When you think of picking ripe vine tomatoes from the vine, long, hot summer days may come to mind. But what if you could grow tomatoes year-round? One gardener has figured out how to push the boundaries of tomato growing and harvest fresh fruits throughout the year.

Jacques doesn’t use a heated greenhouse or even a high tunnel…but he does live in San Diego. When he starts with a climate that lacks a true freeze and adds in intentional variety selection and planting dates, he’s able to enjoy homegrown tomato harvests year-round.

Even if you don’t live in a warm climate, you can gain some tips from his careful growing strategy.

Start Early, But Not Too Early

Hard frosts will quickly kill tomato seedlings, but the air temperature isn’t the only factor to consider when determining when to plant your tomatoes outdoors. The soil temperature is equally important. If you transplant when the ground is still cold, plants are likely to become stressed and stunted. Transplanting after the soil hits 65°F will help the plants experience a smooth transition into the outdoors.

Once you figure out your intended planting date, count back six to eight weeks and label this your seed starting day. Sowing the seeds early in the year will help you enjoy juicy fruits in the early summer.

Choose Varieties Carefully

Fruit color, flavor, size, and shape are obvious differences present within tomato varieties. However, fruit characteristics aren’t the variables you should be most concerned about when you’re trying to grow tomatoes throughout the year.

Paying attention to disease resistance, growth habit, and fruit storage capabilities will help you select the best varieties for each season.

Determinate or Indeterminate?

First, look at whether the tomatoes are determinate or indeterminate.

Determinate tomatoes are shorter plants that produce all of their fruits within the span of a few weeks, allowing you to enjoy a large but short harvest. If you only plant one round of determinate tomatoes, you’ll end up with a single harvest that is great for canning but not the best for year-round fresh eating.

Some popular determinate tomatoes include ‘Supremo,’ ‘BHN 589,’ and ‘Glacier.’

Indeterminate tomatoes will continue growing until frost, disease, or another factor kills them. These plants can easily grow overhead, so most gardeners consider staking and/or trellising necessary. Indeterminate plants will continue to produce a few fruits every week until the plants become unhealthy.

‘Cherokee Carbon,’ ‘Early Girl,’ and ‘Amalfi Pink’ all have indeterminate growth forms.

Disease Resistance

Maintaining healthy plants is a key part of being able to harvest tomatoes throughout the warmer months. Soil health, proper irrigation, pruning, and light exposure impact a plant’s ability to ward off diseases, but genetics also come into play.

If you know that certain diseases have been problematic in the past, look for varieties that contain resistance. You can find varieties resistant to early blight, fusarium wilt, and other common tomato diseases. Thinking about which diseases appear at certain months can also help you select the correct options for each succession.

Cold and Heat Tolerance

Some tomato varieties don’t mind cold soil and air, and others thrive in hot weather. Planting cold-tolerant varieties at the beginning of the season and heat-tolerant varieties a month or two later will help keep your gardens full of healthy and productive plants.

Plan for Multiple Sowings

Even if you provide your plants with excellent care, they’ll eventually succumb to diseases or environmentally stressful conditions. Planting a new round of tomato seedlings every month increases the chances that you’ll always have healthy and robust plants.

You can sow the same varieties multiple times or pick new tomatoes for each time of year. For example, plant cold-tolerant ‘Glacier’ in your first sowing, then heat-tolerant ‘Jolene,’ and finally a long-storing variety like ‘Long Keeper.’

Plant Storage Varieties Later in the Season

Most tomatoes last less than a week once fully ripe, so these beloved fruits are rarely considered a storage crop. If you’ve ever tried keeping fully ripe ‘Sungolds’ or ‘Cherokee Purple’ tomatoes on the counter, you know how a once beautiful tomato can quickly devolve into a puddle of juice swimming with fruit flies.

Storage life isn’t a huge concern when your tomato plants are cranking out fruits in the summer months, but this changes when days become shorter and darker. Planting varieties that hold well off the vine can help you enjoy fresh tomatoes after cold temperatures halt production.

Fortunately, some tomato varieties have an impressive shelf life. ‘Long Keeper’ produces small fruits that slowly ripen off the vine. Pick the fruits when they just start to develop a blush, store them at 65°F, and enjoy ripe tomatoes a month or two later.

Extend tomato season into the winter by canning, drying, or freezing. ‘Pomodoro d’Inverno’ tomatoes are a group of small fruits with a firm flesh and impressive storage life. You can store clusters of these ripe fruits for months by hanging them by their trusses or keeping them in a dry, cardboard box.

‘Annarita,’ ‘Piennolo Red,’ and ‘Piennolo Giallo,’ are a few long-storing varieties to consider.

The post This Gardener Gets Tomato Harvests Year-Round With This Unique Growing Strategy appeared first on Modern Farmer.

“A resilient garden is one that’s ready to adapt and recover, no matter what comes its way,” says Manny Barra, a master gardener at TeachMe.To and the community garden coordinator for the City of Oakland in California.

So how does one build a resilient garden and care for flowers and plants when the weather is unusual? Read on for expert tips.

Know Your Microclimate

Think of your microclimate as your garden’s unique personality: it determines how everything grows. Knowing your microclimate lets you understand the sun, shade, wind, and moisture patterns that make your space special. 

“Understanding the zone in which you grow is an ideal starting point to understand sowing and planting dates, what will be needed to protect plants in colder months, and what will not be possible if temperatures are too warm,” says Daniel Pettus,  farm manager at Olivette Riverside Community & Farm, an agrihood in Asheville, North Carolina. “ Knowing your proximity to North, South, East, West should determine how you plan your farm or garden, where you build structures. If there are existing structures in place, where these are in position to the movement of the sun throughout the season and your farm or garden are key to growing successfully.”

It’s like unlocking the cheat codes to gardening success, so you can work with nature instead of constantly struggling against it. Plus, it helps you pick the right plants for the right spots, which is a gamechanger.

Mix it Up

Diversity is key to a resilient garden. Barra suggests using a variety of plants in your garden, including native plants that naturally thrive in your area.  “If you notice certain plants struggling, don’t be afraid to swap them out for something better suited to your conditions.”

Keep Friends Together

When designing a new garden or adding new plants, consider grouping those with similar water needs to save resources and avoid waste. For instance, ferns, azaleas, and hydrangeas all have similiar water, soil and shade needs. Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage all need extra water once they sprout while eggplant, artichoke, zucchini, and summer squash don’t require much water.

Research And Note

Stay aware of changing weather patterns and take notes on what works and what doesn’t. 

“When starting a new farm or garden, think about the best and worst possible scenarios in your area,” says Pettus. “Research weather patterns for the past 100 years or more; design your garden to withstand the worst possible scenario, while thriving in the best.”

He suggests starting small and taking notes. You’ll want to track which varieties you’re planting and how they do, especially as you learn more about your own microclimate. 

“Some varieties of green beans or tomatoes are a little bit heartier than others. So even if you really love heirlooms, and you want to do an all heirloom garden, heirlooms are generally a bit fussier and less resilient,” adds Lara Hermanson, co-founder of California-based Farmscape which specializes in designing, installing, and maintaining sustainable gardens. Picking a heartier variety of crop can help ensure it will withstand weather changes.

Build Soil Health

Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. In addition to using mulch to prevent soil erosion, Barra suggests adding compost to build up soil health, and keep the soil draining well if heavy rains do hit your garden. 

“Make sure your soil drains well by incorporating organic matter and digging shallow trenches to direct excess water away from roots. 

