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Homemade Cat Food: Feed Kitty Some Spring Herbs
Treat your cat to fresh spring herbs when you whip up this healthy homemade kitty food.
Harrisons' Pet Products Introduce Recover Nutritional Formula
Harrisons' Pet Products Recover: A Complete Nutritional Formula is for sick or injured animals.
New PETA iPhone App Lists Products Tested on Animals
Check what products and companies use animal testing with PETA's "Be Nice to Bunnies" iPhone app.
Pop Culture: How to Make Soda Syrups, 3 Ways
Resist popping tabs this season and get familiar with the ultimate cola cure: soda syrups made from fresh fruits and herbs.
New Convenient Packets for HEALx Booster and Sunshine Factor Pet Foods
Squeezable packets eliminate the need to measure.
How to Store Carrots Under Straw for Winter
Not being a fan of frozen or canned carrots, I began to wonder how to store carrots under straw for winter to enjoy organic carrots throughout the winter. Living in Central Oregon where beach sand is not at the hand, I gathered garden straw from a local farmer. It is important that you know that straw for the garden has not come from crops treated with herbicides to control broad-leafed weeds.
Chef Paul Fehribach To Revive Great Lakes Food Culture
Paul Fehribach sees history in food, cooking methods and recipes and he's planning a Chicago restaurant that will source 100 percent locally and champion the historic foods and recipes of the Great Lakes region.
HealthyCoat Multiple Benefits Voted Best Choice By Vets And Trainers
HealthyCoat offers high quality and a highly digestible source of Omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids, Vitamin E and Lecithin, fortified with Niacin, Biotin and Vitamin B12.
Odyssey Day
Odyssey Day embarked from Washington D.C. a few weeks ago as a nationwide effort to encourage and promote the use of petroleum-free fuel. The day is sponsored by the Department of Energy's Clean Cities, which has helped reduce petroleum use by almost more than 2 billion gallons so far.
Day Two Starting Strong
Today's FAIR attendees will be well prepared to grow, make and preserve their own food and, as Joel Salatin encourages, get out of the Industriall food system.
Last Minute Pantry Gifts for the Holidays
Ten easy holiday pantry gifts that you can make at the last minute.
Greek Country Bread Recipe
This heavy artisan bread is full of flavor, and will be ready by dinnertime if you start right now! The unexpected flavor comes from good quality honey olive oil and barley flour.
A Real Food Challenge: October Unprocessed
You can save money and improve your helaht by making more foods from scratch in your own kitchen. Sign on for October Unprocessed, and kick the processed food habit for one full month (at least for starters!). Check out some deliciously simple recipes to get you started.
Simple Easy Blueberry Milk
Check out this delicious, refreshing treat that comes in handy when there are too many blueberries to know what to do with.
Compost Manure to Avoid E. Coli and Other Foodborne Pathogens
Foodborne pathogens such as E. coli can be spread by uncomposted manure from grain-fed cattle on high-concentraton factory farms. The E. coli outbreak in northern Germany reminds us to look twice at the quality of our manure.
Joel Salatin and Dr. Joseph Mercola Explore GMO Issue in Labeling Debate
Tackling the GMO issue is a priority for food activists, but there are a number of perspectives on how to go about it. The Great GMO Debate will help you decide how and who should inform consumers about what biotech ingredients are lurking in their food.
Safer Flea Control for Your Pets
Fleas and ticks can bring severe itching, allergic reactions, discomfort, and even serious diseases (such as lyme disease) to your pets, so it's important to protect your pets from them. However, studies have found that many common flea and tick control/treatment products aren't just toxic to those bugs; they can actually poison your pets, as well. Find out which ingredients and products to avoid, and some safer alternatives to use.
Better Living Through Chemistry?
Have you ever wondered why our food has become so industrialized? Where some of those chemicals that are in almost everything, came from?
Should Dogs Roam Free on the Farm?
Dogs can perform a variety of useful tasks on farms and rural properties, but can cause problems if they stray.
Nutty Basil Lemon Ice Cream
Use your abundance of basil to handcraft this delightfully different custard-style ice cream.
Owl Hunting!
During a quiet, pre-dawn moment, an owl hoots softly. Is this connected with the bounty of mice and a big harvest?
RawCreations: More Carrot than Cheesecake
Our thoughts on the gluten free, dairy free, soy free desserts from RawCreations.
Innovative Environmental Policy to Green America
Branded as smarter capitalism, the Petition for a Green Recovery seeks a new kind of environmental policy to green America. Using financial incentives, this idea plans to create a marketplace that takes into account environmental and social costs while increasing the green jobs sector.
Johnny—from crippling shyness to king of the road
Timidity nearly doomed Johnny to a life sentence in the rescue kennel until one determined family saw through his issues to the dog he was meant to be.
Pets and Disasters: Plan Ahead
In the event of a disaster, what would happen to your pet?
Have You Considered Raising Meat Chickens?
There are layer chickens, and there are broilers. We talk a lot about eggs, but now we'd like to hear your thoughts on raising and butchering your own meat chickens. Is it too much reality? Is it worth the unpleasantness?
Missing Morgan
Cam is mourning the loss of his beloved dog Morgan.
Considerations Before Adopting A Dog
How to select and find the right pet for you. Non professional guidelines.
Remembering Grandma's Stories of a Small Kansas Farm
Debbie Mildfelt shares memories of her grandmother's stories, exploring the life of a large family on a small Kansas farm.
'Safe Streets Save Lives' Launches in South Carolina (Video)
An innovative partnership of bicycle advocates and a bike-friendly attorney aims to reduce crashes in South Carolina.
Making Marmalade
Making delicious homemade marmalade from Seville oranges.
Reader Callout: What Are Your Favorite American-Made Hard, Salty Cheeses
Readers suggest favorite hard, salty, American cheeses.
Going Green with Nuts.com
Nuts.com, a family-owned business, offers certified organic snacks and superfoods.
Why Having Pets Makes Us More Human
Through all of the tears and the heartbreak, I have found that having a pet makes us more human. Please why everyone should have at least one best friend that is furry.
The Greenest Grocery Bag Ever: A Dog Pack
With a well-designed dog pack, you can take your dog to the farmer's market and your pet won't mind helping you carry a few groceries.
Make Bath Time for Your Pets Easier With Wash Wands
A spray bar and squeegee for washing your pets, all in one tool!
Brownie the Milking Angus
I can hear it now: "What the devil? Angus? They are not milk cows!" Well, it all got started when the neighbor purchased four, what he was led to believe were, Black Angus calves from someone in a valley some distance from us. But the udders on these two cows were huge! They clearly had more milk than the calves could handle.
A Recycled T-Shirt that Prevents Green Washing
ECO360 Trust produces sustainable T-shirts made from 100% recycled PET plastic water bottles. ECO360 Trust is a campaign of the non-profit Institute for Sustainable Communication.
It's a Perfect Day to Make Sacred Seed Bread
Sacred Seed Bread delivers the healing power of medicinal seeds in a delicious, homemade loaf.
How to Set Up a Simple, Homemade Vermicomposting Bin
Ellen Sandbeck, who has nearly a quarter century of experience as the Head Worm Wrangler of Laverme's Worms, writes about how to make and run a homemade vermicomposting bin.
How Can I Make Homemade Laundry Soap?
Get our expert advice on homemade options for laundry soap.
Kicking the Carbon Habit: How to Be Less Dependent on Oil and Other Fossil Fuels
There are many ways that each of us can lessen our unhealthy dependence on filthy fuels. You can do so in every area of your life, from choices you make regarding your house and home improvements, to food, transportation, and other consumer choices.
Why You Should be Eating Bugs and Other Gross Things
Western culture has taught us to eat all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons.
Early Spring Foraging: Violets
Violet leaves are one of the best wild edible salad greens. Their pretty, edible flowers are only in season for a few weeks.
Cold-Weather Foraging: Field Garlic (Allium vineale)
During the coldest months of winter, field garlic is still ready to be harvested. Even when the ground is too frozen for digging up the savory bulbs, the leaves can be used like chives.
Real Food Find: Pomegranate Golden Balsamic Vinegar
You'll love our recommended real food find: pomegranate golden balsamic vinegar from California.
Fostering From Fat to Fit
Fostering can help overcome an unexpected side effect of life in a rescue kennel---obesity.
Canine Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Part 2
Coping with SARDS (sudden acquired retinal degeneration) in dogs and practical ways to help a blind dog.
'The Rabbit-Raising Problem Solver' by Karen Patry
"The Rabbit-Raising Problem Solver" by Karen Patry will answer your questions about rabbit housing, feeding, behavior, health care, breeding and kindling.
Protect Your Pet Without Chemicals
As tick and flea season approaches, Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence won't be dousing her dog, Rug, in flea medicine or attaching a flea collar because she knows that these can be harmful—both for Rug and for her. Flea collars often contain tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) or propoxur, which can jeopardize Rug's immune system and leave damaging lifelong effects.
Left-Over Lasagna Trumps Sugared Cereal for Breakfast
Food labels are confusing, but you can be sure that processed foods with many ingredients are not as healthful as whole foods. Here is a explanation of processed-food ingredients and some suggestions for healthful breakfast foods.
Michigan Attacks Heritage Hogs; Farmers Fight Back
It has been fifteen months since heritage breed hog farmer Mark Baker sued the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to stop the implementation of an invasive species order (ISO). The swine ISO supposedly targeted feral swine but could be applied to any domestic pig not raised in confinement. Baker has yet to have his day in court and it is still not settled when his trial will take place. It is common for lawsuits like this to turn into wars of attrition; the state has virtually unlimited resources while the farmers are bled of theirs over the course of the litigation.
Farm Family Threatened with $700,000 Fine for Raising Pigs
The Department of Natural Resources seeks to fine a family for possession of prohibited swine.
Making Music on the Front Porch
Michael Johnathon is a folksinger, songwriter, author and playwright. He also created and hosts the weekly national broadcast of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, heard on over 509 public radio stations, American Forces Radio network in 173 nations. In this blog, Michael muses on discovering the joys of folk music and songwriting.
Pet Acoustics Announces Walking My Dog, the World's First Kid-Sized Dog Leash
Shorter length and smaller kid friendly hand loop makes it easier for children to handle their four-legged friends
How to Make Homemade Apple Juice
No juice extractor? No problem! This easy method for making fresh, delicious apple juice will have you sipping in no time.
Adopting A Rescue Pet
Why we adopt rescue dogs.
Plan a doggie spa date and change a life
Adult dogs need a little help to compete with pups in the adoption game. A spa date with a groomer or in your own back yard can give that older shelter dog more than a shiny coat. It can open the door to a new life.
How to Make Homemade Baby Wipes
These cheap and easy homemade baby wipes will make your baby's bottom and your pocketbook healthy and happy.
Delicious and Beneficial: Water Kefir Soda-Making 101
What exactly is water kefir soda? Well, I describe it as pop that makes you forgo buying cans from the store, all while making your tummy happy. The experts call it a "probiotic beverage made with kefir grains that consist of bacteria and yeast existing in a symbiotic relationship."
Recipe Box: Wild Blackberry Scones
These sweet, wholesome scones come together in a flash and make use of August's abundance of wild blackberries.
Black-Eyed Peas and Greens for Good Luck
Eating black-eyed peas for luck on New Year's reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen. Every year since I have had my own garden I include as many of these easy to grow southern staples as space allows into my garden plans and you can, too.
Let's Make Granola
Healthy homemade granola; easy on your budget, good for your family.
Free App Keeps Green Fuel Flowing and Clean Cars Rolling
One of the newest apps for green car owners is Cleaner and Greener Fuels, which locates refueling stations for alternative fuel vehicles.
How to Make Your Own Paper
If you have a lot of excess scrap paper like I do, it's time to put that waste to better use. Read this do-it-yourself article about how to make your own homemade, recycled paper, and then get to work turning trash into treasure.
How to Make Homemade Sausage Patties
From pig to plate, learn how to make homemade sausage patties grandma's way and use rendered fat for more cooking.
Whole Foods is First Retailer to Rate Green Cleaning Products
Most Americans believe that cleaning products are required to list ingredients on labels. They're not. But Whole Foods is taking matters into its own hands with a color-coded rating system that holds manufacturers accountable for green claims.
Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — National Dog Day
Tips on how to dispose of pet waste properly for National Dog Day!
EPA: Some Flea, Tick Control Products Can Harm Pets
Keep your pet safe by learning the dangers posed by certain flea- and tick-control products.
Man's Best Friend
The benefits of adopting a pet. And the sadness that occurs when they die.
How to cut planks with a chainsaw
Our experiments with an Alaskan small log mill attached to our chainsaw had variable results making planks from downed trees.
Searching for America's Front Porch
Making Music on the Front Porch ... let's define what the musical Front Porch is.
The Great Food Race
Chicago and New York City vie to be the first to pass a green food resolution.
Early Spring Foraging: Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard has spicy, delicious leaves, flowers, seeds, and roots. It is an invasive species that may be harvested without sustainability concerns. In fact, you'll be doing your environment a favor if you eat this plant!
Eating Healthily: Where to Begin
We may find it overwhelming to know where to begin in teaching others to eat healthily. People attempting to eat healthier find it difficult to know where to begin. "The Dirty Dozen" fruits and vegetables gives us all a place to start.
Help Solve the Real Food Deficit
Kashi, the natural food and lifestyle leader, will support organizations that provide education and greater access to healthy foods in cities across the U.S.
