8 Steps to Growing An Organic Garden

There's something about this time of year that always excites me. I don't know if it's the potential that seems to blossom in the Spring, or the green buds peeking through the ground. Whatever it is I get pumped when I can dig my hands in the dirt, and start planting!

Creating your own organic garden can be a fun weekend project that takes little more than some elbow grease and a plan. Whether you are looking to put in a large plot or want to start out small, organic gardening can be as easy as pie...maybe even sweet potato!

So what is an organic garden? Well, its one that's cultivated without the use of fertilizers or herbicides to promote the growth of fruits and vegetables. Instead sunlight, organic soil, seeds and water can turn your backyard, or apartment balcony into an organic haven. From Organic Gardening:

When you garden organically, you think of your plants as part of a whole system within nature that starts in the soil and includes the water supply, people, wildlife and even insects.

Step 1: Prepare the Soil
Gardening soil isn't just dirt. In order to ensure your plants get all they need to flourish, you must first start with a nutrient rich base. If you need help determining the quality of your soil you can have it tested by your local agricultural office. Be sure to tell them you are planting an organic garden so they can provide the best mix of ingredients to start you off. The best time to test is in the fall, whatever you add in will have time to enrich the soil over the winter, and make for a beautiful harvest.

Step 2: Compost
You'll need to make sure you have a good mixture of organic matter like leaves or grass clippings which can be acquired right from your backyard. Decayed plants, vegetable scrapes from your kitchen and egg shells can provide a good start to your composting bin. Mushroom dirt is also a rich addition to your soil by improving drainage of clay dirt and increasing microbial activity. Stay tuned for our upcoming article on Composting 101.

Step 3: Choose the Right Plants
Picking the right planets for your geographic climate is an important step in planning your garden. While grapes may run wild in the North West, you'll find they are much harder to develop in colder North Eastern states. Choose vegetation that is well suited for the amount of light, moisture, and soil quality your garden will receive. Look for seeds or plants from your local farmers market that were raised without chemical fertilizers, and if possible were not genetically modified. Real food = Real Health.

Step 4: Give Your Crops Space
Plants you are harvesting should be grouped together in raised beds that can protect them from foot traffic. Grouping also reduces weeding and water waste. But be aware of the amount of space each plant will need to avoid over crowding and casting too many shadows.

Step 5: Water, Water, Water...but not too much
The best time to water your garden is in the morning when it is still cool, this leads to less evaporation and water consumption. If you water at night the plants may stay too damp and cause fungus growth. Always water the roots to avoid damaging leaves and flowers. Experts recommend substantial infrequent watering---about 1 inch of water per week.

Step 6: Weeding
Probably the least fun step of gardening is getting rid of those pesky plants that steal nutrients, water and sunlight from you beautiful food. But, no matter how time consuming, weeding is a necessary step to promote the full growth of your garden. As you are on your knees just think of all the fresh air and Vitamin D you'll be getting!

Step 7: Protect Your Plants
Whether its deer, ground hogs, or caterpillars, nature’s creatures always seem to find a way to nibble on or even eviscerate lovely gardens. Besides fences, netting, and Marigolds to ward off larger animals, there are some chemical-free ways to keep crawling critters at bay. The Daily Green suggests:

Organic weapons include Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally occurring bacteria that disrupts the digestion of caterpillars and other leaf-eaters. You can also use horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps and garlic and/or hot pepper sprays.

Step 8: Harvesting
You’ve tilled, planted, watered, and weeded, so now its time to reap the rewards! Your organic fresh fruits and veggies can make mealtime a fun event. Have your kids pick from the garden right before preparing dinner---they'll make the connection that real food can be delicious. Share your harvest by giving a gift basket to family or neighbors. If you have an overabundant crop you can always freeze or can any leftovers until its time for next years batch.

However it's used, your organic garden can be a healthy and delectable labor of love.

Have you started your garden yet? Share your tips in the comments section.

Happy Spring from Granolaville,

 

Fresh Idea Friday: DIY Natural Healing Salve

I don't know many things worse than being criticized by your mother. I think I'd rather step on a Lego with my bare feet than have my mother blatantly point out my short-comings.

