In prepartion for our garden next season we noticed a significant increase in supply prices. Some inputs have more than doubled in price from earlier in 2021. With costs on the rapid increase and climate change continuing to challenge growing and supply chain conditions, next year looks like it will bring even higher food price - and not unlikely food shortages as well. With that in mind, starting or improving your own garden and careful planning will allow you to help offset some of the negative impact. 

This newest battle seems to logically call for the resurrection of entity originally known as the Victory Garden. Victory Gardens were used to offset food shortages and free up commercial food supplies for troops, as well as a means of offering patriotic solidarity. Today "Victory Gardens" serve to help address the concerns families are facing relative to food security and affordability. These gardens also serve as an excellent means for offseting the negative impacgts of big agriculture, reducing the degradation of water supplies via chemical runoffs, eliminating usage of chemicals and pesticides, and decreasing carbon footprint by eliminating the need to transport food. 

No space is too small. Containers, window boxes, spaces between walkways, side yards or any space where you can build well-draining soil can work. Make sure your location will receive a sufficient number of sunlight hours for the plants you have selected. Also consider how you will water your garden when selecting your location. Locations near buildings will allow for easy rain water collection, drip irrigation and of course, rainfall, are all ideal. Sometimes nature is going to need help, so also have watering buckets and garden hoses at the ready. 

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Below are some ideas to help you stretch your food budget while helping the environment. 

1. Build healthy soil organically: composting with garden and food scraps and manure will yield valuable nutrients for you soil - and its free! Chicken manure makes an excellent fertilizer, but manure from any non-preator animal(s) can be cooked and used. Never use fresh manure or manure that inclues urine. It can be harmful to your produce and burn plants. 
2. Encourage beneficial insects: plants need pollinators. By planting different types of plants and plants that bloom at different times, you'll ensure longer harvests while helping support the food web. 
3. Check your growing zone to determine what crops grow in your area. Also, consider typical weather patterns in your area, both for temperature ranges and rainfall. If you live in an area with a short growing season, try growing produce that matures quickly. if you live in an arid zone, thirsty crops like cucumbers may be best avoided. Warmer areas may offer two distinct growing seasons - one in the spring and one in the fall. Colder climates will typically offer only one growing season.
4. Procure heirloom seeds. These will allow you to harvest your own seeds for the next year without having to buy more seed. The last few years have seen some seeds become increasingly difficult to procure and as more people start their own gardens, edible starts can be difficult to buy from nurseries. Allow herbs and lettuces to bolt. Tomatoes can be allowed to mature and release on their own. One of our easiest hacks for vegetables is to feed mature produce to chickens, which then expel the seeds in their excrement. We then clean out the coop and spread it on the neighboring ground. The next growing season many of the plants will regenerate on their own. 
5. Star plants from seeds indoors. This could be in a sunny windowsill, a bright potting shed or a green house. This will give you a quicker start versus waiting for suitable temperatures. However, be sure to harden the plants by slowly getting them accustomed to life outdoors before transplanting them into the ground. Plants permanently grown in containers offer versatility relative to location, but be sure the container is of a manageable size relative to portability. 
6. Fencing helps protect your crops from damage. Damage could come from animals looking for an easy meal, or even accidentally foot traffic, as in the case with gardens located near walking paths. 
7. Trellising will help optimize your space by allowing you to grow up. This works well for vining plants such as beans, kiwis, some peas, and grapes.
8. Use cages and supports to help protect plants from their own weight and weather. This includes use in containers.
9. Use organic pest control. Often this is as simple as your hands, but checking plants and removing offending pests. 
10. Schedule time for your garden. Make a plan about how you will be able to spend time checking on your plants, watering them, maintaining their health and harvesting produce. 

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As seasons change, critters also get busy looking for homes to either stay warm or raise young. These times of the year are also when rodents begin to create havoc in structures, vehicles, feed stores and whatever else they can work their way into. 

