Archive for category Homesteading
Impromptu Portraits – Chapter 4
Posted by Granny in Homesteading, Lifestyle, Nutrition & Recipes, Portraits of Cooks & Farmers, Trends & Innovations on 03/14/2013
A brief, playful overview of famous cooks, farmer, foodies and homesteaders who may be recognized for public, scientific, political or other achievements, but often not for their interest in farming, sustainability, food and cooking.
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Richard Branson (1950 – )
On the Ninety Acres Culinary Center web page, you’ll find the words, “Farm to Table is one thing; we are a Table at the Farm.”
Richard Branson’s Ninety Acres Restaurant is situated in Somerset County, New Jersey. The vision for this magnificently restored estate was to secure more than 80% of the foods it serves from local sources, and this it does. In fact, much of the kitchen’s stock comes from the on-site farm.
The vision does not stop there, however. In the future, there may be a farmers’ market right on the premises. And even this is not the end of the road, for Branson also envisions a culinary school and luxury resort.
Upon exploring the splendid website, you will learn that, “Ninety Acres is an epicurean oasis that upholds the agricultural authenticity of the surrounding environment.” The words “Impeccably sourced ingredients” also stand out.
Branson is the founder of more than 400 businesses. His first business was a magazine called Student. He was only 16 at the time. It is interesting to note that one of the world’s best known businessmen actually did poorly in school, perhaps partially due to dyslexia. But, as you know, we always counterbalance our frailties and this is often how our greatest strengths emerge. Branson is living proof. His business savvy is undeniable.
Clearly, one of the planets’ richest businessmen, and one who created a telecommunications empire and has been in space and back still retains deep roots in the land and its fruits. A vicarious epicurean? It takes a vision to plot a garden, any garden, and sowing takes on many forms, including sowing ideas.
Read other entries in Portraits of Cooks & Farmers
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Healthy Eating in a Box, Wherever You Live
Posted by Granny in Homesteading, Lawn, Garden & Composting, The Frugal Yard & Garden, Trends & Innovations on 03/12/2013
Lately, I’ve been getting sidetracked browsing the internet for images of rooftop and balcony gardens. It must be spring. There is something about the angular architecture and business of the urban landscape and the flamboyant, free-spirited flow of the lush terrace garden that I find reassuring. It says something powerful and poetic about nature’s persistence.
While many leave the city to establish homesteads, farms and gardens in the country, many others enjoy the urban lifestyle and choose to find ways to incorporate nature, even sustainability, within the confines of apartment balconies and condo rooftops; proving, quite naturally, that this is not an all-or-nothing world at all.
Gardening is not just for the countryside or suburban backyard, nor is it limited in any way. We grow flowers in pots all the time, don’t we? All that is required are a few proper ingredients, tender care and dedication. This last condition turns out to be quite effortless, for the moment we begin a relationship with a garden, no matter how large or small, it is natural to feel a sense of devotion.
By proper ingredients I also mean proper equipment. A small space can yield an interesting crop. For those who are completely new to gardening, it makes sense to start with a proven system and well spelled-out instructions.
Take the UrBin Growing Kit, for example. It provides endless organic vegetables by facilitating growth through a mixture of the Square Foot Gardening method, all natural soil amendments, and a unique self-watering reservoir. This is good for the gardener with a hectic schedule who forgets to water the plants once in a while (ho! Gosh!), but it also ensures consistent and optimal moisture for your crop. This clever system includes seed trays, for those who wish to start from scratch, but seedlings from a trusted supplier can be used as well.
One of the great advantages of the container gardening method is that it diminishes the incidence of plant disease. Also, when the plants remain healthy, you can reuse the same soil mix for subsequent crops by top-dressing it with a bit of compost. This contributes to a very healthy environment for the plants since, over time, the soil mixture builds up beneficial microbes that contribute to highly efficient nutrient absorption.
With a well-designed growing kit, it is easy to get the children involved with gardening. You know how they love scientific exploration games they have to put together and that allow them to see results over time. Container gardening offers plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning and quality family time.
I love clever systems that use little space and lots of common sense, and that save money and contribute to a wholesome lifestyle on top of this. Simplicity is always in season, after all. I’ve even heard of people who move their UrBin Grower indoors in winter to grow different varieties of edible plants, such as herbs. I think they’re hooked!
