garden prep Archives - A Way To Garden

soil-supporting advice from the real organic project

margaret — Sat, 07 Sep 2024 13:42:30 +0000

ORGANIC FARMING and gardening have always been based on the principle of feed the soil, not the plant. I recently got some expert advice for doing that, and also learned more about why our diligent soil consciousness matters so much, with the co-directors of the nonprofit Real Organic Project, a farmer-led organization advocating for food produced in concert with healthy soils and pastures. Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon are co-directors of the Real Organic Project, a farmer-led movement since 2018 that created an add-on label to USDA Organic to differentiate organic food that is soil-grown, not hydroponic, and animal products that are pasture-raised. Dave runs Long Wind Farm in Vermont; Linley farms vegetables at Adobe House Farm in Southwest Colorado. The Real Organic Project is holding an all-day conference featuring organic farming leaders on Saturday, Sept. 28th at Churchtown Dairy in Hudson, N.Y. Read along as you listen to the Sept. 9, 2024 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here). soil-supporting tactics, from the real organic project Margaret Roach: I’m praying for rain. How […]

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is ‘no mow may’ the answer? some lawn thoughts, with mary phillips

margaret — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:55:12 +0000

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD the expression “No Mow May” in recent years, a campaign borrowed from an effort in the U.K. meant to increase diversity by leaving lawns unmown for the one spring month. But is that the answer for U.S. gardeners? That was the subject of a recent conversation with Mary Phillips, head of native plant habitat strategy and certifications at the National Wildlife Federation, a conservation nonprofit founded in 1936 with chapters today in every state. How can we manage the lawn in the smartest ways possible—and not just in the month of May? And better yet, how can we replace some portions of it in favor of more diverse plantings? We compared notes. (Photo above courtesy of NWF, by David Mizejewski; photo of Mary, below, from NWF.) Read along as you listen to the April 29, 2024 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts here). managing the lawn, with mary phillips Margaret Roach: Well, I’ve been excited to see you guys sort of putting out more information about subjects like the lawn because […]

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‘cleanup-plus:’ a conscious fall approach, with ken druse

margaret — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 11:04:22 +0000

YES, IT’S TIME or almost time to do some raking, and to dig the dahlias to stash: time to perform the rounds of the fall cleanup, and put the garden to bed. But Ken Druse and I want to advocate for a sort of “cleanup-plus”—for tending not just to the obvious chores, but also doing some reflection, and making time for often-overlooked late-season tasks like seed-saving. Or for finally transplanting one of those two overcrowded shrubs that have been screaming for more elbow room, and you keep swearing to rescue them, but never quite get to it. Sound familiar? You all know Ken Druse, author of 20 spectacular garden books, an old friend and my colleague the last few years in our Virtual Garden Club online courses, which resume in January. (That’s the view of his fall garden, above.) We’ve been talking this week together on the phone about how we’re winding down our respective garden seasons, and we wanted to let you in on some of the details that we hope will help you in your own cleanup-plus. Read along as you listen to the Nov. 6, 2023 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. […]

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