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Gardeners and farmers are an adaptable lot. We adapt to changing weather, insect populations, soil health and fertility, markets and more. To a certain extent this is an expected part of growing food. But the difficulties that loom over this growing season seem to have the potential for creating a perfect storm that will hit growers and the global food system particularly hard. After an historically dry winter, some gardeners and farmers here in the western United States are dealing with the probability of shortened irrigation seasons, unusual dryness of the soil at the start of the growing season, and...

Our library is one of our favorite places. It’s a really beautiful brick Carnegie Library, with the original fireplace that was only source of heating in our (sometimes) frigid winters. In the early months of having a baby, it was really the only place here that had a baby centered regularly scheduled activity. Even though Jonah sometimes slept through them, those story times were like an anchor in my week as I adjusted to this new little person’s wild (non) schedule. Our library is also one of the growing number of libraries that hosts a “seed library” every spring. Seed...

It's just so fun to plant these super diverse Lofthouse Landrace Fava Beans. It contains different sizes and colors of fava beans, but this landrace is bred to be consistent where it counts- it does great in arid climates with short springs like ours.Usually fava beans would be grown over winter in climates with mild winters and cool springs. This is the beauty of traditional plant It's just so fun to plant these super diverse Lofthouse Landrace Fava Beans. It contains different sizes and colors of fava beans, but this landrace is bred to be consistent where it counts- it...

Motherwort! Here in Idaho, our early winter has been extremely warm.  We're usually under a layer of snow by now.  On these warm winter days, you'll notice bees and other insects waking from their winter hibernation to remove frass and dead bees from the hive, and to forage for food.  While the occasional warmer day can be good for bees to accomplish these chores, too much of this high activity in winter is not good for bees.  Pollen and nectar are extremely scarce right now, with almost nothing flowering in our area.  Bees can quickly burn through their winter stores...

Storing squash all winter long Early spring is famine time in many home gardens. Winter food storage is running out and spring crops are not yet. Not in our house! Ever since I started growing large amounts of winter squashes, its become a huge part of our lives, especially in early spring. Largely because we keep our winter squash in our living room its also become an unintended but welcome part of my identity. Visitors have come to expect dining in the midst of onlooking squashes of all shapes and sizes.   Storing winter squash is easier than fresh storage...