hope these examples will inspire you to follow your downsizing dreams.

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Rebecca Lamont (4); Page 36: LLoyd Kahn

Travis Skinner, who works with wood and metal, built The Leafspring in Olympia, Washington, where he lives with his dog, Py. Everything in the 400-square-foot structure, from fixtures to switch plates, is handmade.

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Scott Mcclure (5)

The LED lighting in this 1,100-square-foot mountain cabin is an efficient means of highlighting the beautiful timber frame. The home was framed with timber from the building site, as well as a couple of posts scrounged from a meadow. A soapstone woodstove generates warmth indoors; carefully placed skylights provide extra headroom; and a covered porch offers a comfortable outdoor space.

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Marc Boutin (3) and

Sophie BeliSle

The windows of this 1,200-square-foot Quebec homestead face south, which minimizes the need for electric light and heat. Threequarters of the materials used to build the house were recycled, and the construction of the building and surrounding landscape was guided by permaculture principles.

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Jesus sierra (3)

The designers of this 345-square-foot wooden yurt built it, and the furniture inside, on-site with handheld tools.

They used wood from trees felled on the land around the home.

40 MOTHER EARTH NEWS XXXX/XXXX XXXX

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9/26/18 11:25 AM

Get Started with a

AlAmy/John CAnCAlosi

Livestock Guardian Dog After choosing a working companion, follow these tips for housing and socializing your LGD.

By Jan Dohner

“I

just brought home a livestock guardian dog. Now what?” I read this question almost every day on various online livestock guardian dog forums. First, congratulations!

Second, here are some tips on how to welcome your working dog to your homestead.

Hopefully you’ve located a healthy pup from a good breeder who chooses breeding dogs carefully for their working behaviors, temperament, and soundness. Most importantly, if you want a good working dog, you’ll need to buy a pup from a recognized LGD breed or a cross of recognized breeds — and nothing else.

LGD breeds were developed through www.MotherearthNews.coM

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centuries to be perfectly suited to this work, and they inherit a set of genetic behaviors and traits. You can’t train another breed to be an LGD. (See “Guidelines for Selecting an LGD Pup or Adult,” below.)

LGD Lodging People are happy to offer up LGD advice; unfortunately, much of it is contradictory. Myths and misconceptions abound. If you bought your pup from a breeder with good

working dogs, that breeder’s advice will be enormously helpful.

How you proceed after your purchase should be determined by the role you have in mind for your dog. An LGD can function in its traditional role as a full-

Characteristics to Avoid Blue eyes, or red or blue merle coloring. No LGD breeds have these characteristics. Speckling and freckling of color in white areas is also suspect. These traits may indicate another breed in the dog’s parentage — mostly likely a herding breed.

Ears that are semi-erect, pricked, or set high on the skull like they want to stand up. All LGD breeds have low-set, drop ears unless they’ve been cropped.

Straight, thick tails. LGD tails are typically long and often curved, saber-like, or curled, or have a crook at the end. Some breeds may have cropped tails.

Very short, single, or smooth coats. All LGD breeds (except for the rare Cão de Castro Laboreiro) are double-coated.

Characteristics to Look For A low prey drive. LGDs aren’t retrievers. Avoid puppies that chase and fight over a thrown toy, or a pup that continually chases objects.

A relaxed temperament. Look for a pup that’s interested in you but not overly aggressive, fearful, shy, or clingy. Full-time guardians should be problem-solvers that aren’t dependent on human companionship.

A moderate activity level. Unless your dog will need to guard large pastures, dogs with lower activity levels are usually more suited and easier to train as LGDs than highly active dogs.

A high pain threshold. Working dogs need to tolerate pokes and prods by livestock, so pups with average-to-high pain thresholds will be your best choice.

A cautious reaction to livestock.

If you’re able to watch the pups interact with quiet stock, look for a pup that may be curious but is somewhat cautious. Avoiding eye contact is an excellent indicator of good instinct. Avoid pups that bark, jump, or bite stock even if they’re accidentally stepped on. Older pups should definitely be submissive and calm around stock.

This is where a good breeder will be invaluable to you. Breeders observe their pups for several weeks and know a great deal about each pup’s personality and behaviors. If you’re buying an LGD pup from a distant breeder, you’ll be relying completely on this knowledge.

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left to right:

Don’t adopt a pup under the age of 8 weeks — try to choose one closer to 12 weeks old. Pups learn important lessons from their littermates on how to interact with other dogs, though after adoption, you should only raise one LGD pup at a time.

Don’t select a pup that’s small or fine-boned, or that has a pointed muzzle. Most LGDs average 20 pounds at 8 weeks old. At 16 weeks, they should weigh 35 to 40 pounds. A pup that’s significantly smaller probably has mixed parentage and won’t grow large enough to handle predators. If you’re obtaining an adult LGD, it should weigh 80 to 120 pounds or more, depending on the breed. However, avoid oversized and massive dogs, which may result from crosses with other breeds.

Don’t select an albino dog or a dog lacking dark coloring around the eyes or on the nose. Pink skin on the nose or around the eyes poses a serious risk of sunburn and skin cancers, especially for a full-time working LGD. No LGD breeds have pink coloring in those areas.

louise liebenberg; rick Wetherbee

Guidelines for Selecting an LGD Pup or Adult

louise liebenberg; rick Wetherbee left to right:

time, outdoor livestock guardian; as a farm and family guardian who lives near the house and occasionally comes inside; or as a family companion who lives indoors. For our purposes, I’m going to assume your new pup will be living and working outside full-time with stock.

If your dog is to be a full-time LGD, it needs to be housed in a secure area with a good outdoor shelter or barn. As long as your LGD is a minimum of 8 weeks old, is healthy, and has suitable housing, it will be fine outside in winter, unless temperatures are drastically and unusually frigid. LGD pups and dogs live outside across the northern United States and in Canada.

Your dog will fare better outdoors in winter after it’s 12 weeks old, but if your dog is younger and you bring it inside the house, you’ll be setting expectations for where it will be living, and the eventual separation will be even harder.

A 16-by-16-square-foot area is a suitable size for a very young pup’s pen. Some folks construct a larger permanent kennel out of livestock panels or chain-link that can

LGDs can act as full-time livestock protectors, farm and family guardians, or indoor companions.

allow your dog to live in your yard or hang out on your porch unless that’s where you want it to work later.

Bonding with Stock and Poultry

be used when an adult dog needs to be confined. If you’re worried about large predators, make sure the pen is secure at night with a solid cover of stock panels, chain-link, or a roof. Tarps aren’t sufficient protection from a larger predator.

Yes, your dog may cry at first — just like a new puppy in a crate in the house.

But constantly responding to its cries or bringing it into the house will make the eventual separation worse or will condition your dog to escape to the house. Offer your dog lots of attention in the pen, but don’t reward constant cries. Consider placing the pen out of sight of your comings and goings. Don’t

If your pup is destined to protect stock and poultry, it needs to be within sight and sound of them from the very beginning, if possible. Pups from working parents usually have excellent early socialization to stock.

Some folks have very reliable older animals that can serve as companions to a pup, but larger animals can also bully or injure a puppy. Never leave a pup completely alone with baby animals, new mothers, poultry, or stock that isn’t used to LGDs. Many people keep their young dogs near stock or birds, but only with supervision. You can place puppy pens right next to or inside your stock enclosure.

Take your pup with you when you do chores so you can supervise. Some folks keep a young pup leashed to their belt, while others let the dog drag a

Perform chores with your LGD at first so you can supervise, provide guidance, and restrict inappropriate behavior. Doing so will result in a reliable guardian.

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Learning About LGDs Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/ learningaboutlgds Predator Friendly Ranching, a blog by Louise Liebenberg: www.predatorfriendly-ranching.blogspot.com Livestock Guardian Dog Education Network: www.livestockguardiandog.weebly.com “Is This Breed a Livestock Guard Dog?” by Jan Dohner: www.motherearthnews.com/ lgd-breeds

BOOKS Livestock Protection Dogs

by Orysia Dawydiak and David Sims

long line so the dog can be caught if it exhibits inappropriate behavior. Good behavior should be praised, and bad behavior should be caught in the act.

Some folks sit out with the pup and their birds or animals to foster calm acceptance by both stock and dog.

In the homelands of these LGD breeds, pups were never left alone with sheep or goats — they were always supervised by shepherds or by older dogs. Many experienced owners don’t believe LGDs are reliable until age 2 or so — especially in the absence of a good adult mentor dog or active supervision.

Be especially careful with young dogs during breeding or birthing times. Such circumstances are especially unsettling to many dogs, so you’ll need to closely supervise adolescents through their first season with birthing animals.

Poultry are the most challenging and nontraditional animals for LGDs to work with. A very young pup is often good with birds in the beginning, but without careful supervision, older pups may engage in chasing or playing that results in tragic consequences.

Be aware that this particular role will take a lot of time before the dog is reliable. Many great adult LGDs have accidentally played with or licked a bird to death before becoming reliable.

Training and Socializing Even if your new pup is to be a fulltime LGD, it will need plenty of basic handling and training as well — just do it where your LGD lives and works.

If you have children, take them with you when you do chores with the dog so that it comes to know your kids as well. You may hear that you shouldn’t

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left to right:

Resources ONLINE

Deborah Reid; Jan Dohner

For supervised socialization, introduce your pup to the poultry or livestock it’s meant to protect.

left to right:

Deborah Reid; Jan Dohner

The dogs seek to patrol, and can easily extend their zone of protection against predators over 2 miles. give your LGD pup attention, but that’s a myth. LGDs have always worked with shepherds. You’ll want your dog to bond to you as well as other animals.

Even a working LGD should behave well on a leash and have experience being tethered and kenneled so it will cooperate in an emergency. And if your LGD will need to visit the vet’s office, practice some car trips. Lots of walks in pastures or fields will help burn off some of that puppy energy before it becomes destructive. Meaty bones are also good for occupying time.

If your dog will live in or around the house, you may want to attend classes and socialize him to people and places, although LGD breeds aren’t a good fit for dog parks. Most folks don’t take full-time working dogs off the farm except to a vet.

Other Family Dogs Don’t rush these introductions.

Give everyone lots of time to settle and get used to each other through fences. Typically, an older LGD will be kind to a young pup but may need

The author chronicles her more than 35 years of hands-on LGD experience in articles and books.

significant time to adjust to another adolescent or adult dog.

If your dog’s job will be to protect your livestock, many experienced folks recommend that you don’t allow it to play with your family dogs or other herding or hunting dogs. Yes, your LGD will need to know that the other dogs belong to you, but you don’t want your pup to pick up chasing behavior or other bad habits from these dogs. Your LGD should protect your animals from threatening dogs, so don’t allow your pup to play with neighboring dogs or unfamiliar dogs. Don’t tolerate such dogs on your property, and make a show of chasing them away when they appear.

Protective Fencing LGDs need to be kept securely fenced unless you live on a very large property without neighbors, or your animals graze on open range. Barbed

wire or weak fencing is escapable, and boundary training isn’t usually successful with LGD breeds, which were developed over centuries to work in large, open spaces. These dogs seek to patrol, and they can easily extend their zone of protection against predators over 2 miles or more.

Pups should learn to respect fences right away so they don’t establish a habit of wandering and roaming as they mature.

Breaking a dog’s bad habit is much harder than preventing that habit from forming in the first place. Some folks find electric scare wires or an invisible or radio fence system to be a good backup to physical fences when their dogs are bound and determined to escape.

Don’t use invisible fencing alone, as many dogs will “take a hit” in pursuit of a threat or a female dog in heat. Such fencing could also allow predators in, making your dog’s job that much harder.

Partners in Work: A Comprehensive Breed Guide

Gain a deeper understanding of your canine friends through in-depth breed profiles that showcase how working dogs think. Janet Vorwald Dohner describes 93 breeds of livestock guardian dogs, herding dogs, terriers, and traditional multipurpose farm dogs, highlighting the tasks each dog is best suited for and describing its physical characteristics and temperament. This guide provides a thorough assessment of these highly intelligent, independent, and energetic breeds.

This title is available at www.motherearthnews.com/store or by calling 800-234-3368; please use promotion code MMEPAIZD.

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Botan anderSon/oneScytherevolution.com; ian miller; adoBe Stock (2)/xalanx, Ben la fee clockwiSe from top:

Reap Rewards with a Scythe Save money, invigorate your body, and diversify your property with a scythe.

F

orms of the scythe have been in use since at least 200 B.C. The version of the scythe we know today originated in central Europe about 700 years ago. It’s interchangeably called the Austrian, European, or Continental European scythe, and is essentially a piece of steel that has been drawn

out, curved in all planes, sharpened along its length, and attached to a long handle called a “snath.” It’s lightweight, encourages healthy movement of the human body, and can be peened to razor-sharpness with a robustness appropriate to the task at hand. When used properly and cared for competently, a scythe offers a shockingly high degree of effectiveness and efficiency for a hand

tool. Adding one scythe — or, better yet, an assortment of them — to your arsenal of tools can enable you to diversify your farm, garden, or homestead to a degree you may not have thought possible.

Hay, That’s Useful Providing you with the ability to make hay cheaply and efficiently by hand is perhaps the most important benefit the

iStock/roman023

By Ian Miller

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clo ad

BOTAN ANDERSON/ONESCYTHEREVOLUTION.COM; IAN MILLER; ADOBE STOCK (2)/XALANX, BEN LA FEE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: ISTOCK/ROMAN023

scythe offers. Because it’s a tool that doesn’t require a huge capital investment (you should be able to procure a highquality scythe for about $250), and because it’s so effective, it will put you in a position to make plentiful quantities of high-quality hay over the course of your lifetime, essentially for free.

A sizable supply of first-rate hay will allow you to perform a long list of agricultural practices you may not have previously considered viable for your small- to medium-sized acreage.

Keeping backyard livestock will become possible because you’ll be able to grow and harvest enough hay to feed a milk cow or a small herd of sheep or goats through winter — thus adding milk and meat production to your agricultural activities.

Unless slugs make mulching truly impossible in your area, mulching your garden is immeasurably useful, with benefits ranging from moisture retention to erosion prevention to

Scythe blades are heated in a forge to soften the steel for shaping and spreading with a hammer.

A scythe opens up the opportunity to provide hay for a small herd of sheep (left) and to cut and collect tall grass for use as garden mulch (right).

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Besides being an ideal tool for harvesting grass on a small scale, scythes can also be used to harvest small grains, such as wheat and rye. Dating back to the Stone Age, the sickle is among the first grain-harvesting technologies. A sickle is wielded with one hand while the other hand bunches and holds several tillers (stalks) for cutting. Eventually, the

top: istock/irenetinta

Big Gains with Small Grains

scythe also came to be employed in the grain harvest, often with an attachment called a “cradle,” which is a basket that neatly gathers the tillers and deposits them on the ground to be bound into bundles called “sheaves.”

Growing your own grain has many benefits. For one, you can grow enough grain — about 50 pounds — in just 200 square feet of biointensive garden beds to make a 1½-pound loaf of bread every week for a year. Growing your own grains for bread represents a quantum leap in food security and independence.

Feeding your own grain to chickens will make for the lowest-food-mile eggs and poultry imaginable. And with the ever-

botan anderson/onescytherevolution.com;

that’s also high in nitrogen and will add microorganisms to the mix. If you harvest hay and straw for your livestock using a scythe, you’ll also be producing all the necessary ingredients for incredible compost on a regular basis.

botan anderson/onescytherevolution.com; steve tomlin crafts; adobe stock/Galyna andrushko

A cradle attachment (left) aids in neatly depositing cut wheat to be bound into sheaves (right).

clockwise from bottom:

increased organic matter in your soil.

If you’re a gardener, your plot is likely smack in the middle of a free source of mulch — your lawn. You can harvest tall grass for mulch with your scythe.

You can also use a scythe to harvest materials for sheet mulching, which is the practice of making garden beds out of deep lasagna-style layers of mulch, compost, manure, and a weedsuppressing barrier, such as newspaper or cardboard. Simply place the mulch material that contains seeds — hay, for example — below the weed barrier.

Above the weed barrier, use materials less likely to contain weed seeds, such as straw and leaves — both of which can be harvested with a scythe.

Hay is also beneficial when used in conjunction with chicken tractors. You can establish new garden beds by leaving your chicken tractor in place for a period of time and adding hay every day or so.

The chickens will pick out whatever seeds are in the hay, add manure, and compact everything by walking on it.

After a few weeks, a “mulch mattress” will be established, and you can then move the tractor to a new location and plant directly into your newly created garden bed.

Finally, making your own hay or straw can help greatly with composting.

Ideally, kitchen scraps should be part of a bigger mix that includes carbonheavy ingredients, such as manure mixed with hay or straw, a combination

Your First Scythe

When buying your first scythe, be sure to consider the task at hand and select the right blade for the job. The photo at left shows (from top to bottom) a 65-centimeter grass blade, a 55-centimeter ditch blade, and a 50-centimeter light bush blade. Avoid any kind of cheap “beginner” blade, as it’s important to establish good technique from the get-go, which can be difficult with a poorly shaped blade that isn’t sharp. Two reputable websites from which you can purchase a quality scythe are www.onescytherevolution.com and www.scythesupply.com.

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bot

increasing popularity of craft beers and homebrewing, could there be a more quintessential homebrewed beer than one made with barley from your own plot?

The stalks of the harvested grains are, of course, straw. This means you’ll not only have produced your own grains, but also animal bedding; mulch materials; compost ingredients; and crafting materials for shoes, sandals, hats, thatch, and more.

top: istock/irenetinta

botan anderson/onescytherevolution.com;

clockwise from bottom:

botan anderson/onescytherevolution.com; steve tomlin crafts; adobe stock/Galyna andrushko

Scything in Silviculture The role of the scythe in silviculture (the cultivation of trees) is a bit underappreciated. Some homesteaders are put off by the idea of keeping an orchard because of the challenge of keeping it mowed. The scythe is incredibly useful for mowing around trees. Simply mow as you would a meadow and, when you approach a tree, stop before you’re so close that you risk hitting it. Mow the rest of the way to the trunk with short, controlled, slicing strokes. Then, when you reach

Though it may seem daunting at first, you can easily mow around the base of a tree with a scythe.

the tree, touch its base with the chine (the turned-up back) of the blade at the point (the part farthest from the snath) and slice away from the tree in short strokes, slowly making your way around the tree. This mowing technique will protect both the tree and your blade

Austrian- vs. American-Style Scythes

Austrian (or European) scythes are lightweight and ergonomic, and their cutting edges can be custom-peened to suit the task at hand. American (or British) scythes are heavier, much less ergonomic, and can’t be sharpened by peening. Both work for cutting grass, grain, and other plant material. In my opinion, the Austrian scythe is superior to the American design because it allows your spine to remain straight and upright while you mow. A straight spine allows you to mow with less effort and lessens the potential for pain and injury.

An American-style (left) and Austrian-style scythe are quite different in form and utility.

from damage and will eliminate the need to pull grass near the bottom of the tree in late fall to prevent rodents from nesting there.

Historically, European hay meadows and their surrounding hedges were dotted with pollarded trees — that is, trees whose tops and branches had been cut off to encourage new growth at the top.

Pollarded trees were used for harvesting leaves that were then dried and used for “leaf hay” to supplement the diet of livestock during winter. These trees were easily mowed around with the scythe.

Hedges were often cultivated as coppices, which means that all shoots were cut to the ground every year or two. This was done with special forstkultursensen, or bush blades, which are very short and robust and can handle the thicker, woody material they’re intended to cut. These bush blades are also useful in mowing marginal areas that may contain tougher plants, such as stinging nettles, wild blackberries, and tree saplings.

The scythe is more than just a quaint curiosity. It’s a perfectly legitimate and reasonable choice for homeowners, farmers, gardeners, and others who want to diversify their agricultural activities, save money, reduce their use of fossil fuels, be less dependent on industrial products, take better care of their land, increase their autonomy, get to know their bodies and land better, and stop using noisy (and often dirty) machines.

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Homestead Technology

Disaster Preparedness

Add these dynamic tools to your emergency kit — they’ll boost camping trips and come in handy during catastrophes.

By Liam Kivirist

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growing lineup of technology can help you tackle the challenges of survival in extreme environments, from power outages to homestead disasters to camping out in the wilderness.

At the Consumer Electronics Show January 2017 in Las Vegas, I discovered BioLite’s CampStove 2 (shown at left); the URB-E Sport electric vehicle; LuminAID’s PackLite Nova USB; and Power Practical’s Luminoodle Light Rope.

Since then, I’ve tested other tech that’s designed to upgrade and secure homesteads, such as my family’s homestead in southern Wisconsin, where we operate Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast. The tech I tested includes the Solavore Sport Solar Oven, the Blink wireless security camera system, the LuminAID PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Charger, and the DJI Phantom 4 Pro+ drone.

“Be prepared” is the motto of the Boy Scouts of America, and on our latest campout at the Blackhawk Memorial County Park near Woodford, Wisconsin, my family and troop put some of our tech gear to the test. As many homesteaders, preppers, and campers know, just because you have the gear doesn’t mean you can deploy it in an emergency. But getting some practice using the gadgets in the field — without the need to refer to instructions or product guides — is essential.

We were also at the park to experience the living history of a pre-1840s re-enactment camp known as the Bloody Lake Rendezvous, itself a stomping ground for those eager to put into practice survival skills, primitive camping, cooking with fire, and tomahawk throwing. Hosted by the Yellowstone Flint & Cap Club, the Bloody Lake Rendezvous is held annually during the first week in May, and we’re there every year. Many other such events occur around the country, during which blacksmithing, trading, and knife-throwing skills are shared freely by enthusiastic campers.

Here’s a roundup and review of some of the tech deployed on this camping trip and at my family’s homestead.

BioLite CampStove 2 $129.95 at www.bioliteenergy. com/products/campstove-2 You can cook, grill, boil, and charge with the wood-fired BioLite CampStove 2, which generates electricity while boiling water or preparing your camp meal. Best of all, the energy source for the stove is nothing more than sticks and twigs — far easier to find in an emergency or on a campout than many other sources of fuel.

The electricity it generates does two things: First, it powers an internal fan that blows air back into the fire for smokeless flames. This means that when you cook with wood, you’ll burn clean without using any fossil fuels. Second, a USB port on the side of the stove stores the surplus electricity and can recharge small devices.

In less than five minutes, we had our BioLite CampStove 2 fired up and boiling water for our hot cocoa in the morning. With four fan-speed settings, we could control the air circulation better with the internal fan jets. We also had a source for backup power for our smartphones should they die in the woods.

The LED dashboard provides real-time feedback on the fire strength, power output, and fan setting. The stove’s USB FlexLight can provide some light at night too. The CampStove 2 is compact, at 5 by 7.91 inches, and it weighs only 2.06 pounds.

product is durable, waterproof, and buoyant. At the maximum of the three brightness settings, it puts out 75 lumens for about five hours. Plenty.

We attached our lantern to our dining canopy, carried it to the outhouse at night, and hung it from the top of our tent for some late-night reading. The light is much safer than candles or kerosene lanterns.

Solavore Sport Solar Oven $287 at www.solavore.com/ shop/solavoresport-solar-ovenwith-reflector In a homestead emergency, two of the most important elements for survival are food and water.

The Solavore Sport Solar Oven can prepare both of these easily without requiring a drop of gas or any electricity — but you will need sunlight. The portable oven is able to reach temperatures of up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit using only sunshine.

If the power lines go down and you’re without power after a severe storm, the oven can be an effective and easy way to prepare your meals after the weather improves. You can then cook fresh produce, meats, and other perishable foods to prevent them from spoiling. The oven can also pasteurize water. Just let the water heat up over several hours, and then use the oven’s water-pasteurization indicator to verify its safety.

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LuminAID PackLite Nova USB $24.99 at www.luminaid.com/products/packlite-nova-usb LuminAID was started by Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta, architecture students from Columbia University who designed the product in 2010 to assist post-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti and elsewhere. An LED lamp can’t get any lighter, safer, or easier to use than this. You can just clip the 5-ounce deflated light to your bag and hit the road.

After about 7 to 10 hours of direct sunlight hitting the small, high-efficiency solar panel on the inflatable light, we were good to go for the night.

The built-in battery holds a charge for about two months — perfect for any emergency-preparedness kit on a homestead or farm. It can also be recharged via USB. To turn it on, just unfold the light, inflate it by blowing it up like you would a small inner tube, and hang it where you need it. This HOMESTEADING & LIVESTOCK • www.MotherEarthNews.com 51

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Blink Wireless Security Camera System $169.99 for two cameras at www. blinkforhome.com/collections/blinksecurity-camera Blink’s home security camera system offers an easy, low-cost way to remotely check in on your homestead, even for those who aren’t so tech-savvy. The system is quick to set up and simple to monitor with its Blink Home Monitor app, which is available on iOS and Android for smartphones and tablets.

In just 15 minutes, we had two Blink cameras paired with the Blink Sync Module. Because the cameras are battery-powered, we didn’t have to run any cables from the central unit to the cameras. All we had to do was plug the Sync Module into the wall near our internet router and use the Blink Home Monitor app on our devices to configure the system. If you can get a Wi-Fi signal to your outbuildings, Blink cameras could also be a way to keep an eye on your animals.

After the system is armed, it will take video when it detects motion and alert us on our smartphones. Each Blink camera also has a built-in thermometer that we set to alert us if a room’s temperature goes above or below a certain threshold, providing peace of mind when we’re away in the middle of winter.

We have one Blink camera positioned in our home’s entrance to record the appearance of any intruders. Our second Blink camera pulls multi-duty in the basement, providing an easy way to check in and view our old chest freezer’s activity light to make sure last year’s harvest is still preserved, as well as monitor the LED readout on the inverter for our wind turbine.

Blink also makes a Blink XT model that’s waterproof, can be used outdoors, and has night-vision capabilities.

Power Practical’s Luminoodle Light Rope $19.99 at http://power practical. com/products/luminoodle-ledlight-rope At only 4.7 ounces, this waterproof, bright, flexible, USB-powered, 5-foot LED light rope will provide the illumination you need

without weighing down your bag. It can be used with any USB power source or a universal battery pack.

During our campout, we used the slider magnets to connect the light to the metal on our pop-up canopy tent for lighting our outdoor kitchen. The Luminoodle can also be attached to camping equipment with universal ties and a utility loop, or tossed inside its nylon bag to use as a camping lantern. Our 5-foot strip provided more than enough light — about 180 lumens. Power Practical also has a 10-foot Luminoodle Light Rope that produces 360 lumens. Just a month after we purchased our light rope, we lost power in a severe storm and the Luminoodle lit the way to our basement.

URB-E Sport $899 at www.urb-e.com/sport The URB-E is the world’s most compact electric vehicle.

While small, it can be a handy vehicle in and out of an emergency. With a range of up to 20 miles, it’s an ideal last-mile machine for dashing into town to restock supplies or even for taking an emergency trip to the hospital. Having a lightweight, shortrange electric vehicle will give you the ability to get out of your driveway even when your regular vehicle can’t.

Unlike a traditional electric scooter, the URB-E Sport folds up into an easily transportable 30-pound, 39½-by-15½-inch package. The URBE’s gigantic 36-volt

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30-cell battery, which allows it to reach its 20-mile range, is also capable of being used as a power source for electronics. If needed, it’s powerful enough to charge laptops too.

Kaito KA550 Radio $59.99 at http://kaito.us/ ka550.html Yet to be added to my family’s emergency prep list is a hand-crank or solar-powered radio to stay informed in extreme weather situations or other disasters that force us offline or leave us without power. Kaito produces a whole range of emergency radios ranging in size and features, many outfitted with hand cranks and solar panels to ensure that they can be charged up when the time comes.

Kaito’s KA550 is designed to keep the info stream coming after the power goes out, with a hand crank, solar panel system, internal rechargeable battery pack, and can run on AA batteries in a pinch. Beyond regular AM and FM radio, the KA550 also has a built-in flashlight and offers the ability to charge smart devices.

DJI Phantom 4 Pro + Drone $1,799 at https://store.dji.com/product/phantom-4-proplus-with-free-training Whether you’re caught in severe weather or some other calamity, assessing your situation is a must. Many parts of your farm could be difficult to access because of high water levels, downed trees, or structural damage. The same challenges apply to buildings after emergency events, especially higher stories of outbuildings or roofs that appear to be outwardly damaged and could be structurally questionable.

Drones are valuable tools for remotely assessing property damage during the calm after the storm. With many drones supporting live video feeds and flight times of up to half an hour, they offer the ability to check on your animals in a flooded field or capture aerial photos of outbuildings to assess their condition from the safety of your home. No need to risk your own neck.

Drones have come a long way in terms of being easier and safer to fly. Most drones that have GPS and collisionavoidance systems are shockingly stable and easy to fly. Even a novice can, from the safety of their porch, survey and capture footage of their fences, livestock, and buildings.

As a bonus, if calamity does strike, capturing images of damage from a variety of angles in treacherous conditions can be a great asset in getting an assessment for your

insurance company to review your claim. Aerial drone photos and videos can allow your insurance company to better understand your damages and notify you sooner regarding which repairs it will cover.

LuminAID PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Charger $49.99 at www.luminaid. com/products/packlite-maxphone-charger Solar chargers don’t get much more compact and versatile than the PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Charger, the newest inflatable waterproof lantern from LuminAID. After just 12 to 14 hours of sunlight, the PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Charger can fully charge most smartphones (or other small electronics) via its internal battery and USB port. It’s the perfect way to provide your phone, emergency radio, or GPS with vital juice when you need it most.

A sunny day is all it takes to charge the battery, and a few puffs of air to inflate the lantern. Like the aforementioned LuminAID PackLite Nova USB, this phone charger is designed to be mobile and easy to charge while clipped to a bag, making it perfect for backpacking or providing emergency off-grid lighting. The PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Charger shines much brighter than the PackLite Nova USB, at 150 lumens.

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High-Quality, Hand-Forged

Homestead Tools

The Dobkins family crafts long-lasting garden tools to sell from their blacksmith shop in the Ozarks.

By Amanda Sorell

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century after Will Dobkins’ great-grandfather sharpened his first plows hare, forgoing low quality for master craftsmanship, Dobkins continues to produce top-notch tools in that same spirit, using a blend of old and new techniques to craft, repair, and restore garden tools. Dobkins’ business, Homestead Iron (www.homesteadiron. com), is located in the Ozarks. Each tool he creates is hand-forged and meticulously crafted to ensure durability.

In this interview, Dobkins describes the formation and maintenance of his bootstrap blacksmithing business.

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LEFT TO RIGHT:

Blacksmith Will Dobkins crafts, repairs, and restores tools by hand the old-fashioned way. Will and his wife, Melissa, test each tool in their own garden before putting it into production.

My wife, Melissa, and I run a blacksmith shop that specializes in high-end garden tools. Many of our tools are based on old, time-tested patterns. We spend time with the tools in our garden at home before they go into production.

We commonly make three or four prototypes before we settle on a design.

And in deciding what to create, we rely on a combination of customer feedback and our own personal experience.

HOMESTEAD IRON; QUEREN KING-OROZCO

What do you make and sell, and what goes into that decision?

Fir For much of our work, there is no replacement for hand-forging at the anvil.

For larger projects, we employ some basic power equipment. The power hammer and press allow me to work faster and longer but can’t replace skill. Without a solid foundation of how to forge and how to move material, a power hammer will just wreck your piece faster.

How and when did you learn to blacksmith?

I grew up in the hot shop. My greatgrandfather was a traveling preacher, photographer, and blacksmith. My dad was a welder and machinist, and he did some forge work as a hobby. I became interested in forging around age 15, when I was in a Civil War re-enactment group.

This led me to make the metal bits of my kit. Soon, I was making picket pins, simple forks, and knives for other reenactors. Many years later, when aviation maintenance jobs became hard to find, I took a job in a production forge. That rekindled my old flame for forging, and I haven’t looked back since.

Did you have to work an additional job during this transition?

left to right:

homestead iron; Queren King-orozco

No, we just went for it. We cashed out our life savings to buy our home and shop. We didn’t have a mortgage to pay, but those first couple of years were nip and tuck. In lieu of working outside jobs to get by, we just buckled down, put in a big garden, and did lots of canning and deer hunting. We got good at doing without.

We’ve worked hard and had a fair amount of success. Even so, frugal living has allowed us to put our small profits back into expanding the business.

On your website, you say you ‘live the life.’ Can you explain what that means to you?

We enjoy our rural (some might say remote) lifestyle. We chose the Ozarks for the moderate, four-season climate; boundless outdoor recreation; and property prices we could afford. In our hearts, we strive to be completely selfsufficient on our little 10-acre patch, and we try to grow, gather, or hunt for our

Homestead Iron’s high-end tools are based on time-tested patterns and customer feedback.

food. The reality is, we still need some money to get by. As our tool business has grown, traveling to sell and promote our tools keeps us on the run and doesn’t allow for daily care of livestock. We have yet to get a good fence up around our place so we can raise a few animals. For now, we live the homestead lifestyle as much as time allows, but the business has to come first.

Who has influenced you?

Our top influence is our customers. We love the chance to get out and meet them firsthand and hear about how they use our tools. We listen to what’s working for them and what’s not. Every time we come home from a show, I have a handful of ideas for new products and improvements to existing products.

Second on the list is Greg Key at Hoss Tools (www.hosstools.com). Greg has become a good friend and mentor. I can’t put a price on his insight and experience in the garden tool business.

What have been your biggest challenges in running a business?

Time and money. It takes both to get the word out. Even if you’re making great stuff, you’ll find yourself sitting on a big pile of great stuff if no one knows you exist. In our case, we’re a manufacturer and a retailer. Those are two very different hats to wear. Because of past work experience, the manufacturing side came easy. Being a retailer is an altogether different matter.

Some of our retail plans have worked well, but others, not so much. All of our retail

plans require a certain gamble, which is hard to make when you’re being pulled in many different directions.

What advice can you offer anyone interested in starting a business?

Look for an underserved niche, and be flexible! The response to our tools has been outstanding. But not so much for other product lines, so our focus has had to shift.

Do what you love, but be realistic about the demand for a product and what you’re willing to get in return for your labor.

I suspect many readers are like us, wanting that rural life with one foot in the tech world to make a go at a home-based business. For us, our location dictates satellite internet only. In hindsight, this is a poor and expensive option for running an online business. We lose our satellite signal on stormy days, when we want to be inside working on the website. Limited bandwidth means we can’t take advantage of many low-cost marketing options.

You’ve been vendors at several Mother earth News Fairs. What do you hear most often from our readers?

The Fairs are our bread and butter.

They give us a chance to market directly to our target demographic. We’ve worked many other events, but with limited success. Mother Earth News readers grasp the difference between high-quality tools and those available at big-box stores.

They understand that you get what you pay for.

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10 Rules for Starting a

Successful Farm Business

Go from part-time hobby to full-time career with these tips for turning a profit from your property.

Article and photos by Tim Young

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hether they’re just getting started or have been hobby farming for years, more and more people are interested in turning their passion for farming into a full-time

career. If you’re one of those people, I encourage you to follow your dream, just as I did in 2006. Before you dive in, let me offer some advice for starting a profitable farm business, based on my personal experience operating a sustainable livestock farm.

1. Treat Your Farm Like a Business Many people ease into farming. They start modestly — a chicken or two here, a raised bed or two there. Before long, they’re producing more food than they can consume, so they decide to sell it, first to neighbors and later at a local market.

A few years go by, and they expand their flock. Their days are busy pulling chicken tractors, cleaning eggs, seeding, planting, and harvesting crops. They rush to a

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Saturday market to sell what they can, they bring home what they can’t, and they repeat the cycle over and over. And they learn a hard truth: If you build it, they won’t come — not unless you draw them in.

I know a lot of people who run their farms this way. They never stop and assess whether what they’re doing is a good business model, because they never created a business plan in the first place.

They started with a hobby and kept doing the same thing. But you must treat your farm as a business if you want it to produce income.

2. Find Your Competitive Advantage One reason so many people start with chickens is because poultry is viewed as low-risk. A few hens don’t cost much, so it’s easy to start producing eggs. But here’s the thing: If the business is easy for you to get into, then it’s easy for someone else too. That means the barriers to entry are low, which results in more market competition. Your advantage has to come from somewhere else, such as proximity to markets, low-cost production, great brand recognition, or a combination of factors.

You can gain an advantage in a number of ways, regardless of which farming strategy you choose, but you must figure out your competitive advantage before you start. Have a strategic reason for every farm enterprise you operate and every farm decision you make. In other words, don’t ramp up your meat chicken production next year just because you sold out this year. Your motive is profit; you have to assess what the most profitable farm enterprise is for you and your market.

Once you figure out your farm’s competitive advantage, think about how you’re going to sell your product.

3. Select the Best ‘Go to Market’ Strategy There are a lot of ways to sell something, but you have to answer these fundamental questions: Who are you going to sell to? And how are you going to reach them? A few common ways to sell include farmers markets, farm stands or on-farm sales, community-supported

Hosting farm tours is a great way to connect with consumers face-to-face.

agriculture (CSA) programs, restaurants or retailers, and wholesale to distributors.

Each method has pros and cons; you’ll need to determine what works best for your business, which may mean using more than one strategy.

I don’t believe in trying to define an ideal customer, because I don’t know of a single successful farmer who started that way. You’ll have to determine how you will find and reach target customer groups who’ll buy your products. If your chosen competitive advantage is dependent on having a relationship with your buyers, that requires direct marketing, meaning you’ll be selling either at markets, on your farm, or via CSA or drop-site deliveries.

Marketing will require about half your time in running a profitable farm business. Conversely, marketing tasks are greatly minimized when selling through distributors, possibly leading to an easier path for you. But keep in mind that you’ll get the full retail price when selling

directly, and only a fraction of that when working with distributors.

4. Avoid Debt at (Almost) All Costs I say “almost” because debt can be used intelligently to gain leverage. If your business has the income to support the debt, then some debt might make sense. But would I put myself in debt to buy a tractor, just to make my farm life easier? No way! Not unless I could demonstrably quantify sufficient future income generated by that purchase.

Otherwise, I’ll get that tractor when I can afford to buy it with cash. Make sure you have the ability to settle your debts; your farm is a business, and businesses have balance sheets.

You can fund your farm business in lots of ways, from grants to savings to upfront payments via CSA programs. There’s enough to worry about in farming; design your business to run without debt so you don’t have the added stress.

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5. Match Your Land’s Resources to Your Market’s Demands This is both a business and an ecological rule — and it’s important because we often get caught up in our

ideology when considering what we want to do on our farms. That’s fine if you have a hobby farm, but the minute you depend on it for income, you’ll have to let go of those fantasies.

My first piece of rural property was

composed of about 80 acres of pasture and over 30 acres of hardwood forest.

What could I do to make the woodlot productive? I never set out to be a pig farmer, but pigs were the answer to my problem, and before long I had more than 100 Ossabaw Island hogs scampering through the forest.

Beyond pigs in the woods and multiple species on pasture, agritourism was another opportunity for us to bridge the gap between what the land offered and what our market needed. We’ve offered lots of events over the years, including monthly farm tours; farm dinners with award-winning chefs; and classes on charcuterie, butchering hogs and chickens, and cheese-making. I’ve also led many farm business classes, including farm schools and courses on how to start an artisan cheese business.

Once you figure out the best way to match your land to your market while resisting debt, you’ll be on your way to a successful business.

6. Balance Profit with Passion

On-site classes can bring in additional income, as well as garner interest in your farm and products.

It’s not about which animals are your favorite, or which garden tasks you like to do — it’s about making enough money, both in terms of profit margin

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and steady cash flow. People often ask me what to charge for their products.

The simple answer is derived from three data points: your cost of production, your required profit margin, and what the market will bear. You’re the only one who will know those data points for your business. For instance, if you have debt to service, your margins have to accommodate that, while a competitor who inherited farmland may not share that burden. Measure everything that affects profit. You’ll need to know what it costs you to produce that chicken, carrot, or cheese curd.

7. Understand Profit Margins and Cash Flow Plenty of businesses have had attractive profit margins but poor cash flow management. As a result, they went bankrupt because they couldn’t come up with the cash to service their debts.

Say you start a pastured poultry business with a few hundred heritage

breed chicks. A local retailer catches wind and wants to carry your birds, requesting 150 per week. The heritage breed takes 12 weeks to grow out. That means you’ll have ordered 1,800 chicks before the first chicken is even processed for the retailer.

If the chicks cost you $2 each, that’s $3,600 just for the birds. Then there are costs for feed and additional supplies, such as feeders and waterers. You’ll have to pay to process your first batch of birds. Even if you choose to do it on your farm, you’ll still need to buy processing equipment. You’ll no doubt have invested well over $5,000 before you deliver that first order of 150 chicks.

When you do, the retailer will be thrilled, and you will be too — until you learn their payment terms are net 45, meaning you’ll have to wait another 45 days to get paid. By then, you’ll be well over $10,000 in the hole and sinking fast.

This simple example shows how

businesses, big and small, get crushed by poor cash flow. All kinds of other events can kill your business too, such as uninsured loss. We had two 28-foot walk-in freezers for meat and eggs, and refrigerated cheese caves housing $100,000 worth of cheese. What if they failed and we didn’t have insurance or a backup plan? Same with livestock that’s stolen or destroyed, flood or fire damage to your property, and so on.

8. Protect Your Assets You’ll have to protect your personal assets. You can form an LLC to provide some separation of business and personal assets, but consult with a certified public accountant or lawyer to determine the best legal protection for your farm.

Beyond legal structure, get the right insurance. That means a farm policy to insure against loss of equipment, infrastructure, and livestock. It also means a product liability policy, which is very important if you’re producing

Maintain realistic farm goals by balancing profit with passion.

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Sharing your story will help others feel invested in your farming journey.

food. (Keep in mind that product liability insurance won’t protect you from negligence.)

9. Quit Your Job If you want to have a successful farm business, in my opinion, you’ll have to get rid of your crutches.

Building a great business will take your full-time energy, passion, and commitment. Holding on to an off-site job creates two problems: The associated income and health care will always be tugging at you as a safety net; and the job will take away a lot of your attention, what with the commute, the stress, and the work itself.

An off-site job will consume energy that could and should go into your dream of building a farm business.

10. Market Early We started blogging and marketing more than a year before we had our first product to sell. You too have a story to share, even if you’re just taking your

first steps, and the reasons you’re taking those steps are an important part of your story. That’s the part that people will care about and connect with! You’ll have an opportunity to be open and vulnerable and connect with people on an emotional level. Share your dreams about the life you want to create and the change you represent, which could be for the animals, the environment, your community, your personal health, or all of the above.

Some advantages to early marketing include: • You’ll build a loyal group of supporters, because you’re allowing others to live vicariously through you.

• If you do it correctly, you’ll get a head start on building your email list, which is your most important marketing asset.

• By creating one blog post per week, you’ll get a huge head start on search engine optimization, which will put your website high on the list of search results for potential customers.

