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Last year was the first year we dealt with Sand Chafer, or White Grub in our potato crop.  The damage to potato crops from this pest can be devastating.  White grubs, the larval stage of the Sand Chafer beetle lifecycle, feed on potatoes just as their about to be harvested in August and September.   Signs and symptoms: Adults are the only above-ground part of this insects life cycle: White grubs are large and easy to spot if they're in your potato patch.  They are sort of horrendous-looking things: Their damage is large bites, which create craters in the potatoes.  They...

Permaculture in Giving Ground Seed’s Mission: Permaculture is a system of design that provides all the needs for humanity in a way that benefits the environment. Permaculture is a way of thinking, designing, and organizing that revolves around three main tenets- Care for Earth, Care for People, and Fair Share. As a set of ecologically inspired ethics, permaculture has the potential for wide-scale application in almost any setting- from sustainable farm planning to organizational change in a business or community setting. Permaculture draws its wisdom from many sources, including both traditional ecological knowledge and folkways and scientific understanding of how...

Imagine, right outside your door, a lovely little perennial herb garden for you, your family, and your neighbors to enjoy.  Low-maintenance Once established, many herbs grow and spread easily and don't require much in the way of water and fertility.  They also tend to grow densely and out-compete weeds more easily than annual plantings. Tea For many medicinal herbs, the only way to easily access them is by growing them yourself.  Unavailable at the grocery store, and completely unavailable fresh, you simply can't replace herbs grown right outside your door.  Many medicinal teas are best made from fresh leaves. Pollinators...

If you are like me and farm in an area where ear wigs are a big problem, hand pollinating just does not work. Ear wigs feed on tender corn silks and heavy infestations can reduce pollination of corn. Though the corn silks continue to grow and remain receptive to pollen for around a week, heavy, constant feeding damages them enough that pollination is not achieved. Ear wigs are nocturnal and if you have an infestation you can go out with a headlamp to find you precious developing ears to be covered in ear wigs. During the day they hide in...