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Nutritious and easy to grow, tepary beans are one of few vegetables native to North America!  Heat and drought tolerant, tepary beans love to grow in alkaline desert soils like those found in the SW United States and in NW Mexico, where they have been important to the diets of native peoples for generations.  They don't love waterlogged clay soils, but other than that they could thrive in most gardens- especially organic ones as their fertility needs are low.  Quite productive for the amount of space they take up, we think tepary beans are an incredibly rewarding crop to grow and are excited to be...

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Pictured above is an unassuming little patch of mixed cover crop thriving in the cold, wet soils of early spring at Giving Ground Farm.  Here we see a mix of triticale, hairy vetch, winter rye, and winter peas quietly accomplishing the life-sustaining processes of fixing nitrogen, protecting soil from erosion, and adding organic matter to the soil in the form of green manure.  Learn more about applying this most economical method of soil building to your garden below!  Building Healthy Soil So you've removed a sod or weed patch and exposed the soil you want to start growing your vegetable...

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Drying corn for storage If you live in a dry climate like mine, corn can be air-dried for use as popcorn, flour corn, or seed. Allow the corn to dry down on the stock for as long as possible. I usually harvest mine before the first fall rain. The corn itself can be dried on the ear, but the husk can hold and attract moisture so much be removed before drying or risk the corn molding. Place on a wire or slatted table in a ventilated, preferably sunny area with enough space between the ears to allow about airflow. Check...

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Two New Turkish VarietiesThis past season we were so excited to team up with Two Seeds in a Pod to grow two exciting Turkish cucurbits:Badem MelonKilis CucumberTwo Seeds in a Pod is a unique seed company specializing in both Turkish/Anatolian and Appalachain seed varieties. Many of the Turkish varieties they grow, including these two,were commercially introduced to the U.S. by them!  'Badem' melon is a stuffing/pickling melon from Turkey, and we just loved it growing it! It's not a sweet melon, but has a lovely, fresh cucumber taste.  It's very juicy and produces early in the season.  When pickling, pick them young.  When...

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Bee WatchingReady to do some bee watching this year?  One reason we love growing seed crops is that you get to see a plant through it's whole lifecycle- from seed through to flower and fruit and back to seed.  Having lots of plants flowering affords lots of opportunities for pollinator and bee watching.  One of our favorite insects to watch is bumble bees- and it's probably yours too!Did you know you can turn your bumble bee watching into data that can be used to help track and conserve bumble bee populations?  The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has an ongoing citizen science project called...

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