 Those "loving" suggestions, as she calls them, are even worse when they put a spot light on your mothering inadequecies. I should clarify that 95% of the time my mom is the most supportive and positive person in my life.

However, no one is perfect.....and she doesn't hesitate to casually that point out.

Case in point: As you may know I live in a house with 4 boys (including my husband). There is never a shortage of cuts, scraps, bruises and other physical injuries. I'm used to bandaging up boo-boo's and sending them on their way. Underneath my bathroom sink is an arsenal, stockpiled with every size band-aid and gauze pad CVS has to offer.

One thing I'm not huge on is ointments. It's not that I have some philosophical aversion to them, I just never seem to have any.

So, when my 6 year old came running in the other day with two knees that lost a battle with our neighbors driveway I cleaned off his wounds with peroxide, threw on some Phineus and Ferb band-aids and sent him on his Ninjago fighting way.

Then I felt a disapproving stare coming from the direction of my dining room. My mom asks, "Don't you have antibiotic ointment or Neosporen?" I held my breath, trying not to sound too annoyed by her question.

"No mom. I was hoping he would get gang green and his knees would fall off so that I could carry him around all day."

So much for not sounding annoyed.

"I don't like that stuff anyway, you have no idea what they put in it. I should just make my own, how hard can it be?"

Fast forward a few nights later, and I'm in my kitchen concocting what I think is the best damn healing salve (pronounced "sav" for those of you like me who've been saying it wrong) you'll ever find. Take that mom!
:-)

This salve can be used for minor cuts and burns. In colder months it is a perfect moisturizer for dry skin.

Granolaville's DIY Healing Salve

Here's What You'll Need:

A large knife

A double boiler or two pots about the same size

Roughly 1/2 cup local bees wax.

• provides a protective barrier for the skin from dirt and other irritants
• has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties
• acts as a humectant, drawing in moisture from the surrounding air
• contains Vitamin A which helps promote cell repair

2 Tablespoons Organic Virgin Coconut Oil 

• rich in anti-oxidants and bursting with the natural microbial and antibacterial agents caphrylic and capric acids. (Natural News)
• Protective sun screen and moisture barrier
• Adds smoothness and a sweet smell to the salve

5 Tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil

• natural lubricant
• retains moisture on the skin 

2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil

• helps prevent/heal minor scarring
• increases collagen production
• very similar in nutrients to Vitamin E

1 Tablespoon Organic Honey

• anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties
• natural preservative (only food that can last FOREVER, literally)

20 drops Essential Tea Tree Oil

• antiseptic
• anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties

10 drops Essential Lavendar Oil

• aids in pain relief
• antiseptic and anti-fungal
• smells soothing

Directions

1. Cut chunk of bees wax off.

2. Fill bottom pot of double boiler with water and place on low heat.

3. Add in bees wax and melt completely. It should take about 15 minutes.

4. Once melted, add in all other ingredients and stir until mixed.

5. Pour into GLASS or Metal container ONLY! Putting it in plastic could melt the plastic or release chemicals into your salve.

6. Wait until it cools and apply anywhere on your body it's needed. The salve is thick, but just place between your hand and rub. The heat will make it into a smooth cream.

Ever made a healing salve. Let me know what you think! 

P.S. I rubbed some on my mom's arthritic hands and she LOVED it!


Feelin' the healin' in Granolaville, 

Fresh Idea Friday: Lemon & Lavender DIY "Febreze"

Funkiness permeates my house. I'm not talkin' about my dance moves or my husbands goofy swagger (sorry honey).

The funk I'm referring to is the odor of man sweat and boy dirt that hangs over each room like an evil fog. If you have the pleasure of living with boys you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I've tried covering up the smell with candles, air fresheners, incense, and various refresher products like Febreze. Most of them did the job for a while, but I noticed that instead of smelling my boys I would be inhaling the chemicals that were disbursed in the air.

During a visit from my midwife, before my home birth with Nolan, she warned me of the toxic cocktail that fills most store-bought air fresheners.

These products actually do that exact opposite of "cleansing" the air. Instead, they lay a think layer of fumes throughout your home that can have dangerous effects on your whole family.

