Gabriel (above), I and my family wish you a bright and shiny New Year where you find your dreams blossom and the goodness in others as well as ourselves. I dont do New Years resolutions but I can tell you a few things that I plan on doing this year. I know that our garden...

Last year, in our garden (see our organic and permaculture homesteading gardening blog here – Humble Garden), we had a catastrophic tomato failure when I lost all 60 home sprouted heirloom tomatoes to the early blight. I had a bonfire and then tried to forget but failed miserably as I mourned their loss all year....

[When I donate during disasters, like the Indonesian Tsunami, I give to the UN World Food Programme. Please do the same for Haiti through THIS LINK] Just like you, I have been struggling with the contrast between our cozy home life and the cataclysm in Haiti. We are snuggled away in our snowy retreat, planning...

In my garden (Humble Garden) I grew soybeans this year. They are open pollinated non-genetically modified and organically grown. They have been fascinating to grow and have been a continual homeschool lesson for the kids. Sprouting Growing Almost blooming on the top. But wait, thats not the only place! Fuzzy, disturbingly so, pods. They grew...

So by now, even MY garden (Humble Garden) is starting to produce, after months of rain of biblical proportions. My pickling cucumbers are growing, green beans and lemon cukes are whats for supper, and zucchinis are starting to really outpace our intake! Anyone who gardens will eventually need to preserve or put up some of...

(Sandor cutting cabbage) It is always inspiring to meet people who are passionate about food. Sandor (Sandorkraut) Ellix Katz, author of Wild Fermentation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, spoke at BU’s “The Future of Food: Transatlantic Perspectives” conference and I snagged a front row seat. Sandor was there a bit early (along with...

This soup is extra good because I am using really local food, namely, Dandy the really bad rooster (as seen below). He could NOT play nice in the chicken yard, being brutal to the girls and also to us if we strayed too...

Ever since I have not been spending every moment either driving to or from work or at work, I have been able to spend some time at home reconnecting with the family in ways I have not been able to do in the whole of this past year. There is some qualitative difference for us between 2 and 3...

Raising your own chickens in your own backyard means having VERY fresh eggs and, should you so choose, fresh meat on occasion. If you have roosters (which are not necessary unless you want to eat fertile eggs, love roosters, or want baby chickens) you will also be assured some drama. Barley, that big orange chicken...

One of my more successful crops in our Humble Garden this year was sage. It braved cool very damp weather and repelled all chicken inquiries. Chicken might taste good roasted with sage but live chickens leave it alone! In the photo you can also see all of the green cherry peppers that didnt get red...