You can forget about waiting for your wine to ferment, because we have a recipe for dandelion beer that will be ready in just a week! Who knew those weeds in your backyard could make such a fun beverage? The following excerpt is from Pascal Baudar’s Wildcrafting Brewer. It has been adapted for the web. RECIPE: Dandelion Beer Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) can be found pretty much anywhere in the world. Like nettle beer, dandelion beer is deeply rooted (no pun intended) in the tradition of brewing medicinal herbal beers. It’s mostly used as a tonic (the plant is a rich source of beta-carot ..read more

How do you control bugs & pests on your fruit trees without using harmful sprays and treatments? Here are some tips for identifying insects on fruit trees and controlling them organically. The following is an excerpt from The Holistic Orchard by Michael Phillips. It has been adapted for the web. Finding Insects On Fruit Trees Learning to identify who’s who and then zeroing in on the when and where of pest vulnerability (based on family groupings) defines the crux of the matter when it comes to bugs in the orchard. There are some helpful ones and a few deservedly notorious ones, but most s ..read more

Nothing can be compared to the taste of a fresh, hot slice of pizza that came straight out of a wood-fired oven. By building your own clay wood-fired pizza oven, you’ll have this cheesy delicacy at your fingertips whenever you’re craving it! VIDEO: Building An Outdoor Clay Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Take it from Richard Miscovich, the earthen construction expert and author who helped King Arthur Baking Company demolish, restore, and rebuild the beloved giant clay wood-fire pizza oven in Norwich, Vermont. Check out the video below to see how Richard and King Arthur Baking Company worked togeth ..read more

Garden strawberries are excellent for both covering the ground and for growing fruit. If you’re planning out a forest garden, or are just looking for a plant to use as ground cover, strawberries are a great option. The following is an excerpt from The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker. It has been adapted for the web. Growing Garden Strawberries: Ground Covers A basic principle of perennial gardening is to keep the ground covered with something, preferably something living, everywhere and always. Ground cover helps modulate soil temperature, absorb and preserve moisture, and nurture so ..read more

For too long, bugs have had a negative connotation associated with them. But what if we took the time to observe the benefits of insects? It’s time to rebug our gardens, lawns, and parks! The following is an excerpt from Rebugging the Planet by Vicki Hird. It has been adapted for the web. Adding Bugs: Rewilding in Your Garden What can you do in response to gain a stronger connection to nature? Small-scale rewilding can happen in your back garden and in your local park, as well as on a large estate or national park. It can also be about what you buy and eat. I want the large-scale rewilding, t ..read more

Asparagus is a delicious vegetable with a layered history. How did this aspiring spear make its way from growing in the wild to appearing on our plates? The following is an excerpt from the The Seed Detective by Adam Alexander. It has been adapted for the web. “Nature gives us the key to every secret that concerns our happiness, and in respect of asparagus cultivation she is liberal in her teaching,” Sutton & Son – The Culture of Vegetables and Fruit from Seeds and Roots (1884) An Aspiring Spear The dawn chorus heralds the arrival of the first spears, an eagerly awaited culinary deligh ..read more

Interested in growing trees? Here are some tips on successfully planting, transplanting, and pruning trees to create a flourishing forest garden! The following is an excerpt from The Home-Scale Forest Garden by Dani Baker. It has been adapted for the web. Planting Potted Trees and Shrubs If you order potted trees, check with your supplier to find out where the plants were stored before being shipped. If they were kept in a heated greenhouse or another location with ambient temperatures significantly warmer than your outdoor conditions, you probably need to harden off the plants. Hardenin ..read more

Chances are, you’ve seen cattails growing on the edge of your local lake or stream at least once or twice. Instead of just passing these plants, try foraging for and cooking them to create delicious seasonal dishes! The following excerpt is from The New Wildcrafted Cuisine by Pascal Baudar. It has been adapted for the web. (Photos courtesy of Pascal Baudar unless otherwise noted.) What Are Cattails? Cattail (Typha latifolia) is one of the most versatile plants growing in the wild and can be found pretty much anywhere in the United States. This plant loves water and can be found growing on the ..read more

With the right strategies and practices, composting on a small farm is surprisingly easy and inexpensive. Just follow these steps for making compost, and your farm will be thriving in no time! The following excerpt is from The Lean Farm Guide to Growing Vegetables by Ben Hartman. It has been adapted for the web. (All photographs by Ben Hartman and all illustrations by Emma Gerigscott unless otherwise noted.) Relying On Compost for Soil Fertility When we first started to rely heavily on compost for our soil fertility, we were unique in our area. Many farmers use compost, but not ..read more

Garlic mustard: while known as “invasive,” this plant can be consumed in its entirety and has great nutritional value. Plus, the garlic-flavor is a perfect addition to any recipe that calls for mustard! The following are excerpts from Beyond the War on Invasive Species by Tao Orion and The Wild Wisdom of Weeds by Katrina Blair. They have been adapted for the web. Garlic Mustard: What Is It? Classification: Alliaria petiolata Geographic location: Northeast, Midwest, Southeastern Canada Description: Garlic mustard is a herbaceous biennial plant growing from a thin, white taproot. In the first y ..read more