• You’ll gain the potential for media exposure by sharing your plans.

• You’ll have access to free and valuable market research, and will be able to find out what folks are or aren’t interested in.

Plan for Success While farming may not be the most lucrative career, I can think of few careers that rival its rewards. You’re given the ability to work with your hands; the freedom to work closely with nature on your land; the chance to work alongside children and other family members; and the opportunity to help reconnect consumers with the origins of their food.

And, of course, you’ll eat better, with grass-fed meats, fresh organic vegetables and fruits, and, perhaps, creamy raw milk gracing your table. Yes, farm life is appealing on many levels, but if you plan on your farm supporting you financially, you must take steps to ensure that financial success. These business rules will get you started down the right path.

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Cultivate www.marybethduda.wixsite.com/dudaphotography

Local Change

Take inspiration from these firsthand accounts of people who’ve shaped their communities in positive ways.

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hanging local policies can be daunting, whether you’re working alongside officials to create solutions, or engaging your community to fight for your collective rights. We’ve gathered three firsthand accounts of folks who’ve helped transform their place on the planet at the city and state levels. Common steps led to the success of all three: speaking up, including the community, finding allies, and persevering. We hope you’ll be inspired by them and know that, no matter how daunting, positive change is possible when we work together to achieve common goals. — Mother

From left: Carol Gilmore, Laura Odell, Russell Mullin, and Emily Ryan were among those who helped shape the new policies in Lawrence, Kansas.

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Organizing the Effort At the time, city policy didn’t allow for beehives within city limits, so the university that oversaw the student farm site was initially unwilling to have a bee hotel placed there. Knowing that a bee hotel for solitary bees is very different from an entire hive of honeybees, some of us began searching for solutions.

Local grower Emily Ryan and I soon found ourselves at meetings for the Douglas County Food Policy Council, a diverse group of about 20 individuals who represent the many aspects of our local food landscape. The food council took our question about keeping bee hotels to the city of Lawrence. The city commissioners were interested in looking at urban agriculture as a whole because of the need to establish standards for the crop agriculture uses that were already allowed, so they initiated an amendment to the city code, and city/county planner Mary Miller worked with the food council to come up

Rachel Cunning, a Lawrence resident, keeps bees and chickens on her urban homestead.

with a proposal. Before long, I became a representative on the food council as well.

To define what “urban agriculture” meant for local residents, we first needed to understand the needs and wants of our community. We sent out electronic surveys to inform our draft policy and then held a public forum to review it and gather comments. The feedback we received was invaluable. Not only did it give us a look into what folks wanted, but it also gave us a way to prioritize, introduced ideas we hadn’t considered, informed the public of what we were working toward, and strengthened our case when we presented our changes to the city commissioners.

Help with Hurdles While we had the support of the city commission, that doesn’t mean we didn’t face hurdles. It’s the commissioners’ duty to look out for the interests of the community as a whole, and while we had a strong case, there were many questions to answer and perspectives to consider. Of all the changes that were proposed, the major sticking points surrounded small animal agriculture within city limits. Concerns included everything from zoonotic diseases to what organization would be

Sowing Success Throughout this process, everyone involved learned a lot about our community and about the strategies that helped us positively affect city policy.

Perhaps the most important ingredient for success in this case was including and engaging the community right from the beginning. The more people and organizations you can include in the process, the better chance you stand of succeeding. The city commission didn’t approve all the changes we advocated for, but it did approve most of them, and that was a huge victory. Every step forward is progress, and what we weren’t able to achieve this time may be achievable next time. When all was said and done, folks within the city of Lawrence were able to grow and sell vegetables in their front yards, keep bees and other small agricultural animals in town, and start urban farms.

And on top of all these great changes, now, to my knowledge, Lawrence is the first city in the United States to specifically allow (and encourage) the keeping of bee hotels within city limits without restriction.

Russell Mullin

Communication Is Key

Unexpectedly, our surveys revealed that people wanted some allowances the city already granted. This showed that an important aspect of having an effective policy is having an equally effective way to communicate and share those policy changes with the community. To get the word out, the Douglas County Food Policy Council teamed up with the county sustainability office and Emily Ryan to create easy-to-understand booklets and brochures outlining the urban agriculture policy changes to pass out to community members.

The city of Lawrence also made these materials available on its website at www.lawrenceks.org/urban-ag.

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DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL; CAITLIN WILSON; JOHN IVANKO (3)

When the conditions are right, planting a seed may be all it takes to reap a bounty.

When making a case for urban agriculture in Lawrence, Kansas, the seed was a simple question about placing a bee hotel at a university farm site on the edge of town. The bounty turned out to be an opportunity to help define and build a set of policies specifically geared toward making urban agriculture more accessible.

These policies would open the door for city residents to grow crops in their yards; sell their produce on-site; and keep goats, sheep, fowl, bees, and other small agricultural animals in town.

responsible for picking up a goat if it got loose in town. We began seeking answers.

We contacted the state veterinarian about the zoonotic-disease concern; got in touch with the animal shelter about loose goats (which they wouldn’t take; however, we were able to collaborate with a local farmer to create a temporary solution); and reached out to other cities that allowed agricultural animals to gather their perspectives and establish precedence.

After months of outreach, meetings, and policy revisions, we finally gained approval from the city commission, and the policies were officially adopted.

CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT:

Policy Pollinators

clockwise from lower left:

Douglas county fooD Policy council; caitlin wilson; John ivanko (3)

Cookie Crusaders My journey took me all the way from my kitchen to the courthouse, as I and two fellow farmer friends successfully sued the state of Wisconsin to lift a ban on selling cookies and other baked goods.

Championing cottage food opportunities and the right for people to sell homebaked goods has been my passion for the past five years in Wisconsin. I first learned about cottage food when Wisconsin passed the “Pickle Bill” back in 2010, allowing the sale of high-acid canned goods, such as pickles and sauerkraut, made in home kitchens. I immediately fell in love with the possibility of selling food items without the expense and regulatory burden of a commercial kitchen. However, selling homemade baked goods in Wisconsin was illegal. Oddly, I could legally serve muffins made in my home kitchen to guests at Inn Serendipity, a small bed-and-breakfast my family and I have run for over 20 years, but I couldn’t sell those same muffins to someone because of the baked goods ban.

My frustration started percolating, and I felt compelled to take action.

From left: Dela Ends, Lisa Kivirist, and Kriss Marion helped gain rights for Wisconsin’s home bakers.

vote, something apparently in his power to do, and the cookie bill died. It was an unexpected curveball that one individual in the Assembly had the power to control whether our bill, which received strong public support, would continue through the process. Vos had no interest in meeting with us or collaboratively working toward a solution. It was time to regroup and plan a new strategy.

Next Stop: Judicial Branch Here’s where democracy works in our favor — we have three branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive. When the legislative side failed us, we turned to the judicial.

The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm that champions cases that hit unjust legal barriers, approached me and two of my farmer friends, Kriss Marion and

First Stop: Legislative Branch With the Wisconsin Farmers Union (an organization that advocates for farmers and rural businesses) and a coalition of home bakers, we worked with our local state legislators to introduce in 2013 what we called the “cookie bill,” expanding our state’s cottage food opportunities to include nonhazardous baked goods.

Our cookie bill initially received strong bipartisan support and passed the Wisconsin State Senate unanimously.

However, when the bill moved over to the Wisconsin State Assembly, it came to a screeching halt. Speaker Robin Vos never put the bill on the agenda for a

Make the Most of Media

Throughout this process, we learned that engaging the media helped amplify our cause. Cases like ours champion the classic inspiring underdog story, one that fires popular interest. “David versus Goliath” translated to “Home Cookie Bakers Take On Big Business and Politics” and garnered the attention of a CBS Sunday Morning feature and multiple op-eds that kept our story — and our politicians — on the public’s radar.

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The Ongoing Battle for Baked Goods

Dela Ends, to file a lawsuit on behalf of home bakers. We officially filed the suit in January 2016, and our hearing took place in May 2017.

After that hearing, Judge Duane Jorgenson of the circuit court of Lafayette County, Wisconsin, unequivocally ruled in our favor. He stated that the primary

effect of this ban was to protect established businesses from competition.

Not only is protecting other businesses from competition un-American, but it’s also unconstitutional. The Wisconsin Constitution protects the right to earn an honest living, and we’re very pleased the court agreed.

After our victory in the courts, the State of Wisconsin still fought the ruling by claiming it only applied to the three plaintiffs: Dela, Kriss, and myself. Nuts, right? We needed to go one more legal round, and in October 2017, the judge issued additional clarification that his initial ruling indeed applied to everyone in the state. The battle for baked goods likely won’t ever end, and I’m in it for the long haul. The state still has a right to pass a reasonable law, so we need to keep an eye on that process.

While a chocolate chip cookie may bake in about 10 minutes, I’ve learned the democratic process can take a bit longer — although the rewards of a sweet success are certainly worth the wait.

Lisa Kivirist

Dan and Brooke constantly strive to improve their community, and they believe others can too.

Initially, staff at Cultivate Kansas City, the couple at Badseed Farm, and city leadership sat down to work out the issues

rebecca martin;

Engaging the City

from bottom:

Cultivate Kansas City, a nonprofit dedicated to creating healthy local food systems, became engaged with codes and zoning out of our support for Badseed Farm and its founders, Dan Heryer and Brooke Salvaggio. The couple’s farm was on a large residential semi-suburban lot in Kansas City, Missouri. Inspectors were prompted to visit the farm multiple times due to complaints from a neighbor, citing the farm for rank vegetation, not obeying setbacks, and other small infractions.

As we delved into the details of the citations and the operations that took place on the farm, a growing number of questions cropped up. And while Kansas City’s codes weren’t as restrictive as many other cities’, there was a lot of ambiguity that made operating an urban farm feel risky because of concerns that an unhappy neighbor could shut down an operation.

www.allisoncorrin.com

Farming Fighters

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www.allisoncorrin.com

with the farm’s pending citations. Kansas City was, at the time, going through an overhaul of its zoning codes, and the planning department and Councilman John Sharp proposed that we work with them to address urban agriculture.

The planning staff negotiated the gray areas between the rights of neighbors, the rights of farmers, and the public interest in a healthy, local food system.

Councilman Sharp helped us enlist the support of other council members and to negotiate the reactions of other community stakeholders, including homeowner associations and the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors.

We also engaged the Greater Kansas City Food Policy Coalition in the process.

Together, we set up a committee of citizens, farmers, and advocates to lead the process on our end. Also critical was the engagement from a handful of neighborhood leaders who provided us with a more nuanced understanding of the values and concerns at stake.

We also held a fairly aggressive campaign to mobilize the general public in support of urban agriculture. We didn’t have a budget for paper mailings, so we relied entirely on social media and our organizational email list to reach supporters and advocates. We wrote sample phone scripts and letters of support. We also lined up different angles for advocacy so people could speak to their issue, whether it was health, community development, entrepreneurship, or the possibility of neighborhood-based employment in struggling parts of the city. Throughout the process, hundreds of emails and phone calls were made to city council members.

Brooke and Dan set up a free residential composting program at their urban farm to help transform local food and yard waste into a valuable resource.

Community Conversations Public reactions varied from aversion to urban farms on one end, to positive associations of good food, health, and engagement with nature on the other end. These differences facilitated perhaps one of the most valuable benefits of the entire process: the conversations the code efforts started within the community.

We were proposing a paradigm shift — a different vision for what a healthy neighborhood would look like. We were doing this at a time when the city land bank was taking over literally thousands of vacant lots for nonpayment of taxes and abandonment of houses. Anxiety was high about the future of neighborhoods.

The conversation, as heated and polarized as it became at times, was part of a broader exploration of what our neighborhoods should look like and how they should function. Ultimately, the idea of urban agriculture became more normalized, and, once the policies had been changed and no disasters had occurred, the furor died down.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you want or need to make changes in your own community, here are a few key elements I encourage you to consider.

1 Look for allies in city planning and on your city council. In our case, both brought different strengths and networks to the process and were critically important to guiding us.

2 Recognize that urban agriculture, even today, offers a different vision of an urban neighborhood that can be both wonderful and potentially threatening at the same time. Expect people to have emotional reactions; we each hold our vision of where we live dear, and we’ve invested both emotionally and financially in that vision.

3 Look for a good balance of working with city officials and organizing community members.

Work as well as you can with your city, but know that your power to change codes comes in part from your ability to mobilize voting residents.

Katherine Kelly

Rebecca Martin;

URBAVORE Update

from bottom:

Since the policy changes have taken effect in Kansas City, Brooke Salvaggio and Dan Heryer have established their home and latest farm, URBAVORE, on 131⁄2 acres that had been sitting vacant for 60 years within Kansas City’s urban core. To learn more about URBAVORE and Dan and Brooke’s journey, you can visit www.urbavorefarm.com.

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A Smarter

Farm Setup Design infrastructure to help you work smarter, not harder, on your property.

By Ben Hartman

N

ot too long after we moved to our small farm, we realized there was work to be done before we could start growing produce to sell. Posts in the barn were leaning over, in need of support. Paint had completely peeled from the old chicken house, leaving bare wood. We had a well, but no water hydrants. And while the barn could house animals, it wasn’t set up for processing vegetables.

So we decided to spend our first year on infrastructure: building greenhouses, installing drain tiles, remodeling a processing room, building a driveway, and otherwise organizing the farm.

By taking time to build up our farm’s infrastructure early on, we set ourselves up for smooth sailing for many years ahead.

Based on our experiences, we recommend that you establish these eight pieces of infrastructure for any farm you’re taking on.

A small-scale vegetable farm requires a processing room about the size of a one-stall garage. It should be well-lit and easy to sanitize. Ideally, the walls will be covered with panels that can be hosed down, and the floor will be finished and easy to mop. It should be insulated and heated if you plan to grow produce to sell all winter.

The processing room on our farm is a former milking area.

When we bought the property, we removed 11 stanchions and filled in the manure trough. Later, we insulated and painted the walls and added a small gas heater. We use our processing room to wash greens in tubs and pack orders into boxes going to customers.

Inside the room is a hand-washing sink with soap. We ask workers to wash their hands at this station before handling food. We use a small electric hot water heater to warm wash water in winter, and we use a four-bay stainless steel sink (with bays measuring 20 by 28 inches and 18 inches

deep) to wash baby greens and microgreens. As an alternative to sinks, some growers use sturdy stock tanks and even porcelain-enameled bathtubs. Above our sink is a 1-inch water line with short lengths of garden hose for quick filling. A drain in the floor carries drainage water out through a buried 4-inch plastic drain tile.

Past the sinks are two spinners — old washing machines — for drying greens, and behind the sinks is a 30-inch-by-6-foot stainless steel prep table and an 18-inch foot-operated bag sealer.

Open shelves behind the table hold packaging supplies and rags.

We bought our sinks and the table from a bar going out of business, and the bag sealer from the packaging company Uline.

We got the washing machines for free from a family member because they were defective, but we only needed them to spin for our purposes.

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Ben Hartman

1. Processing Room

Across the hall from the processing room is a magnetic whiteboard where we tally orders and use indicator magnets to show whether jobs are complete. Under the whiteboard, a table holds harvesting gear: nitrile-coated gloves, 24-by-½-inch produce twist-ties for bunching, size 64 rubber bands for banding kale and head lettuce, 4-by-4-inch sticker labels for wholesale bags, a roll of 2-inch painter’s tape for labeling totes, and a cup of markers.

Ben Hartman

2. Spray Station Your farm will also need an area about the size of a small garage for spraying carrots, radishes, and other crops with water. An open-air lean-to will suffice unless you grow early or late in the year, in which case you’ll want walls. Our spray station is a leanto that we added to the barn, just outside the processing room.

We used leftover parts from a greenhouse project to install two curtains that we can roll up or down, depending on the weather.

In addition to hosing tables, the lean-to houses totes and crates for harvesting. When we built the lean-to, we poured a cement slab that slopes to a drain basin in the corner. From there, water runs out through a 4-inch drain tile. We use two stainless steel shelves from a restaurant shelving unit as a spray surface. We used to support these shelves with crates functioning as table legs, but then an intern thought of a better idea: to hang the tables with chains. Now we can quickly squeegee under them.

Another recent change was to hang the ¾-inch hose. This saves us from tripping, makes cleanup faster, and positions the hose ergonomically for washing. After consulting with a well service, we increased the diameter of the underground water line feeding the hose, from ¾ to 1¼ inches, to create high pressure.

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A processing room for washing greens should be easy to clean and well-lit, and it only needs to be the size of a one-stall garage.

We use a brass shut-off valve as a spray nozzle. Since we spray totes and crates in the lean-to, we also store them there. The crates stack. We store the totes in a pyramid until dry, and then we collapse them.

3. Cold-Storage Rooms

4. Storage Shed Design spray tables, hose stations, and space to dry your equipment so that your processing room is efficient enough to take on any task.

Another essential building is a storage shed — again, about the size of a small garage — for housing equipment and supplies. You don’t need heat or insulation in this one.

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Ben Hartman (7)

Many produce farms have two cold-storage areas: one with temperatures that fall between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the other with temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees.

We call the 55-to-60-degree room our “tomato room.”

We use this room to box and store tomatoes and basil in the heat of summer, and to house storage vegetables in fall. The room is 6 by 11 feet and is cooled with a standard window air conditioner. To set up a 35-to-40-degree room, we bought a used 8-by-8-foot walk-in cooler box from a restaurant salvage business. We cut a hole in the back wall for an air conditioner that we regulate with a CoolBot external thermostat. The CoolBot and AC combination cuts costs in two ways: It’s much cheaper than a standard walk-in cooler condenser and evaporator, and the AC uses less energy. An alternative to a walk-in cooler is to build your own super-insulated room. We use the cooler to store all produce except tomatoes and basil.

In winter, we plug in an electric heater to keep the room just above freezing.

These two small air-conditioned spaces will suffice for a small farm. As your farm grows, you can always add on more rooms, with more temperature options suited to specific crops.

Use drip tape to water crops grown under landscape fabric. Secure overhead sprinklers with step spike bases. An irrigation timer ensures timely watering.

To create ours, we walled off a portion of an old chicken house. Inside, we store four pieces of equipment: a tractor and walk-behind tractor (these don’t require warmer temperatures in winter), a Jang seeder, and a paper pot transplanter. Two shelves hold tightly rolled row covers. Other shelves hold tarps, irrigation supplies, and trellising supplies. In one corner, we set up a small repair bench for sharpening tools and fixing handles.

Because we farm with few tools, a small space is adequate.

A low-cost alternative is to use part of your greenhouse to store these items, although around March every year you might become jealous of the space. Think of what you could grow there!

5. Gas House I recommend that all farms set aside a small shed for storing gas, oil, and other flammable liquids. These items smell, pollute the ground, stain floors, and, of course, can burst into flames. They deserve a room of their own, set apart. We have two 55-gallon drums — one for diesel and one for gas — that we keep in a building the size of an outhouse, along with rags, engine oil, and other tractor and gas engine fluids. The building sits 20 feet away from the others and can be locked for safety and security.

Ben Hartman (7)

6. Red-Tag Room We sort tools every spring and fall, placing those that don’t add value — that aren’t a part of our growing system — into a red-tag room until the next regional consignment auction, when we’ll get rid of those items. The red-tag room helps us focus on our work by eliminating clutter. We can still go back and pull out an item if we wrongly placed it there, and sometimes we let one or two auction cycles pass before definitively getting rid of a tool. We think of the room as a vacuum cleaner, constantly sucking waste from the property. We use a walled-off corner of our barn, about 12 by 12 feet, for this purpose.

7. Irrigation System A serious market garden requires a high-flow source of water.

On our previous property, we used a portable gas pump to irrigate from a nearby canal. A 3-inch hose with a plastic head sat in the canal. Water passed through a sand filter system to keep small particulate matter out of the lines. If you plan to do the same, be sure to place the pump close to the water source rather than close to the garden, because pumps push better than they pull.

On our current farm, we rely on a 4-inch well to supply both our house and the farm. We use two pressure tanks — a 30-gallon and a 60-gallon — for plenty of capacity. We run 1¼-inch water lines 4 feet underground to our hydrants. The frost-free hydrants feature 1½-inch-diameter pipes, wider than standard ¾- or 1-inch pipes, to increase flow. The water is kept at a pressure of about 60 pounds per square inch (psi). Many online charts can help you choose a good well diameter, pump, tank size, and water line diameter for your needs, although I recommend consulting with a professional when designing your own system.

We use two types of irrigation: drip tape and overhead sprinklers. We use drip tape with pre-punched emitter holes on crops we grow under plastic or landscape fabric, including kale, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers. The drip tape provides consistent moisture, uses less water, and keeps leaves dry — especially important for tomatoes. Our drip tape parts consist of a 2-inch header line, sufficient for long runs; shutoff valves; and 8-millimeter drip tape. We don’t use caps on the end of the drip tape. Instead, we tie them off by hand, using one or two simple knots of the tape itself. We use the drip lines until they get plugged up with mineral deposits, which usually happens after two seasons. To save lines for later use, we wrap them tightly and store them in tubs. We repair leaks with in-line couplers, but we’ll replace the line if there are more than two leaks.

We use overhead sprinklers on crops grown in bare ground (not in plastic or landscape fabric) because they’re faster to set HOMESTEADING & LIVESTOCK • www.MotherearthNews.coM 69

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Before growing any produce to sell, spend time perfecting your farm infrastructure to ensure years of smooth sailing.

us choose duration — from two minutes to nine hours — and the other lets us choose how often — from every three hours to every two weeks. We can change the settings in a matter of seconds. Because there’s no LCD screen, the timer is durable.

The second timer is a daily or weekly programming timer, which allows for more precise programming, though it’s not as simple to use. We reserve it for germinating seeds when we direct-seed.

8. Vehicle Access Lanes A final piece of infrastructure that’s often overlooked is a vehicle access lane. You don’t need polished concrete, but you do need access to your growing plots and buildings. We built a lane running in front of our greenhouses and connected to the processing area. We can access these areas any time of year by vehicle, and trucks can bring heavy loads of manure or compost onsite without getting stuck. To build the lanes, we started with a 6-inch primary base of No. 2 (3- to 4-inch-diameter) limestone, topped with a 2-inch layer of No. 72 (less than 1-inch-diameter) limestone.

Ben Hartman

up than drip tape. The heads will support interchangeable nozzles, depending on droplet size desired. We use a medium-sized nozzle. In our experience, larger-diameter nozzles produce big droplets that displace seeds; droplets from smaller nozzles drift away in the wind.

We started with a step spike base for a garden hose and sprinkler, such as those made by Orbit, for our overhead sprinklers.

Then, we assembled a riser with ¾-inch PVC pipe and fittings.

Ours are 4 feet tall, slightly taller than the tallest crops we plan to irrigate. Finally, we screwed on Senninger Xcel-Wobbler heads.

In winter, we remove the heads and store them in a lidded bucket to keep spiders from building nests in the orifices. To connect hydrants and risers, we use ¾-inch commercial-duty hoses that lie on the inside edge of our plots. We use quick-connect fittings to attach the hoses to the hydrants. Poly tubing is stiffer to move about, but it’s cheaper.

Timers make up the final piece of our irrigation system. We use two professional-duty timers by Galcon. The first is a simple two-dial timer for general maintenance irrigating. One dial lets

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Healing with Poultices Treating minor ailments with herbal remedies may be as easy as finding the right plant for the job.

By Richo Cech

Adobe Stock/Viesturs Kalvans

A

n international traveler was touring in Botswana when he exposed himself to far too much sun and experienced tremendous heat, pain, and blistering on his face, chest, arms, and legs. Some large Cape aloe (Aloe ferox) plants grew close to the hotel. He severed a couple of fleshy, 3-foot-long leaves, went up to his room, split the leaves to expose the glorious cooling gel, and applied them directly to his body. Ah! He was saved! The aloe relieved the pain of the blisters.

This anecdote illustrates some of the signal aspects of healing with poultices.

Poultices are simply whole or mashed herbal material — leaf, root, or seed — layered or spread on skin without extraction or complex preparation. They use local ingredients, offer speedy relief, and cost little or nothing.

A fascination with the fragrance, shape, color, taste, and texture of plant leaves has led me to study the art of poulticing, which I call “laying on leaves.” Poultices may be applied as hot as 105 degrees Fahrenheit to increase circulation to the affected area, or they

may be applied cold, which is especially effective for cooling burns. They fight infection and infiltrate the injured area with healing substances from the plant, such as antiseptic essential oils or tannins that shrink tissue and ease pain. Poultices also pull poisonous or infected matter from wounds. Properly applied, the poultice may help resolve cysts, pustules, and splinters by reducing associated inflammation.

Because the plant material is most often applied directly to the skin, you should avoid spiny plants and common allergens. I’ve had good success using aloe, burdock, castor, chickweed, comfrey, dandelion, jewelweed, marshmallow, mullein, and plantain for making poultices. My herbal teacher always told me, “For a poultice to be HEALTH • www.MotherEarthNews.com 71

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Getty imaGes/sever180; adobe stock/pisotckii; Getty imaGes/miaZeus; adobe stock/isabela66 clockwise from lower left:

good, it has to suck.” By and become inconsolable. I this, he meant that the picked plantain leaves from herbal material must adhere nearby, flexed them in my closely to the skin so its hands within view of his healthful compounds can teary eyes, and layered them permeate the tissues and on his already swollen, the moisture can draw out red thumb. By the time I foreign bodies or infection. tied off the poultice with Remembering all the strands of plantain fiber, times I’ve seen poultices he had stopped crying, as used, or used them much due to fascination myself, to treat longwith the process as from standing conditions or the analgesic activity of emergencies, I can think the leaf. When in crisis, of one commonality — perform magic! they worked every time!

Plantain is easy to recognize in the wild, with its low rosette of broad leaves on long stems and its upright flower spikes.

An herbalist can apply Crushed the beneficial compounds Comfrey Poultice of the plant immediately and directly. best clues for differentiating plantain Comfrey (Symphytum officinale or The activity isn’t diminished through leaves from look-alikes are the strong, Symphytum x uplandicum) is probably processing or storage, nor is an elastic fibers that run from the base of the most commonly used plant for intermediary agent, such as alcohol, the stems to the margins of the leaves. poulticing, proving triply effective added to dilute the plant material.

You may notice these fibers when because it contains skin-soothing Poultices are an unadulterated and picking a leaf — they usually extend mucilage, helps dissolve and remove intimate communion between plant and somewhat from the end of the broken dead tissue, and speeds healthy patient. That’s why I feel the poultice stem. These fibers help hold the leaf reparation. Like plantain, comfrey works so well. together, even after it’s been bruised and contains allantoin. Comfrey poultices exuded its juices. are often employed to speed the healing Basic Plantain Poultice Layer the bruised leaves on the of pulled muscles and ligaments, bruises, A general drawing and healing injury and use the longest leaf to tie broken bones (after they’ve been set by poultice can be made by picking fresh the poultice in place. This method a doctor), bed sores, burns, ulcerations, plantain (Plantago major) leaves and once came in handy when I witnessed infections, smashed fingers, and other kneading them with your fingers until a child slam his thumb in the car door traumatic injuries. However, comfrey t h e y’re we l l - b r u i s e d , therapy isn’t a good choice s o f t e n e d , a n d f re e l y for puncture wounds emitting their juices. Then, because it may promote layer the leaves on the overly quick healing of injured skin to exert their surface tissues, which can healing influence. then trap hidden infection Plantain contains the that may reside in deeper well-documented cell tissues. proliferant known as Note: Comfrey also allantoin, and can promote contains pyrrolizidine rapid regeneration of alkaloids, which are known healthy skin when used to to be detrimental to liver treat abrasions, wounds, function. We recommend and ulcerations. The avoiding comfrey for best healing herbs are treating open wounds, multifaceted, and plantain especially if you have a is no exception: It also preexisting liver condition. contains soothing mucilage To make a comfrey and a great deal of tannin, poultice, dig the roots and which astringes body tissue, wash them using a scrub Comfrey flowers range from pink to purple to blue, as above. The dark, increases muscle tone, and brush and elbow grease. strongly veined leaves are a more reliable form of identification. reduces pain. One of the Chop up the roots and

CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT:

GETTY IMAGES/SEVER180; ADOBE STOCK/PISOTCKII; GETTY IMAGES/MIAZEUS; ADOBE STOCK/ISABELA66

Burdock (left) and mullein (right) are best prepared by steaming, as their leaves are difficult to bruise effectively with your hands.

combine with an equal portion of fresh, green comfrey leaf. Blend in a blender, using only enough purified water to create a mucilaginous paste. Spread this paste 1 inch thick directly on the injured area, and then cover with a clean cloth. Apply the poultice before going to bed, and then scrape away and wash it off in the morning.

If you’d prefer to apply the poultice during the day, secure it in place with a long strip of cotton cloth. Continue these applications until the problem is resolved. If the infection or injury doesn’t respond quickly to herbal therapy, you should consult a licensed health practitioner.

Steamed Burdock and Mullein Poultices Leaf poultices may also be rendered soft and juicy by steaming. Pour a small amount of water in a saucepan, insert a steam basket or perforated pan to hold the leaf material above the water, fill with leaves, put a lid on the apparatus, and boil on high heat until the leaves are hot and flexible. This usually takes about 3 minutes of steaming, depending on how fragile the leaf material is and the mass of the leaves.

Apply the leaves directly to the affected area while still hot, layered generously to a thickness of at least 7 leaves, and then cover with a thin layer of plastic and insulate with towels. Steamed poultices work quickly and may be removed after they’ve cooled, which usually

takes 20 to 30 minutes. As with most herbal therapies, the treatment must be repeated several times throughout the day to be effective. For severe problems, poultices may be applied up to 5 times daily. To help prevent injuries from becoming infected, application once or twice a day should suffice.

I’ve used steamed burdock leaves (Arctium lappa) to treat staph infections that didn’t respond to other therapy.

The poultice reduced pain, shrank the

Poultices use local ingredients, offer speedy relief, and cost little or nothing to apply. lesion, returned surrounding tissues to their normal color and tone, and promoted rapid healing. Burdock is well-known in traditional herbalism to help expunge toxic metabolic debris and speed healing of skin lesions. In herbal therapies, the herb is commonly paired with dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), which can be consumed raw in salads or taken as a tincture of the whole, fresh plant. Dandelion is a proven diuretic, able to rid the body of toxins through the urine.

Yet another example of a simple, effective poultice is hot mullein leaf (Verbascum thapsus) for treating mastitis in nursing mothers.

This condition occurs most frequently when breasts become engorged soon after childbirth — when the baby may be unable to efficiently empty the breasts of excess milk — but may also be associated with the weaning process, while the mother is still producing large quantities of milk. Feeding the baby frequently to alleviate excess pressure will help ease the discomfort.

A hot mullein poultice may also ease discomfort from mastitis.

Mullein leaf contains saponins and glycosides that help move lymph and break up blockage in the milk ducts, which will reduce redness and swelling, thus returning the breast and breast feeding to normalcy. As with any herbal therapy, the earlier one recognizes the symptoms and employs the remedy, the more effective the cure.

Many of us grow herbal gardens, or at least incorporate a few good herbs into our vegetable gardens or home landscaping. Herbs gladden a garden and its gardener with their unique aromas, textures, and colors.

How much more satisfying, then, to use the same herbs in simple therapy that helps alleviate suffering? Poulticing is a simple, effective, nearly magical practice, ideal for an herbalist who’s just beginning to explore the possibilities of natural remedies.

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Find a certification that’s right for your plot to add transparency to your growing practices.

By Rachael Dupree

“W

hen people ask if I garden, they mean broccoli or roses,” says Martha Rabinowitz, owner of Sister Sanctuary, a farm in Guilford, Vermont.

But Rabinowitz isn’t that kind of gardener. While half of her land produces organically grown hay that feeds the cows in a neighbor’s dairy operation, her passion lies in the plants she cultivates on 40 acres of her property’s forestland. This is the

Sister Sanctuary, and it houses endangered and rare woodland medicinals, such as black cohosh, bloodroot, trillium, and ramps. It’s a place where she puts “rescued” plants — those she’s dug up from a construction site or roadside and then replanted in the sanctuary.

Letting the public know about her garden work can be challenging, so Rabinowitz decided to apply to make her wooded acreage part of United Plant Savers’ Botanical Sanctuary Network.

United Plant Savers (UpS) is a nonprofit

working to protect native medicinal plants, and its botanical sanctuaries serve as conservation centers, seed repositories, and educational hubs for endangered plant species. Getting the Botanical Sanctuary designation allowed Rabinowitz to connect with others and show that the work she’s doing is intentional and important.

Oftentimes, gardeners turn to organic certification to add transparency to the type of agriculture they’re engaging in — farming that’s sustainable and mindful about its effect on the land — but while the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification is perhaps the most well-known, it’s not the only one out there.

Here, we’ll look at other certifications you can pursue.

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clockwise from left:

Certified Sustainable

terry wild stock; the living centre eco-spiritual education sanctuary; Jim cairns/usda-nrcs

Make Your Farm or Garden

United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary Network The UpS Botanical Sanctuary Network designation is presented to gardeners and landowners who commit to preserving native medicinal plants on their land. A one-time application followed by yearly UpS membership renewal allows a lifetime designation as a Botanical Sanctuary. While the application process is open to sanctuaries in various levels of development, there are a few requirements: • The land must be privately owned or previously established through a land trust.

• The land must be endowed with native plants or in the process of being planted with them, including those considered by UpS to be “at risk” or “endangered.”

• Applicants must commit to some sort of educational and research work.

The application is reviewed by UpS, and is sometimes accompanied by a visit to your farm. Each year, UpS solicits stories from members of the Botanical Sanctuary Network to share on its website and in its Journal of Medicinal Plant Conservation. The application fee is $100, and annual UpS membership renewal is $35.

“A lot of our sanctuaries are (run by) herbalists, because

clockwise from left:

terry wild stock; the living centre eco-spiritual education sanctuary; Jim cairns/usda-nrcs

Bee Better Certified Last year, as part of its work to protect native pollinators and their habitats, nonprofit The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation — along with Oregon Tilth and funded by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service — launched Bee Better Certified (BBC) as the only third-party-verified certification focused specifically on pollinator conservation.

The certification holds farmers accountable to standards in four main areas — pollinator habitat, pesticide mitigation, managed bumblebees, and record-keeping — and in return, adds more transparency to their efforts to support native pollinator populations.

The base certification costs $400 and must be renewed every three years.

Before applying, you must develop a Bee Better Certified Plan based on the standards outlined in BBC’s Production Standards. You can then present the plan to Oregon Tilth, a nonprofit certifier best known for its work in organic certification, which will review

those are the folks who are attracted to the plants we’re trying to conserve,” says John Stock, UpS outreach coordinator. Stock says sanctuaries range in size, from small urban plots to farms hundreds of acres large. “What we really look for ... is what your intentions are toward these plants.”

Currently, UpS is aiming to engage gardeners like Rabinowitz who are looking to intentionally farm their forests with rare woodland medicinals, not just gardeners who are stewarding wild populations.

Botanical Sanctuaries are given priority for UpS grants, and they get access to useful books and a resource guide that includes sources of grants and fundraising. Learn more at www.unitedplantsavers.org/botanical-sanctuary-network.

the plan, perform an on-site inspection, and then issue a certification based on its findings. After your farm is certified, you can use the Bee Better Certified logo to market your conservation efforts free of charge, or license use of the seal for farm signs and product packaging.

“Bee Better Certified is intended to complement

other sustainable agriculture systems, such as organic production, by highlighting and rewarding farmers who protect and restore habitat for pollinators, a concept not required under other certification systems,” says Eric LeeMäder, co-director of The Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Program.

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Demeter Certified Biodynamic Biodynamic farming, developed in 1924, is one of the oldest forms of organic agriculture. Demeter International began issuing certifications in 1928, just four years after this model surfaced, and nonprofit Demeter USA, the country’s only biodynamic certifier, was established in 1985.

All the requirements for achieving Certified Organic status are also required for the Demeter Certified Biodynamic designation.

Demeter has expanded on the USDA’s standards, with a specific focus on soil regeneration. “Biodynamic agriculture views the farm as a closed system, a living organism,” says Elizabeth Candelario, president at Demeter USA. “The intention is that the needs of the farm are met through the farm itself.”

Conventional and organic gardeners can take the first step toward Demeter certification by contacting Demeter USA to apply. After you submit a plan, Demeter will arrange a visit from an inspector, who will make the recommendations necessary for preparing your farm for certification. The conversion process of a conventional farm takes about three years, while a farm that’s shown to meet the requirements of USDA

Certified Organic standards can become Demeter Certified Biodynamic within one year.

Biodynamic certification is available in 16 product categories, with the standards for the Fruit and Vegetable, Herbs and Spices, and Cider and Fruit Wines categories being of particular interest to gardeners. Beyond what biodynamic certification offers in terms of transparency, the standard is a great educational tool for any gardener who wants to move toward practicing regenerative agriculture. Learn more at www.demeter-usa.org.

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courtesy of

CSA, or in an independent grocery store.

CNG appeals to beginning, small-scale, organically minded growers, particularly those for whom cost and time can be a barrier to achieving USDA certification.

“For farmers who are just getting started, CNG has served to help them get established and reach a point where they’re ready to access wholesale markets, at which time they will decide if adding organic certification would be valuable,” says Alice Varon, CNG’s executive director.

CNG offers a network of farmers seeking peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.

Learn more at www.cngfarming.org.

Benziger family winery; knee HigH farm; Jack sHerman,

standards, you’ll arrange an on-site inspection, which will be performed annually. In return, all CNG producers are asked to perform an inspection of another farm located within an hour’s drive of their property. CNG requires annual dues of $200, though this amount is flexible based on what you can pay, and CNG offers payment plans for those who want to pay smaller amounts over time.

The typical CNG applicant is a directmarket grower selling a diverse range of produce at a farmers market, through a

clockwise from lower left:

For growers looking for a grassroots, community-based certification system, Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) is a great option. The hallmark of the program is its peer-review model of certification, in which on-site inspections are conducted by other CNG producers, Certified Organic farmers, or noncertified producers who use natural methods. While the CNG standards for fruit and vegetable producers are modeled on those of the USDA Certified Organic program, they’ve expanded over time and allow the use of biodegradable plastic mulch and paper transplanting pots.

To start the certification process, you must create an account on the CNG website, fill out an online application, and select the type of certification you’d like to receive. While the produce certification may be best suited to gardeners, you can also consider livestock, apiary, aquaponics, and mushroom certifications. After signing a declaration stating your intention to adhere to CNG

rodale institute; national wildlife federation

Certified Naturally Grown

CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT:

BENZIGER FAMILY WINERY; KNEE HIGH FARM; JACK SHERMAN,

COURTESY OF

RODALE INSTITUTE; NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION

Regenerative Organic Certification Bob Rodale, founder of Rodale Institute and a leader in organic agriculture, believed farmers must not only focus on minimizing harm, but actually incorporate regenerative practices that improve the land, the health, and the livelihoods of all that agriculture touches. That’s why Rodale Institute, along with the organizations and businesses in the Regenerative Organic Alliance, launched a new certification last March that takes organic farming to the next level. “We cannot sustain the system we have now,” says Diana Martin, director of communications at Rodale Institute. “We need to start reversing and mitigating climate change.”

Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) builds on the requirements of the National Organic Program and encompasses standards of other certifications, such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Fair Trade. Gardeners can apply for three levels of certification — bronze, silver, and gold — which all require annual certification. The standards are a mix of required and optional practices, with some optional practices becoming required as the level of certification increases. Applicants must already be Certified Organic, and

Choosing the Right Certification for You Not all gardeners will seek certification — many of us simply enjoy our plots of land and the miracles of what they produce.

For those wanting to share with the public or customers how their gardening or farming practices impact the environment, wildlife, and consumers, achieving and retaining some sort of

will likely have to pay an additional fee, though the cost structures for the certification aren’t yet set up.

Farmers who don’t yet have organic certification can expect a four-year preparation timeline before earning ROC. Regenerative organic is all about continuous improvement. While the certification may make the most sense for farmers who plan to market what they produce, the principles upon which the certification is based are scalable to gardens of all sizes. Currently, about 10 farms are enrolled in the pilot program. Learn more at www.regenorganic.org.

certification can add value to their operations.

Instead of chasing after a certification, it can be much more sustainable to assess your garden priorities and choose one that holds you accountable to the work you want to do, whether it be protecting pollinators, reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers, fostering native medicinals, or something else. While choosing a set of standards

that challenges you in the direction you want to go can be helpful, choosing one that seems beyond reach can leave you feeling frustrated at best, or cause you to abandon the project altogether at worst.

Remember, certifications are meant to add transparency and value to your work. Choose the certification that’s most accessible for you, and let it be a badge of honor for your garden as you go out and share your abundance with the world.

Certified Wildlife Habitat

Gardens attract creatures large and small, and gardeners who want to do more to protect local wildlife can apply to become a Certified Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation (NWF, www.nwf.org/ garden ). While this isn’t an official certification that requires third-party inspection, it’s a great way for you to learn more about coexisting with the animals that live around your home, and to share what you learn with your neighbors.

The NFW’s Garden for Wildlife page walks families through how to incorporate sources of wildlife food, water, cover, and places to raise young into their backyards and gardens, as well as other sustainable practices they can put into action. To be certified, you commit to providing a certain number of elements in each of these areas. A $20 fee for a certificate or a $50 fee for a certificate and a sign or flag is considered a donation to the NWF. With a little creativity, gardens of all types, from urban patio gardens to rural kitchen gardens, can serve as sanctuaries for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.

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Loose-leaf cultivar ‘Lollo Rossa’ matures in 60 days, but its leaves can be harvested weeks earlier.

Grow Great Lettuce in Winter W

hen I moved to central Virginia 25 years ago, my gardening neighbors believed that lettuce couldn’t be grown in winter. I set out to prove that we could indeed produce a continuous supply of salad greens year-round. I garden at Twin

Oaks Community, where we plant 120 lettuces each week — enough to feed 100 people. By late September, we’ve made our 46th sowing of the year. Although we cultivate much more than you’ll likely need to grow yourself, you can still apply our planting strategy to enjoy fresh, homegrown lettuce throughout winter on a smaller scale.

A simple way to extend your harvest is to sow several different lettuce cultivars on the same day, each day you plant.

You should plant cultivars with various numbers of days to maturity, including at least one fast one and one slow one. Bibb and romaine lettuces will mature quickly.

Loose-leaf lettuces, such as the 50-day salad-bowl cultivars, are very useful

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By Pam Dawling

Adobe Stock/dreAm79; mccune Porter

With a little planning, you can harvest fresh, homegrown greens in the coldest season. Ready to learn more? Lettuce begin!

because you can harvest individual weeks of the month. Lettuce seed leaves while you’re waiting for the germinates best at about 70 degrees heads to reach full size.