Mice and rodents can carry diseases, some serious to humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mice and rats directly or indirectly transmit over 20 diseases worldwide. Several of these, such as leptospirosis and salmonellosis, are contagious to animals. 

In fields and pastures moles, gophers and other burrowing rodents can just make a mess of things with their telltale piles of dirt and holes everywhere. In summer months can wreak havoc with irrigation and in the winter they will often gnaw on the roots of shurbs such as blueberries and kill the plants - often by chewing right through them. 

Rodents are probably one of the toughest things to deal with on properties. They are small, stealthy, and primarily active after dark when we don’t see them. The challenge is can we go about reducing the populations of these persistent little things without lethal trapping or using poisonous chemicals which are deadly to other animals in the ecosystem—as well as to our pets and livestock?

The anwer lies in predators. Some people are concerned that encouraging predators will create risks for their livestock, but properly managed, there is minimal to no negative impact and the positive effect of fewer rodents and their respective damage will fall outweigh any downside. 

An easy first step to encouraging natural rodent control is encouraging predatory birds to frequent your property - both a night and during the day. Day hunters, such as kestrels, will also help with rodents such as squirrels and rabbits, thereby helping protect your edibles. During the night, avian predators such as owls. One predatory particularly wide spread and well suited to the task is the barn owl. Barn owls are common on every continent in the world except for Antarctica. So, no matter where in the world you are, your property can benefit from having a barn owl working for you. 

Barn owls have become very popular to attract for various reasons. Owners of vineyards, orchards, and farms have found that barn owls can significant reduce damage by crop-eating rodents. Property owners can benefit the same way with sometimes no more than one or two nest boxes. Conservationists are finding that erecting owl houses is the best way for bringing back numbers of barn owls in areas where they have declined. And bird lovers simply love having them around to enjoy the opportunity of watching these white-faced, golden winged raptors sail out over a field at dusk on the hunt.

Barn owls are perfectly suited to livestock properties as they hunt in open meadows and grasslands. These creatures of the night have excellent low-light vision, they fly silently, they have sharp beaks and powerful talons, and their hearing is extraordinary. All that makes them death on wings for rodents. A family of barn owls will consume about 2000 mice or other rodents in a couple of months! 

One of the ways to help encourage barn owl habitation is by providing nesting boxes and the right habitat for their prey. This is a great project during moths with weather less conducive to outdoor chores. 

​Barn owls are secondary cavity dwellers. That means they live in the hole that somebody else has created, like a hole in an old tree made by a woodpecker or the dark rafters inside a quiet barn. Storage barns may be better suited than barns that get a lot of traffic. Regardless, humans can take advantage of their desire for secondary cavities because it means that barn owls adapt well to nest boxes which can be purchased or made.

Place a barn owl nest box in a quiet location, 10-20 feet high. Shade the opening from direct sun and prevailing winds. Boxes can be hung inside an unused barn, on the outside of farm buildings, on a pole or in a tree. If the box is mounted on a pole or post, consider a baffle to prevent cats, raccoons, and other predators from reaching it. Many barn owls will reuse the same nest box year after year. In North America it is best to hang them by January or February as barn owls begin nesting in late February. When selecting a tree location, you will also have the benefit of selecting the most advantageous sideof the tree. 

It’s hard to find an easier method of rodent control. Once you install the barn owl box nature does the rest. Plus, barn owls are not aggressive to people, nor will they attack pets or livestock. Not only will owls help reduce your rodent population, but their tawny colors are beautiful to see at dusk and their bone-chilling, screechy cry is thrilling to hear at night.

Building the Nesting Box

The popularity of attracting barn owls has resulted in a wide range of barn owls box designs, both do-it-yourself and those that are sold commercially. It is important to take into account the biology and daily needs of these large owls. With so many versions of nest box to choose from, some excellent, some not so good, it is important to make wise decisions about which elements are ideal for successfully attracting and housing these beautiful raptors.

