Rich Schuler, energy consultant with Practical Farmers of Iowa, by the insulated compost bin. Heat from composting warms water which is stored in tanks and available to heat greenhouse soil when needed. Sally Gran runs TableTop Farm, where the innovative heating system was trialed. The compost is aerated by blowing air through PVC pipes set
Oil being expressed from black oil sunflower seeds in a Piteba press. Photos by Anita Budhraja. After the oil has been pressed and the sediment and pigment allowed to settle for hours, the product is decanted, giving finished, ready-to-use oil. By Will Bonsall Those of us who seek to be more self-reliant are often content
By Joann S. Grohman I listen to many talks by highly qualified scientists and others deeply concerned about our future, as well they might be. Some are concerned about climate change, others about starvation. In their summary remarks – I wait for it: Their suggestions for how we can mitigate disaster always include a well-meant
A view of Rinjani, Lombok’s highest volcano, from the village below. Neighbors come together to help the first of the rice harvest. A shaded platform at the edge of a rice paddy offers a midday escape from the Indonesian sun. Two farmers carry wild forage for their cows. Rice seedlings bundled to be transplanted into
A bouquet of peonies, grown and arranged by the author. Photo by Jude Lamb. By Karen Volckhausen Welcome to the first column in a series about the slow flower movement in the United States and Maine. It is time to start highlighting the great flower growing that is going on here and elsewhere. Like the
By Eric Sideman, Ph.D. Sometimes it is better to be prepared for bad news then to be surprised by it. This chart prepares growers for some of the most common vegetable problems seen in Maine. It is based on the Bug Reporter, which used to be published by the University of Maine Extension Pest Management Office, and
By Diane Schivera, M.A.T. Ectoparasites (parasites that live on the outside of the host) can cause large financial losses to livestock farmers if not managed in a way to reduce populations. Itching and skin irritations cause animals to scratch, rub and bite infested areas. Blood loss, depressed appetite and decreased rate of weight gain are
Toki Oshima illustration By Roberta Bailey Maine and Vermont have two of the fastest growing local food movements in the country. That is apparent in the number of new farms and people trying to figure out how to get onto a piece of land; through the health of the seed industry; in local farmers’ markets;
‘Hoffmann’s Schwarze Pfahl’ black scorzonera, growing at Khadighar. Will Bonsall photo. As a youth, I knew salsify only as an obscure reference in an Uncle Remus tale, along with persimmons and calamus root. But never Salsify. When I began gardening, I saw salsify in the novelty section of seed catalogs, along with plants such as
Eliza Greenman with wild pears in Kyrgyzstan. Photos courtesy of Eliza Greenman. An apple from Kyrgyzstan. Livestock in an apple-walnut forest. Walnut trees growing within a landowner’s plot (delineated by hawthorn branch fencing). By Eliza Greenman In early September of this year, I traveled to Kyrgyzstan to go fruit and nut exploring in their ancient
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