Tag Archive: vegetables

Easter Eggs – The Eco Friendly Way

Easter Eggs by pitrih on stock.xchng

This time of year eggs are a hot topic. One of the most frequently asked questions I hear among those who either raise their own or source farm-fresh, local eggs is whether or not brown eggs — the color most commonly laid in America’s backyard flocks — are suitable for dying. The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, brown eggs result in deep, rich hues that white shells just cannot compete with.

But how do you dye them without yucky commercial dye packets wrapped in yards of packaging waste? Well, naturally, of course.

Over the years we have experimented with many of those natural ways.

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A Fall Garden for All

Victory Garden Bounty Circa 1941-1945 on Flickr

Victory Garden Bounty Circa 1941-1945 on Flickr

The fall garden used to be something that only experienced backyard growers took on. Those that had a few good summers filled with ripe tomatoes and wax-free bell peppers still warm from the sun. In a throwback to the era of Victory Gardens and self-sustainability spurred by eco-consciousness however, fall gardens are rising in popularity almost as much as their summer counterparts. In fact, the word on the street is that this year even the White House will have a fall garden. And if the White House can do it, so can you. Even if you do lack gobs of more-than-qualified staff to do your dirty work.

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Pick a winner – of the fruit and veggie variety, that is!

For the past few years, my family and I have gone to a local farm each fall to pick some of our own vegetables. For $10 per person (for anyone older than 3; babies and toddlers are free of charge), you go on a hayride to various vegetable fields (carrots, potatoes, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, pie pumpkins, etc.) where you can pick to your heart’s content. We usually only pick enough to last us a couple of weeks, but not this year. Oh no. This is the year I’m getting serious about local food preservation.

Pick Your Own fruits and vegetablesThat won’t be the only farm I will visit this year.

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