1. Appropriate Size:  Make sure your box is big enough. Many barn owl box designs create a nest box only 18” deep. Although this size can attract a breeding pair, barn owls produce an extraordinary number of young—seven is quite common. The entire brood of owls must reach adult size inside that nest box before fledging, each of them 12 to 14 inches high, and flapping their wings in preparation for flight. In small boxes, flight feathers are damaged, smaller birds will not receive food, and young birds are pushed accidentally from their nest boxes - weaker ones may be intentionally pushed out. In short, fewer birds survive from such owl houses.Takeaway: Select designs that are at least 24” deep, 18” high, and 18” wide.

2. Size of Entrance Hole:  Conversely, many designs err on making the size of the entrance hole too large. All cavity nesting birds, including barn owls, prefer an entrance hole that is just large enough for them to squeeze through, but too small for larger animals that might prey on the eggs or chicks. Barn owls vary in size. Like all predatory birds, femails are typically 30% larger than males and American barn owls larger than those in Europe. Takeaway: Takeaway: The box should have a  5” to 5 ½” entrance hole.

3. Location of Entrance Hole: Holes too close to the floor are a problem because the ever curious and rambunctious chicks tend to crowd toward the entrance hole as they get older. A hole too close to the floor allows for them to fall out way too early. Takeaway: The entrance hole at least six inches off the floor.

4. The perch: Don't forget the owls will like some sort of "front porch". This can be as simples as a dowl or a full ledge where the owl can rest and feed. 

5. Color:  Many wooden boxes are left natural to blend into the environment. The problem is that most wooden boxes are heat traps. As the sun beats down on dark wood, the interior can become excessively hot. Biologists have found young owls, too young to leave the nest, on the ground where they took refuge from the stifling heat inside wooden boxes. Also, consider your location selection - again, away from direct sun, wind and rain. Takeaway: If you do buy or make a wooden box, be sure to paint the entire outside with bright white paint to reduce heat absorption and plan to repaint every year or two.

​6. Material:  Most commercially made boxes and available plans use half-inch plywood. The problem with such thin wood is that, after the expense and labor of construction and installation, half inch plywood deteriorates rapidly in sun and rain. The alternate choice, ¾ to 1” plywood will last somewhat longer, but it is heavy, expensive and difficult to install. So, when it comes to plywood owl houses, the choice is between longer life and ease of installation. Takeaway: If you are buying a wooden box, ask the builder the thickness of the wood.

The Final Summary

Published in the Journal of Pest Management, Newport Beach, California: From 2011 through 2013, researcher Mark Browning and a team of students from U.C. Davis and Columnes River College saturated a 100-acre vineyard south of Sacramento, California with 25 barn owl nest boxes, eventually resulting in a population of 36 adult owls that fledged 66 young. This produced a population of 102 barn owls hunting the vineyard and surrounding area. Using data gleaned from nest box cams, the research was able to conclude that this rather incredible density of owls consumed 30,000+ rodents over a 3 year period. Statistical analysis showed a strong correlation of number of owls to a decline in rodent activity. This study is the first of its kind to accurately record the number of rodent deliveries to growing barn owl chicks, and the first to establish the economic value of barn owls to farmers and property owners. Cost comparison data showed that the average cost of trapping per rodent was $8.11 while the nest box program resulted in a cost of .27 per rodent taken by barn owls. This provides very valuable and useful information for farmers to use in assessing the effectiveness and results of barn owl nest box programs.

As gardeners we talk a lot about how to sustainably control pests in our garden. Of course some pests are more harmful than others. Those pests that are indigenous to an area have evolved in a system where both their food sources, as well as natural predators have evolved. Birds and insects trend together, plants and pollinators trend together. The health of one is a solid indicator of the health or another. As humans migrated around the world, they either knowingly took with them or imported perceived desirable plants, such as introduced "exoctics". They also unknowingly transported accidentally in cargo and crops, such as the Lantern Fly in North American. We have disrupted ecosystems to the point where some are being decimated. Invasive insects, plants and animals can have devestating consequences and should be dealt with in sustainable ways, but indigenous insects are vital to the health of the food web. 