— although it will also sprout at Choose cultivars that are suited to temperatures in the 40s — and the season — those with “winter” prefers cool nights. In fall, you’ll in their names are good bets. need to plant more frequently I also like to plant cultivars that differ because a one-day difference in color and shape. There’s no reason in sowing can result in a week’s to get bored with lettuce! difference in harvesting. The rate In fall, to ensure winter harvests, of growth will slow down when we transplant lettuce seedlings the weather cools, and the harvest from the garden into cold frames, dates of those September sowings an unheated greenhouse, and a will spread out. hoop house. (At its simplest, a Here’s our September planting hoop house is a hoop structure schedule in our Zone 7a garden, covered with clear plastic; see www. with an average first frost date of motherearthnews.com/seasonOctober 14. extension for plans.) We’ll have The author cultivates lettuce inside a hoop house all winter.

September 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. enough lettuce to feed us through Every other day during the first winter if we protect these plants from the row covers. You should experiment with week of September, we sow lettuce cold. Lettuce planted inside a cold frame frost protection and cold-hardy cultivars that will later be transplanted into our may not make it all the way through to discover what will work in your garden. cold frames between September 25 and the winter. For an extra layer of frost If you’re in a cold climate, consider adding October 8. We’ll harvest leaves from protection, we toss old quilts on our cold inner tunnels within your hoop house and these plants from mid-November to frame lids on nights the temperature will adjusting the planting dates. late February, when we need the space fall below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside inside the cold frames to harden off the hoop house, we’ve had lettuce survive Sowing in September transplants. If your cold frame isn’t wellat 10.4 degrees — and, under good row September is a great month to plant insulated and frigid weather threatens, cover, down to minus 2.2 degrees! Our lettuce for a winter crop. We sow lettuce you should be prepared to harvest all the hoop house averages about 6 degrees every two days during the first three plants at once. warmer than outdoor temperatures.

Half-grown lettuces are more coldhardy than full-sized plants. Small and Loose-leaf types have loosely arranged leaves on stalks. Butterheads are small with loose medium-sized plants of the following heads. Upright romaines have elongated leaves. Batavians have loose heads and crisp leaves. cultivars can survive down to 15 degrees: ‘Marvel of Four Seasons,’ ‘Rouge d’Hiver,’ Cultivar Type Cultivar Type and ‘Winter Density.’ I’ve also seen small, Brune d’Hiver* Butterhead Pablo Batavian unprotected plants of the following cultivars survive down to 5 degrees: Cocarde* Loose-leaf Panisse Loose-leaf ‘Winter Marvel,’ ‘Tango,’ ‘North Pole,’ and Green Forest* Romaine Red Salad Bowl Loose-leaf ‘Green Forest.’ Other particularly coldHyper Red Rumple Waved Loose-leaf Red Tinged Winter Loose-leaf hardy lettuces include ‘Brune d’Hiver,’ ‘Cocarde,’ ‘Lollo Rossa,’ ‘Outredgeous,’ Kalura Romaine Revolution Loose-leaf ‘Rossimo,’ and ‘Vulcan.’

Lollo Rossa* Loose-leaf Rossimo* Loose-leaf Before we built our double-layer hoop Marvel of Four Seasons* Butterhead Rouge d’Hiver* Romaine house, we grew lettuce outdoors in winter Merlot Loose-leaf Salad Bowl Loose-leaf under two layers of row cover. Most lettuces can survive an occasional dip to Midnight Ruffles Loose-leaf Tango* Loose-leaf 10 degrees with good cover. Depending New Red Fire Loose-leaf Vulcan* Loose-leaf on the thickness of the row cover, the North Pole* Butterhead Winter Density* Romaine interior can be 4 to 6 degrees warmer than the outside temperature. Our lettuce Osborne Multired 54 MT Loose-leaf Winter Marvel* Butterhead survived, but didn’t produce enough for Oscarde Loose-leaf Winter Wonderland Romaine frequent harvests. August 29 is our last Outredgeous* Romaine * extra cold-hardy sowing date for planting outdoors under

from left:

Adobe Stock/dreAm79; mccune Porter

Winter Lettuce Cultivars

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although they’re not cold-hardy enough for growing outdoors in Zone 7a. For the greenhouse, we plant ‘Green Forest,’ ‘Hyper Red Rumple Waved,’ ‘Kalura,’ ‘Merlot,’ ‘Midnight Ruffles,’ ‘New Red Fire,’ ‘Oscarde,’ ‘Panisse,’ ‘Red Salad Bowl,’ ‘Red Tinged Winter,’ ‘Revolution,’ ‘Salad Bowl,’ ‘Tango,’ and ‘Winter Wonderland.’

September 15 and 24. We sow hardy

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www.rareseeds.com

You can grow a variety of lettuce textures and colors for appealing, gardenfresh salads all winter.

(8); southern exposure seed exchange (3); Flickr/mark levisay

we sow lettuce every other day that will eventually get transplanted into our unheated greenhouse. During the winter and until February, we harvest those lettuces by the leaf rather than cutting entire heads. The green and red saladbowl types do well in the hoop house and the unheated greenhouse (where temperatures rarely reach freezing),

below:

We plant these cold-hardy cultivars for our cold frames: ‘Green Forest,’ ‘Hyper Red Rumple Waved,’ ‘Merlot,’ ‘Midnight Ruffles,’ ‘New Red Fire,’ ‘Oscarde,’ ‘Pablo,’ ‘Panisse,’ ‘Red Salad Bowl,’ ‘Salad Bowl,’ ‘Winter Marvel,’ and ‘Winter Wonderland.’

September 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21.

During the second week of September,

adobe stock/cobraphoto

1 ‘Hyper Red Rumple Waved.’ 2 ‘Kalura.’ 3 ‘Lollo Rossa.’ 4 ‘New Red Fire.’ 5 ‘Merlot.’ 6 ‘Midnight Ruffles.’

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7 ‘Outredgeous.’ 8 ‘Pablo.’ 9 ‘Rouge d’Hiver.’ 0 ‘Red Salad Bowl.’ ! ‘Tango.’ @ ‘Winter Density.’

leaf cultivars on these dates to transplant into our hoop house on October 15 and 25. We’ll harvest these lettuces by the leaf from mid-November through March. In our hoop house, it takes two months to grow lettuce big enough for leaf harvest — and we make sure not to over-harvest in winter.

For these planting dates, we like ‘Green Forest,’ ‘Hyper Red Rumple Waved,’ ‘Merlot,’ ‘Oscarde,’ ‘Outredgeous,’ ‘Panisse,’ ‘Red Salad Bowl,’ ‘Red Tinged Winter,’ ‘Revolution,’ ‘Salad Bowl,’ ‘Tango,’ and ‘Winter Wonderland,’ and the Osborne multi-leaf lettuce types, such as ‘Multired 54 MT.’ September 24 and 27. These are insurance sowings. I like having backup

Resources www.botanicalinterests.com www.fedcoseeds.com www.highmowingseeds.com www.johnnyseeds.com www.osborneseed.com www.rareseeds.com www.seedsavers.org www.sustainableseedco.com www.territorialseed.com

in case of poor germination, rabbits, groundhogs, and so on.

October 23 and Nov. 9. We sow “filler” leaf lettuces in our hoop house on these dates to use until January 25, filling in gaps left by harvested plants.

We sow fillers without worrying that we won’t need them, because we can always harvest them as baby lettuce mix.

Baby Lettuce Mix During the last week of October, we sow baby lettuce mix directly into the soil inside our hoop house. We follow up with subsequent sowings on December 31, February 1, and February 15. We sow 10 rows, 41⁄2 inches apart, in a 4-foot bed.

That results in a lot of lettuce!

Baby lettuce mix is a cut-and-comeagain crop, meaning the plants will regrow and can be harvested more than once. We weed and thin baby lettuces to 1 inch as soon as we can see the seedlings well enough to do so. When the plants are 3 to 4 inches tall, we cut them about an inch above the soil, using large scissors or shears.

I gather a small handful with my left hand and cut with my right. Immediately after harvesting, I weed the just-cut area so the next cut won’t include weeds. We’ll get our first cut somewhere between December 5

and December 22, and we may even get as many as eight total cuttings during winter.

Baby lettuce will turn bitter here from late February to mid-March and will need to be pulled. We’ll have some later sowings to take over before that happens.

The baby lettuce cultivars we like are Fedco’s 2981LO Lettuce Mix (contains at least six different lettuces) and Johnny’s Allstar Gourmet Lettuce Mix (including ‘Green Oakleaf,’ ‘Red Romaine,’ ‘Lollo Rossa,’ and more). One ounce of seed will sow about 600 feet.

One year, cutworms ate our outdoor lettuce in August and September. To play catch-up until the hoop house lettuces were ready, we sowed some baby lettuce mix outdoors on September 16. Our unprotected lettuce mix was ready to cut on the 35th day after sowing. (Admittedly, we had a warm spell that helped it grow faster.) We didn’t have enough ready-made lettuce mix seed on hand because we hadn’t planned to sow it outdoors, so I made our own mix of seasonally appropriate leftover fall cultivars.

The flavor of lettuce produced during warm, late summer days and cool nights is often unsurpassed — a delicious combination of succulent crunch and sweetness.

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Top Plants for

Companion Planting

You can use plants in specific combinations to repel pests, control weeds, and boost your garden’s overall health.

By Barbara Pleasant

C

ompanion planting means growing two or more different plants in close proximity for a specific purpose, such as better pest control or higher yields. In the past, many companion planting practices were based on folklore or bad science, but

recent research into reducing pesticide use on farms has shed new light on how companion planting works.

Increased diversity is at the heart of companion planting. Incorporating plants that attract beneficial insects, deter pests, or invigorate the soil will turn up the volume on interactions between plants, insects, and the soil food web — and the result

is boosted garden resilience. A successful combination often has multiple benefits.

For example, when arugula and onions are grown together, the onions repel some flea beetles from the arugula, while the wide leaves of arugula smother weeds and shade the onion roots. A good companion planting scheme often has a ripple effect that will enhance the health of your garden.

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Radishes shelter slow-to-germinate carrots (left). Buckwheat provides shade as a cover crop (center) and, when pulled, as a mulch for fall kohlrabi (right).

The trick is finding planting combinations that work well, are easy to manage, and accomplish one or more of these goals: • Reduce pests.

• Deliver better weed control.

• Enrich the soil.

• Provide shelter from weather stress.

Reduce Pests You can choose companion plants that influence insect activities in two different ways: by masking the presence of crops the pests are attracted to, or by attracting predators that will attack the pests.

In the first scenario, flying insects search for their favorite host plants by picking up their clues from the air, with their antennae sensing the gaseous plumes given off by the plants. Then, they use their eyes and feet to further examine a promising host plant. When confusing companion

plants, such as marigold or mint, are part of the mix, cabbage and onion root maggots are reduced because the mother flies get frustrated after landing on the wrong plants too many times.

When it comes to “masking” crop plants with confusing companions, onions are the star vegetables in several research studies. Bulb onions, green onions, garlic, and other alliums don’t look or smell like other vegetables, and their upright stature makes them easy to use in companion planting combinations.

With little mites, thrips, aphids, and whiteflies that blow in on the wind, there’s not much host-plant searching to interrupt. But you can alter these pests’ access to your garden with a tall hedge of plants that filters incoming winds. A companion planting of dill on the south side of your garden might sieve out spider

mites before they reach your cucumbers, or a sunflower screen could create a windbreak that stalls incoming aphids.

Both dill and sunflowers provide nectar and pollen for ladybugs, lacewings, and other general predators that will help clean up soft-bodied insects that make it through the screen.

You’ll need a different companion planting strategy after pests become established in the garden. By summer, companion plants that attract beneficial insects skyrocket in value. Dozens of studies have shown that having plenty of natural predators means fewer pests.

Attracting those predators is often as easy as growing plenty of flowers with small, open blossoms. Think spring-planted arugula, cilantro, or mysterious mustards from mesclun mixes that bolt into bloom as days get longer.

Annual

Midsummer

Ground beetles, predatory bugs, hover flies, lacewings, spiders

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)

Annual

Early summer

Bees, hover flies, parasitic wasps, pirate bugs

Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora)

Native perennial

Mid- to late summer

Bees, hover flies, lacewings, ladybugs, predatory wasps

Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Annual

Mid- to late summer

Bees, hover flies, parasitic wasps, lacewings, ladybugs

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

Annual

Early summer to fall

Bees, ladybugs, lacewings, wasps

Getty ImaGes/hmproudlove; adobe stock/stephen bonk; flIckr/Jean_and_fred

Borage (Borago officinalis)

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Beneficials Attracted

paGe

Bloom Time

adobe stock (2)/ncaImaGes, andrIs t; barbara pleasant;

Life Cycle

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10 Top Insectary Plants for Companion Planting

(successive sowings) Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Annual or biennial

Midsummer

Hover flies, many species of predatory wasps

Lacy phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)

Native annual

Early to midsummer

Bees, lacewings, spiders, hover flies

Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)

Annual or biennial

Midsummer

Hover flies, predatory wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, pirate bugs, spiders

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Native annual

Mid- to late summer

Bees, pirate bugs, predatory wasps

Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Annual

Early summer to fall

Bees, hover flies, lacewings, parasitic wasps, pirate bugs

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GETTY IMAGES/HMPROUDLOVE; ADOBE STOCK/STEPHEN BONK; FLICKR/JEAN_AND_FRED FROM LEFT:

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ADOBE STOCK (2)/NCAIMAGES, ANDRIS T; BARBARA PLEASANT;

ugs,

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Plant to attract beneficial insects. From left: a hover fly pollinating a bloom; parasitic wasp eggs on a tomato hornworm; an aphid-eating ladybug larvae.

The chart on the previous page suggests easy plants for attracting beneficial insects, many of which have multiple talents.

For example, the large, spreading leaves of borage create a nice habitat for ground beetles. Borage leaves are too hairy for slugs and aren’t preferred by spider mites, but they do host a few aphid species of interest to lacewings and hover flies, which helps build up predator populations. Borage blossoms attract honeybees and wild bees, too, and the bee traffic may make the air space near borage dangerous for cucumber beetles and other small flying insects.

Insectary plants are agreeable in garden beds because most of them produce pretty flowers. When viewed from above by the big, compound eyes of hover flies and lacewings, the nectar in the shallow florets of sweet alyssum, Queen Anne’s lace, and yarrow glisten like jewels. Larger wasps appreciate the comfortable footing provided by coreopsis, cosmos, and other daisy-shaped flowers.

Spiders prey on anything that moves.

Low-growing companion plants, such as clovers, lettuces, or radishes, can become spider havens when grown among taller plants, such as broccoli or tomatoes.

Better Weed Control

larger plants need more space. If you allow a few of the interplanted greens to flower, they’ll then serve a stint as insectary plants.

The weed-suppressing abilities of vigorous vining squash is one feature that makes the ancient Three Sisters garden work. In this famous three-way companion planting plan, beans run up the corn, and the ground around the upright crops is shrouded in vines.

In similar fashion, you can allow

pumpkins or vining squash to run under corn or upright blueberries or raspberries and they’ll do a good job of keeping weeds down in late summer.

Enrich the Soil Gardeners often report that carrots and snap beans grown with marigolds and other companion plants taste better. A Polish study found that carrots intercropped with marigolds or calendula

Companion Planting Simplified

We used the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Vegetable Garden Planner to show you practical companion planting plans for a small garden of four 10-by-3-foot permanent beds.

The Planner offers a bug’s-eye view of your combinations and tells you how many plants you can fit in your available space. It includes more than 250 plant choices, including the top insectary plants. The Planner can show you the best options for companion planting based on the latest expertise, what you can fit in where, and the best dates for planting. Our new Garden Journal app (launched in April) allows you to track your garden’s progress on your mobile device or tablet. Try the award-winning Garden Planner free for seven days at www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner.

Companion planting plans for spring, below left. Top: Radishes serve as nurse crops for beets, carrots, and kale. Green onions and flowers deter pests. Bottom: Onions protect cabbage and kohlrabi. Chamomile and cornflowers support beneficial insects.

Companion planting plans for summer, below right. Top: Celery grows in moist shade between tomatoes. Marigolds, basil, and borage deter pests and attract beneficials.

Bottom: Bush beans shade maturing potatoes. Dill and sunflowers screen out pests.

The close spacing typical of most companion planting schemes naturally squeezes out weeds. With widely spaced vegetables, such as cabbage or tomatoes, you can use a fast-growing companion crop of lettuce or other leafy greens as a temporary ground cover in the open space.

Planting cilantro, lettuce, mustard, arugula, or other leafy greens between onions, cabbage, tomatoes, or peppers, or between rows of slow-growing carrots or beets, creates a weed-smothering green mulch that can be harvested before the GARDEN • WWW.MOTHEREARTHNEWS.COM 85

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clover kept the soil cool and moist and provided habitat for predatory spiders, which reduced pest problems. The most common clover in North America, Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens), can be allowed to grow as a companion provided it doesn’t leave the main crop with inadequate water.

Shelter from Weather Stress One of the most versatile planting methods for home gardeners is to use companion plants to shelter crops from too much sun, wind, or flooding rains.

Gardens laid out in rows are a perfect setting for placing selected plants in adjacent strips — say, peppers on the shady side of sweet corn. In most climates, peppers that get an afternoon break from summer sun produce more perfect fruit.

Other vegetable pairings exploit the plants’ physical compatibility, such as growing celery, lettuce, or chard between tall caged tomatoes, or planting pole beans in gaps in a corn row. For every tall, stable plant, you can match it with a low-growing veggie or vine that adapts to shade.

Buckwheat is best known as a summer cover crop, but it also makes a good companion plant to sow alongside broad potato rows after the potatoes emerge. The upright buckwheat plants filter bright sun, which helps to retain crucial soil moisture

for the potatoes. Buckwheat blossoms also attract beneficial insects, and the buckwheat “fence” will deter flea beetles, leaf hoppers, and other common potato pests.

“Nurse crops” are companion plants that’ve been selected and sited to provide shade, stabilize the soil, or offer wind protection for younger, weaker plants.

A common method involves sowing radishes between rows of carrots or beets.

The radishes sprout quickly and stabilize the site for carrots and beets, which take much longer to germinate. After a month or so, the radishes will be pulled to allow the other vegetables room to grow.

Cereal grains, such as wheat or oats, make interesting nurse crops, too. In one study, strawberries planted with a nurse crop of wheat were protected from weather damage and pests. When the soil warms in summer, buckwheat, bush beans, or crowder peas make fine nurse crops for summer-planted cabbage. Fastgrowing oats are an ideal nurse crop for cool-season vegetables planted in August, or for a mixture of winter cover crops.

Every garden is a unique natural system that you can try to enrich, enhance, and balance for your own benefit. Companion planting increases the diversity of plants while accomplishing specific goals that enhance plant health — and a diverse garden is a happy garden.

clockwise from bottom left:

were sweeter than those grown without companions, which was likely due to healthier conditions in the root zone.

Marigolds exude root chemicals with bactericidal, insecticidal, and fungicidal effects, making it easier for their neighbors to enjoy robust root health. In addition, some marigolds release natural nematode repellents into the soil, making them good companions for tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, okra, and other nematodesusceptible crops. Marigolds’ gifts to the soil continue after the plants are dead. In one study, potato yields rose between 8 and 14 percent when they were planted after marigolds, probably due to beneficial residual microflora on the rotting roots.

Legumes — peas, beans, and clovers — fix atmospheric nitrogen and store it in root nodules for their own use, and benefit plant neighbors by ramping up activity levels in the rhizosphere. This is why bush snap beans and potatoes make such good bed partners, and why legumes in general are important players in Three Sisters gardens and other classic companion planting combinations. By invigorating the rhizosphere, legumes used as companion plants enhance the ability of the crop plants to feed themselves, often with additional benefits. In a study in which broccoli was planted with a companion crop of crimson clover, the

Getty imaGes (3)/mantonature, apichsn robert biedermann; barbara pleasant (2)

Clockwise from bottom left: A hover fly pollinates fennel; cabbage interplanted with a cover crop; marigolds release nematode repellents; corn casts shade on beans; shallots benefit from clover’s soil-enrichment qualities.

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Abundant

Summer Mulberries

A common sight in rural American landscapes, mulberry trees provide plenty of fruit for snacking.

By Clyde Myers

ADOBE STOCK/ZORYANCHIK

T

hey’re everywhere in summertime: mulberry trees every 10 feet with berries the size of your thumb coming down by the hundreds. Branches are loaded down with fruit that rains onto sidewalks, lawns, park benches, and meadows. The trees are prolific, and their fruit is delicious, nutritious, and, best of all, often free for the taking.

Yet some people seem to despise them. Most often, complaints relate to stained sidewalks, fruit pulp tracked into the house on the soles of shoes, and a slew of purple bird droppings on cars.

Another complaint I hear about mulberries is that they’re an

invasive species that competes with indigenous trees for space and nutrients, but this is only partially correct.

The red mulberry (Morus rubra), the one responsible for all of the magenta-hued avian excrement on your windshield, is indeed indigenous to eastern North America. Native Americans used the fruit as a food source and relied on other parts of the tree and its foliage for a variety of medicinal purposes. The white mulberry (M. alba), on the other hand, arrived via Asia in a failed attempt to kick-start an American silk industry, as the leaves of white mulberry are the main food source for silkworms.

Because white mulberry hybridizes very easily with the native M. rubra, some fear that it may eventually push red mulberry GARDEN • WWW.MOTHEREARTHNEWS.COM 87

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Getty ImaGes/sweety mommy; amy reese-myers (5) from top left:

fair one, as red mulberry fruit has its own flavor and texture. Blackberries and raspberries tend to be quite tart, while mulberries tend to be sweeter and more delicate. All are aggregate fruits that contain many seeds.

Blackberry and raspberry seeds tend to be hard and get stuck in your teeth, while those of the mulberry are tender and pleasantly dissolve into the fruit such that one hardly notices them while eating, even when raw.

Harvesting mulberries is easier as well. Picking a gallon of black raspberries takes hours of finessing oneself through razor-sharp brambles, but you can shake a gallon’s worth of mulberries out of a couple of pleasantly thornless adult trees in 10 minutes. Just lay a tarp down under the tree and start tugging on branches. You may want to use a stepladder or a longhooked stick to reach higher branches of larger trees.

The fruit is at its peak in the middle of June here in southern Indiana, and when berries are good and ripe, multiple mulberries will fall with each subtle shake. If you shake gently, you’ll ensure that you don’t loosen up a lot of underripe berries. Save only the darkest, softest, and largest berries for eating. If you have chickens, they’ll be happy to dispose of the castoffs for you.

Wild mulberry flavor can vary quite a bit, even within a single species. One tree may produce fruit that’s extremely sweet and juicy, while another tree nearby may produce dense berries that are less sweet, or even thin and watery. If you’re in a location where you’re able to choose from several trees, taste the fruits of a few and collect the best ones first. Trees that produce superior fruit tend to be mature with good sun exposure on at least one side. Red and white mulberries have their own distinct tastes, but both, along with their hybrid offspring, are excellent.

Personally, I prefer ripe whites and mixes for eating raw, and reds for cooking and storing.

In addition to being delicious and versatile, mulberries are a nutritional powerhouse. They contain protein and fiber and are high in antioxidants. Studies have shown that they benefit blood pressure regulation.

White mulberries are used medicinally in Asia and are From top: You may find yourself competing with birds for mulberries, but the becoming popular in the West as a “superfood.” A berries grow in such abundance that there should be plenty to go around. White 16-ounce bag of dried white mulberries can fetch up mulberries (middle, left) are often smaller and less sweet than red mulberries. to $15 in U.S. health food stores. Though they lack the When picking, go for berries that are large and dark, as they’ll be the juiciest. high amount of vitamin A contained in açaí berries, red mulberries provide a wider range of vitamins and out altogether. Indeed, white mulberry has had an invasive just as much dietary fiber per serving. impact in some states, but it has also become a contributor to There’s virtually no limit to the things you can do with the American landscape. mulberries. Even so, simply eating them fresh is my favorite.

I love taking my kids for mulberry forays during the peak Learning to Love Mulberries season and letting them scarf down as many of the nutritious The fruit of the red mulberry is often compared to fruits as they can before their blood sugar peaks and they start blackberries and black raspberries, as it’s dark purple and grows running around. We’ll pick enough berries to fill an empty in clusters. This is a natural comparison, but not a completely sour cream container every evening, and eat a few handfuls of

them with a little yogurt for breakfast nearly every morning. Crumbled black walnuts or sunflower seeds on top really make that concoction sing.

harv mulb

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GETTY IMAGES/SWEETY MOMMY; AMY REESE-MYERS (5)

Sweet Snacking Wild mulberries make an excellent substitute for commercial berries. You can use them in most recipes that call for blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries in equal quantities.

Just remember that they have their own flavor and will lend that je ne sais quoi to the recipe.

The only trouble with mulberries is the small, stem-like, woody pedicel that comes along with each berry. I tried removing them individually, but that was exhausting and messy. I also tried just eating them raw with the berry, but they were too woody to enjoy. When eating them raw, I now use the pedicel as a handle — I pick the fruit up by the pedicel and bite the berry from it, like the stem of a cherry or the greens of a strawberry. The bigger the berry, the better this works. For pies and cobblers, I’ve stopped trimming them altogether. If baked in a pie for an hour or more, they dissolve well enough to become unnoticeable.

Mulberries can be stored like any other fruit: They can be dried or made into preserves, vinegar, or wine. Dried mulberries are a healthful addition to trail mix, especially with other wild foods, such as hackberries and black walnuts.

They also freeze exceptionally well. When we gather them in summer, I like to put several pounds into big freezer bags of various sizes and keep them in the chest freezer. The larger bags can be portioned out for pies before freezing.

You can even freeze the prepared pie filling, and then all you’ll have to do is thaw it, drop it into a pie shell, and bake.

When I want to make a couple of smoothies, I just grab a small bag from the freezer. I don’t need to thaw them; I just blend the berries frozen, and it lends the treat a nice crushed-ice texture. We trick our kids into eating spinach and other leafy greens by blending them into our mulberry smoothies with bananas.

If you have yet to try these sweet berries of the back roads, seek permission from a landowner with an abundance of mulberries, grab a pail, and load it up — and remember to do your part to help control mulberry overpopulation by eating as many as possible!

GIVE IT A TRY!

Mulberry Barbecue Sauce

Mulberries come into season in time for summer cookouts, and my absolute favorite thing to make with them is my super-duper, (nearly) world-famous Mulberry Barbecue Sauce. It’s inexpensive and easy to make, and it’s an excellent addition to chicken, brats, fish, veggies, or just about anything else you could throw on a grill. Feel free to experiment with Ingredients it, get creative, and have fun. Yield: 4 cups.

• 21⁄2 cups fresh 1 In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of mulberries, divided mulberries to the stock and bring to a simmer • 1 cup chicken stock over medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 to 7 • 1⁄2 cup ketchup minutes. Remove from heat, and mash well.

• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar Press through mesh strainer to remove seeds, • 2 tbsp pickle juice, if desired. Return mixture to saucepan. white vinegar, or apple 2 Bring mixture back to simmer over cider vinegar medium heat. Add ketchup, brown sugar, • Juice squeezed from pickle juice, lemon juice, chili powder, 1⁄2 lemon cinnamon, mustard seed, and salt. Continue • 2 tsp chili powder to simmer until sauce is thickened. Remove • 1⁄8 tsp cinnamon from heat, and allow to cool.

• 1⁄4 tsp mustard seed, 3 Add remaining mulberries, and mash crushed coarsely. It will give the final product a • Pinch of salt chunky look and texture. Enjoy!

Look for Mulberry Chutney and Wild Berry Jam recipes on our website, www.motherearthnews.com.

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Big Tillers Consider these top tiller options for big gardens, landscaping jobs, and other large-scale needs.

By Tim Nephew

W

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hen my wife and I purchased our rural land, we had plans to develop and enhance the property. We discussed gardens, food plots for wildlife, and even the possibility of planting a vineyard.

We drew maps with the locations for our projects on paper, and even laid out

plot sizes. A 3-acre vineyard would allow us to plant a few hundred grapevines of different varieties, and we designated spots for a couple of 1-acre food plots for wildlife. We also wanted a garden — a big one — for vegetables we’d never had room for in town.

After staring at the layout of our upcoming projects, a sudden wave of reality set in. We would need to prepare

more than 5 acres of land for planting, and it was overgrown with weeds and thick prairie grass. Our soil hadn’t seen a plow in 15 years. We owned a Ford 8N tractor with a two-bottom plow that would break up soil, but getting ready for spring planting would take a lot more work and equipment.

I couldn’t wait to start working the land in spring, and after plowing the plots, I started using a small disc that could be pulled behind my all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to break up the plowed ground. Frustration quickly set in, because even the small garden plot

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required hours of discing, which still left many clods that would impede planting.

I have a small walk-behind tiller, so I decided to start working the garden with it. After spending another couple of hours with the small tiller, with lessthan-desirable results, I had to find an alternative. I stopped by our local farm-implement dealer and asked about renting a tiller mounted to a power takeoff (PTO) device. Because my Ford 8N doesn’t have a “live” PTO, the dealer suggested I rent a small tractor with a PTO-mounted tiller that would do most of the work I had in mind.

I rented the tractor, tiller, and trailer for one day, and I was able to disc my garden and two food plots with ease. I also spread some soil amendments, and incorporated those additives with the tiller. The rental was expensive — I paid $250 for one day of use — but I didn’t see an alternative if I wanted to get my various projects planted in time.

That first year of breaking up the soil on our land was 17 years ago, and since that time, I’ve purchased a tractor and PTO-mounted tiller and have found both to be invaluable when working our property. If you find yourself needing to till land in areas larger than a small garden, a tow-behind tiller or a tractormounted, PTO-driven tiller may be a great option for you.

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Tiller Basics Tillers have a variety of uses and come in many shapes and sizes. They all share a basic design of spinning tines or blades mounted on a central shaft that’s driven by a transmission powered by either its own mounted engine or an outside power source, such as a tractor’s PTO. Besides breaking up soil for planting, tilling soil increases soil aeration, and the turning blades are great for incorporating not only fertilizer, but also organic material, such as compost or manure, into the soil.

Tow-Behind Tillers Tow-behind tillers were designed for people who need a powerful tiller but perhaps don’t have a tractor with a PTO, or those who need to use a tiller in tight, tough-to-get-at places, such as food plots

Tilling equipment exists for a tractor of any size, be it a garden or lawn tractor (top) or subcompact.

that are off the beaten path. Tow-behind tillers have the distinct advantage of being able to be pulled by a variety of equipment, such as garden tractors, ATVs, UTVs, and even small utility tractors.

If you aren’t familiar with a pull- or tow-behind tiller, imagine a walk-behind tiller but with a lot more power. You may find walk-behind tillers with as little as 1⁄2 horsepower all the way up to 12 horsepower. Most tow-behind tillers are going to be in the 12 horsepower range, but they have the distinct advantage of not having to use their power to propel the tiller. Tow-behind tillers can devote all of their torque to the task of turning the tines, which equates to more power

when breaking up hard, compacted soil. Tow-behind tillers also have the advantage of covering a lot more area per tilling pass. They come in tilling widths of 36 to 48 inches, and most attach via a standard hitch-pin setup.

Several models come with pneumatic tires that will allow you to safely travel over uneven ground. Most have the ability to adjust the depth of till — though limited — by several inches.

Tow-Behind Tiller Considerations If you’re considering purchasing or renting a tow-behind tiller, you should carefully consider what your needs are: GARDEN • www.MotherearthNews.coM 91

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PTO-Driven Tillers If you currently own or are thinking about purchasing a compact or midsized tractor, you may want to consider adding a rotary tiller mounted to a three-point hitch. The benefit of using your tractor’s PTO power and hydraulic three-point hitch to get your tilling work done is that it will be fast and efficient. About the only disadvantage of tractor-mounted tillers is that they require a fairly wide-open area to operate in, so tight spaces can be a hindrance.

Tr a c t o r - m o u n t e d t i l l e r s a r e available in a variety of sizes to match

tractor horsepower and category of hitch. From subcompact tractors with 16 horsepower to full-sized 100-horsepower tractors, there’s a tiller designed to fit your needs. Most tillers can be purchased in widths to match the tractor’s wheel width for one-pass tilling. The depth of the till can usually be set by adjusting the shoes on the tiller and applying additional control with the tractor’s hydraulic system.

PTO-Driven Tiller Considerations When looking for a tractor-mounted PTO-driven tiller, here are some things to consider: • If you have a tractor already and are looking to add a tiller, make sure you match the horsepower rating of the tiller to your tractor’s capability.

Putting a high-horsepower tiller on a smaller tractor can create serious problems for both the tractor and tiller. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on tiller and tractor pairing.

• What type of work will you be using the tiller for, and how often? Tractormounted tillers come in many flavors and durability levels. You could pay more for a heavy-duty tiller, but you may be able to get a lifetime out of a lighter-duty tiller based on use. Will you be breaking new soil every year and tilling heavy crop residue, or will your usage be more moderate?

• What type of drive system does the tiller have? Chain drives and gear and shaft drives are the standard options.

While chain-driven systems function well, gear drives tend to be heavier and stand up to more rugged use.

• Does it have a slip clutch or use a shear pin? A slip clutch allows the tiller to disengage when it encounters a solid object, such as a rock or large root.

This saves excessive damage to the gear box of the tiller and mitigates the stress that can be placed on your tractor. Shear pins are a “bolt” that’s designed to break if it encounters damaging torque. With a slip clutch, you can back up or lift the tiller with the hydraulics, and you’ll be on your way. If you break a shear pin, you had better have a spare pin with you, or you’ll have to be done for the day.

• As with a tow-behind tiller, determining whether you should rent or purchase a PTO-driven tiller should depend on the amount of use you’ll need. Renting a tiller can be expensive, plus you’ll have to trailer your tractor to the rental shop, hook up the tiller, load up, and drive back to your location. It won’t take but one or two trips before your time and effort outweigh the cost of ownership. If you’ll only be tackling a one-time project, then maybe renting is the way to go.

Tillers can be one of the most versatile tools you’ll ever use on your farm or property. Regardless of the type of tiller you choose, your tiller will help you minimize the time and effort involved in preparing soil, readying seed beds, and providing nonchemical weed reduction.

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• How much horsepower do you need?

Will you mainly use it to break up new soil, or will you mostly be doing maintenance on existing land?

• What are you going to attach the tiller to — an ATV, a UTV, or a small tractor? What kind of hitch system do you have or will you need?

• Can you get by with a 36-inch tilling width, or will you need a 48-inch?

• If you’ll be working remote plots, what type of tires are on the unit?

Getting a flat tire a mile off the road can be a real pain. Match the tires to your usage.

• Should you rent or purchase the tiller? If you’ll be using the tiller on a consistent yearly basis, you may want to consider purchasing, as rental costs on tow-behinds can be expensive, and you could justify purchasing one if you rent too often.

Kunz engineering; Steiner

Tillage tools and plowing equipment can be attached to a variety of pulling machines (left), and some can be front-mounted on your tractor (right).

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Gooseberries in the Market Garden Start your own small-scale berry market with the flavorful and sought-after gooseberry.

By Michael Brown

FROM

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ast year, I received a call from a Russian immigrant couple who lived about 40 minutes from my New Jersey farm. The woman anxiously asked whether I still had gooseberries. I explained the season was over and offered to add her and her husband to a notification list for the following year. After a few rounds of “Are you sure you don’t have any berries left?” I invited them to come by and glean any remaining berries free of charge. They were at my doorstep within the hour.

The visibly pregnant woman and her husband descended on the plants and ate their way through most of the remaining berries. They even managed to set aside a few to take home. As she was picking and eating, the woman exclaimed that she hadn’t appreciated gooseberries when she was growing up, and her husband had been searching in vain for the fruit.

The enormous smile on her face is something that has stayed with me.

Now, I’m not suggesting that all my gooseberry customers are as passionate about the fruit as this young woman, but I have encountered quite a bit of enthusiasm. Unlike some berries I grow, such as aronia and elderberry, whose sales are driven by their healthful attributes, gooseberry sales seem to be fueled by their flavor and nostalgia. My customers might remember picking berries with Grandpa and Grandma in the “old country,” or perhaps Mom made a killer gooseberry jam. Whatever the memory, these folks are invariably delighted to discover my gooseberries because they can’t find them anywhere else.

Gooseberries come in a surprising degree of diversity in berry size, color, and tartness. The shrubs also exhibit variations in vigor, disease resistance, thorniness, and growth pattern. If you’re interested in trying gooseberries for your market garden, you should also trial various cultivars to discover what works best for you.

Know Your Market I’m located in a fairly good gooseberry seller’s market, about an hour from both Philadelphia and New York City. A number of affluent towns and suburbs with culturally diverse populations are located nearby. It’s an optimal situation for a gooseberry business, ensuring a wide range of potential customers. Your situation may not be as perfect for gooseberries, though. Here are a few things to consider before you plant hundreds of gooseberry shrubs on your own property.

Area demographics. In my neck of the woods, the people most familiar with gooseberries are Northern and Central European, primarily of British or Russian descent. I sell to many of these folks directly, but I also reach them through a local health food store that stocks my berries. Other viable options GARDEN • WWW.MOTHEREARTHNEWS.COM 93

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are occupying a stall at a farmers Gooseberries are heavy nitrogen market or becoming a providing feeders, so they respond well to farmer for a community-supported additional organic material, such as agriculture (CSA) program. composted manure. If plants show Berry lovers. Berries are hot right yellowing or lack of vigor, apply up now. Give berry lovers an excuse to to a ½ pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer expand their horizons. Be ready to in early spring. This mix supplies the share ideas on how to use the berry, gooseberries with improved levels of and perhaps even offer a few recipes nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium along with berry purchases.

(N-P-K) at a rate of 10 percent each.

Microbreweries and craft distillSeveral diseases and pests are known eries. Artisan-beverage production to affect gooseberries. Powdery facilities are popping up everywhere. mildew is perhaps the most frequent Many of these are searching for fresh disease encountered, though most and interesting ingredients. newer cultivars are resistant. American Jam makers. Many customers who gooseberry cultivars are generally more visit my farm for direct purchases of resistant than European ones. Mildew gooseberries plan to make jams and Fruit intended for jam should be harvested before full can be controlled to some extent by ripeness, when the gooseberries contain the most pectin. preserves to satisfy their cravings yearensuring good air circulation through round. Not only does gooseberry jam proper spacing and pruning. taste fantastic, but gooseberries also contain a number of vitamins, Imported currantworms (Nematus ribesii) and various species of including C and A. birds are the most prominent gooseberry pests. The imported curRestaurants. Chefs love to experiment with unique menu items. rantworm is the larvae of the currant sawfly. The tiny green larvae, I’ve had chefs pickle unripe gooseberries, use them in bar drinks, similar in appearance to a caterpillar, can quickly defoliate bushes make sauces with them, and more. I encourage you to target chefand leave berries dangling forlornly among stark, naked branches. driven restaurants that are dedicated to locally grown food.

Start checking for infestations several weeks after leaves have emerged. The larvae tend to stay on the rims and undersides of Planting the Seed and Producing Success leaves, where they’re hard to detect.

Gooseberries grow and produce best when sited in partial shade Organic spraying options are limited for sawfly larvae. The best to full sun. If you need to plant on a southern exposure in full sun, course of action for smaller plantings is to identify the presence of make sure the plants are sufficiently mulched to keep the roots imported currantworms early and remove them from the plants. cool and moist. Well-drained soil with Birds can be troublesome adversaries a good amount of organic matter and a for berry growers. Predation will pH of 5.5 to 7.0 will produce the best depend on your local bird population results, although gooseberry is tolerant and whether they have alternative food of a wide range of soil conditions so sources available in the area. To keep long as there’s good drainage and birds from depleting your harvest, moisture retention. The plants will try deploying bird netting over a need about 1 inch of water every week framework suspended above your from fruit set to harvest. Depending bushes’ tallest branches. on the cultivar, gooseberries should be The Reaping of Ripe Rewards spaced 4 to 5 feet apart when planting.

Because gooseberry is typically Gooseberries are ripe when they grown as a multi-stemmed plant, it’s reach their full coloration and are hard to control weeds after the bush is slightly soft to the touch. Because established. Abundant thorns on some gooseberries have such a diversity cultivars make weeding challenging. In of color — in varying shades of red, addition, the plants have shallow roots, green, and yellow — it may take so care must be taken when cultivating some time for novice growers to know around the root area. A good early when they’re fully ripe. Gooseberries spring mulch should help keep weeds ripen over a 4- to 6-week period and under control. Gooseberries are can remain on the plants for several considered self-fertile, but you can get weeks fully ripe. Fruit intended for better yield and larger berry size by Imported currantworms, the larvae of the currant jam should be harvested before full sawfly, are one of the most prominent gooseberry pests. planting more than one cultivar. ripeness, when the gooseberries hold

the highest amount of pectin. Harvested gooseberries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to several weeks and will freeze well.

Shrubs produce a light crop the year after planting; the yield will increase until the fourth year, when bushes reach full production.

Boost Production with Propagation Gooseberries can be propagated either with dormant hardwood cuttings of 1-year-old wood taken between fall and early spring, or softwood cuttings taken in midsummer (just as the wood begins to firm). American species are easier to root than European species.

Plan to take cuttings in mid- to late winter while you’re pruning plants for the upcoming season. Cuttings should be 8 to 12 inches in length. Place the cuttings in small pots containing light potting soil, and keep them moist. Rooting success rates vary by cultivar, although they’re generally very good.

Another method with a high rate of success is tip layering, but this isn’t as useful for propagating large numbers of plants. Here’s how to do it: In early spring, bend down one of the long canes and partially bury it in the soil. Weigh it down with a rock or a ground pin. Leave the point semi-buried until new roots appear at the buried junction. Then, separate the new growth from the original

Birds can be troublesome adversaries for gooseberry growers.

long cane — pruning any leaves from the area closest to the new roots —and plant it fully. Eventually, you’ll be able to try multiple cultivars inexpensively by sharing cuttings with other growers.

Gooseberries certainly deserve a place of honor in a market garden, especially for those with small acreage. These fruiting shrubs are easy to grow, reasonably priced, produce well, and have established and eager markets. Because they’re usually hard to find, gooseberries can serve as an entrée to customers who may not otherwise buy from a small grower.

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fazeful, hardeko,

nina olishevko;

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Gooseberry Cultivars for Your Market Garden Be sure to keep your customer base in mind when selecting cultivars for your property. Once, a catalog description convinced me to try a particular cultivar. The berry was as flavorful as described, but it was so small and the plants were so thorny that picking them was very difficult. I’ve since phased out this cultivar for shrubs with larger berries and fewer thorns.

The following is a sampling of gooseberry cultivars that have worked for me. All are vigorous and diseaseresistant. In general, American species (Ribes hirtellum) are somewhat smaller and less flavorful than European species (Ribes uva-crispa). The downside to European species is that they’re traditionally more susceptible to powdery mildew, although many of the newer European species are resistant.

