Packaging-Free Food

Check out this story about a new grocery selling packaging-free food (website).  I see a number of pros and cons here, but really like the idea of bringing your own containers (one of the reasons I like Aldi).

"What grocery stores do today isn't facilitating zero-waste best practices," In.gredients co-founder Christian Lane tells MainStreet. "We want to come up with different ways of facilitating pre-cycling as a lifestyle and make local quality organic products available to consumers."

One thing they are forced to do is limit the number of meant products in the store.  Although we are not vegetarian, we do like to eat that way when we can.  It can be healthier, cheaper, and more sustainable.  A lot less energy and effort goes into beans than into beef.

 

 

Eat Well!

What to eat at the Blues Fest? Blueberries!

If you are coming to the W. C. Handy Blues Festival this weekend, make sure to stop by the Henderson farmer's market Friday and Saturday (corner of 2nd and Main).  Although our produce isn't coming in yet, you can still go down and check it out.  First Fruits Farms will be there selling locally grown blueberries from 11 a.m. until they run out.  We were down by the river last night for Zydeco Night and loved it.

Potted Herbs

Pictured here are my potted kitchen herbs. They are remnants from my days of apartment living, when I would meander from teensy patio to teensy patio for the duration of my college/newlywed years. Now we have a somewhat larger, but by no means large, back yard in which I can plant a real garden. In addition, I can fulfill my bigger agricultural appetites on borrowed land at my parents' family farm in Zion, KY (thank you guys for indulging us). But for the gardener who longs for a bit of green in a concrete jungle, or for beginners just trying out their green thumb, a potted garden is a great way to have a taste of summer's bounty at your doorstep without the space and effort that is required of larger gardens.

Although I have moved onto bigger things, I kept my potted herb garden around because it adds maturity and style to our very kid-oriented yard. Besides, I have all my herbs neatly segregated into pots of varying sizes, depending on my tastes. I like to start with a really good potting soil, add organic fertilizer, and either starters from a friend's garden, or I order organic seed from www.seedsofchange.com. Some herbs I start new, year after year (basil, dill, cilantro, etc) and some come back year after year, even potted above ground (rosemary, sage, mint, oregano). I highly recommend keeping sage and mint potted because they'll take over your entire space if you aren't careful! One last caveat: potted gardens do well if you don't have a lot of time to devote to a large garden, but don't forget about them! They need water regularly since they are self contained! Happy gardening!

Blueberries coming in!

Today we began to help pick blueberries on our neighbor farm, First Fruits Farms, LLC. This is my mom and step dad's farm, and currently where our large garden is located. They began their blueberry venture a few years ago as an organic farm. However, blueberries are sensitive to many blights and pests and they have since resorted to using non-organic methods of propagation. In addition to the delicious blueberries we enjoyed today, First Fruits also grows blackberries and raspberries, keeps bees, farms a small herd of grass-fed organic cattle, and is beginning a nursery for Japanese Maple trees. Local folks can purchase locally grown blueberries at the farmer's market Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at the First Fruits booth, alongside Garrison Organics; our produce won't be in for a while, however.

Chicken Update

For those that don't know, we are trying to raise some chickens too.  Hopefully the new ones will move outside for good this weekend.  Pictures from the farm should be forthcoming.

Don't forget to check out the website

Lots of info on us, the farm, and organics

Welcome to the Blog!

We are starting up here to keep all of you updated on the progress of the plants as well as give a little look into what goes into growing them.  We plan to update regularly through out the growing season so check back soon.  There will be pictures and maybe even some video.