Insects are at the heart of the food web, the primary way that nature converts plant protoplasm into animal life. Overall, plants can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. However, insects tend to be specialists, feeding and pollinating a narrow spectrum of plant life, often times just a single species. In fact, 90% of plant eatting insects  can develop and reproduce only on the plants with which they share an evolutionary history. This is why when you see the decline of one species; it's not uncommon to see the decline of another. One of the best examples of this is the Monarch butterfly and milkweed. ​

As a result, plants have developed defense mechanisms specific to these threats such as chemical and morphological defenses, including toxins, sticky sap, rough bark, and waxy cuticles. However, these defenses don't typically work well with species they have never encountered, including very closely related species.The unfortunately downside of human's trying to control pests has resulted in an estimated decine of arthropids, chiefly insects, has decined by 45% from preindustrial times. Without insects, lizards, frogs, toads, birds and many mammals would lose all or part of their diet. This is an ecological crisis. 

Another concern, is as land is continuously converted from "wild" to "farmed" and then "farmed" to "subdivision" or "apartment complex", there is not enough "wild" land to support that important ecosystem. As such, it's imperative to look at every open space available and think about how to return that land to a "wild" state. Because much of the earth's available land is either used for farming, or in wealthy nations, for areas like lawns, sterile, unproductive landscapes are created. 

Because most people own little to no land, one way to help is to create habitats that are sustainable and can act as a networked ecosystem. Tbe idea is to reduce the distance that creatures must travel for food. This land can be created from any area such a lawn, manicured park areas, golf courses and other rereational areas. Douglas Tallamy, an entomologist at the University of Delware, offers some suggestions to help return manicured spaces back to the wild.

1. Shrink your lawn. Start by halving the area devoted to your lawn - thereby reducing water pseticide and fertilizer use. Better yet, if you don't need a lawn, don't have one. Use native grasses and enjoy their beauty in lieu of traditional lawn grasses. Incorporate plants that sustain more animal life. 
2. Remove invasive plants. Introduced plants sustain less animal diversity than natives do. Even worse, many exotics crowd out indigenous plants. Also, be sure to note that what is invasive in one area, may not be in another due to climatic conditions. 
3. Create no-mow zones - whether in lawns or fields. Native catepillars drop from a tree's canopy to the ground to complete their life cycle. Place mulch or a native ground cover around trees. Birds, moths and butterflies will benefit. 
4. Eliminate lighting where possible and equip remaining outdoor lights with motion sensors. As people live closer together and become more fearful, they are also leaving lights on throughout the night. Not only is the light pollution unhealthy for humans, white lights blazing all night can distrub animal behavior. LED devices use less energy and yellowlights attract fewer insects. Lights are also extremely detrimental to bird migration. Be particularly vigilant if you live in a migration path. 
5. Plant keystone species. Among native plants, some contribute more to the foodweb than others. Native oak, cherry, cottonwood, willow and birch are some of the best north American tree choices. 
6. Welcome pollinators. Goldenrod, native willows, sunflowers, evening primrose, and violets support native bees. Even cover crops such as clover and dandelions help signficantly.
7. Fight mosquitoes with bacteria. Inexpensive packets containing Bacillus thuringiensis can be placed in drains and other wt sites where mosquitoes hatch. Unlike pesticide sprays, the bateria only inhibits mosquitoes, but not other insects. 
8. Avoid harsh chemicals. Dig up or use various combinations of eco-friendly products to help eliminate weeds. A list of organic pest and plant control options are available in this site's gardening section. 

The challenges faced by our earth are going to take the effort of everyone to help solve. Simple steps like returning just a portion of your space - even a balcony with indigenous flowers - will help make a difference. 