‘Hinnomaki Red’ (R. uva-crispa). One of the most common gooseberry cultivars, it is disease resistant and productive, although fairly thorny. The bush grows to about 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide, and produces reddish, medium-sized berries. If you plan to let your bushes grow with multiple stems, you should space them about 4 feet apart. ‘Hinnomaki

Red’ fruit is best used for jams and other value-added products.

‘Houghton’ (Ribes spp.). One of the first crosses between American (R. hirtellum sp.) and European (R. uva-crispa sp.) gooseberries, this plant is vigorous and highly disease-resistant. It produces small and medium-sized blush-red berries with a good flavor. ‘Houghton’ is best used for jams and other value-added products.

‘Invicta’ (R. uva-crispa var. reclinatum). This newly available cultivar produces abundant large, pale-green berries. The plant is vigorous, disease-resistant, and spreading in its growth habit, with large thorns. These plants

grow to about 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide, so space accordingly. The fruit is suitable for use as a dessert berry when fully ripe.

‘Jeanne’ (R. uva-crispa). This cultivar was introduced by the USDA several years ago. The medium-sized red berries ripen late and are therefore a good option for prolonging the season.

This plant grows to about 5 feet tall and needs to be spaced about 4 feet apart. It’s best for jams and other value-added products.

‘Poorman’ (R. hirtellum). An old American cultivar, this plant is vigorous and disease-resistant. It produces medium-sized red berries with very good taste. The shrub grows to about 3 to 4 feet in both height and width. Its berries are best used in jams and other value-added products.

‘Tixia’ (R. uva-crispa var. rafzvicta ). This cultivar isn’t as common as ‘Hinnomaki Red,’ but it’s available at some nurseries. This plant can be a bit larger than other cultivars — up to about 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide. The berries are large and they’re suitable as a dessert berry when fully ripe. The plant grows fairly upright and is known to have fewer thorns.

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5 Garden Myths

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robert pavlIs GraphIc:

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very hobby I’ve ever undertaken had one thing in common: The information presented by the so-called experts was only partially correct. I’ve found that gardening is no different.

Many of these garden myths started a long time ago, and have been handed down from generation to generation.

Each person believes their gardening mentor’s advice and in turn passes that information along to other new gardeners.

The web has worsened the progression of gardening myths by allowing anyone with a keyboard and monitor to claim they’re an expert.

Social media is full of garden myths, and in this article, I’ll discuss five of them and explain why they’re untrue. In the process, you’ll be introduced to new information about plants and their environments, and armed with this basic knowledge, you’ll gain a better understanding of your garden.

Plants that are newly planted need a lot of water because their root systems are almost always damaged during planting, especially if they’re divided or moved. The most common advice for new plants is to keep them well-watered.

Many people interpret this to mean they should be watered every day. This isn’t the case and is a good way to kill a plant.

A loss of roots means that the plant can’t take in enough water to support the top greenery, which results in wilting leaves. The key is for soil to have a balanced moisture content. Keeping the soil moist will reduce wilting and allow the roots of new plants to grow.

When water is added to soil, it seeps down and outward, spreading in a semicircular pattern. As it moves, it fills all of the small openings in the soil, and it’s absorbed by organic matter. The soil will stay wet until the water is either used up by roots or it evaporates.

Ideal soil is 25 percent water and 25 percent air. Too much water forces the air out, which causes roots to die. This is exactly what happens when a gardener waters too frequently.

Before they know it, the plant is dead.

The advice to water daily is almost never correct, even in hot climates. The most effective way to water is to fully drench the soil at planting time. Don’t water again until the soil starts to dry out.

Getty ImaGes/lukatdb;

By Robert Pavlis

Myth 1: Water New Plants Every Day

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Unlock your garden’s full potential by learning to avoid and amend these common mistakes.

Does Peat Moss Change Soil pH?

Change in pH of native soil mixed with 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% peat moss.

9 8.5 8

100%

pH

7.5

75% 50%

7

25%

6.5

0%

6 5.5 5

0

1

9 21 Days after mixing peat moss into native soil

How will you know when it’s getting dry? Test it using one of your most reliable senses: touch. Dip your fingertips into the soil until you reach the second knuckle, and if the soil feels moist, don’t water yet. Instead, water only when the soil starts to dry.

Also, avoid watering on a schedule. The frequency of watering should change all season long and depend on the plant, soil type, temperature, humidity, and variety of mulch used.

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Myth 2: Peat Moss Acidifies Soil There are several different types of soil, all of which vary by region and environment. Your soil may have a significant amount of sand or clay, and it may contain minerals from degraded rock.

Taking your type of garden soil into account is important because the soil that’s available to you will determine which plants have the best chance for growth.

Many vegetables prefer slightly acidic soil, while other desirable plants, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and blueberries, demand higher acidic soil for healthy growth.

Because peat moss is acidic many believe the addition of peat moss will acidify soil. As a result, a common recommendation for gardeners with alkaline soil is to add peat moss. This seems to make sense, but does it actually work? If it does, how long does the change in pH last?

I carried out an experiment on my blog, www.garden myths.com, to answer these specific questions. I began the process by creating several different mixtures of native soil and Canadian sphagnum peat moss. I measured the changes in pH over several weeks, as featured in the chart above.

Peat moss is clearly acidic with a pH of about 5.5, with 7.0 being the pH neutral point. The five different mixtures of soil and peat moss showed a range of pH depending on the amount of peat moss in the mixture. However, the acidifying effect of peat moss was lost very quickly. After only one day, the soil samples all had an alkaline pH. After

46

one week, the pH of all samples containing soil were still the same.

Keep in mind that this was one test, with one kind of soil. This particular soil is alkaline because of the presence of limestone commonly present in this native soil, which quickly neutralizes any attempt to acidify the soil. In this type of soil mixture, peat moss doesn’t acidify the soil. The same can be expected for most alkaline soils. Peat moss may have an acidifying effect on very sandy soil because such soil contains less buffering capability.

Myth 3: Compost Is the Best Mulch While there are many types of recommended mulching options, deciding which mulch is best for your garden can be difficult. Mulch is used as the added top layer of a garden bed to help with common problems, such as soil moisture and weed control. Two mulch options, compost and wood chips, are widely considered gardener favorites.

So which form of mulch is better, compost or wood chips?

A research study by Bryant C. Scharenbroch and Gary W. Watson compared both to fertilizer. They looked at growing trees in compacted urban soil — the kind you would find in a new home-development project. The table and graph on Page 98 show what they found.

Both compost and wood chips, used as mulch, reduced compaction (soil density), increased organic matter, and added nutrients to the soil.

Compost was better at adding organic matter, but it dramatically increased the level of phosphorus and potassium. Too much compost can increase these to toxic levels, hampering the growing efforts of organic matter.

Both compost and wood chips increased the pH, which also contradicts the commonly held belief that compost makes soil more acidic.

How did the trees grow with these various treatments?

Fertilizer and compost each improved growth more than watering alone, but wood chips produced the best growth.

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While using wood chip mulch in garden beds is a common practice, many people resist it because they believe wood chips rob soil of nitrogen. Microbes found in soil need a balance of nitrogen and carbon to decompose organic matter. As a result of this, many believe because wood contains very little nitrogen, microbes need to get the nitrogen from the soil to decompose the wood chips.

It’s true that microbes take nitrogen from the soil, but microbes are microscopic. They can only remove nitrogen from a fraction of an inch of the soil touching the wood.

More importantly, this does not cause depletion of nitrogen

ROBERT PAVLIS; GETTY IMAGES/IGNATIEV

Myth 5: Always Remove Suckers Tomato suckers are the side branches that form at the point where leaves join the main stem. If left on the plant, they’ll become secondary stems and will produce fruit.

Suckers don’t need to be removed. A tomato plant will grow and produce well if you leave all the suckers on the

Effects of Fertilizer, Compost, & Wood Chips on Tree Growth The (+) sign reflects a variation of increase for each parameter.

Fertilizer

Compost

Wood Chips

Density*

Lower +

Lower ++

Lower ++

Moisture

Same

Higher +

Higher ++

Organic matter

Same

Higher ++

Higher +

Higher +

Higher ++

Higher ++

pH

Same

Higher ++

Higher +

Nitrogen

Same

Higher++

Higher +

Phosphorus

Higher +

Higher+++

Higher +

Potassium

Same

Higher +++

Higher ++

Respiration

*A “lower” density indicates that the soil is less compacted and provides a better soil habitat.

Overall Tree & Root Weight Tree growth after five years with different soil treatments.

6 5 Tree Biomass (Kg)

Soil Components

4 3 2 1 0

Water

Fertilizer

Compost

Wood Chips

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GRAPHIC:

at the level where roots grow. The results from the study, represented in the table labeled “Soil Components” below, show that instead of a decrease in nitrogen levels, there was an increase in nitrogen when using either compost and wood chip mulch.

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Myth 4: Wood Chips Deplete Nitrogen

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: GRAPHICS

Soil pH levels can largely influence the growth rate of a variety of transplanted plants, from the tiniest berry bush to the largest trees.

Tomato Production

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM RIGHT: GRAPHICS

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GRAPHIC:

ROBERT PAVLIS; GETTY IMAGES/IGNATIEV

This table shows variations in tomato production in reference to suckering practices.

No Support, No Suckering

Cage, No Suckering

Single Stem, Suckers Removed

Maintenance effort

None

Very little

Weekly

Neatness

None

Some

Most

Total yield

High

High

Medium

Number of fruit

High

High

Medium

Medium

Medium

High

Later

Later

Earlier

Higher

Higher

Lower

More likely

More likely

Less likely

Fruit size Fruit ripening Disease potential Slug damage

plant — but there are some good reasons why you might want to remove them.

There are three basic ways to grow a tomato plant. The first is to simply plant and let nature take action, in which case the plant will form side branches and tend to sprawl along the ground. The second option is to plant and let nature nurture but maintain the plant inside a wire cage.

This promotes the tomato plant’s growth by keeping the fruit off the ground and making it easier to pick. The third option is to prune the plant to a single main stem and tie it to a stake. Each of these methods offer some advantages, as shown in the table featured above.

Pruning suckers will reduce the overall production and total weight of a single plant. Plants pruned to single canes can be planted closer together so that there are more per square yard. If you measure productivity on an area basis, productivity is about the same for suckered and unsuckered tomato plants.

A pruned tomato plant will focus more energy on the development of those few fruit stems left behind, resulting

Common pests that hinder tomato production include slugs, aphids, and whiteflies.

in larger fruits. The other benefit of pruning is that it causes tomatoes to mature earlier, and this can be a big benefit when gardening in colder climates.

The disease potential is higher for plants with suckers because their leaves tend to be crowded. This reduces air circulation and makes it easy for disease to spread. Removing suckers also keeps leaves off the ground, making it harder for pests like slugs to find the tomato plant fruits.

Unsuckered tomato plants are less likely to have problems with blossom end rot and cracking, but this can usually be prevented in the single-stem method with proper watering.

I’ve described three methods for growing tomatoes, but you can use hybrids of these methods to produce better tomato plants. With both the cage method and the singlestem method, you can leave the first few suckers attached to the stem to make side branches and then prune all of the remaining suckers.

In climates with longer growing seasons, you can also take the early suckers, root them and then plant them to increase the number of plants.

Get the Best Gardening Guidance Turning conventional wisdom on its head, Garden Myths debunks the myths and misconceptions perpetuated by generations of traditional gardeners. This guide will push you to think beyond the gardening tips you’ve always heard and assumed to be true.

Author Robert Pavlis answers a variety of garden-related questions, including:

• Is fall the best time to clean up your garden?

• Do bloom boosters work?

• Will citronella plants reduce mosquitoes in the garden?

• Do pine needles acidify soil?

• Should trees be staked?

• Can burlap keep your trees warm in winter?

• Will a pebble tray increase humidity for houseplants?

By analyzing more than 120 horticultural legends, Garden Myths will help you better understand your plants, convince you to buy fewer products, and inspire you to garden more.

Order your copy online for $14.99 at www.mother earthnews.com/store. Please use the promotion code MMEPAIZD.

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Grow a Green Roof Turn your roof into a canopy of lovely plants that will keep your house comfortable year-round.

By Chris McClellan

I

like buildings to “fit in” like they’ve always been a natural part of the landscape. I build walls out of natural materials, such as mud and straw, and use posts and ceilings made from local wood, with the bark left on when possible.

My favorite foundations are stone with the mortar you can’t see. It bothers me when the biggest, most visible part of a house — its roof — sticks out of the landscape glaringly, as modern materials tend to do. Maybe there’s something to my grandmother’s claim of being halfhobbit — and not just because I’m short and plump and like to go barefoot. In my opinion, there’s no more pleasing way to cover a shelter than with living flowers, vines, and grasses.

A lot of roofs seem to be built primarily with economy in mind. Not the kind of economy that looks for overall costeffectiveness through a long life free from trouble — just economy in the sense of affordable installation. Let someone else worry about whether it needs to be replaced in 15 years instead of 25 or 50, or where to dispose of the tar-impregnated remains. Of course, I’m speaking of asphalt roofing. You see it everywhere because it’s cheap and so ugly that everyone has tacitly agreed to ignore it. People inclined to put lipstick on pigs can order “architectural-grade” asphalt shingles. They don’t last much longer, but they come in different shapes and colors, and they cost more.

Metal roofs are a little better environ-

mentally. They tend to last, are recyclable, and allow you to catch and use the rainwater that would otherwise go down the gutter. Wood shingles are natural and renewable if made from sustainably grown wood. Slate is also natural and very long-lasting. Reed thatch is long-lasting with a very low environmental impact.

All of these options are fairly expensive, especially if you want your roof to be any shape other than a rectangle.

My friend Ianto Evans likens the roof of a building to a good hat. It has to keep out the rain, wind, and sun. It must keep you warm in winter and cool in summer.

In climates like mine, your roof may also have to hold up several thousand pounds of wet snow in winter. Of course, it also ought to look good because the first thing people see is your hat. A roof isn’t as easy to change as a hat, so it needs to be a hat for all seasons.

If you wander through the cottages and courtyards of Ianto’s Cob Cottage Company campus — affectionately known as “Cobville” (www.cobcottage. com) — you’ll see that the hats on his buildings consist of nothing more than a waterproof membrane topped with a growing medium and plants. Most builders add a layer of padding to protect the membrane, as well as a drainage layer — usually small rounded pea gravel — to get rid of excess water. Pools of water invite leaks and mosquitoes, and water and wet soil can get dangerously heavy, so drainage is important.

Fancy architectural magazines advertise complicated living roof systems, and

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Living roofs blend beautifully into the landscape, and they can be cheap or even free if you’re resourceful.

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more than 2 to 3 inches of a very light medium would require a stronger roof structure than normal.

A living roof doesn’t need to be expensive — it can be nearly free if you’re resourceful. I use sticky-back plastic roofing membrane scraps because they seal to each other and work with

EARTH DESIGN/WWW.BUILDNATURALLY.COM; CHRIS MCCLELLAN; DOWN

2” to 3” growing medium

washed gravel

rigid insulation geotextile filter fabric

TO

waterproofing membrane

rafter

drip edge spacer for drainage fascia boards

LEN CHURCHILL; DOWN

roofing felt sheathing

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Like any roof over a living space, a living roof needs insulation under it. On the cheap end, I’ve insulated with used carpet and cardboard. Builder Tony Wrench keeps his cottage cozy with entire straw bales tucked under the membrane. It works, but when he had to go in for repairs 20 years on, he noted that condensation under the membrane had caused some decay in the outer 2 inches of the bales. Some types of insulation, such as straw bale, fiberglass, or cellulose, need to “breathe,” so the inside of the roof has to be vented to allow condensation to escape. Foam insulation doesn’t need to breathe and is thus far more effective per inch, but it’s also expensive and has a high environmental cost.

TO

Keep Your Cottage Cozy with Insulation

wall

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soils made of lightweight perlite aggregate are available, but 2 to 3 inches of compost or aged goat or horse manure mixed with straw will also do the trick. Regular soil is generally too heavy because its aggregate (sand, silt, and clay) adds weight without adding the nutrient- or water-holding capacity the plants need most. Anything

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heavy roofs with large spans do need special engineering, but a simple living roof on a small building needn’t be heavy if the plants and their growing medium are chosen carefully. Such a setup can be less than the weight of three layers of shingles, which is the normal load design of a conventional roof. Special potting

101: TONY WRENCH

A well-built roof will keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. But you can focus on beauty as well as brawn by choosing plants with alluring blooms.

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Build Your Own

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101: TONY WRENCH

Architect Sigi Koko recommends consulting with an experienced designer or engineer, especially on bigger projects.

A living roof can add 10 to 50 pounds per square foot to your roof load, so you must find out whether your roof can handle the additional weight. Existing cottages or sheds with small roofs and small spans may take a living roof with no additional structure. If you’re planning such a building, boosting your roof sheathing from 1⁄2-inch to 5⁄8-inch and your rafters and beams from 2-by-6 to 2-by-8 may be enough.

complicated roof shapes. Plus, I can dumpster-dive for them. Other folks I know have used multiple layers of recycled billboard tarps padded with used carpet or even cardboard.

Tony Wrench, author of A Simple Roundhouse Manual, used a piece of EPDM pond liner on the roof of his cottage. It wasn’t cheap, so he was quite frustrated when it started leaking after eight years instead of its expected life span of 50-plus years. Apparently, ants were biting holes in it.

He’s had no problems since relining his roof with a UV-protected silage tarp. Whatever membrane you use, you must guard against puncture from above or below. After you get a good jungle growing up there, you may not be able to tell where a leak originated. Tony’s roof is a jungle indeed. In addition to native sod, he has arctic strawberries, sedum, and grapevines that provide a lot of shade and about 35 pounds of grapes each year.

Sedums are a favorite plant for living roofs because they require very little soil and develop a dense root structure that helps them stay happy in extreme hot, cold, wet, or dry conditions that would kill most other plants. They also grow beautiful little flowers. If you intermix several varieties, you can get a constantly changing display of colors that lasts most of the year. Or, if you plant only one

variety, like a friend of mine did, you’ll get a drab brown roof for 50 weeks of the year and an amazing purple carpet for the remaining two.

Deanne Bednar of Oxford, Michigan, likes to use local wild plants for her living roofs. “(Native plants) are generally very well-acclimatized to that specific spot.

They’re going to do very well. Plus, they’re usually free for the gathering,” she

There’s no more pleasing way to cover a shelter than with a living roof of flowers, vines, and grasses. says. The wild geranium she found in her woods has completely colonized the compost layer covering her woodshed, along with fiddlehead ferns and local sedum. Like Tony, Deanne mixes pieces of rotted wood into her straw-manure mix to help hold it in place while the plant roots are establishing themselves.

The rotting wood also acts like a sponge to hold additional moisture and nutrients where the plants can access them. You can read more about Deanne’s techniques at www.strawbalestudio.org.

Architect Sigi Koko takes a more studied approach to her living roofs (www.buildnaturally.com). Her buildings are beautiful, but the benefits she sees in living roofs go far beyond looks. She explains how a living roof catches and slows down the runoff from a rainstorm that would normally rush directly off, causing flooding and erosion downstream.

The plants filter the air around the house and help keep the temperature more comfortable year-round, particularly in summer, when they block much of the sun from even reaching the roof. And when they “sweat,” they radiate even more heat back into the sky, like a big evaporative cooler.

An example of this is a real-life hobbit house tucked under a canopy of oaks in a suburban backyard in Texas. The neighborhood children love how the 2-foot-thick earthen walls and a living roof keep the playhouse comfortable through hot summers and cool winters. Builder Tracy McCloud of Belton, Texas, loves the way living roofs allow her tiny cottages to blend into the landscape, where before there was only concrete and steel. Local birds love the way they can nest on her living roof safe from predators, and seeds from their droppings have helped cover the roof with a variety of drought-tolerant native grasses. “It’s its own little bioregion up there,” Tracy says. “A lot like the prairie that used to cover this part of Texas.”

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Year-Round Indoor

Salad Gardening Use this unique technique to grow greens in a limited space, even in winter.

Article and photos by Peter Burke

A

very simple idea put me on the path toward growing a year-round indoor salad garden: I wanted fresh salad greens throughout winter. This desire occurred to me one fall afternoon as I was putting my garden to bed and planting my garlic for the following year.

With a pantry, cold cellar, and freezer full of the season’s harvest, the one thing that was missing in my larder was fresh salad greens — there is simply no way to store them. So I experimented with different techniques, and what I discovered exceeded my expectations Soak your seeds in small and eventually became my book Year-Round waterproof containers for 6 to Indoor Salad Gardening (order at www.

24 hours prior to planting them. motherearthnews.com/store).

I can now grow all the salad greens I need for my family of four with a kitchen cupboard and a windowsill — I don’t need lights, special equipment, or a greenhouse.

Most of what you’ll need to grow soil sprouts is probably My wife was used to me harvesting a wide variety of unusual already in your kitchen. I have two boxes with sturdy lids that I salad greens, so when I started to harvest sunflower greens, pea use to organize and store all my indoor garden tools. One is my shoots, buckwheat lettuce, and radish greens, she wasn’t too seed box, in which I store my seeds, measuring tools, and cups surprised — just amused. I call the greens “soil sprouts” because for soaking the seeds. The seed box must remain completely they grow quickly like traditional sprouts grown in a jar, but dry — I don’t place anything wet or even moist inside the box are grown in soil instead. The soil allows me to grow seeds with — to ensure good germination of the seeds. I keep about a twohulls, such as sunflower and buckwheat seeds, and maintains month supply, or 4 cups each, of sunflower, radish, buckwheat, enough moisture for the plants to grow, so I only need to water and pea seeds, and about 1 cup of broccoli seeds and a few once a day. other specialty seeds.

If you’re thinking you can’t follow suit because you don’t I also have a few containers of seed mix; I like to mix them have a big window with southern exposure, don’t worry — together and plant them in one tray. This works well for a small you don’t need it. One of the places I grow my greens is in a garden for one or two people. small northern window. My daily harvest is about 14 ounces The other box is for soil and the stuff I use to plant the of greens from five small 3-by-6-inch aluminum bread pans. seeds. I have 2 gallons of a germination mix, sometimes called Occasionally I use a larger 4-by-8-inch bread pan when I want a “sterile mix,” composed of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. a double batch of greens.

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potted plants. I mix 1 quart of water to 1 gallon of the dry soil mix before planting. I have two 1-gallon plastic containers for the soil mix, a 3-cup container of compost, and a 1-cup container of sea kelp meal. I also keep scoops, measuring spoons, and a few trays for planting. Because the soil mix is moistened, this entire box is damp and thus not good for seeds. You could use a cupboard or a closet the same way, but our kitchen is small, and having all my tools and supplies in these two boxes allows me to move them into the kitchen for my daily plantings and then back to my office.

Once the seeds are soaking, make sure your soil mix is moist; use 1 gallon of dry soil mix to 1 quart of water.

When the soil is ready, I fold a few sheets of newspaper to use as a cover for each tray of seeds. The wet paper keeps the seeds moist better than the soil alone does, and it’s cleaner than wet soil. Plus, the wet paper helps to block light from getting to the germinating seeds too soon.

When you’re ready to plant, put 1 tablespoon of compost and 1⁄2 teaspoon of sea kelp meal in the bottom of the tray. Then, fill the tray with the moistened soil mix, up to 1⁄4 inch from the rim.

You’ll need a little space for the How to Grow seeds and for room to hold the an Indoor Garden water while it soaks in. Then, With this simple process, you level off the soil so it’s even. Plant can go from seed to salad in 7 to the seeds by dumping them on 10 days, but don’t mistake your top of the soil; don’t bury them, indoor garden for a “toy garden” as they’ll be covered with the wet — it’ll be deceptively productive. newsprint instead.

If you were to plant an acre of these After they’re planted and little trays, the annual yield would covered, move the trays into a be far more than you could eat! If warm, dark place for the next you’re considering reducing your four days. I use the cupboard carbon footprint or eating local, over my refrigerator, which is this is a simple and rewarding way warm and dark. I also have a to accomplish both. cupboard by our woodstove My daily routine starts with that’s cozy and dark. You could soaking the seeds that I plan to use a closet or even a cardboard grow. In fresh water, I soak 1 box in a warm spot on the floor. tablespoon each of sunflower, If you don’t have a really warm pea, radish, and buckwheat seeds, After planting your seeds in trays, keep them in a warm, place, this method will still work dark place, such as a cozy cupboard, for four days to — it just might take five or six and 1 teaspoon of broccoli seeds. induce rapid germination. days for the sprouts to grow up This is my daily minimum, and to an inch high. it will yield about 14 ounces of All these steps combine to force quick germination and cut greens. The seeds should soak from 6 to 24 hours before planting. Even the smaller seeds, such as broccoli or mustard, growth. It may be counterintuitive for gardeners or farmers who should soak that long. I use 3-ounce plastic cups or small generally put seedlings into the light as soon as they germinate glass Mason jars for soaking. Whatever you use, it needs to be so that their stems are short and stocky. In contrast, you’ll be waterproof — I once made the mistake of using paper Dixie encouraging these seeds to grow long stems to reach for the light cups that fell apart overnight. Fill the cups to the brim, because before putting them on a windowsill to get some sun. the seeds will absorb a lot of water. My habit is to soak the When the greens poke up about an inch high and the wet seeds in the evening while I plant seeds from the day before and newspaper cover is sitting on top of the still-yellow leaves, I call water my trays of greens. Then, I plant those seeds the next day. it the push-up day, or the final day of their stint in the dark.

If your seeds have been soaking for 24 hours and you can’t This is the day that you’ll want to move trays into the light. get around to planting them, just pour the water off and let the I have a freestanding shelf that’s 20 inches wide, 12 inches seeds start to germinate in the cup. This isn’t ideal, but it will deep, and 72 inches high, and it has a cupboard to keep the still give you a good crop. trays in the dark and four shelves above the cupboard for 106 THE BEST OF MOTHER EARTH NEWS

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These photos show the seeds’ sprouting progress over the first four days. After four days in the dark, they’re ready to sit in sunlight and grow into salad.

the trays to turn green and grow. This shelf illustrates the absolute minimum amount of space you’ll need to grow enough salad greens for four people to have a good-sized tossed salad every day.

When the greens are about 6 to 10 inches high, they’ll be ready to harvest. I prefer scissors, but a sharp knife works well too. First, pick off any remaining seed hulls, and then cut the greens about 1⁄4 inch above the soil line. I place the cut greens in a shallow container and rinse them in fresh water. By covering the greens with water, any remaining seed hulls will float to the surface and dump out over the edge of the container.

Chop the harvested greens into small pieces, about 1⁄4 inch at the stem end and longer at the leaf end.

The stem ends are usually tender, but the longer they grow, the tougher the bottom of the stem can get. Buckwheat lettuce, radish, and sunflower greens are tender enough to top a sandwich without cutting them, but I like to chop them for use in a salad.

Most local farm stores don’t carry organic seeds in 2- or 4-pound bags — they usually only sell the ounce packages, which are too expensive for this purpose. I’ve used seed stores online, such as Johnny’s Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and Handy Pantry, and I have my own online store, The Daily Gardener.

Many catalogs now offer seeds for sprouts, but I caution you to buy a small amount to start with to make sure you’re happy with the germination rate and the size of the soil sprouts before you buy a large quantity of seeds.

That’s all there is to it. This method has surpassed every expectation and hope I had when I first started this project after a moment of inspiration.

When the greens are about 6 to 10 inches high, use scissors or a knife to cut them about a quarter-inch above the soil line.

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Queen Creek Olive Mill (4)

Homegrown Olive Oil One small family has built a big business by growing olives and pressing its own extra-virgin oil.

By Rebecca Martin

O

live trees line city streets in Arizona. They thrive in yards and cast scant shade in parking lots. In spring they bloom profusely, and in fall they drop ripe fruit onto cars and sidewalks and into gutters. Olive trees are so common that most Arizonans hardly notice them, except in April when pollen

causes allergies to flare up. Because olives are so easy to grow in Arizona, you’d think the place would be packed with olive farmers. Instead, “It’s me and three guys in Yuma,” says Perry Rea. Husband and wife team Perry and Brenda Rea are the founders and operators of Arizona’s only working olive farm and mill, the Queen Creek Olive Mill (www. queencreekolivemill.com). Over 20 years,

they’ve grown a small family business into a 100-plus-employee operation.

Their 100-acre farm lies in the Queen Creek valley about 40 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix, flanked by the San Tan Mountains to the southwest and the Superstition Mountains to the northeast.

Empty creeks and washes wind their way through the wide, flat valley, where the sun shines 330 days a year. On the days it doesn’t shine, the skies bless the valley with about 9 precious inches of annual rainfall.

Most crops require a lot of attention to flourish in the desert, but olives are the exception. These desert-loving trees

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had become a commercial crop in California. At about the same time, some of the first olive trees in Arizona were introduced on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson as part of a program to experiment with plants for desert suitability.

Eventually, olive trees spread all over the urban areas as (mostly) ornamental plantings. Sadly, some urban areas have banned new plantings of male olive trees these days because of the excessive pollen they produce during bloom.

Olive tree, Olea europaea

Queen Creek Olive Mill (4)

Family: Oleaceae Native range: Mediterranean Growing Zones: 8 to 10 Height: 20 to 30 feet Spread: 15 to 25 feet Sun: Full sun Water: Drought-tolerant

grow rapidly and robustly in the Queen Creek valley. Olive trees should endure some stress to produce quality oil, and that’s exactly what the Arizona climate provides. Yes, the climate is extremely dry, but the aridity discourages verticillium wilt and molds.

Pesticides aren’t needed because the olive fly can’t tolerate summer’s intense heat.

Olive trees can survive on minimal rainfall, although they do need strategic irrigation to produce plump and plentiful drupes (the Reas use micro sprinkling and drip irrigation). Arizona’s short winters provide the vernalization necessary for bud set — a couple of months of cold nighttime temperatures with infrequent hard freezes.

Olive trees were domesticated thousands of years ago in the deserts of the Levant

Learning on the Job (near today’s Turkey-Syria border). Spanish missionaries probably introduced olive tree cuttings to present-day California in the 1700s; these are likely the progenitors of today’s ‘Mission’ cultivar, and may have emerged in Peru as the seedling of an unknown cultivar from Spain. Whether or not this legend is true, someone certainly brought these Mediterranean natives to the New World — an account written in the 1840s describes an abandoned mission with an old and neglected but still-thriving orchard. By the late 19th century, olives

The Reas have had to learn about cultivating olives on the job for 20 years. Because they lacked agricultural backgrounds, they first enrolled in a course on olive growing offered by the University of California, Davis, but quickly realized that California growing methods don’t always work in Arizona. The couple also developed contacts with staff at the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension office, where the focus two decades ago was primarily on grain crops, cotton, and alfalfa.

How do you learn the ins and outs of

Olives thrive in the Arizona desert, where Perry (left) and Brenda Rea opened the Queen Creek Olive Mill two decades ago. Above, ‘Mission’ and ‘Koroneiki’ olives at harvest.

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growing a crop locally when there’s no one to help you? “It’s been a lot of trial and error,” Perry admits. “Every year we learn something different; every year we get better. We still make mistakes, but they’re not as bad as the ones we made the year before.” Perry keeps copious records on growing techniques, irrigation, and cold set (how cold affects the trees’ setting on of flower buds that eventually become fruit). He also takes tissue samples from the trees and has them analyzed for deficiencies to determine which soil amendments are necessary for the upcoming growing season.

A Mix of Cultivars Because Perry experiments with new trees every year, his records also include notes on cultivars. The Queen Creek orchard currently boasts more than 7,200 trees of 16 different types. The oldest trees are ‘Mission,’ the aforementioned California cultivar allegedly developed by Spanish missionaries. ‘Mission’ is very coldhardy. Although Arizona growers harvest their drupes before the cold hits in mid-December, they must consider hardiness because low temperatures can affect the onset of fruit the following season. Severe freezes, down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit and lasting more than a day, can damage the trees themselves. Luckily, this hasn’t been a

problem for the Reas: “In 20 years, the coldest temperature we’ve had was 22 degrees for a few hours at 5 a.m.,” says Perry.

The bulk of the remaining trees in the Queen Creek orchard are ‘Koroneiki,’ a Greek cultivar (and Perry’s favorite) known for its pungent, bitter oil, and Italian cultivars, including ‘Pendolino,’ ‘Maurino,’ and ‘Frantoio.’

Aside from cold-hardiness, another rea-

son the Reas grow multiple cultivars is so they can blend their own oils to create distinctive flavors. For this purpose, they became certified Olive Oil Sommeliers, joining only a handful of others around the world who have been so recognized by the International Olive Council (IOC).

Blending is more than just considering the broad flavor categories assigned to cultivars, such as “mild” for ‘Mission’ and “fruity” for ‘Frantoio.’ One of the biggest variables in olive oil flavor is the time of harvest.

Olives ripen on the tree over a period of two to three months, progressing from what’s known as “green-ripe” to “purpleripe.” Perry explains, “If I want pungent, herbaceous, and bitter oil, I’ll harvest olives when they’re green-ripe. If I want rich, buttery oil, I’ll wait until they’re dark on the tree.”

Green-ripe olives yield less oil, but they hold the most polyphenols (an antioxidant) and have a longer shelf life.

Pressing Matters

‘Mission’ and ‘Koroneiki’ olives climb into the mill to be pressed.

Harvest usually takes place from mid-October to mid-December, and, as with all farmers, it’s a busy time for the Reas.

Some parts of the orchard are harvested by hand the traditional way, using rakes; others are harvested mechanically. Olives must be cold-pressed at the mill within 24 hours to meet IOC standards for extra-virgin

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Queen Creek Olive Mill (4)

The Rea family cultivates more than 7,200 olive trees on a 100-acre farm in the Queen Creek valley, about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix.

Queen Creek Olive Mill (4)

olive oil. The amount of oil at That’s ‘Agritainment’ pressing depends on the cultiAccording to Perry, plantvar and the time it’s harvested, ing, growing, and harvesting but 1 ton of olives will generolives in Arizona is fairly easy, ally produce between 20 and while “marketing is the hard 40 gallons of oil. Extra-virgin part.” Throughout planting, oil must be stored in tanks pruning, watering, harvesting, that block light and oxygen and pressing, the Reas open penetration. Drawing from their farm to visitors — over these tanks throughout the 500,000 every year. “We’ve year, the Reas blend oil every been really lucky in terms of six weeks, and bottle every agritourism,” says Perry. three weeks. Bottles remain The Reas started small, with on the mill shelves no longer a modest line of olive oils and than two weeks for freshness. public tours of their orchard.

Even after harvest, there’s Eventually, they converted little rest for olive farmers. the original farm shed on the Arizona’s long growing Perry plants new olive trees close together in a hedge pattern so the property into a mill building, mature trees can be harvested and pruned mechanically. season encourages rampant and added a panini press and vegetation, so pruning is gelato freezer after customcritical during winter when the trees 30 feet apart, with 30 feet between each ers complained about the lack of eateries are dormant (typically from about midtree. When the Reas started their orchard, nearby. Now, they have a full-service resDecember to mid-February). Heavy they planted conventionally. Today, taurant on-site and lease the property for pruning encourages fruit production the especially with the ‘Koroneiki’ cultivar, weddings and parties. Their busy season following season, but it’s labor-intensive they’re trying what’s known as “mediumis winter, when Arizona attracts snowbirds and amounts to one of the highest density planting.” Trees are planted closely from northern states and Canada. They production costs. together in a hedgelike arrangement, host special events year-round, including To help lower expenses, olive growers with rows spaced widely enough to Canada Week during January. Besides around the world are experimenting with accommodate mechanical harvesters. The olive oil, they sell a wide range of olivehigher-density plantings. In traditional planting pattern is for trees to be 8 feet oil-based products, such as tapenade and orchards, olives are widely spaced in rows apart in rows spaced 12 feet apart. pasta sauce, and a variety of other local

Olivespa: Oil-Based Body Care

Brenda Rea pours candles at the family’s olive mill.

The fastest-growing product line at Queen Creek Olive Mill is owner Brenda Rea’s olive-oil-based bath and body products, marketed under the “Olivespa” label. All the products incorporate olive oil from the mill. The only other ingredients are beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, essential oils, and sea salt.

When the Rea family first moved to Arizona, one of their children developed chronically chapped hands. Brenda discovered the affliction was eased by liquid castile soap, which is typically made with olive oil. She began using straight olive oil from the mill on her own body, and eventually started to produce body butters, lip balms, and soaps in her home kitchen.

After a few very successful years working from home, Brenda brought her Olivespa line to the mill. She and her daughter Joey, along with another employee, hand-craft small batches of each product.

Olivespa products incorporate only extra-virgin olive oil because it contains polyphenols (a polyphenol is an antioxidant) and squalane, which moisturizes skin and promotes its elasticity. No preservatives are added to the products — just like all-natural olive oil, they’ll go rancid with time.

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Commission has zoned 242 acres as an “Agritainment District.” Perry serves on the commission and, with another nearby farmer, was instrumental in proposing this district to protect and preserve the area’s agricultural destinations. “Not a lot of places decide to set aside a part of the town for agritourism,” Perry points out.

In addition to tourists, the new district

Although intended as ornamentals, the olive trees along Arizona’s city streets yield edible fruit.

attracts many locals who are interested in eating local, healthy foods, and meeting the farmers who grow their food.

Arizona’s number of farmers is rising.

This is great news for those who prefer local food, but it doesn’t solve the riddle of why more Arizona farmers don’t grow olives. Perry Rea doesn’t have an answer.

Perhaps it’s the start-up costs. (Irrigation systems can be pricey.) Or maybe it’s the fact that olive trees are already everywhere in the state, and people tend to overlook the familiar. More than likely, it’s that few in authority are promoting the opportunities olives present.

Back at Queen Creek Olive Mill, the harvests keep increasing every year while the United States imports most of the olive oil it consumes. Olive trees continue to shower ripe, edible drupes onto streets and sidewalks in nearby Phoenix and Tucson.

Every fall, a few area folks forage and bring tons of these olives to the mill, where the Reas will press a minimum of 300 pounds of fruit free of charge. The resulting oil is split 50-50 with the foragers.

Just imagine that for a second: extravirgin olive oil that’s both free and local.

Many of us would put up with a little extra sneezing for such a luxury.

from top:

products. Brenda has developed a popular line of olive-oil-based body care products (see “Olivespa,” Page 111).

During the past couple of decades, the Reas have watched the town of Queen Creek grow rapidly (the mill is located less than 5 miles from downtown). Concerned about the town’s extreme growth, Queen Creek’s Economic Development

Queen Creek olive mill; fliCkr/Dry BloomfielD

Responding to visitor feedback, the Reas opened a restaurant at the mill. Here, patrons eat under shade cast by ‘Kalamata’ trees.

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Make a

Traditional Hearth Broom Learn the nearly lost American art of broom-making.

BOB CERELLI

Article and step-by-step photos by John Holzwart

S

weeping with a handmade broom can connect you with the long history of brooms made out of natural materials, from improvised brooms crafted from broken branches to rural artworks featuring decorative stitches.

I’ve been making brooms for several years, and one of the

most common questions I hear while demonstrating my craft is, “What plant material is used for the bristles?” The answer is broom corn (Sorghum bicolor, also called Sorghum vulgare), which is a variant of the sorghum grown for sorghum molasses. Broom corn is an annual and looks like sweet corn from a distance. Upon close examination, however, you’ll notice there are no cobs along the stalk — just a large tassel DO-IT-YOURSELF • WWW.MOTHEREARTHNEWS.COM 113

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You won’t need many tools to make your own brooms.

on top with a swollen knuckle at the intersection with the stalk. That tassel is what you’ll need for making brooms.

You can also use other natural materials, but in this article I’ll focus on how to make a traditional corn hearth broom.

If you have a green thumb, growing your own broom corn can be part of your broom-making journey (see “All About Growing Sorghum” on Page 115). If not, consider ordering it from a supplier, such as Caddy Supply Co. You should be able to find the other materials and tools at local craft and hardware stores.

Getting Started

Materials • 2 to 3 pounds of broom corn (about 45 heads) • Nylon cord, No. 18 or larger • 20-pound waxed hemp string • Wooden handle

Tools • Scissors • Knife • Drill • Tensioning apparatus • Large needle • Sewing clamp • Lighter

inside and 17 heads for the outside, with the seeds removed.

Measure each head with a cubit — the distance from your elbow to the tip of your longest finger.

Put the corn’s “knuckle” (the point between the tassel and the stalk) at your elbow, with the tassel pointing toward your fingers. If the bristles are past the tips of your fingers, it’s a keeper. If the material is too short, you can use it for a whisk broom later.

Cut off most of the stalk on the heads for the inner layers, leaving a few inches, and trim the stalks for the outer layer to six inches. Split the stalks on the pieces for the outer layer, removing half the material (see photo, top right above). Straight,

1 Trim the inner layers at an angle tapering toward the handle, being careful not to cut the cord anchoring them.

2 Keep tension on the cord as you add each new head of broom corn, and snug them up to each other.

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sidebar:

Getty Images/Bronwyn8

To make a hearth broom, you’ll need about 28 heads of broom corn for the

Examples of correctly cut bristles: inner at top, and outer at bottom.

3 Wind a tight band of cord just below the knuckles of the outermost layer of corn before you add the decorative plaiting.

4 The turquoise cord shown here is a tool; use it to pull the tail end of the main cord under the last few wraps to anchor it.

sidebar:

Getty Images/Bronwyn8

All About Growing Sorghum One of the most versatile members of the before planting. Unlike corn, sorghum is grass family, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) can self-fertile, so a large plot isn’t needed be grown for grain, crafting, and processing for pollination purposes. Sow seeds 1⁄2 into sorghum syrup. Appropriate sorghum inch deep and 4 inches apart, and thin to cultivars must be chosen for each use, but 8 inches apart when the seedlings are 4 all types are as easy to grow as corn. inches tall.

Sorghum grows best where summers are quite warm, with daytime temperatures regularly topping 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Sandy soils in warm climates are especially good for growing sorghum because it withstands drought and flooding better than corn does.

Broom corn is a type of sorghum that holds its seeds on sturdy straws, perfect for trimming into brooms. The ornamental tops can also be used in dried arrangements. Broom corn cultivars vary in the color of the seeds, which may be black, red, orange, or white. The seeds are eagerly eaten by chickens and other animals, and are most palatable when cracked.

Planting. There’s no rush to plant sorghum, which needs warm soil to germinate and grow. Even in warm climates, sorghum is customarily planted in late May or early June.

