In the Below the Line challenge, I am $52 short of my goal. I'm doing it again this week, Australia's week, on the same US allowed amount. I wonder if an endeavor like yardsharing would help at all in places that have such poverty levels. Opinions?

Below the Line is a 5 day challenge/fundraiser that I am doing this week. It's lead me to realize something.

My backyard is kinda awesome, now that I'm using what just kinda grows there all on its own. I've got 3 different kinds of edible flowers, some wild garlic, wild basil, and some volunteer onions. I know they're volunteers, because the weather's been too wonky to plant. There'll be raspberries…

Most everything is planted inside, since they have frost advisories on them and winter seems to hit every third day or so. Was low 40's day before yesterday, today is 75.

Out in the garden, I've got a roll-out lettuce strip and a roll-out cucumber strip "planted". The raised fridge bed had spinach and lettuce planted in it, but I think the wonky weather may have put paid to those seeds growing - I'm not seeing anything, and those got planted before winter decided to show up…

So it's been a long while since I visited this site.  Much has happened in that time.  Two chickens lost to dog attack, started a full-time job which caused my 2012 veg garden to suffer greatly, got divorced... it's been a busy time.  However, my new best friend lives across the street and can't wait to help me revive my once thriving practice -- growing food in my 10 raised beds, tending my mini fruit orchard, and helping me acclimate the two new pullets I’ll bring into the family this…

I got to ask Mel Bartholomew father of the Square Foot Gardening method what he thought about the issues some people see around peat moss. I learned a bit - enjoy http://www.melbartholomew.com/whats-up-with-peat-moss/

Are you a Square Foot Gardener? What's your experience? How many beds do you have and what do you grow?

  I am so thankful for having time, the resources and health to share my gardening life with others. This past weekend I once again made a trip to the south valley to visit http://www.skarsgardfarms.com/. They once again had a tour of the farm, which we missed and took time to photograph the piglets and barn instead. They had a gentleman who spoke to a group of us about composting. He not only spoke to us but brought along some of the what and…

Today I had a fun filled day. I met Doc and we exchanged plants from our gardens. I shared some of my raspberry shoots and I hope that they will take as easy as they did in my garden.  My Tarragon pot looks beautiful next to the strawberry pot I am hoping to fill with edible flowers. Doc not only brought me some of her Tarragon but brought it in a pot. Seriously feel bad since I took my clippings in a empty kitty litter container. I owe you one Doc ;)

 I also drove up to Rio Rancho to…

4000 Gallons + Rainwater Tanks. They are currently full.

These Pictures are from last year. This is our first yard we started cultivating about five years ago.

We now have 65 Fruit Trees and vines.

Grapes, Peach, Apples, Nectarine, Apricot, Fig, Jujube, Plum, Current, Hackberry and ServiceBerry.

It's in the 70's today. I went ahead and planted the corn, and killed my back. It's currently quite upset with me. I'm gonna wait on planting any little bitty seeds (ie: the radishes) until the wind won't blow them into the next county when I try to scatter them.

On the woe side, the weather flip-outs have finally gotten the best of me. I appear to be coming down with a could. *miserable*

Sharon Astyk is one of my favorite thinkers on resilience and sustainability. She brings it down to the ground where it belongs. In this blog she covers what we need to get sustainability working in our neighborhoods. It's going to take more than canning, kale and clotheslines. It's going to take getting involved at the municipal level as an organized group and at a national level. Many of the things that make living in the burbs potentially sustainable - are actually illegal at this time.…

Back in December, when it was insanely warm (not that it still isn't), I asked the kid to till up the beds. He finally got around to that today - because he wants to use the tiller to till up a garden for a lady who lives up the hill and get paid for it. Yes, he'll get to borrow it. My tools are on loan as part of my hyperlocavorism. Though, since he intends to get paid, he did have to do his home gardening chore first.

We're expecting the seeds to come any day now. And we've…

Hi Liz! 

Thanks for adding me to the hyperlocavore page. I'll hopefully be taking another position soon and will be looking for a group when I land. If all goes well, I'll settle in Akron, Ohio.

Cheers for now!

Robert

According to the USDA:

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990 with greater…

Chatted up another neighbor about it. Mom and I got together to order seeds, and we're going to split what we ordered. I need to check around for tires so we can get a potato tower or two going. I've only got one stray (the other is a tire swing). We're splitting because she'll use chems and I won't.

Did get the onions all separated out. Course, then it snowed. We got about an inch and a half, and it lasted about a day and a half before the temps were back in the 60's. I…

At a personal and at the community level we are all looking for ways to thrive in tough times. It is surely a struggle our families and our friends. So much change, so much uncertainty even as we hear the economy is improving.... It is not improving for many of us. This is a list of my favorite books to help you get way beyond survival. We can dream bigger dreams while recognizing our interdependence. There is a new vision emerging...join us!…

So I went to my shop today where I keep all my seeds and gardening stuff. It's mid January. We just got eight inches of snow. I started absentmindedly filling small pots with soil. My body had decided it was time to start those tomato…