9 Crops to Grow for Food Storage

We all began growing our own food with a small, weed filled garden. The first year, we grew a few herbs and some vegetables for fresh eating during the summer. The following year, came the extras to preserve tomato sauce, salsa, carrots, and string beans. Do you remember organizing the jars on shelves in the basement, taking a step back, and feeling such a sense of pride? Now what else can we could grow to get us through until the garden produced again?

Do you have a basement that is unheated and stays between 40-50˚F all winter? Ready to experimented with crops that can be stored in baskets, on shelves, or in buckets of damp sand without dehydrating, freezing, or canning?

Onions/Shallots:

Choose onion or shallot varieties that are known for their long-term storage capabilities. Since different varieties are triggered to bulb by day-length, also be sure to select varieties for your growing area. My favorite onions to grow for long-term storage are Copra, Stuttgarter, and Redwing.

In northern climates, onions are planted in early spring. Allow onions to mature fully to ensure the greatest storage capability. Onions are finished growing when the tops flop over, and the foliage begins to turn yellow. Harvest the onions on a dry day taking care not to damage or bruise the bulbs. Cure the onions by spreading them out in a single layer in a dark, cool, and dry location with good airflow. Allow onions to cure for several weeks or until the tops are completely dry and no green is visible when trimming the foliage. Once cured, trim tops to 1-inch and store loosely in baskets or mesh bags in a cool, dark, and dry location for winter. Check the onions every few weeks and remove any that develop soft areas. Different varieties and storage conditions will affect how long they last. Our onions usually last until April before they begin to get soft and sprout. Also see: How to Grow Onions From Seed and How to Harden Off Seedlings.

Garlic:

Select varieties that grow well in your area. Softneck varieties have a reputation for storing well and are suited for growing in mild climates. Hardneck varieties are more suited for areas with cold winters.

Garlic is planted in the fall, harvested the following summer, and cured before storing. Curing allows the layers to dry out forming a protective cover around the bulb. Store cured garlic loosely in baskets or mesh bags in a cool, dark, and dry location. Sort through the garlic every now and then and pull out any bulbs that feel soft. Different strains and varieties of garlic have different storage lives; ours usually last until April before it begins to sprout. Also see: Planting Garlic in the Fall Garden and Harvesting, Curing, and Storing Garlic for more detailed information. 

Rutabagas:

Rutabagas are a long-season crop that requires at least 90 days to mature. Sow seeds three months before your first expected fall frost (look up yours here). Depending on the variety, thin seedlings to 6 to 12 inches apart so the roots have room to expand. Variety to consider: American Purple Top.

Rutabagas can withstand light frosts but harvest before a hard freeze. Harvest gently and trim tops and tap root to 1-inch. Brush off loose soil, but do not wash. Store rutabagas in buckets or totes packed with damp sand or sawdust. Ideal storage condition for rutabagas is at a temperature of 32- 35˚F and 90% humidity. They shrivel easily, so check sand frequently and re-moisten if needed. Under these conditions, rutabagas usually last 2 to 4 months in storage.


Celeriac:

Celeriac, also known as Celery Root is a long season crop that needs 90 to 120 days to reach harvest. Seeds are sown early indoors under lights 10 to 12 weeks before the average last frost date and transplanted hardened off seedlings to the garden about two weeks before your last frost date. Celeriac has similar growing requirements as it’s cousin, celery and needs lots of water. Self-watering containers are ideal for growing celeriac.

Celeriac can tolerate light frosts but harvest before a hard freeze. Harvest and trim tops and gnarly roots to 1-inch. Shake off loose soil, but do not wash. Store celeriac in buckets or totes packed with damp sand or sawdust. Ideal storage condition is at a temperature of 32- 40˚F and 90% humidity. They shrivel easily, so check sand frequently and re-moisten if needed. Under these conditions, celeriac usually last 2 to 4 months in storage.

Carrots

Choose carrot varieties that are known for their long-term storage capabilities. Start seeds late in the season so the carrots are mature by frost. Varieties to consider: Chantenay, Imperator, and Danvers.

Carrots can be left in the ground though light frosts, but dig before the ground freezes for longer storage potential. Trim foliage, brush off excess soil, and sort by size. Larger carrots seem to last longer in storage. Layer the carrots in sand or sawdust in a box or tote beginning with the largest ones on the bottom so you can use up the smaller ones first. Ideal storage condition is at a temperature of 32- 35˚F and 90% humidity. Under these conditions, carrots can last 4 to 6 months in storage. Homemade Seed Mats make sowing carrot seeds easy.

Parsnip:

Parsnips require a full season of growth. Sow in early spring and keep moist until seeds germinate, which could take up to 3 weeks. Depending on the variety, thin seedlings to 2 to 4 inches apart so the roots have room to expand. Variety to consider: All American.

Parsnips should be left in the ground until frost to sweeten the flavor, but dig before the ground complete freezes. Trim foliage, brush off excess soil, and sort by size. Layer the parsnips in sand or sawdust in a box or tote beginning with the largest ones on the bottom so you can use up the smaller ones first. Ideal storage condition is at a temperature of 32- 35˚F and 90% humidity. Under these conditions, parsnips can last 3 to 5 months in storage.

