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A Brief History of Tomatoes
High summer is here, and you know what that means: fresh, local tomatoes. If you don’t have plants of your own, you probably know someone who does. Whether transformed into your favorite sauce or salsa, or simply eaten whole with a little salt, tomatoes are one of the season’s most rewarding edible treasures. And to…
Read More »Five Ways to Deter Garden Pests!
Summer’s here and your garden’s in full swing. And so are those pesky garden pests, working overtime to make a mockery of all your hard work. Today we discuss 5 safe and natural ways to keep those pests at bay. 1. Hot sauce and dish detergent Would you enjoy a soapy hot sauce dressing with…
Read More »The Best Potato Recipe (Ever)
I still remember the way this dish tasted the first time I tried it. It was just so *good*. Nutty, flavorful larette fingerling potatoes, roasted garlic, lemons, herbs… a wonderful combination that really highlighted the main element of the dish, the potatoes. I went home after trying this dish and thought about it all evening.…
Read More »Native Farming
If you’re looking for the latest on progressive agricultural practices, you might want to look to the past. Specifically, to Native Americans. Long before the first New Jersey Grown logo appeared on a supermarket shelf, Natives were growing organically. Before Permaculture, Sustainability, and Localization became the cherished catchwords of hipsters and hippies, Natives were busy…
Read More »Soup Weather
October has arrived, and in my book, that means we are securely into soup weather. I like to make a big pot of soup on the weekends and then bring it to work for lunch during the week. If I’m really ahead of the game, I’ll first make a huge batch of Dr. Andrew Weil’s…
Read More »To Dream of Fall
Is it really true? The Autumnal Equinox is this Tuesday, which means this weekend is the last weekend of the summer. What to do, what to do? This quote rings true for me right now: Autumn has caught us in our summer wear. – Philip Larkin I’m not quite ready to let go of summer…
Read More »A Few Fun Facts about Hybrids and Heirlooms
In the realm of farming and gardening the debate over hybrids and heirlooms rages on. But just what are hybrids and heirlooms? Is one really better than the other? And why should you care? Hybrids are plants that have been crossbred to produce a new, uniform variety, often with specific traits in mind. Disease-resistance, uniformity,…
Read More »Wendell Berry’s The Peace of Wild Things
Deep breaths, deep breaths, deep breaths. The Peace of Wild Things BY WENDELL BERRY When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in…
Read More »What Makes New Jersey Grown New Jersey Grown?
There is perhaps no single image more synonymous with quality and integrity than the USDA organic seal. Its presence means you’re getting a product grown without harmful chemicals, GMOs, or antibiotics. But just what does the certification process entail? What are the requirements? What makes New Jersey Grown New Jersey Grown? At its most basic…
Read More »The Scoop on Potatoes
What is a potato? A potato is a vegetable. It is part of the nightshade family of plants (along with tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. The potato is actually the swollen portion of the underground root, called a tuber. The tuber serves to provide food for the leafy green (above-ground) part of the plant. If allowed…
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