For areas that frequently flood, consider adding rain gardens or planting water-tolerant species. 

Lift Them Up

Raised beds are such a lovely way to garden. It’s a better experience for the gardner–often kinder on knees and backs–and can even reduce insect damage on produce. Plus, when a cold or heat wave hits, raised beds can provide a structural base for cold frames and shade cloth.

When Inclement Weather Hits

Hermanson is a big fan of using a cold frame when drastic weather happens such as a hailstorm or freezing temperatures in the spring. “It’s important for home gardeners to get comfortable with a wide variety of quick and easy structures that you can put up when it’s really cold or really hot to help your plants transition,” Hermanson says. There are pre-fabricated cold frame options available, or you can construct your own. And don’t forget shade cloth from an online vendor like Gardeners Supply to help cover your vegetables in case of a heat wave.

Heavy rain is a bit trickier. When heavy rain hits, your garden can quickly turn into a soggy mess, but the good news is that many plants can withstand even a high amount of rain, says Hermanson. However, she suggests fertilizing the garden after a heavy rain.

“Add back in any nitrogen that may have been leached out, especially in a spring garden that needs a lot of nitrogen.”

You May Have To Start Over

If you get bad weather in the infancy of a produce plant and it’s damaged, Hermanson says it’s likely best to start over. “The right move is to be ready to assess and know when to stop rather than try to coax things back to life that have been damaged. Especially in their infancy, don’t commit to it.”

Don’t Forget The Mulch

Mulch helps keep soil moist, regulates temperatures and protects roots. You can make your own, or pick some up at a local plant nursery.

Stay Flexible

Gardening is a bit of luck and chance but as climate change continues to make the weather unpredictable, flexibility is more important than ever. Don’t be afraid to experiment and realize that not everything is going to be a success.

“Gardening in a changing climate is all about staying creative and resourceful. Gardening is always a work in progress, and even the most seasoned garden can benefit from a little TLC and creativity,” Barra says.

The post How to Care for Your Garden in Unpredictable Weather appeared first on Modern Farmer.

Despite the ongoing threat of bird flu, many homesteaders consider poultry a great place to start when raising your own livestock. There’s many things to love – poultry require less space than most other livestock, they can produce both eggs and meat, and they’re often allowed in residences where larger animals like cows or pigs couldn’t be kept. Even so, starting a journey in keeping poultry can be overwhelming – there’s a lot to learn, and some breeds have easier requirements than others. Here’s what you need to know if you’re looking to take flight into the world of poultry for the first time. 

Chickens

Chickens are likely the bird that first comes to mind when you consider domestic poultry. Often hardy and easy to care for, many chicken breeds make a perfect ‘beginner’ bird whether you’re interested in raising birds for meat, eggs or both. 

Chickens don’t have excessively large space requirements, making a small to medium-sized flock (think five to fifteen birds) perfect for beginners. Ideally, for the health and mental stimulation of the birds, outdoor runs should be provided; while chickens may not come to mind when you think of animal intelligence, multiple studies have shown that these birds do benefit from the ability to perform natural behaviors outdoors. “What you put into your animals – from clean stalls, fresh grown pastures, to clean food and attention makes the flavor better,” says Kate Osgood, who runs Birch Rise Farm, in New Hampshire, raising chickens and turkeys. 

For those who are new to keeping poultry, you may benefit from purchasing adult birds to start out your flock as raising chicks can make things more complicated. “Chicks may be very cheap to purchase, however they need more attention than sheep, cows or pigs. They are fragile and more susceptible to predators, says Osgood.” 

While there are hundreds of breeds of chickens, including rare and heritage breeds composed of only a few hundred individual birds, we’ve put together three hardy, easy to keep breeds perfect for any newcomer to chickens. 

RHODE ISLAND REDS

The Rhode Island Red is a handsome, easily recognizable chicken, with overall deep red-brown coloring and bright red combs. Originating from Rhode Island & Massachussetts in the 1840s, this breed has stuck around for so long for good reason (they’re also Rhode Island’s state bird!). This dual-purpose breed can be raised for both meat and eggs, with hens  laying up to 300 eggs in a year. This hardy breed has a lifespan of  five to eight years, so with proper care, your RIRs will be around for the long haul. This breed is known to thrive even in cold environments other chickens don’t fare well in, making them a good choice for farmers who face cold winters.

ORPINGTONS

The Orpington is a beloved breed originating from nineteenth-century Britain; they’re most commonly seen as the Buff Orpington, but they’re also found in blue, black, and white. While their egg production is lesser than Rhode Island Reds – about 160 per hen per year – their calm temperament makes them great for beginner owners, and reduces the chances of infighting in the flock. 

AUSTRALORPS

Australorps are beautiful sleek black birds with pinkish-red combs, and they’re treasured by many chicken enthusiasts. (Outside of the U.S., they’re available in other colors, too.) Most Australorp hens lay over 250 eggs a year, making them an excellent choice as a dual-purpose breed. They are popular as a 4H breed due to their notoriously sweet, docile temperament; even roosters are typically agreeable. Due to their black color, it’s easy for them to overheat in summertime, so be sure birds spending time outdoors have ample shade. 

Turkeys

Beloved as a Thanksgiving meal, the turkey is a somewhat more challenging bird to keep than the more common backyard chicken. Turkeys have higher space requirements than smaller poultry; generally,  six to 10 feet per bird is recommended, and it’s always better to aim for more space rather than meeting the minimum. 

Although some farmers have success with mixed flocks, it’s important to note that generally, turkeys and chickens are best kept seperately. Turkeys are easily susceptible to a potentially fatal disease – histomoniasis, also known as ‘blackhead’, which chickens can carry without showing symptoms. Additionally, male turkeys are often aggressive towards smaller birds, making mixed flocks of chickens and turkeys ideal only for experienced poultry keepers. There are many beautiful breeds to choose from,  but we picked out the best for beginners. 

BOURBON REDS

The Bourbon Red is an iconic heritage breed known for their beautiful coloration; overall reddish-brown coloration complimented with white flight and  tail feathers. They’re known for heavy breasts and flavorful, rich meat. The standard weights for Bourbon Reds are 23 pounds for young toms, and 14 pounds for young hens. They have the ability to mate naturally, which some newer breeds do not; this can make producing future generations for your farm that much easier. While toms are often aggressive with each other, the birds are typically sociable and docile with humans. These birds are also active foragers, and thrive with ample outdoor space to explore. 

BROAD-BREASTED WHITES

The Broad-Breasted White is the most popular commercial breed in the world; extensive selective breeding for their characteristic large breasts has rendered many of them unable to breed without artificial insemination, which can present a challenge for some farmers. This breed develops to adult size very quickly, which some argue can lead to less pleasing flavor; nonetheless, they remain a popular and easy to raise breed. These birds often mature to more than 40 pounds, making them a great choice to market for large Thanksgiving dinners. Sadly, even with proper care, these birds often have short lives due to health issues associated with obesity; however, as they’re used for meat production, they are typically slaughtered prior to any health issues becoming bothersome. 

ROYAL PALMS

The Royal Palm is a gorgeous turkey breed, even if you don’t find turkeys to be particularly pleasing to look at; their stark white coloration contrasting with the black edging on their feathers makes for an eye-catching bird. While they’re slow-growing in comparison to breeds like the Broad-Breasted White, their hardiness, foraging ability, and good temperaments make them a great choice for small-scale farms. Royal Palms’ standard weights are 16 pounds for young toms, and 10 pounds for young hens. They’re excellent as an exhibition bird in addition to being raised for meat. 

