My hopes go up and down and up again! A year ago, a group of citizens got together to answer the question: how can we reduce waste in St. John’s? Composting was one of the answers. In June 2019, the province launched a consultation about solid waste management. This was part of a comprehensive review, the first since the strategy was released in 2002. The consultation included meetings with management authorities across the province, feedback from various forums, an online qu

Thanks to Petra at Fruition Seeds in New York state and her crew of young gardeners dedicated to community and organic seeds, we are sharing these tips on easy to grow greens for your garden or farm. This post is adapted from a recent email we received from them. You can find their seeds online at fruitionseeds.com. Spinach So cold-hardy and so succulent, we cannot imagine life without spinach. Fruition shares organic seeds impressively adapted to our short seasons, often ove

This article, from the March issue of GardenMaking online news, has valuable information about coneflower, known by its scientific name, Echinacea, a common healing herb recognized for its immune boosting powers. It comes in a range of varieties and is easy to grow. Purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) and their cultivars are exceedingly popular perennials. They’re easy to grow, relatively hardy, pest-free, drought-tolerant and provide a source of nectar and pollen for in

Hydroponics is the practice of growing edible and non-edible plants without the use of soil as a growing medium. Traditionally, hydroponics utilizes a fully recirculating system, in which nutrient-laden water is kept in a ‘source’ water tank, that is either hand mixed or mixed by automated, computerized systems that also keep pH at a targeted ideal level. The ‘source’ water is then pumped from the tank into hydroponic structures where the plants here held, then it drains and

Dr. Michael Tipple and Dennis Mahoney are establishing a new apple orchard in Corner Brook on private property and Crown land. Crooked Tree Orchard on Bonavista Bay is another new site where growers are hoping to produce fruit for local consumption. Read the article HERE.

Based in Corner Brook, the Western Environment Centre is partnering with the city of Corner Brook to create community gardens and is now focused on composting of household kitchen and garden waste. Read more HERE.

While travelling in Tuscany in 2008, our family had a wonderful time, staying in apartments and agritourism sites. After several days in Firenze, a side trip to Venezia and a lovely week in a house on the island of Elbe, looking out over the Mediterranean, we arrived at Fattorio di Fubbiano, an organic winery and olive oil plantation in the hills east of Lucca. The vineyards on this hillside were a favourite of the Roman emperors. The grapevines stretch out over acres, along

In this comprehensive online article, Ame Vanorio of Morning Chores outlines all the basics you will need to grow peppers. Although the varieties she mentions may not be as well adapted to northern, short season, growing, she provides the basic steps and knowledge you will need. Read the article HERE.

Dame Judi Dench, the esteemed British actress, has a deep love for trees. In this hour long BBC documentary, she explores the secret life of trees and our relationship with them.

In this video, Doug and Stacy, off-grid homesteaders in the US, demonstrate how they create sweet potato slips for planting, sprouting them in water then planting them out.