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Growing Onions From Seed—It's Easier Than You Think
It's hard to believe, but in a matter of weeks it'll be time to start planning and yes, planting for our 2026 gardens. For us, that ceremonial moment is marked by starting our onion seeds. Join us as we discuss exactly how we plant to get the largest, most flavorful bulbs.
The Ultimate Guide to Growing Arugula: Tips, Companion Plants, and More
Arugula, also known as roquette or rocket, is a beloved salad green that matures quickly while adding a delightful tang to your favorite dishes. What’s more, this cool-weather crop is easy to grow, making it a fantastic addition to any garden. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore every aspect of growing arugula, from site preparation to companion plants and even saving seeds.
How to Grow Kale: The Easiest, Hardiest Green You Can Grow
New to gardening? Looking for a veggie to help you ride out the end of the world? In this article we talk all about growing kale and why it just might be the easiest, hardiest vegetable you'll ever grow.
Our Favorite Deer-Resistant Flowers for Pots, Beds, and Cutting Gardens
Tried and tested in the heart of deer country, these deer-resistant flowers bring lasting color and beauty—without becoming dinner.
How a Parasitic Wasp Turns Tomato Hornworms into Zombie Bodyguards
A parasitic wasp and a zombie-making virus team up to hijack a caterpillar's behavior, turning it into a bodyguard for the very creatures that have been feeding on it. Sound too crazy to be true? It isn't. This week, we're wrapping up our series on tomato hornworms and their archnemesis, the braconid wasp. And in some of the creepiest science yet, we'll discover how this tiny wasp manages to manipulate a creature many times its size.
Fall is the Secret Season: Why Growing Beets in Autumn Leads to the Best Harvest
Discover why beets thrive in cool weather, how fall planting improves flavor, and tips for a bumper harvest before winter sets in.
Growing Black-Eyed Peas: A Homegrown New Year's Tradition
For many families, the New Year begins with a pot of black-eyed peas. In this week's post we're discussing everything you need to know about growing them. From sowing to cultivating and harvesting, here's how to start your own New Year's tradition.
Amish Paste or Roma? A Gardener’s Guide to Choosing the Best Paste Tomato
It's a battle for sauce-premacy. In this week's blog post, two of the world's most popular canning tomatoes duel it out to decide which one is the ultimate canning tomato.
New Study Reveals How Frost Improves the Nutrition of Fermented Vegetables
Fermentation is a centuries-old method of preserving the harvest. But recent research suggests that when those vegetables are harvested can have a surprising impact on the quality of the finished ferment. In this week’s post, we’re exploring how frost may alter the flavor, nutrition, and probiotic potential of fermented foods.
Transplanting Tomatoes—The Mudball Trick That Eliminates Daily Watering
Transplanting—it's a stressful time for tomato plants and a busy one for gardeners. This week we're sharing a trick we use to eliminate the need for frequent watering after transplanting. Join us as we share the details on this proven, time-saving technique.
How to Hand Pollinate Corn: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Seed Set
Hand pollinating corn—it sounds complicated but in reality, it's surprisingly simple. Whether you're looking to improve kernel fill on your sweet corn planting or want to get into seed saving, we're laying out everything you need to know to perform your first hand pollinations.
Should You Kill Tomato Hornworms? What Happened When We Didn’t
As this season wraps up, we’re taking some time to reflect on the garden—what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons we learned along the way. And this year, one lesson came in the form of a very large, very hungry green caterpillar. The tomato hornworm can be astonishingly destructive, and yet it's also an important pollinator. Join us as we share the results of our (mostly) hands-off experiment in natural pest control.
Why Isn’t My Cauliflower Forming a Head? Common Causes and Fixes
Cauliflower may be the trickiest of the brassicas, but it isn’t impossible. In this week's post, we share the most common reasons plants grow leaves without a head—and what you can do to finally harvest beautiful cauliflower in your own garden.
Marglobe: The Tomato That Rescued a Farming Industry
This week were celebrating the 100th birthday of the Marglobe Tomato with a deep dive into its history, importance, and lasting impact on the American garden.
Sow, Reap, Steep—Our Favorite Herbs to Grow for Tea Making
It's tea season and this week we're discussing our favorite herbs to grow for crafting fresh and flavorful homegrown tea. Grab a cup and join us as we talk about tea—how to grow it, harvest, store and steep for maximum freshness and flavor.
Tomato Colors Explained: How Tomatoes Get Their Unique Colors
Their diversity of color and shape is what makes heirloom tomatoes so famous. In this week's post we're diving into the surprisingly simple biology of tomato color to reveal a few simple variables that combine to give tomatoes such a wide variety of colors.
Our Best Carrots Ranked—8 Heirloom Carrots for Every Home Garden
Pot roast season is upon us and we're thinking carrots. Join us as we rank our all-time favorites for performance, reliability, and flavor.
Why Plants Curl Their Leaves and Why (Most of the Time) You Shouldn't Care
Leaf curl isn’t usually a cause for concern—but it can be. In this week’s article, we explore why plants curl their leaves, what it means, and how to tell when it’s time to take action (and when it’s not).