Ducks

As you might expect, keeping ducks (or any waterfowl) is often more complex than keeping other poultry. Although ducks only fundamentally need enough water to drink from and wash their faces in, it’s no surprise that ducks are happiest and healthiest when they have adequate water – a pond, or even a pool – to swim and splash in. Each duck needs about four feet of space inside their coop or enclosure; ideally, they should have 10 to20 feet of outdoor space to explore (to protect birds from predators, any poultry should be in securely fenced outdoor areas or supervised when outdoors). 

Ducks are often friendly and charming, and can be used for meat production, egg production, or both. They’re an especially great choice if you plan to open your farm to visitors – you may receive additional profits from guests who wish to feed them! Some are content with keeping domesticated versions of Mallards, while some prefer unique-looking breeds like Indian Runners, who stand upright, or Cresteds, who have an eye-catching ‘puff’ adorning their head. While there’s many good ducks to choose from, the three breeds we’ve selected are likely to give you the easiest start with raising ducks on your own.

MUSCOVY

Despite their goofy looks, due to the large caruncles above their bills, Muscovy ducks are treasured by many as a hardy – and very unique – duck. Some raise them as dual-purpose birds for meat and eggs, but they’re also wonderful at pest control, and they’ll chase off intruders much like Canada geese in any public space. They love to free-range and forage, and this ‘wild’ diet will improve the flavor of their large eggs. They’re defensive of their homestead, but typically loving and easygoing with human caretakers they’re familiar with. These ducks typically live seven to eight  years with proper care, although they have been known to live for a decade or more. 

PEKIN

The Pekin duck is typically raised for meat, but you’ve likely seen this iconic breed – all-white with an orange bill and legs – in petting zoos or at public parks. They’re also the most popular commercial duck breed in America. Their easygoing temperaments make them great for those new to raising ducks, and they’re also a popular choice for 4H or young poultry enthusiasts. They’re especially happy with a decently sized pond to spend time wading in. They typically live for  eight to12 years, making them long-lived in comparison to many other popular breeds. They grow fast and are overall hardy, but are prone to obesity, so be sure to watch what they eat and encourage foraging for natural food sources. 

KHAKI CAMPBELL

The Khaki Campbell, also known as the Campbell, is a British breed of domestic duck named for their distinct khaki-colored plumage. They’re lightweight birds that weigh about five pounds at maturity. That’s no problem – this breed is typically raised for egg production, not meat. Khaki Campbell hens are prolific layers, averaging anywhere from 250 to 340 eggs per year.  They’re energetic, curious birds who love to forage and spend time in the water, so any prospective owners should ensure they have adequate outdoor space & activities to keep these ducks stimulated. They’re typically hardy, adaptable birds that can deal with hot or cold temperatures as long as they’re provided with good care and plenty of shelter. 

Quail

Quail may not be the first bird that comes to mind when you consider raising poultry – but they can be an excellent choice for beginners without much space. Some folks even successfully keep quails wholly indoors, and while you might need to make a lot of lifestyle changes to have that work for your household, these small, quirky birds can make keeping poultry a breeze if you have a small space to work with. Quail need a minimum of one square foot per bird, but many recommend  closer to three feet per bird for your flock’s maximum health and happiness. 

Although quail eggs are tiny, they’re beloved by some and are used as specialty ingredients in some Asian dishes. Zack Greene, co-owner of Myshire Farms in Ohio, has been raising quail full-time since 2016, and he recommends the Coturnix above all else. “We did so many extra things in the beginning, and it turns out it really is that simple,” he said of raising quail. “They just need an enclosure that is predator proof, food, water, and shelter to get out of the elements, and then collect eggs. That’s simple.” 

 These are three quail species that shouldn’t give beginners too much trouble.

BUTTON 

The tiny Button quail is so fragile that one must take caution when handling them, particularly chicks. While this might sound daunting, with caution and proper care, these birds are actually quite hardy. Even when handled from chickhood, these birds are typically cautious and flighty, making them a good choice if you’d prefer a “look but don’t touch” style to managing your flock. Sadly, even with proper care, they have fairly short lifespans; in captivity, they live between three to six years. While it’s possible to sell them for meat, their small size means that most farmers prefer to sell their eggs, which are a delicacy despite being much smaller than a typical chicken egg. 

BOBWHITE

The Bobwhite, also known as the Northern Bobwhite, is actually native to the U.S.; their popularity as a gamebird is part of what drove demand for the species in captivity, for use in releases for hunting. While they’re still most commonly raised for release onto hunting preserves, increasing numbers of quail enthusiasts are raising these intriguing little birds for their meat and eggs. It’s important to note that, due to their history of being raised as gamebirds, these birds are typically aggressive with others of their species, and avoid human touch.

COTURNIX

There’s a good reason that the adorable but hardy Coturnix quail, also known as the Japanese quail,  is popular with many. “Quail are a great way to start a self-sufficient journey,” says Greene, who solely raises Coturnix quail. “We  specialize in Coturnix, as they are bred for meat and egg production, and are domesticated and not flighty. Most other quail are seasonal layers, but Coturnix lay year round.” These dual-purpose birds are often kept as pets, as they’re more sociable and tolerant of humans than most other common quail, although they’re still jumpier and less tolerant of handling than chickens. Coturnix are a good choice for small-scale farmers looking for a punchy, unique bird who won’t take up the whole yard. 

No matter what poultry you choose, remember that baby steps may make your journey easier. Try starting with a limited flock size as opposed to the maximum amount of birds you can house on your property. If you choose a more complicated breed of poultry, that’s not necessarily setting yourself up for failure–just be sure you’ve figured out shelter, food, and care for your birds so you’re ready for a smooth ride.

The post How to Choose the Right Backyard Bird appeared first on Modern Farmer.

“Our major goal is to support the ecosystem, heal nature, and be more attuned with nature’s processes,” says Bosch, who farms using organic and regenerative agricultural practices. “As I researched more about soil health, I started to learn how plastic impacts microorganisms in the soil.”

Start thinking about all the ways we use plastic in the garden—seedling trays, landscape fabric, plant pots, to name a few—and it’s hard to unsee all that planetary warming fossil fuel-produced plastic. Most of it tends to get used for a season or two before ending up in a landfill, where the consequences for the planet and ourselves can be dire.

We all know about the issue of plastics in the ocean. The United Nations has declared the plastic pollution of our oceans “a planetary crisis.” Each year, according to National Geographic, about eight million tons of plastic waste ends up in oceans. Yet, there’s likely even more plastic pollution in our soils than in our oceans. Scientists estimate that more than half of the world’s human population might have plastic passing through their bodies. 

Researchers are still trying to understand what all that plastic is doing to us and to the soil, but some recent studies have found that microplastics can change the structure of the soil and potentially interfere with plant growth if they enter the plant tissues through the soil.

But there are steps we can take to reduce the use of plastic in our gardens, ultimately helping to protect our health and the planet.

Here’s how to start reducing the plastic used in your garden.

Swap your plastic plant labels

for wooden sticks, stones, or even popsicle sticks. 

“I love the look and the fun of painting rocks as reusable labels! You can get paint markers, too, to keep things less messy with the kids,” says Nicole Baker, a biologist with The Wild Center, an interactive science museum in New York’s Adirondacks.

Instead of buying plastic ties and stakes

use natural twine to tie up plants and wooden or bamboo stakes to support them. You could even use a sturdy branch from your backyard or a big stick as a stake. These materials break down naturally and are safer for the environment.

