Anne Logston

I was diagnosed in 2004 with Stage 3 melanoma. I had a huge chunk removed from my left bicep, all the lymph nodes in my left armpit removed, and a year of Interferon therapy. My husband and I eat at the Paleo end of Keto and I already had a gallon-a-day water habit even before Interferon therapy. I ended up being a case study for my wonderful oncologist because he had never seen anyone do so well on Interferon therapy. My white blood cell count never dropped enough that I had to skip or reduce a single dose, and since that time my cancer tests have all been negative.

I eat a great deal of fresh greens, mostly from my garden (right now a ton of foraged chickweed and miner’s lettuce!), and although I’m a new gardener, I’m doing well at it. My favorite green is Baker Creek’s Perpetual Spinach; I can even grow it in a covered bed through the winter!

When I was diagnosed, I immediately added a lot of fresh turmeric, ginger and garlic to my garden (buckets, I live in Indiana!) and my diet, looking at the anti-cancer properties of turmeric. My garden is my favorite cancer treatment, for the food, exercise, sunshine, and positive microbes it gives me! I’m now exploring mushrooms and fermentation and looking forward to new flavors!

Hey folks. My husband and I (60 each) are retiring to a place that belonged to my deceased parents in rural southern IN (6a). There are 11 mostly wooded acres, two .25-acre clear spots with decent sun, and a 2-acre lake. I’m setting up my first ever garden, with 3 permaculture guilds, one deep raised bed for annual root crops, a straw bale garden with trellis for annuals, and some containers. The property is on spring water and I will water from the lake. What I’m wondering is, are there any food crops I can plant at the water’s edge? I know Asian water spinach is an invasive in Asia, but it would die over the winter here, so is that feasible? Any other suggestions?

Honestly, the easiest way? Look up what kind of pine it is, and since Arbor Day is coming up, check the Arbor Day Foundation list and get free seedlings from them. Your tree will be much sturdier and more hearty, and because of genetic diversity it can pollinate with the nearby tree(s). Here in Indiana where we have lots of pine, mostly white pine, they will spring up anywhere EXCEPT where you want them. Transplanting a seedling is seriously much much easier. Most pines, in my experience, grow much better from seed than cuttings, unfortunately. Part of the problem is that resinous pine sap will seep out of the cut edge and harden to a coating, which is what it’s supposed to do, but no rooting that way.

My husband and I are retiring this year to a family property in rural southern Indiana. It’s 12 mostly wooded acres with a 2-acre spring-fed lake, house, garage with carpentry shop, and two sheds. I’ve got two .25-acre areas that get at least decent sun. I’ve already papered, composted and chipped two permaculture guilds last fall and have a third half done. One tall 4x8 raised bed, and 20 straw bales for an organic straw bale garden yield for the first year. I’ve started winter sowing like mad, and my first batch of trees and shrubs were ordered last fall. So I’ve really been going at it rather ambitiously for a 60-year-old’s first garden!

My question is, at what point does my home become a homestead? When I plant my first plant s in the ground? When we eat our first produce? When we achieve some percentage of self-sufficiency? Or is livestock a prerequisite? Do chickens count towards homesteading if I don’t eat the chickens, just use them for eggs, fertilizer and land prep?

I’m looking for some herbaceous or ground cover plants to go in my blueberry bed. Since the soil there will be acidified, I’m having a hard time finding companions, except for cranberry and lingonberry. Any suggestions? Annual or perennial are both good.

The first thing that comes to mind is Jerusalem Artichokes, which are both keto and full of the low glycemic sweetener inulin. Beware, they’re nicknamed Jerusalem Fartichokes.

Don’t forget radishes in your keto garden! You can even grow daikon.

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers and tomatoes are also great keto crops.

On the fruit front, berries have always been included. Strawberries are obvious, but my favorite is black raspberries. There are lots of berry choices. You can even can your own sugar-free preserves.

Don’t forget the herbs and spices!