By Roberta Bailey Over the last few years, I have been discovering shell beans. Their diverse flavors and uses are well worth the time that I once considered to be the reason that I didn’t grow them. This year I have discovered fava or broad beans. I tried growing them once, about 15 years ago,
By Roberta Bailey Fava beans (Vicia faha) are an Old World legume, originating in the Near East. They were probably the first domesticated food crop. From the Neolithic period onward, they appear in myth, Egyptian tombs, and archeological sites of the Mediterranean basin, China, and Northern Africa. Prior to the discovery of the Americas, favas
By Deb Soule Ginkgo biloba is thought to be the oldest living genus of seed plants on our planet and is the only member of the genus Ginkgo. Its family is Ginkgoaceae. Botanists who study the evolution of plants through their fossil remains have found that ginkgo has remained unchanged for the past 150 million
Recycled Pallet Check Pallets are popular for making compost bins easily and for other uses in and around the garden, but be sure the pallets you use aren’t contaminated with insecticides, fungicides or other chemicals. Some pallets are treated with wood preservatives; some may have residues of toxic materials that were stored on them; some
Cranberries – not quite ripe – growing in a pot in September. English photo. By Roberta Bailey The first time I saw cranberries growing in the wild was on a canoe trip in springtime. A few friends and I were paddling along a meandering stretch of a small river in Aroostook County. The waters were exceptionally high
By Cheryl A. Wixson Because I often cook for large groups, I try to be sensitive to individuals’ many eating styles and dietary requirements. One diet that has become increasingly prevalent is gluten-free. This diet excludes all foods that contain gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat, and in similar proteins found in crops of
By Diane Schivera, M.A.T. Raising geese can be a joy – or a headache. Any farm or homestead venture needs to suit your property and personality, and must work cohesively with other activities. If you like peace and quiet, don’t acquire very vocal African geese. Weeder geese for use on a greens growing operation is
Toki Oshima illustration. By C. J. Walke The 2012 orchard season ran the spectrum of crop yields across the state, with some orchards experiencing total crop loss due to freezing temperatures at the end of April, while others had a typical year. In the MOFGA orchards, three consecutive nights between 26 and 29 F during
Working in the woods when the soil is frozen and covered with snow is one way to limit soil compaction. Photo of Brad Johnson and Sal by Jennifer Glick. By Andy McEvoy As the name Low-Impact Forestry suggests, all forest practices have some impact. However, making informed decisions, planning for the long term, and implementing
Natural forests affect soil formation and may act as biotic pumps, affecting rainfall and climate. English photo. By Céline Caron Two recent areas of research may have turned our knowledge of the forest upside down. They are pedogenesis (soil formation) applied to agriculture – i.e., the idea that much of our quality soil fertility derives