According to the Environmental Working Group, which conducts tests on all major household products for chemical toxicity and carcinogens, noted:

Febreze Air Effects released 89 air contaminants, the third highest number released by any product tested. One of these chemicals is linked to cancer, another to neurotoxicity. 

That does NOT sound like the fresh, clean air toted by their clever commercials.

So I decided there had to be a way to mask or even, dare I say, get ride of the my home's man-funk. To the Google I went!

Here is the one of the simplest ways to have your home smelling like a fresh meadow, without the nasty chemical fog.

Take a large pot and fill it with water. Add rosemary sprigs, one whole cut up lemon, a few drops of vanilla extract or lavender oil. Let simmer for 5 hours and your home will be filled with the glorious smells.

You can use any scents you'd like. During Christmastime I'm going to use star anise and cinnamon sticks.

Once the water has cooled grab a spray bottle and fill it with your concoction. Now go room to room and spray whatever needs some freshening up!

This stuff smelled SO good my husband came home and asked me what I what I was making for dinner because it smelled DELICIOUS!

What would you add to your homemade "Febreze"?

Fighting the Funk in Granolaville,

 

Thoughtful Thursday: My Natural Hair Journey & What it Taught Me About Acceptance

I did it ya'll! I finally put my hair on point with the rest of my life. No more chemicals, no more damaged hair, no more trying to be something I'm not.

I never realized how much my image of who I was on the inside was connected to what I looked like on the outside. This was more than just feeling crappy because you have a "bad hair day".

Growing up I wanted so badly to fit in, as most kids do. The trouble was my skin and hair forced me to stand out in a sea of straight blondes and brunettes, with swinging ponytails and long flowing locks.

In 5th grade I was once cornered in the bathroom and interrogated about why my hair looked like it did. I hated that my hair was just one more reason that I couldn't be like them; a "normal" little girl.

I was so excited when I got my first relaxer. I had no idea of the toxic chemicals that would permeate my body for the next 15 years. All I knew was that I didn't have to rock "nappy" hair anymore.

Even as an adult I had an unhealthy connection to the state of my hair. It needed to be tamed, slicked or straightened at ALL times, never resembling anything close to real black hair.

Now here I am trying my best to get my family living as naturally as possible, yet I was still hitting up the "creamy crack" every six weeks. It was finally time to stop trying to fit the conventional model of beauty, and define it for myself.

It was time for me to not just accept my natural hair, but love it unconditionally.

What's the hardest thing you have had to accept or change to live a more healthy life?

Lovin' my Locks in Granolaville, 

Taste it Tuesday: I'm Lovin it?

Been at a birth for the last 19 hours. Going on 1 hour of sleep. Had nothing but graham crackers and saltines and a gallon of coffee to keep me going. So now I'm at Mickey D's doing the drive through of shame so I can refuel my body while my clients sleeps and prepares to push out her precious baby.

Even though every fiber of my crunchy being is warning me of the literal shit storm that will ensue, I'm going to enjoy my artery clogging fries, and pray that I don't get my crunchy mom a card revoked.

When you have to indulge, what's the 1 thing you can't refuse?


Praying for a baby so I can stop the food insanity in Granolaville,

Fresh Idea Friday: Natural Tips for Controlling Pesky Flies

As an Aussie, my experience with flies is extensive. In some places I've lived in, talking outside during spring and summer is a risky business because as soon as you open your mouth, kamikaze flies make a beeline straight for it. On any given day during the warmer months, my coffee cup is likely to be the final resting place for a couple of the drowned critters. You get used to it - mostly.

If you're not like me and have no intentions of getting used to them; instead of reaching for the traditional fly pray; there's some other strategies you can use to at least control and minimize their presence before needing going to that extreme.

The problem with fly spray and other commercial insecticides is it contains some nasty stuff; which isn't nasty just to flies; but to humans and other creatures in the environment - even the low allergenic varieties. The introduction of set-and-forget "24/7" automatic fly sprays means we're perhaps using more than we need to too.

Some of the chemicals include:

Bioresmethrin - a suspected endocrine disruptor and highly toxic to fish even in small amounts

Bioallethrin - a suspected endocrine disruptor and carcinogen

Butylated Hydroxytoluene - known human immune system toxant.

