Laura Emil

finally several beautiful days in a row! among other garden tasks, i got the garlic weeded and replaced old styrofoam markers with wood burned scrap-wood signs, and HERE COME THE SCAPES!!!

it's a BEAUTIFUL morning here in northeastern PA; after many soggy days, the greening of everything and the white clouds on blue skies just makes my soul sing.   Even in the rain, or snow, or thunder, or anything, I love it here, and I RARELY have cause to wish I was anywhere else.  BUT - having to pass up on an opportunity like this gathering because I'm so far away, well, it does make me wish I lived much closer.  ENJOY A WONDERFUL LEARNING EVENT, ALL!!!

In my childhood, I loved my 'hiding place' under the canopy of a bridal wreath spirea shrub at the front of our house; all of nature surrounding me in that space, and no one could see me; our suburban yard didn't call to me so much. In fact, it was a chore I dreaded, when it needed mowing. There was a playground with fields and trees only a bike ride away.  imho, green space feeds the soul - but if where you are doesn't have enough room, just make sure it's near enough by...  

WELCOME Kaci Rae!  (just as i was trying to decrease my screen time, along comes THE resource I need for the organization we have begun growing.)  Can't wait for rainy days so I can do MORE reading.  THANKS for sharing your knowledge in a way that WE can easily share further!!!  

BEAUTIFUL way to jump into permies for the first time - WELCOME Amanda!

BEAUTIFUL!  I'd love to do the same, but am trying to avoid plastic everywhere I can.   So I'm very curious why you needed to use plastic in those beds.  What need did it address, and any suggestions on how else I can address it for a satisfactory end result?  In any case, THANKS so much!  

buying in bulk and sharing is a great solution!!! (when you can afford it, and when folks are in sharing distance one way or another.) that reminds me of the food containers an elderly friend 'shared' with me (for eventual community use?).  I set aside a basket full of the containers, which I bring to a local vo-tech food class's buffet lunch that they set up several days a week, open to the public.  I purchase a takeout meal at a great price, but don't use the takeout containers.  Instead, I fill my friend's containers, then visit her.  We enjoy lunch and conversation and try to solve the world's problems.
But

plastic will be burned during the firing process

worries me.  Isn't "fairly clean" still toxic?  Or is it the 'least' of all possible bad choices?  
That's the frustration - if we find ways to "deal" with it, we don't STOP using it.  And even if we DO stop using it, there is so much ALREADY here.  (and there was NONE when I was born, so how can I leave the world 'better'?)

HOW are everyone's 'less plastic' attempts going?  This was supposed to be the start of positive changes, but seems to have fizzled out.  
I'd love to hear some success stories.  I feel so frustrated that even after buying less & repurposing more, it's nearly impossible to not drown in single use plastic from some of my food purchases.   I'm starting to make  ecobricks but don't know what I'll build with them (seems it would need to be something permanent that won't get unbuilt in the future, so my plastic doesn't become someone else's garbage.)  Over on the Financial Realities Waste thread, William Bronson wrote "Here is what one guy that has no access to recycling does:TRASH-ROCKS-Eliminate-Unrecyclable-Trash", which looks promising - but in reality, it's not a one person job.  (thus, another idea added to the files for consideration of future stewards of this land... sigh...)
My only REAL success in less plastic is at the monthly 'dish to pass' meal I attend.  Instead of a food item (there's always TOO much food, anyway) I carry a large picnic basket full of REAL plates, bowls, cups, silverware, and a large vinyl lined totebag with a dishpan and 'food bucket'.   Seems like a win-win - I don't need to find time to prep food on a busy workday, the dishes get washed at my convenience the next day, then packed and ready for the next gathering, the food scraps go to my compost pile.  And of course, it raised some awareness.  So, so far it's working (but we're reaching my limit of a eighteen plates - guess I better check the thrift store...)
HOW ABOUT YOU?  Please INSPIRE US with YOUR SOLUTIONS THAT WORKED.
thanks!

GRAND idea!  I'm next in line, looking forward to 'meeting' Cris, and wondering WHO will sign on next...  (what a fun way to brighten up a cold winter morning! thanks for starting this thread!!!)

Wish I'd seen this thread the year my garlic shot up early before the winter snows, and then I panicked and tried to cover as many young plants as possible with bedsheets stretched across haybales on either sides of the rows, to protect them from frost and bitter winds.  I didn't have enough frost cover, but ALL the plants did just fine, covered or not. (needless to say, I'm NOT going to post the pics I took then - though when I see those pics pop up on my computer screen saver, I have a good laugh at myself!)  It was one of my earlier years growing, and now I'm more relaxed...
BUT, regarding a comment made several pages back on this thread,

many of the big garlic farms in new york state, where a lot of seed garlic is grown, had some really bad disease issues this year.  

 ...  I've attended a few field days, and when I learned about nematodes the first time, I also learned they can live several years in the soil, so "practicing at least a four year rotation is recommended."  That's ONE tip I wish I'd learned earlier.  Since I'm not selling seed garlic, it's not worth the cost of testing, but also since I have enough ground, I've been rotating ever since.   I don't THINK my garlic is infected, but I can't help but wonder at some of the slightly yellowed clove papers (and so have been culling those before I replant.)
Reaffirming some of the other helpful 'tips' I read here, Growing Great Garlic IS book to have, SCAPE pesto is absolutely the BEST (though I've made it with walnuts in the past; next summer, I WILL try sunflower seeds - thanks for THAT suggestion!); and I also enthusiastically agree with the prior poster who pointed to bloomingfieldsfarm.com/garbrdhow.html as the best guide to braiding.