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Our neighbor gave me a few dozen strawberry plants several years ago. I set out a single row, and they have been spreading over a wider area each year. Now I have a bed of strawberries 60 feet long and 15 feet wide. I pick gallons of these sweet berries, and many of them are made into jam. Bending over and picking so many berries near the ground is hard on your back, but all our children are eager to get jars of homemade strawberry jam. You don't need to... Read more →

Few people have the luxury of enjoying an evening cup of tea by going out on their deck and collecting a handful of healthful herbs. I have a raised bed off of our deck with a melody of plants including peppermint, spearmint, and lemon balm. I use a little of each to make a delightful after-dinner beverage. These herbs, the experts say, help one to relax and also aid in the digestion of food. Perennial herbs, such as the above mentioned, are easy to grow but can become invasive. I... Read more →

Until a hundred years ago, the majority of Americans were farming the land for a living. Most foods were locally produced and consumed. In my home library, I have a number of market garden books written by Peter Henderson in the late 1800's. He started out growing food for the New York City market, and became an authority on the subject. Henderson bred new varieties of vegetables, and founded a large and successful seed company. He recommended one able bodied man for each acre of market garden. My own great... Read more →

We've made some changes to the layout of the homepage as well as some improvements to the way the navigation bar works. The homepage now includes a more complete story of our business and our philosophy. The website has grown considerably these past couple of years, so we've sorted the articles and links into categories for easy navigation. As always, please contact us with any questions or comments here. Read more →

I save a lot of money for other projects by buying large containers of foods, and repacking them. This article will describe a few examples. I love to add garlic to all sorts of foods, and a very inexpensive way to buy it, is chopped and dried. Garlic prepared like this will keep on the shelf for a long time, if it is protected from moisture and sunlight. We use small canning jars, and repack the large tub of dried, chopped garlic, and store it inside a cabinet, protected from... Read more →

When I was a young girl, Spring was ushered in with freshly caught rainbow trout and dandelion salad. My dad and I got up early on the first day of fishing season and caught our limit. Mom would have some tender young dandelions already picked over so she could put them together in a salad. Oh what a wonderful lunch that was! I still love the taste of fresh young dandelions. Picked early in the season, they are tender and mild and delicious in a salad or steamed. The flowers... Read more →

The photo gallery has been updated to load faster. As always, feel free to contact us with any questions or comments at Contact Us Read more →

I keep getting this question emailed to me over and over again, asked in slightly different ways. For the longest keeping seeds, five to ten years or more, I offer seeds sealed in foil pouches. This includes Our Garden Security Collection, Our Garden Bean Collection, and two small grains. Hulless Oats and Winter Rye. These have been carefully dried and a desiccant packet has been added. They are properly prepared for even longer storage in your refrigerator. In your freezer they will last much longer, like Grampa Neffs... Read more →

Carrots and parsnips are both excellent served as boiled vegetables and cooked in soups and stews. They are hearty sources of carbohydrates as well as vitamins and minerals. This is very important to anyone who is actually hungry. We live in a time when diet foods are constantly promoted for having few calories. That is good for couch potato TV watchers, and those whose life's 'work' is behind a desk. When we need to be more active, we will need to eat more calories. Carrots are easy to grow, but... Read more →

I love all the members of the onion family, and the tastes they bring to our table. Claims are made they improve our health, and help our bodies fight disease. So why aren't I selling them, you ask? Onion seed has one of the shortest lifespans of any garden seed. Germination rates fall by the second year, so it cannot be kept for long term storage, no matter what you do to preserve it. Bulbs or cloves cannot be stored reliably for more than one year either. Onions and garlic... Read more →