Authored by Neil Stawski

Of the many problems facing our world right now, climate change is one of the most serious. If steps are not taken to counteract its progress, serious effects may take shape as soon as a decade from now — or even earlier.  However, we can do a great deal to combat climate change in our own communities. Here are some changes you can make in your home and around your community that can help slow the progress of climate change

Change starts on a personal level, and the best way you can begin to fight climate change is by making small changes in your own home. For instance, did you know that traditional incandescent bulbs use a great deal of energy due to the amount of heat they produce? By swapping out your incandescent bulbs for LED lights, not only will you help conserve energy, but you can also save a fair amount on your electric bill. While LED lights may be more expensive than incandescent bulbs or CFLs, they rapidly pay for themselves. To make them even more appealing, while 10 years ago they were limited to an icy blue shade, today, the entire range of colors is available, from bright white, which is good for offices, to warm yellows for cozy living rooms. LEDs can help you save energy while making the design and look of your home seem even more appealing.

You can also help reduce the amount of energy in your home by taking steps to prevent the loss of your home’s heating and cooling energy. Many homes, particularly older ones, are poorly insulated. If you have good insulation in your home, that means less energy will transfer — meaning that it will take less energy to keep your home warm or cool, no matter the season.  You can acquire recycled insulation made from things like old newspapers to reduce waste.​

Another way you can keep the energy you spend in your home where it belongs is by updating your windows. Cheaper or older windows typically are not 100 percent sealed, even when they are completely shut. This means that it is likely that you are losing a significant portion of your air-conditioned (or heated) air without even realizing it. By replacing your windows, you will further reduce the amount of energy used to keep your home at the temperature you prefer. 

Of course, going green can only be effective if you also enlist others to take part in the cause.  This is why it is important to get out into your community and convince your neighbors to adopt similar types of environmentally friendly adjustments to their homes. The first step is to get to know the members of your community on a general level, as acquaintances or friends. Next, if they show interest in your home improvements, tell them what you’ve done and why each part is important. While you cannot force someone to go green, you can help raise their curiosity on the matter. You can also help out your community by buying local produce and by finding alternatives to your car, such as bicycles, scooters, or public transportation.​

Going green is a twofold task — not only is it important to make your home more environmentally friendly, but it is also critical to spread the information among your community.  By getting to know people and sharing your passion for sustainable living, you can help counteract the effects of climate change today.

Neil Stawski has discovered that when we look at how our green actions impact our communities we start to see a real difference and wants to inspire others to join in the fight against climate change. As a result, Neil is passionate about educating people on environmentally-friendly changes we can make to our homes and within our communities to live more sustainably. You can read more from Neil at www.climatewise.co. 

Spring is coming to the northern hemisphere and that means it's time to think about gardening. Many plants are dependent upon pollinators, specifically bees, so keep these busy little critters healthy by helping them out. 

​1. Don't use chemical pesticides in your garden, orchards, pastures and lawns. When buying plants for your flower beds, do not buy any plants tagged as "treated with neonicotinoids". Neonicotinoids are poisoning and killing bees, causing severe declines in the bee populations. Neonicotinoids are taken up through the plant's vascular system as it grows, as a result, the chemical is expressed in the pollen and nectar of the plant. Bess, butterflies and other pollinators ingest it and die. Some beekeepers frequently lose 75% of more of their bees annually because of this insidious chemical. 

​2. Put water out for the insects. Typically the pollinators will drink from puddles on the leaves and petals of the plants, but extended drought and drip water systems sometimes results in a lack of water. Bees use lots of water when foraging for pollen and food. 

​3. Plant bee-attracting plants. Native plants are always high on the list. Also herbs like basil, Echinacea, mints, sage, rosemary, lavender and fennel are always enjoyed. Flowering plants include sunflowers, poppies, yucca, aloes, lantana, and many fruit bearing trees. In short, they will find almost any fragrant flower attractive and many of these plants result in fabulous tasting honey. 

