Posts by nickeyh
Hydroponics V. Soil
Hydroponically-grown. Soil-grown. Ever wonder what’s the difference? Hydroponic enthusiasts swear by their technology, and soil proponents swear by theirs. But which is better? Is one healthier than the other? And what about environmental impacts? Is one ‘greener’? In hydroponics, water replaces soil as the medium by which plants derive nutrition. A hydroponic system can be…
Read More »Living Local: Know Your Producers!
What does it mean to live locally? How can you be a local citizen? Alex Jones of Fair Food Farmstand in Philadelphia suggests that getting to know your food producer–literally, the source of the food you are eating–will strengthen your civic pride. In her words: My suggestion would be to not only give your dollars…
Read More »The Fruits of CO-OPeration
For members of the Doylestown Food Co-Op, March 22nd was a special day. That was the day of their Grand Opening, the culmination of many years hard work and planning. Their first Grand Opening had been delayed by power outages caused by the February 6th ice storm, making it that much more special. “So many…
Read More »A Salad by Any Other Name…
Why is a salad called a salad? These are the questions we (ok, I) ask ourselves as we chomp into the first bites of locally-grown lettuces this season… “Salad” comes from “sal”, ie, salt. In ancient times (and modern, as well), salt was an ingredient in the salad dressing. As they say, clothes make the…
Read More »I’m Not a Sprout, I’m a Microgreen!
Question: Sprouts and Microgreens are: a.) Basically the same thing b.) Sort of the same thing c.) Two totally different things d.) The preferred diet of the Asiatic Water Buffalo Answer: c.) Two totally different things Congratulations if you got it right! Sprouts and microgreens, while often referred to as one and the same,…
Read More »Living Local: Buying Local, and Knowing from Whom You Buy
Wondering how you can support your local community? Try committing to buying local, and buying from people you know. Lisa White, President of the Doylestown Food Co-op, really encourages people to buy local, as much as possible, as a way to ensure the continued vitality of your community. “I love where I live and…
Read More »How Climate Change is Changing Farming
Farming was never an easy gig, but lately it’s been downright frustrating. Record heat waves, floods, cold-spells, and droughts are cutting into yields and in some instances ruining entire crops. Analysts warn that such climate change-driven extremes could reduce grain production in G20 countries by up to 8.7 percent by 2020 if no significant action…
Read More »8 Things We Love about Spring
1. Cooking with fava beans and asparagus Ashley Lyons, Sales Manager 2. Sleeping with the windows open Emily Boell, Market Manger, Sales 3. Strawberries from Manoff Market Gardens Jeremy Tucker, Sales, Delivery Driver 4. Exchanging jackets for t-shirts 5. Seeing the first flowers blooming Josh Goldsmith, Assistant Market Manager 6. Kayaking in Bucks County Natalie…
Read More »What does it mean to transplant plants?
Here at Blue Moon Acres, we get a jump on spring by starting items that will be growing outside in the greenhouses first, using a method known as transplanting. Transplanting literally means to uproot and replant. We begin the plants in the heated, warm greenhouses in trays, and then gradually transfer them to the ground.…
Read More »Hopewell’s Bluest Restaurant
On route 518 just east of Hopewell, New Jersey, there’s a modest blue double-wide whose front stairs are painted in blue decorative graffiti. Not the kind of place you’d suspect of being a hub of inventive New American cuisine, yet that’s precisely what it is. This is the Blue Bottle Café, home of co-chefs/owners Aaron…
Read More »