After retiring and moving home to Maine in 2019, I embarked on a project in natural dyeing: Dyeing Maine Fibers with Maine Plants. I had begun my exploration of natural dyeing in the 1970s when I had a small flock of sheep in New York’s Hudson Valley and continued to learn while living in California
By Eric JB von Wettberg, Sandrine Dincki, Jasmine Hart, and Alexis Yamashita Did you know that we can eat the shoots, leaves, and flowers of many of the crops we typically grow for seeds or roots? For example, sweet potatoes, well loved by many Americans for their tubers, are prized for their green leaves in
Pest: Aphids Aphids are perhaps the soft-bodied insect pest most well-known to both farmers and gardeners. There are many different species of aphids, but green peach (Myzus persicae), melon (Aphis gossypii), potato (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), and foxglove (Aulacorthum solani) are the most common aphid species of concern in the Northeast. Some aphid species may have greater
Cows are remarkable creatures, capable of turning something as simple as grass into high-quality, nutritious protein that sustains millions of people. They also play a role in sustainable farming systems, cycling nutrients back into the soil through manure, which acts as a natural fertilizer. Beyond their productivity, cows are gentle, social animals. Here’s four reasons
By Caleb P. Goossen, Ph.D., MOFGA’s Crop Specialist Climate impacts are already impacting your garden — whether that’s temperature fluctuations, or periods of drought, or severe or prolonged precipitation. Here I will discuss what impacts have already been observed, and what to expect moving forward. Though I have an interest in matters of weather and
By Roberta Bailey Winter came and winter went, leaving us in the spring mud. This, too, will pass. Meanwhile the strawberries are blooming. In one month from the time they bloom, the berries will begin to turn red. Spinach, lettuce, asparagus, and now strawberries, the harvest basket is bulking out. The gardening season is fully
By Jonathan Mitschele I have grown basil for many years. Its fragrance and taste mean summer is finally here! Two years ago, I happened upon a recipe for “Classic Marinara Sauce” that I have modified so that the flavor of basil is unmistakable. I have since ramped up my basil production accordingly so that I
By Jack Kertesz, MOFGA’s Landscape Coordinator I am excited about using hoop structures to extend the growing season as I think they are overlooked and underrated for their practical, economically sound, and user/builder-friendly attributes. DIY Structures Made from EMT Quick Hoopsentered the market garden scene around 2009, advocated for by Eliot Coleman and marketed by
By Holli Cederholm Making miso is “actually a simple process,” said Nicholas Repenning, while stirring a spoonful of red-brown paste into a mug of warm water. Repenning encouraged a dozen or so students — gathered around stainless steel tables laden with metal mixing bowls, potato mashers, and books on mold-based fermentation — to grab a
By Will Bonsall When most folks think of growing peas in the garden, they’re assuming fresh peas like shell, snow, or snap peas. Rightly so, I suppose, since those are expensive to buy and require less space. However, few people grow dry peas, also known as field or soup peas, even though they can add a lot more protein