Organic Coconut Sugar and Honey Crystals
Organic Coconut Sugar is made from sap collected from the freshly cut flower buds of organic coconut palm trees grown on small, sustainable farms.
Vinegar: A Controversial Subject?
Learn about advertising-induced fear of an innocuous, food-grade substance, vinegar. Plus, get interesting information about vinegar being used for bioremediation of extremely dangerous chemicals.
Homemade Queso Blanco Tutorial: The Easiest Cheese Ever
Learn to make Queso Blanco, by far the easiest cheese in my opinion, as the only ingredients are whole milk and white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar if you like).
Best Ever Sourdough Oatmeal Bread Recipe
This soft, tangy sourdough oatmeal bread may just be the best you've ever tasted.
Easy Homemade Bread
Make a delicious homemade bread with this easy tutorial.
Homemade "Vodka" Tastes Great
Homemade vodka is easy to make and tastes great. Stay tuned — MOTHER EARTH NEWS has an article coming up next year about Artisan Alcohol Distilling.
How Do I Build an Inexpensive Cold Smoker?
Instructions for building a cold smoker (and three other things you can do with steel oil drums).
Swedish Potato Sausage Recipe
This traditional recipe for Potatiskorv, or Swedish potato sausage, is delicious, simple and hearty.
The Incredible (Totally Edible) Homemade Face Mask
Make you own inexpensive, pampering - and edible - homemade face mask with this simple recipe. Enjoy!
Create Stubby Screwdrivers for Small Spaces
Use your extra screwdriver bits to build stubby screwdrivers suitable for small spaces.
When to Use a Nonreactive Pan Instead of Aluminum Cookware
You'll need to choose a nonreactive pan, such as stainless steel, when cooking acidic foods, such as tomato sauce.
Foraging Wild Peppergrass for a Native Spice
Peppergrass, a native North American plant in the mustard family, adds a spicy kick to recipes. Here's how to identify, sustainably harvest and use peppergrass.
Whole Foods Market to Carry Multi-Functional, Eco-Friendly 'GreenBox' from ECOvention
ECOvention, LLC announced today that as of August 2010, more than 30 Whole Foods Market locations in the Rocky Mountain region will use the multi-functional, eco-friendly GreenBox to serve take-away customers at their brick-oven pizza counters.
Whole Foods Submits Products for Non-GMO Verification
Whole Foods Market commits to verifying it products as free of genetically modified organisms. Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence explains the grocer's commitment to providing natural and organic products.
Making Pickled Chinese Cabbage, Japanese Style
A traditional fall recipe for the Japanese version of sauerkraut.
Weaving a Grassroots Safety Net for Homeless Animals
How one rural county without animal control regulations or a public pet shelter is working to make a better community for all residents — both humans and their companions.
How to Prep for Pet and Livestock Emergencies - The Basics
The time to prepare for livestock or pet emergencies is not when they fall ill, but before. Here are some basics so you and your critters are covered.
FRONT PORCH: Making your own Homestead Music Coffeehouse
Folksinger Michael Johnathon is on tour nationwide. Visit his homepage: www.MichaelJohnathon.com
A Useful Space for Pigs, Chickens and Rabbits
Jenna Woginrich writes about the beauty of Cold Antler Farm, a small homestead that she shares with Pig, her rabbits Benjamin and Doe and several chickens. Taking care of her animals on cold winter nights is a challenge for Woginrich, but one she gladly accepts armed with a water bottle and affection. Woginrich's modest barn provides shelter for her animals and a useful space to feel at home.
Dedicated Roofers Cross Dangerous Creek
Talking about the recent past week where we got several items crossed off the Spring to-do list and managed to have some fun while doing it complete with pictures to illustrate the good times.
The 2013 HOMEGROWN Holiday Gift Guide
HOMEGROWN.org unwraps its 2013 holiday gift guide, featuring lots of homemade presents, as well as a few stocking stuffers for under $20.
Inspired by Homemade Bread
Jonathan Sadowski shares what motivates him to be a bread baker. He then provides a preview of what to expect from his future posts.
Homegrown Flavored Waters and Homemade Sodas
You can create refreshing-flavored waters and sodas right from your backyard. Homemade waters and sodas are easy, cost effective and healthy.
Quick and Easy Naan
This recipe will have naan on your table in no time to accompany your Indian dishes, and it will provide a quick and easy snack in a pinch.
Basic Artisan Bread Recipe
This recipe provides delicious bread with minimal time commitment and plenty of room to explore the wonders of homemade bread.
Cooking Is Important
Take control of your food with a return to the kitchen, and learn to love the time you spend there cooking with your family.
Pumpkin Lasagna With Homemade Ricotta Cheese
I used my homemade ricotta cheese in a number of ways, the best was in a pumpkin lasagna dish we shared with my family at Christmas dinner.
10 Homemade Soup Recipes for Any Occasion
Ten easy-to-make homemade soup recipes from Eating Well magazine that are suitable for any occasion.
5-Ingredient 5-Minute Homemade Mayo
Drop store bought mayonnaise like a bad habit. Make your own with only five simple ingredients, under 5 minutes.
Simpler Gifts for a Richer Christmas
Reclaim the joy of the holiday season with homemade gifts that aren't too late to make.
DIY Holiday Card and Mail Holder
This simple DIY project is a great way to display this seasons' holiday greetings, or to keep your mail organized. The materials are free or low-cost, depending on what's in your recycling bin and craft or junk drawer!
Do I Need a Churn to Make Butter?
Learn whether you need to locate a butter churn for making homemade butter.
Easy Breadmaking at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
Jessica Kellner, managing editor with Natural Home magazine, talks with Deborah Niemann-Boehle about how easy it is to make bread at home.
How to Make a Pinwheel
Learn how to make a pinwheel for a fun, outdoors toy.
A DIY Natural Cleaner for Stainless Steel Appliances
I wanted a DIY natural cleaner for stainless steel appliances, because I don't use all those terrible chemical-filled products that I was tricked into buying 10 years ago. How do I clean without the name brand products that promise to make life easy and clean your stainless steel products? Let me tell you my secret.
Kamut-Bakewell Cream Biscuits
New England's favorite homemade biscuit recipe is made even better with whole-grain Khorasan.
From the Iron Skillet: Homemade Fried Pies
Simple and old-fashioned, homemade fried pies are a good Sunday afternoon dessert that even the kids can help with.
Finding Time to Make Cheese
Here's some hints on how to juggle cheese-making among the many other homesteading chores. Mozzarella and cheddar can both be woven in while doing other tasks, but there's nothing like clabbered cheese for ease of making.
Sauerkraut is an effective and delicious way to store cabbage and add something "fresh" to the winter months
FDA Takes Another Look at Nanotechnology
Despite their widespread use, nanoparticles are not well classified, regulated or even understood. Fortunately, the FDA is signaling a turn toward more accurate classification and rules for their use.
Heritage Foods USA Launches Initiative to Support Goat Dairies
Fifteen family farms and over 50 restaurants have committed to participation in No Goat Left Behind, a new program developed by Heritage Foods USA.
Blueberries: Fountain of Youth
Blueberries are a true fountain of youth. This article will introduce you to the health benefits, how to grow, how to harvest, and how to eat this wonderful fruit.
Introduction to Fermentation With 'SandorKraut'
Fermentation expert Sandor Katz (aka SandorKraut) gives a cultural and historical introduction to fermentation practices, including the nutritional benefits of homemade sauerkraut and other fermented foods.
DIY Ginger Bug and Lacto-Fermented Soda
Make your own "ginger bug" and natural soda from nothing more than ginger root, sugar, water, and fruit juice. The ginger bug, soda starter culture of healthy bacteria, consumes the natural sugars present in fruit juice and causes carbonation to make a fun experiment and soda pop you don't need to be afraid to give your children.
Earth Days: Premiering on Facebook and PBS
Earth Days, a poignant, 2009 Sundance Film Fesitval success, will premier on Facebook April 11, and on the PBS Network April 19.
Is Sustainable Food Affordable?
Help us discover ways to achieve an affordable sustainable diet.
Photo of the Week: Chipmunk Contemplation
This little chipmunk ponders about how much food to store for the coming fall and winter seasons.
Welcome to Relish!
Relish is a blog about celebrating delicious alternatives to America's industrial food system.
Herbal Pet Tips from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
Keep your pets from licking off herbal ointments by adding a pinch of cayenne.
Starting a Pet Food Pantry
Compassionate people without a county animal shelter organize a non-profit group to help low-income families keep their pets during hard times and to support Good Samaritans who take in abandoned pets
Bicycle Trailer for Recumbent Bike
Build an inexpensive bicycle trailer out of upcycled walkers and other easy-to-find materials.
Kitchen Pantry Cure-Alls: Natural Homemade Deodorant
Store-bought deoderants contain aluminum and other harmful substances that find their way into your bloodstream. Try this recipe for natural homemade deodorant that uses baking soda with coconut oil and essential oil to create a effective and safe alternative.
Homemade Sunscreen for Babies
Moms, protect your baby's health with this safe, homemade sunscreen.
Crock-Pot Apple Butter
Just in time for holiday season (and good all year long), you can use tart, just-picked apples to create a flavorful apple butter that's perfect to give — or keep.
Homemade Garlic Sausage Recipe
Get started making your own charcuterie with this easy Garlic Sausage Recipe. By making your own sausage from scratch, you can use your own quality meat, customize the flavorings and leave out anything artificial.
Homemade Peanut Butter from Raw Peanuts
My favorite source for raw peanuts in bulk, and how to make homemade peanut butter.
How to Make Basic Pizza Dough
This recipe is a great introduction to all the joys and possibilities the world of home made pizza represents.
Day in the Life of a Wood Gas Driver, Part 1
Ever wondered what its like to drive around using wood as fuel? Tag along with Chris as he fires up his wood gas truck.
Day in the Life of a Wood Gas Driver, Part 2
Hit the road, using wood for fuel! Chris Saenz takes a trip on wood gas power.
MAX Car 105: Paying MAX's Vegetable Oil Fuel Tax
My MAX car got licensed with the local DOT to run on vegetable oil fuel and pay its proper taxes per gallon. Each state has its own rules; here's how we do it in Oregon.
Apple Vinegar from Peels and Cores
A hundred-year-old recipe for turning apple trimmings into vinegar yields mixed results, but lots of nostalgic fun.
Ooey Gooey, Rich and Sweet, Sorghum Caramels
Make these tasty and chewy caramels. They are a festive treat that takes on a homespun flavor with the addition of Sorghum.
Sourdough Crackers Recipe
Try your hand at this amazing sourdough crackers recipe.
Easy Homemade Liquid Hand Soap
To make liquid hand soap all you need is a bar of soap and a cheese grater. What could be easier?
Blueberry-Infused Homemade Bread Recipe
This Blueberry-Infused Homemade Bread recipe has a unique taste and color that will find a tasty use for any large blueberry harvest.
How To Make Ancho-Chili Powder
It took a year for Ilene White Freedman to make homegrown, homemade Ancho-Chili Powder. Find out how she did it.
Celebrate This Holiday Homemade Style
Celebrate those gardeners and birders in your life by making them homemade holiday gifts this year.
Learning How to Make Homemade Butter at the FAIR
One workshop at the Puyallup, Wa., MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR was on learning how to make butter, hosted by Organic Valley.
Make Your Own Natural Lotion
Kick toxic chemicals to the curb and make your own natural lotion using just a few ingredients. Making homemade lotion is an easy, fun and creative process.
Making Ice Cream at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
Quick report from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR. Stonyfield Farm supplied ingredients for awesome, fresh-made ice cream.
Kids Love Everything at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
Quick report from the Treehouse club at the 2010 MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR.
Havin' Fun with Homemade Stilts
All things good accomplished with some old lumber and a nice summer day.
Peanut Butter Play-Dough
A really nutritious snack for the kids, and they can, ummm, play with it!
HOMEGROWN Life: Making Your Own Deodorant
How to make your own homemade deodorant that really works!
30 Minute Mozzarella
You can easily make homemade mozzarella in 30 minutes or less!
Tasteful Handmade Gifts
Giving handmade gifts will save money while showing the recipient that you care. Homemade sugar scrub, rice pillows, glass magnets and iPod covers are all easy to make and exciting to receive. Spend time, not money, to give the perfect holiday or birthday gift.
Make Your Own Green Cleaners
Make your own all-purpose cleaners, dishwasher detergent and mildew remover with safe, simple ingredients. Ever think you'd be doing dishes with Kool-Aid?
Freekeh Foods Debuts Organic Freekeh Line
Delicious Roasted Grain is Kosher, Naturally Vegan, Made in the USA and Now Certified Organic
Forage for Wild Food and Enjoy Bugs! And Barnacles and Cattails, Too!
You can find free food, such as wild carrots, cattail roots and crawfish, right in your neighborhood fields, swamps and creeks, and under rotten logs.
Putting the Community in a Community Garden
Describes the process of forming a community garden from the physical and energetic standpoints. The power of teamwork, the joy of accomplishment and the building of a feeling of group unity are described.
Green New Year's Eve: What Are Your Tips for Hosting an Eco-friendly Party?
Check out these tips and share your ideas for welcoming 2010 with a green New Year's Eve party.