Growing Sorghum: A Complete Guide for Gardeners, Homesteaders, and Curious First-Timers
A practical, experience-based guide to growing heirloom sorghum for syrup, seed, and beauty—complete with planting tips, variety recommendations, and harvesting advice.
Our 10 Best Tomatoes for Canning
From rich sauces to beautiful stewed tomatoes, this guide shares our 10 favorite heirloom canning tomatoes—plus tips on choosing the right varieties for every recipe.
Types of Zucchini: A Closer Look at the Squash We Thought We Knew
Zucchini—we all know them. But do we really? From traditional dark green types to garden oddities, in this week's post we're talking all about different kinds of zucchini—their origins, uses, and growing habits. As if you didn't have enough zucchini already, here are some reasons to grow a few more.
Tomato Flowers Falling Off? 5 Research-Backed Reasons (and How to Fix Them)
In this week's post we're discussing why tomato flowers sometimes drop without producing fruit and how to fix it. Backed by scientific research, this post aims to provide help (and hope) for gardeners facing this all-too-common issue.
How to Save Tomato Seeds—A Beginner's Guide
Saving your own tomato seeds ensures you'll have your favorite varieties at hand for years to come. Check out this week's blog to get started on your tomato seed saving journey.
Why Cold Weather Makes Fall Vegetables Taste Better
Sweet, crisp and oh so delicious! Why is it that this time of year brings some of the tastiest harvests of the season? In this week's post we're digging into the science behind fall flavor, and why some vegetables taste their best when the weather turns cold.
8 Easy-to-Grow Flowers for Cutting Gardens
From zinnias to baby’s breath, discover the joy of growing your own bouquets with these easy, reliable flowers for a cutting garden that keeps giving all season long.
A Look Inside our DIY Passive-Solar, Mobile Chicken Coop
As we sit buried under several inches of snow, we're taking a break from gardening to talk chicken coops—notably, our new mobile chicken palace. Read along as we chat about the new coop and how it's keeping our flock warm and toasty in this cold, Iowa weather.
Growing Cantaloupe from Seed—A Guided Tutorial
If you aren't already pining for summer weather, this post will take you there. We're talking all about growing cantaloupe and we've brought some mouthwatering melon photography for inspiration.
How to Save Cucumber Seeds for Next Year's Garden
Cucumber season may be coming to an end, but with a little effort, it could also be a new beginning. In this week’s blog, we’re covering everything you need to know to save cucumber seeds—from choosing the right fruits to cleaning, fermenting, and storing them for next year’s garden.
Encouragement for the Not-So-Gifted Gardener
Struggling with weedy beds or finicky seeds? You're not a bad gardener—just a normal one. This encouraging read busts common myths and offers honest, practical tips to help you grow with more confidence (and a little grace).
The One Benefit of Fall Gardening You've Probably Never Considered
Love fall gardening? New research shows that working in cool weather may offer surprising heart-health benefits. In this week's post we're discussing how you can make the most out of your fall garden work.
Early America's Pie Pumpkins Were Not What You'd Expect—These Heirlooms Prove It
In anticipation of Thanksgiving, we're diving into history to learn about the pumpkins that went into those first holiday pies. Join us as we explore five heirloom pumpkins that challenge the modern American view of what a pumpkin ought to be.
The Best Cherry Tomato Varieties You've Probably Never Tasted
They’re productive, deeply flavorful, and to most gardeners, completely unheard of. This week we're shining a light on some of our tastiest, yet mostly unknown, cherry tomatoes. They deserve some attention and this week we're going to give it to them.
We Ranked Them—The 10 Best-Tasting Tomatoes We've Grown
It was a tough task, but we're summing up 20 years of heirloom gardening in 10 terrific-tasting tomatoes. Join us as we go through our favorites and talk about what makes them so special.
Growing Cabbage in Fall: It's Easier Than You Think
Less weed pressure, fewer pests, sweeter flavor—growing cabbages in fall is much easier (and tastier) than many realize. In this week's blog post, we're covering everything you need to know to do it.
Are Yellow Tomatoes Really Less Acidic? The Answer May Surprise You
Yellow tomatoes have a reputation for being lower in acid—but is that really true? This week we dive into the science to answer this popular question.
Garden Gold: How One Iowa Gardener Turns Rabbit Poop into Big Harvests
In Guthrie County, Iowa, gardener Kristi Skinner turns rabbit manure into “garden gold,” using it straight from the hutch to grow everything from peppers to potatoes—with impressive results.
Why Some Tomatoes Have Green Shoulders (And Why That's Actually a Good Thing)
Are green shoulders bad? This week we're flipping the script on this so-called flaw to expose the truth behind green shoulders—what causes them and why they're often a sign of good things to come. Join us as we move beyond appearances to explore the roots of really good tomato flavor.
8 Benefits of Raised Garden Beds (For Gardens of Any Size)
Reduced compaction, improved drainage, easier weeding—raised garden beds offer a number of benefits. And they aren't just for urban gardeners. In this week's post we're going through all of the benefits of raised beds, and discussing why after twenty years, we still use them here on the farm.
Why Heirloom Tomatoes Taste Better: The Juicy Science Behind Tomato Flavor
This week, we're diving into the science that proves what we all know to be true—heirloom tomatoes just taste better. Join us as we dive into the juicy science behind tomato flavor.