Potatoes:

Select late season potato varieties that are known for their winter storage capabilities such as Yukon Gold, Katahdin, and Kennebec. Plant potato seeds according to your chosen potato planting method. Once the foliage has withered and the plants have finished growing, allow the potatoes to remain in the soil until the end of the season. This allows the skins to thicken up a bit to resist scratching when harvesting. Dig the storage crop of potatoes before the ground freezes. Choose a warm, dry day after a period of little or no rain. Read more on how to cure and store potatoes: 5 Steps to Storing Potatoes for Winter.

Winter Squash/Pumpkin:

Plant winter squash and pumpkin in the spring after all danger of frost is past. Harvest ripe squash at the end of the season before frost and cure before storing. Usually by the end of summer, the squash vines have shriveled and died, and I leave the mature squash in the garden to field cure. Alternately, you can harvest squash by cutting the vine and leaving a 1-inch stem. The stem helps prevent rot when you are keeping winter squash in storage. Do not carry the squash by the stem because it can break off reducing the storage quality of the fruit. Cure at 80 to 85˚F for about 10 days. Curing allows the squash’s skin to thicken and form a protective barrier.

Store cured squashes in an area that is dry, cool, and receives good air circulation. Ideal storage condition for winter squash and pumpkins is at a temperature of 50-55°F and 50-70% humidity. I store mine on wire shelves near the basement stairs because it remains a little warmer than the rest of the basement. Most winter squash and will keep for several months in storage. Some, such as Butternut and Blue Hubbard can last up to 6 months.

Dried Beans

Select bean varieties suitable for drying and plant in early spring after all danger of frost is past. There are so many different varieties of dried beans to choose from that mature in under 100 days.

Allow the beans to dry on the vine and harvest in early October before frost. Spread the pods out in a single layer and allow them to dry completely before shelling. To test the beans, hit them with a hammer and the bean should shatter. Shell and store in jars in a dark and cool area. Dried beans will easily last up to a year in storage.

Tips for Successful Food Storage

• Experiment with different crops to see what works for your storage conditions.
• Seek out varieties that are known to last longer in storage.
• Grow more than you think you will need to allow for some spoilage.
• Harvest crops at the prime. Time your plantings so they mature at the end of your growing season.
• Store mature and unblemished crops with no cuts, nicks, or bruises.

If you have a root cellar or cool basement consider experimenting with growing some of these crops for winter food storage.

reprinted in part from http://growagoodlife.com/

5 Urban Farming Laws That Need to Change—Now!

These city ordinances might sound ridiculous to urban farmers' ears, but they’re causing huge problems for city-based food producers.
By Jodi Helmer

Originally posted on http://www.urbanfarmonline.com/.  The best source online for everything on Urban Farming.

Laws matter. In farming, ordinances are designed to help protect livestock, keep peace with the neighbors and safeguard the environment—but sometimes, urban farming laws just don’t make sense.

It’s easy to feel outraged over these ordinances—and tempting to ignore the laws altogether—but joining other urban farmers to address the issues and working with government officials to change these laws can help benefit all urban farmers and the shoppers who support them.

Here’s a collection of urban-farming laws we find utterly ridiculous and what you can do about it.

1. Edible Gardens Banned
There are countless news stories about urban farmers who are forced to tear out their edible gardens because their carrots, lettuce and tomatoes are (gasp!) growing in the front yard.

A New York Times article noted that gardeners in several cities, including Tulsa, Okla., Ferguson, Mo.; Oak Park, Mich.; and Orlando, Fla. have been ordered to remove vegetable gardens from their front yards. The issue? Aesthetics. Many municipalities have by-laws that legislate landscape choices, which city officials believe help protect property values.

Several urban farmers have fought the veggie bans and won. In Orlando, for example, Jason and Jennifer Helvenston faced fines of $500 per day for their front-yard vegetable garden. The couple fought back and, in November 2013, the City Council amended the ordinance to allow vegetable gardens in the front yard.

2. Composting Prohibited
For most urban farmers, tossing vegetable scraps or expired plants on the compost pile is second nature (and the nutrient-rich compost is an essential—and free—soil amendment), but in some cities, composting is illegal.

Concerns about rodents led Baltimore County, Md., to enact a code that, "[P]rohibits composting of food scraps in compost piles or bins.” To dispose of food scraps, the county suggests indoor vermicomposting or burying food scraps.

Most anti-composting regulations are less strict. In Chicago, for example, zoning laws allow urban farmers to compost materials generated onsite (collecting food scraps from local restaurants or the neighbors is prohibited) as long as the amount of compost on the farm doesn’t exceed 25 cubic yards.

3. Illegal Rainwater Collection
Thanks to a growing awareness of the importance of conservation, most cities allow, even encourage, gardeners and urban farmers to direct downspouts toward landscaped areas to prevent runoff and minimize irrigation demands. But in some places, like Colorado, urban farmers who collect rainwater could be fined. In other words, rain barrels and cisterns—tools urban farmers depend on to survive drought—are banned.

According to the Colorado Division of Water Resources, "[U]nless you own a specific type of exempt well permit, you cannot collect rainwater in any other manner, such as storage in a cistern or tank, for later use.”

