How to Build Up Your Topsoil Naturally

October 8, 2020 / Comments Off on How to Build Up Your Topsoil Naturally
A cross-section of the topsoil below a barley crop

Life begins from the soil — and in many cases — the top six inches of soil that’s commonly referred to as topsoil. In this thin layer of earth, we can find an incredibly rich ecosystem of soil life and nutrients that works together to create strong, healthy plants, and […]

Compost Tea: What is it and How to Make Your Own

October 8, 2020 / Comments Off on Compost Tea: What is it and How to Make Your Own
A cup of compost tea on a wooden table with autumn leaves

Compost is perfect for home gardens and small-scale market gardens, but what if you need to improve the soil over dozens of hectares of acres? Whether your specialty is annuals or fruit and nut trees, compost tea provides a cost-effective way to add soluble nutrients to your soil and foliage […]

How to Start (and Maintain) a Community Garden

October 8, 2020 / Comments Off on How to Start (and Maintain) a Community Garden
community garden

Starting a community garden is a fantastic way to connect people from all walks of life in the production of healthy food, and to teach the next generation of children where food comes from and how it’s grown. Follow these community garden ideas to establish a successful — and sustainable — […]

Utilizing Small Spaces Productively

September 8, 2020 / Comments Off on Utilizing Small Spaces Productively
A white wall covered with ivy and flowering plants.

Table of Contents Be Selective Think about Layers Ensure the Best Conditions for Your Plants Companion Planting, Guilds, and More Applying the Principles on a Larger Scale One of the challenges of a rapidly increasing global population is that each person and family has less space for growing food. Traditionally, […]

Design Principles for A Sustainable Farm

September 8, 2020 / Comments Off on Design Principles for A Sustainable Farm
A grassy sustainable farming landscape at sunrise.

Sustainable farming isn’t a new idea. In fact, it’s what growers have been doing for thousands of years! What has changed is the amount that today’s farmers are required to produce and the techniques that they typically use to achieve this. Chemical fertilizers, strong pesticides, genetically-modified seeds, and heavy-duty machinery […]

What is Permaculture?

September 8, 2020 / Comments Off on What is Permaculture?
A grassy field with an insect hotel, scarecrow, and trellised vines

At its most basic, permaculture gardening is a sustainable approach to growing that looks to nature to provide the most appropriate solutions. By sustainable, we mean a system that can continue indefinitely. In the world of economics, a sustainable approach to spending doesn’t go beyond one’s means. In the same […]

Regenerative Farming Put into Practice

September 8, 2020 / Comments Off on Regenerative Farming Put into Practice
Fallen apples sitting on top of abundant organic matter.

In our initial post about regenerative agriculture, we introduced the concept of restorative growing as an umbrella term for regenerative farming practices that rebuild the topsoil, restore diversity, improve the water cycle, and sequester carbon. In this post, we’ll show you how to put restorative agriculture into practice in your […]

6 Fun Facts About Growing And Harvesting

September 8, 2020 / Comments Off on 6 Fun Facts About Growing And Harvesting
A ripe fig hanging from a fig tree.

Did you know that California is America’s #1 food producer and the sole producer of 99% of America’s specialty crops like almonds and artichokes? Read on to discover six interesting facts about growing and harvesting fruit in America. 1. California Growers Are Continuing an 8000-Year-Old Tradition If you dedicate your […]

Not Just Smashing Grapes: Technology That’s Taking Viticulture to the Next Level

July 20, 2020 / Comments Off on Not Just Smashing Grapes: Technology That’s Taking Viticulture to the Next Level
Glass of wine in front of a field

When you imagine the process of creating wine in your mind, you probably think of toga-wearing ancient Greeks grinding grapes beneath their toes (or maybe a certain viral video featuring an unfortunate newscaster if you’re of a younger generation). But the reality is that viticulture has advanced just as far […]

Variable Rate Fertilizer and Other High-Tech Precision Agriculture Methods

July 15, 2020 / Comments Off on Variable Rate Fertilizer and Other High-Tech Precision Agriculture Methods
Tractors plowing a field in low light

Farming technology grows by leaps and bounds every year, and if you keep up with our blog you’re probably familiar with a good number of the newest innovations to hit the agricultural world. But one of the most important ones is known as precision agriculture, and it’s vital that any […]