Synthetic Pyrethroids - Pyrethroids shouldn't be confused with Pyrethrum, which comes from the chrysanthemum. Pyrethroids are chemically designed to be more toxic and take longer to break down. Aside from being a suspected carcinogen, they are extremely toxic to aquatic organisms and are moderately toxic to birds. Pyrethroids are toxic to all insects, both beneficial insects and pests.

Here's some tips to help keep flies off your and control their presence to a degree around your home - the greener way.

Potted plants indoors

I received an email from someone who was having problems with flies emerging from potted plants - something I hadn't heard of before. It seems the best way to deal with this is to reduce watering and organic matter in the soil of potted plants; particularly the top layer - gnats and flies thrive in damp conditions where's there's plenty of organic material.

Clear garbage

As flies breed in rotting organic material, make sure your garbage is secured and your trash bins have tight fitting lids. It can take as little as a week for adult flies to emerge from these sources. Check all mouse traps regularly and around your yard for other critters that may have died as even a small decaying animal can be a feasting ground for hundreds of flies. Unfortunately, common houseflies have a flight range of at least 5 miles (8Km), so unless you can organize a mass effort in your suburb; while clearing matter flies feed on and breed in; at best you may minimize them.

Secure compost bins and worm farms

Pretty much related to the above about garbage. Try to keep dairy and meat scraps out of your compost bin or worm farm; as that will discourage some types of flies. Even vegetable waste will be a nice breeding ground for some types of flies as I discovered one year in relation to a worm farm I had. I was able to reduce the the problem somewhat by putting mosquito netting over the worm farm; but I think I was a little late in doing so - so it's best to apply the netting as soon as it starts getting warm.

Fly strip/paper

Not so popular now, but still very useful. These are non toxic strips embedded with something such as honey and also an adhesive. The flies land on it and are, well.. stuck.

Fly curtain

If you have people coming in and out of your house regularly, especially children, chances are they'll bring flies in with them. A simple fly curtain made of strings of beads will greatly reduce the number that do get in.

Citronella oil and candles

Citronella oil is an essential oil extracted from the different species of Cymbopogon (lemon grass). It's considered a biopesticide and non-toxic. Burning a citronella oil candle or incense sticks will not only repel flies, but mosquitoes too. You can also buy special preparations of citronella oil to apply directly to your skin as a fly/mosquito repellent, but it does need to be applied more often than synthetic repellents.

Mint

Crushed mint can be placed in bowls or cloth bags and placed strategically around the home near common entrances.

Eucalyptus oil

Sprinkle a little eucalyptus oil on a scrap of cloth and place near entrances.

Fly repellent plants for the garden

Some species of plants you may be able to grow in your yard depending on your local climate conditions can help discourage flies. These include Lemon balm, Catnip, Mint, Chrysanthemums and Marigolds.

Check your flyscreens

OK, so this is a no-brainer I guess; but small holes in flyscreens are easy to miss - so it's a good idea to check them regularly during the season. The added benefit will be to prevent mosquitoes from annoying you (or worse).

DIY fly traps

Fly traps come in various shapes and sizes, and some are very easy to make - such as this bottle trap - it's a great way to keep at least one plastic bottle out of landfill :).

Light

Flies will tend to be attracted to and congregate in dark areas, particularly when it's hot, so allow as much natural light into your home as you can.

"Green" fly sprays

If all else fails, there are some "green" fly sprays available on the market that contain natural pyrethrum and citronella blends. We have used these from time to time and found them to be quite effective on flies; not so good on other insects.. which mightn't be a bad thing actually. However, these usually also contain other chemicals - so they may be the lesser of the evils rather than a truly green product and should also be used sparingly.

Got any tips for riding your home of nasty flies? Share them below!!


Shooing Flies in Granolaville,

Green Living Tips.com Green Living Tips is an online resource powered by renewable energy offering a wide variety of earth friendly tips, green guides, advice and environment related news to help consumers and business reduce costs, consumption and environmental impact. 

Taste It Tuesday: How Safe is Your Produce?

Have food companies roped you into believing everything you put in your body needs to be "Organic"? Labeling of our food can be very confusing. Terms like "All Natural", "Organic", "Natural Flavoring", and "Certified Organic" are thrown around all willy-nilly, its hard to differentiate what we should buy vs fattening these companies pockets.