A pilot project is underway to assess the benefits of capturing rainwater in new real estate developments. If the project is successful, it could help pave the way for urban farmers to legally collect rainwater.

4. Produce Sales Prohibited
It might be legal to grow cucumbers, corn, okra, tomatoes and other vegetables on urban farms, but some farmers are subject to laws prohibiting them from selling produce on the farm.

The law allows urban farmers in Muskegon, Mich., to grow food but not sell their harvests. City Council is reviewing proposals to change the law; proposed changes could include permitting urban farmers to sell at farmers' markets, restaurants, retailers and institutions.

In Sacramento, Calif., residents can raise chickens and grow vegetables in their front yards, but a 2014 meeting of the city’s planning and design commission put forth a proposal that would limit produce sales to places where agriculture was the "primary use.” In other words, farmers growing produce at churches, schools or at their homes—anywhere outside of a zoned agricultural area—would need a permit to sell their bounty.

5. Forbidden Chickens
Ordinances banning chickens are among the most controversial (and common) urban farming laws. Some lawmakers argue that chickens attract predators and rodents; neighbors fear the birds will be too noisy or cause a "fowl” odor.

There are no official statistics about the number of municipalities that ban backyard chickens but the list includes Ocean Township, N.J., and Ontario, Calif.

While a growing number of cities are open to hearing arguments to reverse chicken-keeping bans, in Dec. 2014, the Tecumseh City Council in Tecumseh, Mich., in a 5-2 vote, enacted to ban residents from keeping chickens. One article quoted a councilman saying, "I grew up on a farm. I moved to the city to get away from chickens.”

In Michigan, lawmakers overturned "Right to Farm” protection in early 2014; the ruling by the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development removes all protections for urban farmers and homeowners who keep livestock, including chickens.

If you’re subject to similar laws restricting your ability to grow food and operate a successful urban farm, attend city council meetings and contact local lawmakers to fight for changes to the laws and contact the media and use social media channels to raise awareness of the issues. As Eckhart Tolle says, "When you speak out, you are in power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out…”

About the Author: Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

Identifying nutrient deficiency in plants

Each of the mineral elements required by plants has its own set of deficiency signs and symptoms. Many of the signs are similar in appearance, but others are very distinct. The list below describes some of the symptoms which each of the nutrient deficiencies may cause (these may vary slightly between different plant species and depending on how severe the deficiency is):

Deficiency Symptoms

Nitrogen (N)
Plants are short; leaves tend to be pale green-yellow in color, especially on the older foliage. On tomato plants, the undersides of the leaves and stems can develop a purple colorization.

Phosphorus (P)
Plants are usually stunted and a dark green color. Symptoms occur on the older leaves first and plant maturity is often delayed. Phosphorus deficiency in some plant can be due to conditions being to cold for the uptake of this nutrient.

Potassium (K)
The older leaves become yellowed with scattered dark brown or black spots. Severe deficiency will stunt the plant and all foliage will become yellowed and curled. On lettuce, the leaves may take on a yellowed, bronzed appearance starting on the older foliage.

Sulfur (S)
There may be a yellowing of the leaves, first seen on new growth.

Magnesium (Mg)
Deficiency is common on tomato crops with the older leaves developing yellowed areas between the veins.

Calcium (Ca)
Young leaves are affected before older leaves and become distorted, small in size with spotted or dead areas. Bud development is inhibited and root tips may die. Blossom end rot on tomatoes is also caused by a deficiency of calcium within the fruit tissue and is more of a ‘calcium transport’ problem within the plant.

Iron (Fe)
Deficiency shows as a distinct yellowing between the leaf veins which stay green, on the new growth and younger leaves (this distinguishes it from magnesium deficiency which shows first on the older leaves). On crops such as tomatoes, iron deficiency may show when conditions are to cold for uptake, rather than be caused be an actual deficiency in solution.

Chlorine (Cl)
Deficiency shows as wilted leaves which then become yellowed and eventually turning a bronze color. Roots become stunted and thickened near the tips.

Manganese (Mn)
Initially, an interveinal yellowing on the younger or older leaves, depending on the plant types. Brown, dry areas may develop and leaves may fall off.

Boron (B)
Plant size is usually reduced; the growing point may die back. Root tips often become swollen and discolored. Leaves eventually become thickened, brittle and may be curled with yellow spotting.

Zinc (Zn)
Short plants with a reduction in inter-nodes length and leaf size. Leaf edges may be distorted or puckered and yellowing between the leaf veins may also develop.

Copper (Cu)
Deficiency is rare, but young leaves may become dark green and twisted or misshapen, often with brown, dry spots.

Molybdenum (Mo)
Older leaves develop interveinal yellowing, progressing to the younger leaves. Leaf edges may develop scorching or cupping of the leaves.

Nickel (Ni)
Nickel deficiency symptoms are not well established, although Nickel poor seeds show poor germination and vigor. Low nickel in leaves may result in leaf burn due to an inability by the plant to process the nickel.

