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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…
Read More »All About Soil Testing!
To test, or not to test—that is the question. Whether t’is nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of poor soil, or to have that soil tested, and, by amending its components, have a healthier garden. Soil tests were unavailable in Shakespeare’s day, but we in the modern age have no such excuse. Testing your…
Read More »3 Ways to Make Use of an Abundance of Tomatoes
Hello, tomato. So wonderful to see you again. Such taste, such loveliness, such flavor… tis’ the season of Jersey-grown tomatoes. As a tomato lover, I sometimes find myself thinking with my eyes, and come home with more tomatoes than I can possibly consume. What’s a girl to do? 3 Ways to Make Use of an…
Read More »GMOs: A Refresher Course
If you’re like me, your knowledge of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is a little less-than total. You know that they’re unsafe, that they’re Monsanto’s bread and butter, that they’re harmful for the environment. But you could probably use a refresher course. Well, you’re in luck. Because today’s blog is just that. According to Wikipedia, a…
Read More »Books to Get You Started Living Simply
Are you looking for inspiration on your dream to live a simple life? This book genre has exploded in the past few years, and it’s no surprise. The ideas of eating seasonally, supporting local farmers and artisans, and becoming self-sufficient are all very much a part of pop culture right now. But where to begin?…
Read More »It’s the Soil, Stupid
It’s dark, it’s messy, it’s all around you. It’s soil. It’s the very essence of life. But just what is soil? Why is it so important? And what can you do to improve your own? At its most basic, soil is a blend of organic matter, minerals, and living organisms. Rotting leaves, dead animals, crushed…
Read More »How I Learned to Love Radishes
My name is Rebecca, and I haven’t always liked radishes. There. It’s out in the open now. Why did I emphatically not like radishes? And why am I now on the path of radish toleration, nearing radish adoration? First, a visual: When I was younger, I had a distinct intolerance of spicy foods. No peppers,…
Read More »8 Tips on How You Can Live Locally
Wondering what steps you can take to become more aligned with your local community and environment? Erica Evans, Beginning Farmer Program Coordinator at NOFA-NJ, shares with us 8 ways you can live locally. 1. If your municipality allows, raise your own chickens. In my own hometown, I participated in many town council meetings advocating for…
Read More »How to Make a Simple Salad Dressing
One of the perks of working for Blue Moon is free greens. During the spring and summer, this means salad for at least one meal a day for me, every day of the week. A challenge (aka an opportunity for improvement) I face is keeping my salads interesting. How do I do this when the…
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