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We've been working hard to improve the photo gallery's navigation system. Now, in addition to being able to view photos by category, photos can be scanned through using the buttons right below each full size photo. The photo itself also acts as a link to the next photo in the series. The title bar of your browser will display the name of the photo as well as in which category it falls. As always, if you have any suggestions or comments on the new system... Read more →

We've added a new links category with a host of suppliers and other useful information. Have a look! Read more →

Spelt is a high protein grain, which tastes fairly similar to whole wheat. I have grown the grain here several different years, but I have not found an efficient, home scale way to thresh bushels of it. It is very low in gluten, so it will not rise much with yeast, and some of the people who can't eat wheat, are able to enjoy spelt. Here is my slow cooker recipe for a small loaf of spelt bread. Grind a cup and a half of whole spelt grain... Read more →

All freshly ground grains taste much better, and corn is no exception. The natural oils and vitamins are at their peak of perfection. Flavors normally lost in processing give a rich and full bodied aroma. This is how I make fresh cornbread, and bake it in a 'Crock-Pot' or slow cooker. For everyday convenience, I use an electric powered mill to grind the grains, and mix the dough. That takes less than a half hour. Once in the slow cooker, I won't need to check it again for about 3... Read more →

Beans, corn, squash and pumpkins all require a location which is sunny all day long. The ground should be loosened well below, and fertilizer or rich compost mixed in. For a new garden, dig or loosen all the soil which will be directly under the mature bean or corn plants. With squash and pumpkins, work up an area 30 inches across. Cut and remove any roots you find in that soil. In an established garden, 1/2 those widths will be enough. Beans are usually planted an inch deep in rows,... Read more →

We've added a new section for articles. Just click the link above. Browse the titles and select an article that interests you. We'll be adding new articles and more pictures in the coming days. Read more →

The easiest to grow, starchy vegetable is the Jerusalem Artichoke. This vigorous relative of sunflower, tobacco, tomato, and potato is a member of the Nightshade family. It is raised to produce eatable roots. It is started from root cuttings, like potatoes, and forms tubers in the fall. Your first harvest can begin after the tops die back for winter. Dig in spots scattered throughout the bed. The tubers are sort of knobby and skinless, and you will recognize them as being like what you planted. They keep best right... Read more →

I want to grow the very best animal or plant I can, adapted to my own needs. With vegetables, an early large crop is usually the best eating, and what you will want to be preserving also. You want to have enough to fill your drying racks, dehydrator, or canning kettle FULL several times. My pressure and water bath canners are the common size, and take 7 quarts or 10 pints in each batch. An excellent canning guide came with my pressure canner from Lehman's Hardware, and there are... Read more →

Even with only a relatively small area to work with, much of our food can be grown at home. This is how to start. You should have a very short list of foods you absolutely will not eat, or are allergic to. Remember, freshly harvested foods all taste much better than anything you can buy. Your goal is to be harvesting a reasonably balanced diet as many months out of the year as possible and to store foods for the rest of the year. You want to spread out the... Read more →

Most people eat far more starchy foods than meats or vegetables. Wheat, Rice, Corn, Potatoes and Beans have been the foundation of many cultures. These are field crops that don't require the attention of vegetables, but will need several times as much space to grow a year's supply. Your local climate will determine which ones you can grow. I'd try to find out what the native peoples and early settlers grew for their own food. The common agricultural crops in your area today are worth noting, but they... Read more →