Planet Veggie Garden

Bill Moyers recently interviewed Michael Pollan. The conversation primarily focused on Governments role in how and what we eat as well as some suggestions for the Obama administration.
Pollan called food the “Shadow Issue” as it influences our health, climate change, energy security and environmental pollution.
We tend to only think of food in an isolated way. 
You [...]

Now that the US Presidential election is done, we have a President-elect who enjoys Arugula – or “Rocket” lettuce.
Sign the petition from Eat the View to replace part of the White Lawn with an organic veggie garden… really fresh Arugula and more.

When it rains we get ants. Often MANY ants… inside and outside.
We’ve been using a citrus based spray and were fairly pleased with it. Recently I was contacted by the manufacturer of a new line of organic insecticides for home use: EcoSmart. They offer an Ant & Roach spray, a Flying Insect spray, a Wasp [...]

The US presidential elections happened on 4.November. Here in California we had proposition on the ballot titled “Standards for Confining Farm Animals”.
The proposition passed (63% in favor) enacting the “Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act”
What does the law prohibit?Simply it prohibits confining farm animals in a way that does not allow them to freely turn [...]

It’s Veterens Day in the United States – a day to honor veterans.
I’d like to mention a few small-scale farm programs that are working with veterans.
Nadia McCaffrey is the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq. She recognized that many folks returning from Iraq and Afganistan were struggling. In 2007 she created Veterans’ Village. [...]

We’re now poised for new leadership… and a new dog at the White House.
Will the nation’s food policy change?
Most of the campaign talk circled around the economy, health care and homeland security. In reality, our relationship with the food we eat is intertwined with all three of those areas.
With the commoditization of much of our [...]

Many of us think sweet potatoes and yams are one and the same. While there is some rationale for the confusion they are indeed two different species.
Yams – like potatoes – are a tuber.
Sweet potatoes are roots and part of the Morning Glory family that grow on trailing vines and root at the nodes.
Yams have [...]

  Potato plants

We’ve had rain 5 days going – a very good thing in this state (California) after a few drought years.
The garden is benefiting and especially the potatoes. I didn’t plant many but some green has bursted through.
This is the International year of the potato, so anointed by the United Nations.
The humble potato is a [...]

What produces more yield – organic farming or industrialized farming?…
5 acre farms or 5,000 acre farms?
I’d venture to say most folks believe industrialized and large farms are capable of higher yields through greater technology and efficiency.
I’ve read a number of sources that argue organic farming can now produce yields equal to “chemical” farming. This in [...]

  Box of leaf lettuce

Don’t have much space but love really fresh salad…here’s one of our boxes of lettuce.
Very simple. We got a banana box from a local grocer (actually, we’ve gotten many banana boxes). Typically it comes with a plastic liner bag with aeration holes. We double the box by putting the bottom half into [...]