​4. If you have unwanted bees leaving in a structure or tree, please do not kill them. Contact a bee removal and relocation  service and have them relocate the bees to a more suitable location. 
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Farmers growing for local markets tend to grow a greater diversity of plant varieties and animal breeds selected for their regional adaptability and flavor. Local farmers may grow hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables, ranging from asparagus to zucchini, including delicious varieties of potatoes, plus an array of livestock, poultry, cheese and other dairy products, honey, herbs and flowers. 

Buying locally grown products helps maintain this critical diversity as well as ensuring that the food we serve at our table is fresh and full of flavor. It also helps put more dollars in the hands of local farmers. Additionally, shortening the food chain is one way to improve the environment because crops are transported shorter distances.

Take a pledge to have at least one locally grown food on your holiday table and know that the benefits of your purchase stretch far beyond great flavor - it supports the local economy, promotes sustainability and helps protect the environment.

No one doubts that our climate is changing. Extensive research and modeling of climate patterns has done by many organizations around the world and they have been compiling predictions for what our climate will look like in the coming decades. 

• In general, everywhere is experiencing a warming trend. In many places that means a wetter winter. 
• Summers will be warmer and drier in many locations
• Drier years will be intensified with many areas experiencing drought conditions more frequently.

As our climate trends more towards these new patterns, we may begin to experience the effects of these new trends on our landscapes, fields and gardens. The possible effects of these different climate patterns are:

• Longer growing seasons with increased demand on low summer water resources
• Possible yield reductions due to heat and/or drought stress
• Crops viable to a given region may change
• Possible yield reduction in forage crops
• Lower growth rates and milk production in livestock

These predictions should raise concern, but there are steps you can take to help mitigate the impacts of these trends on our landscapes. Through building health and resiliency in our soils, we can better adapt to a changing climate. 

Healthy soil is a living substance teaming with a wide diversity of life, from arthropods to fungi to protozoa to small mammals. Soil is the living interface between the geology and the biology of the earth. It serves as a transformative layer converting stone into the biodiversity that the earth sustains. 

Some basic characteristics of healthy soil are:

• A soft, crumbly texture with clumps and pore spaces (like a sponge)
• Reactive to the environment, warms quickly in spring
• Maintains the capacity to soak up large amounts of water during times of heavy rains with minimal run-off
• Has the capacity to store water during drought periods
• Resists erosion and nutrient loss
• Produces high yields of healthy plant life without large amounts of chemical inputs

Soils that have the above characteristics could go a long way in maintaining our crops, gardens, fields and landscapes through extreme weather events and would better adapt to changes in long term climate patterns. 

There are many ways to nurture health and resiliency in our soils. One of the best models is to manage our soils in the same way that nature manages soils. Undisturbed soils tend to be more resilient to changes in climate than soils that have been cultivated or managed in yards and recreational areas. 

In observing the environment, you may notice nature manages soils in the following ways:

• Soil is always covered - bare soil is a rarity
• Polycultures - many species living together
• Reliance on soil organisms to till the soil
• A closed loop of organic input, breakdown and re-uptake of nutrients

Armed with the above observations, we can begin to devise management strategies for our own soils that mimic nature to build health and resiliency back into degraded soils, or to maintain the integrity of soils that are already healthy. 

The following are ways we can manage our soils for increased soil tilth and productivity:

• Keep soils covered - use multi-species cover crops, dense crop plantings with companion crops, mulch and residue
• Diversity - diversity among plant communities builds symbiotic relationships, creates more complex exchanges of nutrients and natural pest controls, and increases diversity of life within the soil, thereby allowing the entire system to function better.
• No-till or low-till practices - these can be implemented in large scale cropping systems or small backyard gardens, but be sure to balance tilling practice with the minimal application of pesticides.
• Build organic matter by allowing leaves, expired crops or lawn clippings to decompose into the soil, add compost or manure, roll cover crops, and/or leave residue to decompose into the soil. 