The Unsustainability of Local
A few months back I heard a comment on an NPR radio program that really caught my attention. The program was about the local food movement and at one point the guest on the show said, "Now remember - just because it's local doesn't necessarily mean it has a smaller carbon footprint. That Argentinian apple that was shipped on a barge with thousands of tons of other apples may actually have required less fuel per apple than the apple than came from a few hundred miles away in the back on a farmer's pickup."
Tough Times? Grow Your Own Food!
As more Americans tighten their belts to save a penny or two, many are finding they can save money by growing food-producing gardens.
Making Sun-Dried Tomatoes in a Solar Food Dehydrator
After spending several years drying food in an electric food dehydrator, I built a SunWorks solar food dehydrator to try and create truly sun-dried tomatoes.
USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Website Launches
The USDA kicks off its Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative.
You are What You Eat: Be Something Better
The creators of Food Inc. make a great effort to teach their audience about where our food comes from and about the effects of our industrial food system. After seeing the documentary, MOTHER EARTH NEWS blogger Jenna Woginrich was inspired to write her own argument about the way we view and consume food - and ask: Will those who most need the education ever see the film?
Food Policy Councils Advocate for Community Food Security
Cities, counties and states across the country have created food policy councils in response to their concerns about future food security in their communities. The councils work to coordinate local food efforts, such as farmers markets, to develop a sustainable food system.
Another Reason to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup: Mercury
After testing 55 common food products containing HFCS, researchers found mercury in nearly one-third.
More Americans Buy Bulk Foods
Bulk food sales rose 15 percent in 2009 and are expected to keep growing through 2010. That will keep a lot of packing out of the landfill.
The Final Rule on COOL
It's official: The USDA has finally hammered out the details on country of origin labeling. The rule will take effect March 16, but some say it could use a little tweaking first.
Using and Storing Eggs
Learn how to store eggs properly, how to freeze eggs for long-term storage and how to use eggs in different kinds of recipes.
3 Great Pregnancy Skin Care Products
Jessica Kellner, editor of Natural Home and Garden Magazine, shares three pregnancy skin care products that will help prevent stretch marks and keep your baby belly soft and smooth.
Food First Delegation Explores Slow Food and Sustainable Agriculture
Tour will highlight food and farming systems in Italy's northern piedmont region.
What does true food safety look like?
Join the conversation about the best way to ensure a safe food supply.
100 Mile Food Plan
What would you do if the trucks stopped coming to the grocery stores? Find out how a community college class project spurred students to make plans for just such an experience.
Finding Places To Store the Harvest
Find the best places to store your harvest in your home through the winter.
Taste Test of the Week: Kopali Organics Snack
We're trying it before you buy it! Now Relish, one of our weekly blogs, will feature taste tests on various organic foods and snacks. This week we're featuring Kopali Organics snacks in Goldenberry. Read on to find out what we thought!
How Do You Make Fresh Produce Last Longer?
Readers share tips, tricks and recommended products for keeping produce fresh longer.
The Root of Our Food Contamination Problems
What's behind the food contamination issues plaguing us of late? Poop. Plain and simple. The Cornucopia Institute weighs in.
Taste Test of the Week: Kaia Foods Premium Raw Granola
We're trying it before you buy it! Every week Relish — one of our weekly blogs — features taste tests on various organic foods and snacks. This week we're featuring Kaia Premium Granola in raison cinnamon, dates & spices and cocoa bliss. Read on to find out what we thought!
Do You Have a Favorite Place to Learn About Food Preservation?
Share your favorite places to learn about food preservation.
Local Food Sovereignty Ordinance Passed in Maine Community
The community of Penobscot, Maine, has declared their local food sovereigny in a move to bypass restrictive state and federal regulations.
Rooting a New Livelihood
New Roots for Refugees, a program in the Kansas City area, helps fleeing refugees establish a new home and contributes to the local food system.
Are You a Wild Food Forager?
Readers share tips and stories about wild food foraging.
The Real Beginning of Winter
Putting into practice those great intentions: Living on preserved hard work and home canned peaches these short days.
How to Smoke Your Own Chipotle Peppers
How to make chipotles and other smoked peppers using a biochar trench.
Boulder Brings New Idea to Food Distribution
Boulder Food Rescue is a non-profit what is helping to redefine food waste in America.
Enjoy Fall Flavors With Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet potatoes are vitamin-packed powerhouses, and have a sweet, rich flavor that lends itself to a variety of recipes. From fun sweet potato biscuits to a traditional molasses sweet potato pie, use these healthy sweet potato recipes to enjoy one of fall's best flavors.
DIY Patio Furniture Made From Scrap Iron
Looking for a great home metalworking project? Follow these DIY patio furniture instructions to build scrap-metal furniture for your patio.
Revitalize Potting Soil with Compost and Homemade Fertilizer
How to revitalize your potting soil for another strong vegetable season. You can use your own compost and homemade fertilizer to give your container veggies the boost they need for the season.
Homemade Triticale Chia Cracker Recipe
Tasty whole-grain crackers — simple to make, quick to disappear.
Abundance Through Farming During The Great Depression
Donna Pellegrin shares her mother's stories of growing up on a fertile, bountiful farm during the Great Depression, and of the homesteading skills that kept them well fed.
Sweet Ideas for a Handmade Valentine's Day
Save money and win your sweetie's heart with a beautifully set table and handmade candy hearts this Valentine's Day.
Bread and Soup for Dinner
Stretching one's food dollar is an important issue in today's life. So is nutrition. Here, learn how to make healthy, nutritious soup and bread for lunch or supper economically. You might even come to love winter just to have soup and bread!
Homemade Dishwashing Solutions
MOTHER EARTH NEWS readers recently named dishwashing formula as their most desired DIY cleaner, so we've rounded up some easy and inexpensive dish de-griming recipes for your automatic dishwasher or for washing by hand.
Oatmeal Bread Made With Sorghum
There's nothing like an old cookbook filled with good recipes to warm your kitchen and your home!
An Adventure With French Onion Soup
French Onion Soup au Gratin is a delicious, elegant soup, hearty enough for a meal in itself. Using your own homemade beef broth, you can create this soup for your family to enjoy at home.
Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent--It's Easy!
Save money and keep harsh chemicals out of your kitchen by making your own dishwasher detergent. It takes just seconds to make a powdered or liquid version.
Make Your Own Lotion Bars
Claire finds a recipe for hard lotion and makes molded lotion bars to give as Christmas presents.
National Day of Unplugging Begins Today at Sundown
Celebrate a technology-free Sabbath with a jug of organic wine, a loaf of homemade bread and handmade candles. Could you go 24 hours without your smartphone?
Homemade Cleaners
Save money and have a healthier home with these ideas for assembling your own green cleaning tool kit. Plus, get our recipe for Lemon-Mint Window Wash.
Create Upcycled Furniture With This DIY Shopping Cart Project
Upcycle abandoned shopping carts into funky shopping cart furniture that is both fun and functional. This DIY shopping cart project takes some elbow grease, but is well worth the results.
How to Waterproof Fabric Using Tin Cloth
Learn how to waterproof fabric with these simple instructions for making tin cloth.
Wabi-Sabi Wednesday: Simple, Natural Cleaning
Your simply imperfect arsenal for getting the whole house clean--naturally.
Homemade Chicken Broth and Easy Chicken Soup Recipe
The only recipe you'll ever need for wonderful homemade broths plus deliciously versatile chicken and veggie soup.
Let's Make Some Soap: A Simple Recipe for Lye Soap
Making a batch of homemade soap for family use can be done quickly and simply.
End of Summer Intensive Salt Scrub
Use Epsom salt, lemon, aloe vera and other simple ingredients to clean up your kids when they have stubborn, sticky summer grime.
Learning to Make Bacon at The MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
Curing your own bacon is so simple that anyone can do it. Here's how to do so, complete with recipe and step-by-step.
Choose the Best Cat and Dog Food
Here are things to consider when choosing your cat or dog food.
How Long Will Fresh Eggs Keep Without Refrigeration?
Get expert advice on how long fresh eggs will keep without refrigeration.
A COOL New Rule
Country of origin labeling will be required on many types of meat, fruits and vegetables starting Sept. 30.
Looking for Work? Find a Good Food Job!
A new job-finding website, Good Food Jobs, can help you find meaningful work in the food industry.
Simple Beet and Balsamic Salad
This simple beet salad will make a beet lover out of you!
U.S. Food System Provides Extra Calories: Policy Implications?
Is it possible that the sheer extra number of calories produced by our food system could be partly responsible for the extra number of inches being tacked on to our waistlines? Is it possible that, by directing subsidies to the production of commodity crops used to produce grains and oils, our current agricultural policy is contributing to the obesity epidemic.
A Few Reasons to Love Plum Organics
One of our "14 Sustainable Food Companies You Can Trust," Plum Organics is good for your baby's health and the health of the planet.
Good Food News: Better School Lunches
The Child Nutrition Act will improve school lunches. Readers share homemade school lunch ideas.
Have You Stopped Eating a Food for Health or Other Reasons?
Knowing that MOTHER EARTH NEWS readers are often health-conscious and choose to grow their own food, we're curious: Have you cut back or eliminated certain ingredients or foods from your diet? If so, why, and what effects have you noticed as a result?
Double Chocolate Stout Cake
Just in time for Labor Day, a dessert made with beer--Double-Chocolate Stout--that everyone will love.
Do You Work in Food?
Readers share resources and information about their food-related jobs.
Tradescantia - A Common Little-Known Wild Food
Nyerges shares his years of experience about a little-known plant, Tradescantia fluminensis, and how it can be used for food. It has apparently never been described as a food plant in U.S.wild food/ethnobotanical literature.
How Do You Save Money on Groceries?
Readers share tips for saving money on food.
Salmonella in Tomatoes Still an Issue
Still anxious about the Salmonella found in tomatoes? Although some cases have been reported as recently as late June, don't let it stop you from enjoying fresh, seasonal tomatoes.
Eat Smart—for You and the Planet
Natural Home editor-in-chief Robyn Griggs Lawrence explains the environmental effect of consuming too much meat and offers tips on how to incorporate more vegetarian meals into your diet.
The Sweet Sound of Lids A-Popping
The work of growing, harvesting and preserving your own food comes together in the satisfying instant when canning lids pop. Don't leave the kitchen until you've savored the sound of a job well done.
Collect Windfall Apples
Collect apples from old homestead trees for the best in flavor for sauce and pies.
Homegrown Fridays 2013
Exploring preparing meals of only homegrown food.
Annie's Expands its Organic Pasta Offerings with New Bernie's Farm Macaroni & Cheese
Annie's is expanding its line of wholesome comfort food favorites with a new, kid-friendly pasta product: Bernie's Farm Macaroni & Cheese, made with 100 percent real cheese and certified-organic pasta in a variety of shapes featuring life on the farm. Like all of Annie's products, Bernie's Farm Macaroni & Cheese contains no artificial flavors, synthetic colors or preservatives.
Trade as One Introduces Ethical Products Delivery Service
Trade as One, a company that makes it easy for consumers to build ethical products into their lifestyles, is launching a one-of-a-kind fair trade food subscription service.
Pieday Lime Coconut Cream Pie
This "award winning" pie takes a little time, but is well worth the effort. Substitute lemon if you're not a fan of lime.
A Cardboard Solar Food Dehydrator
Drying food is a good way to eat local produce all year, and if you make this solar food dehydrator for yourself, you'll be well on your way to delicious meals during colder months.
Sick Chickens to Blame for Salmonella Outbreak
In eggs from a healthy chicken, proteins found within the egg white control the growth of dangerous bacteria. If a chicken is infected with salmonella, the proteins can't protect you.
Easy Peaches Freezing Tip
Here's a quick and easy tip for freezing peaches.
Carrington Farms Introduces New Organic Flax Hemp Blend and 12 oz. Coconut Oil
Carrington Farms, the creators of delicious 100 percent organic, non-genetically modified health food products, continues to reach outside of the box to provide healthy flax seed blends and cooking oils that are not only good for consumers but are affordable and taste great!
Dark Chocolate & Smoked Paprika Ice Cream
If life is giving you heat, take to the kitchen and make ice cream. It's better than store-bought, and much easier than you think!
Raising Chickens Grows More Popular as More People Seek Sustainable Food
Consider these simple steps for making your backyard flock-friendly.
Pesticides for Dinner
Concerned about pesticides in your food? The Pesticide Action Network's online database helps you understand which carcinogens and pesticides are present in 89 common foods.
Farmers Market Etiquette
Want to know more about the food at your farmers market? Here's some advice from the farmers themselves.
Sweet Corn - Cornmeal Crust Pizza
Goodbye corn-on-the cob, hello sweet corn pizza!
Overwhelmed by My Garden
At this time of year, Cam feels a little overwhelmed by the gardening chores ahead of him.
Drying Herbs in a Solar Dehydrator
We've succeeded at drying herbs and greens in our SunWorks solar dehydrator, which promises to make future meals all the more flavorful and nutritious.
Eat Local When Eating Out!
Restaurants are at the vanguard of thoughtful sourcing, choosing local, sustainable farms and cooking seasonally.
EVENT ALERT: Chefs Collaborative Summit
The Chefs Collaborative National Summit will bring together leaders from around the country for conversations and workshops about our food and food systems. The Summit provides a great opportunity for chefs interested in sustainability to engage in meaningful conversation, continue their education through practical workshops, and share expertise from the culinary field.
Canning Stories: Why Do You Can? What Do You Can? We Want To Hear Your Firsthand Reports
Readers who love canning share their firsthand reports about the foods they can at home, and why.
