Surface Walk with Nance Klehm Saturday February 11th

February 9, 2017

Events

...investigate how the vegetation relates to the ecology and vitality of the soil that supports it. Surface Walk is part of Nance Klehm’s Bowtie residency titled Double Pairing. Nance Klehm has been an ecological systems designer, landscaper, horticultural consultant, and permacultural grower for more than two decades. Her approach is centered on instigating change by activating extant communities. Her work demonstrates her lifelong commitment to re...

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Will We Keep Keeping Chickens?

Mr. Homegrown

February 22, 2017

Animals, Chickens

19 Comments

...eeping chickens in our small, urban backyard. We have lead and zinc in the soil, so many predators that the hens have to live in what I call “chicken Guantanamo,” and a small irregular piece of property that makes using a chicken tractor impossible. While I built a generous run for our four hens, I really wish that they could wander more freely, but that’s just not possible where we live. Another big change that’s happened since we started keeping...

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Reader Favorite California Native: Ceanothus

Mr. Homegrown

June 7, 2017

Gardening

8 Comments

...e is over-watering during the summer months and planting in overly fertile soil. We didn’t over-water, so how we manged to kill three of them is a Root Simple gardening mystery. That said, many of our neighbors have had no problems with Ceanothus. If you have a well drained sunny spot, it’s a good bet. I’m particularly fond of the short sprawling varieties such as Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens. The UC Davis Arboretum keeps a list of “All Star” pla...

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Saturday Tweets: Taking Back the Wheel

Mr. Homegrown

September 8, 2018

Saturday Linkages

3 Comments

...18 Assessment of Current Practices of Organic Farmers Regarding Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin in a Multi-regional US Study #Organic #FoodSafety #UCDavis @piresalda1 @micheletjay @ucdavisvetmed @ucanr @wifss @OrganicCenter @OrganicTrade https://t.co/D4xPwUqqBy pic.twitter.com/8STfDJSuHl — IIFH (@UCDavisIIFH) September 8, 2018 “Restore human legs as a means of travel. Pedestrians rely on food for fuel, and need no special parking facil...

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Is Lead Poisoning a Risk in Urban Gardens?

Mr. Homegrown

February 5, 2016

Gardening, Lead

3 Comments

.... But if the results of a University of Washington study on lead and urban agriculture are to be believed, we might not need to be as concerned. The researchers note that most vegetables don’t take up lead and that improving soil with compost greatly reduces the bioavailability of lead. You can read a summary of the results of this research paper here. Thanks to Joanne Poyourow of Environmental Change Makers for tipping me off to this research....

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