Sodium (Na)
Sodium can interfere with the utilization of potassium, calcium and magnesium. Insuring an adequate supply of potassium will help offset the toxic effects of this element. When sodium accumulates in leaves, it causes the tip of the leaves to die and a yellowing or whitening of a plant’s leaves and stems occurs due to a lack of chlorophyll particularly on new growth.

by Karen McCarroll on 13 July 2011

About Karen McCarroll
Karen has been involved in the event Industry for over 9 years working as an event co-coordinator for various travel related companies. She also owned & managed her own event management company, from 2006 -2009 which taught her business as well as people skills. In 2009, she was approached by a friend to be involved in hydroponic farming & subsequently moved to Stanford, Hermanus to set up a fully functional hydroponic farm growing tomatoes, red & yellow peppers, cucumbers & beans. Her passion for hydroponics has grown over the last two years & her desire is to own her own hydroponic farm & to become self-sufficient.

View all posts by Karen McCarroll 

Reprinted from Farm Speak

7 Tips for Greywater Use

7 Tips for Greywater Use

At its simplest, a greywater system takes water that has been used in household cleaning tasks and diverts it for use on the permaculture garden. When the toilet is flushed, the bath emptied or the washing machine used, a greywater system prevents the wastewater from simply going down the drain and into the sewer system; instead pipes take it out to the garden where it is used for irrigation. Particularly if it is utilized in combination with a rainwater harvesting method, a greywater system could go a long way to providing all the irrigation needs a permaculture garden has. It has the additional benefits of limiting wastewater (and so lightening the load on the municipal system of pipes and treatment plants) and of reducing your water bills.

However, harvesting and using greywater is not quite as simple as just piping the water from the bathroom and laundry out onto the garden; there are several variables to consider before installing a greywater system.

Regulations
Different states in countries like the U.S. and Australia may have different zoning laws and regulations related to greywater systems, as may local authorities These could be related to the relative proximity of public bodies of water, the degree to which locations are prone to flooding, areas of environmental protection, and other local considerations. In reality, instituting a greywater system on your property is unlikely to cause the authorities to investigate you.

If you ensure that your greywater is adequately stored and judiciously used, you should be fine to make use of it, but it is certainly worth checking local regulation. Even if you are prohibited from diverting bathroom and laundry water onto your plot, you can still use other forms of greywater, such as utilizing bath water and water used in the sink to clean vegetables to irrigate your garden, as opposed to letting the liquid drain away. Indeed, as long as precautions are taken about the chemical load in products used in such water, these methods of saving water should be a regular part of your permaculture practice.

Application
It is not advisable to apply greywater to edible plants if the liquid has not been filtered. The potential for human waste, such as fecal matter and skin particles, to contaminate the food should not be risked. If you want to use the greywater on edible plants, you need to divert it through a natural filter, such as a wetland. This will take out all the waste matter, and it can safely be used on all types of plant, including those producing food crops.

Chemical
What you put in to a greywater system will invariably, to some extent, come out. So you need to be aware of what is in the products that go into the washing machine, toilet and shower. Some chemicals that are commonly found in detergents can damage your plants. Boron, for instance, may be an essential element for plants, but on in very small amounts. An excess of the chemical (more that that which is naturally provided in a well-composted soil) can damage plants. Chlorine is another chemical often used in household cleaning products. If it gets into the soil in large concentrations, chlorine can inhibit plants’ ability to take up nutrients, and limit the activity of microorganisms in the soil.

Alkaline
Even detergents that do not contain these harmful chemicals can still be detrimental to plants, because they tend to make the water more alkaline. Most plants prefer a soil that is slightly acidic, so may not thrive if the greywater cause the pH level of the soil to increase. You could divert the greywater to an area planted with some of the species that are tolerant of alkaline conditions – such as chickweed, goosefoot and chicory – or you could combat the alkalinity of the greywater by adding material that ups the acidity; animal manure and compost that includes coffee grounds are good options.

Use
Greywater should be used on the garden within two days of leaving the house, and ideally within 24 hours. This is to prevent potentially harmful bacteria (pathogens), such as those found in fecal matter, from multiplying, which is more likely to occur if the water is left to sit. These bacteria are the same reason why permaculturists do not use human waste as compost on edible crops. If you are routing your greywater through a wetland for filtration purposes, this will help eliminate any bacteria that may be present.

Temperature
If you are in a location that experiences cold winters, with the ground frozen to a depth of several inches, it can be impractical to use a tips for greywater usegreywater system. The frozen ground would mean that the water is not able to percolate into the soil, and if applied to the garden could runoff and pollute local water bodies. And as noted above, you should not collect the greywater over the winter for use in the spring, as this can lead to high levels of harmful bacteria. For permaculture gardeners using greywater systems in areas with such climatic conditions, it may be best to divert the greywater into the municipal drainage system or a septic tank during the winter.

Drip Irrigation
If you want to use greywater in a drip irrigation system, you will need to ensure that it is filtered well before entering the pipes. You will need to install a very fine mesh filter on the pipe connecting your greywater system to the drip irrigation mechanism. This filtration is necessary to prevent material that could clog up the tiny holes in the drip system from getting in. Lint from clothes, hair from the shower or from the laundry, even things like paper that may have been inadvertently left in the pocket of clothes going through the machine can block up the irrigation system, preventing correct water flow and depriving plants of moisture. And given that many drip irrigation systems are installed below ground, it can be difficult to tell when or where a nozzle gets blocked until a plant begins to show signs of water deficiency.

