Posts Tagged ‘Blue Moon Acres’
The Vanishing Small Farm
Everywhere, all over the country, all around the world, small farms are disappearing. According to a USDA report, after peaking at 6.8 million in 1945, U.S. farms fell sharply until the early 1970s; by 2002, only 2.1 million farms remained. If you’ve lived long enough, chances are you remember a few of these small farms,…
Read More »Powered by Bicycle: The Future of Sustainable Farming
Everyone knows bikes are a great way to exercise, enjoy the outdoors, or even commute. But did you know bikes can be converted into useful agricultural tools and machines? From weeding, harvesting, planting, threshing, shelling, winnowing—bikes can do it all. And without greenhouse emissions and expensive repair bills. The following are a few ways that…
Read More »The Mysterious and Fascinating Life of Roots
When we think of roots, most of us think of pale, fibrous, slimy-looking tubes whose only purpose is sucking water out of soil. If we’re gardeners or farmers, we also think of roots as food. But roots do much more than siphon water and provide food—they’re the cornerstone of plant function. And in many ways…
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 »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 »The Season Grows Nigh: Planning for 2015
Though spring may seem a long ways off, we at Blue Moon have already begun to prepare for the 2015 growing season. Planning begins as early as the summer, but ramps up in earnest around the winter solstice. From seed-sourcing to crop rotation-planning, there’s much to do in these cold months. As early as late…
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 »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,…
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