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Today, I will set out my Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage plants, they were started inside the end of February. Every day for about a week I have been hardening the plants by putting them outside during the day for increasing amounts of time. That way they will be acclimated to outside weather. Cabbage can take a light frost and here in New England nights can be a bit frosty this time of year. I will also plant lettuce, spinach, beets, dill and peas. These vegetables thrive on cool temperatures. Read more →

According to Suzanne Ashworth, in her book Seed to Seed, Flint corn will retain a high germination rate for up to 10 years and sometimes much longer. This corn, when ground into meal, makes delicious corn bread, pancakes and muffins. Flint corn is not difficult to grow or harvest. No wonder it has been a life sustaining crop for centuries. Read more →

Today, I will be sowing my Beefsteak Tomato seeds.I start my tomato seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. Several weeks ago I started Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage, California Wonder Peppers and Parsley seeds. Those plants are now ready to transplant into 3"X3" pots. Pepper and Parsley seeds take longer to germinate than tomatoes or cabbage.Tomatoes and peppers are very frost sensitive but cabbage and parsley can take a light frost. All of these factors must be keep in mind when starting seeds. Read more →

Since it does take some time to soak, cook and simmer Boston Baked Beans, why not cook larger batches and freeze or can some of them for later meals? The usual recipe calls for soaking the dry beans in water over night. Change the water a couple times. Then cook the beans by boiling hard for an hour or two. To save a lot of both cooking time and fuel use a pressure cooker for 30 minutes instead. I prefer to use stainless steel pressure cookers for cooking foods and... Read more →

Native Americans all across the USA planted these three crops for a very good reason. By combining them in there diet they had a base of complete nutrition. It is not just any kind of beans. corn and squash. You need to grow mature dry beans, corn as a grain and winter keeping squash. String beans, sweet corn and summer squash will not do. Neither beans or corn develop protein until fully mature and dry. Summer squash has almost no calories and not that much in the way of vitamins.... Read more →

If you are saving seeds to plant in next years garden you do! For example - All squash varieties are outbreeding which means they are insect pollinated. Squashes are divided into 6 different species and different varieties within the same species will cross readily. Crossing however does not occur between the different species. So what in the world does that all mean? O.K. say you plant Buttercup and Hubbard squash in your garden, you carefully save the seeds from each variety and plant them next year. Ouch what is that??... Read more →

I captured a video showing a flock of more than 30 Wild Turkeys feeding under my songbird feeder and in my front yard. To see click on the word video at the beginning of my other videos on my home page. Read more →

Here in New England, Fall is the Harvest season when we get ready for the long Winter ahead. There is great satisfaction as each thing we need is stocked up. It is such a great feeling to look into a full cupboard, see a large wood pile or know our fuel tanks are full. Seeds and herbs drying here and there around the house are a delight and bring real security. Learn now to save your own seeds and keep enough for a couple years ahead. Some preparations actually save... Read more →

On Sept 26, 2013 Nan posted a new video to explain how to choose fully mature ears of our dry Flint Corn to harvest and explains the harvesting and drying process. Click your mouse on the word "Videos" in green ink on our homepage to see all our Utube videos. Read more →

On Sept. 13, 2013 Nan posted a new video on The Seed for Security Utube channel. The title is 'Seed Saving California Wonder Peppers'. How to save California Wonder Pepper seeds, make pickled peppers and freeze pepper slices. Read more →