Reprinted from www.openpermaculture.com

Reskilling – Digging Out Old Almost Forgotten Skills from the Past.

Reskilling – Digging Out Old Almost Forgotten Skills from the Past.


There is so much knowledge and experience that can be learned from older generations and looking back to our past pulling out information that is very relevant for today to help build more sustainable ways of living. That’s where reskilling comes in. The good folk over at Druid Garden have put together a wonderful article all about reskilling. Check it out and share with us some of the valuable skills you may see slipping away. Also check out the video on the next page of a reskilling expo.

Firsthand learning from others.

There is little substitute for learning firsthand.  Here are a few ways that one can learn:

1) Classes: Classes are a great way to learn many skills, and one of my preferred methods of reskilling. Since I started reskilling six years ago, I have taken all sorts of classes–natural building (round pole framing, rocket stoves), compost water heaters, rocket stoves, organic farming, winter organic farming, herbalism (year long), foraging, candle making, fermentation, mushroom foraging, livestock, and so much more.  These classes were found by reaching out to friends, looking to see what others were doing, and also looking on Local Harvest for classes there.

2) Apprenticeships: If you find someone who knows how to do something you really want to learn, consider asking to be their apprentice.  While this might be an old idea, its a really good one. Learning under someone who has a skill allows you to have a mentor, to aid them in their work, and to learn firsthand.  I can’t stress this enough.  I was lucky enough to serve as an organic farmer’s apprentice for a season, and there was no substitute for learning under her.

3) Friends: Friends may know all sorts of interesting things.  I learned how to make soap from two friends, and now already I’ve taught soapmaking to other friends.  Friends can learn different skills and then swap skills.  Learning a new skill with a friend is a wonderful experience!

4) Community Organizations : I’m lucky that in my area, we have a fantastic amount of organizations and groups that you can learn new skills from in my area. Everything from the Mother Earth News Faire (offered in three locations each year) to a more local events like Ann Arbor Reskilling and our own Oakland County Permaculture Meetup allows people to come together and share skills.  I should also say that if a community organization or group doesn't exist–consider starting one–that’s what a group of friends and I did with our permaculture meetup, and its going on three years now and I’ve learned so much from everyone.

5) Reskilling Festivals: Reskilling festivals are becoming another great way to learn how to do various activities.  Some areas may have local reskilling fairs (there is one that takes place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, about an hour fro where I currently live, for example).  There are also national reskilling fairs, perhaps the most well known being the Mother Earth News Fair.  Keep an eye out–they may not call themselves “reskilling” fairs, but if you take a look at the program and see things on there you want to learn, go for it!

Learning On One’s Own

Sometimes its best to learn just by doing or trying things out on your own–especially if you want to learn something and can’t find any classes or anyone else doing anything.

1) Videos, Blogs, Websites and Forums: There is so much good knowledge to be found on the web–YouTube Videos, websites, forums and blogs. I am always amazed at the amount of knowledge freely available out there just to learn. One of my favorite forums to learn is the permies forum; I’ve learned a lot from reading and more when I ask questions.  How-to stuff on the web, I have found, is generally quite useful and often is vetted by people through comments and responses.

2) Books and Magazines: I have saved my favorite way of learning to reskill for last–books! I am especially drawn to books from the 1970’s, as they have a wealth of really good information, great graphics, humor, and wit. From building my own solar cooker to solar greenhouses to organic farming, there are wonderful books out there on literally any reskilling subject. I like to collect books during the year, and then in the dark winter months, hole up in my home near the fireplace with a few good books and get ideas for the coming season. I created a list of some of my favorite books for homesteading (there are so many more I have yet to list!)

Read more on Reskilling at the source of this article: Druid Garden

More from the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers on the water grab

The feds have launched a new power grab, and it’s coming at the expense of property rights.  But is water actually property?  This falls in the same category as local and state taxation for residents who install solar...or raise water fees all because people are using less.  Question being how long before we have to apply for a permit to have a blue barrel collecting rain water?  I fear the answer would be soon.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a new rule to define “waters of the United States.” This definition is supposed to clarify what “waters” are covered under the Clean Water Act and therefore what these two agencies can regulate.

Most people would consider a water body to be a river, a lake, maybe even a pond. But the feds are casting their nets much wider than that. Their proposal could cover almost any type of water. Almost all ditches, including man-made ditches, could be regulated. Depressions in land that only sometimes have water in them could be deemed a tributary and covered under the rule, even if the depression is bone-dry almost every day of the year. The sheer overreach of the proposed rule is breathtaking.

Under the Clean Water Act, property owners are often required to obtain costly and time-consuming permits if engaging in activities that affect jurisdictional waters. We’re not talking toxic waste disposal being required to trigger the need for a permit. The statute would even prohibit actions that cause absolutely no environmental harm. For example, someone might need a permit for kicking some sand into a jurisdictional water.

The EPA is promoting the rule by cynically asking, “Do you choose clean water?”  The real question posed by the proposed regulation is: Do you choose federal regulation of almost all water?