Give the plastic pots or containers you have a second life.

You can wash, sanitize, and reuse them. “If they start to break down, you can often use them as drainage material in larger pots or garden beds,” says Georgia-based entrepreneur and gardener Adria Marshall. Marshall, the founder of a plant-based hair care company, Ecoslay, has been gardening alongside her mother and grandfather since the age of 12 and is on a mission to reduce single-use plastics in her garden. 

If you have loads of old plastic pots or seed starter trays you’re not using, you may also be able to return some to your local greenhouse. “This plastic costs money for those nurseries, many of which are mom-and-pop-owned shops and farms,” says Baker. “Many businesses will welcome the return of their plastics, and they will reuse them. This helps out the local business and keeps that plastic out of the landfill. It’s always good manners to call ahead and ask if they would be willing to take the old, still useful, plastic pots.” 

When you do need seed starter trays or pots, consider your options.

“Instead of buying plastic seed trays or pots, use items you already have around the house,” says Marshall. 

You can likely repurpose items such as coffee cans, egg cartons, and maybe even old casserole dishes.

Bosch has found a lot of success using cedar seed starter trays. “It holds up phenomenally well. You would think they would rot, but they don’t.”

You can also look for grow bags made from natural fibers such as cotton, burlap, jute, hemp, terracotta, and clay pots or biodegradable options like those made from coconut coir, peat, or compressed paper.

Baker has even had success planting directly into straw bales. “They act as both the container and as a growing medium. Straw bales get bonus points because they can be composted after the growing season for future use as a natural fertilizer.”

Instead of using plastic weed barriers or synthetic mulch

use compostable materials such as straw, grass clippings, wood chips, newspaper, or leaves. “It reduces plastic waste, and organic mulches also break down over time and add nutrients to the soil,” says Marshall.

Bagged soils, along with the seed starter trays, are two of the biggest culprits of single-use plastic in home gardens, says Bosh, adding that, most of the time, your soil probably doesn’t need much. If you need mulch or soil amendments, try to buy the biggest container you can. Some garden centers or even town landfills that have composting may offer refill stations where you can bring your own containers.

“It hasn’t been as hard as I thought,” says Bosch, who was determined to find ways to farm without using plastic. She started by removing about two-thirds of all the landscape fabric she used before eventually removing all landscape fabric and plastic netting, using natural mulch or cover crops to control weeds instead. The hardest part has been finding an alternative to the plastic irrigation tubing, as tubes with fabric are lined with resin and copper is simply cost prohibitive. “We’re buying the highest quality we can find so we’re not replacing it every year and can patch it as needed.”

You can start by targeting one thing at a time, and it might not be perfect. 

The post How to Reduce Your Plastic Usage in the Garden appeared first on Modern Farmer.

If you grew up on the East Coast or in the Midwest, you know what I mean. Barefoot in the yard, watching the twinkling fireflies, chasing their dazzling lights: It’s quintessential summertime. In the US, there are more than 160 known species of fireflies, and while they are the most common in the eastern and southern US, they are found throughout the country, with peak firefly season in June and July. Worldwide, there are more than 2,000 types of fireflies, and they have been around for millions of years. Yet, like so many of our insects, fireflies are in trouble. However, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of threatened species, the numbers of many firefly species are decreasing; some are even at risk of extinction. 

But there are easy steps you can take to help the fireflies, and experience their magic yourself, by turning your yard into a firefly sanctuary.

“Whatever little bit of land you have, no matter how small it is, is this amazing opportunity to really help these creatures thrive,” says Deb Landau, director of ecological management for The Nature Conservancy Maryland/DC chapter.

Leave your leaves 

“Probably the number one thing we can do is avoid yard cleanup,” says Nicole Baker, a biologist with The Wild Center, a science museum in New York’s Adirondacks. “While the leaves and detritus may look messy in the yard and in the garden, you’ll need to leave this ‘waste’ in place as it serves as the winter home for thousands of invertebrates, some of which the firefly larvae are hoping to eat.”

Fireflies spend up to two years as firefly larvae. They have voracious appetites at that stage, feeding on various invertebrates, including snails, slugs, and earthworms, all of which are likely crawling on that leaf litter.

“Firefly larvae are crazy looking—they look like armored caterpillars. They’re actually pretty scary looking up close, and a lot of times, people will see them and be like, what the heck is this crazy creature in my yard? But it’s a firefly,” says Landau, who encourages people to look up pictures of firefly larvae so they become familiar with them.

Those leaves also help to build the overall soil health of your garden. They allow the soil to retain moisture, and as leaves and plant matter decompose, they add nutrients back to the soil. Keep in mind that you could also have a dedicated area in your yard for the leaves if you’re using your yard in ways that require parts of it to be neat and tidy. 

Opt for local

When you’re looking to seed your yard in the fall, look for native grasses or wildflowers in your area.

“Try to find seed supply that is local to the area; don’t mail order it if you don’t know where exactly the seeds are coming from,” says Ben Pfeiffer of Firefly Conservation & Research. 

While prioritizing native plants is a tried and true method for conserving all aspects of the natural world, it can be challenging to go all native, especially if you don’t have a blank slate to work with, and that’s OK.

“What is more feasible is to diversify and, little by little, replace and/or add in native perennials, shrubs, and trees over time. Truly, every little bit helps, whether it’s small or large scale,” says Baker.

Be patient 

While you’ve heard of “leave the leaves” in the autumn, you also want to wait for your spring cleanup. Baker says you’ll want to wait to do spring garden cleaning and yard racking until there has been about a week’s worth of temperatures over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the threat of nighttime frost has passed.

“The point is to wait long enough for the overwintering insect life to emerge from the leaf litter, and gardens, before detritus removal. That way, your “leave the leaves” efforts pay off, and insects don’t get squashed by the rake when we gardeners inevitably get excited by the first warm day,” says Baker.

You’re also not going to see the results of your work overnight. According to Pfeiffer, it can take more than two years. If you’ve done any chemical treatment on your lawn or had a mosquito control company out, it could take even longer as those chemicals also likely killed fireflies. 

“I can’t say enough about the importance of minimizing the use of pesticides. It’s not just that it negatively impacts the firefly larvae and the adults, but all the microorganisms underneath which the firefly larvae are feeding on and dependent on,” says Landau.

Turn off your lights

Come firefly season—typically June and July—you’ll want to keep at least some of your yard a little wild with longer grass. Think about creating dark spaces for adult fireflies with the grass, but also with trees and shrubs, and turn off your outdoor lights if you can.

“Many insects are influenced by artificial light, and the firefly is no exception. Since these little beetles are reliant on their flashy display to communicate with others, they are more likely to experience negative impacts of artificial light pollution,” says Baker.

While the best solution would be to eliminate artificial lights at night or at least in June and July when the fireflies are most active, you could also switch to motion sensor lights for outdoor lights, light fixtures with top shields, or replace your bulbs with red lights, which have less of an impact.

Take in the experience

Don’t forget to enjoy the fireflies you see. 

“They are these iconic things, and I think experiencing them helps connect people across boundaries,” says Pfeiffer. “I love doing firefly walks.” 

You can also collect them and put them in a jar; it’s a great learning experience for kids; just let them go after you’ve looked at them. Don’t leave them in the jar overnight. You can even participate in citizen science projects such as Firefly Atlas, where you snap pictures of the fireflies you see. 

“Just that picture of capturing what life stage it is at what time of the year, in what location it is, is incredibly helpful to scientists trying to put together a better picture of how our fireflies are doing,” says Landau.