Prepare soil much as you would for Though grain sorghums are short, broom corn can corn, and be sure to mix a balanced easily reach a towering 8 feet of height — or more! organic fertilizer into the bed or row

Growing. Keep weeds under control until developing sorghum plants are big enough to dominate their space. Six weeks after planting, drench sorghum with an organic, high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer to invigorate new growth. Many grain sorghum cultivars grow to only 5 feet tall, but sweet sorghum and broom corn plants can top 8 feet.

Harvesting and storage. Like corn, grains of sorghum go through an immature “milk” stage, when a pierced kernel will bleed a milk-like juice.

Sweet sorghum is harvested about two weeks after the milk stage; grain sorghum and broom corn are harvested later, after the seeds are fully mature, with hard glossy seed coats.

When the seeds of broom corn are hard and the plants begin to fail, cut stalks as long as you want them for decorating or crafting purposes. Allow the stalks to dry in small bunches.

Propagating. In summer, select vigorous plants for seed production, and make sure they receive adequate food and water throughout the season. In fall, during a period of dry weather, select the largest seeds produced by these plants and save them for replanting.

— Barbara Pleasant

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5 Clamp the ends of the bristles in a neat, flat layer with your sewing clamp before you begin stitching.

6 Make a large lark’s head knot around the entire broom to begin stitching. It should be just snug enough to stay in place as you work.

unblemished material looks best on the outer layer of the finished broom. Next, submerge the cut stalks in a bucket of hot water for at least 15 minutes.

While the broom corn is soaking, you can prepare the handle. You can order commercial dowel handles from a supplier, but I prefer to go the rustic route and use a stick with the bark left on. After I collect my handles, I cut them to length — 18 inches for a hearth broom — and then cure them for at least six months. If any shrinkage, cracking, or peeling occurs during the curing period, reject those sticks.

After a stick has cured and seems structurally sound, it’ll be ready to prepare for a broom. Sharpen one end with a hatchet or a knife, and drill a hole just above the taper you created; this will be for anchoring the string you’ll use to attach the broom corn.

I recommend nylon cord for tying brooms because it’s sturdy enough for the job and comes in attractive colors. You can also use mason’s line, although finding appealing colors may be challenging. Outfitting and camping stores often carry nylon cord for anchoring duck decoys, and local craft stores will have macramé cord, which also works well.

Before you begin tying your broom, you’ll need to wrap your cord around whatever apparatus you plan to use to create tension while tying the broom. I make and use something I call a “foot spinner,” which is a horizontal bar with “feet” attached to hold the string off the ground (see photo, top left on Page 114). You can easily construct your own foot spinner with a few pieces of scrap wood and some deck screws. Or, you can use a simple stick, but if you do so, the string for your broom will rub on the ground.

Always pay attention to posture while making a broom, and let some slack out from the spinner regularly. It’s really easy

to forget to let slack out, and before you know it, you’ll be slouched over, working at your feet!

Attaching the Bristles You’ll be building up the center of the broom one head at a time, using the soaked pieces you prepared earlier. Pass your cord through the hole you drilled in the handle and tie it securely — you’ll have to tug pretty hard to anchor the broom corn. Place one head so the cord passes just to the bristle side of the knuckle. Secure it with a tug on the cord, and then add the next head, working around the handle.

When you complete the first layer, build a second layer right on top of it, remembering to keep tension on the cord so the center of your broom is firm. Don’t worry if you have pieces left over! It’s better to have too much broom material than not enough.

Next, tie the outside layer. First, trim the stalks from the previous two layers, tapering the material toward the handle (Photo 1, Page 114). Be careful not to cut the cord.

Spiral the cord up to the handle, and begin adding the outer layer of broom corn. Place the pith side of the split outer-layer stalks against the inner layers, so the smooth outer surface faces you. Just like the other layers, place the heads one at a time, and always be sure to keep a lot of tension on the cord as you add them.

The string should compress the material (Photo 2, Page 114).

When the outer layer of broom corn has been placed all the way around the broom, wind the cord around the broom at least eight times, making a wide band over the stalks of corn. That nice, thick band of cord should be like a Victorian corset, squeezing the material onto the handle (Photo 3, Page 115).

The next step is the optional decorative plaiting of the stalks, which I think makes the broom much more attractive.

I recommend nylon cord for tying brooms ... it’s sturdy enough for the job and comes in attractive colors.

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Stitching and Finishing Arrange the bristles in the sewing clamp and tighten it down (Photo 5, Page 116). This will keep the bristles in place while you sew them.

I measure my string by holding the spool at my waist and making three pulls out from my bellybutton. Cut the string, fold it in half, and then wrap it around the broom once, pulling the two ends through the loop to form a lark’s head knot around the entire broom, about seven inches from the bottom band of cord (Photo 6, Page 116). The knot should be snug enough to stay put, but not so tight that it deforms the broom — you’ll want the bristles to stay nice and flat as you stitch.

Next, thread your needle with both tails of the string. I 7 Pass the needle back across the width of the broom after you finish use an 8-inch needle a blacksmith friend made for me to your first row of stitching, to anchor the tails before cutting the cord. stitch my brooms, but you could use a packing needle.

To anchor the lark’s head knot, make your first stitch You can omit this step by spiraling the cord up the stalks where the strings come together at the side of the broom. and making a band at the top just like the band you made at Then, proceed with a lock stitch. There are plenty of the base. If, like most of my students, options, but the stitch I use has the you’d rather plait the stalks, first count tails of the string passing together over your stalks to make sure there’s an odd and under the loop created by the lark’s number. If you have an even number, head knot. Insert the needle below the simply split the thickest stalk in half horizontal string on the front of the with a knife or thumbnail to create an broom, angled to emerge above the extra stalk. horizontal string on the back. Pull the Once you have an odd number of string through, and repeat from the stalks, wind the cord alternately over back to complete one stitch. Then, and under each one, spiraling up the angle the needle to pass below the stalks as you go. horizontal string on the front and Make another thick band of cord at emerge above the horizontal string the top of the stalks, leaving about 1⁄2 on the back, slightly further down the inch of stalk free above the cord. You’ll face of the broom. need to anchor the end of the working Repeat the under-over stitch from cord in this band, so after two wraps, cut another short piece back to front to complete the second stitch, and continue of cord and lay a loop over your working cord (Photo 4, Page down the face of the broom. Be consistent as you stitch 115). Finish winding, and anchor the cord because changing the order of the steps with your thumb. or the spacing of the stitches will look Cut the cord a few inches past your sloppy (Photo 7, above). thumb, pass the end through the loop you BROOM CORN AND SUPPLIES To complete a row of stitching, run your added, and use the free ends of the loop Caddy Supply Company needle all the way through the broom the (now dangling below the band) to pull the www.caddysupply.com long way. Cut your strings flush and start a end of your working cord down, under the new row. I usually stitch my brooms three existing wraps. This is often called a “blind SEED times, spacing the rows two fingers’ width knot,” and is also how you can whip the Johnny’s Selected Seeds apart, or about an inch and a half. end of a rope to keep it from fraying. www.johnnyseeds.com To finish, cut the bottom of the broom Speaking of fraying, you’ll now have a flat, and drill a hole at the top of the frayed cord hanging from your broom.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds handle. Thread a leather strip or a piece of Cut the tail to approximately 1⁄8 inch long www.rareseeds.com jute cord through the hole, and hang the and singe it with a lighter. The broom will new broom up so you can enjoy its beauty look like it’s having a bad hair day!

COMMUNITY when it’s not in use. This will also extend At this point, you’ll need the waxed For endless tips, check out the the broom’s life; if the broom rests on its hemp cord, which comes in a variety of Yahoo broom-makers group at bristles, they’ll bend and eventually break. colors — the wax will help the cord hold goo.gl/A9q8oW. The better you care for your broom, the your broom in shape. longer it will last. Happy sweeping!

Cut the tail ... and singe it with a lighter.

The broom will look like it’s having a bad hair day!

Resources

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DIY COB Cabin Pallets form the frame of this sturdy, durable, creative cob structure.

Article and photos by Miguel Elliott

I

n 2016, I moved to California to build a “palletable cobin” — a cabin made from heat-treated pallets, insulated with straw, and covered with cob. I wanted a durable, well-insulated tiny house that didn’t require too much time or money to build and could be made out of recycled materials and local resources. I planned to build a 120-square-foot hut, which wouldn’t require a building permit.

As soon as the weather cleared in May, I set aside loose topsoil, brought in a few cubic yards of base rock, and tamped it all down firmly. I had a collection of used cement pier blocks that I set in a 12-footdiameter circle about 40 inches apart from each other — the same width of the pallets I had available. I used chunks of concrete and sandbags filled with

base rock to fill in the spaces between the cement blocks and provide a solid foundation. I then prepped the pallets by adding wood to the backsides in places where backing was absent.

After all the pallets were prepared, I screwed 4-by-4-inch upright supports to the pier blocks, and then attached the pallets to the uprights with 3-inch screws.

I had the windows I planned to use on hand, as I knew they would affect the spacing of the uprights and the size and placement of pallets for those sections of the wall.

After setting the first round of pallets, I stuffed a flake of straw, which was about the same width as the pallets, into each pallet for insulation, using a pole to pack it firmly. We used about 2 bales of straw to insulate the structure. Eco-bricks could also be integrated at this point for

additional insulation. Next, I framed in my windows and added wood pieces for shelving. Some areas needed to be finished with cut pallet boards for proper spacing, and then filled with straw. After all the walls were up and insulated, I connected the tops of the 4-by-4 uprights with 40-inch-long 4-by-4s, cut at the proper angles, upon which the rafters for the roof would sit.

Having spent just three days framing the hut and getting the windows in place, I then hosted a work party to cover the pallets with cob. We used soil with high clay content right from the property, and mixed it with about 60 percent sand and some straw.

To make the mix, I use a rubber box, or “mud box,” and a hoe, and then I cover it with a tarp and stomp on top. The entire mixing process can be done with a

A tiny cob cabin can serve as an office, playroom, or studio.

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few friends willing to dance Additional sculpting can add barefooted atop the tarp. You decoration and whimsy to the could use a cement mixer, hut, and completely conceal but I’ve found it doesn’t the regular square pallets used for the internal framing. save much time and is an This is a great method unnecessary expense. for creating low-income, I was happy to discover that eco-friendly housing. the cob didn’t require any sort Well-insulated, affordable of chicken wire or burlap structures can be built in just mesh covering the pallets to a few weeks without many stick. We made a clay slip — technical skills. For a structure a mixture of clay and water to be legal to live in, however, about the consistency of a Pallets stuffed with straw and covered with cob form the structure’s walls. it needs a permit, which milkshake — and sponged it requires an engineer’s stamp for code onto the pallets to serve as glue for the cob.

After placing metal flashing around the approval. If the frame is built as a gazebo, We then applied cob to the pallets about skylight, we put earth on the outer area with post and beam framing, then the an inch thick, and smoothed it with wet of the skylight. The roof has a 20-inch pallets will just be infill and won’t provide hands or rubber gloves. overhang around the structure. any structural strength. If electrical and During that weekend work party, we After about 10 days, the walls of the hut plumbing are added, these should be done covered all the pallets with the cob mix. were completely dry and ready to plaster. by somebody with experience in those Then, we celebrated by cooking pizzas On the outside of the cabin, we applied a fields to avoid injury and mishaps. in a nearby cob oven. The next day, we hydraulic lime plaster with a brown oxide.

Each region has its own legal added extra cob around the windows and On the inside, we used an earthen plaster constraints that you’ll need to investigate sculpted decorative cob trees around the with clay paint. We also did the floor in for legal occupancy. Check local building doors with leftover cob. cob, which took a few weeks to completely codes for your area. After you’ve cleared Finally, we built the roof in about three dry. We then added plaster and sealed it those hurdles and constructed a sturdy days, using 2-by-6 rafters with a skylight with a few coats of linseed oil, with thinner hut, this newly created space can make in the middle. We set 3⁄4-inch plywood added to help it penetrate into the plaster. a great office, playroom, massage studio, To create a more artistic hut, glass with a rubber roof membrane on top, and more — a “palletable cobin” has bottles or stained glass can be embedded in which we then covered with about 6 endless potential. inches of earth to create a living roof. the walls during the construction process.

Decorative sculpting and stained glass were added during the construction process to give this cob hut a whimsical touch.

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A Little Winter

Greenhouse

One reader shares how she created a small urban greenhouse.

I

live on a small urban plot in the heart of downtown Reno, Nevada. Even though I live within walking distance of a grocery store, I pride myself in growing fresh food for my family. Winter has always been a challenge, but now I grow an abundance of fresh salad greens in an unheated greenhouse.

My journey began with patience. I knew glazing would be the most expensive part of my project. One day, I was talking to a neighbor replacing her original 1953 single-pane windows, and I found myself blurting out, “Can I have your old ones?” She happily brought them over, and with those beautiful old windows stacked nicely on the side of my house, I began to formulate a plan.

The Important Features Location was very important. My greenhouse had to have southern exposure and be within a few feet of my back door.

This narrowed the location down to a corner of my patio, which determined the size of my greenhouse; it would be 6 feet square.

Having a beautiful structure was important as well, not only because I like being surrounded by beauty, but my neighbors would see it over the fence. Also, I wanted a completely off-grid structure that wouldn’t require any further investment to grow food. And lastly, it had to be inexpensive; I had a budget of $150.

With size, location, and budget established, I sketched out my plan and recruited my builder — good ol’ Dad! I’m sure he thought his job was done when I got married and left home, but no, he’s still my No. 1 building partner! I watch everything he does and ask a lot of questions. With every project, my skill set increases.

The Process Day one consisted of framing. Within three hours, my dad and I had the 2-by-4 frame up, and I installed the clear, corrugated polycarbonate roof panels.

On day two, I set the windows in place and attached the siding, which consisted of inexpensive fence boards. I used fence boards for the shelves as well — they’re the perfect depth for potted plants.

Autumn completed her greenhouse in three days for under $150.

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Autumn and her dad finished the 2-by-4 frame with free windows and low-cost fence boards (left and center). Curtains serve as shade cloth (above).

On day three, I whitewashed everything inside the small greenhouse so it would reflect as much light back onto the plants as possible. I bought “Oops Paint” from Home Depot for $5 a gallon. I was able to complete my little greenhouse in three days, and I stayed within my budget. This truly felt like a dream!

My excitement quickly dissipated after I realized the temperature swings inside the greenhouse were going to be unbearable for my plants. During the day, it would reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night, it would plummet to 50 degrees. I set out on a quest to solve my temperature-swing problem.

Shade cloth. Someone told me that shade cloth could help bring down the high temperatures inside the greenhouse, so I hung some old white curtains across the roof, shaving off 10 degrees almost immediately. That was progress, but it was still too hot to grow anything.

Venting. Because hot air rises, I knew I could add a vent at the highest point of my greenhouse to create a natural pathway for all the built-up hot air to escape. I removed a third of the back wall at the highest point and made a hinged panel I could open and close as needed. With the vent and door open, there’s a nice cross breeze, but it still wasn’t habitable for plants. My search continued.

Thermal mass. An engineer friend suggested thermal mass as an off-grid solution for temperature swings. Explained simply, I

could use a mass of something, such as stone or water, to absorb heat during the day and release it at night. I decided to use water as the mass, which meant I needed to squeeze as much water as I could into this tiny greenhouse. I went to a local bread store and bought their used 5-gallon buckets with lids for $1.50 each. I filled seven of them with water and placed them around the inside perimeter.

The next day, I was shocked; the temperature didn’t exceed 90 degrees during the day and didn’t fall below 70 degrees at night.

This slow and even absorption and release of heat was exactly what I needed to smooth out the temperature swings. And best of all, I didn’t need electricity to do it.

A Small Compromise I soon realized hauling water to and from the greenhouse was inconvenient, so I added a 15-gallon rain barrel to catch the runoff from the greenhouse roof. I installed a hose spigot at the bottom and placed the barrel up on cinder blocks so I could put a watering can under it. I broke my rule about no electricity in my greenhouse by wrapping a 6-foot length of pipe-heating cable around the rain barrel to keep it from freezing. Frost-free water all winter for $20 was definitely worth it!

This project turned out to be a beautiful lesson in self-sufficiency for my entire family. I love my beautiful, little retreat in the heart of the city and wish you a winter of healthful greens!

Autumn Hansen, Reno, Nevada

A vent allows hot air to escape (left), while water-filled containers help regulate temperature swings (center) and store water for later use (right).

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Build a Rustic Door

PAGE 122: LORAIN EBBETT-RIDEOUT; STROTHER PURDY (10)

Follow these steps to form a board-and-batten door for a pantry or shed.

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1½in.

24 in.

4 in.

By Strother Purdy

23 in.

Materials

Page 122: Lorain ebbett-rideout; Strother Purdy (10)

B

oard-and-batten doors are a mainstay of the oldest and simplest North American homes. The originals were probably painted, 80 in. and required a bit of rope or a thumb latch to stay closed. This type of door is rustic, light-duty, and simple to make. On the other hand, board-and-batten doors are about three steps above animal skins stretched over a stick frame. Putting them in your house may elicit accusations of advanced camping, as they’re thin, don’t insulate well, and 5 in. 4¾in. 4¾in. aren’t dimensionally stable. But they do look nice, so they’re great in situations where insulation and stability aren’t primary considerations, such as in pantries, closets, or sheds.

These doors have a definite front (the boards) and back (the batten). You can butt the boards together, but over time, they’ll shrink and leave gaps. A better method is to shiplap or tongueand-groove them. The traditional way to secure the boards to the battens was with clinched nails. These can be decorative if you use rosehead nails or cut nails. The more modern alternative is to use screws that can’t be seen from the front.

Board-and-batten construction isn’t particularly rigid, and allows the members to twist relatively easily. Exterior doors won’t seal well against the jamb. You can clinch nails through most hardwoods, but pine is easier to work with and more traditional.

Building Variations A good variation on this door is to use thicker wood, either 5/4 or 6/4 hardwood, from a species with a little more interest, such as butternut or chestnut. A door using 5/4 boards and

• Six 1-by-6 pine boards, 10 feet long • 1 pound (about 35 to 40) 3-inch rosehead nails • 2 strap hinges • Colonial-style latch 51/8 in.

Cut List • Five 81-inch-long boards • Two 23-inch-long battens • One 70-inch-long batten

51/8 in.

battens could still be made with 3-inch nails, but I’d use 31⁄2-inch or 4-inch nails for a 6/4 door. ¾ in.

Using heavier stock will also increase the door’s weight and rigidity. You may also want to add a horizontal batten at the center, and use two diagonal battens between.

Using wider and fewer boards is fine as long as you make deeper grooves and wider tongues. The movement across a 12-inch board can be substantial, so expect gaps as large as 1⁄2 inch in the driest part of the year. Don’t use fewer than three boards. Using more boards can look good as well; it just adds a lot of extra work. Winnowing the principles of this door down to the basics, you’ll just be using metal fasteners to hold boards together while permitting them to move in response to changes in humidity. For larger doors or with heavier woods, you can use screws or carriage bolts.

The finished dimensions of the door you’ll build using these instructions are 24 inches wide by 80 inches tall by 11⁄2 inches thick.

4 in.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Door 1 Pick out six relatively flat 1-by-6 pine boards that are 10 feet long at the lumberyard. I use the common grade because

Use a circular saw (left) to cut the boards roughly to length. Then, use a router to cut grooves (center) and tongues (right).

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this is a rustic project that doesn’t require paint. For a painted finish, use select boards to avoid large knots, as sap can seep through paint.

2 Crosscut five of the boards to 81 to 82 inches long, just longer than your finished dimension. You’ll trim the door to its final length after construction.

3 Rip the boards to 51⁄8 inches wide on the table saw.

4 Lay out five boards in an arrangement you like. I used the straightest boards with the fewest knots on the sides. Mark them so you know which edges get a tongue, which edges get a groove, and which edges get nothing.

Number the boards or draw a triangle across them so you can put them back together in the same arrangement later.

5 Use a router with a 1⁄4-inchwide slot bit to cut the grooves on all edges marked “groove.” The groove should be between 5⁄ 16 inches and 3⁄8 inches deep, but no more. The exact width of the groove isn’t important, but it should be centered. I get the bit approximately centered, cut the groove from the face of the board, and then flip the board over and cut the groove again. This approach produces a groove about 5⁄16 inches wide and perfectly centered.

6 Use a rabbeting bit on the router to cut 1⁄4-inch-wide rabbets on both sides of the edges that need a tongue. (Sometimes you can use the same slot bit to cut your rabbets, but I favor a slightly deeper groove than tongue.) First, set the depth of cut a bit shallow and test the fit. You’ll want the tongue and groove to fit snugly. Then, make slight adjustments to the cutting depth to fine-tune it. Remember that each adjustment will be doubled as you cut from both sides.

You can cut both the tongues and the grooves on a table saw, but if the boards are warped, a router will be more accurate.

7 Lightly chamfer the edges of the tongues with a sanding block, hand plane, or chisel, so they go into the grooves easily. At the same time, chamfer the front-facing edges of

From top: Drill evenly spaced pilot holes through both batten and boards.

Hammer the nails from the front, leaving the heads a little proud of the surface.

Clinch the nails flush with the batten by hammering from a strong angle.

Use a bevel gauge to find the angle for trimming the end of the diagonal batten.

the boards if you’d like. I prefer a light 1 ⁄ 16 -inch-wide chamfer between the boards to hide the joint. More often, you’ll see a heavy 1⁄4-inch chamfer. This is a purely aesthetic feature to hide the joint, so chamfer as you like.

8 Clamp the boards together to test the fit. Sand the fronts of the boards to 220-grit before assembly, as you won’t be able to sand them with the rosehead nails in place. I didn’t sand the interior surfaces of this door because they’ll be inside a closet, but by all means, sand the backs if you prefer.

9 Lay out the locations of the two horizontal battens (and sand them, if you’d like) on the back side of the door. I put them about 4 inches from the top and bottom.

0 Clamp the 23-inch-long battens to the door, and drill pilot holes for the clinched nails all the way through the battens and boards. Where do the battens come from? The offcuts from the boards, of course. That’s why you’ll start with 10-foot-long boards. Locate the pilot holes at least 11⁄2 inches from any edges to reduce the chance of splitting. ! Hammer the nails in partway from the front, so that about 1⁄ 2 inch emerges past the batten. The 3-inch nails should stand about 3⁄4 inch proud — and don’t hammer them any deeper. As you won’t want to nail the door to your bench or, in my case, bend the nails against a steel bench, use the other offcuts as backers. If you accidentally nail the door to the backers, no worries — they’ll be easy to pry off. @ Flip the door over and bend the nail points flush with the battens, hammering them from a strong angle. The door will stand on the proud nail heads, which is fine. Nails bend

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easily, and this is one situation in which bending a nail over is a good thing. # Flip the door over again, and hammer the nail heads all the way in. I like to leave the rosehead nails a little proud to give the front some texture, but hammer them flush if you’d like. $ Flip the door onto its face and hammer the bent points of the nails sideways again, clinching them into the battens.

This is the trick that will keep them from ever coming back out again. There’s nothing pretty about clinching a nail.

You’ll get occasional split and hammer marks if you’re not perfectly careful, all of which will be part of the rustic appeal, and not “mistakes” the way they would be in a more refined door. So go rough on the door and easy on yourself. % The third batten crosses the boards diagonally, giving the door more resistance to racking and twisting than a third horizontal batten would. The top of the diagonal batten should be on the lock side and the bottom should be on the hinge side.

Oriented this way, the batten will also help prevent sagging.

If you have twisting or sagging concerns, you can add a second diagonal across the first, forming an X pattern, but this will be more work and put more weight on the hinges.

Use a sliding T bevel to find the correct angle to trim the ends of the diagonal batten. I use the miter gauge on my table

saw for this angled crosscut, but a chop saw, handsaw, or circular saw would also work. ^ Attach the diagonal batten to the boards with clinched nails, in the same way you attached the two horizontal battens. Locate the nails at least 1 inch in from the edges of the battens and the boards. I find it easier to lay out the location of the batten on the door front to ensure I’m not missing the boards or battens, and drill from that side. & Crosscut the finished door to length by trimming the top and bottom. I use a track saw, which I find extraordinarily useful for jobs like this in spite of its expense, as it gives a chip-free and accurate crosscut. Feel free to carefully use a handsaw or circular saw with a temporary fence clamped to the door to ensure a straight cut. * Prep the door for finishing with 180-grit sandpaper. A soft eraser works well to get rid of pencil lines before sanding.

I used a single coat of Danish oil, following the directions on the can. The oil soaks into the wood for a matte finish that doesn’t protect the door from wear, allowing it to gain a natural patina from use pretty quickly — perfect for a rustic door. The oil also darkens the nearly white pine to a gold that will continue to darken with time.

Congratulations! After completing these steps, you’ll be the proud owner of a board-and-batten door.

Craft a Door That Will Last

Doormaking: Materials, Techniques, and Projects for Building Your First Door by Strother Purdy gathers all the information and guidance that both beginning and intermediate woodworkers need to successfully make their first doors. While covering the construction of eight popular doors, Doormaking gets started by addressing the fundamentals, and then walks the reader step by step through each project. This guide explains design and material choices in specific contexts, tool options, and other considerations. The first four doors are easily accessible to beginners, while the remaining projects offer up more challenging details for intermediate woodworkers. Also included in this guide are sidebars containing amusing anecdotes and stories about mistakes — each delivering tips as well as details for hanging a door — and a gallery of doors that’s sure to inspire. Doormaking is a must for any woodworking hobbyist, professional craftsman, or DIY homeowner.

Order your copy of Doormaking on our website at www.motherearthnews.com/store. Please use the promotion code MMEPAIZD.

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Build a Stunning

Stone Culvert

Bring beauty and brawn together to create a functional showcase for your property.

By John Shaw-Rimmington

T

Creating Your Culvert Start by digging out and removing the dirt from the location of your future culvert, leaving a 3- to 4-foot wide ditch on either side of where the culvert is to go. The ditch should be deep enough to

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: JOHN

SHAW-RIMMINGTON; LEN CHURCHILL; ADOBE STOCK/VICHIT

aking on the task of building a dry-stacked stone culvert — that is, a stone culvert that doesn’t use mortar — presents the very satisfying opportunity to build

something that’ll be strong enough for you to drive a vehicle over and will look very much like a beautiful dry-stacked stone bridge. There’s no reason to go with bags of sand or cement, blocks, plastic, metal, or anything man-made in your finished culvert. With a little bit

of effort and the right stone material, a culvert can become the showcase of your property. After all, it’s the first thing people will see when they pull up to your drive. Why not make it stunning?

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ADO

clockwise from left: John

shaw-rimmington; len churchill; adobe stock/Vichit

This crosscut view of a typical dry-stacked stone culvert shows the basic construction of the channel and driveway.

allow the top of a 1- to 2-foot channel to be about 2 feet below grade. You’ll have to dig at least 11⁄2 feet farther out than the area that crosses under the driveway so the water will run correctly in the direction you require.

You’ll then dig a trench 3 inches deep and a foot wider than the width of your culvert opening. Fill the trench level with 3⁄4-inch clear, crushed, sharp aggregate, and then lay flagstone material — or even patio slabs — that are approximately 2 inches thick on top of the aggregate to form a level bed for the watercourse.

When you lay the flagstones, you’ll want to butt them close to one another and extend them at least 6 inches past the length of the footprint of your culvert on either side.

To create a small waterfall, you can make your culvert’s openings slightly higher than the ditch it will be flowing into. In this

case, you might like to build small stone embankments around the area the water will flow into. Conversely, you can create a small, rounded retaining area in which the water can pool before it goes through the culvert; do this by situating your culvert so it’s slightly higher than the water in the ditch flowing up to it.

Next, lay your form onto the flagstone watercourse. A length of metal or plastic culvert tubing will work well for this purpose. The tubular form should be long enough to extend at least 11⁄2 feet past each opening of the finished culvert. This is so the tube can be supported at the ends. Raise the tube about an inch above the flagstone base by supporting it with a 2-by-4 resting on top of a 2-by-8 running through the tube (see illustration, Page 128). These boards should be

longer than the tube so you can support the ends of the boards with concrete blocks that are resting on patio slabs placed temporarily at either end of the form. Place two wooden shims between the 2-by-8 board and the concrete blocks.

The shims should be placed one on top of the other to form a rectangle that can be adjusted to be taller or shorter. This will allow you to drop the tube down and slide it out, making its removal much easier later in the process.

The stones you’ll need to collect to go over and around the length of the tubular form to create the stone channel don’t necessarily have to be rectangular; they’ll just need to have some length to them and not be too round. You’ll lay similarly sized stones in rows of approximately the same height, called “courses.” Starting from the visible sides,

Acquiring Stone

In most areas, stone is relatively easy to access. For this project, the stone can be just about any size or shape. You can usually either buy it and have it delivered, or you can go for drives and load up small amounts from where it sits discarded on the side of the road by farmers — just remember to always ask first. For as little stone as you’ll need to build a culvert, gathering your own is definitely the best option. The adventure of finding stones for a project is often as much fun as building with them.

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driveway

tube 2x4 2x8 shims concrete blocks

you’ll want to butt the stones tightly up to one another, making sure they all fit together snugly where they touch the tube. Add thin wedges of stone as needed so that each arch stone (called a voussoir) fits snugly into the structure.

Place these wedges near the tops of the stones and avoid letting any of them slip down where they might create a pivot point between the voussoirs. For the best visual appearance, you’ll likely need to do some extra shaping to the arch stones

that are visible on the outside of either end of the culvert so they fit together especially well.

Then, lay smaller stones on top of the stone tunnel. After you’ve laid these smaller stones, pack a minimum of 6 inches of gravel over the stone tunnel, and place landscape fabric on top of that.

The final layer of road-grade aggregate on top of the fabric will bring the culvert up to driveway height. At this point, you can remove the tubular form.

This cutaway view of a dry-stacked stone culvert demonstrates how to set up your form when constructing a stone channel.

Incorporating a Retaining Wall Think about the overall design of your culvert wall before starting on your culvert. Is the opening going to be seen from both sides? Will the culvert sides be seen from the road and the driveway or just from the road? If you situate the driveway entrance at an angle to the road, you can create a stonework that you and others can see from both the road and the approach to the road along the driveway.

CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT: JOHN

Instead of laying flagstone and building a selfsupporting stone channel for water to flow through, you can choose to use a permanent man-made pipe as a structural inner part of the culvert. You’ll want to set the outside edge of the plastic or steel culvert back from view, so making templates for the shape of the circular stone openings is a good idea because you won’t be able to build the outside arch on the culvert.

Depending on the size of the opening, you can fashion your temporary form for the two outside arches out of plywood, a plastic bucket, or even a lid from a metal garbage can. The important thing is to get a good continuous contour around the arc of the opening. The dark shadows created by the overhanging stones will help mask the manufactured product used to support the driveway.

SHAW-RIMMINGTON; LEN CHURCHILL (2)

Culvert Operation

A stonemason uses a cut-out form to construct the stone arch for this culvert.

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SHAW-RIMMINGTON; LEN CHURCHILL (2) CLOCKWISE FROM LOWER LEFT: JOHN

To build the retaining wall portion of your culvert, begin by laying stones below grade and then placing stones over them in a bonding pattern. You’ll want to keep from creating columns of stone one upon another. Essentially, you’ll be building a dry-stacked stone wall — a system where one stone at a time is laid so that it locks in the two below it and where two stones meet together directly over the middle of the one below. The stones must touch in as many places as possible and be locked in and stopped from moving by shims placed on the inside of your wall. Take care not to have any stones protruding beyond the outside plane of the wall.

The retaining walls will be holding up the driveway, so they need to work. They must have mass and thickness. These walls need to be about 21⁄2 feet thick for a wall 2 feet high. Clear, sharp, 3⁄4-inch crushed gravel can be used to fill in the backs of the walls as you build up the fronts.

There’s some room for interesting designs. You could incorporate an inside curve or an outside curve, perhaps with boulders at the end. Keep in mind that retaining walls that curve in are stronger than walls that curve out.

A curved retaining wall that incorporates the actual culvert opening is quite pleasing to look at.

If your retaining wall is any higher than 2 feet and not concave in shape, it should have a batter — that is, it should lean in from bottom to top. A board at the angle of lean you want (called a “batter board”) attached to a level can help you keep the lean, or “batter,” you want to establish. Hold the level vertically against the wall with the board leaning in to see the batter of the wall you’ll need to build to. Generally, a retaining wall 3 units high should be 2 units thick at the base and 1 unit thick at the top (see illustration, above.) This is not only structurally helpful, it’s also generally more visually appealing.

Build the insides of the walls with lessuseful stones, ones that are awkward in shape or not as nice to look at. You can cap the wall with large, flat stones laid horizontally, or you can set stones on their edge, fitting them together tightly

A proper retaining wall should have a foundation 2⁄3 as thick and a peak 1⁄3 as thick as the wall’s height. This ratio helps the retaining wall resist the forces exerted by the soil behind it.

and bookending them with larger boulders at the ends of the walls.

You might even like to build your wall up higher than the grade of your driveway to create a kind of stone railing or curb. This will require losing some width for the driveway itself, but I think it’s worth the effort. It just feels safer, especially if there’s a significant drop-off into the ditch.

Whichever style of wall you plan to make — straight or curved — the grade will have to eventually slant away from the wall and the driveway down into the ditch. That’s the thing about walls spanning ditches, which is exactly what you’ll be building (with a hole in it, of course): The shape of the retaining walls will

always be shaped like an eye. Because the land slopes up and away from the bottom of the ditch, the walls will almost come to a point at the far ends, and therefore the stonework can be thinner at the corners of the “eye.”

Having said all of this, there’s always room for designing as you go. That’s the joy of building with stones minus the mortar. You’ll always be building and designing according to your material.

Most modern material requires a fixed plan from which you can’t deviate in height, level, shape, or look.

Stone allows for a lot of on-site creativity, which is one of the main reasons I like building with the drystacked stone method, and one of the reasons why I think you will too.

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DIY Dual Watering System One reader shares how to build a unique watering system that incorporates both soaker hoses and drip irrigation.

P

roper watering is one of the most important aspects of growing your own vegetables. On a recent trip to Virginia, I met Scott and Susan Hill of Hill Farm. Scott and Susan turned their retirement into a profitable farm

venture. Susan is a master of the growing and accounting part of the operation, and Scott is the architect, maintenance man, and everything-else guy. Scott was a helicopter maintenance test pilot in the U.S. Army before retiring. His skills in fluid dynamics shine in his development of this unique dual watering system.

Scott and Susan use these dual watering systems in both their raised and in-ground garden beds at Hill Farm. One part of the system is comprised of a series of three soaker hoses, and the other part provides drip irrigation. Scott created this system to make the best use of Hill Farm’s well water and to help support the farm’s harvests month after month, all year long.

With a little time and effort, you can build your own dual watering system with easy-to-find parts at a reasonable cost. You can expect to pay approximately $60 to $85 per unit, depending on the length of your garden beds and the quality of your materials. Scott suggests going with higher-quality materials because, in his own words, “The better the quality, the less repair required.”

To build your own system, you’ll need the following: • 3 lengths of soaker hose • 1 length of drip irrigation tubing • 4 hose end caps • 4 female hose menders • 5 feet of 1-inch PVC pipe

This dual watering system delivers water just where it’s needed.

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m 21⁄2”

10”

21⁄2” 21⁄2”

21⁄2”

10”

• • • • • • • • •

21⁄2”

2 PVC shut-off valves 1 PVC cross fitting 1 PVC tee fitting 4 PVC elbow fittings 5 male PVC hose fittings PVC cement Drip irrigation tubing hole punch Emitters 1 ⁄8- to 1⁄4-inch polyethylene micro tubing • 1-inch pipe straps The lengths of your growing beds will ultimately determine how many emitters, pipe straps, and feet of hose you’ll need for each bed. Scott recommends that you buy your soaker hose in bulk rolls nearest the amount you’ll need. You can then cut it to the exact lengths that work best for your garden beds. These rolls generally come in lengths ranging from 50 feet to 500 feet.

Scott also suggests, “Don’t make the same mistake as me — don’t mix sizes.”

He uses only 3⁄4-inch hosing to build his systems because the male and female hose fittings only come in a single size that’s supposed to accommodate hosing from 5⁄8 inch to 3⁄4 inch.

Scott has found that when he’s used these fittings with 3⁄4-inch hosing in the past, the hoses tended to split at the

21⁄2”

21⁄2”

21⁄2”

10”

4”

coupling after about a month, spilling lots of water into his beds, so he’s decided to stick with 3⁄4-inch hosing.

The width of your bed will determine the lengths of PVC that make up the dual watering system’s manifold. The manifold described in these instructions is for

a 3-foot-wide garden bed, but you can modify the same basic manifold design to accommodate garden beds of varying widths. So, after you gather all of your supplies and have an idea of the length of hose you’ll need and the spacing of your emitters and soaker hoses, you can start

This watering system design helps Scott and Susan grow vibrant crops with less effort at Hill Farm.

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Above: Scott inserts an emitter into his drip irrigation tubing.

Right: Watering systems at work inside a high tunnel at Hill Farm.

by laying your components out alongside your growing bed. This will help you visualize how everything will fit together before you begin cementing the PVC components together and cutting your soaker hoses and drip irrigation tubing to length.

1 Start by cutting your soaker hoses and drip irrigation tubing to the length of your garden bed. Cap one end of each of the hoses and attach a female hose mender to the opposite end.

2 To create a PVC manifold for a 3-foot-wide garden bed, cut three 10-inch pieces, one 4-inch piece, and eight 21⁄2inch pieces from your length of PVC. By cutting the 10-inch pieces either longer or shorter, you can accommodate wider or narrower beds and create the proper spacing of your soaker hoses to meet your specific needs.

3 Using the photo diagram on Page 131 as a guide, lay out your fittings and pieces of PVC pipe in the correct configuration for assembly.

4 Apply PVC cement to a single joint, push the joint together tightly, and hold the joint firmly in place until the cement has set. Repeat this procedure for each of the PVC joints and fittings.

5 Attach the drip irrigation tubing and soaker hoses to your PVC manifold.

6 Use the drip irrigation tubing hole punch to attach the emitters to the drip hose at the spacing you require (see photo, top left). Attach the polyethylene tubing to the emitters.

7 Attach the manifold and the drip irrigation tubing to the frame of your raised garden bed using the 1-inch pipe straps. Alternatively, if you’re using in-ground beds, you can lay the drip

tubing where it needs to be for the crops you’re growing.

8 Attach a water source to your completed watering system, and turn it on to check for leaks, assess your hoses for proper placement, and make sure your shut-off valves work properly.

Now, simply sit back and marvel at how well this watering system irrigates your crops. By not spraying water on your plants’ leaves, you’ll help save them from scorching in the hot sun. You’ll also be saving water after you determine how long to run your system based on the growing stage of your plants and the time of year.

And with this system in place, you’ll be able to spend less time watering and more time harvesting and preparing your lovely crops all growing season long.

Kurt Jacobson Nottingham, Maryland

Irrigation Tips from Mother Keep these tips in mind as you set up your watering system: Cover with mulch. To retain moisture and protect your soaker hoses from deterioration due to prolonged sun exposure, cover your soaker hoses with approximately 2 inches of mulch. To learn even more about the benefits of mulch, see Myth 3 on Page 96 of “5 Garden Myths.”

Protect from clogs. Use a 150-mesh filter to remove small particles that can clog your soaker hose or drip irrigation system. If you have hard water, use a calcium filter to reduce mineral buildup.

Properly space emitters. For row crops, spacing emitters 1 foot apart along the drip hose is usually sufficient. Generally, one drip hose can adequately water two rows of smaller crops or one row of larger crops.

Keep it level. If planting on a hill, orient your garden beds so they’re level and run horizontal to the slope. If it isn’t possible to orient your

planting area and irrigation so they’re level, you can employ the help of diaphragm-type pressure-compensating emitters. These types of emitters water more uniformly on slopes than standard emitters by compensating for the differences of water pressure in a hose running up or down a hill.

Account for elevation. If your water source is much higher in elevation than where you intend to water, you may need to install check valves on the supply lines to maintain a safe pressure and keep your hoses from bursting.

Practice proper storage. At the end of your growing season, carefully remove and thoroughly clean, flush, and repair your hoses. Let the hoses dry; couple or cap the ends to keep dirt and insects, such as spiders and mud daubers, out of the hose; and then store the hose away from sunlight to protect it from ultraviolet radiation.

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DIY Tool Belt Assemble these pockets and pouches and mount them on your favorite belt to hold your most-used tools.

By Dennis Biswell

Queren King-OrOzcO

I

n previous issues, I wrote about how to turn deerskins into leather (October/November 2016) and how to craft moccasins out of that tanned animal skin (February/March 2017). Now, I’ll describe how to make further use of your hometanned leather by turning it into a set of tool-belt pouches.

The tool belts you can buy at hardware stores are unwieldy, because they need to account for every potential tool and task.

They have loops, pockets, and pouches that add weight and bulk. When I’m working at the top of a ladder or on the roof, I don’t want to carry any extra weight, and I’d hate for an unused loop on my tool belt to get caught on something.

After you learn how to make custom pouches, you can construct them to hold tools for all sorts of projects around your home or homestead. So, to get started, select a belt that fits you well and plan which pockets you’ll attach. With the ability to craft individual pouches that slide onto a belt, you can pick and choose the ones you need for a particular job, or make a belt that’s perfectly suited to the tools you use most.

This project uses both cow and deer leather. The heavier cow

leather is perfect for the backing, and the deer leather is good for the pockets, pouches, and holders. To make it easier for you to distinguish between the cow and deer leather in the photos, I used contrasting black cow leather and tan deer leather.

The supplies and tools you’ll need for this project include cow leather (a bag of leather scraps from a craft store will do); half a deer skin; artificial sinew; two medium-sized leather sewing needles; binder clips; a utility knife; a pen or marker; a ruler; a hammer; an awl or leather punch; and beeswax. Optional equipment includes a stitching pony; a stitch spacer; heavy-duty thread; a lighter or matches; super glue; and a multiple-hole leather punch.

This project requires a saddle stitch. Because this stitch runs along the seam and not over the seam, it’s protected from nicks and cuts that would unravel a whipstitch or blanket stitch. Be sure to practice the stitch on scrap material before using your valuable home-tanned leather. Although you can hold the pieces in place for saddle stitching with binder clips and your hands, a stitching pony makes the job much easier. Constructing one is also a fun DIY project. My son and I made our stitching pony from scrap 1-by-6-inch boards, some wood screws, wood glue, leather, long bolts, washers, and wing nuts. The arms and base are each 16 inches long. That’s the right height if you want to clamp it to a table or workbench and stand while stitching. The longer base also allows me to anchor it under my legs if I want to stitch while sitting in a chair or on the ground. A couple of pieces of scrap leather glued between the arms will cushion your project while you sew. When you’re ready to sew, just clamp the DO-IT-YOURSELF • www.MotherearthNews.coM 133

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Left: The equipment required for completing this project.

Above: A multiple-hole punch makes the job go faster.

