Category Archives: Vegetable gardening

Making bears and fruit trees get along

I’ve recently been involved in a discussion with the BC Food Systems Network about the relationship between bears and food security. In terms of food security, this issue is an extremely important one for anyone living where large predators exist. … Continue reading

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Filed under Agriforestry, Animal issues, Bears, Conservation, Educational, Ethical farming, Food Security, Food Sovereignty, Fruit Trees, personal food sovereignty, Politicking with predators, Politics of Food, Sustainable Farming, Vegetable gardening

For the love of a sprinkler

Over the past several years, I have been on the hunt for a decent sprinkler. I started out my gardening career innocently believing that I could just go to the hardware store, buy a sprinkler, bring it home, set it … Continue reading

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Filed under Vegetable gardening

Special features

Conversation with the writer/director of ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ My ‘David Suzuki Digs My Garden’ audition video is–hallelujah–in the can. I would like to thank my cast and crew who worked tirelessly to get this done: David, … Continue reading

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Filed under Animal issues, Educational, Ethical farming, Goats, Horses, Just for fun, Preserving the harvest, Sustainable Farming, Vegetable gardening

David Suzuki Digs My Garden

Vancouver’s most famous Environmentalist, David Suzuki, is running a contest for pesticide free gardeners this summer. They say you don’t have to be a master gardener to play a starring role in the ‘David Suzuki Digs My Garden’ contest. They … Continue reading

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Filed under Developing Community, Just for fun, Sustainable Farming, Vegetable gardening

Howling Duck Ranch’s own peas, pea soup

This year, in the attempt to achieve ‘Personal Food Sovereignty’, I decided to experiment with some legumes. I grew (or rather, attempted to grow) the main legumes we like to eat in general, and generally eat often. Thus, I attempted … Continue reading

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Filed under Food Security, How to..., Preserving the harvest, Sustainable Farming, Vegetable gardening

Gone are the days…

…when I will take a jar of spaghetti sauce for granted. Yesterday I spent more than 16 hours in the kitchen dealing with tomatoes (and there were about 4 hours the previous day donated to tomato prep). Because I didn’t … Continue reading

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Filed under Food Security, Preserving the harvest, Sustainable Farming, Vegetable gardening

The end of composting…

as I know it! September 21st, it was the last day of summer and I was down at my friend Clarence’s garden helping him harvest some potatoes. I had been by his place a few days before while he was … Continue reading

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Filed under How to..., Potatoes, Sustainable Farming, Vegetable gardening

Sauerkraut (recipe below)

Six weeks ago the ‘other two-thirds’ (OTT) and I harvested our cabbages and spent a couple hours shredding, salting, pounding and layering it all into crocks. We then sat it in the corner of the kitchen and forgot about it. … Continue reading

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Filed under Fermented foods, Food Security, Preserving the harvest, Vegetable gardening

You asked for it: more garden photos.

Early morning on the farm. I’ve had some people email and ask for more garden photos, so here goes. As it happens, I did take some nice photos of the garden yesterday. To quote one person, ‘so us city-folk can … Continue reading

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Filed under Chickens, Sustainable Farming, Vegetable gardening