The post How to Create a Firefly Sanctuary appeared first on Modern Farmer.

However, if you want to start growing more of your own food, many kitchen staples such as corn, beans and potatoes can be grown at home. 

Here are ten calorie-dense crops you can grow at home to turn your hobby garden into a more sustaining one. Data was collected from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USDA) and nutritionix.com and is based on the recommendation for a 2,000-calorie diet. Here, I list calories, carbohydrates and protein. Fats were excluded from the guide as most vegetables don’t produce much if any fat. 

Corn 

Corn is an American classic. Cultivated by native Americans, corn is present in so many hearty meals and has a variety of uses. You can eat corn right off the cob, pop it up in some oil over a fire or cook it and grind it into cornmeal to be used to make breads, tortillas and other tasty corn treats such as tamales. 

The possibilities are endless for corn: From the fuel in our vehicles to the fuel in our bellies, it’s one of most widely cultivated and consumed crops in the world. 

Corn’s time to maturity can get tricky based on the variety you’re growing and how much you want it to dry. A good rule of thumb is about 120 days, so plant your corn about two to three weeks after your last frost to ensure there’s enough time to harvest. 

Corn contains about 100 calories, 22 grams of carbs and 3.5 grams of protein per 100-gram serving. 

Beans 

Beans are one of the first crops kids learn about in school. If you didn’t get to have the bean germination experiment at school, I’m sorry if this reference is lost on you. 

Beans germinate very quickly and are extremely easy to grow in your home garden. They thrive in the ground as well as in raised bed and container gardens. 

Most beans will reach maturity between 45 and 60 days. Beans are a quick crop, easy to grow, and they can help make your soil more nitrogen-rich for whatever you’re planting next in your garden.

Red beans contain about 135 calories, 24 grams of carbs and 9 grams of protein per 100-gram serving. 

Winter Squash 

Winter squash deserves a place on this list due to its growing habit and role as a great companion plant for beans and corn. It’s also delicious roasted and eaten as a side dish with your fall dinner or cooked into a soup for a warm winter meal. 

Winter squash can take between 60 and 110 days to reach maturity. It is ready to harvest once the rinds are full of color and firm enough that your thumbnail won’t make an indention in the rind. 

As for nutrients, winter squash contains about 45 calories, 11 grams of carbs and one gram of protein per 100-gram serving. 

Potatoes 

I said beans were easy, but potatoes might be even easier. Just bury the potato and then water it. Soon, leaves will grow up from the soil, capturing the light needed to make more potatoes. 

Potatoes take between 60 and 130 days to reach maturity, depending on the variety you’re planting. If you’re planting potatoes right now, keep an eye out for that last frost date for your region. You want to harvest your potatoes before the last frost, so keep a watch on the weather before you plant your tubers. 

Potatoes contain about 80 calories, 17 carbs and two grams of protein per 100 grams. 

Beets 

Beets aren’t just the favorite vegetable of Dwight Schrute, their high nutritional content makes them a superfood. Beets are a spring crop with a quick harvest time of 55 to 70 days to maturity. Unlike potatoes, beets are a root vegetable that you don’t want to leave in the ground, as over-mature beets can become tough or woody (aka not the most delicious). 

Aside from being nutritious, beets also provide essential macronutrients. Beets contain about 50 calories, five grams of carbs and two grams of protein per 100-gram serving. 

Lentils 

Lentils are great for making hearty soups or replacing meat in popular American dishes such as sloppy joe sandwiches. They’re one of my favorite vegetables thanks to their versatility and delicious flavor and texture. 

Lentils are a summer crop and should be planted around late April to early May or whenever temperatures are consistently above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Most varieties take about 100 days to reach maturity. 

Lentils contain about 115 calories, 20 grams of carbs and nine grams of protein per 100-gram serving. 

Chickpeas 

Whether you prefer to call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, they do belong to the legume family. They’re delicious as a meat replacement and a staple in Asian cuisine as the star of Chana Masala (one of my favorite Indian dishes) and the star of everyone’s favorite dip: hummus. 

Chickpeas take around 100 days to reach maturity, so follow the same guidelines for growing lentils. 

Chickpeas contain about 160 calories, 27 grams of carbs and nine grams of protein per 100-gram serving. 

Jerusalem Artichokes 

Jerusalem artichokes are one of my favorite misunderstood vegetables. I feel like people often put artichokes in a category with things such as olives or water chestnuts, which tend to attract the “love it or hate it” type of attention typical of uncommon vegetables in the United States. 

Jerusalem artichokes contain about 77 calories, 18 grams of carbs and two grams of protein per 100-gram serving. 

Sweet potatoes 

Unlike potatoes, sweet potatoes aren’t members of the nightshade family. They’re actually a member of the morning glory family, making the sweet potato more closely related to your grandmother’s favorite flowers than the humble russet potatoes she’s baking up for dinner. 

Instead of using a seed potato to grow sweet potatoes, you have to buy sweet potato slips, which are tiny sweet potato plants that have some small roots, which will turn into sweet potatoes. 

Sweet potatoes have a longer time to maturity of about 100 days, so keep the first frost in mind when planting your tubers. 

Sweet potatoes contain 86 calories, 20 carbs and two grams of protein per 100 grams. 

Mushrooms 

Mushrooms are one of my favorite things about nature. Neither plants or animals, mushrooms are fungi, and their growth conditions make them a perfect crop to grow for calorie and nutrient density. 

Many mushrooms can be grown indoors, allowing you to grow mushrooms year-round. Some of the mushroom grow kits give you everything you need to start growing your own lion’s mane or oyster mushrooms at home, with an expected harvest time of about 30 to 40 days. 

Mushrooms aren’t the greatest when it comes to calorie-density, but they do pack in the protein. Mushrooms contain about 25 calories, four grams of carbs, 3.6 grams of protein and 0.5 grams of fat per 100-gram serving.

The Three Sisters garden 

One smart way to grow beans, squash and corn is to plant a three sisters garden. By planting these three crops together, they benefit each other and create a self-sustaining, relatively low-maintenance way to grow all three crops. 

The corn won’t be competing with the squash or beans due to its fast, straight-up growing habit. Beans will use the corn stalks for support so they can grow tall without the need for a trellis. Squash’s vining habit and large leaves will protect the soil below the corn and beans to ensure weeds can’t thrive and the soil stays moist and protected from the summer sun. 

Check out this guide from the Farmer’s Almanac to learn how to maximize your three sisters garden. 

Looking forward

Whether growing food is your hobby or your livelihood, knowing how to grow more nutritious and macronutrient-dense crops can help us better appreciate the food we eat every day. 

While it’s too late to plant a three sisters garden in Tennessee, I’m going to start planning now for how to maximize my garden to make it more sustainable and nourishing for me and my family. 

The post Growing a Survival Garden: Ten Calorie-Dense Crops You Can Grow at Home appeared first on Modern Farmer.

I’ve been gardening at my home in the Nashville area (Zone 7b) for three years. I’ve learned a lot, but clearly not enough to be able to grow a decent Cherokee Purple tomato. 

Here are 10 tips for a better garden sourced directly from my own garden fails.

1. Set a watering schedule

This one sounds simple because it is. Water is crucial for a successful garden, but not every plant likes the same watering schedule. The bottom line is that you need a schedule and a plan for watering.

Factors like rainfall, humidity and temperature can change how you approach watering, so this skill does take some time to develop. If you’re unsure if your plants need water, using a simple moisture meter can help you see visually how moist your soil is. You don’t want your soil to be too moist, either, as this can also create an environment ripe for pests and disease. 