Old School Beauty Basics: How to Make Glycerin
What's with glycerin? It's a soap-making byproduct with antibacterial properties, but it's often made with animal fat derivatives, which isn't really our thing. So, we figured out how to make our own veggie version with coconut oil, opening up a whole world of kitchen pantry beauty concoctions.
How to Find Local Food and Farmers
Check out these great searchable databases and other resources for finding local food and farmers.
Millions Oppose Approval of Genetically Engineered Salmon
Nearly 2 million people sent comments opposing genetically engineered salmon to the Food and Drug Administration, stating that GE salmon is bad for the consumer, the environment and the native fish.
A Salute to Food Heritage in France
France puts a premium on preserving its food heritage. Here's one example of that country's many food heritage sites, this one in Brittany.
SunWorks Solar Food Dryer Now Available
Looking for a better way to preserve all that garden produce without a hot kitchen canning project? A new solar food dryer promises to dry food fast and save energy and money using the sunshine in your back yard.
The Fight to Require Labeling of GM Foods: Prop 37 Puts Political Fuel Behind the American Food Movement
Michael Pollan's New York Times editorial, "Vote for the Dinner Party," explains why California's Prop 37 is an essential element in the fight to require labeling of GM foods.
Mechanical Tenderization Makes Rare Steak Risky
The process of mechanically tenderizing steaks creates a food safety hazard by transferring bacteria that otherwise would be limited to the surface of a steak to the entire cut of meat, inside and out. Rare steak lovers, beware.
The Fabulous Food Garden Contest
Your attractive food garden could win you $500 and a chance to be featured in MOTHER EARTH NEWS.
Aunt Patty's Rolls out New Product, Organic Creamed Coconut
GloryBee Foods announces today that the company adds Aunt Patty's Organic Creamed Coconut to its selection of natural foods.
Eateries and Drinkeries: The Oldest Food Heritage Sites Around
Some of the most enduring food heritage sites are those devoted to the basics, eating and drinking.
The Beginning of a Root Cellar
A root cellar slowly is dug by hand, with the goal of increasing our homestead's food preservation and storage capacity through the winter.
Food Heritage in a Single Old Photo
A sepia photo of a North Carolina family in front of their farmhouse reveals food heritage.
Study Links Genetically Modified Food With Tumors, Premature Death in Rats
A new Canadian study shows a link between consuming Roundup-contaminated water and/or GM corn and increased likelihood for illness and premature death in rats.
Introducing Find Good Food on HOMEGROWN
HOMEGROWN.org introduces Find Good Food, a new page that includes national and state-by-state resources for locating family farmed eats near you. Read it! Share it! Add to it! Make it your own—and help make it even better.
Growing Food Hidden in the Forest
Author Rick Austin shares gardening advice from his book, "Secret Garden of Survival – How to Grow a Camouflaged Food Forest."
Exploring Regional Food Systems
When Rachel Zegerius, camp program manager, set out to overhaul the food purchasing system at our small camp in Southwest Michigan five growing seasons ago, I began building relationships with the local farming community from the soil up.
Learn to Grow Food
These resources will help you learn how to grow food and start a garden.
Food as Local as Your Body
Beyond the global, environmental and social impacts of eating local, feeding your organs healthy fuel buys you precious time on earth.
Preserving Vitamins Through the Lean Months
People have found many techniques for preserving vitamins in winter, which still work today. One of the most basic involves fooling plants, as it were, into thinking they are not dead yet.
Strawberries Are a Bargain At Any Price!
Michelle knows how much work it is to grow strawberries.... and she's happy to be able to buy them at any price!
How to Render Lard
If you're a fan of real food and real fats, learn how to render lard the easy, old-fashioned way.
Easy Refrigerator Pickled Garlic
Making pickles can be time-consuming, but this method for easy garlic pickles couldn't possibly be any easier. Or tastier!
How Do You Avoid BPA in Canned Foods?
A Consumer Reports study finds high BPA levels in Del Monte, Progresso, Campbell's, Annie's Homegrown, Eden Foods and Vital Choice canned foods.
Help Hunger with Just a Click
Check out the Hunger Site to give 1.1 cups of food to the hungry.
See Food, Inc. for Free!
PBS will air Food, Inc. on TV Wednesday, April 21 at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Drying Corn and Canning Tomatoes During the Great Depression
Preserving food was a must during the Great Depression. Doris Zicafoose relates memories of drying corn, canning tomatoes, the necessity of a water bath canner and the joy of acquiring a pressure canner.
Two Chickens Become Four Chickens!
Cam gives an update on his new chickens!
Mamma Chia Introduces Chia Squeeze
Mama Chia organic chia seeds are infused with delicious fruits and vegetables to create a convenient, fun and tasty snack for active souls of all ages.
Homegrown Food without the Work
New businesses are springing up catering to folks who want their food homegrown, but without the mess of tending to the garden themselves.
Nominate Your Favorite Local Food Producers and Products
Readers suggest local food products and local food producers to our community.
Battleground Ohio: Issue 2 and Farm Animal Welfare
The voting outcome of Ohio's Issue 2 is seen as a win for industrial agriculture.
Quit Working So Hard – Plant a Food Forest Instead!
Rather than toiling away with annuals, consider creating an edible perennial food forest.
The Organic Center Responds to Study Challenging Benefits of Organic Food
According to a team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, organic food is not nutritionally superior to conventional. We know this isn't true, and here's an excellent response from The Organic Center.
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid: Operative or Obsolete?
In 2005, the USDA MyPyramid was introduced as an updated version of 1992 USDA Food Guide Pyramid. While nutrition experts pointed to flaws in the original pyramid, many have found significant flaws in the new food pyramid as well. These graphics have played a key role in nutrition education for American children, but as they continue to be reformatted and reworked, will Americans lose their faith in the USDA?
How to Clean Cast-Iron Cookware
Learn how to clean cast-iron cookware that's old and crusty, and get some tips on seasoning cast-iron cookware to revive it even further.
Do You Know What's in Your Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
The University of California at Davis has released a report that shows how misleading the label "extra virgin olive oil" can be.
Thoughts On Food - From My Swing
Contemplations on what we eat and why we pay close attention to our food.
Teenaged Mutant Ninja Mushrooms
It's been quite a fall for mushrooms around here...
My Newfound Appreciation for Country Music
Cam learns to appreciate country music.
Speak Out Against NAIS
Tell the U.S. Department of Agriculture to abandon their efforts to create and enforce a National Animal Identification System. We've made it easy for you with sample wording and directions on where to submit your comments.
Thank God I'm a (Transplanted) Country Boy
Cam has a great deal of respect for farmers.
The Basics of Making Your Own Dog Food
Why are we feeding our dogs the same exact dog food every single day? Why are we feeding our dogs overly processed food when we try to eradicate processed foods from our own diet? Here are a few basic steps to switching your homestead dog over to a more natural diet.
Taste Test of the Week: Organic Valley Pasture Butter
Organic Valley's new Pasture Butter is a standout among cultured butters and organic food products. This is one of the few products available today that respects Mother Nature by paying attention to the seasons, not to mention the needs of our food-producing animal friends.
The Price of Food and Oil
The price of food and oil are interminably linked. We are seeing this in our trips to the supermarket: every time we go, it's more expensive. What's a body to do?
An Imaginary Journey Through Industrial Food
Take an imaginary journey from the High Arctic to California, as we examine food insecurity, waste, hunger, and culture clash.
Grain Prices to Hit Crisis Levels, Earth Policy Institute's Lester Brown Predicts
Aquifer depletion, rising temperatures, population increase and ethanol production are conspiring to send grain prices soaring and could lead to a world food crisis, Earthwatch Institute president Lester Brown predicts.
Chicago Food Heritage Site Reimagined as 21st-Century Food Hub
A Chicago food heritage site — a meat-packing plant built in 1925 — becomes a 21st-century, net-zero producer of food.
Favorite Organizations: Slow Food, and Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance
Since getting the homestead functional, we have focused on food - local producers, access to food and ways to educate and communicate. This blog describes a couple of my useful and favorite organizations, Slow Food and the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance.
Antibiotic Resistant Superbugs: The Chicken That Threw Me a Change-Up
According to FDA data, the quantity of antibiotics sold for livestock use in this country continues to rise, topping 29 million pounds in 2011. This has a direct effect on the efficacy these same drugs will have on us. Sam Spitz has personal experience with a resistant illness and FamilyFarmed.org asked him to tell his story. It's a cautionary tale that should have us all making better food choices. Read how we can all influence the campaign to end the misuse of antibiotics in livestock and keep antibiotics working for us when we need them!
Two Brothers Grow, Hunt and Forage for All Their Own Food for a Year
For calendar year 2015 brothers Edmund and Garth Brown are eating only food that they have produced on their farm or bartered for from a neighbor. To do this successfully they must raise and butcher their own meat, hunt, forage, and cultivate a large vegetable garden.
Teaching Homesteading--in a Nutshell
Growing Local Food is a new book that encompasses all the needed basics to grow plants, keep heritage breed animals and bees. The author is a homesteader and physician who gives the readers the basic information to grow or find nutritious, local food
Sustainable Restaurant Association Greens Dining in the United Kingdom
Restaurants in the United Kingdom can be evaluated and accredited based on choices such as purchasing ethical meat and dairy products, choosing fair trade coffee, monitoring energy use, supporting community charities and serving tap water.
Loss of Food Skills Ongoing
The further degradation of our societal food skills are examined here, with small town food craftsmen becoming an endangered species, in this case, my local butcher.
Even the Drinks Are Local? Try Farm-Fresh American Hard Cider This Season
Support America's artisan cider makers by putting locally made sweet and hard apple cider on the Thanksgiving table this year.
April To-Dos
Spring tasks around the homestead.
A Tool For the Trade
In praise of the garden fork.
Food Co-Op Promotes Bartering, Sustainability
Forming a food producers and artisans cooperative brings together farmers, crafters and consumers hoping to revitalize their community, preserve skills and continue the economy of neighborliness
Children in the Garden
Allowing children the space to discover the beauty and wonder of plants through tending to their own garden builds character, teaches responsibility, gives insight into the beauty of nature and fosters their connection with where their food comes from.
Living a Resilient Urban Life
FamilyFarmed.org Good Food Festival & Conference partner Vicki Nowicki shares her experience living, learning, and teaching on her suburban permaculture homestead.
New Farm Bill Could Undermine Conservation, Nutrition
Proposals to weaken the links among conservation, farming and fair access to food would worsen the problems of U.S. agriculture.
Sunshine Tea
Making great sunshine tea is easy if you follow a few simple guidelines for contents, quantities, and water.
It's a Miracle!
I separate the fact from the fiction with use of soluble fertilizers.
How to Sustainably Harvest and Eat Delicious Daylilies
Daylilies are usually appreciated for their showy flowers, but they also provide four different tasty ingredients. Wild food forager Leda Meredith shows you how to use the edible parts of the plant.
Canning Will Wear YOU Out
Canning is the penance for spring, when you couldn't stop yourself from putting out one more row of tomato starts. Canning is the human's attempt to make the hottest days of the year even more sizzling indoors than they are out.
Swans and Doughnuts
Have you ever wondered what is in an "industrial" doughnut?
How to Tell When Meat is "Off"
Hmmm - not feeling so well. Was it those chicken wings?
Potato Bracelets Are a Hot Seller
As the youngest member of a new local food producers and artisans cooperative, 11-year-old Grace is learning business skills while perfecting her artistic talents with homemade jewelry, pot holders and more.
Smoked Peaches Recipe
Smoked peaches make a great stuffing or sauce for grilled chicken or pork.
Sorrel Soup Recipe (Schav)
"Schav" is a traditional Russian-Eastern European soup of sorrel and potato that is refreshing served cold, and heartening served hot.
Local Tabbouleh Recipe
We refer to this Mediterranean side dish as "local" because you can probably find all of the ingredients close to home. Here, sorrel is a perfect local substitute for the lemon juice usually called for in tabbouleh recipes.
Cream of Cauliflower Soup
A healthy comfort food!
Hearty Venison Chili Recipe
Use venison to create a pot of rich, meaty chili perfect for warming up on cold, fall days. So good, there won't be leftovers to freeze.
The Love of Local Food
One thing that gardening has done to me, as to so many others probably, is that I've started to pay attention to where the food on my plate comes from, and usually the answer is "from our garden."
How to Keep Fall Crops Fresh
Dig in to our wealth of food preservation resources to learn how to keep fall crops edible well into winter.
Kitchen Composting
These tips will help you keep your kitchen compost free of rotten smells and fruit flies.
Ecotourism in Florida, Part 3: Florida Keys Green Accommodations and Island Cuisine
The adventure in the water, on the water or on dry land does stop with the ecotravel activities in the Florida Keys, many of which help preserve and conserve the very things we came to see. Some of the lodging options – and restaurants or food options – are an adventure in and of themselves.
Say Yes to Local Self Reliance But No to Localism
As important as it is to improve life locally, such efforts will not work their way up through the world's economy to solve our biggest problems.
Invasive Pests May Pose Threats to Your State
Pennsylvania is under federal quarantine due to the threat of Emerald Ash Borers. Raising awareness and getting the facts are important. However, getting to the root of the problem may be as simple as supporting local food systems.
Cook It Raw Serves Up International Cuisine
The annual Cook It Raw competition showcases international cuisine and local agriculture.
