Pet Poop Composter

Tired of throwing all that pet poop into the landfill? Then don’t! Check out this Pet Poop Composter. Pet poop compost is ideal for fertilizing lawns, trees and flower beds, though you might want to avoid using it to fertilize your ground and root crops like lettuce and onions…there are those who use “humanure” compost on their orchard crops, since the compost does not come into direct contact with the harvested food. Use your own judgment.

Then you can thank your cats and dogs for the healthiest yard in town!

The Pet Poop Composter also qualifies for free shipping from Green Nation Gardens. You can feel good about purchases made from this small, family-owned business!

Soil, Weeds and Organic Methods

Lots of great documents on sustainable ag, soil conditions, weeds as indicators of soil conditions, and other detailed organic methodology from
Ecological Agriculture Projects, McGill University (Macdonald Campus)
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9 Canada

AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS AND THE SOIL

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

COMPARISON OF FOOD QUALITY OF ORGANICALLY GROWN VERSUS CONVENTIONALLY GROWN PLANT FOODS

THE BASICS OF GREEN MANURING

COMPOSTING: WHY COMPOST? HOW TO COMPOST?

COMPOSTING FOR FARM AND GARDEN. Part 1: The Whys and Wherefores; Part 2: How to do it

CULTURAL METHODS OF PEST, PRIMARILY INSECT, CONTROL

COMMON GARDEN PESTS: NATURAL CONTROLS

ECOLOGICAL GARDEN SUPPLIES: PESTICIDES, FERTILIZERS

MULCHING: WHY MULCH? WHAT TO USE?

WEEDS AS INDICATORS OF SOIL CONDITIONS

FARM-SCALE AGRONOMIC AND ECONOMIC CONVERSION FROM CONVENTIONAL TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

Heirloom Seeds Entrepreneur

Here are some links where you can read about one of my heroes, Jere Gettle. He is an inspiration and I have had great success with Baker Creek seeds.

Jeremiath Gettle of Baker Creek Heirloom Seed company wanted to be a seedman from the time he was a young boy. He worked it out brilliantly, and has built an empire of heirloom seeds. Regular festivals feature folk music and plenty of old-timey goodness, and are drawing more people from around the US and the world each year…

Thanks, Jere and company, for being one of the few alternatives to Monsanto seeds of death!

• Nice article on Jere and Baker Creek
• Baker Creek Seeds: If the pictures and enticing descriptions don’t make you swoon with curiosity, check your pulse.
• Seed Savers Exchange: Going strong since 1975. View catalog or become a member to access 1000’s of other seed savers.

Enjoy, and happy growing!
Diane

Simple vs. Easy

When I say “simplicity”, I mean “a lack of complexity”. Though they are frequently used interchangeably, easy and simple are not the same thing. It is much more simple to pick a tomato from your yard or container garden than it is for tomatoes to be shipped from Mexico through a wide variety of middlemen. That complex and expensive process yields the lowest price to the actual farmers and laborers who do 99% of the work.

I know many people don’t feel they have time or energy to grow tomatoes. Between working, caring for families and the need to use entertainment as a foil to shake the stressful mess off, the prospect of eating a tomato from your yard does not appear to be easy.

I also see an element of faddishness in the “going green” movement, and I think an important aspect of “going green” includes realizing that “ease” and “convenience” are not the all-encompassing utopia that they have been made out to be. There are harmful impacts from all that easiness, not just on your planet, but on the humanity of your soul.

The simple way, though not easy, often helps one find a side of their own forgotten humanity. At least it works for me. It builds spiritual connection to all that exists.

• Superhuman scale business ventures increase throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Archetype of strong American work ethic visibly decreasing over the years as “easy is better” becomes the norm.

Coincidence? Is it possible that “easiness” separates us from our own humanity? Do you ever feel like a domesticated pet, raised and cared for to be a good little consumer?