Inconsistent watering can also leave your plants more vulnerable to disease and pests. Both disease and pests are opportunistic and love to take advantage of a plant that’s struggling. For example, my first attempt at growing big heirloom tomatoes was thwarted by blossom-end rot. I had initially attributed this to a lack of calcium in the soil, but the real culprit was inconsistent watering. Without consistent water, it’s difficult for plants to use the fertilizers you put into the soil. Check out this guide from Water Use It Wisely to get started.

2. Smart staking

When you think about staking your garden, most of us think about tomatoes. While tomatoes are going to be addressed here, there are many other crops you should be giving some extra support. 

The first thing to think about with staking is how the plant grows. If the plant  has a vining habit like cucumbers, squash and some varieties of beans, you’ll want to have supports ready before the plant needs support. Direct contact with the soil can make the plant more accessible to bugs and other pests, so keeping the vine tied up and tidy will keep your plant healthier and promotes its natural growing habit. 

The best advice I have for staking is: don’t use a tomato cage for tomatoes. Tomato cages are often made of thin, flimsy wire that holds up circles of wire around the tomato plant. While the cage may work well for supporting branches, it’s not giving the tomato the support it needs around the main stalk. I’ve found that providing rigid support to the stalk is the most important part of keeping your tomatoes happy and upright. 

A more robust version of a tomato cage like this one sold by Ultomato is a much better choice for an easy assembly cage that will actually provide solid support for your tomatoes. It also works great for other crops like pole beans. I used one of these for my pole beans and it’s doing fantastic. 

3. Choose your varieties wisely

The biggest mistake I made this year was planting Sungold tomato starts, an indeterminate variety of tomato, in a small pot with merely a wire tomato cage for support. I didn’t even stake the thing. 

Indeterminate tomatoes grow more like a vine compared to bushier determinate tomatoes. (You can learn more about the difference through this guide from Bonnie Plants). The difference is that indeterminates will keep growing and produce fruit consistently throughout the season compared to their determinate cousins, which set fruit all at once. Without proper support, they will become an unmanageable jungle of 10 to 15 foot vines. If I had known this, I could have created a better plan for my tomatoes informed by their growing habit. 

Some varieties of crops are hybridized to protect against certain pests or diseases. If you’ve battled powdery mildew in your garden, choose a plant variety that’s resistant to powdery mildew. 

You can find information about disease, deer and pest-resistant varieties of plants on the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website. If you’re new to disease resistant varieties, this is a great place to start learning.  

4. Spread out

Make sure your plants have enough space to grow and thrive. The seedlings we transplant into the garden are so tiny, and it will initially feel weird to see so much space in the garden. Part of my Sungold tomato failure could also be blamed on my decision to put two plants in one 12” pot. It was too much for the pot, which is why it fell over, killing my tomatoes. 

Be sure you check your seed packet or this chart from Mary’s Heirloom Seeds for accurate information about how much space to give your plants. And trust the information. Your garden is not an anomaly where plants can magically grow closer together. 

5. Use a garden planner

There are lots of resources online for planning your garden. Timing is everything with growing annual plants. For my fall garden, I’ve been using Smart Gardener. What I like about this tool is the built-in reminders based on the time of year. Be sure you’re putting those plants in the soil at the right time. 

It’s easy to think that early planting equals early yield and a longer growing season. However, research and years of experimentation has shown that’s simply not the case. Minding the time of year and your plant’s preferred growing season is key to a healthy crop.

6. Plan for pests

Prevention is better than the cure, especially when it comes to garden pests. Pests can shorten your harvest, cripple your plants’ production potential and double your garden chores. 

Some common pests that set back my garden this summer were squash vine borers, tomato hornworms and birds. Other gardeners in my area have battled powdery mildew, potato beetles, aphids, and deer. 

Constructing simple fencing can help keep rabbits away and planting good companion plants like marigolds can go a long way to keep unwanted critters away from your precious plants. 

7. Organize, organize, organize

Having an organized and tidy space to keep your seeds, tools, fertilizers and other garden implements you’ll be using every day will make keeping up with your garden easier. If the space is chaotic, you’re going to be far less likely to spend time there and less likely to complete your garden chores. 

If you need a hoe or a spade to prep your garden beds, but you can’t find either one, or they’re spread out throughout the garden, your chances of completing the task are going to be far lower. If the water hose is hard to access, you’re going to be less likely to follow your watering schedule.

Do yourself a favor and spend some time organizing your space to maximize both you and your garden’s potential. 

8. In the way, on the way

This advice came from one of my favorite local content creators, Anne of All Trades. The advice is simple: if you know you’re going to need a specific tool or implement to complete your daily garden tasks, put it in a spot where you can’t miss it. 

Plan the shortest or most convenient route to your garden and put all your tools or things you will need along that path.

9. Know your growing zone

If you don’t know your growing zone, there’s an easy way to find out. Simply type in your ZIP code into the USDA Plant Hardiness interactive map and voila! Knowing your zone will help you know how long your growing season is and is a critical tool used by many gardeners to plan when they start and close their gardens. 

The zones and growing seasons are mainly determined by your first and last frost date—the last frosty day of Spring when there’s morning frost and the first frosty day of Fall. 

10. Follow other gardeners in your growing zone

Now that you know your USDA zone, search on your favorite social media site for other gardener content creators who live in the same zone. I’ve found a wealth of information through YouTube by searching “Zone 7 gardening.” There are many growers and content creators in Zone 7, where I live, so there is no shortage of gardeners to learn from. If you live in one of the more extreme zones, here is where following other creators can be especially useful. 

Don’t be afraid to follow gardeners across the pond too. I’ve learned a lot from growers like GrowVeg and Gaz Oakley, who both live in the UK, but are in the same zone. Once you start searching, you may be surprised just how many gardeners are posting about their successes and failures. 

One of my favorite resources for finding growers is Epic Gardening. While Kevin, the founder of Epic Gardening, lives in San Diego, California, (Zone 10), he’s taken care to showcase gardeners in other growing zones across America to ensure folks are getting well-rounded advice. 

Looking forward to fall

It’s August, which is prime time for starting a fall garden in Tennessee. I’m taking all my lessons learned from this spring and summer and I’m applying that knowledge to my fall garden plans. 

I’ve never grown a fall garden. While many gardeners pack up shop after the summer harvest is done, there is still plenty of time to grow crops that enjoy cooler weather. I just planted Danvers 126 carrots, Lacinato kale, Seven Top turnip greens, Purple-Top White Globe turnips, Catskill Brussels sprouts and Early Golden Acre cabbage. The tiny cotyledons just popped up out of the soil today, so I’ll be looking forward to chronicling my fall garden journey. 

The post Ten Tips to Improve Your Garden Next Season appeared first on Modern Farmer.

How to start farming if you have access to land

First you need to figure out the logistics:  

How much usable space you have

Determine the scale it can support and if that’s enough for your goal. Will you need to scale? How might you do that in a way that you can afford? 

Figure out your water access/irrigation

Look up whether your area has water usage laws (common in drier climates) and if it’s enough to support your needs. Experiment with water catchment systems such as rainwater harvesting or creating swales to reduce your costs and reliance on city water.

Will you need to work around a job?

Think about what you need to have in place to integrate a farming job into your lifestyle. 

How profitable do you need to be to continue farming?

Brainstorm ways to get there—through farm stands, markets, specialty crops, workshops, alternative farm-based income streams, etc. 