Basic Leather Sewing Steps

1 Mark the seams. Your seams will be about 1⁄8 inch from the edge of the leather, with holes about 1⁄4 inch apart. If you plan to use an awl or a single-hole punch, use a ruler and mark the holes along the edge. If you have a stitch spacer, use it to mark the holes along the seams.

2 Punch the holes. Bring the pieces of leather together and clip them in place. Use an awl or a hole punch to make holes through all the layers of leather.

3 Prepare the needles. Measure the seam and multiply that measurement by 4. Unspool that amount of sinew or thread, and place a needle on each end of the sinew or thread. Wax the sinew or thread by pulling it over the cake of beeswax.

4 Stitch. A good saddle stitch requires consistency. Both of the needles must pass through the same hole from opposite directions. I always push the left needle through the hole first, and then I push the right needle through the hole. To make even

stitches, always pull the first piece of sinew to the front of the hole while passing the second needle to the back of the hole.

This technique will also help you avoid snagging the first piece of sinew or thread as you pass the second needle through the hole.

As you practice, you’ll develop a rhythm, and in no time you’ll be making beautiful stitches.

Begin stitching by passing one needle through the first hole, and then pulling the sinew through until equal lengths are on each side of the leather. Next, push the left needle through the second hole, and pull the sinew a few inches through the hole.

Then, push the right needle through the back half of the second hole. Finally, pull both sides tight to snug the stitch against the leather. Move to the third hole and repeat these motions. First left, then right, then tight. Continue stitching along the seam.

5 Finish the seams. You can use one of two methods to finish the seams. If the piece will undergo a lot of wear and tear, use the first method: Upon reaching the last hole of the seam, reverse direction and stitch back along the seam. At the fourth hole, push the left needle through the left hole, and, rather than passing it through the right hole, angle it up and push it out of the seam from between the pieces of leather. Push the right

From left: Pull the sinew through the first hole until you have equal lengths on each side. Pass the left needle through the second hole. Complete the stitch by passing the right needle through the second hole and pulling both sides snug. To finish, backstitch and push the sinew between the two pieces of leather.

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RichaRd Biswell (9)

pieces into the pony and stitch away, without the extra work of holding the pieces in place.

Gather your supplies and let’s get stitching!

needle through the right hole, angle it up between the pieces of leather, and pull it out between the pieces of leather.

Pull each strand of sinew tight, remove the needles, tie a square knot, clip the ends, and push the knot into the seam between the pieces of leather. For extra security, carefully singe the knot or apply a drop of super glue to it before pushing it into the seam.

The second method for finishing the seam is to backstitch three holes with one needle and four holes with the other. Make sure both needles have been pulled through to the left, or back side, of the piece. Being careful not to cut any stitches, snip the sinew close to the hole. Singe or apply a drop of super glue to each strand of sinew, and gently push each back into the hole it emerges from.

Finally, lay the piece on a flat surface and gently tap up and down the seam with a hammer a couple of times to set the stitches.

At some point, you’re going to snag a stitch. When that happens, don’t pull through the snag. Pull out the needle, back out the snagged sinew, apply a little wax to the snagged area, and make that stitch again. If the snag cuts the sinew, start the stitching again from the beginning.

RichaRd Biswell (9)

How to Make the Tool Holders Rather than sewing or riveting tool holders to the belt, I like to make individual detachable holders. This way, I can choose the holders I need for each job, and can use them on different belts.

The first holder in this project is a loop for a hammer, paint brush, or other tool with a wider head than handle. Begin with the cow-leather backing. First, measure the height of your belt.

Double that measurement and add 3⁄8 of an inch. This will give you the height needed for the belt loop. Next, add 3 inches to that measurement; this will be the total height of the cowleather backing. The backing should be 4 inches wide. Cut out the backing. Then, with the grain (that is, finished) side facing down, fold over the amount of backing needed for your belt loop, binder clip the sides, mark the seam, punch the holes, and

From top: A tool loop, ready for a hammer or paint brush; a small pocket for holding fasteners or a tape measure; an expandable pocket with a pencil holder.

saddle stitch the seam. The deer-leather tool loop should be 11⁄2 inches tall by 6 inches wide. To put the pieces together, lay the backing grain side up, and then lay the tool loop grain side up on the backing. Mark and punch two rows of holes on each end, with one row 1⁄2 inch from the edge and the second row 1⁄4 inch from the edge. Stitch the strip into place.

The second holder is a pocket for nails or screws. With the addition of a reinforcing strip, it can also hold a tape measure. To calculate the height of the cowleather backing, add 5 inches to the amount you calculated for your belt loop. The backing should be 7 inches wide. Cut out the backing and trim the corners to form a trapezoidal bottom edge.

Fold over the amount of backing needed for your belt loop, and stitch the seam. Cut the pocket to 4 inches tall by 8 inches wide. Lay the pocket on the backing, and trim its corners to match. To form the reinforcing strip, fold a 11⁄2-by2-inch strip of cow leather over the upper edge of the pocket and sew it in place. Finally, sew the pocket to the backing.

The third holder is an expandable pocket with a pencil holder. To calculate the height of the cow-leather backing, add 8 inches to the amount you calculated for your belt loop. The backing should be 61⁄2 inches wide. Cut out the backing. Fold over the amount of backing needed for your belt loop, and stitch the seam. Cut the pocket to 6 inches tall by 61⁄4 inches wide, and the gusset to 11⁄4 inches tall by 21 inches long. The cow-leather pencil holder should be 4 inches tall by 13⁄4 inches wide. Next, stitch the gusset and pencil holder to the pocket, grain side out, easing in the gusset’s fullness around the bottom corners of the pocket. Finally, stitch the gusset to the backing.

After you make a few of these holders, you’ll be ready to tuck your favorite tools into a handcrafted pocket or pouch.

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Living with

Solar & Wind

A rural couple made a successful power play to supply their homestead with clean, affordable energy.

By John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist

S

ince moving to our 5-acre homestead in southwestern Wisconsin more than 20 years ago, our goals have been to maximize self-sufficiency, minimize energy use, and untether ourselves from fossil fuels and the emissions associated with burning them. We quickly realized that getting a house in

order first, rather than immediately installing a wind turbine or photovoltaic system, would be far more cost-effective with respect to energy use and consumption.

To this end, we switched to energy-efficient lightbulbs and sealed up our old 1,900-square-foot farmhouse as best we could with new windows, caulk, and insulation. Within a few years of buying the homestead (pictured above), we began using a solar thermal system to meet our domestic hot water needs. We fired up a Lopi Endeavor woodstove for our primary heat source. We also adjusted our behavior, including line-drying our laundry and cooling the house with fans instead of air conditioning. We learned to grow our own food, prepare it in our kitchen, and preserve our garden harvest by canning and freezing. For us, our approach to renewable energy systems matched our approach to food systems,

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area ecological systems, and, in terms of our livelihood, financial systems: Everything relates to everything else.

After about five years of whittling down our electricity use — from 12,000 kilowatt-hours per year to 9,000 kWh per year — we found that our usage was more manageable for a renewable energy system, and we began exploring options for generating electricity on our homestead.

We have an all-electric property, where we both work as writers, authors, and owners/operators of Inn Serendipity bed-and-breakfast — and John is a photographer. Since our homestead was already connected to the grid when we moved in, simply using the grid for surplus electricity storage made the best economic sense and sidestepped the maintenance and battery disposal aspect of an off-grid backup system. Renewable energy systems didn’t affect how our appliances operated or what appliances we could use; everything electric in our house is an Energy Star certified appliance.

Pivotal to our ability to generate our own electricity were the educational resources available from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA; www.midwestrenew.org) and the pages of this magazine. Equally important, however, were the financial incentives — both federal and state — available at the time for the installation of new renewable energy systems.

Power from the Sun In 2002, we added a grid-tied 480-watt photovoltaic (PV) system consisting of four Kyocera KC-120 panels and an Advanced Electronics GC-1000 inverter. It was designed to meet about 2 percent of our electricity needs during summer, the busiest time of year for our farm and B&B. We estimated the system would generate roughly 500 kWh per year. The total cost of the project came to $5,527, with the setup covered as part of an MREA Installation Workshop. Subtract a state grant totaling $3,536, and our net investment cost came to just $1,991.

We decided to have our business, JDI Enterprises Inc., purchase the equipment, not us personally. As we write in our book ECOpreneuring, this allowed us to use pretax revenue from the business instead of post-tax personal income. Also, the business could deduct the net equipment cost as a depreciation expense, and claim the federal Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit.

We cantilevered this PV system off the south-facing wall of an existing equipment shed on our property, saving us more than $1,000 in additional mounting racks and trenching work we’d have needed if we’d chosen to situate it in a field instead. We easily and inexpensively connected the inverter to our existing farm service, avoiding the cost and maintenance that would’ve been associated with an off-grid battery system.

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Clockwise from top left: Solar panels cantilevered off a shed wall save on trenching costs; grid-tied wiring; a tour group learns about the farm’s solar and wind systems.

Less than a year after the PV system was installed, we experienced a fortunate convergence of circumstances that made the installation of a 10kW wind turbine system from Bergey Windpower a reality. Not only were we able to secure a Focus on Energy state incentive grant, but small-wind expert and former MREA board president Mick Sagrillo saved us thousands in labor costs by agreeing to do an installation workshop. Additionally, the folks at renewable energy company Lake Michigan Wind & Sun got their hands on a used 120-foot-high, guyedlattice tower and a used Bergey Excel S, which they rebuilt for us — again, saving us thousands of dollars.

Rebuilding the generator involved replacing all the key parts of the turbine with new parts. We then paired the turbine with Bergey’s GridTek 10 Power Processor inverter so we could connect to the grid.

A battery bank that could’ve handled the electricity generated by this system would’ve cost an additional $10,000 or more — money we simply didn’t have.

Like the PV system, the wind turbine was purchased through our family business. We sited the tower and turbine in a field about 300 feet from the farmhouse. Because it generates three-phase alternating current, there’s relatively little line loss, unlike PV systems, which generate direct current.

We placed the inverter as close to our solar panels as possible — in our case, on the other side of the equipment shed wall.

The total cost in 2003 for the Bergey system was $31,075, minus the $15,595 state incentive grant and $8,390 of in-kind support. Within the first full year, we generated 7,033 kWhs of electricity.

However, we didn’t start generating surplus electricity until we replaced the blades with newer ones two years later. At the time of this writing, our wind turbine has generated more than 127,425 kWhs of renewable energy.

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John Ivanko (7)

Electricity from Wind

John Ivanko (7)

Our net-metering contract with the local utility stipulates that we be paid for the surplus we generate, at the same rate we pay them when our systems don’t produce enough to meet our needs. That’s the magic of grid-tied systems: You never have to worry about battery maintenance or replacement, nor do you go without electricity if your system doesn’t produce enough power for your usage. We use the grid as our reliable battery bank, and our utility cuts us a check whenever we accrue more than $100 in credit on our bill. We’ve taken what’s normally an expense for our business and made it a revenue item in much the same way we’ve whittled away our food costs by growing our own.

The only downside to our grid-tied system is that if the grid goes down, so do our renewable energy systems (no matter how windy or sunny), because the inverters only operate when electricity is also flowing from the grid.

data which we display on Inn Serendipity’s website (www. innserendipity.com), we’ve found that the PV generates about 800 kWhs per year, and the wind turbine about 10,000 kWhs per year, making us net producers of renewable energy by about 2,000 to 3,000 kWhs per year. That translates to about $300 annually in credit checks from our utility company.

When we installed our wind turbine system, the cost for a comparable PV system was exorbitantly high. A wind turbine was the only way to go in 2003, given our limited funds.

Since then, prices of PV modules have plummeted.

Weathering Change

Adapting to increasingly severe weather conditions and coping with equipment failure and the vagaries of politics as they relate to renewable energy have become essential over the 16 years we’ve produced our own energy. We regularly monitor our systems, especially after storms. We use Choosing a a camera system to monitor the Hybrid System wind turbine inverter 24/7 when It’s not always windy when it’s we’re off the homestead. sunny, nor are wind patterns or On the downside, our initial PV solar gain the same every season. system was rendered useless after Our site is perfect for both wind the Advanced Electronics GCand solar electric installations 1000 inverter failed after just five because we have an open view to years (unsurprisingly, the company the south and few trees, and are went bankrupt as well). The PV located on a ridge at a relatively system was replaced by Habi-Tek high elevation. We also garnered and Engineering Services with input from owners of other wind a new 680-watt PV system, this turbines in the area to make sure time consisting of four 170-watt our wind speed was high and Suntech modules and a more regular enough to warrant the reliable Sunny Boy 700U inverter. investment. We had just enough The $5,600 price tag of the property to ensure that the “fall system was reduced by a $1,315 line” of the turbine’s tower was on state financial incentive grant. We our premises (on the rare chance sold off the old PV modules after it would be toppled by a storm) using them briefly as an off-grid, and not on a road or a neighbor’s stand-alone system for recharging land; this enabled us to avoid any The authors grow and preserve produce from the garden at electric lawn mowers and batterytheir renewable-energy-powered business, Inn Serendipity. hassles with securing easements powered tools — even then, we or variances. found the backup storage (leadWe opted for a hybrid wind and solar electric system so we acid car batteries) to be a hassle and unreliable. could potentially generate at least some electricity on-site every The forces of nature can be harsh, especially on equipment day of the year. This hybrid system plays a key role in our ability sited in the middle of a field. Our wind turbine faced several to live carbon-negative. As one would expect, summertime is small mechanical issues, including the need for fuse replacement, peak for solar electric generation. Winds are strongest and most a new inverter cooling fan, and repair of leading-edge blade regular from September to May, in our case averaging from tape. Each major turbine-related repair cost us $800 because the 9 to 12 mph. After more than 16 years of electricity production, nearest professional service provider, Kettle View Renewable ENERGY • www.MotherearthNews.coM 139

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Energy, had to travel hundreds of miles to our homestead.

Tinkerers we are not, nor have we ever climbed the tower.

We also experienced catastrophic blade failure after a severe storm cracked all three blades. Bergey stood behind its blades, covering replacement costs. The insurance we had taken out on the turbine helped cover some of the repair costs, but we were still out a $500 deductible on each occasion.

Future Plans Turbines have a definite life span, and ours is near the end.

As with any piece of equipment, different components will eventually wear down or stop operating efficiently. Our Bergey wind turbine and GridTech inverter are no exceptions. That said, someone with the skill to rebuild generators can lower a wind turbine and rebuild it, replacing all those elements that wear out with normal use. We invite proposals from readers who are tinkerers and might want to take our wind turbine, tower, and inverter off our hands free of charge. Of course, you’d still have to pay for the crane and service person to safely take down the turbine and tower, and a licensed electrician to properly and legally disconnect the inverter from the grid.

We recently purchased a Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid and are now planning to add a new 10- to 12-kW PV system to become an official Tesla-charging destination for guests. The new system would replace the power we currently get from the wind turbine. With the steep drop in PV module prices, putting in a new PV system makes more economic sense for

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us than installing a new wind turbine. Plus, the PV system will qualify under the current federal tax credit for renewable energy systems (soon to be phased out); no incentives or tax credits exist for upgrading or replacing different components of an existing renewable energy system. The entire cost of all of our renewable energy systems has already been recovered by electricity energy savings, equipment depreciation, and the federal Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit, so our decision to adopt these systems was wise from both an economic and environmental perspective.

Based on our latest quote, a new PV system, ground-mounted in a field near one of our larger equipment sheds (to which we can connect to the homestead electric service), would run about $33,363. In addition to seeking the federal tax credit, we might also apply for the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development offices. This program offers competitive grants for up to 25 percent of the total eligible project costs. Our business will also take advantage of the equipment depreciation under Section 179 of the IRS tax code, which will allow us to deduct as a depreciable expense the entire cost of the renewable energy equipment in one year.

There’s nothing more satisfying than watching our electric meter spin backward. Sure, we’ve had a few ups and downs.

That’s life. But generating our own renewable energy on-site has been pivotal to our success as a business and self-reliant homestead, and our goal of making the world a better place.

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Coppicing Trees for

Sustainable Firewood

You can grow firewood in a fraction of the time it takes to raise a tree from seed.

By Brett McLeod Illustrations by Keith Ward

O

f all the forestry techniques available to woodland owners, few methods are as underutilized as coppicing. Coppicing is a reproduction method wherein a tree is cut back periodically to stimulate new growth through dormant buds on the living stump, or “stool.” In turn, these buds develop into sprouts, also called “shoots,” capable of growing firewood in approximately half the time it would take to grow the same amount of wood from seed.

Growth Variables As a forester, I’m often asked how long it will take a tree to grow to a specific size. If I know something about the site, I can make an educated guess. However, more often than not, too many factors are at play to make any sort of reasonable estimate because both environmental and genetic factors influence growth rates. Environmental factors include climatic conditions as well as soil quality. Primary genetic attributes include vigor, disease resistance, photosynthetic efficiency, and species. Almost without exception, some species will grow faster than others, even in a less suitable environment. Willows, for example, will almost always outpace oaks in terms of growth rate, while beech trees in a northern hardwood forest are notorious for out-competing maples and birches, creating thick, single-species stands.

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Growth Rate vs. Energy Potential of Tree Species Million Btu / Cord*

Years to Produce 1 Cord / Acre†

Million Btu / Acre / Year

Poplar

13.7

1 to 3

13.7 to 4.6

Red alder

14.8

3 to 4

4.9 to 3.7

20

9 to 11

2.2 to 1.8

22.7

25 to 40

0.9 to 0.6

Species

Paper birch American beech

* Btu figures are based on seasoned wood at 20 percent moisture content and 85 cubic feet of wood per 128-cubic-foot cord to account for airspace. † Estimates are based on data from a variety of eastern hardwood sites. Conditions such as soil fertility, growing zone, water availability, and genetics will all have significant effects on actual yields.

How Coppicing Stacks Up Because of this natural variation, it’s important to avoid broad generalizations regarding yield. However, despite the many variables, coppice systems offer two clear benefits over trees grown from seed. The first benefit is reduced establishment time, meaning that you won’t need to wait for a seed to germinate, establish itself, and develop a full root system. The second benefit is that because coppice trees form multiple stems as opposed to a single trunk, you’ll have the opportunity to grow significantly more wood.

The following example illustrates how coppice firewood production stacks up against trees of seed origin. The two trees in this simple case study came from the same site to minimize variability.

First, I cut down a 40-year-old American beech tree with a single trunk, likely established from seed. The tree measured 8 inches in diameter at breast

height (DBH) and yielded one face cord.

I then harvested an 18-year-old, coppicegrown American beech tree that had four stems. The coppiced American beech also produced one face cord. In other words, coppicing encouraged equal wood production in less than half the time.

Trade-Off Between Time and Energy If you’re establishing a coppice woodlot for firewood production, you can expect an inverse relationship between the rate of growth and the energy potential of coppice species. If we were to rank four common species in terms of estimated growth rates and compare those growth rates to their energy potential, we’d see that, as a general rule, the wood from slower-growing trees contains more British thermal units (Btu) for the same volume of wood. (See the table “Growth Rate vs. Energy Potential of Tree Species” on this

page.) Be aware of this time and energy trade-off when you’re trying to decide which species to coppice, or when you’re purchasing firewood and are faced with the question of which species will yield the most heat per dollar.

Step-by-Step Guide to Coppicing Firewood Select trees with poor form that have little value as saw logs or other forest products to coppice. You can coppice at any time of year, but you’ll achieve the best results by coppicing trees when they’re dormant and leafless.

Cut low stumps. A low stump encourages the establishment of new shoots at or below ground level. This promotes the development of roots and increases the tree’s stability. The ideal new coppice stool should be only 2 to 3 inches above the ground and should slope slightly to shed water (see the illustration, below). If you’re harvesting a previously coppiced stool, cut along the same angle as your previous cut, just above the point at which the stool splits into multiple stems.

If you live in an area where animals are prone to browse, place branches around the stool as a deterrent. Another approach is to develop a coppice system that favors tree species that are less palatable to browsers. For example, animals are less likely to munch on beech and birch than on maple or oak.

Within four to eight weeks, you’ll begin to see numerous sprouts emerging from the stump, forming J-shaped

Roots in the Past

Coppicing as a management technique dates back to the Neolithic period, when people used coppice wood for a variety of purposes, ranging from beanpoles and lath to firewood and fence posts. Even into the 16th century, the economic importance of wood obtained through coppicing was so significant in England that King Henry VIII mandated the construction of fences around coppice forests throughout the country to protect them from browsing animals.

Cut the stump at a slight angle 2 to 3 inches above the ground. This will encourage root development and allow the stump to shed water.

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leaders (see illustration, below left). After leaf fall, clip off the smaller, less vigorous sprouts. On average, I leave four to six sprouts per stool (see illustration, below right).

The amount of time it will take you to produce your first firewood crop will vary depending on species, site, stool size, and desired firewood diameter. I tend to harvest most of my coppice firewood on an eight- to 12-year cycle. For my more productive trees, this will yield firewood that’s 3 to 4 inches in diameter — small enough to avoid splitting!

The beauty of coppice firewood production is that coppiced trees maintained in a juvenile stage will never die of old age.

The benefits of coppice systems also extend beyond simply providing firewood. The dense cluster of shoots around a stool provides vital habitat for birds and small mammals. And because coppice forests depend on healthy root systems, sound management of these forests also prevents erosion in the

Woodlot Lingo for the Coppice Forest

Btu: British thermal unit. A unit of energy equal to 1,055 joules. Commonly used to express the stored energy of firewood.

Coppicing: A method of reproducing trees through dormant harvesting that encourages continual growth of multiple stems.

Full cord: A stack of firewood measuring 8 feet long, 4 feet high, and 4 feet deep.

Face cord: A stack of firewood measuring 8 feet long, 4 feet high, and 16 inches deep. In other words, 1⁄3 of a full cord.

Stool: A living stump from which new coppice stems will grow.

Rhizosphere: The narrow region of soil that is directly influenced by root secretions and soil microorganisms, including fungi.

surrounding landscape, thanks largely to the stability afforded by a healthy rhizosphere capable of developing into a well-anchored mat of latticed roots. As for other uses, you can consider coppicing for animal fodder, basket splints, stakes, bentwood furniture, tool handles, and more.

You should notice numerous sprouts emerging from dormant buds on the living stump within four to eight weeks.

Remove the less vigorous sprouts after leaf fall, leaving four to six of the healthiest sprouts on each stool.

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www.masonryheater.Com

maren Cooke; from left:

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(O call b

Masonry Heaters Warm Your Home with a Gentle Giant

These super-efficient fireplaces produce long-lasting, comfortable warmth with less wood, work, time, and worry.

By Ken Matesz

from left:

maren Cooke;

www.masonryheater.Com

M

y mother didn’t raise no nincompoop, but she did raise one heck of a lazy man. So, when I got older and decided I was going to heat with wood instead of fossil fuels, I didn’t go the route of most homesteaders. Instead of a castiron woodstove that would need to be fed constantly, I installed an efficient, less labor-intensive masonry heater in my home.

Essentially, a masonry heater is an all-masonry fireplace designed to capture the heat produced by a single load of firewood that burns rapidly at high temperature. The heater then radiates the stored heat over a long period of time, often up to a full day. You may have heard of masonry heaters by different names, such as Russian fireplaces, German stoves, Finnish fireplaces, or maybe even kachelöfen. These names all refer to a version of a masonry heater.

Most of fall and spring, all I do to heat my 900-square-foot house is put a full load of wood — which for me is about 25 pounds — into the firebox of my masonry heater, get it burning with some newspaper and kindling, close the door, and then sit back and watch my mini-inferno. I don’t have to touch another stick of firewood for the rest of the day. In winter, I have to do this

A cutaway view of the Envirotech Radiant Fireplace reveals a complex flue pathway where heat exchange takes place.

twice every day — one load of fuel before breakfast, and then one more in the evening before I go to bed. I can go to sleep knowing there’s no fire burning in the house, but the heat is still on — no getting out of a warm bed in the middle of the night to throw another log or two into the woodstove.

For those of you who work away from home all day, this probably sounds mighty appealing. You can heat your home with wood even if no one is around to fuel the stove, and then come home after a long day to find your home warm and comfortable.

How Does It Work?

We usually expect heat to be generated only when something is burning. So how the heck do you heat a living space for 12 hours or more without constantly stoking a fire with fuel? The short answer is “with a battery.”

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(Opposite) Maren Cooke; masonryheater.com (coming soon) awaiting call back to see when site goes up.

9/28/18 1:00 PM

Masonry heaters channel hot exhaust from a fire through a winding path of flues built into the mass, warming every ounce of that massive structure. After they’re warm, they stay that way for a long time, like a concrete driveway in hot summer sun or that big rock next to your favorite swimming hole.

Flue Design

Ken Matesz (4)

Masonry heaters come in countless different designs and dimensions, from squat and wide to tall and thin.

Yet, they all share a common A view of the inside of a masonry heater (above) reveals the refractory bricks that make up the firebox and design element in that they rely flue system. The custom-built Maumee (below) takes up little more room than a typical metal woodstove. on a long maze of flues. This is where the heat exchange We walk on a huge battery every day and call it “Earth.” takes place. The exhaust from the fire leaves the firebox and The sun warms the Earth’s surface, which is where warm circulates many feet along a path that sometimes goes down, breezes come from. The heat storage capacity of the world is sometimes up, sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes what makes living on it possible. That same capacity is built forward, sometimes backward, before it finally exits the heater into a masonry heater. Most masonry heaters weigh between and floats up the chimney (see illustration on Page 145).

1 and 5 tons. That’s 2,000 to 10,000 pounds of heat-storing All the flues are made with refractory masonry materials masonry mass! that absorb the heat from the exhaust and charge the massive

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heat-storage battery. As a masonry heater designer, my goal is to incorporate the right amount of surface area for heat exchange. I want the maximum amount of heat extracted before the exhaust reaches the chimney. If done correctly, just enough heat will be left for the exhaust to rise up the chimney and out of the house.

The result is high-efficiency heating. Heating efficiency is a measure of how much of the heat generated by burning fuel actually stays in your house, contributing to your comfort.

When I design for maximum heat exchange in the heater, I’m maximizing heating efficiency too.

After the fire is out and no more heat absorption is happening, the heat stored in the mass starts migrating to the exterior of the masonry heater. As the exterior of the heater gets warmer and warmer, it emits more and more radiant heat into the living space. It also directly heats air that passes by the surface of the heater. When properly designed, it will continue to radiate and transfer heat from its exterior surfaces for many hours after the fire dies. The design of a masonry heater determines the length of a heating period, typically at least 12 hours. Thus, two firing sessions per day are sufficient to heat a living space for a full day, even on the coldest days of winter.

Ken Matesz (4)

Radiant Heat One of the best things about a masonry heater is that it mostly produces radiant heat. If you’re unsure what that means, go outside on a calm, sunny day, close your eyes, and turn your face to the sun. The warmth you feel is the radiant heat of the sun that traveled millions of miles to brush your rosy

cheeks. The radiant heat from a masonry heater has exactly the same feeling. It’s not a heat that drives you out of the room, like that from a metal woodstove when it’s glowing cherry-red. Masonry heaters produce a calm, persistent, and gentle warmth that invites you in like Grandma offering fresh-baked cookies.

The human body responds positively to radiant heat. Your skin relaxes when it comes into contact with gentle radiant heat. Even the blood vessels in your skin respond positively, opening and promoting good circulation and warmth.

Most homes these days aren’t really heated at all. Forced-air furnaces — and woodstoves too — mainly heat air. Warm air from a furnace serves as a blanket that reduces heat loss from the people inside the heated space. If you heat with a forced-air furnace, the air temperature in your house is probably around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. But your core body temperature is around 99 degrees, and your body surface temperature is around 80 degrees. You can’t heat an 80- to 100-degree body using 70-degree air. It would be like trying to reheat leftover chili using an ice cube!

Which brings me back to the masonry heater: A functioning masonry heater will usually have a surface temperature between 120 and 200 degrees — warmer than your body.

One of the benefits of the moderate surface temperature of the masonry heater has to do with safety. You can briefly touch a 200-degree masonry surface and not get burned.

That’s a lot different than the blistering capability of a hot metal woodstove. In this way, a masonry heater is safer for children to be around.

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Mark Twain traveled to Europe in the 1800s and experienced masonry heaters for the first time where they originated, in the cold regions of the Old World. He praised them up and down in Europe and Elsewhere, writing: “All day long and until past midnight, all parts of the room will be delightfully warm and comfortable, and there will be no headaches and no sense of closeness or oppression. In an American room, whether heated by steam, hot water, or open fires, the neighborhood of the register or the fireplace is warmest — the heat is not equally diffused throughout the room; but in a German room, one is as comfortable in one part of it as in another. Nothing is gained or lost by being near the stove. Its surface is not hot; you can put your hand on it anywhere and not get burnt. Consider these things. One firing is enough for the day; the cost is next to nothing; the heat produced is the same all day, instead of too hot and too cold by turns; one may absorb himself in his business in peace; he does not need to feel any anxieties of solicitudes about the fire; his whole day is a realized dream of bodily comfort.”

Besides the benefits in comfort Twain mentions, masonry 148 THE BEST OF MOTHER EARTH NEWS

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Ken Matesz

clockwise from far left:

Praise for Masonry

heaters also burn cleanly: Dry wood with the right amount of oxygen will burn completely and with virtually no smoke.

A well-designed masonry heater achieves about 95 percent combustion of the fuel at temperatures exceeding 1,100 degrees. The predominant exhaust is carbon dioxide and water.

The effect of such clean burning, combined with a masonry heater’s designed ability to store the heat of combustion, provides an additional benefit in that it uses less firewood than you might imagine. When living in my previous home of 2,000 square feet, I compared notes with a friend who lived in a home with the same square footage (though his was actually better insulated). He was using 8 to 10 cords of wood to heat his house each year with a cast-iron woodstove, while I was using 4 to 5 cords in my masonry heater. Not an empirical study, by any means, but it sure was an eye-opener for him. Poor guy splits enough wood in one year to heat my house for two years!

Some masonry heaters incorporate cooktops or ovens (or both), expanding the heater’s versatility. In a cookstove, flue gases usually come in contact with a cast-iron cooking surface before moving through the masonry mass, which then captures the residual heat. The bake-oven option is a way of using the same fuel that heats your living space to cook food.

The low-ceilinged oven is unique in the baking world: It cooks food with convection, conduction, and radiant heat, all at the same time.

One of the great advantages of using a masonry heater is that it is just as effective and efficient regardless of the wood species used for fuel. Contrary to popular belief, softwoods aren’t necessarily a poorer choice than hardwoods for heating.

In truth, all wood species have roughly the same heating capacity per pound of dried wood fuel. Softwoods are a real problem for those with typical metal stoves because the fuel burns so fast. If you damper the fire from a high-sap

kirste carson; Brigit mccall; maren cooke; John matesz

The Euclid masonry heater (above) boasts sandstone and soapstone construction. A simple colored-stucco heater (left) radiates soothing warmth as it blends seamlessly into the architecture of the home.

softwood, you generate lots of creosote and smoke. This is not an issue with a masonry heater, in which all fuel is burned quickly and at high temperatures with the right amount of oxygen for clean combustion.

clockwise from far left:

kirste carson; Brigit mccall; maren cooke; John matesz

Weighing the Options Less work. Less wood. Gentle, persistent heat. No constant stoking. Less likely to burn your kid’s fingertips. And did I mention how beautiful they can be? My, who wouldn’t want a masonry heater? (Well, besides you folks who like working harder than you have to.) But before you place your order, there are some things to consider.

First, masonry heaters are doggone heavy. They need a firm foundation. The most typical way this is done is by building a footer and concrete block foundation up to the main level from the basement or crawl-space floor. On that structure, a slab is then poured on which a masonry heater can be built.

Also, a masonry heater is usually designed to radiate heat from all surfaces — front, back, sides, top, and sometimes even the bottom. So, the best location for one is in the center of a living space rather than against an outside wall. A lot of people make a masonry heater a room divider, placing it between a dining room and living room, or between a family room and kitchen. Open floorplans, without a lot of walls, ensure that radiant heat travels unimpeded through the house. None of these are strict requirements, just best-case scenarios.

The central location is also functional from the venting standpoint. An effective, efficient, and trouble-free masonry heater requires a chimney with good, reliable draft. The ideal way to make that happen is to have the chimney inside the heated space of the house as much as possible.

This happens naturally from a central location so that the chimney eventually exits the home close to the ridge of the roof — the tallest part of the house. This also minimizes the possibility of roof leaks. A chimney that exits lower on the roof is downstream from precipitation and is thus more likely to catch dirt and debris that may degrade the watertightness of protective flashing over time.

And, finally, you won’t get all the benefits, beauty, and functionality at a low cost. Masonry heaters are the Cadillacs of the wood-heating world, and they have the price tag to prove it.

If you hire a masonry heater professional to build one for you, plan to pay about what you would for a new car, from about $10,000 to $30,000 — or more for something extra-large, truly custom, and one-of-a-kind.

This may sound like a lot of money. But this is an allmasonry, lifetime, heirloom appliance. You’ll enjoy it, and it will still be performing at peak efficiency when the next generation takes over. For decades after installation, the heater will keep on giving lots of radiant comfort with little effort on your part. I like to remind people that they do, indeed, spend the same kind of money for their cars and trucks, and then buy yet another vehicle a few years later. Your masonry heater won’t lose all its value after you drive it off the lot. It’s a rock-solid investment — pun intended.

Maren Cooke relaxes on the heated bench of her masonry heater, which also features hidden piping for providing hot water to her home.

The author holds 35 pounds of oak — more than enough wood to heat his 900-square-foot home in Ohio for a full day in spring and fall.

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Aaron Matesz (will soon be different photo); Maren Cooke

9/28/18 1:02 PM

Assess Your Site for

Wind Power

If you’re considering wind-electric generation, take a moment to assess potential sites for a turbine on your property.

W

ind power in the form of windmills has been around for a long time. Relatively short towers once hosted large rotors with many blades to produce the power and torque needed for tasks such as grinding grains and running machinery. During the 1930s, wind-electric generators made their way into rural areas lacking electric power lines. These low-voltage machines were primarily used to charge batteries that powered low-voltage direct current (DC) home appliances. Some were dedicated to pumping water.

Today, a handful of manufacturers produce wind-electric turbines for both grid-tied systems and off-grid batterycharging applications. “Turbine” generally refers to the combination of blade set and generator assembly, while “generator” refers specifically to the electricityproducing unit.

Modern wind machines use highefficiency generators or alternators and highly refined blade designs and materials for maximum efficiency. Other windelectric devices range from small rooftop wind machines to vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) designs. While there is encouraging research on these new designs,

current best practices for harvesting wind energy highlight the traditional horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). I’ll follow suit and focus on how wind fundamentals apply to HAWT.

Using Wind Energy Wind turbines generate electricity by capturing the wind’s energy as it rotates two or three propeller-like blades attached to a generator that produces electricity when it spins. The turbines are mounted on towers 100 feet tall or taller to take advantage of the faster, stronger, and less turbulent wind at that height.

Many locations have some potential for

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Getty ImaGes/lucentIus

By Paul Scheckel

Getty ImaGes/lucentIus

capturing wind energy, but the resource varies widely with location, season, and time of day. Elevation, exposure, terrain, and trees or other obstructions all affect available wind energy.

Most small wind turbines employ an “upwind” configuration, meaning the rotor spins in front of the tower, oriented into the wind by a tail vane downwind of the rotor. Kingspan wind products are the notable exception; they’re downwind and don’t have a tail. Downwind turbines look unconventional, but they can perform just as well as their upwind counterparts.

Large utility-scale generators and residential grid-tied systems produce alternating current (AC), but a number of DC wind generators can be used as battery chargers for off-grid applications. In either case, the power must be managed and manipulated before it can be used.

Residential wind generators range in peak power generation from 50 watts to 10 kilowatts or more, and may cost between $3 and $5 per peak “rated” watt.

While the peak power rating of a wind generator may help you understand the unit's relative size and capacity, it’s not the best measure for comparing machines, because it has little bearing on how much energy will be delivered over time.

Before buying and installing any windelectric system, you must assess your site for wind power potential, determine how much energy you hope the wind will produce, and research which models will deliver what you need based on your site and the models’ specifications. You’ll likely have a few options, and you’ll need to compare differences in cost, quality, durability, sound level, and production level at your site. Also, be sure to know what’s covered by each manufacturer’s warranty, as this is a good indicator of a company’s trust in its own products.

Estimating Wind Energy The amount of energy that can be captured from moving air is a function of wind speed, wind collector area (called the swept area), and air density. You can calculate the wind energy available at a particular site with a particular machine yourself, but be sure to stick to one set of units — metric or imperial — when working with formulas.

Swept Area Trumps All In terms of evaluating the potential performance of a wind turbine, swept area is the most important factor. Swept area is the circular area described by the

spinning rotor. It can be expressed in square feet or square meters. It’s reported on manufacturer specifications, but you can calculate it yourself using the rotor diameter and applying the formula for the area of a circle: Swept area = π x radius 2 For example, if your wind turbine has a rotor diameter of 10 units (the units may be any measure of length), the radius is 5 units. Therefore, the swept area is 3.14 x 5 2 = 78.5 square units.

Swept area increases exponentially with rotor diameter. Compare our 10-unit rotor with the swept area of a 12-unitdiameter rotor: 3.14 x 6 2 = 113 square units As these examples show, a 20 percent increase in rotor diameter results in a swept area increase of 44 percent. Doubling the length of the rotor blades quadruples the swept area, and so on. Simply put, the greater the swept area, the more energy a wind generator will produce, given the same wind resource. The chart on Page 152 shows that doubling the swept area doubles the potential power output.

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Left to right: An upwind HAWT, the most common turbine design; a downwind HAWT, an unusual but effective design; and two common VAWT designs.

Air Density Blade assembly makes up the rotor

Tail

Generator/Alternator

Tower

Air density, expressed in pounds per cubic foot or kilograms per cubic meter, decreases with increasing altitude, temperature, and humidity. Manufacturers rate the output of their machines at a standard temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit and sea level elevation.

Air density has a relatively small effect on available energy when compared with wind speed, but basically, there’s more energy available in a flow of cold, dry air at low altitude than from warm, humid air high in the mountains. All other things being equal, the change in air density is roughly 3 percent for every 1,000 feet in elevation change.

Wind Speed and Power The basic elements of an upwind HAWT; all of these elements contribute to the turbine's energy production.

Wind speed is expressed in miles per hour (mph) or meters per second (mps); 1 mph is equivalent to 0.447 mps, conversely, 1 mps is equivalent to 2.24 mph.

Power increases cubically with velocity, so doubling the wind speed increases the available energy eightfold.

Small changes in wind speed yield dramatic changes in energy produced (see "Power Relative to Wind Speed," Page153). Keep in mind that the actual power output of a turbine varies with the swept area and generator capacity, but wind velocity and power always maintain the same relationship.

Note: Many wind turbines don’t start turning until the wind speed overcomes the inertia of the system, often between 7 and 10 mph. This is called the cutin speed. It’s not worthwhile to try to capture winds below about 8 mph; in addition, winds above 30 mph are likely to damage a turbine that’s still trying to generate electricity with them. Most turbines have mechanisms to limit speed and protect themselves in high winds. Be wary of advertising that claims energy performance values in winds below 6 mph — it just isn’t going to happen! Likewise, performance claims above about 30 mph indicate that someone wants to sell you a machine that may end up tearing itself apart in high winds.

relative power output

Power Relative to Swept Area 600 500 400 300 200 100 Storey PubliShing (5)

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relative power output

Power Relative to Wind Speed 6000

5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 6

8

10 12

14 16 18 20 22 24 26 wind speed

Calculating Wind Energy Energy, expressed in watt-hours for our purposes, is a quantity of power (wattage) produced over time. The energy produced by a wind generator is a function of four elements: 1 Average wind speed at the tower site.

2 Tower height (taller towers provide access to faster, more consistent winds than those available closer to the ground).

3 Wind speed frequency distribution, based on data showing how many hours during the year the wind blows within a certain speed range (this range of combined data points is called bin data).

4 Wind turbine power curve, indicating the power produced by the generator at various wind speeds.

The power available in the wind can be expressed by the following relationship: Power = (air density ÷ 2) x swept area x (wind speed 3)

STOREY PUBLISHING (5)

Power and Energy Curves Manufacturers publish power curves showing their machines’ power output, in watts, at various wind speeds. A power curve is mostly useful for determining whether, when, and to what extent the machine will protect itself in high winds.

If the power curve drops off steeply at wind speeds above 25 mph, the turbine’s over-speed protection mechanism has likely activated, and the rotor will furl, or turn itself out of the wind, and stop producing. A small drop or flattening of the curve may indicate at what speed the

28 30

blades will pitch, limiting the rotor to a maximum speed.

More useful than a power curve is the energy curve. This is the real nugget of information you'll want to use when estimating the value of a wind turbine at your site. The energy curve indicates how many kilowatt-hours are produced over a specific period of time, given the average wind speed at the turbine’s location.

Estimating Wind Speed It’s tempting to judge wind generators by their maximum power output; however, this measurement is taken at a specific (but arbitrary) wind speed. One manufacturer might rate the output of its machines in 24 mph winds, while another might rate

its machines’ output in 28 mph winds.

The additional power produced at higher wind speeds might make the 28 mph machine look somehow better than the other. However, the rated power output isn’t an indication of energy delivered!

Until recently, there was no standard for small wind turbine performance ratings. A new American Wind Energy Association (www.awea.org ) standard specifies 24.6 mph as the speed at which output power is rated. The Small Wind Certification Council (www.smallwindcertification. org) is working independently to verify test results and to certify and label wind machines to the AWEA standard so that consumers have a better understanding of performance ratings and comparisons.

Rated Annual Energy Rather than being overly concerned with the maximum power rating (watts), you’ll want to know how much energy (kilowatt-hours) a generator will deliver at your site and in your wind conditions.

For this reason, it’s best to compare wind machines by swept area and the test results of energy production at various average wind speeds, rather than by rated power output. When comparing machines using the SWCC ratings, the important value is the rated annual energy.

Wind-electric systems operating in lower average wind speeds will produce less energy than those in higher average speeds.

Placing Your Wind Generator

Once you’ve made the decision to add a wind generator to your SPONSORED BY property, one of your initial considerations will need to be where to locate the wind generator for optimal performance. Here are a few suggestions, sponsored by www.whisperingwindsinc.com : • Research annual wind speeds in your area and the direction of the prevailing winds. A good source for weather information for your area is the National Weather Service (www.weather.gov ).

• The top or windy side of a hill on your property would make for a good location. Avoid gullies or tree-protected sites.

• Consider obstacles in the path of your wind generator; houses, outbuildings, trees, and other windbreaks may all impede the performance of your wind generator.

• If your wind generator is free-standing and requires guy wires (wires anchored to the ground for stability), make sure you leave adequate room to secure the wires.

