If you miss the chance to take preventative action, such as in applying neem oil to the leaves and stems of your tomato plants–all in not lost. In the organic garden, keeping up with the pests who would make a meal of your crops is a never-ending chore. I go …
Now that the bulk of the spring planting is behind us, I’ve turned my eye to the up-keep of the gardens. That includes all of the weeding that comes with gardening, as well as combating the insects that would make a meal of my tender seedlings and vegetables. With the …
Runamuk Acres is now officially certified as pollinator friendly! A passion for bugs I couldn’t say why exactly I became so passionate about bees and pollinators–when I was younger I was like many other folks with an aversion to bugs-but I married an insect-lover who made me see that insects …
Since we found out that we won’t be able to proceed right away in buying a house of our own, I’ve felt a bit lost. How could I be a homesteader without my own home? How could I move forward with my plans and dreams? But after much soul searching …
I received my first-ever copy of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds catalog on Monday and I am so excited! The vegetables and fruits portrayed within it are all non-hybridized, non-GMO, non-treated and non-patented. This company boycotts anyone related to Monsanto and any other gene-altering companies. Plus, the seed they offer …
I love going to the local natural foods store! We patron the Spice of Life Natural Foods Market in Skowhegan. As far as grocery shopping goes, it’s a real treat to walk down the isles of ethnic and organic foods, to see the rows of spices and herbs, the organic …
A large part of our plan for the Runamuk farm revolve around wildlife. In our home we love to watch the wildlife in our backyard: birds, bats, squirrels, butterflies and other insects–and so we garden with animals in mind. After we’ve moved into our new home, I’m looking forward to …
One of the ways we try to live sustainably at the Runamuk homestead, is to make what we can by hand. From the hive-boxes my husband constructs for me, to the home-grown vegetables and homemade bread that we eat. Not only is it cheaper, but usually the quality is superior, …
All summer you’ve been enjoying the bounty of your garden, but now there’s a chill in the air and it’s time to harvest the rest of your home-grown vegetables. But how to store it all for use during the winter? Gardening is returning in popularity as more and more people …
For a long time I’ve wanted to learn how to press plants. I like the idea of creating beautiful framed works of art using pressed flowers and herbs. I had saved two large squares of cardboard for the project, and today I begged some newspaper from my mother-in-law’s recycling bin. …
