By Coach Mark Smallwood Originally appeared at www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com When it comes to growing food, it takes a village. But not the kind of village you might think. While inviting friends and neighbors over to help plant in the spring, harvest … Continued
Dig Deeper
compost
For the bees
We’ve been hard at work “prettying up” our Honeybee Conservancy here at Rodale Institute and making a comfortable home with a well-stocked pantry for the ladies. The 2013 Conservancy has a new physical arrangement and a whole new set of … Continued
Life in the Soil: Paper and cardboard in compost?
Rodale Institute Chief Scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham answers your questions and talks about what is going on under our feet nationwide. Charlie W. asks: My friend did some research on paper and cardboard, and found that these products often contain … Continued
Not all compost is created equal
By Coach Mark Smallwood Originally appeared at www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com Just as the statement “milk is milk” is patently not true, so is the idea that all compost is created equal. Dictionaries and encyclopedias simply define compost as “rotted organic matter made … Continued
Life in the Soil: Pesticides in compost?
Rodale Institute Chief Scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham answers your questions and talks about what is going on under our feet nationwide. Mark asks: To what degree does composting decompose pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals? Totally? Partially? To safe levels? How … Continued
Turning compost by temperature
By Richard Mitchell Farmers, municipalities and home gardeners alike understand the concept and value of composting but may not understand how to make good compost. The National Organic Program (NOP) offers guidelines for composting to eliminate pathogens and weed seeds. … Continued
Cutting-edge compost
By Troy Hinke National Organic Program (NOP) regulations require certified organic compost to be turned five times in 15 days. The assumption is that temperatures will remain above 130-degrees F long enough to kill pathogens and weed seeds and give … Continued
Greenhouses, Part 1: Site selection
By Katie Olender Originally posted on March 17, 2005 Organic University: Greenhouses for year-round food and farming Part 1: Greenhouse site selection Editor’s note: This is part one of a four-part series on greenhouse operation based on the author’s participation … Continued
Worm-bin construction made simple
By Kelly Grube Originally posted on August 17, 2004 A variety of commercial vermicompost systems are available for purchase; but you can easily build your own for less. The term vermicomposting simply refers to composting organic matter with worms. Vermicompost, … Continued
What can you use to boost your soil fertility?
By Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens, Lakeview Organic Grain Originally posted on August 3, 2004 You diligently took soil tests this winter and now they’ve come back indicating that potassium or phosphorus is low on some fields, here and there you … Continued