• Visit www.energy.gov and search for “Installing a Small Wind-Electric System” to find more information on wind power generation and location.

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Before building an expensive addition to the list of things you need to maintain, obtain long-term (at least one year’s worth) wind speed data for the specific site you’re considering. You have several ways to find data, and they vary in ease and accuracy.

Internet tools. The U.S. Department of Energy’s WINDExchange website offers a wealth of information about wind power (windexchange.energy.gov). The National Centers for Environmental Information (www.ncdc.noaa.gov) maintain long-term records of wind speeds in various locations around the United States. In addition to this historical data, there are other online

resources that offer reasonable estimates of wind energy availability in many places around the country. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (www.nrel. gov) has produced some excellent wind resource maps (estimated for turbines placed 80 meters aboveground) that others are using to build estimating tools. One such effort is the Distributed Wind Site Analysis Tool (dsat.cadmusgroup.com), which guides you through selecting a site and a machine. Most residential systems use towers about 30 meters tall, which operate with somewhat lower wind speeds.

Subjective assessment. Aids such as the Beaufort scale and the Griggs-Putnam Index of Deformity can give you a general sense of the wind resource at your location, but an accurate assessment will require more rigorous testing. The Beaufort scale

Renewable Resources

Energy expert Paul Scheckel offers practical advice on the fundamentals of solar, wind, water, and biofuel energy production in The Homeowner's Energy Handbook. Each chapter provides comprehensive discussion of renewables, along with stepby-steps for building your own energy-saving (and energy-producing) equipment. Whether you want to button up your house to be more energy-efficient, find deep energy savings, or take your home entirely off the grid, this guide has the knowledge and skills you'll need to reduce your use, then produce! Order at www.motherearthnews.com/store or by calling 800-234-3368; please use code MMEPAIZD.

only works in the moment, and you’ll need long-term data; the Griggs-Putnam index can be useful if you have a lot of conifers around, as they’re especially susceptible to permanent deformation in consistent winds. However, even if you don’t see any growth deformation in local trees, you may have a decent wind resource. You’ll need concrete data to confirm the wind resource available to you.

You can assess the presence of buildings, trees, and other obstructions that may create wind turbulence subjectively.

Turbulence is very hard on wind turbines, creating lots of stress on bearings and the tower without much power to show for it. Avoid subjecting your turbine to unnecessary turbulence by locating it well away from wind obstructions.

Recording anemometer. The most accurate way to measure site-specific wind resources is to use a recording anemometer. This device measures wind speed along with the duration of specific speed ranges and stores the data electronically, allowing you to quantify the “wind regime” at your site accurately and to estimate long-term energy production.

For accurate measurements, place the anemometer at the same height as your proposed wind generator. Data-logging systems are available from professional wind equipment suppliers.

Before buying anything, assess not only wind-electric systems, but also the wind resource at your proposed site. With the right preparation, you can harvest energy from the air itself.

Getty ImaGes (2)/JavIer vuelta, reIseGraf

Gathering Data

Left: In areas where solar energy is less reliable, wind power may be a profitable choice for homeowners. Right: Wind power has long been used to pump water in rural areas.

from left:

Remember, the cubic relationship between wind speed and watts means that doubling the wind speed available to your wind turbine will increase the available power eightfold. Cutting the wind speed in half will result in one-eighth the performance.

Increasing your turbine’s aboveground height will offer access to faster, more consistent, less turbulent winds. In general, a minimum average annual wind speed of 10 to 12 mph is the point at which wind power generation makes economic sense, depending on the cost of electricity in your area. (There are, of course, other values you might want to place on wind power.)

This doesn’t mean the wind blows 10 mph or more all the time; it’s an average of the wind velocities occurring throughout the year. Sometimes the wind is at 0 mph, while other times it may blow at gale force.

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Brew Backyard

Root Beer

With a little experimentation, you can learn how to make your own version of this historic, herb-infused soda using foraged ingredients.

By Susan Verberg

GETTY IMAGES/BHOFACK2

A

fter moving to an area where microbreweries pop out of the ground like mushrooms in wet weather, our European family couldn’t help but encounter the uniquely American experience of homemade root beer. Although we already enjoyed the bounties of our homestead in the forms of fresh goat’s milk, pressed cider, and a wonderful tea garden, our kid’s favorite beverage is now root beer. So, when Simon needed to pick an item for show and tell, of course he asked to learn how to make root beer from scratch. And in the end, I figured that a little botanical scavenger hunt and some basic brewing skills could do the kid a world of good.

Today, we know root beer as a sugary soda, but it wasn’t always that way. Botanical infusions have likely been concocted since the invention of fire, but as sassafras is native to North America, root beverages with sassafras aren’t often encountered overseas.

Europeans had a tradition of making “small beers” — fermented drinks with a very low alcohol content. When they arrived in North America, they applied those techniques to the culinary and

medicinal sassafras beverages of many Native American tribes, and that combination slowly evolved into the commercial root beer we know today.

Initially, root beverages were one of many low-alcohol options in Colonial America, all of which were considered safer to drink than the often-polluted surface water, and deemed healthy because of the addition of medicinal herbs. While these root beverages had been around for centuries, the 19th-century pharmacist Charles Hires is generally credited with the creation of root beer, as he came up with the first marketable recipe. He sold packages of dry “Hires Root Tea” in his store. When the Centennial International Exposition of 1876 occurred in Philadelphia, Hires changed the name of his product from “root tea” to “root beer” to appeal to the working class. He later developed a liquid concentrate, and finally began bottling the finished soda to sell.

In 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of real sassafras in commercial root beer and other foods, as studies found a prominent compound in the root bark, safrole, to be carcinogenic. With a flavor similar to that of sassafras, wintergreen made a ready replacement. Today, most root beers contain neither FOOD • WWW.MOTHEREARTHNEWS.COM 155

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Simon’s Root Beer • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

0.6 ounce black birch bark or wintergreen leaves 0.6 ounce spicebush bark from young twigs 0.3 ounce dandelion root 1 tablespoon grated ginger root 0.3 ounce white birch bark 0.3 ounce wild or black cherry bark 0.3 ounce licorice root 0.3 ounce juniper berries 1 cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon packed hops flowers 21⁄2 quarts water 1 cup raw sugar 1 package top-fermenting ale yeast (or commercial bread yeast) 4 to 5 flip-top bottles

Simon carefully scraped the bark from white birch trees, grated ginger root, and stirred the heating infusion. One day later, we poured a finished brew into flip-top bottles to ferment.

Now comes the fun part! Simon and I went on a scavenger hunt to gather as many ingredients as we could from our backyard and the surrounding property. Simon made name cards to label each baggie and keep our ingredients sorted. We dug up dandelion roots; scraped bark off white birch trees; gathered hops; hunted down fresh black birch twigs (and had them as a snack) and young spicebush twigs; and braved the goats to pick a handful of juniper berries.

Back in the kitchen, while I read the recipe out loud, Simon scraped the bark off the wintergreen and spicebush twigs. He chopped the dandelion root and grated the ginger root. He broke the birch bark, the cherry bark, and the dried licorice root into little pieces. He picked the juniper berries from their branches and crushed the cinnamon stick flat.

After measuring each wild-harvested ingredient on our scale, Simon added them one by one to a big sauce pot. Then, he measured and added the water. I turned on the stove, and we brought everything up to a rolling boil. Once the infusion was boiling, we lowered the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes with a lid on. We then turned off the heat, and left the infusion to cool down and grow strong overnight.

The next day, we carefully strained the botanicals from the liquid. We added 1 cup of raw sugar to the filtered liquid and stirred until everything was dissolved. Simon carefully poured the infusion into recycled flip-top soda bottles, and we added a pinch of dry yeast to each bottle before capping. Before filling

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sassafras nor wintergreen, as neither is very shelf-stable, and the drink is made with artificial flavorings instead.

But back to our homestead: The root beer our family likes to make is a low-alcohol, fermented infusion of herbs, barks, and berries, both homegrown and wild-harvested, and is more like historic small beer than modern commercial root beer.

For the first two weeks or so after refrigeration, it’s perfectly safe for kids to drink. After sitting longer than that (which rarely happens in our household), the alcohol levels begin to rise. Simon’s Root Beer recipe, below, does not include sassafras or sarsaparilla; we opted to substitute with spicebush and black birch, as both grow in our backyard and have scents and flavors similar to those of the more traditional plants.

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your bottles, don’t forget to sterilize anything that will come in contact with the infusion, to avoid contamination. Run all your equipment and containers through the extra-hot cycle of a dishwasher, soak them in iodine or grain alcohol, or boil them for 10 minutes.

After capping, leave the bottles in a warm place for two to three days to start fermentation. When you’re satisfied with the amount of fermentation, refrigerate the bottles to slow down or stop the yeast activity altogether.

There were a few ingredients we couldn’t find, so we purchased them at our local health food store. We substituted some ingredients as well; for instance, no sassafras grows in upstate New York, but there’s plenty of spicebush, which has a similar flavor. And while we don’t have the common European juniper, our property came with some healthy specimens of Virginia juniper. Though much different in size, both juniper varieties have small blue berries (technically called “cones”). This is all to illustrate that what you can use for your homemade root beer isn’t set in stone; you can and should tailor your recipe to your locally available plants and your taste.

That’s exactly what happened in the past as well: Many

regions had their own favorite root beer recipe, with secrets passed down through generations. Now, you have the building blocks to make your own family recipe and see it become part of your homestead history!

Ingredients to Forage

Below is a list of delicious ingredients you can use to make your own root beer. Find what grows nearby and experiment, using the amounts in the recipe for Simon’s Root Beer (Page 156) as guidelines, until you find what tastes great to you!

Roots and Herbs Black or sweet birch (Betula lenta): sap, syrup, resin, and bark Black cherry (Prunus serotina): bark and resin Black spruce (Picea mariana) Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): root Greater burdock (Arctium lappa): root Jamaican sarsaparilla (Smilax regelii) Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): root Red spruce (Picea rubens) Vera Cruz pepper (Piper auritum) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum): roots and bark Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) Spicebush (Lindera benzoin): bark Sweet sarsaparilla (Smilax glyciphylla) Wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens): leaves and berries

Spices Allspice (Pimenta dioica) Anise (Pimpinella anisum) Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) Cassia (Cinnamomum aromaticum): bark Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum): bark Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) Coriander (Coriandrum sativum): seeds Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) Ginger (Zingiber officinale): stem and rhizome Hop (Humulus lupulus): bells Juniper (Juniperus communis): berries Mint (Mentha spp.)

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) Star anise (Illicium verum) Sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare): seeds Tolu balsam (Myroxylon balsamum)

Other Ingredients

After it ferments for a few days in a warm place, refrigerate your root beer. It will be completely safe for kids to drink for up to two weeks.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare), malted Honey Molasses Sugar, raw Top fermenting ale yeast, or commercial bread yeast

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How to Store & Protect A reader shares how to properly store food items for the long haul.

W

ith all the time and money you put into having a food pantry, you want to protect it.

Nothing is more disappointing than seeing your food investment ruined by natural elements or bugs. Knowing what your food’s worst enemies are, understanding how they can infiltrate and ruin your food, and then taking steps to prevent their havoc will help you preserve your food investment for the long term.

Everything from sunlight and moisture to bugs and bacteria can damage your

With proper storage, many food items can remain viable for several years.

food. If you’re planning to store long-term foodstuffs, such as rice, beans, dry milk, or sugar, you’ll want to consider repackaging those items. Companies package most of the dry goods we purchase for short-term use, meaning those goods likely won’t hold up during long-term storage. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also allows certain defects in our food sources, with mold, insects, and insect eggs on the list of approved defects.

Any of the following food-storage products will help your stores last longer than if you hadn’t repackaged them, but I recommend the multi-barrier approach, detailed at the end of this article.

Food-grade 5-gallon buckets are popular among those who store bulk quantities of food, probably because they’re an excellent choice for food storage. Typically,

a food-grade container has the number “2” stamped inside the recycling symbol or with the acronym “HDPE” stamped below it. Before you place any food inside the bucket, clean it with soapy water, and then rinse and dry it thoroughly.

Be sure the lid you purchase container is airtight and spill-proof. Lids with gaskets and gamma lids are both good choices because they don’t require a lid opener.

They’re typically a little more expensive compared with traditional bucket lids, but they’re easier to open and close.

Food liners made from polyester film, such as Mylar bags, are another option for storing dry goods. In my book The Prepper’s Cookbook (available at www.motherearthnews.com/store), I noted research has shown that oxygen seeps slowly through the walls of plastic containers over time. Consequently, natural elements and even insects can find a way inside. Adding a polyester film liner will ensure there are multiple barriers to protect the food. The thickest grade (5 millimeters or more) is a worthwhile investment. The added benefits of using polyester bags are they can last up to 20 years, and you can reuse them.

Oxygen absorbers, which inhibit the growth of aerobic pathogens and molds, greatly prolong the shelf life of stored food. Oxygen absorbers begin working the moment they’re exposed to oxygen, so work as efficiently as possible after you open the package. One way to do this is to prepare all of your containers, noting how many oxygen absorbers you’ll need. Then, you can take out the oxygen absorbers from their sealed package and quickly seal the remaining oxygen absorbers using a food sealer. Oxygen absorbers come in assorted sizes, so you’ll want to pay attention to the proper size for each container. Typically, you should expect to add 2,000 cubic centimeters (cc) of

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Queren King-OrOzcO (3)

Food Long-Term

Polyester food liners and oxygen absorbers defend against oxygen and insects. Oxygen absorbers also inhibit aerobic pathogens and molds.

oxygen absorbers to one 5-gallon bucket.

Oxygen absorbers aren’t edible, but they’re nontoxic and won’t affect the smell or taste of your stored food.

Desiccant packets moderate the moisture level within a container. They don’t absorb the moisture. That desiccant is inedible, and if a packet breaks and spills onto your stored food, you’ll need to throw it all away. Desiccant shouldn’t be used with certain items, such as flour, sugar, and salt. These items need a certain amount of moisture to stay edible; otherwise, they’ll turn into a brick.

Food-grade diatomaceous earth provides a more natural approach to food storage. Diatomaceous earth is comprised of the fossilized remains of diatoms. It’s organic and safe to use on food, and acts as both an insect repellent and desiccating agent. You can add 1 cup diatomaceous earth to each 25 pounds of food.

Use a Multi-Barrier Process While there are multiple ways to ensure food sources are properly stored, in my home, we use a multi-barrier approach.

Keep in mind that this storage method is for dry foods you plan to store for a year or

longer. Sealing food using a multi-barrier process isn’t difficult, but it does take some time. When my family is ready to seal food, we set aside a few hours to do a bulk store. Our food stays as fresh as the day we sealed it, and in 10 years of storing food, I’ve never had an issue with food spoiling or being ruined by bugs. You’ll need: • Food-grade 5-gallon bucket with lid • Polyester food storage bag (5 millimeters in thickness) • Oxygen absorbers and desiccant packets • Diatomaceous earth (optional) • Heat clamp, flat iron, or some other method for sealing the polyester bag

The Sealing Process 1 Place a properly sized polyester food liner in a clean, dry plastic container. For example, if you’re using a 5-gallon bucket, you’ll want to use an 18-by-28-inch or a 20-by-30-inch bag.

2 Put an oxygen absorber in the bottom of the bag. Add a desiccant packet to the bottom only if the food calls for it.

3 Begin pouring food into the polyester bag. When the bag is about half full, shake it to make sure the food gets into all the crevices of the bag.

4 Continue adding food until the bag is 3⁄4 full. Put another oxygen absorber on top of the contents.

5 Begin folding the polyester bag down to release any trapped air.

6 Using a heat clamp or a flat iron on its highest setting, create a seal across the bag in a straight line, leaving the last 2 or 3 inches unsealed.

7 Push out the remaining trapped air, and then finish sealing the bag.

8 If you wish, put another oxygen absorber on top of the sealed bag in the storage container, and secure the lid.

9 Place your container of food in a dark storage area where temperature, moisture levels, and amount of sunlight won’t fluctuate.

This is one of the best ways to prolong the longevity of your food to ensure you have plenty for years to come. When I first began my food pantry, I never imagined that the food I stored in 2007 would still be feeding my family today!

Food is an investment into your future and your family’s livelihood. Do all you can to protect that investment.

Tess Pennington www.readynutrition.com

Oxygen Absorber Size Requirements 1-Quart Pouch

#10 Can (0.82 Gallon)

5-Gallon Bucket

6-Gallon Bucket

Flour, pancake mix, fine powders

50 to 100 cc

200 to 300 cc

750 cc

1000 cc

Sugar, salt, dry milk

50 to 100 cc

200 to 300 cc

750 cc

1000 cc

Rice, grains (wheat berries, oats, etc.)

50 to 100 cc

200 to 300 cc

750 to 1,000 cc

1000 to 1,500 cc

Dry beans

100 to 150 cc

300 to 500 cc

1,000 cc

1,500 cc

Pasta

100 to 200 cc

300 to 600 cc

1,000 to 1,500 cc

1,500 to 2,000 cc

Queren King-OrOzcO (3)

Food Items

947 cc

3,910 cc

18,942 cc

22,730 cc

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from left:

Getty ImaGes (2)/stanIslav ostranItsa,

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Curing Meat at Home Bring fancy food to your everyday plate by learning how to make the cold, cooked meats known as charcuterie.

By Meredith Leigh

C

ured meats are growing in popularity, and that’s a very good thing. Our modern notion of charcuterie as gourmet has created cultural and culinary blockades against the best representation of cured meat.

The truth is, home cooks can cure meat.

Good charcuterie starts with good meat and good fat from an animal that had a

good life, a good death, a good butcher, and a good cook. The surest way to find such meat and fat is through direct relationships with farmers. Look for meat that has healthy lean muscle, is deep in color, and is firm but springy in texture.

The fat should be creamy and white, and at least somewhat plentiful. As you develop your charcuterie practice, you’ll recognize quality meat and fat almost instantly via texture, scent, and color.

Ground meat has more surface area, which means a bigger playground for bacteria, so safety and sanitation are very important when preparing charcuterie. Be sure to keep your work area, your hands, and your equipment as clean as possible.

You’ll also want to keep everything as cold as possible. You may want to take a break in the middle of processing to let the meat chill in the refrigerator to ensure

from left:

Getty ImaGes (2)/stanIslav ostranItsa,

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Rabbit Andouille

Rabbit is on the rise as a nutritious source of lean meat, and it’s perfect for any homestead. Rabbit meat has twice the protein of poultry, and a deep flavor that lends itself well to this Cajun-style andouille. Dial down the cayenne, and even some of the black pepper, if you don’t want too much spice. Yield: about 31⁄2 pounds stuffed sausage.

Directions: Mix rabbit meat, pork back fat, salt, peppers, thyme, ground bay leaves, and red wine, and freeze uncovered on a pan lined with parchment paper.

Grind through the coarse plate of Ingredients your meat grinder, then re-grind 1 • 2 ⁄2 pounds rabbit half of the mix. Combine the mix meat thoroughly and test for taste.

• 1 pound pork back fat Adjust seasonings if necessary • 1 ounce salt before stuffing into the prepared • 0.5 ounce black pepper hog casings.

• 0.4 ounce cayenne Dry overnight, then smoke pepper using pecan wood until the • 0.4 ounce dried thyme internal temperature of the • 2 bay leaves, ground sausage is 145 degrees 3 • ⁄4 cup red wine Fahrenheit.

This dish is tasty • 5 feet natural hog served with peppery rice and casings, rinsed some tart tomatoes.

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everything stays around 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Finally, store your cured meats in a cool, dark place. You can seal the surfaces of cured meat with fat. Do this by rendering lard and cooling it until it’s whitened but still pliable. Then, combine it with rice flour to produce a soft icinglike consistency. Spread the fat mixture over the exposed surfaces of cured items you want to store for longer periods.

This is a recipe I make every weekend, so that during the week I can rush in from the farm, kick off my boots, and have a wholly delicious and nutritious sandwich meat in a flash, accompanied by some good cheese, a crusty bread, fresh greens, and mustard. Yield: one Pâté Ingredients 4-pound loaf.

• 28.8 ounces pork lean trim Directions: Grind 1 pound of the pork lean trim and • 9.6 ounces pork back fat, all the fat, plus the liver or heart, garlic, onion, and trimmed parsley, through the coarse plate of the meat grinder, • 9.6 ounces pork or beef then through the fine plate. Set aside. liver or heart Grind the rest of the pork lean trim and the hazel• 2 cloves garlic, minced nuts through the coarse plate. Add to the meat and • 4 ounces onion, minced fat mix. Chill it in the refrigerator.

• Small handful of parsley, Combine the egg, crème fraîche, brandy or port, minced and orange zest to make a thick binder known as • 4 ounces hazelnuts “panade.” Measure out 2.5 ounces of the pâté spice • 1 egg mix and add it to the panade.

• 1.2 ounces crème fraîche Remove the meat mix from the refrigerator and • 0.7 ounce brandy or port place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the • 0.3 ounce orange zest paddle attachment. Add the panade, salt, and brown • 2.5 ounces pâté spice mix sugar, and mix on speed 2 or 3 for about 2 minutes. (recipe below) Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

• 1.5 ounces kosher salt Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, and then line it • 1.5 ounces brown sugar with the strips of bacon, leaving a bit of overhang. Fill • Bacon, sliced thin for the pan with the pâté mixture, fold the bacon over, wrapping pâté then the plastic wrap, and then wrap the top with foil.

Cook in a water bath at 300 degrees Fahrenheit Pâté Spice Mix until the internal temperature of the pâté reaches Yield: about 13 ounces 145 degrees.

• 3 ounces ground cloves Cool to room temperature, weighted on top (a • 3 ounces ground coriander heavy cutting board will do). Then, transfer it to the • 2 ounces dried thyme refrigerator and chill overnight, still weighted. Turn • 1.5 ounces white pepper out onto a wooden board before slicing. Serve chilled • 1.5 ounces ground nutmeg with crusty bread, cheese, and condiments.

• 0.75 ounce ground mace This pâté will keep in the refrigerator for at least • 0.5 ounce bay leaf 2 weeks.

• 4 ounces back fat, cut into ½-inch or 1-inch cubes (omit if you want a more proper bologna) • 4- to 5-inch-diameter, 20-inch-long collagen or plastic casing, rinsed • 26.4 ounces pork back fat • 33.6 ounces lean pork trim • 20 ounces crushed ice

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from left:

Working (Wo)Man’s Lunch Paté

Mortadella is very similar to bologna, but true bologna doesn’t include whole spice. If you’d rather have bologna, feel free to omit the whole spice in this recipe, and you won’t be disappointed. That being said, bologna has many variations, so you can alter the grind process for coarser textures and tweak the spice mix, and you’ll still end up with bologna.

Producing the finest textured suspension, as in the case of mortadella, usually involves what’s known as the “54-3 ratio” of sausage-making. That is, by weight, 5 parts lean meat to 4 parts fat to 3 parts liquid. This ratio will come into play in the following recipe, as will higher ratios of salt and spice; other than that, you’re making a very large sausage. You’ll notice that I’ve included ice as the entire liquid component. This is because I wanted a traditional recipe, but also because mortadella must remain very cold as it’s processed to preserve its texture. You can also use some frozen stock as your liquid component.

One ingredient that may stand out to you is the dried milk powder. It’s included as a binder here. Lastly, you’ll notice the inclusion of curing salt No. 1, also known as pink salt. Many people include a curing salt in their mortadella, but this is chiefly for rosy coloration, so it’s optional.

Yield: about 4½ pounds stuffed sausage.

Age fotostock/neillAngAn; getty imAges/enzodebernArdo

How to Make Mortadella

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Age fotostock/neillAngAn; getty imAges/enzodebernArdo

• • • • • • • • • •

1.6 ounces salt 0.8 ounce pure cane sugar 0.5 ounce fresh ground nutmeg 0.24 ounce ground cinnamon 0.24 ounce cayenne 0.24 ounce ground coriander 0.2 ounce curing salt No. 1 1.92 ounces dried milk powder 0.5 ounce garlic 1.36 ounces whole black peppercorns (omit if you want bologna)

Directions: Place the moving parts of your meat grinder and the bowl you plan to use into the freezer.

Meanwhile, blanch the 4 ounces of cubed back fat in boiling water for 10 to 12 seconds, and then set aside.

Soak the casing in room-temperature water until you’re ready to stuff.

Assemble the grinder, and send all ingredients except for the peppercorns and the blanched back fat through the coarse plate of the meat grinder. Repeat.

Chill the mixture while you exchange the coarse plate for the fine plate on your grinder, and then send the mixture through this plate twice as well. Chill the mix while you wash your grinder parts.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the meat mixture, blanched back fat, and peppercorns, and process on low to medium speed until the mixture is well-combined. Chill while you assemble your stuffer and then prepare a large kettle of poaching water

with a few generous pinches of sea salt.

Place the kettle on the stovetop and bring it to a temperature of around 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the mortadella mixture into the stuffer’s hopper. Using the largest stuffing horn available with your stuffer, pull the casing as far onto the horn as possible, and begin cranking the meat mixture into it, keeping an even and tight fill as you progress. When you’ve stuffed everything in, tie off the end with butcher’s twine.

Carefully lower the mortadella into the poaching water. Monitor the temperature as it cooks (from 45 minutes to more than an hour) to ensure the water stays

just under a boil. Try not to check the temperature of the mortadella until you’re pretty sure it’s done, unless you have an infrared thermometer. The hole created by a traditional meat thermometer can allow water into the casing, which can screw up your texture quite a bit.

When the internal temperature of the mortadella reaches 145 degrees, remove it from the poaching kettle and plunge it into an ice bath or a tub of the coldest water you can muster. Allow it to chill there, and then place it in the refrigerator to chill completely.

To serve, peel back the casing, and slice as thin as you can manage.

The Art of Curing Meats at Home Pure Charcuterie is a practical and artistic look at the techniques for curing meat at home, both as a creative hands-on craft and as a fantastic and sustainable way to preserve highly valuable food. This accessible, beautiful visual guide walks the reader through the process of making charcuterie, including: • Sourcing ingredients.

• Clear explanations of charcuterie technique.

• Creative recipes balancing tradition and invention.

• Smoking meats and building your own smoker.

The analogies drawn between art and food, along with creative and accessible photographic discussions of charcuterie technique, make this book an essential primer on the basics of charcuterie: the mystery, the science, the art, and the technique. Ideal for home cooks working in small spaces, Pure Charcuterie is a must-have for new and experienced cooks alike — and any home artisan. This title is available at www.motherearthnews.com/store or by calling 800-234-3368; please use promotion code MMEPAIZD.

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Sweet Corn Off the Cob Try these sweet and savory ideas for enjoying your abundance of corn this season.

By Andrea Chesman

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from left: iStock/cookedphotos;

Andrea Chesman (2)

E

very September in Vermont, I’m invited to two corn parties hosted by friends from different social circles. Fortunately, one couple plans for their corn to ripen by the second week of September, and the other plans for the third week. But the truth is, no matter how accurately you plan and plant, no matter how big a party you throw, at some point, corn on the cob starts to feel — excuse the pun — like it’s coming out of your ears. If you plant some super-sweet corn, you can pile up the ears in the refrigerator — but who has the space? When it’s time to move on from corn on the cob, you’ll need to get creative.

Creativity often requires recipes that call for taking the kernel off the cob. The easiest way to do this is to husk the corn and then cut the bottom of the ear so it can stand flat. Set the ear on its new flat base and slice down the sides with a sharp knife.

Kernels will go flying, so be prepared and work in an uncluttered area to make cleanup easier.

If you’re making a soup, sauce, or some other wet preparation, scrape the cobs with the dull side of a knife to extract the delicious “milk.”

Generally speaking, stovetop recipes don’t require

the same measurement accuracy as baking. This is a good thing, because an ear of corn can yield anywhere from 1⁄2 cup to 1 cup of kernels. So if you’ve husked too many ears, you can throw the extra kernels into whatever you’re preparing, or snack on it by the handful — fresh sweet corn is just that good.

e

Candied Corn Preserving garden surplus is serious business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do a little experimenting. Knowing that tart fruits are sometimes poached in a sugar syrup before dehydrating, I wondered what would happen if I

Candied corn is made by dehydrating corn kernels that have been cooked in syrup.

Pan-Seared Corn and Pepper Salad Consider this recipe a blueprint. Swap out the chicken for shrimp or salmon, or make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken altogether and using the marinade as seasoning for 11⁄2 cups of cooked black beans, which you can pile on top of the salad. Yield: 4 servings.

from left: iStock/cookedphotoS;

AndreA cheSmAn (2)

Cilantro-Lime Dressing Ingredients • 6 tbsp fresh lime juice • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro • 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • Salt and freshly ground black pepper Salad Ingredients • 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice • 1 tsp ground cumin • 1 tsp minced chipotles in adobo sauce • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 tsp salt • 12 chicken tenders, or 2 boneless chicken breasts sliced into 12 medallions • 1 red bell pepper, diced • 1 tomato, diced • 1⁄4 cup red onion, diced • 3 cups (3 to 6 ears) fresh corn kernels • 8 cups torn mixed greens • 8 ounces queso blanco or queso fresco, crumbled (or substitute feta)

Directions: Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a lidded jar and shake to blend.

Set aside.

In a shallow glass or nonreactive baking dish, combine the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chipotles, garlic, and salt. Add the chicken, turning to coat well. Set aside.

Combine the bell pepper, tomato, and red onion in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn to the dry skillet and let it sear for about 8 minutes, stirring only once or twice. The corn should brown, but don’t let it burn.

Transfer the corn to the mixing bowl with

the other vegetables. Shake the dressing to remix, and then pour about half over the vegetables and toss to coat them. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat.

Add the chicken in a single layer, pour the marinade over it, and cook until the chicken is done, about 4 minutes per side.

In another large bowl, toss the greens with 2 tablespoons of the remaining dressing. Arrange the greens on a large platter or on individual serving plates.

Spoon the corn mixture over the greens and top with the chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Use any meat protein in this salad, or make it vegetarian by using black beans instead of chicken.

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The best-tasting syrup to use for candied corn is pure maple syrup, which gives the corn kernels a caramel flavor. I use maple syrup when I have some left over from the previous year’s harvest, but you can make a syrup out of water and brown sugar.

Flavor it with cinnamon or vanilla, if you’d like.

The final step: Toss the corn with some flaked salt to give it that sweet-salty flavor many of us find so irresistible.

Yield: about 8 cups.

Deluxe Corn Risotto

In this preparation, you’ll get double the corn flavor: corn in the broth in which the rice cooks, and corn folded into the risotto at the end. Yield: 4 servings.

Directions: To make the corn broth, combine all the ingredients for the broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering. Cover the pot, and let the broth simmer for 30 minutes. Then, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. You’ll need 41⁄2 cups of corn broth. If you don’t have enough, add more water.

Measure out 1 cup of broth and bring it to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 2 cups of the kernels, cover, and cook until quite tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Pour into a blender and purée. Next, return the corn purée to the saucepan and add the remaining corn broth from the pot (31⁄2 cups), as well as the wine,

• 3 cups water • 2 cups brown sugar • 8 ears corn, husked, and kernels sliced off the cob • 1 to 2 tbsp coarse, flaked salt, such as Maldon Directions: Combine the water and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the corn and return to a boil.

Remove from the heat and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Drain the corn and spread it out on dehydrator trays. Dry at 125 degrees

sugar, and turmeric. Add salt to taste. Heat to boiling, and then reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute, until the pepper pieces are coated with oil. Add the rice and continue to sauté until the rice looks dry, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the corn and broth mixture to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Continue adding more of the corn and broth mixture, 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring after each addition. The liquid should be mostly absorbed by the rice before you add the next cup.

When all the broth has been used, remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining corn, the mascarpone, the Parmesan, and the basil.

Season to taste with salt. Cover and let the risotto heat through for about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

AndreA ChesmAn; CAsey mArshAll

poached sweet corn kernels in a syrup before dehydrating. Would I make candied corn? The answer is yes! But is this process a practical solution to storing an abundance of corn? That depends on how much candy you want to have around. My dehydrator has four 11-inch drying racks, so I don’t make much candied corn at a time. Each of my 11-inch trays holds the kernels of about 2 ears of corn (roughly 2 cups), so I can plan on using 8 ears of corn per batch of candied corn.

Risotto Ingredients • 3 cups kernels (from the 3 ears above, plus more if needed), divided • 1⁄2 cup dry white wine • 2 tsp sugar • 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric • Salt, to taste • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped • 2 cups Arborio rice • 1 cup mascarpone cheese • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese • 1⁄4 cup fresh basil or parsley, chopped

from left:

Corn Broth Ingredients • 6 cups water • 3 corn cobs (kernels removed and reserved for risotto), cut into pieces • 1 onion, quartered • 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch pieces

The rich corn flavor in this risotto comes from both the broth and the folded-in sweet corn kernels.

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Fahrenheit for 24 hours. Then, let cool for about 1 hour.

Transfer the corn to an airtight container. Add the salt to taste, and toss. You can store candied corn at room temperature for up to 1 month, or in the freezer for longer storage.

FroM leFt:

aNdrea ChesMaN; Casey Marshall

Barbecued Bean Cornbread Supper In this recipe, Southern-style barbecued beans are paired with cornbread that’s studded with fresh corn kernels. Cornbread is a classic crowd pleaser. It can be served as a traditional side in cake form, presented as muffins, and even made into rustic cornbread biscuits. The beans and cornbread are sweetly flavored, so a crisp slaw in vinegar dressing makes the perfect accompaniment.

For a stress-free addition to a meal, cornbread can be used as a crusty golden topping for various skillet suppers. Spread the cornbread batter as evenly as possible, making sure it reaches all the way to the rim of the pan. Yield: 4 servings.

Beans Ingredients • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, rendered lard, or chicken fat • 1 onion, diced • 1 green bell pepper, diced • 1 to 3 fresh hot red or green chiles, diced (optional)

• 1 tsp ground chili powder • 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained • 2⁄3 cup tomato-based barbecue sauce • 1⁄3 cup water • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste Cornbread Topping Ingredients • 1 cup yellow cornmeal • 3⁄4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour • 1 tbsp sugar • 2 tbsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 1 egg • 1 cup milk • 2 tbsp melted butter or rendered lard • 11⁄2 cups fresh corn kernels (frozen if fresh are unavailable)

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. To prepare the beans, heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat.

Sauté the onion, bell pepper, chiles, and chili powder in the oil until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, barbecue sauce, and water. Cook for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and season to taste.

To prepare the cornbread topping, mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, beat together the egg, milk, and butter. Pour the egg mixture into the cornmeal mixture, add corn kernels, and stir just until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Spread the batter as evenly as possible over the beans in the skillet.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden and firm. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

Try Simple, Delicious Recipes Every Night of the Week Mother earth News readers don’t like to waste time or resources, which is why one-dish meals are perfect for today’s busy families. You can cut out extra dishes and wasted time but still have delicious meals with 101 One-Dish Dinners. In this guide, author Andrea Chesman shows off the versatility of Dutch ovens, skillets, and casserole pans. Classic baked dishes, such as ham and potato gratin, chicken potpie, and vegetable lasagna, go head to head with diverse stovetop suppers, such as jambalaya, seafood paella, and pad thai. If you’re looking for something a little lighter but still filling, this book includes plenty of meal-in-a-bowl salads and timeless soups.

Full of beautiful color photographs, facts, and fascinating history about the dishes — plus interesting personal anecdotes — this cookbook gives a contemporary twist to your favorite comfort foods. Serve up a nourishing meal tonight with little fuss and fewer dishes!

Author Andrea Chesman has written many cookbooks focused on traditional techniques and fresh-fromthe-garden cooking. She’s also a speaker and workshop leader at the Mother earth News Fairs.

This title is available at www.motherearthnews.com/store or by calling 800-234-3368; please use the promotion code MMEPAIZD.

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Make Your Own Elderberry Syrup According to information on the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center website, “Some evidence suggests that the chemicals in elder flower and berries may help reduce swelling in mucous membranes, including the sinuses, and help relieve nasal congestion. Elder may have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiinfluenza, and anticancer properties.”

Honey is likewise well-known for its medicinal qualities — it can soothe a sore

throat and calm a cough, and it’s thought to boost immunity and fight allergies.

While I’m a huge fan of herbal medicines, and have had success with some elderberry supplements, I have two complaints when I shop for them in the store: cost and ingredients. A small jar of elderberry syrup can cost up to $20, and many products contain alcohol, which doesn’t taste good to me and makes me not want to give the product to my children.

clockwise from left:

I

f you’ve walked into a health food store lately, you’ve no doubt seen a proliferation of syrups, tonics, and homeopathic medicines made with elderberries (Sambucus nigra). These products are meant to prevent and treat cold and flu symptoms and to boost your immune system, and often include honey as well.

It’s no surprise that herbalists are combining elderberry and honey.

Making your own elderberry syrup is both rewarding and cost-effective.

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A reader shares how to make medicinal elderberry syrup at home.

10/1/18 10:57 AM

Getty imaGes/madeleine_steinbach; carrie williams howe (2) clockwise from left:

Rest assured, you can make a great elderberry syrup at home with just a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time.

This is especially true if you grow your own elderberries or keep your own bees!

If you don’t have fresh elderberries on your property, or you can’t get them from a local farmer, look for a reputable source of dried elderberries, such as an herbalist or a natural foods store (a good online source is www.mountainroseherbs.com). We grow our own black elderberries, the most common elderberry in North America.

Many types of elderberries can be toxic when raw, so cook the berries thoroughly.

Here’s a simple elderberry syrup recipe that will keep for a couple of months in your refrigerator. You can dole it out in spoonfuls just like cough medicine, or you can stir it into your morning juice or tea (stick to a dosage of about 1 teaspoon for kids or 1 tablespoon for adults). Just to be safe, consult your doctor before taking elderberry syrup, because it may not be suitable for you.

We add cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to our syrup because these spices also seem to be beneficial for fighting colds. You can use powdered or ground spices, but I prefer dried whole spices because they’re generally

Elderberries, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and honey come together to create a healthful syrup.

fresher and also much easier to strain out.

If you’re brave, you can experiment with adding a little cayenne pepper, but we don’t think our kids would be quite so cooperative if we did that.

Elderberry Syrup For a fraction of the cost of store-bought, you can make this simple, homemade elderberry syrup. Yield: 1 pint.

• 1 cup fresh or frozen black elderberries (or 3⁄4 cup dried) • 2 cinnamon sticks • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, sliced • 1 tablespoon dried whole cloves • 31⁄2 cups water • 1 cup local honey Directions: Place the elderberries, cinnamon sticks, sliced ginger, whole cloves, and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 45 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

Strain out the berries and spices using a fine-meshed sieve or colander and discard. Add the honey to the remaining liquid. Pour the mixture into a pint-sized mason jar.

Store your homemade elderberry syrup in the refrigerator, where it should keep for about 2 months.

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Homemade Broth & Stock Glean nutrients and flavor from bones and scraps by simmering and seasoning them.

By Andrea Chesman

Adobe Stock/FomA

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othing beats the convenience of having homemade broth and stock on hand in your kitchen. Homemade broths and stocks taste better than canned broths, bouillon cubes and pastes, and even expensive boxed broths. In addition, you’ll reduce your kitchen waste if you extract the flavor that remains in bones and vegetable peelings after the other parts are consumed.

But what do you call the simmering mixture in your pot? Is it broth, or is it stock? The two terms are often used interchangeably, and definitions do vary, so it depends on who you ask. But, in a nutshell, stock is the gelatinous result of cooking vegetables and bones in unseasoned water for several hours to extract flavor, while broth is made out of vegetables and

Poultry Stock

meat simmered in a seasoned liquid for a shorter period of time. Either one can serve as a foundation for other dishes, but because broth is typically seasoned, it’s often consumed on its own, while stock is the perfect rich-tasting base onto which you can layer other flavors.

The two basic types of stock are white and brown. White stocks are made with aromatic vegetables and bones (usually raw or roasted poultry or fish bones) that are simmered for hours. Brown stocks are made by roasting vegetables and bones first, and then boiling them with aromatic vegetables. This technique most often includes beef and pork bones, but poultry bones can be turned into brown stock too. Lamb and goat bones can also be used, but not everyone appreciates the resulting flavor.

To make your own stock, select a mixture of jointed bones and meaty

Use either the raw bones of poultry or the carcasses from a roast. Chicken feet make a particularly rich-tasting stock, with plentiful gelatin. You can also use this method to make ham stock, but rather than save up the bones in the freezer and risk freezer burn, halve the recipe and make the stock soon after enjoying the ham. Yield: about 7 quarts.

Directions: Combine the bones, water, and all the vegetables in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any foam that emerges on the surface until no more appears. Partially cover the pot, and simmer over low heat for 5 to 8 hours.

Strain the stock by pouring it through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into another bowl or pot, and discard all the solids.

Refrigerate the stock for several hours, until a hardened layer of fat congeals on top and can be lifted off. Refrigerate and use within 4 days, freeze for up to 6 months, or pressure can in quart jars for 25 minutes.

bones. The jointed bones add collagen for mouthfeel, and the meaty bones add flavor. If you’re making a poultry stock, nothing beats chicken feet for adding richness — and you can’t make much else with them. I generally roast my poultry by spatchcocking or butterflying, meaning cutting out the backbone and then flattening the breast. This significantly reduces the roasting time and provides me the backbones for making stock; backbones are almost as good as feet for making a flavorful stock.

You’ll need a large stockpot or saucepan for making stock. If you’re making a brown stock, you’ll need a couple of large rimmed sheet pans or roasting pans. The vegetables are a suggestion only; use what's on hand, but avoid brassicas (such as broccoli and cabbages), which add an unpleasant flavor when cooked at length. I save onion peels, parsley stems, and leek greens in the freezer for this purpose.

You can also save up mushroom stems and gills.

Skim the fat off the top of the meat and poultry stocks, and save it to

Ingredients • 7 pounds raw chicken or turkey backs, wing tips, or feet, or the carcasses of roasted chickens or a turkey • 8 quarts water • 1 pound fresh or frozen vegetable trimmings (onion peels, celery tops, leek tops, parsley stems) • 1 bunch parsley • 2 onions, quartered • 2 celery roots, peeled and chopped, or the top half of a bunch of celery

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From left: Aromatic vegetables flavor both broths and stocks. Keep canned chicken stock on hand for flavoring sauces, soups, and stews.

cook with later. It’s a great cooking medium that adds flavor and excellent browning qualities to any dish. The fat is perishable, though, so use it within a week or freeze it.

Stock can be the base of any quick soup or stew.

Chicken stock, kale, and sausage with white beans is one of my family’s favorite dishes.

Stocks can also be used as braising liquid for stews and vegetables, as well as cooking liquid for grain dishes, risottos, and pilafs. Stocks can also

extend gravies and sauces, and will punch up the flavor rather than dilute the taste.