Common activities, from farming to home building, could require a permit. Individuals who want to use their property for ordinary, everyday uses could be forced to get a permit. Sackett v. EPA offers one egregious example of overzealous regulatory enforcement. In this 2012 Supreme Court case, the EPA sought the power to impose fines of $75,000 per day on a couple for placing gravel on virtually dry land to build a home in a built-out subdivision. This proposed rule will likely lead to even more Sackett-type abuses of regulatory power.

Put simply, this rule is an attack on property rights. As EPA and the Corps of Engineers claim jurisdiction over more and more waters, property owners will have to secure more and more permits—or simply forgo projects because of the additional cost and time required to secure a permit.

And there’s a growing risk of “gotcha” enforcement. It’s already tough for property owners to know that their property has a jurisdictional water. Because the proposed rule is so broad and vague, this problem is only going to get far worse. The existence of a jurisdictional water may be far from clear—even to the EPA and the Corps, at least until they subjectively decide that a water is jurisdictional after all. Through this water (and land) power grab, the EPA and Corps will have the power to limit severely how people can use their property.

Furthermore, the proposed rule ignores the important role states play in protecting water resources—a role stressed in the Clean Water Act itself. States have a better sense of their specific environmental needs than the federal government and can provide a tailored approach to regulation. Yet the EPA and Corps proceed as though they know best, no matter what the law says about state power.

The EPA is promoting the rule by cynically asking, “Do you choose clean water?” As if critics of the rule want dirty water. The real question posed by the proposed regulation is: Do you choose federal regulation of almost all water? The Clean Water Act rejects this federal power grab.

At the start of April, the agencies sent a final version of the rule to the Office of Management and Budget for its approval. Congress must act quickly to stop this rule from going forward.

Ultimately, Congress should develop legislation that clearly defines what waters are regulated under the Clean Water Act. But for now, lawmakers should pass legislation directing the agencies to withdraw their proposed rule immediately. Property owners shouldn’t have to walk on egg shells, afraid of overzealous agencies going after them for simply using their land for ordinary activities and making an honest living.

Originally published in The Washington Times

Grow Garlic, grow it from those leftover cloves

Garlic is one of the easiest things you can grow.  For the most part plant it and forget it but there are some things that you may want to consider before you start planting.  As usual planning before hand prevents heartaches later.

Garlic has been cultivated for thousands of years. It is mentioned in ancient Greek, Indian and Chinese writings, while garlic bulbs were found in the Tomb of Tutankhamen when archaeologists first opened it in 1922. The bulbs were found to date from 1500 BC.

With such an illustrious history to tap into, permaculture gardeners may well want to make garlic a part of their plot design. In fact, if you cook with garlic – and it is increasingly found in kitchens everywhere – it is a good idea to grow your own. This is because the vast majority of garlic is imported, and usually treated with chemicals to preserve it during transportation.

Choose Variety
Garlic comes in two types: soft-neck and hard-neck. This classification refers to the relative stiffness of the stem just above the bulb. Generally, soft-neck species last longer in storage, while hard-neck varieties are hardier. Soft-necks prefer a milder climate than their hard-neck cousins, but with judicious use of micro-climates, permaculturists in most areas should be able to cultivate either or both. Purple-striped and Porcelain are popular choices of hard-neck species, while Artichoke garlic and Silver skins give good crops of soft-necks.

Prepare the Soil
Garlic prefers a well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Add compost – ideally one that is rich in manure – to the soil before planting your garlic, watering it well. The compost also helps keep the structure of the soil relatively loose, which helps garlic, as they do not have the strongest of root systems.

Garlic also like a slightly alkaline soil, so if your garden bed has a low pH, you might consider adding organic agricultural lime to raise it a little before planting.

Timing
Plant garlic in mid-fall. This will give you a harvest at the start of the following summer. The plant goes dormant during the winter, be reinvigorates with growth come springtime.

Planting
Because much garlic available in supermarkets and grocers has been treated with preservatives and pesticides, it is preferable to source your cloves from an organic nursery. This ensures you are not introducing any unwanted elements into your plot.

You plant individual cloves from a bulb. When breaking apart a bulb for cloves to plant, try to keep as much as possible of the papery covering of the clove intact, and some of the base plate of the bulb attached. Choose the biggest, plumpest cloves for planting; these will give you the strongest, biggest plants. Plant with the pointed end upwards, at a depth of around 3 inches. Plant individual cloves around 7 inches apart.

Some gardeners like to soak their cloves for a couple of hours prior to planting in a mixture of water, baking soda and seaweed fertilizer, believing this helps protect the cloves from fungal infection. However, on a permaculture plot, it is not really necessary.

Once you have had your first harvest, you can also replant cloves from your crop.

Consider Companions
Generally, garlic is one of the most beneficial of companion plants in the permaculture garden. Its
chemical makeup means it repels a large number of potential pests, not only insects such as aphids but also larger mammals such as moles, squirrels and deer. Its pungent scent seems to be a primary reason for this, and its strong taste puts animals off trying garlic a second time. But garlic also protects plants around it by accumulating sulfur in the soil. Sulfur is a naturally occurring fungicide, and its presence helps protect plants from soil diseases. Plants that particularly benefit from companion planting with garlic include fruit trees, cabbage, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, and cane fruits, such as blackberries and raspberries. Really the only plants to avoid planting in proximity to garlic are peas and beans, as it appears to have a detrimental effect on their growth.

