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Sarah Jay

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Posts by Sarah Jay

Based in Houston, Texas, I moved in 2006 to attend the University of North Texas, where I earned my Bachelor’s in English Literature and Master’s in Applied Anthropology. It was during my time at college that I began to delve into the relationship between humans and plants across the world. Over time, I learned to grow edible plants in my garden at home. That led me to fall in love with the Cross Timbers and Blackland Prairie ecoregions where I live. I spend a lot of time restoring prairies and learning about the native plants of North Texas. I also co-manage a community garden that sends donations to a local food bank. My goal in life is to educate and empower readers to grow practically, and along with their local ecosystems so they can achieve the gardens of their dreams. In 2022, I was certified as a Texas Master Naturalist. With that knowledge, I focus on invasive removal and habitat restoration at home. I enjoy growing wildflowers in my yard, and watching the wildlife benefit from those plantings. When I’m not immersed in the bounty of the earth, I’m making music, reading, cooking, and collaging.

Close-up of gardener's hands wearing grey gloves holding freshly picked bunch of radishes with oval pink roots and green foliage, highlighting crops to sow in September against a sunny autumn garden background.
Food

9 Crops to Sow in September

As summer’s end nears, farmers get ready for winter. Some prepare to shut down the farm, and some plant fall crops. Fall crops provide revenue through winter, giving farms a profitable season even when most plants are dormant.

by Sarah Jay· September 1, 2025
Blooming strips of native prairie plants growing between cornfields, helping replenish soil nutrient loss.
Farm

How to Fight Soil Nutrient Loss with Prairie Strips

As farmland degradation accelerates globally, prairie strips are emerging as a critical conservation solution. These strategic rows of native prairie plants, installed between crop fields, can reduce soil nutrient loss while restoring biodiversity to agricultural landscapes.

by Sarah Jay· August 25, 2025
A bucket full of freshly picked potatoes in a vegetable garden bed among various crops and tall blooming sunflowers, as one of the wildflowers that fight potato viruses.
Farm

Fight Potato Viruses with Wildflowers: 9 Flowers to Try

Farmers who have encountered potato viruses know there is no viable treatment for them. But preventative measures go beyond ensuring seed quality is high. Here are 9 wildflowers that attract predators of the aphid vector species.

by Sarah Jay· August 18, 2025
A female gardener with a large garden shovel turns over a large black compost pile of decomposing garden waste and kitchen scraps to speed up composting.
Farm

How to Speed Up Your Compost: 5 Recommendations

Getting a healthy amount of compost to spread on your crops ahead of the season gives them the boost they need to really take off. Learn these five ways to speed up the composting process, and you’ll have nutrient-rich humus in no time.

by Sarah Jay· August 11, 2025
Large clusters of pink grapes hang from stems covered in bright lobed green foliage, showing off one of the best dry farming crops.
Food

The 7 Best Crops for Dry Farming

Dry farming is a viable strategy that helps farmers adapt to their local climate. It bolsters farms located in dry areas, allowing them to produce even though water is scarce. Take note of these 7 crops as you develop your own dry farm.

by Sarah Jay· August 4, 2025
Close-up of a gardener's hands in white gloves pouring textured compost onto a raised garden bed showing nutrient cycling on a farm.
Farm

Nutrient Cycling on the Farm: 5 Practices to Implement Now

Achieving a closed system on your farm is easy with a few key practices. Shifting focus toward nutrient cycling can turn a labor-intensive farm into a more passive, yet fruitful, endeavor. Here, gardener and Master Naturalist Sarah Jay shares how to implement nutrient cycling on your farm to improve your soil and yields.

by Sarah Jay· July 28, 2025
A female gardener shows freshly dug sweet superfood - sweet potatoes - with reddish-brown tubers and green heart-shaped leaves covered in soil.
Food

The Sweet Superfood You Should Be Growing

Sweet potatoes are nutritious, prolific, and handle the harshest conditions. Farmers benefit greatly from adding this resilient crop to their land, including the revenue that comes from a healthy market share.

by Sarah Jay· July 21, 2025
Short corn benefits. Female farmer in checkered shirt and straw hat holds a wooden box filled with freshly picked corn cobs, standing in a sunny field of short, healthy corn plants.
Food

5 Benefits of Growing Shorter Corn

Short corn varieties are currently in development, changing the game for farmers. These smaller-stature plants offer several benefits, promoting higher resilience and yields, even on a small-scale.

by Sarah Jay· July 14, 2025
Protecting crops from heat stress, potato plants are grown in rows with water running between them in furrows, the back rows are covered with white shade cloth.
Food

Protecting Crops from Heat Stress: 5 Pro Strategies

Heat is an inevitable and increasing concern for farms across the world. The best way to deal with the stresses of hot weather is to adapt and find solutions you can use, year after year. Use these 5 strategies to keep your yields high and stave off the heat.

by Sarah Jay· July 7, 2025
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