Soil health techniques can be practiced at any scale. Whether you are a large-scale crop producer or you're trying to maintain a healthy lawn, you can incorporate all of the above techniques into your land-use activities. 

Lawns can be diversified with many different grass species as well as legumes and forbs. Cropping systems can be diversified through crop rotations, companion plantings and cover cropping.

Focusing on health and resilience of our soils will not only create a healthier system overall, but will prepare all our landscapes for changing weather patterns in the future. 

The first step in gardening is to ensure you have healthy soil. This involves feeding the soil and then allowing the soil to feed the plants. Soil health is paramount. If your soil is alive with earthworms and microbes, everything else will fall into place. Plants will be healthy and resist diseases and pest attacks. 

Any use of chemical, synthetic fertilizers, disease and pest solutions will harm naturally occurring microbes and insects. Therefore anything you add or use in your garden must be organic. Clickhere to learn more about building soil. 

Healthy soil is full of life. It has humus, earthworms, beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungus in the soil that helps plant roots uptake necessary nutrients. Many garden soils will need help to reach this optimal state. Modern organic amendments and fertilizers contain the necessary ingredients to help develop this environment. 

Soil amendments are not fertilizers. Amendments are designed to improve the soil texture. This will help your soil retain moisture and nutrients, increasing their availability to your plants. Composted amendments are important additions to both sandy and clay soils. Lean how to compost here. 

It will take a while for things to adjust, so be patient. There will likely be some bugs and fungicides that appear, especially early in the growing season when the ground is still moist. However, try not to become inpatient and intervene with conventional, non-organic solutions. At the same time these bad things are happening, good insects and beneficial fungi will be setting up home. Give them time to get situation and do their job. 

Occasionally you may need to help out your garden's environment. That may mean adding more good insects like ladybugs, nenmtodes, green lacewings or praying mantises. In some instances it may also include spraying with a natural pesticide. Don't think that natural pesticides are harmless to everything but what you are trying to eliminate. Follow the directions so you don't harm your good bugs or your plants. To learn more about natural pesticides, click here. ​

Companion planting is an age old gardening technique of pairing two or more plants to gain some type of benefit: vigorous growth, higher yield, repelling pests or attracting predators of common pests. Some companion plantings work, others disappoint. But the idea of strength in diversity is never truer than in the garden and that’s what companion planting provides. Learn more about companion planting here. 

Successful organic gardening is best enabled by observation - and it's also enjoyable. Watch carefully to what is happening and resist the urge to step in too quickly in an attempt to help. Continue to add organic soil amendments and starter fertilizer whenever you plant. Remember, it's impossible to have too much humus in your soil. Vegetable gardens especially take a lot of nutrients out of the soil, so you must replenish it. 

Composting is often part of organic gardening, but it is not a requirement. You can have a fully organic garden without composting, but it is very helpful (and healthful) and satisfying to do so. If you have room for a compost pile or bin, consider composting as both a way to benefit your garden and the environment by making productive use of many waste products. 

The next spring season you can look forward to having your little bird family return.

​If you want to offer boxes to encourage habitation, please consult your local Audubon chapter, birding organization, cooperative extension office, the library or the internet for advice on types and sources of nesting boxes. Poorly made and/or maintained boxes entice non-native species, such as starlings, to move in. These can out-compete swallows and other natives.

​In addition to a season's worth of free, non-toxic pest control, these pretty little birds also provide entertainment through their graceful flight acrobatics as they swoop to pick up nesting material, catch insects, and swoop down to drink water or take a quick bath.

We have been experimenting for a number of years with different ways of preparing the earth for our crops. Historically, tillage was performed to prepare a seedbed and control weeds. In conventional tillage, the earth is turned to a depth of 8 to 12 inches with a plow and then disked twice.  No-till farming, on the other hand, is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The first three steps in conventional cultivation are eliminated and the crop residue is left undisturbed after harvest and the next round of seeds are pushed through it, followed by placing the seeds and closing the trenches or holes. Since 1989, it has become the dominant form of soil management on conventional operations, covering more than 65 percent of cropland. However, no-till planters and herbicides are available to commercially accomplish these tasks and the results have been mixed. In addition, there are large amounts of herbicides that are applied in conjunction with "conventional" no-till. With commitment and experience, no-till can work, but our focus was how to minimize tilling while also minimizing - or altogether eliminating herbicides and pesticides.