Weekend Highlights – Noteworthy Articles by Fellow Bloggers – March 9, 2013
Posted by Granny in Food Prep & Dehydration, Homesteading, Lifestyle, Nutrition & Recipes, Weekend Highlights on 03/09/2013
Of Storytelling - “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” – Philip Pullman
Of Tea - “Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.” – Author Unknown
Of Tradition – “Traditions have been replaced by lifestyles.” - Lars Fr. H. Svendsen (A Philosophy of Boredom)
You can access the entire Weekend Highlights series to date by clicking on that category in the sidebar at left.
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There is cause for celebration this week as Curtiss Ann Matlock just released a new novel. She made the announcement on Monday, in a post titled, “New Book! Mary In Color, now available on Kindle.”
I am thrilled when I can catch special events and accomplishments in the nick of time to give them a shout out on the Weekend Highlights, and sorry I do not catch everything.
“Mary In Color is… a story about how we change without really realizing, and about daring to reach for dreams. It is about mothers and daughters, and love and family, and yes, about moving on. My fiction always reflects lessons I’m learning in my own life,” explains Matlock.
I must confess that I have not read her novels, but if you enjoy her Blog you already know her style and passions and can be certain you will be just as delighted with other forms of writing she creates.
How admirable and inspiring! Writing a novel is no easy task. It requires dedication and discipline. How many times do we fail to take the first steps toward a grand dream. The distance ahead overwhelms us into a state of stupor and we do nothing. Curtiss Ann Matlock reminds me that I cannot arrive at my destination if I do not set foot on the path and it is not about whether the time is right, it is only about stepping out and staying on course… over and over. [Go to blog]
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Let’s continue our celebratory journey with this Tea Blog announcement: “Celebrating a 2nd Year as Blog Editor.“
“Reading back through some of my early articles can make me cringe. As the anniversary of my second year as editor of this blog approaches, I did take a look back, cringed, and then also felt a bit of satisfaction for being able to cringe. It meant I had grown…” observes the author.
Cringe? We are so hard on ourselves. It seems I have been following this blog for nearly two years now and have never felt any of it was cringe-worthy.
I think Curtiss Ann above would agree. To be able to come to a point where we realize we have changed, and to actually delight in this realization, is a precious aspect of the journey. We become better writers, artists, gardeners, teachers and in the course of advancing our skills we also advance the impact we have on the world around us. We become an inspiration to others, and the cycle of evolution continues.
Sit back with a good cup of tea and read on.
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Ha! This is turning out to be perfect timing all around. Next, we visit with Leslie Ann Lloyd, whose blog I included in these Highlights last year, until it appeared the author was taking a bit of a reprieve from writing. A part of me always worries when someone “disappears.” Sometimes, we must turn to different obligations or need time to replenish our energies. Whatever the reason, it is always a great pleasure to see activity resume on a good blog.
“The first time I saw a darning egg, it wasn’t an egg, it was a mushroom and it belonged to my grandmother. It was early in the ’70′s and she still used it regularly…” begins a recent article titled, “Sweater Saved by Darning It.“
I had not seen a darning egg since childhood when, perhaps much like the author, I used to watch my grandmother and mother use one. I was always fascinated by all the implements and tools in the sewing basket, but the darning egg, which looked more like a mushroom indeed, captured my attention. It was used for darning socks.
Darning is a lost art and I confess that when there are holes in my socks they end up being replaced. Just like that. For many families until the 19th and even 20th centuries, mending was the logical solution; throwing away, unthinkable. Tradition teaches us more than history; it teaches value. Sometimes, tradition is a mark of love also. Find out how.
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Thank you for reading this Weekend’s Highlights. Please take a moment to leave a few words and click the LIKE button on the Blogs you enjoy. Thanks.
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Your Host ~ Granny Wise
Granny Wise is All Seasons Homestead Helpers' writer and sustainability enthusiast. All Season's Homestead Helpers owns and distributes THE ORIGINAL SQUEEZO STRAINER since 2006. The Squeezo Strainer, a staple in kitchens for over 50 years, is the only all-metal sauce maker and it is entirely made in the US. We carry all Squeezo parts. We also carry a carefully selected line of kitchen, lawn and garden equipment including indoor and outdoor compost bins, rain barrels, water bath and steam canners, fruit and cider presses, greenhouses, cold frames, tool carts, kitchen and patio gardens, juicers, grain mills, weed mats and much more.