Care
Mulching your garlic plants is a good idea, both to prevent weeds, which can out compete garlic roots for soil nutrients and water, to preserve soil moisture, and to provide a source of nutrients. Straw seems to be a particularly good choice for mulching garlic. This helps protect the plants during the colder winter months. Once the last frost of winter has passed, it is a good idea to add more compost to the soil around your garlic plants, as this will help promote plump bulb growth over the spring.

Garlic does not need watering until the spring, when the soil should be kept damp to the touch. Stop watering at the start of the summer when you see the leaves begin to turn yellow, as stopping watering will allow the bulbs to firm up.

At the start of summer, you will probably see your garlic plants develop flowering tops. Left alone these will curl over and then form into harder, spiny tendrils. There is no particular detriment to leaving these tendrils – called ‘scrapes’ – on the plant, but cutting them back can help promote stringer bulb growth. If cut them back before they begin to curl, the scrapes can be used in the kitchen, imparting a subtle garlic flavor to salads and soups. Scrapes are more commonly a feature of hard-neck varieties.

Harvest
While precise harvesting times will depend on your location and climate conditions, generally, garlic planted in mid-fall will be ready to grow garlic harvest in mid-summer. When most of the lower leaves have turned yellow-brown, it is time to harvest. You want the upper leaves to still be green; otherwise the bulbs will not form the papery wrappers that allow you to store them. The bulbs at this stage are still delicate so don’t pull them up. Instead, dig the root stock out carefully.

Store
Once harvest, take your garlic plants out of the sun and store in a shaded, dry place, preferably one that receives a draft. Tie bundles of 8-10 plants together, or use a mesh bag, and hang the garlic up for four to six weeks. This allows the bulbs to ‘cure’, developing the distinctive papery skins. Once formed, trim off the roots and the stalks to around 1 inch above the bulb. Store in a light, dry location (but not in direct sunlight); it should keep for between six and eight months.

Reprinted partially from www.openpermaculture.com

How to Graft Fruit Trees

This is not a fully definitive process list but to give everyone an introductory lesson of grafting types. What is grafting?  Grafting is a technique that allows you to combine a cutting from one tree with the root stock of another. This can be useful to continue to get a reliable crop of a particular cultivar – for instance, the seed from certain types of apple trees will not go on to be copies of the parent tree so grafting allow you to reproduce from the original cultivar – but also allows you to continue to utilize a vigorous root stock even when the tree may have lost its production value, and to combine species to produce hybrid fruit. Grafting is also useful as a way of repairing trees that may have been damaged by climatic events such as strong winds or disease, allowing you to replace dead branches that have had to be removed with young, living stems. There are several different methods for grafting fruit trees.

Whip
The whip method of grafting needs the branch to which the graft will be attached and the appendage – called the scion – to be roughly the same size and diameter to work effectively. The branches also need to be quite slender, no more than half an inch across as there is less support for the graft than in other methods. This is why the technique is often used on young apple and pear trees to produce hybrids, rather than on older root stock. The end of both the branch and the scion are cut at an angle, quite shallow to expose as much surface area as possible, and then the two cut sides are placed face to face.

The join is then bound with electrical tape to protect the graft and prevent water and disease entering the wound.

Cleft
The cleft technique of grafting is used to bring vitality back to older, less productive trees whose root stock remains strong. It is used primarily on apple and pear trees, and can be utilized on the trunks of small trees or the main branches of larger trees. Ideally, you want to use this technique on branches or trunks between two and three inches in diameter, and should not be more than a few feet from the ground or the new tree may grow too large and prove difficult to harvest. Cut off the trunk or the branch with a saw, and then use a hatchet or sharp knife to cut a cleft in the exposed end of the tree limb. Cut the end of the scion into a wedge shape and insert into the cleft. You should not need to cover the graft if the union is tight and secure.

Side
Side grafting sits somewhere between whip and cleft grafts. It is used on trees that are too old for whip grafting but too young and viable to be cut back for bark grafting. Rather than grafting into the cut end of a removed branch, you graft the scion into a cut made into the side of the branch. The cut should be made on a branch at least a foot away from the trunk and should extend no more than halfway across the diameter of the branch. Use a sharp knife rather than a hatchet to retain control over the cut. As above, fashion the end of the scion into a wedge and insert into the cut. If required secure with twine until the graft has taken.

Bark
Bark grafting is typically – like the cleft method – used when an old tree has lost its fruiting vigor. The root stock is still likely to be robust, however, and grafting young plants onto it can revitalize the tree. It involves sawing off the majority of the tree that is above the ground. You want to take it back to around knee height. Then you use a sharp implement inserted between the bark and the tree on the remaining stump to gently ease the bark away from the underlying wood, creating a gap. The scion – prepared as with the other methods, to have a wedge shape at the end to be inserted – is inserted into this gap, and then the bark is bound tightly to the scion by wrapping either twine or electrical tape around the tree. You may wish to insert two or three scions into the bark and cut back to one when you have determined which has established itself the best on the root stock. Once a graft has taken, remove the tape or twine so that the tree can grow naturally. Try not to cut the tree back until you are ready to graft – late winter or early spring are the best times for bark grafting – as water can easily get into the tree and potentially spread disease.