I'm guilty of being a sucker to clever marketing. I once bought a brand of "Natural Whole Grain" bread thinking I was giving my family a good source of fiber and carbohydrates, only to read the back label to see that High Fructose Corn Syrup was the second ingredient. I don't know about you, but I don't think I want buckets of genetically modified corn sugar being dumped into my family's bread.

So how do you know which food should be organic and which are safe when traditionally grown? Well that's a trick question. The simple answer is NONE of our food should have added chemicals, whether it is being grown on a farm in the Mid-West or in our own backyard.

I know that this idealistic approach to food is not economically or geographically feasible for many people. Even if you are lucky enough to live near a grocery store that has USDA Certified Organic produce stocked on its shelves, the price of these items can border on extortion. (I just paid $5 for a container Organic strawberries).

Though the price of purchasing Organic food can deter many people from even considering it, just know that health benefits can far out weigh the dent in your wallet. Because organic farmers don't get subsidies from the government, and have a more labor intensive process to grow their food, their prices reflect the true cost of their work.

O.K. Getting back to which food to buy organically. This question can actually be answered by finding out which foods have the highest amount of pesticide and herbicide contamination. Each year the Environmental Working Group releases a list of the most contaminated foods, aptly titled the "Dirty Dozen".
  By switching to the USDA Organic varieties of these food you can greatly reduce your chemical intake by as much as 80% and avoid spending extra cash on food that doesn't necessarily need to be organic. 
If buying organic food is completely out of your budget try this simple natural food wash to help kill bacteria and dissolve wax or pesticides that remain on your foods.
Natural Veggie Wash   Ingrediants: A spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water, 2 tablespoons salt.
Directions: For thick skins (apples) spray directly on item, rub in, then rinse with water. For soft skins (peaches) place in a bowl to soak for 2 minutes, then rinse with water.   If you want to indulge in some produce that isn't covered in toxic chemicals also check out the "Clean 15" in this handy little print out.  

 
What kinds of organic food do you buy? Let me know in the comments section below!
Fresh and Clean in Granolaville, 

Resources:
http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=NE http://www.thedailygreen.com/ http://www.ewg.org/

Natural Mom Monday: Grandma Poisons Grandson with Easter Peeps

ARE WE POISONING OUR CHILDREN?

Not so long ago, in a galaxy pretty close to you, a certain grandmother was faced with a minor moral quandary: Should she continue the tradition of including packages of sugary Peeps in her grandsons’ Easter baskets? After all, they loved the candy, it was only once a year, AND the Peeps are even labeled "Gluten-free" (ironic, but true).

Unfortunately, for Grandma’s ability to ignore facts and still sleep well at night, she had become that most dreaded of shoppers, A LABEL READER. Now you can either blame this condition on the fact that beloved grandson #2 is highly allergic, and Gluten-intolerant, or you can attribute this fun-stopping habit to the fact that she works with Special Needs children, including many with ADHD. No matter, she is no longer able to buy first and read later.

So, viewing the Peeps label through her bifocals, she read "sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, contains less than 0.5% of the following ingredients: Yellow #5 (Tartrazine)…"as the saying goes, 'the rest is history’.

FD&C NO EVIL

FD&C Yellow #5 is classified by the Food & Drug Administration as a Color Additive. The letters mean that the substance is approved for use in Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics.

It is one of "nine certified color additives approved for use in the United States" according to the FDA in its pamphlet "Food Ingredients and Colors". The FDA further explains that FD&C Yellow #5 is a "certified color" meaning that it’s "synthetically produced (or human made) and used widely because…they are less expensive". Colors that are exempt from certification "include pigments derived from natural sources, such as vegetables, minerals or animals (and)…are typically more expensive".

So…if FD&C Yellow #5 isn’t made from a vegetable, mineral or animal, what is it made from? The answer is simple. Coal Tar Dye.

