June 1, 2002

I had completed a Master Gardener course in North Carolina but we had no other formal plant-related education. We have been organic vegetable gardeners for 20 years but had never grown flowers. As a result of on-the-job chemical injury from paint solvents, I had to give up my tenured faculty position at a university where […]

The hoe seems to be the most ancient and widespread farming tool. Wheel hoes are one giant step up the evolutionary ladder. They add comfortable handles and a wheel so that you can work faster and easier. Instead of clearing a little patch with every swipe of a hand hoe, you push a wheel hoe

The view from the crest of the hill is stunning. The road ahead curves to the right, sweeping past rows upon rows of grape vines. Across the road from the vineyards, acres of fruit trees stand, following the road as it dives into a valley. Surrounding the vineyards and orchards, the plowed ground in the

Thunderstorms are a way of life in summer. In the Midwest, we’re fortunate in that we can see them building when they are several counties away, so we usually have plenty of time to organize our work around impending storms. We don’t mess around with lightning. Lightning is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in

Jim LeTendre of Bear Creek, North Carolina, sells at five farmers’ markets a week, some of them in parking lots and some under covered structures. From his own sales records, he can attest to the value of covered markets. “In an uncovered market on a rainy day, you can expect to do 60% of your