Understanding the 'Certified Organic' Label
What does "Certified Organic" mean? Food labels can be befuddling, but we're here to help. Learn the standards that guide the "Certified Organic" label.
New Legislation on Antibiotics and Agriculture
This coming Tuesday, March 17, new legislation will be introduced in an attempt to protect Americans from antibiotic resistance. The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009 will end the use of certain antibiotics in agriculture unless animals are sick.
Reader Poll: Which One Sounds Like The Most Fun?
Readers vote on whether they think making beer, mustard or pickles sounds like the most fun, plus which seems easiest.
Swine Flu: Scary but Avoidable?
Swine flu may or may not be the pandemic that cable newscasters are proclaiming - but why take chances? This most recent health scare is yet another reminder that eating local, organic food - preferably raised by a source you know and trust - is just a smart thing to do.
Seasonal Recipes for April Wanted
Share your spring seasonal recipes for the month of April.
Winners of the Fabulous Food Garden Contest
Winners of the Fabulous Food Garden Contest have been chosen. See who the lucky prize recipients are!
How I Found the Meaning of Life, Alone, in a Strawberry Patch
Cam contemplates the meaning of life while picking strawberries.
Green Tomato Relish Recipe
How to make canned green tomato relish.
Turning an Afternoon of Cooking into Weeks of Healthy Eating
Follow these five easy steps to create several weeks worth of meals in one afternoon.
The Pecking Order Here at Sunflower Farm
Cam discovers that his chickens have unique personalities....
Greenest Pizza In Town
Pizza Fusion is one of the 10 finalists in Co-op America's People's Choice Award for green business of the year. The company uses only organic ingredients and delivers its pizza with hybrids.
PASA Conference to Address Sustainable Farming and Our Food System
The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture's upcoming annual conference on sustainable farming will focus on how to achieve sustainability in our food system, as well as the future of agriculture in general.
White House Launches Farmers Market
The White House will launch an open-to-the-public farmers market.
Reusable Food Covers to Help Lower Plastics in Waste
Every year, Americans use enough plastic wrap to cover the entire state of Texas (EPA). Plastic wrap and other food covers are almost impossible to recycle and contain harmful chemicals that can seep into our food. CoverMate™ Food Covers provide a simple, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.
Urban Homesteading: Fresh Peaches from the Local Farmers' Market
Look for local foods, such as fresh peaches, from your local farmers' market to make delightful summer desserts such as peaches and cream.
A Collection of Responses to Stanford's Organic Food Study: Organic Food Is Worth It
Are organic foods healthier? In the wake of a media frenzy revolving a "study" by Stanford University claiming to answer this question, many people were left wondering. Benefits of organic food go beyond the vitamin content: The overwhelming amounts and types of pesticides in our food play a major role in many shoppers' decision to go organic.
Zombieland Comes to Sunflower Farm
The drought conditions at Sunflower Farm are making Cam rather cranky.
How to Make Fruit Sauce
Use freezer-damaged fruit to make tasty fruit sauces.
Congress to Cut Conservation Funding?
Congress is accused of bait-and-switch tactics when they propose millions in reductions to the conservation-related program assistance that helped pass the 2008 farm bill.
How I Ended Our Drought
Ranting about the drought worked! We got rain here at Sunflower Farm!
Locavore: A Word to Live By
Guest blogger and longtime advocate of sustainable food Gwen Roland reflects on the new popularity of local eating, and highlights some of the innovative local food projects funded by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grants.
The Dangers of Bud Nip in a Compact Sweet Potato Project
The dangers of bud nip (Chlorpropham) and the effects of chemical herbicides on the food you're eating come to light in a potato project conducted by a smart, young lady.
Pack a Litter-Free Lunch Using Lunchopolis Containers
Find out how to pack a litter-free lunch using a lunchopolis lunchbox by Enviro Products. The lunchbox containers are BPA-free and can help you cut down on 3.5 billion pounds of lunchbox garbage generated every year.
It's Not the Bugs in Your Food That You Need to Worry About
Cam thinks people worry about the small things (bugs), when they should be more concerned about the big things (climate change).
Have a Green Holiday by Focusing Less on the Red
We offer you some helpful tips on how to have a green holiday this year.
Chocolate and Bacon: What's Not to Love?
Everyone loves a chocolate-chip muffin ... just add bacon for a special treat!
Electrolux Design Lab 2010: Is a Sugar-Powered Portable Stove in Your Future?
The Snail, the winner of Electrolux Design Lab 2010 Competition, saves both energy and space by heating food with magnetic induction.
Turn the Table on Grasshoppers Eating the Garden
Are the grasshoppers devouring the garden that you are working so hard to keep alive? I say fight fire with fire!
The Chickens Have Arrived!
In our ever-growing quest to produce our own food we've acquired two egg-laying chickens!
How Long Can You Make Your Green Tomatoes Last?
Readers share tips and tricks for storing green tomatoes and keeping them longer.
Do You Support the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009?
Legislation to control the use of antibiotics on the farm is gaining momentum in D.C., and emotions on both sides of the issue are heating up. Tell us what you think of the bill.
Look Ma! I'm a Market Gardener!
Cam loves growing and selling food!
The Art of Saving Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
Heirloom Vegetable Gardening (1997) by Willam Woys Weaver profiles 280 heirloom varieties, with growing advice and recipes. This introdution is the beginning of a series of excerpts to be posted from Weaver's book to walk gardeners through sowing, cooking recipes at harvest and saving heirloom seeds through the winter.
Homemade Reese's
Handmade candies are always better than store-bought. If you're a fan of the peanut butter-and-chocolate combination, mix up these delicious little truffles.
How to Eat Seasonally
These resources will help you learn how to eat seasonal foods in order to save grocery money.
How to Freeze Peppers
Use this simple technique to preserve your bounty of fresh summer peppers.
Preserving the Tomato Harvest
With bumper crops of tomatoes coming, there are some simple ways to preserve the fresh off the vine taste year round, no special equipment required.
Dehydrate or Sun-Dry Extra Summer Veggies
Dehydrating or sun-drying your extra summer veggies is a great way to save the summer bounty for year-round eating!
Add Fungi to Your Homestead Activities
Fungi help your soil, your composting and your plants. Add fungi to your homestead activities and let 'em grow!
Feta Studded Lamb Gyro at Home
Forget the spit and roast your own lamb gyro in the convenience of your home oven.
Processing Venison Carcasses As Sled Dog Food
One of the secrets of healthy dogs is to feed them healthy food, and raw meat is their natural diet.
16 Ways to Health Hack This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner
It can be hard to eat healthily during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Here are a few ways you can make your Thanksgiving meal healthier this year.
How To Form a Successful Cooperative
A small food producers' cooperative in Missouri wins a national award and will share with others how to form a successful co-op that focuses on bartering, sustainability and the economy of neighborliness.
Year-Round Food Production: So Much More Than a Greenhouse
Grow food year round with no operating costs and no waste by using integrated closed loop production in a heat retaining enclosure.
My Best Friend Is a Dehydrator
Dehydrating foods and making the most of the bounty.
Comfort Food on a Cold Winter Evening
Making a roasted-root vegetable pot pie with biscuits in the shape of angels is the perfect comfort food.
Food at the Fair
Wondering what delicious meals and snacks we'll be serving up at the Fair? Wonder no more! See what food options will be offered by Seven Springs Mountain Resort and Fair exhibitors.
Seven Springs FAIR Meal and Snack Options
The menus for the Seven Springs FAIR have been finalized!
The Anthropology of Food
Food is the most universal symbol of America's age of excess. The average American's dinner comes from five different countries, with a combined airfreight and ocean freight mileage tab that often exceeds 10,000 miles. At least three-fourths of that meal is processed and packaged, its nutrients stripped away and replaced by texturizers, sweeteners, and flavor "enhancers."
It's Garlic Scapes Season: Try This
You'll love this recipe from William Woys Weaver for garlic scapes sauteed with tomatoes, white wine and sheep's milk cheese.
Unsafe Food
Cole remembers some of the not-so-great things he saw in supermarket meat departments.
Land-Grabs or Development Opportunities — What Do You Think?
When you run out of land on which to grow food and fuel in your own country, is it OK to buy cheap land in a third-world country?
Backyard Wild Morels
Finding wild morel mushrooms growing in our urban backyard means plenty of marvelous meals.
My Love Affair With Garlic
Garlic is a very labour-intensive crop to grow but the rewards are worth it!
The Peak Oil Leisure Time Connection
Cam considers how Peak Oil will affect our lives....
Sorting, Classifying and the Heartbreak of Wasting Food
Cam has been busy harvesting and sorting potatoes.
The Chestnut Harvest
September brought a huge chestnut harvest that I delight in gathering and eating.
New Global Initiative to Cut Food Waste, Plus Ways to Reduce Your Own 'Foodprint'
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has started a global campaign to help reduce food waste worldwide.
Vandana Shiva to Visit Kansas City
Leading food sovereignty activist Vandana Shiva will present "Cultivating Diversity, Freedom and Hope" in Kansas City. Many other farming and gardening workshops and events are planned for April 17-18, 2014.
Whatever Happened to That Old Diner?: Preserving Food Heritage
Our mission in preserving food heritage is to research, collect, preserve, and then explain America's food heritage and historic sites likely cannot be done without help. Want to contribute?
Exploring a Pioneering Blueberry Site Preserved in New Jersey
Tucked in the pines, this preserved New Jersey food heritage site is where cultivated high bush blueberries were born.
A Historic Bakery in Jaffa Produces Pastry and Peace
Established in 1879 by an Arab-Israeli family, Abouelafia Bakery continues to make history.
A Well Preserved Florida Shell Mound in St. Petersburg
Ancient Florida shell mounds, early days of bar-b-que, and all that.
Urban Roots: Community Gardens Making a New Detroit
The documentary Urban Roots takes a look at how city farming is transforming the city's vacant lots into community gardens, ultimately changing the community as a whole in the process.
Super-Simple Solar Food Drying
Solar food drying is incredibly easy with a solar food dehydrator, which requires very little effort to make perfectly preserved produce.
Iodine Rich BõKU Products May Help Guard Consumers From Radiation
With all the recent panic about radiation contamination, our loyal BõKU customers felt safer, and more protected, with BõKU's nutrient dense support.
Cheers to Pumpkin Beers!
Happy Halloween! Now pop open a pumpkin beer.
Top 10 Reasons to Visit the Farmer's Market
As farmers markets open across the country, here are 10 good reasons to get out and support your local farmers. (The freshest seasonal food is just a part of it.)
THIS BEER + THIS CHEESE Will Blow Your Mind. Seriously.
Hoch Ybrig cheese from Swiss cheese maker Rolf Beeler is a standout on its own, but here are some delicious ideas for pairing it with honey, wine and beer.
Smithfield Foods, Exposed
Smithfield's hog farms produce a lot of meat and make a lot of money, but at what cost? Can we continue to look the other way as they pollute waters, abuse animals and terrorize their neighbors?
Winter's Fast Food
There's no need to go to the grocery food in the winter if you have stored food in a root cellar, freezer or canning jars. Most of the work of preparing this food has already been done and so that winter meals are easy, nutritious and delicious.
U.S. Honey Processors Charged with 'Honey Laundering'
Five people and two U.S. honey processors were charged with 'honey laundering'. Investigators found illegally imported honey from China.
HR 875: No Need For Alarm … Yet
Relax: HR 875 isn't a bill to outlaw organic farming, as you might have heard. But it's not exactly good news for pesticide-free producers, either. Here are the details.
Woman's Homemade Sauerkraut Highlights Cottage Food Fight in Arizona
Sandy Boyce's sauerkraut was a hit, selling out each week, until her county health department asked her to stop. Across the nation, regulations can prevent small-time home producers from distributing their 'cottage foods' to the public.
Preserving Food Through Winter With a Homemade Root Pit
Judy Mimranek shares her father's time-tested tip for digging a root pit and covering it with layers of straw and cow manure in order to store fruits and vegetables through the winter.
The Facts About HR 875, 759 and 1322
More on the much-feared food safety bill, HR 875, and its Congressional counterparts.
Seed Libraries: Challenges and Opportunities
Seed libraries are meeting new challenges that point to the need for better education and understanding with the public, and with those charged with enforcing seed laws. Learn about the opportunities that are open in this evolving social movement.
Solar Food Drying 2012
Solar drying experiences in 2012, including tomato varieties Principe Borghese and Long Tom.
What's More Important - Organic Food or Local Food?
Both organic and local food are important if we want to eat nutritious and delicious food. Furthermore, our current food system is in jeapordy because petroleum and water supplies are dwindling and climate change is resulting in more extreme weather.
Preserving Tomatoes and Apples With a Homemade Solar Food Dryer
A homemade solar food dryer allows you to dry tomatoes and apples for delicious and nutritious winter snacks and addition to your meals.
Vote With Your Dollars to Enrich Your Community
Although the concepts of fair trade, buying local and buying organic food are used to aid the economies of developing countries, these same three concepts can help our local communities become the healthy communities we can thrive in.
The Urban Food Forest: A Groundbreaking Trend in Urban Agriculture
Urban food forests and public gardens provide communities with an edible landscape for everyone to share. These public fruit forests are the new trend in urban agriculture and play an important role as sustainable local food systems in their communities.
Uses of Diatomaceous Earth on the Homestead
For those of us who hate to use chemicals in our gardens, in our homes, or with our livestock and pets, diatomaceous earth may be a safe and efficient substitute. It may worm your animals, rid them of fleas and lice and even handle indoor pests.
