Posts by Ashley Lyons
T’is the Season for Spring Mix
The growing season is ramping up, and you know what that means: spring mix! Each year around this time, we see our first delicious harvest of this delicious crop. The variety of fresh tastes and textures are welcome after a long and cold winter. But just what is spring mix? And where does it come…
Read More »What are Phytonutrients?
Spend enough time reading health blogs and you’ll probably come across the word, ‘phytonutrients’. It’s a term that’s often used in conjunction with physical fitness and nutritional health. But what are phytonutrients? How do they work? And why should you care? Phytonutrients are actually a little difficult to pin down. Google defines them as ‘a…
Read More »How to Grow Better-Tasting Vegetables!
Everybody’s had that one piece of fruit or vegetable whose taste just knocked their socks off. Mine was a blackberry given to me by Chef Jess at Triumph Brewery New Hope: it was at the peak of ripeness, perfectly sweet, utterly memorable. But how do you grow tasty fruits and vegetables yourself? What’s the secret?…
Read More »What is Permaculture?
Permaculture is one of those words that gets tossed around almost as often as ‘sustainable’—and is perhaps just as misunderstood. But just what is Permaculture? It sounds intimidating, as if it were some complicated growing practice that only someone with a doctorate in horticulture could understand. But the basic tenants of Permaculture are surprisingly simple,…
Read More »All About Lettuce!
Whenever I think about Blue Moon’s baby lettuce heads I think about Alex Levine, Whole Earth Center’s beloved deli manager. Last year when I delivered the seasons’ first baby lettuce harvest, Alex pulled a glistening head from the box, tore off a leaf, and began feasting—right there in the walk-in cooler. It was the first,…
Read More »A Brief (and Mouthwatering!) History of Risotto
I was never a Risotto fan. In fact, before we started growing Italian rice here at Blue Moon, I can’t even say that I’d ever had the dish. But then one day, resident rice connoisseur Jim Lyons brought some freshly-cooked risotto into our office. I was hooked. Within a week, I was using our Arborio…
Read More »Blue Moon Acres Cleans Up Bucks County!
Pasture-Raised Eggs Made Easy!
If you’ve ever tried our pastured-raised eggs, you know how eggcellent they are. Bright orange yolks; sturdy, perfect-for-hardboiling shells; and uncommonly good taste. But have you ever wondered what goes into pasture-raising? Or wanted to try doing it yourself? Although the practice of pasture-raising has yet to be formally defined, it’s generally agreed to signify…
Read More »A Brief (and Interesting) History of Rice!
Ever since we at Blue Moon started growing our own rice, I’ve found myself wondering about its history. Where did it originate? How long have we been cultivating it? What makes it so special? Rice, it turns out, is a fascinating crop—and not only because of its history. When you get right down to it,…
Read More »5 Cheap and Easy Ways to Build Your Own Micro-Greenhouse!
When we think of greenhouses, most of us think of hulking, ship-like monoliths made of plastic or plexi-glass. But greenhouses can be small, too. Small enough to fit in your back yard, in fact. Or even in the palm of your hand. A greenhouse, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “a structure enclosed (as by glass)…
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