Its almost Springtime. Gardening Time

  Regenerative agriculture is a holistic land management philosophy that rehabilitates ecosystem functions by focusing on soil health, biodiversity, and water quality. Unlike sustainable farming, which aims to maintain the status quo, this approach actively reverses degradation, increases carbon sequestration, reduces synthetic inputs, and strengthens climate resilience. Restoring humus to the soil .  One of the best and fastest ways to restore carbon to the soil where it belongs is to let the plants and animals that put it there in the first place, put it back. Humus is the foundation of the soil food web. Key Principles and Practices Minimal Soil Disturbance:  Reducing or eliminating tillage to prevent erosion and preserve soil structure. Cover Cropping & Living Roots:  Keeping the soil covered year-round to protect it and maintain a living root system, which feeds soil biology. Diversity: Restoring Carbon into the soil. The r...

    I used to work on some farms in the Great Northwest in the spring back in the late 70s and early eighties. The Farms almost all did the chemical style of agriculture back then. Oregon and Washington were always beautiful and green back then. Always cool and moist in the spring. Now in the early 2020s, the temperatures reach one hundred degrees or more in many springs and summers. I do believe it is going to take some very serious improvements to the way we utilize water in North America to reverse Global warming. In the early 80s, I got an invitation to a conference at Whidbey Island. It is in the Straits of Juan De Fuca area of Puget Sound. I have no idea how they got my address, but I was going up to that part of the country anyway that spring. There was an Aussie named Bill Mol l i son there. He was the founder of the Permaculture style   of agriculture in the western world. He said that he had learned much from the Aboriginal People of Tasmania. He talked about t...

       When I was young my mother and my grandmother used to make a dish from stuff that grew in the yard.  I was a budding gardener. I thought the things that they made were just regular food. They were in the traditions of my mom's family. In the desert Southwest the Native first nations and Spanish people used plants that are now considered weeds in the local diets. One was called Verdolaga, which is known as Purslane in English. It was usually lightly sauteed with onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Sometimes with hot chili put in while cooking. Usually, the Chili was on the side as another side dish. Served with beans, cheese, and tortillas.      Another local "Weed" was Lambs-quarters, Cuartos de Cordero in Spanish. Also called Wild Spinach by many people, it is quite nutritious. Prepared much the same as the Purslane. I use them still, usually only once or twice in the spring while still very tender. One of my favorites is in an omelet. Lightl...

 On of the most important people in modern agriculture, and author of ' The One Straw Revolution " by Masanobu Fukuoka. Well worth reading, very good story and short. Only about 140 pages. Some of his methods were adopted and perfected or changed to be used by permaculture practitioners. This from Wikipedia Fukuoka re-invented and advanced the use of clay seed balls. Clay seed balls were originally an ancient practice in which seeds for the next season's crops are mixed together, sometimes with humus or compost for microbial inoculants , and then are rolled within clay to form into small balls. This method is now commonly used in guerilla gardening to rapidly seed restricted or private areas.  This is an excellent way to reseed areas that have been degraded by drought and desertification, commercial and chemical agriculture or global warming. Areas can be reseeded while dry, and the clay seedball will protect the seeds from birds or other animals that might eat the...

    Over the next few months, we will be publishing the information and research from the book. Imagine Your Best Garden Yet, Seven Simple Ideas. The Ebook is here. Check it out on Amazon.    We will be publishing a book on the problems around agriculture and the climate, and other climate solutions next.   Regenerative agriculture returns more carbon into the soil in stable forms that will also help grow more quality food. This will help to heal the planet and the people. Small farms and traditional forms of agriculture use fewer fossil inputs. Make the earth a better place and a better environment. Soil has many insects and billions of healthy bacteria and fungi. In regenerative and organic agriculture, real organic removes more carbon from the air than it puts out. Listen to the short clip in the above link When I was young there was a local dairy, a local slaughterhouse, and local chicken houses. The “Green” revolution was just starting to really ...

  Imagine Having Your best Garden Yet, Seven Simple Ideas By Bill Bradshaw For My Grandmother, My Kids and My Big Sister. Kristal Breeze Knight, And Professor Potato. Table of Contents Seven Simple Ideas 1. Triple mix 2. Compost 3. Animal Manure 4. Teas. Manure teas or Compost tea. 5. Mycorrhizal fungi, and other good bacteria. 6. Pest Control 7. Timing 8. Minerals and other Extra tips. Bonus Ideas. Introduction. Gardening is fun, or at least it should be. Doing things in the garden that offer a reward in eighty, or one hundred days might seem like a long way away. If you are not inspired to wait that long. Start...