Food Prices See Steepest Increase Since 1974
Slower growth in crop yields, high oil prices and use of food crops to make biofuels could push food prices higher for the next year and beyond.
If You Eat, Breathe, Drink Water or Care, It's Time to Make Noise About the Farm Bill
The U.S. Farm Bill will be renewed in 2013 with a plan to cut major funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Poor Dietary Habits Kill More People Than Smoking
Studies show unhealthy dieting kills more people than alcohol, cigarettes and drug use combined.
From the Trees to the Seas
Plant life along small streams starts a food chain that stretches all the way to the ocean.
Bricks and Potatoes
As I go along, I pull out pebbles occasionally, but only one large stone. Time and time again, however, my hands pry free the remnants of bricks. As late afternoon turns to early evening and my work for the day is nearing completion, a collection of the ruddy-colored artifacts is stacked to one side. The sight of them calls up something nostalgic in me, broken bits suggesting a history that is largely lost.
Foraging and Cooking With Wild Sorrel
How to identify, harvest and cook with wood sorrel and sheep sorrel, both common weeds that have the same exquisite lemon flavor as cultivated French sorrel.
The Pressure Canner: My Favorite Preservation Tool
A pressure canner greatly expands the range of foods that can be safely canned at home.
Find Local Food
These online tools can help you find the best sources for local food, including local farmers markets and community-supported agriculture programs.
Sorrel-Strawberry Sorbet Recipe
For super-smooth sorbet, churn this sorrel recipe in an ice cream maker. For a treat just as refreshing but studded with icy crystals, simply stick the mixture in your freezer. Got kids? Freeze this sorbet in freezer pop forms instead.
Preserving Gourmet Garlic: Dehydration
Learn how to dehydrate gourmet garlic so you can enjoy it year-round.It takes only a few simple steps to turn fat, juicy bulbs into crunchy, golden chips!
Fresh Storage of Produce
For the past few years, we've experimented with different ways of storing food fresh and now we're eating garlic, onions, squash, carrots and beets in June.
How to Make Tangy Sumac Extract
Tastes like lemonade, has the beautiful blush color of rose wine, and comes from a plant that's almost certainly growing near you - here's how to make and use sumac extract.
Under The Stairs
Necessity leads to ingenuity in the creation of root cellar storage.
How to Make Apple Pie Fruit Leather
Food preservationist Tammy Kimbler teaches you how to make apple pie fruit leather from urban-foraged apples.
If You Can Keep It You Can Eat It: Part 1
To grow, keep and eat your own food keeps you away from the food industry, the fossil fuel based agriculture, food stores and logistics.
Cold-Weather Foraging: Sunchokes (With Pickled Sunchokes and Mushrooms Recipe)
How to identify, harvest, and eat sunchokes (also known as Jerusalem artichokes). This root vegetable is a native North American plant that is at its best after a few frosts.
What Are You Smoking?: How to Smoke Salmon
Fired up our smoker for the first time and made yummy use of our summer's Kokanee Fish Catch to smoke fish.
Best Foods to Lower Blood Pressure: Think Mediterranean
Exciting new research reveals how certain foods from the Mediterranean diet work to treat hypertension. Learn what researchers have uncovered about which foods to eat to lower blood pressure.
4 Reasons to Avoid Food Preservatives
Processed foods contain a variety of chemical preservatives that have been linked to serious medical conditions. Here's what to look for and how to avoid food preservatives.
Healing With Potatoes
The discovery of an uncommon remedy for blood poisoning in my pantry.
Candlemas: A Midwinter Homesteader's Holiday
Candlemas is an ancient midwinter holiday, when people would take inventory on their stock of candles, pantry food storage and hay in the barn to get the homestead through the second half of winter.
Joel Salatin's Family Opens Farm for a Field Day Celebrating 'Integrity Food'
Joel Salatin and his family open their farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley on July 19th to celebrate what he calls "integrity food." Events will feature walking tours of pastured livestock, intensive seminars and demonstrations on rabbit rearing and more.
Lessons Learned On a Seed Farm
Achieving real food independence means gaining the knowledge and skills to grow, harvest and store food. The best way to do this is working on a small, local farm.
Ways to Support the Local Foods Movement
A list of ways we could each show support or teach our friends and family to support the Local Foods Movement
How to Turn Suburbs Into Food Paradises
Ziggy Liloia examines two poignant books, Paradise Lot and Gaia's Garden that turn the idea of needing lots of space to grow ample food on its head.
How Much To Grow
If you know much of each food from your garden you consume each year, you can better plan how much to grow.
Foraging Wild Burdock Stalks
A relative of the artichoke, burdock is a common and versatile wild vegetable.
Nettle: The Stinging Spring Edible
Identifying, harvesting, and cooking the nutritionally complex spring treat, stinging nettle.
9 Things to Do With Dandelions
Unlike many wild foods that take a long search, dandelions are found in almost every wood and meadow. And while many wild plants require special training to identify and discriminate from similar-looking poisonous plants, dandelions can be readily identified by every schoolchild.
Baking Powder Biscuits Recipe
Simpler, more streamlined biscuits from scratch - no buttermilk required.
Cherry Crostata Recipe
This Cherry Crostata Recipe is a simple, delicious way to use summer's rubies.
Foraging Red Clover for Medicine and Food
How to identify and use red clover (Trifolium pratense), plus a recipe for red clover blossom soda bread.
Garlic as Medicine
Learn how to take garlic as medicine — garlic is a potent natural antibiotic and immune-booster.
Preserving Pork at Home
Preserving meat at home by making pork confit.
Is Your Baby Eating Food That Contains Honey?
Reading label ingredients is a must for your baby's health.
Grow Indoor Winter Crops
It is possible to grow fresh crops through the dark months even without a greenhouse, and even where we live, a thousand miles from the Arctic Circle, where the winter sun brings only brief and meager light.
2011 Predictions: The Rise of the Conscious Consumer
Natural products research firm Compass Naturals predicts shoppers will get savvy; rebel against chemicals, over-packaging, GMOs and animal cruelty; and grow more of their own food.
Six Ideas for Small-Space Gardening
Here are six of my favorite ideas for those of you with small spaces and still want to get your garden on.
Seasonal Recipes for May Wanted
Share your spring seasonal recipes for the month of May.
Small Details in Food Storage Make a Big Difference
It's important to periodically check any canned, dried, or otherwise home-preserved food to make sure it's still safe to eat.
Can organic, sustainable meat producers compete?
Cole discusses the challenges faced by organic meat raisers, as well as the health benefits of consuming organic meats.
Meat Shopping Made Easy
It's hard to shop responsibly sometimes, especially for meat. There are so many different label claims that it's hard to remember which are meaningful and which are just fluff. Here's a handy reference card that will give more power to your purchases.
Sauté-Blanched Green Beans
Here is an easier way to blanche vegetables, such as green beans, before freezing them.
The Generation Fresh Movement Celebrates Home Cooking
McCormick pumps up flavor and encourages healthy changes.
The Public Doesn't Want What's for Dinner
A recent survey revealed that Americans are largely unaware of the presence of genetically engineered food in their diet, yet they maintain negative opinions about the safety of these GE foods.
Reusable Canning Lids
Our experiences in learning to pressure can and use reusable canning lids.
How Would You Change Food in 2010?
There are a lot of changes we'd like to see made to our food system this year. Add your own.
Backyard Homesteading Memories: Buttermilk Biscuits and Fig Preserves
Anna remembers her grandmother's tasty buttermilk biscuits with fig preserves and her mother's stories of growing up on a small, in-town homestead in the 60s.
Training and Grants for Value-Added Food Product Marketers
Learn about the many kitchen and community projects supported by SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education), including the training necessary to be able to sell value-added food products at markets.
Feeding Communities With City Farming
A potential solution to rising food prices, food insecurity and the obesity epidemic may call into play raising farms inside the city limits.
What to Do with Windfall Apples
Slightly underripe apples that fall to the ground must be picked up, so why not cut away the bugs and bruises and put them to good use? Here's how to turn windfall apples into supernutritious drinks and snacks.
Genetically Engineered ... Animals?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is accepting public comment regarding a draft Guidance for Industry #187 — to clarify regulation of genetically altered animals.
Ranch Life in Northern New Mexico During the '60s
Living a ranch life in northern New Mexico in the 1960s consisted of hard work and knowledge. It was not the romantic life that many people imagine it to have been.
No Space? No Excuse! Start to Grow Your Own Food
Having little space is not a reason to not be growing your own food. It's just an excuse. I've been apartment gardening since 2009.
Struggling to Grow Food and Find Work During the Great Depression
C. Murray shares his experiences finding work to support his family as a child during the Great Depression.
Grilled Pumpkin with Rosemary and Sea Salt
This great recipe offers a new way to enjoy pumpkin.
Farm to School Month
Celebrate harvest season by helping bring local food onto kid's lunch trays at schools across the country during Farm to School Month.
Vegetarian and Vegan Thanksgiving Meals
Vegetarians and vegans can enjoy an excellent meatless Thanksgiving dinner. Check out these great vegetarian and vegan recipes and websites.
Centro Ashe Announces Group Trips To Costa Rica
The Roots and Culture Tour is an incredible opportunity for all those interested in working towards a more sustainable and just food system to dive into the local food system in the small and amazing Talamanca Region of Costa Rica.
Tips for Seed-Starting Success
You want to start your urban garden from seed this year, but you're not sure where to start because you've only started from transplants.
Eco-Friendly Wedding Series No. 7: Environmentally-Friendly Wedding Food Ideas
In this blog series, I'll guide you through eight sustainable wedding issues — starting with rings, and making stops for invitations and food — that are both easy and fun to remedy. After all, it may be your big day, but that doesn't mean you should forget the big picture. This blog is all about environmentally-friendly wedding food ideas.
Summer Weeding
Weeding in the summer is all about species maintenance
Let's Pay Farmers to be Good Stewards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on how to implement the new Conservation Stewardship Program. Here's the lowdown, plus instructions on how to submit your opinion — it's easy!
Get Your Local Food From a CSA
Pass the cold, wintry months with warm thoughts of how you can eat more local food while supporting sustainable agriculture this coming season.
Who Will Benefit from the National Animal ID System?
The National Animal Identification Plan will be easily implemented by large factory farms, but it means trouble for smaller operations. Will the system really keep us safe from disease, or will industrial ag and tracking system manufacturers be the only beneficiaries?
This Lawn is Your Lawn: Let's Grow a Food Garden on the White House Lawn
Help grow an organic food garden on the White House lawn. Here are some easy ways you can participate.
Bone Broth Benefits: From Digestion to Joint Pain
From ancient to modern times and across cultures, healers have used the nourishing and medicinal powers of broth, especially bone broth.
Putting Up Basil and Pesto
Fresh pesto is great in the summer, but it's even better in the middle of winter!
How to Save Seeds From Dry-Seeded Crops
How you harvest and save seeds depends on whether a crop is dry-seeded or wet-seeded. Here are the steps for collecting and cleaning seed from a dry-seeded crop like chervil.
Complete Biogas: Food Waste and Biogas, Part 2
Wasting food in the U.S., making biogas, and using food waste to do it ... (Let's not waste all that wasted food!).
What to Do With All That Zucchini
The zucchini harvest overflows. Learn how to preserve zucchini for year-round enjoyment and creative ways to eat it now.
Food Waste and Biogas, Part 3
Summing up: How much food waste makes how much biogas to power what functions around the farmstead?
Creating a Slow Time Movement
Can we start a Slow Time Movement? One that would be like the Slow Food Movement.
Summer is Over, but Ice Cream and 'Jersey' Tomatoes Linger On
Arguably America's oldest ice cream company, Bassetts, is still a fixture at Philly's Reading Terminal Market. Both it and the Jersey Tomato hail from Salem, New Jersey, and therein lies the heritage tale.
What to Feed Wild Birds
You can attract a variety of birds to your yard by knowing what to feed wild birds. Find information on feeding birds and learn different birds' preferences.
How to Save Seeds From Peppers
Saving seeds from peppers is easy. All you need is a pot of water, a drying screen, and peppers. And gloves if you're processing hot peppers...
Canning Summer's Bounty: Easy And Low Tox
Canning is a great way to preserve your own harvest. When canning acidic foods like fruit or tomatoes or anything using vinegar or sugar, you can likely use only a water bath. There are many chemical free canning jars available today for low tox canning.
The Opportunistic Canner
Three essential tools for opportunistic canning.
10-Day Local Food Challenge
Could you eat only food grown within 100 miles of your home for 10 days? Learn more about this challenge and why you should consider taking it on.
Preserving Fall Apples
Spend the weekend preserving fall apples before they're all gone.
The Larder
Winter food storage in a naturally cooled space.
'The Wild Wisdom of Weeds' by Katrina Blair
"The Wild Wisdom of Weeds," by wild-foods advocate and author Katrina Blair, is the only book on foraging and wild edibles to focus on thirteen weeds found all over the world, which together comprise a complete food source and extensive medical pharmacy and first-aid kit. Blair's philosophy is sobering, realistic, and ultimately optimistic: If we can open our eyes to see the wisdom found in these weeds right under our feet, instead of trying to eradicate an "invasive," we could potentially achieve true food security and optimal health.
My 10-Day Local-Food Challenge Experience
The options for obtaining locally grown food have expanded in recent years, particularly with farmers markets. Expand your diet beyond your garden and meet the folks who can help you do that and stay local.