Determine if you will need labor support for tasks or markets.

If you want someone else to farm your land

Alternatively, you may have a large yard and want it to be used for agricultural activity, but you are unable to run a farm yourself. You can offer it up to be used by someone else, and in return get an abundance of vegetables or flowers! 

Use community and social networks to your advantage

Ask around to find the right person to tend your land. Nextdoor, Facebook, your local farming community, or local National Young Farmers Coalition chapter are great places to start. You may even contact your city to see if there are organizations promoting urban agriculture that you could connect with to find a land tender. 

Discuss the following questions with anyone who might farm on your property: 

• What are their land management practices? Do you feel comfortable with how they will be using your property? (For example, will they use chemicals, tillers, etc.) 
• How often will they be there? Oftentimes, some farm work needs to be done in the wee hours of the morning when it’s cool. Have a conversation about what that might look like for it to feel good for everyone involved. 
• What areas of your property will they be able to access? 
• Will they be able to use city water or is there another water source available such as a well? 
• Will you create a contract? Will you charge a rental fee or payment for water? Or will you allow everything to be used in exchange for some of what they’re growing? 

How to start farming when you don’t have access to land

Lean on your community, first and foremost. There are a lot of people out there who want to support local agriculture, and also don’t want to do yard work! Be sure to discuss upfront, in as much detail as possible, your vision for the space and anything you need to be successful. And just like with any relationship, this will take work! Practice clear and compassionate communication, and learn how to properly address and work through conflict. 

First, gain some experience

Apply for positions at local farms, start volunteering in community gardens—anything to help you understand what a successful farm needs. You’ll learn so much about seedling care, planting, caring for crops, harvesting, and marketing without having any personal risk involved. 

Use community and social networks to your advantage

Ask around to find someone who is willing to share their land. Nextdoor and Facebook are great places to start. 

Use Google maps and “cold call” neighbors with large yards

Write a nice letter and drop it in their mailbox, leaving your contact information so they can reach out if interested. 

Figure out what funding you need

Realistically, how much capital do you have or can you access to start farming? While you can do it in a lower-cost way, you will still need supplies, tools, seeds, and more. Can you use savings, or will you need to borrow or raise money? Costs will vary with scale, but having a good understanding of this before diving in is crucial. 

Discuss your land management plan with the land owners

• How long do you expect to use the space? What are your expectations or desires for scaling over time, and will that affect your use of the land? 
• Are you willing to sign contracts or come to other forms of agreement? 
• Will you use chemicals, or grow organically? If using synthetic chemicals, which ones? This is especially important if they have children or pets. 
• Will you need to till or implement any infrastructure? 
• Who will pay for what? For example, investing in things that will stay onsite permanently may be a shared expense. But infrastructure such as irrigation systems or drip lines that will only be used for farming may need to be an expense covered by you. 
• Will it just be you on the property, or will others be involved (such as volunteers or paid labor)? 
• Do you need liability insurance to cover your business and avoid personal risk? 
• What boundaries (physical or relational) need to be in place to ensure that your crops are not damaged by kids, pets, visitors, toys, etc.?

Do you have other tips to share?  Let us know in the comments!

The post Backyard and Urban Farming: How to Start—Whether You Own Land or Not appeared first on Modern Farmer.

So, you want to get involved in a community fridge, but you’re not sure where to start. You’ve come to the right place.

Finding a fridge

You can search for a fridge in your neighborhood with databases like this one from Freedge. You might have luck finding one near you or a fridge to visit on your next vacation. You can also search for community fridges in your area on platforms such as Instagram, where many groups stay active. And some groups, like in New York, also share maps of their specific city. 

Once you’ve found a fridge at which you’d like to volunteer, the best thing to do, organizers say, is just to show up. “Get to meet the other people who volunteer or the people who use it, and have conversations with them about what they need and what they’re looking for,” says Victoria Jayne, with South Philadelphia Community Fridge. 

Think about what you’re able to offer. Do you have a car? You could help with deliveries of food. Maybe you don’t drive, but you have a spare hour or two every week. One of the most consistently needed jobs is cleaning and maintenance of the fridge. Bring a sponge and paper towels and help out with a few minutes of scrubbing. 

If you don’t have time for regular volunteering, you can still help with the most important part of the community fridge—the food. If you’re doing your grocery shopping, pick up a few extra items to fill the shelves. Do you frequently have work meetings where there are tons of leftovers? Bring them to the fridge. The film and TV industries are notorious for having extra food every day, for instance. Can you connect the organizers to a restaurant or grocery store interested in donating food on a regular basis?

What should you bring?

There are a few things to keep in mind when stocking a free fridge. First, label things, even if it’s just some masking tape or a sharpie. “You’re doing a great thing,” says Julie Haire with Los Angeles Community Fridges. “We love the sentiment, but you also should realize [the food] will be thrown out if it’s not labeled.” Even if you know what that food item is by looking, not everyone will, and they also won’t know when it was made or when it expires. It’s also important to think about how people might be able to eat the food. If it’s in a can or needs to be heated up, that might be OK for some of your neighbors. But unhoused folks are unlikely to have access to cooking utensils. For that reason, Haire says that “grab and go” foods are the best options.

Also, fridges are not your dumping ground for inedible food or ingredients past their prime. A good rule of thumb is to put yourself in the shoes of someone going to the fridge. Would you choose that item? If the answer is no, it’s better saved for the compost bin. 

Starting a fridge

But what if there isn’t a community fridge in your area? You’re in luck. You get to be the person who starts one. 

First, check out if there are fridges in other cities in your state or province. They may be able to help you start a chapter in your city, and you can become a member of their team. Many mutual aid groups are happy to bring on more folks who align with their mission and can help spread the word even further. 

You might even be able to become part of an established group such as Freedge through its fiscal sponsorship. If you want to be a nonprofit to be protected under legislation such as the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, but the process is onerous for a group your size, you could see if a sponsorship would help. “You find an existing nonprofit that says ‘OK, you’re a part of my nonprofit now,’ and all you have to do is report every year with financial statements,” says Ernst Bertone Oehninger, founder of Freedge. As Oehninger found out, a sponsorship is often a great way for smaller groups to get started while still working together under the same umbrella organization. 

Then, go over the resources. Many established fridge groups have FAQs available online to help you get started. Freedge even shares legal guidelines, to help you figure out everything you need to know when it comes to health and safety, as well as your responsibility when it comes to hosting. 

Choose a location

You will need a fridge, a way to plug it in and a host. For some, this is in front of the apartment building; for others, a community center. Oehninger says location is key. “If you are in a place that is more downtown or has a good supply of food services around, then your work as a volunteer is easier [when it comes to stocking the fridge], but it’s more difficult to clean, because of the high turnover,” he says. Ultimately, though, your fridge needs to be accessible. Think about where it might be best seen from all angles and by people both walking or driving by. 

Organizers tell us they frequently find free refrigerators on Craigslist or Facebook, but they especially like models with a glass door for people to easily see what’s inside.

Curb Appeal

Dress it up. A plain fridge is a sad fridge. Think about the curb appeal of your fridge. You’re likely to get more attention and more community engagement with a fridge that looks appealing. For some groups, such as Los Angeles Community Fridges, that means decorating each fridge in a different design and ensuring fridges can hold community bulletins and notices.

Next, it’s important to think about how the fridge might be exposed to the elements and what that might look like. You can find instructions from many groups on how to build a fridge shelter, which is a relatively simple process but can help protect your fridge in the long run. 