Once you have a supply of stock on hand, your weeknight dinners will be quicker and easier to make, and more enjoyable to eat.

clockwise from lower left:

Many vegetable broths take on too much flavor from the veggies, tasting too sweetly of carrots or tomatoes. This broth tastes distinctively of mushrooms and can be used in any dish that calls for chicken or beef stock or broth. It also makes an excellent base for a vegetarian gravy.

Ingredients You can use any variety of mushrooms.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil Yield: about 5 quarts.

• 1 carrot, coarsely Directions: Heat the oil in a large chopped stockpot over medium-high heat. Add • 2 onions, unpeeled, the carrot, onions, celery root, and or 5 leeks, white and garlic, and sauté until they soften, green parts, coarsely about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms chopped and cook, stirring occasionally, until • 1 celery root, or the the mushrooms begin to give up their top half of a bunch liquid and their volume reduces of celery, peeled and significantly, about 15 minutes. chopped Add the water, soy sauce, bay • 6 cloves garlic, leaves, and peppercorns, and bring to smashed a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer • 3 pounds white button until the vegetables are completely mushrooms, coarsely soft and the stock has a pronounced mushroom flavor, about 1 hour. chopped Remove from the heat and strain • 5 quarts water through a fine-mesh strainer; discard • 1⁄4 cup soy sauce the solids. Refrigerate and use the • 4 bay leaves broth within 4 days, freeze for up to • 2 teaspoons whole 6 months, or pressure can in quart black peppercorns jars for 25 minutes.

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Mushroom Broth

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Brown Stock

Ingredients • 8 pounds uncooked beef or pork bones • 2 large onions, unpeeled, chopped • 1 bunch parsley or parsley stems • 2 celery roots, or the top half of a bunch of celery, peeled and chopped • 2 leeks, or the tops of several leeks, chopped • 8 quarts water, plus more as needed • 4 bay leaves • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

clockwise from lower left:

Adobe stock/Gresei; bArbArA dAmrosch; AndreA chesmAn; Adobe stock/juefrAphoto

A butcher shop is the best source for bones. If you have the option, select a mixture of bones that have meat clinging to them and those that have lots of joints (such as neck bones or knuckles). Yield: 5 to 7 quarts.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the bones and half the vegetables in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes, turning the bones occasionally, until well-browned.

Drain the fat from the roasting pan and reserve for cooking. Transfer the bones to a large stockpot, and set aside. Place the roasting pan over 2 burners on top of the stove, and add about 2 cups of the water. Bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Pour this browned liquid into the stockpot with the bones. Add the remaining water, remaining vegetables, bay leaves, and peppercorns.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any surface foam until no more appears. Partially cover the pot, and simmer for 5 to 8 hours.

Strain the stock by pouring it through a strainer lined with cheesecloth into another bowl or pot, and discard all the solids.

Refrigerate the stock for several hours, until a hardened layer of fat congeals on top and can be lifted off. Refrigerate and use within 4 days, freeze for up to 6 months, or pressure can in quart jars for 25 minutes.

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How to Order a

Side of Beef

Don’t be cowed by buying meat in bulk — check out this advice from an artisan butcher and our readers.

By Meredith Leigh

I

was cleaning up my knives after a presentation at the Texas Mother Earth News Fair when an elderly man approached the stage. He smiled up at me and said, “Nobody’s ever going to do the stuff you’re telling them. They’re too lazy.” I remembered his face from the audience, smiling and nodding as I butchered half an animal from nose to tail, explaining the workings of the muscles, the different types of fat, and the value of the bones, the feet, and the organs.

He went on to tell me, “When I was a boy, we were in the meat club.

Buying as whole as possible will save you money, teach you new skills, and allow you to enjoy more diversity in the kitchen.

Once every month, somebody would slaughter a beef. After it was cut, everyone in the club would take a piece or two. There was a record of what you had received every month to make sure you got a little of everything before the year was over.

Everyone shared, everyone worked, and everything got eaten. But nobody thinks about it like that anymore.”

I told him I thought that was a great idea, and that because I was talking to someone who could remember it happening, then it’s probably possible to keep it alive. To which he said, “Bless you, darlin’,” and then disappeared into the crowd.

Maybe he’s right, but it seems to me there’s too much at stake to be lazy. What we need is for our meat to have a good life, a good death, a good butcher, and a good cook. It’s a tall order, considering the obstacles toward affordable, environmentally friendly, low-stress production and processing.

Plus, there are added impediments in affordability and culinary aptitude.

We need buy-in from everyone, from the farmer to the guy at the grill. How do we do it?

Buying meat as whole as possible, or in bulk, is the first domino in a chain reaction that leads in a positive direction. Buying in bulk drastically reduces the cost of production, which in turn alters the price the farmer has to charge at the point of sale. It also rewards a growing cohort of artisan butchers who are aiming to bring thrift, ingenuity, artistry, and quality back into the meat supply chain.

In addition to being supportive of a sensible, sustainable food economy, buying as whole as possible will save you money, teach you new knowledge and skills, and allow you to enjoy more diversity in the kitchen. I’d bet that people are just itching to know how, and not that we’re too lazy or hopeless to learn.

from left:

The first step to buying beef in bulk is knowing what you want and where to find it. Your options include grassfed, meaning the animal was raised entirely on grass or hay without grain supplementation; pasture-raised, which usually means the animal had constant access to grass but also a free-choice ration of grain or access to grain during its last few months; and

Kyra Haas; adobe stocK/nadianb

Step 1: Find a Farmer

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Kyra Haas; adobe stocK/nadianb from left:

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Nose-to-Tail Ordering Tips from Readers Consider How You Eat

From the Supply Side

Practicing on Primals

I live in rural Kansas, where my family raises beef cattle.

We frequently get requests for locally raised beef. Here are my suggestions.

First, consider what your family likes to eat. If you love a certain cut or dish, then order more of that. My husband and I don’t much care for beef roast, so we have our butcher grind more into hamburger.

Secondly, consider how you’ll cook each cut. This past year, my friend accidentally picked up our side of beef from the butcher, and we got hers.

Because we grill the majority of our steaks and hamburgers, my husband had asked for more fat on the steaks and in the ground, but my friend doesn’t grill at all, and she felt the meat was very fatty.

Purchasing a large portion of any animal is an investment, so you want it to be a good one.

We producers want you to be happy with the final product so you become a repeat customer.

Every opportunity we have to sell locally helps keep our family farms afloat.

Candi Douthit St. Francis, Kansas

I’ve sold many quarters, halves, and whole beeves over the years. If you’re looking for a farmer, I recommend you contact a local meat processor. Butchers will know area producers who sell beef in bulk, and they’ll also know which producer has the best beef. Another way is to listen to a local radio station with classifieds, because ranchers will call in to list their beef for sale.

By the time you talk to a processor, you should have answers to these questions: What kind of steaks and how thickly cut? How many steaks per package? How many and what kind of roasts, or would you prefer the lower-quality roasts be ground into hamburger instead?

How many pounds of hamburger per package? A good processor will keep a detailed record of how a buyer wants the beef cut so the directions don’t have to be repeated each year.

Alan Johnson South Dakota

We’ve ordered a half hog and a quarter beef from two different farmers.

We purchased the half hog in primal cuts because my husband wanted to try some butchering after seeing Meredith Leigh’s workshop at a Mother earth News Fair. It took me a while to track down a farmer who sold them that way, but it ended up being significantly cheaper — $2.57 per pound for Berkshire pork. His butchering fees were lower because we didn’t want it all cut and packaged. We also drove to the farm to pick up the meat to avoid dropoff costs. This provided us a chance to speak with the farmer and see that the animals were pastured and happy.

We’ve gotten a quarter beef twice, with different results. The first time, I ordered from a co-worker whose price was cheaper than anyone else, but he directed a lot of it to hamburger to save on butcher fees and avoid arguments between the customers who split the animal. We still had plenty of steaks and roasts, and we enjoyed the flavor of the meat, but working through a middleman may have been a mistake.

We plan to continue purchasing our meat in bulk. The flavor is better, and we don’t struggle with the ecological impact and animal cruelty of industrial meat. We eat less meat and enjoy what we have — quality over quantity!

Liz Kelley Chicago

Splitting with Friends I’ve split a custom butchering order with friends many times, and have learned from experience the simplest ways to manage it.

Dividing an animal seven or eight ways is going to involve some serious math skills. It’s easiest to split an animal among four people or fewer. Also, tell your friends which cuts they’ll receive rather than asking them what they want, or you may end up with only hamburger! Early in the process, I like to give each person an approximate amount for the check they’ll be writing, or the price per pound of the finished cuts. If $6 per pound sounds high to your friends, remind them that that’s the average for all cuts. For that price, they’ll get expensive steaks and roasts as well as hamburger.

Rebecca Martin Mother earth News Editor

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adobe stock/ViNceNt; terry wild stock FroM leFt:

Consider a cow share with friends to split up beef in manageable portions for each household.

grain-fed, which means the animal was raised almost entirely on corn, soybeans, and other grains. Additionally, you’ll want information about added hormones or doses of antibiotics that were given to the animal to promote growth or prevent disease.

After you’ve selected the type of meat you’re interested in, do a simple online search for your area, find a farmers market, or visit your local co-op or health food store to begin

Adobe Stock/Vincent; terry Wild Stock from left:

familiarizing yourself with farmers in your area who are right for you.

Often, a simple shoutout on social media will get you word-of-mouth recommendations. When you’ve found some farmers, visit them (be sure to call first, as they’re usually quite busy), seek them out at the farmers market, or buy a sample cut from them and see what you think. Establishing direct relationships with growers is the best way to trust the food you eat, and by

far surpasses any fancy label slapped on a package.

After you’ve found your farmer match, you just need to set up the sale. You’ll want to say that you’re looking to buy whole, by the pound, based on the hanging weight of the carcass. That’s the weight after all the blood and viscera have been removed.

This is distinct from the live weight, or hoof weight, which is the weight of the animal before it’s slaughtered.

Expect prices between $2 and $4 per pound on the hanging weight of beef, especially on animals from smaller farms. Based on that, you’ll take a look at your budget to determine how much you can buy. Options range from a half or a side, which is generally half of the animal split lengthwise down the center of its spine. After that, in beef animals, the carcass is quartered. If you don’t want to buy a whole or side, you can choose either the forequarter

Do the Math We own a small pasture-based farm in Minnesota. We have a farm store where we sell our meat in individual packages, and we also sell to many people who want larger quantities.

When you’re purchasing an animal, it’s important to know if both the butchering and processing fees are included in the price per pound the farmer quotes. Also, your cost will be different depending on whether you’re quoted a cost per pound by live weight or hanging weight.

Let’s say you’re purchasing a quarter of a pasture-raised beef. The farmer says you owe him $2 per pound live weight, plus you’ll pay 75 cents per pound hanging weight for processing. (Remember that the hanging weight is about 60 percent of the live weight, and the take-home will be about 60 percent of the hanging weight.) You’ll calculate your costs this way: 250 pounds live weight x $2/pound = $500 150 pounds hanging weight x $0.75/pound = $112.50 Total cost to you = $612.50

Consider what your family likes to eat, and how you’ll cook each cut.

Advice from Customers As producers of grass-fed, grass-finished beef who sell directly to consumers, we want to pass on some advice from our customers.

When choosing a local producer, check the farm’s website or Facebook page. Be sure the farm has an open-door policy, and then visit to see how the animals are treated and raised.

Make sure the meat will be processed at a USDA-inspected facility.

If an entire side is too much for you or your family, do a cow share with friends. Most small producers offer vacuum-packed and frozen beef, so it’s easy for groups to split up the packages among several parties.

If the farm offers beef on a seasonal basis like we do — we only harvest our steers when the grass is growing — get on its email list and reserve a side as soon as possible! If the beef is really good, it’ll sell out quickly.

Constance Ober and Carlton Brooks Cumberland, Virginia

Your cost per pound would be $6.80 ($612.50 divided by 90 pounds take-home).

If, on the other hand, the farmer says you’ll pay $2 per pound hanging weight plus 75 cents per pound hanging weight for processing, your costs will be: 150 pounds hanging weight x $2/pound = $300 150 pounds hanging weight x $0.75/pound = $112.50 Total cost to you = $412.50 In this case, your cost per pound would be $4.58 ($412.50 divided by 90 pounds take-home).

So, you could end up paying $6.80 per pound or $4.58 per pound for take-home depending on whether the $2 per pound quoted was on the live weight or the hanging weight.

Beth and Bruce Meyer Elysian, Minnesota

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Option B for Side, Quarters, or Primals

FOREQUARTER (neck to end of rib)

FOREQUARTER (neck to end of rib)

Cuts from Chuck Primal Rolled boneless neck roast Chuck eye steaks Boneless chuck roasts Denver steaks Petite tender Ranch steaks Ground beef Soup bones

Cuts from Chuck Primal Bone-in neck Country-style ribs Boneless short rib or under-blade roast Ground beef Stew meat Soup bones

Cuts from Foreshank/Brisket Primal Boneless brisket Ground beef Soup bones Cuts from Rib Primal Bone-in ribeye steaks

Cuts from Foreshank/Brisket Primal Boneless brisket Ground beef Soup bones Cuts from Rib Primal Beef back ribs Boneless loin roasts

Cuts from Plate Primal Bone-in short ribs

Cuts from Plate Primal Boneless rolled plate Short ribs

HINDQUARTER (last rib to hind hoof)

HINDQUARTER (last rib to hind hoof)

Cuts from Short Loin Primal Porterhouse steaks T-bone steaks Soup bones

Cuts from Short Loin Primal New York strip steaks Beef tenderloin Soup bones

Cuts from Flank Primal Flank steak Skirt steaks Bavette Trim for grinding Soup bones

Cuts from Flank Primal Flank steak Skirt steaks Trim for grinding Soup bones

Cuts from Sirloin Primal Sirloin center steaks Top sirloin filet Coulotte steaks Trim for grinding Soup bones Cuts from Round Primal Top round London broil Sirloin tip roasts Western griller steaks Rump roast Eye of round roast Crosscut beef shank

Cuts from Sirloin Primal Sirloin roast Top sirloin cap Kabob meat Ball tip steaks Ground beef Soup bones Cuts from Round Primal Top round cap steak Top round roast Eye of round steaks Bottom round roast Boneless shank Ground beef Soup bones

Step 2: Choose a Butcher Many farmers who sell whole will have a butcher they like to work with, and they can assist you in setting up a relationship with that person.

If not, look for someone who understands the whole animal — someone who specializes in cutting meat from its whole form down into retail cuts. A superior butcher will be

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Getty ImaGes/fertnIG; adobe stock/brIan yarvIn

Option A for Side, Quarters, or Primals

(everything from the neck to the second-to-last rib) or the hindquarter (everything from the second-tolast rib to the hind hoof ). There are different reasons to buy one or the other, mostly based on what you like to eat (see “Sample Cut Sheets,” left).

If you want to go smaller still, many farmers would probably entertain you purchasing the next-biggest cuts after quarters, which are called “primals.” In a beef animal, primals are as follows: chuck (aka shoulder), brisket, rib, plate, loin, flank, sirloin, and round (see illustration on Page 174).

The other term related to weight and portion that you’ll be concerned with is the cut-out weight, or takehome weight, which is the weight after a carcass or primal is butchered into usable cuts. Once you’ve purchased an animal from a farmer based on hanging weight, you’ll deal with a butcher to determine optimum takehome weight for your money.

One more thing to note about all these weight considerations is that the breed of the animal makes a difference.

Breeds developed for dairy purposes (Holstein and Jersey, for example) will have a lower meat-to-bone ratio, meaning less muscle and larger bones, leading to higher live weights and lower take-home potential.

Meat breeds (Angus, Hereford) have a higher meat-to-bone ratio, leading to better take-home weights.

Small-framed animals (Dexter, Kerry) adapted for optimum grass-fed regimens often have the highest meatto-bone ratio, and should provide good yield despite the fact that a grain-free diet will lend itself to less overall body fat.

from top:

Sample Cut Sheets

You can use these cut sheets as a guideline for making decisions and for help when talking to a butcher. Some processors may not be familiar with all of these cuts.

from top:

Getty ImaGes/fertnIG; adobe stock/brIan yarvIn

A superior butcher will be willing to chat with you about what you like to eat, and will suggest ways to fabricate the carcass to best suit your preferences.

willing to chat with you about what you like to eat, and will suggest ways to fabricate the carcass or primal to best suit you.

A good butcher with deep knowledge of the trade will be able to approach the job in several different ways, depending on the desired outcome.

The butcher will likely charge a perpound price as well; this is usually based on the starting weight of the carcass. However, some butchers price based on take-home weight.

The insider term for a list of cuts that you’re interested in is a “cut sheet,” and I’ve provided two samples (see far left) to get you started and to demonstrate that there’s more than one way to break down a side of beef.

As you get acquainted with your butcher, think about what your family likes to eat, and plan accordingly.

Be sure to ask your butcher for the soup bones, which you can use to make homemade stock.

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Be prepared to be a bit adventurous.

Buying whole often requires you to familiarize yourself with cooking techniques and cuts of meat that you might not be totally versed in. This is a great thing!

Learning that no part of an animal

is more valuable than another — provided that you cook it properly — is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself, your farmer, and your planet.

If the butcher won’t provide the cuts you want, ask them why.

New Society PubliSherS

The author encourages clients to try new cuts and cooking techniques when buying a whole animal.

As a skilled tradesperson, the butcher may have a good reason for fabricating the carcass or primal in a slightly different way. That said, some butchers don’t know certain cuts and won’t try to create them.

If you feel particularly attached to something and a butcher won’t comply, consider another butcher, or consider trying to cut the meat yourself. Ask the butcher to break down the carcass into primals or sub-primals to make the meat easier to work with. Get some reference books, a 6-inch flexible steel boning knife, and a honing steel, and start practicing.

Lastly, if you’ve paid for the entire carcass or portion based on hanging weight, you’ll certainly want to take home every scrap of it.

This means bones for homemade stocks; tallow for cooking with and making soap; organ meat (heart, liver, etc.); and trim that can be ground or made into charcuterie. If you don’t want to deal with everything you get, consider trading the cuts you don’t want, or re-selling them to family and friends who do want them.

The first time you buy meat whole or in bulk, the process is likely to be overwhelming, and it will take a bit of planning, coordinating storage, and time working with your new farmer and butcher friends. If you can make buying in bulk a habit, though, you’ll find it rewarding — and your farmer, your palate, and your wallet will all thank you.

Home Butchery for the Conscious Omnivore

Most efforts to unravel the complexities of the production and consumption of animal protein tend to pit omnivores and vegetarians against each other. The Ethical Meat Handbook seeks a middle ground, arguing that by taking full responsibility for the food on our forks and the route by which it gets there, we can make animals an optimal source of food, fiber, and environmental management.

This hands-on guide covers: • Integrating animals into your garden or homestead.

• Basic butchery: whole animal, primals, sub-primals, and end-cuts, including safety and knife skills.

• Charcuterie: history, general science and math principles, tooling up, and recipes.

• Culinary highlights: getting creative, preparing sauces, ferments, difficult cuts, and more.

Visit www.motherearthnews.com/store or call 800-234-3368 to order; use code MMEPAIZD.

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e g a r o F LIKE AN EXPERT

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Whether you’re looking to enrich your survival knowledge or just get creative with cooking, this guide will teach you how to forage for and get use out of the Earth’s greatest resources. Make wine from the sap and glue out of the resin from a birch tree, eat or tan hide with acorns, and make pesto or tea out of purslane. Complete with pictures to help you identify plants, and an encyclopedia of weeds, herbs, and trees, The Prepper’s Guide to Foraging will soon have you on your way to fending for yourself. $16.99 | Item #8290 | Promo code: MMEPAIZ3

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10/10/2018 10:24:35 AM 10/11/18 11:33 AM

Community Food Farmers Kevin and Cherie Schenker established a grocery store to support the health of their rural community.

By Amanda Sorell

K

evin and Cherie Schenker live and work on several hundred acres of prairie in southeast Kansas, near land that’s been farmed

by Cherie’s family since 1874. The task of tending this land passed to the Schenkers in 2008, which led them to establish their own cattle operation, Schenker Family Farms.

Kevin and Cherie aim to steward their land humanely; their animals graze on specialty grasses and their

farm is Certified Naturally Grown.

Plus, they’ve worked to have a positive impact on their communities both globally and locally. Since 2010, they’ve partnered with Adopt-aPlatoon to ship their products to soldiers stationed overseas. And in 2017, they opened McCune Farm to Market, a small grocery store and café, to serve as a community hub and alleviate the surrounding food desert.

In this interview, Cherie reveals what drives the Schenkers’ farm and store.

What led you to farming?

We were married in 2006, and we knew we wanted to go into farming.

The opportunity arose in 2008, when my father wanted to semi-retire. We purchased a portion of the family farm and began Schenker Family Farms while working closely with my father to begin winding down his livestock and hay operation.

Prior to this, we had been developing a business model for selling grass-fed meats online to meet a niche market.

After implementing that plan, we

from left:

tBl PhotograPhy (2); StePhanie Potter/the morning Sun

The Schenkers sell their products at the farmers market.

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Left: Kevin and Cherie Schenker own a cattle farm in Kansas. Right: The Schenkers snip the ribbon at the grand opening of McCune Farm to Market.

doubled the size of our operation just a few years after starting it, and we now ship 95 percent of our meat to customers across the United States.

What types of food does your farm produce?

We produce grass-fed beef, pastureraised pork, chicken, and a small amount of lamb. We currently market our meats at www.schenkerfarms.com, through Whole Foods Markets, at the farmers market, and through our store.

from left:

tBl PhotograPhy (2); StePhanie Potter/the morning Sun

How has your farm grown over the years?

Our farm has grown every year because we find new ways to be more efficient. In addition, our customers request new recipes or products. We recently added a line of bone broths and heat-and-eat meals, per our customer requests. More and more consumers have a desire to not only know how their food is raised and handled, but who their farmer is. This has led to strong growth, particularly in the niche meat industry.

Why did you decide to open a small grocery?

We had been operating out of a remodeled building and our living room for several years. We finally reached a point where we were out of space and needed to expand or change directions.

Consumer demand and a U.S. Department of Agriculture Value

Added Producer Grant led us to commission a feasibility study for our market and geographic region.

The study not only indicated that increased product lines were a feasible idea, but also that a small farm store would be viable.

Our town’s population is about 400.

Unfortunately, this community was a food desert for more than 25 years.

This means that residents had to drive more than 10 miles to get groceries and fresh foods. This was especially burdensome for our local elderly.

After reading the feasibility study and talking with multiple area leaders, we realized we were in a unique position to do something about it.

We modified our original vision to include a small grocery area and dining area. The building almost doubled in size, but the vision was now community-based, rather than business-based. In doing the planning for this project, which took three years, we realized that, long-term, this project isn’t about growing Schenker Family Farms. This project is about community, rural America, and stepping up to be the change that we want to see. If Schenker Family Farms grows along the way, that’s great. What matters is keeping our community healthy and viable for the future.

A grocery store is one of the biggest sales tax drivers in a small community.

In McCune, sales tax is used to help pave streets, take care of the cemetery, and make sure people have clean

water. Plus, one of the main factors people look for when buying a house is whether or not the area has access to fresh food or groceries outside of a convenience store.

McCune Farm to Market (www. mccunemarket.com) opened in August 2017. It features our meats along with conventional meats, locally grown produce, and standard groceries, and it serves breakfast and lunch every day.

What advice can you offer anyone interested in farming or starting a business?

Work with others and learn the business. Just because someone who’s 70 years old does things a certain way doesn’t mean that their way is bad or that it’s the only way. Be willing to learn from their experience.

Successful farmers have to have a work ethic like no other. And grocery stores, like other small businesses, including farming, run on a razorthin margin. Keeping that balance while moving forward can be quite a challenge.

If you aren’t willing to put everything on the line, don’t get into the business.

Your heart has to be all in, along with your willingness to work 24/7 to accomplish your goals.

That’s how we approached being small family farmers, and now we’re fortunate enough to get to farm for a living, and blessed enough to be in the right place at the right time to making a lasting impact on our community.

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SHARE YOUR STORY!

If you or people you know are living an impressive homesteading life, send the story and a few related photos to Letters@MotherEarthNews.com with the subject line “Firsthand Reports.”

10/1/18 4:16 PM

Queren King-orozco; rebecca martin (2) from left:

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Beautiful Bread Sourdough seems to get all the love — give yeasted bread a turn in the limelight with these stenciled designs.

By William Rubel

from left:

Queren King-orozco; rebecca martin (2)

Y

east! The English once called it “godes good,” believing it was a demonstration of God’s kindness. Yeast earned its place of respect because, for thousands of years, it was the invisible workhorse that fermented our fruits and grains to make wine, beer, and sake, and that quickly brought life to an otherwise inert dough of flour and water.

Yeast thrives on sugar, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide as waste products. What good luck is that?

Farmers recognized yeast’s usefulness very early in the history of plant domestication and farming. One of the most robust of the wild sugar-loving yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, became so central to fermenting activities that it

migrated from nature into our homes.

Like cats, yeast is a semi-domesticated organism. This means that while the yeast that’s around our houses, and in and on our persons, has changed somewhat from its wild ancestor, they’re still very similar.

“Yeast” comes from Middle English “yest,” meaning foam or froth. If you add 1 teaspoon of yeast and a similar amount of sugar to 1⁄4 cup of warm water and leave it for a few minutes, it will begin to foam up. While people didn’t have an accurate scientific understanding of what yeast was until the late 19th century, they knew what it did and how to collect it and use it.

Yeast is good because it’s so easy to use and so easy to manage. If you put creativity and imagination into yeasted breads like many bakers do

their sourdough breads, you can be the master of making the bread soft with a sweet, fresh aroma or giving it the chewier texture and tangy flavor of a sourdough bread. You can do this by altering the amount of yeast, the temperature of the dough, and the time and environment in which the dough ripens.

By adjusting the amount of water, you can shift from the fine-textured crumb of sandwich bread to the large holes of Italian ciabatta. I want to offer you a recipe with the flour-to-water ratio of many French-style breads, which will give you a nice open crumb and a crisp crust. Make it a couple of times, and then start improvising.

Bring Art to the Table This recipe lends itself to experimentation, and will make a versatile loaf with a smooth crust.

I want to introduce you to the idea of personalizing your bread by decorating the crust. All over the world, innovative bakers see the surfaces of their breads as canvases

Stencils cut from file folders may not curve to fit the shape of some loaves. Experiment with cardstock or thin plastic for your stencils, and try dusting with both flour and cocoa powder for different effects.

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Don’t shy away from delicate designs! A little care while lifting the stencil will leave sharp outlines on your loaf.

into the floured surface of the proofed bread with a razor is really exciting. If you’re decorating breads with several people, you may want to have a few breads going at once, or you can make rolls to decorate.

For inspiration, look at the images accompanying this article, go to www.motherearthnews.com/breadstencils to download printable stencil templates, or check out my Pinterest boards with images of slashed and stenciled breads and how-to videos (goo.gl/NWMmKN).

You can purchase ready-made bread stencils from a number of online retailers, or visit your local craft store to find painting or quilting stencils you can repurpose for decorating breads. I think making your own stencils is a fun project in itself!

Yet More Yeast Breads!

The timeless allure of fresh bread has been part of motheR eaRth NeWs magazine since 1970, and we’re eager to share our love of bread with you. Find more than 150 tried-and-true recipes for quick breads, country and holiday favorites such as skillet cornbread and Irish soda bread, and more challenging treats such as boiled breads, naan, and bagels, in Bread. Visit our website, www.motherearthnews.com/store to order the cookbook, item #9094; please use promotion code MMEPAIZD.

Tools, Tips, and Techniques To make your own stencils, you’ll need a sharp utility knife, sturdy paper or plastic, and a surface to cut on. I recommend cutting your stencils out of old file folders or cardstock. You’ll also need a very fine sieve for dusting flour onto the bread through the stencil.

The only real trick to stenciling breads is that after you’ve dusted the stencil with flour you’ll need to lift it straight up and away from the bread so you don’t spill any flour. Adding tabs to your stencil can help with the vertical lift. If you buy plastic stencils, you may find that dusting the undersides with flour will help keep them from sticking to the dough.

Professional bakers use a doubleedged razor, called a lame, to slash their loaves. You can order a lame online, or carefully tape over one edge of a double-edged razor and hold the taped edge between your fingers when making cuts (see photo on Page 187).

For deep slashes to open up spectacularly, the formed and proofed bread has to be in the perfect state of readiness to go into the oven. The proofed bread should have swelled, but not yet doubled, when you cut your deep slashes. Choosing that moment takes practice; I get it right about half the time.

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William Rubel (6)

for personal expression. You, too, can do amazing things by using stencils (dusting flour for white and cocoa for dark designs), slashing the dough (either directly into the dough or through a layer of flour dusted over the bread), or with a combination of slashing and stenciling.

Whether you bake in a tin or on a baking stone or baking sheet, a few minutes of attention to the crust will take your bread out of the realm of the everyday, and into a space where cooking and art come together.

If you have children, or are baking bread during the holidays when family and friends are around, decorating the surface of breads can itself become an engaging social activity. Creating stencils is an absorbing pursuit for people of all ages, and cutting patterns

Counter-clockwise from top left: 1. Hold the taped edge of the razor to make slashes, keeping your fingers clear of the blade. 2. Dust flour over your dough before slashing for a more striking finished loaf. 3. Be decisive when you slash! Neat cuts look best after baking.

William Rubel (6)

Basic Recipe for Yeast Bread While this recipe calls for active dry yeast, you can add instant yeast directly to the flour along with the salt. I prefer bread with the lower salt quantity, though the higher quantity is standard.

This dough is wetter than a sandwich bread. The surface will be sticky. Work the dough with clean hands that you keep wet by dipping them in a bowl of water. Use a dough scraper to keep your work surface clean.

This recipe also calls for a folded kneading technique, similar to many no-knead bread recipes.

If you aren’t yet familiar with this technique, watch Northwest Sourdough’s video of professional bakers demonstrating how to fold and shape a boule (goo.gl/2vjPjP).

Yield: One 1.25-pound loaf.

• 31⁄2 cups unbleached white flour (15 ounces) • 11⁄3 to 2 tsp salt • 11⁄2 cups warm water • For a 1 to 1.5 hour rise, 11⁄3 tsp active dry yeast • For an overnight or long day rise, 1 tsp active dry yeast • For an overnight rise, 3⁄4 tsp active dry yeast Note: After these doughs have started rising at room temperature, they can be refrigerated for up to a week, when they’ll develop the texture and taste tonalities of a mild sourdough. Try to get into the habit of always making more dough than you need to bake so some can be refrigerated.

1 In a bowl, mix flour and salt, and set aside.

2 In another bowl, mix yeast in warm water, following yeast packet instructions.

3 Set a “sponge” (pre-ferment) by making a well in the flour and then adding the yeast mixture. Mix until smooth.

4 Dust with flour, cover, and set aside in a warm place.

5 When the sponge is clearly active and has risen, and the dusting of flour has cracked, form into a rough mass by hand or with a mixer.

6 Turn out onto a board and knead for a few minutes, until the dough becomes stretchy and elastic. This is a wet dough, so remember to moisten your hands and use your dough scraper.

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kneading to a thorough mixing; the gluten will develop as the dough rises.

7 Return to a bowl, cover, and let rise to double in bulk.

8 When risen, turn out onto a lightly floured board and gently stretch and fold the dough over itself a few times. Return the dough to a bowl, cover, and repeat 3 to 4 times at 10- to 15-minute intervals.

9 Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a soft crust, and up to

425 degrees for a crisper crust.

10 Gently stretch and fold the dough to form a ball, oval, or ringshaped loaf.

11 When formed, place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and cover.

12 When the dough has started to increase in size, but before it has doubled, slash or apply stencils and then immediately slide the dough, still on its parchment paper, into the pre-

heated oven directly on a baking stone or baking sheet.

13 The bread will be done in approximately 40 to 50 minutes. If dusted with flour, remove before the flour begins to darken.

When you feel ready for a change, start experimenting! For a more traditional variant of this basic recipe, substitute 21⁄2 cups white flour and 3⁄4 cups rye flour for the unbleached white flour to produce a classic pain de campagne.

Ways to Use Leftover Bread Bread Soup This delicious country soup is perfect for cold winter nights.

Yield: 6 to 10 servings.

Directions: Toast bread and set aside. Bring greens to a rolling boil in water to cover, and then reduce heat and cover until wilted. To assemble soup, rub a piece of toast with garlic and place in a serving bowl. Lightly dress with olive oil, and add a layer of greens and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Continue until ingredients are used up, finishing with layer of cheese.

Pour the hot salted water over the bread. Break up bread with a serving spoon, stir, and serve.

Ingredients • 8 to 12 slices of bread • 2 pounds mixed greens, such as chard, kale, broccoli rabe, or chicory, trimmed and coarsely chopped • 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, peeled • Olive oil • 1⁄3 pound grated Parmesan • 4 cups lightly salted hot water

Pair bread soup with a roast, or serve it as the main course.

Garlic Bread

Turkey Stuffing

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled • 1⁄4 cup butter • Thick slices of bread

Yield: 8 to 12 servings.

• 2 pounds fresh chestnuts • 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter • 3 yellow onions, diced • 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced • 1 head garlic, cloves separated and crushed

In a mortar or food processor, mix butter and garlic to taste.

The quantities above are a good place to start, but you can change this recipe as much as you like! Spread one side of a thick slice of bread with garlic butter, and toast under a broiler.

• 2 tsp salt • 7 cups 1-inch-cubed stale bread • Light chicken stock as needed to wet the bread thoroughly • 1 bunch sage, coarsely chopped • 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Roast, peel, and chop chestnuts. In a sauté pan, melt butter, then add onions, celery, garlic, and salt. Cook over medium to low heat, stirring as needed, until onions are limp but not brown, about 15 minutes. Add bread cubes. When butter has been absorbed, add chestnuts, then add chicken stock a little at a time, until bread is no longer dry. Add sage and parsley and cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside for stuffing turkey or to bake in a casserole pan.

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Tips for Your First

Lamb Roast Roasting a whole lamb doesn’t need to be intimidating — just make it a community event.

By Maggie McGuire

Maggie Mcguire (8)

F

ew things look as festive or bring a community together more spectacularly than roasting a whole animal. The smell of wood smoke and roasting meat and the sounds of laughter and fire could waft from the coast of Italy, an island in Greece, the playa of Argentina — or a vacant lot in Detroit.

Detroit is made up of small neighborhoods, each with its own character and community. In recent years, a surge of interest in urban agriculture has brought natural treasures to unexpected places: a flower farm in

an industrial area, a new grove of fruit trees, and a large-scale urban farm in a public park.

Last year, in a little neighborhood in Detroit, my friend Sam and I held a spring lamb roast for his birthday. Our friends and neighbors celebrated on a small farm created from formerly vacant lots, gathering around a fire until dark.

More than any real technical problem, the main barrier to your first lamb roast will be how intimidating roasting a whole animal can seem. Take these tips to heart and allow yourself time to loosen up, enjoy your guests, and savor the smoke.

Preparing to Roast First things first, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room: There are easier ways to cook a lovely dinner. Roasting a whole animal is really for the spectacle, not the ease of cooking! With that in mind, consider the roast a performance.

You can roast a whole animal on a spit, toss it on a grate over the coals, or even bury it luau-style — no matter what, it’ll be delicious.

For our lamb roast, I favored a complicated plan involving a spit powered by a stationary bicycle, so our guests would have to pedal for their supper. However, it was Sam’s birthday (and he would be constructing the thing), and he was more intrigued by an Argentinian-style asado. We used a 3-foot-tall metal scaffold to hold the lamb at a 45-degree angle above FOOD • www.MOtherearthNews.cOM 189

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Keep the prep simple: Salt, pepper, and lemon will draw out the natural flavor of the meat. Be sure to anchor the carcass firmly to the frame.

the embers. We threaded metal wire between bones and ligaments to attach the lamb to the structure.

If you do the same, sling a grate over your coals and allow plenty of space for heating side dishes and roasting vegetables. As our lamb slowly roasted, friends and neighbors arrived with more dishes to add to the meal. Soon, everyone was cooking their own dinner around a communal fire.

Locate Your Lamb You can find whole lambs in the deep freeze at Costco these days. But where’s the fun in that? Exploring local

Center: A full carcass may have vegetable-dye stamps to indicate USDA inspection. Above: Encourage your guests to help out with the roast and to contribute side dishes to the meal.

possibilities and getting to know nearby markets, farmers, and butchers is an adventure by itself.

For a true farm-to-table meal, try to connect directly with a local farmer — it can be an amazing experience. You can often visit the land where your animal was raised and build relationships with the people who cared for it. Check with local farmers to see when they offer fresh, whole, market-weight lambs.

Find a supplier near you at www. americanlamb.com/lamb-locator or www.localharvest.org, or ask around at your local farmers market.

Sam and I are lucky to live close to Detroit’s Eastern Market, one of the country’s largest open-air markets.

The market attracts tens of thousands of visitors every weekend with local produce, meat, baked goods, and all sorts of other treats.

We befriended a butcher who serves the local Yemeni community, part of our city’s thriving Arab-American population. He was able to guide us to the freshest meat and suggest ways to prepare the whole animal. He even took us back into his shop to look on while he hacksawed through the backbone to ensure the lamb could be flattened onto our rack. Lugging a 40-pound whole lamb through the crowded market made quite a stir among Sunday shoppers.

Many people commented that it was the first time they had ever seen a whole butchered animal.

Be sure to tell your supplier that you’re planning a whole-animal roast. Chances

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A heat shield of pallets and scrap wood makes it easier to get close enough to baste the roasting meat, which will be well worth the wait.

are they’ll be thrilled to get involved, and will give you all the tips on preparation you’ll need.

Light Your Fire For the slow-cooked roast of your dreams, consider your fire.

You’ll want to aim for an even, low temperature no matter which roasting method you’re using. Rearranging your fire will be easier than moving your lamb after the roasting frame heats up and the lamb starts to cook.

Gather a stack of hardwood and a couple of good shovels, and — if you don’t have a fire pit already — prepare the area for your fire by clearing any debris and setting up a brick or stone border.

Fruit orchards are experiencing a resurgence in Detroit as formerly abandoned city blocks are planted with new trees. So we were lucky enough to have a pile of apple wood to start our fire, but any good hardwood will create the hot coals you need for a successful roast.

We divided the fire into a “social” area and a “working” area; this addressed the meat’s need for a low, slow cook while also creating a warm fire for company to sit around.

To do the same, add plenty of wood to build a pretty, flame-licking fire for your guests. Then, after the first flames have died down, use a shovel to drag the hot, prepared coals over to the working area for a controllable, even temperature

beneath the meat and side dishes. Keep feeding the social side of the fire, both to maintain a supply of coals, and for the ambience.

Baste Early, Baste Often Your coals are arranged and your lamb is ready to put over the heat. This is the big moment! You’ve put in all the prep work, and you have a group of friends there to celebrate with you, so don’t get too nervous. Just don’t drop the meat into the coals, and you’ll be fine!

Lamb is a forgiving meat, naturally tender and full of flavor. You won’t need to marinate or fuss over the meat before roasting. Sam and I simply rubbed the lamb down with olive oil, salt, lemon, and fresh rosemary.

You’ll just need to keep the meat moist while it’s roasting, so baste it with a mixture of olive oil, crushed garlic, and rosemary. Old-school Greeks use handmade swabs of local herbs dipped in oil to rub the lamb, but our Detroit tribe used what we had on hand. We

Use sturdy work gloves to protect your hands from searing-hot wire and metal roasting frames.

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through, all your friends will have shown up and you just won’t be able to resist the smell of roasting meat. If you’re feeling fancy, you could take the lamb indoors and serve it neatly.

I’d suggest commissioning a couple of guests with work gloves to sling the roast onto a low table, and then letting everyone dig in!

Set out bowls of different sauces so everyone can sample them, pour yourself a hard-earned beverage, and settle into a lovely evening with a full stomach in front of the fire.

Our lamb was so tender, our guests couldn’t wait for proper cuts of meat.

Almost immediately after we moved it off the coals, everyone used sweet, firetoasted pita bread to grab a handful of juicy meat right off the bone.

A big pile of meat isn’t the end of the story. Lamb-loving cultures have been dressing up their meat with spicy, citrusy, or pungent condiments for over a thousand years. Whip these up the night before your roast to have them on hand with no added stress.

Argentinian Chimichurri Chimichurri is perfect for a fresh, bright, citrusy taste on your lamb. Combine 1 to 2 fistfuls each of fresh parsley and cilantro with a bit of olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of cayenne, red pepper flakes, or fresh jalapeño. Blitz the mixture in a food processor or blender. Some people add a bit of oregano and vinegar or lemon juice to the mix, so feel free to experiment a bit!

Lebanese Toum Detroit has one of the largest Arab-American communities in the United States, so the flavorful, pungent Lebanese garlic dip called toum is a childhood favorite of mine.

To make your own toum, combine 12 garlic cloves with a pinch of salt and lemon juice, and blitz in a food processor. Add 1 to 2 egg whites to the mix. Slowly drizzle in about 1 cup of olive oil while running the processor, pausing about halfway through to add a bit more lemon juice. When combined, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water to the mixture and watch it fluff up into a delicious, strongly flavored garlic dip.

Eggy Ding; gEtty imagEs/bhofack2

Don’t Forget the Sauce!

Big smiles and full stomachs are the perfect reward after planning a lamb roast.

from top:

poked holes into the cap of a 2-liter soda bottle filled with a blend of oil, garlic, and rosemary. Each guest got to squeeze oil onto the meat, often breathing in a delicious billow of steam as the oil dripped down onto the side dishes and coals below.

Monitor your lamb’s internal temperature to check for doneness, rather than keeping track of how many hours it’s been roasting. Probe the thickest section of thigh with a good meat thermometer. When your lamb reaches about 144 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be safe to consume.

Our roast reached that temperature after about 3 hours, but we ended up cooking the lamb longer to get the fallapart deliciousness we sought.

By the time the lamb is cooked

North African Harissa Some people can’t eat anything without hot sauce.

Instead of a bottle of store-bought sauce, introduce them to a smoky version with homemade harissa paste.

In a cast-iron pan, toast about 2 tablespoons combined of coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds to give the spices a little extra flavor. Set the spices aside.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoon of olive oil, and then fry a few cloves of garlic, 1⁄2 onion, and a handful of your favorite hot peppers over medium heat. Be patient and wait until the mixture is deeply colored and almost caramelized, about 12 minutes. Combine with the spices and 1 to 2 roasted red peppers, and blend thoroughly.

The mixture should make a thick paste rich with complicated flavor and heat. Be sure to let your guests know this sauce is spicy when you set it out at your roast!

Argentinian chimichurri complements the smoky flavor of roasted meat.

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