Budding
In all the instances above, make sure that the scion you use for the graft has buds on it, as these are essential for fruit graft fruit trees forming. Three buds are generally considered a good number for a grafted scion, so that the graft will not depend upon the success of just one. In most cases the best time to graft is in the spring, usually around April or May, when the buds of the scions have set but they have not yet blossomed. There is new form of grafting that is slightly different.

As the name suggests, this form of grafting focuses on the bud. In fact, it uses just a single bud as the scion, rather than a length of stem or branch. It is often used for fruit trees such as cherry, apricot and plum, which are less amenable to whip and cleft grafting methods. And because you want to use a well-grown bud, it is done in the summer, when the buds have fully developed, rather than the spring. This is also when the bark of the tree to which you are grafting the bud will be at its most pliable. Cut off the bud, leaving about half an inch of stem to hold it by. Cut off any leaves around the bud. Use a knife to cut a ‘T’ shape cut into the bark of the branch you want to graft to, making sure it is at least fifteen inches from the trunk. Slide the ‘handle’ of the bud into the cut and then secure with electrical tape, making sure you leave the bud exposed.

Reversing Global Warming, Hunger, and Poverty: Supercharging Global Grassroots

Low-tech organic farming methods used by the world’s 2 billion small farmers could not only feed the world, but sequester carbon in the soil, naturally.

Reversing Global Warming, Hunger, and Poverty: Supercharging Global Grassroots

     "It is dangerous, disempowering and irresponsible to talk about eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and dismantling the fossil fuel industry without also talking about maximizing natural carbon sequestration through agro-ecological agriculture and regenerative land use practices….Our literal survival depends upon uniting the climate, food, environmental and economic justice movements—both North and South."  More at www.organicconsumers.org

     Regenerative organic agriculture could sequester more than 100% of the excess carbon dioxide now in the air. This could be done with widely available, safe, inexpensive agroecological practices that emphasize diversity, traditional knowledge, agroforestry, landscape complexity, and cover cropping, composting and water harvesting. See the full report at rodaleinstitute.org/regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-climate-change/

     The Savory Institute aims to restore 1/5 of grassland worldwide, while sequestering carbon in the soil. Info: www.savoryinstitute.com. Dharma Lea Farm, Schoharie County, NY, will teach Savory techniques to farmers. Info: DharmaLea@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/pages/The-Agrarian-Learning-Center-SI-Northeast/709651922447879?fref=nf, or the NOFA Natural Farmer 2014-15 issue at http://tnfarchives.nofa.org/

Soil Carbon Sequestration Benefits

·         Reverse global warming by allowing soil microbes to flourish and sequester carbon for centuries.

·         Increase resilience of soils to hold moisture in drought and reduce runoff in heavy rains.

·         Increase soil fertility without petrochemical fertilizers.

·         Suppress weeds and plant diseases without toxic pesticides or genetically modified products.

·         Reverse desertification and increase fertile grasslands for grazing livestock, healthy for people and planet.

Small Scale Farmers Cool the Planet   Link to video at www.FairWorldProject.org

Carbon Farming

Research by the Marin Carbon Project scientists indicates that a single application of a half-inch layer of compost on grazed rangelands significantly increases forage production (by 40-70%), increases soil water holding capacity (to 26,000 liters per hectare), and increases soil carbon sequestration by at least 1 ton per hectare per year for 30 years without re-application. Compost decomposition provides a slow release fertilizer to the soils, which, with improved soil moisture conditions, leads to increased plant growth. More plant growth leads to more carbon dioxide being removed from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis, leading to increased transfer of carbon dioxide through the plant to the soil as roots, root exudates and detritus, yielding additional soil carbon and water holding capacity increases. From www.carboncycle.org

SOS: Save our Soils Dr. Christine Jones Explains the Life-Giving Link Between Carbon and Healthy Topsoil by Tracy Frisch, March 2015 Acres USA. www.amazingcarbon.com/PDF/Jones_ACRES_USA%20(March2015).pdf

Adapted from www.FairWorldProject.org   Visit the website to learn more and take action.

Factory Farm Meat: Why Vegetarians, Ranchers, and Conscious Omnivores Need to Unite

  The February 19 “eat less red and processed meat” pronouncement by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) was reported widely in mainstream media….If the DGAC had really told us the truth about America’s red meat … we’d be having a conversation about how we can get rid of factory farms ….  North American cattle ranchers, for the most part... graze their cattle free-range on grass …before they’re forced to sell [them] …to be fattened up on GMO grains and drugged up in America’s CAFOs… [where] the meat is low in Omega 3 and good “fats,” and routinely tainted by harmful bacteria, not to mention pesticide, steroid and antibiotic residues. What was once a healthy food has now become a literal poison that clogs up your veins, makes you fat, and heightens your risk of heart attack or cancer. From www.organicconsumers.org

Data collected by Sheree (Cheryl) Cammer.