latest posts – Page 17 – Planet B Gardens

hacking the garden

By “hacking the garden” I’m talking hacking as in technology here. Every technique used to grow healthier crops more efficiently and sustainably since the advent of the blade and the Farmers’ Almanac is, of course, an example of technology. Given advances in communication technology with the internet, social media, embedded sensors, augmented reality, robotics, among other innovations in the last 20 years, I’m fascinated by the possibilities for creating a better system of communication between us as human stewards of the land and our plant and animal cohabitants. The better technology we have to detect what they’re telling us about what our plants and animals need, when they need it, and how they

December 25, 2014

bison skull mosaic

I picked up this skull from a local bison rancher. It was in pretty rough shape. With a little 40 volume peroxide, elbow grease, and time, it cleaned up nicely. Looked like a perfect canvas for a piece of art to me…. My first bison skull mosaic. Big and impressive in person. Fitting tribute to the bison bull who contributed to the stock of free-range beef in my freezer.

turkey day

As much as I love the wild turkeys wandering the property… this time of year I can’t help but think of…

is this what a fox says?

Last night there was quite a racket outside. Click on the left end of the bar below to play. Do you know what kind of animal this is? I’m thinking it might be fox kits. We have seen a beautiful cross fox on the property. I haven’t captured a picture yet, however the picture below sort of looks like our fox. Except ours has a bit more black than this one I grabbed from Google images (image credit goes to Jack Moskovita according to the file name). UPDATE: Consensus among a few folks is the sound is a group of coyotes chatting amongst themselves. I’ve only heard coyotes bark and howl. This sound is

October 23, 2014

cheese storage update

Five weeks ago I decided to experiment with unrefrigerated cheese storage. I painted blocks of store bought cheddar and jack w/red cheese wax, tied them with butcher’s twine, and hung them to store in my shop/garage area. The shop stays reasonably cool even though we’ve had days in the 90s. Tonight I cut open one of the blocks of jack. There was a tiny dry spot where the twine had cut into the wax enough to let a bit of moisture out. Other than that, the cheese experiment is a success at five weeks unrefrigerated storage. The cheese smelled right — a smidge sharper than the very mild store bought jack I

October 23, 2014

meandering fall walk

Nothing better than walking out the back door for a meandering fall hike through the backyard…

what’s SPIN farming?

“SPIN” stands for Small Plot INtensive farming. The basic idea is to grow high-value crops — i.e., those in demand by local restaurants, farmers’ markets, CSAs, and groceries — that can be planted and harvested quickly. You plant and harvest a crop to make room for the next high-value crop on the same plot of land. The goal is to turn as many high-value crops as feasible given the length of the local growing season. Listening to a podcast a month or so ago, I heard Curtis Stone, owner of Green City Acres, talking about how he makes a very decent living on less than an acre of land using the

October 15, 2014

honeybee or not to be

I met with a dozen or so local beekeepers tonight, looking to get my feet wet in advance of plunging into beginner beekeeping planned for the coming spring. While I’d read of Colony Collapse Disorder in passing, it was enlightening to hear experienced beekeepers’ stories of recent collapses among their hives. One beekeeper with 40+ years’ experience described visiting his hives recently to discover one had completely vanished. Another beekeeper working with established commercial hives described a similar scene. One day the bees are happily humming along with their bee business, and the next day they vanish from the hive without a trace. No dying or dead bees, no physical sign of disturbance,

October 11, 2014

night’s transition into fall

The season is transitioning here at Planet B Gardens. The deer and wild turkeys have become scarce, seasonal birds have migrated, elk are bugling in the distance for mates, and wolves are howling at tonight’s lenticular full moon. The earth is quieting, readying for winter.