The three sisters’ form of gardening is based on two things: a Native American legend and a traditional Native American form of farming. The three sisters in the name come from three distinct vegetables that when planted in tandem thrive. The legend is told in several different ways, and has roots in Iroquois traditions. The […]
One of my favorite things about this website is answering questions from you! This week I received this email from Jo: Okay, Mario … here is a question for you. It is easy as pie to go out and find all the information in the world you could ever want about building a raised bed and […]
There is more to a jar of pickles than some dill and a batch of small cucumbers. In fact, you can pickle just about everything that you grew in your summertime garden. Things like beets, green beans, and sliced peaches can all be pickled and canned, making this an easy way to store fruits and […]
Once the last autumn harvest is complete and the temperatures start dropping, you may think that your gardening work is done for the year. However, that’s not quite the case. There are plenty of things to accomplish before the snow starts flying, including the items on this handy list: 1) Clean up your garden. Removing […]
Being completely self-sufficient is an excellent goal; however, there are times when you need to accept a little outside help. Whether you had a hard time while planting your garden, simply didn’t have the room for all of the crops that you wanted to plant, or had a catastrophic crop failure due to bad soil […]
There are several different types of cheese that you can make yourself. These include Ricotta, Cottage cheese, Mascarpone, Mozzarella and Yogurt cheese, to name a few. Making your own cheese can be tricky, and takes some time to fully learn, but once you have mastered it, you will (almost) never have to purchase cheese from […]
Sometimes it can be tricky to find useful vegetables that will grow in your garden. This is especially true if you’re unfamiliar with the United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones, or if you’re new to gardening. However, in order to be truly self-sufficient, you need to know what vegetables to plant and what […]
Fall is a great season where the weather slowly begins to cool down and prepare for the winter chill. It’s a wonderful time to plan a fall garden so you can harvest delicious ingredients for hearty and healthy dishes and even prepare for favorite holidays that are just around the corner. To make the most […]
At some part in your quest to be self sufficient, you will begin to use seeds you save from last year’s garden. This is a significant step. But, growing from seed uses an extra skill or two. You will know how hearty your seedlings will be by the size of their seeds. If the seed […]
Composting is a great way to reuse resources from your garden, yard and kitchen to help provide better soil. Let’s face it: Healthy soil equals healthy plants. Fertilizer cannot make bad soil good, but compost can. The truth is households can recycle or compost a great majority of their garbage. That banana peel or first […]
Becoming self sufficient doesn’t necessarily mean you can only provide your own fresh vegetables. Meat could be on the menu too. Chickens are the solution. Prior to running out to buy your chicks, do you understand the three meat classes of chickens? Chickens can be grown simply for eggs or for all their valued meat. […]