Build a team

Think of the fridge as a community resource that isn’t just about combating waste and hunger, but is a place that can bring a neighborhood together. Ask people to join you. There are many ways volunteers can help: pick and deliveries, stocking, cleaning, coordination, finding new donation partners, social media

Fill it up

Lastly, but most importantly, it’s time to stock the fridge. Donations from individuals are always appreciated, but the best way to keep the fridge regularly stocked is to form agreements with businesses that would otherwise throw away their food. In New York City, there’s a partnership with local Panera Bread locations, which nets the fridges a regular supply of pastries and baked goods. Other groups we spoke with talked about setting up agreements with local or chain grocery stores or restaurants. 

If you’re looking for advice on how to approach a business about a partnership, the team at Los Angeles Community Fridges has sample scripts you can use.

But, ultimately, no matter what you are able to do for a fridge, Jayne says getting involved at any level is a help. “It’s really important to have that volunteer base, where you have a group of people who are really committed, because it is work to keep one running and it does require a community.” 

The post Community Fridges 101 appeared first on Modern Farmer.

As a gardener in the Midwest, I am surrounded by agricultural farmland and housing developments that have largely replaced the tallgrass prairie that provided habitat for pollinators and other wildlife prior to European settlement. I decided to devote some of my outside space to these essential creatures. But before I started, I needed to figure out which plants would thrive in my yard’s environment. 

Choosing plants native to the region is best as they are well suited to the local soil and climate. Pollinators have adapted to native plants; they have co-existed for hundreds of years. There are plenty of native plants to choose from that are attractive and provide pollinator habitat. 

“Be a planner, not a plopper,” says Cydney Ross, outdoor education program manager for Deep Roots KC, a Kansas City, Missouri nonprofit. 

Ross suggests taking photos at different times of the day for at least one season to find out how many hours of sunlight each part of your yard receives. Pollinators forage in areas with six to eight hours of full sunlight a day. 

I planted patches of pollinator habitat in my yards in Nebraska and Iowa, and for each location, I learned to pay attention to the hours of sunlight available after the trees have fully leafed out. When there are mature trees nearby, the hours of sunlight available can change quite a bit from early May to July.

Soil and moisture are other considerations. Ken Parker, a western New York-based native plant grower and consultant with Native Plant Guy Consulting, says fancy soil tests are unnecessary. Simply identify the type of soil that you have—for example, is it clay, loam or sandy? To determine soil type, I place a ball of wet soil similar to the consistency of Play-Doh in my hand. Sandy soil is gritty and hard to form a ball, whereas clay is much stickier. Loam tends to be a mix of the two and feels silky in your hand and forms a loose ball. 

Next, I observed where water pooled in my yard to identify areas that are especially wet. I mostly worked with sandy and loam soil and have noticed the plants that thrive in my area can change depending on soil conditions. Cream wild indigo and prairie dropseed are among the species that have grown better in my sandy soils, while a wide variety of plant species such as New England aster, wild bergamot and sideoats grama (a short prairie grass) grow well in loam soil. 

When planting native plants, it’s unnecessary to add amendments to the soil such as peat moss and fertilizer. These plants are hardy and do not need these supplements, which will just encourage weeds.

Once I understood sunlight, soil and moisture conditions, I was able to pick plant species that fit my yard’s environment.

State native plant societies are a good starting point for finding a local native plant organization and nursery that specializes in growing natives. These organizations and nurseries are good resources for learning about the habitat requirements of different species and how to plant them. I have ordered most of my native plants from regional nurseries in flats through the mail, and they have arrived in good condition. 

Established plants are advised for starting smaller pollinator gardens (less than roughly 250 to 500 square feet); they are more expensive than seed, but they will establish more quickly, reducing time spent weeding. 

I planted my first pollinator garden with a pre-made native grass and wildflower seed mix when I was in my 20s and a graduate student with a flexible schedule. I enjoyed spending time on my hands and knees with a plant ID guide getting to know which young seedlings were something I had planted and which were weeds that needed to be pulled. However, as I got older and wanted to spend less time weeding, I switched to planting small plants. I also like getting to mature plants quicker when starting with plants.

Parker recommends choosing an equal number of wildflower species that bloom in the early spring, summer and fall—he likes four flowering species during each season. “The more species you have, the more your habitat becomes a buffet” for different types of adult pollinators and larvae, which will also attract birds, he says. 

My current garden has patches of pollinator habitat with 20 native plant species; the wildflowers bloom from May through early October. In my sunny, steep front yard, I planted a five-foot-wide strip with taller species such as stiff goldenrod, wild bergamot and common milkweed in the back and the shorter prairie dropseed grass and smooth aster in the front. Monarch larvae feed on milkweed, but adult monarchs and many other pollinators feed on the nectar and pollen of a variety of flowering species––in the fall, the blooms of the stiff dropseed are alive with activity from small bees to butterflies.

Near my vegetable garden there’s prairie alumroot, sweet coneflower, Joe Pye weed and foxglove beardtongue. The beardtongue is among my favorite plants. Its tubular white flowers are especially popular with bumblebees and hummingbirds. 

Grasses and sedges (grass-like plants with fine leaves) provide texture, and their dense roots will occupy space, reducing weed establishment. I like to include clump-forming grasses such as little bluestem that are host plants for the larvae of skippers, a type of butterfly. I have also started planting more sedges around my flowering plants since they green up early in the growing season and deter rabbits from feeding on other plants. As garden designer Benjamin Vogt with Monarch Gardens in Lincoln, Nebraska, says, “Sedges are wildflower bodyguards.” 

Before the actual planting could begin, the area needs to be prepared by reducing weeds and grasses. This can be very labor intensive, but there are several methods that garden designers recommend––my favorite is sheet mulching for my gardens. 

Sheet mulching: Mow or weed whack your lawn and weeds short, then put layers of cardboard or newspaper down for several weeks; add mulch on top to keep the layers in place. Poke holes into the layers and insert your plants. 

Solarization: During the summer, staple clear plastic tarp into the lawn to use heat to kill the grass, weeds and weed seeds. Leave in place for two to three weeks in dry climates to several weeks in wetter climates until the vegetation is dead. Remove the plastic before adding your plants in the fall.

Herbicide: This is the most controversial method. Glyphosate is very effective at killing grass and weeds, but most pollinator experts avoid using it because of potential effects on human health, the environment and the pollinators they are trying to attract. 

Each of my gardens were planted over time. Ross suggests that planning in stages, even when converting large portions of a lawn to a pollinator habitat, keeps the project affordable and manageable. And starting with a small area allows you to confirm which species establish well and the weed control methods that work well before scaling up. Including native ground-spreading covers to serve as a living mulch can also reduce weeds.

In the first year, plants should put their energy into growing roots. To support their growth and to reduce weed competition, I add a one- to two-inch layer of mulch after planting and regularly water for the first two weeks if there isn’t regular rainfall. 

Over the second and third year, allowing the mulch to break down, trimming weeds and giving plants space to spread will allow the natives to replace the mulch. “They will find where they’re happiest,” says Parker.

The right garden preparation has paid dividends in creating an hospitable habitat lively with pollinators and other wildlife. My gourd plants are plentiful each year thanks to natural insect pollination. I watch birds feed on caterpillars in the spring and summer and the seed heads of sweet black-eyed Susan and Joe Pye weed in the fall and winter. It’s a small step to make my yard a more welcoming place for these creatures, but, selfishly, the pleasure I derive in seeing a butterfly float by on a summer breeze or bumblebees visit my flowers is immeasurable. 

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