Why Your Garden Soil Needs Minerals
Today we look at another aspect of building healthy, vibrant garden soil that is not only incredibly productive but provides pest and disease resilience. Conventional commercial farming and gardening has mainly paid attention to three elements for the past 65 years or so, pretty much to the exclusion of all else. These are N- Nitrogen, P- Phosphorus, and K- Potassium. You see these in ratios on fertilizer bags, hear about them in conversations about amending the soil and see them pointed to when troubleshooting growth or production problems.
Commercial biological agriculture has found that there are many more minerals and trace elements that are extremely important to the growth, health and productivity of the soil as well as the plant. Some of these are Boron, Silicon, Calcium, Magnesium, Carbon, Potassium and Copper. These are not all of them by any means. By most research, there are about 70-80 minerals and trace elements that are critical to the full development and health of most plants and crops. For instance, a tomato’s nutritional profile includes 56 minerals and trace elements! This is one of the reasons that commercial farmers use the tomato as a benchmark to test the vitality and nutrient content of their soils, as the tomato is “hungry” and needs many nutrients to grow properly. The true test, however, is not limited to how the plant grows, how healthy the leaves are, how many flowers and fruit are set, but how the tomato tastes. If the tomato tastes rich, is juicy and has a complex flavor, then the soil is healthy. If not, then some work remains to get the soil to it’s optimum condition.
Minerals and trace elements are being studied much more now, as many people in agriculture begin to realize that without replacing the minerals and elements taken up by the crops yields begin to decrease, nutrition content drops and pest and disease resilience is lower over time. Studies have shown this for the past 30 years stating the nutritional content in many vegetables have decreased as compared to those of the past. Using a biological and organic method of growing helps, as the manure based compost has several of these mineral and elements, but not nearly enough. Self-sustainable, old time farming had many manure inputs to the compost pile, from different ruminants that contributed microbiological activity to non-ruminants that added finely chopped organic matter. These were better, but still did not address all of the minerals and elements needed for healthy soils.
Two sources are readily available and usable for the home gardener to restore the minerals to the soil. One is sea minerals, the other is volcanic rock dust. Sea minerals are just as they sound- dried seawater. Many commercial farmers are using sea minerals to restore the mineral balance, some using 2200 pounds of sea minerals to the acre! That is just over a ton per acre. My concern with using sea minerals for the home gardener is the salt content, and the potential damaging impacts that salt might have. The second source- volcanic rock dust has no salt and is composed entirely of minerals. Thus there is less danger of over use causing catastrophic damage to your garden!
This article introduces volcanic rock dust in a product known as Azomite. This is a commercially available product, and we have no affiliation or connection with Azomite. They don’t even know we are writing about them! We use this in our gardens, and are using it to “charge” our charcoal in our compost piles, just like we wrote about in the last blog post. We won’t write about or recommend something that we haven’t used ourselves. This is the introduction, the second part of this post will be a discussion and examination of how and why it is so effective.
The article is graciously provided as a reprint from Acres USA.
Mineral Restoration and Utah Rock Dust
by David Yarrow
Like so many young people, Jared Milarch was in a hurry. At age 13, Jared began transplanting native sugar maple seedlings out of his family’s woodlands in northwest lower Michigan. Thinking ahead, Jared planned to sell them as street trees to pay for his college education.
Watching this investment in his future creep skyward, Jared wondered how to speed these trees up – grow taller faster.
“I got impatient because the trees weren’t growing fast enough,” Jared admitted.
About this time, Jared read Secrets of the Soil by Christopher Bird and Peter Tompkins. One chapter described a fertilizer that stimulated plants to remarkable vigor. This “miracle” plant food is a powdered pink clay from central Utah named Azomite, an acronym: A-to-Z Of Minerals, Including Trace Elements. It also goes by the name montmorillonite ore. I asked Jared what Azomite is. “Ground up sea floor bed from Utah mines,” he replied. “They grind it up talcum- powder fine. I guess it’s easier for plants to digest then.” “And for the microbes, too,” added his father. “Because plants don’t really take up nutrients in their root hairs, but from dead and living bodies of microorganisms that ingest the minerals.” Azomite is, in fact, a unique mineral deposit with special biological character. In ancient geologic times, central Utah was an inland sea. Water washing off then-young Rocky Mountains was rich in minerals, and, over eons, this body of water evaporated and shrunk, until today only the Great Salt Lake and Great Salt Desert remain. Bacteria living in this inland sea ate the minerals, then excreted them in oxidized, hydrated and blended forms. The microbial manure accumulated on the sea floor. This sediment has an abundance of over 60 elements, not just three or four, or a dozen.
“I didn’t have a lot of money, so I kept bugging my dad to order a few bags,” remembered Jared. “He reluctantly gave in. When the bags arrived, I sprinkled two tomato soup cans around each baby tree.” After 100 trees, his bags were empty, so his other 400 saplings got none.
The next spring, Jared watched his unfertilized trees grow 12 inches. But the Azomite-treated trees grew fully 3 feet in one spring spurt! In Jared’s years working in his family’s shade tree business, this was unprecedented beyond imagination.
“The results were just amazing!” enthused Jared. But even more, treated trees grew not only taller, but better – healthier. Treated trees had darker color. “Leaf tatter was minimal,” explained Jared. “Caliper [diameter] of their trunks was up, too.”
Impressed by these results, Jared bought more to sprinkle around all his trees. In the family garden, too, where the effect was similar – bigger, stronger plants, with one further benefit. “The taste of the vegetables is dramatically different,” reported Jared. “It’s a great taste!”
His father David – a third-generation nurseryman in this remote corner of northwest Michigan – took notice of Jared’s fertilizer results. In 1996, David decided he had seen enough financial gains on his tree farm, and read enough evidence, to become an Azomite distributor.
“After the Gazette article about Jared’s discovery, we got more and more calls from all over the country about Azomite. The closest distributor to Michigan was the State of Maine, so I decided to stockpile it here so local people don’t pay double freight, and make it available to anyone inclined to try rockdust in their garden, orchard or animal feed.”
Soon the Milarch barn was stacked with bags of pink Utah dust.
“Also, as Midwest horticulture and agriculture schools smarten up, I want to have a stockpile. In the horticulture industry, no one we work with on our trees in all 11 colleges across the United States has ever heard of remineralization with rock dust. They add magnesium to commercial fertilizers, but know nothing about trace elements. It’s time the tree industry – all the way from seedlings to champion trees up to wholesale shade tree industry – tested this in horticulture.”
David Milarch, with decades experience in the family shade tree business, founded The Champion Tree Project. The effects of Azomite on his tree farm urged him to require that every champion tree must be sold and planted with rockdust.
“In the Champion Tree Project, seedlings distributed to schools, children and youth groups for Arbor Day will have a small bag of rock dust, with instructions to sprinkle it around the roots. I recommend seed companies use it in soil mix as seedlings are produced. And right up the ladder when shade tree liners are grown by nurseries, I ask them to use rock dust. Then, as shade trees are planted at job sites, 1- or 2-pound bags must be spread by landscape industry.”
In 1997, Jared – a fast-track senior honor student at Benzie Central High School – enrolled in a botany class in Michigan State University’s Horticulture Extension Program at nearby Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City.
For his botany lab, Jared decided to scrutinize this Azomite miracle more carefully to understand how a bit of dust boosts plant growth and health. He proposed
a controlled experiment in the college greenhouse to instructor Kirk Waterstripe.
His professor scoffed at the idea at first. Waterstripe, a Rutgers graduate, was skeptical a few ounces of powder from the Utah desert could have such dramatic effects
on plants. “I’ve done some organic gardening,” Kirk admitted, “but haven’t messed with rock powders at all. I heard about greensand and a few things. But I’m always open for new ideas.”
Jared insisted this new idea was worthwhile, so Waterstripe relented and assented.
With advice from his professor and father, Jared designed an experiment to test the effect of Azomite as a soil supplement on tomatoes. Jared’s very simple, but controlled experiment would clearly show any effects from Azomite.
Eight tomato plants (“Fantastic” variety) of uniform size were grown in 1- gallon plastic pots, in a mix of standard potting soil with 6 tablespoons of composted cow manure. Two tablespoons of Azomite were added to the soil of four tomato plants; the other four had no clay mineral supplement.
The plants grew in uniform greenhouse conditions from June 17 to Sept. 9, got 150 ml of water three times a week, and were rotated in the greenhouse to ensure equal exposure to warmth and light. Height was measured from soil surface to uppermost branching point. All measured 30 cm at the experiment beginning, with no visible differences in health.
After 67 days, the tomatoes fed Azomite were easy to distinguish from untreated vines. On several measurable characteristics, Azomite yielded a better plant. Everyone agreed all four plants fed clay dust looked bigger and healthier.
“Color was a very obvious difference,” recalled Jared. “Plants not treated were more yellow in color, while treated plants were a deeper green color. Height was different. Plants that were treated weren’t a lot taller, but they weren’t ‘leggy.'”
Jared’s short written report listed five significant observations he had measured as numerical indications of “better, healthier” plants:
“¢ Average height of Azomite-treated plants was 98.5 cm, compared to 89.75 cm for control plants.
“¢ Whiteflies were found on both treated and control plants by day 28. After day 42, insecticidal soap was sprayed to control whiteflies. But treated plants had much less damage, defined as “honeydew” – sticky, sugary excretions by whiteflies.
“¢ Azomite-treated plants flowered earlier, more prolifically.
“¢ First tomato was on an Azomite treated plant on Aug. 26.
“¢ Treated plants set more fruit.
In a summary as simple as his experiment, Jared wrote: “While four plants per treatment do not provide statistically testable results, this experiment suggests that mineral supplements such as Azomite may help produce plants that are more vigorous and pest-resistant, and that blossom and set fruit sooner than plants grown without any supplement. Further tests, both in lab and field, are highly recommended.”
But from this modest understatement issues a bright light of insight. The implications of this simple experiment could alter farm economics, food production and horticulture methods. Only four plants, but a solid, significant four versus- four superiority. This clear, consistent result confirms a long list of field observations. Definitely, this Utah powder provides some nutrient lacking in greenhouse potting soil – and northwest Michigan topsoil. Something so essential that just a trace of it effects significant gains in growth, vigor, sturdiness, color, flavor, flowering, fruiting, and pest resistance.
Tests of this remarkable result should be repeated not just by one observant and thoughtful high school senior, but also by other universities and high schools in many different locations.
“We need to encourage students, teachers and professors to try this simple experiment'” insisted David. “Not just my state, but around the nation, around the world.”
Waterstripe, impressed by Jared’s results, is singing a new song of praise and wonder. He now sees real potential value in this clay from the Utah desert, plans
to write his own paper for a science journal, and wants to test Azomite on other crops. The professor is even considering writing his doctoral thesis on this trace element effect.
Jared, David and Waterstripe all discussed with the financial potential of early flowering for farmers.
“Early flowering plants can mean money to farmers for having the first crop, and ultimately quicker money for the farmers,” Jared pointed out. “It’s a big fruit farming area around here.”
“Among farmers, for the first guy to market or processing plant,” David explained, “his products reap a premium profit. The first tomatoes. First sweet corn. First watermelons. Also, a shorter growing season means a faster pay-off, because farmers only have one paycheck a year.”
“Flowering is a measure of marketability,” agreed Waterstripe. “If you’re the first to the farmers market with vine ripened tomatoes, hundreds of people will stop by your truck. So, if you can get the plants to flower a week ahead, this gives you an economic advantage.”
“But how do you put a dollar sign on depleted soils?” asked David. “And toxic, even mutagenic, pesticides?”
I insist the single most crucial and significant effect of trace element fertilizers is increased flowering and seed formation. This can’t be adequately measured in
monetary quantity or economic values. Reproduction is the climax in a plant’s life cycle. Any substance that triggers such an increase in this activity activates and fulfills the plant’s full life potential, and is a near ideal and essential plant food.
In an ecosystem, this climax is an outburst of ecstasy as nature rejoices in this peak experience. This isn’t mere substance, it’s essence.
This experience has inspired Jared and mentor Waterstripe on to other experiments with winter oats, a common grain crop for Michigan farmers. “Oats have been – for millennia – a chief animal and human food,” David pointed out. “We eat oatmeal. Horses need oats, and it’s mixed with other animal feeds. And oats are used as a cover crop a lot.”
“Oats are easy to grow and study in a winter greenhouse,” added Waterstripe. “They don’t take a lot of room, and can take a cooler greenhouse.”
I weary of experiments to repeat what we rediscovered a decade ago that was discovered by others over a century ago. How many academics and scientists have to see the facts before serious research begins?
We need experiments to learn, not “if,” but “how” mineral powders restore soil fertility and boost plant vitality. Decades of research by dozens of investigators clearly show this happens, but we still have only fragments of real insight into the secret lives of soil that accomplish this miracle of minerals transformed to living cells.
I asked Jared what he thinks causes Azomite’s remarkable effects.
“I believe there’s a lack of minerals in the soil,” Jared mused. “It was probably depleted with chemical fertilizers. So, this was the first step to put minerals back in the soil. Almost healing the soil enough for the trees to really be able to use what’s in the soil.”
I pointed out that a few tablespoons of clay dust doesn’t supply much nitrogen or potassium. What minerals might this Azomite be feeding trees and seeds?
“I think it may be a balance,” he offered cautiously. “Not just one mineral, but all the minerals. Or it might catalyze other parts of the soil. It may be etheric, too. I’m not sure.”
Whatever substance or essence Azomite supplies, it boosts overall vitality and quality of tomatoes – for seemingly every plant it is fed to. One Michigan news reporter in 1996 headlined Jared’s discovery as “Tree Vitamins” – botanical equivalent to one-a- day health pills.
David Milarch pointed out, “Most soils only have their mineral elements replenished by volcanic action or glaciers. Here in north Michigan that was 10,000 years ago. Our old soils are worn out, especially with chemical agriculture and acid rain.”
The Milarchs’ positive results have been followed by an expansion of Azomite use.
“This year, one fellow got 3 tons for his commercial organic orchard and put 60 pounds on each tree – a generous feeding,” said David. “But that’s how he makes his living. It will probably take two years for fruit trees to fully respond. But if vegetables taste sweeter and are bigger, why won’t it do the same for apples, cherries, peaches . . . “
“I sold another 1,000 pounds to add to computerized feed mix for dairy cattle to see if it affects butterfat and milk production. This one dairy farmer had a bad problem with hairy wart on his 300 cows’ feet – which is almost impossible to relieve. We figure if cattle are healthier, it will be easier to relieve, so he calculated adding 6 tablespoons a day to his cows’ feed. The old boy who first discovered this stuff fed it to his chickens, and the chicken industry had great success with it.”
I asked Jared what he will do with his new insight into soil fertility.
“For the immediate future, I want to apply this to our family nursery, and to the Champion Tree Project. More likely in the future I’d like to apply it or make it available for world crops – for all of our food crops.”
“And our garden,” injected David. “if it’s good for tomatoes and trees, it’s good for humans, too. So take that thought farther from the garden all the way up the food chain.”
“I’d also like to study other rock dusts,” added Jared. “Azomite is the first one I’ve discovered.”
David ended, “I’d like to see other colleges and students get involved with this investigation of how to restore our soils. And I hope to see the same in the nursery industry and farmers also.”
“In the long run, what would be the reduction in health care costs in humans after we get it into the food chain?” mused David, “and we remineralize our bodies? How many diseases – like AIDS and cancer – would be dramatically diminished?”
David Yarrow is a frequent contributor to the publication Remineralization of the Earth, now merging with Acres U.S.A. He has written extensively on the environment, macrobiotics and Native American issues.
In the next post, we will continue the discussion and examination of the benefits of restoring the minerals to your gardens soil. Stay tuned!
Don’t Plant Your Garden Too Early…
…and here’s some reasons why!
This was actually the second snow of this weekend, the first came in Friday night and was melted off by mid-morning Saturday. We got a second snowstorm Saturday afternoon that left the garden like this Sunday morning- April 10! Our normal direct sowing date is just under a month away- about May 7 or so.
By this afternoon the garden had returned to looking normal…
April’s Frosty Weathervane
I just couldn’t pass this up, much too charismatic! I love how the snow/frost has crystallized on the surface, making it look almost furry.
Fogbound snowy neighbor
1920’s Sears and Roebuck Craftsman style house, across our back horse pen. Moved here a few years ago from just a couple miles down the road when the alfalfa farm was sold for development. Originally built by a Russian immigrant family. Dad spent 11 years making the bricks to build the house, by hand, each and every day. Tastefully refinished with a nice wrap around porch and the original oak hardwood floors brought back to life.
Never has sold, was finished just before the market blew up. I love the feeling this has.
Hope you enjoyed some beautiful sights this weekend!
Young Asparagus with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts
One of the sure signs that Spring is near is the arrival of tender, young Asparagus.
Now I realize that some folks aren’t all that excited about this unusual vegetable, but it is something like Eggplant, or even Brussels Sprouts. Store-bought, it is not that appealing and is often rightly described as insipid. A lot of us grew up with mushy, steamed-to-death stalks of slightly slimy green yuck.
I thought much the same until encountering the young green stalks growing alongside the irrigation ditches as a pre-teen. Sliced off just below ground level to encourage next year’s growth, taken straight home, washed and lightly sauteed in butter before being drenched in eggs with fresh home grown tomato, basil and oregano in a classic frittata, I fell in love with that incredibly fresh, lingering taste of Spring. So much so, in fact, that I have been hesitant to buy asparagus from the store, preferring to get it from the Farmer’s Market or other fresh sources.
I have found that the sautee method keeps the crisp texture while concentrating the fresh taste, while steaming or boiling creates the mushy texture and drains the flavor out.
Here is a different approach to the presentation, that has a medley of fresh flavors that will make it memorable in a positive way!
Sauteed Asparagus with Prosciutto and Pine Nuts
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Stirring constantly, sautee the garlic and pine nuts in the melted butter until the garlic is fragrant and the nuts just begin to turn brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
Add the asparagus and prosciutto to the mixture and toss to mix evenly. Continue to sautee until asparagus is bright green, tender and still just slightly crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve hot.
Serves 6 as a side dish.
Bountiful Baskets- A Hidden Treasure
Fresh Veggies (and Fruit) For Less Than $1/Lb In 2011?
Is that even possible? Is it legal? How can I get in on that deal?
These are some of the questions that were going through our minds when we read about Bountiful Baskets Co-op in an article by Molly Beverly, the chef at Prescott College. The approach is very unique, being “This is a grass roots, all volunteer, no contracts, no catch co-operative.”
The offering is open from noon on Mondays MST to Tuesday 10PM MST. You select the basket of the week, which is about 50% mixed veggies and fruit, then choose if you want one of the special weekly packs. Then you pay the $3.00 First Time Basket fee, with a $1.50 transaction fee to cover the costs of the website and credit card fees. From there Sally and Tanya- the ladies responsible for making this incredible operation work- spring into action, buying the produce and getting the transportation arranged in time for everything to show up at your local pick up location by 7AM that Saturday. You have a 20 minute window to pick up your basket, so make sure to be on time. They are extremely efficient, with our local pick up having about 100 baskets that fly out in less than 20 minutes. There was a short wait time the first week, as we arrived about 10 minutes early, but they were open early the second week, with us being in and out in less than 10 minutes. That included picking up a total of 3 baskets (for family and a friend) and 10 Lbs of Organic Heirloom Tomatoes! Try for that time at your local grocery store!
Weekly Bountiful Baskets offering
The weekly basket is $15.00 and is aimed at providing you with about $50.00 worth of grocery store quality produce. There is often the option to upgrade to all organic for $10.00 extra. Any special weekly packs are priced separately, but carry the same great deal as the baskets. Our first week we had a hard time trying to keep up with the extra fruit and vegetables, and finished most, but not all of it before the next Saturday. You don’t have to get a basket every week, and some couples are on an every other week schedule as they don’t eat all of it in one week.
Our first week we got the weekly basket, an Italian pack and a box of Asparagus. The basket had a great selection of crisp, fresh greens and fruit. All of it was a much better quality and flavor than we have been seeing in the grocery store at better prices. The Italian pack had several fresh herbs- generous quantities of Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Flat Leaf Parsley as well as garlic, a couple of onions, baby portabello and regular mushrooms- all for $7.50. 15 pounds of fresh, crisp, young and tasty Asparagus for $22.00 is a screaming deal! We shared the bunches of Asparagus with friends and family, enjoyed it in frittatas, pickled it, sauteed it in butter, and still had some left over at the end of the week.
For our second go round, we chose the basket and split a 10 Lb case of Organic Heirloom Tomatoes from Mexico. Living in Arizona, that isn’t too bad, considering the time of year. The quality and amount of absolutely fresh veggies and fruit was amazing, from the crisp leaf lettuce, spinach, bananas, another bundle of young Asparagus, carrots, apples, fresh ripe Mangoes, vine tomatoes, celery, sweet potatoes, zucchini and a ripe cantaloupe. The heirloom tomatoes were ripe and ready for use, which is impressive. The second week’s basket weighed in at 21Lbs, for a cost of 71.4 cents a pound for fresh, crisp, ripe and tasty produce. I believe our first week’s basket was 20 Lbs. Please show me a better deal on fresh food!
Box from Bountiful Baskets
Bountiful Baskets is in 10 states helping over 70,000 families get higher quality food at great prices each week through a unique business model. Just in Arizona there are about 80 locations. There is a volunteer coordinator at each location who is the driving force. Everyone is a volunteer, no one gets paid. This is a co-operative effort to source better food at better prices for all who participate.
In order to get started, go to Bountiful Baskets, and register for a free account. Do this before you want to get your order in, to save time and find out where your local pick up is at. Then from noon MST each Monday to 10 PM MST each Tuesday, log in and see what is on offer for the week. Make your choice, pay your money and show up at the pickup location at the proper time to get you basket of goodies. It is best to bring a basket to carry all of it in- trust me, you’ll need it! Take your treasure home and amaze your friends and family at the fresh taste and flavors you found with Bountiful Baskets.
This is just one of several similar programs around the country that give you other options to the usual grocery store stroll. Your local Farmer’s Market is one, but is usually seasonal, and isn’t a supermarket. Azure Standard is another well established program that not only delivers fresh, organic produce at less than conventional grocery store prices, but also acts as a supermarket, selling dishwasher detergent, parchment baking sheets and apple sauce along with organic avocados and apples.
There are probably several others that we are just not aware of, but the point is that there are plenty of options to eating fresh, tasty food at better prices than what you are used to seeing in the grocery store. It does take a little planning, but if you are saving 50-75% on your weekly food bill, isn’t it worth a bit of your time? With fuel prices and food prices headed only upwards, finding ways to save on your food without eating junk is becoming increasingly important. Planting a garden will pay you about 10 times the cost of the seeds you plant. If you spend $100 on seeds, the average garden will save (or pay) you about $1000 in the cost of the same quality fresh produce from your grocery store and taste better. Using one of these afore-mentioned co-operatives for the weekly veggies is yet another way to save money and increase the quality of your food, especially on things that don’t grow well in your garden.
Eating much better for much less is something that most people will be very interested in!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus- more onWordPress.org: Post Formats
Compost- Nourishing Your Garden Soil
Compost Feeds and Improves Your Soil
Compost is one of the best mulches and soil amendments available. It is also one of the easiest ways to feed your garden soil and can (and should) be used instead of commercial chemical fertilizers. It can be easily improved or customized for your specific garden conditions, and best of all, compost is cheap. You can often make it without spending anything or very little.
Using compost improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and increases the soil’s water-holding capacity while improving its drainage. All you need are some feedstocks, moisture, and time.
Compost loosens clay soils and helps sandy soils retain water. Adding compost improves soil fertility and stimulates healthy root development in plants. The organic matter in compost provides food for the microorganisms that digest and break down the matter, keeping the soil healthy and balanced. Feeding of the microorganisms also makes foundational minerals readily available to the plants, such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, boron, silicon, magnesium, and trace elements. Well-fed, properly produced compost applied to the garden soil can create a condition where few soil amendments will be needed.
We will examine several aspects of compost and techniques to build the nutrient value of the compost for the garden. One of the most useful aspects of compost is its adaptability, as it can be “customized” or enhanced with many additions that will increase its fertility and value to the garden. This is not meant as an introductory how-to compost article – see our article Compost – What We’ve Learned for that. You can use the techniques shown here to customize your compost for your garden’s needs.
For our discussion, we will assume a manure-based compost combined with leaves or straw for the close to ideal 25-30:1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C/N). Here are some examples of the C/N ratio for common compost feedstocks-
Compost Carbon/Nitrogen Ratios
One of the common techniques of the Genetic Engineering industry is called “Stacking,” or combining several traits into one variety to achieve multiple benefits. I’m unsure if it works, but the same thought pattern can be applied to our compost, with results that don’t need to be studied for a decade or two to determine if they are dangerous. We will be looking at and discussing several of these techniques, all of which can be “Stacked” or combined to achieve greater benefits. Some of these techniques are commonly used in the garden and will have similar effects in the compost pile.
Ingredients That Boost Compost
Azomite or Elemite trace minerals
Mineralization– If you’ve followed the previous soil-building blog posts, you understand the importance of adding minerals to your garden soil and its incredible benefits. For those who haven’t read it, read Mineral Restoration of Your Garden Soil for the first part and Mineral Restoration of Your Garden Soil Part II for the second. Adding a broad-based mineral supplement to your compost will kick-start the decomposition and feeding of the microorganisms and give them a powerful, healthy start. This will carry over when you apply the compost to your garden, as the remainder of the minerals and trace elements will benefit the garden soil, your plants, veggies, and ultimately – you.
MycoGrow soluble mycorrhizal fungi mix
Mycorrhizal Fungi– An ancient, microscopic group of fungi that develop symbiotic relationships with about 90% of crop species. They colonize in and around the roots and root hairs, sending hyphae– strands about 1/25 the diameter of a human hair- into the surrounding soil anywhere from 15 to 25 inches. This increases the nutrient “reach” of the plant from 10x to sometimes 100x! Mycorrhizae create enzymes to mobilize and release phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, and several other nutrients from the soil and transport them to the host plant’s roots. They also produce antibiotics and other defensive compounds that fight damaging root diseases by other fungi and bacteria.
Jug of molasses
Molasses– From Wikipedia: Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar. Sulfured molasses is made from young sugar cane. Sulfur dioxide, which acts as a preservative, is added during the sugar extraction. Unsulfured molasses is made from mature sugar cane, which does not require such treatment. There are three grades of molasses: mild or Barbados, also known as first molasses; dark or second molasses; and blackstrap. The third boiling of the sugar syrup makes blackstrap molasses. The majority of sucrose from the original juice has been crystallized and removed. The calorie content of blackstrap molasses is still mainly from the small remaining sugar content. However, unlike refined sugars, they contain trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of several minerals. Blackstrap molasses is a source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron; one tablespoon provides up to 20% of the daily value of each of those nutrients.
Molasses is a very valuable addition to the compost pile, as well as to the garden itself. Unsulfured blackstrap is the preferred variety due to the mineral content, but any of the unsulfured ones will do fine. Beyond the minerals, there are benefits, such as the natural sugar content that will feed the microorganisms in the compost or soil of the garden. Use one cup to a gallon of water and spray onto the pile, or add to the drip system of the garden. The readily available sugar content will skyrocket the microbial activity. Blackstrap molasses is also commonly used in horticulture as a flower blooming and fruiting enhancer, particularly in organic hydroponics. Use the before-mentioned mixture in the drip system or spray alongside the roots of fruiting vegetables as they start to flower to increase their flowering and fruiting.
See Milk & Molasses – Magic for Your Garden for the whole story!
Pitcher of milk
Milk– Using milk in your compost and in your garden will probably come as a surprise to most. Upon closer inspection, however, it starts to make sense. The amino acids, proteins, enzymes, and natural sugars that make milk food for humans and animals are the same ingredients in nurturing healthy communities of microbes, fungi, and beneficials in your compost and garden soil. Raw milk is the best, as it hasn’t been exposed to heat that alters the components in milk that provide perfect food for the soil and plants. Using milk on crops and soils is another ancient technique lost to large-scale modern industrial agriculture.
Recently a Nebraska farmer completed a 10-year study on applying milk at different rates to his pastures and recorded the results with the help of the local Agricultural Extension agent, a university soil specialist and weed specialist. What they found was amazing- the grass production was drastically increased; the soil porosity or ability to absorb air and water doubled; microbe activity and populations increased; cows were healthier and produced more milk on treated pastures; the brix or sugar level in the pasture tripled, indicating more nutrients were stored in the grass than before. Grasshoppers abandoned the treated pastures- the sugars are a poison to soft-bodied insects as they do not have a pancreas to process the sugars. This also explains why insects leave healthy, high-brix level plants alone, as they contain more sugars than stressed and sickly ones.
The ratio can range from 100% milk to a 50/50 mixture with water, with no loss of benefits. Spray it on the compost and garden soil prior to planting and as needed when insects appear. Spray directly on the insects and around the areas they inhabit.
See Milk & Molasses – Magic for Your Garden for the whole story!
Well-aged compost
Manure– Earlier, I had said the assumption was a manure-based compost. Manure is usually available, even if you don’t have horses or cows. If you get to know farmers at the farmer’s market or growers that sell in your area, most have animals, which usually means excess manure. Most folks with animals are happy to have someone pick up their excess manure. The more different animals contributing to the compost pile will ensure a healthier and more diverse population of microbes and critters, meaning a better, healthier compost. Horses are not ruminants; their manure is just chopped grass and alfalfa. It decomposes well and provides a good compost. Sheep and cattle are ruminants, so their manure has been broken down further and has a lot of beneficial bacteria and microbes that will jump-start the compost. You get the best of both to your soil’s benefit!
Coffee grounds
Coffee Grounds– Another unusual but highly beneficial and productive addition to your compost. The grounds of already brewed coffee are usually pH neutral yet have been shown to have a great buffering capability. Adding coffee grounds to acidic or basic soil will help minimize the acidic or basic effects and bring the pH back towards neutral, about 7.0. Grounds are a Nitrogen source for the 25:1 C/N ratio, so depending on what feedstock is being used, coffee grounds can be very valuable to keep the decomposition moving along. The upper limit on grounds is 25%, so a LOT of coffee grounds can be added if needed! Worms love coffee grounds, which act as a “worm attractant.”
So, now that you’re considering adding coffee grounds to your compost, where do you get them? Your office or work is a good start, as well as home. Starbucks has a corporate policy of working to reduce waste, so they usually have a covered bucket next to their stand in which they put the used grounds. The paper filters are compostable as well, as they are usually unbleached. Coffee shops, diners, restaurants, and donut shops are also great resources. If you feel funny asking for coffee grounds, you will probably be surprised when they respond enthusiastically when they understand what you’re trying to do.
See Coffee Grounds Build Compost and Soil Health to learn more!
Shovelful of charcoal
Charcoal or BioChar– This is another of the soil-building articles that was previously written. Please read Terra Preta- Magic Soil of the Lost Amazon for Part One and Terra Preta Part II to get up to speed. Charcoal needs to be hardwood or lump, not briquettes, and should be crushed into smaller-sized chunks, about the size of corn seed. It needs time to “activate,” where it absorbs minerals and trace elements and provides a home for the microbes, beneficial bacteria, and fungi that make the compost so nourishing to the garden. The charcoal will last at least 100-300 years, so it isn’t something that will be depleted quickly. Adding it in small amounts to the compost and thus to the garden for several years will only increase your soil’s health, fertility, and productivity each year.
Where to Start
Work with what you have. You may not have a lot of nitrogen (green) or an abundance of carbon (brown) ingredients. Use what you have readily available. It’s not complicated, if you don’t have the “correct” ratio, just substitute some time and everything will be just fine. Use the above chart and this article to get the ratio close, and don’t sweat the small stuff. The gentle folks in India have been composting for 5,000 years without compost tumblers or fancy enclosures. Work with your local conditions- for instance, we must water our compost to keep it alive.
Now you can see what is meant by “Stacking” of these techniques! Compost is very valuable, but when combined with some or all of these techniques, things will start moving in a positive direction! The health and fertility benefits will increase exponentially, not only once but each time the compost is added to the garden soil, which should be twice a year- in the spring before planting and again in the fall. This creates an ever-increasing spiral of benefits for the garden, the plants, the fruits and vegetables, and you and your health.
This proves what Sir Albert Howard said to the House of Commons in England at the end of the 19th Century: “As goes the health of the soil, so goes the health of the nation.” He was laughed out of the House of Commons, but we realize now, 120 years later, that what he said is true. Improve the health of your soil, and your health will be improved from the produce from your garden.
2011 Terroir Seeds Growing Season Update- 3/6/2011
The snows have melted off, but the clouds are gathering for more rain or possibly snow showers on Monday. We have gotten some prep work done in the garden, and are ready to broadfork the raised beds, apply the Azomite and lay in some compost. First, though, we will need a less windy day.
After the first week, we have some seedlings up! Here are a partial listing of what is up-
Principe Borghese tomato
Goldman’s Italian-American tomato
Wild Galapagos tomato
Silvery Fir Tree tomato
There are a few more that we are trialing this year, so we can’t say quite yet what they are. After we get some good indication, we will let you in on what might be a new offering in the next year or so!
This video is from March 6,2011.
Enjoy!
Let us know if you have questions, or want something covered in more detail.
Mineral Restoration of Your Garden Soil Part II
Why You and Your Garden Soil Need Minerals
There are many ways to introduce needed minerals into your garden. One method starts with a soil test and adds or amends several different items or mixtures to get the pH level and major nutrients like N, P and K in appropriate ratios. Another is using multi animal manure compost worked into the soil. Both of these are good beginnings, but do not address the needed trace elements that are limiting factors when not present. They not only increase the garden’s yield, but also plant and soil health. This in turn increases our health, as these trace elements are also limiting factors in our health when not present in sufficient amounts.
For instance, Boron increases calcium uptake, promotes flowering and pollen production and is essential for strong plant growth. It also activates Silicon, which carries all of the other nutrients. Copper is a plant immune system regulator, controls mold and fungi, is an important chain in photosynthesis and helps increase the plant’s stalk strength. Manganese helps with nitrogen utilization, is a key factor in pollinization and aids in the utilization of energy from the cells for the plant. Zinc improves phosphorus utilization, helps regulate the plant’s growth including leaf size, corn ear size, hastens maturity and contributes to increased weight of fruits and vegetables.
As can be seen, these trace elements play a very important role in the overall production of healthy plants, fruits and vegetables. Properly mineralized soils offer not only better nutrition and health for the plant but pest and disease resistance as well. In corn, once enough copper is in the soil and taken up by the plant, grasshoppers won’t come into the fields, so insect pressure and damage are greatly reduced. Weed pressures decrease, as weeds have been shown by recent research to be indicator species for soil problems. Specific weeds will show up where specific minerals or trace elements are missing from the soils. Tissue tests of the weeds in relation to soil tests taken at the weed roots shows this. Improvements to the soil will cause weeds to “move” to areas of problem soils. Jay L. Mc Caman has published “Weeds and Why They Grow”, a look at over 800 different weed species and the soils that they grow in. As an example, burdock grows in soils with very high levels of iron and sulfate, very low levels of calcium and manganese. Mineralize the soil, lose the weed!
Insects are another indicator species, preying on weak, diseased and malnourished plants. They prefer lower brix, or plant sugar levels. Vibrant, healthy plants have a higher brix level than stressed or diseased ones. Experience shows that improved soils will decrease insect pressure, as brix levels increase, insects move on. In fact, several studies and practical observations have shown that as soil improvement occurs, insects move out followed by weeds. Then the insects start eating the weeds, as they have lower brix levels than your garden!
Combining these benefits with charcoal accelerates the process in a positive direction. Charcoal acts as a nutrient and trace element sponge, allows the soil food web to build much more organic carbon, living biomass & glomalins (soil glue) in addition to building soil infrastructure. The old adage of “Feed the Soil Not the Plants” becomes; “Feed, Clothe and House the Soil, utilities included!”
We have chosen AZOMITE because it is easy to apply, safe to use and extremely effective. It is also completely organic or natural, meaning there are no man-made ingredients. It is simply powdered Utah volcanic rock dust that has about 70 minerals and trace elements, nothing more. The recommended application for gardens is 1 pound to 25 square feet of garden. It can also be sprinkled around established plants or trees and watered in. For “charging” charcoal in the compost pile, I recommend 1 cup per 2 pounds of crushed charcoal, mixed into the compost for 6 months prior to application to the garden. Once again, we have no connection whatsoever with AZOMITE, they don’t even know we are talking about them.
Several studies with several vegetable plants show taller plants, larger diameter branches/stems, larger leaves with earlier fruiting, more prolific production of fruit, longer production and earlier first fruits with mineralized soils. Nutritional analysis of vegetables show higher levels of minerals and trace elements, showing that the soil minerals are more bio-available. More nutrition for plant = more nutrition in veggies = more nutrition for us. Better production in the garden means more veggies, which greatly increases the value of the garden and the value of its produce, especially in today’s market with much higher prices with lower quality produce available. Makes it much easier to grow your own food.
Better soil; bigger, healthier plants and vegetables; earlier, larger yields and better taste, nutrition and health for you- all from a few simple ingredients and preparation of your garden soil. This is the wonder of biological and sustainable agriculture, no matter the size of the “field”. As one farmer put it, “It’s not hard, it’s just different.” It’s a different way to look at gardening, but once some understanding is reached, knowledge and experience gained, it’s much more rewarding on many levels to work with the soil and plants this way, instead of trying to force them to work how we think they should, or want them to. Another benefit to this approach is that the applications last a long time- in the case of charcoal, at least 100-300 years, and the AZOMITE can last 3-5 years in hungry soil, longer in a more balanced one.
As always, please send in your comments and questions!
Next up will be a discussion of compost and the many approaches to building the best compost yet!
2011 Terroir Seeds Growing Season- Intro and Updates
This year, we will show you how our garden grows!
Through a series of videos, you can watch how we start seeds, what equipment and techniques we use, and see the growth of our trial garden. We will share our successes as well as the challenges and failures. At this point, we are planning to update this post once a week, so check back often to see the latest. We will post updates on FaceBook as well as our eNewsletter.
The first video is from February 27, 2011.
Enjoy!
Please ask us your questions, or if you want details on something that we cover, please ask about it!
Blue Corn Flapjacks with Prickly Pear Syrup
How Local Food Keeps a Small, Remote Restaurant Growing
Hell’s Backbone Grill- Boulder, UT. Located in south-central Utah in one of the last remaining remote places in the lower 48 states, Hell’s Backbone takes it’s name from a narrow wooden bridge over Box Death Hollow that allowed auto traffic for the first time in 1933. In a town of 180, more or less, that received it’s first electricity in 1947, and stopped getting it’s mail by mule in 1942, having a flourishing restaurant is an achievement in itself. The challenges are considerable- the closest bank and grocery store are 45 minutes south in Escalante, which is another fairly remote, small town. Planning becomes critical, cooperation and community building is not just a good idea, but is the only way to stay in business.
Despite these challenges, Hell’s Backbone Grill and The Boulder Mountain Lodge, where the Grill is located have had lots of great press from far and wide. Success hasn’t gone to their head, as they are down to earth folks. They partner with local ranchers and community members for food supplies, as well as growing a huge garden to feed the restaurant. All of the food is grown and raised with care, love and tremendous respect, whether by the restaurant or by the community. This comes through in the flavors, which are indescribably delicious. There is a deep, rich fullness to the food that is readily apparent.
Here is a recipe for Blue Corn Flapjacks from their cookbook- “With A Measure Of Grace”. The Prickly Pear syrup is our own homemade syrup.
Blue Corn Flapjacks
3 Cups flour
1 Cup sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tsp salt
1 Cup blue cornmeal
4 Eggs
3 Cups milk
1/2 Cup oil
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
Oil for griddle
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cornmeal.
In another bowl lightly beat eggs with milk, oil, and vanilla extract.
Add wet to dry and combine well.
Preheat griddle to medium-hot. A cast iron griddle works best. A drop of water will dance over the griddle when it’s ready. Add 2 Tbs oil to griddle, spread with folded paper towel. Keep towel to grease griddle for next batch of cakes.
Pour from a pitcher or use a ladle to make standard round cakes, or get wacky and make a portrait pancake for each breakfast companion. Turn cake when adges are set and small bubbles form and pop on the surface.
The batter will keep in the fridge for two days.
These are substantial flapjacks, very satisfying and filling. Enjoy them!
Postformat Gallery: Multiple images with different sizes
Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. Aenean leo ligula, porttitor eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim. Aliquam lor
Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem.
Read more
Mineral Restoration of Your Garden Soil
Why Your Garden Soil Needs Minerals
Today we look at another aspect of building healthy, vibrant garden soil that is not only incredibly productive but provides pest and disease resilience. Conventional commercial farming and gardening has mainly paid attention to three elements for the past 65 years or so, pretty much to the exclusion of all else. These are N- Nitrogen, P- Phosphorus, and K- Potassium. You see these in ratios on fertilizer bags, hear about them in conversations about amending the soil and see them pointed to when troubleshooting growth or production problems.
Commercial biological agriculture has found that there are many more minerals and trace elements that are extremely important to the growth, health and productivity of the soil as well as the plant. Some of these are Boron, Silicon, Calcium, Magnesium, Carbon, Potassium and Copper. These are not all of them by any means. By most research, there are about 70-80 minerals and trace elements that are critical to the full development and health of most plants and crops. For instance, a tomato’s nutritional profile includes 56 minerals and trace elements! This is one of the reasons that commercial farmers use the tomato as a benchmark to test the vitality and nutrient content of their soils, as the tomato is “hungry” and needs many nutrients to grow properly. The true test, however, is not limited to how the plant grows, how healthy the leaves are, how many flowers and fruit are set, but how the tomato tastes. If the tomato tastes rich, is juicy and has a complex flavor, then the soil is healthy. If not, then some work remains to get the soil to it’s optimum condition.
Minerals and trace elements are being studied much more now, as many people in agriculture begin to realize that without replacing the minerals and elements taken up by the crops yields begin to decrease, nutrition content drops and pest and disease resilience is lower over time. Studies have shown this for the past 30 years stating the nutritional content in many vegetables have decreased as compared to those of the past. Using a biological and organic method of growing helps, as the manure based compost has several of these mineral and elements, but not nearly enough. Self-sustainable, old time farming had many manure inputs to the compost pile, from different ruminants that contributed microbiological activity to non-ruminants that added finely chopped organic matter. These were better, but still did not address all of the minerals and elements needed for healthy soils.
Two sources are readily available and usable for the home gardener to restore the minerals to the soil. One is sea minerals, the other is volcanic rock dust. Sea minerals are just as they sound- dried seawater. Many commercial farmers are using sea minerals to restore the mineral balance, some using 2200 pounds of sea minerals to the acre! That is just over a ton per acre. My concern with using sea minerals for the home gardener is the salt content, and the potential damaging impacts that salt might have. The second source- volcanic rock dust has no salt and is composed entirely of minerals. Thus there is less danger of over use causing catastrophic damage to your garden!
This article introduces volcanic rock dust in a product known as Azomite. This is a commercially available product, and we have no affiliation or connection with Azomite. They don’t even know we are writing about them! We use this in our gardens, and are using it to “charge” our charcoal in our compost piles, just like we wrote about in the last blog post. We won’t write about or recommend something that we haven’t used ourselves. This is the introduction, the second part of this post will be a discussion and examination of how and why it is so effective.
The article is graciously provided as a reprint from Acres USA.
Mineral Restoration and Utah Rock Dust
by David Yarrow
Like so many young people, Jared Milarch was in a hurry. At age 13, Jared began transplanting native sugar maple seedlings out of his family’s woodlands in northwest lower Michigan. Thinking ahead, Jared planned to sell them as street trees to pay for his college education.
Watching this investment in his future creep skyward, Jared wondered how to speed these trees up – grow taller faster.
“I got impatient because the trees weren’t growing fast enough,” Jared admitted.
About this time, Jared read Secrets of the Soil by Christopher Bird and Peter Tompkins. One chapter described a fertilizer that stimulated plants to remarkable vigor. This “miracle” plant food is a powdered pink clay from central Utah named Azomite, an acronym: A-to-Z Of Minerals, Including Trace Elements. It also goes by the name montmorillonite ore. I asked Jared what Azomite is. “Ground up sea floor bed from Utah mines,” he replied. “They grind it up talcum- powder fine. I guess it’s easier for plants to digest then.” “And for the microbes, too,” added his father. “Because plants don’t really take up nutrients in their root hairs, but from dead and living bodies of microorganisms that ingest the minerals.” Azomite is, in fact, a unique mineral deposit with special biological character. In ancient geologic times, central Utah was an inland sea. Water washing off then-young Rocky Mountains was rich in minerals, and, over eons, this body of water evaporated and shrunk, until today only the Great Salt Lake and Great Salt Desert remain. Bacteria living in this inland sea ate the minerals, then excreted them in oxidized, hydrated and blended forms. The microbial manure accumulated on the sea floor. This sediment has an abundance of over 60 elements, not just three or four, or a dozen.
“I didn’t have a lot of money, so I kept bugging my dad to order a few bags,” remembered Jared. “He reluctantly gave in. When the bags arrived, I sprinkled two tomato soup cans around each baby tree.” After 100 trees, his bags were empty, so his other 400 saplings got none.
The next spring, Jared watched his unfertilized trees grow 12 inches. But the Azomite-treated trees grew fully 3 feet in one spring spurt! In Jared’s years working in his family’s shade tree business, this was unprecedented beyond imagination.
“The results were just amazing!” enthused Jared. But even more, treated trees grew not only taller, but better – healthier. Treated trees had darker color. “Leaf tatter was minimal,” explained Jared. “Caliper [diameter] of their trunks was up, too.”
Impressed by these results, Jared bought more to sprinkle around all his trees. In the family garden, too, where the effect was similar – bigger, stronger plants, with one further benefit. “The taste of the vegetables is dramatically different,” reported Jared. “It’s a great taste!”
His father David – a third-generation nurseryman in this remote corner of northwest Michigan – took notice of Jared’s fertilizer results. In 1996, David decided he had seen enough financial gains on his tree farm, and read enough evidence, to become an Azomite distributor.
“After the Gazette article about Jared’s discovery, we got more and more calls from all over the country about Azomite. The closest distributor to Michigan was the State of Maine, so I decided to stockpile it here so local people don’t pay double freight, and make it available to anyone inclined to try rockdust in their garden, orchard or animal feed.”
Soon the Milarch barn was stacked with bags of pink Utah dust.
“Also, as Midwest horticulture and agriculture schools smarten up, I want to have a stockpile. In the horticulture industry, no one we work with on our trees in all 11 colleges across the United States has ever heard of remineralization with rock dust. They add magnesium to commercial fertilizers, but know nothing about trace elements. It’s time the tree industry – all the way from seedlings to champion trees up to wholesale shade tree industry – tested this in horticulture.”
David Milarch, with decades experience in the family shade tree business, founded The Champion Tree Project. The effects of Azomite on his tree farm urged him to require that every champion tree must be sold and planted with rockdust.
“In the Champion Tree Project, seedlings distributed to schools, children and youth groups for Arbor Day will have a small bag of rock dust, with instructions to sprinkle it around the roots. I recommend seed companies use it in soil mix as seedlings are produced. And right up the ladder when shade tree liners are grown by nurseries, I ask them to use rock dust. Then, as shade trees are planted at job sites, 1- or 2-pound bags must be spread by landscape industry.”
In 1997, Jared – a fast-track senior honor student at Benzie Central High School – enrolled in a botany class in Michigan State University’s Horticulture Extension Program at nearby Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City.
For his botany lab, Jared decided to scrutinize this Azomite miracle more carefully to understand how a bit of dust boosts plant growth and health. He proposed
a controlled experiment in the college greenhouse to instructor Kirk Waterstripe.
His professor scoffed at the idea at first. Waterstripe, a Rutgers graduate, was skeptical a few ounces of powder from the Utah desert could have such dramatic effects
on plants. “I’ve done some organic gardening,” Kirk admitted, “but haven’t messed with rock powders at all. I heard about greensand and a few things. But I’m always open for new ideas.”
Jared insisted this new idea was worthwhile, so Waterstripe relented and assented.
With advice from his professor and father, Jared designed an experiment to test the effect of Azomite as a soil supplement on tomatoes. Jared’s very simple, but controlled experiment would clearly show any effects from Azomite.
Eight tomato plants (“Fantastic” variety) of uniform size were grown in 1- gallon plastic pots, in a mix of standard potting soil with 6 tablespoons of composted cow manure. Two tablespoons of Azomite were added to the soil of four tomato plants; the other four had no clay mineral supplement.
The plants grew in uniform greenhouse conditions from June 17 to Sept. 9, got 150 ml of water three times a week, and were rotated in the greenhouse to ensure equal exposure to warmth and light. Height was measured from soil surface to uppermost branching point. All measured 30 cm at the experiment beginning, with no visible differences in health.
After 67 days, the tomatoes fed Azomite were easy to distinguish from untreated vines. On several measurable characteristics, Azomite yielded a better plant. Everyone agreed all four plants fed clay dust looked bigger and healthier.
“Color was a very obvious difference,” recalled Jared. “Plants not treated were more yellow in color, while treated plants were a deeper green color. Height was different. Plants that were treated weren’t a lot taller, but they weren’t ‘leggy.'”
Jared’s short written report listed five significant observations he had measured as numerical indications of “better, healthier” plants:
“¢ Average height of Azomite-treated plants was 98.5 cm, compared to 89.75 cm for control plants.
“¢ Whiteflies were found on both treated and control plants by day 28. After day 42, insecticidal soap was sprayed to control whiteflies. But treated plants had much less damage, defined as “honeydew” – sticky, sugary excretions by whiteflies.
“¢ Azomite-treated plants flowered earlier, more prolifically.
“¢ First tomato was on an Azomite treated plant on Aug. 26.
“¢ Treated plants set more fruit.
In a summary as simple as his experiment, Jared wrote: “While four plants per treatment do not provide statistically testable results, this experiment suggests that mineral supplements such as Azomite may help produce plants that are more vigorous and pest-resistant, and that blossom and set fruit sooner than plants grown without any supplement. Further tests, both in lab and field, are highly recommended.”
But from this modest understatement issues a bright light of insight. The implications of this simple experiment could alter farm economics, food production and horticulture methods. Only four plants, but a solid, significant four versus- four superiority. This clear, consistent result confirms a long list of field observations. Definitely, this Utah powder provides some nutrient lacking in greenhouse potting soil – and northwest Michigan topsoil. Something so essential that just a trace of it effects significant gains in growth, vigor, sturdiness, color, flavor, flowering, fruiting, and pest resistance.
Tests of this remarkable result should be repeated not just by one observant and thoughtful high school senior, but also by other universities and high schools in many different locations.
“We need to encourage students, teachers and professors to try this simple experiment'” insisted David. “Not just my state, but around the nation, around the world.”
Waterstripe, impressed by Jared’s results, is singing a new song of praise and wonder. He now sees real potential value in this clay from the Utah desert, plans
to write his own paper for a science journal, and wants to test Azomite on other crops. The professor is even considering writing his doctoral thesis on this trace element effect.
Jared, David and Waterstripe all discussed with the financial potential of early flowering for farmers.
“Early flowering plants can mean money to farmers for having the first crop, and ultimately quicker money for the farmers,” Jared pointed out. “It’s a big fruit farming area around here.”
“Among farmers, for the first guy to market or processing plant,” David explained, “his products reap a premium profit. The first tomatoes. First sweet corn. First watermelons. Also, a shorter growing season means a faster pay-off, because farmers only have one paycheck a year.”
“Flowering is a measure of marketability,” agreed Waterstripe. “If you’re the first to the farmers market with vine ripened tomatoes, hundreds of people will stop by your truck. So, if you can get the plants to flower a week ahead, this gives you an economic advantage.”
“But how do you put a dollar sign on depleted soils?” asked David. “And toxic, even mutagenic, pesticides?”
I insist the single most crucial and significant effect of trace element fertilizers is increased flowering and seed formation. This can’t be adequately measured in
monetary quantity or economic values. Reproduction is the climax in a plant’s life cycle. Any substance that triggers such an increase in this activity activates and fulfills the plant’s full life potential, and is a near ideal and essential plant food.
In an ecosystem, this climax is an outburst of ecstasy as nature rejoices in this peak experience. This isn’t mere substance, it’s essence.
This experience has inspired Jared and mentor Waterstripe on to other experiments with winter oats, a common grain crop for Michigan farmers. “Oats have been – for millennia – a chief animal and human food,” David pointed out. “We eat oatmeal. Horses need oats, and it’s mixed with other animal feeds. And oats are used as a cover crop a lot.”
“Oats are easy to grow and study in a winter greenhouse,” added Waterstripe. “They don’t take a lot of room, and can take a cooler greenhouse.”
I weary of experiments to repeat what we rediscovered a decade ago that was discovered by others over a century ago. How many academics and scientists have to see the facts before serious research begins?
We need experiments to learn, not “if,” but “how” mineral powders restore soil fertility and boost plant vitality. Decades of research by dozens of investigators clearly show this happens, but we still have only fragments of real insight into the secret lives of soil that accomplish this miracle of minerals transformed to living cells.
I asked Jared what he thinks causes Azomite’s remarkable effects.
“I believe there’s a lack of minerals in the soil,” Jared mused. “It was probably depleted with chemical fertilizers. So, this was the first step to put minerals back in the soil. Almost healing the soil enough for the trees to really be able to use what’s in the soil.”
I pointed out that a few tablespoons of clay dust doesn’t supply much nitrogen or potassium. What minerals might this Azomite be feeding trees and seeds?
“I think it may be a balance,” he offered cautiously. “Not just one mineral, but all the minerals. Or it might catalyze other parts of the soil. It may be etheric, too. I’m not sure.”
Whatever substance or essence Azomite supplies, it boosts overall vitality and quality of tomatoes – for seemingly every plant it is fed to. One Michigan news reporter in 1996 headlined Jared’s discovery as “Tree Vitamins” – botanical equivalent to one-a- day health pills.
David Milarch pointed out, “Most soils only have their mineral elements replenished by volcanic action or glaciers. Here in north Michigan that was 10,000 years ago. Our old soils are worn out, especially with chemical agriculture and acid rain.”
The Milarchs’ positive results have been followed by an expansion of Azomite use.
“This year, one fellow got 3 tons for his commercial organic orchard and put 60 pounds on each tree – a generous feeding,” said David. “But that’s how he makes his living. It will probably take two years for fruit trees to fully respond. But if vegetables taste sweeter and are bigger, why won’t it do the same for apples, cherries, peaches . . . “
“I sold another 1,000 pounds to add to computerized feed mix for dairy cattle to see if it affects butterfat and milk production. This one dairy farmer had a bad problem with hairy wart on his 300 cows’ feet – which is almost impossible to relieve. We figure if cattle are healthier, it will be easier to relieve, so he calculated adding 6 tablespoons a day to his cows’ feed. The old boy who first discovered this stuff fed it to his chickens, and the chicken industry had great success with it.”
I asked Jared what he will do with his new insight into soil fertility.
“For the immediate future, I want to apply this to our family nursery, and to the Champion Tree Project. More likely in the future I’d like to apply it or make it available for world crops – for all of our food crops.”
“And our garden,” injected David. “if it’s good for tomatoes and trees, it’s good for humans, too. So take that thought farther from the garden all the way up the food chain.”
“I’d also like to study other rock dusts,” added Jared. “Azomite is the first one I’ve discovered.”
David ended, “I’d like to see other colleges and students get involved with this investigation of how to restore our soils. And I hope to see the same in the nursery industry and farmers also.”
“In the long run, what would be the reduction in health care costs in humans after we get it into the food chain?” mused David, “and we remineralize our bodies? How many diseases – like AIDS and cancer – would be dramatically diminished?”
David Yarrow is a frequent contributor to the publication Remineralization of the Earth, now merging with Acres U.S.A. He has written extensively on the environment, macrobiotics and Native American issues.
In the next post, we will continue the discussion and examination of the benefits of restoring the minerals to your gardens soil. Stay tuned!
Indented Quotes and Images – beautiful
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem.
Read more
Terra Preta- Magic Soil of the Lost Amazon Part II
What is the Best Way to Build the Health and Resiliency of my Garden Soil?
Welcome to the second part of Terra Preta, or how using Stone Age agricultural techniques may just be the best way to build the health, fertility, resiliency and nutrient cycling of the soil several fold. We will start with the second part of the article from Acres USA, which is a Q and A session, then will look at several points to consider.
The photo is of a section of Terra Preta that is being studied by Dr. Etelvino Novotny of Brazil, a PhD in Physical Chemistry with a Masters in Soil Science. You can see the depth of the Terra Preta!
Terra Preta Q&A
Why did production of terra preta stop after European contact?
Although the decimation of the Amazonian population and the collapse of the elaborate social systems that supported terra preta creation (to make all that pottery and to make all that charcoal and incorporate it up to 2 feet in the ground really does take a village) was a contributing factor, it was undoubtedly the introduction of the steel axe by the Spanish that, in combination with the impact of contact, led to slash-and-burn by small bands replacing slash-and-char by large groups. When clearing land with a stone axe, a conservation of all biomas and an intensification of soil production becomes a necessity. Steel axes – and, later, chainsaws – contributed to exploiting the very short-term benefits of ash. It must be remembered that traditional methods can die out in a single generation, and that in Amazonian social structure, the elders were responsible for all technical knowledge. It makes sense that the elders were the hardest hit by epidemics, and the loss of their cultural knowledge combined with social disruption would lead to the replacement of a deeply effective technology with an less-effective mimicry.
Did natives use special microbial brews to inoculate the soil to create terra preta?
There is no proof that a “mother” culture was used for starting terra preta. Current research indicates that the incorporation of charcoal of certain qualities (created in relatively low heat, for example) in combination with appropriate initial fertilization (often, in university tests, with conventional fertilizers that are damaging to soil life) will produce a substantial increase in yields. It is assumed that the char provides such an effective habitat for microbes that effective communities will rapidly develop within most soils. What we don’t know yet is whether the simulated terra preta will have the ability to maintain its fertility for as long as the ancient form.
Has terra preta been discovered outside of the Amazon?
Yes, high-carbon terra preta-like dark soils have been discovered in Holland, Japan, South Africa and Indonesia and are currently being studied.
Can carbon inputs other than charcoal be used?
The Japanese are extensively investigating the use of coal dust for promoting field fertility. Coal dust does seem to reproduce many of the positive effects of wood charcoal. The research of Siegfried Marian on the benefits of carbon incorporation, as reported in Leonard Ridzon and Charles Walters’ The Carbon Connection and The Carbon Cycle, led to the development of Ridzon’s NutriCarb product (no longer being produced), which claimed agricultural benefits very similar to those claimed for terra preta . Those who want to use coal dust for soil fertility need to make certain that the dust is from brown coal, which is more humic, and that the coal does not contain toxins.
Why is terra preta often linked to alternative energy and climate change?
Terra preta is a carbon sink, as is most carbon in the soil. Slash-and-burn agriculture contributes greatly to global warming. If terra preta technologies were applied to tropical farming, less land would have to be cleared for farming, and if farmers in temperate zones such as the Midwest incorporated charcoal or other chars into their soil, more carbon could be sequestered. If this char is produced by appropriate technology, such as pyrolysis, both fuel and a “restorative, high-carbon fertilizer” can be produced. This process does not require wood – it is just as effective when agricultural wastes, such as peanut shells, are used as input. A good place to learn about this technology is at www.eprida.com.
How much charcoal needs to be incorporated?
In published reports on pot tests of the effect of charcoal on plant growth, incorporation at 20-30 percent by weight tended to consistently produce the most benefit. In row crops, this would translate to 30 percent by weight of the top 6 inches.
Are there benefits for plant health from terra preta ?
Better plant growth and health is evident with the use of native terra preta. Current investigations are primarily being conducted by archaeologists, geologists and soil scientists. There is no evidence of terra preta studies by an agriculturist, but positive reports from growers suggest that eco-farmers would be well advised to investigate terra preta technology.
Allan Balliett is a biodynamic farmer and educator who operates a CSA serving families in the Washington, D.C. metro area. He is the founder and moderator of BD Now!, the international progressive biodynamic food and farming discussion listserve. He can be reached at Fresh and Local CSA, P.O. Box 3047, Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443, phone 304-876-3382, email allan@FreshAndLocalCSA.com, website www.freshandlocalcsa.com.
This ends the article from Acres USA.
It is interesting to note that of all the research and reading that I have done, most of the knowledge is indeed from the University research departments. Some are archeological based, others are looking at the carbon sequestering elements of charcoal or bio-char, and more than a few are interested in the continual fertility and regeneration of the soils once they have had charcoal incorporated into them.There are very few resources devoted to the thought of how to incorporate charcoal into gardening and current agricultural practices.
The following is from a Biochar Discussion List–
The following benefits occur with additions of biochar to the soil, in amounts ranging from 3 oz. per square foot up to 16 oz. per square foot-
Sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? There are many pages of discussions on the positive impacts of charcoal or biochar, what is the best method of making biochar, how much to add to the soil, etc. and etc. It is easy to read oneself blind. It is wonderful to see so much attention devoted to studying the benefits of charcoal and how it interacts with the soil. The home gardener, however, is usually more concerned with how to incorporate an idea into their garden than reading all of the latest research. Let’s face it, sequestering carbon, qualifying for carbon credits, and reducing greenhouse gases for the home gardener is a smaller interest than the increased soil fertility, nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixing and improving plant growth, health and productivity that charcoal provides.
What we do know is this-
So how, exactly, does one go about incorporating charcoal into the garden? Charcoal is relatively easy to find. Lowe’s or Home Depot have it in the grill section. Look for “Lump” or “Hardwood” charcoal. Stay away from briquets, as they are pressed and formed out of much more than plain charcoal. They usually have chemical or petroleum fire-starting compounds in them along with fillers. Come to think of it, you probably don’t want to be cooking with them, either, as you don’t want the fillers and fire-starters on your burgers! Right now a 8.8 Lb bag is $6.99 locally. Sam’s Club has 40 Lb bags of mesquite charcoal for $17.00 in the spring and summer. It will look just like a burned log or branch. Once you get your charcoal, it needs to be broken or crushed to smaller pieces. The optimum size is between a grain of rice and a kernel of corn. Be aware of the dust created from crushing the charcoal, as you don’t want to breathe it. The dust is fine for the compost pile. To crush it, you need to get creative. I have cut an old propane tank in half to make an industrial pestle and mortar, but a 3 Lb drilling hammer or hand sledge hammer on a piece of concrete will do just fine. A rock will do just fine. Remember, this is Stone Age technology here, so don’t over-think or over-complicate it! You want to create crushed charcoal with what tools and materials you have available. Once it is crushed, add it to the compost pile or bin. Make sure to mix it in so it will make the most contact possible with the compost. A very good technique is to crush a little each time you add to the compost. This mixes the charcoal evenly.
After incorporating charcoal into your compost, make sure it has sufficient moisture and let it do it’s magic for the next 6 months. You should see microbial, fungal and earthworm activity starting in about a month, along with an accelerated breakdown of the compost. At the end of the 6 months, it should resemble rich, humic soil that is full of life! Then you feed the garden soil with a top layer of about 2 inches in the fall and spring and watch everything in your garden grow like crazy.
Our next installment on building your garden soil will focus on the mineralization aspect, or how to get a sufficient amount of minerals into your soil without having to lug around endless bags of soil amendments! It ties in closely with the charcoal and compost, so stay tuned…
Another title for our pretty cool blog
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem.
Read more
Terra Preta- Magic Soil of the Lost Amazon
What is the Best Way to Build the Health and Resiliency of my Garden Soil?
This is an exploration on how best to build your garden soil. These are the results of much reading, experimenting and talking with several people who have been engaged in this exact pursuit for over 30 years. Our personal experiences span 20+ years, from rangeland monitoring for Holistic Resource Management, to researching how long it takes to build soil in the arid South West, to examining and monitoring cryptogammic soil crusts and how they fix nutrients that begin the process of building a foundational soil from rock and sand.
Much has been learned or re-learned in the last 30 years by sustainable and biological large scale farmers. These techniques have been combined with state of the art diagnoses and tests to confirm movement in a positive direction, and to correct drift or fall back. The complex but identifiable chemistry of the interactions and sequencing of specific elements and chemicals show us that nature is much, much more complex and inter-related than we originally thought when we came up with the N-P-K fix-all formula for successful farming.
As one farmer puts it, “It’s not difficult, it’s just different.” This is a different approach for many in creating a healthy garden, in starting with the soil. What we have learned is that everything really does start with the soil. Not only the health of the plant, and the attending nutrition that the produce has; but the pest and disease resistance or lack thereof has its foundation in the soil. Something that the commercial sustainable farmers have discovered- once there is enough copper in the soil that is picked up by the plant, grasshoppers won’t come near the crops. Additionally, insects are attracted to the scent of phosphates, which are given off by diseased or stressed plants. Chemical farming over-utilizes phosphates which worsens the insect attacks, creating more demand for chemical pesticides. Using sustainable, biological farming methods balances the amount of phosphates so that the insects aren’t attracted to the plants. This is all done in and with the soil, not chasing from one perceived “problem” to another. Insects, diseases and weeds are seen as indicators of weakness and imbalance, not problems in and of themselves. This is not to say that there will never be the need to address particular pest or disease or weed issues, but they will be smaller, less frequent, and easier to manage.
One of the basic tenants of any scale agriculture is to get more carbon into the soil. There are three types of carbon- green, brown and black. Green carbon is readily used by the soil and its’ organisms for food and energy. It consists of grass clippings, green manures, and young compost. Brown carbon is a more stable form and consists of dried stalks of plants, straw and dead leaves. This is food for the fungi in the soil. Black carbon is the reserve of the soil and is obtained from decomposed brown carbon and mature, aged compost. It is also obtained from charcoal, or bio-char. This is the basis of creating a vibrant, dynamic and healthy soil structure with its attendant communities of fungi and micro-organisms that all play their parts in making nutrients available to the plants, and getting the plant sap sugars in return.
The first article is on Terra Preta, or black soil that is found in the Amazon, one of the harshest agricultural areas in the world. The soil is heavy clay and the enormous rainfall washes most nutrients off or out of the soil within just a few years. Until finding Terra Preta, that is. The results of people systematically working charcoal into the soils are astounding. This is the basis for creating dynamic, resilient soils in our gardens. Read this first article, and our discussion notes afterward. This is in two segments, with the notes after the second segment.
The original article was published by ACRES USA.
Terra Preta- Magic Soil of the Lost Amazon
by Allan Balliett
It’s like finding a lost chapter from Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird’s Secrets of the Soil – Terra Preta (literally “black earth”) is a manmade soil of prehistoric origin that is higher in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium than adjacent soils. It controls water and reduces leaching of nutrients from the rhizosphere. Rich in humus, pieces of pre-Columbian unfired clay pottery, and black carbon, it’s like a “microbial reef” that promotes and sustains the growth of mycorrhizae and other beneficial microbes, and it has been shown to retain its fertility for thousands of years. In university trials, terra preta has increased crop yields by as much as 800 percent. It regrows itself when excavated. It is even possible to produce carbon-negative usable energy (such as diesel or hydrogen) while making the major input (bio-char) for terra preta on the farm.
If these amazing properties haven’t convinced you that terra preta is important to eco-agriculture, then consider this: experts say that terra preta sequesters carbon at such a high rate that, in the near future, farming with this technique could be eligible for lucrative carbon credits.
Perhaps most amazing, though, is the fact that, unlike many if not most of the eco-ag technologies reported in Secrets of the Soil, the incredible properties of terra preta are not denied by myopic academics. In fact, almost everything we know about terra preta is coming from university studies!
Much is still unknown about terra preta and “Amazonian Dark Earths,” but as the key component of a proposed agricultural system that would both feed starving populations and solve global warming, grant money is coming in to fuel university investigations of the technology. For every unanswered question on terra preta, there appears to already be a funded study underway.
TERRA PRETA DEFINED
Terra preta do indio is a black, earth-like, anthropogenic (manmade) soil with enhanced fertility due to high levels of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium embedded in a landscape of infertile soils. Terra preta soils occur in small patches averaging 20 hectares (50 acres), but 350 hectare (865 acre) sites have also been reported. These 2,000-year-old manmade soils occur in the Brazilian Amazon basin and other regions of South America. Terra preta soils are very popular with the local farmers and are used especially to produce cash crops such as papaya and mango, which grow about three times as rapidly as on surrounding infertile soils.
South American terra preta soils are also full of pieces (sherds) of unfired pottery. It is generally believed that the pottery was introduced into the soil much as modern growers add perlite or sand to potting mix, as a way of keeping the soil from baking completely tight under the tropical sun before a cover of vegetation could grow over it. Much is made of these sherds as “proof” that terra preta deposits are really prehistoric trash piles, but Charles C. Mann asserts there are indications that much of this pottery was actually made specifically for incorporation into the soil.
Associated with terra preta is terra mulata, soils which are lighter than terra preta and tend not to contain cultural artifacts but are said to have similar qualities. Terra preta soils are found near historic settlements, while terra mulata soils are found where agricultural fields were once located. It is assumed that the village- related terra preta is darker because it received continual inputs of household wastes (including humanure), and that terra mulata fields were amended chiefly with bio-char, which was initially created by burning forest cover and later by slow-burning brush, weeds and crop wastes. Because of their overall similarities, terra preta and terra mulata are often grouped under the title “Amazonian Dark Earths” (ADE).
William Devan, a geologist from the University of Wisconsin who is prominent in terra preta research, offers these comments: “The black terra preta is associated with long-enduring Indian village sites, and is filled with ceramics, animal and fish bones, and other cultural debris. The brown terra mulata, on the other hand, is much more extensive, generally surrounds the black midden soils, contains few artifacts, and apparently is the result of semi-intensive cultivation over long periods. Both forms are much more fertile than the surrounding highly weathered reddish soil, mostly oxisol, and they have generally sustained this fertility to the present despite the tropical climate and despite frequent or periodic cultivation. This is probably because of high carbon content and an associated high microbial activity which is self perpetuating.”
Ironically, information about the agricultural value of terra preta is only emerging now because of a paradigm shift among archaeologists that has reevaluated the role of indigenous people (AmerIndians) in the pre-Columbian Americas. Put simply, before contact, there were heavy populations of indigenous people in the Americas, in fact, until the mid-16th century, some of the world’s largest and most sanitary cities were in the Americas. Pre-Columbian Indians made great achievements in architecture, art and agriculture. Not only did they breed many of the economically important plants of today’s world (corn, sunflower, beans, potato, sweet potato, tomato, peanut, avocado, tobacco and cotton), but they also developed incredibly productive methods of agriculture such as raised beds and “three sisters.” As Jerry Brunetti has pointed out, the rate of production of calories by Iroquois agriculture at the time of the New England settlement was unimaginable to Europeans. Not only did the Iroquois Nation produce high-value foods, they were also able to produce enough of it to ensure two to three years’ worth of food in storage at any given time!
What the AmerIndians lacked, unfortunately, was resistance to European diseases. Hard to believe as it is, precontact Amerindians apparently had no human-to-human diseases, with the possible exception of syphilis. According to Charles C. Mann, they didn’t even have the common cold until Europeans arrived. Several waves of deadly diseases (such as small pox and measles) swept through the Americas after Columbus’ first visit, spread not only by subsequent European explorers, but, after contact, by the AmerIndians themselves through their well established, hemisphere-wide, socially motivated trade routes.
By the mid-1500s, most of the indigenous Americans had died as a result of epidemics. Undermined by pain, suffering, superstition and loss of leadership (many important Incan leaders died of European diseases, including the most powerful, which opened the door for Pizarro’s conquest of this powerful empire), AmerIndian society began to collapse. Urban populations could not be fed, and cities were abandoned. In the stone-free Amazon, this meant that metropolises built of wood and soil were absorbed by the jungle at such a rate that areas reported by the first explorer as heavily populated with massive structures were, just 50 years later, reported as jungle wildernesses populated by small bands of scraggly natives.
The bottom line for mainstream archeological interpretation of the history of the Amazon was based on the assumption that the area was a “counterfeit paradise,” with all of its nutrients locked into its canopy, leaving soils poor, acidic and toxic. Although terra preta was described to academic America as early as 1870, rich soils in the Amazon were considered to be an anomaly, the result of prehistoric lakes or hydrological accidents. (An enjoyable period view of the value of Amazon agricultural land can be found in an 1867 book entitled Brazil, the Home for Southerners, by Confederate expatriate Ballard S. Dunn, which lauds the high fertility of Brazil’s Amazonian dark soil among other aspects of “planterlife” in Brazil; it is available online in its entirety through Google Books, www. books.google.com).
Caught in a “believing is seeing” syndrome, archeologists assumed that because typical Amazonian soils were thin and infertile, large populations could never have existed there. Accepting this assumption, they saw no point in looking for evidence of settlement. Betty J. Meggers, the Smithsonian archaeologist, said, “The apparent lushness of the rainforest is a sham. The soils are poor and can’t hold nutrients – the jungle flora exists only because it snatches up everything worthwhile before it leaches away in the rain. Agriculture, which depends on extracting the wealth of the soil, therefore faces inherent ecological limitations in the wet desert of Amazonia.”
Views are changing, however, and a new school of archaeologists, geologists and soil scientists have asserted that the Amazon was in fact heavily populated and that the fertility of terra preta was what made feeding these large groups of people possible. Although many questions remain unanswered, this new school of Amazon investigators feels that there is substantial physical proof that not only was the Amazon rainforest home of very large populations supported by an effective agriculture based on the robust fertility of the manmade terra preta soils, but also that the Amazon forest itself is better thought of as a manmade landscape.
It is important to note that the good news about terra preta is not the news about the physical soils in Brazil. Although soils are illegally mined and sold as potting mix and soil amendments in Brazil and Bolivia, native terra preta is not accessible to U.S. growers. Because they are filled with pre-Columbian artifacts and because they are associated with archaeological sites that have yet to be fully investigated, terra preta cannot be purchased or imported.
The current goal of scientists studying terra preta is to learn what it is and how it works so that it can be replicated anywhere in the world. The focus of most of this work, however, is not on benefiting small farm American agriculture, but on how to make more fertile land available in tropical South America and Africa, along with an interest in carbon sequestration. The time is ripe for innovative eco-growers and agricultural researchers to explore the benefits of the magic soil from a lost world.
Allan Balliett is a biodynamic farmer and educator who operates a CSA serving families in the Washington, D.C. metro area. He is the founder and moderator of BD Now!, the international progressive biodynamic food and farming discussion listserve. He can be reached at Fresh and Local CSA, P.O. Box 3047, Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443, phone 304-876-3382, email allan@FreshAndLocalCSA.com, website www.freshandlocalcsa.com.
Part two concludes this article.
Chao Sigua (Stir-Fried Loofah)
When a friend mentioned the Loofah gourd, I thought of a scrubby for the shower. When he mentioned eating the Loofah, I had to stop and really think for a minute. This is probably the same situation for most of us, as this Asian vegetable is not very well known here for cuisine. We tend to grow them or know them as bath or scrubbing sponges, the result of growing a long green gourd, then drying, peeling, seeding and pounding it to make it soft enough to use as a sponge. Virtually unknown in American kitchens, this very same gourd is harvested young across Asia when it is a tender and adaptable vegetable. It has a porous texture and cucumber-like flavor that lends itself well in dishes that use a sauce base or where it can soak up the other flavors of the dish. Very popular in China, it is steamed, boiled or stir-fried with various ingredients such as garlic, onions or dried- sometimes salted- prawns. In spicy dishes, it is used as a cooling ingredient.
There are two physically different kinds of Loofah. One has ridges on it that must be peeled to remove the sharp ridges before cooking. The second type, which is more common in the US, is round and when small looks like a zucchini. It only needs to be washed and sliced for cooking, though some recipes will call for it to be peeled. Terroir Seeds carries a round Loofah that can be eaten and used as a sponge.
Here are a couple of stir-fried Loofah recipes to get you used to the idea of the Loofah as a food.
Chao Sigua (Stir-Fried Loofah)
This is an extremely simple side dish that is deceptively delicious.
2 Tbsp Peanut oil
4 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 Lb. Young Loofah gourd, cut 1/4 inch diagonally, then in 1/4 inch julienned
1 Tbsp Water
1/4 Tsp sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat large wok or cast iron skillet over high heat, then add oil once wok is hot. Keep heat on high- this cooks in under a minute. Immediately add garlic, stir quickly 10-20 seconds. Add Loofah and water, give a good stir then add salt and pepper, stir again then add sugar. Stir for 30-60 seconds and serve immediately. Do not overcook, more than 60 seconds. The high heat will cook with very little oil and create a very delicious taste.
Stir-Fried Loofah and Chicken
This is another unusual, but delicious Chinese dish that will amaze your guests. Make sure everything is sliced, at hand and ready to be added to the wok, as once the cooking starts you will only have time to add ingredients and stir, as the whole process will take only about 5-7 minutes. I prefer to use a cast iron wok, as it retains the heat better and makes the fast cooking of the Chinese stir-fry much easier. I start cooking the dish when the rice is just finishing up, and both are usually ready about the same time.
1/2 Lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 Tsp Sesame oil
2 Tbs Oyster sauce
1 Tbs Soy sauce
1 Tsp Sugar
1/2 Cup Chicken stock or chicken broth
1/2 Lb Young loofah (about 12 inches long). Slice diagonally into 1/4 inch slices, then cut in half. You may peel this if you want, but not needed.
1/8 to 1/4 Cup Peanut oil
3 Small fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 Tsp Chinese fermented black bean sauce
5 Small (2-inch) fresh red chiles such as Thai, seeded and cut into fine julienne (2 Tsp)
2 Tsp Garlic, finely chopped
2 Tsp Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
2 Tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
Stir chicken, soy sauce, sugar and 1/2 Tsp Sesame oil in a bowl, set aside for 10 minutes. This acts as a quick marinade. If you want, add 1/2 of the chiles to the mix.
Stir Oyster sauce, corn starch, and chicken broth/stock in another bowl, set aside.
Heat dry wok or cast iron skillet on medium-high to high heat. It needs to be just almost smoking before you add the oil. Once you add the oil, you will immediately start cooking and not slow down to get the best flavor and texture. When wok is hot, add Peanut oil, swirl wok to coat sides and immediately add chicken, stirring constantly. Cook for 1-1 1/2 minutes, until no longer pink, but just barely.
Remove chicken with slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside. Increase heat to high, add remainder of oil if needed, swirl wok to coat sides and add mushrooms, cook until lightly browned and tender, stirring constantly. This should be 1-2 minutes. Add black bean sauce, chiles, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add loofah and stir to coat, then add Oyster sauce mix and bring to a boil, stirring well. It should boil and start to thicken and turn translucent in 30-45 seconds. Lower heat to low at this point, let Oyster sauce with the cornstarch finish thickening to your liking and serve immediately over sticky rice. Drizzle remaining 1/2 Tsp Sesame oil over dish just before serving.
This is a test
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem.
Read more
Is Organic Food More Nutritious Than Conventional Food? Part II
Yesterday was the first part of the examination of the answer to the question that many have asked throughout the years. Today we finish with the article and look at some points that it raised.
Acres USA originally published this article, and is used here from their Reprint Archives. This is the second of two segments. Our comments and notes will be inserted throughout.
Mary-Howell Martens is admired and recognized as one of the nation’s pioneering leaders in sustainable agriculture.
Together with her husband Klaas, Ms. Martens owns and operates Lakeview Organic Grain in Penn Yan, New York, one of the Northeast’s largest and most successful organic grain businesses. Started in 1991, the Martens’ 1400-acre farm and feed mill, which they work with their children Peter, Elizabeth, and Daniel, and 10 employees, currently supplies organic feed and seed to over 300 organic livestock farmers in New York and Pennsylvania.
Is Organic Food More Nutritious Than Conventional Food? Part II
by Mary-Howell R. Martens
Animal nutritionists have noted a drop in nutritional quality of animal feed, especially corn and forages, over the past 25 years. Dave Mattocks of the Fertrell Company in Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, has been formulating animal rations for many years. He reports that he has had to continually increase quantity of protein sources in animal rations in order to maintain a constant level of protein. He feels that this reflects that the average protein level in grain has been dropping. When plants are induced to produce more quantity (higher yield), it is usually at the expense of something else, in this case, certain key molecules that affect quality and nutrition. Confirmation of this observation would probably be available if one took the time to sort through and analyze the reams of data that forage analysis labs have collected over the past 25 years.
Indirectly related to observations about declining feed quality, an article in the March 25, 2000 issue of Science News described research that showed that plants growing with increased air CO2 levels (as is possible in the future with the greenhouse gas effect) do indeed grow faster and produce more carbohydrates, but the protein levels are lower. Insects feeding on these plants eat excessively but grow poorly. Sheep eating such plants eat less, grow poorly, and digest their food more slowly, probably because the essential bacteria in the ruminant gut are themselves protein deficient and malnourished. This is important research that needs to be considered for several critical reasons. First, of course, because the Earth’s atmosphere is changing and we need to anticipate how this may effect vegetation and the organisms that feed on the vegetation. Secondly, this research can offer valuable insight into the critical factor of genotype-x environment interaction, a factor which is largely being overlooked in the biotech and Green Revolution discussions.
Regardless of all the other issues involved with genetically engineered crops, it seems logical that unless we pay attention to the soil and other environmental factors first, efforts to improve yield, nutrient content, or pest resistance of crops through genetics alone will be far less successful than they might be. Results obtained on well-managed research farms may not be repeatable on poorer soils that are not being as intensively managed. Most crops have far more genetic potential than they are able to express already. Producing high yields on poor soils without maintaining fertility levels will only postpone famine until the soil becomes exhausted. We should not see genetics alone as the solution to management problems, as a way that allows farmers to continue poor production practices on their farms. Many American farmers face a corn borer problem because they don’t rotate properly and use other practices, such as no-till, that allow large pest populations to build. Bt corn makes it easier to continue poor management practices, at least until pest populations develop resistance. Obviously, new traits could then be engineered into corn to control the resistant pests, but the underlying problem is still not being addressed by this approach.
Often, when discussions of the relative nutritional merits of organic versus conventional food come up, someone will invariably quote a 1948 study by Dr. Firman Bear at Rutgers University. Unfortunately, using this research to support any such claims is quite incorrect, because this study did not compare organic and conventional food. Instead, it compared crops grown in mineral versus organic (muck) soils, it had nothing to do with use of chemicals. However, perhaps Dr. Bear did get it right on one point. The research showed that the composition of the soil has a major and readily detectable influence on the mineral content and the nutritional quality of food. By better understanding the role that a healthy, microbially active soil can make on nutritional quality of plants, perhaps then we then can design agricultural systems that will maximize this. On an organic farm, careful attention is placed on improving soil quality, increasing soil organic matter, and enhancing soil microbial life, crops are carefully rotated and soil is specifically amended to balance all aspects of soil fertility. It makes logical sense to conclude that plants produced under such a system could indeed be more flavorful and nutritious.
Copyright © 2000 Acres U.S.A.
All rights reserved.
Some comments and thoughts. First off, I agree with what is being said here, mainly that we shouldn’t be caught up in the “organic by default” trap that is so easy to fall into. What is meant by that is the simple absence of anything considered harmful does not equal healthy food. Simply because no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers, etc. etc. haven’t been applied, does not mean it is tasty and healthy. If nothing at all has been done to or with the soil, does that automatically mean all is well? Not really- there is much to be done in improving the fecundity of the soil including biological as well as structural improvements, organic matter, re-mineralization and nutrient balancing. Who would you want to eat produce from, one who has done nothing and calls it “organic” or one who has increased the biological health of their soil through careful and well researched amendments and inputs that are non-chemical in nature?
“There have been few studies that directly contrast the chemistry of conventional food to organic food.” Gosh, I wonder why… who normally funds such research? The Corporate Abgribusiness are not in the slightest interested if organic food is better, because that is not what they are in the business of.
“…over a two-year period, average levels of essential minerals were much higher in the organically grown apples, pears, potatoes and corn as compared to conventionally produced products. The organically grown food averaged higher in calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and lower in mercury and aluminum. A more recent study out of Australia showed a similar difference between calcium and magnesium levels in organic and non-organic food.” Yet when research is done, it conclusively shows that there are many more minerals that are essential for our health in organic, sustainably raised food.
“Weibel found interesting correlations between the microbial activity in the soil, a condition closely associated with organic management, and the nutritional status of the apples, especially the phosphorus level.” This is a perfect point of healthy soils equal much healthier produce. The correlation can be furthered to include healthier people from eating healthier produce… “This corroborates work done by Elaine Ingham at Oregon State University, who has shown that corn and grape plants grown in association with mycorrhizal fungi produce fruit with higher protein levels.” Mycorrhizal fungi are symbiotic fungi that greatly increase the nutrient uptake in plants and are essential to having biologically living, healthy soil.
“Regardless of all the other issues involved with genetically engineered crops, it seems logical that unless we pay attention to the soil and other environmental factors first, efforts to improve yield, nutrient content, or pest resistance of crops through genetics alone will be far less successful than they might be.” Really? Do ya really think? Common sense would dictate that to ignore the very foundation of agriculture- the soil- would be to invite disaster on the scale of many of the world’s other civilizations that ignored their soil. Almost without fail, they do not exist anymore. Those that do are on such a diminished scale in comparison to where they used to be in production as to be almost unbelievable. Who would call Iran, Iraq and Syria “The fertile crescent” or “Breadbasket of the world” today? These are just 3 examples of those that have managed to survived the loss of their soils.
This is a great article that not only introduces some reasoned, rational thought to the perennial question of nutrition, it also introduces many to the thought of what does the term “organic” really mean, and what is it made up of? I really hope this raises more questions than answers and sets you on a direction of learning more about what you eat, where it comes from and how is it raised. Only by answering these and many other questions can you be a true part of the solution of helping to create more demand for healthy, nourishing, sustainably raised food.
Yes, this is work, it takes time, thought and energy, but unless you want to just sit back and consume whatever is sent your way by the advertising and corporate agribusiness giants, this is the only way.
Is Organic Food More Nutritious Than Conventional Food?
Organic or Conventional?
This question is often asked, not only by those who are starting their reading and research into healthier foods, but by almost everyone at some point who actually stops and thinks about their food. This exact question has been the center of debate between the chemical and biological or sustainable agriculture communities for some years now. Those with large advertising budgets have spent dump truck loads of cash selling the public on the idea that there is no difference between spraying a custom mixed chemical slurry onto the soil and using compost, re-mineralization, green manures, proper crop rotation and building the soil health biologically. In fact, the advertising has sold the public and many farmers that the biological method is simply a waste of time and money. We are beginning to know better now.
The large Agribusiness companies are surprised and a little bit worried at the steady double digit growth of local and organic farming, and the reasoned, educated and dedicated support of that agricultural model through Farmer’s Markets, CSA’s, community gardening and farm shares. It can’t be ignored or brushed aside any more. Many think that the Food Safety Modernization Act- S.510- is a large scale effort to seriously hamper the growth of local biological agriculture. While a very small percentage of the total market share, the growth of local agriculture has the industry giants concerned, because if only 5-7 percent of the current market departed, that would mean losses in the tens of millions of dollars for them. That is completely unacceptable for the corporations, and their shareholders that control modern Agribusiness.
We wanted to present an article from one who is recognized as being quite knowledgeable in the field. From a basis of formal education leading to real world advisory positions in policy making governmental departments, she has the foundational knowledge to be able to speak authoritatively on the subject. Her own experiences as an award winning organic grain farmer who also educates others how to produce abundance without the chemicals now thought to be essential to successful large scale agriculture uniquely qualifies her to be able to speak on both sides of this question.
Acres USA originally published this article, and is used here from their Reprint Archives. This is a long article, and will be broken up into two successive segments. Our comments and notes will be included at the end of the article.
Mary-Howell Martens is admired and recognized as one of the nation’s pioneering leaders in sustainable agriculture.
Together with her husband Klaas, Ms. Martens owns and operates Lakeview Organic Grain in Penn Yan, New York, one of the Northeast’s largest and most successful organic grain businesses. Started in 1991, the Martens’ 1400-acre farm and feed mill, which they work with their children Peter, Elizabeth, and Daniel, and 10 employees, currently supplies organic feed and seed to over 300 organic livestock farmers in New York and Pennsylvania.
Noted for her wide-ranging efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, Ms. Martens is equally revered throughout the industry for her innovation, leadership, and stewardship. She received the prestigious Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture in 2008, and has testified before the United States House of Representatives. She and her husband speak throughout the United States and Canada on sustainable agriculture and have written many articles on the subject.
In addition to her agribusiness endeavors, Ms. Martens, a graduate of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology from 2000-2002, and on the Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Science’s Dean’s Advisory Committee from 2003-2009. She is also a member of the New York State Department of Ag and Markets’ Organic Advisory Committee and the Yates County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, in addition to numerous community volunteer efforts.
Is Organic Food More Nutritious Than Conventional Food?
by Mary-Howell R. Martens
Is organic food more nutritious or better tasting than conventionally produced food? This is a question that many people are asking, but unfortunately, there is no simple answer. So much more is involved in the nutritional quality of food than simply comparing organic versus chemical agronomic practices. There is certainly quite a bit of incorrect information, confusion, and wishful thinking on both sides concerning this subject, and probably there is as much variation in food quality produced on different organic farms as there is in the quality of food produced on different conventional farms.
Many people do believe that they can taste a difference between organic and nonorganic food. I usually think I can, but that might be because organic food is often fresher and more likely to be locally produced. Margaret Wittenberg, of Whole Foods Inc., says that in their stores, when customers ask whether organic foods are more nutritious, the company policy is to say that there is no evidence to say that this is true. However, she says that many customers remain unphased with this answer due to their own experiences and perceptions.
Some animals apparently can detect a difference in organic crops by taste. Floyd Hoover, in Penn Yan, New York, grows organic corn. One night he left several ears of conventional and organic corn side by side in his barn. The next morning, the organic corn had been nibbled by mice while the conventional corn had been ignored. Floyd then rearranged the order of the cobs, but still the mice avoided the conventional corn. Finally, he hid the organic corn, but the mice refused to touch the conventional corn. Within a few nights, the mice found the hidden organic corn and had a feast. Anecdotal evidence such as this indicate that for many people and apparently animals too, detectable quality differences do exist. Scientifically, however, it is difficult to draw definitive comparisons about the nutritional quality of conventional and organic food. Many environmental factors influence the nutritional quality and flavor of any type of farm product, including soil type, soil moisture, soil microbial activity, weather and other climatic conditions. Cultural practices, such as crop variety, seed source, length of growing season, irrigation, fertilization, cultivation, and post-harvest handling, will also affect food quality.
There have been few studies that directly contrast the chemistry of conventional food to organic food. Research reported in the Journal of Applied Nutrition showed that on a per-weight basis over a two-year period, average levels of essential minerals were much higher in the organically grown apples, pears, potatoes and corn as compared to conventionally produced products. The organically grown food averaged higher in calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and lower in mercury and aluminum. A more recent study out of Australia showed a similar difference between calcium and magnesium levels in organic and non-organic food.
Simply knowing the absolute quantity of chemical elements in a food sample may not be particularly revealing if we don’t know what molecules those elements are incorporated into in the food product. The same simple chemical elements may be organized into nutritious and flavorful molecules or may be organized into toxic, unpleasant-tasting molecules, or even into molecules that render plants more susceptible to insects and diseases. Certain amino acids such as proline have been linked to increased insect feeding and egg laying behavior. A plant slightly deficient in potassium may lack enzymes necessary to convert free amino acids into complex proteins. Another plant with adequate potassium might not show detectable differences in overall nitrogen level, but would contain more protein, might be much different in food flavor and quality, and might be much more resistant to insect attack.
It is possible to identify the specific chemical molecules that cause the typical characteristics we call “flavor” or “quality.” These generally are large, complex molecules, such as sugars, proteins, enzymes, esters, and organic acids. In a preliminary study, Dr. Franco Weibel at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Ackerstrasse, Switzerland, compared a variety of parameters in apples grown under organic and conventional conditions, such as mineral elements, sugars, phenols, malic acid, selenium, dietary fiber, and vitamins C and E. Organic fruit also had significantly firmer flesh and better sensory taste evaluations. Weibel found interesting correlations between the microbial activity in the soil, a condition closely associated with organic management, and the nutritional status of the apples, especially the phosphorus level. The actual chemical soil phosphorus level had little impact on fruit nutritional status. This research also found that organic fruit was considerably higher in phenols. Plants naturally synthesize phenols for defense against pests and diseases. Possibly, the unsprayed organic plants were stimulated to make higher levels of these critical molecules in response to pest attack. These phenolic compounds that protect the plant also have been shown to be disease protectants in humans. This corroborates work done by Elaine Ingham at Oregon State University, who has shown that corn and grape plants grown in association with mycorrhizal fungi produce fruit with higher protein levels.
Research conducted at Ohio State University by Dr. Larry Phelan has shown that European corn borer insects given a choice between organic and conventional corn plants avoid the organic plants. His research is continuing to test two hypotheses for these observations. He feels that the organic soils, with a rich microbial population, may release plant nutrients more evenly over the season, resulting in slower, sturdier plant growth that is more resistant to insect attack. He also believes that the mineral balance of the soil and the plant plays a key role in insect resistance. In either case, the levels of complex molecules and water content in the plant tissue probably determines how tasty the plant is to an insect.
Copyright © 2000 Acres U.S.A.
All rights reserved.
We will continue this article tomorrow.
Thanksgiving Turkey and Pumpkin Soup
There are many ways to use the remains of the Thanksgiving turkey. Of course, having a delicious herb-roasted and smoked turkey will leave fewer leftovers, but there are bound to be some no matter what. One of my favorites from childhood is Scrapple, but that is the subject of another post and recipe.
It has been colder here, so soups have been on the menu. Roasted bone and carcass broth based soups are always very satisfying and nutritious this time of the year. I wanted to share a different take on the re purposing of the noble Thanksgiving turkey in the role of a rich, hearty and extremely satisfying soup. This recipe uses pumpkin, as there is usually some left from making the pies, but any hard shell winter squash will work beautifully. The best flavor will be from a pie pumpkin, not a carving or field pumpkin. Taking advantage of the abundance of vegetables used at the Thanksgiving feast, this soup can be as rich and complex or as simple and straightforward as you wish. You can also make a couple of soups, as once the roasting of the carcass is done there are endless routes one could go with this soup. Roasting the turkey carcass after it has been cooked intensifies its flavors and prepares it for creating the rich stock, which is the base for partnering with the creamy smoothness of the roasted pumpkin.
Thanksgiving Turkey and Pumpkin Soup
For the Stock-
1 Turkey carcass- whole with some meat and skin left on it, or with wings
2 Onions– quartered
3-5 Medium carrots
5-6 Lbs. Pumpkin, sliced open and seeds removed
1 Bouquet Garni- 2 Dried Bay leaves, 1 small bunch Flat Leaf Parsley, (preferably fresh, dried is ok), 2 sprigs fresh Thyme (dried is ok)
1- 6 Oz. can of tomato paste
Roast the carcass on a large roasting pan or heavy baking sheet at 450F for 1 hour. It should be medium brown. Add the quartered onions, carrots, potatoes and pumpkin and roast for 1/2 hour. Other root vegetables can be roasted as well for different flavor dimensions. The vegetables should be soft, slightly darkened and well roasted, while the carcass should be nicely browned and almost falling apart. Browning the carcass and vegetables in the oven before simmering them in a pot gives the stock a more pronounced flavor and deeper color. Scoop out pumpkin, use 1 Lb now, reserve the rest. Place everything in a large heavy stock pot. Deglaze the roasting pan by adding 2-3 cups of water to the pan on the stove, bring to a simmer and scrape the browned bits loose with a wooden spoon. A cup of red wine with the water to deglaze will add an incredible depth to the flavor. These bits are very concentrated in flavor, called the “stock foundation” by the French. Add to stock pot, along with Bouquet Garni and tomato paste, which adds color and depth of flavor. Cover carcass completely with water- about 10-12 Qts and slowly simmer very gently for a minimum of 10-12 hours. During the first few hours, fat and proteins will rise to the top. For a clear stock- skim the top, but it is not absolutely necessary, as the fats will collect at the top when cooled, and the proteins will remain in the stock.
Once the stock has simmered, allow to cool. Skim fat from top and strain out bones and Bouquet Garni. Mash up remains of vegetables. Bone the turkey, leaving the soft cartilage and bits of meat. You should have a very thick stock, with no whole vegetables showing.
For the Soup-
Remainder of roasted pumpkin
1-2 Lbs leftover Turkey, shredded
6-8 Cups Turkey stock
4 Tbs Butter, preferably unsalted
2 Medium Onions, chopped
4-6 Garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Medium potatoes, cut into medium cubes
15 Fresh Sage leaves, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground Salt and Black Pepper
Fresh cream if desired
In heavy stock pot, preferably cast iron, melt butter over low heat and slowly cook onions for 15 minutes, then add garlic for 5 minutes. Add remainder of roasted pumpkin and bring to a simmer. For a smoother soup, puree pumpkin, onion and garlic mixture now. Return to pot, add potatoes, Turkey and stock. Slow simmer for 30 minutes. Potatoes should be tender. Add ground Salt and Pepper and chopped sage leaves, reserving some for a garnish. Finish simmering for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add splash of cream to each bowl and serve hot with fresh bread.
This is always a hit, so I make extra. Enjoy and let us know how yours turns out!
Fresh Roasted Garden Salsa
Here is another great recipe that takes advantage of the abundance of fresh vegetables out there now. This is an easy, foundational salsa recipe that is extremely tasty just as it is, but also lends itself very well to experimentation with whatever fresh vegetables you have available. Everything is roasted to bring out the fullness of the flavors, and to help them mingle better. I’ve been able to do an acceptable substitute in the winter with fresh frozen chiles from our garden, and canned Italian plum tomatoes!
This is one of those salsas that just grabs you by the taste buds and gets your attention. No matter if it is mild or hot, you keep coming back for “one more bite”, because it just tastes so good. When having guests over, a batch rarely lasts through the evening, when it’s at the height of its warm, rich goodness. Best cooked outside, this lends itself beautifully to doing fresh quesadillas, queso fundido, burgers or all three in succession on the grill, along with plenty of cold beer and good friends. Watching the late summer sun going down after a hot day and enjoying the salsa along with other great food is one of the memories that will be brought up many times.
I like using several kinds of chiles, some mild, medium and hot to bring more depth of flavor to my salsas. I will start picking the mild ones, fewer of the medium, and less still of the hotter ones. This builds a base of flavor first, then heat. Don’t worry if it looks like you’re making tomato soup when you start roasting the tomatoes, everything will turn out just fine…
Roasted Fresh Garden Salsa
2 Lbs fresh tomatoes-diced. Plum tomatoes are best, but use what is fresh- a couple of different kinds will give more depth of flavor! Dicing will help remove some of the excess juice.
3-4 Ripe red bell peppers– diced
10-15 Various Chiles to taste for heat- de-seeded, de-veined and diced
3-4 Ears fresh sweet or roasting corn– cut from the cob. About 1-2 Cups
5-6 Cloves garlic- sliced in 1/8 inch slices
1-2 Cups cooked Black beans (optional)
1 Tsp whole Cumin
1/2 Tsp whole Coriander
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp fresh ground black pepper
Splash of Balsamic Vinegar
You’ll need a couple of large, heavy, shallow pans for roasting- preferable cast iron, as it retains the heat well and is easy to keep at the best temperature for roasting vegetables. The grill or outdoor stove is the best place to do the cooking, as the heat stays outside, and you get to enjoy the late afternoon! A couple of large bowls to hold the roasted vegetables and a large food processor or blender will be needed after everything is roasted.
Heat the pans to a medium heat, add the tomatoes to one pan, the bell peppers and corn to another, and if you have a third pan- the Chiles to that one. Let them roast until their skins start to turn dark. The skins should be a little black in spots and starting to loosen from the fruit. This can take up to a half hour depending on the heat of your grill or stovetop. Stir and turn with a wooden spatula occasionally. You will see some sticking, especially with the tomatoes- this is ok. When the Chile skins are starting to turn dark, add the garlic to that pan. Remove the veggies when they are fully roasted and have dark skins with a few black spots on them. The corn should have a dark yellow color to it. Put them all together into a large bowl and cover.
Toast the cumin and coriander in a small heavy pan over medium heat for 2-5 minutes, until they release their aromas. You will see the seeds start to darken and release their aromas- move the pan off of the heat for a second or two, then return to the heat. Continue this until the rich toasted aroma tells you they’re ready. Grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to a coarse ground consistency.
Add the vegetables to the food processor in batches if needed and process with a chopping blade until a chunky consistency is reached. Do not over process to a smooth or fine consistency- you will lose flavor. Repeat until all the vegetables are processed, and return to a large serving bowl. Add ground spices, Olive Oil, salt and ground black pepper. Add splash of Balsamic Vinegar and mix well. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Serve warm with chips, or in and on top of fresh hot quesedillas or accompanying queso fundido with chips.
Cajun Chicken Maque Choux
Chicken Maque Choux is one of the most wonderful, rich and flavorful chicken dishes there is. This has been one of our favorites for years, and is absolutely best cooked at the end of summer, when the corn is rich and ripe with plenty of other fresh vegetables available to round out the chicken and sausage. Fresh vegetables are essential for the complementary flavors, but you can do this with frozen and canned ingredients in the winter. This is one of the reasons to freeze and can your own produce, to be able to capture the taste of late summer in the middle of winter…
“Maque choux” is a Cajun word meaning a dish smothered with fresh corn and tomatoes. This is a stew dish in consistency and needs some liquid in the bottom of the bowls. Provide soup spoons and plenty of fresh bread, as the liquid in the bowls is delicious!
This is the traditional recipe, using the entire chicken, but one can use breasts or thighs if needed. We use Olive oil to cook in, and cast iron as it holds the heat better and adds more flavor, I believe. This is one recipe where the freshest ingredients will really shine. Fresh, local chicken will make this a dish that everyone will remember.
The sausage is optional, as it does add to the richness of the dish. For a lighter dish, use just the chicken. Who cooks Cajun in a lighter way though? Seriously, though, the chicken by itself is very memorable!
Chicken and Sausage Maque Choux
1/4 Cup Vegetable oil or Olive Oil
2 Small fryers, cut up (Can cut into bite sized pieces if desired)
1/2 Pound hot Cajun or Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch slices (Optional)
4 Cups fresh corn cut off the cob, with cob liquid reserved (substitute 16 Oz frozen sweet corn if needed)
2 Tbs fresh heavy cream
3 Cups chopped onion
1 Cup chopped green pepper
2 large Beefsteak tomatoes, coarsely chopped (substitute Italian canned plum tomatoes if needed)
1/4 Tsp dried Thyme
1/4 Tsp dried Basil (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil)
1 Tbs finely minced fresh Parsley
2 fresh Thyme sprigs
1/2 Tsp cayenne, or to taste
3 Tsp salt
1 Tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
2-3 Tbs milk, if needed
Heat oil in a heavy 8-10 Qt pot or kettle over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown in hot oil, turning often to brown evenly. When chicken is just starting to brown, add sausage if using, turning often. Reduce heat to low once sausage has started to cook and chicken is almost browned. Add onion and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Add corn, corn liquid and cream, mixing thoroughly. Add green pepper, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. Lower heat until mixture is just barely simmering, cook for 30-45 minutes. Check progress about every 15 minutes. Chicken and sausage should be very tender, chicken will be almost falling off bones. If dish is too soupy, uncover pot for last 15 minutes. If it is becoming a little too dry, add milk as needed.
Serve hot with fresh bread in soup or gumbo bowls. Make a full recipe, as everyone will go back for more, and it gets better the next day.
Squash Bugs and Ways to Deal With Them
We’ve talked about how the squash bugs were wreaking havoc on our squash, zucchini and pumpkin plants in several of our Newsletters and asked our readers to talk to us and let us know their ideas and experiences in dealing with this critter that destroys otherwise healthy and productive plants overnight.
We found out that these bugs are a serious threat all across the US and Canada as well, so no area is more vulnerable or immune to them. Several people shared their experiences with companion planting, with mixed results. Some had good results, some had no change and some had differing results depending on the year. Many of you have said this is the most difficult garden pest to deal with, as it doesn’t seem to respond universally to anything or any approach. The bugs will overwinter under almost any debris, woodchips or other small shelter and re-engage their destructive behavior in the Spring, making their control a multi-year program.
The two most successful methods were spraying of Neem oil, either by itself or mixed with water, or Guinea hens in the garden. The Guinea hens seems like the most reliable method of controlling the bugs, if you’re able to get and keep the hens. They also seem to be the favorite bug controlling critter, regardless of what bugs you have. The Neem oil not only smothers the bugs, but slows their feeding and greatly reduces their reproduction if they ingest it. Several resources mentioned Neem oil as one of the foundational treatments for the squash bugs.
We were hoping for a somewhat universal approach, and one of our readers, Joann from Michigan sent us this recipe, and she says it will kill the bugs, not just drive them away! This looks to be a promising approach that will not only help with the immediate problems but speed up the decrease in population for next years program.
Daily hand-picking seems to be very effective as well. Some of our readers use a battery powered vacuum to help with this chore!
Add concentrate to a gallon of water and spray liberally. Repeat as often as needed to drive off or kill the squash bugs.
We will be trying this recipe to see how it works for us. Please let us know your experiences, or if you have a different approach that has proven to be effective, please let us know so we can share it!
Custom Lightbox!
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Read more
The Versatility of Herbes de Provence
We are back from the Red Rock Lavender Festival, having met some wonderful people and loving the lavender scents for 4 days. While we were there, we picked up some Herbes de Provence and Herbes de Concho that are made at Red Rock Ranch. The high altitude, sparse soil and dry Mediterranean climate play a major part in the intensity of the scent and flavor of the lavender in their Herbes mix.
The amazing thing about Herbes de Provence is the adaptability of the mixture in so many culinary applications- from grilled, roasted or baked meats, to stews, soups and grilled or roasted vegetables, Herbes de Provence adds a depth of flavor and aroma that is unique and heady. Another interesting thing is the broad spectrum of ingredients that make up the Herbes mixture. The basic and classic mixture is equal parts dried Oregano, Thyme, Summer Savory and Lavender buds, mixed well. From this basis several other recipes have evolved, with both individual and regional preferences showing up. Many of the mixtures involve classical, foundation spices that are used in French and classical European cuisines. Some will argue that the essential ingredient is Lavender, while others will say that it’s exclusion does not lessen the mixture, and even enhances it in certain dishes. I’m not going to get into that argument, but will say that the Provence region is world famous for its Lavender, thus its inclusion into the Herbes de Provence.
This is the time of year to start selecting, harvesting and drying your garden herbs for the coming year. Rosemary has starting blooming and is incredibly fragrant now, as is Sage, Oregano, Basil, Thyme and almost all of the culinary herbs. Selecting the best leaves from the herbs and drying them in small batches starting now gives you plenty of time to accumulate the volume of dried herbs needed to not only have enough for general cooking, but will give you enough to make some mixtures that use foundational herbs without depleting your stocks. Starting now also gives you the time to do smaller batches, being more selective in quality instead of having to just pick what is available to do a large, rushed batch later in the Fall as the weather starts shutting the garden down. Ask me how I know… Plus it’s wonderful to improvise tonights dinner from the herbs and vegetables picked today from your garden!
The following recipes should be considered a starting point, not the definitive, final recipe. Use your tastes and flavor combination preferences as a guide, and adjust amount and types of herbs accordingly. How else do you think that so many variations on the theme evolved?
I will share several other recipes for the mixture below, as well as some ideas for using them. Dried herbs are important, as fresh herbs will lose their flavor in about 20 minutes of cooking.
Classic Herbes de Provence
Equal parts of the following dried herbs:
Oregano
Thyme
Summer Savory
Lavender buds
Mix well and store in an air tight container. Keeps for 3-6 months, depending on humidity and temperature.
Variations on Herbes de Provence
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp summer savory
1/2 tsp lavender buds
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano or basil (or both)
1/4 tsp sage
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp basil
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp summer savory
1/2 tsp lavender buds
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp French tarragon
1 tsp rosemary
2 tsp summer savory
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp lavender buds
1 tbs thyme
1 tbs chervil
1 tbs rosemary
1 tbs summer savory
1 tsp lavender buds
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp mint
2 powdered or chopped bay leaves
You can crush the mix prior to adding it to olive oil for a marinade or dressing. Add in crushed dried red chiles for a new taste dimension. Mix with homemade mayonnaise for a real taste treat.
Herbes de Provence/ Bleu Cheese Burgers
Mix lean hamburger meat with high quality Bleu cheese at a ratio of 3/4 meat to 1/4 cheese. Form into patties, dust liberally with Herbes de Provence mixture that has been crushed with fresh ground black pepper and salt, let sit for 20 minutes and grill till done. Make sure to make extras!
Marinated Herbes de Provence Steaks
The flavors will really be enhanced if you use grass fed beef.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Herbes de Provence
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Mix ingredients well, coat both sides of steaks, let sit covered for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Grill to taste. Optional- make 1/2 recipe extra to top steaks when served. Can add sprinkle of Gorgonzola cheese to top of hot steak as well.
Herbes de Provence Garlic Bread
1/4 cup Herbes de Provence
1/2 cup softened butter
3-6 large cloves freshly minced garlic
Fresh sourdough bread
Mix Herbes with butter and garlic. For more garlic flavor- use more cloves. Optional- roast the peeled garlic cloves prior to mincing for a richer, mellower flavor. Lightly spread butter on both sides of thickly sliced bread, bake in 400F oven for 3-5 minutes or until just turning golden brown.
Hopefully you can start to see the versatility of the magical Herbes de Provence. You are only limited by your tastes and creativity!
Mediterranean Pan Roasted Vegetables
Today we have a new recipe that will work just about anywhere. I’ve used it when entertaining at home, at a friend’s house when cooking a shared dinner party and even when camping off road in our Land Rover! It lends itself to being cooked outside, which keeps the house cooler, and somehow increases the flavor…
It takes a bit of time, as this is a slow pan roast recipe, but is easy and you can do other prep or cooking while this is roasting. Total cooking time is around 30-45 minutes. Plan extra, as the flavor from the slow roasting is tremendous, and people will go back for more. That’s good, as this is real and healthy food! This is a perfect counterpart to barbecued chicken or burgers on a warm Spring evening. If you increase the vegetables and add warm fresh bread, this can be a light and healthy dinner in itself.
The eggplant must be fresh, as it can be bitter otherwise. Fresh means picked that day. If fresh is not available, leave it out. If you want an extra flavor, don’t peel the eggplant. This is the perfect showcase for fresh grown, heirloom ingredients, as the flavors will really shine. The ingredients are roasted in this order to bring out their flavors, as well as mingle them with the others. It is worth the time to do it in order!
Mediterranean Pan Roasted Vegetables
Serves 4-6
12 oz potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes with skin on (Red potatoes are preferred)
2 bell peppers- any color, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 medium red onion, diced into 1/2 inch squares
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 squares (Only use fresh eggplant to avoid bitterness)
3 or 4 cloves garlic, sliced
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fresh chives
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A large cast iron pan is best, but a heavy bottomed pan that retains heat well will also work.
Heat pan on medium heat, until thoroughly warm. A pan that is not heated all the way through will cause food to stick. Whisk balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp olive oil, basil, oregano, chives and 1/2 tsp rosemary together and set aside.
Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to pan, coat pan well and add potatoes, coating with oil in pan. Roast for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally until they start to soften. Add onion and bell peppers, along with half of the rosemary and roast for 10 minutes, turning as well. Add eggplant and garlic, roasting for 5 minutes. Drizzle herb/oil/vinegar mixture over vegetables, stir well to coat and continue roasting until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve hot or let cool and store in refrigerator for next day to let the flavors set up and mingle.
A Post without Image
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Read more
Growing Your Salad In A Container Garden
We recently completed our second salad growing bed in our greenhouse, and here’s how we did it!
We started the salad growing bed so that we would have fresh salad greens during the Fall, Winter and early Spring when the garden wasn’t growing or things were just coming up. We can supplement our diet with fresh, healthy and extremely nutritious greens like lettuce, Swiss Chard, beets and beet tops, carrots, mustards and even some kale if we want to.
The salad bed has it’s own heat cable buried at the bottom of the sand under the growing soil, so the roots stay warm and don’t need external, expensive heat in the greenhouse during the colder seasons. We grew fresh greens almost all winter in one bed, and have expanded into a second bed.
Both beds are 6 ft long, 18 inches wide and 13 inches deep. The material was from a local metal recycling facility and is really heavy corrugated sheet metal. We bought 3/4 inch thick exterior grade plywood, drilled 21 drain holes in the bottom and sealed it with an exterior decking stain. We then screwed the corners of the sheet metal together and inserted the plywood bottom into the bottom slot made by the corrugations, and screwed it to the sheet metal as well.
Next we put the heating cable in. This is a sealed unit made to heat seed beds that has a built in thermostat. We attached it to the bottom side of 1/4 inch hardware cloth- a heavy metal mesh- to prevent damage to the cable if we needed to dig into the soil. You can see the drain holes in the plywood here.
This is part of the magic that allows us to be able to grow tender greens year round in an unheated greenhouse. Many people don’t realize how little it takes to be able to grow their own fresh green produce year round at their home. They are used to the idea of the Spring through early Fall garden, but that is it. The thought of growing farther into the year, and starting earlier, is new to most people.
However, there is much more time available to grow if you look at things a little unconventionally, and look at ways to manage the temperature and moisture to extend your growing season. Whether it is a weekend project like this, or it is constructing a small row cover from PVC and heavy weight painter’s plastic drop cloth from your local hardware store, you can positively affect your growing season with a little work that will pay you back for several years.
After the cable/mesh was laid down, we put about 2-3 inches of sand. The sand acts as a medium of heat exchange to heat the growing soil from the bottom up. It is surprising how little heat is needed to make a real difference. We had several nights at freezing after we started the salad pit growing, with a plastic sheet draped over the top, and the little “saladlings” did just fine. The water trickles down and keeps the sand moist, which acts as a perfect heat conductor to the soil above.
The soil was put in next- about 5-6 inches of good organic potting soil. We saved some time and bought some pre-made potting soil that is certified organic and has mycorrhizae added to it to help the roots develop into the soil better. The mycorrhizae are microscopic fungi that help both the plant get more nutrition out of the soil, as they extend the reach of the root’s micro tendrils into the soil and bring in nutrients that were out of reach of the roots. The plants will grow stronger and have more vigor, production and disease and pest resistance. In return the plants feed a sugar substance to the mycorrhizae. A wonderful symbiotic relationship!
After some gentle watering to get the soil and sand below well moistened but not wet, the salad bed is ready to plant! The new bed is in the foreground, with the established bed in the background. You can see the difference in growth in the first salad bed from this photo as compared to the top photo.
One of the hidden benefits to growing salad greens this way is the lack of dirt in the greens when harvested. There is no wind or rains to push dirt up on the leaves and stems, so the greens only need a light rinse before they are ready to eat. As we don’t use any type of chemicals to grow with, we don’t have to worry about chemical or fertilizer contamination to wash off.
The white box in the foreground is a small hydroponic setup, the blue top is rigid foam with 5 holes in it for the lettuce cups and growing medium, which is rock wool. There is a small aquarium pump in the bottom to recirculate the nutrient solution to the roots. We have grown lettuce indoors in the winter in our small house, so the greenhouse will be an expanded experiment. If if works well, and it should, we might expand this to be a vertical hydroponic rack made from several sections of roof guttering along the North wall, which is straw bale and tires.
This could give us a substantially expanded growing opportunity with very little square foot commitment. We will keep you posted on the progress!
If you don’t have your own greenhouse, a similar container system can be done in a sunny window, in your garage under some lights or even on a back deck. Let your imagination be your guide. If you are interested in the heat cables, post a comment. If there is interest, we may carry them in the near future.
Supermarkets Slow Down Yet Gardens Are Growing
Consumer’s wallets have tightened significantly since 2008, when the global economic slowdown started, led by the food safety scares of tomatoes and peppers during that summer.
2009 is the first year that fruit and vegetable sales have dropped, with fruit down 12% and vegetables down 6%. The trend is from more expensive fruit and veggies to less expensive ones, as everyone is trying to make their dollar go farther. What is even more interesting is that the volume is up of fruits and vegetables, but the sales or profit is down. One explanation is people are eating out less, which decreases the profits to the retailers. Another is that people are gardening a lot more, growing some of their own food, especially the more expensive vegetables, and buying the less expensive ones. As an example, weekly dollar sales of packaged salads fell by nearly 5%, while bulk lettuce sales rose by 6.9% in 2009.
The increase in gardening has been driven by a concern by consumers over prices and overall food safety. The National Gardening Association states that there is a multitude of reasons people are gardening in increasing numbers, including the state of the economy, increased costs of food and that “food safety is a huge issue in the US. People mistrust producers of food so if you grow your own you can control the inputs like fertilizer.” CNN reports that there were 43 million vegetable gardens planted in 2009, with 19% of households growing some of their own fruit, vegetables and herbs are first timers. $100 spent on seed can save you up to $2500 at the grocery store, according to a couple of studies in 2008 where vegetables were planted, grown and weighed, then compared to local grocery store prices for an entire season. That figure is probably even more now, with food prices increasing.
On April 22, 2010 the National Inflation Association issued the following food inflation alert-
Elizabeth Pivonka, President and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation says in the Feb 2010 issue of Seed World, “There are still many fruit and vegetable growers and shippers that continue to struggle to stay in business. Food safety initiatives, including the cost of traceability are some of their biggest expenses right now, along with trying to cope with any other types of legislation that always cost money (for example, water issues on the west coast, immigration issues and cap and trade.) Finally, just overall profitability is an ongoing concern- it’s a shame that the fruit and vegetable industry doesn’t make the profit margins other products make so that they can better market themselves.”
This is very telling, as the costs of commercial food production, regardless of the sector, continue to rise due to more and more legislation aimed at making the food produced safer. This is in direct contrast to the costs in a local food system, as the transport costs are very small, and the quality and health of the food is significantly higher, eliminating the need for increased legislation to attempt to force the safety into the food production system. The safety and quality are inherent, as producer, shipper and retailer are often one and the same. If the quality and safety are missing, the consumer simply won’t buy, which has a much greater impact on the producer. Thus the closeness and openness of the local food system works to increase the quality, health and safety of the locally produced foods.
This is one of the main reasons that local food and local agriculture- that grown and consumed within a 100-200 mile radius- has been increasing in volume and sales for the past several years. People can see what they buying, talk to and get to know the person who grew or raised their food. They get to actively participate in making the decision for better food that is raised or grown in healthy ways and has better flavor and nutrition than industrial food producers.
What better time or reasons to eat locally?
Fresh Heirloom Basil Recipes
Here are a couple of recipes that use fresh herbs- that you should soon have growing in your garden!
The first is the classic Basil Pesto. Make extra, freeze in small amounts for use later. We just finished using the last batch in a dinner that tasted like the height of summer. The second is a basic, classic tomato based pasta sauce that is not only easy to make, but lends itself to endless variations using what is fresh and on hand at the time.
You can easily have a fresh, incredibly tasty dinner on the table in 30 minutes with either of these recipes!
Basil Pesto Sauce
2 Cups fresh basil leaves, washed
3 cloves fresh garlic, mild flavored
2 Tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 Cup fresh grated aged Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Makes about 1 cup.
Place all ingredients except grated cheese in food processor and puree until smooth, usually about 1-2 minutes. Add in grated cheese, pulse till mixed well.
Add to soups for a bright and fresh flavor, use as a sandwich spread or add to hot freshly cooked pasta for heavenly pesto pasta.
As basil production increases, make large batches to freeze into small single serving containers for use in the winter when you want a taste of summer. Most people think of pine nuts as the only nut to use, but experiment with other nuts including almonds and sunflower seeds for different flavor combinations. Use different basils as well, for the different flavors that they will bring.
Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce
1 Medium red onion, minced
1/2 Cup dry white wine
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
3 Medium fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Tsp sugar
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Cup fresh basil, chopped
Slow cook onion in wine over low heat in heavy bottomed sauce pan for 10-15 minutes, until liquid is reduced to a few tablespoons.
Add pepper flakes, tomatoes, olive oil, sugar, salt, Balsamic vinegar, and tomato paste. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened.
Add basil, then remove from heat. Let sit for a couple of minutes to infuse basil flavor into sauce, then serve over fresh hot pasta.
Makes about 3 cups. Can be easily frozen for a quick, healthy and tasty dinner.
You can easily add fresh carrot thinly sliced, fresh oregano, different types of basil, fresh fennel sliced thinly, or whatever sounds good at the time. Experiment with different flavor combinations, use what is fresh and available at the time for new and great tastes.
Heirloom Oregano: A Culinary Herb in a League All its Own
A fast growing herb, oregano serves many purposes beyond the kitchen counter
Related to mint (but nowhere near as sweet), oregano is a popular herb found throughout Italian, Greek, and Mexican cuisines. Whereas Greek oregano is very strong and slightly bitter with a clove-like afterbite, Mexican oregano is almost all bitter, and can be almost tongue numbing. Oregano is great with anything involving tomatoes, and goes very well with savory dishes like eggs and roasted meats.
How to Grow:
Because it loves warm climate and direct sunlight, you want to plant your oregano only when you are sure the last frost has passed. It only takes a week-and-a-half to germinate, with the leaves ready for harvest after six. Since compost and manure have a tendency to adversely affect the final flavor of the leaves, it is best to plant the seeds (or transplants) fifteen inches apart in loose, moist soil and cover with mulch to combat weeds. Because it is drought tolerant, as long as you water it periodically, the plant will take care of itself.
Non-Culinary Uses:
Oregano can be used as a border for many gardens and walkways. It is a perennial and will
grow back each year. Many people enjoy its aromatic fragrance. Due to its high levels of an antiseptic called carvacrol (also responsible for its ‘pizza-like’ flavor), oregano acts as a bacterial inhibitor and an effective first-aid treatment for insect, spider, and even snake bites.
Culinary Uses:
Oregano is often used in many soups and pasta sauces. However, oregano is most widely recognized as the “special herb” which turns bland pizza sauce into real pizza sauce. You can make your own pizza sauce following the simple recipe below.
Ingredients Needed:
1 32 oz can of plain crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz. can of tomato paste
½ teaspoon of dried crushed oregano (Either True Greek or Sweet Marjoram will work well).
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ cup water
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the garlic and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
Author Credits: Elizabeth Trementozzi Krause publishes her own Italian cooking website,
www.simpleitaliancooking.com where she features more Italian recipes. She enjoys spending her time cooking and drinking espresso with friends and family. She and her husband love eating pizza with a dish of pasta on the side along with a nice green salad. She offers a newsletter each week featuring new recipes and tips.
Non- GMO Labeling is a Hit with Consumers
This is an interesting report from the Nielsen company- the same company doing the familiar Nielsen Ratings.
The consumer interest in Non-GMO labeled foods is skyrocketing. In 2009, this micro market segment was worth $60.2 Million and grew at 67% over 2008, making it the #1 healthy eating trend in store brands for 2009. Store brands are like Topco Full Circle and Safeway “O” Organics. Store brands like these now make up almost 40% of products with no preservative claims, 25% of all organic product sales, and nearly one-fifth of all products with “natural” claims in food/drug/mass merchandise retailers. Whole Foods Market, one of the largest U.S. natural foods retailers, have started the process to certify that all of their store brands are GMO free.
What is even more interesting is the early adoption of the Non-GMO labeling by store brands, which are taking the lead in offering healthy products instead of trailing the major brands as they used to do. Consumer sentiment against genetically modified foods (GM or GMO) is growing- despite all of the marketing and press support by genetic engineering companies like Monsanto- and market brands are reflecting that. With GMOs being linked to organ damage, crop failures, increased water usage, soil contamination and worse, consumers are becoming aware of the dangers of these products. Another major winner is the “No high fructose corns syrup” label worth $13 Million and growing at 28% over 2008. That gives it a #10 rank.
These dollar amounts are big numbers to most of us consumers, but are small potatoes to the large national brands, such as Lays and Kraft. What makes them take notice is the growth percentage. They will be watching the growth in several of these segments to see if there is consistent, sustained growth that makes it financially feasible or even necessary for them to switch suppliers from conventional to non-GMO. If there is enough movement in the market towards GMO free products, they will switch, as they will not stand by and watch a large market share evaporate.
This happened in the recent past with RBGH or RBST, the bovine growth hormone developed, not suprisingly, by Monsanto to increase the milk output from cows. It created many other problems, such as increased infections in the milk and disease in the cows. The FDA stated RBGH did not alter the milk, and sued several dairies that labeled their milk RBGH free. Enough consumers found out the truth and started requesting RBGH free milk. Not long afterwards, the major players saw the movement in the market and made the switch to RBGH free suppliers. Surprisingly, this didn’t take a majority of consumers, only 5-7% of Americans, as they represent several hundred millions of dollars to the major national brands. This is money they will not lose when they can make a switch in suppliers and keep their customers happy.
Monsanto is worried, of course. When, not if, the major national brands make the switch, Monsanto will find itself with many highly expensive bio-engineered products that no one wants. They are already in trouble in Europe, as they have lost several recent lawsuits they filed to force their way into European markets and agriculture. The nations of the European Union and more importantly- it’s people- have rejected genetic engineering of food almost out of hand.
What this means for you and I is great news. Safe, wholesome and sustainable food is at the core of our needs, next to clean air and water. With people starting to actively request GMO free labeling on their foods, safer foods are closer and easier to get for everyone.
Herb and Vegetable Roasted Chicken with Buttermilk Biscuits
This is a great dinner for family or friends, and it doesn’t have to be Sunday. A whole roast chicken makes for an impressive tableside presentation followed by a delicious meal and the tender, tasty leftovers can be used for several other dishes, if there are any left!
For faster, more even roasting, cut the backbone out of the chicken with poultry shears or heavy duty kitchen shears. This allows the bird to lay flat in the roasting pan. Keep the backs in a freezer ziplock until you have several, then make chicken stock with the giblets, diced onions and celery, aromatic herbs such as savory, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and a bay leaf in a couple quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for a minimum of two hours, longer is better.
Pair this with some fresh homemade biscuits and you’ve got a proven winner! We found a great restaurant in the little town of Boulder, Utah called Hell’s Backbone Grill that makes the absolutely best biscuits that we’ve ever tasted! They are easy and quick to make and are positively addictive. We always make a double batch if we want any for the next couple of days. You can use the hot oven for both roasting the chicken and baking the biscuits.
Make sure to include plenty of vegetables, as they roast up well and balance out the rich roasted chicken flavors.
Herb and Vegetable Roasted Chicken
3-4 Lb chicken
1 lemon, halved
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 Tbsp butter, softened
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 small red onions, halved
8 small potatoes, halved
4-6 medium carrots
4 medium parsnips, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Heat oven to 450F. Rinse chicken, pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in a large roasting pan or skillet. Cast iron is best. Squeeze lemon juice to cover chicken then put lemon halves, rosemary, thyme and 4 cloves of garlic into cavity. Rub chicken with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange remaining vegetables around chicken and brush with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper.
When oven is hot, roast for 15-20 minutes, then bast chicken with pan juices. Reduce heat to 375F and continue to roast for about 45 minutes more, basting every 15-20 minutes until skin is crisp and golden. Remove from oven, cover with lid or foil for 10-15 minutes (while biscuits are cooking) and let rest before carving. When removing chicken, reheat oven to 450F. By the time you are ready to bake the biscuits, the oven will be at temperature.
Black Powder Buttermilk Biscuits
This is our all time favorite biscuit recipe! You must have two things to be successful here- a hot oven and cold dough. These are made and bake quickly, so get everything ready before you start.
3 Tbs cornmeal
2 1/2 Cups flour
1 1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp course black pepper
1 Tsp sugar
1 stick (1/4 Lb) butter- cold- cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 Cup buttermilk or substitute 1 cup milk with 2 tsp lemon juice
Adjust rack to middle position of oven, lightly oil cookie sheet or use a nonstick spray. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp over surface.
It’s best to use a food processor for the next two steps, then lightly knead the dough by hand or in a stand mixer. It makes for better biscuits!
Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pepper and sugar in food processor bowl, pulse 5-7 times with cutting blade to mix. Next, add butter chunks and run until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This can be done with 2 knives and some patience. Transfer to stand mixer bowl.
Using low speed, fold mixture in while slowly pouring buttermilk over top. Mix well until dough is sticky and moistened through, with no dry patches. Turn dough onto lightly floured worktop, using floured hands to prevent dough from sticking. Using knife or bench scraper, cut dough in half and stack one piece on top of the other. Flatten with rolling pin, but don’t over do it. Repeat cut, flatten and stack for 3 more times. Add small amounts of flour necessary to keep everything from sticking. Dough will be very moist- as it should be.
Transfer dough to cookie sheet. Roll to about 1 inch thick, then cut into squares about 2×2″. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp cornmeal. Bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.
Serve with the roasted chicken and enjoy!
Heirloom Corn and Potato Chowder
This is a wonderful winter chowder, warming and hearty to chase away the cold winter blues. It uses readily available winter ingredients- potatoes, onions, garlic and carrots, along with some frozen corn. Homegrown frozen sweet corn will be the best, but a good quality frozen sweet corn will work.
I use this as a starting base for experimentation and new directions. This is perfectly delicious, however, just as it is! Lobster, crab or shrimp makes this an excellent seafood chowder. Fresh sausage gives a completely new flavor, especially if it is spicy or smoked. Smoked pork works magic as well. Use your imagination and unique, local ingredients to shape this into a new regional specialty in your area!
Corn and Potato Chowder
Sea Salt, to taste
1 Stalk celery, chopped coarsley
1 Medium carrot, chopped coarsley
1 Sprig fresh parsley, can use dried
1 Bay leaf
5 Black peppercorns
1/4 Lb. salt pork, or smoked pork
3 Medium yellow onions, peeled and diced
3 Cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 Lbs. unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes.
4 Cups corn kernels- (about 6 ears worth)
3 Cups half and half
Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. Chicken base- Better Than Bouillon is a great brand
10 Cups water
In a large, heavy stockpot (preferably cast iron) heat the water and mix chicken base. Once simmering, add celery, carrots, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours, then increase heat to medium until stock is reduced to about 6 cups, about 10-15 minutes. If using seafood, cook in stock base now, only til just tender and remove for later.
Cook salt pork or sausage in separate heavy pan over medium low heat until crisp, about 20 minutes. Remove, drain and slice. Add to stockpot. In same pan, saute onions and garlic until soft and browned.
Add to stockpot along with potatoes and corn. Simmer on medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in half and half, cayenne and return to simmer. If using seafood, add now and heat through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Please let us know how you like it, and what adaptations you make!
A Tale of Two Onion Soups
It has been cold here, much colder than in the past several years, so I’ve been making some great cold weather dinners. Onion soup is one of the classic cold weather dishes- rich and hearty in flavor and aroma. We bought a cazuela at The Spanish Table in Sante Fe this past September, and I love cooking with it. You can use it over a direct, but low, flame on the stove-top. This saves the time of soaking the clay pot, loading it with the ingredients, putting it into a cold oven and then turning it on. The warm up time of the oven greatly increases the cooking time, as the clay pot needs to come up to temperature slowly to avoid cracking. Not so with the new cazuela! It is glazed and has been high fired, so is ready for action. I’ve done several pots of slow cooked beans that are heavenly, as well as some other soups and stews. Today is about the onion soups, though…
For several years now I have faithfully cooked the French Onion Soup recipe from the Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection cookbook, and as you would expect, the results are fabulous. It does take some time and preparation, but the results are wonderful. If you have any desire to learn even a small part of the French traditional cooking, and the techniques and reasons behind the techniques- get this cookbook!
This time, I didn’t have quite all of the ingredients or the time or maybe the inclination to spend over an hour at the stove. So I started looking for a good but tasty alternative to the hallowed French Onion Soup.
And found it in a Southwestern recipe from the Roaring Fork restaurant in Scottsdale, AZ. The premise of the restaurant is “Upscale Campfire Cooking”. In Scottsdale.
The thing that I like is that most of the cooking is done in cast iron. Wonderful stuff, lasts forever and if seasoned correctly can cook anything. I tried it, with some modifications that I’ll share, along with the original recipe so you can make both and see for yourself which you like best. Both are great, with different flavors and different approaches.
Here goes-
French Onion Soup from Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection cookbook.
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1 small red onion, thinly sliced- Rossa de Milano is perfect here
3 white onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbs all purpose flour
3/4 cup white wine
6 cups brown stock- (I used Better Than Bouillon– beef flavor.)
1 bouquet garni- (Leek outer wrapper, bay leaf, sprig of thyme, celery leaves, few stems of fresh parsley tied together)
1 Tbs Sherry
12 thick slices French baguette
1 1/2 cups finely grated Gruyere cheese
Melt the butter in a large heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often, until caramelized and dark golden brown. This is the most important step, as the color of the onions at this stage will determine the color and the ultimate flavor of the final soup!
Stir in the garlic and flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes.
Add the white wine and stir the mixture until the flour has blended in smoothly. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly. Whisk or briskly stir in the stock, add the bouquet garni and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. simmer gently for 30 minutes, then skim the surface of any excess fat if necessary. Add the sherry to the soup and adjust seasonings to taste.
To make the croutes, toast the French baguette slices until dry and golden on both sides.
Ladle the soup into warm flame proof bowls and float a few croutes on top. Sprinkle the top of each bowl with Gruyere cheese, place under preheated broiler until cheese melts and turns golden brown. Serve immediately.
Serves 6 as a first course. Double ingredients for main course.
The first thing I would say is to use heirloom, locally grown onions and garlic, as the flavor will be exponentially better- fresher, deeper and with more dimension than onions and garlic that have been grown and shipped halfway across the country, having sat for who knows how long before you bought them. Don’t believe me? Please try it both ways, and let me know!
You will be sold on the first bite of the local soup…
If you haven’t ever tasted truly hand made from scratch French Onion Soup, you are in for a taste treat. It is heavenly on a cold winter’s evening with some fresh made bread and butter on the side, with a glass of wine.
Very satisfying.
Worth the time to make it.
Shiner Bock Onion Soup from The Roaring Fork restaurant, Scottsdale AZ
3/4 cup chopped bacon- smoked is better, imparts a depth to the overall flavor
6 cups finely sliced yellow onions- Walla Walla or Sweet Spanish Utah are great
1 Tsp minced garlic- a robust flavor will stand up to the chiles and beer
1 Tbs finely chopped serrano chile- optional. I used 1 chopped Chipotle en Adobo chile; great flavor and smokieness
3 Tbs butter
1/4 cup flour
1 12 oz bottle of Shiner Bock or light microbrew ale
4 cups veal or chicken stock- again I use Better Than Boullion- chicken flavor
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Cook the bacon until crisp in medium hot cast iron pot or heavy deep saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low, add onions, stir well and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes then add garlic, chile and butter. Stir until onions begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes.
Add flour, stir to thicken and do not allow to stick to bottom of pan/pot. Once flour has blended in, add beer and stir to completely mix in. Increase heat, slowly bring to a boil and add stock. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer the soup for 5-10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, simmering until the beer has smoothed out and incorporated with other flavors- about 10-15 minutes. Soup should just be starting to thicken. Add pinch of cayenne, stir in well.
Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve immediately.
The flavor of this is completely different, but incredibly delicious. It is easier to make and do something else in the kitchen, as you are not over the pot for most of the time. I used a Chipotle en adobo chile, chopped fine and added some extra adobo for the smoky flavor and it was a great addition. A smoked bacon adds a lot of flavor as well. I doubled the garlic, as it roasts in the onion mixture and mellows its flavor.
Again, a locally grown garlic and onion will make all the difference in the world with both of these soups.
I’m hesitant to experiment too much with the French Onion Soup, as it is an established classic, and also the flavor is so definite and distinct that to start to change it might result in something less than where we started. The Shiner Bock Onion Soup I will most definitely experiment with, as the flavor is wonderful, but almost begs to be taken in a new direction, as the flavor is bold and new.
I could see adding some purple or fingerling potatoes to the mix at the point where the stock is added and brought back to a boil. The texture of the purple potatoes will thicken the soup, as they will cook into it quickly, while the flavor will add a completely new dimension. Fingerlings won’t cook into the soup nearly as much, but will add a nutty creaminess that I think would be amazing. The combination of bacon, onions and really flavorful potatoes would make this pretty much a one dish winter meal with some fresh hearty sourdough bread, butter and a dark beer.
So there you have it, a trans continental journey with the simple ingredients of onions. The flavors are almost as distant from each other, yet perfectly wonderful in each separate way.
Please try these and let me know what you think!
Homegrown Vegetables Are the Most Nutritious
I came across a great article about how fresh colorful vegetables offer the most nutrition for the money spent. While I definitely agree with this, I believe there are some lost opportunities here; namely growing your own vegetables will prove the truth of several recent findings. Below is the link for the article:
Fresh Vegetable Salads Provide Maximum Nutrition for Each Food Dollar Spent
The first finding is that fresh colorful vegetables have the most nutrition when compared to prepackaged and prepared foods. The second is that naturally grown chemical free vegetables have more minerals and nutrients as compared to conventional chemically grown ones. The third is that the dollar return on money spent for seeds to grow a vegetable garden- even a modest one- is staggering. Several articles I’ve read put the return from $100 in seeds at anywhere from $1000 to $1800 in fresh produce!
The more colors in the vegetables you eat, the more different types of nutrients, minerals and other vitamins that you get. This is a great start!
Now if we take this a step further and grow these vegetables ourselves, or at least buy them locally- from the farmers market or “our” farmer/gardener/neighbor that grows way too much to eat themselves- we can stack the advantages of the nutrition in our favor.
Several recently released studies show what is at first glance somewhat common sense- naturally grown vegetables have more nutrients, vitamins and minerals than those grown in the conventional chemically grown manner. The common sense part comes from the fact that chemical agriculture on any scale depends on very few chemicals- NPK familiar to anyone? Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are important, but they aren’t the only elements that plants need to grow and produce healthy fruits and vegetables. One study I’ve read showed that a naturally grown vegetable had 84 minerals and elements that were identified as opposed to 8-10 in the same exact vegetable planted from seeds from the same seed packet but grown conventionally with the standard chemical fertilizers and pesticides/herbicides. Something to note- the test didn’t identify the negative elements in the vegetables- such as chemical residues.
Which do you think has better nutrition, which has better taste, and which would you want to eat or serve as dinner to your family?
Continuing the stacking of benefits idea- this is the introduction to the article:
I agree completely with this, and seeing this at the end of 2009, the truth of the cost of food vs purchasing power is apparent. What if we can turn this truth around, and make it pay instead of save money? That’s an exciting idea, as saving money is good, but saving in this case is only a stop to spending money. Growing a garden can actually pay you! It is truly not very difficult to grow a garden that produces more than you and your family can eat. Sell the excess, make some money! Farmers and local markets are the fastest growing segment of agriculture for the past several years. Most have a booth just for the backyard gardener to sell/trade their abundance.
Or trade it to your neighbor in return for services or something you need. This won’t give you dollars, but will give you something of value that you didn’t have to spend dollars to obtain.
Or donate some to your local food bank/soup kitchen/Meals on Wheels/etc. Again, not dollars, but karma is good too. So is the increased community that you’ve just created that can help you in ways unforeseen right now.
Now please don’t misunderstand me. I really like the article! I think that there are some ways to capitalize on a good idea and great benefit to achieve much greater results for all of us. Please take the time to read the entire article.
Food Films
Winter is a cold time of year in most parts of the country, with shorter days and more time spent indoors. One of my favorite hobbies (besides gardening) is watching movies. I have been a film buff since I was a kid and had actually contemplated going to film school. Instead, I majored in horticulture and environmental sciences. But while in college I did take a documentary film class. Documentaries about our food system are a very hot topic right now. There are many great films available for viewing that talk about food, growing, industrial agriculture, fast food, community gardens, etc. Some have a more positive view and some just present the cold hard truth of the matter. I thought I would share with you some of the films I have seen over this past year, you may want to view one or all of them during these cold months of winter. Many are available from your local rental store, library, Netflix or online.
The Future of Food is a 2-disc set is a great introduction to our food system and GMO’s. There are also some great shorts about food in our school systems, seed saving and farmer’s markets.
One of my personal favorites, Super Size Me is about the month long adventure of Morgan Spurlock eating only McDonald’s fast food. I never ate at McDonald’s before this film but if you do, you will not think about it afterwords. Morgan is a great film maker and has a unique way of bringing everyday issues to the forefront in an entertaining way. Also, check out his 30 Days films available on DVD.
Food, Inc. was a very popular documentary film in theaters this past summer and is now available on DVD. This film is a hardcore look at industrial agriculture and how it is now working. This film is not for the faint of heart, but it does show you what happens when you have to produce food in mass quantities. I love this film and the film Fresh, because they both highlight the great work of Joel Salatin. I had the privilege I hearing Joel and his family speak in the mid-90’s before he was a farming superstar. His way of farming is so unique and I think could be duplicated to varying degrees depending on what environment you are farming in. I am glad Joel has received some lime-light for the great work he has done for so many years. Fresh is also a great film and has a little more positive spin to it, than Food, Inc. If you want ideas to make some changes, Fresh is a great place to start.
King Corn is a film about how corn is so infused in our food system. This is a great documentary film; I was pleasantly surprised how well the story-lines were presented and how welcoming this small farming community was to the film makers.
The Garden is about a community garden in the heart of LA. This is an amazing documentary filmed over many years. Warning: the ending is a surprise and somewhat troubling. But the filmmakers did a great job telling an amazing story.
Ingredients really celebrates the ingredients that make up a great meal, with small, local agriculture. Some great interviews with chefs and farmers.
Urban Sustainable Living with Patti Moreno, The Gardening Girl is very inspiring. This is a great series of how to videos aimed at the urban/city gardener. After watching it, I was almost inspired to make my own yarn!
The Botany of Desire is a recent PBS special now available on DVD based on Michael Pollan’s best-selling book by the same title. Plants are amazing and mankind has been manipulating them for a long time. This film explores the world of four amazing plants and our interactions with them.
This will give you a few films to view during these cold winter months. If you want just pure entertainment, I would highly recommend the new DVD release Julie & Julia, a great film for foodies. If you want to take an outing to your local theater, the uplifting film The Blind Side, based on a true story is worth your time. Next time, some book and magazine suggestions!
Cindy
3 Great Heirloom Pumpkin Recipes
Here’s 3 great heirloom pumpkin recipes that we have used and enjoyed. Too often people think of pumpkin in a strictly Halloween or pumpkin pie way, when there are so many other unique and wonderfully tasty ways to enjoy it. Pumpkin is not only a fall or winter vegetable, but can be frozen or stored in a cold cellar environment for several months, in addition to the traditional canning. Please try these, enjoy and tell us what you think!
Here’s what could come out of your garden for this recipe – Pumpkin, Leeks, and Thyme!
Here’s what could come out of your garden for this recipe – Pumpkin, Onions, Chile, Cumin, and Chives!
Here’s what could come out of your garden for this recipe – Pumpkin, Onions, and Sage!
To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and distribute 3 sage leaves and 3 shallot halves into each bowl.
Heirloom Gardens From Seeds
Many of us have gotten used to eating the few select varieties of fruits and vegetables that are available in the grocery store. The grocery store produce is pretty, but it doesn’t taste like much.
Incredible, exceptional taste is the single biggest reason so many people are turning to heirloom vegetables. Once you experience the sheer depth of the flavor that any heirloom variety has compared to the supermarket one, you will always want more. You will find heirloom produce to be more flavorful as well as much higher in nutrients. You can eat a salad with no dressing because all the greens and veggies just taste so good. Many heirloom vegetables have been saved and selected for decades and sometimes even centuries because they are have the best flavor and production in home and small market gardens. Flavor is once again the biggest concern for small growers, as they don’t ship their produce farther than the local Farmers Market.
Recent studies have shown that the newer hybrid varieties that are developed to optimize production don’t have as much nutrition as their heirloom counterparts. So now, not only do the supermarket veggies have less taste, but they don’t nourish us as well. Heirlooms tend to be hardier so it is easier to grow organically without all the chemicals that the popular commercial produce has. So it is also cheaper in the long run to grow plants from heirloom seeds. Heirlooms tend to ripen at different rates, which spreads the production out, unlike hybrids that have been specifically developed to ripen all at once. This means that you have a longer season to enjoy the produce, instead of getting hammered with all of the crop at once.
Another benefit of heirlooms is they don’t have all of the development costs and research associated with hybrids, so the seeds themselves are usually less expensive. Some seed companies try to counter this cost basis by selling seed packets at a smaller charge, but you wind up getting a lot fewer seed- sometimes as few as 10-15! You can save seeds from heirlooms, replant them and they will adapt to your specific garden climate, becoming even more flavorful, nutritious and productive. This is a huge benefit, one that ties directly to how we have fed ourselves for the past 12,000- 15,000 years. Seeds saved from hybrids won’t grow the same plant, and genetically modified seeds either won’t regrow at all or you will face serious lawsuits for saving and replanting their seeds. Heirloom seeds offer many advantages over hybrid and genetically modified seeds.
New and unique heirloom seed collections available online now.
In response to our customers requests, we have just released our new and unique seed collections online at Underwood Gardens Heirloom Seed Collections. We have an initial 14 collections that are specially priced and carefully selected to make your growing experiences as easy and rewarding as possible. This makes it easy to explore a new area of gardening that you might be interested in, but aren’t ready to jump in fully. Almost all of our collections have a book with them to guide you through the process and help you make your decisions along the way.
These collections allow you to be extremely creative, not just in gardening but in creating gifts and useful everyday items as well. From crafting the perfect personalized homegrown herbal tea for your tea loving friend, making kitchen helpers out of gourds from your garden to creating a personally designed, grown and arranged dried flower bouquet for that special occasion when nothing else will quite do. These collections help you go far beyond what is available in any store, and in the process learn how to create a new and deeply satisfying gardening extension.
Home Seed Saving and Storage
Many people are attracted to heirloom seeds and gardening for the variety and flavor. Once they realize that heirlooms are open pollinated seeds that can be saved and replanted year after year, they often ask how to start saving their own seeds.
This is not hard, but there are some basics to understand first. With a little knowledge you will be able to make the choice to save seeds, or realize it’s not something you want to pursue at this point. Please realize that this is an only in introduction, as there are several excellent seed saving books on the subject if you want to learn more.
This is the same concern that humans have had since we started planting seeds some 10,000 – 12,000 years ago. There is some confusion as to how to keep seeds viable for a couple of years, as the news about seed banks and the high tech methods have created a false sense of need.
Temperature and humidity are the two main concerns in any seed storage setup. A place that is consistently cool and low humidity are what’s needed, as temperature fluctuations will shorten the life and viability of your seeds.
Your refrigerator or freezer is ideal; you won’t need a lot of room as seeds are usually small.
Short Term Storage
There are environmental concerns to be aware of such as ambient humidity and temperature. If you live in a high humidity environment you will need to take certain precautions, just as if you live in a high temperature area.
In many areas the refrigerator is fine, as long as you put the seeds towards the back and in an area that isn’t exposed to the temperature fluctuations of the door opening. The freezer answers the temperature fluctuations, as it is opened a lot less than the fridge door.
All seed banks freeze their seeds intended for long term storage! Humidity is a greater concern with freezing, as a blast of warm humid air on frozen seeds can damage them. If you live in a high humidity area, smaller packets of seeds for one years planting will be ideal, as the packet can be pulled from the larger seed storage without exposing the rest of the seeds to temperature/humidity fluctuations.
If you are saving seeds from a seed packet where you didn’t use all of the seeds, keep the packet and put it into a Ziploc baggie. Date the baggie and put it into a gallon sized Ziploc that has the date on it as well.
If you are saving seeds from harvest, put all of the info on the baggie- common name, scientific name, date, and any notes you want to remember next year when you pull it out.
This is the time to start a garden/seed journal as well, to document what you planted, what grew well, what challenges you had, bugs, disease, weather, etc. that you will forget in 3 or 4 years.
As with anything you will need to experiment and learn what works best for you and in your specific, unique situation. Some high humidity areas need to store their seeds in smaller quantities and pull the individual packets out of the storage container that are needed for that years planting, put them into another container in the back of the fridge to thaw out for a couple of days, then finally bring them out into the room to finish warming up.
Most areas aren’t nearly as exacting, with the seeds going from the freezer to a covered container on the counter for a couple of days to thaw and stabilize before being planted. One side note, some seeds will germinate better after freezing/refrigerating, as this imitates the natural winter season in the ground.
Longer Term Storage
Long term storage is similar to short term, but the freezer is almost always used, with chest freezers purchased specifically for seeds acting as miniature seed banks.
Only seeds are stored in the freezer and it is opened only a couple of times a year, so temperature swings are minimized. The freezer is usually run at about -15F. Most seeds will last a minimum of 5 years with certain hardy varieties lasting 20+ years!
This is obviously the domain of the serious seed saver. There are a lot of individuals that fall into this category, which surprises many people, who think that serious seed saving and seed banks are reserved for seed companies or government agencies.
Individual seed banks were common until the 1920’s, and are on the rise again. It makes a lot of sense to have a local or community seed bank, as the varieties saved are locally adapted and proven producers; poor performers simply aren’t saved. Local knowledge on what grows well is indispensable and is not possible to have at a company or government level except for possibly at the local level, as the time and interest is just not there.
Most seeds are intuitive to save, just let them dry on the vine/cob/pod and shell or separate the seeds from the husk/cob/pod and you’re done! Some, like tomatoes need a little more work, such as fermenting the gel coat off of the seeds, washing and then drying them.
Start with an easily processed seed to get the feel and see if this is something you want to do. Also, start with saving something that you like and are interested in eating again.
Be warned though, once you start it becomes a bit of an obsession as you realize that you are starting to take control of your food and the future of what you eat! It is a powerful and liberating feeling. You might even become a food rebel!
Cilantro Freezer Pickles
Freezer Pickles – Easy, Simple, yet Delicious
This is a recipe that Cindy has used for several years and is always devoured at picnics. A lot of people ask for the recipe because the flavor is so outstanding! By freezing instead of boiling the brine a lot of unique flavors come out, as well as the fresh cilantro. It is very easy to do in small or large batches. We have used cucumbers and German Beer radishes, but just about any hard skinned vegetable can be used.
Quick, easy, and absolutely delicious - these pickles will be the hit of your picnic, potluck, or dinner party! Freezing instead of boiling brings out flavors lost to the heat, as well as being the only way we've found of keeping the fresh summer cilantro flavor into the winter.
Wash and thinly slice cucumbers - do not peel, then thinly slice onions. There should be about 7 cups.
Toss cucumbers and onions in a large bowl with salt, mixing well to evenly distribute the salt. Let stand at room temperature for 2 - 3 hours, then drain excess liquid but do not rinse.
Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, mix well and pour over vegetables, stirring well to mix. Refrigerate for 8 - 10 hours or overnight.
Pack the vegetables and brine in freezer-proof rigid containers and freeze. We like to use pint jars - they are the perfect size for a picnic or family BBQ. Make sure to leave about 1 inch of headspace to allow for expansion so the jars don't break.
When packing the vegetables, make sure the brine completely covers them to prevent freezer burn and ensure the best flavors.
Freeze for a minimum of 2 weeks to allow the flavors to mature and mingle.
To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and enjoy!
Be prepared to make an immediate, larger second batch!
Use a Cuisinart or other kitchen appliance to slice the vegetables and reduce your prep time to a few minutes!
We've successfully used this recipe with large radishes, cucumbers of all kinds, and yellow beets. Almost any sturdy vegetable - root or otherwise - will pickle beautifully with this recipe.
Making Cilantro Freezer Pickles
Thinly slice your vegetables – we use a Cuisinart or other type of kitchen slicing appliance – making this a 2-minute process!The photos are of two different recipes we did – one with white onions and the other with red ones.
Sliced Cilantro Freezer Pickles
Once your vegetables are sliced, brine them by adding salt to the vegetables and stirring them thoroughly to mix the salt in well. Let sit for a couple of hours – the exact time isn’t important, so don’t worry if it’s 3 hours, they will taste great! Strain out excess moisture from the vegetables, but don’t rinse – you need the salt for flavor and the pickling process.
Next, start the pickling process by mixing the herbs, sugar, and vinegar in a separate bowl, then pour over the brined vegetables. This starts the pickling process.
Pickling Cilantro Freezer Pickles
After refrigerating them overnight, pack yournewly-pickled vegetables into jars or freezer-proof containers. We use pint-sized Mason jars, which are just enough for a family picnic or supper or a BBQ. If there is a larger crowd, we’ll take two.
Packed Cilantro Freezer Pickles
Leave enough room for the pickles to expand without breaking the jars – about 1 inch, and make sure to cover the vegetables with brine for the best flavor and to prevent freezer burn.
Let the flavors mature and mingle for at least 2 weeks before serving. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and serve cold.
About Eggplant…
I’ve never liked eggplant. The taste was bitter but past that, remarkably bland with a similar texture. Not that exciting.
So I decided to grow some this year. This is something I recommend against to my customers- “Grow what you like to eat” is what I advise.
My reasons for growing something that I don’t like are simple; I also don’t like supermarket tomatoes, yet love the ones that I grow. I wanted to try one eggplant to see if it was different than what I had tasted before. It’s the supermarket vs. homegrown argument on a different level. Supermarket tomatoes are merely tasteless, whereas eggplant is unpleasant to me.
The first eggplant of the season was ready yesterday. A medium gorgeously purple beauty, surprisingly light in weight. I pulled the cookbooks out to see what made sense to try that would showcase the flavor of the eggplant and didn’t require the oven on for an hour, or at all. Marcella Hazan came to the rescue once again. She is an incredible chef and writer of the lesser known Italian cooking that most of us have never experienced. You get the recipe, and the reasons for the actions taken in the cooking and why to not shortcut the steps. Flavors are described in detail and reasons behind the techniques are given, something I’ve rarely seen. The stories behind each recipe are compelling as well, something I love from the heirloom seeds.
The recipe I tried is Eggplant Sauce with Bell Pepper, Tomato and Basil. I’ll give it to you at the end. The freshly sliced eggplant was not bitter, but had a slightly sweet flavor that compounded the smell of the fresh eggplant. I salted it according to the directions, which made it sweeter. I chose this recipe as it used more fresh ingredients from our garden. I’ve got some wonderfulGenovese Basil that has an incredible aroma and holds up in cooking. I don’t have the bell peppers or tomatoes yet, so will try it again when another eggplant is ripe.
The overall character is complex and slightly spicy with many individual flavors that come through, yet is in harmony as no single flavor overpowers another. Italian flavor at it’s finest! The flavors are not overbearing, as most common American Italian cooking has become, but are lively and pleasing. This is a lighter dish, perfect for summer cooking, and can be done outside on a grill if one is experienced at outdoor cooking, not just barbecuing. This is a dish I would prep ahead of time to do trail side at the end of a long day exploring the backcountry of Arizona or the Southwest. It’s not hard, but attention and patience are needed to bring the flavors out! The small investment of time is well worth it.
Here’s the recipe:
1 1/2 lbs eggplant
Salt
1 ripe bell pepper (yellow is best, but make sure it’s ripe)
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves sliced very thin
1/8 Tsp crushed red pepper or to taste
2 Tbs Italian flat leaf parsley- whole leaves, not chopped
1/3 Cup thinly sliced onion
1 Cup ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped. Canned Italian tomatoes will work.
1/3 Cup dry white wine
6 small basil leaves or 4 large ones, torn not cut into small pieces
6 green olives in brine, quartered
1 1/2 Tbs capers
1 Lb box dry pasta, penne is good choice
Slice eggplant in half. If seeds are dark, or if there a lot of seeds, scoop seeds out. Cut eggplant into 1 inch squares, put into colander rinse in cold water. Salt and let set for 45 minutes. This brings out the bitter liquid if there is any. Rinse again afterwards.
Split bell pepper in half, scoop out seeds and pith, then peel skin with swivel peeler. This removes the bitterness in the skin once cooked. Cut into thin strips.
Warm 3 Tbs olive oil in 10 inch skillet, then add garlic and chili pepper. Increase heat to medium, no more. Stir often just until garlic scent rises, no more.
Add whole parsley leaves. Careful, they will pop and sputter for a couple of seconds. Stir a couple of times, add onion and turn heat to low. Cook slowly until onion is soft. This increases the flavor by cooking slowly, and the garlic flavor is not entirely lost.
Add pepper strips, some salt and cook until pepper starts to be tender. Stir occasionally. You should have some liquid starting to build in the bottom of the pan.
Add eggplant, tomatoes, wine, basil, olives and capers. Stir several times to mix well. Slowly simmer with lid on for 40 minutes, watching liquid level. It should slowly decrease, and have almost no liquid at the end. Add a small amount if it looks dry. Stir occasionally during the simmer. Crack lid if too much liquid is remaining about 15 minutes before the end, or when you put the pasta water on.
Time cooking the pasta so its done just before the sauce, about 7-10 minutes. Toss pasta with sauce, adding 1 more Tbs olive oil and serve hot. Cheese is really not needed, but you can add a small amount of pecorino if you want. Don’t drown the delicate sauce in cheese!
Enjoy and let me know what you think! Please leave a comment!
Heirloom Red Russian Kale Recipes
Restaurant-Style Zuppa Toscana
Based on a popular restaurant starter soup.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch
slices.
heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set
aside. Note- You can saute the kale at this step for extra richness in its flavor!
soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Note- This is where I prefer to add my kale! Russian kale will take the simmer without losing its texture and flavor.
Stir-Fried Kale and Broccoli Florets
Good for an unusual side dish. Can be used for a light fall lunch or dinner starter.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Pork Tenderloin with Steamed Kale
Amazing showcase of pork and kale. For extra flavor, marinate the tenderloin for a couple of hours, up to overnight.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
There is some starters for what to do with kale. There are a lot of great bean/sausage/kale recipes that will keep you warm this fall and winter. Please let me know what you think, and share your experiences.
Happy eating!
How to Store Your Seeds for Next Year
We get a lot of questions on how to save seeds. Most of them are general seed saving questions, but most boil down to how to save seeds for the next year. Most of the seed packets have more seeds than will be used in one year, and most seeds are good for several years in proper storage conditions.
We get a chuckle from the e-bay seed sellers and survivalist stores that proclaim their seeds are nitrogen flushed, vacuum packed in tin cans or aluminum foil pouches, and are good for 5 or 10 years.
That’s great, but if the seeds are tossed out in the unheated/uncooled garage for 3+ years- guess what?
They’re DEAD!
The temperature/humidity fluctuations shortens the life of the stored seeds drastically. Seeds are the plant’s mechanism for propagation and survival. They have evolved to survive for a short time- e.g. a winter or two- in the ground until the optimum conditions arrive to sprout.
For almost all domesticated varieties that are used for food, the optimum conditions mean next spring. There definitely are seeds that will last longer, but most are non-food plants. Throughout history people would collect and save seeds for the next year or two and have kept plant varieties alive for thousands of years.
The best way to save seeds for future plantings are to keep the seeds in the original seed packets; that way you know where they came from, the name, planting instructions, etc. Then put them in clear Ziplock sandwich baggies with the date on the baggie.
This way you know when you started storing them.
Put all of the baggies in a gallon Ziplock and put it into the freezer.
“But won’t that hurt the seeds?”, people ask. Not at all!
This is why the Vavilov Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia uses liquid nitrogen to freeze seeds for a long time. This is also why the “Doomsday Vault” in Svalbard, Norway is located above the Arctic Circle and dug into the side of a mountain and several hundred feet down, to keep the vault below zero if the cooling system fails.
Your freezer is cold and has low humidity. You probably don’t go into the freezer several times a day like the refrigerator. Each time you open/shut the door, the outside air comes in, raising the temperature and humidity.
This isn’t good for your seeds if they are in the fridge. The freezer is more stable. Please understand the fridge is better than the garage or basement, but the freezer is even better, and you probably have space!
When time comes for planting next spring, take out the packets you will use, take out the seeds you will plant if there are a lot left, and put the bag back into the Ziplock and into the freezer. Let the seed to be planted come to room temperature before planting into the soil.
There are exceptions, of course. Onion seeds are good for 1 year, no more, no matter the method of keeping. Garlic only grows from the bulb or clove, freezing kills it.
There are some other varieties that have a short life in storage, but don’t get too caught up in that. If you plant each year, you will be fine.
When you start to save your own seed, the same procedure applies- just be sure the seed is DRY, or else the freeze will expand any moisture in the seed and destroy it.
Label the bag with the name, date harvested, date stored and freeze it.
If you get into seed saving, or want a lot more information on the methods and details for each variety of vegetable, Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth is a wonderful book. It is not light reading, but if treated like a reference book or text book, you’ll do just fine.
Raised Garden Beds at Underwood Gardens
We are finishing up our raised bed garden, and wanted to show you what we have been working on. The raised beds will be both production garden for our family, and a test garden for the seed business. Our garden is 35 x 70 feet; smaller than some, larger than others. There are several projects that we are working on that we will keep you up to date on with the blog, so check back often!
Today is an overview of the gardens, our climate and challenges that we face, as well as an introduction of some of the projects that we are working on.
We are at 5000 feet elevation, with 4 full seasons, and are located between Phoenix and Flagstaff, so we avoid the temperature extremes of both places. Our temperatures range from 110 to 20 degrees F. We are in a high desert environment with about 12 inches of rain annually. The soil here is good, but needs organic matter worked into it to be productive. Arizona has a lot of microclimates, as does most areas of the US that have hills and elevation changes, so this presents unique challenges to growing depending on where you live.
Some of our challenges include the wind, heat and dry climate. These combine to dry out a garden severely unless measures are taken. Wind protection, drip irrigation and lots of mulch are some of the things we do to keep moisture where we need it. Even with our challenges, we can grow a ton of food, and so can you!
Let’s take a look-
This South facing shot shows the raised beds, the blue wind break on the fence and the wood chips in the walkway. Over the fence in the background is the native grassland. There is weed cloth under the wood chips; this gives a good walking surface that keeps the weeds out! We are moving worms into each bed to help build soil and keep the beds aerated and healthy.
Here is a photo of the worm bed. We haven’t put the weed cloth and chips in the walkway yet, but the weed cloth under the bed is visible. This is where we will have lots of worms, in addition to charcoal, coffee grounds, and horse manure compost. The worms love coffee grounds, which also retain a lot of moisture to help jump start the soil building process. The white PVC piping is the drip manifold with the shut off valves and the garden hose that connects each bed to the next. The charcoal is visible under the drip tape. It acts as condos for the micro-organisms that live in healthy soil. The humus-like soil will be used to amend or top-dress the other growing beds in the fall and spring. Once we have enough, we can use the excess humus as another product to sell locally. We will keep you updated on the progress.
This should give a good overview of what we are doing and where we are going. We will give more detailed info in the next few posts, so stay tuned!
Please don’t think that this level of gardening is required to be successful, it’s not! A lot smaller garden can be just as productive on a smaller scale- all the way down to 2×2 feet… The most important thing is to just get started! We will go over options on sizes in future blogs. As always, if you have questions or comments, please leave them on the comments section, or call us at 888-878-5247!
HTML Styles
Image aligned left & right
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.rum.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Read more