How to Extract Seeds
How to effectively remove seeds from vegetables, fruits, flowers or herbs isn't always obvious. Or easy. Sometimes you have to get creative.
'An Unlikely Vineyard' by Deirdre Heekin
"An Unlikely Vineyard" by Deirdre Heekin tells her story of growing wine in the unlikely hills of Vermont and her quest to express the essence of place in every bottle. It is about the evolution of her farm from overgrown fields to a fertile, productive, and beautiful landscape that melds with its natural environment. A gentle narrative with lush photography, this book will appeal to anyone who loves food, farms, and living well.
Shredded Kale Salad Recipe
With a little bit of elbow grease, you can turn kale fresh from the garden into a delicious raw salad in the middle of winter.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Lisa Kivirist, Organic Cook
Author Lisa Kivirist will present a workshop on organic eating on a budget at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Sharon Greenspan, Lactose-Free Cheesemaker
Sharon Greenspan of Wild Success will present three workshops on non-dairy cheesemaking and health at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, Healthy Bread Bakers
Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François will present a workshop on baking healthy bread at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Cole Ward, Butcher
Cole Ward of The Gourmet Butcher will present a butchering demonstration at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: James Farmer, Local Foods Marketer
James Farmer of Earlham College will present two workshops about buying and selling local food at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Andrea Chesman, Gardening Chef
Andrea Chesman of Storey Publishing will present three cooking workshops at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Anh Thu Hoang, Raw Chef
Anh Thu Hoang of Joy Bliss Raw will present a workshop on raw food at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Let's Get Busy
Can a civilization this profoundly removed from the visceral participation in farming and food even survive? Can the assumptions, like cheap energy, cheap grain, and processed food that can be nutritious, really continue into the future?
The Pickled Pantry
The thing about self-sufficiency, working with nature, making delicious food: There's always something new to learn.
Homemade Ice Cream at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
Kids enjoy scoops of fresh-made ice cream in the Treehouse Club at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Ken Roseboro, Organic Food Advocate
Ken Roseboro of The Organic & Non-GMO Report will present a workshop about genetically modified foods at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Robin Mather, Local Food Advocate
Robin Mather of Mother Earth News will present a workshop on local food legislation at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Sherri Brooks Vinton, Food Preservation Expert
Sherri Brooks Vinton, author of Put 'Em Up, will present two workshops on canning at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Gianaclis Caldwell, Cheesemaker
Gianaclis Caldwell of Pholia Farm Creamery will present two workshops on cheesemaking at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlights: Reginald Beck, Gluten-Free Baker and Bruce Glenn, Straw Bale Builder
Reginald Beck, gluten-free baker and Bruce Glenn, straw bale builder will present workshops on gluten-free baking and straw bale building at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlight: Jessie Price, Healthy Cook and Linda Gilkeson, Master Gardener
Linda Gilkeson, master gardener, and Jessie Price of EatingWell Magazine will present workshops on gardening and healthy cooking at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlight: Monica Orban of Organic Valley
Monica Orban of Organic Valley will present a kids' workshop on making homemade ice cream at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlight: Ava Waits, Nutrition Expert
Ava Waits, nutrition expert, will present a workshop on real food at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlights: Lyle Estill, Biodiesel Expert and Mark Kastel, Locavore Advocate
Lyle Estill of Piedmont Biofuels and Mark Kastel of the Cornucopia Institute will present workshops on low-carbon solutions and local eating at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Puyallup Speaker Spotlights: Clem Stechelin, Butcher and Mark and Alison Sheafor-Joy, Home Brewers
Clem Stechelin of Clem's Oregon Trail Seasonings, and Mark Joy and Alison Sheafor-Joy, home brewers, will present workshops on meat preparation and home brewing at the Mother Earth News Fair, June 4-5, 2011 in Puyallup, Wash.
Urban Agriculture and Garden Training
Amid mounting concerns over food security and sustainable food systems, the rise of urban gardens and agriculture has been on the rise. Due to a paralleled increase in the numbers of people interested in learning how to garden, programs in urban agriculture at colleges as well as nonprofit urban garden training programs have sprouted up across the country.
US Households Grow Home Food Gardens
A recent poll asked you what percentage of people living in the U.S. you would guess grow food gardens. Most respondents underestimated the actual numbers of households with home gardens, a growing trend.
9 Ways to Trim Your Grocery Bill
As world food prices hit a record high, follow these tips for reducing your grocery bill while still eating well.
Chocolates of Choice: Organic, Fair Trade, and Delicious!
Know a chocolate-lover? Here's info on a few of the most delicious chocolate bars, from companies that make organic, fair trade, ethically produced chocolates.
Egg-Laying Hens Should Get Better Cages, Humane Society and Egg Industry Agree
The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers agreed to work together to pass federal legislation for better treatment for the country's egg-laying hens. While the slightly larger, furnished cages are an improvement for chickens in industrial egg production, you can support animal welfare and get more nutritious eggs by buying pastured eggs from local farmers or raising chickens yourself.
Beef Scares in 2010
At least four major beef recalls due to E. coli tainted meat occurred in 2010. A substantial percentage of the meat was certified organic. With these beef scares in mind, the fact that Grist readers voted hamburgers as the second scariest food of 2010 comes as no surprise.
Dehydrate To Preserve Food
Dehydrating is a great way to preserve food.
Interview With Tanya Fields: Urban Farming and Food Sovereignty Activist
Tanya Fields, named the Eco-Warrior of the Food System, discusses how she came to be an urban farming and food sovereignty activist working to empower women and change the food landscape in the underserved neighborhoods of New York City.
Calling All Creative Cooks: Contribute Your Original Veggie Burger Recipes!
Submit your best veggie burger recipes for the Mother Earth News cookbook project, and enter to win a reusable, recyled Mother Earth News grocery tote.
Flavor Combinations 101
If you want to know what foods compliment each other the best, check out the Flavor Bible.
Just a Little Bit Longer: How to Keep All Kinds of Food Fresh
Readers share their best tips for keeping food fresh longer. Learn how to extend the life of all kinds of food, and prevent spoilage.
Saving Energy Canning Tomatoes
Learn how to use less energy canning tomato products.
Australia to Texas: Beekeeping - Part I
Keeping bees is something I've wanted to do on our new homestead. But would I like it? Taking a class is a good way to find out.
Power, Energy and the Pursuit of the Perfect Piece of (Off-Grid) Toast
The difference between power and energy and how it relates to toast!
Land Conservation Versus New Farmers: The Fight for Farm Bill Funding
According to a recent Congressional Research Service report, nearly 40 programs, from land conservation to support for beginning farmers and ranchers, are set to lose funding in the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill.
Living on a farm in the city
Don't let your wanderlust for more space hold you back from creating your homestead in the city.
Tips on Eating Locally in Early Spring
We would like all our food to be grown locally, but when it's too cold to grow outside, we often rely on what we've stored from the previous season. Calzones offer one more way to cook with stored food.
Wild Man in The Suburbs!
Jerry is no ordinary guy. Don't be fooled by his rather gruff exterior. Laughing eyes, and a twitch at the corner of his mouth, quickly verify that humor lies within! This wild man in the suburbs has some interesting hobbies which keep him well fed!
Basic Needs Of A Honey Bee Colony...A Start
Four of the requirements honey bees need to thrive, no matter where they live, or what type of shelter they have, or what kind of management they have, or don't have.
Mix It: Food and Bikes
Recently my passion for pickles was reignited, burning green, burning bright, and leading me to think constantly about food, even as I'm thinking about bike touring. Pickles led to bread, stew, then fudge (the kind my grandma used to make)...
Creating an Edible Landscape
There are various means for developing an edible landscape.
Community Food events
Community food events are an outstanding way to share the abundance of our harvest and strengthen local community ties.
Wabi-Sabi Wednesday: Beauty in Small Moments
In the kitchen, we can cultivate our sense of aesthetics and function. Tools can be beautiful. Food can be art. Cooking can be meditation.
From the Mother Archives, 1970: Foraging For and Enjoying Wild Foods
James E. Churchill's advice for finding and preparing chicory, mint, catnip and blackberries, found in a 1970 issue of Mother Earth News, is timeless—and very timely right now.
Homegrown Carrots
Homegrown vegetables are a lesson for kids in where food comes from.
Slow Food Simmers in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, all the elements are in place for a Slow Food revolution. Check out the organic bounty--and enjoy a delicious gourmet take on a traditional native dish.
10 Things I Learned About Canning from Sherri Brooks Vinton
Food preservation expert Sherri Brooks Vinton makes food preservation look easy and shares helpful hints about equipment and technique during a standing-room-only workshop at the Fair.
Illegal Front Yard Vegetable Gardens: Des Moines Considers Home Garden Ban
Des Moines, Iowa, gardeners may soon find themselves in hot water with their City. A local resident recently took front yard veggie growers to task for what the resident feels to be unsightly lawn growth. Beets and berries, it seems, do not have the same aesthetic appeal as a green, freshly-mowed front lawn.
Home and Away
Completing tasks in preparation for a few days away from the homestead
Health Professionals Ask Obama to Take Stronger Action on Antibiotics in Ag
As antibiotic resistant infections become more prevalent due to antibiotic use in livestock, health advocates turn to the White House for action.
Five Tips on Gardening With a Living Safety Net
Tired of pests? Here are five tips for knocking 'em back without resorting to pesticides and toxic chemicals.
Fit Farmers for the Future
In a post-carbon agriculture, much of the work of growing food will be done through physical labor and one in six of us will need to have our hands in the dirt. How do we foster a new generation of 50 million fit farmers?
Sustainable Food Lessons From Kenya
In Kenya, even for middle class families, much of what ends up on the dinner table is grown or raised at home. With food prices rising, more and more Americans are looking towards ways of growing some of what ends up on their table at home. Both in terms of personal health, and the environment, this is a very good trend—it's a food source as local as you can get.
False vs. Edible Morel Mushrooms and Fiddlehead Ferns
Don't be fooled by false species. Enjoy real morels and fiddlehead ferns. Tips for identification and lessons learned from misidentifications.
Using Winter Down Time to Review Food Safety
It's easy to get distracted and forget a few absolutes when it comes to food safety. Take this quiz and see if you know your stuff!
Are You Ready for a Food Revolution?
Food has become both a political and a fashion statement--and foodies could save the environmental movement.
Growing Tomatoes Without Chemicals
When you ask people if they want chemicals in their garden or on their food, most will say no. They want to limit their exposure to the chemicals and pollutants.
A Snow Day Survival Guide
The ground hog may be signalling an early end to winter, but today's a day to stay in with good food, an arsenal of craft projects and a warming bath.
Edamame Soybean Plants Are Tough
Edamame soybeans are tough,fast-maturing plants that can withstand extreme garden conditions. They have few problems with disease or insect pests. The green pods are delicious and high in protein, and make a good addition to an edible landscape.
Beware of Arsenic in Food: Contaminated Rice
Consumer Reports has stated that it recently found arsenic in food, The United States' rice supply is contaminated with this "group 1" carcinogenic.
Of Death And Responsibility On The Farm
A beginner farmer learns about taking on the responsibility of raising animals.
Dill Pickles ... and Straight Talk About Canning
There's no need to be afraid of canning. With basic skills a cook can safely prepare and process excess produce during the summer and have a ready supply all winter. An easy way to start is with dill pickles, with extras like garlic and hot peppers.
Dear Mr. President-elect
Sustainable farming expert Michael Pollan has some words of wisdom for the next president of the United States.
Garlicky Bruschetta Recipe
Bruschetta, the classic Italian appetizer, brings out the best of a few basic ingredients: tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil and fresh bread.
Happy Halloween: Now Roast Those Pumpkin and Squash Seeds
Roasted pumpkin and squash seeds are a yummy, healthy treat. And it's easier than you think. Here's how to roast squash and pumpkin seeds in just four easy steps.
Talking Turkey for T-Day
This Thanksgiving consider opting for a pastured turkey instead of a commercially raised bird, and think about buying local Thanksgiving foods, too.
Taste Test of the Week: Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich Spread
Enjoy the ultimate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with gourmet sandwich spreads from Peanut Butter & Co.
Becoming a Farmer in One Minute Flat
A nine-to-fiver turns a corner and leaves behind a twenty-year career to grow food amongst housing developments and strip malls.
Grow Mushrooms This Winter!
Try doing something different this winter by growing mushrooms. It's entertaining, and it provides you with an edible treat!
Growing Calcium
Grow calcium in your garden with collards, kale, and parsley. Suggestions are given for including these crops in your meals. Learn about companions to plant among your collards and kale to deter harmful insects.
HOMEGROWN Life: Canning Tomatoes 101
Tomatoes are the gray area of canning. They're not quite acidic enough to just straight can like fruit but the right amount of added acid can keep you from having to pressure can them. Here are the basics on canning tomatoes.
The Beginning Farmer: Connection As Urban Advantage
A beginning urban farmer grows nothing without a smartphone.
Organic: What Does It Mean to You?
When you say "organic" most people think of elitists that are buying over priced food because they think that they are better than others. What does the "organic" really mean though?
Gardening and Food
Part of gardening is knowing what to do with your veggies after you've grown them. Here, we will examine what to do with those pie pumpkins this upcoming Fall.
White Chocolate Raspberry Jam with Coffee Liqueur
Take plain old raspberry jam to the next level with the complex flavors of white chocolate and coffee liqueur.
Owning Chickens: Outlaws for a Good Cause
Geoff Taylor remembers a quality discussion with his cat, in which the amazing benefits of owning free-range chickens are the primary topic.
Oven Fried Home-Grown Potatoes
A single, volunteer potato produces 10 pounds of potatoes in a hot bed. A recipe for addictive, oven-fried potatoes.
USDA Caves In to Monsanto on Roundup Ready Alfalfa
The U.S. Department of Agriculture deems Roundup Ready alfalfa safe, leaving organic crops vulnerable to contamination and paving the way for more superweeds.
Toward the Future
Where are we headed, vis a vis our food systems? Can we as individuals make a difference in our food? Yes!
Meatless Monday: Three Great Whole Grain Recipes
These recipes with filling, protein-packed whole grains such as quinoa and millet are great options for no-meat or low-meat diets.
Weed & Water Wednesday: A Favorite Desert Garden
Although winter is setting in, that doesn't mean an end to the garden season in desert climates! Get inspired by this beautiful rainwater-harvesting, food-producing desert landscape!
Demand for Local Meat Brings the Butcher Shop to the Farm
Small-scale local meat producers are teaming up with mobile slaughterhouses to make local meat more sustainable, accessible and affordable
Alternative to USDA Dietary Guidelines Proposed
Washington, DC nutrition foundation, Weston A. Price Foundation, proposes a Healthy 4 Life dietary plan in the form of a colorful booklet and poster featuring four food groups: animal foods; grains, legumes and nuts; vegetables and fruits; and healthy fats.
How Do YOU Save Money on Meat? Share Your Best Tips!
Readers share their best ideas for saving money on meat and their recipes for almost meatless, flexitarian meals.
Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Pie
Happy Thanksgiving! Want a new vegan dessert to serve at Thanksgiving? Try the Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Pie from the Web site Care2 Inc.
Easy Ways to Save Money
Do easy ways to save money exist? Absolutely! Blissful saving is only a trip to the bulk section away! When you get home from the store, keep track of your finances on Mint.com; then look for Groupon's daily deal. Search the house for unused items and sell them on eBay. Use these tips to start saving today!
On Super Bowl Sunday, Say No to Junk Food
Kitchen Gardeners International's 20ate campaign urges Americans to say no to junk food.
Foraging Heart-Healthy Hawthorn
Hawthorn fruits are in season in late summer and early fall. They are delicious, and also heart-healthy — eat your medicine!
Polyface Farm Summer Internship: Week Ten
This week at Polyface Farm included mornings with rabbits, fence line work, moving calves and my first foray into canning.
Steadfast Garlic
Garlic is resilient, easy-to-grow, highly nutritious, and a natural antibiotic.
Subsistence Farming in Romania
While the grinding work of a Romanian subsistence farm isn't anything that I would choose for myself, there are aspects of the life that are attractive. In particular, the practices that I think of as the circles of life — eating food one has grown oneself, saving seeds, feeding poultry with garden scraps, and then eating their eggs (or them), and preserving a fruit harvest to cement friendships with strangers.
How to Prevent Alzheimer's With Diet
Learn how to prevent Alzheimer's with diet. There is plenty of time for people to make brain-healthy lifestyle and dietary choices to potentially delay the onset of this dreaded and devastating disease.
Getting Back to Nature: Fantastic for the Mind, Body and Spirit, and the Environment
People are increasingly looking to get back to nature, rejecting the modern world and living off the Earth.
HOMEGROWN Life: What We Learned From Our Year Without Groceries
Rachel and her husband committed to a year without groceries, and they made it! She shares her experiences in local food in this post.
How to Join the Seed-Sharing Movement
Seed sharing has come under attack and seed libraries across the country are being threatened with extinction. Here are nine ways to join the movement to keep seed sharing legal and free.
The Home Cook: A Secret Ingredient
Cooking is great improvisation and I think that's what I like most about it. You can say the word, "burger," to any cook and be surprised by every interpretation that you get.
A Sustainable Event: Greening Waste Diversion at the Mother Earth News Fair
The Mother Earth News Fair staff and volunteers work on green initiatives to divert Fair waste from landfills, recycling and composting as much as possible.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Deborah Niemann, Home Dairy and Homegrown Food Enthusiast
Deborah Niemann of Antiquity Oaks will present two workshops on traditional home dairies and homegrown food at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Seven Springs Speaker Spotlight: Jennifer R. Bartley, Kitchen Gardener and Cook
Jennifer R. Bartley of American Potager will present a workshop on cooking with herbs and vegetables from a kitchen garden at the Mother Earth News Fair, an annual sustainability festival, September 24-25, 2011 in Seven Springs, Pa.
Continuing Fight for the Right to Grow Food: Orlando's War on Gardens
In a war on gardens, the City of Orlando has taken issue with the rows of beans, greens, and other vegetables occupying Jason and Jennifer Helvenston's front yard garden. The Helvenstons respond to the City's request they remove their "illegal" garden.
Dinner Table + Fruits & Veggies = Happy Families
Drag them... pull them... tie them to a chair! Whatever you have to do to get your family to sit around a table and eat healthfully--do it! We are losing the simple act as gathering as a family a sharing a meal. Do you hear the dinner bell? Let's go!
Know Your Egg Shed - Part I
How to define an egg shed? Let's look at the definition of watershed to give the egg shed concept more shape. A watershed is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as: "The area of land where all of the water that is under it, or drains off of it, goes into the same place". Based on the definition of a watershed, an egg shed could be defined as: the eggs produced within a certain distance that go to a specific place. That place could be your kitchen.
Australia to Texas: Beekeeping - Part II
As part of my education on how to be more self-sufficient when we make our move back to Texas, I've been taking classes while here in Australia. One of the more enjoyable classes was in beekeeping. This is our class practical exercise.
The Animal Lover's Dilemma: A Quest for Sustainable Farming Techniques
Elizabeth Van Deventer has been on a quest to find the answer to sustainable farming and an ethical diet most of her life. Follow along as she discovers the impacts of producing tea, palm oil and fruit, and how she eventually settles on a lifestyle that is in tune with the earth and all of its creatures.
Pay the Farmer or Pay the Doctor
Labels on commercial foods are difficult to decipher and misleading. For healthful food, healthy bodies, healthy communities and planet, we need to grow and purchase our food locally.
Hog Butchering Day
Hog butchering was a common farm chore done in the early winter. It provided much of the family's meat in the wintertime. It provides healthful food, exercise and a wonderful experience of community.
Growing Potatoes in Containers
Growing potatoes in containers allows you to increase your yield in a small amount of space.
Recipe from the Root Cellar
It's not difficult to eat locally during the long winter months if you have preserved the previous year's harvest. Even while we wait for spring to arrive, the root cellar may still be providing our dinner.
Ft. Garland, Colorado - Part 4
A surprising number of amenities found in a small town complete with western hospitality.
A Bowl of Eat Local Wisdom: Lemongrass Tomato Soup
"The Cleaner Plate Club" co-author Beth Bader shares an adventure to the farmers market with her daughter, her "eat local" food values, and her recipe for Lemongrass Tomato Soup.
Re-Greening My Thumb
Simran Sethi starts dreaming of spring gardening, with the goal of renewing her efforts to grow real food.
Share the Yard
Simran Sethi teams up with two neighbors to "grow food, not lawns."
Dear 2011, This Year I Resolve To. . .
Simran Sethi explores resolutions for healthy eating and offers a resource, The Cleaner Plate Club.
Food is Love
Simran Sethi enjoys the fruits of late summer at a local farm dinner.
Organic Living During World War II
Wendy Albright remembers visiting her grandparent's farm where practicing organic living was the preferred way of life; they exercised natural crop cultivation, gathered fresh chicken eggs, canned both vegetables and meat and the term "eating like a thrasher" became a reality.
11 Tips for a Healthier, Safer Kichen
Check out Annie B. Bond's list of 11 easy tips for making your kitchen more healthy and safe, from Care2.
Eating Fresh Food Drastically Reduces BPA Levels, Study Finds
BPA levels in families who ate fresh rather than canned and packaged food dropped by 60 percent, a study found. Cooking at home with fresh food is the best way to avoid this potentially dangerous chemical
Knowing Where Your Food Comes From … On Vacation
A travel log of our family's mission to find local food sources on our trip to Puerto Rico.
Experiencing Farm to Table on a Biodynamic Farm in Costa Rica
At Finca Luna Nueva in Costa Rica's southern Arenal district, guests get a true farm-to-table culinary and educational experience.
Organic Pioneers Urge Consumers to Get Mad--and Get Organized--About GMOs
As organic industry leaders urge consumers to take action against GMOs--the biggest threat the industry faces this year--soapmaker David Bronner gives $25,000 to seed an anti-GMO march on Capitol Hill.
Food in the New Climate
In an era of increasing volatility of the weather and climate, we need new coping skills. Preparedness is an important factor in dealing with bad weather events.
A Rind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Describes two effective alternatives to composting. Many factors can limit the ability to produce compost. These two products offer different but practical ways to organically recycle food scraps.
Think Cool: Winter Worm Composting
Describes a method of keeping red wiggler worms active and productive outside throughout the winter. Describes a method of sheltering and heating the worms using an active compost pile for heat and clear plastic glazing for shelter.
Recent Films: On food, farming, fuel, energy, climate, health, etc.
This is a rundown of films that came out in the last few years. These films cover a wide range of environmental topics, from energy, climate, and fuel, to food, farming, and health. Many of the films have won awards or been critically acclaimed.
New Study Finds Link Between Chemical Pollutants and Food and Environmental Allergies
A new study has uncovered a link between food and environmental allergies and chemicals found in pesticides, herbicides and other agricultural products and drinking water.
How We Transitioned from City to Country (And Why We Did So)
Many years ago, years before I moved to the country, I was what would be considered "a prepper." I saw disaster every time I turned on the TV, or read the news on the internet, or visited forums that talked about stockpiling beans and bullets. I panicked, thinking I could never have enough control for the sake of my family, never be "prepped" enough.
Homegrown Fridays 2012
Eating only homegrown foods on the Fridays in Lent.
Compost: The Trash That Is Really Treasure
Simran Sethi learns how to compost the right way and explores her composting options.
Local Economics
D Acres offers alternative economics. We are the 99&: join us.
Bread! in Nova Scotia
If you want to have some wonderful food, great scenery by the ocean, lots of things to do, I have a place for you: Nova Scotia, Canada.
Preparing Potatoes for Winter Storage
The process of curing potatoes for winter storage.
How to Start & Manage a Micro Dairy in 26 Steps – Step 2
Steve Judge of Bob-White Systems in Vermont offers his Micro Dairy expertise in this blog series on how to start and manage a Micro Dairy, from farm and barn planning to selecting dairy cows, goats and sheep to daily operations and being profitable.
Weekend Project: A Chandelier Made from Salvage
I envision this chandelier—made entirely of items recovered from the recycling bin—hanging over a dining table on the patio. Making it is a pretty big project, though, and I would have to call in a friend with a jigsaw to help. (I don't have the tools—or skills—that former Natural Home & Garden art director Susan Wasinger, who dreamed up this project, does.) Aside from the saw, the materials for this one are simple: used baby-food jars, a few yards of twisted wire, a couple repurposed barrel hoops and a length of rusty chain. And happily, I can make the "lite" version–pretty votive holders—which lets me stop before power tools are needed.
Clean Your Home with Food (and Spirits) That You Already Have on Hand
I had such a great time talking with attendees at the Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup, Washington, this past weekend about how to make green cleaners. As always, I learned a new trick or two, and I promised everyone I'd recap our conversation here for easy access. Today let's talk about some of the unexpected food items—most of which you already have in your kitchen cupboards—that can be used to clean your home. Use tea to remove old furniture polish and prepare wooden furniture for polishing. Simply soak a rag in room-temperature tea, then run it over the wood. The tea's tannic acid makes your wood shine while removing all the dirt. Once that's done, you can use mayonnaise to make the piece shine. Just rub the mayo into the wood, then follow with a damp rag and a few drops of vinegar to remove any residue. Olive oil is also a great natural furniture
Locally Grown, Nutritious (or at Least Delicious) Food at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Fair
Locally grown, homemade, grass-fed, free-range and downright delicious food invades the 2011 MOTHER EARTH NEWS Fair in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.
Fight for the Right to Grow Food: Orlando Man Cited for Illegal Gardening [Updated]
Jason Helvingston of Orlando, Fla., fights for his right to grow food in his front yard garden after the City of Orlando cited him for illegal gardening, pitting food self-sufficiency against city ordinance.
A Toast to Roasted Vegetables
Roasting is the best way to cook winter root vegetables, because dry heat coaxes out and concentrates flavors. Use this simple method and fool-proof tips to bring out the best in parsnips, carrots, rutabagas and other root vegetables.
Make the Best Apple Pie to Chase the Blues and Grays Away
Baking the Great American Apple Pie chases away the blues and grays that sometimes afflict the homestead.
Nourishing Myself (A First Time Homeowner's Guide to Kitchen Renovations)
Simran Sethi describes the choices she made for her eco-friendly kitchen remodel.
Summer Loving
Simran Sethi looks back at her New Year's resolution: to nourish herself.
One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Soar: Saving Garden Space with a Potato Tower
Whether or not it was devised by clever Mexican potato growers, the cheap, easy to build, and space-saving potato tower is a unique alternative to rows, barrels, and other methods for planting, growing, and bringing in your season's spuds.