No-Till Growers and Josh Sattin collaborated to post this Hoophouse Tips video interview of me talking about our hoophouse:
After a Best Ever day on November 7, 2019, when 876 people viewed my website (4,855 that week), December has been quiet. It’s not a big gardening month for most of us, and the month is full of holidays. And then there’s the urge to hibernate.
Nonetheless, I have been reliably posting every week, and you might have accidentally missed something, while entertaining the visiting aunts and uncles, or rushing to get the carrots harvested, or something involving food and drink. Here’s a chance to find the lost treasures!
Garlic scapes with 11,202 views. Garlic and sweet potatoes are the favorite crops on this site. Garlic scapes used to be under-appreciated and under-used. Not now!
Soil Tests and High Phosphorus Levels close behind at 9,503. High phosphorus is a worry for organic growers, especially those using lots of compost, as it can build up each year.
How to Deal with Green Potatoes at 8,613, with sustained interest through August, September and November. Obviously we are not the only growers with this problem, caused by light getting to the tubers.
Tokyo Bekana at 2,199 (who knew that was so popular?)
A 10 pound purple ube grown in North Carolina by Yanna Fishman.
Here’s an ube, a true yam/Dioscorea alata. This amazing photo is from Yanna Fishman in Union Mills, NC. She grew this in her garden. It’s all one root, one season’s growth from a small section of a root. She has also had success growing both the white and purple yam from aerial tubers.
Grower Jim in Florida has more information on ubes.
Yanna’s second photo shows a selection of unusual roots she grew. She is launching herself on a ‘tropical perennials as temperate annuals’ trial
Tropical roots grown in North Carolina by Yanna Fishman. See key below
Clockwise from top root with green stem:
Taro (2 types) Colocasia esculenta
Arrowroot Maranta arundinacea
Malanga Xanthosoma sagittifolium
White yam Dioscorea alata
Purple ube yam Dioscorea alata
Jicama Pachyrhizus erosus
Yuca/cassava Manihot esculenta
Groundnut Apios americana
Ginger Zingiber officinale
Yacon Smallanthus sonchifolius
Achira Canna edulis
Center:
Water chestnut Eleocharis dulcis
Turmeric (3 types) Curcuma longa
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A video and a podcast
Josh Sattin of Sattin Hill Farm came out to our farm to film me talking about farming and Twin Oaks Community and you can see that here. Not sure if I’ve been around long enough to be a legend, but Twin Oaks has.
Following the interview, Jesse’s friend and colleague Josh Sattin visited and made his video.
Cold-hardiness
Frosty Mizuna in January. Photo Bridget Aleshire
Mother Earth News
has published my blog post Which Vegetable Crops Survive Cold Weather?Knowing at what temperature various crops will die, and watching weather forecasts will help us act in time to save our crops.
Cold-hardiness of Cauliflower
And a blog reader, Andy Montague, has passed along the info that his cauliflower was damaged by temperature around 19F (-7C), while his broccoli, cabbage, collards, and Brussels sprouts were unharmed. This illustrates that cauliflower is the cole crop most susceptible to cold.
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Growing for Market Newsletter
Growing for Market magazine has launched a free monthly newsletter. The current issue includes articles on How to Improve CSA Retention Rates, and growing garlic (I wrote that one), and a special offer on a bundle of two no-till books. I see you can even get the newsletter translated instantly into a wide range of languages!
Key Perennial Crops information sheets (info from ATTRA)
The Savanna Institute has produced a new series of free “Key Perennial Crop” information sheets in collaboration with the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the USDA-SARE program. The information sheets offer descriptions of 12 key Midwestern agroforestry crops: Aronia, Asian Pear, Black Currant, Black Walnut, Chinese Chestnut, Cider Apple, Elderberry, Hazelnut, Honeyberry, Northern Pecan, Pawpaw, and Serviceberry. They are available free online. Related ATTRA Publication: Fruit Trees, Bushes, and Vines for Natural Growing in the Ozarks
Researchers from Pennsylvania State University say thatforest farming could provide a model for the future of forest botanical supply chains. They say that transitioning from wild collection to forest farming as a source of medicinal herbs such as ginseng would create a sustainable supply chain, not only in terms of the environment, but also in terms of social justice for people who harvest the plants. The researchers point out that forest farming would allow more transparency in the supply chain, which could lead not only to better-quality herbal products, but also to a reliable and stable income for forest farmers.
Wondering where to dig post holes or construct a pond or building on your property? Want help determining the production capability of your land? You can answer those questions and many more with SoilWeb, a free app that gives you quick access to Soil Survey data through your mobile device
The Southern SAWG Annual Conference is well-known for providing the practical tools and solutions you need at our annual conference. It is the must-attend event for those serious about sustainable and organic farming and creating more vibrant community food systems! This popular event attracts farmers and local food advocates from across the nation each year. This year, we have 101 “field-tested” presenters, a full slate of hot-topic conference sessions and pre-conference courses, five field trips, a forum, a poster display and a trade show. New this year! 2020 Special Topic: Agricultural Resilience in a Changing Climate.
There are scholarships for limited-resource farmers. Pre-conference intensives, a two-day general conference, a trade show, networking opportunities, research posters. Learn more about the great sessions planned for 2020.
December 24, I posted a Book Review: Grow Your Soil! by Diane Miessler
On November 26, I offered you a Book Review: Will Bonsall’s Essential Guide to Radical, Self-Reliant Gardening
Growing for Market Newsletter