​Pros and Cons of Each Approach
​First, let's revisit why it is desirable to move the soil at all. Conventional wisdom was soil is tilled is to loosen it so oxygen and water can reach the area where roots will grow. However, many passes over a field with equipment and even heavy animals such as oxen or horses, much less heavy equipment, further compacts the layer of soil just beneath that of which was tilled. Additionally, the broken-up soil is very prone to being compacted by rainfall. its ability to create a more natural soil that retains nutrients and water, prevents soil erosion, and compacts less.

Plowing, it is claimed, incorporates fertilizers and crop residues into the soil, making nutrients readily available to the roots of the plants. Turning organic matter under also has the benefit of preventing planters from becoming fouled with surface trash. In no-till farming, crop residues are left on the surface, where the nutrients that result from their decay can leach into the soil. This leaching process is far more thorough than you might imagine. Fertilizers—including anhydrous ammonia, phosphorus, and potassium—are at least as effective on the no-till fields where they've been dispersed as on the plowed plots. These ingredients can be placed directly into the planting trench, where they're most needed, during seeding. As for the potential problem of the planter fouling with residues, it is recommended to cut a slot through surface trash.

Though the soil does stay cooler until a little later in the spring because of the insulating layer of residue, the day/night soil temperature fluctuations are smaller. A no-till field rapidly makes up its deficit in growth rate as the weather turns warm. And if the summer should be really hot and dry, no-till yields will nearly always exceed those of plowed ground. Since soil moisture levels can be more than 10% higher in late July in an unplowed piece of ground, it's not surprising that plants are happier in a field covered with mulch.

​One of the significant downsides of plowing is it tills the entire area, where doing so by hand will only create the trench needed for seeding. Both plowing and tilling can be done in a way to help minimize the amount or water runoff, but a big benefit is that no-till soils stay more moist than those in tilled fields. The surface residues trap water and protect the earth below from the evaporative effect of the wind. In areas, where adequate spring moisture depends largely on spring rains and/or snowmelt, the vegetative cover helps keep the snow from blowing away and water runoff. (For more on permaculture practice click here). The advantages don't end there, though. If you grimaced when you read "anhydrous ammonia", consider this: One of the main problems with conventional agriculture's heavy use of nitrogen fertilizers is the leaching of these compounds into surface water during runoff. By retaining rainfall, the untilled field also better holds the chemicals that have been applied to it, thereby decreasing their pollution potential.

​Our Findings in the Backyard Garden
When the climate is drier, we strongly prefer a minimal till approach as described on the Building Soil page. This might involve taking a spade and lifting up the soil where the plant will go and perhaps 12 inches of space on all sides. Then as the plant grows, we will hand pick the weeds that grow up around it. This is very desirable and doable during periods of low rain fall because a minimal amount of soil is turned over to release carbon and dust in the to atmosphere, the bacteria and beneficial creatures in the slow are minimally disturbed and the weeds - with some regular diligence, and especially when a drip irrigation system are used - are easily kept under control.

​However, we've also found that in optimally rainy conditions, no till seemed like a futile attempt to do the right thing for the environment. Weeds quickly out-paced our ability to pull and pests arrived in droves, often taking advantage of the long stems and leaves of the weeds around the crops to hide themselves and gain advantageous access. Our attempt at minimal tillage in a year like this left us breathless, exhausted and with a minimal yield of crops. One of our take-aways was we needed to over-turn more of the soil around the plants and we needed to weed more often. Unfortunately, tiime is not in endless supply, so here are some other things we learned: