Asian Jumping Worms are a relatively new invasive species of earthworm, that can wreak havoc on your yard and garden, and forest ecosystems, by stopping plants growth and degrading the soil. They are rapidly spreading across the United States. Asian jumping worms are smooth, glossy gray or brown and 1.5 to 8 inches long. The clitellum (the band around the body [...]
I live with my wife, Margo, and two kids just outside of Duluth, MN near Lake Superior (Zone 4a). We've been here since 2020 and have lived in Duluth for the last 6 years, before that we were in northern Arizona. Growing up my parents always had a summer garden and while in college (about 2007) I was inspired to [...]
We started using the biodynamic preparations over twenty-five years ago when we began farming. What began as a practice that “seems a bit far-fetched, but we will see what happens” quickly became a magical process from which we continue to see results. As farmers we have limited time and many things to do. Adding a “Woo Woo” element that sounds interesting, but lacks [...]
In our last newsletter we shared our Seed Starting/Potting Mix recipe. We have been asked to share it again. So here it is! 1. Mix thoroughly and hydrate so that it is moist, but not muddy: 5 gallons of cow manure and bedding compost finely screened* 5 gallons of leaf litter compost finely screened* 5 gallons of sphagnum peat moss finely [...]
In his book, Hannah Coulter, Wendell Berry describes how neighboring farmers helped each other do all sorts of tasks in post-World War II Kentucky. Bringing in tobacco, hay and other crops from the fields was labor intensive work that needed to be done in timely ways or the crop could be lost. Yes, some help was paid, while other help [...]
What could be better than a community of friends working and playing together? We are so incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by a group of “old” (and new) friends. Yes many of us are getting physically old and we have known each other for a long time, some for nearly forty years. What has kept us together? I think, perhaps [...]
The land just behind our garden and barn belongs to a neighbor. He informed us recently that he was planning to harvest the large white pine trees from that lot. I had mixed feelings. A clear cut is always jarring especially for the animals and trees; but this cut would bring much needed sun to our barnyard in winter and [...]
It occurred to me this morning, as I was practicing yoga and thinking about biodynamic practices that they have much in common. Like yoga, biodynamic methods bring health to our bodies by healing the Earth. They help ensure healthy plants and animals that provide superior nutrition. But that is just the beginning of a rather deep analogy. Yoga depends on [...]