Coal Tar Dyes are synthetic dyes, once derived from coal tar which are currently derived from petroleum sources. (they are) used in foods, cosmetics and personal care products, such as hair dyes, shampoos and deodorants…

Now, the FDA can remove products from the market which are found to be harmful, with the interesting exception of hair dyes containing coal tar dyes, which must only contain a warning that "the product contains ingredients that may cause skin irritation on certain individuals" and if used near the eyes "may cause blindness". The specific culprit, a coal tar dye P-phenylenediamine, is commonly used in popular hair dyes, with darker shades containing more
than lighter shades.

Not planning on dyeing your little one’s hair this week, not to worry! Your child can still regularly consume Yellow #5, because it’s found in loads of common foods including:

cotton candy, soft drinks, energy drinks, instant puddings, flavored tortilla chips such as Doritos, breakfast cereals, cake mixes, pastries, pudding powders, soups, sauces, flavored rices such as paella, powdered drink mixes, sports drinks, ice cream, ice pops, candy, chewing gum, marzipan, jam, jelly, gelatins, marmalade, mustard, horseradish, yogurt...

WAIT A MINUTE! No body actually thought that those Peeps are really good for you, but YOGURT??? Yogurt is one of the healthier things many of us eat, and something we feed our babies and children because it’s good for them. Isn’t it?

WHAT’S IN SO-CALLED HEALTHY VARIETIES OF YOGURT—THE CHILLING TRUTH

So, off Grandma goes to a local chain supermarket known to stock a lot of healthy/holistic/organic foods, to see what the major players are putting in our children’s yogurt, instead of toxic Tartrazine/Coal Tar Dye. The following is a list of natural choices, containing colors derived from plant souurces (not labs):

DANNON
DANIMALS DOUBLE CRUSH BANANA & STRAWBERRY
PURE BLENDED YOGURT STRAWBERRY & BLUEBERRY COMBO PACK
STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIES EXPLOSION

YOPLAIT
DORA THE EXPLORER STRAWBERRY
TRIX STRAWBERRY BANANA BASH
LACTOSE FREE (NOT DAIRY FREE) VANILLA

STONYFIELD
YOBABY BLUEBERRY
YOTODDLER STRAWBERRY BANANA
YOKIDS BLUEBERRY

Okay, many child-oriented varieties of yogurt pass the Tartrazine test, but what
if Johnny wants something else to eat?

ADHD, ASTHMA & OTHER THINGS THE FDA DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT

A "major study published in the UK in 2007 linked food colorings with hyperactive behavior in children, resulting in the FSA (Britain’s FDA equivalent) calling on manufacturers to voluntarily ban food colorings."

In December of 2008, the European Union began requiring warning labels on foods containing artificial food coloring stating that the food "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children".

Though Tartrazine must be listed as an ingredient in the US, no warning is required. The FDA has been trying to dodge the ADHD/food coloring bullet, noting in its pamphlet only that "results from studies on this issue have been inclusive, inconsistent, or difficult to interpret", and cites a 1997 article (no that’s not a typo, the FDA is still in the previous century) noting "minimal evidence" supporting "restricted diets".

However, to cover their bureaucratic fannies, in the very next paragraph, the FDA advises an exception for "a small number of preschool children who may be sensitive to tartrazine, known commonly as FD&C Yellow #5".

Actually, more than a small number of pre-schoolers have been reported to be affected by Tartrazine, which is linked to Asthma, hives/skin rashes, and allergic reactions, in people of all ages, especially in individuals sensitive to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). Other studies have linked Tartrazine to migraines and a variety of "immunological responses".

WHERE DID I PUT MY BIFOCALS?!

I think I need to have a container of yogurt so that I’ll have the strength to read all of those labels on every product the next time I’m in the supermarket. Remember, each of us is our family’s best line of defense against harmful ingredients found in so many of the products we put into and on our bodies.

What are some other surprising ingredients you've found in your child's food?

Saying Peace Out to the Peeps from Granolaville,

~ Kalimah

Kalimah Karim is the Executive Director of The Granolaville Group, a veteran writer and Registered Nurse. Her focus is on community outreach and children with special needs. When she is not commuting to NYC for work she's spending time with her 3 grandsons, and  building a successful Doula business with her daughter, Nacia. Kalimah wants people in co-ops and apartments as well as people in suburban areas to know the benefits of holistic living.